Chapter 30: The Wisdom of Humanity

Now, the Shadow Panther that had once belonged to the boy in black appeared so suddenly on the battlefield of Fuxiang City, his cold, clear eyes sweeping over the survivors. It seemed, at first glance, as though this battle had ended in defeat for the mutants and victory for the humans.

But was that truly so?

Those mindless mutant creatures existed for nothing more than to exhaust the powers of humanity’s gifted individuals. Like wild beasts sent to slaughter, trading countless lives for that of a single human with abilities—it was a bargain well struck.

The boy in black understood this truth: in this battle, he had not lost at all, but rather achieved overwhelming victory. He had used the most insignificant of lives to exchange for ones of true value—an exchange inherently unequal.

Yet this was not his true objective. The battle was not over. He had come here for another reason entirely: to repay a humiliation suffered long ago, to kill the human he hated most.

Even if he took on the form of a demon with wings sprouting from his back, he would never fail to recognize that human.

“Oh, pitiful humans with your vaunted wisdom, I will show you what true intelligence is!” the boy in black chittered, his laughter sharp. “That wretched Summer Yan—after half a day of fighting, you must be exhausted, ready to collapse and sleep for days.”

He laughed wildly. “This is my wisdom! I am now in my perfect state, and you—how much strength do you have left? Even if there’s always been a gulf between us, even at your best I could have killed you easily. But I choose to use my mind to defeat you.”

“I am the perfect human,” he howled with manic glee. “Summer Yan, you think yourself clever, but in my eyes, you’re just a puppet, so easily manipulated.”

The Shadow Panther, now in the form of the boy in black, had no intention of slaughtering the remaining humans. He would kill only his true target—the one who had wounded him, who had earned his hatred: Summer Yan.

Wait. He would wait still longer. With his intellect, he would bide his time for the perfect moment.

Time slipped quietly by, dusk gathering over the battlefield, the conflict drawing to its close.

“He’s coming,” murmured the boy in black, eyes fixed on the distance, recognizing the familiar figure—that human named Summer Yan. Excitement shone in his gaze. He longed to see Summer Yan’s face in the throes of death, the terror, the despair—such a sight would be his greatest pleasure.

It would be, for him—the orchestrator of this drama—the ultimate gift from the gods.

Summer Yan had already released his demonic power, appearing now no different than usual. He strode across the battlefield, finishing off the remaining mutants—those weak creatures stood no chance against him.

Not far away, Nangong Yong watched Summer Yan, confusion clouding her eyes. You’ve fought for so long, endured so much, not even pausing for a drink or a breath, and even now, you refuse to rest!

She knew well that Summer Yan was the greatest hero of this battle. Without him, perhaps none of them would have survived. He deserved the adulation of the crowd, the throne at the victory feast.

The level four mutants were all dead, and only a few level threes remained. He could rest now—there was no need to push himself so hard.

She wanted to reach out, but found that the space within her grasp was too narrow; the distance between them was insurmountable, and she pouted, unwilling to accept it.

She knew she had lost, utterly and completely, even if she offered up her soul. There was no chance for a reversal now. Summer Yan was truly a miracle worker, but the miracle only brought her regret.

If someone could never love her, then all her efforts were nothing but a joke. This was her reality with Summer Yan.

Give up.

She whispered to herself. There was no meaning anymore.

“Summer Yan!” Suddenly, Nangong Yong saw a shadow lunging at Summer Yan from behind. She cried out, her voice filled with terror and unwillingness.

Even if she lost, Summer Yan should not die!

Then she realized—it was not a human, but a mutant lurking in the darkness—the Shadow Panther, master of ambush.

This Shadow Panther, king of the mutants, had evolved to level five, a formidable being who could take human shape at will. His power was beyond imagining.

“Summer Yan!” Despair flooded Nangong Yong’s voice.

But in the next instant, her gaze softened. What she feared did not come to pass.

“So you finally showed yourself!” With a thought, Summer Yan transformed, taking on a demon’s form—grotesque, otherworldly, almost inhuman, exuding a sinister allure.

As his power surged, he became a blur, dodging the attack in an instant. The boy in black’s ambush was wasted.

“Human, Summer Yan,” the boy in black said in disbelief, “I never thought you could still guard against me after expending so much energy. I underestimated you.”

“I’ve seen this Shadow Panther before,” Summer Yan murmured. “I didn’t expect that injured beast to evolve to level five.”

“All thanks to you, Summer Yan. You and I have tasted defeat, and it taught me the value of intellect. It drove me to evolve to a higher plane,” the boy in black laughed wildly. “Summer Yan, do you realize? This is the battlefield I designed. Countless friends and clansmen of yours have died because of me. Does that not drive you mad? Make you hate me? Fill you with fury?”

He laughed, looking down on Summer Yan from above, waiting eagerly for a glimpse of despair in his eyes.

Yet reality always defies expectation.

“Not at all,” Summer Yan shook his head.

“You—!” the boy in black roared. “Summer Yan, you cannot possibly defeat me now. I’ll kill you and wash away the humiliation you dealt me ten months ago. We mutants are far more intelligent than you lowly humans!”

“Our final plan,” Summer Yan sneered, “was to lure you out and kill you. This battle is not over, but your death will end it for good.”

“Summer Yan!” the boy in black screamed.

“Shadow Panther, you think yourself clever, and you underestimate humanity. That’s fine. But in the end, you will still die by human wisdom. Does that not matter to you?”

“Impossible! That’s impossible!” The boy in black was beside himself with rage. “You’re playing me, Summer Yan! You’re dead!”

“Shadow Panther, look behind you,” Summer Yan said with a smile.

The boy in black did not turn, but he sensed the presence of two people behind him.

The former captain of Guardian Squad Three, Feng Qiang, possessed the elite combat power of the Guardians.

And the successor to Ai You’s former position, now head of Fuxiang City’s ability training institute—a middle-aged man in white, a member of the Wolfkin.

Summer Yan, the man in white, and Feng Qiang—these were the three greatest powers Fuxiang City could muster, now closing in on the Shadow Panther.

“Die!” The boy in black instantly transformed back to his beast form, claws slashing at Summer Yan.

Summer Yan raised his blade, gray flames flickering onto its shifting edge.

“Charged Slash!” He gathered power in advance, and as the Shadow Panther lunged, struck with a single blow.

Clang!

A sharp ring echoed as both sides retreated. Summer Yan had to admit, he was no match for the Shadow Panther. At level five, the beast surpassed any of them—himself, the man in white, or Feng Qiang.

But beset by all three, the balance of power shifted.

Feng Qiang, blindingly fast, closed in and punched the ground, sending a shockwave of earth energy surging toward the beast.

The institute head, wielding a massive hammer, was swift to follow, unleashing his bloodline and transforming into a berserk Wolfkin—every attribute augmented.

The Wolfkin could not fly, but their strength, speed, and reflexes soared. Their transformation could be seen as a substantial boost in physical power.

The hammer swung at the Shadow Panther with force enough to shatter mountains and pierce the heavens.

“Damn it!” Panic seized the boy in black. Facing three powerhouses alone, how could he withstand them?

“Block!” He dodged what he could, but had to take the brunt of the attacks head-on.

The clash of strength was like an explosion in space.

He withstood Feng Qiang’s strike, then blocked the hammer’s blow, forcing the man in white to leap back.

“Humans, in strength and speed, I am unmatched. You cannot compare to me,” the boy in black sneered. “A Wolfkin trying to challenge me with brute force? Pathetic!”

His combat prowess came from physical mastery; even the man in white was no match for him head-to-head.

“Hmph!” The man in white snorted, mocking the beast’s arrogance. He touched the earth, and a tangle of green vines erupted.

“Bind!” With a thought, countless vines wrapped around the Shadow Panther. Caught off guard, he was instantly bound.

“Damn it! He has binding powers too?” the boy in black cried in disbelief.

“A mutant like you, even at level five, can never master abilities. How can you claim to be wiser than humanity?” Summer Yan’s voice came from behind, each word deliberate.

“Charged Slash!”

In a heartbeat, Summer Yan’s attack landed like a bolt from the blue.

A deep, gruesome wound split the Shadow Panther’s back, blood pouring, bone exposed.

“Aaah!” The boy in black screamed, pain wracking him as if he’d fallen into an abyss. He could not believe his defense had failed. Worse, the wound throbbed with agony—the gray flame gnawed at his flesh, threatening to devour him.

Gong Kui watched the battlefield, her gaze keen with intelligence.

This final battle was cruel for Summer Yan; he should have conserved more strength for it, reducing his risk of death.

If he died here, all his effort would be for nothing.

“Summer Yan, why did you awaken a second ability? I cannot let you die here,” Gong Kui whispered, fists clenched, her expression cold.

In these ten months, she had invested so much in him—all so he could journey to the demons and defeat Ai You’s successor.

Now, hope was within reach.

“Summer Yan, you must win,” Lan Xin stood at her side, watching the battle on her optical device, gritting her teeth.

Meanwhile, the battle had been broadcast to countless neural networks; many watched, knowing this was the final conflict, the origin of all evil.

If they killed the level five Shadow Panther, all their efforts would not be in vain. If he escaped, disaster would strike again.

He must die. All hope rested on Summer Yan. He was their hero, the savior of Fuxiang City, surely greater than the man in white or Feng Qiang.

“Die, die, die!” the boy in black raged, straining against the vines, then lunged at Summer Yan, determined to kill his most hated enemy.

Summer Yan leaped into the air, soaring ten meters high, leaving the beast to claw at empty space.

Then, with a thought, Summer Yan summoned a rain of fire from the sky—meteors crashing down upon the Shadow Panther.

“Despicable! You’re nothing but a shameless trickster!” the boy in black spat, but it was useless. He could leap high, but he could not fly, nor reach Summer Yan.

“When you ambushed me, did you think yourself any less shameless?” Summer Yan replied coolly from above, raining down fireballs.

The man in white and Feng Qiang pressed their attacks. Against all three, the Shadow Panther was outmatched. The outcome was only a matter of time.

“I won’t accept this! I must endure!” the boy in black forced himself to fight on, but the injury from Summer Yan’s earlier strike was taking its toll.

Blood spilled freely, his flesh numb with burns and shock.

His strength drained away, his vision blurred.

Escape! He thought desperately. He had no choice but to flee.

But he could not. The man in white’s vines lashed out again, Feng Qiang’s body glowing gold as he charged.

The mighty blow knocked the beast to the ground. Blood spattered, vines wrapped him tighter and tighter, and he could barely struggle.

“We’ve won.”

“At last, we’ve won.”

The man in white and Feng Qiang rejoiced. They could sense the battle nearing its end—their side victorious.

“Summer Yan, he’s almost lost the will to fight.”

“Summer Yan, finish it. Your gray flames can sever his head.”

Their voices reached Summer Yan, who nodded from above, closing his eyes.

This was the final blow—a charged slash to decapitate the Shadow Panther, ending his life.

“You see, for all your pride in your intellect, you are dying by human cunning,” Summer Yan said, eyes fixed on the boy in black. This would be the last attack.

“No!” The boy in black went mad. He could not accept it. He did not fear death or defeat, but he could not bear to be outwitted by humans.

His perfect plan had been unraveled. He could not accept it. Why?

Summer Yan had survived, and he—he would die, at Summer Yan’s hand.

“Summer Yan, kill him! Then we’ll have won,” Lan Xin urged, watching the broadcast.

“Kill him—the level five mutant, cause of all this evil.”

“Hurry, finish him.”

“To think a mutant could reach level five and even take human shape. But you still lost!”

“Human strength is something you cannot fathom.”

“In wisdom, mutants are forever inferior to humanity.”

“No matter the scheme, you still fall to human intelligence.”

“This is the last blow. Summer Yan never misses.”

Yet there was one among them whose expression was troubled.

“We’re about to win. Do it quickly, Summer Yan,” Gong Kui whispered, hands clenched in tension.

But though the end was near, she knew it might not be so simple.

This level five Shadow Panther was but a newcomer—not the only king among the mutants. There were many others, some even stronger still…