Chapter 69: Chapter 69: Locking Position!
However, the Shadow King was still not anxious, though it couldn’t understand the current situation.
From the beginning, it had never believed that the other party would agree to its terms.
The true purpose of releasing the video was actually twofold.
First, to incite chaos within this nation, especially to incite hatred and hostility towards Shen Hao among the people, dragging this powerful Chosen One into internal strife within his own Species.
Second, to establish its authority among the Blood Demons!
Even though it possessed Talent of the Purple Epic caliber, this did not mean that all other Matrices would recognize it; the strict hierarchy among Blood Demons only existed between the Matrix and their subordinates, not among the Matrices themselves, and “leader” was a title it had claimed for itself.
But it was keenly aware that facing a Chosen One who might possibly have a Golden Legendary Talent, they must change their current state.
Without consolidating power, they would simply be crushed piece by piece by this Chosen One.
Therefore, it had to step forward and become the true leader of the Blood Demons!
“We should further amplify people’s fear,” the Shadow King mused. “The internet is a magical thing; it connects people all around the world closely together, allowing news to spread rapidly to everyone. Unfortunately, we do not control internet access.”
It had indeed attempted to spread fear online.
For example, by recording some gory and brutal videos.
However, as soon as these videos appeared, they were immediately banned. This was also because these minor incidents lacked sufficient attention and spread, making them much easier to suppress.
It hadn’t been without thoughts of creating some major spectacle, like attacking gas stations or crowded places.
But this nation was clearly prepared; every place with potential for significant damage was guarded by heavily armed forces. They also restricted population movement, promoted working from home, monitored location information in real-time, and increased patrol intensity…
It could only be said that while 500,000 Blood Demons seemed like a lot, whether scattered or congregated, they were still weak in the face of this nation’s power.
The Blood Demons, no matter what they wanted to do, would be dealt with in the shortest possible time as long as they showed themselves.
They were far less unrestrained than their kind abroad.
Unless, as it said in the video, 500,000 Blood Demons rebelled at the same time, there might be a possibility of inflicting a heavy blow on this nation. But as for how much damage it could truly cause, it had no real confidence; the “30 million people” mentioned in the video was a number it fabricated that seemed plausible.
“We can only sacrifice a certain number of children,” the Shadow King resolved in its heart. “One thousand, no, two thousand. Two thousand children rising up at once, setting off explosions at gas stations, or wielding incendiaries to spread fire and murder, would surely provoke attention too huge to be suppressed, amplifying the panic!”
The strength of a Blood Demon Matrix increases with the number and quality of its subordinates.
Therefore, every Blood Demon Matrix actually cherishes its “children” highly.
This was also one of the main reasons why many Blood Demon Matrices had not fled the country.
Despite the heartache, the Shadow King knew this sacrifice was necessary!
Even if those two thousand children would surely be killed by Humans, as long as it could incite chaos and provoke conflicts, it would be worth it.
It stood up and looked out the window.
The sunlight was glorious, high-rise buildings loomed.
This beautiful world would ultimately belong to them, including all the legacies of Human Civilization, their intelligence, their knowledge, all would become the foundation for the reconstruction of their Species!
However, the Shadow King did not know that at this very moment, its most dreaded Shen Hao, had already arrived in this city!
“Could it really be here?” Shen Hao did not arrive by helicopter, nor did he make a grand entrance, but instead sat in a military vehicle, its interior obscured, entering covertly without any fanfare.
The streets were much quieter now, with many soldiers and military vehicles patrolling. Thus, even if Blood Demon Subordinates were secretly observing the streets, his patrol would not attract attention.
However, this was a vast city.
Coastal City, just as its name implied, a city built by the sea, flourished economically due to the convenience of trade, with a permanent population of 15 million.
Just upon entering the city, Shen Hao had already detected a significant number of Blood Demons on the map.
A Matrix had surely appeared here!
But it may not still be here now.
In a metropolis like this, which had now become a focal point of security and defense, with a substantial number of Chosen Ones and special teams equipped with mall Equipment stationed, it would be pretty risky for a Matrix to remain in such a place.
After all, with the availability of Sensing Talismans, Spirit Testing Balls, and through experiments on death row inmates, they now had a certain number of “Parasite Failures,” so the detection of Blood Demons could indeed proceed continuously.
Especially in such densely populated metropolises, inspections and checks were a priority.
Although not as efficient as Shen Hao, if the Matrix could not be found momentarily, Shen Hao would definitely prioritize cities like this one to eliminate Blood Demons.
The risk for a Matrix hiding here was indeed significant.
“But we’ve found the filming location of the video, and determined the time of shooting. Combined with other evidence, we can almost be sure that the Matrix from the video is still in the city, and all Blood Demons here are likely the subordinates of this Matrix,” Dong Gong was sitting next to Shen Hao, showing the tablet in hand. “Although we haven’t detected any current parasitic behavior, the Analysis Department believes that the Matrix might be using the tactic of hiding in plain sight, tricking us into thinking that the city’s Matrix has long fled.”
Indeed, surveillance of personal movement had been intensified like never before.
Particularly in such large cities.
While restricting movement, they also mandated the access to location data on everyone’s phone, established one-on-one phone-to-person binding, required periodic video checks to ensure phones were still in the owners’ hands, and recorded all individuals who came into close contact over a specific period.
If such behavior had occurred in the past, it would have felt like a total invasion of privacy.
But now, it had become a significant way for people to feel safe.
The vast majority cooperated, and for the few non-compliant, armed personnel would visit with warnings.
This was also an important factor in pinpointing that the Matrix was in this city, as every individual’s location had been monitored!
“Then what we need to do now is just one thing,” Shen Hao said as he looked at the map. “Find it!”
The others had already completed their work, and now, it was Shen Hao’s turn!