The motorcade steadily made its way out of the city, and the clamor of monsters, gunfire, and explosions gradually subsided. Only in the distance, a dark, ominous monster persisted in tailing the convoy, refusing to relent.
Meanwhile, in the sky, another pitch-black creature emerged from a different direction.
At this moment, Tian Jun seemed to grasp the situation fully, and a fierce dispute erupted between him and Tao Tang. Their team had successfully exited the city, significantly reducing the level of risk. However, Su Chen's presence continued to pose a threat to the group. Tian Jun, therefore, opposed taking any more risks and was inclined to let Su Chen go, viewing his voluntary departure as beneficial for everyone. However, as the commanding officer of the entire Mixed Seven Battalion, Taotang could not take any further action without Tian Jun's approval.
Su Wenhao appeared to have anticipated this moment. He had arranged for a young soldier to serve as Su Chen's driver, along with a practitioner who provided communication equipment. He also handed Su Chen a rugged off-road vehicle.
For the journey ahead, Su Chen had to equip himself with a heavy machine gun, two crates of ammunition, and various other supplies.
Meanwhile, atop the roof of the backup support group's commercial vehicle, Qiao Zheng climbed up, repeatedly calling out to Su Chen, "Brother Su! I'll accompany you!"
Though taken aback, Su Chen did not refuse. He boarded the off-road vehicle and welcomed Qiao Zheng. The three of them swiftly caught up with the bus carrying Xia Chuwei. As the bus came into view, Su Chen's gaze first locked onto Xia Chuwei but remained silent for the moment.
Xia Chuwei broke the silence with a warm smile and said, "We're in this together."
Su Chen couldn't burden Xia Chuwei with his own mission, nor would she impulsively join him on a whim. She understood that his presence here was paving the way for her to reach Zongzhi. It may not be the most significant contribution, but it still held value.
Su Chen nodded subtly, well aware that Su Wenhao had already made a promise. He then turned his attention to the bald boss, who was positioned by the window, and spoke concisely, "Your rewards will be plentiful."
While the words seemed brief, the bald boss understood their intent perfectly. He squatted by the window, a mix of joy and nervousness on his face, and eagerly replied, "Big brother, your cause is my cause—I'll make sure you see the general manager!"
"I will hold you to that," Su Chen chuckled. He shifted his gaze to Professor Chen, seated on the opposite side of the window, and stated, "If your preliminary experiment proves valuable to me, I am willing to cooperate with you."
Professor Chen's face lit up with joy, leaving him momentarily speechless.
Yet, Su Chen merely cast a silent glance in his direction.
Had Liu Chenye not deceived him, Professor Chen would not have had the luxury of time to conduct the experiments and research he so desired.
However, Su Chen withheld his thoughts. In the distant sky, a third menacing, pitch-black monster emerged. Though still far apart, they formed an eerie presence looming over the convoy. While the main horde of monsters remained unseen, the imminent danger was palpable.
Without further delay, Su Chen swiftly veered off from the convoy, his off-road vehicle racing along the Outer Ring Road in Yuanliao City. Interestingly, friction arose among the soldiers on the outskirts of the convoy. One faction sought to halt Su Chen's departure, while another group intervened to stop them, enabling Su Chen to forge ahead at high speed.
Perched on the roof of the vehicle, Su Chen's Miaodao blade gleamed with armored fire, its presence commanding as he coldly surveyed the three pitch-black behemoths in the sky.
The trio of dark monsters momentarily halted, before converging on Su Chen's direction, one after the other.
In the distance, numerous onlookers from the convoy bore witness to this scene, their eyes transfixed on the fierce figure vanishing gradually into the darkness. A sense of dread and awe filled the hearts of ordinary survivors, etching this sight indelibly in their memory. Those who comprehended the situation grappled with complex emotions, including Tian Jun and Tao Tang. They questioned the correctness of their thoughts and choices.
Tian Jun, uncertain, cast a glance at the closed-eyed Liu Chenye, his silence heavy with contemplation. A sigh escaped his lips.
Perhaps he still lives; he must know what course of action to take.
When the apocalypse descended, he had come face to face with his own mediocrity and ordinariness. Once hailed as the most resilient soldier in the army, even attaining the proud rank of battalion commander, there were limits to what he could achieve through sheer determination.
...
On the other side, Su Chen deliberately caught the attention of the three looming pitch-black monsters before swiftly retreating to the vehicle. His intent was not to play the fool but to signal his departure from the team.
As expected, the three monsters were immediately captivated by his retreat and began to pursue him.
Su Chen couldn't help but feel a tinge of dismay—his priority seemed to be alarmingly high and conspicuous. Did even the likes of Cthulhu take notice of him?
Nonetheless, Su Chen remained composed. They were heading rapidly towards the battlefield near Dongcheng District, where chaos and fighters abound. Once Su Chen entered that chaotic fray, no one would be able to track him down.
Moreover, after veering off from the main convoy, traversing the outer ring road, and circumnavigating the city, their speed was astonishing.
During their journey, they encountered two ambushes. Several black-scaled monsters attempted to assail Su Chen's vehicle, lurking in the shadows, aiming to obliterate it. However, Su Chen had anticipated such threats and swiftly retaliated, eliminating one of the assailants instantly and forcing the others to retreat.
One pitch-black monster even attempted to seize the opportunity to strike, but Su Chen skillfully repelled it.
In this critical moment, Qiao Zheng played a vital role. He positioned himself halfway out of the skylight, raising his arms high. His hands emitted a luminous glow akin to giant searchlights, illuminating their surroundings as bright as day. No monsters could hide in the brilliance, greatly reducing the risk of a surprise attack.
Qiao Zheng, beaming with pride, declared, "Brother Su, I still have some utility. While my ability takes more than ten seconds to focus and deliver lethal damage, when not focused, it can serve as a searchlight."
The corners of Su Chen's mouth twitched. He couldn't help but wonder why Qiao Zheng appeared more relaxed than he did, despite the imminent threat of monsters.
Qiao Zheng, driven by his unwavering faith and admiration for Su Chen's combat prowess, believed that with Su Chen's departure from the military convoy, and given his own abilities, he would be safer, albeit contributing individually.
Qiao Zheng continued, "If I may say, my ability is not primarily combat-oriented but more functional in nature. It can prove immensely useful in non-apocalyptic situations. It's the kind of ability that can help rake in a fortune. Look, I can even change the colors... compress it into a line..."
With his words, Qiao Zheng's hand emitted a dazzling array of blue, purple, yellow, and red lights.
The young soldier in the driver's seat rubbed his eyes vigorously and whispered, "Um... comrade... it's too bright. You might blind me..."
At a distance, a man hiding in a room on one of the dozen floors of a building near Huancheng Road in the new development zone was initially terrified, listening to the continuous gunfire outside. Suddenly, he caught sight of an indistinct, brightly lit object speeding past beneath him. Misinterpreting the scene, he exclaimed in shock, "Goodness! Come here, my dear! There's a terrifying luminous monster down there!"