Chapter 31
Deep within the mutated forest, the light was dappled by the twisted purple-red branches and leaves. Chen Mengzhou paused, closed his eyes, and spread his heightened spatial perception around him like an invisible giant net.
Buzz——
The world before her eyes unfolded in a completely different light. The flow of energy was no longer a vague sensation, but a distinct stream and eddy. The rancid energy emanating from distant erosions, the vapor from underground rivers, even the faint heat carried by the wind from distant campfires... all were as distinct as lines on the palm of your hand.
This sense of control is unprecedented.
She needed to test the limits of this new power, and she needed a target to announce her "return."
Her perception was like a precise radar, sweeping across the mountains, ruins, and dry riverbeds... Finally, about fifty kilometers to the southeast, she locked onto a faint energy gathering point with a sense of order that disgusted her - a small "scavenger" outpost.
Judging by the energy signatures, the group seemed small, consisting of approximately ten people, two lightly armored vehicles, and some basic detection equipment. It seemed like one of the tentacles deployed for a wide-ranging search.
That's it.
Chen Mengzhou opened his eyes, a cold light flashing in them. His body moved slightly, and the space around him rippled like water.
The next second, her figure appeared on the top of a dead tree a hundred meters away! Then, she flashed again and appeared on a cliff even further away!
Short-distance space flash! After absorbing the blue crystal, her use of space jumps became more skillful and energy-saving. Although long-distance transmission was still difficult, this short-range advance could be performed almost continuously!
The distance of fifty kilometers was rapidly shortened at this speed that was almost as fast as shrinking the earth into an inch.
Less than half an hour later, the small outpost, built in an abandoned highway service area, appeared at the end of the field of vision. Barbed wire fences, simple fortifications, and antennas stood tall. Two black armored vehicles were parked nearby, and several soldiers in black uniforms were on patrol.
Like a ghost blending into the shadows, Chen Mengzhou silently crept to the best observation point. She didn't attack immediately, but instead focused her mind again, using her spatial perception like the most sophisticated probe to penetrate deep into the outpost.
The structure, personnel distribution, weapon location, energy core... even the encrypted channel frequency of their internal communications... all the information was quickly mastered by her.
[…B-7 area scan completed, no abnormal energy response.] […Command, search focus shifted to S-7 mining area. Repeat, S-7 mining area…] […Received. Time for shift change, Team 3 prepares for handover.]
S-7 Mine? Isn't that the mine area where she hid before? Are they still searching there?
very good.
A cold arc curved up the corners of Chen Mengzhou's mouth. She slowly raised her hand, not pointing it at the soldiers, but at the humming main generator and signal transmission tower in the center of the outpost.
The five fingers suddenly tightened!
Buzz——!!!
The space within the outpost suddenly twisted violently! The generator's casing groaned horribly as it was twisted into a pretzel by an invisible force! The circuits and components within crackled and exploded, sparks flying everywhere!
Boom! The generator exploded! The raging flames instantly engulfed the base of the nearby signal transmission tower! The tower groaned under the weight, slowly tilting and collapsing!
"Enemy attack!!" "The generator exploded!!" "Communications interrupted!"
The outpost instantly fell into chaos and darkness! The soldiers shouted in panic, trying to put out the fire and find cover!
In this extreme chaos!
Chen Mengzhou moved!
Her figure was like a ghost, appearing in an instant behind a soldier who was busy operating a vehicle-mounted machine gun, and the bayonet silently wiped across his throat!
Blood splattered!
The next second, she appeared beside another soldier who was trying to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher, and her fingers were like knives, piercing his carotid artery with precision!
Puff! Puff!
Two more soldiers had their throats cut by the space blades that appeared out of nowhere the moment they turned around, and fell down with disbelief and horror in their eyes!
The killing was efficient, precise, and cruel, like a choreographed dance of death!
The remaining soldiers finally spotted the attacker and, in panic, opened fire! Energy beams shot randomly into the darkness, unable to even reach the edge of her clothes!
Chen Mengzhou's figure flickered in and out of the darkness, and every flicker marked the death of a soldier! The distortion of space became her best shield and weapon, deflecting bullets and tearing through the flesh!
In less than a minute, all the soldiers in the station turned into corpses lying on the ground!
The battle ended silently, with only the crackling of flames and the smell of blood in the air.
Chen Mengzhou stood beside the flames, not a drop of blood on his body, his eyes coldly sweeping over the corpses and scrapped equipment on the ground.
She walked over to the relatively intact armored vehicle, opened the door, and violently dismantled the communication recorder and encrypted data storage module inside. Then, she found the outpost's logging terminal.
His fingers moved quickly on the keyboard, cracking the simple password and calling up the recent communication records and action logs.
Sure enough, a large number of records revolved around the search for the S-7 mining area, and... the tracking report of an abnormal energy signal codenamed "Phosphorescence"? The report showed that the source of the signal briefly appeared in the mining area, but quickly disappeared, pointing southwest (the direction she had escaped).
Phosphorescence? Are they referring to the creatures in the underground caves? Or... that "gravekeeper"?
Is the "Scavenger" also looking there?
Chen Mengzhou's eyes narrowed slightly. She continued flipping through the documents and soon found a command with a higher level of encryption, sent from "Foundation Command."
[…Priority Change: Capture of Target S-07 (Female) has been temporarily downgraded. All available units, immediately assemble to Grid Sierra-114 and stand by. Repeat, immediately assemble to S-114. Project Pandora has entered its final phase, requiring a large number of living "catalysts"… The "Gate" is about to open…]
S-114 coordinates? Project Pandora? The Gate? Living Catalyst?
The information in the directive made Chen Mengzhou frown. It seemed the "Foundation" was carrying out another, higher-priority operation? One that required a large number of living bodies? That definitely didn't sound good!
The decrease in her capture priority actually gave her room to breathe and operate.
This is an opportunity! A chance to gain insight into the true purpose of the "Foundation" and perhaps even bring it down!
She quickly wrote down the S-114 coordinates (located on the edge of a large swamp basin in the northwest) and began to destroy the data in the terminal.
After doing all this, she did not leave immediately. Instead, she took a few "scavenger" grenades and smoke bombs from a corpse, and removed the vehicle-mounted heavy machine gun and all the remaining ammunition belts from the scrapped armored vehicle!
These are good things!
She wrapped the heavy machine gun and ammunition belt in canvas and carried it on her back (with her current strength, it wasn't too difficult to carry this). Then, she walked to the highest wreckage of the outpost and looked coldly to the southeast - the approximate direction of the fortress.
Raising his hand, the energy of space began to condense.
This time, it was no longer a subtle operation, but a violent catharsis!
She wanted to tell the "Foundation" and the Fortress everything that happened here in the most direct and arrogant way possible.
I'm back.
Buzz!!!
A huge energy shock wave that was visible to the naked eye and distorted space suddenly spread out in all directions with her as the center!
The remaining wreckage of buildings and vehicles at the outpost was instantly crushed, torn apart, and thrown into the air, as if by an invisible hand! Along with the bodies, they were swept into the air and then fell like garbage!
All that was left was a huge, charred crater, as if hit by a meteorite, and the lingering aftermath of terrifying energy!
After doing all this, Chen Mengzhou felt that most of the energy in his body had been consumed, but a feeling of exhilaration arose spontaneously.
She carried a heavy machine gun on her back, turned around, and her figure flashed a few times before disappearing into the dense forest in the northwest direction.
What was left behind was a huge, provocative mark of destruction.
And, a clue pointing to an unknown conspiracy.
S-114 coordinates.
Pandora Project.
I am coming.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
