"Everyone with a talisman, get back here!!"
But even in the face of the captain's rage, no one spoke up.
While he was performing a "ghost step" exercise, the necklace of the Returning Talisman had already fallen off his collar with each jump, shimmering in the sunlight like a fluttering butterfly.
The captain saw it and gritted his teeth: "You son of a bitch..."
"Alright, stop talking!" This time, it was the female captain from another vehicle who spoke. She had short, neat hair and was holding a huge crossbow in her hand.
This is a beast herder, and the ferocious bear charging among the monsters is her pet.
As she continued drawing her bow and shooting arrow, she said, "Stay here, there's still hope of getting out. You think you're so great, giving the return talisman to Xiaochun? I don't have a return talisman either. Do you want to die here with me?"
The male captain was speechless after being rebuked and yelled angrily.
With a flick of his wrist, a Gatling gun appeared on his shoulder, and he unleashed a furious barrage of fire at the monster horde.
"Rat-a-tat-tat-tat—!"
"Aaaaaah—!"
Another real soldier conjured a single-soldier rocket launcher and pulled the trigger towards the location with the largest number of monsters.
"call out--"
"Boom!"
The crimson flames erupted, sending dust and sand flying, successfully giving the monsters a taste of their own medicine.
"Fuck you!" The male captain spat out blood and cursed, "If you're not going to be a king of soldiers, you're just trash!"
Fortunately, the combined attack of the vehicle's arrow towers slightly halted the new wave of attacks from the wandering monsters.
Just then.
"alright!"
Ghost Step, who had been doing three minutes of charging exercises, spoke, then his figure flashed, transforming into a blurry silhouette, and charged directly towards the monster horde.
In an instant, blood mist erupted from the joints of a large number of monsters. The seven enormous creatures in the front row all let out mournful howls as their legs broke and they fell to the ground, screaming in agony.
"Well done!!" Hope was rekindled in everyone's eyes.
But the next second, Ghost Step, who had reappeared, collapsed halfway down the road due to exhaustion.
Behind him was the sand scorpion whose leg joints he had dislocated, its tail hook raised high.
"don't want!!"
"Run!"
"careful!!"
"Get up!!"
At that moment, all the sounds rang out simultaneously.
The female captain drew her bow and aimed at the scorpion's tail.
The male captain slung himself over and rushed out.
Save them!! We must save them!!
But it was too late.
The sand scorpion's tail hook was too fast; its sharp tip had already pierced the back of Ghost Step's head.
A strong sense of powerlessness and anger welled up at the same time.
The male captain, his teeth clenched and eyes blazing, yelled, "Run!"
Tears of despair were already welling up in her cracked eyes, about to spill over.
At the critical moment.
A huge, enormous creature, no less massive than a sand scorpion, leaped out of the sandstorm.
It has four limbs and claws.
Stepping on the back of a sand scorpion.
There were also six clawed arms, which grabbed the rapidly extending tail.
There were also three hideous, twisted, pitch-black, and evil heads, their faces filled with cruel and mocking laughter.
That's an even more terrifying demon!
It paused briefly, then unfolded its entire body.
With a "plop," the sand scorpion was brutally torn apart.
Rome!
It's about rebuilding Rome!
Like the Asura warriors from hell, they revel in slaughter and possess astonishing combat power. They are a terrifying weapon for the Dark Beast Legion in their assaults on the battlefield, invincible!
Everyone's face turned deathly pale in an instant.
A four-star Shura army would be certain to die if they faced it.
As if things weren't going to go smoothly, it started raining in my humble abode. How could such a powerful dark beast appear on a secondary highway? I'm doomed!!
The male captain abruptly stopped, met the gaze of Shuro, who was excitedly tearing apart his prey, and with a flick of his wrist, his last magical weapon, a silver greatsword, appeared in his palm.
They are ready for close combat.
It's all or nothing!
Until he saw Shura's green, fiery eyes...
The female captain gritted her teeth and said to the people behind her, "Go! Everyone with a return charm, get out of here!!"
"Wait!" the male captain suddenly said.
This "wait" revealed that the terrifying Shura Empire seemed to have absolutely no interest in them.
After a brief eye contact, it raised its front paws, let out a hissing "ho ho," and leaped towards the next sand scorpion.
Ghost Step crawled up to the male captain with a look of lingering fear.
The male captain was still staring at the Roma statue when he asked, "Don't you think it's different?"
Ghost Step was so frightened that his mind went blank, and he couldn't see anything different.
The female captain answered him: "It is indeed different, unlike any other Shura Roma I have ever seen."
Then the others realized what was happening.
This Xioma looked shriveled and dark, its body resembling dried-up bacon.
If you look closely at its body, you can even see a hole in some of its skin, revealing its dark internal organs.
Furthermore, their eyes are different; most dark beasts have yellow eyes, while only high-star dark beasts have other colors.
Shuro also had a pair of cold, snake-like, vertical yellow eyes that looked extremely cruel.
But now, the eyes of this Roman Empire are only green, burning flames.
As it moved, the green flames danced up and down, leaving faint green trails in the air.
"What is this?" someone muttered. The people who had never seen the Roma of the Dead before could not believe that it was a summoning object of their own people.
They stared intently at the jumping, tearing, and dismembering corpse, displaying its art of dismemberment, and remained extremely vigilant.
Suddenly, three more identical green-eyed ghouls appeared to the left, right, and behind.
They were surrounded without anyone noticing.
"It's over," someone said pessimistically.
"Not necessarily," someone said. "They seem to be helping us kill monsters."
"Are you dreaming? They're just fighting for food. Once they've killed them all..."
"These wandering monsters are going to eat us." Some people were particularly pessimistic.
Someone was still a bit dazed, but then asked a thought that jolted them awake: "So what now? Should we run or not?"
Yes! Run!
Ten people, plus two vehicles, quickly assembled and attempted to break through in a direction where there was no Rome to repair.
However, there were many wandering monsters on the outskirts, and they were quickly intercepted and stopped.
Just as they were setting up their battle formation, a Shuro leaped back and tore the nearest sand lizard to shreds.
The commotion from the battle spilled over onto the vehicle. A resisting sand scorpion lashed out with its tail, striking the car and causing it to rumble and dent heavily.
The last bit of energy in the protective shield crackled and vanished completely.
Xiaochun, clutching her bleeding head, staggered out of the car as she pushed open the door.
The ten-person team gathered together, surrounded by enormous monsters on all sides.
Rome is being built, and monsters are roaming everywhere, endless and densely packed. Where can they possibly escape to?
"Let's fight," the female captain said last.
The Asuras want to eat them, but that's a matter for the next round. For now, let's unite and clear out the wandering monsters.
The soldiers charged out again.
The herdsman's raging bear roared as it charged into the monster horde.
Xiaochun, the spirit's chosen one, raised her staff and chanted incantations, the tip of the staff crackling with electricity.
Ghost Step started his power-building exercises again, his body contorting into various strange poses, waiting for the final burst of power...
They can't kill them all, they simply can't kill them all.
Strangely enough, they gradually figured out how to cooperate with the Roman Empire.
The Shura Empire, which was already struggling to hold on, was able to reopen its defensive lines with their support.
"Damn, this battle was actually pretty enjoyable!" The male captain, covered in blood, laughed heartily.
"One against thirty, right?! My record has been broken again! Come on! You sons of bitches, come on! Daddy's here!!"
The male captain, caught up in the thrill of the killing spree, opened his bloodshot eyes and searched everywhere for wandering monsters to kill.
As they were killing, they suddenly realized that they were gone.
It's gone!?
He stood frozen in place, staring blankly at a group of suddenly appearing dark beast skeletons.
Behind them, someone burst into an excited shout: "I know! It's the undead army!! Wei Huan's undead army!!! Wei Huan is here!!!"
"Damn it!" the male captain cursed, glancing at the cheering crowd behind him, grinning as if he wanted to swear a few more times.
The next second, a strong feeling of exhaustion surged up, and he shook his head, struggling for two seconds.
Everything went black, and I collapsed onto the sand, losing consciousness.
...
"Captain! Captain! The captain is awake!!"
After the male captain regained consciousness, all he heard was Xiao An's chattering voice in his ear.
Although it was noisy, the cheerful sound reassured the captain.
I recall the last moments before I fell into a coma.
He slowly opened his eyes and looked at his surroundings.
It was obvious that this was in his car, in his familiar room, lying on his favorite big bed, with his 36D collectible figurines on the bookshelf next to him.
Xiao An stood by the bedside, excitedly shouting, while another team member had already opened the door and rushed out. From afar, you could still hear him yelling, "The captain is awake!"
The moment I opened my eyes, I was greeted by a harmonious and blissful atmosphere. It was wonderful.
The captain propped himself up, his body aching, glanced at the bandages wrapped around his body, then looked at the dark scenery outside the window, his brow furrowing into a serious expression.
"It's dark? How long have I been unconscious? Where is everyone else? Are those skeletons the undead army? Wei Huan really came? Holy crap, could that Shura Empire be his too?"
A series of questions came out of her mouth, and Xiao An didn't know how to answer them, so she said in order: "You were unconscious for half a day, and it's not dark yet, but it will be soon. We are indoors now, so it looks dark."
Also, it was indeed Wei Huan who appeared and saved us yesterday.
After hearing the last bit, the captain stroked his chin and cursed, "What rank is that beast? How the hell is it so ferocious?"
Two tier-three teams and a total of ten challengers failed to accomplish what he did all by himself, making all his efforts over the years seem like a joke.
I feel heartbroken.
Xiao An thought for a moment and asked him, "Wouldn't it be better if L was a little fiercer?"
The captain's words were completely shut down. Yes, what's wrong with being fierce? To challenge the world, you have to be fierce! The only one who gets hurt is his pride.
Tsk!
After a moment's rest, the captain, enduring the pain all over his body, got up and went out the door.
They only realized they were in a "safe house" in the basement after getting off the bus.
These "safe houses" exist in every city and are extremely rare [driver sequence] items, created by hand.
Before each supply point is built, the higher-ups will provide the pioneering team with a safe house. In the harsh living environment, the safe zone is the only place where they can rest peacefully.
This basic safe house is only 100 square meters in size. It used to look like a small room made of wooden planks, but now it has all been demolished, and traces of life can be seen everywhere.
Moreover, this room must have been crammed with cars in the past, as even the alloy walls are covered in scratches.
But there's no one here now.
The passage to the ground opened, allowing vehicles and people to walk. The team leader, supported by two team members, stepped onto the ground.
It was still light out, and the heat was intense, hitting us in the face.
A skeleton strolled leisurely past the male captain, even turning its head to glance at him.
The male captain forced himself to step back and stare at the living skeleton.
Was it a wolf? But it was bigger than any living wolf he had ever seen, and why were there bone spurs on its bones? Was it bone hyperplasia?
After a brief eye contact, the wolf left.
Strangely, the captain actually "saw" boredom on the other person's face.
Seeing emotions in someone's bones? Are you crazy?
Just then, a long, white jade-jointed foot slid past his eyes, catching his attention.
My gaze followed it, looking upwards to the very top.
It turned out to be a huge spider with eight legs. It was so big that it could easily step over houses and vehicles. When it walked, it seemed to move slowly, but it was not slow at all.
Behind it followed seven or eight facehuggers, scurrying about.
Immediately afterwards, the all-black Shura Roma
Walking further away, amidst the ruins, one can see not only the dried-up, black thighs of the Roman Empire, but also the skeletal remains of a raging bear, swaying and shaking its head as it walks around.
The captain blinked, trying to pull himself out of the absurd and distorted feeling.
With a stern face, he asked, "Where are they all?"
Xiao An said, "In the parking lot."
"Let's go to the parking lot."
...
Fan Tao returned to Challenge World 12 days ago.
The image of her teammate dying haunted her like a nightmare, keeping her awake at night.
Even though the legion's captain and doctor had come several times, telling her to rest on Earth and wait for rescue before heading out to challenge the world.
But one night, after waking up from a nightmare, he resolutely returned to the world of challenges.
Because she was worried that someone would return, but she had nowhere to hide and couldn't get through the mandatory 10 days.
Only she can open the safe house now. She can't save everyone, but she can at least save those who still want to hold on.
It was worth it for her to be protected by everyone and to fulfill her mission at the end.
These ten days were not easy; safe houses are not a panacea.
Basic safe houses have limited defenses and low shielding against some high-level monsters, making them vulnerable to attack at any time.
The only good thing is that the authorities never gave up on them. They not only sent people to rescue them, but also provided them with food and supplies for the past few days.
Even so, the constant threat of death left them exhausted and filled with anxiety as they prayed day and night.
Especially on the day when the deadline is approaching.
The official team was unable to break through and recapture the supply point. But the impatient challengers would surely return at the last moment.
At that time, we won't need hundreds of people, just a hundred, and the wandering monsters will launch an offensive, gathering again at night to sweep through the city.
By then, even safe houses won't be safe.
Those who come up here will probably die too.
In recent days, the official Blue Star organization has actually blocked some challengers with available information from going on Challenge World.
But for many who make a living as challengers, these words of dissuasion are completely useless.
They always have a sense of wishful thinking, believing that as long as they are luckier than the people around them, everything will be fine.
In this state of panic, Fan Tao anxiously contacted the authorities again and again to confirm the rescue operation.
But when she finally received a reply and the rescuers were also in danger, she despaired.
Actually, she could have left. She had already returned to the Challenge World 12 days ago and could have returned to Earth at any time.
But what will happen to the others if she leaves?
Those who remained at the supply depot on the secondary highway, if they had the ability to save themselves, would have already broken through. Among those who stayed behind were kind and gentle old men, and some were young and innocent young women and men.
They are all living, breathing lives.
Fan Tao kept thinking, "Let's wait and wait, maybe things will turn around."
Finally, amidst this torment, the turning point she had been hoping for finally arrived.
At this moment, Fan Tao stood in front of the cleared parking lot, watching one car after another rush back to the Challenge World car after receiving official notification.
They got out of the car, looking at themselves, and then at the skeletons slowly wandering among the surrounding ruins.
Finally, all eyes fell on those three people.
It's like having a halo; it's dazzling.
The handsome young men stood on the backs of the cave beasts lying on the ground, as if they were in the center of a stage, with all eyes focused on them.
Wei Huan.
Wei Huan, the tomb patroller.
The necromancer Wei Huan.
His name gradually became a household name as he repeatedly topped the Challenger App leaderboard.
His professional abilities, everything he has experienced, including his fleeting image captured by the camera, have all become the hottest topics right now.
Everyone knows Wei Huan.
So dashing and spirited, so handsome and youthful, so strong and brave, and so mysterious and lucky.
He's glowing!
Then, my gaze fell on the young man sitting in a wheelchair beside him.
As Wei Huan gained fame time and again, his only partner in the car, Mu Zhong, gradually became the envy of everyone.
However, compared to Wei Huan, there is relatively less information about Mu Zhong.
The world only knows him as a genius with two professions, having served in the military for a long time and already being a captain at a young age.
I also know that he is also a cripple whose legs were severed at the root, a useless person who should have died directly in the initial challenge and couldn't even drive a car.
But now, even though he's sitting in a wheelchair with his legs dangling, he still possesses a captivating charm that makes it impossible to look away.
The remaining group of people cast scrutinizing or puzzled glances at the tall, burly man behind Mu Zhong, who stood like a bodyguard.
He looks quite old, probably in his thirties? Could he be someone Wei Huan and his group encountered after leaving the race section?
Or is it "protecting the Way"?
Tsk, it doesn't matter what their identity is. Being able to stand next to Wei Huan so close, their ancestors' graves must be emitting auspicious smoke!
...
"Brother Qiang, is that Wei Huan? And is that cripple next to him Mu Zhong?"
Inside a car, someone pressed their face against the windshield to look out, and couldn't help but spit out a sour taste in their mouth.
"I heard that Wei Huan comes from a good family, and Mu Zhong is said to have a military background. What's so strange about their achievements? If I could also get into the Challenger School, I would be better than them."
"You don't even recognize the scores, and you got in? Huh?"
As the flippant voice rang out, a puff of smoke sprayed onto Lin Xu's face. The young man, with thin lips exhaling smoke, spoke listlessly.
"I told you to study, but you skipped classes to play games. Now you're thinking about challenging yourself in college? What were you doing back then?"
Lin Xu turned his head to look at the tall, thin man beside him, wanting to retort, but was stopped by those cold, indifferent peach blossom eyes.
He grumbled, feeling wronged: "Studying is so hard. Anyway, you can make your way in the world even if you don't know how to read. Why should I waste my time in the classroom? I'd rather make more money."
"Idiot!" Qiang cursed, took a deep drag of his cigarette, and then said, "Find a way to get out of the convoy without them finding out."
.
"Okay, Brother Qiang." Lin Xu got excited as soon as the topic came up. "I'm keeping an eye on it. It's definitely going to work. It's a treasure..."
...
"It'll be dark in an hour." The female captain glanced at the time again and couldn't help but remind them, "We must hurry and leave here to send a group out."
Not far from her were the six cars that had initially tried to leave, but had to turn back for various reasons.
The people in the car were rubbing their hands anxiously, checking the time every few minutes.
Fan Tao frowned: "The number of people and vehicles are not right. There are still many people who haven't returned. What will happen to them if we leave?"
The female captain raised her hand to interrupt her: "With so many people left here, if it gets dark, none of them will be able to leave."
As she spoke, she glanced in Wei Huan's direction and said, "Our fighting strength here is limited. Once we are besieged, we will definitely be in danger."
He... is below level four; in this environment, he can't protect everyone.
The female captain didn't mean to discourage anyone, but based on her own experience, she could confirm that at this level of battlefield intensity, only a Tier 4 vehicle could protect everyone.
The problem with the besieged monsters is not their individual strength, but their endless numbers.
The numbers are already terrifying now, and they will only increase at night.
Even if Wei Huan is extremely strong, he is still just one person. And so far, he can only control about 300 undead creatures. This number is probably not even enough to stop the first wave of monsters besieging the city after nightfall.
The female captain had her own considerations: "We have been waiting for five hours. Those who have not returned probably will not return tonight either. We cannot let more people be put in danger because of these people's cowardice."
Fan Tao opened and closed her mouth, just as she was hesitating, the male captain, covered in bandages, arrived.
Upon hearing the last few words, he said directly, "Set off now. Don't hesitate. There's no time left to break free from here and get rid of this completely. What are you still thinking about? This isn't like you."
The female captain pursed her lips, a hint of embarrassment in her eyes.
Fan Tao was surprised. Was she being treated gently after all? She thought she had always been disliked.
"Commander Wei, Captain Mu, we've made up our minds, let's set off now." The female captain no longer hesitated and went directly to Wei Huan.
After speaking, she glanced at the back of the giant cave beast they were standing on, and dared not get too close.
"Okay," came Mu Zhong's reply.
He said, "We've already discussed it. Your vehicles will be in front, and ours will be behind. The undead creatures will clear the way for you. You need to be careful of monsters that might suddenly emerge from the sides or underground. Protect the convoy."
"Okay, we understand."
After briefly explaining the tactics, the operation to leave the city officially began!