Chapter 126: Countermeasure (Part II)

"Who said I was going to leave!"

Kong Zhe smiled and raised his gun. He did not aim at any of the people standing before him, but instead pointed it toward a specific spot within the safe zone.

Following the line of Kong Zhe's aim, about a hundred meters away, sat the most vital object in this safe zone—the Legacy Crystal.

Yu Qun and the explosion-wielding man both widened their eyes. Realizing what Kong Zhe intended to do, their faces turned ashen.

It was true; if they could not defeat him within the safe zone, the simplest method was to destroy the safe zone itself. It was such a simple, obvious solution, yet no one had realized it until now. It was because, in everyone's subconscious, the Legacy Crystal was something to be protected at all costs; no one dared to even consider damaging it. Furthermore, they had no idea that the crystal could be shattered by a mere firearm. They had assumed such an important object must be incredibly durable, perhaps even impossible for hundreds of people to destroy even if they tried.

Kong Zhe, however, knew that the Legacy Crystal was not only destructible but remarkably fragile. It looked like a solid gemstone, but in reality, it was incredibly delicate. While a larger piece might require a high-damage skill to break, such a small fragment could be easily shattered by an ordinary firearm.

In the future, within the major cities, the locations of Legacy Crystals would be protected by layers of defensive formations and guarded by shifts of soldiers day and night to prevent sabotage by criminals or spies from other races. Yet, to Kong Zhe, who had lived through three years of the apocalypse and seen all sorts of defensive measures, this unprotected crystal was less durable than a piece of brittle glass.

"No, don't!"

Seeing the direction of Kong Zhe's finger, Yang Fang let out a cry of alarm. She could already foresee the tragedy that was about to unfold. How could this man dare to commit such a reckless act?

Almost instinctively, Yang Fang shouted and rushed toward Kong Zhe, trying to stop him. However, she had barely taken a step when she was grabbed. Looking back, she saw the woman named Hong Ling, who was glaring at her with a clear, threatening intent.

Ignoring Yang Fang’s cries, Kong Zhe aimed at the crystal and pulled the trigger without hesitation. His agility stat of thirty gave him uncanny precision, allowing him to easily hit his mark even from such a distance.

"Bang!"

A crisp, glass-shattering sound echoed in everyone's ears. Fragments of the Legacy Crystal drifted into the air, reflecting multicolored light before completely vanishing into the world.

Along with it disappeared the membrane that had shrouded the campus. The massive protective shield vanished like a fragile soap bubble, disappearing into nothingness without even a sound.

On the campus of Jincheng University, everyone was gathered on the playground, but the silence was terrifying. The faces of the crowd were deathly pale.

In the distance, the roars of various demonic beasts began to echo, one after another, drawing closer and closer.

The suddenly vanished safe zone had been holding a large number of humans; the scent they emitted could travel several miles. This potent human smell was a fatal temptation for any demonic beast. Thus, within a radius of several miles, every beast capable of movement began to stampede toward this location.

Within ten seconds, the campus welcomed its first visitors of the post-apocalyptic era—a swarm of rats.

A thick cloud of dust and a vast, dark shadow appeared on the horizon, approaching at high speed. Yang Fang watched the scene, her face turning ghastly white as her pupils contracted sharply. She was all too familiar with those things in the distance; she had only just escaped the jaws of a rat swarm not long ago.

"Students, quickly, come under the giant snake! It’s safe here, hurry!"

Although she was furious at Kong Zhe’s actions, beating him up would be useless now—it would only vent her anger. Yang Fang forced herself to calm down, immediately grasping the key issue: the safe zone no longer existed. If there was any place left that was safe, it was beneath the giant snake.

Though she did not understand why, it was clear that the rats dared not approach the snake. Just as when she had encountered Kong Zhe and the others outside, it was only by staying within the safe area created beneath the snake that she had survived.

Yang Fang’s desperate shouting gave the panicked students a sense of direction. The students from her own class ran directly toward the snake. The remaining students hesitated for a moment, but upon noticing that the black swarm of rats had arrived within a few hundred meters—to the point where the sharp fangs of the lead rats were clearly visible—they stopped hesitating. Screaming in terror, they scrambled toward Yang Fang’s direction.

However, some still dared not approach. These were usually the people who harbored guilty consciences—those who had chosen to stand against Kong Zhe to the very end. Facing the terrifying rat swarm, their previous thoughts of food were completely forgotten. But they dared not go to the snake, for that terrifying creature was there! Especially when the snake swung its nine heads and hissed at the crowd, it instilled a primal fear in them, making them feel that even if they didn't die in the rat swarm, they would be swallowed by the snake.

Their momentary hesitation cost them their last hope.

"Squeak, squeak, squeak!"

The swarm swept through, instantly engulfing the campus. Excluding the Awakened, the remaining ordinary people were swallowed by the tide. They didn't even have time to scream before they were reduced to piles of bones scattered on the ground.

This gruesome sight caused the students who had reached the area beneath the snake to burst into tears.

"Hiss!"

Seeing the swarm approaching, the giant snake roared at the sky, flicking its tail to scoop up Xue Feifei and Tuan Tuan, placing them securely on its back.

With that massive roar, the rat swarm approaching it recoiled as if they had seen a natural predator. They dared not come closer, instead squeaking in terror and fleeing in other directions. Just like before, a circular safe zone was carved out beneath the giant snake. As the students let out a sigh of relief, they looked at Yang Fang with gratitude.

"Damn it!"

Unlike the students, the rat swarm, afraid to approach the people under the snake, flooded toward the few remaining people on the playground.

Yu Qun and the other five Awakened stood back-to-back in a formation, barely managing to resist the impact of the swarm. However, the relentless influx of rats was putting increasing pressure on them. They cursed in anger; they had assumed victory was in their grasp, never expecting that young man to turn the tide so completely with a single move. At this point, let alone causing trouble for him, it was uncertain if they could even survive themselves.

"Boom!"

Explosions rang out nearby. The explosion-wielding man and the water-wielding woman were also fighting desperately. Although there were only two of them, the woman was unafraid of the rats due to her shapeshifting ability, and the man's explosive power was highly effective against the swarm. Each blast killed scores of rats, even more efficiently than Kong Zhe's Samadhi fire. Despite being outnumbered, they were having a much easier time than Yu Qun's group.

Inside the safe zone created by the snake, with the suppression of the safe zone gone, Xiao Lei began casting healing spells on the creature. The snake’s body glowed with holy light. It already possessed immense regenerative abilities, and with Xiao Lei’s healing, its remaining minor wounds began to close rapidly.

Furthermore, freed from the stifling suppression of the safe zone, the snake felt invigorated. Though it remained in place due to Kong Zhe's orders, it kept flicking its tail, making no effort to hide its excitement. The movement kicked up layers of dust, causing the nearby students to choke, but no one dared to speak up; they had to rely on the snake to survive.

Kong Zhe stood under the snake, not yet launching an attack. Hong Ling stood silently behind him, her whip gripped tightly, ready to strike at any moment.

Kong Zhe flicked the Apocalypse Sword, and crimson flames instantly engulfed it. He said nothing, merely watching the battlefield coldly. Behind him were the whimpering students, especially those nearby who looked at him with awe.

Although it was Kong Zhe who had led them into such danger, they dared not complain; after all, they were surviving under his beast. They had seen clearly the fate of those who had stood against him.

Kong Zhe did not pay much attention to the students. Since they hadn't chosen to oppose him, he saw no reason to make things difficult for them. However, he would not let the others on the playground off so easily. Putting aside Yu Qun and his group, he certainly did not intend to let the two esper-users escape.

Kong Zhe glanced briefly at Xue Feifei atop the snake. In her arms, Tuan Tuan remained unconscious. According to Xue Feifei, those two had injected her with some kind of drug, which was why he had to capture them alive to get answers, or at the very least, secure the antidote.