### Chapter 7: A New Era (18)
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Since the live broadcast signal from the bomb shelter was lost, the audience was in a hysteria, venting all their anger on the television station.
Who wouldn’t want to know what happened next?
The TV station was just as helpless, especially the reporters operating the drones felt particularly wronged.
They replayed the last footage they captured in slow motion, and confirmed that the culprit behind the destruction of the drones was none other than Ouyang Le.
What exactly was he planning for Bureau Director Lin?
Just recalling the moment outside the bomb shelter, one of his arrows had frozen and wiped out countless humans—his power was not to be underestimated.
With such a formidable enemy ahead, it seemed like the two great generals on their side were at odds. Although the audience only caught snippets of their heated debate, Ouyang Le’s expression suggested deep-seated grudges that had reached a level requiring immediate resolution.
The anxious audience, unable to see the live situation, had no choice but to focus their attention on the outer battlefield of the Sky Island.
Under Nie Zhengchu’s command, the Special Operations Bureau agents formed groups of five, spaced twenty meters apart, leveraging their individual strengths as they advanced toward the city.
The demon race hiding in the ruins of the buildings would launch sudden attacks from the flanks the moment they saw a weakness.
In various parts of the city, fierce cries and screams echoed before everything suddenly went quiet.
Due to the obstruction from the demon race, every step the Special Operations Bureau took came at a huge cost.
The demon race was ordered to hold the position for 12 hours, so they would not take the initiative to strike unless it was absolutely necessary. As long as they could keep the Sky Island intact within that time frame, they would be the ultimate winners.
This bloody tug-of-war was enough to keep the audience on the edge of their seats, breathless with excitement.
The intense battles, with punches landing and bodies flying, were, in a way, much closer to fights between ordinary people. Although it lacked the flair compared to Bureau Director Lin’s grandeur, it still captured many eyes and allowed everyone to witness the sacrifices made by ordinary Special Operations Bureau agents to reclaim their lost territory.
Freeman, acting as a general of the demon race and directly under Prince Eric, faithfully executed his prince’s orders, lurking in the shadows and ensuring that no intruding foreigners left their territory alive.
He had already killed twenty enemies, resulting in the street he patrolled being dubbed “d*ath Street,” a place no one dared to tread.
This was undoubtedly a major blow to the morale of the Special Operations Bureau, especially with battlefield reporters following closely behind.
If they were to be halted by the enemy here, it would be extremely difficult to restore their reputation later.
As the temporary commander of this unit, Nie Zhengchu couldn’t sit idly by.
Though just an ordinary person without special abilities, he was skilled with firearms and physically fit. With the powerful 17 and 18 by his side, he believed that as long as he acted as bait, the moment the enemy dared to show their face, 17 and 18 would ensure that the damned foreigner wouldn’t escape easily.
Meanwhile, the ever-reliable Bureau Director Lin was engaged in a fierce battle inside the bomb shelter, facing a danger much greater than that of the rest.
Moreover, if she hadn’t been standing in the front, with the boss of the enemy’s terrifying power and almost godlike control, these ordinary agents wouldn’t even last a round before turning to dust.
Hiding in the shadows, Freeman sensed that the intruder might be a critical character. If he could k*ll him, the enemy’s morale would likely collapse instantly.
The standoff on the battlefield suddenly became the focal point for both sides.
If they could get through d*ath Street, the outline of Central Park would be right in front.
Nie Zhengchu took a deep breath, maneuvering carefully through the nearby ruins. 17 and 18 were experts in close-quarters combat, capable of reacting the moment an enemy drew near to protect the Deputy Bureau Director.
Just as the three carefully advanced to the middle of the block, disaster struck.
Almost a hundred spears suddenly aimed at them from different angles, sealing off all avenues of escape in an instant.
At that moment, all the precision shooting and agile movements were rendered useless; it was as if they could only watch helplessly as the rapidly approaching spears pinned them to the ground.
Freeman coldly eyed the enemy commander, who was about to become a corpse.
The outcome was decided; once the enemy leader was dead, organizing a second wave of attacks would be an uphill battle.
While the agents of the Special Operations Bureau were physically and capable beyond ordinary humans, they were still made of flesh and bl**d, unable to withstand the relentless downpour of spears.
At that moment, they found themselves trapped in despair.
Nie Zhengchu slowly closed his eyes.
He had done his best, and if hell truly existed, he could face it with honor.
Meanwhile, the battlefield reporters crouching at the street entrance aimed their cameras at the scene, their mouths agape in horror at the rain of spears falling from above.
In those fleeting seconds,
nearly the entire audience couldn’t help but jump to their feet, eyes wide, managing to shout out only two words in utter terror:
“Woh C-!”
“Woh C-!”
And just as everyone was trembling, their minds blank,
a shadowy figure unexpectedly leaped out of nowhere, moving like a nimble cheetah, bouncing off the sloped buildings on either side of the street at almost unbelievable angles.
In a moment when the spear tips were about to pierce through Nie Zhengchu and the others,
a blade of fire suddenly slashed through the air.
The rushing waves of flames erupted like a shockwave, instantly smashing those ten or so spears hurtling toward the trio into pieces.
Nie Zhengchu and the others thought they were doomed,
but unexpectedly, the spears that were just about to puncture them turned into piles of useless wooden sticks, only pricking their skin with a slight discomfort rather than any real harm.
The three were utterly shocked and couldn’t believe what had just happened.
But when they saw a streak of blazing fire fly past them, they jumped up in excitement, shouting, “Director! It’s the Director!”
The brilliantly bright flames in the night sky didn’t stop after saving the three; they soared straight toward Freeman’s hiding spot.
As a demon race S-rank warrior bolstered by system attributes, Freeman was certainly not afraid of a surprise attack.
With a spear made entirely of fine steel, he shouted and leaped into battle.
But what he didn’t expect was that the closer he got to the flames, the more an icy chill washed over him.
Before he could process what was happening, he saw the pure white flame completely consume his spear, turning it into powdered ash in an instant.
Before Freeman could regain his composure, the fiery blade was already poised at his neck.
“I command your army to retreat from the Sky Island immediately!” Lin Nan declared coldly, “Or perish.”