Chapter 108 – The Continuously Deteriorating Situation

Frontline Camp, Residential House.

By the time Su Ming returned here, it was already around midnight.

Lei Hao and Ye Bai seemed to have already teamed up and headed to the frontline for their shift rotation.

Jiang Wanyu was still resting. Though her sleep appeared somewhat restless, her complexion looked much better, no longer as pale and weak as before.

An Zijin and Yao Beibei stayed behind to look after Jiang Wanyu.

However, perhaps due to exhaustion, Yao Beibei had fallen asleep with her head resting on the edge of the bed. Only An Zijin remained awake, carefully wiping Jiang Wanyu’s wounds with a handkerchief.

When Su Ming entered from outside and saw this scene, he felt somewhat awkward.

Since she was tending to the wounds, An Zijin had removed Jiang Wanyu’s clothes. The exposed pale skin nearly blinded Su Ming’s titanium-alloy eyes.

“Brother Su Ming!”

An Zijin noticed Su Ming too. After exclaiming in surprise, she quickly helped Jiang Wanyu put her clothes back on.

“Are the Phantom Demons here…!?”

Startled from her sleep, Yao Beibei jolted upright with a frightened expression, calling out in alarm.

“Mm…”

Jiang Wanyu also furrowed her brows in her sleep, disturbed by the commotion.

“It’s alright, it’s alright! There are no Phantom Demons, no enemies!”

Seeing this, An Zijin hurriedly comforted both of them. Jiang Wanyu gradually relaxed her furrowed brows and continued sleeping, while Yao Beibei also calmed down after realizing the situation, lowering her head in embarrassment.

Ahem, ahem. Su Ming cleared his throat dryly before approaching them. “I’m back. Did anything happen?”

“Nothing,” An Zijin shook her head, expressing both relief and concern. “Wanyu’s condition has improved a lot. She even woke up once, ate a little something, so she should be fine now. I’m just worried about Senior Lei Hao and Senior Ye Bai.”

Clearly, what happened to Jiang Wanyu had made An Zijin somewhat jumpy.

Now, whenever she thought about Lei Hao and Ye Bai fighting on the frontline, she worried they might return severely injured like Jiang Wanyu.

Even Yao Beibei felt the same.

“The situation at the frontline doesn’t seem good. Although it hasn’t reached the most critical point yet, we seem to be continuously losing ground.”

Yao Beibei handed her phone to Su Ming.

Su Ming took it and glanced at the screen, finding it filled with the latest real-time reports.

Just as Yao Beibei said, the frontline defenses appeared to be steadily retreating under the assault of the Phantom Demon army.

Phantom Demons kept emerging from the Spirit Demon Abyss through the portal into the present world. Despite Longyao City’s defense lines rotating shifts to resist the incoming Phantom Demons, the relentless pressure and continuous fighting resulted in either heavy casualties or extreme exhaustion, making their defense increasingly difficult.

Especially when Hazardous Species crossed over from the Spirit Demon Abyss—each time they appeared, they wreaked havoc comparable to natural disasters, causing massive casualties at the very front.

By this point, even the Six-Star Professionals overseeing the entire Huaming District Battlefield were growing restless. Some had been forced to intervene personally, taking action to eliminate the rampaging Hazardous Species and relieve pressure on the frontlines.Yet even so, the pressure on the frontlines remains immense, with casualty numbers continuously being updated.

Lower-Rank Professionals need not be mentioned, but even the usually invaluable and extraordinarily powerful Upper-Rank Professionals have already seen dozens withdraw in despair—either rendered incapable of continuing the fight or outright killed in battle.

In contrast, the Spirit Demon Abyss seems to truly possess endless Phantom Demons. Countless Phantom Demons have manifested in this realm, their numbers never diminishing and even showing signs of gradually increasing.

It is said that the Sorcerer Guild has gone all out, deploying many long-held trump cards. The guild elders currently using the Distant Abyss Gate to seal the entrance are taking pills, using artifacts, and some have even employed alchemical weapons, activating their Vision Marks while disregarding massive Spirit Power consumption—all in pursuit of sealing the entrance as quickly as possible.

They bear the greatest pressure.

After all, to seal the entrance to the Spirit Demon Abyss, they remain near the entrance—a position even more forward than the frontlines—enduring the first assaults of Phantom Demons emerging from the Spirit Demon Abyss.

Were it not for the layered defenses deployed around them by Longyao City’s upper echelons, and the many Sorcerer Guild sorcerers there constantly protecting them with defensive Spirit Arts, they would be utterly unable to focus on sealing the entrance under the Phantom Demon army’s assaults.

Longyao City has also dispatched two Six-Star Hunters to guard their perimeter, barely maintaining the progress of the sealing operation.

Otherwise, the operation might have already failed, forcing Longyao City to face full-scale invasion by the Phantom Demon army.

“This situation is indeed quite dire,” Su Ming returned the phone to Yao Beibei.

“I wonder when this will end,” An Zijin wore a worried expression.

“My family told me that among the Four Base Cities, the three besides Longyao City are closely monitoring this situation and appear to be preparing support,” Yao Beibei offered some good news.

Su Ming wasn’t surprised by this.

The Four Base Cities have always maintained mutual exchange. As coastal Base Cities, they’ve naturally formed offensive and defensive alliances, making mutual support during disasters quite normal.

However, persuading other Base Cities to send reinforcements before a truly critical moment is likely impossible.

The reason is none other than what adults call “complicated considerations.”

Despite their mutual exchanges, since they’re not from the same Base City, there will always be those who find it inconvenient—or simply don’t wish—to accommodate Longyao City.

Even within Longyao City itself, major powers and great Families battle fiercely amidst complex relationships, let alone forces from other Base Cities.

Therefore, unless truly facing existential crisis, even if other Base Cities want to send reinforcements, Longyao City’s upper echelons wouldn’t feel comfortable allowing their main forces to enter freely.

Who knows if they’re coming to help or cause trouble?

One can only say that human nature cannot withstand testing, and precautionary vigilance remains necessary.

Thus, while Yao Beibei’s news was good, it wasn’t something that could take immediate effect.

Or rather, if things reach the point where other Base Cities must send reinforcements, that would likely mean Longyao City is nearing catastrophic collapse.We’re not at that point yet.

Therefore, it’s clearly unrealistic to expect reinforcements from other Base Cities.

“Forget it, these are matters for the higher-ups to worry about.” Su Ming shook his head and said, “We just need to focus on the battles along this front line.”

In the face of such a war, even Six-Star Professionals can’t play a decisive role, let alone people like them.

Although Su Ming had undergone a transformation, possessing the Bloodline of a Nightmare Species and having Awakened his Vision Mark, making him completely different from before, the gap between him and a Six-Star Professional was still vast.

Not to mention Six-Star Professionals, Su Ming still couldn’t even compare to Five-Star Professionals.

The Awakening of his Vision Mark had allowed Su Ming to step into the ranks of Four-Star Sorcerers, but he still fell short compared to veteran Four-Star Sorcerers, let alone Five-Star Sorcerers.

The Nightmare Species Bloodline had only just integrated into his body. Even though it gave him a near-perfect starting point, allowing him to become a Three-Star Hunter right from the start and even mutating his right hand, even with the addition of the alchemical weapon in his backpack, it was uncertain whether Su Ming’s Hunter strength could match that of a true Four-Star Hunter, not to mention a Five-Star Hunter.

If he could fully utilize the combined strength of being a Dual Professional, Su Ming might be able to hold his own against a Five-Star Professional.

But that was his limit.

Under these circumstances, even the current Su Ming remained insignificant in this war.

And if even Su Ming was in such a state, there was no need to mention An Zijin and Yao Beibei, among others.

Fortunately, both of them had somewhat easygoing personalities. They didn’t worry unnecessarily or have any sense of national concern, but were merely prone to the natural anxieties of young women. With Su Ming’s reassurance, they no longer wore expressions full of worry.

The three of them chatted in the room for a while, waiting for Lei Hao and Ye Bai to return while taking care of Jiang Wanyu.

Along the way, An Zijin, persuaded by Su Ming, lay down to sleep for a bit, leaving the care of Jiang Wanyu to Yao Beibei.

As for Su Ming, he didn’t feel tired at all; instead, he was full of energy.

Possessing the Bloodline of a Nightmare Species and becoming a Hunter, Su Ming’s physical stamina and mental energy were far more vigorous than before. Coupled with the Awakening of his Vision Mark, his spiritual energy had greatly increased. Now was the time when he was most spirited—how could he possibly feel tired?

He took advantage of the time while Yao Beibei was caring for Jiang Wanyu to quietly sense the Bloodline within his body and adapt to his current physique.

The potential of the Nightmare Species Bloodline was immense. Even now, it continued to constantly transform Su Ming’s body, making his physique stronger and stronger.

“At this rate, it probably won’t be long before I hit the Three-Star barrier and face the Awakening of Demonization, right?”

Su Ming couldn’t help but look forward to it.

If his Hunter Physique also Awakened, granting him the ability of Demonization, then, combined with his Sorcerer power from activating his Vision Mark, how strong would he be at that time?

Just thinking about it made his blood boil with excitement!

“Buzz…”

Just as Su Ming was lost in thought, his phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket.

Su Ming instinctively took out his phone and glanced at it, noticing that someone had sent him a message.The content of the message made Su Ming raise an eyebrow involuntarily, and he glanced in the direction of An Zijin, Jiang Wanyu, and Yao Beibei.

Immediately after, Su Ming silently exited the room and left the residence.

……

At a remote location in the Frontline Camp.

Su Ming arrived here with his phone, standing for a while before finally speaking.

“Alright, I’m here. Show yourselves.”

As soon as Su Ming’s words fell, the next second, two figures abruptly flashed out from the shadows, appearing before him.

(End of Chapter)