"Pfft—" Ape's leg separated from his knee. He let out a bloodcurdling scream, staggering unsteadily. But before he could collapse, countless Metal Spikes riddled his body with bloody holes, blowing him apart instantly.
"Damn it!!" Diao Da couldn't help but curse furiously at the sight. Another Ability User dead—what kind of Safe Spot was this? With such ferocious firepower, just how many people did they have?
Fortunately, the Artillery cannons were now set up. Shell after shell roared toward the Fortress.
"BOOM BOOM BOOM—" The explosions erupted in waves of raging flames, shaking the earth. The steel plates on the Fortress dented under the bombardment but remained intact.
"Big Bro, I'm going in!" A burly man roared, suddenly charging out from behind cover. A violet halo burst forth around his body as he sprinted toward the Fortress.
"Rat-tat-tat—" The Marine Corpsmen immediately pulled their triggers. A storm of Metal Spikes shrieked through the air, only to be deflected harmlessly by the violet halo.
"Hah, blocked! Quick, rush behind Lao Wu!" Diao Da exulted, immediately ordering his men forward. As long as they blew open the Fortress gate, those inside would be sitting ducks!
Over a dozen underlings, shielded by seven or eight heavy machine guns, dashed toward the Fortress under the cover of Lao Wu's halo. Just as they were about to reach the gate, deafening gunfire erupted from their flank once more.
"Rat-tat-tat-tat—" A glittering hail of Metal Spikes instantly mowed them down. Their bulletproof vests were utterly useless—in the blink of an eye, over a dozen armed fighters lay dead.
"Hidden firing position—Mortars, now!" Diao Da immediately pointed toward the source of gunfire. The Mortars concealed behind them roared to life.
"BOOM BOOM BOOM—" Three shells erupted in violent flames, shockwaves rolling outward with deafening force.
By now, Lao Wu had pushed through the overwhelming pressure to reach the Fortress. But he couldn't spare the focus to plant explosives, only managing strained shouts: "Big Bro, hurry! I can't hold on much longer!"
Diao Da barked, "Third Sister, it's your turn!"
Ji Zhen nodded. Her alluring figure suddenly transformed into a streak of light, darting toward the gate while Lao Wu drew most of the fire.
Mid-sprint, she executed a series of acrobatic evasive maneuvers to throw off sniper locks. Her lithe, seductive body twisted into one tantalizing pose after another, making it impossible for Bai Wen to get a clean shot!
"This woman's good—no wonder she's Old San!" Bai Wen sneered and ordered, "Marauders, it's your turn. Show them what real firepower looks like!"
"I was ready all along—"
Then, dull thuds echoed from the Fortress's firing ports. Just as Ji Zhen landed and prepared to leap again, she froze—a massive grenade, as thick as a thigh and thirty centimeters long, had materialized three meters away from her.
Though she had never seen a grenade this large before, she knew it was nothing good. Cursing loudly, she immediately halted her steps and retreated swiftly.
But it was already too late.
With a deafening "BOOM," the grenade's explosion sent out a violent shockwave that sent Ji Zhen flying backward. Countless shrapnel fragments pierced her alluring figure, leaving behind bloody holes one after another. By the time she crashed to the ground, she was already unconscious, her body drenched in blood—a pitiful sight.
Lao Wu (Old Fifth) fared even worse. This man, capable of deploying protective shields and boasting the strongest defense, had four massive grenades detonate beneath his feet simultaneously.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!" The tremendous force of the explosions obliterated Lao Wu, leaving not even a trace of his remains.
"Damn it!!!" Diao Da roared in fury. Lao Wu had been his trusted subordinate, and Old San his lover. Watching two of his top fighters get taken down so easily sent him into a fit of rage.
What the hell was going on with this Safe Spot? Why did they have such overwhelming firepower? That bastard Long Er had deliberately withheld this critical intel—he must have planned this all along!
Only now did Diao Da realize he had been set up by Long Er!
Long Er must have encountered these terrifying foes himself, leading to the annihilation of his men and the loss of his own arm. Knowing he could no longer stand against Diao Da, he had lied about facing powerful Zombies, tricking Diao Da into weakening his own forces.
This "borrowing a knife to kill" tactic had been executed masterfully.
At this thought, Diao Da felt the urge to retreat. Even if he could wipe out the enemy, his own forces would suffer devastating losses, undoing all the progress he had painstakingly built.
But would Ji Zhen and Lao Wu's deaths go unavenged?
Gritting his teeth, he ultimately chose to withdraw. The dead were already gone, and even if he fought tooth and nail for revenge, the real beneficiary would be that damned Long Er.
"Intel was wrong—enemy firepower is too strong! Retreat now! We'll return with more men!!" Diao Da barked the order to fall back.
His men, already terrified, turned tail without hesitation the moment the command was given.
Bai Wen immediately ordered, "Pursue them! Wipe them out completely!!"
When the towering Marine Corpsmen and the heavily armored, tank-like Marauders charged out from the Fortress and Bunkers, Diao Da and his men were stunned.
Is that… Powered Armor?
How is this possible?
"RAT-TAT-TAT…"
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM…"
Shiny Metal Spikes and massive grenades mercilessly rained down upon them. Diao Da's forces instantly collapsed. Their vehicles stood no chance against the overwhelming firepower—either riddled with holes like sieves or sent skyward by violent explosions.
"Fall… fall back…" Diao Da bellowed. In this critical moment, he didn't flee alone. Instead, he used his ability to block the incoming Metal Spikes, buying his men time to escape.
With a sweeping motion of his hand, an invisible force expanded outward, freezing the Metal Spikes mid-air as if the very air had solidified.
Beads of sweat instantly covered Diao Da's forehead. Even with his strength as a 3-star Ability User, this was the best he could manage.
This power made Bai Wen shudder with fear. This Diao Da was truly strong. In close combat, probably no one would be his match!
At that moment, Ghost returned. Seeing the situation, he immediately raised his sniper rifle and fired an EMP Round.
"Energy disrupted!"
With a "Bzzzt—", a blue shockwave expanded. Diao Da felt the power within him recede like a tide. The Metal Spikes he could barely control before now went completely berserk, shooting toward him again.
"Damn it!" Diao Da cursed furiously, rolling on the spot, but he was still shredded by the swarming Metal Spikes, flesh torn and blood flying.
(End of Chapter)