Chapter 716: Path

Chapter 716: Chapter 67: Path

The pit was deep, and judging by the walls, it had been dug out by that combat creature. ‘They probably dug this tunnel as an escape route for when things go south,’ Chen Chuan surmised.

No wonder those people weren’t in a hurry to retreat after realizing they’d been discovered. They had an escape route. ‘Although, it’s possible the tunnel isn’t finished yet.’

He examined the marks on the pit’s walls. The edges were worn smooth from repeated passage. ‘There’s no way this was dug today.’

‘They most likely started digging as soon as they got here and have been working on it every day. So, where does it lead?’

He had no intention of going down himself. Instead, he used his Realm Token to contact An Shield. After a short while, several combat creatures flew in from a distance, entered the house, and began crawling down into the pit.

These combat creatures were all linked to the Domain’s information network and possessed some surveillance capabilities of their own. Through them, he could get a glimpse of the situation below.

On the perimeter, his squad members had already moved into their pre-arranged positions. They blocked off several intersections, presented their Processing Bureau credentials, and began screening and evacuating nearby residents and pedestrians.

City security forces were already rushing to the scene from the rear. This entire district would soon be locked down.

But just as they began, gunshots rang out from within the residential area, sending passersby into a panic as they scattered for cover.

The squad members were no rookies. Hearing the indiscriminate gunfire, they knew someone was deliberately trying to create chaos.

Inevitably, some people tried to rush out of the cordon. One man, seemingly fleeing in a blind panic, ran right up to Weidong. As he drew near, he suddenly whipped out a dagger and lunged for Weidong’s gut.

But before he could complete the motion, a fist slammed into his cheek, knocking him sideways to the ground, unconscious.

Standing nearby, Luo Kaiyuan pulled back his fist and nodded at Weidong.

The mission briefing was to capture non-threatening targets alive whenever possible. He’d been worried Weidong would lack restraint and kill the man, so he had stepped in.

At another intersection, Wei Chang’an stood with his hands in his pockets, his eyes scanning the area. Beside him, Cai Si was checking IDs and directing people out of the evacuation zone.

The evacuees filed past them, trembling. One man kept his head down as he walked by Wei Chang’an, but Wei Chang’an reached out and grabbed his shoulder. The man stopped involuntarily, his eyes darting nervously. “Wh-what do you want?”

Wei Chang’an shoved him backward, sending the man stumbling a few steps before he fell on his rear. “I’m just letting uninvolved people leave,” Wei Chang’an said. “As for you, you’re not going anywhere just yet.”

He’d been on enough missions to become an expert at reading people. He could see it clearly; even with his head down, the man’s posture radiated hostility. ‘Whether he’s a local gang member or one of our targets, I can’t let him leave.’

The man’s face changed. He scrambled to his feet and tried to run. His flight only confirmed he was a person of interest. He hadn’t made it more than a few steps before a gunshot cracked from behind him. He collapsed, clutching his calf and screaming in pain.

Cai Si holstered his pistol, moved in to expertly restrain the man, and slapped a pair of cuffs on him. Just then, in a distant window, someone raised a rifle and took aim at him.

But before the shooter could fire, a sharp CRACK echoed out. Ding Liao, prone on a nearby rooftop, had already put a bullet through his head. In the same breath, he swiveled his rifle toward another armed man. Before the second target could react, another shot rang out, and the gunman tumbled from his high perch.

Cai Si walked over to Wei Chang’an. “Junior Chen went in there alone. Think he’ll be alright?”

Wei Chang’an remained vigilant, but his posture seemed relaxed. “Don’t worry,” he said. “Junior Chen never acts unless he’s sure of the outcome. Besides, he’s an Investigation Chief for the Processing Bureau.” He chuckled. “He’s the last person we need to worry about. Let’s just focus on not making any mistakes ourselves.”

Cai Si nodded in full agreement.

Back in the house, Chen Chuan used his Realm Token to observe the inside of the pit through the eyes of the combat creatures. The pit was incredibly deep; even after traveling for more than ten minutes, the creatures still hadn’t reached the bottom.

But just then, the feed from one of the creatures abruptly cut out. A moment later, the others vanished in quick succession.

His eyes narrowed.

‘Judging by the order they disappeared, whatever it is, it’s coming this way. And it’s fast.’

He stood at the edge of the pit, staring into the darkness below. A long moment passed with no activity. Then, after another moment, with a loud RUMBLE, the ground a few meters behind him burst upward.

A bug with a smooth, segmented body lunged out. It had a flattened, conical shape with a mouth full of vicious, powerful mandibles and an abdomen lined with dense, scythe-like legs. It was trying to wrap him in its embrace.

A blade flashed. The bug was instantly split in two down the middle, its halves falling to either side. A large volume of foul-smelling bio-fluid gushed from the bisected carapace.

Chen Chuan turned. He had heard it clearly—there wasn’t just one bug, but many. He walked outside, blade in hand. Through Chaoming’s aerial surveillance, he saw that more of these creatures were bursting from the ground in a dozen different spots nearby, with even more appearing farther out.

It seemed evacuating the civilians had been the right call. Even so, many people had refused to leave. ‘I can’t help those who won’t listen.’

He immediately used his Realm Token to contact Yuan Qiuyuan and the others, sending them the surveillance feed. “Watch out for these things. Eliminate any you see.”

There were definitely more of them than what was currently visible. According to An Shield’s analysis, they had likely been bred by the original combat creature.

He stepped out onto the street and unleashed his Spiritual Power. Instantly, within a radius of several hundred meters around him, every last bug—both above and below ground—froze in place, paralyzed as if feigning death.

He knew there were still some stragglers farther out, but his squad could handle them. ‘Dealing with these Modified Creatures will be good practice for them.’

At that moment, Yuan Qiuyuan stood on a rooftop overlooking an intersection. When he saw the pavement buckle and a bug burst out, he didn’t wait for it to fully emerge. He raised his club, leaped from the roof, and brought it crashing down on the creature’s body.

SPLAT! The bug’s entire upper body exploded, splattering shattered carapace and viscous fluids everywhere, leaving a complete mess.

Elsewhere, Qin Qingque and Su Wei were also dealing with the bugs they encountered. However, unlike Yuan Qiuyuan’s messy approach, they both used their Power to destroy the creatures’ internal structures.

This method was not only less gruesome, but they also didn’t know if the creatures’ fluids were harmful to ordinary people or the environment, so they instinctively exercised restraint.

With the squad members on the job, no more bugs appeared on the perimeter. After a quick check to confirm there were no casualties on their side, they reported back to Chen Chuan.

After receiving the report, Chen Chuan notified the city security forces to handle the cleanup. He then had his squad gather the three seriously injured captives and head back to the bureau for a thorough interrogation.

「Several Hours later. Lianwei Zhongyu Branch, basement.」

Yang Ling rested one hand on the porcelain box, communicating with the embryonic Consciousness Body inside. She could hear faint rustling sounds coming from within.

The sounds were a form of mental communication, a transfer of information between her and the entity.

A series of tubes were connected to the holes on the box’s outer wall, with a vermilion liquid flowing through them, continuously feeding nutrients inside.

After a long while, her face had grown pale. She finally lifted her hand from the box. She waited for her slightly ragged breathing to steady before walking toward the elevator that led to the surface.

When she reached the ground floor and the elevator doors opened, she saw her female assistant waiting for her. “Is something wrong?” she asked.

The female assistant gave a slight bow. “Miss, we just received a telegram from headquarters. Our team stationed in the fringe district was raided by the Processing Bureau.”

Yang Ling’s expression remained unchanged. “What were our losses?”

“Three team members were captured.”

“And… Captain Fan?”

“Captain Fan is very cautious. He wasn’t staying with his team, so he wasn’t caught in the raid.”

Yang Ling said, “I see. Headquarters will likely dispatch personnel to reinforce him.”

Headquarters had told her before she left that Captain Fan was the key operative for this mission. Everyone else was replaceable. As long as he was safe, the mission was not a failure.

The company had already prepared for potential losses and setbacks.

The assistant said, “But he’s very likely been exposed. Even though the Processing Bureau didn’t find him, they can confirm his existence by interrogating the captured team members. They’ll undoubtedly intensify their search. Headquarters wants us to find a way to draw the Processing Bureau’s attention for a while.”

Yang Ling recalled the strategies the Consciousness Body had given her. One of them involved taking over a portion of the Ferris Wheel Company’s maritime shipping operations. That would require them to go overseas for negotiations. If they were to head out to sea, it would certainly divert some of the Processing Bureau’s attention.

The assistant added, “Also, headquarters wishes to inquire if you have found a suitable location yet.”

Yang Ling’s intertwined fingers tightened. “I’m close,” she said.

Her mind could sense the weak points leading to the Merging Land. So even though the Consciousness Body was only an embryo, with her mental assistance, it could still find a secret path.

Although Lianwei Zhongyu had already received permission from the City Council to enter the Merging Land, they were after a Lost Object this time, which meant they needed to forge their own path.

The assistant studied her for a moment, as if trying to determine the truth of her words, before finally bowing. “Headquarters is pressing the issue. I must ask you to hurry, Miss.”