"Boss, the Tier Three Ascender has appeared. Ah Man, Benjamin, and Trish went to intercept him, but the situation doesn’t look good. That Tier Three Ascender’s Extraordinary Ability is Instant Teleportation, and his Martial Arts Skills are formidable," Ted said urgently.

’A Strength Type Ascender who can use Instant Teleportation?’ Zhou Chen wore a strange expression. ’That’s a tough combination, indeed.’

It was a well-known fact that the weakness of Strength Type Ascenders was their lack of flashy Skills compared to other Ascenders. They could only rely on brute force, making it difficult to close the distance with their enemies in combat. However, this elite Special Agent from the Counter-Terrorism Bureau’s Extraordinary Ability was Instant Teleportation, which perfectly compensated for this major shortcoming.

Using the analogy of a fight between a traditional Warrior and a Mage, the Mage would normally cast all sorts of graceful, dazzling Magic to kite, weaken, and suppress the Warrior. The Warrior would be gradually worn down and killed, quite possibly without ever getting within twenty meters of the Mage.

The exception would be encountering an Ascender like this Special Agent from the Counter-Terrorism Bureau. Just as the Mage was about to cast a Skill, he’d instantly teleport right into their face and take them out with a single punch.

Simple and brutal.

Coupled with his Tier Three strength, he was undoubtedly the greatest obstacle to the Poisonous Sore Gang’s current operation.

"Ted, Rudolph, go help Ah Man and the others! Do everything you can to stall the enemy’s Tier Three Ascender. The rest of you, follow us."

To save time, the Plague Doctor carried Zhou Chen on his back and charged at high speed toward another battlefield shrouded by a Night Curtain.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Incessant booming sounds echoed from the streets in the distance. Halos of various colors bloomed intermittently, the light produced by the use of Extraordinary Artifacts or Extraordinary Abilities. A powerful Essence Fluctuation surged through the area.

Zhou Chen was slightly surprised. He Sensed one Tier Three Ascender and seven Tier Two Ascenders. Furthermore, these seven Tier Two Ascenders were not weak; their Essence Fluctuations were exceptionally potent.

’Many of the Poisonous Sore Gang’s main forces haven’t even made a move yet. By that count, the gang must have close to forty Ascenders. That’s a considerable force even on the outside. I wonder if they’ve inherited the legacy of the old Rebel Army... People like the Plague Doctor might just become the next rebels to make their mark on history...’ Zhou Chen thought to himself. ’To have amassed such a force in a place like North Carolina, the Plague Doctor’s personal abilities are beyond question.’

Soon, the group arrived at the second battlefield. The Plague Doctor had the others stand guard outside while he, Zhou Chen, and another core member charged into the Night Curtain.

The fighting here was just as intense. With the support of the Hand of the Empire, the Government Army’s morale was soaring. They were clamoring to hang these lowlifes in the slum’s public square. However, the situation wasn’t one-sided; the combat team was holding its own against them.

Thanks to a secret weapon prepared by the Poisonous Sore Gang, even the Hand of the Empire had suffered a setback.

"FUCK! Where did these lowlifes get a weapon like this?"

In the pitch-black darkness, a Dashing Pegasus Armor crawled out from the ruins. The pilot was cursing loudly. Large patches of corrosion and decay were visible on the steel armor, sizzling and emitting thick smoke.

It looked like he’d been struck by a whip. The force of the blow was no less than that of a direct missile hit, sending him flying and leaving a large, corroded mark on the armor.

"Hm? Who’s there?"

The pilot suddenly saw several new heat sources appear on his thermal scanner. He paused for a second or two before immediately activating the micro-missiles on his shoulder, intending to blast the newcomers to smithereens. ’Friend or foe, it makes no difference. I’ll just kill them. The Government Army soldiers are just a bunch of equally lowly mortals, whereas I am a noble Ascender!’

But in that instant, the pilot froze. An unknown Mysterious Power descended, effortlessly prying open his mind and peering directly into his Soul.

He felt as if his Soul had become a book, being freely flipped through by that Mysterious Power. Certain parts were erased, rewritten with new content, and overwritten...

With a shudder, the pilot snapped out of his trance. He quickly stood at attention, placed his right hand over his heart, and saluted the heat sources in the distance.

"For North Carolina..." he muttered to himself, his tone exceptionally firm.

"These ones... are taken care of too..."

On the Plague Doctor’s back, Zhou Chen coughed up a large mouthful of blood, his presence growing faint once more.

"Dean, the Hand of the Empire is on our side now. Go take command of the combat team and the Hand of the Empire. Kill half of the Government Army soldiers and capture the rest alive. After it’s done, don’t lift the Night Curtain immediately. Catherine will be here soon to take command."

"Yes, sir!" The man named Dean accepted his orders and departed.

The Plague Doctor frantically fumbled through his pack, searching for an Alchemy Potion. He was so excited that his hands were trembling slightly. ’Recruiting two Hand of the Empire squads is a massive success for the Poisonous Sore Gang! Our overall combat strength has jumped several levels. Forget Rusted Iron City, we could take two more cities without a problem!’

He finally found a brilliant golden potion, uncorked it, and fed it to "Siegfried."

"This is Life Sacred Dew. It can completely heal your injuries."

’Life Sacred Dew? How did the Poisonous Sore Gang get their hands on this stuff?’ Zhou Chen was astonished. He drained the Life Sacred Dew in one gulp. A surging Life Force exploded within him, causing the strength of his body to skyrocket.

’This stuff is a not-for-sale item from the Life Church, its value beyond measure. Its effect is rumored to be able to instantly restore a dying person to full health as long as they have a single breath left. It’s practically a life-saving Divine Artifact. How does the Poisonous Sore Gang have it?’

’Perhaps it’s a legacy left behind by the Rebel Army?’

Hm...? Zhou Chen’s expression suddenly changed. Nourished by the vigorous Life Force, the strength of this body had shot up directly to the level of a Tier Two Ascender!

’This physical body I created with Human Body Refinement is, in a sense, also an "Extraordinary Artifact." It can be continuously strengthened over time. As long as there are enough resources, strengthening it to the Crowned King Level wouldn’t be a problem... The body’s strength was already at the peak level of a Tier One Ascender. Now, catalyzed by the Alchemy Potion, it has leveled up on the spot.’

’Flesh and Blood Body strengthened +1.’

"Siegfried... you advanced?" the Plague Doctor asked in astonishment, sensing the change in Siegfried’s aura.

"Yes," Zhou Chen said, maintaining his cold and aloof persona. He sat up from the ground and clenched his fists. "I’ve advanced to a Tier Two Ascender. Thank you for the potion."

"It was the least we could do." The Plague Doctor shook his head, his long, narrow bird-beak mask nearly poking Zhou Chen. "You’ve overdrawn your Ability three times to help us. The Poisonous Sore Gang naturally wouldn’t treat you poorly."

Zhou Chen remained silent for a moment, letting the Plague Doctor think he was undergoing some emotional turmoil. When he felt enough time had passed, he asked, "What’s the plan now?"

"We’re storming the municipal building," the Plague Doctor replied in a low voice.

"What about the Special Agent from the Counter-Terrorism Department?"

"We’ll let Ah Man and the others keep him busy. We could kill him, but there’s no need. It would expose the Poisonous Sore Gang’s true strength."

Zhou Chen pondered for a moment, then said slowly, "What if... we make him one of the Poisonous Sore Gang’s people too?"

The Plague Doctor’s heart skipped a beat. "But he’s a Tier Three Ascender..."

"I’m Tier Two now. My Extraordinary Ability has been greatly enhanced. I can give it a try on a Tier Three Ascender, but I’ll need you to beat him into a state of Weakness first. The success rate for controlling him will be higher that way," Zhou Chen said.

"Alright." The Plague Doctor only hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement. ’A Tier Three Ascender with superb combat power holding a key position is worth the risk...’ In truth, thanks to Siegfried’s participation, the Poisonous Sore Gang’s losses had been minimal. Furthermore, less than ten minutes had passed since the operation began. They had more than enough capital to take a risk.

Leaving the Night Curtain, the Plague Doctor gave a new order to the core members waiting outside:

"Surround and take down the Counter-Terrorism Department’s Special Agent!"

Without any questions, the group moved into action immediately.

They had complete trust in the Plague Doctor’s judgment.

Without the Plague Doctor’s leadership, there would be no them, no Poisonous Sore Gang, and none of the many sparks of rebellion that burned today.