Chapter 495

Chapter 495: Infectious Hysteria

At the same time, the extraordinary beast with only half its body remaining was fixated on another human.

Its body was slowly recovering, and the fur that had been burned by the ship’s cannon was gradually growing back.

Because of this, the sensation it experienced was particularly strange; not only did its skin tingle subtly, but its hair seemed to be pulled by some force, standing on end as if trying to avoid something.

The extraordinary beast racked its brain to recall the chaotic experiences and memories inherited from Clotho. Although these were a treasure trove filling its entire mind, they remained in a state waiting to be unearthed.

When it finally found the answer to the problem in its mental repository, it began to panic, as the answer was—

Lightning strike lock-on.

The extraordinary beast lifted one eye and indeed saw the dark clouds accumulating above the outer city of Hope City.

It appeared as though an invisible hand was gathering all the nearby clouds, even forcing them to rub and merge, aiming to create more powerful lightning.

The two extraordinary beasts reacted swiftly. The one locked by its own spikes closed its armored scales, while the one locked by the lightning began to descend, seeking shelter on the ground.

But in the next moment, an anomaly occurred again.

Just as the two extraordinary beasts reacted, El, standing between Shi Jin and Luke, slightly curled his lips:

“Aren’t the two extraordinary beasts residing in humanoid bodies quite similar?”

As soon as he spoke, he suddenly clapped his hands, creating a loud “bang” amidst the chaotic battlefield.

The two extraordinary beasts, hundreds of meters away, felt a tremendous force tearing at their flesh and souls.

However, encountering interference was already within their expectations; they just didn’t know the form the interference would take.

So, facing this unknown attack, the fighting instincts of the two extraordinary beasts brought them the same answer—

Maintain the current state and guard against the known incoming attack.

But this state lasted only a moment, and the two extraordinary beasts realized something was wrong at the same time.

They looked at each other in horror, only to see the humanoid bodies that originally belonged to them!

“Approximate Exchange!”

The two extraordinary beasts, still adjusting to their new bodies and unaware of their opponent’s predicament, were struck by a storm-like assault.

A strong wind acted on the returning spikes, launching a rain of arrows toward the Horned Demon, which was trying to evade the lightning.

As for the lightning, which hung high above like the Sword of Damocles, it struck unerringly down on the armadillo beast below.

Two screams rang out outside Hope City, and with a few seconds of accumulated strength, Yan Ming shot out once more, quickly performing a cranial operation, killing both greyish-white high-level intelligent extraordinary beasts within their humanoid bodies.

“How many more of these things are there?” El asked, shaking his slightly numb hands.

Luke transformed back from a state resembling an energy entity and thought for a moment before speaking:

“There should be about four or five left; we need to speed up.”

—

“Who ordered you to do this? Who?”

Zhuang Mian lifted a frail man off the ground and slammed him heavily against the wall, her eyes nearly burning with fury.

“No one instructed me!”

The man coughed harshly twice and then argued loudly:

“What’s the point of this battle?

“So many people have died, and there’s no sign of the beast tide ending; we can’t win.

“If we can’t win, why do we have to work overtime to produce those equipment and weapons? Even if I die, I want to die with my family. What’s wrong with wanting to die comfortably?”

Zhuang Mian listened to the man’s arguments, feeling it was unbelievable. What was even more astonishing was that there were others around who agreed with him.

If it were any other time, she might have ignored him and arrested him directly. However, today she was truly frustrated, and if she arbitrarily arrested this person without speaking, it would only make the bystanders think she was in the wrong.

Zhuang Mian released her grip on the man’s collar and turned to the other agitated people:

“Isn’t what was said on the broadcast clear enough? The extraordinary beasts are evolving. If we lose this battle, humanity will be completely wiped out.

“All the wartime requirements have been clearly stated. Yes, you work in shifts, but your pay is much higher than usual. If your body truly can’t handle it, you can choose to take sick leave; there will be someone to fill your spot outside. The choice is already in your hands; is that not enough?”

Zhuang Mian tried to persuade these emotionally charged individuals while also having her subordinates maintain order to prevent further chaos.

Unexpectedly, another person suddenly spoke up:

“What about our homes outside the city? Our family of four has lost everything we’ve saved for decades; the extraordinary beasts have trampled it all flat. Why should we still work? Who are we working for?”

“The broadcast and notices have made it very clear; the seven hundred thousand people evacuating from the outer city have all given up their homes!

“I won’t say you shouldn’t be sad because everyone else is in the same situation, but the rules for compensation are posted everywhere. As long as your household registration is correct, you will receive full compensation based on your past work stations and salary.

“As for whether you can find the things that are still usable among the ruins after a victory, the officials will not…”

Just as Zhuang Mian was earnestly explaining, a scream suddenly echoed from a distance, followed by a second scream. From the third one onward, it became impossible to count.

The screams tortured Zhuang Mian’s eardrums, leaving her feeling dizzy.

As she pressed her hand against her temple, Zhuang Mian suddenly noticed that the gazes of those looking at her were now filled with hatred.

They were not affected by the screams, or rather, the impact they felt was not the same as Zhuang Mian’s.

Under the gaze of hundreds of people, Zhuang Mian felt a chill run down her spine. At the same time, she understood that someone must be pulling the strings behind this.

Undeniably, the resentment toward the war and the fear of failure were spreading continually throughout Hope City, becoming more pronounced as the war dragged on.

But at a time like this, one could not let their guard down. This was not only Arthur’s order but also the true thoughts of Zhuang Mian and others responsible for maintaining order in the city or fighting in the battles above.

Humanity was undoubtedly standing on the edge of a cliff, but wasn’t the mycelium also?

Now, humanity had resisted the initial wave of intense assaults. Although the beast tide was relentless, it was hard to compare to the first wave’s intensity.

Both sides were just waiting for an opportunity, an opportunity to completely turn the tide of war.

Zhuang Mian believed in Arthur, believed in the followers, believed in humanity, and believed they would achieve ultimate victory.

While these people may hold no hope for victory, they were always willing to trust Arthur.

But now, an unseen force had seeped into Hope City.

Zhuang Mian looked at those red eyes and, across countless fading minds, made eye contact with Lachesis.

She said:

“I will stop all of this.”