Chapter 480: Escape 'How Dare?!' 'Father

?! The explosion instantly drew Damian and Wen's attention.

Furthermore, the originally noisy Hive City fell silent because of this explosion, leaving only the rumbling of various machines at work.

Immediately afterward, the broadcast installed throughout the area transmitted a warning: "All residents, please return to your homes immediately; without permission, do not move about freely, violators will be shot on the spot by the garrison troops of each district."

Repeat once more, all residents…

Upon hearing the broadcast, the two youths exchanged a glance, needing no further words to understand each other.

It is obvious that this broadcast, claimed to be a reminder for residents to take precautions, is actually the authorities' rulers, who, in order to better retreat and transfer, etc., left this group of residents to die and divert the invading enemy's attention.

Damian and Wen had seen this trick before in two other shelters of a hundred-thousand scale.

Thus the two knew that if they truly followed the broadcast's instructions, by the time the Doom Demon, demon-like beings, and traitor army stormed the Hive City, it would already be too late.

Thus, the silent duo began preparations.

Wen first gathered edible and drinkable items, as well as the remaining medicine, into her backpack.

Next, she wrapped Damian and the backpack in a blanket, then put on a black robe again, and shouldered a basket-like frame.

When everything was ready, Wen looked at Damian, who was as long as a zongzi, and couldn't help but ask with a smile, "Are you ready?"

"All right, hurry up." Damian, slightly displeased, turned his head away.

"Haha~."

Seeing Damian's tsundere demeanor made Wen smile even more, easing the original tension and strengthening her hope of escaping together with him and surviving.

She put away her smile.

This time, a solemn Wen was enveloped by a dark-purple mystical light.

At the same time, Damian was also enveloped by this light, and thereafter the "little bat," having lost mobility, floated up in defiance of physics and common sense, drifting straight into the basket behind Wen.

In fact, this dark-purple light is a kind of magic released by Wen.

Otherwise, given her current weakness, her physique being just a step away from being skin and bones, it would be utterly impossible for her to carry or bear the limbless Damian.

"…"

As for Damian's expression, it became even more self-reproachful, since he could not help Wen at all now; all he could do was stay silent, and speak up to support her when necessary.

Next.

Wen, using magic to lighten the burden on her back, left their shabby yet warm and memory-filled cottage.

Pushing open the door to the steep passageway outside, she no longer needed to hide her talent as before, directly using magic to fly, crossing narrow streets and alleys.

Leaving the residential zone and arriving above the barter market, they discovered that aside from the two of them, the place was completely empty, with not even a trace of the marines stationed there.

Upon discovering this situation, the two basically confirmed that the high-level officials and rulers of this large-scale refuge facility were leading soldiers to move supplies in preparation for fleeing.

And the two had no intention of exposing this fact and informing all residents to flee.

Selfish?

Exactly.

If it were the old society before the apocalyptic war, as youthful heroes they would have done everything possible to save innocent civilians.

But unfortunately, now it is the wasteland society of the apocalyptic war, where everything is centered on self-interest and survival.

Moreover, if they were "not devoid of conscience" and chose to reveal the facts, urging evacuation, the residents would likely not believe their words; even if they did, they might even interfere with their escape.

There's no need to invite trouble.

Soon, Wen brought Damian across the Hive City where they lived, from the easternmost point to the southernmost, continuing upward into the tunnel dedicated to aerial trams.

After passing through a dim area, they were only one stop away from the gate leading outside, but they deliberately slowed down, first hiding in a large vent to observe.

It turned out to be the many marines stationed at this gate, who, upon seeing the evacuation order, were hurriedly transferring ammunition, food, drinking water, etc., onto heavy trucks.

At the same time, the two also heard a nearby squad of marines responsible for guard and patrol quietly chatting about something.

They only heard:

"The brothers at the North Gate have been wiped out, sigh!"

"I heard from the officers that the attackers are also a gang of giants."

"Whether they are giants or dwarves, this place cannot be held; let's seize another base to use."

"Where could compare to this place? Tsk tsk…"

From these marines' words, Wen and Damian could infer that the North Gate, the source of the explosion, had already fallen.

And Damian whispered a reminder: "Conserve your strength as much as possible; don't rashly charge out, for with your current strength you couldn't hold out; wait a bit, wait until all the supplies are loaded onto the vehicles, then we'll seize the chance to rush out."

"Okay." Wen nodded in agreement.

Most people, when they are about to finish something or achieve a goal, tend to become lax and relax their vigilance.

If they were elite military, they would maintain high alertness, but this group of marines, living in the apocalypse yet enjoying privileged treatment, could absolutely not be considered elite.

Therefore, Damian's suggestion is highly executable.

"Boom~!!!"

But they hadn't waited long when a violent eruption erupted again, interrupting their original waiting plan.

!!!

The explosion not only plunged Wen and Damian's spirits to the depths, but also threw all the marines on site into panic, as they turned their guns toward the direction of the damaged gate.

Because only a being not inferior to a superhuman Doom Demon could breach the outer defenses and successfully destroy the nuclear-proof gate.

No one can match the Doom Demon…

A thick fog of mingled smoke and dust swept over the entire station and tunnel, instantly reducing visibility to a minimum.

Everyone's nerves were stretched to the limit; even inhaling smoke and dust, which made them want to cough and sneeze, they endured it, daring not to make a big move.

Because what comes next is the appearance of the Doom Demon, whose laser beams and violent hammer strikes will slaughter everyone.

"Hoo…! Ha…!"

Wen's breathing grew heavy, preparing to unleash her full strength to escape with Damian.

However…

After patiently waiting for several seconds, the crowd did not encounter the hideous Doom Demon; instead, they heard an extremely heavy 'Thud, thud!' sound.

Moreover, as the thick fog gradually dissipated, vague silhouettes of a group of burly, towering giants clad in armor could be seen.

?? This left everyone in a state of confusion.

Could it not be the Doom Demon? As this thought arose in their minds, the despair of being forced to wait for death eased somewhat. As long as it wasn't the Doom Demon, there was hope of annihilating the enemy or escaping alive.

When the thick fog completely cleared and the 'Thud, thud!' footsteps ceased, everyone could see the giants' appearance.

They were six veteran elite soldiers of the Space Wild Wolves 13th Battalion, 2nd Company, 1st Combat Platoon, each wearing a Mark IX, belonging to the Thor Hammer series of super-heavy powered armor.

The Mark IX's appearance is rather crude; according to the 13th Battalion's style, its helmet was changed to an old-fashioned distressed face, making it look only slightly smaller than the Terminator series.

?? Upon seeing the giants' appearance, including Ruiwen and Damian, everyone was at a loss for what to do.

However, as the platoon leader of the 1st Combat Platoon, 2nd Company, he knew what to do; his helmet's screen completed a scan in the blink of an eye, revealing the Marines hiding behind the heavy truck and cargo container, as well as Ruiwen and Damian concealed in the vent.

And in a metallic tone, he said: "We are the Space Wild Wolves 13th Battalion; I will say this only once—drop your weapons and surrender, or face extermination."

Of course, this 'extermination' policy temporarily applies only to all adult Marines; as for Ruiwen and Damian, whose physiological traits displayed on the screen showed them to be fifteen or sixteen years old, the platoon leader harbored the thought of capturing them if possible.

Upon hearing this,

The Marines discovered that these giants could negotiate, reducing their fear further; however, as they were under the command of General Huogete H. Dawei, they could not surrender immediately and needed to talk first.

Thus, the highest-ranking officer present, a major, immediately said: "Sorry, we cannot…"

Clang!

But before the major's words could finish, he was interrupted by the crisp report of a grenade launcher.

Pfft!

Moreover, the major's upper body was blown apart by a grenade whose explosive mode had not been activated, while his lower body went limp on the ground—he was dead beyond any doubt.

Major… major?

A Marine nearby, his face smeared with blood, stared in disbelief at the half-body corpse, his mouth seemingly tied up, unable to speak.

Fire! Fire!!

But his comrades soon realized that the Space Wild Wolves 13th Battalion were equally unfriendly to newcomers, shouting as they pulled the triggers, causing gunfire to erupt directly at the outpost and gate.

Buzz~! Buzz!

However, the 5.56mm and. 308 caliber bullets were all deflected by the energy shield automatically generated by the Mark IX.

Clang! Clang!

Immediately thereafter, the six Space Wild Wolves began a one-sided slaughter.

Just now, the platoon leader had clearly stated, "I will say this only once, or face extermination."

Say it once, and that's it.

As members of the Space Wild Wolves, they despise those who break their word, for they themselves keep their promises faithfully.

Moreover, prior to this, they had already contacted the rulers of this refuge facility, but the other side's attitude clearly showed they were not ready to relinquish power easily and wanted to extract some tangible benefits from them.

With fifty thousand troops under his command, he dared to negotiate with the Astate?? And yet it's the Space Wild Wolves?? Especially with the battalion commander still present, that General David had run into a stone wall, so they followed the battalion commander's orders, launching a low-intensity offensive to fully take control of the refuge facility.

With no time to prepare rubber bullets, the scene now is littered with severed limbs, broken arms, and shredded flesh.

In contrast, Ruiwen and Damian, hiding in the vent and still waiting for the best escape opportunity, have not suffered any attack from the six veterans from start to finish.

Don't kill me!

We surrender! Surrender!

Faced with elite veterans more efficient and brutal than the Doom Demon, the remaining Marines, without hesitation, discarded their rifles, raised their hands, and walked out of cover attempting to surrender.

Fortunately, the Space Wild Wolves do not slaughter humans as indiscriminately as they do aliens and demons, so they ceased their assault.

"Hmph, you had to be like this to listen; I really don't know who gave you the courage." One of the Space Wild Wolves scoffed with utter contempt.

Conversely, the platoon leader didn't focus his thoughts on the few Marines; he slightly raised his head, looked toward the not-so-distant vent, and raised his voice: "Come out, we will not indiscriminately shoot children."

Listen clearly: we will not act indiscriminately, but if you show strong hostility and possess some kind of supernatural power, we will still resort to force, so think it through before coming out.

?

"Damian..." Ruiwen turned her head to look behind her, "What should we do?"

"Let's go down; at least they're better than those monsters like the Doom Demon that can't be negotiated with." Damian advised.

"Okay."

Ruiwen, who usually followed Damian's advice, didn't dwell on it, used magic to fly the two of them out of the vent, and slowly approached the platoon leader.

"Oh? Indeed, you are children with superpowers." Seeing this, the platoon leader couldn't help but remark, and upon seeing Damian in the basket, reduced to a limp stick, he laughed heartily: "Still a little lovebirds? Sure, hahaha~!"

"."

Upon saying that, the platoon leader caused Ruiwen and Damian's cheeks to flush instantly.

It seems the platoon leader's words were not empty.

"Don't worry." Looking at the two kids, the cheerful platoon leader continued to smile at Ruiwen and said: "Since you two have such a good relationship and are willing to cooperate with us, I'll cover the cost of treating your little boyfriend behind you!"

"Having a healthy body is only right; otherwise we can't always have girls protecting boys, hahaha~!"

"This…!" Ruiwen's shyness completely disappeared, and she exclaimed excitedly: "Is this really true?!"

？！ Even Damian, who always kept an icy face, upon learning he could regain his limbs, also showed an expression of utter shock.

The platoon leader also didn't hide anything, turning to Damian and said: "You should be lucky you have a good girlfriend; we also have nanotech, kid."

However…

"No… Father!"

However, Ruiwen seemed to have momentarily relaxed, or perhaps for some other reason, for no apparent reason suddenly lost control, clutching her temples with both hands as she repeatedly stepped back, and her voice, which had initially been clear, became thick with nasal resonance and echo.

Immediately after, her skin instantly turned dark red, and a pair of blood-red eyes appeared on her forehead.

"Hahaha!" When she let out a manic laugh, Ruiwen was no longer Ruiwen, but rather the "father" previously mentioned who had possessed her—San Gong Mo.

"Healing? I'm going to kill you, you little brat!" San Gong Mo reached out to seize Damian's neck.

But the platoon leader who had witnessed the whole thing was faster, snatching Damian from the basket one step ahead and throwing him to the brother farthest away.

Then, the platoon leader steadied his explosive arrow gun, aimed without hesitation at Riven, who was possessed by San Gong Mo, lowered the muzzle, and directly pulled the trigger at his right knee.

Pop! The explosive arrow bullet shot out instantly.

Boom~! A violent impact followed.

But it was the platoon leader and his five brothers who were knocked down and blown away by the impact.

(End of Chapter)