America: The Cremator

Chapter 162 The Crematorium Opens for Business!

Hannah abruptly opened the Bible in her hands and loudly recited a short and powerful prayer. Dazzling golden holy light burst forth from the pages, condensing into a wide and heavy barrier of holy light before everyone.

"Da da da da—"

'

More than thirty SCARHs simultaneously unleashed blinding flames, a violent barrage of bullets striking the holy light screen, producing a continuous series of muffled explosions that caused countless violent ripples to spread across the screen's surface.

The vast majority of bullets were forced to deform by the enormous resistance as soon as they hit the screen, lost their kinetic energy, and fell to the ground. Only a small number of areas developed small cracks because they were hit by multiple bullets at the same time.

Seeing that ordinary bullets were ineffective, the mercenary captain immediately shouted, "Cease fire! Switch to armor-piercing rounds!"

Sulong certainly wouldn't give the enemy a chance to regroup their firepower.

With a sudden surge of his will, the purple and gold flames of destruction erupted from his body, instantly gathering and shaping above his head, condensing into a crown of flames radiating an aura of destruction.

"The Domain of Trillions of Crematoriums!"

White ripples spread outwards from Sulong, and the ground instantly transformed into a cold, hard, non-slip steel plate. The surrounding walls expanded wildly outwards, becoming towering industrial metal walls that reached into the clouds.

A dense array of square metal hatches appeared one after another on the walls, floors, and ceilings.

Zena and the thirty-odd mercenaries were forcibly dragged into the domain by the power of the rules in the blink of an eye.

The mercenaries' hands, holding their guns, trembled uncontrollably. They were battle-hardened mercenaries who would never flinch in the face of a hail of bullets on the battlefield, but the scene before them completely shattered their understanding.

Crematoriums blazed in all directions, the air thick with the acrid smell of burning and the despairing stench of death, as if they had already fallen into hell.

"What the hell is this place?!" A mercenary's voice trembled as he frantically aimed his gun at the surrounding metal walls, but couldn't find any target to attack.

Zena's reaction was even worse than that of the mercenaries; her face was deathly pale, her legs were weak, and she almost collapsed to the ground.

As an inspector who climbed to a high position through connections and tricks, she had never seen anything like this before.

Driven by her survival instincts, Zena reacted swiftly. She scrambled to the back of the mercenary group, screaming at the top of her lungs to try and calm the collapsing group: "Don't panic! Don't panic! This is just his domain! Kill that exorcist, and the domain will disappear!"

Hearing Zena's shout, the mercenary captain gritted his teeth, forcibly suppressing the fear in his heart, and roared, "Everyone, open fire at will! Open fire at will!"

More than thirty assault rifles were raised again, their dark muzzles all aimed at Sulong in the distance.

Facing the impending barrage of firepower, Su Long slowly raised his right hand and casually snapped his fingers in mid-air.

"Smack."

A crisp sound echoed through the empty metal world, and trillions of crematoriums throughout the entire domain simultaneously emitted a muffled roar.

The raging flames shining through the crack in the door were extinguished instantly, and the whole world was plunged into darkness in a flash.

The sudden darkness froze the mercenaries in their tracks. They frantically turned on their tactical flashlights, but under the suppression of the rules of the Suron Domain, the flashlights couldn't even emit a glimmer of light.

"Damn it! I can't see anything!"

"Where is he? Where is he!"

Fear of the unknown power spread rapidly among the crowd like a plague. Taking the opportunity, Su Long whispered to his teammates, "You guys rest for a while. Leave the rest of the battle to me."

Before Hedley and the others could respond, the anti-slip steel plate beneath their feet suddenly began to writhe as if it were alive. The heavy metal plate quickly extended and bent upwards, enveloping the group in the crematorium in the blink of an eye.

The furnace has a spacious interior, with even small ventilation holes, but the outer steel layer is thick enough to withstand a frontal hit from an anti-materiel sniper rifle.

Hannah sat in the dark furnace, reaching out to touch the cold metal interior, and unconsciously gripped the Bible in her hand tightly.

Although being locked in a crematorium sounds unlucky, it is undoubtedly the safest fortress on this battlefield amidst gunfire.

But—won't Sulong get hurt fighting against so many armed soldiers all by himself?

After settling Hannah and the others in, Surong turned back to look at the panicked mercenaries in the distance and sneered.

In his eyes, these thirty-odd mercenaries, along with the scheming Zena, were nothing more than walking pools of experience.

These mercenaries' assault rifles are no joke, and Hannah and her group don't have his powerful healing abilities. If they were hit in a vital spot by a stray bullet, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Moreover, with his teammates present, he would inevitably have some reservations when he took action. Now, by placing them all in the crematorium, he can ensure their safety and also act without any worries.

Su Long cracked his knuckles, making a crisp popping sound: "Alright, now—the hunt begins."

With a slight thought, he activated the [Night Hunter] attribute, and his figure instantly merged into the darkness.

"Come on, everyone, I've come to find you."

The deep voice echoed in the empty space, as if it came from all directions at the same time. The mercenary captain's back was instantly soaked with cold sweat. He couldn't see anything, and could only instinctively raise the gun in his hand and pull the trigger tightly in the direction from which the voice came.

"Fire! He's right ahead!"

The muzzle flash briefly illuminated the surrounding metal walls, but there was nothing there.

Su Long stood in the blind spot, his eyes wide open, a wave of fear emanating from him as he unleashed a devastating attack on the mercenary formation ahead.

An invisible wave of mental energy instantly swept over the more than thirty mercenaries, and their originally tight defensive formation completely collapsed at that moment.

The mercenaries were struck dumb, their heads throbbing with intense headaches and dizziness. Many of them could barely hold their guns and kept crashing into the anti-slip steel plates.

With a sudden burst of power, Su Long appeared on the left flank of the mercenary formation. He silently approached the outermost soldier, and with lightning speed, his left hand reached out and grabbed the man's neck.

The next moment, the world-destroying fire surged from his palm and instantly covered the mercenary's entire body.

The soldier who was set ablaze didn't even have time to let out a complete scream before he was completely engulfed by the raging heat. He rolled around frantically on the cold, non-slip steel plate, trying to extinguish the flames on his body, but the sticky effect of the world-destroying fire made it impossible to extinguish by physical means.

In just a few seconds, the burly man turned into a pile of ashes that drifted away in the wind.

"Over here! I see fire!" The mercenary next to him, enduring the throbbing pain in his head, turned his gun and opened fire wildly at the spot where Su Long had briefly appeared.

A dense hail of bullets rained down on the metal bulkhead, sending up a shower of sparks, but Sulong had already moved from that position.

He weaved through the interwoven barrage of bullets, each brief appearance accompanied by a burst of purple-gold flames, signifying that a mercenary had been burned to ashes.

The survivors panicked completely. They began firing wildly in the darkness, and stray bullets flew around in the enclosed metal space, causing one friendly fire incident after another.

People were constantly being shot down by their own men; screams, curses, and gunshots mingled together, turning the entire area into a chaotic slaughterhouse.

Zena clutched her head tightly, curled up and knelt in the very center of the formation. Her whole body trembled uncontrollably, her eyes were tightly closed, and she nervously muttered prayers, wanting nothing more than to live.

Su Long stood on the edge of the high metal wall, looking down at the chaotic mercenaries below. He once again conjured world-destroying flames in his hands, and at the same time opened his mouth wide, fiercely unleashing a shrill sonic wave!

A violent column of wind erupted from his mouth, and the world-destroying flames instantly engulfed the wind column, transforming into a terrifying fire tornado several meters in diameter, which directly crushed the right flank of the mercenary formation.

Seven or eight mercenaries were thrown into the air by the violent wind pressure, and the world-destroying fire climbed onto their bodies like a malignant tumor.

The raging flames didn't even wait for them to land before engulfing them in mid-air, burning them to ashes that scattered and fell on their companions below.

[Kill an armed mercenary and gain 1 experience point.]

[Kill an armed mercenary and gain 1 experience point.]

[Kill an armed mercenary and gain 1 experience point.]

The light blue system notification boxes flashed wildly in Su Long's eyes. These ordinary humans could only provide a pitifully small amount of experience points, but their quantity was abundant.

In just three minutes, the originally aggressive group of more than thirty mercenaries had dwindled to just two: the captain, whose mental state was on the verge of collapse, and Zena, who was still crouching on the ground, trembling with her head in her hands.

A deathly silence returned, broken only by the faint crackling of a few still-burning purple-gold flames in the distance.

The captain was panting heavily. He threw away the rifle with its empty magazine, pulled out a tactical knife strapped to his thigh, and wildly brandished the blade in the darkness like a madman, screaming hysterically.

"Come out! What kind of skill is it to hide in the shadows! If you're a man, fight me head-on! I'm not afraid of you! Come out!"

Su Long removed his Night Hunter disguise and slowly appeared three meters in front of the captain, saying calmly, "As you wish."

Upon seeing the sudden appearance of Su Long, the captain's eyes instantly turned bloodshot. He let out a beast-like roar and raised his dagger to stab Su Long in the chest.

Su Long casually raised his left hand and grabbed the thrusting blade. Flames instantly erupted from his palm, and the tactical dagger, forged from high-carbon steel, was instantly reduced to ashes.

The captain screamed and released his grip as if electrocuted, throwing the half-melted dagger to the ground. But before he could retreat, Su Long had already stepped forward and punched the captain in the face.

A terrifying force traveled along the captain's cheekbone and cervical spine, causing him to crash heavily onto the cold steel plate, spitting out teeth mixed with blood.

Su Long shook his wrist, took a step, and walked towards the captain who was lying on the ground.

As Su Long drew ever closer, the captain's blood-soaked face suddenly contorted into an extremely cruel and insane smile. His right hand, hidden beneath him, twitched violently, revealing a high-explosive grenade with its pin pulled off in his palm.

"Let's go to hell together, you bastard!"

The captain roared and charged straight at Su Long with a grenade in hand, but before he could take a step, the anti-slip steel plate under his feet suddenly split open to the sides, and he fell into the crematorium below.

With a loud bang, the heavy metal hatch above his head slammed shut, and the turntable locked tight.

"I didn't go when Baphomet invited me, so you think you're worthy?"

"The next second, a muffled explosion came from deep within the steel plate beneath our feet, as a high-explosive grenade detonated inside the fully enclosed crematorium."

The violent impact caused the ground beneath Su Long's feet to tremble slightly, but the heavy hatch remained completely still.

"boom!"

The crematorium began to work normally, and the dazzling golden flames shone through the gaps in the hatch, illuminating the surrounding black metal walls with intermittent light. The muffled roar of the flames echoed wildly inside the furnace, as if a hungry beast was feasting inside.

A few seconds later, the flames gradually died down, and everything returned to calm.

Burning an elite mercenary grants 5 experience points.

[Obtained the entry "Peak of Marksmanship!"]

Su Long glanced at the pop-up notification on his retina and casually closed it. He no longer cared much about such mediocre entries, but it's always good to have more skills, and there will always be a use for them in the future.

Then, Su Long turned around and looked calmly at Zena.

This senior inspector from the bizarre support agency was slumped on the cold steel plate.

His once neat uniform was now covered in dust and other people's bloodstains. His hair was disheveled and stuck to his cheeks. Tears and snot mingled together, making him look utterly wretched.

She watched in horror as Su Long approached, her legs kicking futilely on the ground as she tried to back away, but her movements were no match for Su Long's speed.

Su Long walked up to her, looking down at this self-righteous woman, and slowly raised his right hand, a strange flame of purple and gold rising in his palm.

As the eerie flame drew ever closer, Zena's mental defenses completely crumbled. She crouched on the ground, wailing desperately, "Monster—you're a monster—don't come any closer! Don't come any closer!"

Warm liquid seeped into a dark patch on Zena's bodycon skirt, and pale yellow urine stains ran down her black stockings that covered her thighs, splashing onto the cold, non-slip steel plate and pooling into a small puddle of murky water that smelled of urine.

Su Long stopped abruptly, his brow furrowing as he looked at the puddle of urine beneath Zena that had soiled his area. "Bad luck," he muttered.

He slightly raised his right hand, and the flame in his palm suddenly shot up a bit.

"Now, I'll ask you a question, and you'll answer it. If I find out you're lying to me, or spouting nonsense—"

""

Su Long pointed to the spot where the captain had disappeared not far away: "You'll end up like them."

Zena's carefully applied makeup was now a mess, mixed with snot and tears, making her look like a madwoman.

Hearing that there was still a glimmer of hope, she nodded frantically, like a pestle pounding garlic: "I'll talk! I'll tell you everything! Please don't burn me!"

Su Long snorted coldly and demanded, "Who is the person who's been pulling the strings behind the scenes?"

Zena's lips trembled as she stammered out the truth: "It's—it's Mr. Epstein—and, and the chairman of the bureau's evaluation committee, Garrison."

Su Long's eyes turned cold and sharp. He sighed and asked again, "What kind of collusion does the island lord have with the higher-ups of your bizarre support bureau? Be detailed, what is your plan?"

Zena dared not hide anything and quickly told him everything she knew: "In order to cover up the bunker's sacrificial scandal, Mr. Epstein spent a lot of money to bribe Chairman Garrison after the refrigeration system malfunctioned and the corpses mutated into bizarre and out-of-control forms."

"He abused his power to forcibly modify the risk assessment report for the examination location, and directly set the examination location for B-level exorcists on this little St. James Island."

She sniffled hard and continued, "They want you unsuspecting test-takers to be free cleaners. If you die at the hands of those monsters, it will just fill the gap in the number of bodies Mr. Epstein needs for his sacrifice."

"Anyway, you came here for the assessment and signed a waiver of life and death. If you die, you can only blame your own lack of strength."

As Su Long listened to these words, the coldness in his eyes grew stronger. These high-ranking nobles and bureaucrats treated human lives as disposable commodities, playing with them at will. They were really good at making cunning calculations.

"What about those mercenaries outside? Were they also arranged by Garrison?"

Zena shook her head and honestly replied, "No—that was arranged by Mr. Epstein. He was worried that some candidates were too strong and managed to clear out the monsters on the outside, find the entrance to the bunker, and discover the secret inside."

"So he spent a lot of money in advance to hire this elite squad from Blackwater. Their equipment is made of specially made armor-piercing rounds, specifically designed to deal with exorcists. As soon as you come out of the bunker alive, you will all be shot dead immediately, leaving no one alive."

Su Long sneered and questioned, "And what about afterwards? So many people died, how do you plan to explain this to the outside world? You can't exactly say we committed mass suicide, can you?"

Zena took a deep breath and replied in a trembling voice, "Just announce to the outside world that your group of candidates encountered an uncontrollable A-level anomaly during the assessment and were all wiped out. Since there are no witnesses, Chairman Garrison will also suppress the investigation report within the department. This kind of thing has happened before. As long as there are no survivors or witnesses, the department will not investigate further."

Upon hearing this, Su Long paused for a moment, then asked in a cold voice, "Where is that chairman now?"

Zena shook her head, tears streaming down her face: "He's not on the island! He and Mr. Epstein are both at the headquarters villa in Seattle!"

""

"The Seattle headquarters?"

Su Long sneered and then asked, "One last question: tell me how to leave the island safely."

"I'm warning you, you'd better not try anything funny on this issue, or I don't mind spending a few hours slowly burning you from head to toe."

Zena cried out in terror, "Yes—yes! There are safe boats!"

"Where?"

"It's right there in the harbor on the east side of the island! There's a heavy speedboat, number 0837, docked there, fully fueled. Just get on that boat, and we can go straight to St. Thomas Island. Once we're there, we'll be completely safe!"

Seeing that Su Long didn't believe her, Zena quickly puffed out her chest, trying to show her sincerity: "The key—the key is on me! It's in the inside pocket of my left jacket! Take it yourself! I'm absolutely not lying to you!"

Just as Su Long hesitated, a flash of blue light appeared on his retina.

[Intelligence Insight Triggered, New Intelligence Found!]

The target is lying!

[A high-yield remote-controlled bomb has been installed inside speedboat 0837. Once it sails more than two nautical miles away from the island, the bomb will automatically detonate. The truly safe vessel is hidden in a closed dock behind the harbor; the key is located in the target's inner underwear pocket.]