chsdbacks Chapter 322 The Monster That Appeared Suddenly
Chapter 322 The Monster That Appeared Suddenly
The atmosphere became even more tense, like a string stretched to its limit, ready to snap at any moment.
Just then, Nie Lingfeng heard Er Zhuang's deliberately lowered but barely concealed voice in his earphones:
"Commander Nie! Underground! That low-frequency vibration signal has suddenly become abnormally active! The frequency has increased more than tenfold! And... and deep underground in the chemical plant, I've detected multiple powerful, chaotic life forms rapidly moving upwards! Right beneath your feet! In more than one direction! They're moving very fast! Be careful!!"
Almost simultaneously, as Er Zhuang issued the warning, Nie Lingfeng, Daoist Wang Ye, and Feng Baobao all changed their expressions!
They sensed it!
From deep beneath our feet came a series of muffled rumbling sounds, as if something enormous and heavy was breaking through the earth! The sound traveled through the reinforced concrete floor, through the soles of our shoes, to the soles of our feet, and into the very marrow of our bones, making our teeth ache. Accompanying the rumbling was a chilling aura, filled with chaos and malice, rising from the ground like an icy tide, silently engulfing the entire hall.
"Not good!" Nie Lingfeng shouted, instantly shoving Xiaoyun from his arms to Chen Duo beside him. His movements were so fast they were almost invisible. "Duo'er, protect Xiaoyun! Stay close to the wall!"
Chen Duo reacted quickly, taking Xiao Yun from her and shielding her with her body, retreating swiftly behind the nearest concrete pillar. Her body arched like a mother animal protecting her cubs, while her fingers reached into the cloth bag, pinching several mother Gu worms.
Zhang Chulan immediately became alert, and golden light flickered around him—the light of the Golden Light Mantra. Although not very strong, it enveloped his entire body. His eyes quickly scanned his surroundings, searching for a possible safe location.
Master Wang's expression turned grave. He closed his eyes briefly, then snapped them open, a faint divination pattern flickering within his pupils. His hands began rapidly forming hand seals, his fingers moving like butterflies flitting among flowers, as he chanted, "The earth's energy is surging! Something's about to emerge! More than one! It's... coming from that 'opening'!"
He had barely finished speaking—
Boom!
A huge hole suddenly blasted open in the wall on one side of the hall!
Bricks, cement, and frozen soil sprayed in like cannonballs! Debris flew through the air, crashing to the ground with a crackling sound, and dust billowed out, like a gray wall rushing towards everyone!
Amidst the billowing smoke and dust, several enormous, twisted figures covered in grayish-white scales and sticky black mud roared as they crawled in through the hole!
They had a near-human silhouette, but their limbs were grotesquely proportioned—arms reaching past the knees, claws like hooks, each finger like a sharp dagger, gleaming metallically under the light. Their heads lacked clear facial features, only several constantly opening and closing holes dripping black, slimy fluid, as if hollowed out from within. Their bodies were covered in grayish-white scales, the edges of which were sharp as knives, the gaps seeping a black, muddy slime that emitted a nauseating, putrid stench, like long-decayed corpses suddenly rising to life.
It's the same kind of monster that appeared in the video!
But they were much larger—the largest one was nearly three meters tall, standing in front of the hole like a wall of flesh—their aura was more ferocious, their eyes more crazed, and a dark red light could be faintly seen in the cavity, like flames from the depths of hell.
Moreover, five of them appeared at once!
"roar--!!!"
The leading monster let out a deafening roar, a sound unlike any human voice or any known animal, more like a mixture of metallic friction and a beastly howl, piercing the eardrums. It opened its several holes, and black viscous fluid dripped down its chin, hissing and corroding the concrete with a "sizzling" sound, burning small pits into the cement floor.
Almost at the same time, the ground on the other side of the hall also collapsed with a roar!
Three or four more of the same monsters crawled out of the underground pit! They were slightly smaller than the first wave, but there were more of them, and they moved more nimbly. They leaped out of the pit, landing on all fours like spiders, their bodies arched, in a pouncing posture.
They seemed to be drawn to the dense "human presence" and some kind of energy here—the source of which was the cold missile in the center of the hall! The monsters' "faces"—if they could be called faces—all turned toward the missile, red light flashing in the void, and roars filled with greed and destructive desires rose and fell.
A crimson gaze—if you could call it eyes—instantly locked onto the panicked crowd in the hall!
"What the hell is this thing?!"
"Enemy attack!!"
"Fire! Fire now!!"
The sudden attack caused an uproar at the auction!
Terrified screams, angry curses, the clanging of weapons, and the chilling howls of monsters filled the air. Some turned and ran, some drew their weapons to fight back, and some stood frozen, bewildered. Chaos spread rapidly like a plague; the factions that had been testing each other just seconds before were now gripped by the same panic.
Bald Bear was both shocked and furious. He clearly hadn't expected these things to suddenly appear from underground! He jumped up, knocking over his bearskin chair. His cigar fell onto the table, and the red cloth that had caught fire went unnoticed.
"Damn it! What's going on?! Those 'freebies' have escaped from down there?!" he roared furiously, snatching a shotgun from a burly man behind him. "Guards! Take them down! Don't let them get near the missiles!"
The guards behind him and the bodyguards brought by various forces reacted quickly and opened fire immediately!
Gunshots rang out like popping beans!
Bullets rained down on the monsters like a deluge! "Rat-a-tat-tat-tat"—the sound of automatic rifles was incessant, "Bang bang bang"—the sound of shotguns was deep and powerful, "Whistle whistle whistles"—the bullets of pistols made sharp whistling sounds.
However, when the bullets hit the monster's body covered in grayish-white scales, they made a crisp "clanging" sound, as if hitting a steel plate! Most of the bullets bounced off, sending countless sparks flying on the walls and the ground. Only a few large-caliber weapons could leave shallow white marks and scatter a few fragments of scales, but they could not cause fatal damage!
These monsters have incredibly strong defenses!
"Roar!" A monster, braving a hail of bullets, lunged at the nearest group of gangsters. Its speed was unbelievable; despite its massive size, it moved with the agility of a cheetah. With a swift swipe of its claws—tracing a silver-gray arc through the air—two bodyguards who couldn't dodge in time were instantly torn in half at the waist!
Blood and entrails splattered everywhere! The screams abruptly ceased, replaced by the chilling sounds of flesh tearing and bones breaking. The body, torn in two, fell to the ground with a thud, its upper body still twitching, eyes wide open, mouth opening and closing, but no sound escaping.
The monster lowered its head, aimed its hollow at the corpse on the ground, and inhaled forcefully—a cloud of grayish-white mist rose from the corpse and was sucked into the hollow. The monster's body seemed to swell slightly, and the black mud on its scales became even stickier.
"ah--!!!"
Those who witnessed this scene were even more terrified! The gangsters began to scatter and flee, some bumping into each other in their panic, others falling and being trampled by those behind them, their cries of pain echoing throughout the air.
The other monster charged towards the Sakura Ninja Association's group.
The ninjas reacted with lightning speed. Almost the instant the monster lunged, they had completed their disperse-encircle maneuvers, forming a semi-circular encirclement. Shuriken, smoke bombs, and ninjutsu erupted in an instant! The shurikens spun and flew through the air with a sharp whistling sound, accurately striking the monster's eyes and throat; the smoke bombs exploded, thick smoke enveloping the monster's head; several ninjas rapidly formed hand seals, chanting incantations, and dark runes appeared on the ground, attempting to restrain the monster's movements.
However, the monster neither dodged nor evaded, enduring all attacks head-on. The shuriken struck its scales, deflecting most of them with a series of clangs; the few that managed to penetrate the gaps only caused superficial wounds, black blood seeping out, but this did nothing to hinder its movements. It slapped a ninja's head open—the ninja's skull exploded like a watermelon, red and white splattering everywhere—and with its other hand grabbed another ninja's leg, violently lifting him up and slamming him against his companion beside him!
"Bang!"
The two people collided, and the sound of bones shattering was clearly audible; they died instantly.
"Baka! Retreat! Form a defensive formation!" the elderly man in a kimono from the Sakura Kingdom shouted sharply, taking small steps backward while drawing his katana.
A flash of light!
The katana was pure white, with faint cloud patterns flowing along its blade. Its edge was as thin as a cicada's wing, gleaming with a cold, sharp light under the lamplight. The old man held the katana with both hands, the tip pointing diagonally at the ground, his entire being as still as an ancient pine tree. The katana then emitted a cool, white light—not a reflection, but the katana itself emitting light, a sign that some ancient technique had been activated.
The monster lunged again, but the old man advanced instead of retreating, and slashed out with his sword!
The blade flashed like a bolt of lightning!
The slash was swift and ruthless, striking the monster's outstretched arm with pinpoint accuracy. With a "whoosh," the blade pierced the flesh an inch or so, and black, foul-smelling blood spurted out, splattering onto the old man's white kimono, leaving horrifying black spots.
The monster roared in pain, the sound sending dust flying from the ceiling. It jerked its arm back, and its other claw swept across!
The old man drew his knife to parry—"Clang!"
Sparks flew everywhere! The old man was jolted back three steps by the immense force, his hands and feet going numb, but he managed to block the fatal blow.
The people of the "Snowfield Fang" of the Bear Kingdom are even more ferocious.
The scarred, muscular man roared, his muscles bulging and his skin gleaming with a metallic sheen—it was some kind of enhancement technique that could temporarily make his body invulnerable to blades and bullets. He didn't dodge or evade, but instead clashed head-on with the monster!
A deafening roar!
The two—if the monster could be considered human—collided, the shockwave sending dust billowing around them. The scarred, burly man took two steps back, leaving two deep footprints, his knees slightly bent to absorb most of the impact. The monster was also knocked back, letting out a low growl of surprise—seemingly not expecting this human to be able to fight it head-on.
"Come on, you son of a bitch!" the scarred, burly man roared, his fists slamming into the monster like iron hammers. Each punch carried the sound of wind and thunder, striking the monster's scales with dull "thump-thump" sounds, like the forging of iron.
But he soon realized that he was at a disadvantage if he continued fighting like this. The monster's regenerative ability was too strong. A dent he made would recover in a few seconds; and every time the monster retaliated, it caused tiny cracks in his metallic skin. If this continued, he would be the first to give out.
The members of the "Freedom Vanguard" from the Eagle Nation quickly formed tactical formations and fought while retreating.
Their teamwork was clearly professionally trained—two people were responsible for frontal fire suppression, using large-caliber weapons to specifically target the monster's relatively vulnerable parts such as joints and eyes; one person was responsible for flank cover to prevent other monsters from sneaking up on them; the suited elite stood at the rear, seemingly observing and directing; and the woman with gold-rimmed glasses—with a gesture of pressing her hands together, the temperature in the air plummeted—countless tiny ice spikes condensed in front of her, densely packed and blotting out the sky, before raining down on the monster!
"Swish, swish, swish——"
The ice spikes struck the monster, most of them bouncing off its scales, but a few managed to penetrate the gaps, causing continuous freezing damage. The monster's movements became noticeably slower, a layer of frost formed on its scales, and the black mud began to solidify.
"Brother Nie! What should we do? Fight or retreat?" Zhang Chulan asked urgently, looking at the bloody and chaotic scene before him.
Their position was towards the back, and no monsters had yet charged directly at them—but some monsters had already noticed their corner and were slowly turning their heads, their hollows aimed at them.