Chapter 255
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Chapter 255: Acting Captain
Lin Qingliu was certainly intrigued by the information in Wencheng’s mind, but as someone who leaned towards order, he had no intention of resorting to extreme measures to obtain it.
He maintained a neutral tone in his evaluations to avoid revealing his existing connection with Wang Xiao.
Just as Lin Qingliu was preparing to head home after addressing these matters, a new visitor arrived at Wencheng’s office.
“Report: A medium beast tide has been detected to the northwest of Hope City, suspected to include a Fourth Level Extraordinary Beast.”
“Initiate defense protocols as per standard procedure.”
As the messenger turned to leave, Wencheng suddenly called him back and then turned to Lin Qingliu:
“Do you think Ink Drench and her team are ready for combat at this moment?”
The question was somewhat peculiar. Ink Drench and the other nine superpowered individuals had sustained almost no serious injuries. With the exception of the weakened Fresnel, the rest were indeed fit for battle.
In fact, a battle might be exactly what they desired, as it would provide an outlet for the pent-up frustration and discontent they harbored.
Lin Qingliu blinked, quickly grasping the underlying implication of Wencheng’s query.
Deploying these superpowered individuals into battle would serve as their final test. If those “entities” outside the city had surreptitiously replaced them, signs of this might emerge during the conflict.
After a moment’s thought, Lin Qingliu responded:
“Everyone except Fresnel is capable of participating, but I would still advise sending a select group of superpowered individuals to cooperate.”
He stressed the word “cooperate,” subtly hinting at the potential risks Wencheng might face, all while maintaining his image of caution and thoroughness.
“Very well, let’s proceed with that arrangement.”
Wencheng replied, pulling out a piece of paper, jotting down some instructions, and handing it to the messenger:
“Deliver this to your captain and assemble the superpowered individuals currently in isolation at the Ministry of Internal Affairs.”
With that, Lin Qingliu’s responsibilities at the Ministry of Internal Affairs concluded. He left the premises with a sense of relief and, as was customary, returned home under the escort of several soldiers.
Minutes later, Ink Drench had already mobilized her team, while the five members of the Fresnel team gathered by Fresnel’s window.
“Why do you all look as though you’re visiting a man on his deathbed?”
Fresnel licked his parched lips, forcing a wry smile:
“I’m not dying… just feeling a bit frail.”
“We’re not sure either; we were ordered to come here.”
At this, Fresnel’s smile faded:
“Then perhaps something significant is afoot.”
Indeed, shortly thereafter, someone entered the room with an appointment letter and announced before all present that, due to Fresnel’s health condition, Wang Xiao would temporarily assume the role of captain of Team 25 and proceed to the northwestern city wall of Hope City to prepare for the impending beast tide.
The designation of “temporary” was, in fact, Wencheng’s way of preserving Fresnel’s dignity.
In the absence of any major missteps, an abrupt change in leadership could cause discomfort.
Although Wencheng had learned from Lin Qingliu of Fresnel’s intention to step down, it was not appropriate to make a direct appointment unless Fresnel himself initiated the proposal.
Thus, for the time being, Wang Xiao bore the title of “acting” captain.
Including Fresnel, several individuals turned their gaze toward Wang Xiao, the Acting Captain.
After a brief exchange of glances, the four swiftly donned their combat gear and, aided by the superpowered individual known as “Weightlessness,” made their way to the outer city wall.
—
Five kilometers outside Hope City.
Fulan, walking at the rear of the group, felt a pang of unease as the city wall came into view.
Through her efforts, the Holy Fire Meow Meow Cult had successfully established a left guardian, a right guardian, and an elder.
Fulan didn’t fully grasp the significance of these titles, but Lin Qingliu had imparted this seemingly trivial knowledge to her, assuring her that it didn’t matter if she didn’t understand—these were all subordinates of the cult leader.
The left guardian was the severely injured Single-headed Wolf that had first appeared during the slideshow.
The right guardian was an extraordinary beast, a hybrid of several herbivorous animals, with sharp, curved horns adorning its head. It had once been formidable in battles among extraordinary beasts, but after being ambushed, one of its horns had snapped, causing its head to tilt uncontrollably to one side.
As for the elder, it bore a resemblance to the elephant Fulan had encountered in her Divine Enlightenment Dream, though it was far smaller in size. Its powerful tusks, however, varied slightly on each of its heads.
By now, Fulan had already exerted her utmost effort to see her plans through.
Even if she could brainwash more extraordinary beasts, the physical limitations of the right guardian and the elder made them ill-suited for an assault on the city wall.
During the previous beast tide, only the cat-like and dog-like extraordinary beasts had managed to scale the wall, either on their own or with the aid of insect-like extraordinary beasts, thanks to their superior agility.
The Green Cocoon extraordinary beasts, on the other hand, were little more than cannon fodder, hardly worth noting.
But now, the pressing issue was that Fulan and her companions were about to face the relentless rain of bullets from the city wall…
“Play it by ear, play it by ear.”
Fulan relayed her slightly panicked command through a small Mental Network to her subordinates.
The extraordinary beasts hesitated briefly, widening the gap between themselves and the main force.
—
On the city wall.
“What the hell is that?!”
A soldier tasked with observing the enemy exclaimed in shock, his eyes fixed on the alligator extraordinary beast—a massive creature several meters long, its armored back towering high. His heart pounded uncontrollably.
“Reinforce the weapons! Reinforce them now!”
This alligator was unlike the previous Fourth Level extraordinary beasts. It lay low to the ground, appearing almost diminutive compared to the towering avian creatures behind it.
This had caused the surveillance system to miss it initially, leading to some oversights in the weapon response plan.
Fortunately, these minor issues were quickly addressed. The Electromagnetic Cannon, which had once obliterated a Fourth Level Giant Snake, automatically moved into position along the tracks atop the wall.
Nineteen superpowered individuals stood ready on the city wall.
Wang Xiao was no stranger to leading a team, but his prior experiences had been fraught with challenges—once in a plant prison, and another time when the team was on the verge of collapse. Now, the team, once known as Fresnel’s team but now rightfully Wang Xiao’s, was clearly prepared for a decisive battle.
As the beast tide inched closer to the city wall, the tension was palpable.
The Electromagnetic Cannon, which had once annihilated a Giant Snake in an instant, fired first. Amid the crackling sound of electricity, the projectile shot toward the alligator extraordinary beast’s head with a deafening sonic boom.
Yet, as the dust settled, the result left those on the city wall in dismay.
The Fourth Level extraordinary beast, still crouched low to the ground, continued its relentless advance!
