Chapter Seventy-Nine: The City Under Lockdown

“Shut up!” Unable to endure the incessant clamor of the pale mask in his mind any longer, Qi Chen let out a furious roar. The outburst drew the attention of the four armed men back to him; the one wielding the grenade launcher ignored the corpses littering the ground around him, raised his weapon with a cold, indifferent expression, and aimed straight at Qi Chen’s head before pulling the trigger with a click.

Whoosh!

The grenade whistled through the air, spinning rapidly, slicing through the atmosphere with an unstoppable force meant to tear through flesh and bone. Yet, unlike the previous shot, this grenade did not detonate. Instead, it halted mid-air, as if seized by an invisible, giant hand.

The next moment, the grenade was hurled back, faster than it had been fired!

Boom!

Along with the armored vehicle, several men in Special Task Force uniforms were engulfed in flames before they could even scream; the explosion erupted right among them, and with the combined blast from the grenade launcher and the vehicle, survival was impossible.

All that remained on the ground were scattered limbs.

Qi Chen steadied himself, rising shakily, and walked toward the blazing wreckage. The street was still in chaos—more and more citizens with bloodshot eyes filled the thoroughfare, as if lunatics had taken over the city. The crazed shouts of the red-eyed mob mingled with the cries and pleas of innocent citizens, and even the hazy air and the tower’s lights seemed shrouded in a bloody shadow.

“Captain Fu… I was attacked.” Qi Chen picked up a badge from the fallen assailant, noticing it lacked the identification code of the Special Task Force—clearly, these were infiltrators.

“The enemy disguised themselves as Special Task Force members, armed with large-scale lethal weapons. I’ve eliminated them all and intend to proceed to the mission site…”

Far away, Fu Ying, hair disheveled at the temporary command center, listened to Qi Chen’s feeble report through her earpiece, her expression growing darker. The Intelligence Analysis Department, which had rushed to assist, was behind her, frantically coordinating investigations into the city’s bizarre incidents; she was also aware of the large-scale riot erupting across the city.

“Mask, you’ve worked hard.

“You don’t need to carry out your previous mission now—come to the temporary command center immediately and rendezvous with me!”

Receiving Fu Ying’s address, Qi Chen glanced back at the hellish scene behind him, unconsciously clenching his fists.

He knew that similarly brutal scenes were unfolding throughout Zone Three. Though Fu Ying had not told him the current casualties, her unusually somber tone allowed Qi Chen to imagine the tremendous losses the city had suffered.

And all of this… was the result of a few people's schemes.

...

...

“Captain Fu.”

Rushing without pause, Qi Chen finally arrived at the command center. His appearance drew curious looks from the many intelligence analysts present. The intense scent of blood clung to him, and his simple clothes were stained with fresh blood, evidence of what he had endured along the way.

“Come in,” Fu Ying called from within the hastily assembled command tent, and Qi Chen entered without hesitation.

Fu Ying was not alone. Refracted Light, the gentle man, and Old Lord were there as well, along with one or two faces unfamiliar to Qi Chen. Notably, Old Lord now resembled Qi Chen—his golden hair matted and clumped with blood, his once proud features now hardened and murderous.

Fu Ying got straight to the point, standing at the forefront with her hands braced on the long table, her gaze sweeping over Qi Chen and the others.

“As of now, there are three unresolved incidents of the first wave, and only one from the second wave—the Candy Anomaly.”

Qi Chen was surprised that the Anomaly Handling Department had managed to resolve four cases in such a short time. Still, he could understand it; after all, this was a department with deep foundations in a city of countless years, sure to have its own hidden cards. Among the incidents, there must have been both difficult and easy cases.

“But now, aside from the anomalies, we face several even more critical matters,” Fu Ying said, her expression icy. “Just two hours ago, headquarters was attacked. The enemy’s target was clear—they aimed directly for our anomaly item repository.

“Fortunately, the defenders stationed there repelled the attack; not a single anomaly item was lost.”

This first revelation shocked the assembled anomaly handlers, followed swiftly by a surge of anger.

As the sole anomaly-handling organization in Zone Three, the department possessed years’ worth of collected anomaly items, some contained and controlled, others confiscated as weapons. The enemy had chosen this as their breakthrough, a level of malice beyond imagination.

If the repository’s contents had been detonated, Zone Three would now be a slaughterhouse.

“Meanwhile, Special Task Force units and some anomaly handlers on duty throughout the city have been attacked. The enemy is disguised in our uniforms, posing as our own.

“They’re even using our standard weapons!”

Fu Ying’s words made the situation clear.

Qi Chen stared at her, suppressing the restless fury inside, eager to hear her next move.

“From this moment, the City Guard will enforce a total lockdown. All exits in Zone Three will be sealed; no one will leave or enter.

“I require you to resolve the remaining anomalies as quickly as possible. In combat, prioritize your own lives and those of the citizens—you are authorized to eliminate any enemy encountered!

“At the same time, we’ll use communication systems to inform the entire city, instructing citizens to stay home and minimize further spread of anomalies.”

Fu Ying issued commands decisively. Qi Chen could sense the city shifting into high gear.

From now on, they would fight for survival in a sealed city against enemies lurking in the shadows!

Who, then, was the mastermind behind all this?

What other tricks did they still have?

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