Volume Two: The Campaign! Chapter Sixty-Six: Open the Hatch!

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Once all the supplies had been loaded onto the planes, the personnel and vehicles at the airfield withdrew swiftly and efficiently. Zhao Tian directed the fifty warriors of the God of War Battalion to board the five transport planes. Liu Cong noticed that at some point, they had all changed into matching black special operations uniforms, their heads protected by black helmets, and heavy-caliber rifles gripped in their hands.

“Commanders, I’m going to board now.” Liu Cong turned and saluted Li Yu and Zhang Quanyou, then strode toward the transport.

Zhao Tian did not board immediately, but waited by the foremost plane for Liu Cong. “Commander, please board.”

Liu Cong stood at the rear of the transport, turned back, and waved to the distant crowd. Unexpectedly, all the officers standing behind Li Yu and Zhang Quanyou snapped salutes in his direction.

Liu Cong returned the salute, and Zhao Tian, his emotions surging, did the same. The two disappeared into the hatch together. The massive doors of the five transports closed in sequence and the aircraft began to taxi, one after another soaring into the sky.

Once the planes leveled off, the ten special operations soldiers inside the cabin greeted Liu Cong, who smiled and exchanged a few words with them. “Everyone, get some rest while you can. Once we’re over there, a good night’s sleep will be rare indeed.”

Zhao Tian spoke into the intercom: “Everyone, rest up on the flight and save your strength.”

Liu Cong closed his eyes, feigning sleep, while quietly circulating the energy within his body.

Lately, he felt as though his physique had grown even stronger. The energy within him flowed as if guided by his very thoughts—effortlessly, intuitively. It seemed his control over both black and white energies had reached a new level.

Yet the Celestial Sword itself, embedded at his heart, remained as silent as ever. Liu Cong wondered when he would finally be able to summon it forth from within. He longed for that day.

He had not meditated long before noises from outside the plane caught his attention. He listened intently: it was the unmistakable roar of jet engines—several fighter planes. Opening his eyes, he found Zhao Tian watching him.

“Why are you staring at me instead of getting some rest yourself?” Liu Cong asked.

Zhao Tian grinned. “Commander, I’m a big fan of yours. I’ve wanted to meet you for ages, but I never imagined you’d be so easygoing in person. You’re completely different from the intimidating figure in those videos.”

Liu Cong shook his head and glanced outside at the faint silhouettes of the fighter jets. “What, do you expect me to go around exuding an aura of dominance like those jets all day long?”

“That’s not it. Fighter jets aren’t anything special—every country has them. But you’re different. You’re one of a kind, unique to our nation. All those superheroes, those superhumans and vampires and werewolves in the movies—none of them have ever appeared. People abroad envy us for having you.”

Liu Cong sighed. “I wish those superheroes would show up and lend a hand. Anyway, where are we landing?”

Zhao Tian checked his watch. “They gave us coordinates, which we marked by satellite. It’s the only safe zone nearby with an airport. Otherwise, those Japanese officials would have been desperate for us to land right at their doorsteps.”

Liu Cong nodded. “How long until we’re over Japan? I want to observe the disaster there.”

“Based on our flight time, about another hour until we reach Japanese airspace,” Zhao Tian replied.

“Let me know when we’re close.” Liu Cong closed his eyes again. For some reason, he suddenly felt weary.

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An hour later, Zhao Tian woke Liu Cong and told him they had reached Japanese airspace.

Unfastening his seatbelt, Liu Cong peered out the window, his keen eyesight allowing him to make out the land below. It was a small town, and he could see a few mutant creatures scurrying through the wooden buildings.

He found it strange—this airspace was clear, not a cloud in the sky. Back home, mutant creatures would have been chasing after the black clouds all over the world. Why, then, were these ones so active here?

The plane soon passed over the town and approached a city. Liu Cong could clearly see that, in this thoroughly modern metropolis, there were at least one or two thousand mutant creatures roaming about. Judging by the city’s appearance, it had clearly been in a state of disaster for a long time.

With so many mutant creatures present, there should have been no survivors left. So why hadn’t the creatures moved on?

The situation grew more and more confusing. The extent of Japan’s disaster was highly abnormal—not only was the number of mutant creatures far greater than anywhere else, but their behavior was odd as well. Everything about the place felt uncanny.

Liu Cong racked his brains, his thoughts growing more tangled. The whole matter weighed on him like a stone, making it hard to breathe.

“Hm? What’s going on? My chest feels tight!” Zhao Tian suddenly clutched at his chest.

“You feel tightness too?” Liu Cong asked, startled.

“Yes! You as well, Commander?”

At that moment, the plane gave a sudden jolt, then steadied. Zhao Tian, his expression alarmed, pressed the intercom: “What just happened?”

“The pilot suddenly felt unwell, but it’s nothing serious. He’s recovered,” came the reply.

Liu Cong and Zhao Tian exchanged a grave look. “Open the intercom,” Liu Cong ordered, “and ask if anyone on the other planes is feeling the same.”

Soon, all reported varying degrees of chest tightness. Zhao Tian stared at Liu Cong in disbelief. “Commander, what’s going on? This place is too bizarre!”

Liu Cong pondered. “This might explain why Japan’s situation is so abnormal. Some unknown change must have taken place here. In any case, we shouldn’t linger.”

Zhao Tian nodded vigorously. “Something’s definitely wrong. With this tightness, never mind fighting—you’d be hard pressed to even run a few steps. No wonder the Japanese called for help.”

“How much longer until we arrive?”

“About half an hour,” Zhao Tian answered.

Liu Cong nodded. “Once we land, you and the team stay put and help distribute supplies. I’ll handle the rescue missions myself. The place is tiny—I could fly across it in no time.”

The special operations soldiers in the cabin all burst out laughing, a quiet surge of pride for their vast homeland rising in their hearts.

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Amid the laughter in the cabin, Liu Cong suddenly caught a faint explosion. He made a downward gesture with his hand, and the soldiers instantly fell silent, holding their breath. The only sound in the cabin was now the rumble of the engines.

Liu Cong had heard correctly. It was indeed an explosion, but it came from the ground. Pressing close to the window, he saw a circular structure below: a safe zone, its walls towering sixty or seventy meters high.

At the base of those massive circular walls swarmed hordes of black mutant creatures—a dark, seething mass like an army of ants, encircling the entire safe zone.

The sounds of artillery came from within. Liu Cong saw that the soldiers inside were fighting desperately to defend the wall, but the mutants outside were too numerous. In many places, the creatures clambered over one another, forming living mounds. More and more of them swarmed up these conical heaps. It was only a matter of time before the safe zone fell.

“Captain Zhao, is this where we’re supposed to land?” Liu Cong asked quickly.

Though Zhao Tian didn’t know what was happening, he sensed the gravity of the situation. “No, it’ll take at least another ten minutes to get there!”

“There isn’t time. This safe zone won’t hold much longer. Open the hatch—I’m going down,” Liu Cong said, frowning.

Zhao Tian was stunned. “But—”

“Enough! Open the hatch now!” Liu Cong barked.

Zhao Tian drew a deep breath and quickly relayed to the special operations team, “Depressurize in one minute—oxygen masks on!” He pressed the cockpit intercom, his tone sharp: “Open the rear hatch in one minute. That’s an order!”

In less than a minute, the team had expertly fitted their oxygen equipment, all eyes on Liu Cong.

With a soft mechanical click, the rear hatch opened. A rush of wind howled in, tugging at Liu Cong, who wore no safety gear.

As he prepared to jump, Zhao Tian braced himself against the wind and saluted, shouting, “Commander! Come back safe!” The ten special operations soldiers followed suit, while the two pilots, watching on the monitors, silently saluted from the cockpit.

Liu Cong flashed them a thumbs-up and said with a quiet laugh, “Don’t worry. Go on ahead—I’ll catch up soon. Keep your comms open!”

With those words, his figure vanished from the rear of the plane. Though softly spoken, his parting words reached every ear in the cabin. The soldiers exchanged glances, their lips curving into smiles—serving under such a formidable commander was truly an inspiring thing.

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