Chapter 93 The Apocalyptic Meat Grinder: Humanity is Like an Ant in the Face of Natural Disasters
On the big screen, the city center square had already turned into a true hell on earth.
The gale whipped up a visible mini-tornado, like a giant vacuum cleaner.
It greedily devoured everything on the ground that it could lift.
Several survivors who couldn't dodge in time were sucked directly into mid-air by the tornado, their limbs flailing wildly.
"Ah——!"
The shrill screams even pierced through the sound of the wind, captured by the high-sensitivity detectors.
In mid-air, their bodies were pulled apart like ragdolls.
Immediately after, the broken glass and steel rebar sucked into the center of the storm instantly shredded them.
Blobs of blood mist exploded in mid-air, only to be quickly blown away by the gale, leaving not even a scrap behind.
Lin Xingwan stood before the control console, watching it all with cold, calm eyes.
This was the meat grinder of The Apocalypse.
When nature gets angry, humanity's thousands of years of civilization aren't worth a damn.
"Boss, the wind speed is still rising."
Qian Duoduo wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his voice sounding shaky.
"With the situation outside, let alone living people, even a cockroach would be blown into dust."
Lin Xingwan didn't respond.
She turned her head, wanting to discuss the pressure-bearing capacity of the underground airtight cabins with Huo Yuan.
As her gaze shifted, the words on her lips suddenly stuck.
Something was wrong with Huo Yuan.
This lone wolf leader, who was usually so indifferent and ruthless,
was currently staring fixedly at the big screen.
On the screen was a ruin flowing with blood, with severed limbs everywhere.
The howling of the wind, mixed with the roar of collapsing buildings, and those faint yet shrill screams.
These sounds and images seemed to trigger a nerve buried deep in his heart.
Huo Yuan's chest heaved violently, his breathing becoming extremely ragged, like a beast trapped in a cage.
His originally deep, pitch-black wolf eyes were now completely bloodshot, glowing with an extremely dangerous crimson.
"Huo Yuan?"
Lin Xingwan frowned slightly, noticing that the muscles all over his body were tensed to the limit.
Like a hard bow drawn to its limit, ready to snap at any moment.
She reached out and lightly touched his forearm.
"You..."
"Don't touch me!"
Huo Yuan, as if electrocuted, violently flung her hand away with astonishing force.
A low, hoarse roar issued from his throat, carrying a thick scent of blood.
This turn of events was too fast.
The mercenaries in the hall, who had just been celebrating the sturdiness of The Fortress, instantly went silent as chickens.
Lu Ting was the closest; seeing Huo Yuan's completely blood-red eyes, he nearly lost his soul.
"Oh no, Boss is having an episode!"
Lu Ting's voice trembled as he instinctively took two steps back, his hand already reaching for his gun grip.
The several veteran mercenaries around him who had followed Huo Yuan for years also turned deathly pale, as if facing a formidable enemy.
They knew too well what the Boss looked like when he had an episode.
That was a true monster that recognized no one, capable of tearing a cow apart with his bare hands.
"What kind of episode?"
Lin Xingwan rubbed her wrist, which had been hurt by the shove, and looked coldly at Lu Ting.
"Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder... PTSD."
Lu Ting swallowed hard, staring fixedly at Huo Yuan.
"Back when we were executing a top-secret mission overseas, our squad was betrayed by our own people and trapped in a bombardment zone for seven whole days."
A flash of fearful memory crossed Lu Ting's eyes.
"Outside, it was all the sound of artillery shelling, and everywhere there were the severed limbs of our brothers. To lead us in a breakout, Boss killed until his eyes turned red."
"Ever since then, whenever he hears dense explosions or sees scenes of carnage similar to a meat grinder, Boss loses control."
Lin Xingwan's eyes darkened.
She looked at Huo Yuan.
At this moment, Huo Yuan could no longer hear any outside sounds at all.
The string in his brain named "reason" had completely snapped.
He seemed to have returned to that mercenary shura field of mountains of corpses and seas of blood from back then.
His nose was filled with a nauseating scent of blood.
Before his eyes, there was only the anger of betrayal and the craving for slaughter.
"Kill... kill them all..."
Huo Yuan kept his head down, gritting his teeth hard, as if struggling to suppress something.
A drop of cold sweat trickled down his stern jawline.
He suddenly raised his head, his crimson eyes locking onto Qian Duoduo, who was closest to him.
That look was as if he were staring at a cold corpse.
Qian Duoduo's legs went soft with fear, and he collapsed directly onto the floor.
"B-Boss... it's me, Duoduo! Don't scare me!"
He scrambled backward, his pants nearly wet.
"Everyone back off!"
Lu Ting roared, cold sweat pouring down.
"Sister-in-law, get away quickly! When Boss loses control, he tears apart anyone who gets close to him!"
Several mercenaries raised their guns, muzzles pointed down, but their fingers were on the triggers, their nerves stretched to the limit.
They didn't dare to shoot at Huo Yuan, but they also didn't dare to let him get close.
The situation was instantly tense.
"Put your guns down."
Lin Xingwan not only didn't retreat, but instead scolded them sharply.
"Whoever dares to have an accidental discharge, I'll cripple them first."
Lu Ting stomped his feet in anxiety.
"Sister-in-law! This isn't a joke! He can't even recognize who you are right now!"
"Shut up."
Lin Xingwan swept a cold glance at him, the pressure in her gaze forcing Lu Ting to swallow his words.
She turned her head, her gaze falling back onto Huo Yuan.
Huo Yuan groaned in pain.
His tall, upright frame suddenly seemed to lose its support, staggering back two steps.
With a "bang," he leaned heavily against the cold titanium alloy wall.
"Get away... all of you, get away!"
He clutched his head tightly with both hands, fingers digging forcefully into his short hair, the veins on the back of his hands bulging out like coiling green snakes.
From his throat, he emitted suppressed, painful roars like a beast.
He was using his last bit of willpower to fight against the voices in his mind that were screaming madly for slaughter.
He didn't want to hurt the people here.
And he especially didn't want to hurt that woman named Lin Xingwan.
"Kill them all... traitors... all must die..."
Huo Yuan slowly slid down the wall, kneeling on one knee, gasping for air.
His reason was teetering on the edge of a cliff, and those originally cold and ruthless eyes were now filled with struggle and a sense of brokenness.
Lin Xingwan looked at him like this.
Her heart felt like it had been harshly pinched by something; she couldn't describe the feeling.
She had seen this man being arrogant, seen him killing, and seen him shamelessly flirting with her.
But she had never seen him like a lost child, trapped in the hell of the past, unable to get out.
"Sister-in-law! Don't go over there!"
Watching Lin Xingwan lift her leg to walk towards Huo Yuan, Lu Ting was so scared he nearly rushed over to pull her back.
Lin Xingwan ignored him.
She walked a few steps to stand in front of Huo Yuan.
"Don't touch me..."
Huo Yuan sensed someone approaching and jerked his head up.
Murderous intent flashed in his crimson eyes, and his right hand reflexively reached for the military dagger on the outside of his thigh.
"Click."
The dagger was drawn half an inch, its cold light chilling.
Everyone in the hall gasped.
Yet Lin Xingwan didn't even blink.
She directly knelt on one knee in front of Huo Yuan and reached out both hands.
Not only did she not dodge, but she grabbed his hand that was gripping the dagger handle.
"Huo Yuan, look at me."
Her voice was cold and clear, yet carried a strange, soothing power.
"Let go... I will kill you..."
Huo Yuan gritted his teeth, the veins on his forehead bulging, his hand gripping the knife uncontrollably pushing forward.
The tip of the blade was already pressing against the neckline of Lin Xingwan's tactical vest.
If it pushed forward just one more inch, it could pierce her throat.
"You won't."
Lin Xingwan looked directly into his crimson eyes, her tone certain.
She didn't use her Spatial Ability, nor did she resist.
Instead, she opened her arms and leaned forward.
In front of all the subordinates.
Lin Xingwan hugged this out-of-control beast.
"Wanwan..."
Huo Yuan shuddered, freezing in place.