C2 No Gap in front of the Tiger(2)

Creatures with eight legs scurried at an astonishing speed. The burly man's complexion paled as he cried out, "Luo, quick, remove the manhole cover so we can get down!"

"We were wrong."

"We shouldn't have targeted you."

"Please, have mercy and spare us!"

Beneath the manhole cover, Luo Yan's gaze remained serene, as though he hadn't heard the man's pleas, gripping the rope with unwavering resolve. He inverted himself, his legs clamped tightly on either side of the cover, using every ounce of his strength to keep it sealed shut, denying any chance of it being opened.

Screams, curses, and the sound of gunfire erupted above, but these noises swiftly faded away, leaving only the gurgling of water being drawn through the well. Luo Yan was aware that the ticks were feasting on the two men's blood. The gunshot, even if it hadn't killed the horse-faced man, didn't matter. Luo Yan's shot was primarily to attract the ticks. They would detect any nearby disturbance and, once they caught the scent of blood, would become frenzied, losing all sense of reason as they instinctively attacked their prey. With the ticks drawn in, the men's fate was sealed.

As time passed, the rainwater trickling from the drainage holes of the manhole cover began to show tinges of red. Only when the surface above fell silent did Luo Yan finally let go of the rope and climb up from the well.

Luo Yan retrieved a flashlight from his belt pouch, switched it on, and proceeded forward. After a short walk, he emerged onto the surface through another exit. His next stop was the pharmacy; he needed to pick up some painkillers to withstand the oncoming agony of the 'Scarlet Poison.'

En route to his destination, the earth suddenly trembled beneath him, as though a colossal beast was on the move. Luo Yan swiftly took cover in a nearby shoe store. Moments later, it wasn't a behemoth that he saw, but rather a convoy. The three heavy trucks in the convoy were monstrous in size, their cargo bays as large as buildings, their contents a mystery. Each wheel stood as tall as Luo Yan himself, requiring him to climb a nearly two-meter ladder to reach the driver's cabin.

The ground trembled, predominantly due to their presence.

Beyond the three 'monster' class heavy-duty trucks, there were several armored vehicles bristling with antennas and radars on their roofs.

More prevalent, however, were the off-road vehicles armed with anti-aircraft machine guns.

This was unmistakably a military force!

Luo Yan couldn't contain his excitement.

An army signified organization.

And with organization, there might be an antidote for the Scarlet Poison!

Luo Yan was determined not to die.

He was acutely aware that his time was running out.

Perhaps he had another six months to live.

Maybe even less!

The convoy thundered past, led by an armored vehicle sporting a massive metal battering ram.

It made its way deep into the city, followed by the rest of the vehicles.

Luo Yan hurried to keep pace.

Luckily, the city, once known as 'Flower City,' was now littered with obstacles, slowing the convoy's progress considerably.

Otherwise, Luo Yan doubted he could maintain the pace.

Judging by the direction of the convoy, Luo Yan ventured a guess that they were heading toward the city center, toward the vicinity of the Galaxy Stadium!

But that area was home to a lurking behemoth.

What could these people want there?

Were they on a mission to eliminate the giant beast?

Luo Yan found it hard to believe.

Following the 'Behemoth Disaster,' the survivors of Flower City had taken refuge underground.

The goat-faced behemoth had made its nest inside the Galaxy Stadium, but as long as one stayed clear of that area, they would be safe.

Of course, the city's threats weren't limited to the giant beast.

The behemoth had also spread various parasites throughout the city.

Despite this, the survivors were reluctant to leave the city.

The situation was far grimmer outside the city limits.

Without long-distance transportation, encountering a Behemoth Parasite or, worse, the beast itself, meant almost certain death.

Luo Yan shook his head to sharpen his focus.

Utilizing his 'miraculous vision,' he tracked the gray orbs that signified life, trailing the convoy at a distance.

Suddenly, he noticed a dense swarm of gray orbs on a side street to the left.

A cluster of Behemoth Parasites!

Suddenly, a question surfaced in Luo Yan's mind: to follow or not to follow?

Following could mean death, yet there was a chance to secure the antidote.

Not following meant retreating to safety, at least for the time being.

The decision came to him in a flash.

"There is no ravine too wide in front of a tiger!"

His gaze was steely, and instead of stopping, he quickened his stride.

As he halved the distance to the convoy, gunfire erupted!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The forceful reports made Luo Yan's expression turn icy as he instantly hit the deck.

Then he saw them.

Countless parasites swarmed out from the street crevices, the broken windows and doors of buildings, and from beneath vehicles.

They converged into a dark tide, crashing toward the convoy.

The convoy's off-road vehicles unleashed a barrage from their high-caliber machine guns.

The scent of gunpowder swiftly permeated the air.

The dark tide was hindered, with bugs being blasted into the air and torn asunder.

At that moment, parasites resembling mites but with human faces leaped onto the 'monster' trucks.

These were 'human-faced mites,' a variant of the Behemoth Parasite.

These creatures were incredibly tenacious.

Once they latched onto their prey, they'd 'settle down,' anchoring themselves with their sharp, barbed limbs.

They would then emit a shockingly potent biological acid, capable of dissolving a grown person in roughly ten seconds.

Now, a multitude of human-faced mites clung to the heavy trucks, rapidly secreting their corrosive acid, eating away at the containers.

However, the convoy had a targeted countermeasure.

A mist suddenly sprayed out around the trucks, and as it evaporated, the clinging parasites were frozen and fell off.

Luo Yan inhaled sharply at the sight.

He was relieved he hadn't acted rashly; otherwise, he'd be the one encased in ice.

Suddenly, Luo Yan noticed an irregular hole melted through the container of a heavy truck at the rear of the convoy!

The surrounding swarm was nearly annihilated!

The moment had arrived.

Luo Yan patiently curbed his eagerness until the two nearby off-road vehicles finished off the remaining parasites.

As Luo Yan dashed to the front of the convoy to provide support, he burst into action!

Navigating through a field of insect carcasses, he made his way to a truck crawling along at a snail's pace.

With a powerful leap, he seized the collision guardrail, a good two meters off the ground.

He hoisted himself up.

Just as he was about to squeeze through the gap.

Abruptly.

A dark shadow sprang from the ground.

It was a Man-Faced Beetle!

Luo Yan could see its belly, soft and spongy like a sea sponge, as it frantically thrashed its seven or eight limbs.

A glint of icy resolve flashed in Luo Yan's crimson eyes.

With a mighty effort, he flung his dagger.

The blade streaked through the air like a black line, piercing the Beetle's tender abdomen, eliciting a high-pitched shriek as it tumbled to the ground.

Luo Yan, vigilant, quickly scaled the rest of the way and wriggled through the opening into the truck's interior.

As he entered, his vision blurred, and vague shadows flickered before his eyes.

His heart hammered in his chest, and a peculiar feeling washed over him.

He stumbled and fell.

Thankfully, the truck was empty.

Otherwise, the noise alone would have been enough to draw unwanted attention.

He swiftly scanned the interior of the truck.

The space inside was staggeringly vast.

Ahead lay a colossal object, shrouded in waterproof tarp and secured with ropes to keep it from shifting.

Luo Yan hastily found a hiding spot.

Relieved at his success, he was suddenly jolted by the piercing sound of an alarm within the truck.

Luo Yan feared he'd been spotted.

But then, the carriage's loudspeaker blared: "Attention! Attention! Spatial fluctuation waves have reached the threshold!"

"The Floating Space will open in three seconds."

"Three, two, one..."

"The Floating Space has opened!"

"The Behemoth is about to be deployed!"

"Enter first-level combat readiness!"

"All mech transport pods, deploy."

"Mechs, prepare for activation!"