Chapter 676: The Path
Chapter 676: The Path
The pit was deep, and judging by the marks on the walls, it was clear that the combat creatures had dug it out. Chen Chuan speculated that this tunnel might serve as an escape route in critical moments.
No wonder these individuals showed no urgency in retreating after their discovery; they had this secret passage as a backup. However, it was also possible that the tunnel hadn't been fully excavated yet.
He examined the marks on the pit wall, noticing the worn edges indicating repeated rubbing. It was certain that this wasn't dug out just today.
Most likely, these individuals started digging as soon as they arrived and continued daily. But where would this tunnel lead?
Chen Chuan had no intention of descending himself. Instead, he used the field token to communicate with An Dun, and after a while, several combat creatures flew over from a distance, entered the house, and crawled into the cave.
These combat creatures were connected to the field information and possessed surveillance capabilities. Chen Chuan could observe the situation below by borrowing their senses.
Meanwhile, on the outskirts, his squad members had already taken up their pre-arranged positions, blocking several intersections. They presented their Handling Bureau credentials and began identifying and evacuating nearby residents and pedestrians.
The city's security forces were quickly approaching, and soon the entire area would be sealed off.
However, as soon as the squad members started their operation, gunshots echoed through the residential area, causing panic among the passersby, who began to scatter in all directions.
The squad members were experienced and immediately recognized that the shots were being fired haphazardly in all directions, indicating someone was deliberately creating chaos.
Inevitably, some individuals tried to flee, and one person, seemingly in a panic, stumbled towards Wei Dong. As he approached, he suddenly pulled out a dagger and lunged at Wei Dong's abdomen.
But before he could complete his move, a fist slammed into his face, knocking him sideways and rendering him unconscious.
Luo Kaiyuan, standing nearby, retracted his fist and nodded at Wei Dong.
For this mission, the instructions were to capture alive any non-threatening individuals. Luo Kaiyuan was concerned that Wei Dong might use excessive force and kill someone, so he took matters into his own hands.
At another intersection, Wei Chang'an stood with his hands in his pockets, his gaze sweeping back and forth. Cai Si was nearby, checking and directing people to evacuate.
The residents, trembling with fear, were evacuating one by one. As one person walked past Wei Chang'an with their head down, he grabbed their shoulder, causing them to stop involuntarily. Their eyes darted around nervously, and they asked, "What, what are you doing?"
Wei Chang'an gave a firm tug, causing the person to stumble backward and sit down. "I'm just ensuring unrelated individuals leave. As for you, you can't go yet."
With his extensive experience in executing commissions, Wei Chang'an was adept at distinguishing people. Despite the person's lowered head, their posture exuded hostility. Whether they were from a local gang or a target for arrest, Wei Chang'an was determined to prevent their escape.
The person's face changed, and they quickly scrambled to their feet and ran towards the rear. However, this action only confirmed their guilt. Before they could get far, a gunshot rang out from behind, and they collapsed, clutching their leg and wailing in pain.
Cai Si holstered his gun, approached the person, and swiftly handcuffed them. But at that moment, someone inside a distant window aimed their gun at Cai Si.
Before the shooter could pull the trigger, Ding Liao, positioned on a nearby rooftop, fired a shot, hitting the shooter in the head. Ding Liao then swiftly turned his gun towards another armed individual, firing again without hesitation. The second gunman instantly fell from their high perch.
Cai Si walked over to Wei Chang'an and asked, "Do you think our fellow classmate can handle things inside alone?"
Wei Chang'an maintained a vigilant yet relaxed posture. "Don't worry, our classmate Chen always acts with confidence. Moreover, he's the chief investigator of the Handling Bureau. We can trust him to handle things, and as long as we don't make any mistakes, there's no need to worry about him."
Cai Si nodded in agreement.
Inside the house, Chen Chuan used the field token to observe the pit through the eyes of the combat creatures. The pit was incredibly deep, and even after the creatures had descended for some time, they still hadn't reached the bottom.
Suddenly, one of the creatures abruptly disappeared, and after a while, the others followed suit, vanishing one by one.
Chen Chuan's gaze intensified.
Based on the order of their disappearance, it was clear that the creatures were heading towards him at a rapid pace.
He stood at the edge of the pit, staring down into the darkness below. After a long silence, a loud rumble erupted behind him, several meters away, as the ground was violently ruptured.
A smooth-bodied insect with segmented limbs burst out, its body shaped like a flattened cone. Its mouthparts featured a formidable, powerful lower jaw, and its abdomen was covered in dense, sickle-like limbs. It attempted to envelop Chen Chuan in its grasp.
A flash of blade light, and the insect was instantly cleaved in two, its halves falling to the sides. A foul-smelling liquid oozed from its ruptured body.
Chen Chuan turned around, having just heard from the field information that there was more than one of these creatures. Through the field information, he discovered that there were over a dozen of these creatures emerging from various locations in the vicinity, with more appearing in the distance.
With the evacuation of the crowd, the situation seemed under control, but many people refused to leave, and there was little he could do for those who wouldn't listen.
He immediately used his Dimensional Token to contact Yuan Qiuyuan and the others, sending them a live feed of what he was seeing: "Be cautious of these creatures, and eliminate any that you can spot."
According to the analysis by An Dun, these creatures were likely bred from that combat organism, and their numbers were probably greater than what they could see.
Chen Chuan walked back to the street where he had been earlier and released his psychic power outward. In an instant, within a few hundred meters of him, all the worms in the area, both on the ground and underground, froze in place like statues.
He knew there were still some that had escaped his reach, but his squad should be able to handle them. These modified creatures were a perfect challenge for them.
At that moment, Yuan Qiuyuan stood on a rooftop at a certain intersection, observing the scene. As a worm burst through the ground, he raised the stick in his hand and leaped from above, striking the creature's body with a powerful blow.
The upper half of the worm exploded with a loud crack, its shattered shell and bursting fluids splattering everywhere, creating a messy scene.
On the other side, Qin Qingque and Su Wei each dealt with the worms they encountered, but unlike Yuan Qiuyuan's messy approach, they used their strength to destroy the creatures' internal structures.
This not only kept the situation from getting too chaotic but also ensured they didn't inadvertently harm ordinary people or the environment with the unknown fluids.
The squad members quickly eliminated any remaining worms, and after confirming that there were no casualties on their side, they reported to Chen Chuan.
Upon receiving the report, Chen Chuan notified the city's security forces to clean up the mess and instructed his squad to bring the three severely injured individuals back to the bureau for further interrogation.
Hours later, in the underground room of the Allied Heavy Duty Branch...
Yang Ling had her hand placed on the porcelain box, communicating with the active consciousness entity within. Soft rustling sounds could be heard from inside, seemingly conveying information between them.
On the outer wall of the box, there were numerous blood vessels with crimson liquid flowing through them, continuously providing nutrients to the entity.
After a while, Yang Ling's face turned slightly pale, and she removed her hand from the box. She waited for her slightly rapid breathing to calm down before heading towards the elevator leading to the ground floor.
When she reached the ground level and the elevator doors opened, she found her female assistant waiting outside. "Is there something you need?" the assistant asked.
The assistant bowed slightly and replied, "Miss, headquarters just sent a telegram. Our squad stationed in the border area has been raided by the Handling Bureau."
Yang Ling's expression remained calm. "What are the casualties?" she asked.
"Three squad members have been captured."
"And what about Captain Fan?"
"Captain Fan is very cautious. He wasn't with his squad during the raid, so he wasn't affected."
"Mmm, headquarters will likely send reinforcements for him," Yang Ling said.
They had been informed that Captain Fan was the key figure in this operation, and the other members were replaceable. As long as he was safe, the mission could still be considered a success.
The company had anticipated potential losses and setbacks during the operation.
"But he might be exposed," the assistant said. "Although the Handling Bureau didn't find him, they can confirm his existence through the captured squad members. They will intensify their search, and headquarters wants us to divert the Handling Bureau's attention during this time."
Yang Ling recalled the strategies the active consciousness entity had provided, one of which involved acquiring a portion of the Skyscraper Wheel Corporation's maritime transportation business. This would require them to negotiate overseas, potentially drawing the Handling Bureau's attention away from the mainland.
"Also, headquarters wants to know if you've found a suitable location," the assistant added.
Yang Ling's fingers tightened slightly. "Almost," she replied.
Her psychic abilities allowed her to sense the weak points in the Fusion Zone, and even with the active consciousness entity in its embryonic form, she could locate a secret path with its assistance.
Although the Allied Heavy Duty Branch had already obtained permission from the Municipal Parliament to enter the Fusion Zone, this time they were after relics, which required opening a new path.
The assistant observed Yang Ling for a moment, as if verifying the truth of her words. Finally, she bowed and said, "Headquarters is urging us to expedite this matter, Miss."
(End of Chapter)
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