"Coordinates (A856, y32) target acquired, requesting support."
"Coordinates (g721, s356) target acquired, requesting support."
...
As the guards conducted a sweep of the mine, "zombie" nguyên thể began to be discovered in various locations. Reports flooded in, and the commander at the foot of the mountain calmly directed the amassed guards to the discovery sites.
"Puff, puff, puff..." A series of muffled shots rang out as a nguyên thể was eliminated. Two figures in protective suits immediately emerged from the ranks, retrieved a large bag, and placed the corpse inside for preservation.
This scenario unfolded throughout the mine. Soon, certain special creatures within the mine sensed the humans' intentions and began to retaliate.
A certain area in the southeastern part of the mine.
A squad was conducting a systematic search, their instruments scanning a radius of three hundred meters. Any abnormal targets would be immediately identified.
"Beep, beep..." The instrument emitted a steady scanning sound.
"Where do you think these zombies all came from?" one member asked curiously.
"Who knows? Judging by the situation at headquarters, they probably have some inside information," another member shrugged.
"Could it be that the end of the world is coming?"
"Get lost. With just these few weaklings, they can't even defeat us. You think the world is ending?" a third member chimed in with a laugh.
"Buzz~" The guard holding the instrument suddenly felt it vibrate. His gaze immediately focused on the instrument's display, where a red dot was rapidly approaching them!
"Careful! Something's coming!" the guard quickly warned everyone. Startled, they raised their specialized firearms and vigilantly scanned their surroundings.
"It's here!"
"Swish swish~" The dense trees around them rustled, as if some large creature was moving nearby.
"There!" a sharp-eyed guard looked up and saw a massive creature hanging upside down on a tree not far away, its icy gaze fixed on them.
Everyone quickly followed the guard's gaze and gasped. What kind of creature was that? It resembled a giant bat, but its head had a mouth like an earthworm's body, constantly dripping disgusting mucus.
"Notify headquarters, abnormal creature discovered!"
"Headquarters, headquarters, coordinates (x42, k755) an abnormal creature has been discovered. Its appearance has been transmitted to command via photograph."
"Roar!" The monster shrieked and lunged at them, its wingspan nearly two meters!
"Attack!"
"Puff puff puff..." Gunfire erupted. The specialized bullets inflicted heavy damage on the monster, forcing it to flee in pain after several hits. The squad members pursued relentlessly, moving quickly through the jungle.
"Don't let it get away, catch it quickly!"
The squad members chased after it excitedly, realizing there was nothing to fear if it was afraid of guns.
The monster's speed was not fast, as if it were deliberately waiting for the squad to catch up, maintaining a tantalizing distance. This caused the guards to lose their heads, completely forgetting the commander's orders.
"Buzz~" The monster remained within the detection range, and the instrument continued to buzz. The guards paid it no mind, and even the guard holding the instrument put it in his backpack for easier pursuit. He failed to notice that on the instrument's display, a red area covering the entire screen was slowly encroaching on the three-hundred-meter radius!
"Boom!" The entire mine shook as if a massive earthquake had struck.
"What's happening?" The commander at the foot of the mountain rushed out to investigate. The scene in the distance left them dumbfounded as a hundred-meter-long arm emerged from the ground, grabbed something, slammed it onto the ground, and then retreated underground.
"What is that thing? A monster?" Everyone who witnessed this scene was in a state of shock. Hadn't anyone called Ultraman?
"Retreat, immediately order all guards to evacuate the mine!" The command center quickly issued the order. Numerous searching guards began to withdraw rapidly. By afternoon, the mine returned to its former tranquility.
Mayor Huang, having received the news, arrived from the city with Professor Liu. The command center showed them the video taken at the time.
"Professor Liu, look at this..." Mayor Huang, with a guess in mind, inquired.
Liu Chen frowned as he observed the massive arm in the video, his expression grave. "You all wait outside for now. The overall commander and the director of the security bureau will stay."
Although curious, the others knew this matter was beyond their comprehension. They bowed and left. Soon, only four people remained in the large command center.
Liu Chen then spoke, "This colossal monster is likely the strongest Yuan Sha we currently know of. It's probably even stronger than the half-sha recorded in ancient texts, possibly reaching the level of a Xiong Sha!"
"Xiong Sha?" Mayor Huang's brow furrowed upon hearing this. He had learned a lot about Yuan Sha from Liu Chen and understood what a Xiong Sha was.
According to ancient texts, such a being could not be dealt with by ordinary means.
The two accompanying officials listened, completely bewildered. They had no idea what Mayor Huang and Professor Liu were talking about.
"What should we do? Do you have a way to deal with it now?" Mayor Huang asked grimly.
*Deal with it?* Liu Chen thought to himself with a silent groan. He was still just a Sha Zhong, how could he possibly deal with a Xiong Sha? However, he had to maintain an air of expertise.
"It's hiding underground for now. We must force it out and then attack it with heavy weaponry. This Xiong Sha is so massive; it's likely a purely physical Xiong Sha. Compared to other more bizarre Xiong Sha, this type is actually easier to deal with," Liu Chen analyzed with a serious demeanor.
Mayor Huang found his reasoning sound and immediately turned to instruct the two onlookers:
"You two, go and request military armed forces from the provincial department immediately. Tell them the situation is very serious and we need weapons capable of destroying the entire mine!"
The two also understood the gravity of the situation. In this reality without Ultraman, the appearance of such a monster meant ordinary humans stood no chance!
"Understood! We'll go request it now!"
The two hurried out to relay the orders. The request for military armed forces was beyond the capabilities of the security guards.
Soon, they returned.
"Mayor, the provincial department has agreed. Twenty thousand soldiers are en route via numerous armed helicopters, accompanied by ten fighter jets carrying R-963 missiles, which can level the entire mine in an instant!"
"When will they arrive?" Mayor Huang asked anxiously.
"At the latest, before 2 PM today."
"Good. Then we'll wait for them here. Oh, and you two go and organize a news blockade. No comments about the monster should appear online. If they do, they must be dismissed as rumors!" Mayor Huang added.
"Understood!"
...
Time ticked by, and it was soon afternoon.
"Buzz buzz buzz..." Helicopters, blocking out the sky, flew in from a distance. Ten fighter jets led the way. The guards on the ground watched this scene with astonishment, realizing they were going to get serious.
"Armed Forces request to speak with the Mayor."
"This is Mayor Huang Gongwen, please speak."
"We will be deploying 'Wall-Breaker' bombs at the mine. Please evacuate any non-essential personnel within a ten-kilometer radius within one hour."
"Understood, I will arrange it immediately."
Soon, the villages around the mine were evacuated. This was also facilitated by the recent widespread "zombie" incidents, which had already caused many residents to flee.
An hour later, ten fighter jets flew to high altitude over the mine, and bombs resembling small claws were dropped, falling directly to the ground.
Upon landing, each Wall-Breaker bomb deployed three small claws into the ground, and then a high-explosive charge was driven underground by an upper device.
Thirty minutes later, all Wall-Breaker bombs were deployed.
"1, 2, 3! Detonate!"
"Boom—boom—..." The entire mine resounded with synchronized explosions. The ground, to a depth of about ten meters, was completely shattered. Any creatures within this blast radius perished instantly! The hidden zombie nguyên thể were instantly pulverized!
"Gurgle!" A furious roar echoed from beneath the mine, followed by more earth-shattering tremors. A colossal monster slowly emerged from the ground.
It resembled a toad, over three hundred meters long. Its two front claws were somewhat like human arms, while its hind legs were short. Its head had only a single, massive eye located where its mouth should be. Its body was covered in faces contorted in pain and struggle, emitting constant wails.
"What... what is this?" No one who saw the monster's appearance could help but be shocked. Its form was truly terrifying.
"Attack!" The commander of the armed forces swiftly issued the attack order. The ten fighter jets advanced rapidly, followed closely by numerous helicopters.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!..." Bombs rained down on the monster, exploding on its body. The monster cried out in pain, its facial features becoming frenzied, some even appearing to try and break through its skin.
"Gurgle~" The monster let out an angry, muffled roar. A powerful shockwave spread rapidly outward from its center. The visible blast wave toppled the remaining trees.
"Increase altitude!" Seeing the danger, the armed forces commander immediately ordered the aircraft to gain altitude, and the monster's sonic attack missed.
The monster, seeing its attack miss, roared again in anger. It leaped with all its might, launching itself into the sky, thousands of meters high. Many helicopters couldn't evade in time and were swatted down.
"Boom, boom, boom..." Helicopters crashed to the ground one after another, causing explosions.
"Bang!" The monster landed, its large eye looking mockingly at the sky.
"Damn it!" The commander was enraged. Hundreds of lives were lost in this single attack!
"Deploy one R-963 missile first! Give this thing a taste of its own medicine!"
"Received!" A fighter jet broke away, diving directly downward. The monster, seeing this, repeated its maneuver, leaping into the air to swat the fighter jet. However, it underestimated the fighter jet's agility.
With the pilot's skillful control, the monster narrowly missed the fighter jet. While the monster had to fall back after its missed attack, the fighter jet reached the optimal deployment altitude.
"Launch!"
A missile, trailing smoke, shot towards the monster. The monster, unaware of what it was, made no attempt to dodge.
"Boom!" A deafening explosion accompanied by a mushroom cloud appeared at the monster's location.
"Roar!" The monster shrieked in pain. As the dust settled, everyone's gaze fell upon the monster. This missile had directly blown off one of its legs! Even a portion of its rear body was missing.
Human weaponry, terrifying indeed!