Awakening Zhongli Template, Retiring on Terra

Shi Lei kept his hands in his pockets, blending in with the onlookers. With readily available muscle, why would he need to act himself?

"I know!"

Exusiai charged back, guns blazing, locking onto her targets and shooting the Doll Soldiers into unconsciousness. She abandoned her usual hit-and-run tactics, opting to stand her ground and aim. This made her an easier target, but it also increased her accuracy and conserved ammunition.

Seeing the situation turn dire, many adults joined the fray. A barrage of crossbow bolts rained down, but they failed to inflict any damage; the repeated drawing of bowstrings was almost enough to make them smoke.

Exusiai felt like she was cheating in a video game, invincible and untouchable. It was exhilarating to be the one dishing out the damage.

The last two Doll Soldiers didn't last long, taken down by Exusiai's two precise headshots as she calmly walked past.

"No!!!"

Seeing her child fall, a middle-aged woman rushed out, disregarding the danger. She clutched the unconscious child and sobbed, begging for mercy:

"Please, just let us go."

"That won't do~"

Exusiai flashed a bright smile and began reloading. Click. The magazine was seated.

"You're on the Annihilation List, which means you've likely harmed ordinary citizens. No matter how desperate you are, you can't infringe on others' rights. Your lives matter, but do theirs not? If you're truly innocent, the Lungmen Guard Department will release you after review. My job is just to knock you out."

The woman held her child and glared at Exusiai fiercely:

"You look like a young girl, I thought you'd be compassionate, but you're just a lapdog for the Lungmen Guard Department! Ptooey!"

Exusiai's composure was excellent; she was completely unfazed. She raised her hand and fired a shot, knocking the woman unconscious.

Croissant and Texas, who had broken in through the back door, had already fought their way to the courtyard. The two forces converged, subduing all the gang members present.

Members of the Lungmen Guard Department's logistics division, who were on standby nearby, received the notification and quickly arrived with a team. They loaded the subdued individuals into a van like cargo and transferred them to prison.

Even with their prohibited weapons, these members of illegal organizations were no match for the Messengers. Protected by the Jade Shield, battlefield losses were reduced to zero.

By the time they reached the third stronghold, there was only one entrance. Croissant, no longer needing her riot shield, swung her hammer and charged forward with Texas and Exusiai.

It was a complete rout, a one-sided victory.

"This is Police ID SSIS584, repeat, this is Police ID SSIS584. Our stronghold in District 19, Tainan Road is under heavy fire from armed militants. Requesting backup, requesting backup!"

Hearing the call for help over the radio, Shi Lei, who had one hand behind his back like an old man with a sore back, called out:

"The Lungmen Guard Department's allies are faltering. Shall we go help them... For extra pay?"

"Hahahaha, of course."

Exusiai emptied her magazine, completely ignoring the enemy's assault, and turned back to explain:

"Even though I usually find these Lungmen Guard Department guys annoying when I'm on a delivery, they pay promptly."

Shi Lei refreshed his shield, pulled out a map, located their current position, and then searched for Tainan Road's coordinates:

"Girls, let's pick up the pace. New location."

The three Messengers, like tigers among sheep, quickly ended the fight. When the logistics department arrived, they drove to the Tainan Road stronghold, just one street away.

"Da-da-da-da-da-da..."

Before they even entered, they saw police cars forming a semicircle at the entrance riddled with bullet holes. Lungmen Guard Department members were crouched on the ground, looking disheveled.

"Yo, quite the firepower you've got there."

Exusiai, with a white halo above her head and glowing wings on her back, immediately drew everyone's attention upon arrival.

She brought her index and middle fingers together to her temple and then flicked them outward in a gesture of greeting:

"Don't you guys have shields? How did you get pinned down like this?"

"It's no use, their firepower is too intense, and they have flamethrowers. We've charged eight times and still can't reach the courtyard. Several colleagues are trapped inside."

Shi Lei heard this and peered forward.

Indeed, he spotted several Lungmen Guard Department members pinned down behind a flower bed. Blood was flowing from their wounds, and if they stayed there any longer, their lives would be in danger. But if they so much as lifted their heads, they would become immediate targets.

Exusiai had heard that the Jade Shield was resistant to fire but hadn't experienced it herself and hesitated slightly.

Texas, having personally witnessed Shi Lei charge into flames, twirled his energy sword twice, creating a flourish:

"I'll go."

"Texas, this isn't a joke, you need to think carefully. The shield might protect you from burns, but the sustained high temperature is still deadly."

She ignored Exusiai and tilted her head to look at Shi Lei. Without a word, Shi Lei made a welcoming gesture.

Texas pursed her lips and smiled. Once she confirmed she was covered by the Jade Shield, she gripped her energy sword and charged in.

The Lungmen Guard Department members nearby stared in disbelief, thinking a frontal assault on foot would get her riddled with bullets. They shouted to stop her:

"Get back here, don't do anything foolish!"

The desperate criminals inside the stronghold saw a woman enter their line of sight and didn't hesitate to pull the trigger. They had already committed serious crimes by possessing illegal weapons, so they had no choice but to see it through.

"Die! Hahahaha..."

The next second, Texas, enduring the crossfire, had reached the flower bed, completely unfazed by the bullets.

Shielded, and willful.

The desperado could no longer laugh. He called for backup:

"Monsters… hurry up and kill her!"

Slender, merciless flames shot straight for his face, instantly engulfing the entire woman. The horrifying scene of her body engulfed in flames left the onlookers utterly terrified.

Texas walked forward slowly. Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, she raised her sword and brought it down. She severed the nozzle of the flamethrower, along with the desperado's arm.

"Ahhhhh, it hurts so much…"

A piercing scream tore through the night sky, leaving an incredibly shocking image for the Lungmen Guard Department members.

In that moment, she seemed like a goddess descended from heaven!

044 My Name Is Zhongli (Part 2)

The Lungmen Guard Department members standing outside the stronghold were dumbfounded, exclaiming in disbelief:

"Holy crap, this is too weird! How can she withstand the flames and not be hurt at all?"

"Heh heh, you wouldn't know about that."

Croissant leaned on her hammer, using it as a cane planted on the ground. She slung an arm over Shi Lei's shoulder like a close buddy, introducing him to the incredulous Lungmen Guard Department members beside them:

"This Mr. Zhongli is the newest messenger to join Penguin Logistics. He can grant immunity to all damage, including bullets and flames, just by casting a shield on you."

"All damage? You're kidding, right?"

On Terra, Originium Arts that could grant oneself a shield did exist. However, the ability to grant shields to others was exceedingly rare, a rarity among rarities.

Seeing the actual effect of the shield, Exusiai playfully stuck out her tongue and frankly admitted her mistake:

"Sorry, I shouldn't have doubted you."

Shi Lei smiled, not taking it to heart. They were all colleagues, after all. Why would he hold a grudge?

As he refreshed the shield, he summoned a Rock Spine beside him and cast a Jade Shield on Exusiai:

"It's nothing. You wouldn't believe it if you hadn't experienced it yourself. But if you don't go in soon, Texas will end up taking care of all of them."

"Hahaha, I'm going right now."

Looking at the brown shield on Exusiai's body, the Lungmen Guard Department members were filled with envy.

Two of them whispered and nudged each other. Finally, one of them stepped forward, smiling as he spoke:

"Mr. Zhongli, excuse me. Uh, could you cast a shield on us too?"

Seeing the expectant look in their eyes, Shi Lei didn't refuse. However, as he cast the shields, he stated the precautions:

"Just don't go more than fifty meters away from me."

"Understood, understood. Thank you so much."

The two Lungmen Guard Department members, carrying their weapons, rushed to the flower bed to help their fallen comrades. Only after the medical personnel had carried the injured away did they think about going inside to contribute.

Unexpectedly, Texas and Exusiai walked out of the building together. Exusiai even made a V-sign with her fingers:

"All done, knocked them all out."

The two Lungmen Guard Department members' jaws dropped in surprise. There were at least thirty to forty people inside the stronghold, and they had only been inside for a short while? That was incredible.

"Th-that's it?"

"Yeah, if you don't believe us, go in and see for yourself."

Today, the Lungmen Guard Department had mobilized all their combat personnel to eliminate a growing illegal organization. It wasn't unusual for some of them to possess heavy weapons.

However, their forces were difficult to consolidate, and no one obeyed anyone else. All the assets of this gang were concentrated in the area around the entrance of the stronghold.

As for the resistance inside, it could only be described as rotten on the inside despite a fine appearance, no different from other small and medium-sized gangs. If they had the resources, they would have long ago annexed the surrounding gangs and wouldn't be holed up in the stronghold seeking self-preservation.

"This is Police ID PGD864, I repeat, this is Police ID PGD864. We have encountered an Infected Warlock bombing at our stronghold on Fourth Avenue in District 20. The squad has suffered heavy losses! Requesting assistance, requesting assistance!"

Hearing the distress call from the walkie-talkie, Shi Lei beckoned to Texas and Exusiai, calling out:

"We've got more work, let's go."

The four of them, under the watchful eyes of numerous Lungmen Guard Department members, boarded Croissant's pickup truck and headed to the next location.

Now, the difficult ones were the tough nuts to crack.

The Lungmen Guard Department was fighting on multiple fronts today, with operations in several districts simultaneously. Gangs that surrendered quickly or were easy to deal with had already been subdued and wouldn't be calling for assistance on the walkie-talkie.

When the messengers arrived at Fourth Avenue, the scene was truly tragic. The police cars parked outside, blocking the entrance, were engulfed in raging flames, their chassis blackened.

In the front yard of the stronghold lay seven or eight corpses of Lungmen Guard Department members. Blood pooled on the ground, and they appeared to have no chance of survival. A little further inside was a Lungmen Guard Department youth with both legs blown off and vacant eyes.

Tsk, using the injured as bait, huh?

Infected Warlocks were ranged spellcasters, and the power of their Originium Arts was comparable to firearms. The enemy likely injured one person first, remotely destroying their weapon to prevent suicide. Then, when others approached for rescue, they would be targeted and eliminated.

The cruelty of this tactic lay in the fact that if the injured were deliberately left alive, it would incite those with a strong sense of justice and sympathy to attempt a rescue, leading to a chain reaction like the legend of the Calabash Brothers saving their grandfather – one comes, one is killed; two come, two are killed.

Witnessing colleagues die one after another for him, the injured Lungmen Guard Department member would feel immense guilt. But the more he tried to stop others from rescuing him, the more likely they were to try.

Seeing one vibrant face after another fall before their eyes would deal a severe blow to the injured's psyche.

"You two have had your fun, now it's my turn to have some, right?"

Croissant, having personally witnessed the exaggerated protective capabilities of the Jade Shield, directly placed her riot shield on the vehicle. Her single-handed hammer was now wielded with two hands, swinging with impressive force.

Exusiai looked around, finding that all suitable sniping positions had been destroyed by Arts. No wonder she hadn't seen any Lungmen Guard Department snipers at the scene:

"No, let's go in together. The sooner we end this fight, the fewer casualties there will be."

Texas didn't speak, but she nodded.

"Um, are you guys from Penguin Logistics?"

Before attacking the stronghold, Lungmen Guard Department civilian staff would conduct crowd evacuation in advance. A Medical Operator, with a cross printed on her uniform, saw the four of them get out of the vehicle at the edge of the battlefield and jogged over to ask.

Shi Lei held up his walkie-talkie and explained:

"That's right, ma'am. We just received a distress call and rushed here to reinforce. What's the situation like here?"

"Sir, to be honest, it's not ideal. We can only hold the exit and wait for other teams to arrive and encircle them."

He glanced through the gaps in the fence at the vacant-eyed injured in the stronghold's front yard and suggested:

"Let's go, come with us to rescue them."

The young Medical Operator was startled by his words and looked at the four of them in disbelief.

"Huh???"