The entire Beicheng District had descended into a ferocious war.
Billowing smoke engulfed the surroundings, incessant gunfire drowning out the monstrous howls. The military's strategic decision to disperse their troops out of the city was now paying off. The monsters' fighting force had been greatly scattered. The group that had been besieging Su Chen seemed to have vanished, allowing him to make his way unhindered towards the battlefield near Dongcheng District.
As he approached, the first thing that caught his eye was a blinding flash of light.
Fighter jets were relentlessly bombing the city.
Explosions thundered, turning the sky into a fiery inferno.
Two aerial formations operated in unison here. They executed coordinated bombings, taking turns to provide cover. However, a significant number of survivors had managed to escape the city through these "roads." The convoys and scattered survivors were in disarray, no longer maintaining a semblance of order. Chaos reigned as humans and monsters mingled together.
This battlefield resembled a gruesome meat grinder. The fate of ordinary people hinged on their ability to cling to a powerful military force or rely solely on luck to evade stray bullets. They faced the risk of being trampled by vehicles in the pandemonium or devoured by lurking monsters. Survival was uncertain.
Seizing the opportunity amidst the chaos, Su Chen skillfully evaded the three pitch-black monsters tailing him and swiftly changed direction. He ducked beneath the viaduct, retracing his steps toward the Linmo area.
Thanks to the air force, despite the chaos on the ground, it appeared that humans still held supremacy in the skies.
However, as Su Chen cast a glance over his shoulder, he witnessed a horde of pitch-black monsters pouring into the city from its depths. They surged toward the battlefield from all directions, emerging from the darkness as if they had materialized out of thin air. Gradually, they formed an encirclement, evidently intending to devour the airborne formations.
Yet, it seemed the military held a deep-seated fear of losing their air force. The aerial formations refrained from penetrating the city, and this hesitation provided the perfect opportunity for the encirclement to take shape. Without hesitation, the air formations swiftly reversed course, abandoning the battlefield, support, and rescue efforts. With a deafening roar, they disappeared into the distant sky.
Su Chen stole a fleeting glance before wrenching his gaze away.
The city remained engulfed in chaos.
Some individuals had realized that this was likely their final chance for rescue and evacuation. They desperately tried to keep pace with the retreating military, hoping to board this last train to safety. Yet, others remained paralyzed by fear, cowering and trembling as they listened to the apocalyptic symphony of roars and howls outside.
Within the vast and chaotic landscape, their car appeared insignificant, its destination a mere speck on the horizon. Going out of the city seemed almost inconsequential, as they encountered only a handful of monsters. These creatures no longer adhered to the collective combat mode of the swarm; instead, they roamed in a frenzied and disorganized manner, akin to the sporadic monsters Su Chen had hunted before. To avoid confronting large clusters of monsters, Su Chen and his companions maintained a cautious pace—neither too slow nor too fast, continuously moving forward.
Occasionally, they encountered disoriented survivors who, with minds clouded by panic, approached Su Chen and his group. These individuals expressed their intention to navigate around the city, rather than attempting to escape it. Upon hearing this, Su Chen and his companions were left dumbfounded, swiftly dismissing any thoughts of forming an alliance.
However, Su Chen paid them little mind. As long as they remained undetected by the swarming monster clusters and their favored targets, he possessed ample experience in dealing with scattered monsters. He was well-versed in both evasion and decapitation techniques. Along the way, he dispatched numerous isolated black-scaled monsters and elongated ghosts, replenishing his energy reserves to a full thirty.
Several power banks were also replenished, and Su Chen even managed to pilfer a battery and a set of navigational devices. In truth, he desired the military's individual radar, suspecting that its magically-enhanced version would offer greater reliability. However, its size posed a challenge for portability after modification, and the precision system's energy consumption remained unknown. Moreover, Su Chen still needed to establish contact with Su Wenhao. If the magical modification rendered the device unreliable, he would find himself in a predicament. Thus, he decided to temporarily set aside this notion.
Had it not been for the necessity of keeping the communicator to establish contact with Su Wenhao and obtain vital information, Su Chen would have contemplated modifying the military's communication device instead.
The anxious young soldier in the driver's seat seemed to possess an acute sense of apprehension. While navigating, he frequently reached out to touch the communication device on the co-pilot's side, nervously guarding against potential thieves.
Meanwhile, Su Chen merely cast occasional glances at the device, dedicating most of his attention to the outside world. Having successfully eluded the pitch-black monsters and continued their stealthy progress, Qiao Zheng refrained from employing his searchlight ability.
Qiao Zheng, on the other hand, scrutinized Su Chen.
He observed how Su Chen remained ever-vigilant, spotting monsters and executing flawless hunts...
Su Chen's proficiency in these skills stemmed from countless previous encounters. Qiao Zheng found himself astounded, eagerly studying his every move. Though Qiao Zheng acknowledged that his own abilities held more relevance in times of peace, deep down, he yearned to emulate Su Chen's strength. Since his girlfriend had abandoned him, his other aspirations had dwindled. His sole concern rested with his parents, located elsewhere, awaiting their fate.
Given this precious opportunity for observation, Qiao Zheng resolved not to let it slip away.
Inside the car, Su Chen gazed at the young soldier seated in front of him, pausing momentarily before speaking, "Comrade, I still don't know your name?"
"I am Wang Li, a scout," came the concise reply from the young soldier.
Su Chen continued, "Were you part of the group attacked at the Yuncheng store?"
"No," Wang Li remained as concise as ever, "I followed Commander Liu and later joined you."
In truth, Wang Li had been handpicked by Su Wenhao and Liu Chenye as a designated candidate. He was well aware of this fact and had been briefed on various matters in advance. Liu Chenye had cautioned him that Mr. Su harbored numerous secrets and might make various demands. Wang Li was advised not to pry too much and to cooperate to the best of his abilities. Naturally, he was also aware of Su Chen's peculiar abilities.
Hence, Wang Li had refrained from unnecessary questions and kept his conversations minimal throughout their journey. Moreover, there was an additional reason for his reticence: the fear that Su Chen might confiscate his communication equipment.
Without communication equipment, he would be unable to contact Deputy Battalion Commander Su.
If he couldn't reach Deputy Battalion Commander Su, how would he ever return to the army?
Wang Li's response was terse yet impactful, but an undercurrent of nervousness coursed through him. He dreaded the possibility of Mr. Su confiscating his communication equipment.
As he drove with methodical precision, a whirlwind of thoughts raged within his mind. Following the instructions of Battalion Commander Liu and Deputy Battalion Commander Su, he was obligated to fulfill all of the other party's demands unconditionally. It was an order. Therefore, if Mr. Su made a request, he had no choice but to comply. However, what if Mr. Su took away his equipment and rendered it useless for modification? If it became unusable, how would he stay in touch with the secondary mission of returning to the army? How would he receive news and updates?
While Mr. Su also needed to contact their deputy battalion commander, the recent request to halt and steal the battery and dismantle the navigator had left Wang Li apprehensive. He hadn't relinquished those items, and even when they encountered a shared bicycle on the side of the road earlier, he had hesitated for a prolonged period of time. The mere thought of the consequences sent shivers down his spine...