Intermittent replies, punctuated by violent explosions and eerie shrieks, crackled through the communicator.
“Reporting… Supervisor Qian… It’s no good! The three Eshu are all pinned down by stronger Anomalies!”
“A giant symbiont has appeared in the east, and a source of mental pollution has erupted in the north. Luba Eshu is busy intercepting a self-replicating Strange Object… They are all locked in bitter struggles and cannot break away anytime soon!”
On the purgatory-like battlefield in the city center, the air was thick with the acrid stench of smoke and blood.
Supervisor Qian’s heart sank as he heard the report.
With the Eshu pinned down by even stronger Anomalies, they were forced to rely on their own strength to deal with the terrifying host before them—a man who possessed a “System” and had already caused over 100,000 casualties.
“All units! Hear my command!”
Supervisor Qian’s voice reached the ears of every surviving member of the Containment Personnel through their tactical headsets. It was calm, without a single tremor, yet carried an unquestionable resolve.
“The Eshu cannot support us. I repeat, they cannot support us! We are the last line of defense! For the people of Yulin City, and for those who have already fallen, we cannot let him leave this place!”
“Always remember, the people are with us. To protect the lives and property of the people is our duty as public servants!”
“Copy that!”
“Understood!” firm, if ragged, responses came back.
The young host, Wang Hao, had just unleashed a massive Energy Storm. Although the dark red energy shield surrounding him had grown thin, it remained intact.
He sneered, stepping toward the nearest Dui-grade member who was struggling on the ground.
“Ant, I’ll start with you…” Just as he raised his hand, Supervisor Qian’s order was issued.
“Sniper team! Alternate between high-explosive and armor-piercing rounds. Target the same area of the shield, and do not stop! Fire team, cover him with 40mm grenades! Use smoke grenades to obscure his vision!”
“Remaining Zhen-grade units, lead the Earthbound Spirits and Stinger Swarm for a second melee raid! Kun-grade, activate all remaining Silence Jellyfish at maximum power to suppress him!”
The violent aesthetics of modern technology and the anomalous powers modified and domesticated by Gongjishi were perfectly integrated at that moment.
*Bang! Bang! Bang — !*
Sniper rifles from different directions and vantage points roared once more.
The 12.7mm rounds were like a roll call from the Reaper. They no longer sought a one-shot kill but instead relentlessly hammered the section of Wang Hao’s shield that had just taken heavy damage.
The high-explosive rounds burst into blooms of fire, while the armor-piercing rounds acted like drills, attempting to tear an opening.
*Whoosh — whoosh — !*
Several 40mm grenades arced through the air and exploded around Wang Hao. Although the shield blocked most of the shrapnel and shockwaves, the continuous explosions severely disrupted his senses and balance.
Immediately afterward, smoke grenades detonated, and a thick white mist rapidly spread, robbing Wang Hao of his sight.
“Annoying flies!”
Wang Hao roared, attempting to fire energy beams toward the densest sounds of gunfire by instinct. However, the smoke and constant explosions made it impossible for him to lock on accurately.
What frustrated him even more was that the invisible Silence Field had strengthened again. It tangled with his energy circulation like a swamp, making it exceptionally difficult to maintain his shield or launch attacks.
This was a powerful suppression achieved by the remaining Kun-grade operators in the rear, who were forcing those translucent, jellyfish-like modified Anomalies to overload and burn out.
“Now! Go!” Supervisor Qian bellowed.
Two figures surged out of the smoke like ghosts.
They were the only two surviving Zhen-grade melee experts. One had lost an arm and used a simple tourniquet to bind the stump, while the other’s face was covered in blood.
Behind them followed an Earthbound Spirit, shaped like a distorted shadow—
It could create localized gravity Anomalies. Accompanying it was a Stinger Swarm, a cloud of fist-sized insects that buzzed loudly with cold light shimmering on their stingers.
The Earthbound Spirit activated its ability first. Wang Hao felt his body grow heavy, his movements sluggish for a brief moment.
In that instant, the Stinger Swarm slammed into his shield like suicide drones. Every impact triggered small ripples of energy. While a single hit was weak, their sheer numbers steadily drained his power.
The two Zhen-grade members launched a desperate close-quarters assault, disregarding their own lives. The one-armed man swung a specialized high-heat combat saber with his remaining hand, hacking frantically.
The other used a combat baton surging with high-voltage electricity. Every time it struck the shield, it erupted in blinding sparks.
“Get lost!”
Wang Hao went completely mad. Ignoring the cost to his energy, he began to gather power once more, intending to repeat his previous trick.
But this time, Supervisor Qian was prepared.
“All units! Concentrate fire on the hand he’s using to gather energy! Dui-grade, use the thermobaric rockets!”
A Dui-grade member who had just scrambled to his feet shouldered a heavy man-portable thermobaric launcher. He aimed at the arm where Wang Hao’s energy fluctuations were most intense and pulled the trigger.
*Boom — !*
The high-temperature, high-pressure fireball produced by the thermobaric rocket’s secondary explosion effect instantly engulfed Wang Hao.
Almost simultaneously, every sniper rifle, grenade, and even the rifles of the surviving team members poured their fire into that exact spot.
“Ah — !”
Wang Hao let out a shrill scream. Under such a concentrated barrage, his right hand and forearm—along with his already unstable shield—were blown to pieces.
The shield was finally broken! But the price was heavy.
One of the Zhen-grade members who had been too close was caught in the shockwave of the thermobaric blast. He was tossed like a ragdoll, crashing into twisted rebar, and died instantly.
The Dui-grade member who fired the rocket also collapsed, coughing up blood from the recoil.
“His shield is down! Kill him!” Supervisor Qian’s eyes were bloodshot, his voice hoarse.
The remaining Containment Personnel who could still move charged like moths to a flame toward Wang Hao, who was now shieldless and missing an arm.
Rifle bullets could finally wound his body, and blossoms of blood began to erupt across his skin.
Wang Hao was backed into a corner, yet the power of the System remained terrifying.
He swung his remaining left hand wildly, releasing scattered energy shocks that sent two approaching team members flying.
‘System! Repair! Repair me quickly!’ Wang Hao screamed frantically in his mind.
**[Warning: Host is severely injured, energy insufficient. Repair will consume 95% of points and enter a Weakened state. Confirm?]**
“Confirm! Hurry!”
A faint green light enveloped the stump of Wang Hao’s arm. The bleeding stopped temporarily, but his face instantly turned as pale as paper, his aura withering.
Just then, unnoticed by anyone, a Li-grade scout who had been lurking near a sewer exit quietly emerged.
He carried no heavy weapons—only a military dagger coated in a high concentration of neurotoxin.
Using the ruins for cover, he approached like a silent phantom, closing in behind Wang Hao as the host gasped in his weakened state.