Python's wounds healed at an unnatural pace. The savage whip marks on his back and arms ceased bleeding, the charred skin flaked away, and fresh flesh squirmed beneath, rapidly regenerating.

With divine blood coursing through his veins, his battered body was remade. The highly refined and filtered exotic essence infused his limbs with unprecedented vigor, empowering him with a sense of exhilaration he'd never known.

His strength not only returned but surged to new heights, his body reigniting with more intense sanguine flames than before.

Yet, Python's first action upon gaining this newfound power wasn't to turn and fight Cyrus and her allies.

Instead, he hurled a motorcycle at Cyrus to disrupt her approach and then bolted in the opposite direction.

Python's muscular form exploded with a speed that would put world sprint champions to shame, covering nearly twenty meters in the blink of an eye.

Only a fool wouldn't run!

Python understood the modus operandi of Mechanism Dawn all too well. Thornrose's knowledge of his betrayal implied that the entire organization was now aware of his treachery. With Madame Riches and Argentum appearing on the scene, it meant the core members were likely nearby, with auxiliary squads possibly lying in ambush.

He had to flee; any slower, and he'd be ensnared by the hunters.

In this scenario, killing one or two pursuers was futile because Python couldn't silence everyone privy to his betrayal. He'd be ensnared in an endless chase, and the longer he delayed, the greater the likelihood of being executed on the spot.

As Argentum deployed a curtain of water to deflect the incoming motorcycle, he couldn't spare the effort to stop Python's escape.

Cyrus was about to reload the K80 when Python cunningly dove into a building, using the structure as cover, rendering her unable to lock onto his position.

She abandoned the K80, drawing a compact submachine gun from her hip.

The submachine gun lacked the K80's penetration power but made up for it with fierce rapid-fire and larger magazines.

Uncertain whether the weapon could cause substantial damage to Python after he ingested the unknown substance, she watched as his muscles swelled to grotesque proportions, his physique now terrifying even by bodybuilding standards.

As Python fled into a closed diner, he smashed through walls and tore open the natural gas pipelines embedded within. His mind clear, he triggered the ignition switch of the diner.

The deafening explosion sent flames roaring, completely obscuring his figure. Relying on the divine blood's regenerative power, he withstood the blast's impact and searing heat, bursting through walls to escape onto the adjacent street.

"Stay here, Thornrose," Cyrus ordered as she and Argentum gave chase without hesitation.

The diner's interior was a mess of debris. Falling beams nearly struck Cyrus, but her swift dodge spared her. Water surged around her, and she and Argentum crossed the fiery wreckage unscathed, though the chaos of bricks and furniture delayed them by precious seconds.

Every second was precious; each one allowed Python to extend the gap further.

Cyrus switched her mask to infrared thermal imaging, tracking Python's heat signature.

In his "Blood Aflame" state, Python's body temperature rose continuously, standing out like a glaring red beacon in the infrared spectrum.

He kept running, now crashing into a bustling poker house.

The patrons were sent sprawling, tables overturned, cards scattered as they screamed at the sight of the blood-flamed Python.

Python, his eyes filled with malice, ignored their cries, pushing through the crowd and smashing another wall.

A lightbulb moment struck him—a means of escape. Jump into the sea!

If he swam away, Argentum's aquatic abilities would be overstretched by the ocean's vastness. The sea would cool his body, evading thermal trackers.

With his enormous lung capacity, Python could hold his breath for nearly ten minutes underwater. He could discreetly surface at a safe location and escape Mechanism Dawn's pursuit.

The divine blood was potent, but it couldn't bridge the gap in ranks. It needed time to assimilate and transform his body. Over time, his physique and abilities would greatly improve. But Python, a mere Class C, dared not arrogantly confront the nearly Class A Argentum and the enigmatic Madame Riches after just ingesting the divine blood.

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Cyrus and Argentum stormed into the poker house, the patrons shrieking and parting ways to clear a path for them.

The gap between them widened as Python's blood-fueled enhancement seemed almost like cheating, his speed and strength skyrocketing.

"Damn it, he's too far! My water can't reach that far!" Argentum cursed in frustration.

"Red, where's the nearest auxiliary squad?" Cyrus asked, unable to check her wrist map.

"Five hundred meters out!" Red's voice was dark and grim.

By the time the auxiliary squad arrived, it would be too late.

"Any cameras nearby?" Cyrus asked again.

"None in this section," Red replied swiftly.

In mere moments, the distance between Cyrus and Python stretched to thirty meters. Python, still running, dodged and weaved to avoid potential bullets, his thick skin notwithstanding his fear of pain.

Cyrus seized an opportunity. Just before Python reached cover, she raised her submachine gun and aimed for his feet.

"Ah!" Python stumbled as he was hit.

The kinetic energy of the bullets and the pain of the wounds slowed his movements.

Cyrus didn't stop running. She yanked a mini-grenade from her belt, pulled the pin with her teeth, and, after counting a second, tossed the grenade.

It arced perfectly toward Python.

Python's pupils constricted as he rolled to evade, but the grenade exploded before hitting the ground, barely a meter from him. The blast sent him coughing up blood, unable to rise immediately.

Cyrus took advantage of the moment, spraying bullets from her submachine gun. Blood mist erupted from Python as the bullets lodged in his muscles. Even though they didn't hit any organs or bones, they elicited agonizing howls.

Argentum finally found his chance. A ring of water materialized, trapping Python's limbs. A larger sphere of water formed, encapsulating Python like a gel capsule, drowning his entire body, including his head.

Python spat out bubbles as he struggled. His wounds leaked blood, staining the water red.

Argentum coldly lifted the water sphere off the ground, leaving Python tumbling helplessly within, deprived of any leverage.

Cyrus's submachine gun ran out of bullets. It took two seconds to reload and fire again at the water sphere. Python, still maintaining "Blood Aflame," resisted the bullets, which seemed ineffective as his wounds healed rapidly. The bullets were expelled by his powerful muscles and fell to the ground with a clinking sound.

Argentum's control over water allowed him to imbue it with properties it didn't naturally possess, like toughness. He manipulated the water like rope, giving it "strength." He forced the water into Python's nose and mouth, causing him to roll his eyes back, his struggles slowing.

He could have killed Python more easily, but instead, he chose to torture him slowly, prolonging his suffering.

Cyrus reluctantly put down her submachine gun.

Before the bullets killed Python, he would die of suffocation unless he voluntarily ended "Blood Aflame."

Cyrus refused to let Argentum finish Python.

She could fire directly into Python's mouth for a fatal shot. No matter how tough his muscles and skin were, his insides were still vulnerable.

But after a moment of calm, Cyrus didn't raise her submachine gun. Instead, she pulled out another mini-grenade. With Argentum watching in horror, she thrust her arm into the water sphere, deftly stuffing the grenade into Python's gaping mouth, then retreated a safe distance.

"Boom!"

The water sphere exploded, and with it, Python.

Water, blood, flesh, and limbs scattered everywhere.

Argentum was dumbstruck, "You... you really hated him, huh."

Cyrus's mask was smeared with a mix of blood and water. She shook herself, dislodging the debris.

"You killed Python."

"You have deprived Python of his supernatural ability."

"You have acquired the supernatural ability [Blood Aflame·C Class]."

"You have acquired the supernatural ability [Flesh Regeneration·D Class]."

"[Blood Aflame·C Class]: Fueling yourself with your own blood, you exchange it for immense strength."

"[Flesh Regeneration·D Class]: Your wounds heal at a rate far beyond that of an ordinary person."

"Red, mission complete. I don't want to touch this corpse; let the auxiliary squad clean up," Cyrus said.

Compared to the grotesque exotic specimens, Python's body was merely an appetizer. Cyrus wasn't entirely unfazed, but she accepted the situation well.

Even Cyrus was surprised by her own state of mind at the moment, detaching her emotions and analyzing her psyche.

During the chase, her blood felt as if it was on fire.

She overcame obstacle after obstacle, running relentlessly to catch up, to kill him. It was a rare opportunity, and had she missed it, when would the next chance come? Perhaps never. He would have escaped, vanished, and Cyrus would never have had another chance at revenge.

Fortunately, she succeeded, and with his death, she felt a weight lifted, even a trace of joy, a strange sense of accomplishment deep within.

She had gained two more supernatural abilities. Although she had no chance yet to test her new powers, they were undeniably assets for survival.

In the days since her arrival in the second world, Cyrus had been learning and adapting. She sought the right attitude to face this passive and complex situation, the right opportunity to turn passivity into initiative.

Killing Python was her first step.

In the future, she would be more proactive.

"Thornrose said Python took divine blood," Red said sourly. "His blood's contaminated now, no use for memory extraction."

Cyrus paused, realizing that the substance Python had consumed was the "divine blood" Shu Xuyao had mentioned... Indeed, its effects were astounding.

"Where did he get that stuff?" Cyrus feigned confusion.

"Where else? Only a few powers are capable of refining divine blood," Red stated. "I'm leaning towards the Enforcement Department. They've been coveting the contents of the Kraken Ship, unwilling to let any unstable factors threaten the harbor... Heh, they're just pawns, though. The people behind them are more likely..."

His voice trailed off as he seemed to ponder deeper.

Cyrus abruptly remembered her first encounter with Argentum, his sneering words—

"The Enforcement Department, lapdogs of the conglomerates."

"It's time to go," Argentum said. "The Coast Security Team will be here soon."

"Yeah, wash this filth off me with your water," Cyrus requested.

Argentum manipulated the water gently over Cyrus's mask, murmuring, "You should've stood further away from the blast."