Chapter 648 - An Invincible Opening

Time: Hongli Federation Year 111, July 3.

Place: The west of the Hongli Federation, at the border with the three western nations.

Person: Lloyd, twenty-four years old, an ordinary soldier of the Federation's western fifth army.

Lloyd had been gravely wounded in the second campaign against the three western nations when an aerial bomb had taken two arms and one leg. During transfer to a follow-up hospital, his organs had largely failed, and his life was hanging by a thread.

Fortunately, a joint military research project between the Federation army and the Black Ops Agency had made a breakthrough.

The Black Serum Project, also called the superhuman serum, saw its first use in this campaign. The Hongli Federation had existed for over a century, and the Black Ops Agency, as an official supernatural force, had long studied dark creatures. By using some ancient technologies left behind and combining them with new science, they succeeded in creating the black serum.

The black serum could effectively heal the wounds of the gravely injured. Whether it was organ failure, massive bleeding, or severed limbs, all could be effectively healed.

It was most likely related to the immortal nature of dark creatures. Moreover, soldiers become stronger after using the black serum. Their physical qualities improved in all aspects and even reached the level of a Covert Martial Arts Practitioner.

If a special squad could be formed to carry out assasination missions, it might be a disruptive technology. The Hongli Federation military took this research very seriously, since it appeared to be a way to mass produce super-soldiers. Other supernatural paths all had various limitations, including innate talent. Even Covert Martial Arts depended on one's natural endowment.

The Black Serum Project was undoubtedly strongly supported, even by some stakeholders in the Hongli Federation council. After all, anyone might encounter accidents, and the black serum looked like a healing panacea. After healing, it could even make the body incomparably powerful.

Thus, with the encouragement of various forces, the black serum appeared on the western battlefield. They selected some mortally wounded soldiers and asked if they wished to join this top-secret program.

Lloyd was in the first cohort of the Black Serum Project. If Cassius had not crushed that aerial shell just now, he would have been gravely wounded, then injected with the black serum. It was perfect timing.

After some training, he would have joined the Black Soldier Program and might even have become the team's captain. That would have been the beginning of a legendary experience.

Black Soldiers entered the battlefield in the third western campaign and achieved great results. However, in the late stages of the third campaign, Black Soldiers appeared on the side of the three western nations as well!

It turned out there had always been spies from the United States of Yana in the Black Serum Project. The spies stole all the data, keeping the United States of Yana' experimental progress almost in lockstep with the Hongli Federation.

They used the war as a testing ground as they covertly supported the three western nations. Thus, in the fourth campaign, it became Black Soldiers on both sides slaughtering each other, clashing madly across the battlefield until death.

Yet while the mantis stalks the cicada, the bird lurks behind. A force was hidden even deeper. The Gate Organization had long been focused on the Black Serum Project. Somehow, at the height of the fourth campaign, a large number of Black Soldiers on both sides simultaneously went mad, underwent collective dark creature transformation, and began attacking nearby ordinary soldiers.

Moreover, for some reason, wounded soldiers also entered a mild dark creature transformation stage. It swept across the battlefield like a contagion.

The protagonist of this time-travel, Lloyd, whether due to his indomitable will or perfect compatibility, was not completely suppressed by the dark creatures' instincts. Instead, he retained a measure of autonomy. Not only did Lloyd refrain from harming ordinary soldiers, he alone began to seek out other berserk Black Soldiers on the battlefield.

He had realized Black Soldiers were the true source of infection. That meant he had to kill not only former enemies but all his former comrades. On the chaotic battlefield of the fourth campaign, the two nations' ordinary soldiers slaughtered each other and exchanged fire with all Black Soldiers. The situations were all mixed together. In such an environment, Lloyd kept killing the sources of infection, ending both enemies and comrades one by one.

Later on, all ordinary humans infected by Black Soldiers felt a strange summons. Fighting as they went, they arrived at the Lotak mining area, where the Miracle Garden lay.

Lloyd came to investigate as well. Only then did he learn that a mysterious organization planned to use the Black Serum Project to corrupt a vast number of soldiers. Finally, they would reach this place and, via some unknown blood-ritual, truly open the Miracle Garden.

This mysterious organization had many incredibly powerful black-robed figures stationed at different positions around the Lotak mining area, seemingly to trap the Miracle Garden within. Each position required a batch of tainted soldiers as a blood sacrifice.

Lloyd resolved to take revenge on this organization. His strength had kept growing as he slew other Black Soldiers. The blood of soldiers who had taken the black serum seemed to share a common origin and, after they died, gathered inside Lloyd. By then, his power had reached its limit. Any further increase would see his own Will destroyed by dark instinct.

Thus, the mysterious organization's final plan began amid such struggle. However, the Hongli Federation's Black Ops Agency also detected the situation and dispatched forces to battle.

At the same time, numerous powerful black-robed figures began the ritual and had no time for anything else. The same went for the black-robed figure at Lloyd's sector.

Thus, Lloyd seized the chance and approached the black-robed figure with powerful explosives in hand. A violent explosion forcibly interrupted the ritual.

The black-robed figure withstood the blast and did not die, while Lloyd, relying on his powerful immortal nature, had only half his body left. As the gravely wounded pair watched each other, the organization's final plan activated, and the Miracle Garden appeared.

However, since the ritual was interrupted, there was a gap in the ritual. In the end, the Miracle Garden escaped. The mysterious organization's plan had failed.

Lloyd closed his eyes in relief and died.

***

The life of the owner of the legendary antique in the sixth time-travel seemed even more tumultuous than in other time-travels. Although Lloyd's final combat strength was not very strong, his overall experience was quite legendary.

Furthermore, the mysterious organization that appeared at the end—needless to say, Cassius knew it was the Gate Organization. They seemed intent on doing something to the Miracle Garden left by the ancient Ao Yin Civilization?

It could be inferred that the Miracle Garden would be very important. Otherwise, the Gate Organization wouldn't expend such effort to weave a massive conspiracy that even roped in five countries.

"The Black Serum Project, the Black Soldier Program..."

In the shell-swept trenches, Cassius quickly ran through the time-travel's situation in his mind with a trace of interest. He recalled that the Hongli Federation in the future had a comic called Captain Hongli, which referenced dealing with immortal assassins of Duststorm and Ace of Spades. It seemed like the comic was not purely fabricated, but drawn from rumors.

Whoosh! Bang!

A shell fell not far away. On the front line, Cassius remained expressionless, as if everything around had nothing to do with him. After some brief thinking, Cassius understood the two lingering attachments of the legendary antiques' original owner. It was super simple.

Firstly, he wanted to destroy the Black Serum Project and the Black Soldier Program. He sought to destroy any data, raw materials, and laboratories across the five countries including the Hongli Federation and the United States of Yana. Additionally, eliminate other Black Soldiers and experimental subjects to ensure no more Black Soldiers appear on the battlefield.

That was what Lloyd had been doing after the dark creature transformation. However, with his limited ability, he could only try his best to kill other berserk Black Soldiers. He was powerless when it came to the overall plans and laboratories of several nations.

Secondly, sabotage the mysterious organization's plan! Furthermore, the degree of sabotage must exceed Lloyd's original results. For example, to completely kill one black-robed figure of the mysterious organization.

These two lingering attachments might have been difficult for an early-stage Cassius but now, with the might of Holy Fist and Dominator Fist, coupled with the physique of an Ultimate Dark Form, what could be difficult? He was invincible!

What he most disliked were lingering attachments with time or identity constraints.

For example, if Lloyd had desired to "become the overall captain of the Black Soldier Program in a month," that would mean Cassius had to maintain an identity for a month. Though simple, it was a waste of time and constricted Cassius's actions.

Such lingering attachments were fine when Cassius lacked strength. However, he now started with enough power to do as he pleased. As such, many "difficult" lingering attachments no longer counted as difficult.

"Two lingering attachments with no time or identity constraints... Which means in this sixth time-travel, I can put all my time and energy into my planned tasks. What a good deal!"

On the battlefield, screams echoed and bombs flew alongside continuous gunfire.

Cassius showed no emotional fluctuations as he stood in the trench. The four tasks he had planned before the time-travel surfaced in his mind. He intended to take immediate action.

First, the Miracle Garden left by the ancient Ao Yin Civilization.

Second, the battle between Blood Vulture Dominator Fist and the Totem King.

Third, hunt Ultimate Dark Forms to advance his method progress.

Fourth, to seek the path of the Ultimate Fist and forge the Heart of the Ultimate Fist.

Compared to the first three, the fourth plan had to do with Cassius's core motive. Perhaps he should go visit that giant volcano in the Crystal Sand Sea? Sonic Snake Ultimate Fist and True Blood Progenitor Yumila never seemed to have decided a victor.

Even in the real world, both seemed to retain a great deal of energy. If Cassius intervened, the outcome might be unpredictable. For now, he would set this matter aside and consider it last. If he truly could not find the Heart of the Ultimate Fist, then he'd revisit it.

Boom!

As Cassius pondered, another formation of bombers flew overhead like a flock of black geese and scattered aerial bombs toward the Hongli Federation's camps. The successive blasts heaved dust and gunpowder.

Whoosh! Boom!

High above, a huge invisible hand suddenly swatted at the three western nations' bomber formation, blowing right through them. Gunpowder erupted and scattered like fireworks.

A black figure slowly stepped through the smoke on the ground. He was plainly on a battlefield ablaze with war. Standing alone, he was a perfect target. Yet soldiers on both sides did not see Cassius at all, as if they were blind.

Rat-tat-tat... boom... rumble...

Bullets crisscrossed, shells slammed, and explosives raged. But a small region of the battlefield seemed invisible. All the bullets that hit it were swallowed. The air was like a mirror that raised no ripple.

Cassius walked forward as he was in a parallel world as he made his way to the rear of the Hongli Federation forces. His body flickered with every step as he sped through the battlefield.

Cassius did nothing to the armies of the three western nations. Now that he had reached the Holy Fist realm, wars between humans and nations could be left to themselves. Though Cassius would show no mercy toward dark creatures, the Gate Organization, and other forces that tried to interfere.

For now, he would resolve the original owner's first lingering attachment.

Behind the Hongli Federation's battle array, farther back than the field hospital, was a military hospital. This hospital had continually received heavily wounded soldiers from the front. Some still had a chance to recover while others could only despair and await death.

On the third floor of the white-walled hospital, by a window shaded by green trees, a wounded man lying in bed made his final decision.

"I agree. I'm willing to join this program." The wounded man's voice was hoarse and weak, with blood seeping through his bandages. Clearly, he would not last long.

Opposite him sat a man in an officer's uniform. His rank was high for ordinary soldiers, yet he lacked that aura of command. He was likely an officer of a research branch. For example, a senior researcher on some military technology program.

"Alright. There's no time to lose so let's depart now. Your condition is dire with major bleeding. A minute late and something unexpected may happen..."

The officer held a white paper form and, as he spoke, circled a certain name with his pen. There were many other names on the form. Some were crossed out while others were circled.

Those circled were personnel who volunteered for the Black Soldier Program. The Hongli Federation military attached great importance to the program and had pushed it vigorously.

Now, the first batch of black serum was finally about to be used in practice! The people on the form were about to become the first batch of super-soldiers!

Several hours later, a car drove along the road. The officer himself sat at the wheel, with the wounded man in the back.

Ahead of them, a small path led straight into the depths of the woods. As the car entered, patrolling soldiers in the flanking brush took note and, seeing the vehicle's markings, let it pass.

Another ten minutes passed and the car finally reached its destination. The officer gripped the wheel with both hands and exhaled softly. He was about to tell the wounded man they were almost there when his eyes suddenly widened and he stomped on the brake.

The sharp screech of rapid braking rang out.

"Where's the base? Where did the underground base go!? What... is going on?!"

The clearing ahead had a huge pit dug out in it. The outline of the pit was exactly the shape of the base! It looked as if a giant hand had wrenched the vast underground base out, leaving not a trace.

This was straight out of a nightmare!