Chapter 104: The Noble Youth by Crystal Lake

“Kill Max once, reward five hours!”

Just as Gao Ning arrived at his destination and made camp by Crystal Lake, a familiar mechanical voice suddenly echoed in his ears.

Gao Ning was momentarily taken aback. Max? What the hell?

Instinctively, he glanced at the Red Alert map but found nothing—no hostile markers whatsoever. Aside from the gang henchmen gathered around him glowing warmly in green, there wasn’t even a single neutral yellow dot.

In this world, the map’s scope was unusually limited.

In "Edge of Tomorrow," it covered the entire Europe; in "Elysium," it stretched across the entire American continent.

But here, it was confined to towns, no more than 20 kilometers in either direction.

Although he found no clues, Gao Ning was not worried. No news was good news, after all. Besides, having gained five hours for no reason was better than nothing.

If any teammate had been killed, there would surely be negative points. Now that he couldn’t locate his companions, worrying was useless. Better to cast it aside and focus on exploring his own instance.

By the time he reached Crystal Lake, nearly a whole day had passed.

While the sky was still bright, Gao Ning had been wandering around with Jennifer, scouting the nearby terrain and abandoned campsites.

The campsite was indeed deserted. Though sprawling, it was filthy and chaotic.

Windows were shattered, cracks marred the walls—a basic state of disrepair. Rats swarmed in bunches, and various artists’ graffiti overlapped on the walls.

The structures and facilities all bore the style of the 1960s, with evident aging from wind and sand—clear signs no one had been here for a long time.

Gao Ning held little interest in the camp.

His body was his fortress, impervious to cold and wind.

When he wanted to rest, he simply sat on the grass.

Thanks to his abilities, no mosquito or insect could bite him. Even if a lion tried to sink its teeth in, it would only lose its own.

After these arrangements and decorations, the castle-like space felt quite comfortable.

The gang henchmen and Big Bear were bio-engineered beings—they needed no food, drink, or other bodily functions and stood guard around the clock.

Gao Ning himself had no restrictions and did whatever he pleased.

Jennifer seemed to have lost her excretory functions after her transformation into a demon. After devouring human flesh, it turned into black liquid inside her body, which she then spat out from her mouth.

So there was no worry about anyone leaving filth inside her.

But even if he was unafraid, appearances still mattered.

After all, Gao Ning had come here because of the legend associated with this place.

Crystal Lake was hailed as the pioneer of mindless slasher films.

The great butcher Jason, known as the relentless hunter for thirty years—if he didn’t finish the kill, he would never give up.

Since the chilling murder he committed twenty years ago, Crystal Lake had been closed off.

After all these years of cursed solitude, how could Jason possibly tolerate Gao Ning’s arrival?

Sitting side by side on camping stools inside their tent, Gao Ning and Jennifer faced a campfire.

Above the flames hung a stainless steel tripod, suspending a pot.

Inside, the broth simmered, releasing a tantalizing aroma—it was a hotpot base Gao Ning had prepared himself.

On the nearby tablecloth were plates piled with marbled beef and various side ingredients.

Gao Ning held a bowl, mixing his own dipping sauce.

Jennifer watched eagerly, her expression bereft of hope.

She had long abandoned such base pleasures and moved on to craving the refined taste of higher animals. Yet following Gao Ning meant never having the chance to satisfy her cravings.

The lowly shoulder band they had devoured last time was already digested, and her body was signaling hunger.

“Gao Ning, can I—”

“No!”

“But I haven’t been out yet!”

“Forget it, even if you come out, you still can’t!”

“Why won’t you listen?”

“Doesn’t matter if I listen or not. The answer is no!”

Jennifer huffed in frustration.

Gao Ning dipped his chopsticks into the broth, sampled it, and nodded in approval. He then grabbed various dipping sauces nearby and added them to the pot.

“You never learn from your own mistakes, do you? With your skills, you still want to suck my blood? Even if I put my neck in front of you, you couldn’t bite through it! Don’t bring yourself unnecessary pain!”

He tossed her a blood bag. “For now, use this O-type blood. It’s from two years ago but well preserved—still good for now!”

Jennifer’s eyes brightened, and she quickly grabbed the bag.

But just as she was about to bite, Gao Ning snatched it back. He clicked his teeth together sharply, producing a crisp sound.

“Your elders taught you to eat neatly, didn’t they? Why are you still so messy? When you eat, you make a mess like you’re washing your face. Aren’t you ashamed?”

Gao Ning disdainfully threw her a bowl. “Pour it out and drink!”

Jennifer agreed reluctantly, suppressing her urge to suck blood. She poured herself a bowl as though drinking milk.

Gao Ning glanced at the color of the beef. Seeing it was just right, he fished out a large slice, dipped it into the sauce, and popped it into his mouth.

His eyes gleamed as he chewed and nodded. “Not bad. After slicing, the snowflake beef is even more fragrant than pork belly.”

“Too bad you can’t eat it anymore. From now on, you’ll only drink blood and eat meat—no seasoning allowed. Worse off than a monk!”

Gao Ning shook his head. “Hurry up and finish. Then we’ll patrol. Did you remember the target?”

Jennifer swallowed quickly. “A burly man holding a weapon, wearing a mask, about 1.9 to 2 meters tall.”

“What’s the plan once you find him?”

“Signal first, then lure him here.”

Jennifer paused and pointed ahead. “But I think I might not even need to show up.”

Gao Ning looked up, slightly surprised, then smiled.

There, in the shadow of a large tree, stood a tall, burly man.

He wore a hockey mask, held a long machete in his right hand, and his clothes were tattered and ragged.

Gao Ning put down his bowl and reached out. A shotgun appeared in his hand.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three shots rang out in quick succession—two to the heart, one to the forehead.

Blood exploded from Jason’s body; half his head was blown apart. He fell forward to the ground.

Gao Ning rose and took two steps forward. But Jason stood again, his flesh twisting grotesquely, rapidly regenerating the missing parts with visible speed.

Especially on his face—half a skull regrew, and the mask restored itself as if nothing had happened, creating a surreal sight.

Gao Ning advanced, firing relentlessly without sparing bullets.

Though Jason was a skilled hunter and expert at stealth, his defense was lacking. His fondness for melee weapons left him vulnerable to shotgun blasts.

He tried to resist, tentatively raising his machete, but ultimately couldn’t withstand the barrage. His body staggered helplessly under the assault.