35: Chapter 35 The Line of Blood and Iron

The fluorescent lights in the underground garage had long since gone out, leaving the only source of light as the cones formed by the headlights of three hummer vehicles. The beams of light pierced through the floating dust, casting distorted shadows on the surfaces of the support pillars. Commander Lin Dong lay on the hood of a military humvee, his eye pressed against the scope of his type 95 rifle, his breathing as steady as a dead man's.

"Distance 230 meters, wind direction Southeast, wind speed 3.2 meters per second." His brain automatically calculated the ballistic corrections, "Target head, lead 0.1 mils."

The target locked in the crosshairs was a bald man waving a fire axe. The man was hiding behind a support pillar at the B2 level entrance, exposing only half a shoulder and half a head—a typical cover-utilization posture for urban warfare, indicating the opponent had at least basic military training.

But he had made a mistake.

His shadow betrayed the direction his center of gravity was shifting.

"Bang—"

The crisp sound of a burst from the type 95 echoed through the underground garage, like an iron hammer striking concrete. Three hundred meters away, a burst of blood mist erupted from the bald man's right eye socket, and his body slumped to the ground. The fire axe in his hand fell, making a sharp metallic "clang."

[Human unit killed: Lv.4 Thug. Energy points obtained: +8]

Commander Lin Dong pulled the bolt with an expressionless face, ejecting the scalding casing. The shell fell onto the humvee's hood, making a faint "hiss" sound, rolling twice before stopping next to the bandage Li Na had just finished wrapping.

"The eleventh one," he whispered.

Communications Soldier Li Na leaned against the humvee's rear wheel, her face as pale as a corpse. The gauze on her right shoulder had been soaked through three layers of blood, yet she persisted in operating the portable radio. A harsh static noise came from the headset, mixed with the cursing of the prisoner gang.

"...Damn it, how many of those soldiers are there? Old Ghost is dead! A headshot!"

"I saw clearly, it's just him! The others are useless!"

"Bullshit! Can one person be that accurate? He must be special forces!"

Li Na took off one side of her headset, her voice weak but clear: "Company Commander Lin, they are gathering at the B1 level entrance, about 30 people remaining. The leader is shouting, saying they'll use human wave tactics to rush down."

Commander Lin Dong didn't look back, his eyes still fixed on the scope: "How many guns do they have?"

"The previous count was 12... now that Old Ghost is dead, his Type 56 submachine gun must have been picked up, so it's still 12." Li Na bit her lip, "Also, that Strength-type... called Brother Biao, is yelling at them, saying if they don't take us down soon, he'll come down himself."

Commander Lin Dong's pupils constricted slightly.

A Strength-type Esper. Lv.5, with 18 points of Strength, three times that of an average person. During the previous engagement on the Barracks' ground level, he had seen that man punch through a brick wall with his own eyes.

If he were allowed to rush into the underground garage...

"How much longer until the base vehicle is fully deployed?" Commander Lin Dong asked.

Li Na turned to look at the giant silver-gray truck behind her.

The base vehicle had already deployed to 67%. Its appearance was undergoing a visible transformation—the front of the vehicle extended forward with metal supports, and the rear half folded outward like building blocks, revealing dense rows of circuit boards and energy conduits inside. The air was thick with the smell of ozone mixed with industrial lubricant, and every dozen seconds, a low hum resonated from within the chassis, like the heartbeat of some giant beast.

"According to the system display, it still needs... 2 hours and 17 minutes." A hint of despair crept into Li Na's voice, "Company Commander Lin, we can't hold out that long."

Commander Lin Dong did not answer.

He was calculating.

The comparison of forces: the enemy had 30 people and 12 guns, one of which was a captured type 95 rifle, while the rest were Type 54 pistols, double-barreled shotguns, and two Type 56 submachine guns. There was also a Strength-type Esper, whose melee lethality was equivalent to a mini-forklift.

His side: just him, five type 95 rifles (two of which were not yet assembled), 253 rounds left out of 600, and only 1 of 4 grenades remaining. Of the three surviving soldiers, two had been hit by stray bullets while moving ammunition—one was unconscious from an abdominal wound, and the other had lost too much blood from a fractured left arm; the third had been sacrificed in the exchange of fire just now after being headshot.

Li Na, the Communications Soldier, had lost 1500ml of blood and could barely pull a trigger, let alone aim.

And then there were those five... things.

Commander Lin Dong glanced toward the Barracks.

The 200-square-meter square building was 63% complete. Its exterior resembled a kind of military modular Barracks with silver-gray alloy walls and four dish-shaped satellite receivers on top. Through the not-yet-sealed metal doors, rows of empty weapon racks and tactical training equipment could be seen.

[Red Alert Barracks]

[Construction Progress: 63%]

[Estimated Remaining Time: 1 hour 48 minutes]

[Unlocked Unit: Conscript]

Conscript.

Commander Lin Dong didn't know what those words represented. The system only provided a brief text description: "Basic infantry unit, equipped with ak-47 assault rifle, possesses basic tactical literacy, absolute loyalty."

Absolute loyalty.

In this apocalypse, those two words were more precious than any weapon.

But the question was whether he could survive until that moment.

"Company Commander Lin!" Li Na suddenly lowered her voice, "They're moving!"

Through the scope, Commander Lin Dong saw seven or eight dark figures dart out from behind the support pillars at the B2 entrance, crouching low as they moved downward. They had wised up—instead of rushing down in a swarm, they were using vehicle wreckage as cover, advancing in segments.

Standard squad tactics.

This meant someone in their group was providing guidance.

"The one leading, wearing glasses," Li Na read out nervously, "He has a walkie-talkie and has been directing the others... it's him, he's been staring at the base vehicle ever since it appeared!"

Commander Lin Dong's scope locked onto the thin man wearing glasses.

The man was hiding between two abandoned cars, exposing only one eye and half a forehead. He was observing, recording, and commanding. Every time Commander Lin Dong fired, he could quickly determine the firing position and direct his subordinates to adjust their route of attack.

This was no ordinary prisoner.

"Li Na," Commander Lin Dong suddenly spoke, "Did you bring a first aid kit?"

Li Na was startled: "I did... why?"

Commander Lin Dong rolled off the vehicle and grabbed the two unassembled type 95 rifles from the humvee's back seat. His movements were fluid—receiver, bolt, magazine, scope; his hands flew, and in less than 40 seconds, two complete rifles lay on the hood.

"Give me your first aid kit."

Though confused, Li Na unbuckled the olive-drab first aid kit from her waist. Commander Lin Dong took it, opened it, and pulled out the hemostatic bandages and medical tape.

Then he did something Li Na completely failed to understand.

He placed the two type 95 rifles side-by-side on the hood, pointing in different directions. He then used the bandages to bind the grips of the two rifles together and used tape to secure the connection between the bodies and the magazines. Finally, he tied two pull-cords to the triggers of the respective rifles.

A simple dual-direction firing rig.

"This... what is this?" Li Na was dumbfounded.

"No time to explain." Commander Lin Dong thrust the bizarre bundle of weapons into Li Na's arms, "Lean against here and every 30 seconds, pull the cords alternately left and right. No need to aim, just empty the magazines randomly."

Li Na understood instantly: "You're creating the illusion of people firing from two directions at once?"

Commander Lin Dong nodded: "The enemy is testing our fire points and numbers. I want them to think we still have at least five people defending."

"And you?"

Commander Lin Dong picked up his own type 95 rifle and checked the remaining ammo: 17 rounds. He pulled the last grenade from his pocket and tucked it into his tactical vest.

"I'm going to take out that guy with glasses," his voice was as calm as if he were discussing dinner, "He's the brain. Take out the brain, and the rest will be like headless flies."

"But that Brother Biao..."

"I've calculated it," Commander Lin Dong interrupted her, "The burst cooldown for a Strength-type Supernatural Ability is 2.3 seconds. After he throws a punch, there's a 2.3-second window. That's enough time for me to empty half a magazine."

Li Na opened her mouth to say something but ultimately only asked one thing: "How... how sure are you?"

Commander Lin Dong glanced back at her.

The light from the headlights reflected on his face, illuminating eyes devoid of any emotion. They were eyes she had never seen before—not filled with madness, fear, or even bravery, but an almost machine-like calmness, as if calculating multiple solutions to a math problem.

"I don't know," he said, "But I do know one thing."

"What?"

"That base vehicle is our only hope of surviving in this apocalypse. If it's taken, we all die. If not today, then tomorrow, or the day after. It's just a matter of time."

He paused for a moment, shouldering his rifle.

"Since death is inevitable sooner or later, why not choose the option where we might live?"

Tears suddenly welled up in Li Na's eyes.

It wasn't fear. It was something she couldn't quite explain. In this world where communications were cut, order had collapsed, and everyone was selling their soul for a piece of bread, there was actually someone still using the word "we."

"Company Commander Lin..." she choked out, "You... you must come back alive."

Commander Lin Dong's footsteps paused for a moment.

He didn't look back, only slightly turning his face to show a resolute profile.

"Wait for me."

As the words fell, his figure vanished into the darkness behind the humvee.

On the B2 level of the underground garage, the temperature was at least five degrees lower than on the surface.

Commander Lin Dong moved against the wall, every step landing in the shadows of the support pillars. He didn't turn on his flashlight; his eyes had already adjusted to the dark. By the faint light filtering through from the B1 level, he could make out silhouettes within 20 meters.

His ears were now his most important weapon.

Footsteps came from the left passage—two people, their pace disorganized, lacking tactical coordination; likely ordinary prisoners being forced down as cannon fodder. There was a rustling of rats in the ventilation duct to the right, posing no threat. Directly ahead, fifty meters away, people were speaking in low voices—

"Brother Glasses said the soldier is in the southeast corner, right behind those humvees. We'll flank him from both sides and force him out."

"His aim is too accurate, Old Ghost was gone in one shot..."

"Scared of what? Brother Biao said once we take that truck, the whole of Beiling City will be ours! When that time comes, won't you have as many women as you want to snatch?"

Commander Lin Dong's pupils constricted slightly.

Brother Glasses. Brother Biao.

As expected, the one with glasses was the brain, and the Strength-type was the fist. As long as he took out the brain, the enemy would lose their command center.

The problem was the brain's location.

Commander Lin Dong closed his eyes, constructing a 3D map of the B2 level in his mind. Entrances, support pillars, vehicle wreckage, blind spots... all the data automatically arranged and combined in his mind, forming a dynamic battlefield simulation model.

That Man with Glasses' position should be...

His eyes suddenly snapped open.

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

Behind the overturned van in the center of level B2.

It was a visual blind spot for the entire garage, allowing him to observe movements in three directions simultaneously, and it was close to the escape route, enabling a quick evacuation if things went south.

Most importantly—from there, he could perfectly see the lights of the humvee fleet.

That was the Commander's position for the entire battlefield.

Commander Lin Dong took a deep breath and began to move.

He chose a route along the ventilation ducts attached to the ceiling.

The duct was three meters above the ground and half a meter in diameter, barely enough to accommodate a person crawling forward.

The iron was severely rusted and would make noise at the slightest movement, but he had to take the gamble.

He grabbed the edge of the duct, pulled himself up, and slithered into the shadows of the duct like a snake.

The rusted iron emitted a faint "creak," which sounded exceptionally harsh in the silent underground garage.

He stopped and remained motionless.

Five seconds. Ten seconds.

No one came to check.

He continued to crawl forward.

He counted in his head for every meter he advanced.

The east-west span of level B2 was 120 meters, and he was still about 80 meters away from the van.

At this speed, it would take... 8 minutes.

Could Li Na hold on for 8 minutes?

He had no time to dwell on that.

Alternating force between his elbows and knees, his body wriggled through the duct like a giant reptile.

Rust rubbed against his tactical vest, creating a faint rustling sound.

Three minutes later, he crawled to a spot directly above the van.

Through the ventilation grille, he saw the thin Man with Glasses.

The man was hiding in the shadow of the van, holding a walkie-talkie and whispering.

Spread out before him was a hand-drawn map—it was actually a structural diagram of the underground garage.

The map was marked in red ink with the position of the humvee fleet, the distribution of load-bearing pillars, and... a clear attack route.

Commander Lin Dong's pupils constricted sharply.

The precision of that map was at least on the level of a professional engineering blueprint.

Who on earth was this guy?

He didn't have time to dwell on it.

The problem now was: how to get down?

The ventilation grille was secured with four screws.

Unscrewing them by hand would take time and would definitely make noise.

Kicking it open would make even more noise, which would be tantamount to exposing himself.

He needed to create a diversion.

Just then, a burst of intense gunfire erupted from the southeast corner of level B2—

"Da-da-da-da—"

Two type 95 rifles fired in turns, bullets striking the load-bearing pillars and sending sparks flying.

This was immediately followed by the screams and curses of the prisoners:

"Damn it! There are two more of them!"

"No, it's three directions! They're laying down crossfire!"

"Take cover! Get down!"

Noisy shouting came through the walkie-talkie.

The Man with Glasses frowned and was just about to pick up the walkie-talkie to give an order—

Commander Lin Dong moved.

He used all his strength and kicked the ventilation grille with both feet—

"Clang!"

The iron grille, along with the four screws, flew out and slammed onto the ground with a loud metallic crash.

The Man with Glasses looked up sharply and saw a figure descending from above—

Commander Lin Dong landed with his legs slightly bent to absorb the impact, then rolled forward to dissipate the force from the two-meter drop.

He raised his head, his gun already aimed at the Man with Glasses three meters away.

Their gazes locked in the air.

There was no fear in the eyes of the Man with Glasses, only a complex expression—shock, annoyance, and something Commander Lin Dong couldn't quite read, looking like... relief?

"Don't move," Commander Lin Dong said coldly.

The Man with Glasses slowly raised his hands.

His hands were very pale, his fingers slender, and his nails neatly trimmed; they didn't look like the hands of a prisoner at all.

"You're a soldier," the Man with Glasses said suddenly, his voice surprisingly calm. "A scout? Or special forces?"

Commander Lin Dong didn't answer.

He quickly scanned the Man with Glasses—no weapons, only a walkie-talkie and a ballpoint pen.

"Hands on your head, kneel down, and face the wall."

The Man with Glasses complied.

But before turning around, he said something that made Commander Lin Dong's heart stop:

"You'd better kill me now. Because Brother Biao... is no longer on level B1."

Commander Lin Dong's pupils constricted violently.

"He climbed up through the ventilation shaft," the Man with Glasses said, his voice actually carrying a hint of a smile. "That shaft leads directly to the cargo passage behind you. If you calculate the time..."

He paused and glanced back at the darkness behind Commander Lin Dong.

"He should be here by now."

As soon as he finished speaking, heavy footsteps echoed from the darkness behind Commander Lin Dong.

"Thump—thump—thump—"

It was like a beast approaching.

Commander Lin Dong whipped around, his gun aimed at the direction of the sound.

His brain raced—the location of the ventilation shaft, the layout of the cargo passage, the distance...

40 meters.

At the burst speed of a Strength-type Esper, 40 meters would only take... 3 seconds.

3 seconds.

He only had 3 seconds.

A huge figure emerged from the darkness.

Brother Biao was 1.85 meters tall and weighed at least 100 kilograms, but there wasn't an ounce of fat on him; he was nothing but bulging slabs of muscle.

His right fist was stained with blood and gore; he had clearly smashed something just moments ago.

Most terrifying were his eyes—bloodshot, pupils dilated, flashing with an inhuman madness.

Above his head floated a translucent data panel:

【Mutant Human: Brother Biao】

【Level: Lv.5】

【Talent: Strength Burst (E Rank)】

【HP: 450 / 450】

【Strength: 18 (Base 6 + Supernatural Ability 12)】

【Agility: 8】

【Spirit: 5】

【Threat Rating: E+】

【Strength Burst: Strength +15 upon activation, duration 5 seconds, cooldown 2.3 seconds】

Commander Lin Dong's gaze lingered on the small red text for 0.1 seconds.

2.3 seconds.

He needed to survive that burst period.

"Kid," Brother Biao grinned, revealing a mouthful of smoke-yellowed teeth. "Nice marksmanship. Too bad you picked the wrong opponent."

He moved.

In that instant, Commander Lin Dong truly understood the meaning of "Strength-type Supernatural Ability"—

Brother Biao slammed his right foot onto the ground, causing fine cracks to appear in the concrete.

His body launched forward like a cannonball, the resulting wind pressure whipping Commander Lin Dong's hair back—

【Strength Burst Activated】

【Remaining Time: 5 seconds】

Commander Lin Dong didn't fire.

He turned sideways and took a step to the left.

Brother Biao's fist grazed his right shoulder and slammed into the load-bearing pillar behind him—

"Boom!"

Concrete fragments sprayed everywhere, and a fist mark 20 centimeters in diameter and 5 centimeters deep appeared on the surface of the load-bearing pillar.

The entire pillar trembled, and sounds of falling concrete debris echoed from above.

【Strength Burst Remaining Time: 4 seconds】

Taking advantage of the moment his fist was stuck in the concrete, Commander Lin Dong raised his gun and aimed at the back of his head—

Brother Biao yanked his fist out, rotated his body, and swung a left hook—

Commander Lin Dong ducked, the bullet grazing Brother Biao's scalp and shattering the window of the van behind him.

【Strength Burst Remaining Time: 2 seconds】

Brother Biao's second attack missed, and his body stiffened for a split second.

Now.

Instead of retreating, Commander Lin Dong lunged forward and pressed the muzzle against Brother Biao's abdomen—

"Da-da-da—"

A three-round burst.

The bullets tore into his muscle, spraying three bursts of blood.

Brother Biao let out an angry roar, his abdominal muscles contracting violently, actually trapping the bullets in the surface layer—

【Strength Burst Remaining Time: 0 seconds】

【Entering Cooldown: 2.3 seconds】

Brother Biao swung his right fist again, but its speed and power had clearly dropped—it was now only at the level of his base strength of 6.

Commander Lin Dong leaped backward, firing another two-round burst in mid-air.

Both shots hit him in the face.

Brother Biao's left eye exploded, blood and vitreous fluid streaming down.

But he didn't fall; instead, he let out an even more insane roar—

【Target detected entering Berserk state】

【HP: 387 / 450】

【Berserk state: Pain sensation reduced by 50%, attack desire increased by 200%, defense reduced by 30%】

Commander Lin Dong had emptied his magazine by the time he landed.

He had no time to reload.

Brother Biao charged over like a maddened bull, arms spread wide to grab him—

Commander Lin Dong dropped his rifle and reached for his tactical vest with his right hand.

His last grenade.

He pulled the pin and held it in his hand, not throwing it.

Brother Biao lunged at him, wrapping his arms around his waist with such immense force that it felt like his spine was about to snap—

Commander Lin Dong stuffed the grenade into Brother Biao's open collar.

Brother Biao looked down.

The dark green lump of iron was sliding down his chest, toward his abdomen, toward his waistband—

【Strength Burst Cooldown Remaining: 0.8 seconds】

Brother Biao's eyes widened, and for the first time, fear appeared in his pupils.

He wanted to let go, wanted to throw that thing away, wanted to—

It was too late.

Commander Lin Dong used all his strength to kick Brother Biao in the knee.

Brother Biao lost his balance and fell backward—

A second before he hit the ground, Commander Lin Dong dove toward the wreckage of the van nearby.

"Boom—!!!"

The flash of the grenade explosion illuminated the entire level B2.

The shockwave, mixed with shrapnel, swept through, lifting the van's wreckage a meter into the air before it crashed back down.

Commander Lin Dong curled up behind the vehicle, feeling his back being pelted by countless small stones, burning with pain.

The only thing left in his ears was a sharp buzzing.

He struggled to roll over and looked toward the center of the explosion.

Brother Biao lay in a shallow crater one meter in diameter, a massive, bloody hole blown from his chest to his abdomen, his internal organs and gore scattered everywhere.

His eyes were still open, but his pupils were already dilated and lifeless.

【Killed Mutant Human: Brother Biao (Lv.5)】

【Gained Energy Points: +150】

【Detected E Rank Supernatural Ability Crystal. Extract?】

Commander Lin Dong ignored the system prompt.

He struggled to his feet and staggered toward the spot where the Man with Glasses had been.

Behind the van, there was no one.

Only the walkie-talkie remained, still emitting a static, rustling sound.

Commander Lin Dong picked up the walkie-talkie and pressed the talk button.

"Hello."

There was silence on the other end for two seconds, then the calm voice of the Man with Glasses came through:

"You killed him."

"Where are you?"

"I'm no longer in the garage," the Man with Glasses said, his voice actually carrying a smile. "But we will meet again. Next time we do, I'll bring you a big gift—a gift regarding that truck behind you."

The call was cut off.

Commander Lin Dong gripped the walkie-talkie, his eyes cold.

He turned and walked toward the humvee fleet.

Li Na was still alive, the base vehicle was still unfolding, and the battle was not yet over.

But he knew that the real trouble had only just begun.

【End of Chapter】