At the foot of Mount Tai, there is a bridge.
The river was calm and still, eerily quiet.
On the other side of the bridge, towering barbed wire fences could be vaguely seen, clearly their destination.
Military base.
Inside a self-built house near the riverbank, Xing Wu and his group were discussing their next plan from a third-floor window.
"There's only this river left ahead."
Xing Wu leaned against the moss-covered wall. "Now we only have two choices."
"Come by bridge, or by waterway."
The atmosphere became somewhat heavy for a moment.
Li Tie, huddled in the corner, politely declined upon hearing this.
"Chief, traveling by water... isn't that too dangerous?"
"The river is so deep and it's pitch black in there. If there's any monster in there, we'll be sitting ducks."
"This is too much of a gamble..."
"I agree with Brother Tie."
Chen Xiaoyu echoed with lingering fear, "What if those flesh-and-blood monsters could go into the water..."
"We couldn't even put up the most basic resistance in the water; we had nowhere to run."
However, Li Yang, who had remained silent, interrupted them.
"But... crossing the bridge is definitely more dangerous than traveling by water; it's a path where death is almost certain."
All eyes turned to this rational astronaut.
Li Yang pointed in the direction of the military base in the distance and analyzed, "Have you forgotten?"
"The red light that erupted from the park didn't affect the military base."
What does this mean?
"This means the monsters in this area haven't been cleared out; the area around the military base definitely has the largest and most concentrated number of monsters!"
"Whether underwater or on the bridge, those monsters must have laid a tight ambush."
"On a bridge spanning the river with no cover whatsoever, an ambush would be absolutely deadly; once we're up there, we'll be blind spots on all sides."
After listening, Xing Wu's eyes flashed with appreciation, and he nodded. "Li Yang is right, that's what I was thinking too."
He straightened up slightly and shared his observations from the previous battle with everyone.
"I've observed those monsters carefully."
"Those rudimentary monsters, resembling black infants, seem to have some kind of defect; they cannot come into contact with water."
"Those high-level Flesh Demon, though powerful, are extremely afraid of sunlight and high temperatures."
Even underwater, they would never dare to surface easily.
Therefore, taking all factors into consideration, I agree with traveling by water.
"Although there are risks, it's much better than being a sitting duck on the bridge. Let's vote by raising our hands."
Upon hearing Xing Wu's reasoned analysis, Li Tie, who had initially been willing to go into the water, changed his expression and raised his hand.
"The Chief is wise! I think traveling by water is much better, it's cooler!"
On the contrary, Chen Xiaoyu, who had just been agreeing with Li Tie, now rubbed her hands together somewhat embarrassedly and whispered the truth.
"Um... Chief, actually... I can't swim..."
"That's all?"
Xing Wu waved his hand dismissively and said, "That's easy."
"If things really get too difficult, we'll just make a simple breathing apparatus ourselves."
"When we get in the water, you just hold your breath underwater, and I'll use a rope to pull you across."
"Remember, we absolutely must not sail or use any flotation devices."
"Because they might be detected by the monsters on the other side of the bridge or by monsters lying in ambush on the bridge."
Upon hearing this, Chen Xiaoyu breathed a sigh of relief and nodded vigorously, "Okay! I'll follow the Chief's instructions!"
With the waterway plan basically finalized, Xing Wu turned his head and looked at Mo Wan and Lin Zhu, who had been standing silently to the side.
"Where are you two little girls? Are you coming with us by water?"
Lin Zhu gently shook her head. "Captain Xing, we won't choose either path. We won't take the water, nor will we use the bridge."
"Because we can fly."
"That's right!"
Mo Wan stood with her hands on her hips, looking arrogantly as if she were the most important person in the world, "This lady's ride comes with automatic cruise control!"
"We can fly in the sky and help you scout enemy positions, and incidentally draw your firepower away from above!"
"Absolutely amazing!"
Upon hearing this, Li Yang frowned slightly. "So... you mean you want to split up and act separately?"
The two nodded without hesitation.
In their view, mobility is their greatest advantage; being tied together would actually hinder their ability to maneuver.
After listening, Xing Wu did not immediately reject this suggestion that undermined unity, like an old stubborn man.
He sighed and began to offer advice.
"Girls, I know you're all very capable."
"But given the current situation, we should still go together; there's strength in numbers."
"Although you have a good view from the sky, once you are exposed, you will become the most conspicuous target."
"If those flesh-and-blood planes that could devour fighter jets come back, you won't have anywhere to hide in mid-air!"
"Come with us, and if anything happens, we can take care of you."
Upon hearing the words "[flesh and blood airplane]", Lin Zhu and Mo Wan exchanged a glance, their expressions becoming somewhat unpredictable.
Xing Wu's words do make sense.
The psychological trauma left on them by that monster-dropping, flesh-and-blood plane was too great.
If they were to actually run into each other in the sky, the two of them wouldn't even be enough to fill their teeth; they might actually be swallowed whole!
Seeing the two hesitate, Xing Wu smiled kindly.
"There's no need to rush into a decision. We still have some time to discuss it further."
After saying that, he turned his gaze to Novsky, who had been sitting in the corner, and Sergei, who was standing behind him.
"And you, my old friends?"
"What are your thoughts on whether to travel by water or split up?"
Sergei shrugged and pointed to Novsky in front of him.
Clearly, he means...
"I have no objection; I'll listen to our elders."
As Xing Wu asked the question, Novsky, who had been keeping his eyes closed, opened them.
"I think... it's better to split up."
Everyone was stunned by these words.
Clearly, no one expected that Novsky, who had always been in perfect harmony with Xing Wu, would speak out against it at this moment!
Xing Wu's smile slowly faded, and he remained silent for a full five or six seconds before finally asking, "Why?"
Novsky got up and walked to the window.
"Xing, the enemies here are far more powerful than we imagined."
"That giant demon we encountered earlier almost killed us all."
"If we all gather together, and are ambushed and surrounded underwater or on the shore..."
"In such an extreme environment, we had no room to maneuver; death was the only outcome, and we were destined for total annihilation."
Novsky turned around and scanned the crowd.
"It would be better to split into two teams."
"One team is in the open, responsible for creating noise on the bridge to lure the monster away."
"Another team is lurking in the shadows, taking the opportunity to infiltrate and investigate, using this as a diversionary tactic."
"After all..."
Novsky gave Xing Wu a long look.
"We still know nothing about what's inside this military base, except that we've heard there are spaceships, haven't we?"
After Novsky finished speaking, the room fell silent once again.
The problem has come full circle, only to be pulled back to square one.
However, the initial question of "choosing between waterways and bridges" has now shifted to "whether to stick together and travel by water, or to use a diversionary tactic and split up."
Lin Zhu and Mo Wan exchanged a glance and were the first to break the silence.
"We agree to split up! Whether it's to lure the monster away or to scout ahead, we're fine with it!"
Sergei was a stubborn man; he would do whatever his elders told him to do, so he immediately raised his arm in agreement.
The score is now tied at four to four.
Agreed to proceed separately: Novsky, Sergei, Lin Zhu, Mo Wan.
Those who tend to act in groups: Xing Wu, Li Tie, Chen Xiaoyu, Li Yang.
The situation reached an awkward stalemate.
Just as Xing Wu was frowning, about to say something more to persuade him, a voice suddenly rang out from the corner.
"Um... Chief, I... I also agree to splitting up."
The one who spoke was none other than Chen Xiaoyu, who always obeyed orders.
Facing the astonished gazes of the crowd, Chen Xiaoyu blushed and looked at Xing Wu apologetically.
"Chief, I'm sorry. I know you wanted to protect us."
"But I know my own limitations. Apart from Brother Li Yang, who is not a combatant, I am the weakest in the entire team."
"Although I have A-Class physical attributes, I don't know any fighting techniques at all, and my combat awareness is terrible."
"If we really encounter danger, not only will I be unable to help, but I will also become a hindrance to everyone's retreat."
Chen Xiaoyu gritted her teeth and said, "In that case, I'd rather go and lure the monster away, leaving the intelligence gathering to someone more capable."
His defection became the final straw that broke the camel's back.
Xing Wu's expression darkened.
But he didn't react or argue further; he simply nodded.
"Good."
"Since everyone has chosen this option, I, Xing Wu, am not one to make decisions unilaterally."
"The majority's word counts, and the minority must submit to the majority."
Xing Wu took a step back, extended a hand in a gesture of invitation, and looked at Novsky.
"Well then, since it was you who proposed the division of forces, let's begin dividing the troops now, Novsky."
Novsky did not refuse.
His shrewd eyes swept across the crowd as he began assigning tasks.
"First, here's the list of the intelligence gathering teams."
"Infiltration and reconnaissance require extremely high mobility and stealth."
"These two little girls who can fly definitely have to be included, right? Everyone agrees on that, right?"
Everyone shook their heads. They knew the other person had the ability to fly; if they encountered a dead end, they could simply take off and run away.
The reconnaissance mission is definitely theirs to do.
"After that, it was Chen..."
"I?!"
Chen Xiaoyu pointed nervously to her nose.
"Yes, it's you."
Novsky nodded, offering an irrefutable reason, "While you lack combat experience, you have been to An City..."
"You are the one among us who knows the terrain and building structure in this area best."
"Therefore, you must be responsible for leading the way and planning the infiltration route."
That brings us to this.
The atmosphere in the room suddenly became subtle!
As Novsky spoke, he glanced out of the corner of his eye at Xing Wu, who was sitting with his head down on the wooden stool.
In the dim light, Xing Wu's hand moved silently toward the ancient sword at his waist...
At the same time, Novsky's right hand, hanging at his side, seemed to unintentionally move towards the tactical dagger at his waist...
It's a feeling of tension that could erupt at any moment!
It was like two lions locking their throats in the darkness.
The slightest disturbance will be met with a thunderous strike, a fight to the death!
However, just as Xing Wu's fingers were about to touch the hilt of the ancient sword...
Novsky spoke, uttering the last name of the reconnaissance team.
"The last person to go investigating... was Yang."
Upon hearing this, Xing Wu's finger paused an inch above the hilt of the sword, then naturally fell back down.
Novsky's hand also left the dagger.
When Li Yang heard his name called, he frowned at first, but then nodded and agreed.
"As long as you don't mind me being a burden as an astronaut, I can take charge of recording and analyzing intelligence."
"Very good."
Novsky nodded, then turned to look at Xing Wu, his eyes regaining their usual calm.
"And the other four people who were responsible for drawing fire on the bridge to lure the enemy away... that was us."
"Me, Sergei, Li Tie, and you."
Novsky looked at Xing Wu, "Xing, what do you think of this allocation?"
Xing Wu raised his head, a smile returning to his face.
"This arrangement is good!"
"We old guys, with our thick skin and tough flesh, are responsible for drawing the enemy away for the younger men."
As he spoke, Xing Wu stepped forward, reached out his hand, and seemed to want to pat his old comrade on the shoulder, just as he had done countless times when they fought side by side.
However.
Novsky subtly took a small step back, avoiding Xing Wu's hand.
As Xing Wu stared in disbelief, Novsky reached behind him and pulled a High Explosive Grenade from his waist, pointing it directly at the bridge.
"Now that the plan has been set, let's get started."
"Every second of delay increases the danger."
"Let's go to the bridge."
Novsky said coldly.
Xing Wu's hand, which was suspended in mid-air, paused for two seconds.
He then withdrew his hand, and the smile on his lips vanished.
"Good."
Xing Wu turned around and also turned his gaze to the bridge outside the window.
"Then let this operation..."
"Let's begin."
The thick red fog shrouded the bridge, making it resemble a road to the Yellow Springs.
The bridge was piled high with wrecked vehicles from a chain collision, and not a sound could be heard from the water.
Xing Wu, Novsky, Sergei, and Li Tie were walking step by step into the depths of the bridge, stepping over the shards of glass scattered on the ground.
"Chief, it's too quiet on this bridge!"
Li Tie held the meteor hammer upside down in his hand, cautiously looking around. "There's not even a bird in sight. Are those monsters really lying in ambush here?"
Xing Wu was walking at the front, didn't turn around. "It's quiet because the prey is already in the cage."
Just then...
Novsky, who was walking at the back of the group, suddenly turned cold.
The High Explosive Grenade he had just taken out of the self-built house was now in his hand.
Without the slightest hesitation or warning, Novsky flicked the pull ring with his thumb!
He then threw the object at Xing Wu's back!
However, what happened next completely shattered common sense.
Xing Wu, who was walking at the very front, didn't even turn his head back.
Just as the grenade was about to explode, his right leg kicked backward at an angle that no human could possibly do!
"Bang!"
That deadly High Explosive Grenade was actually deflected by Xing Wu's kick and flew directly over the edge of the bridge!
"Boom!!!"
A muffled thud came from beneath the bridge.
A towering column of water poured up from under the bridge, causing the alarms of abandoned vehicles on the bridge to go off.
This sudden turn of events left Sergei and Li Tie completely blank.
Click.
The sound of a bullet being chambered rang out on the bridge.
Li Tie and Sergei instinctively turned their heads to look.
Novsky was walking at the very back of the group.
The Mosin–Nagant Rifle in his hand wasn't pointed into the depths of the fog, but rather locked onto...
Xing Wu's back!
"Elder! What are you doing?!"
Sergei was shocked and couldn't understand why his own men had suddenly drawn their guns and launched a surprise attack with grenades!
Xing Wu, who was ahead, also stopped, but he did not turn around or touch the sword at his waist.
"Punishment."
"Do you think you've hidden it well?"
Novsky held a gun; his Death's Eye was activated.
"Just now in the self-built house, the reason I insisted on splitting up was..."
"It's not because I'm afraid of dying in the water, but because I can't let those two girls..."
"I'll follow you two ticking time bombs!"
Li Tie's eyes widened. "A bomb? What bomb?"
Stop pretending!
Novsky's gun remained motionless. "On the summit of Mount Tai! When you slay that monster of flesh!"
"I saw it when the blood splattered on you!"
"The Flesh Demon's assimilation ability doesn't just come from biting, but also from blood contact!"
"Xing, you've been infected."
"And then there's Iron, who was responsible for carrying you during the retreat... he was the same!"
"I don't know how much longer you can stay conscious. If you suddenly attack after entering the military base, everyone will die."
"So... I have no choice but to leave you here."
"This is the last bit of dignity I can offer you!"
After a while, Xing Wu, who had his back to them, suddenly let out a low laugh.
"Hehe... hahahahaha!"
He turned around, half of his face writhing, fleshy buds sprouting from the corners of his eyes and mouth, tearing away the disguise that belonged to humanity.
"No wonder you're his friend... you even noticed that."
"But do you know, this is not a curse, but a blessing!"
"Do it!!"
Novsky, his eyes red-rimmed, let out a piercing roar.
"Hurrah!!!"
Sergei, upon hearing Novsky's order, acted out of absolute loyalty to his superior...
He lunged directly at Li Tie was already undergoing a transformation beside him!
"Roar!"
Li Tie stopped pretending. His normal human appearance vanished completely, and his flesh and blood, wrapped around a meteor hammer, hurtled towards him!
Sergei was knocked away as soon as he went up, and the two started fighting among the abandoned vehicles!
Meanwhile, on the other side, Xing Wu drew his ancient sword from his waist...
Oh no, it should be called the Blood Demon Sword. As the name suggests, it becomes stronger by absorbing the user's blood!
"Your sins... will be judged by me!"
Xing Wu threw down the token, "Now... you are guilty!"
As soon as he finished speaking, two illusory figures, one black and one white, suddenly materialized behind him!
Then, Xing Wu ran his palm along the sharp blade.
The Blood Demon Sword, having absorbed the blood, instantly erupted with a blinding, demonic light!
"Bang!"
Novsky decisively pulled the trigger, striking the chains that the black and white phantom was using to bind him!
He then rolled on the spot and hid behind an overturned truck.
But Xing Wu was too fast!
The Blood Demon Sword, imbued with the power of a rule that guarantees a hit, drew a Half Moon slash in mid-air.
It split the SUV that was blocking the two people in two!
"Nov! Join us!"
While Suppression his sword to suppress the enemy, Xing Wu uttered a seductive taunt, "Join the great Filth! Look at me now!"
"The terrible life-shortening side effect of the Judge is completely gone from my lifespan!"
"The regeneration of flesh and blood has made up for everything; I have gained immortality!!"
"You are not him! You are just a monster that has taken over his body!"
Novsky hid behind the truck chassis and quickly pulled the bolt back on his rifle.
"He's a true warrior; he'll never bow down to disgusting creatures like you!"
"Then you should go downstairs and keep him company!"
Seeing that he was unyielding, Xing Wu stopped holding back and smashed the truck to pieces with a single sword strike!
In a desperate situation with no way to avoid it, Novsky raised his head and reactivated the Death's Eye.
But the next moment, he vomited a mouthful of blood, his face turning deathly pale.
He could feel his lungs rapidly withering away.
The price of Instant Death is organ failure.
But all of this...
It's all worth it!
"Bang!"
The bullet, imbued with the law of Instant Death, pierced Xing Wu's heart!
Xing Wu's maniacal laughter froze, and the Blood Demon Sword he had been holding aloft stopped in mid-air.
Is it over?
Novsky was breathing heavily; his intuition told him it wouldn't be that simple.
"Haha... hahahaha..."
However, instead of falling, Xing Wu burst forth with countless tentacles from the bloody hole in his chest!
Not far away, Li Tie had just used his meteor hammer to blast Sergei away again.
Before he could even catch his breath, the tentacles on Xing Wu's back shot out and pierced into Li Tie's body!
Visibly, Li Tie's body rapidly decomposed and turned to ashes.
But Xing Wu's fatal chest wound was healing!
A substitute death!
He defied the law of Instant Death by sacrificing the lives of assimilated beings!
"Give up, Nov."
"Your old gun is useless, just like you."
Xing Wu found a familiar ammunition pouch in his hand.
Those were Novsky's spare ammunition, which he had secretly obtained.
Xing Wu looked down at him, "Also, I forgot to tell you something."
"I've already dispatched a large number of Soul-Devouring Monster to hunt down those few escaped insects."
"Moreover... among those four, there was a mole who was even more deeply hidden and powerful than I was."
"It's completely different from us puppets."
"You have no chance of winning."
Novsky reached for his waist; all bullets were gone.
His weapons were all ordinary, because the power of the Death's Eye could not be attached to special objects.
Seeing Xing Wu closing in step by step, he drew the military dagger from his waist and launched a final charge at Xing Wu!
"No! I don't agree!"
"Pshaw. An archer trying to fight a warrior in melee? He's asking for death!"
Xing Wu sneered disdainfully, and swung the Blood Demon Sword down towards Novsky's neck!
However!
Just as the blade was about to touch Novsky...
Xing Wu's hand suddenly stopped!
"Ughhhh!!!"
Veins suddenly bulged on his face, and half of his human face began to emerge!
"You... don't even think about it!"
The assimilation of the Flesh Demon was not a complete possession, but Fusion similar to that of the Thousand-Faced Devil Lord!
The steely will of a true Xing Wu briefly regained control of his body at this moment!
Under Novsky's shocked gaze, Xing Wu's sword-wielding hand trembled as he forcibly altered the blade's trajectory.
"Pfft!"
The Blood Demon Sword pierced his own abdomen!
"Kill me..."
Xing Wu coughed up mouthfuls of Black Blood and looked at his best friend opposite him, "Quick! Give me a... quick death!"
Novsky shuddered.
He gritted his teeth, and black blood seeped from his left eye once more as he activated the Death's Eye for the last time!
With tears of blood streaming down his face, he plunged the dagger, imbued with the law of Instant Death, into Xing Wu's heart!
"Rest in peace... my old friend..."
"Thanks, but please don't come with me. I don't want to walk with a man..."
A relieved smile appeared on Xing Wu's face.
With the full-scale outbreak of the Instant Death law, Xing Wu's body collapsed and turned into white smoke.
"It's over..."
Novsky's knees buckled, and he knelt in the blood.
He stared blankly at the dull Blood Demon Sword on the ground, unable to get up for a long time.
"Sir... don't be sad. You did the right thing."
A footstep approached from behind him.
Sergei, covered in blood, sighed and placed his hand on Novsky's shoulder.
"Thank you, Sergei..."
Novsky instinctively wanted to turn his head.
But in that instant, he froze.
Because he felt...
The hand resting on my shoulder, in that warm palm, there was a soft mass of flesh wriggling.
Sergei...
It's a monster too.
Novsky didn't turn around; he didn't even touch the dagger.
There is no greater sorrow than a broken heart; he no longer even had the strength to stand up.
He simply raised his head and looked at the red misty sky above.
"I'm sorry, Mother, I can't come home to offer you flowers."
"Sukabr..."
After saying that, Sergei's head behind him split into four pieces like a man-eating flower, and his huge mouth covered with barbs bit down!
"Snap!"
Novsky's headless body lay helplessly in a pool of blood.
Sergei, after devouring the flesh and blood, silently turned around and stepped into the depths of the thick fog.
I don't know how much time has passed.
On the bridge, Novsky's headless corpse suddenly twitched.
Immediately afterwards, the flesh at the severed neck began to proliferate and mutate.
Countless black tentacles spread out, coiling around the dagger stuck in the ground...
Devour.
The Blood Demon Sword was unleashed...
Devour.
The meteor hammer was rolled up...
Devour.
Finally, the tentacles wrapped around the Mosin–Nagant Rifle that had accompanied Novsky throughout his life.
With a sound of flesh and bone Fusion, the gun was plunged into the severed neck, becoming part of this new body...
A new head!
The gun barrel pointed straight at the sky, emitting a dark, deathly light.
On its left and right sides, the Black and White Impermanence phantoms that originally belonged to Xing Wu also slowly emerged.
I stood quietly beside it.
Grim Reaper...
Arrived.