The ambush site was at a research institute. Director Mei’s command vehicle was parked in the shadow of a tall building just outside. Atop the building, holographic neon advertisements flickered with red and blue images, an inviting female voice reciting the ad script.
Chen Gu followed his team leader to their ambush spot near the back door of the institute. The team leader, lacking confidence, chewed on nicotine gum and complained, "Another night destined to yield nothing."
A voice from the outpost came over the channel: "Attention!"
"Suspicious individuals approaching on 87th Street!"
Surveillance footage immediately switched to the devices in the command vehicle, liaison vehicle, and others. For the field ambush team, it was projected directly onto the inner surface of their helmet visors.
On a street west of the institute, two drunks supported each other, mumbling incoherently. They zigzagged for a stretch, then both tumbled to the ground, bursting into laughter together.
These two men caused a ruckus for a solid half-hour. The Bureau of Mystic Security’s members were experienced warriors; when these two appeared on the surveillance footage, the team leader had already deduced from their body language that they weren’t the target—just two ordinary drunks.
But they dawdled and didn’t leave. Even if a Mutant were drawn over, it wouldn’t show itself under these circumstances.
However, if the Action Team revealed themselves to remove the drunks, they might also be spotted by a Mutant lurking in the shadows.
Everyone waited patiently. A yawn from the Little Witch came through the public channel again, almost putting Chen Gu to sleep.
Just as he was in this dazed state, someone suddenly nudged him. Chen Gu, startled awake, saw the focused group leader next to him. Over the public channel, the operation’s chief commander, Director Mei, was reminding everyone, "...heading towards Warehouse 48, no mistake."
Chen Gu watched the surveillance footage. A person dressed like a vagrant had just climbed over the institute’s perimeter wall and slipped inside, stealthily heading toward a warehouse—which, according to misinformation deliberately leaked by the Bureau of Mystic Security, housed 8 kilograms of radioactive material the institute had just purchased.
The group leader kept a close watch on the surveillance footage, explaining in a low voice, "Just after those two drunks passed, this guy entered the surveillance range. It’s very likely the first two were decoys he sent to test the waters."
Director Mei’s cool voice came through, "Command, ready the Action and Special Operations Teams. Arrest him the moment he opens the warehouse. If there is resistance, he may be killed, depending on the circumstances!"
An elderly voice responded over the public channel, "Received. Kill."
Director Mei, feeling rather helpless, couldn’t help but roll her eyes. "Bartender, don’t alter my orders! Priority is arrest; I want him alive—we need the intelligence in his head."
Bartender sounded reluctant. "Alright, alive."
The middle-aged woman shook her head, already imagining the operation’s outcome: as long as he’s alive, that’s good enough.
The target brazenly approached the door of Warehouse 48 and began to use tools to cut the electronic lock.
Suddenly, piercing alarms blared all around. In an instant, over a dozen drones appeared in the sky, casting chaotic beams of light onto the target.
Teams of black-clad, armed personnel burst out from their hiding spots, bellowing, "Get down! Hands on your head!"
Chen Gu also rushed out, but his team’s ambush position was quite far from the warehouse, not on the front line.
The target, startled, instinctively raised his hands, shouting, "Don’t shoot, don’t shoot! I—I just wanted to take something to sell, buy some food. I haven’t eaten in three days..."
The Action Team leader led the charge, rushing forward with four team members to within ten meters of the target. Completely disregarding his pleas, the leader decisively pulled the trigger, striking the "vagrant" with three High-Concentration Plasma Control Rounds.
A powerful electric current burst forth, and the vagrant inevitably collapsed.
The Bureau of Mystic Security had extensive experience dealing with Mutants, and all their equipment was designed to counter them. The High-Concentration Plasma Control Rounds were enormously powerful; even the robust bodies of Mutants couldn’t withstand them.
Yet the Action Team still didn’t immediately move forward. The vagrant fell stiffly, his body crashing heavily onto the ground, and then, with a BANG, it exploded!
Chen Gu was astonished. "Is it that powerful?"
The team leader’s face changed drastically. He shouted, "Retreat! Request support from the Special Operations Team!"
High-Concentration Plasma Control Rounds shouldn’t be this powerful. Any "unusual" occurrence regarding Mutants signified immense danger.
The members of the Action Team withdrew quickly. After the vagrant’s body shattered upon impact, it split into dozens of small pieces. Disgusting, eerie, and terrifying black tissue rapidly appeared on each piece. Then, these pieces swiftly grew compound eyes, bladed legs, needle-like mouths, and cicada wings!
Dozens of giant Demonic Insect Mutants took flight together, their wings thrumming with a sound like Chen Gu’s high-powered motorcycle from his previous life!
The Demonic Insect Mutants viciously pounced in every direction amid the roar of gunfire. The Action Team members, unruffled, formed groups back-to-back, covering each other and denying the Mutants any opportunity.
This made the Demonic Insect Mutants extremely agitated. One of them suddenly emitted a thick mist from its body. Using this mist, it actually managed to withstand energy bullets and forcefully break into one group’s defensive circle!
That group was thrown into disarray instantly, team members scattering for cover. The Mutant’s needle-like proboscis pierced a team member’s leg. With just one suck, the team member screamed in pain as his leg withered away.
His team leader roared and fired madly, pinning down the Mutant, while another team member swung a knife, severing the injured leg, then quickly dragged his comrade away in a swift retreat.
After feeding on a human leg, the Mutant’s strength greatly increased, and it refused to back down. Slowly adapting to the intensity of the gunfire, it began to push forward relentlessly. Its giant proboscis inched closer to the team leader, only a dozen centimeters away!
From the darkness, two agile figures rushed out. One wore an advanced individual Mecha, which reflected a silvery-white light under the glare of the searchlights.
Behind her, four kinetic engines spurted rapid blue flames, propelling her like a cannonball as she crashed heavily into the Demonic Insect Mutant.
The Demonic Insect Mutant shrieked and tumbled away.
The other figure was much smaller. Her hands were concealed in her sleeves, held in a special posture before her chest. Then, she let out a piercing scream.
Special sonic waves surged in layers towards the monstrous creatures. Around her, within a ten-meter radius, the Demonic Insect Mutants popped into a gooey black sludge.
Within twenty meters, the black tissue on the bodies of the Demonic Insect Mutants continuously collapsed and reassembled under the sonic attack, a process causing them unbearable pain as they writhed and fell from the sky.
Even those Mutants within thirty meters suffered severe effects, swaying unsteadily as if drunk, their flight unstable.
The Siren’s scream killed seven or eight Demonic Insect Mutants, while Puppet grew ever more valiant in battle. From within the Mecha, new weapons continuously emerged, cleaving and slashing, felling Mutants one by one.