Chapter 423: Chapter 421: The Great Army Attacks
An hour passed quickly. When it was 1:00 AM, Lin Xinghai remained inside, planning to get some proper rest.
Of course, someone still had to stand watch, but that was a job for Little Fatty and Jin Tong.
At 1:00 AM, most people were already asleep.
At this moment, deep beneath East Sea City at the base of the Abyssal Passage, lay a massive cavern several kilometers wide.
It wasn’t as dark as one might imagine. On the contrary, illuminated by countless floodlights, the cavern was exceptionally bright.
In the exact center of the cavern was an area of warped space—the true Abyssal Passage.
At this hour, most of the Abyssal Guard soldiers stationed here were already asleep.
Of course, the requisite security personnel were still on high alert.
Suddenly, the patch of distorted space in the cavern’s center wavered, like a ripple spreading across the surface of a calm lake.
As the fluctuation emanated outward, dozens of nearby monitoring instruments blared with ear-piercing alarms at almost the exact same moment.
Colonel Jia Tai, the officer in charge of the night’s defense, his expression instantly turning grim. He immediately keyed his Communication Device and demanded, "Monitoring team, report the spatial fluctuation index now."
"The spatial fluctuation index is currently at 200, and it’s still rising," a voice immediately reported back through the Communication Device.
"Understood. Keep monitoring," Jia Tai said, then immediately switched communication channels to order the combat teams. "Initiate First Level Alert! The Third, Fifth, and Eighth Brigades are responsible for eliminating targets. Artillery brigade, provide support."
In moments, fully armed soldiers poured out from the cavern’s temporary barracks.
They rapidly entered the pre-constructed bunkers and trenches.
Just then, the first invader finally stepped out of the warped space.
It was a humanoid creature with a horn on its forehead, a thick, keratinous hide, and spikes protruding from the joints of its elbows.
Abyssal Corpse Ghost.
One of the most numerous races in the Abyssal Plane.
These Abyssal Corpse Ghosts were generally weak, only equivalent to human Optimized. A few could reach the Blood Qi Realm Level, but their numbers were very small, accounting for less than 1%.
Thus, Abyssal Corpse Ghosts were generally considered cannon fodder, much like the Zombies of the human world.
Unlike Zombies, however, they were far more aggressive. The spikes on their joints could easily pierce shields made of high-quality steel.
Furthermore, the thick keratinous layer covering their bodies provided impressive Defense Power; even a Tearing Rifle using Armor-Piercing Bullets required three to four headshots to kill one.
In short, these creatures were even more dangerous than High Level Zombies.
However, the Abyssal Guard had dealt with Abyssal Corpse Ghosts many times and had long since developed a counter-strategy.
The first Abyssal Corpse Ghost had only just stepped out of the passage and had not yet even set foot on Earth’s soil.
A Heavy Machine Gun, which had already taken aim, suddenly opened fire.
BANG!
The power of a Heavy Machine Gun was of course no match for a rifle. A single bullet was all it took to instantly shatter the thick keratinous layer on the Abyssal Corpse Ghost’s body.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
The second bullet tore through its body, opening a hole the size of a bowl. The third, fourth, and fifth bullets slammed into it in quick succession, snuffing out its life.
The first Abyssal Corpse Ghost to step out collapsed, but this was only the beginning.
More Abyssal Corpse Ghosts surged out like a tidal wave; in the blink of an eye, over five hundred of them had charged forth.
The Abyssal Guard, however, had a comprehensive defensive system. In an instant, a sky-blotting rain of bullets blanketed the charging Abyssal Corpse Ghosts, swiftly putting them down.
The charge of the Abyssal Corpse Ghosts was not entirely without effect, however. As they surged forward wave after relentless wave, they steadily closed the distance to the Abyssal Guard’s defensive line.
As they pushed the front line forward, a second type of creature soon appeared from the rear: the Petrifying Spider.
Like the Abyssal Corpse Ghosts, the Petrifying Spiders were little more than cannon fodder in war.
The Defense Power of the Petrifying Spiders was a level weaker than that of the Abyssal Corpse Ghosts, but the silk they spat was as hard as rock.
So, as soon as the Petrifying Spiders emerged, they quickly dispersed. Some charged forward, but most rushed toward the rock walls on either side, with some even leaping to the cavern ceiling.
Then, strand after strand of silk spewed from their mouths. The silk spat out by these spiders crisscrossed, forming webs that rapidly hardened like stone.
On the open ground, these Petrifying Spiders had managed to construct a field of "defensive cover," ensuring that the troops charging out after them would not be directly exposed to enemy fire.
At the same time, the Abyssal Guard’s highest-ranking officer, Zheng Yangxu, also arrived at the front line.
"What’s the situation?" Zheng Yangxu asked Jia Tai directly.
"The spatial fluctuation index has now surpassed 400 and is still rising. With a fluctuation this intense, it’s highly likely that Tier Two or higher Mutated Zombies will appear soon," Jia Tai replied immediately.
"Have the artillery brigade prepare for bombardment. Mecha Brigade on standby, ready to deploy. Also, report this intelligence to East Sea Base. The attack has only been underway for five minutes, and the spatial fluctuation is already this high. I fear this isn’t a normal assault. We must prepare for the worst," Zheng Yangxu said, his expression grave.
Jia Tai nodded immediately and hurried off to make the arrangements. Meanwhile, the battlefield changed once more.
This time, the Abyssal Corpse Ghosts and Petrifying Spiders that charged out were all crimson.
The Abyssal Guard soldiers on the field were all experienced fighters and could tell at a glance that this batch of Abyssal Corpse Ghosts and Petrifying Spiders had entered a berserk state.
In addition, the auras they emanated were far stronger than before, with many even having reached the Blood Qi Realm.
Under these conditions, their individual strength was hardly inferior to that of some Mutated Zombies.
Instantly, the long-waiting Mecha Brigade charged forward to meet the enemy head-on. At the same time, the artillery teams in the rear began to unleash their firepower without reservation.
Grenade Cannon shells fell like rain into the enemy’s formation.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A continuous, deafening roar echoed through the cavern as both the Abyssal Corpse Ghosts and Petrifying Spiders were utterly engulfed in the explosions.
Even the spiderwebs that had served as defensive works were snapped and torn to shreds by the terrifying shockwaves.
At this moment, the Abyssal Army seemed to be completely suppressed.
But the expressions on the faces of both Zheng Yangxu and Jia Tai remained grave.
Because compared to usual, the tempo of this Abyssal Plane invasion was simply too fast.
Troops in a berserk state like this usually only appeared in the middle to Late Stage of a battle. After all, the Spitters’ venom was finite.
But it had only been five minutes!
Normally, an offensive from the Abyssal Plane would last at least three or four hours.
This short amount of time should have been just a warm-up, not even counting as the main assault. And yet, the enemy was already playing for keeps.
