I! Cleaner!

"There's a sniper!"

"Sergeant! Protect the sergeant, quick!"

"They're targeting the command!"

When a vast purple lightning engulfed the location of the third officer, the guards outside the boarding tower guessed what those inside were attempting. The soldiers carrying shields immediately began moving towards the sergeant.

Although they couldn't figure out how the people inside were managing to shoot the Thunderstrike Mines, which shatter upon impact, over a distance of three hundred meters, deploying pneumatic shields was deemed the safest form of protection in such a situation.

These tactical shields, which required a continuous airflow from the base to reduce weight for single-person mobility, had a three-layer 50mm thick composite shield face with protection on par with the shell of powered armor.

While handheld mobility might decrease effectiveness, when set side by side, they were strong enough to withstand medium firepower for a short time, serving as a temporary stronghold in battle. So, as long as the shields were set up to block the trajectory of the flying Thunderstrike Mines...

"Bang!" "Zzz~"

Once the shields were in place, the targets became more apparent.

...

After firing a nail as a beacon, which electrocuted the sergeant and five or six soldiers around him, Leon, though trapped and unable to escape, nearly laughed out loud while watching the temporarily constructed positions quickly set up below.

Originally, he had to focus on finding targets, aim for a while before firing, and even move after two shots to prevent counterattacks damaging the sniper rifle, leading to low efficiency.

But now, with the enemy's self-"marking," it saved him the trouble of locating the targets, and he didn't even have to aim anymore. By firing roughly at the marked spots, it allowed Young Ha in the Mirror World to find their position easily and then simply throw the Thunderstrike Mines right into the center of their formation.

"No! We can't cluster together!"

"Spread out! Hurry, spread out!"

"This won't stop them, we need to retreat!"

As the frequency of purple electric arcs suddenly increased, some of the more quick-thinking sergeants instantly realized the danger and urgently commanded nearby soldiers to disperse. However, it was a step too late, and Leon had already taken note of the general positions of a dozen sergeants.

"Bang!" "Zzz~"

"Bang!" "Zzz~"

The muffled gunshots from the sniper rifle alternated harmoniously with the sharp high-pitched sound of electrical arcs exploding. The soldiers who rushed into the tower managed to hold out for over two minutes, while the sergeants outside barely lasted 30 seconds before they were electrocuted one by one.

With the soldiers losing their command system and clear instructions, confusion soon spread, causing the previously tight encirclement to loosen...

It was time to go!

Observing the now-loosened encirclement outside, Leon, who had already descended to the ground floor, took a deep breath. He fired several nails towards the ambush groups and fire points, instructing Young Ha to disrupt the most problematic fire suppression. He then packed up the sniper rifle and bolted out the main door, sprinting towards the area with the thinnest Soul Flame concentration!

"Someone came out! Someone's coming out!"

"It's not one of ours! Quick! Open fire!"

"Shoot! What are the ambush team doing?"

Confronted with the sudden intrusion of an enemy, some experienced soldiers immediately opened fire. However, due to the collapse of the command system and Young Ha's occasional interference, the various fire points were in chaos and couldn't quickly mount an effective strike.

With the protective shield of the Holy Spirit pendant, Leon charged through the most dangerous open zone after withstanding around eighty or ninety shots. He then dove into a temporary stronghold built from pneumatic shields.

It was secure!

Feeling the shooting becoming sparse upon entering the stronghold, Leon was slightly relieved.

Unlike the "civilian" weapons from the police department, military firearms had much larger calibers and greater power. Even being subjected to a barrage for just six or seven seconds consumed about eighty percent of his strength.

*Charging out recklessly without relying on the Undying Body was the right choice. With his measly combat ability coupled with a Level One Contamination Value, his Holy Spirit pendant's shield would be completely breached after resisting around one hundred and thirty-four shots.*

*In such a scenario, even if he didn't die, he'd become a sieve from the dense nail shots, unable to move until his body repaired itself, merely serving as a living target that couldn't be killed.*

But now that he successfully broke into the enemy's stronghold and avoided subsequent dense firing, he had the opportunity to rely on the unlimited endurance provided by the [War Opposition], advancing while holding the shield.

*Time to speed up!*

Taking a deep breath of the sulfurous gray smoke, Leon's lungs felt as if they were ablaze with severe pain, yet his nearly depleted energy was instantly restored.

After reorienting himself, Leon, whose body condition returned to its peak, continued to charge forward with the protective shield of the Holy Spirit pendant, braving the sparse gunfire. Amidst chaotic shouts and gunfire, he pierced through the temporary stronghold and broke out from the encirclement formed by over four hundred guards.

"God... did he just break out?!"

"How is he not dead? Is he wearing some new kind of armor?"

"Don't pursue! There might be others in the tower!"

Faced with Leon breaking free, the soldiers, having lost their command, couldn't immediately organize an effective pursuit. They fired a few pointless rounds as he fled, then, following the orders issued before the sergeants fainted, continued besieging the boarding tower to prevent more people from emerging from it.

However, just as Leon, who successfully broke through the encirclement, was about to celebrate, an inexplicable chill ran down his spine; he felt like he was being stalked by a highly dangerous predator.

...

"Hiss~"

A low, menacing hissing sound resonated.

Amidst the strange sound resembling vast airflow passing through a throat, a giant snake illusion, with a deep black base color and densely packed bright white spots, inexplicably appeared in Leon's vision, lunging at his raised shield with open jaws.

At the same time, a much smaller snake, reduced by a thousand times compared to the giant, silently appeared before Leon's chest, quietly coiling around the Holy Spirit pendant. It smiled at the toad full of dread on the pendant, its snake mouth growing wider and wider...

"Pop!"

A sound like a bubble bursting echoed in Leon's mind.

Leon felt a slight dizziness in his head, and the mind shield that had been protecting his entire body suddenly broke apart like melting ice, completely exposing him. The bright Holy Spirit pendant on his chest also dimmed under the entanglement of the black snake.

"Damn! Scales Gold Sect's Snake Spirit?!"

Amidst the Black Goat's exclamation, Leon, sweating from dizziness, reached out, trying to pull off the little black snake gnawing at the pendant.

However, his hand grasped nothing, passing right through the incorporeal black snake, yet the little black snake slithered further up his arm, its sharp snake fangs like two pitch-black nails deeply embedded into the artery of Leon's wrist.