Outside the bank, Hantan City had descended into chaos. The insect swarm surged like a black tide, breaking through the city’s defensive lines. On the streets, people fled in all directions, their terrified screams and desperate cries mingling in the air.
Vehicles lay overturned, with flames roaring through the rubble. Thick smoke billowed into the air, staining the sky a dreary gray. Buildings teetered under the swarm’s onslaught as walls collapsed and debris flew, burying citizens from time to time. The main force consisted of enormous Goliath Worms, ruthless Scythe Insects, and airborne Bloodthirsty Insects, followed by an endless variety of other insect types.
Forget solving the insect disaster; they could barely even mount a resistance.
The few powerful experts in Hantan City were in a particularly dire situation. They had planned to reinforce the Central Bank, but without their subordinates, they were surrounded by a sea of insects. Without aid, it was only a matter of time before they were overwhelmed and killed by the tide.
The moment Chen Pingchuan shouted, "Run!", their trust in him was absolute. Lilia, Porcupine, and Wei Hao immediately abandoned their opponents, disengaged from the fight, and raced after him.
Ren Qiang’s men weren’t so lucky. Just moments later, hordes of Scythe Insects poured into the spacious, brightly-lit bank lobby through the tunnels bored by the Goliath Worms.
"Fuck! What the hell are these things?!"
With the arrival of these uninvited guests, Ren Qiang had no time to chase Chen Pingchuan. His men were already locked in combat with the Scythe Insects and Goliath Worms. Instantly, the bank lobby was filled with battle cries and the screeching of insects.
Although the Scythe Insects looked fearsome, they were only Level 3 at best. Logically, they should have been no match for Ren Qiang’s high-level fighters. The problem was the immense damage Chen Pingchuan’s group had already inflicted. After such a fierce battle, Ren Qiang’s men were running on fumes, their strength starting to fail them despite their abilities.
In contrast, the numerous Scythe Insects were at their peak. They brandished their sharp, scythe-like limbs, intent on tearing the humans to pieces. Meanwhile, the Goliath Worms charged about recklessly, sending several men flying with each impact.
In just five minutes, Ren Qiang’s men began to fall. The ferocity and bloodlust of the Insect Race turned the lobby into a scene from Hell, with blood splattering and severed limbs littering the floor. The Goliath Worms also wreaked havoc. Their hard carapaces rendered bullets and blades almost useless. Many men were simply crushed beneath them, their agonizing screams cut short.
Watching his subordinates fall one by one, Ren Qiang’s eyes grew bloodshot. He swung his weapon frantically, trying to carve a bloody path for them. "Retreat! Everyone, retreat!"
Ren Qiang roared, hacking with all his might at the damned insects before him. However, the swarm was simply too vast. A continuous stream of warrior drones poured from the hole in the floor, making his efforts a drop in the ocean.
Just then, a familiar figure appeared from a corridor inside the bank—it was Chen Pingchuan.
Apparently, after fleeing some distance, Chen Pingchuan had passed through several business offices where he saw employees cowering in fear. He and his group were ultimately stopped at the massive door to the bank’s vault. Faced with this obstacle, Chen Pingchuan cast aside any misplaced mercy. He grabbed the nearby bank employees and ordered them to open the door. However, they told him that only their supervisor—the man leading the fight in the lobby, Ren Qiang—had the key. Without him, the door was unbreachable.
Naturally, Chen Pingchuan didn’t believe them. He and his small team tried everything they could think of, only to come to a helpless conclusion. "Damn it," Chen Pingchuan muttered. "We have to go back."
"Lilia, you’re with me. Porcupine, you and Haozi gather everyone and wait for us here."
Chen Pingchuan rubbed his temples, his head throbbing with unbearable pain. A mental prompt warned him that if he didn’t rest soon, he could pass out at any moment. Even so, he dared not stop, so he had Lilia guide him back.
"Okay, Boss! Leave it to Brother Hao and me," Porcupine replied. He still had his usual honest, simple-minded expression. The scabs covering his body looked ferocious, but his face retained an innocence most people lacked.
Wei Hao remained silent, as Porcupine had already said everything for him.
"Can you keep going?" Chen Pingchuan asked, turning to Lilia. After getting an affirmative nod, his gaze softened. His newest recruit, this little girl, had known nothing but hardship since following him. The relentless battles had left clear traces of fatigue on her face.
"I can do it, Boss."
Slaughter had once been her favorite pastime, but now that she could kill freely, Lilia found she didn’t enjoy it as much as she thought she would.
"Good. Let’s go!"
And that was how Ren Qiang came to see Chen Pingchuan reappear. Just as Ren Qiang braced himself for Chen Pingchuan to kick him while he was down, the unexpected happened.
Goaded by the scent of blood, the Goliath Worm’s eyes grew frenzied. It charged with overwhelming, reckless abandon when, suddenly, its forelimbs vanished completely.
BANG!
With a thunderous crash, the colossal, unbalanced body toppled sideways like a collapsing mountain. The nearby Scythe Insects, unable to dodge in time, were crushed into a gory pulp beneath its massive weight. Green fluid splattered everywhere, and the stench of blood filled the air.
"Lilia!"
At Chen Pingchuan’s shout, Lilia acted without question—they had already worked out a plan on the way back. She used what little Telekinesis she had left to forcefully part the insect swarm, opening a narrow path.
Ren Qiang, still wary of Chen Pingchuan, was stunned by their actions for a second. The next moment, Chen Pingchuan’s furious roar snapped him out of it. "Move! What the hell are you thinking about? Hesitate any longer and we’ll all be dead!"
The shout jolted Ren Qiang back to his senses. Right, this isn’t the time for overthinking. Whatever his plans are, I have to survive first. I can figure out the rest later.
"Retreat! Move, now!" Ren Qiang gritted his teeth and rallied his few surviving men, making a desperate push toward the path Chen Pingchuan had created.
The path only held for a few seconds, but it was enough. Ren Qiang and his remaining subordinates scrambled to safety beside Chen Pingchuan just as Lilia, her Telekinesis completely depleted, collapsed.
"You silly girl," Chen Pingchuan murmured, catching her. "I told you to do your best, not risk your life!"
Holding Lilia, he didn’t know what to make of his new recruits. They seemed like a motley crew of prisoners thrown together for various reasons, yet their hearts held a kind of conviction that he himself lacked.
ROAR!
The Goliath Worm’s agonized wail snapped Chen Pingchuan from his thoughts.
"Run!"