Chapter 21: Behemoth

Chapter 21: The Colossus

Midnight.

The drone hovered silently above Xiama Town, fully armed squad members concealed in the woods outside the residential area, eyes fixed on the townsfolk’s every move via the live feed on their smart goggles.

Thermal signature analysis was 90% complete; every target still active at night had been marked.

To conserve power, the high‑output electromagnetic jammer stayed off, but in a world where the EM spectrum was almost pristine, dominance over it seemed less critical.

Chen Jian held He Shuo’s QSW06, while He Shuo had already taken the northern high ground, a suppressed 26‑mm sniper rifle ready, awaiting Chen Jian’s order.

His expression held a hint of doubt, but as he watched the heat signatures converge, doubt flipped instantly to astonishment.

“The target is gathering, continuing east along the eastern path.”

“Captain, just as you said, they really seem to be up to something.”

Hearing him, Chen Jian gave an almost imperceptible nod, then replied:

“This Xiama Town surely hides a secret.”

“If they can produce forty rounds, they can surely produce four hundred—that’s a basic deduction.”

“With that much gear, it’s impossible not to attract attention.”

“The Sanctified Blood don’t rely on thermal weapons; obeying trade rules is understandable for them, but what about others?”

“The Machine God Cult, passing so‑called hunters, merchants with real clout—they’re no fools.”

“If these folks thought the town held profit like we do, how could they let a settlement of barely a hundred souls survive? Just for a single resupply?”

“This is the apocalypse, not our modern world with rules and laws.”

“The very existence of Xiama Town is already unbelievable; even more so that they can still do business.”

“There’s only one explanation that makes sense.”

“Anyone who coveted them has already been eliminated.”

“The people here must have some hidden ace we don’t know about. No matter what, we need to uncover that card first!”

“Understood.”

“Understood.”

The other squad members answered in turn; Chen Jian kept watching the heat signatures, and after a moment he gave the order:

“The target has left the residential zone; visibility is clear, tracking conditions are ripe.”

“Lei Jie, Shen Yue, move through the north‑south woods and follow the target’s direction of advance.”

“He Shuo, advance to the second sniper position, keep a clear field of fire, and stand ready for fire support.”

“Received.”

At the command, everyone sprang into action.

Chen Jian set the drone to auto‑track, then rose silently, slipping past the sentries still on patrol, threading through the town with uncanny precision to trail the villagers walking the lane.

His pace wasn’t blazing, but compared to the unlit locals, his movement was effortless.

Heading east, the tracked villagers seemed oblivious to the shadow behind them, focused only on trudging the rough path.

Chen Jian’s doubts grew heavier; through the fused thermal night vision he could clearly see the expressions of those villagers ahead.

It was a kind of near‑fanatical excitement?

What exactly were they excited about?

Chen Jian’s hand rested on the trigger, ready for any sudden development.

But fortunately, nothing changed.

After several shifts in formation, the four‑person squad smoothly followed the villagers up the mountain trail.

Upon reaching the summit, the villagers halted in a clearing less than ten meters from the Bai Zhang Yuan Reservoir that Chen Jian had previously marked.

Chen Jian cautiously shifted position, hiding behind a boulder at the reservoir’s edge, relying solely on the drone’s view and avoiding any exposure.

At that moment, the other teammates took their places; as the four puzzled over the villagers’ intent, the silent group finally spoke.

“.Are we really going to kill them all? There are four Sanctified Blood there!”

“No worries—no one will know it was us; we’re far from Han Shui City, the word won’t get out.”

“I don’t mean that—I mean those Sanctified Blood just took down the monster in Chuan Sha City; they’re strong!”

“If they survive, we…”

“They can’t possibly survive! Nobody could!”

“Is it worth it? We’ve been stable for a while.” “It’s totally worth it! Didn’t you see their weapons? They’re exactly like the ones in the pictures!”

“Those are pre‑Cataclysm treasures; if we deliver them to the Machine God Cult, we can get out of here!”

“We’ll never have to slave for the Machine God Cult again—you get it?”

“Understood, but”

“No ‘buts’—do as I say!”

The argument faded; Chen Jian drew a deep breath and readied himself for battle.

Clearly, what they wanted was the squad’s gear.

The bait we’d cast had already been taken.

They were about to reveal their final trump card, exposing their greatest secret.

But what exactly is that secret?

Chen Jian signaled “keep waiting” with his smart goggles, then leaned out, taking aim at the nearest villager.

He didn’t want to slaughter indiscriminately, but if force became necessary, he wouldn’t hesitate.

After a brief pause, the villagers fell into a line and headed toward the lakeshore.

What were they doing now?

A ritual?

Was there a monster lurking in the reservoir??

Chen Jian’s mind brimmed with question marks; he wanted to fire to interrupt, yet hated to waste the answer right before his eyes.

Information is forever the most important; to obtain it, one must sometimes accept risk.

Moments later, the villagers reached the reservoir’s edge.

They gathered in small groups and lifted the boulders at the shore.

“Thud—”

Water splashed as the boulder sank.

Moments later, the calm surface began to ripple.

From the drone’s downward view, a massive shadow slowly rose to the surface.

“There’s a situation.”

Chen Jian whispered:

“The monsters are underwater; they’re trying to awaken them—we have to interrupt them.”

“Lei Jie, Shen Yue, take advantageous positions on the flank.”

“He Shuo, provide cover and be ready to fire.”

“These people are trouble—take one alive!”

“Understood!”

The others responded swiftly; Chen Jian rose silently, about to raise his gun and fire, but at that very moment the environmental monitor on his goggles began to wail.

“Oxygen low! Carbon dioxide high!”

“Oxygen low! Carbon dioxide high!”

Chen Jian’s gaze hardened.

He understood what they intended to do.

Beneath this reservoir, it’s all carbon dioxide!

After being stirred by the leviathan in the water, this carbon dioxide is rising to the surface.

Soon, the heavier-than-air gas will cascade like a waterfall into the low-lying Xia Ma Town.

Anyone still in the town will inevitably die, unaware and unknowing.

—

Except for their own people.

Case solved.

It’s not that the steel bullets are corrosion‑resistant and don’t rust easily; it’s that this town has been a near‑anoxic environment for a long time.

Chen Jian drew a deep breath and gave the order:

“Open fire at will!”

(End of chapter)