Awakened Zhongli Template, Retiring on Terra

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058 Protecting the Best Zhongli

Before Shi Lei arrived in District 27, the two sides had already started fighting. By the time he officially reached the scene, the battle was nearing its end.

The people fighting for the Slums varied greatly in strength, as though they had been hastily thrown together. Seeing them gradually fall into a disadvantage, a Zhalak shouted loudly:

"Stop forcing yourselves! It's time to switch out!"

These uniform Zhalak were Rat King Lin Gerei's direct troops. The group withdrawing from the field consisted mostly of members from other Slums gangs.

Whether they had come to fight or show off, they had already completed their preliminary task of probing the enemy's strength.

That shout greatly displeased the Feline leader.

"Hmph. You can't win, so you're resorting to taking turns? Just the sort of tactic sewer rats would use."

"So what? Who's going to talk about honor and morality with trash like you? As long as we're alive, we'll never allow you to hurt Mister Zhongli."

Huh???

Shi Lei had been unexpectedly called out and was a little bewildered.

He wasn't Kunkun. Why were these people fighting because of him? Wasn't that strange?

"Hmph, there's nothing to say to stinking rats like you. Brothers, kill!"

"Show no mercy! Hack them to death!"

The two sides crashed together, erupting into a savage battle worthy of primitive times. When their weapons fell, they used their fists and feet; when their limbs were restrained, they used their teeth. The fiercer they fought, the louder the cheers from the crowd became.

Shi Lei had come here today to take on a commission. Even now, he did not know who the employer was, so how was he supposed to protect them?

Seeing the situation grow ever more intense and chaotic beyond control, Shi Lei cast Rock Spine beneath his feet, sending himself high into the air to stand above everyone else.

A man rising atop a stone pillar could draw every eye present in an instant.

"Everyone, I am Zhongli.

Could someone explain why you're fighting?"

"Mister Zhongli, they don't have any follow-up commission at all. They paid a deposit and demanded that you come here just to lure you into an ambush and teach you a lesson."

After confirming Zhongli's identity, the Felines exchanged looks and charged forward with blades in hand!

Lin Gerei's trusted men, mainly Durocs, emerged from the left flank and blocked them with their own bodies.

"Protect Mister Zhongli and retreat first!"

"Protect Mister Zhongli! Crush them!"

Shi Lei knew he could not simply take one side's word for it, but the current situation was enough to distinguish right from wrong. He immediately raised a Rock Spine and placed Jade Shields around the many Durocs.

By the time Shi Lei retreated to the South Gate, they seemed to have received some kind of order. They fought as they withdrew from the enemy, looking ready to flee at any moment.

The Felines, sensing that their opponents were holding back, flew into a rage and forcibly broke through toward Zhongli.

"Make way! The Lungmen Guard Department is here!"

Someone shouted, and the tightly packed South Gate immediately opened up a path.

The Lower City was not under the Lungmen Guard Department's jurisdiction, but they liked coming here every few days to pad their achievements.

Not long ago, they had shown up uninvited and secretly killed many elderly Infected. Now, the people of the Slums looked as displeased at the mention of the Lungmen Guard Department as if they had seen a deadbeat debtor.

If they did not stay far away, nothing good would come of it.

The one leading the Lungmen Guard Department this time was Chen, followed by a team of Special Inspectorate elites. As the Guard Department's most elite force, they were equipped not only with all kinds of high-end protective gear, but also with expensive firearms.

If defeating the Slums' forces had made the Felines laugh with delight, then seeing the Lungmen Guard Department appear in the Lower City wiped those smiles from their faces entirely.

Forget teaching Zhongli a lesson—they might not even be able to get near him now.

Tch, just who was this kid?

He was being protected by both the underworld and the authorities, yet he still looked utterly calm. His background might run unfathomably deep!

The Feline leader swallowed. He knew that he would most likely be unable to complete the task assigned to him today. Moreover, the Lungmen Guard Department's sudden intervention had completely changed the nature of the matter.

Trying to leave now would probably not be so easy. Once caught, they would only become abandoned pawns of the Boss.

Should he surrender without resistance?

No!

If he disarmed and surrendered, prison awaited him. If he could escape by sheer luck, perhaps he could find a way to return to Victoria and begin a new life.

As these thoughts flashed through his mind, he seized a bystander.

"Grab more hostages and scatter as you retreat!"

The quick-witted ones had already acted, while the slower Felines were still chasing the fleeing onlookers.

Who could have imagined that watching the excitement would turn them into prey?

After learning that the Lungmen Guard Department had arrived, Lin Gerei's trusted forces had already withdrawn from the scene in an orderly fashion. Now, seeing so many onlookers being taken hostage, they were simply too far away to help.

Chen's squad tried to stop them, but they were hopelessly outnumbered. The surviving Felines quickly seized hostages and forcibly positioned them in front of themselves.

With this shield, they could effectively ward off the Lungmen Guard Department's weapons, and the situation fell into a stalemate.

Chen rested her hand on Chixiao, fury flashing across her face.

"This is my final warning! Release them!"

The Feline leader quietly ordered her Subordinates to withdraw, then shouted back.

"Sure. Trade Zhongli for them."

As Lungmen's nemesis of crime, Chen's dictionary contained no such word as compromise with criminals. Her hand remained tightly wrapped around Chixiao, as though she had made up her mind.

Suddenly, a warm hand landed on Chen's shoulder, followed by words as weighty as stone.

"Officer Chen, let me be the hostage."

She spoke slowly and firmly, making her resolve clear.

"No. Way."

He had known Chen would never agree so easily.

"Officer Chen, hear me out. First of all, this started because of me. I never intended to get involved, but I still ended up caught in all sorts of whirlpools. Now, I have a way to ensure the civilians aren't harmed, but..."

"But what?"

"I can't guarantee how many of those Felines will still be alive afterward."

She understood immediately. Shi Lei wanted to use that meteor-from-the-sky move from the docks that day!

"No, Mr. Shi. Doing that will draw the Governor's attention."

"If I can safely rescue every civilian, then what does it matter if the Governor finds out? I haven't done anything bad. I'd be saving people, plain and simple. If you had that kind of power, you'd make the same choice, wouldn't you?"

Chen fell silent for a moment, realizing he was right.

"Fine. Then I'll evacuate the crowd first."

But she had not brought enough people to the Slums this time. She could not maintain the standoff and evacuate the crowd at the same time.

Shi Lei looked around and discovered that everyone on the outskirts had already withdrawn. Many Zhalaks had become vigilantes of the Lower City, doing their best to keep uninvolved people away from the area.

Lin Gerei stood in the distance with his cane, a kindly smile spread across his face. He seemed to be saying, I've cleared away the obstacles. Now go ahead and do your thing.

Too Weak, No Power

The Felines at the scene wanted to run, but the exits had been blocked by the Special Inspectorate elites led by Chen.

In Lungmen, you could fail to recognize Zhongli, or even Penguin Logistics. But you had to know the name of Officer Chen from the Lungmen Guard Department.

Just standing there, she had already robbed the Felines of their courage to break through. All they could do was clutch their captured hostages tightly, drawing a little sense of security from them.

Once the spectators realized they would be arrested if they stayed, they ran like the wind. They loved a spectacle, sure, but they were not idiots. When it was time to run, they did not hesitate.

Shi Lei raised both hands to show that he meant no harm and took the initiative to approach the Felines. There was not the slightest fear in his eyes; instead, they held a trace of pity.

"Do not let appearances blind you. Lay down your weapons and surrender now, and I can still spare your lives."

Giving them three chances before deciding to kill was the last mercy he could offer.

Upon hearing that, the Feline leader wondered if this guy had fried his brain. Could he really not understand the situation at all?

"Why don't you listen to what you're saying? We have so many hostages. The advantage is clearly ours. You say surrender, and we surrender? Why should we?"

After saying that, she ordered her Subordinates to gather together and use the hostages as shields, preventing the Lungmen Guard Department from launching a bombing ambush.

Seeing that this Feline would not listen, Shi Lei could not be bothered with her anymore. He turned to the other Felines who were still struggling.

"If you lay down your weapons now, I can offer you protection. You bear the consequences of your own mistakes. Once you finish serving your sentence, you can start over as decent people. That's better than wandering the wilderness."

The Felines fell utterly silent, making the sound of a steel blade hitting the ground especially crisp.

One Feline who had not taken a captive threw down his weapon, clasped his hands over his head, and crouched on the ground.

The Feline leader wanted to kill him immediately, lest his cowardice cause the entire group to collapse. But in the blink of an eye, a dark brown Rock Spine rose before him. A Jade Shield formed around the Feline who was willing to surrender.

"Three strikes and you're out. This is my final reminder, and it comes from the last of my patience. If you are willing to surrender, drop your weapons within five seconds. Otherwise, don't blame me for showing no mercy!"

The Feline leader was furious. She snatched a Mechanical Crossbow from one of her Subordinates and fired wildly at Shi Lei. Yet the bolts seemed as though they had not been paid for, unable to come even remotely close to him.

Only three Peace Loving Felines dropped their weapons. The rest were determined to walk this dark road to the bitter end.

"...Sigh."

Shi Lei let out a soft sigh. He had done all he could.

As his gaze suddenly turned cold, a strange phenomenon appeared in the ink-black sky. Scorching brown Clouds tore open the night, illuminating the heavens as brightly as day.

It was coming. It was coming!

Lin Gerei gripped his cane tightly. This was the first time he had observed it from so close. Chen felt the same way, sensing that witnessing it firsthand tonight would help improve her Chixiao Swordsmanship.

Huh? How was that possible!

The Rat King frowned slightly. He could not sense any trace of Originium Arts or energy circuits in the air.

Shi Lei seemed to be casting out of thin air—no! He could not possibly be doing it out of thin air. He must have been using some method of energy circulation never before seen on Terra to cast spells remotely.

A massive astral rock resembling the Chains of the Earth fell from the sky, growing larger and faster in everyone's eyes like a meteor. In less than two seconds, it exploded among the Felines with a terrifying boom.

"Heavenly Principles Charge."

The ground of the Lower City was not as sturdy as the docks, and a crater covered in even denser spiderweb cracks was blasted open in an instant. Apart from the civilians protected by the Jade Shield, the Felines near the landing point were instantly melted away, leaving not even a trace behind.

They did not even qualify to be petrified.

"Ahhh! I'm going to die, Mom!"

"I don't want to die yet! Waaaah!"

The instant the meteor struck, all the hostages within its range thought they were doomed. When they realized that only the Felines had died, they began crying and laughing without regard for their appearance.

The shocking sight had frightened the remaining Felines so badly that they could barely walk, their legs trembling uncontrollably.

Lin Gerei's eyes shone even brighter. Now this is the kind of excellent son-in-law fit to inherit my underground business.

Everyone thought it was over, but the phenomenon in the sky had not fully dissipated.

When they saw a second meteor condensing in the sky, their jaws nearly dropped.

Under normal circumstances, casting large-scale Originium Arts required enormous amounts of energy circuits. To keep those circuits running, casters usually had to recover through rest.

Shi Lei's appearance completely shattered that common understanding.

Though he possessed abilities implemented from a game, Terra had no elemental energy and naturally produced no elemental particles. Without elemental particles, there was no question of charging. No need to charge meant no mana bar; he could use his skills however he pleased, unrestricted by the current level of science.

"Vortex of Heavenly Revelation."

The enormous meteor pierced through the clouds and descended from the heavens. Though only two or three seconds had passed since the previous meteor, everyone felt as if a very, very long time had gone by.