From the Abyss of Stars

29. Bite Marks

 

Boom!

 

Suddenly, Nodrey charged, her shoulder smashing into a reinforced concrete load-bearing wall, causing it to crumble immediately. She reached through the wall, grabbing a White Fang bandit's face, her fingers digging in.

 

The bandit didn’t have time to scream before his face was crushed under the pressure of her fingers. With a swift pull, Nodrey tore off his face along with bones, exposing his steaming brain.

 

"What the hell, how do we fight this?!"

 

Witnessing this horrifying scene, most of the desperados felt a chill down their spines.

 

Against ordinary people, Nodrey’s slaughter was effortless. She was like a meat grinder, tearing apart anyone who approached her.

 

Her massive body could explode with the speed of a leopard. Dealing with ordinary bandits required only a run, a grab, and a squeeze. In an instant, her fierce gaze would lock onto the next target.

 

"Damn it, bastard—"

 

Someone couldn’t bear it anymore and raised his gun. Before he could aim, Nodrey’s violent wind approached. Her mountain-like body merely brushed past him, sending him flying into the wall with a broken spine, dead on impact.

 

Those farther away reacted, concentrating their fire on Nodrey. But she merely shook her body, clenching her fists together.

 

Energy Burst!

 

White-hot energy turned tangible, spreading faster and more viciously than high-pressure steam. The bullets veered off course before they even got close to her body.

 

Rat-a-tat-tat—

 

The heat and smoke blurred their vision as bullets rained down. No one knew if they hit the target. In a life-and-death situation, they just kept firing.

 

Click!

 

The gunfire ceased. The bandits quickly changed magazines and chambered rounds. Just as they were about to pull the trigger again, a large, white-glowing fist appeared before them.

 

Whoosh—

 

With a sharp sound, the shooter's head flew off, smashing into the wall ten meters away and exploding like a watermelon.

 

"Shit! She's inside!"

 

Some new recruits were extremely nervous, losing their wits as Nodrey's quick slaughter made them irrational. Even though she was close, they instinctively turned their guns on her and held down the trigger.

 

Nodrey merely twisted her body, letting the gunfire weave through her. The bullets ended up hitting many White Fang bandits, incapacitating them instantly.

 

"Stop shooting—ugh!"

 

"Stop, stop! We’ll all die at this range."

 

"Use handguns, you idiots!"

 

But no matter how they struggled, these bandits close to a martial artist had their fate sealed.

 

"None of you will escape!"

 

Nodrey’s eyes were blood-red. The actions of these scum had thoroughly enraged her.

 

Robbery, murder, humiliation, and bullying of defenseless women and disabled patients...

 

"Die!"

 

She struck with both hands, grabbing two bandits' heads and pulling forward, extracting two spines. Infused with energy, she used them as whips, slashing through the crowd.

 

"Double Wind Split Slash!"

 

Nodrey unleashed her martial arts killing move without reservation. The spines, energized and sharp, slashed and smashed through the crowd. The bandits, unable to resist, fled in panic, pushing each other to block Nodrey’s pursuit.

 

"You scum! You all deserve to die!"

 

Nodrey, nearly frenzied, abandoned all defense, crashing into the crowd and breaking bones with brute force. She ignored the weapons and bullets piercing her flesh, continuing to whip and slash everything in front of her.

 

She smashed one spine on a man's head, the sharp tailbone piercing his skull. Nodrey remained indifferent, fingers gouging out his eyes, ready to swing the other spine when a gap opened in the crowd.

 

Nodrey saw a pair of lifeless, hollow eyes.

 

Whoosh—bang!

 

Nodrey couldn't react as a shadow, like a high-speed train, crashed into her chest. Despite being an Alpha-tier martial artist, she couldn’t avoid it and took the hit directly. The shadow beast continued to claw and bite as she flew back.

 

Nodrey raised her hand to block, landing on one foot, releasing energy to stabilize herself. The shadow extended its arms, elbows slamming down hard. Nodrey staggered, and before she could regain her footing, the shadow hit her with a shoulder charge, followed by claws tearing through her defenses and biting her face.

 

Sss—

 

Nodrey gritted her teeth as a chunk of her left cheek was bitten off. The pain disrupted her internal energy, forcing her to try to repel the enemy to stabilize her stance.

 

However, her palm strike was met with the shadow splitting into three, bypassing her defenses and hitting her ribs, shoulder, and neck.

 

"Hiss—"

 

Nodrey's pupils contracted. The severe pain and injuries disrupted her breathing, and her unstable mindset caused her internal energy to become chaotic.

 

Martial artists fear instability during battle. It’s not about fearing deviation but about making fewer mistakes in life-and-death situations.

 

Unstable energy flow was just a moment, but the resulting chain reaction caused a slight delay in her actions.

 

In less than 0.21 seconds, the shadow's claws pierced her protective energy and into her chest.

 

Splat—

 

Nodrey spat blood, her lungs pierced, filling with blood and disrupting her breathing. But she could still fight, as a martial artist, she could still unleash her strength.

 

Against these inhumane scum, she would fight to the death to eradicate them.

 

However, she saw a young girl in the crowd, dressed in ill-fitting clothes, covered in scars.

 

The girl, wrapped in dirty bandages, had bullet holes and burns all over, with dark purple erosion spreading across her skin, emitting a stench of decay.

 

She stood there blankly, her red-black eyes like the ominous clouds in the sky.

 

"...Patient."

 

Still so young, her body not yet developed, destroyed by hunger and bullets, she used her power unconsciously, without excitement or fear, as if the world was irrelevant to her.

 

'I am fighting a child.'

 

Nodrey wavered. If she were a warrior, she would kill the enemy without hesitation.

 

But she wasn’t a true warrior. She was the head nurse of the Humanitarian Relief Organization.

 

Her raised fist hesitated, not even feeling the claws piercing her body.

 

'I must kill her; she's too dangerous, but how can I kill a child... an infected one.'

 

'These scum!'

 

'I... can’t do it.'

 

Nodrey realized she could continue fighting and might even kill this infected girl.

 

But doing so would betray the beliefs instilled in her since birth.

 

"I will use my power and judgment to benefit my patients and restrain harmful actions. I will not give harmful drugs, even if requested..."

 

"Wherever I go, I will strive for my patients' happiness and avoid harmful and evil actions, especially not seduction."

 

"What I see and hear, whether business-related or not, I will keep secret. If I keep this oath, may the gods grant me glory in life and skill. If I break it, may the heavens, earth, and spirits punish me."

 

The Hippocratic Oath she took when joining the Humanitarian Relief Organization echoed in her ears.

 

How can I harm such a child?

 

The shadow's claws continued to pierce, but Nodrey released her fist.

 

The girl remained expressionless until the leader's voice rang out:

 

"Enough, Sonia. Reinforcements are coming; we must leave."

 

The girl slightly raised her head, the shadow rapidly retracting into her body, dark wounds spreading on her skin, the stench of decay intensifying.

 

"But boss, one more hit and she's dead." The bandit still feared Nodrey's terrifying strength.

 

"So what if she dies?" The leader glanced at the heavily injured Nodrey. "A severely injured person requires at least two caretakers. Do you think they won’t invest heavily in treating such an important asset? Sometimes, a living person is more valuable than a dead one. Take the loot and women; we're leaving."

 

"Boss, you’re wise!" The bandit spit at Nodrey, flipping her off. "Bitch, your women and supplies are great. We’ll be back!"

 

"Hahaha, we hit the jackpot! Medical equipment, prosthetic parts, antibiotics, batteries, and diesel. We’ll dominate the outside world."

 

"And several pretty girls. Tsk, tsk, not enough to go around. Boss, let's grab a few more..."

 

"What's the rush?" The leader grabbed Sonia by the neck, tossing her to his men. "Here's one for you."

 

"But boss... she’s already rotten..."

 

Sonia remained unresponsive. The leader pinched her thin face, glanced at his men, and said:

 

"Better than nothing. She’s obedient and won’t resist. Don’t try to negotiate with me. I’m doing you a favor."

 

"No, no, you’re right. We’ve just been starving for so long... Cover your nose, turn off the lights; it’s not a big deal."

 

"Don't... don't try to escape..."

 

Nodrey, exhausted, knelt on the ground, her fingers digging into the wall. Her vision grew increasingly blurry, and her gaze became listless.