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墨書 Inktalez
Lin Yu was in danger. Xiao Qiang rushed over without a second thought, ignoring the peril surrounding him. He embraced her and shouted loudly, just as a Mimetic Bionic Alien rolled towards them from the ground, spewing flames just a foot away... Boom! He felt a wave of scorching heat wash over him, and instinctively ducked.
Needless to say, he thought he had returned once more. However, when he opened his eyes, something felt off. It seemed he had come to the wrong place this time. This appeared to be a Tavern, and there was no one inside.
His gaze shifted to the entrance, where bright light spilled out. Xiao Qiang stepped outside casually. The entrance opened onto a wide road; to the right stretched a gray path that seemed to go on forever, while to the left stood a large bridge leading in another direction.
On both sides of the river were densely packed residential buildings. In this quiet environment, it felt as if this area was an occupied zone. Apart from him, there was hardly anyone moving about.
The bridge had iron railings, and below it, the water flowed swiftly, shimmering under the light. The water was clear, and several small fishing boats were moored near the shore.
Xiao Qiang stood on the bridge, facing an upstream building that resembled a hydropower station. Downstream was another bridge. A subconscious feeling crept over him; he sensed that something evil lurked within the flowing water.
Suddenly, beneath the shimmering surface, the water became strange and turbulent as if stirred by an unseen force. He stared intently at the river's surface when suddenly a massive creature burst forth from the water.
Startled, he let out a loud "Ah..." and hurriedly stepped back. When he looked again, the river was calm and tranquil; there were no monsters.
Was it an illusion? Or perhaps one of Jack's phantoms? Xiao Qiang skeptically tapped his forehead. He needed to return—to the battlefield to find Lin Yu. Lost in his thoughts, he made his way back to the Tavern.
The once empty Tavern now had a few patrons seated inside. As Xiao Qiang entered, strangely, no one paid him any attention; they seemed engrossed in discussions about the war... He approached the counter where a glass of G615 vintage wine from 2014 sat.
"Those creatures are truly brutal; everywhere they pass turns into scorched earth."
"What's there to fear? Our strength is unstoppable; those bastards will eventually be driven out by humanity."
"If my father's troops were here, they would have taken them down long ago; those bastards wouldn't dare encroach further."
"Humans are so unfortunate; when will it ever end?"
Listening to various debates around him, Xiao Qiang picked up an empty glass and flicked it with his finger, producing a crisp sound. He thought these people wouldn’t notice him, but as he played with the glass, the barmaid behind the counter picked up a bottle from the shelf and asked sternly, "Another drink?"
"Thanks," he replied as he turned to look at those who were also staring at him. The barmaid muttered under her breath, "These guys always chatter away without any real ability to confront those monsters themselves. Don’t mind them; some of them are bankrupt mine owners venting their frustrations here because of the war."
Several people were staring at Xiao Qiang.
One Drunk Man lifted his glass and stumbled toward him. "Hey! Scared stiff? At your age, you should be contributing to your country instead of hiding in this rundown Tavern waiting to die."
"Hmph, how do you know I haven't been? I've been many times."
"Hahahaha!"
Xiao Qiang's words sparked a wave of laughter. An old man wearing a straw hat, with swollen eyes, stared at him blankly, a hint of disdain on his face as he muttered, "Coward."
The tavern owner glanced at these people. "Don't mind them; they're just a bunch of folks waiting to die. Their kids have all gone off to training, preparing to be cannon fodder at the front lines."
"Sigh..."
"You really have been to the front lines," the tavern owner said, half believing it. "Don't try to fool me." She wiped the narrow counter back and forth with a cloth several times.
"I really have..."
"Tell me about the situation at the front. What are those creatures like? I've heard they even eat people and spit fire." The tavern owner stopped her movements, staring intently at Xiao Qiang, looking forward to his story.
"You don't want to know," just then, the lights began to flicker erratically, and suddenly the tavern was plunged into darkness, as if someone had jokingly turned off the power.
Realizing something was wrong, Xiao Qiang stepped out of the tavern. Pushing open the door, the scene outside was vastly different from when he had gone in; it felt as if a century had passed between entering and exiting.
A police car whizzed by and stopped at the entrance of a vehicle that likely belonged to one of those gold mine entrepreneurs inside the tavern. Without hesitation, he walked over and smashed the glass door with his fist.
The car had an anti-theft system; when Xiao Qiang struck it, the alarm blared loudly. Ignoring the old folks from the tavern who rushed out yelling at him for being a coward, he jumped into the car and sped away, leaving them cursing behind him.
Xiao Qiang drove quickly; he needed to return to the military camp to continue his training. The tavern had been a misguided refuge born from psychological escape. It was a place not yet occupied by enemies. The illusions appearing in the water hinted that the enemy's next target would be this area within the Tavern's vicinity.
Lin Yu heard the 'tat-tat-tat' of gunfire coming from the training ground and felt a surge of joy. He had just been searching for this guy everywhere, and now he had come out to train.
Moreover, this training session was exceptionally successful. He was ruthless, precise, and fast; one by one, those spinning props known as Mimetic Organisms were smashed into pieces. Only one lonely spinning prop remained on site, its wheels gliding quickly while sparking against the ground.
Lin Yu stood quietly in the shadows, observing.
Xiao Qiang was fierce; just as Liu Yi had said—he treated everyone and everything as an enemy. Now he viewed those whirling props as those detestable mutated creatures invading Earth.
The last Mimetic Organism was rendered powerless by Xiao Qiang's firepower. He shouted and lunged forward, grabbing hold of the prop's rotating axle and pulling it fiercely.
After dealing with the final simulated creature prop, Xiao Qiang gasped for breath and finally noticed Lin Yu hiding in the shadows.
"Great job," Lin Yu said with a smile as he approached. "You must have sensed something."
"He's... in the water," Xiao Qiang gasped.
"Okay, let's go find Jack."
The nano-sensing monitor flickered to life. Xiao Qiang shook his head helplessly and said, "This river leads straight to the occupied zone. If we want to find the enemy's lair, we have to cross through enemy territory and enter the fallen city to directly attack the dam."
"As long as we can eliminate them, it's worth taking the risk," came the reply.
"The occupied zone is full of those creatures. The two of us going there would be like walking to our deaths."
Jack had remained silent, his brow furrowed. Finally, he looked at both of them and said, "Regardless of what happens, you both need to give it a try. If it really doesn't work out, we can always reset time."
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