Chapter Seventy-Nine: The Allure of Close-Quarters Combat!

The enormous serrated hyena, over two meters in length and weighing no less than a ton, was actually sent airborne for a moment by Fang Mu’s kick. In the end, driven by the force of its own pounce, its entire body flew past him. Fang Mu’s head was thus spared the fate of being slashed by its claws.

The exchange was as swift as a startled hare or a diving hawk, reaching the limits of speed. In that instant, Fang Mu’s heart thundered in his chest—he had nearly been gravely injured in the blink of an eye.

He twisted his body to follow through, landing on his feet just as the serrated hyena hit the ground. The power of his kick was terrifying, yet clearly not enough to seriously wound the beast. Without missing a beat, the hyena lunged at him again.

Such an unrelenting barrage of attacks was something Fang Mu had never experienced before. As a gunfighter, he was accustomed to firing a shot and moving to a new position. No matter what happened after the shot, there was a moment of calm. But this close-quarters combat was relentless—offering him not a single chance to catch his breath.

Caught off guard, he stumbled backward, nearly having his head caught in the hyena’s jaws. Startled, he abandoned all thought of elegance and rolled desperately aside to evade the strike.

Throughout the ordeal, his heartbeat raced and adrenaline surged uncontrollably through his veins—a sensation he had never felt before. For a moment, his mind seemed to empty, everything fading but his instinct to survive.

His genetic energy began to surge violently—not at his command, but naturally, as if hot water had suddenly come to a boil. Before, his genetic energy had lain dormant and tepid within him; now, it churned of its own accord, beyond his control.

The heat flooded through his body, a strange activation of his genes that he sensed in every fiber of his being, instantly feeding back into his mind.

But the fight was far from over.

Fang Mu had no time to ponder the sensation. He scrambled to his feet—the serrated hyena was already upon him once more.

Gritting his teeth, he twisted aside and lashed out with another kick, seeking to break the beast’s charge.

This time, however, he was less fortunate. The sharp claws on its forelimbs grazed his cheek, drawing a thin line of blood.

Fang Mu’s expression changed dramatically. He truly understood now what it meant for battle to be ceaseless and unending—no sooner had he avoided one attack than another followed without pause.

Even after barely evading a deadly pounce, suffering just a scratch, the hyena—so accustomed to close combat—hesitated not at all. As soon as it landed, it lunged at him again, not even a millisecond’s delay.

Heart pounding ever faster, Fang Mu could do nothing but grit his teeth and keep dodging.

At last, he could bear it no longer. While evading, he raised his pistol.

Bang!

A flash of fire erupted from the muzzle, striking the serrated hyena square in the belly.

With the bullet augmented by his genetic energy, it burrowed into the beast’s flesh.

Flames exploded.

A ghastly howl tore from the hyena’s throat as fire engulfed it. This time, as it hit the ground, it no longer attacked but instead rolled frantically, desperate to snuff out the flames.

This, however, was not good news for Fang Mu—he was nearly caught up in the beast’s wild thrashing. Luckily, his reflexes were swift; after several quick rolls, he sprang away to a safe distance.

Finally, he could catch his breath.

His face had gone pale, heart still pounding furiously, the genetic energy within him boiling. Without hesitation, he fired twice more.

Bang! Bang!

Two more bursts of fire flared as bullets pierced the hyena’s body.

The beast howled and thrashed, but the flames were too fierce. Its fur burned away, and the searing pain robbed it of the strength to stand.

It clawed at the earth, trying to escape, but the agony kept it down.

After a few minutes…

It moved no more, and its body grew black and charred amid the dying flames.

Only when the fire had finally burned out did Fang Mu let out a long breath. Still, his heart thudded like thunder within his chest.

So this was close-quarters combat?

Fang Mu stood in a daze.

It was, as expected, utterly unlike sniping.

A sniper’s fight was a single, lethal strike. There was tension and excitement, yes—but within certain limits. Usually, after firing the shot, whether it hit or missed, the tension peaked and then quickly faded to calm.

But close combat was nothing like that—it was an unbroken storm, a ceaseless, torrential thrill.

Not every second, but every millisecond, every instant, he was riding the crest of excitement.

Every muscle, every drop of genetic energy within him, trembled, surged, and boiled with anticipation.

No one could be sure if the very next breath would see them lose their head.

This intoxicating intensity, this almost addictive stimulation, left Fang Mu exhausted—his heart weary from the strain.

In the midst of battle, he’d even felt as though he were back in the icy crevasse, seizing that one chance to gun down the Golden Madblade.

No—it was even more enduring than that.

This was close combat!

“No wonder close-combat specialists advance more easily than gunfighters… So every battle for them is like this…” Fang Mu marveled.

His first taste of close combat was like opening the door to a new world.

His eyes shone brightly.

The sensation was unfamiliar, disorienting at first.

But now, in the aftermath, as he relived the memory, the blood-stirring rush of battle was nothing short of intoxicating.

With adrenaline surging, every second demanded absolute focus; a single misstep meant death. The thrill of skirting the edge of life and death set his blood ablaze.

Fang Mu licked his lips.

He liked this feeling!

“Once isn’t enough—I need more!”

His gaze grew feverish. Taking a deep breath, he looked around. After confirming that there were no other evolved beings nearby, he strode to the charred corpse of the serrated hyena. With both hands, he hefted the body—over a ton, but no burden for his current strength—and stored it in his spatial arsenal.

Then Fang Mu’s eyes locked onto another lone serrated hyena in the distance.

“This time, I’ll be stronger than before…”

His heart began to race once more. Wiping the blood from the cut on his face, he lowered his body and moved stealthily toward his next foe…

[It’s a new book launch, so daily updates are indeed few. Please understand—longer chapters make it harder to get featured. Once the book is officially released, I’ll update like my life depends on it, to make it as enjoyable as possible! So, please recommend, comment, and bookmark—don’t be shy! It’s all free! Your support is what will carry this story further. Thank you!]