Dark Moon Era

Chapter 204: Extremely Powerful

“The elite guards’ sector has lost 600 men.

“The Purple Moon Warriors have lost 6 men and 17 are injured.

“There are only 2,100 elite guards and 27 Purple Moon Warriors left in the battle.

“Do we need to recall the elite troops and the Purple Moon Warriors that are stationed in the Hope Barrier, the underground crevice, and the edge of the forests?”

The defense supervisor of the Agnes family was updating Clyne with the latest statistics in the safety sector.

Clyne shut his eyes while his fingers tapped the arm of the chair repeatedly. The situation was anything but good. Should he recall the warriors in the battlefield? No, unless he wanted to take over an crippled Safety Sector No. 17.

Starting from the garage mission to the war in the underground, then the purge in the sector and the battle tonight, Safety Sector No. 17 had lost a lot of manpower after so many substantial battles.

The warriors that remained stationed at the important defense lines were only barely enough to hold up the defenses. If he were to call them back to suppress the riot in the safety sector, the casualties would expose Safety Sector No. 17 to the threats of the monsters and zombies out there, making it vulnerable to all sorts of disasters.

Should he activate the Level 2 Sector Protection Machine? It was not time yet! The tactical level weapon would consume precious resources if it was activated. Using it against the black-mantled people would be wasteful unless the situation reached a critical point.

Then, could he call back the Purple Moon Warriors that were stationed underground? Clyne opened his eyes as he placed his cigar on the crystal ashtray on the table.

No, he could not! It would be admitting that the Agnes family had fallen into coalition with the Underground race. Tang Ling’s words early today had rooted itself in the people’s hearts. Although the damage was done, if the Agnes family denied it stubbornly, no one could do anything to them.

If Clyne were to give up the evidence at such a crucial timing, he would put the Agnes family under everyone’s crosshairs.

Things might have happened and many might have found out about it, but it could never be exposed bare under the light. The situation was really bad but there was good news too.

The Tiger Generals had left. After the battle in Glory Square, they left Safety Sector No. 17 quietly and the Purple Moon Warrior sent to watch them confirmed it.

That’s what I’ve been talking about! How can the Tiger Generals take sides so easily? Even if Tang Ling is someone important, all the Tiger Generals can do is remain dormant. Clyne did not want to think about the Tiger Generals anymore. Since the situation had boiled down to this, there was only one choice left for him.

Clyne picked up his cigar and the communication device, sending out several simple orders.

Soon, a servant delivered a document to him.

The document was a simple operational order, but this simple order held a significant meaning. It would be equivalent to revealing the secret trump card of Safety Sector No. 17 that only the castellan and several nobles knew.

Pulling out a crystal seal that was uniquely carved, Clyne stamped the document. He then said, “Recall the remaining elite guards and Purple Moon Warriors. Ceasefire at once. The battle will continue in the hands of these new forces!”

“Yes, Sir.” The servant kept the document carefully and walked out of the office.

Clyne gazed out of the window and into the night. The surroundings of the Agnes family manor was rather quiet.

He had gotten news from the Stardust Council to escalate the battle, but he also hoped that they could work faster. After activating this trump card, how much more time could he stall? Would it be enough to deal with the problem?

Playing around with the crystal seal, he mocked his own thoughts. He had only gotten the crystal seal a few hours earlier from Worf, and now, he already had to use it.

******

Anthony fell to the ground wounded.

The people in the black mantles had gathered around the Tower. Sorin stepped back to Ah Bing’s side and the atmosphere became quiet.

Ah Bing squinted his eyes after lighting a cigarette. He looked at the Tower under the guise of the night and said softly, “Contact all the other operating units to be prepared and gather as soon as possible.”

“Sorin, you’ll lead everyone and fight a very special group of enemies later.”

“Huh? How special?” Sorin wiped his sledgehammer in confusion. He did not know if the night’s fierce operation would announce to the world that the Dragon Army had returned by tomorrow morning.

So, was it that important to fight this group of special enemies? Regardless of how special they were, they would only be a stepping stone in the path of resurgence.

“This group of enemies consists of around 150 men, every one of whom is almost as powerful as a Purple Moon Warrior. They will be armed with the most advanced firearms in Safety Sector No. 17 and have five grenades on each of them. Most importantly, their ammunition supply will be a lot greater than the normal elite guard squadrons.” As if he was talking about something normal, Ah Bing was calm when he stated that.

Sorin responded with a serious expression, “Judging from the information we got, there are only 617 of us left. If the Purple Moon Warrior enemies join the fight, I don’t know whether can we last until the fight with this particular group of enemies or not.”

Ah Bing spewed a cloud of smoke out. “The Purple Moon Warriors won’t be joining the fight anymore. Clyne doesn’t want to take the risk unless he’s willing to gamble all the internal defenses of Safety Sector No. 17 away. The purge happened early today and the whole safety sector is shaken. Do you know how scary it is for the internal defense power to be drained? But he’s even more afraid to recall the Purple Moon Warriors on the battlefield.”

Ah Bing had joined the Dragon Army in their conquest for seven years, and before that, he had been a Purple Moon Warrior of Safety Sector No. 17. Therefore, he knew everything and was capable of analyzing the situations.

“That won’t be a problem. We’ll be fine even if there are a hundred more of them.” Sorin glanced at the Tower since Tang Ling had yet to come out.

“Don’t be too optimistic. This group of enemies can only go up against you and the remaining 600 over people because me, Su Siao, and the other two have our own opponents to deal with. Do you understand? And these 150 enemies aren’t just any regular humans. They are half-zombies,” Ah Bing announced.

“How dare they!?” Sorin was frightened out of his wits.

“They don’t have the balls, but they applied and got permission from the higher-ups, the bigger alliance forces. That’s why they transformed the heavily injured warriors into half-zombies with their consent.

“You should know that this is a normal standard operating procedure for them. If they did go beyond the line, why would the whole Safety Sector No. 17 have only one group of half-zombies and 150 of them?” said Ah Bing.

This era was cruel and merciless. The warriors who had the ambition to protect Safety Sector No. 17 with their lives were all pitiful souls. They never would have thought that their wish could never be granted because the Agnes family was using them as tools to fight the Dragon Army.

That’s why those forces cannot be forgiven...They are using power to toy around with the hot-blooded side of the common man just so they can fulfill their selfish desires and trample over the greatness of humans.

Furious thoughts rumbled in Ah Bing’s head, but this time, Tang Ling would be the one to settle the score.

“I understand. We’ll fight to the end for the ideologies we follow and the vows we have taken.” Sorin did not dare to be careless this time.

Half-zombies were terrifying since they shared the traits of a zombie. Unless one killed them completely, no amount of damage could rob them of their obsession with battle. As long as they still had a single limb, they would continue to fight. Even when their stomachs were gutted, they would still move on as if it was nothing.

A certain part of their human consciousness also remained. Their past capabilities would continue even after the transformation, so they could be raised and trained to be stronger even though they could no longer break through their genetic chain and become a Purple Moon Warrior.

Still, so what?

In conclusion, half-zombies were a combination of the Devil fungus and a certain type of special technology. They were created for a sole purpose: to serve as war machines.

Sorin would soon have to lead more than 600 men to face these terrifying monsters.

“After the battle is over, get out of the safety sector immediately. Go back into hiding as we planned.” Ah Bing gave Sorin his final reminder, but he did not share about the opponents that he, Su Siao, and several others had to face. The upcoming battle for this small group would be nothing less than harsh and cruel because they would have to face Purple Moon Warrior zombies.

Purple Moon Warrior zombies were not on the same level as normal half-zombies because the serum used to alter them was not man-made. Instead, it came from an unknown source.

Whenever a dying Purple Moon Warrior was willing to accept the serum with elements of the Devil fungus, he would be turned into a Purple Moon Warrior zombie. After the transformation, his original consciousness would be gone and similar to the half-zombie, a Purple Moon Warrior zombie would only listen to several commands.

Unlike the half-zombies, the Purple Moon Warrior zombies retained their highest combat ability when they were still alive, including their talents. They no longer consumed food but had to be injected with a special crystal serum made from great crystals. Slowly and certainly, their bodies would also crystalize. By the time their bodies fully crystallized, they would be truly dead. However, that would take at least 150 years.

In conclusion, they were a very scary foe.

Ah Bing frowned. Every three ranks of a Purple Moon Warrior was considered a major threshold. The Purple Moon Warrior zombies were all rank 3 and above. Otherwise, transforming them would only be a waste of resources.

If Ah Bing’s deduction was correct, the transformation serum should consist of the Dream Seed extract.

A Purple Moon Warrior zombie transformed using such a serum, fueled by its fearlessness, the neverending battle obsession and the ability to endure more damage than normal people, made it the perfect candidate to fight in a higher tier battle.

Unless the difference in power was three ranks or higher, fighting one would not be an easy battle.

Other than that, as their bodies crystallized, it would be harder to inflict damage on them. Some said that the closer a Purple Moon Warrior zombie was to death, the scarier it would be.

Even if the chances are bleak, I must hold them back. Today will be the day the Dragon Army announces its return and Tang Ling will rise to the stage. With that thought in mind, Ah Bing gazed towards the Tower again. Finally, a rather slim teenager came out from the entrance.

He was still wearing the black long mantle without the hood, revealing that delicate face of his that always looked bashful.

He looked a lot better than before, but he did not make a fuss about his return. He simply walked out of the Tower as if he had just returned from training.

The atmosphere became hushed as everyone gazed upon this teenager silently, the youth that allegedly carried their hopes and dreams.

He was Tang Ling, the son of Tang Feng.

Standing in front of the entrance to the Tower, Tang Ling spoke as his mantle fluttered with the wind, “Where is Arhan?”

He seemed to have gotten used to being stared at, or perhaps he did not understand the situation enough to care.

“Arhan is on the west side of Glory Square. No one has engaged him, but I guess he will be heading east towards the Agnes family manor. He must have noticed that things have gone south, so he’ll seek protection from his master,” said Ah Bing.

“Hmmm.” Tang Ling walked towards Glory Square and slowly jogged. His jog accelerated into a sprint, and everyone else made way for him to cross.

“I’ll kill Arhan first, then the Agnes family. That’s the plan.” His voice echoed in the night wind, clearly informing everyone about his next plan. He was a beacon of light like how his father had been before him.

The war seed was activated the moment he sprinted, and it melted in his body instantly. Then, a massive amount of strange energy started to be released inside his body. The energy filled every inch of his muscles in an instant.

Silently, Tang Ling hastened his sprint and traveled like a dark gale in the night.

Five seconds later, he became stronger. Three seconds after that, he got even more powerful. He continued to grow stronger in the short 15 seconds to the point that even he himself could hardly believe the absurd growth.

How was his speed? He could barely feel how fast he was going. Every step that he took felt like he was riding the wind and he traveled at least ten meters in a single step.

What about his power? The slightest curl of his fist could easily crush a robust iron bar.

What were his reflexes like? Hmm, it should no longer be considered reflexes for he sensed things in a more bizarre way now.

The Purple Moon got clearer while the wind got slower and the direction was clear. The dust in the air, the clouds in the sky...everything became lively in his eyes. He could even sense the smallest changes in the air and his body would naturally respond with the appropriate micro-actions although it was not even his instinct that drove him.

This feeling felt very significant to him and it seemed to have an important meaning to his growth in the future. He knew he had to remember the feeling in his heart.

What about his Precise Instinct? Did his Precise Instinct change? He could not tell since he had not started any fight.

However, he sensed a surprising change in himself. Before this, he had to highly concentrate to calculate and form 3D structures in his mind, but now, all he needed was a glance and all the numbers would appear. He did not even have to intentionally draw structures in his mind. The numbers that appeared would become lines that would form 3D structures automatically. For example, when he was looking from a height, the routes in the surrounding area would be included clearly in his calculation.

In short, his Precise Instinct calculated faster now though it had not broken through to the next stage.

Aside from that, the war seed provided Tang Ling with even more surprises. Twenty seconds later, it had released all the special energy that it had converted.

Tang Ling also stopped sprinting and he found himself in Glory Square. After the fierce battle, the once beautiful square was now in ruins.

With broken earth, bloodstains, bodies, and smoke in the air, it looked a little similar to the battlefield ruins on the other side.

Where was Arhan? Tang Ling started to search the area. While he was searching, he did not notice the fanatic gazes from the people that he had drawn a distance from behind him.

Was Tang Ling this strong? Was this the Young Master that people followed? No, he should not be this strong! He was just a teenager that had been through hardship and had hidden here in the safety sector. He never had endless resources since he was young or any great teacher to train him.

Even if he was the great leader’s son, even if he was the perfect genius, he still needed to grow step by step!

How did he do it? Such speed already surpassed a common Purple Moon Warrior’s! Somehow, every step he took was a Transient Step!

Anyway, regardless of how he mastered it, the sense of familiarity reminded the people of their great leader and how the great leader had created miracle after miracle that would overwhelm his followers. How had he done it back then?

Everyone’s heart was boiling. The hope in them had been weak before, but after they saw Tang Ling’s Transient Steps, it rekindled stronger.

“Arhan.” Tang Ling finally located his target.

Arhan was running away like a loser. As Ah Bing said, he was racing towards the east of Glory Square madly.

...

Madness! This is absolute madness! Is this all a dream?

Arhan was running in a dark alley. He purposely ran in secluded paths to hide from his pursuers. He even hoped that he could grow an extra pair of legs to run faster.

The battle tonight had shaken him with great fear. The three Tiger Generals who were absurdly powerful had frightened him to the core, and their presence alone suffocated him.

He was actually an uneducated man who had reached his current position just because he was good at sucking up to others. Had he known he would have to face such terrifying battles, he would have rather laid low as a normal Purple Moon Warrior.

He now had to ask for the Agnes family’s protection. No longer craving for a high position, he would rather become a dog that would protect its master in a safe environment.

What shocked him the most was not just the battle of the three Tiger Generals. Instead, in the end, it was the action of one of the Tiger Generals who controlled the cannon pellets that jarred him to his core.

That Tiger General had pointed at his head as he was running, and all of a sudden, he lost all his consciousness as if he had been struck by something heavy. However, when he woke up, he realized to his surprise that he was unharmed and no one was there to hold him captive.

Was that good news? Definitely not! Arhan was frightened terribly because he sharply sensed that he was somehow being targeted. He had a feeling that he was the main course being kept for the end. What else was more miserable than waiting for death?

As he recalled the freaky encounter, Arhan fled faster. As a Purple Moon Warrior, his speed was decent. However, as he ran, he had a feeling that someone was following him.

The feeling was faint at first but grew stronger and clearer in time. The threat was getting closer.

But I can’t hear any damned footsteps! Arhan cursed in his heart. He started to panic.

Could it be a ghost? He turned around to check but found nothing.

I’m scaring myself. Arhan comforted himself, but it was at that moment that a thud landed and a figure appeared before him.

What?! Sweating nervously, he saw a black-mantled figure standing less than 20 meters in front of him under the blurry streetlight.

Who is that!?

Arhan’s heart raced and almost beat out of his chest, but when he saw the figure’s face, he howled in silent laughter. He was expecting someone else, but it was none other than Tang Ling.

Although Tang Ling might be a key character in all this, regardless of his importance, he was just a New Moon Warrior, one who was bold enough to intercept him, a Purple Moon Warrior. In fact, Arhan was a rank 2 Purple Moon Warrior and was nearing the threshold of rank 3.

“Move if you don’t want to die,” Arhan said with a heavy look.

Tang Ling shot him a ridiculing gaze. At the next moment, his figure trembled and he vanished on the spot.

‘Transient Steps?!’ Arhan reacted right away, but before he could figure anything out, he retreated quickly with Transient Steps as well. He moved away and stopped since it was necessary to pause in between Transient Steps.

But where’s Tang Ling?

Right after that thought appeared in Arhan’s mind, a black figure suddenly materialized and a punch was merely inches away from his face.

“Die!” Arhan responded quickly as he immediately threw a punch to meet Tang Ling’s.

Even if Tang Ling had mastered the Transient Steps, strength was something that one had to accumulate in time through various resources, so how could Tang Ling compete with him, a Purple Moon Warrior?

As two fists met in the air, an explosion rang out, followed by a blast of wind that sent the dust in the area flying.

Pain shot up Arhan’s right fist. To his shock, he realized that his standard-issued armor was damaged and the right pauldron started to crack like a ripple.

“You’re the one who will be dead. It is time to pay your debts, the blood debt of the settlement.”