"Fall back! This is a low-threat fifth-stage!"
The Aberrant Purge Division member suddenly shouted sharply, and everyone simultaneously drew their service weapons.
That's right, even as awakeners, they still carried guns.
For low-level awakeners like them, these things were still quite useful.
After all, firearms didn't require any physical energy expenditure to attack.
Even if the attack power wasn't strong, it was better than nothing.
Su Zhan followed their gaze.
He saw a man wearing crematorium worker uniform standing in the center of the hallway, his right arm already twisted and deformed, pale white bone spikes piercing through his sleeve, dripping with mucus.
"Team Three cover, Team One with me!"
The bone-blade aberrant grinned, revealing uneven sharp teeth: "A bunch of trash!"
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Gunshots suddenly rang out.
But the aberrant's speed was astonishingly fast.
The bone blade left afterimages in the air as three bullets were sliced mid-air, sparks flying everywhere.
Su Zhan knew it was time for him to act.
"I'll handle this."
He quickly entered the battlefield, applying the acceleration ability of Abyssal Gaze to his attack speed.
The aberrant clearly didn't take this young man who looked like a student seriously, thrusting his bone blade fiercely.
"Swish!"
A blade light flashed, and a severed finger flew into the air.
The aberrant looked down in shock at his right hand missing three finger bones: "You...?"
Su Zhan didn't waste words, his second blade already slashing toward the opponent's knee.
The pocket watch's golden pupil slightly rotated.
The aberrant's movements suddenly slowed by half a beat.
"Crack!"
The bone-blade aberrant knelt on the ground, emitting a painful roar.
He tried to struggle to his feet but found his legs wouldn't obey.
The kneecaps had already been severed by Su Zhan.
Slow ability applied to the enemy, acceleration ability applied to himself.
Combat effectiveness maxed out.
"Keep him alive!"
An Aberrant Purge Division member reminded.
Su Zhan's blade tip stopped before the aberrant's throat.
He breathed slightly heavily, saying calmly: "I think that's probably unnecessary."
The aberrant suddenly laughed wildly.
Su Zhan rapidly retreated.
"Fall back!"
He shouted fiercely, pulling the nearest Aberrant Purge Division member behind cover.
Almost in the same second.
The aberrant's body swelled violently like an overinflated ball.
"Boom!"
Stinking flesh and blood fragments exploded radially, sticking disgustingly across the entire wall.
Several bone fragments hit the shield formed by the Aberrant Purge members' life soul elements, crackling loudly.
Su Zhan stood up from behind cover.
If not for Abyssal Gaze's acceleration effect earlier, he probably wouldn't have had time to pull away that team member frozen in place.
Although the self-destruction power wasn't particularly great.
It couldn't achieve a one-for-one trade at the same level.
But it was disgusting.
That was the most important thing.
After this aberrant died, this area no longer had any aberrants capable of causing difficulty for everyone.
The situation was quickly brought under control.
Those aberrants without exception all chose self-destruction.
No escape route, only self-destruction.
Su Zhan had no solution for this either.
After all, with his abilities, he was far from capable of preventing aberrant self-destruction.
Only high-level awakeners like Qin Bai, with extensive experience dealing with aberrants, could achieve that.
The young Aberrant Purge Division member staggered up from behind cover, trembling as he removed his helmet to reveal a face still bearing youthful features.
"B-big brother, thank you for saving my life!"
Su Zhan was wiping blood off his blade, glancing up at him upon hearing this.
This team member looked at most twenty years old, his uniform still somewhat loose on him.
"Not necessary."
Su Zhan sheathed his twin blades: "Also, do I look that old? I'm only eighteen this year."
"Ah?"
The young team member's eyes widened: "Then my address is fine too, I just joined the Aberrant Purge Division this year, also eighteen..."
"Eighteen and already joined?"
Su Zhan asked in return.
In his view, people with jobs like this should at least be college graduates.
Meaning this seemingly young Aberrant Purge member should be at least in his twenties and already graduated.
The young team member quickly explained: "My father was a veteran Aberrant Purge Division member, sacrificed two years ago, so I have priority admission qualifications."
Su Zhan slightly started.
So that's how it was.
Father dies in battle, son takes his place.
Truly a family of loyal martyrs.
The authorities giving these orphans special channels was a form of compensation, completely justified.
Su Zhan actually supported this approach.
"What's your name?"
Su Zhan asked.
"Lin Yu."
The young team member straightened his posture, a hint of admiration appearing in his eyes: "I know you, you're Su Zhan from Vermilion Bird Academy, SSS-grade life soul awakener, I can't compare to you, just a C-grade life soul Iron Skin."
Su Zhan slightly nodded, not paying attention to such admiring gazes.
After all, he'd seen too many of these looks already and was now immune.
He noticed the calluses covering this peer's hands.
Left from long-term gun handling.
Eighteen years old, should be attending university age, yet already facing aberrants directly.
At this moment.
Su Zhan's gaze held a trace more respect when looking at him.
However.
Judging from his combat performance.
He seemed quite inexperienced.
Apparently hadn't undergone much actual combat.
In this ruthless world, some people's eighteen-year-olds are solving problems in classrooms, while others' eighteen-year-olds have already learned to survive amidst flying flesh and blood.
And true transformation is often just one fog incident away.
Su Zhan scanned his surroundings.
The survivors were most likely ordinary people, now being dutifully handcuffed with silver bracelets one by one.
Just thinking today's mission was completed so easily.
A loud explosion came from the distance.
"Boom!"
Su Zhan sharply turned his head to see a huge fireball rising from the industrial district several kilometers away, thick smoke shooting straight into the sky.
This commotion undoubtedly came from Qin Bai and Wang Mingyuan.
Looks like the final boss's strength shouldn't be underestimated!
Though curious, he knew that level of combat wasn't something he could participate in, and he absolutely shouldn't approach to watch out of momentary curiosity.
But...
There's always a middle ground for everything.
Su Zhan's gaze fell on the telescope strap protruding from Lin Yu's tactical bulletproof vest side pocket: "Brother, can you lend me your telescope?"
Lin Yu immediately nodded upon hearing this: "You called me brother, so what's there to say, here!"
Taking the telescope.
Su Zhan looked around before finally locking onto the thirty-meter tall main chimney of the incineration workshop.
A rusted iron ladder wound upward along the red brick surface.
Su Zhan took two running steps.
Abyssal Gaze, accelerate!
He leaped three meters high, landing on the iron ladder connection point.
Without pause, he climbed hand over hand, each iron rung used only once for leverage.
When reaching ten meters height, the rusted support suddenly broke.
Damn!
It breaks when he climbs it, but not normally?
What kind of bullshit luck is this?
The pocket watch's golden pupil suddenly brightened intensely.
During the falling instant.
Su Zhan reversed his grip and stabbed both blades into brick gaps, using core strength to swing toward another intact ladder frame.
Brick dust showered down.
He already grabbed a higher crossbar, continuing his upward sprint.