Chapter 48: The Semi-Mechanical Chimera

Outside his window, a grotesque creature was crouching.

It was large but remarkably agile as it clung to the wall. Its visage was horrifying, with crimson lips curled back to reveal sharp fangs. Yet, it was no ordinary creature. Its chest, covered in tangled fur, faintly gleamed with a metallic sheen. Its left arm was purely mechanical, while the upper right arm was flesh and blood, transitioning to machinery at the elbow.

The creature's appearance resembled a fusion of a gorilla and a mechanical construct.

Liwei recognized this creature because, coincidentally, during breaks from his training in the practice room, he had been studying some materials about hunters, including various monster profiles and intelligence reports. He had come across this creature before.

This was a Chimera, at least in part. The fleshly aspects of it, that is. This creature seemed to have been mechanically altered based on a Chimera.

Being stared at by such a creature was unsettling. And Liwei was a hundred percent certain that the bloodshot eyes of the semi-mechanical Chimera did not harbor any goodwill.

This was the Upper District! It was the Clover Branch! The stronghold of Demon Hunters! When did creatures like this gain the audacity to venture here? Was a storm brewing?

Liwei cursed inwardly. However, enemies had to be dealt with, and he decided to strike first.

With one hand on the hilt of his waist blade and the other drawing the pistol he had just stowed away, Liwei activated his Sharingan and aimed the gun at the semi-mechanical Chimera's head.

Fire!

Armor-piercing bullets shattered the glass as three consecutive shots pierced the creature's skull: one embedded in its forehead, another passing through its mouth, and a third blinding one of its eyes.

Though fatal wounds for most beings, they only brought the creature to a state of moderate injury at best. The creature let out a roar and, using its arm suspended outside the window, lunged into Liwei's room, teeth bared and claws extended.

"These secondary piercing rounds can't even budge this thing..." Liwei cursed silently, but luckily, he hadn't pinned all his hopes on bullets.

While firing, his other hand had been grasping the blade's hilt, preparing for a Ghost Slash. As the creature charged, the accumulated power of the Ghost Slash had reached its peak.

The Ghost Slash was slow to execute, relying on this build-up of energy. With Liwei's current skill level, it took at least half a second to complete, but could be extended to three seconds. The longer the buildup, the greater the power released.

When the semi-mechanical Chimera reached him, Liwei's hand finally moved.

The short sword was drawn from its sheath, and the surging power of the Ghost Slash enveloped the blade, tinting it with a purple-blue hue.

This strike, while not reaching maximum power, still packed quite a punch. The creature, moving faster than when it charged, was sent flying by Liwei's blow, crashing into the room's wall, leaving a web of cracks.

Liwei squinted, observing that the creature seemed to have lost its mobility. His Ghost Slash had struck the creature in the chest. The thick black fur was charred, and a massive crack ran through the mechanical interior.

Through the piercing vision of his Sharingan, Liwei also noticed sparks emanating from a core nestled within the creature's mechanical and organic chest.

Approaching, he delivered another strike, severing the head of the incapacitated Chimera, putting an end to its pitiful existence.

Recalling the sensation of using the Ghost Slash, as well as the speed at which the creature had charged, Liwei estimated its strength: roughly that of a human who had just entered the Extreme Level.

Liwei had thought it would be stronger. He remembered reading in the monster dossier: "These creatures possess formidable strength, agility, and flexibility. It is not recommended for a single Extreme Level hunter to engage; a team of three to five is advised."

But this semi-mechanical creation fell short of the "team of three to five" level.

Not to mention, this thing couldn't even withstand a single Ghost Slash. After all, with his recent breakthrough, Liwei's strength had surpassed that of the average Extreme Level hunter. Even an ordinary Extreme Level hunter would likely have little trouble dealing with this mechanical Chimera.

It seemed that this mechanical modification hadn't enhanced the creature's strength; it had actually diminished it.

Liwei surmised that the purpose of this mechanical alteration was not to enhance the creature's strength but rather for "control." Some faction had captured monsters, paid a price to modify and control them for their own purposes.

Bending down, Liwei inspected the headless body of the semi-mechanical Chimera. He wanted to see if the creature had a flesh core like typical monsters.

Indeed, Liwei found a flesh core—a modified one. Half of its structure had been replaced with machinery. A fist-sized energy core made of compressed amethyst provided power to this semi-mechanical heart.

Upon further examination, Liwei sensed a minuscule amount of vitality within the organic portion of the semi-mechanical heart, equivalent to about one-fifth of a D-grade gene fluid.

Feeling somewhat annoyed, Liwei realized that he would have to kill fifty of these creatures to obtain vitality equivalent to a C-grade flesh core. It was a loss.

However, despite the creature's small size, Liwei still took the effort to absorb its energy into the Book of Ten Thousand Laws.

After inspecting the flesh core, Liwei continued to search the creature's body, hoping to find any other valuable items.

He found nothing useful, but on the semi-mechanical arm of the creature, he noticed a very distinctive symbol.

"The black double-headed bird emblem? This creature... is a product of the Blackbird Heavy Industries?"

As Liwei pondered, he suddenly heard a loud noise outside the door!