Determined

Su Chen's surprise was evident upon hearing this revelation from Su Wenhao. In the midst of such a dire situation, Su Wenhao hadn't forgotten to inquire about Lin Mo.

Noticing Su Chen's astonishment, Su Wenhao smiled and explained, "It was the battalion commander's final instruction to me. I may not possess his intellect, so I simply follow his lead."

Su Chen nodded, acknowledging the sentiment.

Su Wenhao proceeded to provide detailed information, "We have recently confirmed the presence of a figure resembling Lin Mo. He seems to be accompanied by a group of ominous monsters and colossal giants. The encounter took place at the junction of Zhongcheng District and Xicheng District, in the residential area near Jingyuan Commodity Building..."

He continued, "According to the reports, the shadowy monsters and the colossal giants pursued a humanoid creature that plunged into Jingyuan community. It is an exceedingly perilous situation and should not be approached for investigation. The remaining survivors in the community have not provided significant updates, but they have issued warnings to other troops and survivors, urging them to steer clear and stay away."

Upon hearing this, Su Chen's heart sank.

The description of the battle and the circumstances strongly hinted at Lin Mo's involvement, but...

Before Su Chen could voice his thoughts, the survivors behind them erupted into a frenzy.

Turning his head, Su Chen glanced in the distance and saw a towering dark giant trailing them from afar, its silhouette stark against the backdrop of the blood-red rift.

At this point, the convoy was on the verge of exiting the city.

Although the chaos of battle still consumed the monsters and fugitives in Beicheng District, the conflict had yet to spill over into the city's periphery. Instead, an eerie sense of tranquility hung in the air along the outskirts.

Consequently, despite having just emerged from a ferocious war and being acutely aware of the lurking danger and impending death, many individuals found themselves momentarily relieved, even experiencing a fleeting sense of joy amidst the calamity. However, the sudden appearance of the ominous dark monster, tailing them relentlessly, swiftly rekindled nerves and anxiety among the survivors.

"This...," Su Wenhao stammered, taken aback.

"That one's after me. The monsters prioritize humans based on their combat capability. When they spot me, their objective is to eliminate me, even more so than devouring the entire convoy here," Su Chen explained, choosing not to disclose the fact that his artifact had taken a bite out of the malevolent deity.

Instead, he chose to rely on Liu Chenye's account to explain the situation to Su Wenhao. Convinced that Liu Chenye must have already shared this information with Su Wenhao, Su Chen noticed the latter nodding in understanding.

Meanwhile, Tian Jun, from the command vehicle, established a connection to their current news channel. Su Wenhao promptly relayed the message to Su Chen.

Tian Jun's voice came through, addressing Su Chen, "Are you Mr. Su? First and foremost, allow me to express my gratitude for your assistance. I am unaware of your reasons for concealing your identity earlier, but the entire Mixed Seven Battalion, including myself, warmly welcomes your addition. I hereby appoint you as the leader of the Sharp Knife Team, which will operate in conjunction with the Special Forces of the United States. Please trust me when I say that we will ensure our safety as we depart the city and make our way to the General Point. Your exceptional abilities hold immense value within the military, and we will allocate significant resources to support you. Please rest assured."

Tian Jun's words exuded both politeness and calculated intent. While he was genuinely taken aback by Su Chen's strength, he also sought to swiftly exert control over this formidable combat force. Furthermore, he believed that Su Chen had little reason to refuse. No matter how powerful a talented individual may be, there are limits to their capabilities. Even if Su Chen could single-handedly eliminate a colossal giant, he remained just one person. In military operations, while a lone warrior might struggle against a towering ghost, the combined might of a well-organized force would dominate the battlefield. No talented individual or even a colossal giant could withstand the relentless assault of a legion. The current exhaustion and scattered forces within the city were a result of their efforts to rescue survivors, coupled with a lack of understanding about the monsters' characteristics in the initial stages.

Thus, Tian Jun struck a balance between respect and caution. He respected Su Chen's strength but refrained from excessive deference, as he was wary of potential arrogance on Su Chen's part, which could lead to an impasse.

Furthermore, unknown to Tian Jun, there was another layer to their interaction—a layer influenced by the revelations Liu Chenye had shared with him before his demise. These revelations had subtly altered Su Chen's emotions and perceptions, a change that Tian Jun had yet to consciously recognize.

From all angles, both he and Liu Chenye were far outmatched. The disparity in abilities at this level became glaringly apparent, a contrast that would have been less noticeable in peacetime. Tian Jun hadn't even realized that the pitch black monster was specifically targeting Su Chen. Leaving Su Chen within the team would only invite trouble, in his mistaken belief.

However, he was mistaken.

Although Su Chen might consider leveraging the military's assistance to procure energy units at a faster pace, it would be a cooperative effort rather than a true alliance. At this stage, Su Chen's primary objective was to break through to the second level, and few energy units could truly compensate for that. Su Chen cared little for the so-called distribution of other resources.

Moreover, Su Chen had another objective in mind—he needed to find Lin Mo.

Regardless of whether Lin Mo was alive or dead, Su Chen felt compelled to lend assistance if there was a chance. The unsettling tremors that had shaken Cloud City's store had been the final straw, propelling Lin Mo toward an irreversible transformation. Su Chen couldn't delude himself with excuses like "Lin Mo left of his own accord, so I can let it be." He may have the capacity to unleash hellish carnage or disregard the bigger picture, but he held his own principles and moral boundaries. There was a line that, once crossed, would render him unrecognizable, even if he managed to survive.

Moreover, with the military's significant retreat, Su Chen envisioned a decrease in encounters with the monsters as their forces dwindled and survivors sought refuge at the headquarters. This meant a reduced rate of energy unit acquisition, significantly hindering his progress. However, he wasn't the only one in this world. With careful planning, there was room for maneuvering. Particularly in the current stage, the monsters had concentrated their forces in the Beicheng District while other districts and areas outside the city remained vulnerable. By circumventing the Beicheng District, opportunities to hunt monsters would arise everywhere. Waiting indefinitely would only lead to uncertainty regarding who was the hunter and who was the hunted.

Hence, when Tian Jun's words reached his ears, Su Chen responded firmly, "I will cooperate with the military, but not as a member of their ranks, and certainly not right now. I am leaving."

"???" Tian Jun found himself utterly perplexed by Su Chen's statement, struggling to grasp its meaning.

Breaking her silence, Tao Tang interjected resolutely, "No, you must stay. You possess immense talent and are a valuable resource that our troops lack. Your worth is immeasurable, and you must remain with us!"

Su Wenhao hastily interjected, "Commander Tian, I will explain everything to you later. However, the pitch-black monster tailing us is specifically targeting us. Su Chen cannot leave at this moment, not even when we depart the city. The monsters will continue pursing us... Furthermore, Mr. Su has his own business to attend to."

Without giving Tian Jun a chance to speak, Tao Tang asserted, "I understand that his presence may attract more terrifying and relentless monster attacks. However, we are on the verge of leaving the city, where the threat from the monsters will significantly diminish. He must stay!"

She had clearly grasped the situation much quicker than Tian Jun, promptly recognizing the root causes and underlying reasons.

Listening to Tao Tang's forceful statement, Su Wenhao clenched his teeth, refusing to engage in further debate. He simply terminated the communication, then turned to Su Chen and said, "Mr. Su, I will arrange vehicles and personnel for you, along with a communication device to keep you informed. As far as I know, our air force is approaching the vicinity of the Dongcheng District. If you head there, you may have a chance to evade that dark monster..."

Su Chen regarded him with an unexpected glance. "What are you playing at this time?"

"I said it before, I trust our battalion commander," Su Wenhao replied with a faint smile. "He has been my squad leader, platoon commander, company commander, and battalion commander. I believe in him more than I believe in the generals. As soldiers, we follow the orders of our superiors, for I truly wish to fulfill my duties as a soldier. However, on the battlefield, there are only a few people one can truly trust. While I also believe that you should be taken to the scientific research department as the subject of their study, if you truly wish to leave, we may not be able to detain you. It's better to appeal to personal sentiment. Additionally, our battalion commander has requested this."

He continued, "Furthermore, even without employing much reasoning, I believe you should go find Mr. Lin. It's what a man should do."

Silently nodding in agreement, Su Chen refrained from further discussion.