"Your Blasphemy and Filth Will All Be Burned Away"

Thud, thud!

Lei Ruoya led her squad swiftly through the streets.

The town's roads twisted and intersected, ruined signs swaying in the wind. Shards of window glass littered the ground, as though the entire town had been abandoned for ages.

The heavy footsteps of Magnetic Boots and the scrape of Titan Armor sounded especially jarring in the silent town, like hammers striking the heart.

At the same time, a drone silently swept across the sky, its engine's faint hum nearly inaudible.

Its high-precision camera continuously scanned the area, projecting the entire town's layout and movements onto Lei Ruoya's helmet display.

The gray buildings, seemingly deserted streets, and densely moving red markers in certain areas were all clearly displayed on the Miniature Radar.

"Large gathering detected at the southern intersection."

Based on the drone's feedback, Lei Ruoya's gaze sharpened. She raised a hand and signaled them forward.

The Glory Warriors swiftly formed a combat formation, advancing close to the walls while deliberately reducing the noise made by their Magnetic Boots, like predators closing in on prey.

When they rounded a street corner, the sight before them made the air seem to freeze.

A sizable fire station stood at the end of the street.

It was a typical North American brick building. Its red exterior walls were peeling and mottled, while the iconic fire department emblem above its entrance had long since been damaged beyond recognition.

Yet the most striking thing was not the building itself, but the "crowd" completely surrounding it.

Hundreds of ragged "people" surged around the fire station.

Their skin was unnaturally pale. Some had exposed wounds and peeled-back muscle tissue, with blood that had yet to fully clot still visible.

Yet these injuries, which should have caused agonizing pain or even shock, showed no sign of causing them