Industrial Cthulhu doesn't believe in the end times.

Chapter 231 Choice
"We have to make a contribution!" Zou Ping said confidently. "You see, although the commander-in-chief is incredibly strong and has completely gained the initiative on the battlefield, he is still alone here."

"What does this mean? It means we have a chance to shine!"

"Make a contribution! Whether we get commendation or not is another matter, the main thing is to show our loyalty! Let the commander-in-chief know that we are firmly on his side. After all, firing that rocket didn't cause much of an impact, and this matter might just be forgotten!"

That makes sense, but the team members were still very hesitant: "With our small arms and legs, what can we possibly use to get involved?"

As they were talking, another flash of light erupted in the small village, and large sections of buildings collapsed, making one's eyes twitch.

Zou Ping, however, was determined. Being able to venture outside the safe zone was nothing more than seeking fortune in danger. Even if he hadn't made this big mistake, he estimated that he would have made the same choice.

The opportunity to show one's face in front of the highest-ranking figures in the Corps is one that, if missed, may never come again in this lifetime.

"We've been fighting the commander-in-chief for so long, how could those people still have so many high-level fighters? We'd be lucky to even get our hands on one!"

"Even high-level superhumans aren't gods. As long as we can get close, we can still give them a run for their money with our usual bullets and explosives!"

Whether he truly believed these words or was merely trying to convince himself, Zou Ping took out a spiritual energy crystal from his person—one he hadn't even used when facing the mutated sea fish—crushed it roughly, and pressed it directly onto his wound.

The crystals from the alien species made him dizzy, and the tingling and itching caused by the rapid healing of his wounds was even more unbearable. However, after this luxurious treatment, his complexion quickly recovered.

"Not too many people! Lao Gao, Lao Liu! Just the three of us will do!"

The man surnamed Gao was the one who carried the injured Zou Ping here, while the man surnamed Liu was the team member who had been keeping watch on the mutated fish at the rear of the group. Both of them were Zou Ping's loyal confidants and had known each other before the Great Cataclysm. Upon hearing Zou Ping's words, they did not hesitate for long before walking to each other's side.

He then looked at the remaining team members and instructed them, "You guys keep an eye on that fish here. Even if you can't stop it from running away, you at least need to know which direction it went. It killed so many of our people, we still have to get revenge on it!"

"As for the three of us, if we succeed this time, we'll share the credit. If we fail, there's nothing to say. If the commander-in-chief investigates the rocket launch, just push the blame onto me."

"But by then, we three brothers will have to ask you to take care of our families!"

Having said all that, the remaining people naturally had nothing more to say. In fact, Zou Ping, as the leader of the team, had always treated them very well, and the relationship between these people was quite close.

After all, even within the safe zone, the level of strong oversight seen in civilized times is still lacking. Outside the safe zone, if someone harbors a grudge against another, it's incredibly easy to stab them in the back. Destroying the body is also effortless; just throw it into the woods or a horde of zombies, and it won't be a thing of the past.

Any group of even a moderate size pays close attention to this matter. If a member is truly incompatible or has conflicts with others, a kind-hearted person will persuade them to leave the group or arrange for them to return to a safe zone. A ruthless person, on the other hand, will simply go all the way. At this moment, everyone present actually quite agrees with Zou Ping as their leader; otherwise, they wouldn't have followed him all the way here even though he was injured.

At this moment, not only did they readily agree to his request, but they also wanted to accompany him in the battle.

In the end, Zou Ping refused them, saying that he needed someone to take care of his family.

In fact, their real family members, like many others, remained forever in the civilized era. Their current family members only came together after the Great Cataclysm. Although they haven't spent much time together, before risking his life to fight for his future, he still tried his best to arrange a way out for them.

Amidst the slightly complicated expressions of the crowd, Zou Ping, along with two others, their bodies laden with explosives and bullets collected from the team, turned around with a resolute air and headed towards the distant village.

Regardless of what these people were thinking, once they got a little closer to the battlefield, the three of them quickly realized that something was wrong.

Among the three, the one surnamed Liu looked slightly younger. He whispered to Zou Ping, "Brother, something seems off. These don't look like people to me, do they?" As they got closer, their view was blocked by the dilapidated buildings, so they couldn't see the situation inside the village, but they could still see the details of the battlefield. So they could see that those seemingly humanoid figures were clearly humanoid sculptures that appeared out of nowhere!

“Not necessarily…” Zou Ping took a deep breath: “Do you remember that gold elemental ability user in the Grand Tournament? He could make his body like steel…”

"This might be some kind of superpower we've never seen before. Anyway, we've come this far... let's give it a try!"

Upon hearing this, the man surnamed Liu said no more, nodded, and took an anti-materiel rifle off his body.

For a team where everyone is a superhuman, this is already considered a weapon of modest quality. However, during their escape, they had lost most of their heavier weapons. Fortunately, this rifle still has sufficient power, and if it hits, it can cause considerable damage.

As if sensing their movements, the statue they were aiming at in the distance stopped and turned its head toward them.

No, Zou Ping saw it clearly; it didn't turn around! The back of its head melted into a face!

This extremely bizarre scene instantly terrified him, and the man surnamed Liu next to him, who was holding a gun, instinctively pulled the trigger!
"boom!"

The large-caliber rifle emitted an extremely loud roar, and whether it was an illusion or not, Zou Ping felt as if the entire battlefield was focused on him.

From the moment the bullet left the barrel to its impact, it was only a matter of seconds. The man surnamed Liu was an excellent marksman. The 12.7mm special armor-piercing bullet hit the opponent's chest... or perhaps his back. The powerful kinetic energy instantly knocked him to the ground. The armor-piercing bullet exploded in a large burst of sparks on the opponent's body and almost tore him in two!
"Good!" Zou Ping couldn't help but shout. If the other side could be injured, it meant there was no need to be afraid.

The opponent might not be a superhuman with special abilities; Zou Ping could see that its torn body was almost entirely solid. But as long as the attack was effective, it didn't really matter what the opponent was.

However, his excited expression quickly faded.

In the distance, the creature that had been hit head-on by a bullet and almost cut in two struggled for a while before slowly getting up from the ground, still bearing the huge crack!
Even the crack had begun to heal rapidly; the other's body, though seemingly metallic, was like putty, sticking together in the blink of an eye.

“This…what is this thing!?”

Zou Ping's eyes widened; the situation before him was beyond his comprehension.

In that instant, he felt a long-forgotten fear, almost like when he first saw a zombie.

High-level superhumans, even zombies and mutated beasts, can indeed be killed by ordinary ammunition. Moreover, some of the explosives they carry are not entirely ordinary, but rather modified versions by themselves. In a real fight, they are not without a chance, otherwise Zou Ping would not have made this choice.

Even a mountain-sized mutant wouldn't have its wounds disappear so easily after being hit by an armor-piercing anti-materiel rifle round.

But the entity before them seemed to be completely immune to such attacks.

The man surnamed Liu, who was standing to the side, had already put down his gun and swallowed hard: "Is it too late for us to go back now?"

The man surnamed Gao, who had been silent until now, shook his head, looked into the distance, and sighed.

"That's too late……"

(End of this chapter)