Chapter 167 – Key (10)

◎ qinf was kiLd by me. I wil1 come back by mys%lf ◎

Sword light spiraled, and thousands of spiritual weapons emitted a buzzing resonance. Song Ke and the brown bear stood up simultaneously.

The pursuers in the inner circle and the reinforcements in the outer circle fell into silence together.

Everyone involuntarily looked towards the War God-like figure. The emotions on both sides were completely different – one side filled with joy, the other with fear.

A reinforcement from the Northern Base squeezed to the front, lowered their head, and looked at their spiritual weapon, a wolf teeth club, purchased at a high price in their arms. Their eyes sparkled: “Wow, I’m using the same model as the S7!”

Song Ke looked indifferent. She pulled out a roll of bandages from the pocket connected to the space, bit the end, and wound it around the back of her hand, which was bleeding incessantly.

It wasn’t because of the injury but because two finger joints had just been swallowed by the man-eating flower. The area became incomplete, and now it was both painful and itchy. In case her self-healing ability took effect and fingers grew out of thin air in front of everyone, it wouldn’t be good.

Song Ke casually bandaged herself, glanced at the opposite side with a slight lift of her eyes, and said nonchalantly:

“Since you’re here, might as well stay.”

The words were light, but they spread to everyone’s ears with the wind.

No fool would mistake her for a hospitable host. This S7 clearly meant only one thing – leave the corpses behind.

Thousands of swords hummed together as Song Ke, like a drawn blade, led the charge into the enemy camp, enveloped in the overwhelming awakened energy like thunder.

With an S7 leading the charge, the reinforcements, filled with fervor, followed suit, shouting:

“I’ll go first! You guys protect General Ye!!”

“I’ll fight with you guys!”

“Outsiders, go back to your territory!”

Qing sneered, and coldly uttered three words without caring: “A motley crew.”

His ten fingers intertwined, suddenly spasmed and trembled. With the appearance of a strange seal, countless soul phantom figures emerged from the ground! The Northern Base had once been a fierce battlefield, burying countless lives. Although the souls summoned by Qing had no physical form, they were full of gloomy evil, and upon emerging, they crazily pounced on the living. The possessed awakeners became mentally confused, attacking indiscriminately.

Lu Tao and Yi Na, along with other S-levels, jumped into the battlefield, taking the opportunity to slaughter at will.

The scene descended into chaos, and the lower-level awakeners from the Northern Base fell one after another.

Ye Zheng suddenly threw a punch, and the attacks in the sky were affected by gravity, stagnating in mid-air, saving a large number of awakeners who couldn’t escape in time.

“All… good soldiers, but still need a commander.” He struggled to stand up, the coughing sound resembling a dilapidated bellows.

On the battlefield, having fearless soldiers alone was not enough; a well-organized commander was also needed.

Zhuang Qingyan lowered his eyes to the pocket watch in his hand, sighed slightly, and then intercepted him, “General, let me do it.”

Ye Zheng, with eyes that had seen many vicissitudes, showed a hint of surprise, “You can command?”

Zhuang Qingyan modestly replied, “Not quite, just a little understanding.”

Ye Zheng pondered for a moment, silently smiled. Yes, that General Xie from Beijun was also an excellent battlefield commander.

“Alright, very well…” He patted Zhuang Qingyan’s shoulder heavily, “It’s up to you.”

Zhuang Qingyan turned his head and shouted at a figure waving six arms, “Hey, 5.0, come and help.”

Lu Xiaoyu’s movements stopped, rolled his eyes at the sky, and muttered discontentedly, “Arrogant 4.2…”

Complaints aside, he still came over.

Lu Xiaoyu’s alloy arm connected to the pocket watch terminal. With Ye Zheng’s highest authority, he instantly decrypted all databases.

Zhuang Qingyan, with extraordinary memory beyond ordinary people, swiftly copied and imprinted the information of all awakeners in the Northern Base. Then, his light-colored eyes shimmered as he scanned the reinforcements on the scene, quickly memorizing each face and matching them with the information in his mind.

An excellent commander must learn to understand and use people.

Know the people, then use them well.

Among these reinforcements, some were brave and skilled in combat, while others rarely took on combat missions and were flustered in the face of a large-scale battle.

Zhuang Qingyan’s commanding style was straightforward. He directly gave commands to people in their consciousness. Because of the lesson from Song Ke’s previous experience, he dared not use professional terms and chose plain language.

“Li Qiang, turn around immediately and run in the opposite direction.”

This individual, with an extremely poor sense of direction in the group attack category, rushed into a deserted corner. His ability struck down, not hitting any enemies, but frightening away two crows that were cawing loudly.

“Oh, oh!” Li Qiang stepped on the brakes, obediently turned around, and ran in the opposite direction, coincidentally joining the large forces of Tustan.

Lin Youyou sensed the opportunity for a counterattack, sang an ethereal song, maxing out the buff, and Li Qiang, along with Jennifer and others, bombarded wildly. The brilliant light of their abilities erupted, the range doubled, and it fell into the most densely populated area of the opposing crowd, harvesting lives in swathes.

“Zhang Wei, focus your attention, listen to my prompts and release your ability.”

Zhang Wei’s ability is called “Demoralizing Roar.” Continuous use of this ability lowers the enemy’s desire to attack, putting them in a state of despondency. It is an advantageous support ability in group battles, but he obviously struggles with the intervals. Every time he is disrupted, he unconsciously exposes vulnerabilities.

With Zhuang Qingyan as a guide in his mind, constantly reminding him, Zhang Wei displayed his skills, timing his roars perfectly.

“Wang Qianqian, come back, you are a long-range type…”

Wang Qianqian, holding a large spiritual weapon, looked like she was about to charge into the enemy’s face.

“Huh? Who should I attack?” She looked puzzled, scanning around, wondering who was speaking.

“At six o’clock, see that 1.3-meter-tall kid?”

Wang Qianqian nodded, “Got it!”

“Follow him, attack whoever he attacks.”

Xu Xing was hiding in a corner, sneakily launching ice spikes, when a girl approached from behind.

He shot ice spikes, and the girl dispersed them with a wind circle, instantly freezing a large area on the opposite side, displaying astonishing power.

“Wow!” Xu Xing marveled, “So awesome!”

“Cool, little brother! Sister will team up with you,” Wang Qianqian applauded.

Zhuang Qingyan named a few more people, “You guys, go protect General Ye.”

The named awakeners ran to Ye Zheng’s side, surrounding him like mother hens protecting their chicks.

They were all in the defense category. Although their levels were not high, their abilities were extremely rare and difficult to break through easily.

Zhuang Qingyan quickly surveyed the battlefield and suddenly noticed a figure in the midst of a killing spree. In his cold gaze, there was a gaze that stared at dead things.

“Lao Mu, go pull out Lu Tao.”

Lao Mu was an A4-level, with the ability of “Forced Taunt.” After releasing it, the opponent would involuntarily attack him.

“Liu Hao, Zhao Xiufen, Qian Miao… Group together at seven o’clock, prepare for a surprise attack.”

“Cough, cough… don’t look towards Lu Tao’s direction, pretend to do something else.”

Liu Hao whistled while looking at the sky, Qian Miao lowered her head to sweep the ground, and Zhao Xiufen pulled out a cross-stitch and started sewing… Their acting skills were extremely stiff.

Zhuang Qingyan couldn’t help but hold his forehead. Fortunately, the chaos on the battlefield made it difficult to observe carefully, so their deception went unnoticed.

Lu Tao’s direction was twisted by Lao Mu’s taunt, and uncontrollably, he took two steps forward, falling into the center of a trap.

An awakener threw a club at him, forcing him to be motionless. Everyone rushed forward, mercilessly beating the old master, ruthlessly using hands and feet. The tiger’s fur was completely plucked, and he fell to the ground completely bald.

Lu Tao bled profusely and took out a crystal from his pocket, preparing to crush it with gritted teeth.

“Give it to me!” A young man lurking in the shadows activated his ability, “Fetching Objects from the Air” and stole Lu Tao’s supplies.

“…” Zhuang Qingyan retracted the command on the tip of his tongue, staring at the face of that young man for a second, his eyes understanding.

This person used to be a professional pickpocket before coming to the Northern Base.

Lu Tao: “???” The tiger fell down and was bullied by the dog.

He was already seriously injured by Song Ke and was now being beaten by a ragtag army. He was at the end of his strength.

An elusive figure appeared behind him, and a triple-edged military dagger brutally stabbed into his throat.

The exhausted tiger completely lowered his head, unable to lift it again.

—Lu Tao was killed.

Although the process was full of comedic effects, the miraculously organized reinforcements from the Northern Base gained the upper hand.

Some assassins keenly noticed that the opposing cannon fodder army seemed to have suddenly become organized, acting swiftly and cooperatively. They became more troublesome and difficult to deal with. To make matters worse, new reinforcements were constantly joining from the ends of the roads in all directions.

Zhuang Qingyan pushed his glasses with one hand, looked towards Qing from a distance, and smiled faintly, “The real motley crew is you.”

A group of greedy rats colluding for their own interests, like the ubiquitous yellow sand, dispersed with just a casual strike.

Endless lost souls attached themselves to the awakeners. Zhao Yuqing’s eyes were cold, and her water-based abilities were unleashed, purifying! A torrential rain poured from the sky, and the purifying water droplets dampened the possessed bodies, instantly generating white steam. The painful howls spread as the possessed individuals felt a lightness throughout their entire bodies, breaking free from control.

Ling Yan and Ling Yue cooperated seamlessly, almost synchronizing their moves. With S6-level strong attack abilities, they teamed up to crush two S-levels on the opposite side!

Compared to the uneven mix of the miscellaneous army, the top power of the Northern Base erupted with astonishing suppression at this moment.

Song Ke confronted the bright red man-eating flower head-on. Her heart moved casually, and the sword light around her spun, cutting the colorful petals into pieces!

The squirming fat mouth fell in front of Song Ke. She pointed, and the phantom claws erupted with crackling and dazzling blue light, transforming into boxing gloves that wrapped around her hands. She then grabbed the crown, filled with sharp teeth, one on each side, and with a great force, she tore it apart—

The shadow of the brown bear roared like an earthquake, and the fierce man-eating flower was torn in two!

Yi Na’s face turned deathly pale, and she suddenly spewed a mouthful of blood, her magnetic field shattered.

Song Ke indifferently stood up, shook off the flesh on her boxing gloves, crushed the two broken pieces under her foot, and approached Yi Na’s direction.

Yi Na stumbled backward, panicked, and threw the man-eating flower, covering the path ahead of Song Ke.

The brown bear began to run. Despite its massive size, its movements were exceptionally agile. Its hard paws stepped on the flesh, and the terrifying force, weighing a thousand tons, ruthlessly crushed these demonic flowers, as well as Yi Na. She bled from seven orifices, blood vessels burst, and her skin looked like a rotten tomato, with juice flowing, spitting out fragmented black and red organs from her mouth.

The summoned objects suffered destruction, and the summoner’s body bore an equal amount of damage. By the time Song Ke reached her, Yi Na was already lying in a sorry state on the ground.

Song Ke stepped on her mouth, applying a slight force.

“No, you can’t kill me!” Yi Na’s mouth emitted a large number of blood bubbles, speaking unclearly, “I am S4 level, I am… cough… the daughter of Baishen’s magistrate’s wife’s uncle…”

Countless swords were simultaneously released, piercing Yi Na into a hedgehog. Before she could finish her self-introduction, her eyes widened in anger and she lost her breath.

Song Ke showed no expression. “Sorry, too complicated interpersonal relationships, I can’t understand.”

After killing Yi Na, Song Ke raised her head, her gaze piercing through the chaotic crowd, fixing onto Qing.

“It’s your turn,” she said each word heavily.

The smile disappeared from Qing’s face, and his two completely different faces seemingly merged into one, becoming equally cold.

Countless wailing souls rushed towards Song Ke, and she controlled floating swords to counterattack.

Qing took a step back, his sleeve covering his fingers, nervously twitching in the shadows.

“You’re using sealing spells?” Song Ke tilted her head, expressing a knowing look.

Just a step behind, a slanting street lamp suddenly transformed into a long spear, thrusting out of the void and nailing Qing’s palm.

Qing couldn’t care about his injuries, raising his head in surprise.

How could this be possible? How did she discover it? Was it just a coincidence?

With a feigned move, Qing cast a spell, his lips moving slightly, silently reciting an incantation. The air became hazy, and a plague spread.

Without looking at his hands, Song Ke launched a lightning-fast attack, a bear paw cleanly slashing diagonally—

Smack! She slapped Qing across the face.

Several teeth, accompanied by bits of flesh, fell out, and half of Qing’s face swelled up like a steamed bun.

The curse was interrupted.

Song Ke landed gracefully and raised an eyebrow, “Too slow.”

Qing suddenly raised his gaze, as if a cold poisonous snake was staring fixedly at Song Ke, and attempted to use his ability again.

Interrupt, interrupt, and interrupt again. Regardless of his mouth or hand movements, no matter how many feints he made, Song Ke could accurately predict his true attack intent. He couldn’t release a complete spell, and he was helpless against Song Ke’s relentless attacks.

Qing’s shoulder was pierced through, half of his face was severely swollen, and his finger joints were completely severed. The blood accumulated into a crimson lake.

Song Ke clapped her hands lightly and said casually, “I’ve seen more powerful enchantment awakeners than you.”

“—You are far behind.”

Her senior brother, Zhang Ci, was even more talented than Zhang Ting in both the true skills and enchantment. He could be called a “genius.” Song Ke had sparred with him countless times since childhood. She was familiar with the prelude to every spell and every seal, as if etched into her bones. She could instantly think of ways to break them.

Even so, unless she held back, Zhang Ci never won against her.

Compared to Zhang Ci, Qing seemed like someone who had just started. He was a flashy counterfeit, and his crude tricks could be seen through at a glance.

Qing’s chest heaved up and down, and the half of his face behind the mask was clouded with gloom.

The over a thousand advanced awakeners he brought with him were defeated, and the outcome was clear. People from the Northern Base were cleaning up the final battlefield.

Ultimately, it was all because of the S7-level awakener in front of him.

Qing looked at Song Ke, his voice fluctuating between light and heavy, piercing to the ears:

“Congratulations, you saved Ye Zheng.”

“But hell will come, looking forward to meeting you again next time.”

A faint sense of unease rose in Song Ke’s heart.

Qing’s face, with a sinister-looking half-mask, seemed to split in half, half smiling and half crying, half happy and half sad, appearing extremely bizarre.

Swish! Behind him, a narrow space crack appeared, and a thin, bony hand reached out, grabbing Qing’s shoulder, about to take him away.

Not good, it’s that S-level spatial awakener. They’re trying to escape!

Song Ke rushed forward regardless of everything. All the floating swords merged into a massive pair of scissors.

Clang! The blade fell, freezing the expression of the black-robed spatial awakener. His neck was twisted, and the head rolled off.

“Ahhhh!” Flesh and blood sprayed as Qing’s arm was severed, and a wailing scream echoed.

However, it was too late. More than half of his body had already entered the spatial crack.

As the caster died, the crack showed violent fluctuations. Song Ke’s pupils contracted, her awakened energy surged, the phantom bear behind her disappeared suddenly. Her entire body shrank quickly, and she uncontrollably spat out a long, thin tongue. Before the crack completely disappeared, she was forcefully sucked in by the powerful force.

The battlefield fell into dead silence.

Only V587 exclaimed in shock, “Sister!” “Captain!” “Song Ke’er!”

Zhuang Qingyan furrowed his eyebrows deeply, his face as calm as water.

Everyone had witnessed the scene just now, where Song Ke transformed from a brown bear into something else.

Zhuang Qingyan sighed deeply and turned to Lu Xiaoyu, “Erase all videos and surveillance, leave no traces.”

Mistakes like Yang Xiaobo’s should not be repeated. Today’s events must not have any visual evidence leaked.

Fortunately, communication devices were still functional. Zhuang Qingyan quietly called through his earpiece, “Song Ke? Can you hear me? Respond if you can.”

After more than ten minutes, a message suddenly appeared in V587’s group chat: “qing was k%1ld by A*g%.”

Song Ke’s profile picture flickered, displaying for a long time: “The other party is typing…”

“The other party is typing…”

“The other party is typing…”

“qinf was kiLd by me. I wil1 come back by mys%lf.”

Zhuang Qingyan: “…”

Hundreds of corresponding gene sequences flashed through his mind, but the features were too vague to make a judgment.

What has she turned into this time? How come she can’t even type properly now?