Chapter 20: (Extra Release for More Follows!) The War is Escalating!

This scene was nothing short of terrifying—not merely because of the uncanny valley effect brought by the monster mimicking a little girl's appearance, but also due to the visceral discomfort and fear evoked by the extraordinarily realistic imagery.

The Blood Demon seemed not to notice the phone, slowly creeping forward with its eerie demeanor, even emitting a voice that sounded like a little girl's.

"Daddy, why are you running away?"

"You promised to love me forever."

"Come, join us."

"Daddy…"

"Get away! Just get the hell away from me!" The Chosen One was on the brink of collapse, his hand glowing brightly as he unleashed an attack.

This was an extraordinary talent, akin to Energy Bullet—a swift ability that pierced through the girl in an instant, leaving behind a distinct bloodied hole and a sizzling sound.

But it was useless.

For a Blood Demon, such an attack was not fatal unless it struck the neck.

"That hurts, Daddy." The creature carried on speaking with a hollow, clear, and childlike voice, as though it truly were a little girl. "Before you become one of us, let your daughter have her fill first. It wouldn't hurt much—just a little, just a tiny bit…"

"An Nai'er, no snacking." Another voice suddenly interrupted.

And then the most horrifying scene unfolded on camera!

One figure after another emerged from behind, steadily approaching. They were all dressed in residents' clothes, mimicking the appearance of ordinary townsfolk. But each one was drenched in blood, wrapped in grotesque tentacles, distorted in form, with blood-red eyes...

Song Cheng couldn't help but shiver.

*It was unimaginable to think about the level of despair this Chosen One must have felt at that moment!*

*The entire town was full of monsters!*

*In that place, humans were the prey!*

"Ahhh!" The white Chosen One completely broke down, screaming at the top of his lungs. In that instant, he wasn't even sure whether the entire world was entirely made of monsters. As a flash of blood-red light flickered under dim illumination, the phone was struck down, leaving only the sound of gut-wrenching shrieks in the frame.

It wasn't until the footage ended completely that Shen Hao finally spoke: "Was that live-streamed?"

"Yes." Dong Gong's face was also pale. "It was a recording of the live stream. The Chosen One featured in the video is named Bittel Mott; he's a world-class racing driver. That town is his hometown, with a resident population of about eight thousand people. Bittel is also a moderately popular outdoor streamer, and after becoming a Chosen One, his fan base grew dramatically. Today just so happened to be the day he returned to his hometown, something he mentioned specifically during the live stream."

"What's the reaction outside?" Shen Hao asked again.

"Really bad."

Dong Gong pulled up the overseas social media platform. At a glance, the screen was flooded with content—all seemingly related to the live-stream footage, involving countless outlets, some of which were major institutions.

This level of sensation even outstripped the announcement of the Chosen Ones' existence.

"Initially, most people thought it was a joke or a trailer for a movie. It wasn't until Bittel's assistant called the police and pleaded for help on social media that some began to believe it. But what truly blew it wide open was the Northern Alliance's emergency notice, forbidding anyone from approaching and announcing that fighter jets and legions had already been dispatched to seal off the town," Dong Gong said.

Shen Hao saw the overseas social media brimming with screams and terror.

Endless updates refreshed every second.

"Oh my God! Aliens have invaded!"

"This must be connected to the 'Star Jump'!"

"Damn it! I've locked myself alone in my house; I don't dare go out!"

"I think my wife is a monster! She actually made dinner for me today!"

"This is all the Chosen Ones' fault! The Chosen Ones are original sin! This is God's punishment for us!"

"Who can we trust anymore? Is there anyone who isn't a monster?"

"My parents were monsters, and I killed them, hahaha!"

"…"

*It must be said—the fear and chaos triggered by the Blood Demon were among its greatest threats, surpassing even its physical menace!*

*Because it would severely erode the trust and order within humanity.*

*Especially among ordinary people without any abilities.*

*They would start to doubt their parents, their friends, and even their children.*

*What made it worse was that, among them, some truly had already been parasitized!*

*Shen Hao couldn't even begin to guess whether, once order completely collapsed, more people would die from the ensuing chaos or at the hands of the Blood Demons.*

*Moreover, the chaos undoubtedly facilitated the spread of the Blood Demons!*

"What's our side's response?" Shen Hao asked again.

"We're still keeping the information contained, but a sensation of this magnitude won't be suppressed for long," Dong Gong shook his head. "The higher-ups are urgently discussing; I suspect…they'll have no choice but to publicly announce the existence of the Blood Demons soon."

In this era of information, even a nation's power has its limits when it comes to containment.

At this level of uproar, there was no stopping it.

Issuing an authoritative announcement and guiding public opinion were the only options.

Shen Hao let out a long breath.

"Get ready," he said in a low tone. "The war is about to escalate."

Indeed, even though the war had just begun, the situation was already horrifying.

Not just domestically—especially abroad!

An eight-thousand-person town!

This was only after one month!

*If a country lost control of its army, or worse, if the Blood Demons gained access to humanity's ultimate weapon…* Shen Hao couldn't even fathom the consequences.

*Cursing incompetent allies was pointless.*

*This was the Civilization Trial. The one facing the trial wasn't an individual, a city, or a nation—it was an entire world, an entire civilization!*

"Don't rest tonight."

Shen Hao stood up, looking at the group of Chosen Ones gazing blankly at him, and decisively ordered:

"Give me the confirmed list of Blood Demon identities—I'll deal with them one by one. Additionally, Liu Ruoxi, Cheng Youqing, Song Cheng, Yang Jun, you four will each follow the army and trace the Blood Demon network. Bring all suspected individuals here. If any Blood Demons exposed their identities and resisted, execute them on the spot!"

All four individuals who were called out instinctively stood up.

Even Liu Ruoxi, who always maintained an icy demeanor, now displayed clear signs of tension and unease.

But it was evident:

Shen Hao wasn't going to make special allowances for her just because she happened to be a world-class beauty.

"I don't care what backgrounds you come from, what you used to do, or whether you're prepared to fight enemies on the battlefield," Shen Hao slightly released Sovereign Suppression, the starlight in his eyes sweeping sharply over the four as he declared in a solemn tone. "If you're here, if you've become a Chosen One, if you possess the power to fight, then you must step forward. Anyone who flees from battle—don't expect mercy from me! But there's no need for fear. As I've said before: now, we are the hunters!"