Allen's pupils suddenly contracted, his gaze instantly locking onto the direction from which the fluctuation originated. It was at the edge of the battlefield, atop a ruin that had been completely leveled by intense fighting.
The space there was undergoing an extremely subtle distortion, and a faint yet majestic sense of observation, far exceeding the usual energy of this realm, quietly descended.
Although it was only a fleeting moment, almost imperceptible, Allen's long-awaited target had finally appeared!
The God had finally cast its gaze upon this vortex of chaos, which he had personally crafted!
A cold arc curved on Allen's lips.
The plan had finally fallen into place.
His figure flickered, vanishing from the top of the cooling tower, like a leopard merging into the shadows, stealthily moving towards the direction from which the fluctuation came.
On the battlefield below, Tatsumaki was furiously using Telekinesis to smash a group of Monster, who hadn't managed to escape, into the ground.
"A bunch of useless trash! But they sure can run fast!"
Saitama scratched his head, looking at the messy battlefield: "Looks like it's over?"
Genos cautiously scanned his surroundings: "Teacher, no energy signal from Senior Allen has been detected yet. The crisis is not over."
His mechanical eyes continuously flashed red, analyzing the residual energy traces on the battlefield, "Gouketsu and Centipede Elder's retreat was too abrupt; it seemed more like a planned tactical withdrawal."
Bang stroked his beard, his aged eyes filled with solemnity: "Genos is right, that child… Allen will not give up so easily. Drive Knight, what's the situation with the underground seismic monitoring?"
"The tremor source is rapidly moving away, confirmed to be in the Z-City ruins area," Drive Knight's cold electronic voice responded, "But multiple small and dispersed energy signals are still lingering in the shallow underground, making precise targeting impossible."
Tatsumaki clicked her tongue in annoyance, her green curly hair moving without wind: "Cowardly idiots! If you're so capable, come out and fight me head-on!" She floated in mid-air, her Telekinesis inadvertently crushing several large concrete fragments into dust.
Sitch's face was ashen in the command center: "Immediately clear the battlefield! All units maintain a Level 2 alert status! Medical teams prioritize treating the injured! Drive Knight, continue analyzing those lingering signals; I need to know what Allen is planning!"
Muzan silently reported via mental link: "Lord Ancestor, the Association's high-ranking officials are still gathered in the command center, not dispersed by the victory. Kokushibou and Akaza have, as per your instructions, further controlled several key routes leading to the command center under the guise of assisting with defense."
Allen's figure slowly emerged from the shadows at the edge of the battlefield, his crimson eyes sweeping over the desolate ruins.
His perception, like a fine net, firmly locked onto the fleeting, subtle residual fluctuation of the God.
"Continue monitoring, do not act rashly," he responded to Muzan, his voice calm and unruffled.
"The God's gaze has descended, but it was very brief. It will require a greater disturbance to make It cast its gaze again, or even appear."
His gaze turned to the lower-ranked heroes and staff who were assisting in clearing the battlefield and treating the injured, as well as the terrified citizens further away who were being relocated.
"Black Sperm." Allen's mental command entered the underground.
"Lord Allen~" Countless tiny voices responded with excitement, "Those damned energy barriers are annoying, but we found a few old sewage pipes. They're a bit narrow, but we can bypass some of them~"
"Plan change," Allen commanded, "Abandon the direct assault on the command center's underground structure. Have your clones disperse and launch underground surprise attacks on A-City's Third and Seventh Shelters and the Central Medical Station. Remember, focus on creating panic and chaos. If you encounter strong resistance, retreat immediately and use the underground passages to relocate."
"Understood~ We're good at scaring people!" Black Sperm's countless clones immediately sprang into action with excitement, like a black tide, silently surging towards their new targets along the intricate old pipe system.
Allen's figure once again merged into the shadows, moving rapidly towards Z-City.
He needed to rendezvous with Gouketsu and Centipede Elder, treat their injuries, and prepare for the next phase.
Meanwhile, the Hero Association's cleanup efforts were proceeding in an orderly fashion.
"Survivor found here! Need a stretcher!"
"Sector B cleared, no residual Monster found!"
"Power lines damaged, engineering team please proceed to repair immediately!"
Metal Bat, with his bat on his shoulder, looked at the devastated battlefield and clicked his tongue: "Tsk, what a brutal fight. What exactly is that kid Allen thinking?"
Tanktop Master walked up to him, his muscular body covered in dust and green blood: "I believe he must have his reasons, but this method is simply too extreme."
Child Emperor operated the computer on his wrist, his brows tightly furrowed: "The Monster army's retreat route is very systematic, not like a rout. They likely have a pre-arranged rallying point in the Z-City ruins. Drive Knight, can you access satellite imagery?"
"There's abnormal energy interference around Z-City, making observation very poor. Attempting infrared and synthetic aperture radar scans," Drive Knight responded.
Tatsumaki floated down and landed beside Bang, her small brows tightly furrowed: "Old man, why did you stop us just now? Wouldn't it have been over if we just chased them down and took out those two big guys?"
Bang slowly shook his head, his eyes deep: "Tatsumaki, do not pursue a cornered foe, especially when they are actively retreating and their formation is not broken. Allen is likely waiting nearby for us to scatter and pursue, to defeat us one by one. That child's tactical insight has always been very sharp."
Genos walked up to Saitama: "Teacher, we need to remain vigilant. Senior Allen's strategic intent is still unclear; the next attack could come at any time."
Saitama scratched his bald head: "Oh, but he doesn't seem to want to fight us? Doesn't he only fight bad guys?" He was referring to Allen's previous declaration that he would only target the corrupt high-ranking officials of the Association.
Genos was silent for a moment: "I hope so."
Just then, the shrill alarm once again blared through the command center!
"Report! A-City's Third Shelter is under attack by a large number of unidentified black liquid creatures!"
-------------------------
If you enjoy this story, you can read 70+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
Webnovel will keep getting 1 new chapter every day but Patreon readers can stay far ahead.
Maybe it's not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
[email protected]/Greyhounds
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"