’Why are you Fallen Paradise people everywhere?!’

’Are you all here in North Carolina for a team-building exercise or something?’

Zhou Chen sighed internally, his mind instinctively starting to plot how to backstab this creature. But after mulling it over, he couldn’t come up with a good plan. The "Sea Monster" was a Tier Three Corrupter, and its Ability was bizarre and unique. Anyone it corrupted became a part of it, their consciousnesses integrated into one. In a situation like this, even finding and killing its main body would be pointless. As long as a single Clone survived, it wasn’t truly dead.

In other words, killing these "Matthew" Clones was completely useless. In fact, it would mean dropping all pretenses, and the five of them would have to face an onslaught from countless Corrupters.

Mental contamination on this scale was far beyond what the five of them could handle. Under normal circumstances, the Star Association would have already raised a Barrier to seal off the city, issued a purge order, and sent in the army to conduct a full-scale Purification.

It was no wonder members of Fallen Paradise were popping up one after another. With the Star Association’s influence temporarily gone, the chaos in North Carolina was their perfect stage—a time to stir up trouble and pursue Advancement...

This gave Zhou Chen a headache for a moment. He made another wish: "I want to know the ’Sea Monster’s’ reason for coming to North Carolina."

[Wish Value -1000]

[Eight months ago, Fallen Paradise secretly fomented a civil war in Atlantis, attempting to steal the Atlanteans’ Ocean Crown. The "Sea Monster" and the "Siren" both participated.

The plan ultimately ended in failure. The "Siren" went missing during her escape, her whereabouts unknown.

Half a month ago, the "Sea Monster" completed the most difficult ritual for its Advancement. Now, it only needs to complete one final ritual to activate the Advanced Secret Ceremony and ascend to Tier Four.

Its final ritual for Advancement is as follows: It must cultivate a wife, who must be a marine creature. It must make her gradually grow powerful until she is nearly one with it, and establish an intimate, loving relationship with her. Then, after thirty-six months of close companionship, it must have her willingly sacrifice herself to become a part of its Power.

The "Siren" is the wife the "Sea Monster" has been cultivating and is the most crucial part of its ascension to Tier Four. Therefore, upon discovering the "Siren’s" location, the "Sea Monster" rushed to North Carolina immediately, wanting to rescue the "Siren" and have her sacrifice herself to complete its own ascension.]

’Another one running to North Carolina for Advancement...’ Zhou Chen thought, clicking his tongue in amazement.

However, unlike the "Merchant," the "Sea Monster" hadn’t come to North Carolina specifically to take advantage of the chaos and find an opportunity for Advancement. It had come for the "Siren." The wish had mentioned that the "Siren" was captured by fishermen after accidentally ending up in the Red River, and was then sent to a laboratory for research. Connecting that to the civil war in Atlantis, it wasn’t hard to figure out the cause and effect: the "Siren" had accidentally fled to North Carolina while escaping.

This explained why Matthew was so desperate to attack the armory. The chance to ascend to Tier Four was right there—who wouldn’t be in a hurry?

’Maybe I could do this...’

A bold idea formed in Zhou Chen’s mind, but after some thought, he decided it was too dangerous. ’If I really do this, the "Sea Monster" will be absolutely enraged. We’ll definitely be hunted down by more than a hundred thousand Corrupters...’

They could handle a few dozen or even a hundred Corrupters, but over a hundred thousand... that was too many. They could be swamped and killed by sheer numbers. Once they dropped all pretenses, that was the dangerous situation they would inevitably face.

And yet, Zhou Chen couldn’t help but feel eager to try.

Just then, Catherine gently nudged his arm and gave him a meaningful look.

Confused, Zhou Chen looked back at her.

Catherine mouthed the words silently, "Stall for time. Reinforcements are on the way."

’How does she know reinforcements are on the way?’ Although confused, Zhou Chen gave a slight nod to show he understood.

Twenty minutes later, the vehicle screeched to a halt.

Led by the "Matthews," Zhou Chen and his group arrived near the armory in the center of Red River City.

The Matthews had already cased the joint. They had corrupted some local residents to observe the armory and some city government staff to get intelligence. By now, the Sea Monster knew the place like the back of its hand.

"A Hand of the Empire squad is stationed at the armory, patrolling twenty-four hours a day. Their Dashing Pegasus Armor can detect contamination fluctuations within a one-kilometer radius, while instruments inside the armory can detect mental contamination fluctuations up to three kilometers away. That’s why we can’t get too close."

In a hotel room, blueprints of the armory were spread out on a table. The hotel’s owner, one of the Matthews, was explaining the plan. "The armory is heavily guarded, but it has some blind spots. As long as you follow the route we provide, there won’t be any problem.

Once inside, Mr. Siegfried will need to go to the central control room, brainwash the employees, and shut down the detection equipment. After our own devices confirm the equipment is off, we’ll activate our jammers and launch an attack on the Hand of the Empire squad. If we coordinate from the inside and out, taking the armory won’t be hard."

"It sounds simple, but it will be very difficult to execute."

Zhou Chen frowned as he studied the blueprints and exterior photos. "Twenty-meter-high walls plus a high-voltage electric fence, not to mention sensing cameras all over the armory and patrolling Hand of the Empire members... it will be incredibly difficult to get in without being discovered.

This plan is hardly fair. We’re the ones who will be trapped in the wolf’s den."

The hotel-owner Matthew said calmly, "Danger and opportunity coexist. Did you expect to take the armory without suffering a single casualty? Or are you suggesting that *we* should attack the armory directly?

We are Corrupters. The moment their instruments detect our contamination fluctuations, an alarm will be triggered. Once that alarm reaches the North Carolina Government, this armory’s days are numbered. The government would sooner blow it up than let the Rebel Army use it.

If you want to be as covert as possible, my plan is the best one there is."

Zhou Chen pretended to think it over for a few minutes to stall for time, then nodded reluctantly.

"Then let’s proceed with this plan."

Ten minutes later, the operation began.

Zhou Chen and his team of five followed the route provided by the Matthews to infiltrate the Red River City armory. They scaled high walls and electric fences, dodged guards and cameras, and finally, just barely managed to get into the central control room, where Zhou Chen used a wish to brainwash the guards inside.

"Siegfried, you brainwashed everyone we ran into on the way here, right?" Only once they were away from the Matthews did Catherine dare to speak normally.

"Yes." Zhou Chen nodded.

"Our reinforcements are on the way, so don’t shut down the equipment yet. Stall for as long as you can," Catherine added.

"How do you know we have reinforcements?"

"The Plague Doctor left something on me that allows us to communicate remotely."

’So that’s how...’ Zhou Chen nodded. "I’m going to check the basement."

"The basement?" Catherine and the others were taken aback.

"When I brainwashed them, I learned that there’s also a secret laboratory in the basement here."

Zhou Chen lied without batting an eye. He was about to act on that bold idea of his—or, he would simply kill the "Siren" outright, severing the "Sea Monster’s" path to Advancement.