Chapter 548: Cooperation
Chapter 548: Cooperation
Chen Chuan witnessed a massive creature emerging from a rift, its head adorned with bone hammers at both ends, followed by a long neck encircled with a spiral of armor, and a robust body covered in grayish skin.
He instantly recognized it as a Ringed Neck Armored Rhino.
The members of the reaction force stationed at the rear, tasked with guarding the area, were all startled by the creature's imposing size. Its sheer magnitude was intimidating, and everyone tensed up.
Yuan Qiuyuan, Qin Qingque, and Su Wei immediately prepared for an attack. Their expressions were grave, as the previous creatures they had encountered were not particularly large, making their disposal straightforward. However, this creature did not seem like one that could be dealt with swiftly.
Chen Chuan, facing this enormous creature that had emerged from the rift, showed no intention of retreating. With a swift movement, he appeared right in front of it.
Clenching his fist with his thumb protruding slightly, Chen Chuan unleashed a punch to the creature's chest. The force of the blow was so powerful that his entire forearm sank into its body.
The Ringed Neck Armored Rhino's forward charge abruptly halted, and it let out a series of wheezing sounds from its mouth. Then, its head and four legs lost their strength, and it slammed onto the platform in front of the rift with a loud crash. The front of its head, with its bone hammers, even gouged a small pit into the stone floor.
Everyone behind them stared in disbelief, their rapid breathing audible in the tense atmosphere.
Chen Chuan's height was significantly shorter than the creature, which stood at least three meters tall. Their physical disparity was stark, especially when standing side by side. Yet, with just a single punch, this massive creature had been defeated.
The scene was incredibly impactful, causing their hearts to race.
Yuan Qiuyuan, Qin Qingque, and Su Wei glanced down at the Ringed Neck Armored Rhino, which was only a few steps away from them. They could clearly see its tightly shut eyes and thick, wrinkled skin. Even the mere sight of its sturdy bone hammers evoked a sense of the power it could unleash when swung.
Looking up at Chen Chuan, who stood with his back to them, they felt a surge of admiration.
Chen Chuan, however, seemed to have accomplished a minor task. He stood there and directly contacted the Defense Department. 'This is Chen Chuan,' he said."
A familiar, deep voice came through the interdimensional connector, "This is Liang Guanghai."
"Specialist Liang?"
Specialist Liang spoke in a low voice, "Captain Chen, there's a mission that needs your attention right now."
Chen Chuan raised his head and said, "Please go ahead, Specialist."
Specialist Liang explained, "Chen Bitong has opened a rift near the Victory Zone, and one of his split bodies is currently there. Reliable sources indicate that there are even remnants of the former imperial court's cavalry among them.
This suggests the involvement of the former imperial court. A large number of their cavalry have appeared in the Riverbank District, and our forces are engaged in a standoff with them. Our main forces are also concentrated there.
The city is relatively vulnerable at the moment, and the situation is critical. I need you to lead an emergency team to stop Chen Bitong. You can discuss the specifics with your team."
"Understood, I'll head there immediately," Chen Chuan replied.
After ending the call, he glanced at the rift in front of him. This mission was right up his alley.
Although he was the only one here, and the essence of the rift was his to enjoy, it wasn't enough. His mental prowess had plateaued due to a lack of worthy opponents. Only a sufficiently powerful adversary could propel his spiritual strength further.
Chen Bitong...
After a moment of contemplation, Chen Chuan turned around and descended from his elevated position. Addressing Yuan Qiuyuan and the other two, he said, "The Defense Department has assigned a task. You three will continue to guard this place."
Tasks involving Chen Bitong required a certain level of expertise, and the team members were better suited to handle the creatures emerging from the rift.
"Yes, sir!"
Yuan Qiuyuan and the others saluted in acknowledgment.
Chen Chuan inspected his equipment, then, amidst the admiring gazes of the defensive personnel, he boarded the armed vehicle with the Snow Lady Saber in hand. Following the Defense Department's map instructions, he drove towards the Victory Zone.
At that moment, a sound came from the interdimensional connector. It was information from the Defense Department about two people, but it only included their names, appearances, and ages, with no other details, not even their positions.
This indicated that these individuals held a certain level of confidentiality.
Chen Chuan took out a small bottle and examined it. It was a stamina recovery potion sent by the Defense Department earlier. Given the seriousness with which it was delivered, it was likely a rare and precious item. He hadn't used it before, but now he carried it with him.
As he drove towards the Victory Zone, the journey took over an hour due to the numerous rifts and intermittent skirmishes along the way, slowing down their progress.
When the vehicle finally came to a stop, the driver wiped his forehead and turned to say, "Captain Chen, we've arrived."
Chen Chuan thanked him and stepped out of the vehicle.
He surveyed his surroundings. It was 5:45, but the sky remained as dark as it had been during the night, with little change. The only noticeable difference might have been the even more vibrant crimson glow in the sky, resembling blood painted across the firmament.
At this moment, a rustling sound came from the Interdimensional Connector, followed by a flashing communication signal. He immediately connected, and a mature and indifferent voice spoke, "Go forward, turn south after two hundred meters, and enter the first building on your left. Go up to the thirteenth floor."
Chen Chuan glanced forward, holding the Snow Lady Saber, and walked towards the indicated location. He arrived at an abandoned commercial building.
After entering, he climbed the stairs to the thirteenth floor and saw two people waiting for him in the vast, empty floor. He walked towards them, but before he could take two steps, he felt the field of one of them pressing towards him.
However, this action was actually somewhat impolite. Even if the other party wanted to test and confirm his strength, both parties could still sense each other when they got closer. This proactive approach, coupled with a display of oppressive might, seemed like an attempt to intimidate.
His expression remained calm, as if he felt nothing, and he walked right up to the two men.
Nie Guanshan and Yang Can were slightly surprised to see that Chen Chuan's face didn't change, and he withstood the oppressive field. However, they were also somewhat satisfied.
This indicated that Chen Chuan possessed mental power and could serve as their assistant, ensuring he wouldn't be lacking in standing before Chen Bitong.
Between the two of them, Yang Can had been serving in the Convergence Zone for many years and wasn't concerned with the affairs of Central City. He didn't know Chen Chuan.
Nie Guanshan, on the other hand, was a senior security officer in the Ministry of Governance and paid more attention to external situations. He had once seen the recorded battle between Chen Chuan and Wei Wusheng, but such a fight held little interest for someone like him, who was almost at the very top of the third limit.
So when he saw the information about Chen Chuan earlier, his impression remained from that time. Now, it seemed that Chen Chuan had made significant progress.
As Chen Chuan approached, Yang Can got straight to the point, "Since you're here, let's talk about the task directly. We'll tell you what you need to do next. We've confirmed that Chen Bitong possesses the ability to enter the rift, making it almost impossible to accurately capture him before the rift."
Hearing this, Chen Chuan couldn't help but recall Astrid's performance earlier. The so-called ability to enter the rift was likely this very ability.
"So... we need someone to attract Chen Bitong's attention at a critical moment or withstand his offensive.
The weakness of a fighter often lies in their overconfidence when they think they've found an opportunity and chosen to attack. If such a situation arises, we hope you can hold your ground. We'll take care of him when he causes more harm to you, do you understand?"
He looked at Chen Chuan and said, "If you have no questions, then execute the plan as instructed."
Chen Chuan raised his eyes to look at the two of them and said, "I think there's something inappropriate about this plan."
Yang Can impatiently replied, "There's nothing inappropriate about it. This is the plan, and there's no room for changes. Since the Defense Department has sent you to cooperate with us, you must follow this plan and obey orders. Do you understand?"
Chen Chuan calmly replied, "Then may I ask about your ranks?"
Yang Can narrowed his eyes at Chen Chuan for a while before saying, "Defense Department Exploration Team Member, Yang Can."
Nie Guanshan spoke in a deep voice, "Ministry of Governance, Senior Security Officer, Nie Guanshan."
Chen Chuan nodded and said, "Handling Bureau Execution Captain, Chen Chuan."
Yang Can and Nie Guanshan were taken aback. Execution Captain?
Based on their ranks alone, Chen Chuan was on par with them.
However, when they received the information about Chen Chuan earlier, it didn't include specific details or his position. They hadn't paid much attention to it at the time.
An Execution Captain under the age of twenty?
The two men exchanged glances, realizing that Chen Chuan was no ordinary person. It seemed that the Defense Department had indeed sent them a capable partner.
They discussed the matter privately through the Interdimensional Connector.
Yang Can asked, "What do you think? Should we ask for a replacement?"
"No replacement," Nie Guanshan immediately rejected the idea.
As someone from the Ministry of Governance, he was more politically sensitive. If they had requested a replacement earlier, it would have been understandable, but now that Chen Chuan was already there, it would be seen as pure troublemaking and shirking responsibility if they asked for a change. If the mission failed, they would surely be blamed or, at the very least, held partially responsible.
Nie Guanshan spoke in a deep voice, "We can make a concession on the surface, but once the fight begins, it's out of his control."
Although they couldn't force Chen Chuan to do anything, the actual fight would depend on strength and experience.
Despite Chen Chuan's young age, even with exceptional talent, his strength was still limited. They had the means to guide, utilize, and create advantages for themselves during the fight.
(End of Chapter)
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