Dragon Raja 4; Chapter 55: Patient Zero (5)

Dragon Raja 4

Lu Mingfei grabbed a meat-cutting knife and stabbed at Porquinho’s chest, using the “Crow Drops to the Ground” technique from Wing Chun’s Eight Slash Knives. The blade shattered inch by inch, unable to even pierce Porquinho’s skin. Porquinho crashed head-on into Lu Mingfei’s chest. It felt like being hit by a battering ram used to breach city walls—Lu Mingfei’s nose and mouth bled instantly, and his entire body was thrown backward, slamming into the wall behind him. The old building’s walls were fragile from years of decay, crumbling to dust on impact. Lu Mingfei crashed through two walls before falling into a pitch-black elevator shaft. Only then did Porquinho stop, with the ground behind him reduced to rubble. He walked over to the elevator shaft and peered down. Though the old palace wasn’t tall, the shaft led straight to the cellar, descending into darkness.

A moment later, a resigned sigh echoed from the shaft. “Damn, you flipped just like that? Would it kill you to explain things before attacking? And to think you’re a philosophy major…”

Considering the force of the blow, it wasn’t surprising Porquinho was unharmed with the Bronze Throne’s support, but Lu Mingfei’s physical resilience far exceeded Porquinho’s expectations.

Lu Mingfei’s strengths in combat were agility and resilience—usually, high agility and toughness are incompatible, but Lu Mingfei didn’t seem bound by those rules.

Porquinho’s eyes flickered slightly, and he coldly muttered a word in Portuguese: “Detonar!”

He leapt off the rooftop, landing with a thud that left a crater in the street, then charged at high speed toward the parade outside the long street.

A moment later, Lu Mingfei walked out through the front doors of the old building, swearing under his breath. He was carrying a bottle of tequila he’d grabbed from a liquor cabinet and poured it over his badly scraped arms. His body wasn’t highly resilient—it was his healing ability that was extraordinary. Porquinho’s blow had nearly displaced his internal organs, and he’d been vomiting up everything he’d eaten earlier.

He fished out his wireless earpiece and put it on, knocking it a few times. “EVA, you there? What did that guy say to me just now? Was he cursing me?”

“‘Detonar’ in Portuguese means ‘detonate.’ He probably planted bombs in the old palace,” EVA replied calmly.

Lu Mingfei’s eyes widened in horror. “You’re saying that so casually, like it’s just a firecracker!”

“According to my records, you took an introductory Portuguese course. I assumed you understood and were just maintaining your composure under pressure.”

“That class was just for easy credits!” Lu Mingfei shouted as he took off running.

“If you can’t understand such a simple word, how did you pass the exam?” EVA asked. “I’ll be reviewing your exam paper to check for cheating.”

The blast wave ripped through the entire block. The centuries-old palace collapsed in flames, its roof soaring into the sky before crashing down and crushing a minivan.

Tourists, who had been enjoying the fireworks, watched in terror. Before they could fully grasp what was happening, they saw the figure of a golden, gorilla-like giant leap onto a float. A black helicopter hovered low overhead, whipping up the skirts of the dancers.

The instructor descended from the helicopter, still dangling from a rope. Before even hitting the ground, he drew his Colt Cobra revolver. He was the leader of this mission. Normally, with the Student Union president present, he could just command from the air without getting involved personally. But Porquinho had broken through the perimeter, and if he wasn’t stopped soon, he’d disappear into the night of the Carnival. EVA’s surveillance was powerful, but this was Rio de Janeiro—Porquinho’s home turf for many years, where he likely had numerous hidden hideouts prepared.

The instructor had already switched to live ammunition, but Porquinho’s skin had hardened into scales, and the bullets striking him sparked like flint. The instructor rolled forward, drawing his rapier. His sword had a quadrangular pyramid shape, incredibly tough, with piercing power far stronger than bullets.

The tip of the sword pierced Porquinho’s chest, but only by an inch. As Porquinho tensed his muscles, the instructor felt as if the sword had embedded itself in soft steel and couldn’t go any further. He quickly abandoned the sword and leaped backward, but Porquinho pulled the sword from his chest and casually threw it, piercing the instructor’s shoulder with such force that it hurled him off the float. Porquinho followed, leaping off the float and bringing his elbows together in a brutal strike aimed at the instructor. The severely injured instructor couldn’t dodge in time, but at that moment, a sharp burst of gunfire rang out from behind. Porquinho immediately abandoned his attack, turning in midair to shield his face with his arms, his muscles bulging with explosive tension.

It was the right move, as the shots came from a new SDM-R rifle. While its 5.56mm caliber wasn’t large, its enhanced ammunition gave it superior penetration. The bullets grazed Porquinho’s near-impenetrable defenses. After landing, he glanced coldly at his wounds before looking into the distance.

On a rooftop far away, Victoria knelt with her rifle, a thin wisp of smoke rising from the barrel. Although freshmen weren’t required to join the battle, the Execution Bureau had equipped her with a weapon just in case. She and Gonzalez were positioned at the highest vantage point, the only spot that could effectively suppress Porquinho. Without hesitation, she had taken independent action—an attitude shaped by the college’s culture.

Gonzalez, feeling the burning gaze of Porquinho’s Dragon-like eyes, suddenly found it hard to breathe. The SDM-R had only caused minor wounds, and those injuries were already healing rapidly.

Victoria took off her black trench coat, letting the wind carry it toward Porquinho—a clear declaration of battle. The instructor was still too injured to retreat, so she needed to keep Porquinho’s attention on her.

Her combat suit outlined her athletic figure as she stood tall and proud, fearless and dignified, like a swan.

Porquinho grabbed the coat and brought it to his nose, inhaling deeply. The evolutionary drug had not only enhanced his bloodline but also awakened his primal, bloodthirsty instincts and possessiveness. Though he knew he should be retreating from the battlefield, he was uncontrollably drawn to the proud black swan before him. The scent of the young girl on the coat stimulated his senses. He charged through the crowd, making his way toward the building where Victoria and Gonzalez were stationed. People scattered to avoid him.

It was an old building from the era of Portuguese colonization in Brazil, with sturdy marble walls and four stories high—a perfect fortress from a tactical standpoint. A well-supplied four-man team could hold it indefinitely, and without tanks or heavy artillery, it would be nearly impossible to breach. Victoria’s confidence came from this advantageous position, as well as the high-caliber rifle in her hands, which could injure Porquinho. But despite her continued firing, Porquinho always managed to dodge at critical moments.

“Fall back! Fall back! Victoria and Gonzalez, retreat!” the instructor shouted. “Firepower suppression! Firepower suppression!”

He didn’t believe that one building and one rifle could stop Hercules. The young fighters underestimated the battlefield of dragons, and Victoria’s heroic actions might cost her life.

The streets were crowded, and none of the action team members had a clear shot. They could only watch helplessly as Porquinho gained momentum, leapt gracefully, and grabbed the iron railing of a second-floor balcony. He moved across the vertical wall as if walking on flat ground, warping the railings he touched and shattering the marble tiles beneath his feet. Victoria had just loaded a new magazine when Porquinho, as large as a golden ape, rose before her, his eyes burning with greed. He reached out toward her, his arms wide open. With his overwhelming bloodline advantage, neither height nor distance mattered.

Fear finally broke Victoria. She felt like a bird skewered on an arrow. She wanted to shoot, but she couldn’t even raise her gun.

At the last possible moment, a figure leapt from the rooftop, slamming into Porquinho’s chest. Instinctively, Porquinho closed his arms, and the sound of bones cracking echoed from his embrace.

“Gonzalez… Gonzalez!” Victoria cried out, her face splattered with thick blood that trickled down her cheeks.

“Victoria… Victoria… Run… Run…” Gonzalez shouted, his voice hoarse and desperate.

His body was twisted like crumpled paper, with broken bones piercing his internal organs. Without immediate medical attention, his life would soon be extinguished, yet he felt a strange sense of comfort. He had always thought of himself as useless and insignificant, especially among Victoria’s admirers, where he often felt inadequate. But now, he had conquered his fear and protected her. Even compared to the dazzling Ricardo, he finally had something to be proud of.

Porquinho dropped Gonzalez and stepped toward Victoria, but Gonzalez clung to his leg from behind.

“Run… Run…” Gonzalez repeated mechanically, with thick clots of blood sliding from his mouth with each word.

Victoria’s fear ignited into determination. She drew two Glocks from her waist and pressed them against Porquinho’s chest, firing continuously. Porquinho watched his beautiful prey coldly, waiting for her to run out of bullets. Then, he wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her with his iron-hard chest. His arms slowly tightened, crushing her ribs. Under the influence of the evolutionary drug, his possessiveness toward women had become twisted. Torturing and killing them brought him immense satisfaction, and he savored the feeling of Victoria’s tender body being slowly crushed. Meanwhile, his foot pressed down on Gonzalez’s chest.

Just then, a voice came through Victoria’s earpiece: “Hey, Victoria, don’t be afraid. You’ll be fine. Now give the earpiece to that big pig.”

Victoria looked around in surprise but couldn’t see the speaker. Yet, an inexplicable surge of courage welled up inside her. She removed the earpiece and held it out to Porquinho. “Someone wants to talk to you!”

Confused, Porquinho took the earpiece from Victoria and put it into his ear. Moments earlier, the girl had been trembling with fear, barely holding herself together. Now, she stared back at him coldly, her head held high, as if the man speaking was standing right behind her, hands on her shoulders, offering strong support.

Series Navigation

<< Dragon Raja 4; Chapter 54: Patient Zero (4)Dragon Raja 4; Chapter 56: Patient Zero (6) >>