Panshi Fortress, Central Command Room.
The atmosphere was as heavy as cast iron.
On the gigantic holographic sandbox, the light representing the “Panshi Outpost” had dimmed and extinguished, replaced by a large, constantly flickering crimson area, signifying high concentrations of death energy and mutant activity, like an ugly scar branded onto the map of Jiu'an City.
Commander Qin Weiguo stood before the sandbox, his back to the senior military officers and elite ability users behind him. His figure was as heavy as a mountain, yet it exuded an anger suppressed to its extreme.
He held a specially made military electrolyte cigarette between his fingers, smoke curling around him, but it couldn't dispel the chill in the air.
“Annihilated… two hundred thirty-seven defenders, forty-five ability users… including Commander Colonel Zhao Yonggang…”
His voice was low and hoarse, every word seemingly squeezed through his teeth, “Overrun, slaughtered, and even… devoured…”
He suddenly turned around, his gaze sweeping over everyone present like an eagle. The grief and murderous intent in his eyes made everyone involuntarily straighten their backs and hold their breath.
“A disgrace! This is an unprecedented humiliation since the establishment of the Panshi Fortress!”
Qin Weiguo slammed his fist onto the alloy conference table, producing a dull thud!
“A permanent outpost, operated for nearly four months and armed to the teeth, was actually breached by a group of mutants! The defenders couldn't even fully send out a distress signal!”
“Commander, please calm down!”
A staff officer quickly said.
“According to residual images and energy analysis, the leader of this attack, the mutant ‘Zhuang Han,’ is suspected to have broken through to the Hundred Forms Realm (corresponding to Limit Breaking Stage for ability users)! And several Bone Eater Stage Peak leaders have appeared under his command! They adopted an extremely frenzied suicidal charge and used some unknown method to interfere with the outpost's energy shield generator…”
“Hundred Forms Realm? Bone Eater Stage Peak?”
Qin Weiguo sneered, the cold light in his eyes intensifying.
“Is that the reason? Since when do we, The Boulder Military Region’s iron defense line, need to make excuses based on the enemy's level?!”
The staff officer was silent as a cicada in winter.
“Intelligence department dereliction of duty! Early warning system failure! Frontline Commander underestimation of the enemy!”
Qin Weiguo's string of accusations lowered the temperature in the command room by several degrees. “But now is not the time to assign blame! There is only one thing to do now—”
His finger heavily tapped the crimson area on the sandbox: “Revenge! And reclaim our lost dignity!”
“Order!”
Qin Weiguo's voice suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable iron-blooded will.
“First, immediately activate the ‘Iron Wall’ emergency plan, raising the alert level of the fortress and all outer strongholds to the highest! Second, the intelligence department will exert all its efforts; I want all detailed information regarding ‘Zhuang Han’ and his lair, ‘Linghui Academy,’ within twenty-four hours! Third…”
His gaze swept over the most powerful figures in the crowd.
“Form a ‘Purge Task Force’! Mission objective: penetrate deep into Jiu'an City, locate Zhuang Han and his main leaders, annihilate them! And completely destroy the Linghui Academy mutant lair!”
“Third team…” Qin Weiguo's gaze became somewhat complex, finally landing on a relatively young team, but one with a very special member configuration.
“‘Dawn’ Squad! Captain, Li Mingyu! Vice-Captain, Lin Wei!”
At the front of the team, three young men and women stepped forward.
Li Mingyu, his physique even more robust and muscular than a year ago, like a human tyrannosaur.
But his formerly honest and cheerful face now bore a hideous scar from his brow bone to his jaw, and his eyes were steady and sharp, even carrying a hint of imperceptible gloom.
His ability, Buli (Brute Force), had already advanced to the Energy Condensation Stage Peak, his strength terrifyingly absolute.
Ling Chen's betrayal and massacre, his best brother Xiong Yan dying before his eyes, had a huge impact on him, stripping away all his naivety, making him silent and fierce.
Lin Wei, Commander Qin's granddaughter, had grown even more beautiful and refined, but the former childishness and willfulness in her brows were gone, replaced by a calm and capable demeanor, even a hint of faint fatigue and vigilance. Her ability, Bianwei (Discern Micro), had reached the Energy Condensation Stage, allowing her keen observation and the ability to detect energy flow and disguises.
She once had a vague fondness for Ling Chen, but that bloody betrayal completely shattered everything, making her mature rapidly and making it harder for her to trust others.
Chen Xue, standing slightly behind, still had a somewhat pale face, her eyes carrying an lingering sadness and fragility, but deep within lay an unusual resilience.
Her healing ability, Silver Shepherd's Light, was remarkably effective for mental trauma, but she herself seemed not to have fully recovered from that great upheaval. She had once deeply admired the sunny and reliable “Ling Chen,” and after learning the truth, she suffered a mental breakdown. Although she had managed to recover, her personality had become extremely introverted and sensitive, and she almost no longer communicated with the opposite sex.
Besides them, there were two other people in the team.
Zhou Yunguang, his face haggard, his eyes filled with resentment and a deeply hidden trace of fear.
His light-type ability, Angel's Gaze, was immensely powerful, but a year ago, Ling Chen had secretly tampered with it, leaving behind a hard-to-heal internal injury. Every time he used it at full power, he suffered a backlash, greatly diminishing his strength. To this day, he still believed it was a “sequela” caused by his eagerness for quick results.
Lin Fan, a young military officer with a stern expression and snake-like eyes.
His good brother and closest friend, Xiong Yan, was killed by Ling Chen's own hands. His hatred for Ling Chen was the purest and most intense among everyone. His ability was Shadow Bind, specializing in control and assassination.
This “Dawn” squad was almost entirely composed of direct victims and those related to Ling Chen's (Ling Chen's) past betrayal.
Qin Weiguo formed them into a team with profound intentions—both to temper them and to hope they could personally wash away the humiliation.
“Your mission is to assist Central Command, responsible for flank clearing, intelligence support, and battlefield medical aid. At the same time…”
Qin Weiguo looked at them sharply, “I want you to observe Zhuang Han and his subordinates' fighting styles up close, especially… whether they exhibit a strange control and evolutionary ability similar to ‘Ling Chen’.”
Upon hearing the name “Ling Chen,” the eyes of everyone in the Dawn squad instantly changed! Hatred, pain, fear, anger… complex emotions intertwined!
Li Mingyu's fists clenched, cracking, Lin Wei pursed her lips, Chen Xue's face grew paler, resentment flashed in Zhou Yunguang's eyes, and Lin Fan showed undisguised murderous intent.
“Do you understand?!” Qin Weiguo asked sternly.
“Understood! Commander!” The five replied in unison, their voices filled with unsuppressed hatred and determination.
Qin Weiguo gave them a deep look, then waved his hand: “Go prepare! Depart in one hour!”
The three squads received their orders and quickly left the command room.
Watching their retreating figures, a trace of imperceptible fatigue and worry flashed in Qin Weiguo's eyes. He turned and looked at Chu Hang, who had been silently standing in the shadows.