Chapter 518 - 355: Ghost Fire Insect (2)

Chapter 518: Chapter 355: Ghost Fire Insect (2)

’Damn it!’

’It’s that squad. They’ve caught up!’

Though already exhausted, Alina found a new surge of strength from somewhere and charged forward again.

After rounding a corridor, the way ahead suddenly opened up, revealing a relatively wide stone platform.

At the far end of the platform, a dilapidated archway was faintly visible—it seemed to be the true entrance to the ruins.

However, just as she was about to rush onto the platform and step through the archway, several figures shot out from the shadows on both sides like phantoms, blocking her path. It was the Dome squad!

"Running? Why’d you stop?" The commander’s cold voice echoed in the empty corridor, tinged with the playful cruelty of a cat toying with a mouse. The squad members behind him quickly fanned out, their muzzles glowing with energy as they locked onto Alina and the man on her back, Jian Yi.

Alina’s face was deathly pale. She gently set Jian Yi down against the wall and stood in front of him, a flash of determination in her eyes. ’This time,’ she thought, ’there’s probably no escape.’

"Surrender, and I might leave you with an intact corpse." The commander slowly raised his hand as his energy weapon began to charge.

Alina took a deep breath. The remaining Magic energy in her body surged wildly as she prepared to make a final stand, even if it was as futile as a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

"Force Field Skew!"

She thrust her hands forward, and a distorted energy field instantly formed in front of her, attempting to interfere with their targeting lock. At the same time, her other hand conjured an energy arrow and fired it at the nearest soldier.

"Fire!" the commander ordered without hesitation.

A dense barrage of energy beams instantly tore through the air, slamming viciously into the force-field barrier Alina had hastily erected.

BOOM!

The barrier trembled violently, holding for less than two seconds before shattering.

Alina grunted, driven back several steps by the powerful impact. A trickle of blood escaped the corner of her mouth. The energy arrow she had fired was also easily blocked by the enemy.

’The gap in strength is too great!’ Whether in terms of equipment or combat experience, she was no match for this elite squad. She could only defend passively, struggling to keep up as energy beams seared scorch marks across her protective suit.

Just as Alina was about to be completely engulfed by another round of concentrated fire!

A black shadow appeared out of thin air, silently materializing behind the Dome squad!

SQUELCH!

It was the sound of flesh being torn apart with ease!

The two soldiers at the very back didn’t even have time to understand what was happening. They only felt a cold sensation on their necks before the world spun, and their consciousness plunged into eternal darkness.

Their heads flew high into the air, the ferocious expressions they wore before the attack still frozen on their faces.

This sudden turn of events left everyone stunned!

"Enemy attack! Behind us!" a mixture of shock and rage on his face, the commander spun around, raising his gun defensively.

But what greeted him was a black afterimage moving at impossible speed!

Wu Liangchen, like a ghost in the dead of night, had silently infiltrated their formation!

He used no flashy moves—only the simplest, most direct fists, palms, fingers, and elbows! Every attack was precise and lethal, packed with terrifying explosive power!

CRACK! A soldier tried to block, but the shield in his hand was shattered by a single punch as if it were paper, and his entire chest caved in along with it!

SNAP! He casually twisted another soldier’s neck, producing a sickening crunch.

In the space of just a few breaths, this combat squad, composed of over a dozen elite soldiers, had lost nearly half its members!

It was a completely one-sided slaughter!

The commander, both frightened and enraged, opened fire wildly in an attempt to stop Wu Liangchen while barking orders at his remaining men to concentrate their fire.

Energy beams, solid projectiles, concussion grenades... all sorts of weapons were unleashed upon Wu Liangchen.

Yet, Wu Liangchen’s figure flickered through the dense net of firepower like a phantom; bullets and energy beams could only ever hit the afterimages he left behind. The few attacks that couldn’t be dodged only produced a dull thud upon impact, failing to even break his skin!

Alina stared, dumbfounded, at the scene unfolding before her—it was like witnessing the descent of a god or a demon.

’It’s him! The man from the train who seemed so unfathomable! Why is he here?’

’And... is he here to save Jian Yi and me? Surprise, confusion, disbelief... a whirlwind of emotions churned within her.’

Just as the battle had become completely one-sided, the situation took an unexpected turn!

VMMMM—VMMMM—

From within the dilapidated archway of the ruins ahead, a heart-pounding, low hum suddenly echoed! The entire stone platform began to tremble violently, and dust rained down from above.

Immediately after, countless bizarre, fist-sized insects swarmed out from the darkness beyond the archway, their bodies all emitting a faint blue glow!

They flew out like a tide, the beating of their wings creating a skin-crawling "BZZZZ" sound.

"It’s... it’s Ghost Fire Insects! Fall back! Fall back!" The commander’s face went pale with terror as he recognized the insects, and he screamed.

These vicious creatures, found only in the ruins deep underground, didn’t possess much physical attack power. However, the faint blue light they emitted had a terrifyingly adhesive and combustible property. Once it touched a living being, it would directly ignite their soul and life energy, burning them to ashes. The flames were nearly impossible to extinguish!

Some of the insects had already flown close. A few Dome soldiers, panicking and fleeing without looking, were touched by the blue light. They instantly let out bloodcurdling shrieks as their bodies rapidly burst into flames, like lit candles.

In a matter of seconds, their bodies were reduced to piles of blackened ash, leaving only their alloy armor behind!

Witnessing this, the commander no longer cared about the mission or his enemies. He turned and ran.

After all, no mission was more important than his own life.

But Wu Liangchen just flicked his hand, and a streak of white light shot out.

The commander, who was desperately fleeing for his life, felt a cold sensation on the back of his head, and then his entire world plunged into eternal darkness.

BZZZZZZ...

More Soul-Devouring Ghost Fire Insects, as if they had been disturbed, swarmed toward the living on the platform like a biblical plague!

Wu Liangchen had no desire to tangle with these malevolent, monstrous insects. He rushed forward, grabbed the unconscious Jian Yi from the ground, and threw him onto his back. At the same time, he barked at the dumbfounded Alina, "Stay close to me!"

Before the words had even left his mouth, his Qi and Blood flared. An invisible Gang Qi erupted from his body, forming a barely visible barrier that knocked away and sent flying any Ghost Fire Insects that came near.

He then broke into a sprint toward the exit.

He ran for what felt like an eternity until the heart-pounding buzzing behind them finally faded completely. Only then did Wu Liangchen stop at a relatively clean and well-ventilated fork in the tunnel.

He gently set Jian Yi down and checked his condition, his brow furrowing slightly.

Jian Yi’s injuries were too severe. Despite Alina’s initial first aid, his life force was steadily weakening due to excessive blood loss and internal injuries.

’This is not a good sign.’

Fortunately, Wu Liangchen had brought some medical supplies with him, all top-grade stuff bought from the black market. He quickly gave Jian Yi an injection of a potent healing agent.

It wouldn’t necessarily heal his wounds, but it could at least keep him alive for now.

Leaning against the wall, Alina gasped for breath, still shaken as she watched Wu Liangchen tend to Jian Yi.

Only after he was finished did she finally venture to ask, "You... how did you end up here?"

Alina didn’t think she was charming enough for Wu Liangchen to have come to her rescue; otherwise, he wouldn’t have rejected her so bluntly before.

"I know him," Wu Liangchen said flatly.

Understanding dawned on Alina’s face. She looked at the unconscious Jian Yi and said with some worry, "What do we do now? He’s too badly hurt, and this environment is terrible. There’s no way for him to rest and recover properly. Besides, people from the Dome Group are definitely still searching for us. We..."

Wu Liangchen sank into thought. He was a stranger in Zhongjing. The Black Tile Inn might be safe for now, but Liangzi would be unlikely to take in such a hot potato—especially one who was critically injured and being hunted by the Dome Group. Old K was out of the question; that guy was as slippery as an eel and would never willingly get caught in the crossfire.

Though the underground tunnels were hidden, they would only grow more dangerous over time as all sorts of people flooded in.

’Where can I take Jian Yi?’

Just then, a faint, low, and solemn chant, carried on the air currents of the tunnel, drifted toward them.

"Namo Cyber Bodhisattva... deliver us from all suffering..."