America: The Cremator

Chapter 205 Split into Two Groups! [Thanks for the monthly tickets, everyone!]

A Jeep Wrangler sped out of the side gate of the Seattle Zoo, its destination very clear—915 Second Avenue, Seattle.

number.

Su Long gripped the steering wheel with one hand and pressed the center console with the other, turning on the car radio.

All channels have been requisitioned by the Federal Emergency Channel and are being played on a loop.

"Emergency Notice. The City of Seattle has issued a red evacuation order."

"All residents, businesses, and office workers within a five-block radius of the Henry M. Jackson Federal Building are requested to evacuate the area immediately."

"Those who cannot evacuate should seek shelter in the nearest underground bunker, lock doors and windows, and remain quiet."

"To reiterate, the red evacuation order has been issued—"

As Su Long listened to the mechanical and monotonous broadcast on the radio, he looked up at the windshield.

The morning sky was completely filled with the roar of rotors.

More than a dozen police helicopters hovered at low altitude, their powerful searchlights constantly sweeping across the crowded streets below.

Below the higher clouds, Sulong could clearly see several Apache attack helicopters forming up and cutting into the airspace.

Almost every few hundred meters along the route, there was a Ford patrol car with flashing red and blue police lights, and riot police used barricades and cordon tape to block all the side roads leading to Second Avenue.

The Wrangler was forced to slow down at an intersection, and Suron stepped on the brakes; looking at the side road blocked by police cars ahead, he turned to Dania and spoke.

"The last time I saw such an exaggerated scene was when we were dealing with that Shoggoth in the sewers."

Su Long tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, recalling the scene.

"At least that time it was underground, and the military only needed to seal off the manhole covers and a few major intersections to quell the situation."

"This time, a red evacuation net covering five blocks was set up directly in the city center, and even Apache helicopters were brought in."

Dania lowered the car window and placed her hand on the windowsill.

"These IRS agents are driving people bankrupt and to the point of suicide every day. The resentment accumulating in that building is like a mass grave, so I wouldn't be surprised if it even spawned an A-level monster."

As the green light turned on, Su Long turned the steering wheel, and the Wrangler forcibly cut into the emergency lane on the left, avoiding the slow-moving traffic on the main road, and sped forward.

The closer you get to Second Avenue, the heavier the sense of unease in the air becomes.

A few minutes later, the Wrangler stopped.

There is no road ahead.

A massive roadblock, heavily guarded by soldiers, stood across the middle of the road.

Two heavy Panda riot control armored vehicles, lined up end to end, completely blocked the wide street.

A heavy machine gun was mounted on top of the armored vehicle, and several groups of fully armed special police officers stood behind the barricades with assault rifles, vigilantly watching their surroundings.

On the other side of the roadblock, the lanes leading out of the city were completely blocked.

Countless cars were crammed together, and the shrill sound of horns filled the air.

Further away, pedestrians carrying large bags and small suitcases were mixed in with the traffic and were running frantically along the sidewalk, panic spreading rapidly among the crowd.

Sulong drove the Wrangler to the front of the road.

A police officer immediately stepped forward with his gun at the ready and knocked on Su Long's car window.

"Turn around immediately! This is a top-level security zone; no one is allowed to enter!"

The officer shouted, pointing to the completely blocked outbound lane next to him.

"Can't you see everyone's evacuating? You, hurry up and take your girlfriend and get out of here!"

Su Long reached into his coat pocket, took out his ID, and handed it over.

Dania also took out her ID and tossed it to the officer across from Suron.

The officer frowned as he took the two identification documents and opened the pages.

Su Long, a B-rank exorcist.

Dania Yurievich, Class C exorcist.

The officer straightened up abruptly, a look of awe on his face.

He handed the documents back to the two men, his tone becoming respectful.

"Sir, the command vehicle of the Odds Support Bureau is at a temporary camp two blocks away. I can send a team to guide you."

Su Long took the documents and put them away: "No need, we'll go ourselves. Make way."

"clear!"

The officer immediately turned around and waved his right arm at the driver of the armored vehicle behind him, signaling that the vehicle could proceed.

Accompanied by the dull roar of diesel engines, the two Panda armored vehicles began to slowly reverse.

Amidst the scraping of tracks, a gap appeared in the middle of the defensive line, just wide enough for one vehicle to pass through.

Suron floored the accelerator, and the black Wrangler roared as it sped through the gaps in the armored vehicles.

After passing the roadblock, the surrounding environment underwent a strange change; just one street away, all the noise outside was cut off.

The street ahead was so quiet you could hear the tires rolling.

The shops on both sides had their doors open, and under the parasols outside the cafe, hot coffee was still steaming on the tables, and sandwiches that had been eaten were left on plates, but there was no one there.

The Wrangler gradually accelerated, the roar of its engine echoing through the streets.

This normally bustling commercial street has been taken over by the army under full martial law.

In just a few blocks, they passed through several heavily guarded roadblocks.

Each line of defense consists of heavy concrete crash barriers and armored vehicles, with soldiers fully armed and on high alert, not daring to relax for a moment.

After verifying the documents, the Wrangler finally drove into the core restricted area.

Sulong stepped on the brakes, and the SUV came to a steady stop on the street corner opposite the Jackson Federal Building.

As I got out of the car, a pungent smell of ozone filled the air.

Sulong looked up at the massive building, one of Seattle's landmarks.

The condition of the building made his eye twitch slightly.

The entire IRS building, which is over thirty stories high, has completely lost its original reinforced concrete structure.

A thick, viscous black substance poured down from the rooftop, completely enveloping the entire building.

This black substance flowed slowly across the building's surface, shimmering with eerie, colorful light under the morning sun. Its texture reminded Su Long of viscous crude oil.

The plaza and streets surrounding the building have been transformed into a military fortress.

Three Apache attack helicopters hovered overhead, ready to unleash a barrage of firepower at any moment.

On the ground, the National Guard drove several M1A2 main battle tanks directly into the square, their thick main guns pointing directly at the main gate of the building, which was sealed off by black mud.

Numerous green military tents and sandbag bunkers were laid out along the barricades, and machine gun positions of various calibers were completed.

Dania, carrying her machete, walked to Sulong's side. Looking at the scene before her, she couldn't help but sigh, "Looks like there's been trouble at the IRS. Quite a few people are worried; they've even moved their armored battalion right to the city center."

Without lingering, the two headed straight for the command area at the front of the building.

That was a temporary camp set up by the Weird Support Bureau, with a cordon around it, and several high-powered signal jamming vehicles and communication command vehicles were operating at full capacity.

Inside the cordon, an elite team of exorcists has already gathered.

Su Long glanced around and saw quite a few familiar faces.

Elena, dressed in a smart dark tactical uniform and carrying a lantern, stood in front of an unfolded blueprint.

Hannah hid behind her, clutching a thick Bible tightly in her hand, her face pale.

Not far away, Byron Wick leaned against an armored command vehicle.

Besides them, there were a few other extremely conspicuous individuals.

A middle-aged man in a well-tailored vintage three-piece suit stood beside Elena. The suit was made of excellent fabric and was perfectly tailored, fitting her figure without restricting her movements.

A woman was standing next to Byron.

She wore a dark, fitted hunting outfit made of durable and cut-resistant fabric, with a magnificent gemstone necklace around her neck, the central sapphire sparkling brilliantly.

In addition, next to the sandbag bunker on the outermost side of the command post, a gloomy hooded man was squatting, almost entirely shrouded in shadow, trying to minimize his presence.

That's Isaac.

Surong led Dania across the cordon and walked straight past.

"Suron, you're here." Elena looked up, her tense nerves relaxing slightly.

Hannah poked her head out from behind Elena and waved vigorously.

Byron also turned his head and nodded to Suron.

Su Long took a few steps closer: "I just finished some personal business and came over as soon as I saw the conscription notice."

At this moment, the man in the suit and the woman in the hunting dress who were standing to the side took the initiative to step forward.

The man in the suit extended his gloved right hand, his gaze sweeping over Su Long: "Mr. Su, we met briefly at the exorcism banquet last time. I wonder if you still remember us?"

Sulong reached out and shook his hand.

"Of course I remember, Mr. Rodney Campbell, and Ms. Edith Wick."

Both of them are genuine A-level exorcists in Seattle's supernatural circles, representing the top combat power of the Campbell and Wick families respectively.

Faced with a disaster of this magnitude, the authorities have clearly deployed all available high-level combat forces.

Edith nodded slightly: "We heard about what happened at Rattlesnake Lake last night. It was handled very well."

"Thank you so much, Miss Elena. Byron is able to return alive thanks to you both."

"We're all in the same team, just looking out for each other."

"Surlong said politely, then looked past everyone and at the hooded man squatting in the corner.

"Elena, why did you call this guy here too?" Suron pointed at Isaac.

Elena followed Su Long's gaze and explained with some helplessness, "He had some problems with his Class B license. This morning when the incident happened, he was in the office hall of the Bureau of Mysterious Support handling the case."

"The bureau is currently facing a severe shortage of high-end combat personnel. Seeing that he was there, they simply conscripted him."

Elena paused, then asked, "You know him?"

Su Long smiled and said, "Yes, I know him. He's a strange A-rank contractor with considerable strength."

Upon hearing the words "A-level bizarre contractor," Rodney and Edith's expressions changed simultaneously, and they immediately turned to look at the hooded man.

Contract-type exorcists are rare to begin with, and Isaac, who can sign a contract with an A-level supernatural being, is definitely one of the key combat forces in today's tough battle.

Surong called out to the corner, "Isaac, since you've all been conscripted, don't just sit there doing nothing—come over here and let's exchange information."

Isaac raised his head, his gloomy eyes sweeping over the crowd. He remained silent for two seconds before finally standing up and slowly walking to the edge of the circle.

With everyone present, Su Long cut to the chase without further ado.

"What exactly is going on inside? What happened to that tax ignoramus that caused such a commotion?"

Elena opened her tablet and pulled up a 3D structural diagram of the Jackson Federal Building.

"The situation is terrible."

She pointed to the large area of ​​public domain highlighted in red on the screen and began to synchronize intelligence: "Forty-three minutes ago, an extremely strong spiritual fluctuation erupted inside the Fei Dong Building, directly triggering the Beggar Domain Alarm Network that Ying Mang had set up in the City Hall."

"In the next three minutes, Seattle police and medical staff received hundreds of distress calls from inside the building."

Elena swiped her finger across the screen, bringing up several audio waveforms.

"The content of the calls I received was extremely chaotic."

"You barely uttered any complete pleas for help on the phone; it was all meaningless screams, mixed with the sound of bones cracking and fingernails frantically scratching at glass."

Elena tapped the button on the tablet, and the piercing noise from the speaker instantly disappeared.

Dania frowned, looking at the building shrouded in a black substance: "Judging from the noise, it's been turned into a meat processing plant."

"Not a single one of those people managed to escape?"

Elena's face turned pale as she pointed ahead: "Yes, what I see now is just an empty shell left in the present world; there are no physical objects inside."

"The moment the alarm sounded in the Beggars' Domain, the entire spatial structure inside the building was completely plunged into the Inner World."

"All communications in the building were cut off within three minutes, and rescue efforts from outside were completely cut off, making it like an isolated island."

She pulled up a new list of personnel distribution.

"What's even more critical is that the Fedon Jackson Federal Building is Seattle's government office hub."

"The agencies currently trapped inside include: the IRS, the 13th Division of the U.S. Coast Guard, the Seattle Public Office of the Department of Veterans Affairs, agencies under the U.S. Department of Justice, the Office of Immigration Review and Adjudication, the Northwest Division of the General Services Administration, the Department of Education, the Department of Labor, and the FBI's Seattle Field Station."

"Furthermore, according to this morning's check-in records, as many as 1700 government officials, staff, and security personnel are trapped inside."

.

As soon as the figure was announced, the atmosphere in the command post became extremely heavy.

After hearing Fei Chuan's long list, Su Long let out a cold laugh.

"No wonder the bus is so efficient and has such a high noise level."

"So it turns out all the high-ranking officials were locked up, and the FBI agents were taken down along with them. How could they not be worried?"

Su Long's criticism of the car was very straightforward.

Elena ignored Su Long's complaints and continued to relay information from inside the building.

"To guard against extreme supernatural attacks, the Fei Dong Building had contingency plans in place from the beginning of its construction."

"Three fully enclosed safe houses with pure silver partitions were built on the first basement level, the eighteenth floor, and the top floor."

She pulled up a 3D cross-sectional view of the building and marked three locations in red on the screen.

"The maximum capacity of a single safe house is about 500 people, and these safe houses are equipped with emergency chemical preparation equipment, which can provide about ten hours of breathing time when fully loaded."

"In other words, even if the main building is trapped in the inner world, the three safe houses can still rely on the high-purity silver partition to block the external spiritual erosion and ensure the survival of the people inside."

"Right now, all three safe houses in Fei are sending out emergency distress signals."

Rodney Campbell stood to the side, examining the red dots on the blueprint: "So, my top priority right now is to find a way to rescue the people in those three positions."

"But, me? Didn't they send in two advance teams before summer? What a waste of resources!"

Elena turned off the screen, her voice cold: "I used directional explosives to breach the black walls of the basement and rooftop, and sent two full-strength task forces to forcibly break in and prepare to carry out the reconnaissance plan."

"To ensure absolute safety, each team is led by a Class B exorcist registered with Zhaoyingmang and is equipped with the highest level of heavy firepower."

"But the result was that the communication signal was cut off the moment we went in, and we completely lost contact with the Feizhi team."

"What can be confirmed at present is that both teams, including the two B-level exorcists, have been completely wiped out."

Upon hearing this, your expression changed.

Su Long stroked his chin: "Wow, Fei Yao looks interesting. Two B-ranks didn't even make a splash. The weirdo hiding inside has quite the appetite."

After saying that, he looked at Elena and asked, "Now that the advance team is gone, what is the next battle plan for headquarters? We can't just keep throwing more lives into the enemy camp, can we?"

Elena nodded, a helpless look on her face: "Headquarters ordered me to split into two groups and simultaneously break into the rooftop and basement, prioritizing the rescue of the survivors in the two safe houses."

"If it is found that the upper and lower floors have been completely submerged, the two teams will advance to the eighteenth floor of the building and meet there to see if they can rescue the people in the last safe house."

Upon hearing Fei's plan, Su Long immediately frowned.

1700 people were trapped, and the three safe houses could hold just 1500 people.

The current situation is that the advance team was wiped out instantly, but the three safe houses are still sending out distress signals continuously and simultaneously.

"Three points simultaneously sending out SOS signals?"

Sulong looked directly at Elena.

"I really hope that the safe house isn't bait to lure me into sending my troops in to their deaths. It's not like I'm going to leave the safe house with a big, delicious can of meat and not eat it."

Elena sighed: "The higher-ups at the Bureau of Ominous Signs have also analyzed this possibility."

"But the person trapped inside has a very special identity, and with the constant pressure from higher-ups, as long as the signal isn't cut off, I have to go in and check."

"The main focus of our discussion now is the specific strategy for dividing the troops; we need to split them into two groups."

She glanced around at the assembled high-level combatants: "Furthermore, do you all think it would be necessary to bring a special task force for fire support in case of unforeseen circumstances?"

"unnecessary."

Dania was the first to refuse, then patted the machete at her waist: "Bring in a bunch of ordinary soldiers whose spiritual energy can't even be detected?"

"When encountering high-level anomalies, what good are soldiers besides serving as rations? Don't bring unnecessary burdens."

Rodney nodded slightly: "Miss Dania is right. In a closed contaminated area of ​​the Fe type, a human wave tactic is useless."

"The most effective method is to break in with pure superhuman strength; the Campbell family doesn't need any burdens."

Byron and Edith both agreed.

Everyone refused the military's offer to cooperate.

Elena canceled the task force's standby order directly on the terminal.

"Alright, then only those of us here will go in. How should we divide the troops?"

Su Long mentally assessed the combat strength of those present.

Two A-rank, two B-rank, plus Hannah, Dania, and that contract-type exorcist Isaac.

In the home field constructed by the high-level and bizarre Fe race, without the protection of domain abilities, ordinary exorcists would find it difficult to resist the all-pervasive erosion of rules.

"I have an idea," Suron said directly, pointing to Rodney and Edith standing next to him, then to Byron and himself.

"If I know the car correctly, there are exactly four people present who can independently carry out field operations to combat pollution: Mr. Rodney and Ms. Edith, both Class A, plus myself and Byron, both Class B."

"Since we are going to split into two groups to break in, each team must ensure that there is enough area support."

"With an A-level and a B-level, even if we're blind, we'll have the confidence to handle any level of strangeness."

"As for the rest, they will be scattered and added to the two teams as tactical support."

Elena quickly went through the plan in her mind, and following Su Long's train of thought, she divided the personnel into two lists.

"Then let's proceed according to Sulong's suggestion."

She looked up and announced the final formation results.

"Group A: Rodney Campbell, Suron, Dania, and Hannah, you four are responsible for breaking in from the basement."

"Group B: Edith, Byron, Isaac and me, the four of us are responsible for breaking in from the roof."

After finishing the list, Elena looked at everyone and asked, "Does anyone have any objections to Fei Ge's (the person in charge) decision-making skills?"

Everyone shook their heads.

The lineup is indeed flawless.

Group A features Rodney's A-level domain as a safety net, Suron's burst damage, and Dania's strong melee attacks.

Group B features Edith and Byron's arcane blind combination, Isaac's bizarre A-level contract, and Elena's lantern defense.

It can be said that both teams possess extremely strong combat capabilities.

After Elena locked onto the names of the two groups on the tactical tablet, she looked up at everyone.

"Everyone, please check your personal equipment first. I'm going to request tactical supplies from the military command. I'll be back in about 10 minutes."

After saying that, she picked up the boat and turned to walk quickly toward the heavily guarded logistics tents at the rear.

The atmosphere inside the temporary command post turned cold and somber.

The Seattle cityscape should have been peaceful in the early morning, but the noise of Apache attack helicopters slicing through the air and the roar of main battle tank diesel engines behind the barricades shattered the tranquility.

Knowing that a major battle was imminent, the team members didn't say anything more and began to prepare on the spot.

Dania reached down and pulled out the ruggedly designed heavy-duty machete from her back waist, her thumb grazing the cold blade, before taking a long, narrow whetstone from the side pocket of her tactical backpack.

She gripped the axe handle with her other hand, quickly sharpened it along the blade, and after confirming it was sharp enough, she also pulled out a dagger from her tactical boot to examine it.

Not far away, Edith gently stroked her necklace, closing her eyes as if trying to connect with it in some way.

Byron leaned against the armored table, opened the inside pocket of his coat, and carefully checked his pistol and bullets to make sure that the things he had risked his life for were as reliable as ever.

As for Isaac, he remained crouched in the shadows of the corner, his hands in his pockets, exuding a deathly chill, showing no signs of preparing for battle.

Hannah stayed close to Suron, clutching the heavy Bible tightly in her arms. Her face was pale, but the fear and hesitation she had felt in the sewers were gone from her eyes.

Rodney Campbell straightened his suit cuffs and walked steadily toward Suron.

The veteran A-level exorcist spoke calmly, his gaze sweeping over Su Long's equipment.

"Mr. Su, we'll be relying on your guidance for the upcoming basement raid."

Suron placed his hand on the handle of the Sirius pistol at his waist and replied politely, "Mr. Rodney, you're too kind. It's me who should be relying on you."

"The Campbell family's resources are undeniable. If any uncontrollable trouble were to occur in that enclosed basement space, your Class A vehicle would be the ultimate safety net."

Rodney shook his head, glancing past Suron at Dania and Hannah standing beside him, and said in a serious tone, "I have no problem with covering the fallback, but I want to hand over the on-site command of Team A to you."

Su Long raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise appearing in his eyes. It was rare to see an A-level combatant from an old shell family voluntarily relinquish command in the supernatural circle that valued hierarchy.

Rodney shared his thoughts with Suron about this.

"As Dania and Hannah's teammate, you definitely know her fighting habits and the limits of her abilities better than I do."

"Moreover, I saw your report on the operation at Rattlesnake Lake last night, and I must say it was truly impressive."

"Your tactical thinking is very clear, and your judgment in desperate situations is extremely accurate. In the heavily polluted area where visibility is obstructed and the environment is unknown, a decisive commander who knows his team members well is more valuable than me, an A-level exorcist with only a title."

"Therefore, I hope that you, Mr. Su, will take command of the entire team."

Su Longqing wanted to decline, but he needed to consider the face of the Campbell family.

But he saw through Rodney's unwavering gaze; the old gentleman wasn't just being polite.

At this point, Su Long stopped being coy and decisively took over command.

"Then I'd like to thank Mr. Rodney first. Thank you for trusting me and entrusting me with the operation in the basement. However, if we encounter any tough opponents, I'll need your help."

Rodney nodded in satisfaction, stepped back half a step, and gave up the main position of the squad.

The minute flew by. Elena quickly returned, carrying two heavy military green tactical backpacks.

She placed her backpack on top of the stack of ammunition boxes, unzipped it, and began distributing supplies to everyone while giving a quick explanation.

"High-brightness tactical flashlight, high-power military walkie-talkie, and four spare batteries."

"There are also full-coverage self-priming gas masks, basic first aid kits, and anti-pollution medicines."

The group immediately hung the spare pieces of equipment on the empty slots of the tactical backpack.

Finally, Elena pulled out a palm-sized, heavy lead canister from a specially designed compartment at the bottom of her backpack.

"The most important thing is the cost."

Elena looked at Sulong and handed him the lead canister.

"The powder-based irradiated grenade was specially approved by the military. The explosive charge inside is the same type of nuclear copper as the tactical dirty bomb that was used at Snake Lake last night, but the yield has been strictly limited."

Su Long reached out and took the lead canister; it was extremely heavy.

Elena surveyed the members of Group A, her tone extremely stern: "From now on, please remember the rules for using this item. It can only be used in absolute emergency situations where it is certain that a breakthrough is impossible."

"Once the plug is pulled and the device detonates, the high concentration of isotope dust will be completely contained within a ten-meter radius."

"Therefore, the positions of all teammates must be confirmed before use, and accidental injury must be avoided."

She pointed to the gas masks that everyone had just received and continued, "You must wear the mask before detonating."

"If you inhale a type of radioactive dust or it gets on your skin over a large area, even if you are a high-level exorcist, your organs will fail completely within five minutes."

"And it must be stored in a lead container under normal circumstances. Do not hold it in your hand for too long, as its initial radiation dose is enough to penetrate ordinary protective clothing."

Su Long weighed the lead canister in his hand, then stuffed it directly into the inside pocket of his tactical backpack and fastened the clasp.

That piece of junk is a weapon used to kill each other.

The supplies have been distributed, and the team is about to disperse.

Su Long looked down and fiddled with the heavy self-contained gas mask.

The military-grade model has a lot of buckles, making it a little cumbersome for him to operate with one hand.

Elena walked up to him and took the mask from him. "I'll help you."

He then stepped forward, closing the distance between the two of them. He put his hands behind Su Long's head, skillfully tightened the fastening straps, and then pulled hard on the buckles on both sides to ensure that the rubber edges of the mask fit the contours of his face perfectly.

Elena withdrew her hand, looked at the fully armed Sulong, and her tone revealed a hint of helplessness.

"Suron, I'm sorry, I, Fetsch, can't travel with you anymore."

"The basement is even more enclosed than the rooftop. If there's danger, there's no way to escape. Please take good care of Hannah and Dania."

"Take care of yourself."

Su Long pushed his gas mask up to his head and looked at the woman in front of him: "Take care too. If you encounter those high-level monsters, don't try to fight them head-on. Retreat if you should, don't be reckless."

After speaking, he paused, then smiled and said, "Actually, I have some good news to tell you before the great battle of Xia, about your boat-lifting vessel."

Elena paused, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes: "Carry a boat?"

Su Long didn't continue, leaving everyone in suspense.

"But now is not the time to chat. Once I've resolved the trouble in Fei Dong Building and come out alive, I'll tell you in detail."

Looking at Su Long's determined eyes, Elena didn't ask any further questions, but simply nodded heavily.

The roar of the helicopters overhead suddenly intensified.

A jet-black UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter descended over the field, the cabin door opened, and two special forces soldiers quickly threw down a row of rappelling ropes.

"Group B, board!" Edith shouted.

Elena, carrying the boat, glanced at Suron one last time before turning and quickly following Edith, Byron, and Isaac towards the helicopter.

The four men swiftly and decisively pulled the crane into the cabin, the crane spinning rapidly.

The Black Hawk helicopter suddenly took off, its massive variable-slip rotors whipping up a gust of wind as it flew toward the top of the Jackson Federal Building, which was shrouded in a black, viscous substance.

Su Long looked away and pulled his gas mask down again to cover his face.

"Group A, it's time for me to get to work."

A fully armed special forces soldier ran up to Su Long and gave a tactical hand signal: "Sir, please come with me! The physical breaching tunnel in the basement has been cleared!"

Suron walked at the front, Rodney followed closely behind, Dania carried the machete on the left, and Hannah followed the group with the Bible in her arms.

The four men followed the special forces soldiers through layers of sandbag bunkers and headed straight for the public area at the bottom of the building.

The closer you get, the stronger the pungent ozone and fishy smell in the air becomes.

The black substance flowing on the building's exterior wall was within arm's reach; the surface of this substance shimmered with an eerie, colorful sheen and seemed to writhe like a living thing.

At the entrance to the underground parking lot, the military had previously used directional blasting to create a hole more than three meters in diameter.

Large amounts of black slime slowly accumulated at the edge of the hole, attempting to reseal the gap that had been opened.

The cave entrance was deathly silent. Even when the beam of a tactical flashlight was shone in, it could only illuminate a distance of about 1 meter ahead; the rest of the light seemed to have been swallowed up by something.

The special forces soldier leading the way stopped three meters outside the cave entrance, holding an assault rifle, not daring to take another step closer.

Sulong drew the "Sirius" from his waist, decisively pressed down the hammer with his thumb, and hooked the "Lucas" brass knuckles with his left hand.

"Stay close to me."

He stepped into the black opening that had been created, and a sticky sensation immediately came from the sole of his shoe.

The moment the four of them stepped completely inside the building, the gap behind them, which had originally been fairly wide, suddenly deformed violently, and a large amount of black mud completely blocked their escape route.

There was still a slight electrical noise coming from the walkie-talkie, but after a moment, it became completely silent.