Chapter 549: Chapter 549: Wow, This is Light, the Light of Hope
Ning City.
Inside a sealed underground parking garage.
A group of people leaned against the corner, panting heavily. A series of battles had drained their energy, leaving them unable to continue fighting.
"What do we do?" a new member asked, his voice filled with panic. "Are we going to die here?"
His voice trembled, revealing his deep-seated fear. Anyone in this situation would be terrified and bewildered.
"Yes," an older member replied bluntly.
"Don't scare him. Whether we live or die is uncertain, but one thing's for sure, the odds of dying are higher," another veteran interjected, attempting to comfort the newcomer, though his words offered little solace.
The new member retorted, "Don't think you can scare me. I was just asking. Everyone fears death, but fearing death doesn't mean we can't face it."
Clap clap!
The veteran members applauded.
"Well said."
Their operation had gone wrong. Pursued by monsters, they had finally escaped to this garage. Fortunately, they were able to close the door; otherwise, the consequences would have been unthinkable. They would have been trapped and killed.
Escape, however, seemed impossible. Monsters still roamed outside.
Despair filled the air.
But despair didn't mean giving up. Everyone was racking their brains for a solution.
In the corner…
"Nai Yi, what are you doing?" Xia Qingmiao noticed that since they were trapped, Nai Yi had slept, and after waking up, she had been playing with her phone.
Tang Nai Yi replied, "Saying my final goodbyes to my family and friends. Also, sending a message to the security guard, asking him to burn some paper money for me every year. Oh, I forgot to tell him to burn some for you too. But it's okay, when I have some, I'll share some with you."
"Don't joke around. We still have a chance," Xia Qingmiao said, regretting bringing Tang Nai Yi along. This mission wasn't originally assigned to them. She had volunteered, and Nai Yi had insisted on coming. She had thought that since they had survived multiple missions without incident, this one should be fine. But who could have predicted this?
"Do you actually like that security guard?" Xia Qingmiao asked.
Tang Nai Yi replied, "No way! We're just friends. Stop making wild guesses."
Just then, a teammate's voice echoed through the garage.
"He's not going to make it. We can't stop the bleeding."
Everyone rushed over. One of the veterans had a severed arm. During the fight with the monsters, a monster had grabbed his arm. With the monster's strength, even a slight pull could tear a person to shreds. The other teammates, to save him, had been forced to chop off his arm.
The wound, initially stemmed, was now bleeding profusely.
If this continued, the outcome would be dire.
"Let me." Xia Qingmiao stepped forward, took some bullets from another teammate, and prepared to use the gunpowder to cauterize the wound. "The situation is critical. If we don't stop the bleeding, he won't last long. But using gunpowder will cause blood poisoning. Hopefully, there's a chance… It's either this or death. If we can buy some time, we buy some time."
"Bear with it!"
Xia Qingmiao ignited the gunpowder. With a sizzle, it covered the wound. The smell of burning flesh was pungent. The injured member's face turned ashen, beads of sweat streaming down his face.
The intense pain was unbearable.
If it weren't for his strong will, such pain would have made him faint.
He gritted his teeth, the veins in his neck bulging, his breathing becoming rapid.
"Qingmiao, you know so much," Tang Nai Yi remarked.
Xia Qingmiao replied, "It's not about knowing a lot. Given the circumstances, there's no other way. This is only a temporary solution in dire situations. It stops the bleeding but causes infection. Without timely treatment, he'll still die."
Everyone lowered their heads. They all wanted to live, but the current situation offered little hope. Even if the agency wanted to rescue them, they wouldn't be able to. There were too many monsters outside. Breaking through would be incredibly difficult.
"Quiet!"
Suddenly, Xia Qingmiao raised her hand. Everyone fell silent, looking up at the ventilation duct above.
Something seemed to be moving inside.
Everyone held their breath, gripping their weapons tightly. They noticed something unusual about the monsters. Before, the monsters only went berserk when they saw humans. But now… they seemed to have gained intelligence.
"Don't move. Prepare for battle."
"Stay close to me," Xia Qingmiao whispered to Tang Nai Yi. Although Nai Yi was quite capable, Qingmiao's intention was clear: I'll take the brunt of the danger; you stay safe behind me.
Everyone's gaze followed the movement above.
The noise grew louder.
Suddenly, a team member staring at the ventilation duct saw an eye appear in the gap—a vertical eye, blinking, radiating malice.
The eye locked onto the team member, freezing him in terror. He roared, "It's here!"
BOOM!
The monster burst through the ventilation duct. It was a creature with a human body and a snake head, its body covered in scales. It lunged, its jaws wide open.
Xia Qingmiao swung her blade, striking the snake monster's neck. Sparks flew as the blade scraped against the scales. To her shock, the blow didn't penetrate the monster's scales. Among all the monsters they had encountered, this was a new type.
"Surround and attack! Injured, stay back," Xia Qingmiao commanded.
Despite being a relatively new member of the agency, her composure and combat skills in the face of monsters impressed even the veterans.
"Nai Yi, you take care of the wounded."
"Okay."
Against such a formidable monster, it was difficult for a single person to kill it. Most of the time, they would avoid direct confrontation. Even if they did encounter one, they would try to repel it and then escape.s had their limits. While the combat suits enhanced their strength, it was difficult to match the power of the monsters.
The battle raged on.
Tang Nai Yi attended to the wounded. Suddenly, she noticed something amiss. The garage door was deforming under the impact of something heavy from the outside.
"Qingmiao, it's bad! The commotion has attracted the monsters. They're trying to break down the door. It won't hold much longer!" Tang Nai Yi shouted.
The group had just killed the snake monster when they heard Nai Yi's warning. They looked towards the door and realized the truth of her words. The door was about to give way.
BOOM!
The garage door burst open.
A horde of monsters flooded in, filling the entrance. Standing in the middle was a powerful-looking monster, reminiscent of the Scientist monster, radiating an aura of overwhelming strength.
"We're doomed."
The team members lowered their weapons. Before, when they hadn't grasped the full extent of the situation, they had considered fighting. Now, what was the point?
A veteran said, "I suggest we all end it ourselves. Dying at the hands of these monsters, enduring the agony of being eaten… that's too gruesome."
Another veteran retorted, "You go first. We'll follow."
Xia Qingmiao, ignoring the veterans and newcomers alike, went to Tang Nai Yi and whispered, "We'll retreat. You take the chance to climb into the ventilation duct. Whether you live or die depends on your luck."
"What about you?" Tang Nai Yi asked.
"I'll cover you. These monsters only crave flesh and blood. As long as there's flesh and blood in front of them, they won't care about anything else," Xia Qingmiao said, like a protective older sister.
"Am I holding you back?" Tang Nai Yi asked, her head lowered in sadness.
"No. No one expected this. Don't blame yourself. Humans are inherently weaker than monsters. I heard there's a guy in Jinzhou City who can withstand the punches of a power-type monster. He's from the same academy as us. I was planning to visit him after this mission… Now, it seems there's no chance."
"If you get out alive, leave the Monster Extermination Agency. Your personality isn't suited for this," Xia Qingmiao advised.
Tang Nai Yi said, "You used to say I was suited for this."
Xia Qingmiao chuckled. "I just didn't want you to be disappointed. I was just praising you. You actually took it seriously?"
"Fine. My best friend says such heartless things to me. I'm so hurt. But I'm not leaving this time. You go. You just said, as long as there's flesh and blood in front of the monsters, they won't care about anything else. Although your chest is bigger than mine, with a few more ounces of meat, my butt is rounder than yours, at least a pound more. I'm more durable to eat," Tang Nai Yi declared.
"Don't be silly," Xia Qingmiao said firmly. She would never let Tang Nai Yi stay. She had already made up her mind.
Tang Nai Yi's expression turned serious. "Even if I can escape through the ventilation duct, there are many monsters outside. I might not survive. If it were you, you would definitely survive."
At that moment, the monsters that had broken through the garage door saw the humans standing there. Their eyes gleamed with hunger, regarding them as delicious meals.
"So hungry."
"Meat, so much meat."
The monsters surged forward like a tsunami, instantly filling the space. There were simply too many. Some powerful monsters, eager for fresh meat, shoved aside the weaker ones, their message clear: Get out of my way. This meat is all mine.
"Haha!" The veterans laughed dryly, staring at the scene. Resistance was futile. Faced with such overwhelming numbers, how could they possibly defend themselves?
"Give me a knife," the veteran with the severed arm shouted. These people were too heartless, each preoccupied with their own demise, without a thought for the wounded.
In any situation, men are more likely to remain calm than women, with a probability as high as 80%. But when a woman does become calm, she is not only smarter than a man but also capable of unleashing a different kind of strength.
Xia Qingmiao led Tang Nai Yi towards the back, striking the ventilation duct panel above.
But just then, something strange happened.
A ball of light appeared out of thin air in the middle of the garage.
The light was dazzling, as if it had materialized from nothing.
The monsters stopped in their tracks.
Even those who were ready to end their own lives stared in astonishment.
"What is that?"
"Light… A mysterious light suddenly appeared. It's warm, bright… But somehow, it feels familiar. There's a long-forgotten memory in my mind, a childhood memory. Could it be…"
"The Warrior of Light?"
A resounding voice boomed from the light.
"Believe in the light, and the light will bring miracles."
BOOM!
The light exploded outwards, blindingly bright. Everyone closed their eyes, unable to keep them open.
Not only the humans, but even the monsters were blinded.
"What a grand entrance."
"That dialogue, that tone… It must be the Warrior of Light. But you're from an anime, a fictional being!"
Gradually, the light faded.
As everyone opened their eyes, a figure emerged from the dissipating radiance, holy and luminous, radiating light. It was as if, in their darkest hour, a beacon of hope had pierced through the shadows.
In their despair, they saw their only hope.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone