Then let the witch offer her loyalty

The pale moonlight, like frost, slanted across an abandoned steel factory. Towering cooling towers cast large shadows on the ground under the moonlight, and rusty hooks swayed in the wind, emitting creaking metallic groans.

In the very center of this steel ruin, Anies lay in a pool of blood, moonlight falling on her face, the dark marks spreading from the corners of her eyes like split thorns, writhing and turning beneath her skin.

The place where she lay was covered in blood, but it wasn't someone else's blood; it was her own.

Her legs were bent in a bizarre way. Judging from the blood-stained stones beside her, she had smashed her own legs, her Achilles tendons severed, and the wounds were bloody and bulging, with the flesh and fabric almost stuck together.

Perhaps Anies sensed something beforehand. She fled the hospital alone, running south and further away from the stargate. Finally, she came to this remote place and destroyed her own legs, rendering her body immobile and turning this place into a prison that bound her.

This benefactor, who dedicated his life to the future of humanity, would rather be crippled here than endanger the Stargate.

Before Chen Moxin's eyes, silver particles flowed continuously, displaying the final countdown:

Find Annies Craig and ensure her survival for 20 days (Time remaining: 1 minute 31 seconds)

Anies was completely out of her mind; broken breaths escaped from her parted lips, the white mist from her exhaled breath condensing into frost in the increasingly cold air: "That wasn't a dream..."

"That being saw me... It communicated with me through every tiny particle of matter and every spatial fluctuation in this world, and then pulled me into that place..."

Chen Moxin couldn't understand what she was saying, nor did he intend to. He just wanted to stall for time: "Stop talking nonsense, Anies. Come back with me. You need to rest and recover."

The dark marks around Anies's eyes deepened, spreading and branching across her skin. Her voice grew hoarse, sounding unlike her own: "It's watching me, scrutinizing me with that supreme consciousness..."

"I began to understand that humans were nothing more than insignificant beings in their eyes, not even insects, just dust in the void."

Find Annies Craig and ensure her survival for 20 days (Time remaining: 57 seconds)

Anies's pupils swelled, almost swallowing her entire iris; the eerie blackness resembled an infinitely deep abyss. Her words became increasingly incomprehensible, like the ramblings of a madwoman devoid of logic.

"It has no form, no limbs, no substance; its existence is merely fluctuation... those fluctuations of existence penetrate the barriers of space, flowing in my blood, crawling through my nerves..."

[Time Remaining: 30 seconds]

"Its breath is the wrinkles of time, can you hear it? Its fragments are reassembling within my bone marrow..."

[Time Remaining: 20 seconds]

"The veil we call 'reality' has been torn apart, and the vast, supreme heaven is melting in my eyes..."

[Time Remaining: 10 seconds]

"No beginning, no end... Our so-called existence is nothing but a fleeting bubble... When we are observed by it, destruction is already destined..."

When the black mark finally pierced the corner of her eye, Anies' pupils suddenly contracted vertically, and pale blue blood vessels bulged on the surface of the whites of her eyes, twisting into the same thorny pattern as the black mark.

"I will be devoured!"

A hoarse howl came from deep within her throat, like some kind of beast stripped of its human form, utterly falling from the edge of reason into the abyss.

"You too will eventually be devoured!!!"

[Time Remaining: 0 seconds]

Find Annies Craig and ensure her survival for 20 days (Completed)

[Final Mission: Ensure the successful implementation of the Stargate Project in this location and obtain the final data for "Tear of Reality"]

In an instant, Anies's pupils burst forth with a dark purple glint, as if ignited by some strange power. The air began to thicken, as if the entire space was being pulled apart by some invisible force.

A dark purple halo slowly emerged around her, as if it were filth seeping from the void. At first, it was just a thin layer, but in an instant, it began to expand rapidly, sweeping around like a tide and rushing straight to the sky.

The once deep night sky was now occupied by dark purple energy, cracking open with irregular fissures. Countless energies surged out and converged into vortexes, twisting and spinning like living things, casting terrifying and eerie giant shadows upon the world.

A frenzied outburst erupts, and the Death Zone descends!

...

A cold night wind swept across the Planetary Defense Force's front lines, stirring up a thin layer of dust that brushed past the deployed mobile bunkers and tower defense cores.

High in the sky, swarms of drones hover like sleepless ghosts, weaving an invisible defensive net in the air, scanning for any possible threats.

Soldiers clad in tactical armor stood behind cover, the alloy coating on the armor gleaming a cold, eerie blue under the searchlights. Each breath condensed into a fine mist behind their masks, and the entire position was shrouded in a heavy and oppressive atmosphere.

"Is there some mistake with this martial law order? Why is it so sudden?" a young soldier muttered to himself.

As a new recruit in the Planetary Defense Force who had been serving for less than six months, this was the first time he had ever seen a martial law order covering the entire colony. This filled him with anxiety, and he even tried to deceive himself by saying that there was a "mistake" in order to calm his nerves.

“Don’t be silly, Jack.” Sergeant Brooks, standing next to him, scoffed. “You think something as serious as martial law would be wrong? Do you expect the Governor’s Office to tell us—oh, guys, it’s a misunderstanding, everyone go back to sleep.”

Jack swallowed nervously: "But at least tell us who we're dealing with! The governor's office hasn't said anything, and suddenly they're ordering us all to seal off the city... This kind of operation can't be for dealing with those rebels who are hiding like rats, can it?"

Brooks's gaze also turned serious: "Then the question is, the colony is such a small place, besides the rebels, who else can we deal with?"

Jack looked up at the distant street. The aerial searchlight beams from the drones swept across the emptied city. The neon lights between the skyscrapers had long been turned off, and only the cold broadcasts echoed over the entire colony, giving people an indescribable sense of oppression.

Just then, the unexpected change occurred.

Boundless, colorful light rose from the southern horizon, instantly staining the night sky with thick, dark purple energy. Dark, surging ripples formed a dense vortex of energy that endlessly rotated and expanded, swallowing up the once clear outlines of distant buildings.

"what's the situation?!"

The dark purple energy seemed to possess some indescribable power, and a faint yet omnipresent voice echoed in the soldiers' minds.

It wasn't just noise, but a complex, multi-layered sound, mixed with the roar of a storm, the shriek of metal rubbing together, the whispering of secrets, and even the sound of some eerie creature crawling and wriggling.

Many soldiers' breathing became rapid, and cold sweat beaded on their foreheads. They instinctively covered their ears, only to find that the sound did not come from the outside world, but exploded directly in their minds.

"What...what's going on?!...!"

Even though they were so far apart, just gazing at the dark purple energy that filled the sky made their thoughts become chaotic, as if the reality before them was constantly being distorted, and something was trying to steal their minds.

Just as the soldiers were struggling to maintain their consciousness, an urgent voice came through the communication band: "Attention all personnel, drones have detected a large number of unidentified targets approaching. Prepare for battle!"

With the emergency order issued, the various combat formations quickly deployed and set up guns and cannons behind cover. The engineers also switched the tower core to combat mode, and the swarm of drones in the sky dispersed to form a ground defense network.

Dark purple energy violently vibrated in the distant night sky, even forming strange cracks, as if some life form had opened its huge mouth and was devouring the sky.

At this moment, the soldiers vaguely felt the ground trembling. At first, they thought it was just a misperception due to their tension, since a major earthquake would require a very violent activity.

But soon, as they looked at each other and saw the doubt in each other's eyes, they realized that this was not an illusion, but a real tremor.

Ten minutes later, the first wave of contact arrived.

Many people emerged from the buildings in front of the position. They were dressed in simple clothes and were typical poor people from the lower city.

But they were completely different from before. Each of them had undergone some kind of change. Their muscles bulged as if they had been torn apart, their blood vessels twisted and extended along their arms and necks, and their joints swelled abnormally, as if strange angles had grown on their bones.

At the same time, each of them had thorn-like black marks around their eyes, spreading out like vines. Their faces were extremely distorted, their mouths were strangely upturned, and they kept laughing maniacally, which together shook the entire block.

These strange humans wandered aimlessly, and every now and then someone would use a makeshift weapon to strike their weaker companions, smearing their faces with their blood.

The killer is laughing, and the killed is also laughing.

Upon seeing this, Brooks quickly picked up the megaphone and issued a warning: "Attention, the colony is now under a state of war. All non-military personnel must remain at home or go to shelters. Nighttime outings are strictly prohibited. Anyone violating this rule will be considered a potential threat! Leave immediately! Leave immediately!"

This routine warning became the fuse that ignited the explosive barrel.

The strange humans looked in the direction of the sound, and when they saw the soldiers standing ready, they burst into twisted, excited laughter.

"Look! It's a human!"

"There are actually normal people here?!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! I want to eat them alive!!!"

As bursts of maniacal laughter erupted, these people completely ignored the warnings from the military and even the black cannons pointed at them, surging in from all directions.

Brooks' eyes sharpened, and he decisively issued the order: "The rioters are launching a massive assault on the defensive line. Warnings have been ignored! All units prepare for battle and open fire at will!"

Chapter 149 The Berserker Blade

"Kill! Kill! Kill them all! Hee ha ha ha ha—"

"You filthy scum, reeking of corpses, I will drown you in your own blood!"

"Run! Scream! I'm going to chop you all into pieces!!!"

On the front lines, the situation has descended into utter chaos.

Countless Dead Apostles, corrupted by madness, surged toward the Planetary Defense Force's position with their狰狞 (zhengning - ferocious) faces, twisted and eerie smiles, and mouths full of filthy words.

Under orders, the planetary defense forces stationed there opened fire without hesitation.

The first to retaliate were the heavy machine gunners at various firing positions. Wearing heavy mobile armor, they gripped the heavy machine guns mounted in front of them and began to fire wildly.

"Da da da da da-"

With deafening gunfire, the machine gun bullets converged into long steel whips, pouring down on the frenzied, utterly inhuman madmen.

These suicide bombers had certain physical deformities, making them much stronger than ordinary people, but they were still too insignificant in the face of large-caliber heavy machine gun bullets.

“Puff, puff, puff—”

In an instant, a crimson mist of blood filled the street, and the Death Knights in the front row fell like dominoes, their mangled bodies rolling on the ground, blood gushing out and converging into a shocking river of crimson.

At the same time, armed drones in the air began bombing, and various types of ground missiles rained down from the sky with a deathly whistle. Huge fireballs instantly engulfed the nearby dead, throwing shattered concrete and human remains into the air.

The tower cores on the flanks of the defensive position were operating at full power. These already deployed automatic turrets stood tall and imposing, their muzzles flashing with the cold light of laser beams. These attacks produced no explosions or flashes, but their penetrating power was enough to melt dozens of people in two with a single sweep.

A deafening roar erupted, blood mist billowed into the sky, and flames intertwined on the shattered streets, creating a breathtaking scene.

Based on the Planetary Defense Force's past experience fighting rebels, this level of bombardment is enough to send the rebels' most elite troops fleeing in panic within a dozen seconds.

But this time, the enemy's performance completely exceeded their expectations.

In the streets and alleys in front of the defensive line, the deadly soldiers, who had suffered massive casualties, still surged forward recklessly. Even those dead soldiers who had been hit by artillery fire but were not quite dead dragged their limbs and desperately rushed towards the front line.

These madmen showed no sign of retreat or fear; in fact, they became even more excited by the sight of blood and death. They cursed, screamed, laughed wildly, and their frantic shouts mingled with the sounds of flesh breaking. The thorny black marks on their faces appeared even more glaring in the firelight.

As Jack fired his gun at the dead men, he yelled, "Are these guys all insane? Are they out of their minds?!"

Brooks, his expression grave, pulled out his communicator and shouted, "Command, our lines are under attack by unidentified personnel and are facing immense pressure. Area A-17 requests backup! Repeat, Area A-17 requests backup!"

Soon, a chilling response came from the other end of the communicator: "A-17, we have no more support troops! These bastards have gone mad, all fronts are under attack from them, you can only rely on yourselves!"

Brooks then realized that the sky above was much brighter than usual, not only because of the mysterious blackish-purple energy in the southern sky, but also because it was illuminated by the artillery fire that was being poured out by the surrounding war zones.

"My God... what's wrong with this planet?!"

In the ensuing battles, the situation became increasingly unfavorable for the Planetary Defense Forces.

Although these suicide bombers were insane, they were not truly irrational lunatics. When they realized they couldn't break through the artillery fire, they spontaneously formed dozens or even hundreds of combat squads.

They were armed with weapons circulating in the black market of the lower city, and thus possessed considerable combat capability. Their command even included basic tactics such as alternating attacks and flanking maneuvers, putting immense pressure on the planetary defense forces.

Soldiers were constantly being hit by the dead men's weapons. Their screams as they fell mingled with the dense gunfire, and blood quickly stained the defensive positions.

If the situation continues like this, given the Planetary Defense Force's superior equipment and the previously established defensive positions, even with some casualties, it wouldn't be difficult to completely stop the Dead Apostles' offensive.

However, what happened next brought utter destruction to these soldiers.

"Roar!!!"

Amidst the raging flames of war, a deafening growl echoed across the battlefield, and a monster emerged from behind the Dead Apostles' lines.

This monster is enormous. From a distance, one can still barely discern the outline of what was once human, but its body is covered by morbidly mutated organs. Strange lumps can be seen everywhere, and twisted bones and muscles intertwine and extend to form multiple protruding alien limbs.

The dense barrage of heavy machine gun bullets struck its body, but almost all of them were deflected by its hard biological carapace.

The missiles launched by the drone landed on it, only causing a brief burst of fire and smoke.

Even highly penetrating laser weapons cannot completely penetrate its body, only melting out scorch marks of varying depths.

Even more terrifying is that this mutated monster is surrounded by a blackish-purple energy field, just like the energy that permeates the sky in the southern region. Just looking at it is enough to drive people crazy and make them lose their minds.

Just as the soldiers were desperately trying to kill the monster, the deformed body moved. Its massive, axe-like arms swept out, shattering more than a dozen Dead Apostles blocking its path, and then pounced towards the Planetary Defense Force's position.

Braving the barrage of gunfire, the mutant rammed directly into the armored vehicle at the front. The hard hull immediately emitted a sharp metallic tearing sound, and the alloy armor was torn apart by its immense force as if it were made of paper.

The mutants charged into the lines and wreaked havoc, easily smashing the bunkers into countless pieces. The soldiers caught in the blast were reduced to piles of mangled remains in the blink of an eye.

Most fatally, the dead zone, symbolizing extreme madness, directly enveloped the position, infusing the soldiers with its madness and corruption.

Jack howled in agony, trying to fight against the insane ramblings that were constantly eroding his sanity, but soon he felt someone grab his neck.

He opened his eyes and saw Brooks looking at him. The officer who had taken good care of him during his recruit days now had thorny black marks around his eyes and a twisted, sinister smile on his face, just like those of the Dead Men.

"Don't resist, Jack, let this wonderful madness fill your brain, you'll find it incredibly exhilarating."

In his final moments, Jack saw Brooks open his gaping maw and bite down on his head.

...

On the southern edge of the Cicero planetary colony, the pollution from rampant madness was extremely concentrated.

The death field erupted continuously from Anies's body, rapidly eroding everything around her like a plague. Her hair danced wildly in the surging air like countless snakes, and even her blood was being eroded by the frenzy, turning the blood vessels under her skin blackish-purple.