Chapter 817
Just a moment ago, the giant beasts had made it to a distance of less than 200 metres from the fortress. By rushing forward, the fortress – only half their height – would certainly face immediate destruction.
At present, however, the giant beasts seemingly went mad as they killed one another.
Having lost the ability to differentiate between friend and foe, their mountainous fists smashed down upon their own kind. Every strike would result in a loud booming sound.
Coincidentally, the other mutants also arrived before the giant beasts.
One of the giant beasts roared skywards and stamped the ground heavily. The ground quaked and tens of the mutants there were trampled into pulverized flesh before they could even utter a cry. Even those heavily-armoured mutants that had assumed the vanguard position earlier were powerless against this stomp that was measured in tons.
More of the mutants followed the giant beasts and began killing one another.
Instantly, the area around the fortress was turned into a field of Asuras.
Absent were the perfect and orderly movements shown earlier as the mutants descended into absolute chaos.
“Everyone! Assume formation! Begin advancing!”
Lun Tai promptly roared, striking an alloy plate before him with the shield on his left hand. Just as he was about to jump out from a hole, he heard Xia Xiaolei uttering a pained cry from behind him.
Swiftly, Lun Tai turned his head to see Xia Xiaolei falling backwards to the floor. His whole body twitched violently and his eyes began rolling up.
“Xiaolei!”
Lun Tai’s heart sank. Although he had issued the order, he quickly turned around and rushed back to Xia Xiaolei’s side to help him up.
The tendrils coming out from Xia Xiaolei’s body were still attached to the captured mutant. However, they were showing signs of withering. More, they were also rapidly swelling.
“Give me… sugar…”
Xia Xiaolei’s voice was weak. It seemed as though he was enduring an intense feeling of pain. He had already brought out a few packets of syrup from his storage gear, but his shaking hands were incapable of grasping them and they rolled to the floor beside him.
“What’s going on?”
Lun Tai swiftly picked up a syrup packet from the floor. Carelessly tearing it open, he poured the syrup into Xia Xiaolei’s mouth.
Xia Xiaolei gulped down the viscous syrup like it was water until the plastic packet was completely shrivelled up. Only then did he exhale a few times. The tips of the tendrils that were dying earlier gradually repaired themselves.
“That fellow… Aderick… is fighting me for control…”
…
“Guild Leader, have you not dealt with it yet?”
Theodore’s hands lightly stroked the smooth surface of his dual blades that were hanging down his waist as he asked in puzzlement.
It had been over two hours since Aderick woke up. From what he could observe about the strength of these mutants and their terrifying number, all the Players and Awakened ones inside the city – no matter how many of them there were – should have been killed already.
Aderick was standing before him with his hands clasped behind his back. His eyes were closed and his face indifferent.
“All the teams inside Los Angeles have been dealt with. But before that, a team with quite the decent strength has gathered up everyone from Griffith Park. They are heading here right now.” Aderick’s eyes remained shut as he explained to Theodore. “It’s the guys I saw back when I killed Gaza.”
Even though Theodore had undergone Aderick’s genetic enhancement, he did not – like the ordinary people in Los Angeles – become a mutant. Naturally, he also could not obtain intel regarding the battlefield through thought transference. He could only depend on Aderick for intel.
After hearing what Aderick said, Theodore frowned somewhat.
“Don’t worry.”
Despite not opening his eyes, Aderick was still seemingly able to see Theodore’s concerns. He smiled and said, “Due to the size of our forces, they have already stopped advancing. Finishing them off is just a matter of time. I have already selected a batch of new mutants to destroy their defences. At most, only ten more minutes. Those fellows will be utterly drowned and ripped apart.”
“Fine, then.” Theodore kept feeling this hint of concern within him. It always felt to him as though… there was an unanticipated shadow that was gradually growing. However, seeing his Guild Leader brimming with confidence, both in expression and tone of voice, he eased up the concern within him.
Perhaps… it was just a groundless fear.
“Alright… only a few hundred metres left.” A moment later, Aderick laughed.
“Did they think that building an impromptu broken building in the battlefield would prove useful? In the face of my giant mutants, it will be completely… argh!”
Aderick suddenly released a pained cry and fell to a crouch before curling his body into a ball.
“Guild Leader!”
Theodore rushed forward, arriving before Aderick with a flash. His hands wrapped around Aderick’s shoulders.
“Guild Leader! What’s happening, Guild Leader?!”
Damn it… could his foreboding feeling be coming true?
“There’s a guy…” Aderick’s back remained hunched and his head lowered. His voice was filled with pain. “This guy… is fighting me for control.”
“Control?” Theodore was shocked. “In the instance dungeon’s quest description, it is clearly stated that there is only one alien meteorite! Who else could fight you for control?”
“It’s something else.”
Panting, Aderick finally raised his head to reveal an ashen-looking face. “The skill that one of them has… or maybe it’s a type of equipment, it’s also of the bio-modification type. He captured one of my mutants and used it as an interface to analyse the alien genes. He also used it as a bridge to enter the neural network that I established.”
“Then…” Theodore was quick to understand and he fell into a slight state of uncertainty.
After devouring the alien embryo inside the meteorite, Aderick had become the Species Lord. Originally, this species, formed by the numerous mutants, had been under Aderick’s control via the genes.
At present, however, an outsider had appeared within this species.
Additionally, regardless of what method he was using, he possessed the opportunity to threaten Aderick’s position as the Species Lord.
“Don’t… don’t worry.” Aderick clenched his teeth. “This kid… ultimately, all he did was learn the genetic code of a mutant and used it to camouflage himself. There’s no way he could easily snatch away control from me, the real Species Lord. At most… he could create a temporary and minor commotion. It would take me only a short time to regain control. Only, before that…”
“Before that, what will happen?” Theodore’s hands pressed down on the handle of his blades.
Slowly, Aderick closed his eyes. “Before that, I cannot be distracted. I cannot move as well. I have to focus completely on taking back control. As for you… you need to protect me well.”
“Protect? But we still have so many…”
Theodore had been in the midst of speaking when he heard roaring sounds coming again and again from his surroundings.
Earlier, the hundreds of pupae had been sending out mutants non-stop. The newly-born mutants, like products coming out from an assembly line, would assume an orderly formation. They would group up according to their types and march out the valley.
At that very moment, however, the whole valley had fallen into a state of chaos.
All the mutants, regardless of their type, had lost control and they furiously bit and struck their companions who were right beside them. Several of the giant pupae were also destroyed due to the fierce fighting.
A mutant who was close by had already noticed Aderick and Theodore. It strode forward, baring its sharp fangs and claws. Then, it charged.
“Before I regain control over them, they will temporarily be in a state of chaos, like this. As for me, in order to focus, I will enter a temporary state of suspended animation. You… can handle this. Right, Theodore?”
After saying that, Aderick’s head slowly sank down and he fell silent.
“… I understand, Guild Leader.”
Theodore gritted his teeth and pulled out his dual blades. “Don’t worry, Guild Leader. Before you regain control, I will not allow any living being to come within ten metres of you!”
A blade light flashed and the mutant’s momentum from its striding motion abruptly disappeared.
Next, it broke into countless pieces. Half of the broken pieces were engulfed in raging fire while the other half were covered in thick frost.
…
“Lun Tai? What’s going on?”
Roddy hastily asked through the guild channel.
Lun Tai had already given the order to attack and the other teams had begun assembling before the fortress. However, Lun Tai and Xia Xiaolei did not appear. They had not moved from their spot.
“Xiaolei could not smoothly seize control of the mutants. Aderick has found him. They are now fighting for control over the neural network,” Lun Tai shouted. “Xiaolei is currently incapable of moving. You guys head out first. I will stay here and take care of him.”
“Then let’s wait until he’s done taking over before leaving!” Roddy’s voice rang out, but he had already rushed into the top floor of the fortress. Following behind him were the other members of Meteor Rock Guild. There was anxiousness on his face. “There’s no way we would leave our companions behind!”
“No.” Slowly, Lun Tai shook his head. There was a grim look on his face. “Xiaolei has just informed me. Aderick’s mental power is far greater than he had imagined. Moreover, he also has the Species Lord authority, granted to him by the instance dungeon. He has a big innate advantage over Xiaolei. Right now… all Xiaolei can do is to direct all his strength on competing with Aderick.”
“You mean…” Roddy’s eyes widened. “He might not win? Then, what will happen if he loses?”
Lun Tai sighed and turned to look at Xia Xiaolei, who was seated cross-legged behind him with his eyes closed. “Naturally, control over the mutants will return to Aderick. As for Xiaolei…”
He pondered for a moment. “There might be a backlash… but there is no way to tell. Enough. Now is not the time to get tangled up with these matters. There’s no telling how much time Xiaolei can buy for us. You guys have to head off immediately. I’ll stay…”
“You go. I’ll stay.”
Qimu Xi shook her head. She walked out from behind Roddy to stand beside Xia Xiaolei. “Tian Lie has already said, against Aderick’s attacks that could directly affect the soul, his regenerative power is ineffective. The team needs you for defence.”
“Qimu Xi…” Lun Tai frowned. He had wanted to say something, but after thinking about it, he simply nodded.
“Fine. Protect Xiaolei and don’t let him die.”
“Do you even need to tell me that?” Qimu Xi responded with a faint smile and she held the hilt of her short swords as she stood behind Xia Xiaolei.
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