F-class thief? Sorry, I can steal anything.

Chapter 240 Hunting in the Ruins! Scarface's Desperate Situation: Who is Whose Prey?!

The journey to the base that Mu Wanqing had sent them was not as peaceful as they had imagined.

Even though the city has just experienced a bloody battle on some fronts, hidden dangers still lurk deep within it.

Abandoned high-rise buildings, collapsed bridges.

Every shadow may harbor a greedy eye.

Chen Yifan walked at the very front.

Through the perception of the "Mind's Eye," it spreads quietly through the dilapidated streets like invisible ripples.

Under the talent of "All Thoughts Return to Shadows," he merged with the surrounding shadows.

Even without actively stealthily moving, the aura emanating from him was so faint as to be almost imperceptible.

Lin Xiaoyu followed closely behind.

Her plant-sensory abilities compensated for Chen Yifan's slight deficiency in capturing the scent of living organisms.

She could sense it deep underground, in the cracks of the walls.

Those tenacious vines are silently conveying a message.

Wang Fugui remained vigilant at the rear.

The massive S-grade lightning-attribute armor enveloped him like a mobile fortress.

With the support of top-tier equipment.

His level disadvantage is rapidly catching up with the other participants in the game.

In addition, there's his [Tough Skin] talent.

They also have a certain ability to protect themselves.

Zhao Hu walked on the flank of the group.

The shield in his hand scraped against the ground from time to time, making a screeching sound.

The arrogance that had been on his face was gone.

Instead, there was an almost solemn focus.

He quietly fulfilled his duties.

"There is a small group of strange beasts 300 meters ahead."

Lin Xiaoyu suddenly stopped, her voice calm.

Chen Yifan also raised his hand in acknowledgment.

He could sense the faint energy fluctuations, but Lin Xiaoyu's perception was more precise.

"Number: twenty-four. Half F-grade cave spiders and half E-grade crystal-shell scorpions," Lin Xiaoyu added. "They are currently preying on a D-grade scavenging dog. They seem unaware of us."

Burrowing spiders are small in size but highly venomous and prefer to live in groups.

Crystal-shelled scorpions possess hard exoskeletons and are highly aggressive.

The combination of these two factors poses a significant challenge for ordinary professionals.

"Avoid it."

Chen Yifan decisively ordered, "There's no need to waste energy."

Besides its ability to stealth and manipulate shadows, the "All Thoughts Return to Shadow" technique is also remarkably effective in avoiding danger.

Chen Yifan led his team, deftly bypassing that area.

They passed by from another direction like ghosts.

The rustling sounds of a cave spider and a crystal-shelled scorpion fighting for food reached my ears.

And the desperate howls of the carrion dogs.

But the team did not stop.

After traveling for about half an hour, they arrived at an abandoned underground rail transit entrance.

This is the only way to reach Mu Wanqing's stronghold.

"Brother Fan, something's not right here."

Wang Fugui suddenly growled.

He shielded Lin Xiaoyu behind him, slightly raising the warhammer in his hand.

Arcs of electricity crackled across the surface of the lightning-attribute armor.

Chen Yifan's gaze was fixed on the entrance to the track.

There were a few faint energy fluctuations there.

It was not a strange beast, but a human.

"It should be another team."

Lin Xiaoyu's voice was low and deep, "They seem to be... lying in ambush."

"Number of people?" Chen Yifan asked.

"Uncertain. Three energy fluctuations are obvious, the rest... are very scattered and well disguised. But in the underground passage, plant perception will be limited."

Chen Yifan closed his eyes, and the sensory network unfolded once again.

He could feel the oppressive atmosphere at the entrance to the track.

Those energy fluctuations were indeed from human professionals.

Its level is around Lv.51.

Deeper still, there were a few faint, elusive auras.

This was clearly a planned ambush.

"Are they coming for us?"

Zhao Hu asked, raising his shield as well.

His extensive combat experience allowed him to quickly assess the situation.

"No."

Chen Yifan shook his head.

A slight smile played at the corners of his lips.

"Their target is probably not us."

He pointed in the distance behind him.

That was the area they had just passed through, and also the place where Thor fought against the South American team.

"If I'm not mistaken, they're probably waiting for other players coming from that direction."

"To reap the benefits without lifting a finger?" A knowing glint flashed in Zhao Hu's eyes.

"Um."

Chen Yifan looked at Wang Fugui and Lin Xiaoyu.

"Fugui, take Xiaoyu down the maintenance passage on the right, away from the main road. Xiaoyu, keep your senses alert, and tell me immediately if you make any new discoveries."

"Fanzi, what about you?" Wang Fugui asked, somewhat worried.

"I'll go say hello to them."

Chen Yifan spoke calmly.

A glimmer of light flickered deep within his eyes.

"This... is too dangerous!" Wang Fugui hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping himself.

"I'll listen to Brother Fan."

Lin Xiaoyu pressed down on Wang Fugui's arm, her tone firm.

She believed in Chen Yifan.

Wang Fugui looked at Lin Xiaoyu, finally sighed, and nodded.

"Fanzi, be careful."

Chen Yifan patted him on the shoulder, signaling him to relax.

His figure gradually disappeared into the darkness.

The mottled walls blend into the abandoned passageway.

"You rats had better pray you don't run into a real hunter."

Chen Yifan's voice was barely audible.

Entrance to the underground rail transit system.

Several professionals are patiently lying in wait.

They were simply dressed, and their weapons were in excellent condition.

They were clearly lone wolves or small groups who spent a lot of time among the ruins.

The leader was a thin man with a prominent scar on his face.

His eyes gleamed with a cunning, wolf-like shrewdness.

"Captain, do you think someone will come?" a team member asked in a low voice.

"Soon."

The scarred man licked his chapped lips.

"The commotion in the east of the city means that no matter who wins, they'll be in serious trouble when they come out."

"If we just hold this intersection, we can make a huge profit!"

The other team member chuckled.

"This isn't a bargain," the scarred man scoffed. "This is something we earned with our brains and patience."

Just as they were talking.

A barely perceptible dark shadow flashed past them.

They were unaware.

Chen Yifan moved like a shadow through the intricate underground passages.

Instead of engaging them directly, he circled around to the rear of the ambush group.

His goal is to control this area.

He quickly located the temporary stronghold that the group had set up.

A few metal supports held up a tattered military canvas.

Food scraps and simple resting items were scattered on the ground.

Chen Yifan tapped lightly with his fingertips.

His figure almost overlapped with the shadow.

Nourishes—

A very faint electrical hum sounded on the communicator.

The scarred man turned his head sharply, a look of wariness flashing in his eyes.

"What happened? Who tampered with the communicator?"

He asked in a low voice.

"Captain, there's nothing there!" A team member immediately checked the equipment around him and found nothing wrong.

"Strange..." The scarred man frowned.

Chen Yifan didn't give them much time to think.

He pulled himself out of the shadows.

Not a sound was made.

He appeared like a ghost behind the teammate closest to the scarred man.

The jet-black dagger was drawn from its sheath, its blade gleaming with a faint, eerie light.

He precisely slit the team member's throat.

There was no bloodshed, no wailing.

There was only a soft "click".

The team member's body went limp and he collapsed to the ground.

Chen Yifan moved extremely quickly, swiftly dragging the body into the shadows beside him.

The whole process took less than two seconds.

The other team members were completely unaware.

"Captain, look what that is!"

Another team member suddenly pointed to the depths of the passage.

There, a dark shadow flashed by.

The scarred man's eyes narrowed.

He picked up his weapon and signaled to his team members to stay alert.

Just then, Chen Yifan made his move again.

The target is the second player who is left out.

The dagger slashed again.

The team member was dragged into the darkness before he could even utter a sound.

Something's not right!

The scarred man growled, "There's something there!"

A chill ran down his spine.

He turned around abruptly, but only caught a blurry afterimage.

It disappeared into the darkness.

"Watch out! There's an assassin!"

The scarred man gave a stern warning.

His years of experience in the wild allowed him to immediately determine that the enemy was an assassin-type professional skilled in stealth.

Unfortunately, the reminder came too late.

The last member of the team let out a brief, muffled groan in fear.

Then there was no more sound.

At this moment, only the scarred man remained.

He leaned against the wall, cautiously scanning his surroundings.

He gripped the dagger tightly in his hand.

His heart was racing.

Cold sweat trickled down his forehead.

He sensed that the enemy was always there.

Right beside him.

In some unseen corner.

"Come out! What kind of skill is it to hide like this!" The scarred man tried to provoke the other party with words.

Chen Yifan did not respond.

He approached slowly, like a silent hunter.

The scarred man suddenly felt a chilling killing intent.

It attacked from behind.

He suddenly lunged forward, slashing backward with the dagger in his hand.

Ding!

The sound of gold and iron clashing sounded.

The scarred man was still in shock.

He saw it.

A jet-black dagger clashed with his blade.

The owner of the dagger was a blurry black figure.

"The response is good."

Chen Yifan's voice came from the darkness, tinged with a soft laugh.

The scarred man's face turned deathly pale instantly.

He detected a hint of mockery in the voice.

I could sense the cruelty of the cat-and-mouse game.

He knew he was completely finished.

"Sir...we have no grudge against each other..." the scarred man tried to beg for mercy.

Chen Yifan didn't give him a chance.

With a flick of the dagger, the opponent's strength was neutralized.

Then, like a venomous snake, it stabbed towards the scarred man's throat.

puff-

Blood splattered.

The scarred man's body went limp and he collapsed.

His eyes were wide open.

In his final moments, all he saw was a blurry darkness.

Chen Yifan sheathed the dagger.

Turn around.

The figure disappeared into the darkness once more.

Throughout the entire process, he didn't even expose his shadow to the dim light.

"Cleanup complete."

Chen Yifan spoke calmly into the communicator.

"Come on over here, everyone!"