Chapter 100: Thunderous Means
On the third floor of the Doomsday Ruins, inside a decayed and dilapidated room, Zhou Ming hid within a rusted, broken iron cabinet — judging from its appearance, it must have once been used to store files.
After dealing with the Human-faced Giant Python, Zhou Ming casually found a safe room to hide in.
This time, before leaving Qinshan Base, Zhou Ming had made thorough preparations, carrying several vials of potions for treating injuries.
After consuming a potion, the utterly exhausted Zhou Ming issued a guarding command to Inkband and Vermilion Jade, before falling into deep sleep himself.
As for the Ironthread Snake group, in order to avoid attracting attention, Zhou Ming had recalled them into his Beast Space in advance.
However, the third floor of the ruins did not become peaceful due to Zhou Ming’s slumber.
In this lightless underground expanse — resembling a dark forest — as more people descended, scenes of slaughter, ambush, and surprise attacks unfolded endlessly.
At this moment, humans were no different from the Ferocious Beasts of the wilderness.
All sorts of valuable ores, Ferocious Beast materials, specialized research documents, and antiques left from the Doomsday Era — anything of worth drove the Beast Tamers and Hunters who entered the third floor to fight to the death.
Besides the battles between humans, numerous desiccated corpse monsters also joined in.
This underground ruin, which had lain silent for centuries, had now turned into a meat grinder.
“Big Brother, the Zhang Family’s squad has already taken over the laboratory’s core area. What should we do now?”
A four-person squad emerged from a dark tunnel, one of them asking their leader anxiously.
“No rush. The monster guarding the laboratory entrance already has strength close to a high-tier Ferocious Beast. It won’t be easy for them to obtain the Class Advancement information anytime soon.”
“We’re all injured to some extent; let’s rest first and recover.”
Although the leader’s analysis wasn’t wrong, the one who had spoken first still couldn’t hide his worry.
“Boss, what if the Zhang Family joins forces with other factions? The He Family, the Ice Bear Hunting Corps, the Starsea Group — all those big powers have arrived.”
“If they get the Class Advancement data, we four brothers might never become Professional Beast Tamers in this lifetime!”
Judging by their tone, their strength had reached the peak of the apprentice level — what they needed most now was the advancement information to become Professional Beast Tamers.
Then again, if they weren’t strong enough, they wouldn’t have survived till now.
After all the brutal fighting, the ones still alive on this third floor were the elites among apprentices — considered skilled even in the outside world.
“You’re anxious? I’m even more so. But if they really join hands, it’s even better. Once they deal with that monster, there’s bound to be conflict among them. That’s when we’ll play the mantis stalking the cicada — and we’ll be the oriole behind.”
The leader understood his third brother’s impatience.
After all, once one became a Professional Beast Tamer, not only would one’s lifespan increase by two or three decades, but one’s strength would also undergo a qualitative leap, elevating one’s status among Hunters.
By then, they would have enough resources to form their own Hunting Corps, standing on equal footing with the great powers.
Such temptation was irresistible.
“Big Brother, looks like someone’s been in this room.”
As seasoned Hunters, they remained vigilant amid the perilous ruins.
The second brother, spotting footprints in the dust, immediately warned the group.
“Seems there are only footprints going in — none coming out.”
The third brother spoke next; as any competent Hunter, he was versed in basic tracking.
Realizing the situation, the four immediately hooked their fingers around the triggers of their guns.
The Beasts under their command also readied themselves to strike at any moment.
The underground ruins were vast. Since they had once held Ferocious Beasts for research, the corridors were wide enough to allow Beasts to fight effectively.
“Toss a flashbang first.”
Uncertain of what lay ahead, the leader didn’t risk sending their Beasts forward; instead, he instructed the second brother to throw a flashbang.
“Understood.”
The second brother slung his gun, reaching into his pack to pull out a flashbang.
Though weaker than a high-explosive grenade, flashbangs exerted strong control over both humans and Beasts — effective even behind cover.
“Roar—!”
However, before he could even pull the pin, a deafening crack of thunder erupted from inside the room.
The pitch-black doorway seemed like a bottomless pit — a sleeping giant beast roused in fury.
The second brother, just stepping forward, didn’t even have time to react before a flash of fire streaked out.
Amid a thunderous roar, his body was flung backward — smashed violently against the wall.
In the eyes of the remaining three, their second brother’s torso had been severed cleanly at the waist — crimson blood splattering across the tunnel walls.
“Second Brother!!”
The third brother let out a heart-wrenching scream at the sight.
“Retreat! That’s a Thunder Type-2 Revolver!”
The experienced leader instantly recognized the weapon.
Facing someone wielding a Thunder Type-2 Revolver in the narrow corridor — they didn’t even have a chance to resist.
Whether human or Beast, both could be felled with a single shot.
They were no Human-faced Giant Python.
Seeing the third brother about to charge forward, the leader yanked him back and shouted to the fourth.
“Fourth! Cover!”
Among the four, the fourth brother’s Armored Bull had the strongest defense.
Knowing the difficulty of handling the Thunder Type-2 Revolver, the leader counted on the enemy’s hesitation — if one shot couldn’t instantly kill the Armored Bull, the enemy might falter.
As soon as he gave the order, the fourth brother — already highly coordinated — commanded his Armored Bull to charge forward, his gun spitting fire continuously.
“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
Perhaps driven by his second brother’s death, he didn’t stop shooting for even a second.
However, within those brief two or three seconds, Zhou Ming had already unleashed his next attack.
Another thunderous roar erupted — Zhou Ming’s strike grievously wounded the Armored Bull, leaving it on the verge of death.
The moment the sound stunned the three outside, Zhou Ming’s high-explosive grenade — already counting down — completed its timer.
In the pitch-black corridor, Zhou Ming hurled the grenade against the wall, and the immense rebound sent it spinning out into the unseen darkness ahead.
“Boom—!”
The explosion’s shockwave far surpassed even the roar of the Thunder Type-2 Revolver.
“Ahhh—!”
After two decisive shots from the Thunder Type-2 Revolver that had already eliminated two combatants, the sudden grenade — thrown with precision and timing — gave the remaining two no chance to react.
Having learned from past mistakes, Zhou Ming had thrown this grenade with a timed delay and a rebound trajectory — leaving no room for survival.
After the thunderous assault ended, Inkband and Vermilion Jade darted out, their small forms swiftly cleaning up the aftermath.
Against desiccated corpse monsters they were less effective — but against frail humans, they were far deadlier than ordinary Ferocious Beasts.
Once the chaos subsided, a figure clad in a Combat Suit slowly stepped out from the room.
“You came to the wrong place.”
That was Zhou Ming’s judgment on them — after their deaths.