Chapter 32: Responding to the Crisis at the Base

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The night was as dark as ink, enveloping this wasteland of the apocalypse. Chu Feng and his group darted like arrows released from a bow, swiftly weaving through the ruins and rubble, rushing toward the base. The moonlight was pale and cold, casting a somber glow on their faces, their expressions heavy with concern. The air was thick with a suffocating pressure. The uneven, pothole-ridden road yawned like a monstrous mouth, tripping them up from time to time. Gravel and shards of glass scraped beneath their feet with a harsh, grating sound, like the echoes of the world’s lament.

The shattered buildings stood like silent giants on either side of the path, clawing shadows twisting and stretching like lurking threats, waiting to strike. Suddenly, a piercing screech shattered the night—several grotesque fiends lunged from the darkness. They moved like phantoms, claws slashing, emitting chilling low growls that sent shivers down the spine.

Chu Feng’s eyes sharpened, shadow runes instantly enveloping his body. His form flickered like a ghost, black energy flashing from his hands as he tore the fiend at the front to pieces. Feng Yao’s healing runes blossomed with gentle light, offering life-saving support to their comrades. Pan Yue wielded dual blades with nimble grace, coordinating with Chu Feng’s attacks; each swing claimed another fiend’s life.

Their team was like a high-speed grinder, carving a path through the encircling monsters. Yet, these fiends were relentless, swarming like bone maggots, endless in number. As they fought desperately, Sun Yue’s impatience finally boiled over. “This won’t work! We need to scout the base first, formulate a rescue plan before acting!” he shouted, dodging a fiend’s blow.

Chen Qiang frowned deeply, his gruff voice laced with anger. “Nonsense! The base is on the verge of falling—planning is pointless! We must rush back and rescue those inside, no matter what!” “You don’t understand! We can’t just charge blindly!” Sun Yue snapped back sharply. The two stood their ground, unwilling to yield, the tension between them snapping like a live wire, ready to explode.

“Enough!” Chu Feng’s stern command cut through the discord. His cold gaze swept over them both. “Now is not the time for infighting. Saving lives comes first!” Only then did they reluctantly suppress their anger, though a rift had already formed between them.

At that moment, the air thickened suddenly, sticky as if they were wading through a swamp. A bone-chilling pressure surged like a tide, sinking heavily into their hearts. Pan Yue halted abruptly, eyes fixed on the darkness ahead. “Something’s wrong...” she trembled.

A viscous blackness poured down like ink, engulfing everything nearby. The air reeked of rot and decay, nauseating and foul. From the depths of darkness emerged a colossal figure, a moving mountain whose every step caused the ground to tremble. It was a massive mutated fiend, covered in grotesque bone spikes, its crimson eyes burning with bloodthirsty hunger.

The arrival of such a dreadful power was like a bucket of cold water dousing their already taut nerves. Fatigue overwhelmed them like a flood, drowning their will. The team exchanged glances; the relentless battles had drained their strength. They were at their limit, facing an enemy so formidable that hope seemed bleak.

“Damn it, where did this monster come from?” Chen Qiang gritted his teeth, his shield thudding heavily against the ground. Even his formidable defense wouldn’t hold long against such a creature.

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Just as despair threatened to consume them all, a fierce light ignited in Chu Feng’s eyes. He let out a low roar as the shadow runes on his skin surged wildly, alive with energy. Clenching his fists, dark power coalesced at his knuckles, bursting forth with unstoppable force. This was the power of a novice rune bearer, far surpassing before.

The mutated fiend bellowed deafeningly, swinging its massive claws with a sharp tearing sound, aiming a crushing blow at Chu Feng. But he vanished like a ghost, narrowly evading the strike. Using the shattered walls as cover, he darted and weaved, unleashing black energy at the monster.

The fiend’s attacks were fierce and powerful, cracking the earth with each strike, yet Chu Feng moved like an eel, agile and elusive. He exploited the environment, searching for weaknesses and delivering lethal counterattacks. The black energy sliced deep wounds into the beast’s flesh.

As the battle wore on, the fiend’s movements slowed, its injuries multiplying. Chu Feng’s strikes grew sharper, the dark power intensifying, gradually overwhelming the creature. Witnessing this, the others were inspired by Chu Feng’s indomitable spirit, rallying with renewed vigor. Pan Yue swung her blades again, while Feng Yao continuously cast healing runes to support them.

Watching from the shadows, a pair of cold eyes observed the fight, the powerful fiend energy reassessing the situation. A low, hoarse voice murmured, laced with doubt and fear, before fading into the night: “How could this be... he’s grown so strong...”

Chu Feng’s sudden surge was like a blazing flame rekindling the squad’s dwindling hope. Pan Yue’s heart warmed watching him fight through blood and pain. The earlier quarrel between Sun Yue and Chen Qiang had unsettled her; discord in such dire times could prove fatal.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped between them and spoke softly, “Now is not the time for arguments. We are a team, and must act together. Chu Feng is right — saving lives comes first.” Her gentle eyes met theirs, firm and filled with trust. Her words, like a spring breeze, soothed their anger and reminded them of their duty.

Sun Yue and Chen Qiang exchanged a glance and silently nodded, gripping their weapons tighter and rejoining the fray. A warm energy spread through the team, coalescing into a powerful force.

Wu Xia, who usually handled logistics and intelligence far from the front lines, now furrowed her brow, eyes fixed intently on the battlefield as if pondering something vital. Suddenly, she approached Chu Feng and whispered, “I have a plan to help us break through the fiends’ blockade...” Her bold, daring idea sparked hope in everyone’s eyes.

She proposed using an abandoned factory near the base as cover, setting traps to lure the fiends inside, then concentrating firepower to annihilate them. The plan required precise timing and flawless teamwork—one misstep could doom them all. But at this moment, they had no other choice.

“Alright, let’s do it your way!” Chu Feng decided swiftly, determination shining in his eyes. He had never expected the quiet Wu Xia to reveal such brilliant strategy and courage when it mattered most.

Following her plan, the team quickly adjusted their formation, moving cautiously toward the abandoned factory. They carefully avoided roaming fiends, using the buildings as cover to advance quickly and stealthily.

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The night deepened, thick like a vast curtain, shrouding everything in darkness. The silhouette of the abandoned factory loomed faintly, like a dormant beast waiting for prey. “Get ready...” Chu Feng whispered, his hands gripping the pulsating shadow runes.

Every heart throbbed in their throats as they held their breath, awaiting the moment of reckoning. Suddenly, a low, guttural roar shattered the silence.

“Bad news!” Officer Fang’s face paled. “It’s... it’s...” Inside the factory, piles of mechanical debris lay like the carcasses of steel monsters, casting grotesque shadows under the dim light. The air was thick with the stench of oil, rust, and the fiends’ putrid odor, sickening to all.

Wu Xia’s plan operated like a finely tuned machine. Each member took their role, stalking like leopards in the shadows, waiting for the prey to fall into their trap.

With a deafening roar, the mutated fiend crashed through the factory gates, a harbinger of destruction. Its crimson eyes swept greedily, sniffing the air for human scent.

“Now!” Chu Feng commanded. At once, the pre-set traps activated. Razor-sharp steel cables coiled like venomous snakes, binding the fiend’s limbs tightly. The hidden team emerged, weapons gleaming coldly like grim reapers’ scythes, striking relentlessly at the creature’s weak points.

The fiend thrashed in fury but could not break free. Its angry roars echoed through the night, helpless as it was slowly devoured. Finally, with Chu Feng’s decisive strike, the beast collapsed like a crumbling mountain, raising clouds of dust.

With the obstacle cleared, the team pressed on toward the base without a moment’s rest. Yet as they neared, a mysterious black mist enveloped the perimeter—a massive ebony cocoon radiating a terrifying pressure.

Expressions hardened; they knew the true crisis was only just beginning. Entering the base, the scene shocked them. Chaos reigned: collapsed buildings, cracked earth, fiends and enemy forces clashed everywhere. Shouts, screams, and explosions intertwined into a hellish symphony.

At the center, a massive black vortex spun slowly, like a devouring black hole, emanating a suffocating aura of evil. “What happened? How did the base become like this?” Pan Yue asked with trembling voice, disbelief in her eyes.

“We’re too late...” Chu Feng’s face darkened, his gaze fixed on the vortex, a foreboding chill rising in his heart.

Wu Xia scanned the surroundings, brows knitted, a sharp light flickering in her eyes. “Something’s wrong. Besides the fiends, there’s someone else here...” Suddenly, a cold voice emerged from the darkness: “Welcome to my domain...”