novelraw Chapter 150: Negotiation
Chapter 150: Negotiation
Regarding these scenes.
Su Zhan simply watched silently from the rooftop of the residential building.
He was too far away to clearly see the strength levels of these Aberrants.
However, based on their battle with these Purifiers, he could make a rough estimate.
Their strength was probably all around Low-Risk Tier 7.
As for him now, his Awakened form was at the Dew Realm 8th stage, and his Aberrant form was at Low-Risk Tier 10.
If he wanted to save people, he really could.
But...
What was the reason?
Without any emotional connection or friendship between them, Su Zhan didn't do things without benefit.Moreover...
No one knew if the mastermind behind this hunt had appeared yet.
The intelligence said the mission difficulty was unknown.
So even with his current strength, without knowing the opponent's true power, he didn't dare act rashly.
Su Zhan, wearing the Blue-Faced Fanged mask, watched this spectacle in silence.
Right now, he just needed to think about the mission report.
What should he say about this mist incident in the report?
Ah, what was there to say?
Just say his strength wasn't sufficient.
The Vermilion Bird Academy's primary principle when having students execute missions was to protect their own safety.
Because every Vermilion Bird student was a valuable resource to Daxia, capable of making outstanding contributions to the nation in the future, far more valuable than ordinary people.
Even if he joined these 12 Purifiers, they absolutely couldn't win this battle, so prioritizing his own safety was something no one could criticize.
Su Zhan coldly observed this one-sided slaughter.
He was already satisfied with the gains from this mist incident.
To advance his Aberrant form to Medium-Risk, he would need to wait at least another month, when the mist creatures in the mist incidents would become stronger.
The current mist creatures weren't sufficient to support his advancement to Medium-Risk.
...
The burly team captain was pinned to the hardware store wall by six mantis-like limbs, blood dripping down the shelves.
The Mourning Mask Aberrant leisurely used its forelimbs to sever the tendons in his hands and feet, its electronic voice carrying pleasure:
"Third Captain of the Yun City Aberrant Purge Division, oh my... I imagine this is how you treated my kind when you faced them, hehehe..."
The burly captain's pupils were already beginning to dilate.
He bit down, crushing the capsule hidden in his molar.
It was something he carried on every mission.
The final dignity for people like them.
The Mourning Mask's movements halted.
It slowly withdrew its forelimb, watching the corpse slide to the ground: "...Waste."
...
The female deputy was forced into a corner.
The Smiling Buddha mask's cleaver came chopping down.
The female deputy rolled to dodge, her lower back smashing through a display case.
Glass shards pierced her wounds, making her frown.
The Smiling Buddha mask's serrated blade swept horizontally, severing the female deputy's left arm cleanly at the shoulder.
"Got it!"
The Smiling Buddha mask lifted the severed arm with its blade tip, admiring it like a work of art.
Seizing the opportunity, the female deputy used her last bit of strength to plunge her electric blade into her own temple.
The high-voltage current instantly carbonized her brain tissue.
The Smiling Buddha mask stood stunned for two seconds, then stomped its feet in fury, shaking the ground within a 10-meter radius: "Uncooperative! What's the point of dissecting a corpse?"
...
The one-eyed mask stood on Blondie's chest, its claw-tip pressed against his throat.
Blondie's tactical suit was soaked with blood, his right leg broken.
"You sewer rats..."
Blondie coughed up a mouthful of bloody foam, but a cold smile tugged at his lips: "Dare to touch me? Do you know how ugly my father will make your deaths?"
"Of course we know."
The one-eyed mask said with some excitement: "That's why we'll mail your fingers to him one by one. Let's hope he can still bring himself to do it by then."
Blondie laughed: "Fools... you have no idea who you're messing with."
Hearing this, the one-eyed mask wasn't annoyed but spoke with great interest: "But what puzzles me is, you're a perfectly good young master. If you wanted to gild your resume at the Aberrant Purge Division, why not pick a safer position? Why choose such a dangerous one? What's the point?"
Blondie gritted his teeth and didn't answer.
The one-eyed mask continued: "Either you're truly brainless, or you want to prove yourself. But none of that matters now. You're about to pay the price for your stupidity or recklessness."
It exerted force with its leg.
A crisp cracking sound came from Blondie's ribs.
Its other hand chopped down on the back of his neck, knocking him out cleanly.
"Take your punishment standing straight."
The one-eyed mask slung the unconscious Blondie over its shoulder like a sack.
This hunt was over.
But the war had only just begun.
...
The mist dissipated.
Su Zhan had long since retracted the black scales, changed into ordinary clothes, and slung the twin blades across his back.
The street he was on had been completely burned by fire, the ground charred black, with no traces of blood or corpses left.
34 hours had passed, but only 60 minutes had elapsed in the outside world.
On the periphery of this eastern suburb area.
The Aberrant Purge Division's forces had completed their encirclement.
Thirty armored vehicles blocked all exits, with three hundred fully armed Purifiers on alert.
Some held guns, others carried various weapons.
Some were empty-handed, their expressions stern.
They wore standard-issue equipment, their faces tense beneath bulletproof helmets.
"Attention all Aberrants!"
A shouted message transmitted through a loudspeaker echoed across the empty ruins: "You are surrounded! Surrender immediately!"
Su Zhan observed from behind a burned-out building.
"Final warning!"
The loudspeaker voice was loud: "If there is no response within thirty seconds, we will implement fire coverage over the entire area!"
The armored vehicles' cannon barrels slowly elevated.
Snipers positioned their fingers on the triggers, scanning through their scopes.
A hoarse response suddenly came from the ruins: "Stop trying to scare us."
The voice was processed through some kind of voice modulator: "The young master Huang you're looking for is currently sitting right beside me, having tea."
The commander raised his hand, signaling to hold fire, and took the communicator: "Since you know his identity, you should understand the consequences of touching him."
"Hahaha..."
The Aberrant laughed: "I'd like to see which happens first: you blasting this place flat, or receiving the withdrawal order from the Council?"
Cold sweat beaded on the commander's forehead.
An adjutant quickly approached, handing over an encrypted communicator that was vibrating.
"We'll give you twenty minutes."
The voice continued: "For every minute you delay, I'll mail one finger to the Council building. The countdown starts now."
From a third-floor window of a building in the distance, a faint glint of reflected light flickered.
A sniper immediately reported: "Possible hostage sighting! Repeat, possible hostage sighted!"
The commander gripped the communicator tightly: "We need to confirm the hostage's safety."
...
As for Su Zhan, he remained in a hidden corner.
Sigh...
Didn't these Purifiers think to ask if there were any other people?
Or rather... didn't they consider that even if there were others, they might not dare to answer?
Speaking up could potentially draw attacks from the Aberrants!
Really unbelievable.
The commander simply didn't care about the lives of anyone else.
His focus was solely on that young master.
Su Zhan found it somewhat boring.
But currently stuck between the two sides, it was neither appropriate to speak up nor to leave.
He could only wait for the negotiations between the two parties to conclude completely before looking for an opportunity to slip away.