Chapter 135: Battlefield Crisis

Ladies and gentlemen, forgive me—I won’t be joining you any longer.

The frontline is in chaos—I need reinforcements immediately!

Inside the temporary command center, Xiao Hai, anxious yet pretending to know nothing, nodded to Chen Yong and the others before hurrying off to the front.

Although he suspected that the sudden appearance of the Merchant Guild and the deputy commander of Northern Town were likely orchestrated by Yenir, he chose to play dumb.

The battle on the frontline was desperate; in just over twenty minutes, the Awakener forces began suffering heavy losses.

Watching his elite troops fall one after another made his heart ache.

Fortunately, he encountered no Third-Stage Mutants—only a few Second-Stage Peak Mutants appeared.

Thank goodness, we can still hold on…

Exposing the troubles on both sides not only forces the enemy to act but also leaves us in their debt. He refused to believe that their control had truly slipped—would the so-called Third-Stage summon from Yenir really remain inactive?

“Commander Xiao, you take charge.”

“If any issues arise, we’ll lend a hand.”

Zhang Tao forced a smile as he replied nonchalantly. After Xiao Hai departed, the four exchanged puzzled glances, suspicion evident in their eyes.

“Isn’t Lord Ye Lin going to act?”

“They’ve strung us along all day, summoned us to the front, and now that the horde has arrived, they vanish. What’s the plan?”

Zhang Tao snorted coldly in displeasure and, fed up, lit a cigarette.

Had it not been for the Merchant Guild’s Vice President also being present, the cooperative suggestions mediated by Chen Yong would have seemed worthwhile—he even felt his own efforts were wasted.

But Yenir showed no genuine intent; his grand display was simply too much. Such cooperation was beyond what they could accept.

Wang Zheng, courteously lighting a cigarette for Third-Stage Zhang Tao, chuckled as he began his analysis:

“They’re probably waiting for tougher mutants to appear.”

“Striking now would be nothing but a joke. A Third-Stage intermediate dispatching lower-tier mutants is like using a cannon to swat mosquitoes.”

“He seems eager to put on a display—waiting for a high-level mutant to emerge. But I doubt that will happen. Instead, he’s going to show us a Third-Stage versus Second-Stage spectacle.”

“Hahaha… Wang, you do have a way with words!”

“I agree. Promising surprises, but I bet he’ll just end up making us laugh!”

Sitting beside them, Wang Zheng and Chen Yong exchanged a helpless look, anxiety weighing on their hearts. Not having dealt directly with Yenir before, both elder figures had already formed deep prejudices against him. Understandably, since this whole affair was led by two juniors while they, the seasoned old foxes, cared little and weren’t as invested in Yenir’s theatrics.

To win their favor, one needed to demonstrate tangible, visible benefits!

“Uncle Zhang, Lord Ye Lin’s strength is truly impressive. I believe in him…”

Chen Yong forced a few words of praise for Yenir, for in his heart Yenir was someone he valued and hoped to build a connection with. Zhang Tao’s comments implied that if he continued praising, he might as well admit his own lack of discernment.

“Little Chen, I trust the strength of the ally you’ve presented. Uncle believes in your judgment.”

“Don’t worry—even if we have to wait, when he’s done, and if he wants to negotiate, I won’t lose face. But I’ve watched you grow since you were a child, and I still hope to help guide you. Not every Third-Stage intermediate is truly beneficial.”

Sincerely, Zhang Tao tried to reassure him, inwardly sighing. They did need Third-Stage Intermediates, but the value was limited. Chen Yong’s limited contact with higher-ups had only inflated the mutant’s worth in his eyes.

“Exactly—Commander Chen is also a Third-Stage Intermediate, but there’s a huge gap even among them! And don’t get me started on all the hidden power they possess!”

“All right, Commander Zhang, let’s just sit back and watch the show. Let’s see what surprise Lord Ye Lin has planned for us…”

……..

“Ahhh! Ah!”

“Attack!!”

“Fire for suppression! Mutants are launching an assault on our left flank!”

…

“Everyone, follow me—charge in!”

On the chaotic battlefield, an overwhelming tide of undead swarmed like a dark surge, engulfing everything in its path like quicksand.

Agonized screams and wails echoed as soldiers, their flesh being corroded by acid, writhed and cried out in pain. Tank after tank, firing at close range, was tossed into the lines like mere toys by the charging Second-Stage mutants.

Seeing the collapsing defensive line, Xiao Hai’s eyes narrowed. Determined, he prepared to lead the Sharp Knife Unit in a desperate charge to eliminate that Second-Stage Peak mutant, whose head, like a goblet, continuously spewed acidic projectiles.

“Lord Xiao Hai has struck! Let’s move out together!”

Taking a deep breath, Xiao Hai was enveloped in a dark gray luminous aura. Grasping his Giant Battle Sword, he charged into the undead horde like a war god. His blade spun like a tornado, shredding through the masses and carving a blood-soaked path.

After fighting his way deep into the fray,

with a low roar, a burst of deep red aura suddenly erupted around him.

Blood Blade Break!

Unleashing a powerful, blood-red shockwave that consumed much of his spiritual energy, his blade struck the acid-spitting, goblet-headed mutant. In an instant, the mutant halted; its body began to crack in fine fissures and split apart within seconds.

“Commander Xiao’s might is phenomenal!”

Hearing the cheers from the front, Xiao Hai exhaled deeply and quickly withdrew.

Fortunately, he was still capable of taking down most of the undead on his own, sparing many from being killed by that mutant’s acid attack. Catching his breath, he prepared to act once more…

“Boom!!”

“Boom!!”

Before Xiao Hai could form another plan, the ground suddenly trembled violently, toppling many soldiers manning the defenses.

Realizing something was terribly wrong and nearly dragged by the horde, Xiao Hai raced out. In a frantic glance over his shoulder, his face turned ashen.

Not far off, hidden beneath the undead tide, a gigantic centipede-like monster had emerged from underground without anyone noticing.

The tremor had been caused by the creature’s massive body—over twenty meters in length—bursting through the earth.

Feeling the creature’s ominous aura and the rapidly spreading stench of poison in the air, Xiao Hai’s heart sank.

“How could this be…”

“How are there Third-Stages? And not one, but two!”

A chill surged up his spine, as if he had fallen into an ice cavern.

“JIAAA!!”

“JIAA!!!”

After two piercing, prolonged shrieks, the Awakener forces collectively gasped, and many soldiers, realizing the gravity of the situation, wore expressions of despair.

Facing two Third-Stage mutants, it would take at least six Third-Stage Novices to counter them—a challenge far greater than in simulations, and even more so amid the horde!

“It’s over!”

A wave of anguish washed over Xiao Hai as even his hand gripping the battle sword began to tremble. He had believed he could manage alone; if not, that Third-Stage summon supposedly called by Yenir would save them. But now, it all seemed futile!

A searing pain burned in his eyes.

Without hesitation, Xiao Hai dashed back to the command center, intent on ordering an immediate retreat and holding the Safe Zone until Military reinforcements arrived!

“Retreat! Everyone, fall back immediately…”

Yet before his panicked orders could reach the entire force, a massive torrent of energy erupted from a nondescript rooftop in the distance.

Thousands of slashing beams of light burst forth, engulfing everything along their path.

In an instant, a centipede-like insect creature with a hardened shell—capable of deflecting basic Third-Stage attacks—had half of its body vaporized before crashing down with a deafening boom.

The entire battlefield fell silent. Even the weakest Awakener sensed that this attack’s magnitude far exceeded that of an ordinary Third-Stage.

“Who? Who is it!”

Stunned, Xiao Hai turned his gaze toward the rooftop from which the attack had erupted. In that moment, he stared in terror as if he had seen a ghost.

That figure was unbearably familiar.

“Wait… that face looks so recognizable…”

“Who the hell is—”

“Yenir!?”

“Holy shit!?”