Chapter 15: Hours

Outside the Xitai District, Teacher Xun hurriedly found Colonel Li.

"Has communication not been restored yet! Can't those guys scouting for intelligence be a little more careful!"

Before even walking into the command post, Xun Zhe heard Colonel Li's roaring voice inside.

Xun Zhe immediately felt that something was wrong; he walked into the command post and saw Colonel Li discussing with several communications officers.

"What is going on? I just heard that all squads in the Xitai District have completely lost contact! Isn't this a simple clearing Task!" Xun Zhe asked in a hurried tone.

Seeing Xun Zhe walk in, Colonel Li took a deep breath, trying his best to keep his tone calm.

"The strength displayed by that cult is far more powerful than in the intelligence reports. Our squads have all lost contact. I have already reported the situation here to my superiors, and their instruction is to wait 12 hours. If no one comes out or contacts us with communication equipment by then, we will wipe out the entire Xitai District."

Xun Zhe's face flushed with agitation, "Our students are still inside! How can you make such a decision!"

"I don't want this either, but given the strength currently displayed by that cult, wiping out the Xitai District is the best choice. I had to plead with my superiors to get 12 hours for the people inside; otherwise, the entire Xitai District would already be a living hell by now!" Colonel Li's temper flared up as well, and he roared loudly.

The surroundings were filled with the smell of gunpowder, and the several communications officers didn't even dare to breathe loudly.

Xun Zhe took a deep breath, struggling to suppress the anger in his heart. He knew that Colonel Li's decision did not stem from personal will, but was the most rational judgment made based on the current dire situation.

"Then what should we do now? Can we only wait here?"

Colonel Li also softened his tone, "Our squad members have undergone professional training. I believe they can make the most correct judgment after losing contact! And ensure the safety of the students."

"I hope so, otherwise I wouldn't know how to answer to the school." Xun Zhe sat on a chair, his tone somewhat dejected.

The command post fell into Silence for a moment, with only the sound of communications officers tapping on their equipment remaining.

Xitai District, cult basement.

That cult woman was pressing her face against a giant insect egg with a fanatical expression; however, at this moment, the giant insect egg suddenly burst open, and a huge insect crawled out from inside. It opened its bloody maw and swallowed her into its belly.

This scene happened too fast and too suddenly, so much so that everyone present had not yet had time to react.

What was even more terrifying was that at the same time the big insect swallowed the cult woman, many small insects crawled out from the egg, and they scrambled to pounce toward Yingzhou and the others. This scene was extremely bloody and terrifying, making one's scalp tingle just looking at it.

Yingzhou immediately ordered the surrounding Krieg soldiers to open fire on these insects. A burst of dense lasers blew most of the small insects to pieces, but that big insect had disappeared.

Streams of acid sprayed down from the ceiling, and several Krieg soldiers and one member of the Blood Thorn were instantly corroded down to white bone by the acid, ceasing all movement.

"It can turn invisible! We can't let it get out. The space here is narrow, it doesn't have much room to move." Ye Fan shouted to everyone and summoned his own Back Spirit, shooting a flame toward the ceiling.

Other squad members also summoned their respective Back Spirits, preparing to fight this monster to the death.

"Yingzhou, you take these students and get out. Your Spiritual Power has already been mostly exhausted. Guard the entrance to the basement; if we fail, have your soldiers detonate the basement!"

Ye Fan shouted loudly at Yingzhou and the others, while again shooting a flame toward the shell of the giant insect egg.

"Su Miao, you take them and withdraw first. I'm going to stay and help them," Yingzhou said to Su Miao beside him. "Your Spiritual Power isn't much either, you can't help much here. Go out and scout the surrounding situation; these cultists might still have a backup plan."

After hearing this, Su Miao hesitated for two seconds before nodding in agreement.

After the other four left, Yingzhou called the Krieg soldiers who were on guard outside into the basement.

Ye Fan's flames drew scorching trajectories in the air, attempting to capture the tracks of the giant insect. The Back Spirits of the other squad members were all weapons and had no way to deal with the big insect hiding everywhere in invisibility.

Soon, Ye Fan's Spiritual Power was also nearly exhausted. Just then, it went dark above his head; the big insect had actually appeared right above him.

"Swish, swish, swish..."

The moment Yingzhou's Krieg soldiers saw the big insect appear, they turned their muzzles and fired rapidly.

The big insect clearly sensed the danger and turned invisible again, but it also spat a mouthful of acid at Ye Fan.

Although Ye Fan tried to dodge, half of his body was still hit by the acid. In an instant, white smoke began to rise from the parts of his body touched by the acid, and his skin and muscles were rapidly corroded. The intense pain made Ye Fan gasp, but he endured the agony without letting out a single groan.

"Captain!" The Blood Thorn squad members wanted to approach Ye Fan, but were shouted back by him.

"Stay alert, that big insect is very cunning."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a Blood Thorn squad member let out a violent cough, followed by his pupils dilating and his eyes losing focus.

He turned around and used a summoned Sharp Sword to pierce his teammate's chest. That teammate looked behind him with an expression of disbelief, then his body went limp, and he lost his life.

This sudden turn of events left everyone in shock. The Blood Thorn squad members reacted quickly; they immediately scattered, kept their distance, and vigilantly observed the teammate who had suddenly betrayed them. Their faces were filled with expressions of disbelief, and a sense of unease surged in their hearts.

Ye Fan's brows were tightly furrowed. His injuries made it impossible for him to move quickly, but he still tried his best to support his body and gave an order in a trembling voice: "Stay calm, do not act rashly! He might be Out of Control."

Yingzhou also reacted quickly. He directed several Krieg soldiers to surround the traitorous team member, while signaling the other Krieg soldiers to guard the surroundings, guarding against the invisible big insect launching another attack.

That traitorous team member seemed to have completely lost his self-awareness. His eyes became murky and ferocious, and the Sharp Sword in his hand flashed with a cold light, as if it wanted to tear everything around it to pieces. A strange smile hung on the corner of his mouth, making one's hair stand on end.

He brandished the Sharp Sword in his hand, attempting to attack the others again. The other team members dodged one after another, not daring to easily approach this companion who had already gone Out of Control. They understood in their hearts that if they didn't stop him in time, the consequences would be unimaginable.