Chapter 172: Purification

Roar—!

The inhuman shrieks gathered into a sound wave capable of tearing the air.

Like a breached black flood, tide‑like Spider Humanoids surged out of every opening.

Their reverse‑jointed limbs scraped the ground with a harsh screech, lunging at the convoy at astonishing speed, instantly forming an airtight encirclement!

"Open fire! Open fire! Everyone, fire at will!"

The NAU commander let out a gut‑wrenching roar over the comm channel.

The armored vehicle's roof‑mounted heavy machine gun, loaded with Investigation Bureau‑custom bullets, spat out angry tongues of flame; a downpour of rounds instantly shredded the dozens of Spider Humanoids at the front into a bloodied mess.

But it was useless!

More monsters trampled over their comrades' corpses, brazenly charging on without fear of death!

"Bang!"

A crisp gunshot.

Mo Shu leaned half out of the vehicle window, the custom silver pistol in her hand emitting a wisp of blue smoke from its barrel.

A Spider Humanoid about to pounce on the scout car froze abruptly, a tiny bullet hole appearing at its joint.

Weird silver liquid spread rapidly; the creature convulsed violently in a silent roar, turning within seconds into a pool of foul, white‑smoking liquid.

"Well done!" Jiang Yuan shouted over the channel.

"Just a trifle," Mo Shu's voice remained sweet, but her hand moved so fast only an afterimage could be seen, "Isn't there just a bit too many of these things? It's like poking a hornet's nest!"

Her shooting was precise and lethal; each bullet could accurately take down a Spider Humanoid.

But compared to the entire Spider Tide, it was merely a drop in the bucket.

"Warning! Vehicle three! Vehicle three is surrounded!"

A terrified scream from an NAU soldier came over the channel.

Through the port window, Jiang Yuan saw a light scout vehicle on the flank already engulfed by dozens of Spider Humanoids. Their sharp claws ripped at the vehicle's armor crazily, producing a metal‑twisting sound that made one's teeth ache.

"Pfft!"

The specially alloyed roof was brutally torn open with a huge gash!

The soldiers inside didn't even have time to scream before countless claws dragged them out, instantly being devoured to nothing.

"Ammunition! My ammo is running out!"

"Requesting support! We can't hold on!"

The NAU comm channel was completely drowned in despair and panic.

The generals in the remote command center watched the infernal scenes transmitted by drones with utmost gravity.

Just as everyone fell into chaos.

A voice as steady as a mountain drowned out all the clamor.

"Everyone, hear my command!"

Wang Zhangzhi's cold voice, using Highest Authorization, forcibly seized all comm channels.

"All vehicles, follow me, head northeast, break out with full force! Repeat, break out with full force!"

An NAU officer shouted, "Captain Wang! Break out? Aren't we supposed to eliminate them?"

Wang Zhangzhi's voice showed no ripple.

"Do you want to stay here and wait for death?"

"Calculate our ammo, then count their numbers. Want to wage a war of attrition here against all the monsters of Chicago Underground? You're committing suicide!"

The officer choked instantly.

Wang Zhangzhi ignored him and directly opened an encrypted Highest Priority Order comm line.

At the other end was the Supreme Command Center of the North American Union.

A Four-star General had just connected, intending to inquire about the frontline situation.

Wang Zhangzhi gave him no chance to speak.

"Immediately raise Chicago's lockdown level to maximum! Physically seal off all exits! Use concrete, steel plates, any method you can think of, and seal this city completely!"

His voice was not loud, yet carried unquestionable authority.

"Not a single one may be let out!"

The general on the other end was so intimidated by the powerful aura that he was speechless for a long while.

Without waiting for a reply, Wang Zhangzhi cut the communication, then immediately connected another trans‑oceanic line.

"I am Wang Zhangzhi," his voice came, and he laid out the on‑site intelligence and his judgment in the most concise terms, "Chicago Underground has become a Spider‑like humanoid nest, numbers incalculable, conventional firepower ineffective, conventional physical sealing has huge risks and loopholes, not a long‑term solution."

He paused briefly, as if organizing his words.

Jiang Yuan and Mo Shu both held their breath.

They knew that what the captain was about to say could decide the city's fate.

"I request headquarters..."

Wang Zhangzhi's voice was halting, each word measured.

"Authorize the development and deployment of a large‑scale invasive Weird weapon to conduct a thorough 'Purification' extermination of Chicago!"

Jiang Yuan's heart suddenly tightened.

It was a proposal maddening to the extreme!

Using a weapon crafted with Weirdness to cleanse another Weirdness!

It was no different than sprinkling another vial of poison onto the city's wound!

The other end fell into a brief silence.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

An aged yet vigorous voice rang out, like a great bell.

"Approved!"

It's Wei Gong!

Jiang Yuan could even imagine the gleam flashing in that old man's eyes right now.

"Notify the Research Department and Technology Department! Spare no cost!" Wei Gong's voice carried the decisive resolve of thunder and lightning: "I give you 72 hours! I want to see the initial plan for the 'Purification' weapon!"

"The tragedy of Chicago must never be repeated anywhere!"

"Wang Zhangzhi!" Wei Gong's voice came again: "The 'Purification' plan has been approved. Your top priority now is to survive! Bring back the crucial combat data alive!"

"Yes!"

Wang Zhangzhi replied in a deep voice.

These few short words lifted the oppressive atmosphere of the entire convoy!

In dire straits, a glimmer of hope appeared!

Their mission was no longer a hopeless sweep, but a breakthrough with data!

"Follow my planned route, full speed ahead!"

Wang Zhangzhi marked on the tactical map a route that stayed away from the Subway Main Line, a relatively winding retreat path.

The armored convoy roared like a steel beast, crushing monsters' corpses underfoot, and in the Spider Tide forcibly carved out a Blood Road.

However, those Spider Humanoids seemed to possess some kind of Collective Consciousness.

They were no longer mindlessly charging head-on, but began to flank from both sides, executing a tactical encirclement, trying to drive the convoy back into the nest's dense center.

The withdrawal became extraordinarily difficult.

Every meter of advance demanded a huge expenditure of ammunition.

Jiang Yuan stared intently at the radar screen inside the vehicle, his expression growing grim.

"Captain, something's wrong!"

He pointed at the screen, his voice trembling slightly.

On the radar, the dense red dots representing Spider Humanoids were not only frantically pursuing them from behind, but large clusters of red dots also began appearing ahead, forming an interception net!

Mo Shu pointed to a half-collapsed skyscraper outside the porthole, "Quick, look there!"

Jiang Yuan followed her gaze and switched to thermal imaging.

Inside the seemingly lifeless building, countless red heat sources lit up like lightbulbs switched on—hundreds, even thousands!

They...... had long been lying in ambush there!

These monsters were not just underground!

Wang Zhangzhi's face was grave beyond anything he had ever known.

He called up a three-dimensional tactical map of all Chicago, watching the red encirclement closing in from all directions—above and below—constantly tightening around them.

That massive formation was like a gigantic stomach slowly constricting.

And they were the food trapped inside that stomach.

Wang Zhangzhi slowly picked up the communicator, his voice low and hoarse.

"The situation is dire."

"We......"

"We might already be inside this thing's stomach."