Chapter 676: The Path
Chapter 676: The Path
The pit was deep, and from the walls, it was evident that the Combat Creature had dug it out. Chen Chuan speculated that the tunnel might serve as an escape route during critical moments.
It was no wonder these individuals hadn't rushed to retreat after becoming aware of the situation. They had this passage, though it might not have been fully excavated yet.
He examined the marks on the pit wall, noticing the traces of back-and-forth scraping along the edges. It was impossible for this to have been dug out just today.
Most likely, these individuals started digging here and continued daily, but where would this path lead? He didn't plan to go down himself. Instead, he used the World Credential to inspect the An Dun, and after a while, several Combat Creatures flew over from a distance and entered the house, crawling into the cave.
These Combat Creatures were connected to the Field Domain information and had some Field Domain surveillance capabilities. He could see the situation below through them.
Meanwhile, his squad members had already blocked several intersections according to the pre-arranged plan, presenting the Processing Bureau's credentials and beginning to identify and evacuate nearby residents and pedestrians.
The city's security forces were on their way, and soon the entire area would be sealed off.
However, as soon as they started their operation, gunshots echoed through the residential area, causing pedestrians to panic and scatter.
The squad members were not novices; upon hearing the shots being fired randomly in all directions, they knew someone was deliberately creating chaos.
Some people tried to escape, and one, seemingly in a panic, approached Wei Dong. As he drew close, he suddenly pulled out a dagger and lunged at Wei Dong's abdomen.
But before he could complete the action, a fist slammed into his face, knocking him sideways and leaving him unconscious on the ground.
Luo Kaiyuan, standing nearby, retracted his fist and nodded at Wei Dong.
Today's task was to capture non-threatening individuals alive if possible. He was worried that Wei Dong might not show restraint and end up killing someone, so he had to intervene.
At another intersection, Wei Chang'an stood with his hands in his pockets, scanning the area with his eyes. Cai Sai was beside him, checking and directing people to evacuate.
The residents, nervous and trembling, were evacuating past them. One man, with his head down, walked by Wei Chang'an, but Wei Chang'an grabbed his shoulder, stopping him. The man's eyes darted nervously, "What... what are you doing?"
Wei Chang'an pulled the man back, and he stumbled a few steps, landing on the ground. "I'm just making sure irrelevant people leave. As for you, you can't leave yet."
With his extensive experience in executing commissions, Wei Chang'an was adept at identifying people. He could see clearly that although this man kept his head down, his posture exuded hostility. Whether he was from the local gang or a wanted individual, he wasn't going anywhere.
The man's face changed, and he scrambled to his feet, trying to run towards the back. However, his attempt to flee only proved his guilt. Before he could get far, a gunshot rang out from behind, and he fell to the ground, clutching his leg and wailing in pain.
Cai Sai holstered his gun and swiftly handcuffed the man. Just then, someone appeared at a distant window, aiming a gun at Cai Sai.
Before the shooter could pull the trigger, a shot rang out, and Ding Liao, positioned on a nearby rooftop, took him down. Ding Liao quickly shifted his aim to another armed individual, firing again and instantly taking down the gunman from above.
Cai Sai approached Wei Chang'an and asked, "Do you think our squad member can handle things inside alone?"
Wei Chang'an maintained a vigilant yet relaxed posture. "Rest assured, Chen Chuan always acts with confidence. Moreover, he's the Processing Bureau's Investigation Director. We don't need to worry about him; we just need to ensure we don't make any mistakes."
Cai Sai nodded in agreement.
Inside the house, Chen Chuan used the World Credential to observe the pit through the eyes of the Combat Creatures. The pit was incredibly deep, and even after ten minutes, the creatures hadn't reached the end.
Suddenly, one of the creatures 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, these creatures were heading towards him at a rapid pace.
He stood at the edge of the pit, staring down, but there was no movement for a long time. Then, a loud boom echoed, and the ground several meters behind him was abruptly broken open.
A bug with a smooth, segmented body emerged, its head featuring a vicious, powerful lower jaw and dense, scythe-like limbs on its abdomen. It tried to wrap itself around Chen Chuan.
A flash of sword light, and the bug was instantly sliced in half, falling apart and spilling out foul-smelling biological fluids from its shell.
Chen Chuan turned around, having heard the sounds clearly. There was more than one of these creatures, and he walked outside with his sword, observing the surroundings through Chao Ming's aerial view. He spotted over a dozen locations where these creatures were digging, and they were also present in the wider area.
As he looked on, the decision to evacuate the crowd earlier was indeed the right call, but despite this, many people still refused to leave. However, there was nothing he could do for those who wouldn't listen to reason.
He immediately contacted the World Credential and informed Yuan Qiuyuan and the others, sending them the images he had captured: "Be cautious of these creatures. Take care of any you can see."
The number of creatures was definitely more than what they had seen so far, and according to An Dun's analysis, they were likely bred by that large combat creature.
He walked to the street where he had been earlier and released his spiritual power outward. In an instant, within a few hundred meters of him, whether on the ground or underground, all the worms stopped their previous movements and lay there as if paralyzed.
Only he knew that there were still some creatures beyond his range, but his squad should be able to handle them. These modified creatures were just what they needed to deal with.
At that moment, on the rooftop overlooking a certain intersection, Yuan Qiuyuan was keeping watch. As the ground ruptured, a worm emerged, but before it could fully reveal itself, Yuan Qiuyuan raised the stick in his hand and leaped from above, striking the creature's body with it.
With a loud crack, the worm's upper body exploded, its shattered shell and burst fluids splattering everywhere, leaving a messy scene.
On the other side, Qin Qingque and Su Wei each dealt with the worms they encountered, but unlike Yuan Qiuyuan, they didn't create a chaotic mess. Instead, they used their strength to destroy the creatures' internal structures.
This not only prevented the scene from becoming too gruesome but also allowed them to control the situation subconsciously, as they weren't sure if the fluids were harmful to ordinary people or the environment.
Under the squad's handling, no more worms emerged from the outskirts. After a thorough check and confirming that there were no casualties among their team members, they reported to Chen Chuan.
Upon receiving the report, Chen Chuan notified the city's security forces to clean up and instructed the squad members to bring the three severely injured individuals back for further interrogation at the bureau.
Several hours later, in the basement of the Unifying Heavy Control branch.
Yang Ling had her hand placed on the porcelain box, communicating with the active conscious entity's embryo inside. She could hear rustling sounds coming from within, which seemed to be communicating with her spiritually, exchanging some sort of information.
In a 1619 book, a look at the wrong version!
On the outer wall of the porcelain box, there were vascular tubes with crimson liquid flowing through them, continuously supplying nutrients to the embryo.
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 saw her female assistant waiting outside. "Is there something wrong?" the assistant asked.
The assistant bowed slightly and said, "Miss, headquarters just sent a telegram. Our squad in the border area has been raided by the Processing Bureau."
Yang Ling's expression remained calm, and she asked, "What about the casualties?"
"Three team members have been captured."
"And what about Fan Duan?"
"Fan Duan is very cautious. He wasn't with his team, so he wasn't affected by the raid."
"Hmm, then headquarters should send someone to support him," Yang Ling said.
When she had left headquarters earlier, they had informed her that the key person in this operation was Fan Duan, and the other team members were replaceable. As long as he was safe, the operation wouldn't be considered a failure.
The company had anticipated possible losses and setbacks during the operation.
"But he might have been exposed," the assistant said. "Although the Processing Bureau didn't find him, they confirmed his existence through the captured personnel during interrogation. They will intensify their search, and headquarters wants us to find a way to divert the Processing Bureau's attention during this time."
Yang Ling recalled several strategies the active conscious entity had given her, one of which was to obtain part of the Skywheel Company's maritime transportation business. This would require them to negotiate overseas, and by going to sea, they could likely draw some of the Processing Bureau's attention.
"Also, headquarters wants to know if you've found a suitable location," the assistant added.
Yang Ling's fingers, which had been tightly intertwined, loosened slightly. "I'm almost there," she said.
Her spiritual power could sense the weak points in the Convergence Zone, so even though the active conscious entity was just an embryo, with her spiritual assistance, they could find a secret path.
Although Unifying Heavy Control had obtained permission from the City Council to enter the Convergence Zone, this time they were also after the lost artifact, which required them to create a new path.
The assistant observed Yang Ling for a moment, as if confirming the truthfulness of her words. Then, bowing, she said, "Headquarters is urging us, so please hurry, Miss."
...
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(End of Chapter)
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