22: Chapter 22 Enemy Army Pressing In

Three days later.

In the darkest hour before dawn, the thick Bizarre Fog nearly swallowed heaven and earth. The light of the blood moon struggled to penetrate, staining the land with an ominous dark red.

On the highest watchtower of the Fortress wall, the survivor on duty hugged the cold Observation Scope, his eyelids drooping heavily. Several consecutive days of calm had inevitably loosened his taut nerves.

Suddenly, he felt an extremely faint but continuous vibration coming from the tower beneath his feet.

At first, he thought it was an illusion, but soon, the vibration grew increasingly distinct, even causing the tower's metal skeleton to emit a faint hum!

With a jolt, he snapped his eyes to the Observation Scope, adjusted the focus, and peered into the distance beyond the Fortress.

In the next second, the color drained from his face, his pupils constricting to the size of pinpricks! A wave of icy cold shot from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head, nearly suffocating him!

"Enemy... enemy attack!!!!"

A shrill, distorted scream instantly tore through the Fortress's deathly silence before dawn!

*BZZZT—!*

A piercing alarm blared throughout the entire Fortress! The energy lights in all sectors instantly switched to flashing red!

People who had been sleeping or resting were as if doused with ice water, scrambling out of their dwellings in panic, gazing in terror beyond the walls.

Lin Chen, Su Qingyu, Zhang Hao, and others were the first to ascend to the command platform on the main wall.

Even without an Observation Scope, the sight visible to the naked eye was enough to make one's soul tremble!

Ahead of the Fortress, the open ground that was once urban ruins was now submerged under a dark, crushing "tide"!

It wasn't a tide. It was an army!

It was clearly divided into two parts.

On the left was a dense, varied multitude of Bizarre Monsters! Twisted Aberrationss emitted mindless roars, floating wraiths stirred bone-chilling ghostly winds, towering Stitched Flesh Demons moved like mountains of meat, and even a few "Calamity-class" Bizarre Monsters, as large as hillocks and radiating terrifying pressure, loomed indistinctly in the rear! They were like a legion from hell, exuding an aura of chaos and brutality.

On the right was a relatively orderly, yet equally sinister and evil "human" army. They wore uniform dark robes or armor adorned with twisted human face patterns, wielded various weapons imbued with eerie energy, their eyes fanatical yet numb. Though fewer in number than the Bizarre Monster horde, their discipline was markedly stronger, their formation strict and bristling with killing intent! These were the main force of the Thousand Faces Cult and their "Corrupted Human" soldiers!

Combined, the two armies numbered well over five thousand! Possibly even approaching ten thousand!

They advanced slowly like a silent tide of death. The heavy footsteps, the roars of the Bizarre Monsters, and the grating of metal blended into a suffocating wave of sound that crashed against every inch of the Fortress walls and against the mental defenses of every survivor!

Despair! Like icy vines, it instantly coiled around the hearts of many newly joined survivors! Faced with such a terrifying military force, could the Fortress truly hold?

Zhang Hao gripped the handle of his Ghost-Headed Earth-Splitting Axe so tightly his knuckles turned white. His throat was dry; he wanted to roar a few words to bolster his courage, but found his voice blocked as if clogged. There were too many enemies! Far more than he had imagined!

Su Qingyu's face was pale, her breathing rapid. She forced herself to stay calm, but gazing at the endless sea of enemies, her hands still trembled slightly. She instinctively looked toward Lin Chen beside her.

Lin Chen stood at the edge of the wall, the wild wind whipping his clothes, yet he remained as immovable as a rock rooted to the ground. His face showed no expression as he calmly looked down upon the terrifying military spectacle below—enough to shatter anyone's courage—his eyes deep as an ancient well.

Just then, the enemy formation parted, and a figure, escorted by a group of Corrupted Humans with exceptionally powerful auras, slowly walked to the front of the ranks.

It was a tall, thin man wearing ornate black robes embroidered with countless eye patterns, his face covered by a featureless, smooth-as-mirror silver mask. In his hand, he held a grotesque staff crafted from polished human vertebrae.

This was the commander of this Thousand Faces Cult operation, the high-ranking "Faceless Priest"!

The Faceless Priest lifted his featureless face, seemingly "looking" toward Lin Chen on the wall. A hoarse, distorted voice, as if layered with countless overlapping voices, pierced through the noisy battlefield and clearly reached the ears of everyone on the wall:

"Lin Chen!"

The voice carried an arrogant, condescending tone and icy killing intent.

"You have defiled the Sacred Cult, slain our emissaries, and occupied this land. Your crimes are unforgivable!"

He pointed his spinal staff toward the Fortress, his voice suddenly rising like a bone-scraping cold wind:

"Today marks the destruction of your false nest! If you know what's good for you, open the gates, kneel, and submit to capture. This Priest may grant you a quick death! Otherwise..."

He paused, and the eyeball-shaped gem embedded at the top of his staff suddenly erupted with a sickly green light!

"When the city falls, not even the chickens and dogs will be spared! All shall become offerings for the descent of our God!"

The terrifying proclamation, accompanied by the simultaneous roars and shouts of the thousands of Bizarre Monsters and cultists below, formed an overwhelming mental pressure that slammed violently against the Fortress!

Many survivors with weaker mental fortitude immediately went weak in the knees and collapsed on the spot, some even losing control of their bladders.

An atmosphere of despair spread like a plague.

All eyes focused on Lin Chen.

Fight? Or surrender?

Lin Chen finally moved.

He took a slow step forward, reaching the very edge of the wall, his gaze calmly meeting the direction from which the Faceless Priest "looked."

He did not roar, did not offer explanations. In his characteristic tone, laced with a hint of laziness and mockery, he clearly responded with three words:

"Finished talking?"

The Faceless Priest's smooth mask seemed to stiffen for a moment.

The corner of Lin Chen's mouth lifted slightly, the smile cold and cruel.

"Since you're finished talking..."

"Then get ready..."

"To go to hell."