The Dawn of the New World Chapter 1474

'Not what I usually go with but...having an offhand doesn't hurt.'

He picked up the band and tied it around the left arm just below the elbow. Close enough to still be within reach but far enough away to not be visible.

The second one was a thin sword that could be worn around the waist like a belt. Hao Xuan casually pulled it out to check his reflection in the cold steel, his narrowed eyes fixated on a specific spot.

"Not as sturdy as the first one but it could do some real damage if used properly."

The last one was a row of spherical metal balls. They were empty on the inside with a spring-loaded mechanism that, once thrown, would discharge whatever was stored within.

'Simple yet effective. Can cause a distraction, release smoke and provide cover or I could even fill it with poison.'

He put on the 'belt' sword and quickly attached the three metal balls on each side, letting out a short breath of relief afterwards and preparing himself for the bout of extreme movement that he would surely have to do now.

Hao Xuan stood up, murmuring to himself, "It's not much but, better than nothing I say...especially when there is danger all around."

He had already noticed it before entering the alleyway and now confirmed it in the blade's reflection, someone was following him.

It was a barely discernable shadow in the middle of his blind spot.

'It is hardly visible to the naked eye with absolutely no presence to speak of.'

Were it not for the hyperactive beastial instincts that were gifted to him by the Lycan bloodline, there was no chance he would have noticed something was amiss.

'There is a touch of killing intent in the gaze. Was he standing outside the shop waiting for patrons to come out? A thief maybe? Don't need to hold back then...'

He unsheathed the shortsword, as casually as he could, while pretending to examine it for defects.

*Woosh*Woosh*

He moved around while swinging the blade as if practicing. Using the opportunity to not only close the distance between his stalker and himself but also to stretch, slowly putting in more and more strength behind every strike.

This continued for almost two whole minutes until Hao Xuan was as close as he could possibly get without making it obvious. The 'thief' was less than 9 meters away now.

And then, as quick as lightning, he gathered every iota of strength around his feet and lunged towards the unsuspecting criminal with one smooth move.

It was perfectly executed, one continuous movement that started with him raising the sword over his shoulder and ending with the blade being wedged halfway through the thief's body.

But it passed through him with little to no resistance. Hao Xuan's pupils widened from shock and before he could bring the blade around for a second strike, the silhouette swiftly moved back and passed THROUGH the wall.

Hao Xuan's hand shot out like a viper trying to grab a hold of him but caught only a handful of dust and rubble from the hole in the wall.

On the other side of the hole he could see the outline of the silhouette moving to the left, phasing through another wall as if it wasn't even there.

And in what little light there was, another thing also became clear. That silhouette did not belong to any variation of a human. Its extremely long and emaciated limbs were easily more than two meters long.

It cast no shadow and left behind no proof of its presence.

"!!!"

'That's a lot more than just invisibility, he- IT is passing through matter itself!'

Lights came on in several of the nearby shops as people were awoken by the sound of Hao Xuan punching a hole in the wall.

"What happened?!"

"Did you hear that noise??"

"Tsk!"

He quickly sheathed the blade and scaled the walls to get to the roof, from where he could see a lot more.

There was no moon but pale moonlight still poured down in spades on this clear night. it shone through the holes in the upper city floor and thanks to it he was able to catch a glimpse of the creature once again. It was running on the ground, passing through walls and people alike.

Realizing this was no coincidence and this being was after him from the start, Hao Xuan decided to give chase while keeping some distance. He was hoping to see where it had come from, if not catch it altogether.

He leaped over a few storefronts but then jumped down when the ceiling of the upper floor came closer.

The creature was running in a straight line, towards the Beast Market or the front deck that came after.

Unfortunately this area was also a lot more crowded than before, leaving Hao Xuan no choice but to push and shove his way through.

He tried to keep a low profile but the people did not take kindly to getting pushed around by a mere slave.

"Sorry, excuse me-"

A demihuman with the head and lower body of a goat shoved him away forcefully, "Don't touch me, filth!"

He stumbled back into a passerby who almost fell over.