Infinite Regeneration In The Apocalypse-Chapter 78: Egg

The convoy’s captain was a man who looked to be in his early forties, with iron-gray hair cut in a military buzz cut and a face weathered by years of service. His jaw was strong and square, his eyes were sharp and calculating, and his expression was completely stoic. He showed no emotion whatsoever as he surveyed the devastation around them.

He stood in the open hatch of the lead tank, his upper body visible above the armored turret. His hands rested on the rim of the hatch as he scanned the area constantly.

Suddenly, his eyes flashed with as he spotted something in the distance. Among the chaos and destruction, he saw a young man roughly two blocks ahead, standing in the middle of an intersection killing radiants with impressive efficiency.

The young man looked to be in his early twenties, athletic build, wearing torn civilian clothes. But what made him stand out were the flames dancing around both of his arms, flickering and shifting like living creatures. When he punched at radiants, the flames would surge forward and incinerate them instantly, burning them to ash in seconds.

He was clearing the street single-handedly, moving from one radiant to the next with practiced ease. His talent was obviously fire-based, and he had good control over it. He was probably a Player, someone who had been transported into this trial dimension just like Vogue.

The captain’s expression didn’t change at all. Without any hesitation or visible emotion, he raised his hand slowly and pointed directly at the young man in the distance.

"Kill him," he commanded in a flat, emotionless voice.

Instantly, the soldier inside the tank didn’t hesitate and the tank’s turret began rotating.

The heavy barrel swung around with mechanical precision, tracking smoothly across the battlefield until it was aimed directly at the young man who was still fighting radiants, completely unaware of the danger behind him.

Suddenly, the tank trembled as the main cannon fired.

"BOOM!"

The sound was deafening, a concussive blast that echoed between the buildings and set off car alarms blocks away. The tank rocked backward slightly from the recoil as the shell left the barrel at incredible velocity.

The young man’s face changed dramatically when he heard the sound and felt the killing intent. His head snapped around, eyes widening in shock and confusion when he saw the tank and realized what was happening. Why was the military shooting at him? He was helping! He was killing radiants!

But there was no time for questions.

He immediately threw both hands forward in a desperate defensive gesture. Flames erupted from his palms and began forming a barrier in front of him. The fire compressed and solidified, creating a curved shield of dense flame that burned so hot it was nearly white at the center.

"KABOOM!"

The tank shell impacted against the flame barrier with catastrophic force. The explosion was massive, a fireball that expanded outward and consumed everything within a twenty-meter radius. Windows shattered from the shockwave. Cars were flipped end over end. The asphalt melted into bubbling tar.

The flame shield held for just a few milliseconds, the compressed fire pushing back against the explosive force of the military-grade shell. But it wasn’t enough. The barrier couldn’t withstand that level of destructive power.

The shield shattered, breaking apart into a shower of individual flames that scattered in all directions like burning rain. The explosion broke through and hit the young man directly, consuming him in fire and force.

He was sent flying backward like a ragdoll, his body tumbling through the air completely out of control. He crashed through the window of a coffee shop, disappeared inside, and then there was silence except for the crackling of flames.

Without any visible signal or spoken command, the soldiers moved with coordinated precision that showed they had done this many times before. Five soldiers broke formation immediately, sprinting toward the coffee shop where the young man had landed. They moved in a tactical formation, weapons raised and ready, covering each other as they approached.

They reached the shattered storefront and entered carefully. Inside, they found the young man’s body lying in the rubble. He was badly burned, his clothes charred and smoking. His skin was blackened and cracked. He was still breathing, but barely. His chest rose and fell in shallow, labored movements.

The soldiers grabbed him without any gentleness, each one taking a limb. They hauled the burned body out of the shop and carried it back toward the convoy with efficient speed. No medical attention was administered. No attempt was made to treat his injuries or make him comfortable.

They brought the charred body to the back of a large military transport truck that was following behind the tanks. The canvas covering was pulled aside, and they threw the young man inside like he was a piece of cargo. He landed with a dull thump on the metal floor.

Inside the truck, there were already other bodies. Dozens of them. Some burned, some torn apart, some relatively intact. All of them were young people, teenagers and young adults. All of them had been killed or captured by the military convoy.

It turned out the convoy wasn’t truly hunting radiants at all. That was just a cover, a convenient excuse that allowed them to move through the city without suspicion.

They were hunting Players. Systematically targeting and eliminating or capturing anyone who showed signs of having awakened special abilities during the trial.

The captain watched as his soldiers completed their task and returned to formation. He nodded once in satisfaction, his stoic expression never changing. Then he raised his hand and made a forward gesture.

The convoy continued moving, rolling deeper into the city, searching for more Players to eliminate.

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Meanwhile, several blocks away in a partially collapsed building, Vogue was completely unaware of the military death squad rolling through the streets. He was focused entirely on examining the loot that had materialized after killing the Thousand-Radiant Baby Ghost.