Chapter 87: Codename

Mr. Yodel lived up to expectations—the transfer was completed, and an entire truckload of military equipment was delivered into Gao Ning’s hands. Everything was included, from exoskeleton armor, ammunition, and high-powered firearms to military explosives, flares, and various warheads. They even sent over a modified Humvee.

Luxembourg had already fallen to the monsters; the ground was infested with lurking creatures. By all rights, a helicopter would have been the logical choice. However, Gao Ning knew that the monsters possessed formidable anti-air capabilities. Specialized units among them could generate missile-like organs, unleashing volleys of projectiles into the sky—so dense that not even a fighter jet could escape, let alone a helicopter. The loss of air superiority was precisely why the land could not be reclaimed, and humanity was forced to yield ground after ground on the battlefield.

Seated in the Humvee, Gao Ning and his companion drove toward the Luxembourg region. The terror robots, never slow to begin with, easily kept pace with the vehicle. Over twenty killing machines, each about sixty centimeters in diameter, moved in two columns at speed. Where their limbs touched the ground, they made only a faint rustling; unless one listened closely, it was almost impossible to notice.

Wolf Fang’s provocation caused an uproar in society. The military was furious—its spokesperson swore publicly that Wolf Fang would be found and brought to justice. Every major news outlet speculated about Wolf Fang’s identity and his target. Why use a propaganda colonel from the United States Army as a hostage? What did it mean? How could Colonel William Cage have been chosen for this?

Unable to find Wolf Fang or his adversary, the media dug up every detail about William Cage, down to how many times he wet the bed as a child. Yet the data was unremarkable, painting him as little more than a boastful hypocrite. Aside from his aptitude for publicity, he had not set foot on a battlefield; not a single shot fired, and yet he’d been promoted to colonel—a point widely criticized.

In Shanxi, Liang Bing, a supervisor at an insurance company, also saw Wolf Fang’s challenge. Her expression remained unchanged; she merely narrowed her eyes slightly, then paid it no further heed.

In Australia, Dong Huawen, having just used a few tricks to eliminate an obstacle, sat in his office, watching the broadcast repeatedly before tossing it aside. He bent over his desk and resumed planning next week’s news coverage.

Zhou Banxian felt even more at home. Arriving in Hong Kong, he found himself in his element. In just three days, he’d made a name for himself around Temple Street, and wealthier families had already begun inviting him to assess their feng shui. The old fox was having the time of his life and hadn’t even watched the news.

On the plains at the outskirts of Luxembourg, Wolf Fang led two people slowly out of the city. One of them asked, “Boss, are we really going to do this? Once the virus spreads, it’ll be impossible to control later!”

The other said nothing, watching coldly, clearly wanting to understand what was really being discussed.

Wolf Fang smiled faintly. “What does it matter to us what becomes of the world? Among the myriad realms, worlds are born and destroyed every moment. We’re just passersby—like little butterflies, a mere flap of our wings might cause a world-ending tornado, or perhaps nothing at all. There’s no point dwelling on the future. Since we’ve already boarded the Mysterious Train, we must live in the present.”

“But—”

“No buts!” Wolf Fang’s eyes suddenly blazed with green light. His mouth elongated, revealing interlaced, ferocious fangs. The man was startled into silence, hastily closing his mouth. The other took two involuntary steps back, on guard.

Wolf Fang drew a deep breath and returned to his suave demeanor. “Robert, what did I tell you? I don’t repeat my decisions.”

The man nodded. “Understood.”

“Where’s what I asked for?”

“It’s ready!” Robert produced a remote control from behind his back and pressed the green button. The ground suddenly sank, opening a massive pit. It was like an open-air trap, over a hundred meters deep, the walls and floor lined with alloy, holding over a hundred bizarre, captive monsters.

“All the live specimens you’ve captured are here,” Robert said.

Wolf Fang nodded with satisfaction. “Your renovations keep getting better.”

With that, he leapt and plunged down.

Midair, his human form swelled into a massive gray wolf. Two fist-sized vertical pupils gleamed with a ghastly green light, his interlaced fangs dripping with saliva. With brutal force, he lunged at an alien creature, jaws clamping down.

The monster howled, thrashing wildly, its screams piercing. The others converged, launching themselves in a desperate attack. Their bodies, composed of sinewy strands of muscle, could shift and reassemble at will so long as their core remained intact, transforming into countless shapes.

The giant wolf’s arrival caused the monsters to merge and reform into wolf-like beasts of equal size, which hurled themselves at the intruder. Yet despite his bulk, the giant wolf moved like the wind, agile and swift, leaving afterimages as he darted about. Each time he appeared, his jaws struck true, tearing through another beast.

By the pit’s edge, the two men watched—one with envy, the other in shock.

“If only I’d chosen Druid… Earth Meld is impossible to level up!” one muttered.

The other asked, “Why not use your real name? Why choose a nickname?”

“In the Mysterious Train, powers are incredibly diverse. Who knows if there’s a sorcerer among us? A human’s true name might not be as dangerous as a demon’s, but still—it’s safer to use a codename. Whether it actually works, who can say? I’ve crossed eight mission spaces and haven’t encountered a sorcerer yet. Still, better to be prepared than caught off guard. It’s obvious enough, so why do newbies always ask?”

“So that’s why you’re called Potato?” the other replied expressionlessly.

Potato bristled. “Mind your own business!”

A gray blur flashed by. Wolf Fang leapt up from the pit, shook himself, and reverted to human form. Potato pressed a spot on the ground, opening a hidden panel, and dragged out a box, pushing it over. Wolf Fang stepped on it, opened it, and began to dress.

Just then, a howl of agony rose from below. The first alien beast that had been bitten began to thrash madly, its body swelling uncontrollably. Its flesh twisted with a will of its own, cocooning into a mass of blood.

Bang!

The cocoon burst apart, and a wolf-like monster crawled out.

Then a second, a third, a fourth…