Chapter 98 – When the Roses Bloom (16)
◎ Shaye’s Counterattack ◎
After Ruan Wenjun was torn apart, Zhuang Qingyan raised a repeating crossbow and aimed it at the remaining Iron Eagle Team.
Level 3 zombies possessed some intelligence. He could control their actions through mental power, such as besieging, feigning surrender, or escaping.
The trench coat swayed with a half-elegant arc. Zhuang Qingyan walked forward with a leisurely pace, standing in the midst of the monsters. With one hand in his pocket, he exuded the demeanor of a Big Boss, followed by a dozen Level 3 zombie henchmen.
A hint of Bking style emerged in the horrifying scene.
Zhuang Qingyan moved his finger in the direction of the Iron Eagle Team, and the zombies immediately rushed fiercely.
The artillery squad near the iron net panicked, abandoning the catapults and scattered in all directions. Among them, the slow ones were bitten by Level 3 zombies on the neck, falling to the ground, making a crunching sound as they were devoured.
“Ruan Wenjun is dead, and the defeat of the Joint Army is inevitable!” Zhuang Qingyan shouted loudly.
In such times, it was necessary to undermine the enemy’s morale. His clear voice spread through mental power, echoing throughout the battlefield.
The formation of the Joint Army was clearly disrupted, but unfortunately, it quickly regained order.
There was more than one warlord on the battlefield. The cunning Mu Qin took over the command, identifying Shaye’s weakness and shifting to a focused attack on the base.
After Zhuang Qingyan finished off the Iron Eagle Team, he looked in the direction of Song Ke and Nai Kang—there were countless siege ladders on the city walls, giant siege engines rolling over the roads, and metal hammers smashing Shaye’s foundation.
Residents hiding in the air-raid shelter had rocks and sand falling on their heads. They endured fear, huddled together silently praying.
“No time, I’ll go take out the catapults first!” Mo Yan shouted while running.
“Kid, come back!” Fan Yiwen couldn’t stop Mo Yan. He flashed and rushed into the heart of the Joint Army.
Mo Yan maneuvered through the haze, accurately throwing his supernatural fireballs at the siege engines. Everywhere he passed, fireworks erupted.
Faster, even faster… Mo Yan urged in his mind, moving swiftly.
Several rows of howitzers suddenly appeared in front of him. Mo Yan’s eyes lit up, he concentrated on accumulating energy. Just as a giant fireball bigger than his body was about to be thrown out—
A cannonball flew in from the side, landing at his feet and exploding thunderously.
…
As Shaye’s base was about to be engulfed in artillery fire, a high bridge suddenly descended from above.
“Creak—clatter—”
A dense array of steel machinery charged out of the base, including construction vehicles, bulldozers, cranes, new-model tractors… At a glance, it seemed endless. What was even more terrifying was that they came equipped with basic AI processing modules, fearlessly colliding with the approaching siege ladders and siege engines.
“Bang—”
The crane, like a ferocious beast, swung its arm forcefully, tearing down the ladders on the city wall. Its hard tracks ruthlessly rolled over, crushing them!
“Boom—”
Hundreds of unmanned bulldozers charged recklessly, carrying large quantities of explosive packs. In suicide attacks, they targeted catapults and missiles. Mercenaries nearby couldn’t escape in time and were blown away, while similar highly lethal weapons continued to emerge from Shaye’s base.
‘What on earth… are these things?!’
The mercenaries cried out in despair.
The situation on the main battlefield instantly reversed, putting the Joint Army on the defensive, and Shaye gained the upper hand!
In the lookout tower of the base, Lu Xiaoyu, with six mechanical arms standing, had closed his eyes tightly. Silver hair fluttered on his shoulders, and his entire body was surrounded by layers of binary code, like a giant ancient tree composed of data. Each branch executed different commands, simultaneously controlling all the steel vehicles with his supernatural abilities.
Once, in the dark and sunless underwater purgatory, Lu Xiaoyu was the Lord Hades who used Crime Record to govern the life and death of prisoners.
And now, the mechanical barrier he constructed became Shaye’s strongest line of defense.
Nai Kang looked towards the high ground with a serious and solemn expression. Unexpectedly, besides Qiong Qi, Shaye had a second S-level awakener!
“Mu Qin, deploy snipers, immediately intercept this person!” Nai Kang’s stern command came through the earpiece.
Mu Qin, in charge of commanding the siege, immediately organized a team of high-level esper snipers. Crimson aiming dots flickered on Lu Xiaoyu’s face.
Beside Lu Xiaoyu, Lin Mo rushed forward anxiously, biting his lip. He opened his arms, shielding him.
Lin Mo was just a support-type awakener, usually only responsible for monitoring and detecting enemy movements. Now, with all the attacking awakeners from Shaye engaged in the battle, he could only anxiously watch. Lu Xiaoyu’s role was crucial, and he must not be in danger.
The sniper, targeting their mark, was about to pull the trigger.
Suddenly, a group of level 3 zombies leaped over, landing precisely on the sniper positions. With the zombies’ roars, the flesh of the awakeners in the sniper positions flew in all directions, completely disrupting their attacks.
In the chaotic battlefield, Zhuang Qingyan hurriedly passed by, casually helping out. However, he didn’t linger on the main battlefield. After disrupting the snipers with a quick move, he continued to run forward and disappeared into the mist.
In the rear of the Joint Army, Nai Kang sat in the command seat of an armored tank, coldly overseeing the situation.
Song Ke’s snake spear fiercely stabbed towards Juralamani’s throat. Juralamani seized the spearhead with both palms, forcefully pulled it downward, locked it with his elbow, then wrapped both legs around the spear handle, hanging upside down on the spear. He rendered Song Ke’s attack completely immobilized.
Song Ke’s eyes flashed, recognizing the opponent’s move… it was the Ghost Fist mentioned by her master!
Ghost Fist was an ancient martial art originating from Mu City, known for its strength and agility. During battles, practitioners used the body’s fists, legs, elbows, and knees—eight limbs in total—as sharp weapons. The practitioner’s limbs moved simultaneously, resembling a spider. Because of this, Ghost Fist was referred to as the “Eight-Arm Fist” by outsiders.
Mastering Ghost Fist made Juralamani extremely formidable in close combat.
“Hum—”
The air around vibrated as Zhang Ci’s Five Thunder Curse flew towards Juralamani. This curse had strong single-target killing power, and being hit by it meant certain death.
Suddenly, invisible fluctuations appeared around Juralamani, and three or four black holes materialized, completely absorbing the Five Thunder Curse.
Juralamani’s awakened ability, “Space Distortion,” inherently countered Zhang Ci, who needed pre-casting time (drawing symbols). Realizing this quickly, Zhang Ci stopped using symbols, drew a long sword from his waist, switched to melee combat, and joined forces with Song Ke.
Just as the three were engaged in a fierce battle, a group of level 3 zombies suddenly jumped out from behind Nai Kang. Their sharp claws reached towards his face!
At such a close distance, the agile evolved zombies missed their attack, and their pitch-black eyes revealed a hint of confusion.
In the misty haze, a pair of long legs slowly walked out.
Zhuang Qingyan looked up at Nai Kang, and a thoughtful expression gradually appeared in his eyes.
Seeing him, Song Ke, despite being surprised at when his right leg had recovered, turned her head and resumed the fight with Juralamani.
Zhuang Qingyan flashed to Zhang Ci’s side, quickly saying, “I’ll take care of this. You go defend the city.”
Zhang Ci glanced back, seeing that Mu Qin was adjusting formations against Lu Xiaoyu. With his limited mobility and the need to control machinery with a significant amount of mental focus, Zhang Ci nodded, swiftly retreating.
Zhuang Qingyan’s peach blossom eyes showed no sign of amusement as he stared intently at Nai Kang. He sensed a faint awakened energy from him, undoubtedly confirming Nai Kang as an awakener. Nai Kang appeared on the battlefield without any fear, confident that their group couldn’t kill him.
Zhuang Qingyan raised the repeating crossbow and tentatively shot an arrow.
Sure enough, the bolt was knocked down by missile fragments from an unknown source before reaching Nai Kang. Zhuang Qingyan squinted his eyes, rapidly sifting through his thoughts. A power related to mysticism? It was probably one of the most complex causality-based supernatural abilities. If he couldn’t find the “cause,” he couldn’t act on Nai Kang, the “effect.”
He abandoned attacking Nai Kang and instead directed level 3 zombies to assault other awakeners, patiently seeking an opportunity to break through.
On the other side, Song Ke abandoned her snake spear, opting for bare-handed combat against Juralamani. When fighting against an opponent proficient in Ghost Fist, weapons could become a hindrance and might be distorted by his awakened ability.
After exchanging hundreds of moves with Juralamani, Song Ke had already identified his weakness. The strength and powerful damage output were the strengths of Ghost Fist, but at the same time, they were its weaknesses. Focusing on strength naturally slowed down his speed, and the forceful punches meant a lack of variation between moves.
Adjusting her breath, Song Ke entered a state of free fighting. She swiftly circled around Juralamani, no longer engaging in direct clashes but instead moving with agility. She seized opportunities to kick, punch, and throw him, targeting various vulnerable joints in his body. In the magnetic field, her awakened energy constantly radiated. Song Ke utilized every inch of her muscles to the fullest, barely touching the ground with the soles of her feet. Her attacks became unpredictable, creating afterimages that made it impossible for Juralamani’s “eight arms” to reach her.
Juralamani found himself at a disadvantage. However, he remained calm. Seizing the intervals between Song Ke’s two attacks, he lifted his knee, hooking it towards her neck.
‘He took the bait!’ Song Ke, who deliberately exposing a vulnerability, felt a surge of joy. She mimicked his exact move, raising her knee and forcefully countering Juralamani’s attack. The superior force dispelled Juralamani’s assault, disrupting his balance. With angry eyes and a backward fall, he crashed to the ground.
Song Ke rotated her body, leaping up, landing heavily on top of him. Her knees suppressed any attempt he made to rise, then with a twist and a turn, she severed Juralamani’s head from his body in an instant.
“Crack—” There seemed to be an invisible something shattering in the wind.
In the moment of Juralamani’s death, Nai Kang’s expression changed drastically. He opened the top hatch, intending to duck down.
Zhuang Qingyan, who had been closely watching him, sensed a slight looseness in the “cause” on his body and immediately thrust his mental ability! Nai Kang’s figure suddenly stiffened, consciousness filled with intense pain, and he couldn’t escape into the tank in time.
Simultaneously, Zhuang Qingyan shouted loudly, “Song Ke!”
Song Ke abruptly raised her head, locking eyes with him for 0.0001 seconds. Despite no verbal communication, miraculously, Song Ke understood Zhuang Qingyan’s meaning—to seize the opportunity.
She sprinted at full speed, leaping towards the armored tank where Nai Kang was. Her right hand transformed into a snake spear once again, fiercely stabbing toward Nai Kang’s back.
Time seemed to slow down. In the terrified expression on Nai Kang’s face, the spearhead pierced through his uniform, bulletproof vest, flesh, and muscle… It was about to pierce through his bones and into his heart. However, at that critical moment, the “cause and effect” on Nai Kang’s body flowed once again. Suddenly, Song Ke’s footing slipped, and she staggered back two steps. The attack of the snake spear abruptly disappeared, allowing Nai Kang to take advantage and slip into the tank.
Song Ke exclaimed, “…Missed?!”
For the third time, for the third time, she missed! She really wanted to curse out loud!
After Nai Kang disappeared from the command post, the armored tank hastily retreated, unexpectedly abandoning the attack and leaving the majority of the Joint Army behind to escape.
Zhuang Qingyan quickly approached Song Ke. She was looking disheartened, lowering her head, and the snake spear tapped on the ground one after another.
Zhuang Qingyan looked at the curls of hair on her head, reaching out to rub them. “It’s not your fault.”
Song Ke looked up at him, her expression seemingly pitiful.
Zhuang Qingyan smiled inwardly, using his slender fingers to wipe away the dirt from her face. ‘This little girl, always getting herself dirty.’
“Nai Kang has a mystic supernatural ability. Without deciphering it, even you wouldn’t have been able to kill him.”
“Mystic supernatural ability?” Song Ke was puzzled. So, her repeated mistakes, along with Zhang Ci’s, weren’t due to their own faults but were influenced by supernatural abilities?
“Yeah, I roughly figured it out. Let’s finish the war first, and I’ll explain it to you when we get back.” Zhuang Qingyan said.
…
Zhang Ci rushed to the main battlefield, his black Taoist robe resembling the Grim Reaper harvesting lives. The Pure Heaven and Earth Divine Incantation was unleashed, causing the heavens and earth to change colors. The sniper team, who had barely regrouped after the previous onslaught, was once again overturned by the explosion.
With Zhang Ci and Lu Xiaoyu—one above and one below—two S-level awakeners dominated the field. Combined with the continuous damage caused by waves of surprise attacks and suicide explosions on the siege weapons, the Joint Army was now defeated, like a mountain collapsing.
Mu Qin withdrew his gaze from the rear and made a decisive decision: “Retreat.”
Next to him, Tun Qin exclaimed in disbelief, “Uncle, we were about to win. Why retreat?”
Mu Qin’s face looked grim, “Win? Where did you see a chance of winning? Ruan Wenjun is dead, the general has fled, and if I don’t leave now, should I prepare to take the blame for this failure?”
After saying this coldly, Mu Qin turned away from the battlefield without looking back.
Tun Qin looked angrily toward the front. This Joint Army operation was something he had begged Mu Qin to let him participate in. If he couldn’t seize this opportunity to achieve merit and gain fame, when would he ever get a chance to stand out?!
A figure in a black robe flashed by, killing a large group of mercenaries with a wave of his hand. Under the hood, half of a side profile revealed sharp eyebrows and eyes, full of heroic spirit.
Zhang Ci.
Tun Qin gritted his teeth and shouted the name with resentment.
If there was someone Tun Qin hated most in his life, it was undoubtedly Zhang Ci. This intense hatred, at its root, boiled down to the word “jealousy.” Zhang Ci was about the same age, always the senior brother at Yue Mountain Martial Arts School, with better martial skills and better popularity. Although Zhang Ting often scolded and beat him, in moments of solitude, his gaze always lingered on Zhang Ci.
Family love, friendship, and even love… Zhang Ci effortlessly possessed them all. His future was a hundred times brighter than Tun Qin’s.
Tun Qin would never forget the martial arts competition in the year he first went to Yue Mountain. Zhang Ci effortlessly defeated him, pressing his head against the ground with just one hand. In front of everyone at the martial arts hall, he gave Tun Qin a humiliating lesson.
Driven by anger, Tun Qin lifted a shoulder-mounted cannon, vigorously charging towards Zhang Ci.
He was now an advanced B-level awakener. This time, he was determined to make Zhang Ci kneel and beg for mercy.
**TN
Bking – someone who does cool stuff effortlessly or everything they do is unusually “cool”
