Netherworld Retrograde
Chapter 243 - 114: Lament for My Compatriots

Chapter 243: Chapter 114: Lament for My Compatriots

Team Leader Ben Lei, a Processor of the Four Awakenings on the True Martial Path and part of the East City Branch’s third team, was the leader of the execution group of the Ranger squad.

His experience in action and strategic planning ranked among the top of the team leaders from the various branches and even the headquarters.

He had been involved in planning operations such as the containment of the "Horror Tales Notebook" and the siege of the Ember Church sub-branch...

Li Yelai had met Team Leader Ben Lei during the mission to contain the "Horror Tales Notebook."

He and his Ranger squad were the first official team to discover the Disaster Fog and were engulfed by it.

They were in the underground area of the former Church sub-branch, now the official No.1 shelter.

They were the first to encounter the Disaster Fog and sent out a warning before being swallowed, buying humans around twenty minutes of response time.

This allowed a large number of humans to enter the safer shelters, indirectly saving millions of lives.

He could truly be called a great hero of the Disaster Fog!

But as one of the first group of humans to be engulfed by the Disaster Fog, the authorities had never been able to find Team Leader Ben Lei and his team, as well as those workers and clerical staff.

Their fates were unknown.

But the Processors all understood that it was very likely he had already sacrificed himself.

Being swallowed by the Disaster Fog did not necessarily mean death; all life swallowed would enter the isolated space of the Disaster Fog.

Otherwise, Li Yelai and the others would have long since perished.

But the location where Team Leader Ben Lei and his companions were swallowed was a descending underground passage, leaving them no opportunity to escape.

They could only be continuously surrounded and devoured by the swarming Insect Swarm.

Unexpectedly, Ben Lei had now been rescued.

Li Yelai approached, but dared not recognize this once robust and cheerful uncle. His body was mutilated, his legs broken from mid-thigh, with protruding bone spurs and rotten flesh at the fractures. The rest of his body looked as if it had been dissolved by a solvent, his shoulders drooping like a half-open umbrella. A large amount of hair had fallen out, with several rotten spots visible on his bare scalp.

If it weren’t for some remnants of Team Leader Ben Lei’s features on his face, probably no one would believe it was him.

What had he... encountered?

"Quick! Call over the East City Epidemic Doctor Captain!"

"The West City ’Miracle Doctor’ captain is already prepared."

"Prepare for blood transfusion!"

"The heartbeat is nearly stopped, prepare for defibrillation!"

A group of Processors hurriedly took Ben Lei toward the operating room.

The Processors cleared the way, their faces showing shock as some clearly recognized Team Leader Ben Lei.

It was only after Ben Lei was taken to the operating room that they began to quietly discuss and inquire about him.

Originally, a group of Processors had been delving into underground tunnels dug by the Abyss Worms when they found a War Worm behaving unusually.

The War Worm seemed to be in extreme pain, recklessly crashing around in the tunnels and crushing many lesser members of the Insect Race.

It also ignored the commands of the nearby Think Tank Insect, even breaking into battle with its own kind.

An infight within the Insect Swarm?

Adhering to the principle of "strike while the enemy is sick," and eager for the chance to dissect and analyze the oddities.

Before the swarm could reclaim the War Worm, the team initiated a surrounding attack. During the fight, the War Worm had its abdomen torn open from within.

That person was Team Leader Ben Lei, who for some reason had been swallowed into the belly of the War Worm.

The reason for the War Worm’s agony and madness was Team Leader Ben Lei, who was inside it, struggling and fighting.

His sudden appearance in the melee had both the human squads and the Insect Swarm taken aback.

Immediately afterward, a more intense battle broke out. The number of Insect Swarms increased sharply, and many attacking other human shelters were called in.

Before being surrounded by the Insect Swarm’s main forces, the official team retrieved Team Leader Ben Lei and rushed back to the East City Branch shelter as fast as possible.

"Team Leader Ben Lei, as one of the first Spiritual Ability Users to be swallowed by the Disaster Fog, might have important intelligence we are unaware of."

"But it could also be a conspiracy by the Insect Race."

"Their intelligence is high; it’s said that they’ve even developed Insect Race units capable of creating Illusion Spores."

"All this will have to wait until Team Leader Ben Lei’s injuries have healed."

"He’s the only one... What about the rest of the Ranger squad?"

The Processors discussed among themselves.

However, the battle alarm sounding throughout the shelter interrupted their discussion.

The Insect Swarm was approaching the shelter, seemingly planning to attack it!

This was an inconceivable move; the shelter had powerful defenses at this point.

Nearly five hundred Spiritual Ability Users, along with a vast army and Taboo Items. If necessary, the civilians would also take up arms against the Insect Swarm.

It would cost the Insect Swarm dearly to try to take this shelter.

Why was there no forewarning?

Could it be because of Team Leader Ben Lei? Did they not want the authorities to gain any intelligence from him?

Or could it be, the Insect Swarm deliberately wanted the officials to interpret it this way as part of a deceptive operation?

Regardless of the reason, the fact that the Insect Swarm was attacking was the most pressing matter!

"Prepare for battle, all standby Processors to your combat positions!"

The Processors immediately sprang into action.

Li Yelai, along with Jing Lin and several official Spiritual Ability Users, quickly rushed out of the underground bunker.

The ground level of the branch, once filled with shops and houses, had now been transformed into a solid bastion, bristling with heavy firepower points.

Organized Border Iron Guards and the City Defense Army were operating dense anti-aircraft guns and various heavy weapons, unleashing terrifying firepower at distant targets.

When Li Yelai burst from the underground bunker, he saw the staggering Insect Swarm smashing against human positions like a tidal wave!

Their numbers were enormous; the Flying Beetles even momentarily obscured the mist-shrouded Sky Dome.

The human firepower was tremendous, with shelling, machine guns, and hot melt bombs.