Chapter 344

Chapter 344: Radicals

For a long time, Wang Xiao had been very confident in his regenerative ability, but at this moment, as he watched the approaching hand strike, he found himself unable to move an inch.

He clearly realized a fact—every ability has its limits; a hit from that blow would be fatal.

In the blink of an eye, a mass of pitch-black shadow suddenly surged from the ground, swiftly wrapping Wang Xiao like a thin curtain and pulling him down into the surface of the city wall.

Then, that shadow began to move rapidly toward a relatively safe area.

However, the Horned Demon could not be fooled by such a tactic. Towering at three meters tall, it swung its fist down with great force, striking the ground just as it had done in the recent primal combat against that man.

At that moment, the city wall near the west gate shook slightly, and many soldiers, caught off guard, struggled to maintain their footing.

The blow struck directly on that black substance but caused no visible effect.

Even as radial cracks spread from the point of impact on the city wall, the mass continued to flee, escaping the Horned Demon’s attack and reappearing at the other end of the wall.

Only then did the Horned Demon fully comprehend the essence of that shadow.

Except for the instant it had appeared out of nowhere, the mass was predominantly just a shadow.

Ordinary physical attacks, of course, could not harm a shattered shadow; this was something the will of the mycelium could also understand.

Yet, instead of feeling anger, its human face displayed an oddly eerie expression:

A man capable of rapid regeneration, who bore some resemblance to that human, and another human who could transform into a shadow.

If it could analyze both of their abilities and utilize the entire ecosystem for recreation, the chance of victory for the mycelium would increase dramatically!

In that case, even if this body were burned to ashes from the inside out, it would be insignificant.

Watching the shadow leap out of the ground once more, transforming into a half-human form, the will of the mycelium felt an overwhelming sense of possessiveness for the first time.

It gazed at the two, like a moth drawn to a flame in the night.

—

“Smack!”

“Why hasn’t there been an order yet?! Have their brains been eaten by dogs? Do they really want to wait until the outer city is completely wiped out?!”

In the inner city, within the spire.

Some members of the First and Second Teams had been gathered in an activity room.

Aside from "Starfall" and "Infinite Scroll," who could coordinate from a distance, the rest of the members had gathered here, including the Second Team’s captain, "Blood Puppet."

It was this superpowered individual who had just slammed the table and roared in anger.

Although "Blood Puppet’s" blood had its own will, they were entirely aligned when it came to protecting humanity.

Because of this, "Blood Puppet" had no desire to linger here for even a second.

He understood perfectly why he was here; it was simply because those council members were terrified from the last encounter with the griffin and needed the true top combat power of Hope City gathered around to ensure that fleeting sense of safety.

Whether it was the explosion of the flesh blobs in the outer city or the subsequent beast tide, the orders given to the First and Second Teams by the council members had been just four words: stay put.

This made "Blood Puppet" sweat profusely with anxiety; after a few more angry shouts, he muttered softly,

“What a bunch of cowardly elites. If there is the slightest gap in the wall, I will rush to provide support.”

"Disaster Core" slightly extended a finger and pointed at the surveillance camera in the room, saying softly:

“Everyone is anxious; let’s keep our words brief.”

Blood Puppet glared angrily at the superpowered individual who ranked higher than him, unable to comprehend why this person acted so submissively in front of the council members, like a wild dog.

In fact, the entire first team behaved similarly, wielding unmatched power yet willingly obeying every directive from the council, even to the point of groveling—a behavior he simply could not fathom.

Blood Puppet had often thought that if he possessed greater strength, he would transform Hope City from top to bottom, sweeping away the pervasive Death Energy and the city’s fear of the outside world.

He wasn’t power-hungry, but he couldn’t help feeling that those elusive council members were unworthy of loyalty. Having been summoned multiple times, he held no reverence for their manipulative tactics and instead grew increasingly repulsed by them.

Years of experience had left Blood Puppet disillusioned with these people, convinced that no one deserved his allegiance.

Objectively, though, while the council was deeply flawed, it hadn’t yet rotted to its core and still played a role in maintaining stability in Hope City. This was one reason Blood Puppet hesitated to take decisive action.

Another reason was the first team’s utter weakness.

He even believed that if the first team and Second Team united, the ten council seats could easily be filled by others.

But no matter how he hinted or prodded indirectly, the members of the first team always acted like clueless children or were completely unyielding, as if they were flightless birds burying their heads in the sand-like environment—

It was as if the council members held some damning secret over them, leaving them unable to speak.

Lucas had been the same way; even with a new Holy Shield, there had been no significant change in this regard.

These individuals were like trained pets from the Old Era, displaying a loyalty to the council that was utterly incomprehensible.

Shaking his head slightly to dispel the chaotic thoughts, Blood Puppet fixed his gaze on the screen ahead, determined not to waver in his commitment.

The moment a section of the city wall fell, he would plunge the Short Knife into his own heart, letting his willful blood take control of his body.

Just then, the video on the main screen abruptly switched to another battlefield.

After a quick glance, someone nearby identified the general location as the western part of the outer city, based on the distinctive features of two factories and the city wall in the background.

“The battlefield has reached the city?”

Blood Puppet gasped, his eyes widening. Yet, an even more astonishing scene unfolded before him—

An extraordinary beast, about ten meters long and wrapped in Burning Vines, was locked in combat with a Humanoid Figure engulfed in flames.

With a piercing scream, a pale, curved spike resembling a rib was being driven into the extraordinary beast’s body by the Humanoid Figure with tremendous effort.

In that instant, not just Blood Puppet, but nearly everyone in the first and Second Teams held their breath, eyes wide with shock.

Countless questions flooded their minds:

Why was there such an extraordinary beast?

Why were they engulfed in flames?

And the most critical question of all—

As high-ranking individuals outside the council, everyone present knew that this superpowered individual had no record in Hope City’s database!