Chapter 97: When the Roses Bloom (15)

Chapter 97 - When the Roses Bloom (15)

◎ Missed? Another miss? ◎

On the desolate and barren lifeline, an army of over 3000 awakeners marched towards Shaye in a formidable manner.

Apart from the regular troops stationed in Mu City, this joint army also included over 800 high-level awakeners (C-level and above). Among them, the Guard Unit, under the command of Nai Kang and serving as the personal bodyguards, mobilized a team of nearly 100 people. The Royal Guards, led by Mu Qin, drafted approximately 200 individuals from private forces, while the remaining 500 were all members of Ruan Wenjun's Iron Eagle Team.

Ironically, among them were also those awakeners recruited during the Hero Banquet. Mu Qin, having collected the expensive ticket of a Level 3 Crystal, wanted to preserve his own strength. He immediately treated them as cannon fodder, sending them out to "resolve the difficulties" for the general.

All residents of Shaye took refuge in the underground air-raid shelters, and Zhang Ci called for an emergency combat meeting.

"How many awakeners do we have in the base?" Zhuang Qingyan asked.

"About 1500 people, but the high-level awakeners are less than 300," Zhang Ci replied.

Not long ago, the two were at odds with each other, but now they were discussing countermeasures calmly.

Unfortunately, with 300 against 800, the odds didn't look promising no matter how you looked at it.

Zhang Ci and Fan Yiwen, among others, discussed the city's defense layout. Considering Zhuang Qingyan's injured leg, Zhang Ci would lower his head when speaking to him. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and wore a black Taoist robe that highlighted his slim and upright figure.

Zhuang Qingyan remained silent for two seconds, then pulled out a cane from space, stood up by leaning on the ground, and was now at eye level with Zhang Ci.

Lu Xiaoyu glanced at him, "You look like a peacock displaying its feathers."

This guy never liked tilting his head to talk to others, always demanding that they lower their heads to him. Now, he unexpectedly stood up on his own.

Zhuang Qingyan coldly retorted, "You seem quite idle. If you have nothing to do, go optimize the monitoring."

The detection awakener Lin Mo behind Zhang Ci stepped forward, "Uh, Brother Lu, I'm familiar with the monitoring. I'll take you there."

Lu Xiaoyu snorted proudly and followed Lin Mo.

Zhuang Qingyan looked down at the three-dimensional map in the projection and fell into contemplation. Considering the current situation, the outcome of this war did not seem optimistic.

Zhang Ci turned around and asked in a calm tone, "Any suggestions on how to defend?"

As the leader of Shaye, Zhang Ci was mainly trusted because he did not have the faults of being arrogant and dictatorial. Despite being only twenty-five years old, Zhang Ci was calm, humble, and a good listener. As long as others had valid points, he would adopt them.

Zhuang Qingyan pondered for a moment and shook his head slowly, "Can't hold it."

Zhang Ci: "..."

"With Mu City's firepower, we definitely can't defend, but that doesn't mean we can't win," Zhuang Qingyan continued.

"Big brother, isn't what you're saying contradictory? If we can't defend, how can we win?" Mo Yan was confused.

Zhang Ci remained composed, "Share your plan."

Zhuang Qingyan smiled slightly, "Have you read the ancient military strategies? Capture the thief first to capture the king. As long as we take down Nai Kang, the joint army will fall into disarray."

Zhang Ci, with a deep voice, pointed out directly, "Your focus has always been on Nai Kang himself, not on Shaye."

"But that doesn't conflict with making Shaye win," Zhuang Qingyan didn't deny, calmly analyzing, "To win, we need to use unconventional tactics. Our biggest advantage is that Nai Kang doesn't know the true strength of Shaye right now."

Before the war, on the eve of the battle, Song Ke attempted to contact Lin Youyou. Unable to reach her, she called Su Cha.

"How's your injury?"

"Fang Zhixu just treated me again. It's almost healed," Su Cha's voice sounded normal. "Do you need me to come over and help?"

"Not for now. Just come over when the turmoil in Shaye is over." With Mu City's base sealed, the roads out of the city were all controlled by the joint army. It was too dangerous to move at this time.

"My senior brother asked me to apologize to you on his behalf."

"It's okay."

Zhang Ci had explained that if Su Cha had any problems, he could come to the base for proper treatment.

Song Ke asked the three to stay in the apartment and come over after the chaos in Shaye settled. She then inquired, "What about Lin Youyou? I can't contact her."

Su Cha, unusually silent for a moment, said, "She and Irene went out to rescue people. Probably didn't see the message."

Not long after Song Ke hung up, Lin Youyou's call request rang.

As soon as she answered, a deafening sound of intense gunfire came from the other end.

Lin Youyou shouted hoarsely, "Irene, they're coming, retreat! Hey, Song Ke'er?"

'What's going on?' Song Ke wondered.

Lin Youyou briefly explained the situation with the Rose Army, and Song Ke informed her about postponing the move to Shaye temporarily. After exchanging intelligence, Lin Youyou sighed, "I originally wanted to tell you, don't retreat from the apartment temporarily. I might have to postpone coming over for two days."

"Take care of yourself," Song Ke instructed.

"You too," Lin Youyou replied.

...

Lin Mo led Lu Xiaoyu through the base, and when they passed by the entrance of a factory, Lu Xiaoyu suddenly stopped.

"Where is this?"

"Oh, this used to be where they produced engineering vehicles and cranes, but unfortunately, they're all broken."

"Where are they broken?"

"It seems there was a programming issue, so they were all abandoned." Lin Mo wasn't too sure about the specific reasons.

Lu Xiaoyu's wheelchair entered the workshop. After scanning around, his ice-blue eyes gleamed strangely. The control panels of all the mechanical vehicles lit up, and the panel codes rapidly circulated and changed. After a few minutes, the engines roared to life, and all the abandoned vehicles started moving in unison.

"I don't think they're broken," Lu Xiaoyu said matter-of-factly.

Two tiny humans were surrounded by densely packed steel machinery, and Lu Xiaoyu remained nonchalant. Meanwhile, Lin Mo... Lin Mo was shivering, staring in shock.

Song Ke, Zhuang Qingyan, and Zhang Ci stood on the observation deck, and Lu Xiaoyu came over to them. "I reinforced the defense system, but some facilities are too old, and the effect is not ideal. Also, I suggest you take a look at this."

He pointed, and the screen's image was projected in front of them.

On the lifeline several dozen miles away, massive and cumbersome siege machinery was slowly advancing: large battering rams with metal heads, catapults carrying cannons, neatly arranged cloud ladder vehicles, long-range cannons, grenade launchers...

Zombies and ferocious beasts occasionally fled along the way, instantly obliterated as the joint army advanced effortlessly.

Lu Xiaoyu zoomed in on one of the cameras. Ruan Wenjun and Mu Qin, fully armed, stood at the forefront of the team. In the middle of the team, on top of an armored tank, sat a middle-aged man with a dignified appearance. He wore a gold-trimmed general's uniform, with a raised eyebrow, a hawk-like nose, and a fierce and sinister gaze through the camera, as if staring them down.

After seeing his face clearly, Song Ke was very surprised. Nai Kang was personally commanding the battle? Not only that, he was sitting so conspicuously in such a visible place. Was he afraid that no one would come to assassinate him? Did he rely on his own strength, or did he have something to rely on?

"Nai Kang, is he an awakener?" Song Ke asked in confusion.

Zhang Ci shook his head slowly, "Not sure. I've never had a direct confrontation with him, and information about him has never leaked from the Reunification Palace."

Song Ke's expression gradually became serious. Regardless of Nai Kang's plot or reliance in attacking Shaye this time, she was determined to kill him.

The four S-level awakeners sat or stood together, waiting at the high point of the base. The wind carried the distant news of battle, and even the air seemed to exude an inexplicable sense of solemnity.

In the evening, the joint army finally arrived at the outskirts of Shaye Base. A distant missile sounded the trumpet of war with a resounding "boom."

"We can't let the siege weapons get close," Zhang Ci pressed the communication device and issued orders in a deep voice, "Mo Yan, take action."

Mu City's weaponry was renowned throughout the Alliance, and no matter how solid Shaye Base was, it couldn't withstand such intense bombardment.

Mo Yan led a team of high-level awakeners, flanking and taking a detour to stealthily attack the facilities, causing a series of thunderous explosions.

Song Ke and Zhang Ci put on hoods and, under the cover of the vast haze, leaped off the city walls and rushed towards Nai Kang.

Song Ke gripped the spiritual weapon, the Snake Spear, surrounded by her awakened energy, as if entering her own realm, effortlessly defeating the awakeners blocking her way.

"Eight directions, divine wrath, let nature take its course... Disperse the malevolent, let the Dao's qi endure."

Zhang Ci supported her from behind, casting the formidable "Purification Divine Curse" into the air. In an instant, dark clouds surged, the earth resonated, and myriad symbols descended, leaving no escape for the awakeners hit by the wide-ranging attack. Those struck suffered burns on their skin, falling to the ground in agony.

Song Ke smoothly broke through to the vicinity of the armored tank, with Nai Kang just within arm's reach.

Nai Kang's gaze was cold and unfazed. Without dodging, he waved his hand, and the guards around him immediately bombarded Song Ke with cannons.

Song Ke leaped high, gripping the spear with both hands, fiercely thrusting it towards his head!

"Boom!" A cannon shot from an angle, precisely hitting the spear. The powerful recoil force flipped Song Ke backward.

She managed to land with one hand on the ground, knees bent, narrowly stopping her retreat. Once again, she gripped the spear and slashed at Nai Kang. But at that moment, the tank beneath her feet unexpectedly shook, and Song Ke, off balance, fell from the top.

A chill ran through her heart. Why? Every time she was about to kill Nai Kang, she would "just miss by a bit." Did she have such bad luck?

Zhang Ci caught Song Ke's back, and his towering figure went over her. Swiftly forming seals, he sent a seven-star sword, imbued with the "Purification Symbol," flying towards Nai Kang. When it reached him, the sword suddenly shook violently, barely grazing his scalp. Nai Kang emerged unscathed.

Senior brother also made a mistake?

Song Ke and Zhang Ci exchanged a surprised glance. This wasn't right!

Originally planning for a single strike and quick withdrawal, they unexpectedly made consecutive mistakes, lingering in the same spot for too long, and instantly found themselves trapped.

Dozens of high-level awakeners arrived nearby, and a ferocious-looking short man emerged from the crowd. Tiger-like eyes stared directly at the two.

"Captain of the Guard, Juralamani, though he's A-level, his true strength is close to S-level awakeners. His ability is spatial distortion," Zhang Ci quickly explained, "Others are easy to handle; focus on taking him down first."

Song Ke, casting a glance at Nai Kang from a distance, shook her spear and confronted Juralamani head-on.

...

Continuously, high-angle artillery struck various parts of the base, causing buildings to collapse and shatter resoundingly. The joint forces' firepower was overwhelming, and the situation on Song Ke's side was worrisome. Shaye's chances of survival were being squeezed.

Ruan Wenjun's expression was bloodthirsty and excited as he commanded the siege vehicles to continue bombarding the high-pressure iron net behind Shaye. As long as the lifeline was broken, thousands of zombies would flood in, and the Shaye residents hiding in underground shelters would be completely slaughtered.

Zhuang Qingyan lowered his head to observe the situation. On the other side, Song Ke and Zhang Ci were still fiercely battling, and it seemed unlikely to end anytime soon. With Ruan Wenjun's reckless artillery fire drawing attention, wandering zombies gradually converged towards the iron net, increasing in numbers, including noticeable level-3 zombies.

Frowning, he contemplated for a moment, took out a sealed injection from the space, and glanced at Lu Xiaoyu, who surprisingly refrained from making sarcastic remarks.

Zhuang Qingyan remained composed as he injected his right leg. A slightly tingling liquid flowed into his bloodstream, followed by a piercing pain. Leveraging the effects of radiation, the cells of his remaining leg continuously renewed, reaching their peak activity at that moment.

"I'll handle Ruan Wenjun; you deal with the rest for now."

Zhuang Qingyan pushed himself up with his hands, without relying on any external force—stood up from the wheelchair.

...

Under the relentless destruction, the high-pressure iron net was on the verge of collapse. Ruan Wenjun's expression faintly revealed a hint of madness. Refugees were like bits of straw, and the masses like pigs and dogs; he cared nothing for the life and death of these people. As long as he could win, as long as he could defeat Qiong Qi, he would be happy to massacre the city.

"Swoosh!" An arrow flew from the side, lightly shooting towards him. Ruan Wenjun tilted his head to dodge and looked in that direction. The first thing that caught his eyes was two well-proportioned long legs, moving with a graceful and elegant stride. Gradually emerging from the haze, he raised his gaze and identified the person's appearance—an attractive man in a trench coat.

Where did this idiotic show-off come from? Ruan Wenjun disdainfully glanced at him and ordered his subordinates, "Get rid of him."

The Iron Eagle team's awakener set up the high-position sniper cannon, ready to fire. Just as they were about to shoot, a sharp pain, like a knife cutting through their minds, struck. They clutched their heads, howling in pain, and the cannon's direction uncontrollably reversed, firing towards the rear where Ruan Wenjun was.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Amidst the thick smoke, teammates angrily shouted.

A magnetic and charismatic laughter echoed in their ears. "Lord Ruan, you're still so impulsive, just like in Xiangang that time."

Xiangang?

Ruan Wenjun dangerously narrowed his eyes. "How do you know about Xiangang? Are you Qiong Qi?"

Courageous indeed, daring to confront him alone.

Zhuang Qingyan's mouth twitched slightly. Well, let him be Qiong Qi. He responded nonchalantly, "Of course, I know. I must thank Lord Ruan for generously allowing us to obtain a well-preserved level-3 crystal."

"After selling it to some poor fool, we made a whopping ten million Alliance coins. Lord Ruan is indeed Shaye's god of wealth. Shouldn't I thank you in person?"

This person's cutting words were exceptionally skilled. Ruan Wenjun, stung in a sensitive spot, instantly became furious. "Blast him to pieces!"

The artillery roared. Zhuang Qingyan swiftly ran around the iron net, tumbling to evade, occasionally deliberately pausing at certain points.

In Ruan Wenjun's team, one awakener after another lost control—either suddenly collapsing unconscious or turning the cannons towards their own people.

Mental-type awakener? Ruan Wenjun gradually sensed something amiss.

So what? He would still die at his hands.

Ruan Wenjun mobilized his awakened energy, not relying on any firearms. With a move of his finger, "bang bang" bullets were fired out.

Zhuang Qingyan evaded awkwardly, and Ruan Wenjun closely pursued, relentlessly spraying him. Gradually distancing himself from the army, he forced the opponent into a dead end against the iron net.

Zhuang Qingyan's back slammed heavily against the net, and eager zombies outside reached out to grab him.

His face filled with distress, he sighed, "Oh dear, Lord Ruan, after so many days, you're still so careless."

"Dying, yet still defiant." Ruan Wenjun coldly snorted. Numerous bullets were about to turn Zhuang Qingyan into a sieve.

Zhuang Qingyan smiled wryly, "Carelessness can cost you your life."

The high-pressure iron net finally couldn't bear the strain and collapsed with a loud crash. Over a dozen three-meter-tall evolved zombies roared as they rushed in, facing a barrage of bullets. The zombies, impervious to physical pain, opened their cracked mouths, enraged expressions completely undeterred.

Ruan Wenjun's pupils suddenly contracted. Level 3 zombies always had a territorial awareness. How could so many gather in one place?!

Even more shocking, those zombies, without sparing a glance at Zhuang Qingyan, bypassed him and charged furiously towards Ruan Wenjun.

Ruan Wenjun desperately used bullets to drive them away when suddenly his body froze. A cold and sharp spiritual force pierced through his mental field, rendering his own ability useless.

Before being torn apart by zombies, Ruan Wenjun looked at the man standing calmly in front of him with disbelief.

'How... could this be possible...'

With a relaxed posture, Zhuang Qingyan took two steps forward and finished off Ruan Wenjun with his spiritual crossbow arrow.

Zombies were mindless monsters, but evolved zombies were not.