Chapter 179: Agents In Action
Chu Cheng was surprised that Luo Yajun could catch up so quickly and even brought a special service team from the Ninth Division.
He knew that Agent Luo was still wanted in the Ninth Division at the moment. Although they already had evidence that the video convicting Detective Luo was a forgery and that the real traitor was Li Changcheng, Chu Cheng thought it would take a few days before he was cleared of suspicion.
He didn't expect Luo to bring people to the front lines for support so quickly. It seemed Detective Luo still had some skills and persuasiveness, and the Secret Service wasn't completely full of fools; at least some people could make quick judgments in extraordinary situations.
"The situation has exceeded our expectations, sir," Friday reminded him. "There are ghosts, and their numbers are alarming. I'm pulling the image information from the surveillance cameras on the city streets and found that more ghouls are appearing."
"Where is it, Friday?" Chu Cheng asked.
"Centering on the square where we're fighting, it's rapidly spreading outwards. At this rate, it might spread to the whole city."
With so many ghouls lurking in the underground corners of Jiangdu, Chu Cheng knew it wasn't a temporary plan. The other side must have been preparing long in advance. This was Li Changcheng's last move. He had already deployed a large number of ghouls underground, like an army.
You only need an army if you're planning for war.
And the source of all this was quite obvious.
Luo Yajun fired bullets into the group of ghouls, leading the team behind him to quickly clear a path for Wolverine.
"Well, I don't know what your abilities are, but if you're with that bat, I believe you must have your own specialties," Luo Yajun shouted while shooting.
"Go! Go get that bastard!"
He didn't need to remind him; Chu Cheng had the same intention. He immediately continued his actions, and Wolverine ignored the ghouls, locking onto Li Changcheng's direction and starting to sprint. The Secret Service agents covered him and cleared all the ghouls in their path. Wolverine clenched his fists tightly, his sharp claws popping out, and he charged toward Li Changcheng like a hungry wolf on the hunt.
The same fight had just happened once. The mobs shaken out by the boss in the second stage were held back by teammates, and the rest of the strategy was completely copied from the first stage.
Wolverine's body was cut open again by the blade, but he ignored it as usual. The black knife sliced through his arm, but when it touched the bone, it couldn't penetrate at all. On the other side, the tentacles transformed into the Tis Shield pierced through his lower abdomen, but Uncle Wolf still ignored it, breaking through the defense with one claw and scratching Li Changcheng's thigh.
Edman Alloy Talon still maintained its unparalleled record, coupled with Uncle Wolf's superior physical fitness and skills. Li Changcheng was still powerless to fight back. The defense he was proud of felt as weak as paper against Wolverine's claws. After a few rounds, he was pushed hard against the wall by Wolverine, and the sharp claws and Tis Shield pierced his body together.
Of course, as a price, Wolverine was also stabbed through the throat, heart, and knee. At this moment, his once-white shirt was soaked in blood, and he wished he could bleed a bucket of blood, but nothing happened.
Li Changcheng was pushed against the wall, and while spitting blood, he squinted his eyes and stared at the Wolverine, who had almost turned into a bloodied mess in front of him. They were so close that they could theoretically even smell each other's blood.
"You must think you're very smart now. Have you figured out my identity and interfered with our plan again and again?" he said in a deep voice. "But it's too late. All the ghosts we arranged have been released. Do you know what that means? That means the city is finished. The death they sow, all the despair, the fear of loss—that's great food. This is the final act. It's you; it's the end act of this city. The unsealed Leitos is only a prologue; it's the horn of its awakening. Can you hear it? The sound of fear, the sound of death? That is the sound of times changing, and the real and right forces are guiding the world forward."
There was no response; Wolverine completely ignored him, raised his hand, and slammed his paw down again. Li Changcheng dodged dangerously, and the Tis Shield buffered the claw's attack, but it still couldn't stop it.
Li Changcheng's left hand was broken at the elbow, blood spraying out like a fountain, and his severed arm flew away with a trail of blood. He let out a muffled grunt, fell limply to the ground with his broken arm in his arms, but immediately rolled over on the spot. A ball of Tis Shield was released, dragging him back quickly. Blood dripped down Wolverine's claws as he looked at Li Changcheng expressionlessly.
"You talk too much."
"..."
Ghouls continuously emerged from the ground. They spread like locusts, each one seeming crazy and irrational, but their overall movements were surprisingly organized, even exhibiting a sense of strategy.
For example, the ghouls that came out of Thirty-ninth Street clearly had a plan to seize the high ground. They controlled the advantageous terrain and sent a small group to surround the sheriff, trying to restore order.
Their battles were wild and chaotic, but they displayed the qualities of an army in strategy. It felt like there was a central commander leading a bunch of lunatics, making them all the more dangerous.
However, they couldn't be arrogant for long.
Fighters flew from the sky, and the Secret Service Operations Team entered the battle everywhere. The ghouls' numbers swelled to their limit as they expanded their territory three streets away. The rescue team assisted and evacuated trapped civilians while the action team quickly exchanged fire with the ghouls. Although there was a temporary stalemate, the situation remained under control to prevent further deterioration.
In the heart of the battlefield, more and more ghouls gathered in the central square. As Luo Yajun led the first batch of special agents arriving on the scene to handle escalating challenges, their reinforcements also arrived.
A red ghostly figure floated out from nowhere and rushed into the ghouls. Before the black monsters had time to react, they were lifted into the air one after another, shadows swirling among the group of monsters.
The figure in the red dress, with long black hair billowing in the wind, wove in and out of the monsters as if moving through an uninhabited land. It was Fana, who had been missing, returning with her phantom.
"..."
The Tis shield was sliced open again like paper, and sharp claws nearly severed Li Changcheng in half, coming within mere millimeters of his spine.
Endless blood gushed forth, nearly soaking the ground beneath Li Changcheng's feet. He could no longer hold himself up, collapsing under the weight and half-kneeled on the ground, nearly suffocating.
"You must have thought that... pulling the key from the ruins... protected the seal... successfully preventing it from awakening?" Li Changcheng managed to cough out while using his still intact hand for support. He smiled, "Do you really think... Laitos is still sealed?"
Wolfren didn't stop moving. The Tis shield continued to struggle to defend itself, but of course, it was shattered by the sharp claws again without fail. The claws pierced his heart.
This made Li Changcheng snort. His breathing was strained, and he paused for a moment but quickly pressed on.
"You don't understand," he said in a deep voice despite his injuries. "I let you remove the key because it's no longer necessary. The key has completed its mission; the seal has been lifted successfully, and Laitos... has already awakened!"
The moment he finished speaking, the ground beneath them suddenly shattered.
The entire square cracked, and the area sank. A huge shadow like a mountain burst through the earth and rose up, as if standing tall.