223: Chapter 223: Support at a Critical Moment

The flare still burned in the night sky, its crimson glow staining the thick fog. Shen Xiaochuan stood leaning against a broken stone wall, his flamethrower down to its last canister of fuel, the nozzle scorched black by intense heat. He breathed heavily; the rubber Seal around his mask had cracked from corrosion by the toxic mist. The exposed skin on his right arm was mottled blue-purple and felt scalding to the touch.

A skittering sound rustled all around, drawing nearer. The five remaining members of the suicide squad stood back-to-back in a circle. Two wounded lay on the ground, one convulsing, the other already silent. No one spoke; only the respirators emitted a continuous, low hiss.

"Lenn..." a broken voice came through the communicator, "We can't hold... surrounded on three sides... your position..."

The voice cut off abruptly.

Shen Xiaochuan turned off the communicator. He knew the team outside had been completely wiped out. The front line had been breached long ago. Every sound reaching his ears now was coming for them.

"Press against the wall," he ordered in a low voice. "Don't scatter."

The group shuffled their feet, squeezing closer together. Someone's hands trembled violently, causing the flamethrower's flame to flicker unsteadily. Fuel remaining: one minute and forty-seven seconds.

"Conserve it," he said. "Wait until they're close before firing."

No one replied. All eyes were fixed on the mist. Dark shadows shifted; their numbers far exceeded before. The aberrant beasts were no longer acting alone but had begun circling, as if searching for a weak point.

Shen Xiaochuan looked up behind him. The way they had come was already sealed by the green mist; as far as the eye could see, there was only Chaos. No way forward, no way back.

He reached into his inner pocket. The copper gear was still there, pressed against his palm, slightly warm. The faith points were still climbing—three thousand seven hundred twenty-one, three thousand seven hundred twenty-two... increasing by three per second. Yet the equipment, medicine, and weapons in the shop were all inaccessible, locked in the backpack with no time to switch.

"Captain..." a squad member spoke, his voice muffled by the mask, "Can we still get out?"

Shen Xiaochuan looked at him. The man's eyes were sunken, his lips purple, clearly deeply poisoned. The others weren't much better. Fuel nearly gone, serum exhausted, even standing seemed difficult.

"We can't retreat," he said. "One step back means death."

Before the words faded, a dark shadow lunged from the mist on the left, moving so fast its outline was almost a blur. A sweep of flame only burned off half its leg. The monster landed, tumbling, and emitted a piercing shriek. Three more immediately leaped out from the right and behind.

"Fire!" Shen Xiaochuan roared.

The last canister of fuel surged forth, forming a wall of fire. The aberrant beasts were forced back a few steps but quickly closed in again. One leaped onto the broken wall, crawling down its surface, now only two meters from the nearest squad member.

That person raised his gun, both hands shaking violently.

At that moment, a golden light suddenly blazed overhead.

Not red, but gold, pouring down from above like sunlight piercing clouds. The green mist touched the golden light and rapidly dissolved, revealing the mottled moss and rubble on the ground.

All the aberrant beasts instantly froze, crouching low, not daring to move recklessly.

Shen Xiaochuan looked up. The golden light came from the distance, advancing rapidly, accompanied by a low chanting sound. The language was incomprehensible, yet it weighed heavily on the heart.

"That's...?" someone murmured softly.

Before the words finished, six massive bronze pillars descended from the sky, plunging into the ground to form a circle, enclosing and protecting them completely. The pillars were carved with runes that glowed with an azure light, then a transparent barrier shimmered into existence, enveloping everyone inside.

The toxic mist touched the barrier, emitting a sizzling sound like water droplets on red-hot iron.

Next, a group of figures emerged from the golden light. Leading them was a young woman clad in a gray-white robe over light armor, her long hair tied back and fastened with a bone hairpin. She held a bronze plaque, inserting it into the ground as she walked. With each insertion, the golden light expanded outward a little further.

Shen Xiaochuan recognized her at a glance.

"Red of the East."

She walked to the edge of the barrier, glanced at him, and said nothing. Bringing her hands together, she closed her eyes and chanted. This time, the sound was clearer. Layers of runes slowly materialized at her feet. Wherever they passed, the toxic mist dissipated, and the ground became dry as before.

The aberrant beasts retreated in succession. Any that tried to charge the barrier were flung back.

"Safe zone established," someone behind her reported. "Barrier stable, can be maintained for ten minutes."

Red of the East nodded, put away the bronze plaque, and walked over to Shen Xiaochuan. She handed him a silver vial labeled "Enhanced Antitoxin Gel."

Shen Xiaochuan took it without asking its origin, pulled up his mask, and directly injected the vial into his right arm. Moments later, the blue-purple discoloration on his skin gradually faded, and the pain subsided. He asked, "How did you get here?"

"You sent a distress signal," she said. "Encrypted channel, only Alliance members can receive it. I was leading an archaeological team patrolling the northern line, closest to your position, so I came."

Only then did Shen Xiaochuan remember sending an emergency message a few minutes ago. He hadn't expected anyone to actually respond.

"Thanks," he said briefly, then turned and ordered his squad, "Change equipment! Remove old masks, put on new ones! Check weapons, replenish fuel!"

The new masks brought by the archaeological team had a double-layer structure: outer layer for toxin resistance, inner layer for filtration. The squad members quickly treated the wounded, applied medicine, and changed clothes.

Red of the East stood to the side, unmoving. She took out a jade token and inserted it into the base of a bronze pillar. The barrier's brightness intensified.

"I can maintain it for ten minutes," she said. "The toxic mist here contains divine erosion; ordinary purification is ineffective."

"It's enough," Shen Xiaochuan said, flexing his arm; the toxin was temporarily suppressed. "Ten minutes is enough to prepare."

He walked over to the three severely wounded squad members, confirming two still had breath, one was already dead. He was silent for a moment, then ordered, "Leave the body here for now. Carry the survivors inside the barrier."

The archaeological team members assisted with the movement, their actions practiced. No one complained, no one questioned if it was worth it.

"How many of yours died?" Red of the East asked.

"Two dead, three severely wounded," Shen Xiaochuan replied. "Lenn's team's status is unknown. Their last transmission said they were surrounded."

Red of the East frowned. "I didn't receive their signal."

"Their equipment might be damaged," Shen Xiaochuan said, looking toward the ruins. "But we've already found the target. Just one last step."

"The symbols on the wall..." Red of the East approached the broken wall, her fingertips tracing the carvings. "They resemble the 'Evil-Suppressing Patterns' from the *Kao Gong Ji*, ancient totems used to Seal evil beings."

Shen Xiaochuan was taken aback. "What did you say?"

"Evil-Suppressing Patterns," she repeated, looking back at him. "The structure matches, just severely corroded, so the complete form isn't clear. If that's what they are, it means this isn't an ordinary ruin but a Sealed place."

Shen Xiaochuan touched his inner pocket again. The copper gear pressed against his palm, hotter than before.

"This gear... seems to be reacting."

Red of the East came closer and had him take it out. Shen Xiaochuan handed it over. She examined it carefully and suddenly noticed a thin line on the back of the gear, its shape perfectly matching a part of the symbol on the wall.

"This isn't an ordinary pendant," she said. "It's part of a key."

"A key?"

"A token that can open or close a Seal," she said, looking up. "When your parents gave it to you, did they say anything special?"

Shen Xiaochuan shook his head. "They just said it was passed down from the ancestors and told me not to lose it."

Red of the East returned the gear. "Then you're lucky. Such tokens usually only exist within Legacy Families."

Shen Xiaochuan said nothing. He stared at the symbols on the wall, a question in his mind: his parents were just ordinary workers; how could they possess such a thing?

But there was no time to delve deeper now.

"Can the equipment you brought hold off the aberrant beasts?" he asked.

"Yes," Red of the East said, pointing to the bronze pillars. "The barrier can withstand ordinary attacks, but if a perfect grade appears, it probably won't hold. These smaller ones can't get in."

As soon as she finished speaking, impact sounds came from outside. Several aberrant beasts lunged at the barrier and were flung back. But soon, more gathered outside, circling and growling low, waiting for an opportunity.

"They're waiting," Shen Xiaochuan said. "Waiting for our barrier to fail."

"So we can't stay long," Red of the East said, looking at him. "Do you press on, or withdraw first?"

Shen Xiaochuan scanned his squad. After treatment, three with minor injuries had recovered; the two severely wounded could also walk with difficulty. Equipment was replenished, morale had risen.

"No withdrawal," he said. "Having come this far, turning back is also death. And..." he pointed at the broken wall, "something here is waiting for us."

Red of the East did not object. She took six incendiary grenades from her pack and handed them to Shen Xiaochuan. "Specially made. Once ignited, they can disperse the toxic mist for thirty seconds, enough for you to advance a stretch. Can only be used once."

"It's enough," Shen Xiaochuan said, taking them and distributing them to the squad. "Prepare to move out."

"I'll keep people here to hold this position," Red of the East said. "You press forward. If you encounter danger, send a signal immediately. I'll do my best to extend the barrier's duration."

Shen Xiaochuan nodded. He understood that this minute of support was already the limit.

He gathered his team. Five formed up, standing with their backs to the barrier. He raised an incendiary grenade and pulled the pin.

"In three minutes, I'll throw the first one," he said. "After it's thrown, charge immediately. Don't look back. Head straight for the depths of the ruins. Remember, stick to the walls, avoid open ground."

The squad answered in unison.

He looked at Red of the East. She stood beside a bronze pillar, one hand pressed against the jade token, her face slightly pale, clearly drained.

"Take care," she said.

"You too," he replied.

Three minutes arrived. Shen Xiaochuan swung his arm and hurled the incendiary grenade into the mist. With a roar, flames erupted, forcibly pushing the toxic mist aside to reveal a twenty-meter-long passage. At its end stood a stone gate half-buried in earth and rock.

"Go!" he shouted, and the squad charged out of the barrier.

The flames illuminated the path ahead; the aberrant beasts shied back in alarm. They hugged the broken wall and advanced rapidly. Shen Xiaochuan brought up the rear, glancing back as he ran.

The barrier still stood, the golden light unextinguished. Red of the East stood at its center, hands raised high, maintaining the Formation's operation.

As they neared the stone gate, the ground suddenly shook. From deep within the mist came the dense sound of skittering, their numbers far greater than before.

Shen Xiaochuan took one last look back. Red of the East's figure was indistinct within the golden light, but she remained unmoving, standing quietly.

He gritted his teeth and plunged into the doorway.