Apocalypse: Become stronger by absorbing flames at the start; my name is the Flame Emperor.

A secret world.

At the top of the largest ancient tree in the center of the forest.

Two evolved beings from the Cherry Blossom Country were hiding among them.

"Takada, it's been over seven hours, why hasn't the rest arrived yet?"

Ichiro Nakamura frowned and asked in a low voice, "Have you been keeping in touch with them?"

"I don't know either! At first, seven people in this area responded, and they all said they were on their way here."

Takada's face was somewhat pale.

He simply couldn't withstand using his telekinetic talent for extended periods. Even using it only every so often was nearing his limit.

"Judging from the distance between them and me, there should be five other people besides you who should have arrived by now. The remaining person is a bit further away and may need another hour or so to get here," Takada said weakly.

During the previous call, those people all gave their locations.

"Then try contacting them again now and see where they are?"

"I always felt there was something eerie about this place."

Ichiro Nakamura glanced around, feeling somewhat uneasy.

"good!"

Without hesitation, Takada immediately activated his mental power.

"Everyone, this is Takada. Why haven't you arrived here yet? Is something wrong? Please respond upon receipt."

Silence.

"No...no one replied..."

Takada began to stutter.

"Could something have happened to them all?" Nakamura Ichiro's gaze darkened.

"You mean? They were killed?"

Takada seemed to realize something as well, and his hair stood on end, fear creeping into his heart.

"This is the only possibility I can think of..."

Just then, someone suddenly replied.

"Takada, it's me, Hoshino-kun. I'm on my way to you."

"Why aren't you here yet?" Takada asked anxiously.

"I just encountered a few evolved humans from small countries on the way. It took some effort to kill them, which delayed me a little," Hoshino Boy replied quickly.

Upon hearing this, Takada and his companion immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

fortunately!

"It seems they encountered the enemy on their way here, and they might be fighting right now, unable to reply in time."

Nakamura Ichiro relaxed and said with a smile, "Don't worry, they are all quite strong. Even if they face an S-rank expert, they won't have any problem escaping."

Among the participants in the battle of a hundred nations, the contestants from the eight major nations are generally very strong.

Of the hundred participants from each country, the number of those who surpassed S-rank varied from eight or nine to ten or so.

There are at least thirty or forty S-rank experts, and some countries, like the Great Xia Kingdom, have an astonishing 67. This makes them the strongest nation in terms of overall strength.

All participants are S-rank or higher.

Other countries, however, have some that are only at the peak of the A-level rating.

As for the smaller countries outside the eight major powers, they have very few S-level experts; almost 80-90% of them are A-level experts, which is more than one level below them.

Therefore, Ichiro Nakamura was not worried about the safety of those people at all.

The probability of encountering a super S-level powerhouse, especially an enemy, is extremely low.

"What if they happen to run into each other?"

Takada muttered something.

Nakamura Ichiro: "..."

If they run into me, it's just bad luck. What can I do? I can't beat even a Super S-rank fighter.

He rolled his eyes and didn't want to talk anymore.

"Don't think too much about it. Once they all arrive, we'll head to another place together and contact other powerful individuals."

"Don't forget, our mission is to eliminate the Great Xia Kingdom's combat personnel."

A murderous intent flashed in Nakamura Ichiro's eyes.

However, what the two did not know was...

Five kilometers away from them, Lin Yu leaned against a large tree, playing with a dark, ethereal stone in his hand.

"Is there one last one?"

As Lin Yu listened to Takada's voice in the Mind Stone, a slight smile appeared on his lips.

He had been guarding this big tree for five hours, and all the powerful figures from the Sakura Kingdom who came to join him had now become dead.

Apart from Nakamura Ichiro, who arrived even earlier than Lin Yu.

Those who came later all died silently.

Just then.

Lin Yu's eyes lit up.

"The clone in the eastern position sensed the aura of a powerful figure; someone has arrived!"

Lin Yu flashed, lightly tapping his toes between the giant ancient trees, leaping in different directions.

A few minutes later, he arrived at the location of his clone.

He beckoned slightly with his right hand.

A miniature stick figure leaped out from a large rock. It was covered in flames, topped with a green leaf, and transformed into a streak of fire, merging into Lin Yu's body.

This is a skill that Lin Yu has recently developed.

By splitting off a small flame and placing a wisp of spiritual energy within it, a small flame clone can be formed.

This stick figure skill has a clever use: it can be used as a scout to gather intelligence on the enemy.

Moreover, because the spiritual energy contained within is weak, it is generally not easily detected by others.

If he hadn't developed this skill, he wouldn't be able to wait for his prey to come to him. After all, if he were to release his immense mental energy to search for someone, he would easily be discovered and allowed to escape.

"Shuashuashua——"

At that moment, the sound of wind rustling through the forest filled the air.

"Are they here?"

Lin Yu looked over and saw a figure leaping between the trees at an extremely fast speed.

"This person's name is Hoshino... what was it again?"

Lin Yu thought for half a second but couldn't remember.

It seems this person is too weak to attract his attention.

After all, among the seven great nations, there are very few people whose names you can remember!

"Since it's a weakling, let's not bother with it. Let's kill it and move on to another place."

Lin Yu condensed a flame blade in his hand, bent his body slightly, and unleashed a surge of magical power from his right foot.

next moment.

He shot out like an arrow released from a bow.

"Who?"

100 meters away.

Hoshino, who was speeding along, seemed to sense something and suddenly turned his head to look. He saw a crimson color magnified in his eyes.

"Pfft~"

The entire screen turned black and white.

A head flew high into the air, and his body, accompanied by gushing blood, slowly fell to the ground.

"That's the sixth one. It seems there aren't any more over here."

Lin Yu's body landed gently, completely untouched.

He looked towards the large central tree: "Your turn!"

then.

Without any hesitation, he vanished into the forest in a flash.

"Nakamura, shall we leave here?"

"I always feel inexplicably uneasy."

At the top of the giant tree, Takada's eyes scanned the surroundings, trying to find the source of his unease.

"What are you worried about? Didn't we just contact them? Besides, with me here, even if some fools come by, you don't need to worry."

"Beyond the S level, I fear no one."

"Even if it's a Super S, I have a fighting chance."

Ichiro Nakamura slowly licked his lips, exuding utmost confidence.

After all, his strength is among the best in the entire S-class.

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