Chapter 131
Gaia's pupils constricted sharply. She instinctively clutched the cardboard box to her chest and took half a step back, but the wall was right behind her. There was nowhere left to retreat.
Cruz had already charged in front of her. The metal rod swung down hard toward her head!
Gaia's eyes went wide. She didn't have time to dodge. Just then, Lucinda's hand shot out from the side, grabbed the back of Gaia's collar, and yanked her back half a step.
The rod slammed into the doorframe. Sparks flew. The sharp clang of metal on metal exploded in the night.
"Get inside." Lucinda's voice was clipped.
Gaia was shoved through the warehouse door. She stumbled several steps before catching her balance.
She turned around and saw Lucinda sidestep the second swing. Her arm came up. Her elbow struck Cruz's jaw with precision.
Cruz grunted. He staggered two steps to the side and spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva.
He wiped the corner of his mouth. His eyes bulged as he stared at the slender woman in front of him in disbelief.
"What the hell? How's this chick so strong?"
His voice carried a trace of panic.
A lackey sidled up beside him and lowered his voice. "That move she just pulled almost snapped my wrist…"
"Shut up!" Cruz barked, but his grip on the metal rod visibly tightened.
He looked Lucinda up and down. White shirt. Black slacks. Slender waist. She looked like a strong breeze could knock her over.
How could such a thin woman have that kind of strength?
"All of you, get her!" Cruz waved his hand. The viciousness in his eyes intensified. "I don't believe she's superhuman!"
The remaining thugs swarmed forward. Metal rods, baseball bats, steel pipes—all aimed at Lucinda's body!
Lucinda's eyes sharpened. Her movements were swift. She sidestepped the first rod, her left hand locking around the man's wrist and yanking him forward. Her right knee drove into his abdomen.
The man doubled over and collapsed. The rod clattered to the ground and rolled far away. A pig-like squeal tore from his throat.
"Holy crap!" A nearby thug's eyes widened. He'd raised his baseball bat halfway but didn't dare bring it down. "How is she… she doesn't even look like she weighs as much as me!"
A second baseball bat came from behind. Lucinda didn't even turn around. She bent low to dodge it, then swung her elbow back and slammed it into the man's chest.
The man stumbled backward several steps, crashed into the guy behind him, and both of them fell to the ground. The backs of their heads hit the concrete. They howled in pain.
"Cruz, something's wrong with this woman!" A skinny guy scrambled up from the ground, clutching his kicked stomach. His expression shifted from vicious to terrified. "She's trained!"
"So what if she's trained?" Cruz gritted his teeth. The veins on his temple throbbed. "She's just one person. We've got over a dozen! We'll wear her down!"
Just then, a steel pipe swept in from the side. Lucinda dodged, but the pipe grazed her arm. It didn't land solidly, but it still left a gash on her forearm.
Beads of blood seeped out and trickled down her arm.
A faint sting registered. She frowned but didn't look at the wound. She lifted her foot and kicked over the man running toward her, then pivoted and landed a punch on another thug's nose.
The sound of bone cracking rang out sharp and clear in the night. The man crouched down, clutching his face. Blood gushed through his fingers. His wails were bloodcurdling.
"That's it?" Lucinda finally spoke, her voice dripping with mockery.
She swept her gaze over the thugs surrounding her. The corner of her mouth curved slightly. "Wear me down? You think you're qualified?"
Cruz froze for a moment, then his eyes went red. "She's injured! Quick, everyone attack!"
As his words fell, the thugs charged forward like they'd been injected with adrenaline.
Lucinda bent down and picked up a steel pipe from the ground. She weighed it in her hand.
One of them lunged at her. She sidestepped. Her first swing slammed into Cruz's shoulder.
His entire body tilted to the side, knocking over the two guys behind him. He screamed. Half his body went numb.
"Cruz!"
Several thugs panicked and scrambled to help him up.
Before they could react, Lucinda's second swing swept across and struck another man in the side.
He screamed and dropped to his knees, curling into a ball and clutching his waist. He couldn't even crawl.
A short guy lunged from behind, trying to grab her around the waist.
Lucinda didn't even turn around. Her left foot kicked back and hit his knee dead-on.
His leg buckled. He pitched forward and slammed face-first into the ground, knocking out a front tooth. His mouth filled with blood. He rolled on the ground. "My tooth! My tooth!"
The remaining thugs exchanged glances. Their feet began to shuffle backward.
Lucinda stood there. Her white shirt was covered in bloodstains—impossible to tell whether they were the thugs' or her own.
She raised the steel pipe in her hand and pointed it at the remaining thugs. "Still want more?"
Not a single person dared move.
Cruz dragged himself up from the ground, clutching his shoulder. His entire right arm was useless.
He stared at the blood-soaked woman in front of him. His eyes were filled with disbelief.
A group of men, beaten to a pulp by one woman.
His Adam's apple bobbed. Cold sweat soaked through his shirt.
"Go… go!" His voice trembled. It was almost a shout.
The remaining thugs fled as if they'd been granted amnesty. They dropped their rods and bats, which clattered across the ground in a chaotic symphony.
Cruz gave Lucinda one last look, gritted his teeth, and disappeared into the night.
The sound of footsteps grew fainter and fainter. The open space in front of the warehouse fell silent again.
Lucinda stood there. Only when the last silhouette disappeared at the mouth of the alley did the steel pipe slip from her fingers and crash to the ground with a clang.
She looked down at her right hand.
The gash on the back of her hand was still bleeding. Her entire hand was stained red.
A dull ache radiated from her left shoulder. Every breath tugged at the bruise.
She frowned and turned around, looking toward the warehouse entrance.
Gaia still stood there, clutching the cardboard box to her chest. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.
Her lips trembled. She wanted to say something, but not a single word came out.
"Gaia." Lucinda's voice was hoarse.
Gaia's legs gave out. She slid down the doorframe and crouched on the ground, her shoulders shaking violently.
"It's over." Lucinda walked over, crouched down, and patted her shoulder with her uninjured left hand.
Gaia looked up, her eyes blurred with tears. "Ms. Wipere… your hand…"
Her voice trembled. Her gaze landed on Lucinda's right hand, still dripping blood.
Lucinda turned her hand over and glanced at it. The wound on the back of her hand wasn't deep, but a lot of blood had flowed.
She tugged at the corner of her mouth, her tone flat. "Superficial wound. What about your hands?"
Gaia froze. She looked down at her own hands.