Chapter 1

Crane Peak, an obscure frontier town, was shrouded in dark clouds, anticipating a rare rainstorm that would soon wash over the city.

In the southwest corner of the city, a massive, lead-gray building squatted silently. Once a military supply transfer station, it was now abandoned. A faded red warning, painted on the guard post, glared: Military Zone, No Trespassing.

The massive structure resembled the decaying corpse of a giant beast, exuding an air of decay. Rusty barbed wire was overgrown with tangled weeds and shrubs, creating an oppressive atmosphere, especially against the gloomy backdrop.

And it should, because it was completely surrounded. Soldiers in dark camouflage had established a large perimeter about 500 meters from the building. Several armored vehicles blocked the only road leading in and out of the base, their dark gun barrels aimed at the main gate.

This was no mere military exercise. The soldiers had been ordered to kill any and all “guys” in the base who dared to resist.

That's right, “guys.” That's what the orders from above said, in black and white. The commanding officer had repeatedly hammered it into the soldiers that their enemies weren't people, or… not the kind of "people" they usually thought of.

Even though they didn't quite understand, the soldiers instinctively tightened their grips on their guns. Only their guns could give them a sense of security on the battlefield. But this time, they weren't fighting alone.

The ground trembled slightly. A fully equipped heavy armored regiment was approaching from the rear, armed with the latest tanks and infantry fighting vehicles. The air vibrated with the deep rumble of several armed helicopters circling low overhead, loaded with ammunition. Searchlights hanging from the helicopters swept the area around the building, their bright beams cutting through the grayness before the storm.

The young officer crouched behind an armored vehicle, occasionally peering towards the building. His hand, clutching a pistol, was slick with cold sweat. Since they received the news and surrounded the place, not a sound had come from the vast base. It was as silent as death.

What he couldn't understand, and what worried him most, was that, according to intelligence, only a small group of "guys" had infiltrated the base, no more than 50.

Yet, they had nearly mobilized an entire division for these 50, with planes in the sky, vehicles on the ground, airplanes, tanks, armored vehicles, all kinds of new equipment he'd never even seen before. Who were these 50?

What was even stranger was that, on the way here, he had seen brother units building air defense positions along the road. Rows of military-green, man-portable air defense missile ammunition boxes were neatly stacked, with guards covering the precious missiles with temporary rain covers.

The people inside shouldn't have any aircraft, so why the air defense missiles? Could it be… could it be those guys had wings and could fly?

The young officer shook his head violently, amused by his own sudden thought. Soon, he stopped speculating. After all, they were soldiers, and soldiers followed orders. They would do whatever they were told.

In any case, if anyone dared to harm their fellow countrymen on this land, they had a duty to destroy them completely. That was their purpose.

Even gods would be struck down without hesitation!

Thinking this, the young officer felt more confident. He lowered his voice and said, "Brothers, stay sharp! If we get the order to attack, I'll lead the first team, teams two and three will follow. Remember to keep a 50-meter distance from me. The three teams will advance in a triangular formation, providing alternating cover."

"Yes, sir!"

In contrast to the tense atmosphere at the front, an off-road vehicle was parked quietly on the side of the road about a kilometer behind the front lines, guarded by armed soldiers.

If you looked closely, you could see several people without weapons, wearing ill-fitting military uniforms, hiding in the shadows. Beneath their hat brims, pairs of sharp, eagle-like eyes scanned the surroundings. These people exuded a gloomy aura that was distinctly different from that of the soldiers.

A man ran over from a distance, stopping in front of the off-road vehicle. He pulled off his rain hat, revealing the weather-beaten face of a middle-aged man.

At the same time, the rear window of the off-road vehicle lowered halfway. In the spacious back seat was only a woman. She was slender and had an unhealthy pallor. One hand rested on the seat, still attached to an IV drip.

"Miss Li, everything has been arranged according to your instructions. We've sent three surrender messages inside, but we haven't received any response."

The middle-aged man's tone was serious. Unlike the soldiers outside, he wore the insignia of a senior colonel, making him the highest-ranking officer in the area. His rank gave him clearance to know some intelligence about the adepts. Most importantly, he had witnessed the woman's methods firsthand.

Li Lu, designated 7, nodded. Her pale face was expressionless. "How much time is left before the deadline given by headquarters?"

The middle-aged man frowned. "Five minutes. No, wait!" The man quickly pulled up his sleeve to check his watch. A second later, his face stiffened. "Less than one minute left."

Li Lu looked out the window, past the man, towards the dark building in the distance. The middle-aged man was momentarily surprised. He didn't know why, but the woman's gaze was inscrutable.

A moment later, he saw the woman pick up a walkie-talkie, press the talk button, and put it to her lips. "Open fire."

As soon as those words were spoken, several streaks of fire, trailing tails of flame, flashed across the dark sky and slammed heavily into the building. The resulting explosion lit up half the sky.

"Commander, there will be a second wave of missile strikes in ten minutes. The bunker-buster warheads will completely destroy any hidden tunnels inside the building. After the second wave, you can send in the ground troops," 7 Li instructed the middle-aged man, who was still stunned.

The middle-aged man took a few seconds to recover, looking at Li Lu in disbelief. "Why? Why is this different from our original plan?"

The original plan was that if the surrender failed, a special forces team would launch an assault. His troops were ready, the best of the best.

But Li Lu's expression didn't change much. She just nodded perfunctorily. "There's no need. A direct assault would only lead to a bloodbath. The extent of the Night Watchers' infiltration into the country is far beyond our imagination. Headquarters has no choice. I hope you understand."