Chapter 426: Shattered Plans and Broken Faces

“Bastard…”

The several bullet holes in the Priest’s body inflicted endless agony.

More than that, there was a fury so intense it threatened to obliterate every shred of his reason.

He simply couldn’t accept that, as a Knight of the Technology Church, he had fallen at the hands of a mere child. Besides, his opponent looked barely adult and hardly like a true Soldier, for fear had already rendered his body trembling.

Could a child—one who trembled at the thought of having shot someone—truly defeat him?

This was something the Priest could never abide.

Driven almost to a scream, he summoned his last ounce of strength and reached out to open a silver case.

Questions had been asked before; at that moment, he only wanted to open the case.

Yet as he moved, the child across from him did nothing to stop him.

The child’s only flaw was his cowardice—he was so frightened he even forgot to block this crucial move.

Bang!

Just as the Priest’s hand rested on the case’s lid, a bullet glowing with a blue electric arc flew through the air.

It appeared this bullet had been meticulously planned. It wasn’t aimed at the Priest himself, for fear of warping his power—it hit the ground between his legs. But as soon as it landed, a burst of blue arcs exploded outward, affecting the Priest.

The Priest’s body convulsed like it was electrocution, and the hand that had been on the case grew weak.

The case suddenly felt as if it weighed several hundred pounds; his feeble wrist could no longer pry it open.

Loss of blood from his wounds left him extremely debilitated.

After all, he wasn’t of the Spider-type; unlike those who maintain superhuman combat abilities after being struck, he could not.

Swish!

At the same moment, from a position by the riverbed, the Drunkard and Chen Jing charged forward.

Chen Jing kicked away both of the Priest’s hands and then fired relentlessly at his left and right arms.

The barrage of bullets left his hands mangled.

Next, she targeted his legs and ankles, spraying bullets to completely strip him of any possibility of movement.

Meanwhile, the Drunkard quickly closed in and flung an Ability Inhibitor Collar around his waist, its clasp snapping shut automatically.

The battle was over.

……

Both the Drunkard and Chen Jing exhaled in relief before raising their hands and signaling to the Gecko, who was lurking in the distance as a sniper.

One dashed toward the Bear Child, while the other sprinted toward the Godly Woman lying in the tall grass at the back.

Fortunately, the Bear Child wasn’t injured—only frightened stiff.

Tears welled in his eyes as he stammered, “I… I never meant to really hurt him.”

“It’s alright, it’s alright…”

Chen Jing met his gaze and gently advised, “You didn’t do it on purpose; that man wasn’t hurt because of you…”

“…He pulled himself in.”

Her voice was soft, her pupils slightly reddened.

In a brief moment of confusion, the Bear Child’s expression cleared as his emotions gradually steadied.

Only then did Chen Jing feel a measure of relief.

After all, the Bear Child was one she had recruited—indeed, he was still a minor.

His ability was quite useful—built on a foundation of mischief.

Perhaps because his pranks never truly harmed anyone, his power was all the more elusive to opponents, a fact that had clearly captivated the strangely gifted Priest.

Yet his weakness was equally evident.

He was just a child, easily frightened.

Especially when his ability actually inflicted real harm—the result was a mysterious backlash.

That’s why Chen Jing was determined to make him temporarily forget the ordeal, so as to spare him a severe emotional shock.

At the same time, the Drunkard had already scooped up the now limp Godly Woman.

From the surface, it seemed the Godly Woman had suffered the worst. Although her bulletproof vest had saved her from the full brunt of the Priest’s double-barreled shotgun rounds, the impact still left several rib fractures in her chest.

Later, a specially warped bullet fired by the Priest struck her shoulder, compounding her injuries and throwing her mind into disarray.

“Quick… take a look…”

Still half-conscious, the Godly Woman weakly reached upward, her red lips murmuring,

“See… has my makeup run?”

“…”

“No, no—it still looks fine…”

The Drunkard inspected her wounds with a slight sense of relief and then sighed helplessly, “Kids these days…”

“Their makeup is really not good…”

“…”

In the distance, the tall grass trembled as the Gecko, carrying a long-range sniper rifle, sprinted over, asking, “Are you alright? Are you okay?”

“Is anyone hurt?”

“I told you I should handle close combat; you all insisted I take the cold shots…”

“…”

After surveying the entire battlefield, Chen Jing waved her hand and took a deep breath, saying, “Thankfully, with the combined abilities of the five of us, we managed to subdue him without any fatalities. We have to admit that the power of the Technology Church is formidable—this wish-based ability of his is completely undocumented in Qinggang’s records…”

“Yeah, what exactly is that power?”

The Gecko shuddered as he replayed the battle in his mind.

For the first time, he realized that even a bullet he was sure would fire correctly had chosen to rebel.

“Initial guess—it must be his surrounding mental force field…”

Chen Jing fixed a deep look on the Priest and explained, “Ever since he appeared before us, he had activated a kind of mental force field. It seems he can refract and warp both our abilities and bullets by adjusting the forces within that field. Anything approaching him first enters this field, granting him some measure of control…”

“But he probably can only manipulate it when he’s sure of his opponent’s true intentions.”

“No one can decipher the Bear Child’s intent, so…”

“…”

“It’s not only about his power.”

The Drunkard, still cradling the Godly Woman, joined them. Setting her down on a soft patch of tall grass, he turned and remarked, “I suspect that beyond his own power, he’s developed some kind of extension. The fact that he can counter the attacks of several of us at once indicates he’s entered the Second Stage—and his continuous application of his ability isn’t typical for just a Second Stage user.”

The Gecko gasped, “Third Stage?”

Chen Jing shook her head and said, “If he’s in the Third Stage, we might not even get a chance to strike.”

Her eyes swept over him before finally settling on the silver handcase. In a hushed tone she added, “He must have amplified his ability with some sort of parasitic item—the scariest part is that the power of that item…”

“Wasn’t even fully unleashed.”

“…”

Even now, she could still recall the Priest’s frantic effort to open that silver case.

Recalling the nail-biting moment earlier, even she couldn’t help but feel a lingering shiver of dread.

“Once the Godly Woman regains consciousness, we’ll know the results of her investigation.”

The Drunkard glanced at the still half-unconscious Godly Woman, sighed softly, and turned to find his Thermos Cup.

He added, “But odds are, the core of the Second Plan is hidden in that case.”

Chen Jing nodded slightly and said, “Mission accomplished.”

She then turned her head with a trace of worry and added, “I just hope the Single Soldiers are holding up back there.”

……

Smack!

A pair of specially tailored, modified military boots stomped down on a shattered face—reducing the thin mask-like visage, with eyes and mouth still twitching uncontrollably, to dust. Lu Xin slowly headed toward the Modified Car.

The Doll obediently followed behind, glancing up at him with a look of admiration.

The entire stretch of the Road had descended into chaos. Cracked asphalt, huge patches ripped up, and piles of rubble scattered on both sides—with scratches from sharp blades, drill-like marks, and even gouges that looked as if carved by vicious teeth. It was as if the whole area had been bombarded repeatedly.

Not a single Mental Monster that had once invaded this valley could be seen.

Meanwhile, both Sister and Father wore satisfied smiles—one crouched atop the car singing happily,

while the other savored the moment from within Lu Xin’s shadow.

Lu Xin himself, however, was less pleased—he thought their assault had been excessively brutal.

Yet, he wasn’t overly concerned about the impression it left.

At least, the Doll didn’t seem frightened—her little face flushed with joy.

Earlier, when facing the Mental Monster, she showed no sign of fear.

“Now that it’s over, it should be fine, right?”

Lu Xin approached the car and, glancing at Mom in the back seat, asked quietly.

Usually, Lu Xin rarely spoke directly to his family in front of others—but with the Doll present, he had no such reservations.

“Taking them down was always simple enough.”

Mom smiled and said, “The real question is: why did we let them out in the first place?”

Lu Xin nodded, then looked north. His view was blocked by a mountain; he could see nothing.

Yet, he knew that across the Wasteland, countless people stood weary and bewildered in place—some with fanatic expressions still lingering, others with eyes tiredly scanning their surroundings, their shadows stretching long.

Some had monsters embedded in their hearts, while others had no idea of their own state.

So, what was the true purpose of the Technology Church’s Second Plan?

……

“Regardless of their reasoning, the Technology Church’s Second Plan has been shattered.”

Mom sighed softly, then turned to look west; through a narrow gap in the road, she could just make out a small Town shrouded in distorted air and dense fog that obscured every detail.

“It’s time we uncovered the true purpose of the Technology Church.”