Chapter 146: The Body Ripper

Su Zhan examined the Aberrant's corpse.Covered in scales, it bore a striking resemblance to his own Aberrant form.

He lifted his head to survey the surroundings.

Pale gray Mist had enveloped the entire area.

Su Zhan felt fortunate to have come to the right place.

And he was incredibly lucky.

Right after arriving, he encountered the Aberrant Purge Division's entrapment operation, and these Aberrants had executed a counter-plot within the plot, turning the tables by luring the Purifiers out and summoning the Mist.

The Purifiers immediately became trapped like turtles in a jar.

Meanwhile, he happened to be in a perfect position to hunt the mist creatures and absorb their life essence to advance.

Wait a minute...

Su Zhan glanced down at the head he had already crushed under his foot.

A blue-faced, fanged mask was still fitted over the skull.

Su Zhan slowly pulled the mask away, carefully examining the deceased's face.

Unfamiliar, completely unfamiliar.

It wasn't "Half-Month Zhou" whom he had chatted with not long ago.

Well, if it wasn't him, then it wasn't.

Su Zhan shook off the remaining flesh and tissue from inside the mask.

"If I'd known, I wouldn't have stomped on it. Now I'm just grossing myself out."

Su Zhan noticed that the color of this Aberrant's scales was jet black, just like his own.

So maybe he could...

Alright, now it was time for the familiar routine of stripping the corpse.

Su Zhan deftly changed out of his own clothes.

He also stripped the Aberrant completely bare.

As for the corpse...

After dealing with it.

He threw everything into the sewer, though of course he handled this next to the sewer opening; otherwise, bloodstains here would be highly suspicious.

The blood traces were also thoroughly cleaned by him...

He found water and rags—more like a blanket than rags—along with some detergent and other supplies in the secret room of the power distribution room.

In short, after Su Zhan's efforts, all traces were completely erased.

He had also searched the secret room in the power distribution room earlier.

Apart from a map of this residential area and the surveillance camera layout, there wasn't any particularly useful information.

Su Zhan guessed that this counter-plot scheme was probably communicated verbally by the other side, with no written records.

Since he didn't know their specific arrangements.

He would just have to play it by ear.

...

The orange-red signal flare slowly faded in the night sky.

Twelve Purifiers gradually gathered from various directions.

The burly man carrying a shotgun was the last to arrive, the chains wrapped around the barrel clattering noisily.

He scanned the group and asked in a rough voice, "Everyone here?"

The high-ponytailed female Purifier, who was also the team's vice-commander, quickly did a headcount and nodded, "Twelve, all accounted for."

Blondie stood at the edge of the group, his expression uneasy.

He looked around; the pale gray fog stood like a solid wall, sealing off the entire area completely.

"All electronic equipment is dead."

The high-ponytailed vice-commander sheathed her short sword, her voice calm. "Communications are down, surveillance is offline. We've temporarily lost contact with the outside world."

"Dammit, we've been set up."

The fat man spat: "Those Aberrants deliberately lured us out into this area."

The team leader's gaze swept over everyone, finally resting on Blondie, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.

He looked away and said in a low voice, "The enemy came prepared. A direct confrontation is unwise. Priority is concealment, await reinforcements."

Blondie noticed the team leader's glance and smirked: "Don't look at me like that. I'm not stupid, I won't go running off."

The team leader didn't respond, just gave a slight nod to the female vice-commander.

Understanding his meaning, she subtly moved half a step closer to Blondie.

"Stay together, no splitting up."

The team leader said firmly while looking at Blondie.

Blondie noticed the team leader's stare and curled his lip: "Relax, I value my life too much."

"Fatty, you take point."

The leader pointed at the female vice-commander: "Vice-Commander Tang will guard the rear. Everyone else maintain alert formation. Report any abnormalities immediately, no independent action."

"Understood."

The group responded in unison.

The team leader took a deep breath, casting one last look at the fog wall: "Move out."

The twelve formed a tight formation, slowly advancing toward the nearest building.

They frequently glanced back to ensure nothing was emerging from the fog wall.

The entire team moved like a curled-up hedgehog.

Advancing slowly and cautiously within the isolated island surrounded by Mist.

The leader's gaze never left Blondie's back.

Under other circumstances it might have been manageable.

But they had to assign this young master to their team at such a critical time.

Goddammit.

If he's here for a cushy assignment, at least pick a safer place for it.

Now look.

If anything happens to this young master, every one of them will face severe consequences.

Just then.

The fog wall at the end of the street began to stir.

The pale gray mist churned, slowly bulging outward.

The bulge swelled larger, its surface covered with dense, honeycomb-like pores.

From each pore oozed a thick black liquid that dripped to the ground with a corrosive hiss.

"Alert!"

The team leader roared in a low voice, and everyone immediately assumed combat positions.

The bulge burst open.

An indescribable creature squeezed out from the mist.

It appeared to be haphazardly woven from countless rotting tentacles, each covered with continuously opening and closing mouthparts.

A vertical eye split open along its central torso, the pupil gleaming with malicious light unlike anything human.

Most bizarre was.

Its head.

If that constantly shifting mass of flesh could even be called a head.

Embedded in it was half of a human face.

The face seemed forcibly stitched on, the left eye rotted into a black hole, while the right eye twisted unnaturally, staring fixedly at the Purifiers.

"What the hell... is that thing..."

Blondie's face turned pale, his entire body trembling slightly.

The monster suddenly let out a piercing shriek.

The sound resembled the forced fusion of a thousand infants crying simultaneously.

It writhed forward, leaving a trail of thick black ooze on the ground that emitted a foul stench.

The female vice-commander's twin blades began to crackle with electricity: "Captain?"

The team leader stared intently at the monster: "Don't act rashly, retreat slowly..."

But it was too late.

Other sections of the fog wall also began to stir, with more bulges forming one after another.

The human face on the monster suddenly contorted into a grotesque smile.

It raised one tentacle, the tip of which split open.

Revealing densely packed, needle-sharp teeth inside.

And at this moment.

Su Zhan was quietly observing from a hidden corner not far away.

Information from his memories immediately identified the type of monster.

Fissure-body.

Its form was forcibly pieced together from countless broken limbs and twisted bones.

Its entire body wriggled, tore apart, and reassembled.

Its vitality was exceptionally powerful.

It had no weak points whatsoever, including that human-like face.

Hmm... to put it in the most understandable terms.

This monster had no weak spots; damage dealt to any part of its body would be equal.

Only by completely depleting its health bar could it truly die.

Among mist creatures, this type counted as one with remarkably tenacious vitality.

Su Zhan looked down at the twin blades in his hands.

He wondered if these blades would be capable of cutting through it.