Chapter Sixty-Six: The Reaper Arrives (Part Three)

Wujue raced through the darkness, his escape frantic—this damned Reaper had arrived far too swiftly, an apparition whose coming could never be predicted. Yet one thing was certain: the Reaper could mask his presence, and only by drawing near could he silently dispatch his prey. In other words, the Reaper was a close-range killer.

This realization allowed Wujue to better narrow down the Reaper’s true identity. But what, exactly, had happened here before? The dreadful Celestial Executioners must have invaded as well, yet were ultimately wiped out. Where, then, had this accursed Reaper emerged from?

As Wujue pondered, his thoughts suddenly flashed back to that dream aboard the airship. It was after that dream that everything had spiraled into chaos. Each person had died in the same manner as in their dream. The Reaper seemed determined to kill each victim by some unique method. Thus, escaping once only meant a second misfortune awaited—the Reaper merely devised a different scene.

This chilling thought emboldened Wujue to retrace his steps to the site of the airship disaster, convinced that crucial clues lay at the scene of the first incident. He’d already asked Xiao Han and the others for the location. Now, stealthily approaching the ruined airship—an enormous wreck toppled in the city’s central square—he slipped inside to search for evidence.

He could still remember where he’d been sitting during the day. Carefully investigating with heightened senses, he suddenly noticed a black stain beneath the seat. On closer inspection, it looked like a Celestial Executioner virus, but dried up and utterly inert, as if exposed to the elements. Wujue scraped some of it onto a sharp blade, but it was impossible to discern what it was.

Suddenly, the airship shuddered violently. Wujue’s heart sank; that dreadful feeling returned—the Reaper was here. So soon? Killing me won’t be that easy, he thought grimly. He abandoned the blade, darted to the exit, and leapt out just as the airship collapsed behind him, flattening entirely.

Wujue frowned, a surge of unusual purple energy gathering in his palm. With a powerful sweep, he unleashed a vast expanse of purple mist. The sorcery formed a barrier around him, and Wujue seized the moment to unleash the Lion’s Roar, a power of Buddhist legend. He bellowed, “Reaper! Enough with these games. Show yourself, and face me head-on!”

The cold wind howled in response, yet no one answered. Then, without warning, a massive stone plummeted from above, crashing onto Wujue’s barrier and nearly shattering it. Such formidable power—no wonder the Reaper could drive out even the Celestial Executioners.

Wujue counterattacked, employing the shamanic arts inherited from Old Ma, hoping to force the unseen Reaper to reveal himself. Suddenly, a car came hurtling through the air, smashing into the barrier and sending Wujue flying.

The Reaper must have grown enraged, for a whirlwind rose from the ground, launching itself at Wujue. But Wujue summoned the strength of the Golden Bell Shield, deflecting the car and leaping straight into the heart of the whirlwind. He grappled with the wind, colliding and wrestling with the Reaper, the battle devastating everything around them.

Then, in the night, a pink mist suddenly shot forth, striking the whirlwind. Wujue felt himself lose all resistance and crashed to the ground.

At last, a semi-transparent figure appeared, writhing on the ground in agony. Xun’er emerged from the shadows, calling, “Wujue, quickly! I’ve bound him with a spell—seize him!”

Wujue pinned the Reaper without hesitation, landing two heavy blows before binding him securely with his chain dart. Finally, Wujue collapsed beside him, catching his breath.

Xun’er stepped forward, chanting, “Villain, reveal your true form and tell us who you are.”

The Reaper, exhausted, ceased his struggling. He began to recount his tale.

He had once been an ordinary office worker, living a mundane life in this city. Had the crisis never erupted, he would have continued his daily routine, working by day, resting by night. But fate had other plans. He was among the first infected by the virus, transformed into a mindless zombie, devouring his companions.

Yet his mutation was unique—the virus in his body evolved in unexpected ways. The Celestial Executioners’ leader captured him for study. Every infected zombie mutated differently, and only those with special mutations might be converted into higher-level warriors. Initially, he received some special treatment. But after extensive testing, they discovered his power was the control of objects—a skill the militant Celestial Executioners found useless.

Eventually, he was reduced to a living test subject, subjected to endless experiments. Then, just as he was nearing his end, he encountered the previous Reaper—who, on the verge of death, passed on his powers. Thus, a new Reaper was born.

Reapers were among the few remaining overseers of the world, responsible for maintaining the balance of life by controlling its numbers and types. But as society advanced and human technology evolved, the Reapers’ powers waned. The previous Reaper, disillusioned by humanity’s changes, chose to perish with the invaders, but fell into the hands of the Celestial Executioners. As he died, he entrusted his duty to the office worker, who became the new Reaper.

Unexpectedly, the new Reaper’s mutated body and inherited powers fused perfectly. Using his design skills, he devised elaborate death scenes for the Celestial Executioners, leveraging disasters to send them to their doom. After every Executioner had perished, the Reaper, unsatisfied, turned his attention to the surviving humans, turning the city into his own hunting ground.

Within a month, he had sent the last survivor to the afterlife—no living thing remained in the city. The Reaper then set his sights on any living being passing through, intent on creating a field of terror and slaughter.

Such was the Reaper’s tale of transformation.

When he finished, Wujue could only chuckle. “You must be very lonely.”

Xun’er laughed from the side. “What office worker isn’t lonely? City folk are all empty—they spend their days staring at four walls.”

The Reaper looked up, hollow-eyed. “You’re right! Ordinary people have no place in this world. You’re all my little lab rats.”

He glanced behind Wujue, and in a blink, a brick flew through the air. Wujue caught it easily. “You’re wrong. My friends and I are anything but ordinary.” With that, he smashed the brick against his own forehead, shattering it to dust with his Iron Head Technique.

“You’re a martial monk?” the Reaper scoffed. Living in the city for so long, he’d all but forgotten such old legends.

He asked, “Are you acting out ‘Shaolin Temple’ now?” Wujue ignored him, instead summoning his companions to decide the Reaper’s fate.

Xiao Yang and An Yi were the first to arrive. After splitting up, they’d each had their share of close calls but had managed to evade the Reaper. Upon receiving Wujue’s signal, they knew the job was done and hurried back. Soon after, Xiu Lun and Xiao Han returned—having each narrowly escaped death, thanks to their unique abilities.

Gathered together, they gazed at the remarkable Reaper, sighing with relief. “So it was just an ordinary middle-aged man?” Xiao Han quipped.

Xiao Yang teased, “Never underestimate a middle-aged man—their destructive power is unmatched.”

Xiu Lun asked Wujue, “What do you plan to do with him?”

Wujue was pondering the same thing. “I wonder if the Reaper himself is immortal.”

He crouched before the Reaper. “I don’t wish to kill you—your abilities are too valuable. Perhaps you should think about who truly did this to you.”

The Reaper sneered, “I am the Reaper—what does the past matter? My only goal is to create death. Perhaps you’ll be next.”

Wujue shook his head. “The world is ending. What does it matter if you kill me? I am a monk, but if forced, I will destroy you.”

He raised his fist and, with a composed blow, struck the ground by the Reaper’s feet, leaving a massive crater large enough to bury him alive.

“If you persist, I will have no choice but to bury you myself.”

The Reaper merely grinned, unfazed by the threat of death. He glanced behind Wujue and said coldly, “You may not get the chance—your enemies have arrived.”

Suddenly, a hulking figure crashed down behind the group, the impact shaking the ground. Wujue and the others instantly scattered, turning to face their new foe: a giant wearing a red helmet, black tubes snaking across his body, launching an attack.

“Another Celestial Executioner—this one’s a monster!” Xiao Yang cried. Xiu Lun and Xiao Han moved to restrain the giant, while Wujue and An Yi took the Reaper away. Xun’er and Xiao Yang headed back to the airship to prepare for escape.

But after only a few blows, the giant sent Xiu Lun and Xiao Han flying, their landings heavy and painful. The giant seemed immune to Xiao Han’s mirrored light. Xiu Lun expanded his body to match the giant’s size and landed a punch to his face, but the brute barely reacted, only letting out a raspy laugh before retaliating with a punch that hurled Xiu Lun over ten meters into a small house, crushing it completely.

The giant’s inexhaustible strength was utterly terrifying.

Wujue stopped in his tracks, gazing back at the rampaging giant. “It seems we’re in real trouble now.”

An Yi released the Reaper, clenched her fists, and asked, “What’s your plan?”

Wujue pressed his palms together, whispered a Buddhist prayer, and leapt forward to confront the giant. He unleashed the mighty Vajra Palm of Shaolin, raining down a flurry of blows. In an instant, countless impacts dented the giant’s body.

The giant merely swayed, then said, “No one has ever beaten me, Beck. You will be no exception.”