Chapter 79: The Monster Factory

Just as the Lord of Jincheng dispatched men to escort Zhao Zeyi to the Tribunal, making him take the blame for the leak, this did not mean the incident had been satisfactorily resolved. In truth, the real drama was only beginning.

The National Security Bureau convened an emergency meeting immediately after their robot agent lost contact. Their first move was to review the footage transmitted by the robot. Over seventeen hours within the cave, the robot had captured every corner in flawless 360-degree detail.

It was not difficult to see that these caves were not naturally formed; the obvious marks of artificial excavation grew more pronounced the deeper one went. In other words, these passages were likely carved by the enemy when constructing their base, using natural caverns to create special routes for unknown purposes.

Judging by the location where the robot lost contact, it was very close to the enemy’s base center, not far from the coordinates provided by the Falcon Investigation Team. Most likely, the robots had discovered the enemy's secrets but were intercepted before they could transmit the data to the Security Bureau’s servers.

According to the Falcon Team, the secret letter came from within the enemy’s ranks, possibly deliberately leaked as part of internal maneuvering—perhaps to leverage government power for some hidden agenda. Once the leak was exposed, the culprits were dealt with, and the enemy had taken emergency action regarding the secret tunnels.

Yet, whatever occurred internally among the enemy, one thing was certain: for the National Security Bureau, this was a rare opportunity, one not to be wasted.

Soon, they ruled out the use of helicopters and airborne troops, instead deploying ground forces to search the sites where the robot agents had disappeared, sweeping the area thoroughly. Their findings were substantial.

At first, they were puzzled—there had been no large wild animals around Jinji Ridge for centuries, so why were there so many signs of large creatures? Remembering the strange beasts that had emerged in the past two years, they became more vigilant.

Indeed, as anticipated, they discovered countless mutated creatures being bred here—some familiar from the outside world, others unregistered in the national database, and most astonishing of all, some even prehistoric. To put it succinctly, this place was nothing short of a monster factory.

As the government’s airborne troops purged the monsters deep within Jinji Ridge, the Falcon Investigation Team inside the city was equally fervent. They had no time to sit idly by. Upon receiving word from the Security Bureau, their first reaction was concern.

People outside might not understand, but inside the city, they had access to firsthand information. From what they knew, this battle would not be easy.

From the first day the Dark Organization launched its "God-Making" Project, every aspect had been upgraded—the base infrastructure, the future city’s daily life and security systems, all far superior to those of the Wild Mountain.

Take the beasts commonly used by the Dark Organization, for example. According to rumors, this batch of beasts possessed greater strength, speed, and endurance, with some even displaying intelligence rivaling that of humans, making them extremely difficult adversaries.

The National Security Bureau was unwavering in resolve for this mission, fully aware of the risks, yet determined to proceed. After all, if these monsters escaped to other cities, the resulting devastation would be catastrophic.

Since the disaster struck, relentless warfare had already crippled society; another wave of beast attacks would be unbearable.

Despite anticipating hardship, the Security Bureau’s operation proved exceptionally challenging. If only dealing with the monsters, their overwhelming firepower would suffice—the creatures, no matter how powerful, were no match for aircraft and artillery.

The problem was, they were facing more than mindless brutes. The enemy did not stand idly by. Those creatures guarding the base’s perimeter formed the outermost defense, integral to the base itself. Rumors claimed some were actually transformed acquaintances, who, after experiencing two "Eclipse Dog" incidents, would be freed and reunited with their families.

The fighting was not fierce, but it was grueling. The Jinji Ridge base, aware that defeat at the hands of the government’s overwhelming force was inevitable, nonetheless resisted with remarkable tenacity.

This exceeded the government’s expectations. In previous operations, the Dark Organization had never been truly cohesive, nor had they offered serious resistance—most members were hardly loyal to the enemy’s cause.

But this time was different. Evidence suggested the Dark Organization now had a sizeable group of devoted followers. If true, this would bode ill from any perspective.

The government forces, steeled by absolute confidence, ultimately prevailed—a costly victory. As the sun set, its rays bathed the blood-soaked battlefield in tragic grandeur.

From within the future city, the Falcon Investigation Team could see the distant battleground glowing red.

“Did we win?” Damin muttered to himself.

“I think so! The helicopters are pulling out. I wonder how bad the casualties are—they keep bringing wounded back,” Lin Xiaofeng sighed.

“Why, though? What’s it all for?” After more than two years, Brother Long felt a deep weariness, no longer wanting to witness such bloodshed.

“My old man always said, sometimes you kill to protect more people,” Lin Xiaofeng reflected. Perhaps today, he finally understood. After this operation, maybe the outside world would enjoy a period of peace.

But it seemed they would not rest for long. Rumor had it the Security Bureau had more news—a major event was brewing. Was the situation escalating, or coming to a close? They hoped it was all just a bad dream.

Before they could communicate with headquarters, their signal was abruptly cut. The future city burst into activity. This time, they needed no deliberate inquiry—the news was everywhere, with people discussing it on every street.

Rumor had it that after Hitomi Yashita and Zhao Zeyi departed, the leak incident faded away. In fact, thanks to the zealous defense by the city’s guards, the government forces had only managed to destroy the outer biological factory before being forced to retreat.

Though matters had finally reached an end, the hoped-for peace did not arrive. It was said that international powers had become involved. A large-scale assault on the Jinji Ridge base might be imminent.

Those wishing to leave eagerly anticipated it; those who had become part of the future city were filled with anxiety...