CHAPTER 148: CHAPTER 143 ARRIVAL! THE GREAT BATTLE BEGINS

"Hmph! I’ll settle this score with you personally later." Nightingale snorted coldly, glaring fiercely at Li Laoqi. She secretly glanced at Chen Pingchuan’s back from the corner of her eye. In her heart, she wished she could kill Li Laoqi right now. But considering there was some truth to what he said, it wasn’t time to turn hostile yet. Besides, disrupting her benefactor’s plan was truly improper. Thus, Nightingale had no choice but to grit her teeth and bear it.

"Hahaha, I knew Captain Nightingale could see the big picture. Even if you don’t come looking for me to settle the score later, I’ll come looking for you. But for now, the business at hand is urgent. Men, remove their restraints!" Li Laoqi understood Nightingale’s concession and didn’t dwell on the future. After all, if they couldn’t survive the impending disaster, there would be no future to speak of.

The only one who hadn’t spoken was the cyborg leader, Special Envoy Xue. His gaze was somewhat dazed. Even though Chen Pingchuan had spoken eloquently, based on his own understanding, there was no miracle to hope for. Special Envoy Xue came to the sad realization that unless a level-eight powerhouse could somehow reach this remote mining site, they were doomed. Furthermore, even a powerhouse of that caliber probably couldn’t completely wipe out such a large number of Black Demons. If it were that easy, the Black Demon disaster wouldn’t have remained unsolved for a year. Of course, Special Envoy Xue kept these thoughts to himself. What if this strange high school student—no, this strange Divine Envoy—really did have a way to control the Black Demons? The scene from before was still deeply etched in his mind.

Li Laoqi’s subordinates unlocked the energy restraining rings from the necks of Nightingale and her squad members. These rings were specially designed to restrain Genetic Warriors. When an attempt was made to destroy one by external force, it would explode and obliterate the restrained person’s neck, killing them instantly. The ring continuously emitted fixed electromagnetic pulses at a special frequency to disrupt the energy flow within a Genetic Warrior’s body, effectively preventing them from using their genetic abilities to escape. Of course, the rings had many functions, but their one limitation was that they only worked on Genetic Warriors at level six and below.

By the time the restraints were removed from the members of the Nightingale Squad, the Black Demon tide was less than two kilometers from the mining site’s main gate. A great battle was about to erupt.

In reality, Chen Pingchuan was not as calm as he appeared. He didn’t have the ability to handle such a massive Black Demon tide, either. His sole purpose for staying was to test a theory and find out the real reason the horde was here. He needed to know which of Liu Haofeng’s hypotheses was correct. Was it the Energy Crystals, or was it him? This would determine his future in the real world—whether he should stay, leave, or choose another path.

The Black Demon tide drew closer. One moment, it seemed as distant as the horizon; the next, it was right before their eyes. Roars continuously rose from the black wave, sounding like countless evil spirits howling. The eyes of every Black Demon glinted with blood-red light, and their repulsive stench drilled into the nostrils of the guards, even from kilometers away.

Although Li Laoqi lacked confidence himself, he still put on a victorious facade, afraid his men would rout before the battle even began. With the mining site surrounded by mountains, there was no way out. Huh? Perhaps there really is a path to survival. Li Laoqi recalled a mountain path behind the mining site that led directly to the peak. On the other side of that peak was a waterfall. If worst came to worst, jumping into the river might be their only means of survival.

With this thought, Li Laoqi’s resolve firmed, and the smile on his face grew wider. He shouted, "Brothers, this is our mine, our home! We’ll defend it to the death! Those dark bastards won’t take a single step inside! Of course, I know you’re all scared right now, but you don’t need to be. Look at the person beside me! He is an envoy sent by a god to save us! The Divine Envoy told me that as long as you can all hold out for ten minutes, he can exterminate every last one of these beasts! If you don’t believe me, you must believe in a god, right? Tell me, do you have the confidence to defend this mining site?"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

Li Laoqi’s words were incredibly persuasive, like a shot of adrenaline for the guards. Each one gripped their weapon tightly, and the despair in their eyes lessened.

The Black Demon tide would soon reach the stone wall outside the gate; they were already within maximum attack range. Li Laoqi took on the role of temporary commander and roared, "Attack!"

At his command, the guards in the mining site raised their weapons. Instantly, the deafening sound of gunfire shattered the quiet air. Muzzles spewed angry tongues of flame, and a dense volley of bullets rained down, roaring toward the front ranks of the Black Demons and weaving an impenetrable web of bullets.

Meanwhile, the sentries in the other watchtowers sprang into action. They began operating the powerful small cannons stationed there. Although the weapons were somewhat cumbersome and inaccurate, they were perfect for striking clusters of Black Demons without needing to aim. Accompanied by the sizzle of burning fuses, shells shot out like meteors, tracing white lines through the air as they hurtled toward the rampaging horde.

The bullets and cannonballs slammed into the Black Demon tide, kicking up dazzling sparks that flashed in the darkness like brilliant fireworks. The targeted Black Demons shrieked, their cries echoing through the air as some were even blown to pieces. Despite this, given the sheer size of the Black Demon Army, these losses were but a drop in the ocean. After sacrificing only a few thousand of their own, the horde successfully charged to the base of the mining site’s main gate. Hundreds of the agile creatures swiftly scaled the tall, rough stone wall, pouring into the mining site like a black torrent.

Battle cries, screams, and the clash of weapons intertwined, composing a brutal and bloody symphony of war.

On the walls, the cyborgs led by Special Envoy Xue displayed remarkable prowess. The extraordinary strength of these half-human, half-machine beings—a perfect fusion of flesh and steel—erupted. Their speed at killing Black Demons even outpaced the firearms; without exception, any Black Demon they struck instantly lost its ability to fight.

Nightingale, the female level-six Genetic Warrior, also showcased her might. She constantly formed one Annihilation Black Ball after another in her hands. Each ball was surrounded by terrifying energy fluctuations that seemed powerful enough to devour light itself. Then, Nightingale hurled the spheres into the densest parts of the Black Demon tide. Wherever an Annihilation Black Ball went, the Black Demons’ normally tough hides became as fragile as paper, and they were instantly obliterated. Each ball took out one or more enemies.

On the stone wall, a young mining site guard was knocked down by a charging Black Demon. The creature opened its cavernous mouth, aiming for his throat. At this life-or-death moment, Wang Yujie of the Nightingale Squad—holding no grudges—shattered the Black Demon’s head with his weapon.

"Kid, be careful," Wang Yujie said. "You might not be so lucky next time."

He then turned his large-barreled gun back toward the Black Demon Army.

Everyone was fighting tooth and nail. Everyone, that is, except for Chen Pingchuan.