Chapter 299: Convergence

The cold, dim tunnel of Subway Line 2 was left behind.

Su Ming was wedged in the middle of the Special Forces formation, stepping over mud and shredded flesh as he leapt out of a puddle.

The sky above the surface hung a moon so red it seemed demonic.

Before long, the landmark silhouette ahead became clear.

The sign of Qing Song Hospital lay askew by the roadside, its electronic screen flashing with short‑circuit sparks.

The outer iron fence had been twisted into a braid by some immense force.

Over a dozen Deformed Dogs with Compound Eyes prowled around the flower beds.

These things are low‑level derivatives spawned by the red‑moon radiation.

Their bodies oozed foul‑smelling pus as they hungrily feasted on several security guard corpses.

"Combat ready," Lei Yu lifted his assault rifle.

The beam from the Tactical Flashlight sliced through the blood‑red night.

Gunfire interwove into a net.

The Special Ammo precisely pierced a Deformed Dog's skull, erupting yellow‑green slurry.

The Deformed Dogs, tainted by Weird contamination, are not ordinary creatures; after being shattered by bullets, the flesh on the ground still writhed and re‑coalesced.

"Special Burning Bomb, standby," Lei Yu ordered coldly.

He tossed several Burning Grenades; high‑temperature flames devoured the corpses, and the air filled with the scent of charred meat.

Su Ming half‑heartedly brandished his homemade spear, hiding behind a few Special Forces members to pose as if delivering a finishing blow.

He watched the well‑trained operatives, calculating in his mind.

The Federation's standard response procedure left nothing to criticize.

Unfortunately, when the truly rule‑level Weird finally appears, even Special Weapons won't even qualify to breach its defenses.

After clearing out the stray troops, Lei Yu signaled, and the squad stepped through the slime‑covered ground to push open the Hospital's main doors.

The glass dome of the main building's atrium shattered across the floor.

Dim, bleak red light seeped in.

Temporary sleeping bags covered the ground, and dozens of survivors huddled in a corner, trembling.

At the very center of the atrium, by the edge of the abandoned fountain pool, a figure stood.

The hem of the black Windcoat flailed wildly in the wind.

Leather boots rested on the edge of the stone‑carved fountain.

The person stood sideways, right hand covering half their face, left hand wearing Fingerless Gloves etched with strange patterns, pointing straight at the intruders.

A drawn‑out aria echoed through the atrium, its overly affected low, nasal tone.

"Mortal beings, you have finally endured the tribulations and beheld the embodiment of the Abyss,"

The Special Forces members exchanged puzzled glances.

Lei Yu's eyes twitched twice, and he slung the rifle back onto his shoulder.

"Captain Liang, it's me, Lei Yu of the Hawk Squad, ordered to provide support,"

A cold wind blew by.

"Click."

Liang Wen kept his finger‑pointing pose, his facial muscles beginning to tremble wildly.

In the next breath, the guy's legs gave way, and he rolled down from the half‑meter‑high pool edge.

He landed hard, a perfect dog‑chewed mud splash.

"Ow, damn my old back!"

The regal stance he had moments ago vanished completely.

Liang Wen lay sprawled beside the shattered glass, his flashy leather boots worn flat, his black Windcoat not only torn but dripping with nauseating green slime.

He shakily raised the claw that wore half a glove.

"Got any ibuprofen?"

Lei Yu hurried forward two steps and pulled the man up.

Getting closer, Liang Wen sported two massive dark circles, blood‑shot eyes, and lips so dry they cracked white.

He protected his unconscious daughter while also shielding the group of survivors.

For three days and nights, this Investigation Bureau ace has stubbornly, by over‑exerting his life force, withstood seven or eight waves of monster assaults here.

Lei Yu fished a strip of Strong Painkiller from his Tactical Vest and tore out two pills.

Liang Wen snatched them, didn't even drink water, and gulped them down with a harsh swallow.

He collapsed on the steps into a sprawling shape, gasping heavily.

"What's the situation outside now," Liang Wen asked.

Lei Yu dragged a folding chair, sat down, his complexion turning dark.

"Everything's a mess."

He opened the Tactical Tablet, retrieved an encrypted file, and handed it over.

The screen displayed a pixelated covert video.

A man wearing a duckbill cap was slicing the bizarre pursuers behind him in two with a rust‑spotted key.

The comment section at the bottom of the video had exploded completely.

Various Divine Gifts' function descriptions and mechanisms were listed in meticulous detail in a prominent spot.

"Their effects, along with that rule‑breaking wish to the gods, have been posted online and fully exposed," Lei Yu gritted his teeth.

Liang Wen sprang upright, wincing as his wound tore, teeth clenched in pain.

"What does the old man do for a living, and can this matter be kept down?"

Lei Yu sighed.

"The director immediately ordered the physical severing of the base stations and overnight blocked the keywords."

"It can't hold back people stirring up trouble."

"Even if the news is blocked in time… it still gets known to those with ulterior motives."

Su Ming lingered at the edge of the squad, chewing gum while leaning against a load‑bearing pillar.

Hearing that, he changed his stance; the Time Marrow Worm in his pocket lay calmly.

It was like this in the previous life.

When the Divine Gift that can defy physical laws was exposed, humanity's evil completely broke its chains.

The speed of moral collapse far exceeded expectations.

Liang Wen took the tablet and swiped through a screen full of pop‑ups.

"Humanity's first reaction to the apocalypse isn't unity, but snatching that one‑of‑a‑kind Noah's Ark Ticket."

"Of course… the main point is that someone is acting as a malicious puppet master, steering everything and deliberately undermining the Investigation Bureau's credibility."

Lei Yu continued:

"Liang Team, there is another matter to report to you… according to the latest information from the Investigation Bureau, the Deceptive Ones Alliance, Chen Shao's group, has moved."

When he heard the name Chen Shao, Liang Wen's eyelid twitched.

Lei Yu kept a cold expression and kept speaking.

"There are also some civilian Deceptive Ones whose Weirdness inside is unstable; overuse carries the risk of uncontrolled resurgence."

"Now that the Divine Gift has appeared, to them it is a life‑extending elixir."

Liang Wen clenched his fist, "How does the bureau plan to respond?"

"How to respond? The people in the Technology Department are probably about to lose their hair from worry," Lei Yu said with a wry smile.

Lei Yu let out a sigh:

"What's even more deadly is that there are overseas forces across the neighboring sea."

"Those foreign devils think the originally dangerous Blood Moon game is now a big piece of juicy meat."

"During this period the Investigation Bureau captured many illegal border‑crossers, among whom was an overseas Deceptive One."

Su Ming stood in the pillar's shadow, bent down to check his shoelace, and listened to the situation with crystal clarity.

This pool has been completely stirred up.

The Blood Moon game has upgraded from a city‑wide death match directly into a global Deceptive Ones' rave.

He knows the madness of this Blood Moon game better than anyone.

Lei Yu finally asked:

"Liang Team, so… in your view, what should our next mission be?"

Liang Wen walked to the fountain, dipped his hand in the cold water and splashed his face, forcing himself to stay alert; his voice became unusually serious.

"Guard to the death those items that haven't been taken by the aberrants; if we can snatch them back, we will."

"But we must first secure the survivors."

He turned to face the Special Forces and struck that overly second‑rate stance again.

His left hand rested on his forehead.

"Everyone, darkness is about to descend."

"Follow me and trample the filth of this world."