Chapter 10: The Fearsome Black-Clad Battalion
It was said that no one goes out on the first day of the New Year. Snowflakes drifted softly through the streets, and aside from a few supermarkets selling gifts and some internet cafés, almost every shop had its doors tightly shut.
Every now and then, a few small groups of people could be seen on the road, treading through the snow, laughing and playing.
As the bus neared the Home Fortune Supermarket, the crowd suddenly grew denser, and the entire lane was completely blocked.
“The road ahead is closed. If you’re in a hurry, you’ll have to walk forward and transfer to another bus!” the driver called out.
Chen Mo took Ning Xuan’s hand. “Come on, little sister, let’s get off.”
As soon as they stepped down, the cold wind lashed furiously at their faces.
From a distance, they could see that at the intersection in front of the Home Fortune Supermarket, more than a dozen black armored vehicles were parked. Hundreds of mysterious individuals in black uniforms, armed with submachine guns and on high alert, had surrounded a semi-transparent Evolution Sphere hovering in the air.
Surprisingly, facing off against these black-clad figures were hundreds of warrior apprentices clad in bronze armor, some even wielding swords that glimmered with a faint gray light; behind these warriors stood over a dozen apprentice mages draped in gray magical robes.
Anyone unaware might think they’d stumbled onto the set of a grand fantasy film.
Chen Mo activated his data scan—good heavens, this was astonishing!
All those mysterious figures in black uniforms were Evolvers. The authorities had acted with remarkable speed; in just one night, they’d assembled a unit composed entirely of Evolvers. Thinking about it, it wasn’t difficult—just have ordinary soldiers participate in a dungeon challenge, and they could become Evolution Soldiers.
The commander of the black-clad unit was a very young man named Lin Feng, whose family had been in the military for three generations.
Lin Feng wore a close-cropped haircut and was more handsome than most celebrities. His voice was resonant as he shouted, “What are you all trying to do? Cause trouble, is that it?”
Among the crowd, a young man in silver armor stood out, holding a silver longsword and radiating a white-silver glow. It was clear he was the strongest among them.
Chen Mo scanned his stats.
[Yang Zheng. Lv6]
[Warrior Apprentice]
[HP: 1000]
[MP: 100]
[Physical Damage: 50]
[Spell Damage: 1]
[Skill: Leaping Slash, basic combat skill, damage coefficient 1.5]
[Equipment: Novice Armor = Constitution +2; Novice Sword = Strength +2; Novice Boots = Agility +2]
Impressive—he had the full novice set! No wonder he looked so distinctive in his silver gear.
Most others were only at level 1 or 2, but his level was as high as 6, which was already outstanding among ordinary people.
Yang Zheng appeared refined, like a college student. He was polite, smiling slightly. “Officer, please don’t make baseless accusations. We are all law-abiding citizens. How could we possibly be causing trouble? As you can see, we are Evolvers—we only wish to enter the Evolution Sphere!”
“Exactly! Why aren’t we allowed in? The Intellect said they are here to help Earth evolve. These alien civilizations have come all this way to aid us, and yet you call them enemies and try to stop us. Are we still humans, or just animals penned in by you?”
Bang, bang, bang!
Lin Feng was a man of action, not words—he fired three shots into the air. The shrill noise made many people cover their ears; the timid among them scattered at once, afraid to crowd closer.
“Listen up! The authorities are not stopping you from entering the Evolution Sphere, but the prerequisite is that you must all register as legal Evolvers at the Evolution Center. The Center will arrange a suitable time for you to enter—instead of resorting to violence as you are now!”
Yang Zheng sneered. “Ha, the Evolution Center? You think I haven’t been in contact? I reached out to them first thing this morning and submitted all my personal information. Do you know how they replied? They told me to wait patiently. I can wait, but the Intellect cannot. Once you become an Evolver, you must enter the Evolution Sphere at least once a week, or the Intellect will cease to function due to lack of energy. The government just wants us ordinary folk to lose our power, so they can monopolize the Evolution Sphere!”
Chen Mo raised an eyebrow and whispered to Ning Xuan, “Did the Intellect really say that?”
Ning Xuan frowned, thinking hard. “I think... I think it did. And I’m pretty sure the Intellect also said that the higher your level, the more evolutionary energy you need. Once you run out, the Intellect loses all its functions.”
No, it couldn’t be that simple.
Chen Mo speculated that if the Intellect truly ran out of energy, the brain itself might be in danger, since the Intellect was bound to the brain and controlled all neural activity.
No wonder Yang Zheng was so agitated, even willing to confront armed forces. He must have guessed as much.
A chill ran down Chen Mo’s spine. Could it be that the Intellect was truly—as the media claimed—here to destroy Earth? But that didn’t make sense; the technology backing the Intellect was far beyond Earth’s. If destruction was the goal, a single piece of advanced alien tech could wipe out the planet with ease.
For now, there was no time to worry about that. The most pressing matter was to obtain a new Intellect.
Lin Feng remained impassive. “Trust the nation! You’ll have an answer within a week. For now, leave the area and keep your distance from the Evolution Sphere!”
Yang Zheng raised his silver greatsword high, exuding a powerful presence that matched the black-clad Evolution Army.
“Haha, and if I refuse to leave?”
“The Evolution Sphere is a threat to national security. In special circumstances, we take special measures. Even if you are civilians, if you insist on approaching the Evolution Sphere, don’t blame us for being merciless!”
Click, click!
Lin Feng loaded his submachine gun, and the hundred-plus black-clad figures beside him raised their weapons in unison, aiming at the line of armored warriors.
Yang Zheng appeared calm on the surface, but inside, he was panicking. To ordinary people, the black muzzles of those guns were terrifyingly lethal. Several people felt their legs give way; bronze armor could bolster their appearance, but not their courage.
Gritting his teeth, Yang Zheng said coldly, “Fine! Have it your way! I hope you keep your word and give us an answer within a week. Otherwise, when millions of Evolvers lose control, let’s see how you handle it!”
Ah—
Chen Mo felt a twinge of disappointment. If the two groups really clashed, many would surely die, giving him the perfect chance to seize an Intellect.
Though the thought was wicked and selfish, it was undeniably the best outcome for him.
As Yang Zheng turned away, he whispered a few words to a young man beside him.
Suddenly, that young man transformed into a mage apprentice and, without warning, cast a Fireball spell!
Boom!
Flames burst from his staff, coalescing into a small fireball that shot straight at Lin Feng.
The sudden attack caught everyone off guard.
Just as the blazing fireball was about to strike Captain Lin Feng in the chest, Lin Feng let out a mighty roar. A blinding silver light erupted from his body, and a set of silver armor materialized around him. With a casual swing of his silver greatsword—
Bang!
The fireball exploded, scattering sparks everywhere!
A gust, visible to the naked eye, formed a crescent-shaped wave that slashed straight into the mage apprentice who had cast the spell!
Slice—
The wind cut across his neck, blood spraying forth!
The mage apprentice’s eyes bulged in disbelief.
“Don’t move! Hands on your heads, kneel on the ground, or we’ll open fire!” The black-clad soldiers aimed their guns at the crowd, wary of further attacks.
Yang Zheng’s face darkened. He had hoped to have the mage apprentice assassinate the leader of the black-clad soldiers in a surprise attack, leaving them headless so they could seize the moment to rush into the Evolution Sphere. If he could gain a second evolution, he was confident he’d have nothing to fear from these soldiers.
But he’d never imagined that Lin Feng himself was an Evolver—ranked 96th in the China region. His awakened skill was Gale Slash, which could not only strike foes from a distance but also sever escape routes during a temple escape, blocking or shaking off the black gorillas.
Lin Feng’s expression was icy as he waved his hand. “Arrest them all!”