Chapter 476

Chapter 476: Commander

It turned out that Arthur’s contingency plan to counter the mycelium invasion was remarkably effective. As the majority of people steadily made their way into the inner city, Lachesis felt a growing sense of frustration.

The accumulating human biological field was like a bonfire continuously fed with firewood, its light and warmth expanding outward, threatening to engulf everything in its path.

Lachesis knew all too well that once His remaining hundred puppets entered the inner city, they would be completely severed from Him.

At that point, He would not only lose the puppets but also the cognitive support they provided.

What to do?

Observing the anxious faces of those following the city defense army into the inner city, Lachesis began to ponder anew.

Undoubtedly, the current predicament was of His own making. Humanity had abandoned the outer city to thwart His invasion, and He had been unable to infect a larger population due to His premature exposure.

Sometimes, situations are perplexing; from this vantage point, it seemed there was no clear victor in this game.

However, pretending that nothing had happened was out of the question, just as Arthur would never abandon humanity or surrender to the mycelium.

Lachesis quickly devised a plan. Among the throngs fleeing to the inner city, some worried-looking men and women quietly slipped away from the group.

Their departure went unnoticed, partly because, in such dire circumstances, most people were preoccupied with their own survival. Moreover, Lachesis’s targets for invasion were all solitary individuals without family nearby.

The city defense army could hardly imagine that some would choose not to evacuate. As these individuals left, the puppets began to emerge from alleys, corners, and trash cans, converging in one place.

With the assembly of about a hundred puppets, Lachesis’s biological field grew stronger, and to the north of Hope City, His tall grass was gradually encroaching upon the city.

At this juncture, He conceived a new plan: to establish a "signal tower" for the mycelium in the outer city.

This structure would not only amplify the biological field of the mycelium but also effectively assist Clotho in subsequent offensives.

Although the three wills had been segmented, they had not parted ways; they remained in a cooperative relationship.

With the spread of the tall grass, Lachesis’s domain expanded further, and He sought to create a mine.

To exchange for the human emotions analyzed by Atropos, Lachesis handed over a mine to that entity.

Without an ample supply of biomass, He would be unable to spread rapidly.

Under the command of Lachesis’s main body, the puppets began to disperse in all directions.

The majority of humans in the outer city had vanished, leaving behind their accumulated wealth.

For the puppets, precious metals and information coins held little importance, but the tools left behind could prove invaluable.

Soon, these puppets gathered near a mine.

This mine, belonging to humanity, was situated at the point of pressure between two outer shells, rich in metal ores.

Primarily used for metal ore extraction, the mine was not particularly deep and did not breach the outer shell.

Now, these puppets needed to dig downward, much like in a sandbox game, until they uncovered the biomass.

Lachesis intended to make significant use of this biomass fountain.

—

After enduring a sleepless night, the millions in Hope City were greeted not by the dawn of September 2nd but by an urgent broadcast from "Sleepless."

According to the biological field readings, high-energy reactions had emerged in the western outer city, signaling the birth of extraordinary beasts.

And in scale… it far surpassed anything previously encountered.

The will of the mycelium—Clotho had bared its fangs to humanity, making no attempt to conceal its intentions. Instead, it launched a bold and unrelenting assault.

The new biological field had stabilized just beyond the walls of the outer city, less than a hundred meters away.

[Skydome] had expended all the ammunition stockpiled on the outer city walls, but against the overwhelming numbers of Giant Trees and extraordinary beasts in the Misty Forest, the effort proved largely futile.

The extraordinary beasts had begun scaling the walls, but unlike previous encounters, this time they faced no resistance.

In other words, the entire outer city—once a sanctuary for humanity—was on the verge of becoming a battleground between extraordinary beasts and humans.

At this moment, the superpowered individual known as "Sleepless," tasked with observation, stood before Arthur, his face pale as he spoke:

"Mr. Speaker, this beast tide… perhaps it can no longer be called a beast tide."

"Why?"

Sleepless wore a look of unease:

"A tide at least recedes, but this time…"

"I understand."

Arthur nodded, gesturing for Sleepless to return to his post and continue his duties.

This development was hardly surprising. With the enemy’s base vehicles parked at their doorstep, it was inevitable that they would unleash a relentless wave of forces.

After all, who hasn’t played endless mode in Plants vs. Zombies?

Arthur contacted Yan Ming, confirming that all active members of the Extinction Legion were prepared. He also received another report:

"A grayish-white extraordinary beast has been the first to climb the walls of the outer city. It’s just standing there, unmoving."

"Oh?"

Arthur activated the cameras and adjusted them to the location Yan Ming had reported. Sure enough, he spotted a peculiar extraordinary beast.

This grayish-white creature had only one head, and its body bore few signs of hybridization, as if it were a naturally occurring species.

It stood atop a ruined artillery platform, waving its forelimbs and roaring loudly, while other extraordinary beasts of all kinds streamed past it.

Arthur stared for a moment before settling on a word to describe it—commander.

It seemed Clotho’s evolution was progressing swiftly.

A flood of extraordinary beasts poured into the outer city, and the once-familiar streets, barracks, and buildings suffered varying degrees of destruction.

While extraordinary beasts typically ignored empty spaces, their sheer size and numbers meant that even their passage was enough to weaken everything in their path.

As the torrent of extraordinary beasts surged into the outer city, the peculiar grayish-white creature leaped down from the wall. Yet, no matter where it went, it always positioned itself at the highest point in the area, using sharp, commanding roars to guide the Beast Pack forward.

In the preparation zone beneath the inner city wall, Wang Xiao’s communication line suddenly activated.

"I have a task for you."

Arthur’s voice came through, and an image of the grayish-white extraordinary beast appeared in Wang Xiao’s helmet.

"Go and cut off its head."