NOVPUBBang! Bang! Bang!
Ten steel beams hummed with vibrations. Thirty-two plasma bundling cables ignited with explosive force, while immense invisible psychic power crushed the Abyss Worm in place.
With Wen Zhuo and KIKI holding it down, all nearby squads from the Hunting Corps launched a fierce assault on the worm.
In an instant, fire, shells, electric arcs, energy blasts, and cold weapons—every method imaginable—rained down on the mountainous creature. The once-impenetrable carapace now showed large swathes of damage, its flesh bursting open repeatedly.
The Abyss Worm thrashed wildly. One sweeping blow obliterated the front gates of Xilan Park and several nearby apartment buildings, kicking up clouds of dust.
“Kill it, now!!”
“That thing’s got nothing else—it just burrows. Take it out and the monster tide in the city loses its backup!”
“Go! Go! Go!”
“Don’t let it get away!”
But then—BOOM! Thunder cracked across the sky. Many looked up to see a colossal black shadow looming in the storm. It was circular in shape, barely distinguishable through the blizzard.
Before anyone could get a clear look, a terrifying long limb suddenly swung down from the sky like a pendulum, sweeping toward the street!
“Watch out!”
“Fall back!”
The massive sonic boom shook the very air. The enormous limb came crashing down on Wen Zhuo and KIKI mid-air.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!
The suspended limb looked like a giant celestial pillar descending from the heavens. It swept across the entire street in a single strike, unleashing a chain of explosions.
The impact sent KIKI and the others flying.
“Ahhh!”
Her psychic barrier nearly shattered. KIKI coughed up blood as they were blasted toward the distant monster swarm.
Several Hunting Corps squads were thrown off immediately, disappearing from sight—no telling how many casualties.
In mid-air, Han Jun frantically summoned his water ability, forming a massive tidal wave that came crashing down. At sub-zero temps, it froze into solid ice instantly, turning half the monster tide into ice sculptures beneath the surface.
Wen Zhuo, gritting his teeth through the pain, used magnetic force to grab the belts of a few allies and flew toward a nearby high-rise. Qin Xueming landed first, unleashing a burst of energy that blasted apart the Snow Wraiths and Snow Fiends crowding the rooftop.
“It’s that S-class Eerie Entity!”
“How is it out this soon?!”
“Look! The worm is retreating!” Han Jun shouted.
Roooooar!
With an earth-shaking screech, the Abyss Worm snapped all the plasma cables and, amid a booming tremor, burrowed back underground.
Wen Zhuo kept one eye on the black shadow in the sky while checking in with the Hunting Corps.
“All squads, report status!”
“Team 13 is gone—monster tide’s too heavy over here!”
“Team 28, get to the rescue, they’re pinned down!”
“Look out above—ahh!!”
“Fall back!”
Chaos filled the comms.
Staring at the collapsed blocks and thick smoke, the members of Hunter Squad 1 all looked grim.
“That thing in the sky… f**king vanished again...”
Qin Xueming looked up. The shadow that had just loomed within the blizzard had once again disappeared. The lingering pressure from earlier still gripped everyone’s hearts.
Even the ever-calm Wen Zhuo and Han Jun looked shaken.
“Quick, rescue the wounded first!”
Things had completely spiraled beyond the original battle plan. Forget the S-class Eerie—they hadn’t even managed to take out the worm on time.
With sinkholes and monster tides flooding into the city from every direction, Wen Zhuo had no choice but to adapt.
“Execute the backup plan—lure the worm toward the north side. We’ve got stronger firepower there!”
“Roger!”
KIKI, anxious, grabbed Fire Bro and Qin Xueming, taking off toward the open air corridor. The disaster at the eastern steelworks weighed on her mind—would the same happen in the north?
But the Hunting Corps could no longer hold the tide. They could only retreat toward fortified zones. Wen Zhuo had already sent a message to He Zhen, and the triangular defense line in the northern sector was fully engulfed in flames of war.
Tat-tat-tat! Boom-boom-boom!
In the plaza outside the rail station, Zhongzhi Avenue boiled with chaos under darkness. Dozens of ring-shaped searchlights painted the avenue a ghastly white. Everywhere the beams swept revealed nerve-wracking monster swarms.
Buildings, rooftops, and high-rises were crawling with Snow Fiends. In the sky, Winged Demons blotted out the clouds.
Over a thousand heavy machine guns roared in unison, bathing the plaza in metal. Flak cannons fired furiously into the sky, weaving a dense anti-air grid.
Inside the station, twenty-two Doomsday Train cars screamed with firepower. Missiles from Longshan No.1 and Monica Queen exploded across land and sky.
High-energy turrets at the weapon stations spewed plasma streams, mowing down the incoming monster tide across the tracks and behind residential zones.
Aboard the Infinite Train, two 1130 CIWS systems turned the sky into shredded metal, annihilating Winged Demons with tungsten-core rounds, reducing carbon-based flesh to ash.
Zzzzzap!
With a screech, the G3 Electromagnetic Railgun carved blue arcs through the night, silhouetting the oppressive vortex in the stormy sky.
Up front, more than ten mechas stood atop container-based fortresses, unleashing nonstop fire onto the streets below.
The Sally’s electric arc pulse stringers detonated in rhythmic bursts, igniting clusters of plasma sparks.
Sasha’s pupils reflected waterfalling data from the fire control system. The Fire God Mecha’s twin rotary cannons glowed molten red. Gritting her teeth, she pushed the mecha’s output to its very limits.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Countless explosions tore through the monster horde. The flame trenches scorched the ravenous Snow Fiends as they surged forward.
These Eerie Entities had no survival instinct—ripping through barbed wire, barricades, and spike traps, they piled over each other’s corpses, clawing for blood.
Bang! Bang!
Two massive Snow Fiends trying to scale the adjacent building had their heads blown apart by 12.7mm anti-materiel rounds.
A black-armored phantom sprinted straight up the building façade with triple Hall thrusters on her back. A blur, she scaled over 100 meters in seconds.
Bang-bang-bang!
Six explosive rounds fired from her shoulder-mounted smart launcher—six Snow Fiends' skulls erupted in unison.
Chen Sixuan eliminated the rooftop threats in moments. Her Black Hawk armor’s HUD cast a holographic radar map of the battlefield before her.
“Everyone, heads up! That giant worm is headed this way!!”
“It’s between the rail station and the airport. Once it shows up, all cannons and bombers from the north wall will fire—brace for the shockwave!” she warned over the command channel.
“Understood!”
“Captain Shi, big Eerie Entity at your four o'clock—it's going for the barrier!”
“I’m on it!” Shi Diyuan responded.
His body morphed into a three-meter-tall humanoid tiger and launched himself forward, with several defense-line elites close behind.
“Monica, 9 o’clock sky—something’s diving fast through a blind spot. Watch out!”
“Got it.”
Standing atop the Monica Queen, Monica was flanked by power-armor-clad guards. Her crimson gaze locked onto the sky at 9 o’clock.
A sonic boom ripped through the air.
She raised her hands, forming a triangle with her fingers, brought it to her mouth, and let out a piercing scream.
Whoooosh!
A devastating sonic wave tore upward like an invisible blade, slicing through a pack of Winged Demons midair—they shredded apart, scattered by the wind.
Even though she’d tried to dampen the blast, everyone on the platform still felt it. Glass across several floors shattered from the force. Everyone flinched from the pressure.
At Xilan Airport’s defense line, the scene had already become apocalyptic. The wide runways were a sea of Eerie Entities, surging like ants toward the terminal.
Flame trenches, once meant to cushion shockwaves, were now filled with monster corpses. Modified airliners rained fire from auto-turrets.
The terminal stood like a lonely island amid this sea of chaos. Tens of thousands of bullets fell like torrential rain.
Steel walls, polar trucks, freight containers, and barbed wire had formed the outer perimeter—but the monster tide pushed within 100 meters.
In less than an hour, the corpses had piled into hills, allowing the tide to surge forward like a living landslide.
“Everyone, brace for ion shock!”
Luo Yang shouted over comms, slamming a switch.
Zzzzzt! Clang!
A heavy electric surge pulsed across the airport apron.
Everyone felt a prickling charge crawling across their skin as hundreds of high-voltage ion walls ignited at once.
The entire tarmac lit up in a lattice of plasma, and in an instant, the front wave of the monster sea caught fire.
Flames fed on the oily Snow Fiend flesh, erupting into a chain inferno—turning the icy battlefield into a roaring hellscape.
Fwoooosh—crackle—BOOM!
A golden flash kicked through a string of Snow Wraith heads and landed on top of a container in the defensive line. Over the communicator, Qian Dele shouted, “About 40 seconds, the bugs are heading this way!”
Woooooo...
Up in the sky, bomber squadrons from the aerospace fleet swept across the heavens, while countless drones tangled with the Winged Demons high above.
“We’re too exposed here! They’ll likely focus their attack on our side!” Shen Yao from the North Wind Alliance called out.
“They’re not gonna drop thermobaric bombs inside the city!” Uncle Wu responded. “We just need to hold this area. If needed, provide supporting fire.”
“If we don’t take that bug out, the hole it digs will bring even more monsters.” Liao Ming’s voice came through the comms.
“Lei Zi, go help Brother Liao, Lolo, and Amin!”
“Got it!”
“Li Guangwen, keep an eye on that passenger plane with them. Don’t let anything break through, or we’ll be under even more pressure on the flank!”
BOOM!
Seismic waves thundered out, and the entire northern part of the city started trembling violently.
He Zhen sat in the command tower on the North City Wall, his expression grim as he stared at the holographic map.
“Wen Zhuo.”
“It’s approaching the airport avenue. We’ve been circling near that area, but no signs of it entering the defensive zone yet!” Wen Zhuo’s voice came through the communicator, accompanied by the howling wind.
“Good. Once you confirm the target mark, we’ll project firepower in 30 seconds. If necessary, try to hold that bug in place—but stay out of harm’s way!”
“Copy that.”
Whoosh~
The Hunting Corps had already redeployed on a large scale. The monster tide within the city was surging northward, accompanied by violent quakes.
High above, Wen Zhuo kept an eye on both the sky and the epicenter marked on the hologram.
“This is the spot. Aside from Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum, this monster is likely drawn to densely packed people, so we can’t let it move in any further!”
KIKI stared tensely at the holographic blueprint, clutching the Hell’s Black Chrysanthemum tightly in her hand.
“This time, we have to take it down!” Han Jun said sternly.
“KIKI, I’ll watch underground, you watch the sky. If those sea urchin spikes show up again, get Qin Xueming to hold the front. He’s an energy-type—he can tank physical hits better than your telekinetic barrier!” Wen Zhuo instructed.
KIKI frowned and glanced at Qin Xueming. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Means you’re using me as a meat shield.” Qin Xueming shrugged, totally unfazed. “Relax. I should…” He glanced up at the sky with a complicated expression, “...should be able to take it.”
“D**n, Brother Qin’s built different,” Lu Xingchen muttered.
“Enough chatter, that thing’s almost here!”
BOOM!
Not far away, the street cracked open and buildings began to tilt and collapse. Everyone’s heart tightened at the sight.
At the same time, the North City Wall’s heavy cannons, missiles from the aerospace fleet, bombers, and long-range support from the terminal and airport were all locked onto the same target.
Wen Zhuo’s eyes sharpened. “It’s here!”
Elsewhere, Trakamar Ice Canyon — gunfire echoed outside the camp.
“Captain Lin, the Monument Core’s calibration is complete. The core temp is stable. Once repairs are done, you’ll need to proceed with neural sync…” Yu Yuheng’s voice was urgent over the communicator.
Inside the camp tent, Yu Yuheng was frantically adjusting data on the computer. His lips were dry, eyes glued to the code. Everyone in the research team was just as tense, silently working under pressure.
“No need for a test run. I’ll link directly with Chen Wei. My Ability already covers the entire Mecha—just shift 70% of the neural drive balance to me. I can handle more.”
“No way!”
Inside Unit 01’s cockpit, Chen Wei stood up and firmly rejected Lin Xian’s adjustment. “Our neural sync must stay aligned, or I’ll experience drive lag. This isn’t the time to play the hero—I can take it!”
While working on repairs, Lin Xian replied, “You’re already breathing irregularly. That means your respiratory system has suffered irreversible damage. Even if I get this Mecha fixed, it’s doubtful you’ll last two hours. I’m doing this to keep you going longer.”
“Oh, come on.” Chen Wei glanced at the three empty Cold Dark Reagent tubes next to Lin Xian and said coldly, “I may not have Abilities, but I know you’re way past your limit. I don’t know what your Level-5 Unified Control Coefficient means, but to bring out the Mecha’s power, we’ve gotta be in sync. If we’re dying, we die together. I’m not taking any favors.”
Lin Xian took a breath. “Fine.”
Then he immediately spoke into the comms to Jing Tian and Sun Kai. “Less than an hour until we attempt Stage One activation. Hang in there.”
“No problem,” Jing Tian replied.
“We’re good too. Those things are right on our *ss, but we got it covered, Captain Lin!” Sun Kai added.
Encouraged, Lin Xian focused completely on operating the Mechanical Heart. His lips were pale;he had already collapsed twice earlier. Hours ago, he’d finally completed the scan. Now he was fully engaged in repairs. The external armor and nano-ceramic viewport on the head module were already restored. Inside the massive tear in the left arm, hydraulic pipes, armor plating, and the carbonized drive shaft were all being rapidly fixed. Thankfully, the alloy skeleton hadn’t broken—otherwise, Lin Xian wouldn’t have had enough materials to finish the job.
Outside the camp, a large swarm of Snow Fiends suddenly appeared and attacked Jing Tian’s team. Though not as vast in number, these monsters were huge—far tougher than the average Snow Wraith. Jing Tian led his team while skiing across the snowfield, trying to lure all the monsters away from the camp.
“Something’s off—why are they all large-type Snow Fiends?”
“Li Wei, any threat near the camp?”
“None!”
“Good. Everyone stay away from the camp. Don’t lead the monsters there!”
“Move smart. Every second we delay helps.”
Seeing the ever-growing Snow Fiend swarm, Jing Tian’s face was grave. They only had thirty-something people—killing them all would be a waste of time and energy. The monsters kept coming in eerily increasing numbers. To buy time, they had to keep moving and luring the enemy in circles.
By now, seven of their team had died under the monsters’ claws.
In the sky, two aerospace fighters streaked through the clouds, one chasing the other. Behind them, hundreds of Winged Demons followed like horrific flying predators. The pilots intentionally held back on speed to keep the monsters close and prevent any from slipping toward the camp.
“Captain Sun, we just saw something flash above us. Suggest we drop altitude and follow.”
“Copy that—descend to 2200.”
“Dropping to 2200!”
Sun Kai’s expression was cautious. Staring at the blood-red dots on the radar, he said, “Can’t go faster. These monsters are hellbent on taking us down.”
“Feels weird. I don’t think they can actually see us. Just reacting to the markers.”
“Exactly. That’s why we use the marks to draw them away—buy time for Captain Lin and Captain Yu’s team!”
Beep, beep, beep.
Suddenly, his radar gave a warning, followed by violent turbulence. Sun Kai shouted, “Something’s wrong—above us!”
The pilot of Unit 2 looked up—only to see a massive shadow overhead. Wings spanned dozens of meters, whipping up snow and wind. A terrifying maw covered in countless compound eyes opened above them.
“What the h*ll is that?!”
“Evade! Now!”
“Ahhh!!”
Wooo!
BOOM!
Far above, a Lightning-2 Aerospace Fighter trailed black smoke and flames as it plummeted into the snowfield, erupting in a small explosion.
Jing Tian watched with a heavy heart. Another decoy jet down. Only one remained in the sky.
Unit 1—Sun Kai.
“Reporting: a super-massive Winged Demon just showed up. Unit 2 is down. I have to pull this thing farther out!”
“What?! Super-massive?” Jing Tian’s expression darkened as he looked at the ever-growing number of large Snow Fiends. Something was definitely wrong.
“No way—I can’t keep circling here. Gotta pull it away farther!”
In the comms, Sun Kai let out a roar full of resolve—he was clearly ready for whatever came next.
Back in the cockpit, Lin Xian listened in, shaken, but he had no choice now—he had to speed up the repair of Unit 01.
He pulled out another Cold Dark Reagent, uncapped it without hesitation, and downed it in one gulp.
Ka-ka...
Just then, Unit 01’s signal booster picked up activity in the distant airspace—some sort of aircraft.
Both Lin Xian and Chen Wei stiffened, then tried hailing it.
“This is the Phoenix Special Operations Unit—identify yourselves!”
Ka-ka... “We’re West Xilan Air Support Group Three, here under orders to back up the Reboot Plan. The first two groups already went down—we just broke through enemy lines. What’s the current situation?”
Lin Xian responded immediately, “Everything’s in motion. We’re under heavy assault from high-level Eerie Entities. Ground and air forces are in urgent need of backup.”
“Understood. ETA—2 minutes!”
Lin Xian’s eyes lit up with hope. He immediately opened the comms to Sun Kai.
“Captain Sun, hang on—reinforcements are almost here!”
Inside the camp, the technical team members lit up at the news from Lin Xian. Yu Yuheng immediately nodded, “You heard that, right? Reinforcements are coming. Everyone stay calm—we need to finish the last tasks quickly.”
Then he spoke into the communicator again, “Sun Kai, did you hear that? Reinforcements are almost here.”
Crackle... No response.
“Captain Sun?!” Lin Xian’s voice came through again.
“Captain... Lin...” the communicator crackled with a fuzzy signal. Sun Kai’s fighter jet seemed to be making rapid maneuvers.
“Captain Sun, reinforcements will be here any second. Hold on! Don’t fly too far!”
“Captain Lin... this large Winged Demon must have sensed our threat—it has to be drawn away. Don’t worry about me. I’ll finish the mission!” Sun Kai’s voice came through the static.
Lin Xian’s expression turned urgent. “These monsters probably came from Xilan City. We haven’t been hit by a full-scale assault yet, which means that S-Class influence must cover the entire Extreme Cold Vortex area. Now that backup is here, we might be able to buy some time, so…”
“Return to base immediately!” Lin Xian shouted.
Whooooosh~
Inside the cockpit of a Lightning-2 aerospace fighter, Sun Kai turned to see the massive creature swooping in from the wing. Taking a deep breath, he shoved the throttle forward without hesitation, accelerating the jet. Staring at the flickering signal waves, he spoke calmly into the comms: “Captain Lin.”
“I can’t return. Keep going.”
Beep...
In the camp tent, the sound of Sun Kai’s voice and the fading signal made everyone freeze mid-action. All eyes turned to the communicator on Yu Yuheng’s desk. His hands, mid-typing, trembled slightly as he stared at the device. The entire tent fell silent. A few female team members’ eyes were already red, and they couldn’t hold back their quiet sobs.
Jing Tian looked up at the sky as he listened—but above the blizzard-filled sky, there was only pitch-blackness. Nothing could be seen.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
A minute later, a barrage of missiles screamed through the air, striking the snowfield where a horde of Snow Wraiths had gathered. Explosions erupted in waves, blasting countless Snow Wraiths apart.
Then, a dozen fighter jets swept in low. A voice came through the comms frequency.
“Reboot Squad, this is Aerial Support Team 3—we're here on orders to provide assistance!”
“Watch out, there’s a large Winged Demon here!” Yu Yuheng immediately grabbed the communicator and shouted.
“Understood!”
Whoosh! Whistle!
Just as the words left his mouth, a deafening sonic boom echoed above the ice canyon. Flocks of Winged Demons screeched in from the distance—right from the direction where Sun Kai had drawn them off.
“Persistent b******s!!” Jing Tian roared and grabbed his weapon, firing into the sky. “Lure them down! We can’t let them hit the camp or Captain Lin!”
Bang bang bang bang bang! Rattatatatat!
In an instant, the remaining twenty-odd members of the guard squad opened fire into the sky. Meanwhile, the incoming air support squad accelerated into formation and engaged the Winged Demons in an intense aerial dogfight.
“Protect the camp!”
“Drake, Leopard, pull up!”
BOOM BOOM!
Before two fighters could complete their maneuvers, a massive Winged Demon suddenly burst from the clouds. Its wings stretched out like a towering building, and in one instant, it smashed the two jets apart. After that vicious strike, it disappeared back into the clouds with a shrieking roar, preparing for a second dive.
On Jing Tian’s side, as the gunfire drew the Winged Demon swarm overhead, they began diving toward the guard team en masse. Everyone immediately mounted their mobility snowboards for fast maneuvering.
Rattatat!
“Open fire!”
“Watch out!”
“Get out of the way!”
“Ahhh!!...”
The flying Eerie Entities attacked like monstrous bombers. A single dive—and several guards were torn apart in an instant.
In a flash, the situation turned critically dangerous.
At that moment, Yu Yuheng inside the camp stared at the parameter feedback on Unit 01. He saw the armor plates, sensors, cables—even the weapon systems—somehow being miraculously restored, and his heart pounded.
The screams coming intermittently through the communicator made him forget to breathe. All he could do was silently chant in his mind—
Faster,
Faster,
Hurry...
“That big one’s coming again!”
“Split up. One sacrifice per pass—buy time!!”
BOOM!
Right then, Yu Yuheng saw the drive system and cockpit synchronization status on the monitor hit 100%. His pupils shrank sharply.
A moment later, Lin Xian’s voice came through the comms.
“Team Leader Yu, initiating secondary ignition—Phase One startup!”
“Roger that!”
Yu Yuheng instantly hit the control button. Inside Unit 01’s cockpit, Lin Xian had already suited up in his Unified Neuro Armor and drank the final vial of Cold Dark Reagent.
“You ready?” Chen Wei stepped onto the right-side seat—where his brother once stood—and gave Lin Xian a piercing look.
“This thing... isn’t a toy.”
“Start it up,” Lin Xian said as he donned his helmet. His voice was calm and cold. “I just want to go on a killing spree.”
“Couldn’t agree more.” Chen Wei looked up, pressed a series of control unit buttons, eyes sharp as ice. He echoed Lin Xian’s words.
Woooo!
All lights and holographic interfaces lit up across the nano-ceramic viewport.
“Begin syncing neural interface with pilot,” came Yu Yuheng’s voice over the comms.
【Calibrating neural synchronization with pilot…】
A mechanical female voice rang out.
Buzz! Lin Xian and Chen Wei both felt a powerful mental jolt. Their entire motor nervous system seemed to merge with that of a colossal machine.
【Neural sync successful. Unified neuro coupling rate: 97.7%】
“Prepare for secondary thermal ignition.”
Lin Xian and Chen Wei looked at each other.
“Ignite it.”
“Got it.”
【Initiating fusion core ignition sequence!】
Woooosh!
In the heart of Trakamar Ice Canyon, a mighty ethereal resonance thundered. Amid the blizzard, the fusion reactor at Unit 01’s chest—lined with a niobium-titanium superconducting ring—began to heat up and discharge in a bright orange plasma pulse. The pulse gradually turned to eerie blue plasma, vaporizing all snow and ice around it in an instant. The front of the camp lit up as bright as day!
Yu Yuheng rushed out of the tent. Just looking at that blinding fusion turbine core made his breathing grow heavier.
【Fusion core ignition successful!】
Inside the cockpit, under the unified neural control system, the two men spoke in perfect sync.
Lin Xian: “Prepare to break the ice!”
Chen Wei: “Prepare to break the ice!”
WUUUUUUUUUUU!!!
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Thunderous metallic shockwaves echoed through the canyon. The Pangu Unit 01 shook as the snow and frost covering it cascaded off like an avalanche. Its initial kneeling stance shifted—its upper body slowly lifted.
In that moment, this near-ten-thousand-ton super weapon...
Awakened once more.
“Watch out! The big one’s coming back! Gale—prepare for sacrifice!”
A support team’s shout came through the comms.
But just as the pilot code-named Gale readied to kamikaze the incoming Winged Demon...
A ground-shaking sonic boom split the air.
From the low sky behind the demon—through the blizzard—a towering mech burned with eerie blue plasma at its chest. It pierced the darkness, wrapped in storm winds, revealing the terrifying silhouette of a mechanical titan.
Inside the cockpit, Lin Xian and Chen Wei’s voices rang out, cold and sharp:
“Chainblade ready!”
“Chainblade ready!”
