Strongest Soldier King

Under the drive of the desire to live, human potential can indeed be terrifying. Luo Zheng, weak with hunger and thirst, felt a surge of strength. His numbed and frozen thoughts began to clear, and he looked at the two guards with alert and wary eyes. Not long after, Luo Zheng tore open the T-shirt worn under his back and felt for the belt around his waist.

Nails made of clay were neatly lined up on the belt. Luo Zheng touched with his finger and drew one out. His fingers moved deftly, quickly changing direction, and he groped for the rope on his back. Estimating one end, he started cutting with the nail.

The hemp rope was tough and as thick as a thumb, cutting through it wasn't easy. Luo Zheng controlled his anxious emotions, lips tightly closed, eyes watchful of the two guards, while his fingers moved deftly, exerting as much strength as possible within the limited range of movement.

The sharp part of the nail was extremely keen, easily piercing the hemp fibers, but a hemp rope was twisted from many fibers, and piercing them all wasn't easy. Luo Zheng held back his anxious feelings, working as quickly as possible. About five or six minutes later, the sturdy hemp rope had become considerably loosened, and Luo Zheng continued cutting.

Another five or six minutes later, most of the rope had been cut through. This result greatly delighted Luo Zheng, pushing him to work even harder. The two guards were still asleep, completely unaware of what was happening. Before long, the hemp rope was severed, and Luo Zheng rejoiced, freed his arms, and found the ropes binding his hands were undone, rejoicing further.

Luo Zheng took a deep breath to suppress his overwhelming joy, skillfully twisting the nail in his hand, changing its direction, and feeling for the handcuff's keyhole, gently fiddling with it. Unlocking a lock was a skill taught during his time in the Special Forces, which Luo Zheng knew well.

Two minutes later, the handcuffs clicked open, and with his hands free, Luo Zheng couldn't help but feel ecstatic, silently thanking Elder Chang, who taught him the Finger Knife skill. Without such nimbleness in his fingers, he couldn't have escaped. With no time to celebrate, Luo Zheng quickly bent down and used the nail to fiddle with the shackles around his feet.

Victory was within reach, making Luo Zheng even more anxious. He glanced at the two sleeping guards, who were overly confident. In such a situation, escaping seemed impossible, but Luo Zheng was different, equipped with a family-taught Breathing Skill that kept him alive despite hunger and thirst. Without that or the Finger Knife technique, escape would be unachievable.

Everything was predestined, nothing could be omitted. Luo Zheng suddenly realized the advantage of mastering multiple skills. Successfully unlocking the handcuffs, he didn't immediately get up but watchfully eyed the two sleeping guards, stretching his limbs. After long periods of stillness, sudden movement could cause blood to rush, leading to fainting.

After a while, when Luo Zheng felt his body had improved, he slowly got up, eyes warily watching the two guards, and staggered towards them, picking up a small knife by the firepot—a seven-inch-long, greasy-handled knife used for cutting meat that looked poor in quality.

Holding the knife in reverse, Luo Zheng approached a man leaning against the wall asleep, applying the knife forcefully to the man's throat. A meat-cutting knife had no problem slicing through a human throat. With a flicker of blade, blood gushed out, causing the guard to awaken in pain. Instinctively clutching his throat, he opened confused eyes, emitting hoarse sounds as blood poured into his windpipe.

After the first strike, Luo Zheng didn't pause. His body fell to one side, and with the momentum, he thrust the knife into the neck of the other guard. Exhausted, Luo Zheng's body hit the ground, finding actions usually performed with ease now as challenging as scaling the sky. Slashing the first man's throat had expended all of Luo Zheng's strength. Without the aid of inertia, the last stab wouldn't have pierced the throat.

Luo Zheng lay on the ground gasping, eyes fixed on the two awakening guards, both clutching their throats and crying hoarsely. The first man, whose throat had been slit, got up and moved towards the door. Luo Zheng's face changed, but he had no strength to stop him. He sighed in resignation, surprised by the opponent's strong survival instincts.

If the opponent managed to escape, it might alert the sentries around the wooden house, nullifying all the previous efforts. Luo Zheng bitterly smiled, slowly closing his eyes, giving up resistance, and lamenting that truly, man proposes and God disposes.

With a thud, Luo Zheng couldn't help but turn his head to see the opponent collapsing to the ground. Stunned, he quickly realized the blood sprayed onto the door. When opening the door, the guard had failed to clutch his throat, leading to blood loss and death.

Luo Zheng rejoiced, his survival instincts rising again. Struggling to his feet, he saw the other guard reaching for a nearby walkie-talkie, a hand pressed to his throat, pained expression, face pale, and sweat dripping from his forehead. The walkie-talkie was just out of reach.

With a thud, the guard's body softened, collapsing to the ground, striking a chair, knocking the walkie-talkie to the floor with a crisp clang. Shocked, Luo Zheng warily surveyed his surroundings, listening carefully. Watching the guards exhale but not inhale, knowing they were on the verge of death, he noted the outside was silent with no unusual sounds. Breathing a sigh of relief, he struggled to his feet.

A kettle hung on the wooden wall. Laboriously crawling over, using hands and feet, the short distance seemed insurmountable at that moment. Driven by survival instincts, Luo Zheng gritted his teeth and persevered, crawling slowly to the wooden wall, using it to help him stand, seizing the kettle with impatient hands, unscrewing it, and gulping desperately.

Gulp after gulp, Luo Zheng took three large mouthfuls before reason stopped him. During extreme dehydration, drinking quickly could lead to water accumulating in the stomach, causing heaviness, bloating, and affecting diaphragm activity, hindering normal breathing. A sudden increase in blood volume could burden the heart, leading to cardiac and pulmonary complications.

Forcing himself to calm down, Luo Zheng controlled his desire to drink, sipping slowly, feeling the cool water slip past his throat and into his body, a surge of energy rising within. Quickly, he stopped to catch his breath, resting briefly, savoring the body's changes, akin to a desert encountering life-giving rain.

After a while, feeling somewhat better, Luo Zheng drank a few more sips, and then walked towards the firepot. Rehydrated, some stamina returned, but Luo Zheng moved slowly, wary of overexerting his weakened, four-day hungry and thirsty body.