"Not a lot of people." Rocky stepped forward at this time and said with great regret: "But it is already all the combatants that Marx can mobilize at the moment." ”

Admittedly, counting Loki and me, the number of people who formed the assault team was only eight and two tactical teams, and the exact strength of the enemy was still unknown - even if we had successfully eliminated the Records Containment Group, how many individuals with special EGO flavors like Ella and Akasha would be kept by the R&D Department, and when would they be ready to push them into battle...... The cruel reality is like the sword of Damocles hanging over everyone's heads all the time, forcing us to move and move forward.

A crowd of people lined up in the hall, waiting for me to make up my final decision.

"We have to go now, Maxi can't wait a moment." As I finished, in a wave of extremely exaggerated dazzling flames, I showed Bo Twilight, boosting everyone's morale.

Loki nodded with satisfaction, and then ordered everyone:

"Let's go!"

Through familiar hallways and equally damaged doorways, the eight-man team soon reached the edge of the Order's Controlled Zone. Beyond this makeshift position of scrapped machinery, improvised sandbags, and eccentric corpse remnants lies a stretch of darkness as far as the eye can see, like the bottomless bloody jaws of a life-devouring beast—and we must now step into the maws of a tiger and reclaim the life trapped in it.

"Check the equipment." Loki ordered the people behind him to make the final preparations for the battle: "Especially night vision devices and thermal imagers, don't make mistakes." ”

I don't need any extra equipment to wear it, but just in case, I do break the day to see if it's still accurate and sensitive.

"Checked!" After a brief period of processing, the group reported to Loki.

"Good." Loki nodded, and reiterated the combat order again: "This mission is focused on a quick solution, organize a civilian evacuation as soon as the passage is opened, don't fall in love with the war, understand?" ”

"Understood!" Everyone replied with sign language.

"Good! Let's go! ”

With Loki's order, the eight-person team immediately divided into two groups, led by me and Loki respectively, and rushed into the endless darkness in front of them like black arrows, never looking back.

Admittedly, the road to the Ministry of Welfare is not very far, but it is full of the spacious main lounge of the central headquarters, and if it is ambushed, there is no danger to defend, which is the embarrassing dilemma faced by the commando team, and Hana has paid for it with her precious life......

For the first time since I became a returnee, or for the first time in a long time, I felt an immense awe of the value of life—those hearts that would never beat again, smiles that would never bloom again.

Even so, the pace of progress should not be flinched. I took a deep breath and couldn't help but quietly look at my comrades around me.

Our initial operations were unexpectedly smooth, we didn't encounter any enemy attacks along the way, and we moved very fast, and the lights from the Intelligence Department behind us faded away. Eventually, we made it to the stairwell that connected to the lower level of the first section, and prepared to go deep into the hinterland of the headquarters.

"No matter how difficult it is to get support from the rear in the future, we will all be in good spirit." Loki, who took the lead, waved to the crowd.

Creeping down the stairwell, we finally reached the real danger zone. As far as the eye can see, there are shattered "corpse pieces" all around—so called because they are not whole corpses that have been chopped up at all, but countless nanobots that are used to repair human bodies that are released by the regeneration reactor at full power. While the regeneration reactor ensures that the soldiers in its coverage area can repair their bodies from fatal injuries such as waist amputation, it is also difficult to achieve sufficient detailed discrimination in the rapidly changing battlefield, and the gushing nanobots will even stick and fill the headless corpses, even if they will soon stop such a meaningless waste of resources under the adjustment of the algorithm, but the actual effect is still extremely terrifying - several identical palms are attached to the broken arms like flowers; The scattered internal organs are surrounded by a large number of blood vessels at the same time, like tree roots that have been cut off at the waist; Half-repaired ribs burst out of the deformed body, and ownerless lips and teeth grew together with clenched severed fingers; There are even several corpses that have been inexplicably repaired for the most part, and even if they have not succeeded in saving the life of the original owner, they still maintain the hideous posture of surviving at the last time. Walking through it, it is like being in a dark forest composed of headless corpses, full of indescribable treachery and horror.

"Heighten your vigilance, we're almost there!" After a short cautious walk, Loki pointed to the door of the main lounge in front of him and gestured behind him.

"Understood." I replied, spreading the dawn again, probing the wind around me.

Unexpectedly, these mountains of corpses and blood clots greatly interfered with my and my colleagues' search and judgment. To be on the safe side, we have chosen a rotational sentry tactic to at least ensure that we can react as soon as we encounter the unexpected.

"This is it." Finally, Loki stopped in front of a large door: "Ahead is the main lounge of the Ministry of Welfare. He commanded us: "Do not let up and be ready to fight." ”

Naturally, I am also aware of the weight of what he said, and no one knows if this is a trap for the R&D department to lure the enemy into the depths, and we must always be vigilant.

"But it went too well...... "I felt uneasy.

"Drip ...... Hiss...... "Unconsciously, Loki has activated the silencer and opened a circular opening on the door that was damaged by the corpse's jamming and violent destruction, and Neves next to him hurriedly stepped forward at this moment and carefully removed the door panel, completely breaking through the barrier between the two.

"Act now!" Loki ordered, and then led the three people around him into the welfare department. And we need to be on guard outside the door, guarding the retreat that may be blocked at any moment.

According to the plan, Maxi will lead the survivors of the Welfare Department to the main break room to wait for the action of the pick-up team. Things seemed to turn out as expected, and Loki only managed to connect with the long-awaited members of the Welfare Department after only penetrating two layers of routinely set up security doors.

"Brother Loki......! I knew you were coming back to save me! "Sure enough...... Maxi couldn't control his emotions again. "Shhhh Be quiet! But he was quickly reprimanded by Loki: "What did you say before? Quiet and fast. ”

"Good...... Quiet and fast. Maxi quickly adjusted his state and began to organize the evacuation of his colleagues behind him: "Nicholas, you take a group and go first!" The others followed in an orderly manner. ”

"And ......"

"Buzz ——————" In the midst of the ever-changing subtleties around me, I suddenly caught a strange breath - "It's ego, it's those ego!" Sure enough, there is a fraud! I was very upset: "Enemy situation has been discovered!" I immediately began to break the dawn, and alerted my colleagues behind me through the continuous flickering of the big eyes on it: "The second district of the headquarters is speeding up, and the estimated number is to start with three. ”

"Quick!" Loki hurriedly accelerated the evacuation of a group of people, and he even did not hesitate to expose it, driving Paradise Lost to forcibly expand the opening. "Dai! Plan B! "As soon as he had done this, he instructed me.

I felt a hint of hesitation...... Hana ...... Hana's corpse...... There are also the corpses of other comrades-in-arms, who are standing there hideously and helplessly like the ghosts of the ownerless at this moment! The enemy's footsteps are rapidly approaching, and the colleagues of the Ministry of Welfare, who are struggling to evacuate, are also impatient...... I must not hesitate at this time!

"Roger!"

As the dawn flickered, I took a deep breath and condensed the power of the Apocalypse in my body on the Bo Twilight Greatsword, tightening the handle of the blade and standing with both feet—"Hum——! In an instant, the majestic power accompanied by the flickering twilight immediately enveloped the entire space - with a slash of the horizontal sword, the sword qi scattered, like a rushing flood, instantly engulfed and evaporated the corpses and flesh, and the excess energy rebounded in the space several times in a row, surging towards the stairwell on the other side, immediately blocking the footsteps of the combatants of the R&D Department who tried to rush to kill at the first time, and bought precious time for the evacuation of the civilians.

"The roads are cleared, and everyone evacuates in an orderly manner!" Maxi no longer whispered, but immediately stood up from the crowd and commanded the action. The burly figure of 1.9 meters is like a living monument at this moment, bringing reliance and trust to the colleagues around him who trust him.

"I'm sorry Hana...... There are other brothers, who will have a chance later...... I'm going to do it decently for you. I muttered, turned around and ordered my comrades around me: "I'll go and take the lead first, and you will follow, and you must let my colleagues in the welfare department escape alive!" With that, I swung my twilight and immediately rushed in the direction of the stairwell.

"Marx, now let them go to the upper echelons to pick them up!" With Loki's call to the communicator, the R&D Department Blockade officially began in the corpse-strewn hall.

"Buzz!!" At the moment of engagement, I immediately manipulated the power of the apocalypse, unleashing countless light bullets to launch a second round of fierce bombardment against the enemy who had not yet been wiped out.

"Retreat now!" As soon as Loki gave the order, the containment team and the civilians rushed into action, and the civilians, who had successfully penetrated the gate, soon began this race against time. And I have to try to stall for time, just to win the hope of my colleagues.

"Bang !!" Just as I continued to fire out, a dark silhouette suddenly rushed from the roaring stairwell at an unreasonable speed, and the sword light and sword shadow hit my chest!

"Not good!" I had to immediately retract Bo Twilight, raise my sword to block, and stop this unexpected sneak attack at the last moment, but the enemy did not seem to intend to stop there—"Dang! "Immediately, after losing the first blow, he swung another long knife at me and tried to catch me off guard.

In all fairness, good tactics. It's just that this trick is a bit too naïve and superficial for me...... "Hum-" I turned the hilt of my sword with both hands, and the side sword was raised, and as I picked away the slashing blade, the sword held back the other long sword that was about to attack again. In this way, we formed this brief wrestling for the first time, and I took the opportunity to see the face of the comer, who was none other than Liberty, who was also a member of the containment team of the R&D department. After unsurprisingly pledging her allegiance to Binah, she also took off her former ego and put on a new outfit that she had never seen before: a gray plain base like a straitjacket, golden stripes outlining the curves of her body, her face covered with a mask, two cat-ear-like protrusions on the top of her head, and two long handles in her hands emitting bursts of cold light - looking more murderous than ever.

"When ——!" But...... The guy didn't seem to know what it meant to take it when she saw it, and even though it was still tentative, she swung her sword again to slash and try to gain a close advantage. "Huh!" But I wasn't going to sell this face—so I let out a loud shout, and immediately flipped the blade of my sword, quickly reversing the defense, and gathering all the strength of my body to overwhelm the thin and graceful assassin - "Hum! In an instant, Liberti was defeated and had to retreat with his arms outstretched, exposing his core in full view, unable to delay the onslaught that followed me.

"Say goodbye!" I glared at Liboti's chest and stabbed with my sword—"Whew! "Just as I was about to make a big hole in Liboti's chest, a scorching flame suddenly swooped down on me - I had to stop my attack and retreat in front of me.

"It's the fire man! Not dead! I gritted my teeth and swooped down on Dawn, fanning the onslaught of dust away. Seeing that the situation was not good, Liboti hurriedly retreated, and was almost wounded by his own flames.

"Daphna-senpai!" After the first encounter, the colleagues behind him also came to reinforce as scheduled. Rough fighting, they quickly set up their positions, ready to face the next battle.

"You deal with this, I'll deal with the fire man." I immediately gave them the order, and then rushed forward to scatter the two of them, and slashed and suppressed the fire man with a series of swords; Colleagues on one side also played a very good tactical game: the three of them waved their egos, scattered and flanked Liberty in two places. The spear-wielding staff was the first to engage in the battle, retreating and pulling away while giving his comrades a chance to get close, and when Liberty felt deceived and tried to retreat and escape, he found that the retreat had been blocked by more oncoming swords. had to fall into the embarrassing situation of fighting more with less and being surrounded by three people, exhausted and overwhelmed, and it was difficult to carry out an effective counterattack.

And my direction was exceptionally smooth, and after the last encounter, I was more comfortable with this mass of fiery dust - slashing, picking, stabbing, slashing, parrying, and pressing all his desperate attempts with a powerful attack. And I finally felt the clear fear under his jet-black face in the sword fight again and again, and I couldn't help but raise the corners of my mouth.

The unfavorable battle situation finally made the two unable to hold their breath - "Bang!! "The fire man suddenly released the fire energy of his whole body, and the violent explosion that followed had to force me back for a short time; It also aroused Liboti's great vigilance, and she immediately dodged in her virtual form, escaping from the trap of three colleagues like the fierce attack she had launched against me, and rushed to the position of the fire man in the next second, brandishing her double knives to block my head-on pursuit of the fire man. In this magical cooperation that seemed like magic, the two gathered together again and avoided the fate of being directly wiped out.

"Damn it...... There is still a hand. I spat on it.

And at this moment, the civilians who were ready to evacuate also arrived.

"The battlefield must be pulled away!" I immediately realized it and quickly ordered the three of them: "You escort the civilian together!" ”

As soon as the words fell, I immediately fanned the dawn, condensed the power of the apocalypse and released light bullets to suppress the fire man, blocking Liboti's path, and when the two sides were caught off guard by this sudden energy bombardment, the civilians behind me took the opportunity to rush into the stairwell and quickly retreat towards the upper floors of the first district.

"Quick...... Evacuate! Don't squeeze at all. "The combatants organized the evacuation of their colleagues in an orderly manner, and soon succeeded in sending the first civilian technicians involved in the operation of the reverse Kabbalah suppressor out of the lower level of the first district, followed by the second group, which shuttled between the stairs to the upper section of the security sector.

"How many more?" The combatants who had gone to escort the civilian staff asked the Welfare Department's containment team.

"There's still one last batch left, and we're in charge of the back!" Helena said, and immediately returned to the main lounge of the Ministry of Welfare, ready to escort the last batch of civilians to evacuate.

At the same time, I also completed the last energy accumulation, and I was ready to release the majestic power of the Apocalypse in my body in an instant after all the civilian staff evacuated as scheduled, completely eradicating the two damn threats in front of me.

Just when the form seemed to be in good shape, and it seemed that the organization was finally about to usher in a decisive victory—suddenly! From the direction of the Ministry of Welfare, a biting chill spread quietly and silently, making people's hairs stand on end, almost suffocating - the same feeling, in the vast memory of the past...... It was only when I met the Apocalypse deity in person that I was close. It was pure despair, a fact that no one could face.

But for now, the clerical staff do not seem to feel this force, and for the time being they can still maintain their queues and sanity; However, the EGO-clad containment team was so frightened that they forgot their basic instinct to flee and remained motionless as if they had taken root.

"Loki!" I trembled and called to the other end of the communicator, "What's going on with the Ministry of Welfare?!" ”