### Chapter 9: A New Era (10)
Who would have thought that just three days after the Special Operations Bureau made its announcement, not just Ocean City, but the entire Dragon Kingdom and even the world’s attention turned to the Bureau Director Lin, who stood tall in her sleek black uniform, ponytail swaying, as if she were the main act at a rock concert?
That fiery longsword of hers had practically become her trademark—wherever she swung it, no one dared to stand in her way.
The first boss blocking her path, the Bull Demon King, was sent packing, nursing burns from what felt like a flaming yoga class gone wrong.
Lin Nan thought she’d have a clear shot at rescuing the temporarily erased human souls, but just as she approached her goal, an enchanting woman in a scandalously short skirt swooped in to ruin the mood.
Behind her, a bizarre red glow pulsed ominously from the ground, reminiscent of a volcano about to blow its top. It was the kind of sight that screamed “disaster” for Ocean City.
Even Zhao Nanyang clenched his fists, trembling slightly.
“Director Wang, have the troops been reinforced?” he asked, trying not to sound as anxious as a squirrel in winter.
Wang Shengli sighed, “That black fog is everywhere, creeping over the city like a villain in a bad soap opera. Even if we send in armored vehicles, those things could hop right in through the g*n barrels if we so much as sneeze.”
“What are we going to do? We can’t just pin all our hopes on Director Lin!”
“Don’t worry,” he replied. “Agents from the Special Operations Bureau in other cities are on their way to Ocean City. The fastest will arrive in an hour.”
Zhao Nanyang watched the television screen, filled with scenes that looked more chaotic than a catfight in a fish market, his brow furrowing.
“Let’s hope Director Lin can hold out for an hour. After all, we still don’t know what the enemy intends to do with the remaining residents. Here’s hoping they can wait for help to arrive.”
Just then, two rockets came zooming in from the other side, hitting the oblivious Lady Rong Ji squarely.
“Boom!”
A deafening explosion shook the air, sending a miniature mushroom cloud into the sky.
Li Cheng, shouldering a rocket launcher, gave Lin Nan a thumbs-up from afar, like he was in a sitcom, oblivious to the impending chaos.
Lin Nan was about to nod back when a chill ran down her spine, like someone had just blown on her neck from the shadows.
She instinctively jumped back, shouting, “Run!”
Unfortunately, her warning arrived too late.
A near-invisible thread slipped through Li Cheng’s forehead. As it vanished, a tiny trickle of bl**d oozed from the minuscule wound.
His two rocket launchers crashed to the ground, and he stiffly toppled backward into the rubble, silent as a mime.
Lin Nan’s eyes nearly popped out like they were on springs, and she bit her lip hard enough to draw bl**d.
“Li Cheng! Li Cheng!” she screamed, rushing toward him.
But before she could reach him, as the smoke from the explosion slowly cleared, an enormous black wolf-spider appeared before her.
Its furry legs supported a body that was more monstrous than a reality TV star after a bad breakup, complete with a dozen eyes practically glued to its head, while webs oozed from nasty little holes on its back.
Lin Nan dodged the spider’s webbing, but Li Cheng…
Though she’d only been in this Small World for a few days, she had developed a bond with this military buddy, who, despite being a few years older, was willing to call her “big sis” with the enthusiasm of a golden retriever.
Plus, after the incident at the central hospital, he had always stood by her, never folding under pressure, even going as far as to help maintain her status as the top dog!
And now, watching such a good comrade bite the dust right in front of her?
That was just unacceptable!
As the world watched Ocean City in horror, mourning the loss of a major player, flames suddenly erupted around Lin Nan, giving off every impression of a transformation akin to becoming a Super Saiyan.
“You killed my brother!”
Lin Nan trudged toward the gigantic wolf-spider, fiery longsword in hand, as if she were strolling through a park on a sunny day.
“Giggle… how refreshing! He could k*ll me, but I can’t k*ll him?” The wolf-spider let out a voice like candy to the ears, almost as if Lady Rong Ji was whispering from a hidden shadow.
Its tone suddenly shifted to sharpness, “Besides, he ruined my favorite outfit! Doesn’t he deserve it?”
“Swish, swish…”
Before the wolf-spider could finish its thought, three threads shot out from its back, aiming for different parts of Lin Nan.
“Snip…”
In one swift motion, Lin Nan sliced through the threads like they were butter on a hot day, sending heat zipping back to the spider, which yelped, “Ouch, hot, hot!”
“k*ll that spider witch!”
“Get her!”
Li Cheng was not just a looker but also a model soldier, and his unexpected d*ath shattered Lin Nan’s heart, leaving the audience equally devastated by this cruel twist of fate.
Some folks had thought that the Black Skirt Woman was beguiling, but as the curtain rose on her true form—a spider—they recoiled, shuddering in disgust.
Seeing its webs failing to ensnare Lin Nan, the wolf-spider leapt into the air, its eight legs sharp as daggers, diving toward Lin Nan, who was engulfed in fire.
Lin Nan had been waiting for a moment like this, finally ready to unleash the power she’d been building.
“Six Paths of Fiery Hell!”
Shouting out, in addition to her fiery sword, six burning swords appeared above her, glowing ominously.
A massive ghostly figure loomed over the battlefield, glaring at the wolf-spider as if it were the biggest joke ever.
The wolf-spider realized it had bitten off more than it could chew, its many eyes widening as it spotted the spooky silhouette hovering above.
cr*p!
It threw out some threads to a nearby building trying to dodge, but how could Lin Nan let it escape now?
With the ghost cackling in the air, the six fiery swords turned and homed in on the wolf-spider, chasing it like it had just stolen a cookie from a cookie jar.
“Whish, whish!”
Flames sliced through all eight of the spider’s legs, sending it crashing to the ground, shrieking in pain like it was auditioning for a horror film.
Lin Nan stepped forward, raising her fiery blade high.
“I said it before and I’ll say it again: I refuse to be pushed around! Anyone who looks down on me or harms me and my brothers will pay dearly!”
“No, don’t k*ll me! I’ll talk! I know everything! Just please don’t k*ll me!” the wolf-spider begged, now immobile, reduced to a quivering puddle of regret.
Lin Nan shook her head firmly. “I can’t accept your surrender. Otherwise, how could I ever face my fallen brother Li Cheng?”
“Nooo!”
With a final, damning strike!
The wolf-spider was cleaved neatly in two, black-red bl**d splattering everywhere.
The ghost hovering in the air licked its crimson lips, satisfied as it vanished along with the six fiery swords into the void.
Wiping away a tear that had mysteriously appeared on her cheek, Lin Nan murmured, “Brother, I’ve avenged you!”
