Chapter 120.1 – Life-and-Death Marathon (11)
◎ Song Ke = White-Eyed Wolf? ◎
“Charge! Just charge in and you’ll survive!”
“Don’t push, stop pushing!”
Two completely opposite voices rang out simultaneously.
The high-pressure iron net had already twisted and deformed. Those at the front charged forward like falling dominoes, pinned down under the weight, unable to move. They convulsed from head to toe, foaming at the mouth, shrieking in agony, instantly meeting their demise, electrocuted. Yet, the following tide of refugees continued frenziedly, trampling over the bodies of their compatriots, striving to cross over the tall wall.
Under wave after wave of impact, the outer wall of Greenwater City collapsed under unbearable pressure, and the swarming refugees finally surged in.
Just above the pile of victims, a radiant holographic projection descended, bearing the seal of Greenwater City.
From afar, it appeared like a flower blooming from corpses—a malevolent blossom nurtured by flesh and blood.
“Mass hysteria,” Zhuang Qingyan spoke with a somber face, explaining the horrifying phenomenon from a psychological perspective. “When individuals with similar demands gather and become part of a group, their behavior no longer bears individual responsibility. Normal constraints disappear, and they become blindly obedient, cruel, paranoid, and fanatical, resorting to violence and aggression to fulfill their own desires.”
“Greenwater City is finished,” Zhuang Qingyan said coldly.
With its defenses breached, Greenwater City lay wide open, akin to a vulnerable infant, susceptible to being obliterated by even a small-scale wave of corpses.
“After we check in, we leave,” Song Ke decided firmly.
The seven individuals turned back towards the direction of the city gate. Song Ke hurried like the wind. After scaling the city wall, she leaped into the air. Her oversized coat fluttered in the wind as she landed lightly on top of the pile of corpses. Her feet touched the warm bodies, blood instantly soaking through her shoes.
The bodies, dead from the stampede, had already piled up several tens of meters high, extending over an area of about two hundred meters in diameter. However, the checkpoint was buried at the very bottom of the corpse mountain.
Song Ke conjured a shovel and began digging.
As she dug, her eyes inadvertently met those of a girl. The girl appeared to be about the same age as her, pinned down by a dozen or so people. Her left half twisted unnaturally into a contorted mass, weakly pleading for help from Song Ke: “Save… save me.”
Song Ke fell silent for two seconds, then discarded the shovel, using her hands to peel away the layers of bodies to drag the girl out. Even though she knew in her heart that even if she freed her, the girl wouldn’t survive. Her hands quickly became covered in sticky, fresh blood and fragmented innards. Once the survivor regained her freedom, she weakly smiled at Song Ke, “Th…thank…”
Before she could finish her words, a rumbling particle cannon descended from the sky, striking the pile of bodies, its explosion engulfing Song Ke and the girl in an instant.
“Song Ke!” “Captain!” “Sister!!”
Members of the V587 on the other side shouted loudly.
The glaring light gradually faded away, leaving behind gaping holes in the pile of corpses caused by the explosion. Song Ke crawled out from the shattered wreckage, barely recognizable, yet miraculously unharmed. However, as she looked down, the girl who had just been there was now blown to pieces by the blast.
Song Ke closed her eyes, refusing to look at her anymore, swiftly turning her gaze towards the attackers.
Apart from V587, several other teams had swiftly arrived, including the reorganized “Anna Knights.” Despite the severe blow to their strength after Song Ke single-handedly took down their ace, Sai Ang, they remained formidable opponents not to be underestimated.
Members of the “Anna Knights ” were using heavy weaponry to clear the area.
These robotic entities seemed impatient, blasting openings with particle cannons only to have new bodies cover the gaps. They resorted to jumping onto the city walls, facing the surging civilians, ruthlessly using their abilities to massacre, limbs flying, and bodies torn apart. The “Anna Knights” showed no emotion, treating it like exterminating a bunch of inconspicuous cockroaches, violently tearing down defenses, steadily approaching their checkpoint.
There was a momentary confusion in Song Ke’s eyes. What were they doing? Was this… right?
Before entering the Throne Race, all participants had signed waivers, acknowledging the risk of death with every victory they sought.
As long as it meant winning, any means were deemed justifiable.
But this wasn’t killing zombies; this was… damn it, it was killing people, an outright massacre.
Song Ke’s fists clenched tighter as she abruptly leaped onto the fractured wall, her cold, sharp movements driving back the refugees who were still pressing forward.
“Don’t come any closer! Move back!!”
Those at the front realized the danger and tried to escape, fear evident on their faces. However, the refugees rushing from the shelter remained oblivious, heedlessly shoving forward, inadvertently sending countless compatriots to their demise.
Zhuang Qingyan looked up at Song Ke from a higher vantage point, one hand pressed tightly against his forehead. This couldn’t continue; if the refugee tide didn’t recede, they wouldn’t be able to approach the checkpoint. He rapidly recalled the map of Greenwater City. Aside from the main gate, there were three other exits on the east, west, and north sides.
“Open the side gates, let them in!”
Lu Xiaoyu and the others instantly grasped his intention. They dispersed, using their abilities to attack the defensive line. Greenwater City was beyond saving; sooner or later, it would be overrun by the uncontrollable refugees. Their immediate task was to swiftly evacuate the crowd congested at the main gate, preventing further stampede incidents.
Sounds of the city walls collapsing echoed from the east and west sides, accompanied by choking clouds of smoke and dust.
Zhuang Qingyan mobilized his awakened energy, his commanding voice resonating clearly above Greenwater City, exerting pressure, “Listen, everyone! The main gate is sealed off. There are new entrances one kilometer to the east and two kilometers to the southwest. If you want to enter the city, head there!”
“The entrance capacity is limited. Seize the opportunity. Whoever runs fast will survive!”
Human nature probably couldn’t tolerate words like “limited” or “restricted.” As Zhuang Qingyan’s voice echoed, the refugees at the rear slowed down, hesitated for a moment, then turned and ran to the sides. It was like a miraculous scene from Moses parting the sea; the blocked crowd automatically diverted, dispersing at an extremely fast pace. With the release at the back, the pressure ahead suddenly decreased, and the number of trampled bodies stopped increasing.
Song Ke had just breathed a sigh of relief when suddenly curses came from behind, and a row of particle cannons fired at her.
“What the hell are you guys doing?!”
“If you don’t want to compete, then quit quickly! I’ve had it with you for a long time!”
Song Ke raised the cold, sharp saw to deflect the attack, glanced up, and saw members of the “Anna Knights” glaring at her viciously. Her brow furrowed in confusion for a moment, but then she was astonished to realize that the check-in point, previously buried beneath the trampled bodies, had vanished!
But she quickly understood.
Since it was a check-in point nourished by bloodshed, as the violence dispersed, the checkpoint naturally disappeared.
“You just wait for me.”
Aware of Song Ke’s prowess, the “Anna Knights” didn’t want to confront her head-on at this moment. They only left threatening words behind and departed.
…
The influx of refugees into the city had nowhere to go. Gradually, they transformed from lost lambs to fierce wolves. They ignited parked vehicles with gasoline, shattered the glass of storefronts along the streets, and even broke into and invaded the homes of terrified residents.
Extreme anger and fear drowned out the rationality of these individuals. They were no longer refugees but had transformed into outright rioters.
Malice brewed incessantly within them; the blade of death would always fall. If they couldn’t escape doomsday, then everyone would perish together!
Song Ke gazed ahead, noticing a projection descending from a certain spot in the high sky, disappearing the next instant, only to reappear in another direction.
The location of the check-in point kept changing, with the shortest stay lasting just a few seconds.
“Split up,” Song Ke said, “and reach the check-in point as quickly as possible.”
Amidst blaring alarms and shouts, Song Ke maneuvered through the panicked crowd. Vehicles set ablaze careened wildly, and if she wasn’t careful, she’d find herself face-to-face with them, triggering raging fires. She narrowly dodged to the roadside, narrowly avoiding disaster.
“Girl Ke, it’s you…” A ragged old man suddenly grabbed her. “You’re Girl Ke, right?!”
Song Ke paused, staring at the old man for two seconds before recognizing him. “Grandpa Cheng.”
Oldman Cheng, in an excited tone, tightened his grip on her wrist. “It’s really you, Girl Ke! This is so good, so good…”
He kept repeating “so good” as his thin fingers clenched tighter, as if afraid she would vanish.
“Now you’re an awakener, you’ve made something of yourself. I saw you in that competition, I knew you would come, you must have a way. Quickly, take Grandpa away from here, find a safe place…” Oldman Cheng’s eyes gleamed, his speech fast and urgent.
