In the park.
Several public security officers quickly drew their guns and unleashed a volley of gunfire at the Heretic Believer, each shot aimed at the heart and head.
Within moments, the Heretic Believer, in the midst of transforming into a Giant Mutant Rat, was riddled with bullets.
However, the bullet-riddled body of the Heretic Believer collapsed and didn't rise, yet the body kept mutating.
After several more sniper shots, which obliterated the head, the mutation still persisted.
"Jiangbei West Road, Citizen's Park, there's a Heretic Believer transforming into a Giant Mutant Rat, regular firearms are ineffective at inflicting fatal damage!"
"Preliminary judgment indicates integration with Rat King genes!"
"We are powerless to respond, requesting the deployment of Mechanically Modified Humans for support!"
Seeing that they were unable to deal with the situation, the captain of the public security team immediately contacted the city's public security headquarters to request support from Mechanically Modified Humans.
"Captain, he's getting up!" yelled a public security officer.
The Heretic Believer who had just been lying motionless on the ground was now somehow standing up.
More and more features of the Giant Mutant Rat appeared on the body: long, thin whiskers, a pointed snout, and a face covered with rat fur, turning into a walking rat-person.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
"Hold him off!"
"Open fire and hold the beast off!"
"Just need to stall for 2 minutes, and Mechanically Modified Human support will arrive!"
"Stop it, don't let it leave the park!"
"Bang! Bang! Bang…"
Under the command of the public security team captain, several public security officers retreated while firing, suppressing with gunfire to prevent the rat-person from leaving the park.
…
Outside the park.
Having heard what the captain of the public security team in the park said, Lin Zichen immediately abandoned the car and, grabbing Shen Qinghan from the back seat, started sprinting at full speed.
The situation had escalated far beyond his expectations, and he urgently needed to escape the area.
[You are sprinting at full speed with a load, Qi-Blood +4, Speed Endurance +2, Body Coordination +2, Running Speed +2, Running Technique +2]
[You have sprinted 1000 meters at full speed with a load, Qi-Blood +400, Speed Endurance +200, Body Coordination +200, Running Speed +200, Running Technique +200]
In just over a minute.
Lin Zichen had carried Shen Qinghan over a thousand meters away, thoroughly distancing himself from the dangerous park.
Although it was only 1000 meters, the intensity was extremely high, and he was left gasping for air with his hands propped on his knees.
Seeing this, Shen Qinghan immediately ran into the nearby convenience store, bought a sports drink, and came back with it unscrewed for him to take a sip and catch his breath.
Lin Zichen took the drink from her hand but didn't drink it right away, still panting heavily.
His breath was still ragged, and he couldn't drink anything down yet.
"Ah, shoot, Xiao Chen, I forgot to take the Phantom Squid Meat from the basket!"
Shen Qinghan suddenly remembered this and immediately showed a look of urgency on her face.
Upon hearing this, Lin Zichen felt a pang of loss.
His first reaction was to go back and get it, but his rationality quickly stopped him from making that foolish move.
The park was still dangerous at the moment, and it would be risky to go back so recklessly.
He would have to wait and see.
Only if his own safety was assured would he decide whether to go back for the Phantom Squid Meat.
Just then, a thunderous roar suddenly came from the sky.
It sounded like a high-displacement motorcycle racing past at full throttle, shaking one's eardrums and causing discomfort.
Lin Zichen looked up toward the noise.
It was the Mechanically Modified Humans!
But it was just a fleeting glimpse; they flew hundreds of meters past in an instant, their appearances impossible to catch.
Yet it wasn't hard to guess that it was the reinforcements the public security team captain had just requested.
With the Mechanically Modified Humans taking charge, safety should be secured.
With that thought, Lin Zichen decided to go back and retrieve the Phantom Squid Meat.
He then turned to Shen Qinghan beside him and said,
"Wait here for me. I'm going back to the park to get the Phantom Squid Meat. I'll be back soon."
"I'm coming too!"
"I'll be faster on my own."
"Alright, then. Be careful on your way, and come back quickly."
"Mhm."
Without saying much else, Lin Zichen quickly turned and ran towards the park.
Since he wasn't carrying Shen Qinghan this time, he arrived back at the park's outskirts in less than a minute.
At that moment, the park was filled with a vast amount of purple-blue smoke, and one could hear the sounds of intense fighting coming from inside.
Lin Zichen ignored all this, hurried to his bicycle, stopped in front of it, and took out the Phantom Squid Meat from the basket.
As soon as he got hold of it, he detected a faint stench of rot.
He sniffed, and the smell seemed to be emanating from the bag holding the Phantom Squid Meat.
A bad premonition immediately struck Lin Zichen.
With a sense of trepidation, he opened the bag to inspect the Phantom Squid Meat inside.
To his dismay, he found that the meat had spoiled and was showing obvious signs of decay.
It was over!
The meat, after the Life Origin had been consumed, did not cease to spoil or rot—there was just a delay!
What was he to do now?
How would he explain this to his parents when he got back?
Lin Zichen was very troubled.
Meanwhile, even heavier sounds of fighting erupted from the park.
Alongside it rose a shrill scream, resembling that of a rat, yet also human.
The next moment, from within the dense purple-blue smoke, a slender figure shot up into the sky, suspended high above the ground by a powerful reverse airflow propulsion device.
Lin Zichen looked up to see a female Mechanically Modified Human hovering in the sky.
Her chest was flat, made of pure alloy, with a circular glowing area in the middle that looked like an energy pump.
In terms of the alloy alone, she seemed stronger than the male Mechanically Modified Human he had encountered in an alleyway during elementary school.
Suddenly, an extremely dazzling light burst from the energy pump on the female Mechanically Modified Human's chest.
The next moment!
A terrifying beam of energy shot out from the energy pump, violently blasting toward the ground below!
Immediately afterward, a "boom" resounded!
The park, formerly shrouded in darkness, became illuminated for the most part in an instant.
After a brief moment, the light dissipated.
The park, which had been abuzz with noise, was now completely silent.
All that was left was a faint smell of charring.
Lin Zichen stood rooted to the spot, stunned by the scene before him.
This female Mechanically Modified Human, she could actually fire a laser cannon?
In a small prefecture-level city like Shanhai City, was there truly such an advanced Mechanically Modified Human?
The power of that laser cannon blast seemed terrifying.
It was hard to imagine how far biological flesh and blood had to evolve to be able to withstand the damage from that laser blast... Lin Zichen fell into contemplation.
Elsewhere, the chest of the female Mechanically Modified Human high above was smoking, the area around it blackened.
It was clear just how scorching the energy beam that had been emitted from that spot had been.
After confirming that the Rat creature below had perished, the female Mechanically Modified Human did not linger any longer and flew away.
Lin Zichen watched her departure, his mind filled with a myriad of thoughts.
He possessed a physical condition far superior to his peers only because he trained his body diligently every day.
Yet Mechanically Modified Humans didn't have to do a thing; with powerful alloy equipment installed, they could have incredible destructive power.
This rapid acquisition of power was indeed enviable.
As Lin Zichen pondered these things, the captain of the security team and others emerged not far away, jogging towards the park to clear the area.
Seeing this, Lin Zichen hesitated for a moment before following them inside.
He wanted to see just how much damage that laser cannon blast from the female Mechanically Modified Human had caused.
...
PS: Begging bowl out, asking for Monthly Pass votes and recommendations!