121: Decapitation Squad

"Clang—!!!!"

A tooth-aching, deafening metallic collision, like the ringing of a great bell, suddenly exploded!

The terrifying kinetic energy and armor-piercing effect of the god-slaying armor-piercing bullet, sufficient to pierce the armor of a main battle tank, slammed violently into the diamond helmet! Dazzling sparks flew like electric welding! The tip of the bullet even tore through the outermost layer of dark red crystal on the helmet, embedding itself deeply into the diamond structure! But ultimately, its kinetic energy was exhausted! Accompanied by a dull explosion (the bullet's explosive property), a shallow crater was blasted into the surface of the diamond helmet, with debris flying everywhere, yet it ultimately failed to pierce through completely!

The angry Lava Vajra's roar was deafening.

The massive recoil of the god-slaying sniper rifle sent Natasha tumbling through the air before she could stabilize herself. A hint of solemnity flashed in her icy eyes. The gap in their tiers was too large! She had only just entered the Second Tier, while this Lava Vajra Corpse King had likely been solidified in the Third Tier for many days; its defensive power was practically abnormal!

If the strike misses, retreat a thousand miles! As a top-tier Sniper, Natasha understood this principle well. Her mission was never to fight the Corpse King head-on. Without the slightest hesitation, her figure blurred again, merging into the shadows and completely vanishing within the outpatient building.

In a relatively safe shadow outside the outpatient building, Natasha's figure emerged. She immediately connected to an encrypted communication with Jiang Xin, her voice remaining icy but her speaking speed slightly faster: "Commander, the Corpse King is confirmed. It's a fiery red Diamond Zombie—'Lava Vajra,' Third-Tier, possessing fire-attribute abilities. Its defensive power is extremely abnormal; my god-slaying armor-piercing bullets cannot break its defense. Location: Old City District Central Hospital outpatient building."

Jiang Xin's steady voice came from the other end of the communicator: "Received! Your safety is the priority, continue monitoring! I will find a way to deal with it!"

Jiang Xin hung up the communication and, without any hesitation, immediately connected to Zhang Lei's channel: "Brother Lei! The Corpse King's trail is locked: the Old City Central Hospital outpatient building! It's a Third-Tier 'Lava Vajra' with high fire resistance and abnormal physical defense! I need you to lead an elite squad to execute a decapitation mission!"

"Understood!" Zhang Lei's voice carried a hint of excitement and gravity.

Jiang Xin's mind quickly flashed through the available people. Besides Zhang Lei, there was the Valkyrie Tanya, who possessed the powerful war god blade, and the Earth War Bear, Big Bear. Big Bear's racial traits determined that it possessed physical constitution and strength several times that of others in the same tier, and it also had powerful earth-system Superpowers: "Currently, the only ones who can pose a threat to a Third-Tier Corpse King are you, Tanya, and Big Bear. Should I send Big Bear over to help you?" Jiang Xin inquired.

"Big Bear's size is too large. Using a chinook to airlift him would cause too much of a commotion, and running there himself wouldn't be fast enough; the Corpse King might move. How about this, Brother Jiang: send Tanya, Li Wei, and Li Ang to me, and Howling Heaven will also come with me for the mission," Zhang Lei said in a deep voice.

"Alright! Let Tanya, Li Wei, and Li Ang go with you! Take Howling Heaven as well! Its sonic control can pin down the Corpse King at a critical moment, creating an opportunity for you! Just them! I'll also send two black hawk fighter jets to escort you, carrying high-yield anti-ship missiles! Just in case!" Jiang Xin continued.

"No problem!!" Zhang Lei said.

Zhang Lei quickly withdrew from the battlefield and met up with Li Wei, Li Ang, and the already prepared Tanya and Howling Heaven. The four people and one dog (Howling Heaven) quickly boarded the already standby chinook transport helicopter. Two black hawk fighter jets, armed with four heavy anti-ship missiles, escorted them, taking off on either side. The roar of the engines tore through the sky as they sped toward the Old City District.

The chinook landed in a relatively open ruined plaza on the edge of the Old City District. Zhang Lei and the others, including the dog, quickly jumped down. Soon, they met up with Natasha, who emerged from the shadows.

Zhang Lei looked at the extremely cold and beautiful Sniper before him. Even in the cruel post-apocalyptic battlefield, her appearance could be described as breathtaking. Her fair face, seemingly carved from ice and snow, had sharp yet exquisite lines, like the most perfect elf of a Siberian winter. Her tight-fitting combat suit outlined a stunning golden-ratio figure, especially those long, straight, and powerful legs encased in special-material trousers, enough to make any man take notice.

However, the aura of "strangers keep away" radiating from Natasha's body made even the battle-hardened and powerful Zhang Lei feel a hint of chill. It was a coldness that seeped into the bones, as if it could freeze the soul. He thought to himself, "Just as Brother Jiang said, she's as cold as a block of ten-thousand-year ice..."

"Is the Corpse King still inside?" Zhang Lei composed himself and asked in a deep voice.

"Mhm." Natasha's reply was as concise as ever, her gaze sweeping over the squad Zhang Lei brought, lingering for a moment longer on Tanya.

"Good!" Zhang Lei wasted no more words and quickly deployed them. "I'll go lure it out! Li Wei, your task is to protect the two Snipers. Natasha, you and Li Ang will provide long-range fire! Tanya, you'll go head-to-head with me! Its armor is hard, but your war god blade might have a miraculous effect! Howling Heaven!" Zhang Lei reached out and vigorously rubbed Howling Heaven's large, furry head, feeling the surging power within its body. "Listen for my signal and use your 'Sonic Roar'! Pin it down for me!"

"Awoo—!" Howling Heaven let out a low, powerful howl, its massive head nodding vigorously. Its fangs glinted with a cold light, indicating total understanding.

With the deployment complete, the Ice and Fire Twin Wings suddenly unfurled from Zhang Lei's back with a "shua" sound! He kicked off the ground forcefully, his entire being like an arrow released from a bow, charging straight for the outpatient building with an indomitable momentum!

The moment Zhang Lei rushed into the building, the gazes of the two female heroes with vastly different styles collided in mid-air!

Natasha's ice-blue eyes, like the never-melting permafrost of Siberia, cast a cold look at Tanya, filled with scrutiny and a faint, undetectable rejection.

Tanya did not back down at all. A flamboyant and wild curve hooked the corner of her mouth. On her bright and moving face, her two heroic willow-leaf brows arched provocatively, and her light brown short hair fluttered slightly in the wind. "Hey, Natasha!" Her voice was crisp and teasing. "Put away that icy gaze! Want to fight? Right now, you're no match for me!" Her fingers subconsciously brushed over the two sci-fi-styled, cold-glinting "war god blade" twin pistols at her waist.

Hearing this, a very faint but absolutely confident curve slowly appeared on Natasha's eternally frozen, beautiful face. It was like a snow lotus suddenly blooming on an ice field, breathtakingly beautiful yet bone-chillingly cold. "That remains to be seen." Her voice was still icy, but it contained a powerful fighting spirit.

The old grudge between the Allies and the Soviets seemed to spark invisible flames between the two, even in the apocalypse of another dimension.