Chapter 956

Run! Run fast!

The city has fallen!!

Heart‑wrenching.

Amid the firelight, shouts and cries rang out.

The crowd fleeing like headless flies gathered into a dense stream, desperately escaping outward from the city.

In just seven minutes, this area hailed as the safest gathering point in the Ze Shan war zone was completely overrun.

The firepower line that once gave people a great sense of safety proved fragile and unable to withstand a single blow before the monsters.

No one expected the third rank to be this strong.

A thick smell of blood assailed the nostrils, the air filled with the scent of sulfur.

In the distance, a large section of collapsed rubble revealed a gigantic mutant whose head resembled insect mouthparts, spewing flames.

The orange‑red flames devoured everything.

A large number of Awakened Ones who couldn't escape in time were instantly ignited and vaporized.

Flames reaching up to 3000 degrees Celsius were enough to burn to death any existence below third rank.

Even third‑rank Awakened Ones dare not face its front.

Occasionally falling sparks, like bone‑eating fire, upon landing on a human instantly burrow into the body, from inside out, even fat sizzling like accelerant.

Cannot be extinguished, cannot be resisted.

The Safe Zone under night has now become a sea of fire.

And amidst the flames, a youth wielding double axes is frantically dodging the mutant's attacks back and forth.

His face was deathly pale.

Hearing the shrill wails in his ears, this third‑rank Awakened One felt utter despair and regret.

Why, why did I have the confidence to test my strength, why did I provoke this monster?

After emerging from the trial and advancing to third rank, I thought I could contend with mutants of the same rank, or at least have the ability to flee.

But he never imagined that after just a single encounter he would horrifyingly discover he was no match for this mutant at all.

Leaving aside the instantly lethal flames, the mutant's terrifying defense alone could easily block his attacks.

Especially after realizing he had misjudged the monster's rank, the youth's despair deepened.

With the Safe Zone's defenses breached, everything he possessed would be consigned to the flames.

Feeling the heat behind him, he had no choice but to flee madly like a rat.

It's over...

Everything is over.

The Safe Zone he had painstakingly built was destroyed in an instant, and countless survivors who followed him would perish in this disaster.

The horror of a third‑rank mutant far exceeds anyone's imagination.

Ahhhhh!!

Fire! Fire!

Kill it!!

Fear turned to extreme madness.

Many Awakened Ones unable to escape wore ferocious expressions, launching futile attacks.

Spiritual attacks that could originally melt steel struck the mutant, but had no effect, like tickling.

Machine guns roared, while precious grenade‑launchers on distant positions laid down a barrage.

Yet whether it was the Awakened Ones' attacks or large‑caliber artillery, they often could not even halt the mutant's steps.

Eight meters tall, its body covered in fine, long tendrils, this half‑human, half‑insect monster strode forward amidst the artillery fire.

Standing upright, it resembled a cockroach on its legs.

Flames spewing from its mouthparts continually burned the surrounding humans to ash.

Occasionally a second‑rank Awakened One not instantly burned to death would become a human torch, engulfed in flames, waving arms while wailing, and within seconds turn to a pile of ash.

As the battle—or rather, the massacre—continued.

Units that had previously been able to offer slight resistance instantly collapsed.

People shouted, pleading.

Where is Lord Ze Cheng?!

Where are our third‑rankers?!

Save us!!

Lord, please act quickly...!!

Listening to the countless survivors' cries within the Safe Zone.

With his back to the mutant, the leader of the Ze Cheng Safe Zone gave a grim smile and kept fleeing without looking back.

He dared not act.

All he could do now was continuously send distress messages over the war‑zone channel.

Perhaps if a few more third‑rankers arrived, there would still be hope.

Relying solely on himself, at most a few seconds later he would turn to ash.

But even that sole hope is hardly hope.

Hearing the mutant's howl behind him, the youth's body shuddered.

This is a mid‑tier third‑rank mutant.

Perhaps even if a few more third‑rankers came, it would be useless.

He who had fought monsters before knew all too well how terrifying this mutant was.

Probably, at this stage, no one can kill this monster...

「Cha！！」

As if bored, the giant Human-Insect that kept spewing flames suddenly stopped its fire spray.

Its antennae swayed, and its dense compound eyes instantly locked onto the constantly fleeing Third Rank.

It had truly had enough of this worm that only knew how to flee.

The insect's mouth suddenly widened.

「Boom！！」

In an instant, a fireball suddenly formed in its mouth and, like a missile, howled toward that Third Rank.

Feeling the temperature rapidly rising behind him, the youth felt as if the air had been completely burned away.

A strong sense of danger enveloped his heart.

Without hesitation, he exerted all his strength to roll hard to the right, trying to dodge this deadly blow.

「Boom！」

The explosion rang out, and scattering flames like bursting iron flowers sprayed onto his body.

"Ah ah ah！！"

Excruciating pain.

Instinctively, the youth felt the extreme pain stimulating his nerves.

Even though he had been desperately dodging, those sparks of flame still burned a hole through his arm.

Moreover, the flames also carried a spiritual-energy burning effect.

With a lag in his spiritual-energy circulation, he, who was already slow, suddenly reduced his speed.

To stop meant death.

At the same time, the crowd that had been fleeing toward the rear suddenly burst back, wailing.

Only then did they see that behind the Safe Zone, a corpse horde had appeared at some point in people's field of view.

Before them was a mutant; behind them were zombies.

Upon hearing the anguished cry of their Safe Zone Leader, the crowd that had turned back saw their sole hope instantly shatter.

「It's over... 」

「We're going to die, we're all going to die! 」

The crowd collapsed.

The leader they once thought invincible proved utterly helpless before the mutant.

People either clung desperately to their wives and children or frantically searched for escape routes.

And many burst into tears amid the collapse.

In the firelight, whether Awakened Ones or ordinary people, at this moment they had never longed so desperately for a miracle to happen.

His burned arm sizzled.

The youth listened to the desperate wails beside his ear, his heart filled with grim sorrow.

Yes.

They were doomed to die.

Even if other Third Ranks dared to come reinforce, there was no way to stop all this.

Even, whoever comes will just die...

Perhaps he realized he could no longer escape.

After glancing at the populace behind him, a flicker of regret and resolve crossed the youth's eyes.

Taking a deep breath, he turned with a deathly resolve and charged straight at the Human-Insect.

If we must die, then let us die on the charge!

The insect's mouth hissed.

Amid countless Survivors who had no time to notice, at the same moment a sonic boom rushed down from high altitude.