Bloodfiend

Several relatively powerful monsters approached, and Lu Chengchuan prepared to strike.

As the monsters kept closing in, Zhou Yaning and the others drew their weapons. Just as they were about to attack, dry, hard palms burst out of the ground and seized everyone by the ankles.

The sudden change made some people cry out. It was their first time encountering something like this, so it was only natural that they were frightened.

With their ankles caught, the monsters hidden underground pulled downward with force. At the same time, the ground beneath their feet began to change.

The solid earth turned as loose as quicksand, and everyone's feet quickly sank in. The monsters intended to drag them underground and kill them that way.

"Cut off those hands! Don't let them grab you!"

Zhou Yaning drew her longsword and slashed hard at the hands. The others hurried to act as well. If they delayed any longer and the hands completely sank into the soil, they would not be able to cut them anymore.

Lu Chengchuan circulated his Inner Energy to his feet, then unleashed it from his body.

The invisible Inner Energy transformed into blades, slicing the hands clutching his ankles into pieces. A scream immediately came from underground.

Lu Chengchuan pushed off with both legs and leaped free of the soil in one motion.

The others were still chopping at the hands. Lu Chengchuan wanted to go help them, but monsters had already charged in, leaving him no choice but to turn and deal with the approaching creatures.

Several White-Armored Beasts rushed at him. Lu Chengchuan met them head-on, leaping up and driving a punch straight into one monster's head.

His fist landed, and the White-Armored Beast's head shattered on impact. Its towering body fell straight down.

Punch after punch, Lu Chengchuan, having broken through the Acquired Realm, could shatter a White-Armored Beast's head with a single move. All five White-Armored Beasts that had surrounded him became part of his lifespan.

Even after killing the charging White-Armored Beasts, Lu Chengchuan still had no chance to help Zhou Yaning and the others.

More monsters surged forth. In the blink of an eye, he was surrounded again. Trapped amid the monsters, he could not break free.

Zombies and ghouls filled the area around him. Lu Chengchuan could kill a monster with one move, and monsters kept falling at his feet, but even more came pouring in all at once.

No matter how powerful Lu Chengchuan was, he was only one man. He could hold back the monsters on his side, but monsters from the other directions had already broken through.

By then, Zhou Yaning and the others had cut off the monsters' hands and just freed themselves from the earth.

Regaining her freedom, she saw the monsters closing in and hurriedly activated her Esper ability, grabbing the creatures with telekinesis and throwing them aside.

The others broke free one after another and used their Esper abilities to intercept the monsters. With cover from the soldiers behind them, they barely managed to keep the monsters outside and prevent them from approaching the meteorite.

But no one knew what had happened to the outer defensive line. More and more monsters were rushing in, as though the entire defense was about to collapse.

"Commander Li! What happened outside? Why are there more and more monsters?"

Zhou Yaning noticed something was wrong. After blasting away a monster, she seized the chance to turn and question Li Shiwen.

Li Shiwen had no time to answer. He was practically blowing up the phone lines. The outer defensive line had not responded, and the communications soldiers he had sent out had yet to return.

Just as his anxiety peaked, the call he had just ended came through. He picked it up at once.

"How do you usually train?! What kind of defense was that? Why did so many monsters break through?! What? A powerful monster, and heavy casualties?"

"Damn it! I'll find a way to support you! You must hold the remaining defenses!"

Li Shiwen hung up. A powerful monster had appeared at the perimeter, and they needed support... Support? Where was he supposed to find support? As he thought, he spotted the Espers fighting outside. His eyes shifted, and with no other choice, he could only seek them out.

"Captain Zhou! There's a powerful monster at the western defensive line! The soldiers can't stop it. As long as it's there, the defensive line can't be closed!"

Hearing Li Shiwen's shout, Zhou Yaning's expression turned cold, though she usually did not have much expression to begin with. The powerful monster at the perimeter was too much for the soldiers, so Zhou Yaning could only think of a solution.

"Hold the line! I'll find Lu Chengchuan!"

The only person Zhou Yaning could think of to send as support was Lu Chengchuan. Other than that, she had no solution at the moment.

"Lu Chengchuan! Go to the western defensive line! There's a monster there!"

She saw Lu Chengchuan swinging his fists, with monster corpses he had beaten to death all around him. He alone was holding back a whole group of monsters.

Lu Chengchuan had already heard Li Shiwen's shout. When Zhou Yaning came to him, he did not refuse. "Hold this place. I'll go take a look!"

Zhou Yaning called several people over to help defend the area. Lu Chengchuan killed a monster with one punch, then took the opportunity to break away.

He quickly located the west and immediately pushed toward the outer defensive line. There were monsters in every direction now, and getting out was not easy. With no one following him, he could only carve out a path himself.

Punch after punch, Lu Chengchuan tore through the monsters and charged straight into the woods.

He sprinted all the way to the western defensive line. The screams ahead grew increasingly clear. Lu Chengchuan rushed out of the forest, and the miserable state of the outer defensive line instantly came into view.

Corpses covered the ground. Soldiers lay dead on the earth, their bodies shriveled and drained of all color. Ordinary monsters could not do that even after killing someone.

The screams had not yet stopped. Lu Chengchuan looked over and saw a blood-colored monster slaughtering soldiers.

The monster was huge, with hairless crimson skin. A layer of flesh membrane connected its elbows to its waist, and its massive claws tore open a soldier's body.

The soldier's mangled corpse was thrown to the ground, but his blood became Blood Mist that drifted into the air and was inhaled by the monster.

The soldiers around it opened fire. Blood holes appeared across the monster's body, but its wounds rapidly healed in an instant, leaving it seemingly unscathed.

After killing those soldiers, the monster charged toward others, while the remaining monsters continued assaulting the defensive line.

Seeing the blood-colored monster about to punch through another section of the line, Lu Chengchuan stopped watching. He quickened his pace, rushed into the position, and stood directly in front of it.

The monster paused in surprise, and the surrounding soldiers had no idea what was happening either.

"Third Battalion commander! Reinforcements have been sent over. He'll stop the monster!"

At that moment, the battalion commander responsible for the defensive line received a call from his superiors. He also saw Lu Chengchuan suddenly appear. Whoever he was, the commander would treat him as reinforcements.

"Everyone, go reinforce the line! Leave the monster to him!"

He called all the soldiers away, leaving Lu Chengchuan alone to battle the monster.

The monster did not chase the retreating soldiers. It turned, revealing a bloody skull for a head. There was nothing inside its hollow eye sockets. With a roar, it charged forward on all fours.

Inner Energy surged, and Lu Chengchuan charged at the unknown monster as well.

Man and monster collided in an instant. Lu Chengchuan sent the monster flying, but the recoil forced him two steps back as well.

The airborne monster spread its arms and used the flesh membrane on its body to twist itself around, landing steadily at last. Lu Chengchuan stabilized himself and stepped forward again to attack.

The monster roared, and a burst of Blood Mist erupted from its body. The mist condensed into dozens of blood arrows, which shot out instantly under the monster's control.