The Abyss Knight let out a hoarse, wolf-like howl, a cry woven from anger and despair.

Because he had commanded all the Sheep-headed Monsters to gather around him at the last moment, they provided some measure of protection. Thus, the Skeleton Flying Spear combined with the Death Ripple did not kill him outright.

Nevertheless, the Abyss Knight's body was still severely damaged. The Corrosive Poison Energy had even eroded his only eye, robbing it of its light and leaving behind a hollow void.

Fang Zhou shook his head, unwilling to waste any more words. He was just about to finish off his final enemy with another Skeleton Flying Spear when the scene froze once again.

Could it be that aside from the opening scene, there's still a hidden storyline that Lu Renjia and Lu Yiyi haven't uncovered?

Under Fang Zhou's watchful gaze, the Punishment Ranger Li Guang hurried over from behind. When he saw the figure of the Black Armored Abyss Knight, a terrifying fury erupted in his eyes.

"Li Wu, do you still recognize me?"

Hearing the unfamiliar yet strangely familiar voice, a flicker of shock and unease crossed the Black Armored Abyss Knight's bewildered, sightless face. "You… who are you?"

"I am Li Guang, a survivor of Shelter 10086." Li Guang said, enunciating each word. "Li Wu, do you remember the battle at Shelter 10086?"

"Shelter 10086…" the Black Armored Abyss Knight repeated softly, a cold smirk touching the corner of his mouth. "Of course, I remember. That was the turning point when I transformed from a humble human into a noble Demonized! But… Li Guang? What makes you think you're worth remembering?"

With those words, he had clearly shaken off his initial panic. He slowly brought his badly corroded longsword up before his chest in a standard defensive stance. Though blind, he could still perceive Li Guang's position, relying on years of combat experience and his keen hearing.

"If you hadn't been the first to choose betrayal and flee during that life-or-death battle, we wouldn't have ended in complete annihilation!" Li Guang's voice grew higher and more agitated. "The commander wouldn't have had to sacrifice himself, either! He was already a powerful Black Iron-level Professional by then! If he hadn't stayed behind to face the enemy alone and buy us time to escape, he never would have fallen on that battlefield!"

Li Guang's eyes were bloodshot, his facial muscles twitching with anger. He looked like a volcano on the verge of eruption, a stark contrast to the calm he had displayed during the previous battle. He was clearly agitated to an extreme degree.

"He already had the strength of a Black Iron-level Professional, yet he stayed behind to cover for you worthless wretches," the Black Armored Abyss Knight sneered, then swung his head left and right as if searching for something. "It's only natural for such a pedantic fool to die in battle."

"Shut up, you traitor to humanity!" the middle-aged Warrior watching from the side exclaimed indignantly, brandishing his war axe.

"A traitor? What a cruel label." The Black Armored Abyss Knight's lips moved, as if chewing on the bitterness of the word. "When the demon calamity descended, I was the first to answer the call, conscripting everyone in the shelter capable of fighting to resist the demon invasion. Since I awakened my powers as a Professional, I personally led every charge. The number of demons I've killed is beyond what a fledgling like you could ever imagine! But what did I get in return? During the battle at Shelter 10086, where were the reinforcements? When I was captured by the demons, where was my redemption?"

The Black Armored Abyss Knight grew more agitated. However, the surrounding refugees were not at all swayed by the Demonized man's sophistry.

"Traitor, traitor!"

"Kill him! His hands are stained with the blood of children!"

"He's just a slave to the demons, unworthy of being called human!"

The Black Armored Abyss Knight's facial muscles twitched. He wanted to say more, but his thoughts were abruptly cut short by a sharp pain erupting in his chest. More than half of his strength suddenly drained away, and the longsword gripped in his right hand became impossibly heavy. Overwhelmed by the agony, the Black Armored Abyss Knight's left hand instinctively moved to his chest, where he felt something hard.

It was a sharp longsword, and it had been plunged deep into the vital point in his chest.

The Black Armored Abyss Knight let out a scream. His grip loosened, and the pitch-black longsword clattered to the ground. His body trembled as he sank to his knees.

"I…"

The Demonized Li Wu tried to speak, but Li Guang refused to give him another chance. With a forceful yank, he pulled the sword from the vital point, sending a spray of blood into the air and severing the last thread of Li Wu's life.

A large amount of blood gushed from the Black Armored Abyss Knight's mouth. His body trembled one last time before he fell backward, and his heavy body collapsed onto the scorched earth.

"Long live Senior Sergeant Fang Zhou!" Li Guang shouted, raising his arm in a cheer with tears welling in his eyes.

The refugees around him exchanged glances and immediately echoed his cry. The shouts grew louder and louder until even the middle-aged warrior joined in.

Amid the jubilant atmosphere, a notification sound from the Simulation Battlefield System announced a glorious victory.

"Mission Complete. Time Elapsed: 17 minutes. Completion Rating: [Perfect]. You have been awarded 9 Contribution Points."

"First-time completion of [Shelter Defense Battle] on Normal difficulty. You have been awarded a bonus of 12 Contribution Points."

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