23: Chapter 23 Chen Ye's Plan

The SWAT officer's eyes were bloodshot, and he looked like a madman, solely focused on avenging his comrades, completely disregarding his own life.

"If you go out there now, you're just throwing your life away!" Chen Ye held him back firmly, his arm strength steady.

No matter how much the other struggled, he remained unmoved.

"Let me go! I'm going to kill it!" The SWAT officer was emotionally distraught, tears mixing with blood as they fell.

Dozens of brothers he had fought alongside had died tragically one after another; this pain had caused him to completely lose his reason.

Chen Ye knew that persuasion was useless at this moment.

He didn't waste any more words, instead wrapping his arm around the SWAT officer's waist and forcibly dragging him upstairs, half-supporting and half-pulling him: "Let's get upstairs first, hide, and then think of a plan!"

"Let me go!"

"If you don't want your brothers to have died in vain, then stay alive!"

Chen Ye's low roar finally brought the SWAT officer back to his senses a little, and his struggling strength weakened.

Seeing this, Zhang Lei hurriedly followed behind, and the three of them rushed up to the second-floor stairwell.

Chen Ye stopped and helped the SWAT officer lean against the stair railing.

He then walked to the window of the second-floor hallway, and through the gaps in the thick fog, carefully observed the giant beast downstairs.

The moment he saw its full appearance, his pupils constricted slightly.

It was an Iron-Spined King Kong Beast!

It was an extremely rare native beast in the apocalypse, resembling a giant gorilla in build.

It stood five meters tall, and although it was a Tier 1 beast, its entire body was covered in dark, thick, hardened skin that looked like cast steel, with sharp bone blades protruding from its spine.

Its defense and strength were maxed out; a single punch could smash through a concrete wall!

But its weaknesses were also extremely obvious.

Its attack pattern was monotonous, relying only on charging and slapping, and its bulky size meant it wasn't very fast.

A flash of realization crossed Chen Ye's eyes.

As long as the terrain was utilized well, this Iron-Spined King Kong Beast was not invincible.

At this moment, the SWAT officer's arms were bulging with veins as he used all his strength to struggle free.

But Chen Ye's arm was like a shackle cast from steel, gripping his shoulder tightly.

No matter how much force he exerted, he remained unmoved.

He was a SWAT officer who had undergone professional special warfare training; even with his chest severely injured and internal organs damaged, his foundation was still there.

Yet in front of Chen Ye, he was like a child tugging at a towering tree, unable to shake him in the slightest.

Furthermore, the dull pain in his chest from earlier had inexplicably lessened, and his internal injuries had improved significantly in just a few minutes.

The look in the SWAT officer's eyes as he turned to Chen Ye was instantly filled with surprise and suspicion.

"This seemingly ordinary man is definitely a powerhouse who has awakened a Superpower!"

"Don't try to be a hero! If you go out now, you're just serving yourself as food for the beast!" Chen Ye lowered his voice and scolded, his tone cold and hard. "I have a way to kill it."

The SWAT officer snapped his eyes up, his bloodshot pupils filled with disbelief.

Just a moment ago, a dozen SWAT officers had fired wildly with firearms, but the bullets only sparked off the beast's body without even breaking its skin.

On what basis could the man in front of him kill this monster?

Chen Ye saw through his skepticism but had no extra time to explain.

He turned to look at Zhang Lei, who was cowering to the side, and said in a hurried tone: "What exactly is your Superpower? What time do you think it is? If we don't cooperate now, none of the three of us will escape!"

Zhang Lei's chubby face turned deathly pale, his fat trembling as he was pinned down by Chen Ye's sharp gaze, leaving him nowhere to hide.

Finally, he gritted his teeth and relented: "It's, it's a Slowing Ability... I can create a 2-meter slowing zone around me, where the movements of any creature within the area will slow down."

"It's just that... the stronger the beast, the worse the effect, and the duration is shorter."

Chen Ye's eyes lit up.

This was a bona fide god-tier support Superpower!

It was practically unbeatable in small-scale team battles; it was a pity it was wasted on a cowardly fat man, truly a waste of talent.

Right now, this Superpower could actually come in handy!

"It has thick skin and flesh, and physical attacks can't penetrate its defense, but the inside of its body is a different story," Chen Ye analyzed, speaking very quickly.

He turned to the SWAT officer. "What heavy firepower do you have left?"

"Only one grenade left, and three rounds of rifle ammunition," the SWAT officer replied through gritted teeth.

"That's enough." Chen Ye's eyes sharpened as he quickly assigned tasks. "You go to the roof, use the rifle to fire and attract the beast's attention, and lead it to the base of the apartment building."

"Zhang Lei, you set off a smoke bomb to block its vision, then get close to the beast and immediately activate your Slowing Ability to create an attack opportunity for me."

"What?! You want me to get close to that monster?" Zhang Lei's hair stood on end, and he shook his chubby head like a rattle-drum. "No way, no way! With my small frame, it could squash me flat with one slap! I'm not going!"

"Kill this beast, and the dropped beast core is yours." Chen Ye calmly tossed out his bargaining chip.

Zhang Lei's eyes widened instantly; in the apocalypse, beast cores were hard currency for enhancing Superpowers, and their value was comparable to food!

He swallowed his saliva, fear being overcome by greed, and nodded fiercely: "I'll do it! For the beast core, I'll risk it!"

With the plan settled, Chen Ye didn't delay any longer, bending over to hoist the SWAT officer onto his shoulder.

The sturdy man, who was 1.8 meters tall, was easily carried on his shoulder as he strode firmly toward the roof.

He climbed the six flights of stairs in one go, his breathing steady, face not flushed, and without panting.

The SWAT officer lay on his shoulder, filled with shock, "What kind of monstrous physical fitness is this!"

"Stay behind the cover on the roof. After you fire, pull your head back immediately. Don't get hit by the beast." Chen Ye set the SWAT officer down and instructed in a deep voice.

"Okay... understood!" The SWAT officer nodded heavily, already mostly convinced by Chen Ye.

Chen Ye turned and quickly walked downstairs, heading straight for the window in the third-floor stairwell.

This position was perfect, facing exactly the direction the beast was climbing, with an unobstructed view, facilitating a surprise attack.

A gunshot, "bang," soon rang out from the roof!

The bullet hit the Iron-Spined King Kong Beast's iron spine accurately, sending up a string of sparks.

The giant beast, which had been rampaging in the thick fog, was instantly enraged, throwing its head back and letting out a deafening roar.

Its massive body turned abruptly toward the apartment building, its limbs pushing off the ground as it charged madly toward the stairwell!

Its heavy footsteps made the ground tremble, and flower beds and vehicles along the way were casually smashed to pieces by it; the destructive power was terrifying.

"Now!"

Zhang Lei, hiding at the stairwell entrance, gritted his teeth and pulled the pin on the smoke bomb. White smoke exploded, rapidly enveloping the entrance of the apartment building and completely blocking the beast's line of sight.

The fat man swallowed his saliva and clenched his fists.

Under the cover of the smoke, he nervously inched closer to the Iron-Spined King Kong Beast, which was frantically clawing at the wall, until he entered the 2-meter range of his Superpower.

"Brother Chen! I'm in position!"

Chen Ye heard him clearly from the third-floor window; his eyes narrowed, and he tensed his entire body: "Zhang Lei, activate your Superpower!"

"Received!"

Zhang Lei roared and exerted all his strength to activate the Slowing Ability!

Invisible energy instantly enveloped the Iron-Spined King Kong Beast.

The actions of the previously rampaging giant beast suddenly stalled.

As if someone had pressed the slow-motion button, its movements of swiping and climbing became sluggish and clumsy.

"Hurry! I can't hold it for long!" Zhang Lei's face turned beet red, his chubby face twisted as he exerted all his effort to maintain the Superpower.

Chen Ye didn't hesitate in the slightest, raising his foot to kick the third-floor window violently!

"Crack!"

The glass shattered instantly, and his figure shot out like an arrow as he leapt from the window!

In mid-air, he kicked off the top of the Iron-Spined King Kong Beast's head with both feet.

Using the momentum to leap again, he landed precisely above the giant beast's open maw!

At this moment, the beast was roaring with its mouth wide open.

Chen Ye's left hand pulled the pin of the grenade with lightning speed, while his right hand gripped the grenade tightly, using all his strength to smash it deep into the beast's throat!

Success!

A surge of joy went through Chen Ye's heart, and he immediately curled his body, preparing to land and escape.

But just at that moment.

Hum! The Iron-Spined King Kong Beast had forcibly broken free from the constraints of the Slowing Ability!

Its massive paw, carrying earth-shattering force, swiped upward and grabbed Chen Ye's waist and abdomen tightly!

A terrifying sensation of being squeezed instantly engulfed his entire body!