Ling Chen’s figure slowly solidified within the quiet room of his Shengjing residence.
The long-distance spatial teleportation left behind a deep-seated fatigue and an almost greedy craving for energy.
His face was ashen, and he sat cross-legged, gripping a high-purity energy crystal core in each hand.
A subtle energy flow, slow but steady, repaired the immense depletion caused by the teleportation.
His consciousness, however, did not sink into dormancy; instead, under the control of absolute rationality, it coolly reviewed his brief but crucial trip to Jiu'an City, like a detached observer.
“Zhuang Han… his desire for slaughter has grown stronger,” Ling Chen assessed.
“Directing him to attack those small and medium-sized bases, creating panic, and drawing the Central Special Operations Bureau’s attention is the best way to utilize him.”
“It will both give him something to do, preventing him from challenging The Boulder, that tough bone, too early and breaking his teeth, and truly stir up the waters.”
“Lin Mo…”
At the thought of that name, an extremely cold glint flashed in Ling Chen’s eyes, and the dark silver, ruthlessly flowing metallic figure from his previous life reappeared.
“In this life, you will not get away with reaching that stage so easily. The internal strife at Panshi Fortress is just the beginning.”
“I will make all your research fraught with difficulties.”
He knew that the current Lin Mo was far from a significant threat, and his research into mechanical ascension must be in its early stages, perhaps even still exploring the direction.
But this was the most dangerous period.
—Once he broke through a critical technological node, his development speed would explode exponentially.
“I must continuously apply pressure,” Ling Chen decided.
“Let Zhuang Han’s attacks be relentless, making Qin Weiguo overwhelmed and unable to fully support Lin Mo, or even forcing him to constantly demand weapons from Lin Mo to counter the threats, thereby delaying his core research progress.”
“At the same time, here in Shengjing, I must also accelerate my pace.”
Ling Chen’s gaze drifted out the window, as if penetrating layers of barriers, seeing the intricate power structure of the Hunter Guild.
“I need higher authority, closer access to core information channels, to more effectively utilize the Guild’s resources, and perhaps… in the future, even leverage the Guild’s power to ‘visit’ Panshi Fortress.”
The recovery process lasted an entire morning.
When Ling Chen opened his eyes again, his aura was as calm as still water, as if nothing had happened.
He stood up and changed into the combat uniform that represented his position as the acting captain of the Ash Squad.
At the same time, a touch of weariness and solemnity appropriately appeared on his face.
He perfectly played the role of a young captain who had just experienced the pain of losing a friend and was burdened with the pressure of rebuilding his team.
He walked out of the quiet room, preparing to head to the training grounds as usual.
…
Jiu'an City region, Linghui Academy.
After Ling Chen left, Zhuang Han fell into extreme excitement and frenzy.
The return of his master (though brief) and the new command acted like the strongest stimulant, injected into his already bloodthirsty nerves.
He was no longer content with minor hunts and passive defense.
His master’s command was clear: create chaos, spread fear, and attract the attention of the “Central Special Operations Bureau”!
“Roar—!!!”
He let out an earth-shattering roar, summoning all the mutant leaders with a certain level of consciousness.
“Master has commanded!”
Zhuang Han’s crimson pupils swept over his subordinates, the various-shaped leaders exuding a fierce aura.
“From today onwards, our prey has changed!”
His bone claws pointed into the distance: “‘Torch’ Base! ‘Dawn’ Outpost!”
“And all the small human settlements we can find! Crush them! Kill them all! But remember, let some escape, let them cry, let them scream, let them tell everyone that we did it!”
The mutant leaders let out excited roars; slaughter and destruction were their most primal instincts.
Soon, raiding parties, each led by a Bone Eater Realm leader and using lower-tier ghouls as cannon fodder, surged towards the previously relatively peaceful small and medium-sized human survivor strongholds.
The battles were often one-sided massacres.
The stone walls of the “Torch” Base were torn apart like paper under the mutants’ frenzied assault.
Screams, cries, and explosions erupted one after another.
Zhuang Han even personally took action, transforming into a terrifying bone mastiff, easily destroying the base’s only firepower.
Then, he drove the desperate survivors out, letting them run into the wilderness with endless fear.
The same tragedy unfolded at the “Dawn” Outpost and several other small strongholds.
News spread like wildfire, accompanied by the wails and fear of the survivors.
It quickly spread through the survivor circles around Jiu'an City.
“The monsters of Linghui Academy have gone mad!”
“They kill everyone they see! Not for resources at all!”
“That bone-armored monster leader! He’s terrifyingly strong!”
“Help! Who can save us!”
Panic was spreading.
Some small strongholds began to spontaneously migrate to farther areas or tried to move towards Panshi Fortress for aid.
…
Panshi Fortress, Command Center.
Qin Weiguo quickly received the relevant reports.
Looking at the several strongholds marked “fallen” or “severely damaged” on the map, his brows furrowed tightly.
“Linghui Academy… Zhuang Han…”
He tapped on the table, his face grim.
“What do they want? Pure expansion and slaughter? Or… another purpose?”
He instinctively linked this report to the Academy of Sciences’ rebellion a few days ago.
Did Lin Mo’s madness stimulate those mutants? Or was there a deeper connection behind this?
“Increase the intensity of outer patrols and receive fleeing survivors.”
“At the same time, order the forward reconnaissance team to closely monitor all movements of Linghui Academy. I want to know what Zhuang Han plans to do next!”
Qin Weiguo gave the order, the sense of unease in his heart growing stronger.
He subconsciously thought of his “deal” with Lin Mo.
Perhaps it was time to press for the progress of the “Dragon Blood Weapon.”
…
Shengjing Underground City, Hunter Guild Mission Hall.
Ling Chen, as usual, browsed the mission list, seemingly earnestly selecting suitable missions for the Ash Squad.
His gaze swept over the mission descriptions, but his mind had already wandered elsewhere.
‘Zhuang Han should have already started his actions…’
He calmly speculated.
‘Panic should be spreading. Soon, these messages will flow through certain channels into Shengjing, and even… into the ears of the Central Special Operations Bureau.’
‘Panshi Fortress, Jiu'an City… these two places will soon become the focus.’
What he needed was a focal point.
Only when the waters were muddied could he, this “fish,” better hide himself and seize opportunities.
At this moment, he noticed a newly posted mission brief, and his pupils subtly shifted.
“Mission Number: B-41”
“Mission Level: High Risk”
“Mission Location: Outer Zone Buffer, near the Western Rift Zone”
“Mission Objective: Escort a Central Academy of Sciences exploration team to the Western Rift Zone for geological and energy anomaly exploration (possibly related to recent energy pulses), and ensure their safe return.”
“Mission Requirements: The team must possess extremely strong wilderness survival and escort capabilities, with at least one Limit Breaking Stage member or two Peak Energy Condensation members.”
“Mission Rewards: 3000 Contribution Points, 100 Central Special Operations Bureau Friendship Points, Special Technology Equipment Exchange Authority (optional)”
“Issuing Unit: Central Special Operations Bureau (coordinated by the Hunter Guild)”
Central Academy of Sciences! Exploration team! Western Rift Zone (near Jiu'an City direction)! Energy pulse!
Several keywords were instantly captured by Ling Chen.
The corner of his mouth curved into a barely perceptible, icy arc.
Oh? So, they want me to take the bait.
The prelude to chaos had already begun.