MTLNOVEL Chapter 121: Race Against Time...
A few hours later, inside South Town's municipal office building.
All of the senior officials stared in horror at the giant screen that was showing a live feed taken by the personnel they had dispatched.
At that very moment, bizarre and unimaginable battles were unfolding across every district of South Town.
The screen was split into several windows, each shot in a different location …
First window – A woman with long, silvery-white hair was walking the broad avenue alone.
The huge machines in the alley and the blue light from above had exposed a helicopter hidden in the night sky. She clearly realized she was being filmed, yet her expression remained indifferent.
Every police officer and patrol car deployed along the street had already been frozen into ice sculptures. Frost rippled outward wherever she passed.
Second window – The entire frame was filled by a single giant.
It stood just under ten meters tall, with an enormous head, razor-sharp teeth, and long golden hair like a human's.
Its bulk did nothing to slow it down; it moved with shocking agility and speed.
The city's buildings became its cover from artillery fire and the springboards for its leaps. One casual swipe of its massive hand could pulverize masonry.
When the police closed in, it would drop to street level, fling patrol cars aside with a lazy backhand, or open its gaping maw and swallow people whole.
Ordinary bullets barely harmed it.
Third window – No enemy had appeared yet, but great fissures had opened across the streets. Police casualties were heavy, and many patrol cars had fallen into the gaping pits.
Fourth window – The camera captured a shadowy figure rushing straight into a fortified police line at an eerie speed. Every official who crossed its path fell as though they were vegetables on a chopping block. The lenses could not lock onto the target, and the hail of bullets could not even graze it.
That speed was beyond anything human.
Fifth window …
(feed continued)
…
Inside the room, everyone fell silent.
None of them had ever witnessed anything like this—not just in South Town, but anywhere in the world—and all of it was happening simultaneously.
"Our entire police force is already deployed," the meeting leader said gravely, "but it's clear we can't kill these suspects. We've contacted the military; they're sending units, but it will take time. Our officers' weapons and training are no match for the army's. At this rate, our people will all be dead before long."
"It's strange," an elderly man at the table said, pointing to the first window showing the white-haired woman. "All the personnel we sent to that area have been killed, haven't they?"
"Yes." The leader nodded.
"The fighting's been going on for quite a while, yet none of these suspects have tried to flee. They all stick to their designated zones. Even that giant only moves within a limited range rather than charging our lines head-on."
"What's their objective?"
"We don't know." The leader closed his eyes. "No background on any of them?"
"None—at least they're not citizens of America."
"It looks bad … How do we hold them off until the army arrives?"
"I have a suggestion," someone raised a hand.
"Speak."
"The KOF tournament is about to begin. Fighters from all over the world are already gathered in South Town. If we officially request their help to capture these killers, what do you think?" The man glanced at the screen. "I propose we pull our people back. Some of these suspects are clearly beyond what the police can handle; keeping our men there will only lead to pointless deaths. We can still hold certain fronts where the enemy's abilities aren't outrageous, stalling for time, while assisting any fighters who agree to join the battle."
"Also contact the Howard Connection. They're the biggest corporation in South Town, and I'm sure Geese Howard doesn't want to see the city reduced to rubble—his bars and hotels have already taken hits. And we know Geese isn't exactly clean; he might have some tricks up his sleeve."
"Those … fighters, huh …" The leader frowned.
Given how deadly the enemies were, even calling in the fighters might not help—but with the situation this dire, they had no choice but to try.
…
Elsewhere, on a deserted midnight street
A sudden burst of gunfire cut off.
Xiang Nan had just wiped out another police squad patrolling the battlefield.
Bodies lay strewn around him, but he didn't linger.
His figure blurred and slipped into the shadows beside a nearby building.
His black trench coat was soaked with blood.
Above, a helicopter followed but never fired—perhaps for fear of friendly casualties. Xiang Nan could tell it was tracking him.
The authorities were onto their infiltration team, and at least a thousand officers had been deployed; by now the three of them had thinned those ranks considerably.
Police were no match for regular troops.
"The army will be here soon," he thought, and once the chopper lost him, he headed off again.
Several official strongpoints still needed clearing.
Yet when he reached the next one, the police guarding it were gone.
"They didn't redeploy—they withdrew?" he guessed.
If they'd retreated, then it was time for the next phase.
He opened the squad channel in the system to contact Beishi and the others.
Half an hour later, under the night sky, buildings across their battlefield began to explode or burn.
The city's power grid was sabotaged, plunging the district into darkness.
Flames and thick smoke turned the terrain chaotic.
Two hours passed.
"That should do it. Before the army arrives, we have to find those two rogue players and eliminate them," Xiang Nan said as the three of them stood in the street, watching a building a hundred meters away engulfed in fire and smoke. "We've searched the main zones; not much area left."
"If we don't deal with them, the system won't lift the battlefield restrictions. Once the army shows up and daylight comes, it'll be hard to slip away."
"Those two rats are probably hiding in one of the cars abandoned on the street," he added, scanning the roads choked with private vehicles left behind when civilians were evacuated.
The cars were dense yet scattered—perfect hiding spots.
Most large buildings were now destroyed, and the smoke and fire had shrunk the remaining cover. With their Nen abilities and speed, they should be able to catch the two rats before the army arrived—provided they knew what their targets looked like.
Once the battlefield lock was lifted, they could move freely again.
Otherwise, the consequences would be dire when the troops showed up.
And the military wasn't the only threat …
Thinking of this, Xiang Nan glanced toward the neighboring battlefield. They had to race against the clock.
If they didn't lift their own restrictions first—and the intruders next door broke free—there was a good chance those intruders would come looking for them!
~~~
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