Chapter 23: Red Tide Ambush

“What happened?”

Chen Jing’s urgent voice came through the channel.

The audio quality in the headset was usually excellent but now it seemed somewhat unclear.

Under the red moon it felt like every fish was screaming at the top of its lungs painting a scene of indescribable madness. They writhed their mouths gasping their tails slapping violently against the ground. The sounds pouring from them seemed to coalesce into a terrifying power wave after wave like sharp needles piercing the brain bombarding the ears of Lu Xin and the others relentlessly.

In this situation the three Investigation Team members clutched their guns nervously glancing around forgetting even to answer.

“It’s the pollution source…”

In his urgency Lu Xin only managed to shout these few words.

“Quick…”

Chen Jing’s voice followed immediately sounding like she was rushing to issue a command.

“Whoosh…”

But just then a crimson tide surged rapidly towards Lu Xin and the three Investigation Team members.

The red tide resembled the red moonlight descending from the sky imbued with its own consciousness. It swept up many of the fish struggling and screaming on the lakebed moving with extraordinary speed. In the blink of an eye it crashed upon Lu Xin and the others. Simultaneously popping sounds erupted as all the fish exploded under this force showering the area with blood and shredded flesh.

Lu Xin and the three Investigation Team members had almost no time to react before they were struck by the force thrown back four or five meters landing hard in the mud. Covered in countless fish scales and muck they looked utterly wretched.

But it wasn’t over. Under the red moon several faint shadows flickered past.

Almost instantly the three Investigation Team members were yanked violently into the air struggling desperately.

The instruments and other items in their hands tumbled to the ground.

From a headset lying in the mud Chen Jing’s frantic shout could be heard: “Retreat immediately! Quick…”

…

…

Three fully armed soldiers suddenly suspended in mid-air—the scene was both bizarre and terrifying.

The soldiers responsible for the cordon in the distance stared wide-eyed at the sight.

Lu Xin however wasn’t lifted into the air. Just as he scrambled up from the ground he saw a figure charge towards him.

This figure was dark red with arms outstretched as if trying to embrace him.

At such speed Lu Xin had almost no chance to dodge. But in that critical moment a small cold hand suddenly gripped his own. In that same instant Lu Xin’s speed became strangely erratic. He pushed off the ground with one hand twisted his waist and flipped sideways landing two or three meters back neatly avoiding the figure’s “embrace”.

It was Sister who had arrived beside him just in time pulling him away.

Looking forward again Lu Xin couldn’t help but feel his pupils constrict slightly.

By now the three Investigation Team members were floating in mid-air. Their postures were stiff and contorted still showing signs of struggle but clearly not under their own control. Looking closely one could see a blurry eerie red shadow clinging tightly to each of their backs gripping their arms and entwining their legs.

And behind these shadows faint vine-like tendrils stretched towards the pool of water in the center of the lake.

…

…

“It’s a mental impact…”

Soon the voice of information analyst Han Bing came through the channel. Her usually somewhat timid voice was almost distorted with urgency: “Based on the data transmitted back from the instruments just now a mental power burst of at least nearly two hundred energy levels was detected! Confirmed super-level mental monster has appeared! Confirmed mental plague outbreak is occurring!”

“Pollution source infection level raised to Medium Danger level temporarily raised to High…”

“…”

Hearing this Chen Jing instinctively took a deep breath and shouted: “Lu Xin retreat!”

At the same time Han Bing’s voice followed closely: “Watch out for your Investigation Team comrades…”

Almost simultaneously with their voices everyone on guard nearby saw the three armed personnel of the Investigation Team suspended in the air. Their faces turned blue from the painful struggle yet their hands and feet seemed driven by an invisible force. Slowly they turned around and with twisted grotesque movements raised their guns.

They seemed to be fighting back with all their might but couldn’t overcome the force controlling them. Suddenly their muzzles flashed.

As bullets rained down one could faintly hear the bearded team leader’s strained cry: “Get down!”

“Swish” “Swish” “Swish”

Bullets struck the ground splattering mud everywhere.

The instant the bullets fell Lu Xin had already dashed behind a muddy slope crouching low.

Han Bing was shouting: “Target suspected to be a super-level mental monster! Three armed personnel from the Investigation Team are infected! Recommend immediate withdrawal of surviving investigation personnel and deployment of the City Patrol Team to eliminate the mental monster with covering fire!”

“Agreed!”

Chen Jing’s cold voice rang out: “Also prepare a helicopter immediately! I’m heading to the scene!”

Simultaneously she added urgently to Lu Xin: “Lu Xin withdraw at once! Order everyone to fall back five hundred meters…”

“I can’t leave!”

Just then Lu Xin suddenly spoke interrupting her in a low voice.

Chen Jing was taken aback: “What?”

Lu Xin said: “Those three soldiers from the Investigation Team aren’t infected yet just controlled. Besides…”

He abruptly turned his head glancing back. A thousand meters away the City Patrol Soldiers maintaining the cordon were just staring blankly at the three figures in the air—three living people floating and suddenly firing at their own comrades. The scene had stunned them.

Lu Xin whispered: “There’s no escape!”

Chen Jing suddenly realized something shouting: “You…”

“I’ll handle it!”

By this time Lu Xin had already stated his decision.

“Dangerous…”

As Chen Jing yelled these two words Lu Xin had already looked to his left.

Sister crouched beside him offering him a smile that was clearly hideous and eerie yet somehow seemed brilliant.

He then nodded to Sister and charged out abruptly.

At that moment the three Investigation Team members hovering in their original positions couldn’t hit Lu Xin hiding behind the mud slope. Propelled by an unseen force they slowly drifted attempting to find a suitable firing angle. They didn’t expect Lu Xin to suddenly jump out himself charging straight towards them in an incredibly reckless manner.

Under the control of some power their guns simultaneously aimed at Lu Xin.

The three men squeezed their eyes shut unable to watch but still pulled the triggers uncontrollably.

Bullets rained down madly towards Lu Xin.

But as Lu Xin burst out from behind the mud slope he extended his hand to the side while running.

Sister ran beside him extending her hand too.

Two hands one large and one small clasped together. Lu Xin’s figure instantly blurred.

As if transforming from human to ghost.