The decision was made. Without a second of hesitation, Thien Anh turned to Thien Lang: "Go get Thanh and the other two immediately. I'll hold the rear. Move! If we're a second too slow, we'll be buried alive in this swarm!"
Thien Lang let out a low, obedient growl and blurred into motion, his razor-sharp fangs tearing through the final One-Eyed Demons lingering in the corridor to clear a path. Meanwhile, Thien Anh maneuvered toward the perimeter, his machine gun spitting continuous fire at the dark shapes scuttling toward him.
RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
The brutal climate and the thick permafrost had significantly hampered the monsters' velocity, making them more sluggish than usual. However, faced with an overwhelming horde of thousands, Thien Anh knew better than to risk a prolonged stand.
He instantly formulated a bold strategy: retreat and lure the swarm into a collision with the Ghouls, letting the two species tear each other apart. Seizing a gap in the fighting, Thien Anh barked into his comms to Lam Linh: "Deploy more surveillance nodes, then seal the machine room. Lock it down tight. Don't let anything breach that perimeter."
Lam Linh's voice crackled back through the radio: "Done. I've also rigged toxic traps. Anyone who tries to break in will get a taste of Azure Sky's concentrated venom."
"Excellent! Everyone, get outside and coordinate with Thien Lang to clear the path, then evacuate immediately. The tide is coming in fast—if we linger, we're dead!"
His only response was the staccato rhythm of Lam Linh's gunfire. It didn't take long for Thien Lang to emerge, carrying his 'spoils.' Thien Anh was slightly surprised to see that Thien Lang's metallic vulture-feather cloak had been removed and repurposed as a protective shroud for the two survivors. Azure Sky had transformed into a living rope, coiling tightly around the two 'cocoons' to anchor them to the wolf's back.
Thien Anh looked at the two encumbering soldiers. A flash of the thought to abandon them crossed his mind, but remembering their intelligence value, he suppressed the urge. He vaulted onto Thien Lang's back; the moment he was seated, the gargantuan wolf lunged forward like an arrow released from a bow.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Throughout their escape from the 'crucible,' Thien Anh never stopped firing, dropping any One-Eyed Demon that attempted to close the distance. Suddenly, Lam Linh spoke up over the wind:
"These monsters seem to be emerging from beneath the snow. I just thought of a possibility..."
Thien Anh swapped magazines while asking, "What is it? Talk to me."
"It's highly likely that beneath this permafrost lie thousands of corpses from the initial disaster. If not, this parasitic species couldn't possibly have such terrifying numbers."
Thien Anh nodded grimly; the deduction was chillingly logical. He added: "Should I grab a few for specimens?"
"Yes, please. I need to dissect them to see what kind of devils they are—how they can parasitize and reproduce so grotesquely, even when the host is long dead."
Following her request, Thien Anh signaled Azure Sky. The capture was simple, as the creatures were continuously surfacing directly in their path. Azure Sky swiftly delivered a paralyzing nip to the two smallest ones. Thien Anh bound them with steel wire and dragged them behind like cargo.
Thien Lang's velocity was vastly superior to the One-Eyed swarm. However, an unforeseen variable emerged: the monsters didn't give up. Relying on their acute olfactory senses, they doggedly trailed the scent left by Thien Anh's group, forming a long, undulating line in the distance. Lam Linh looked back with concern:
"It's not good; they're still tracking us!"
Thien Anh narrowed his eyes, observing. He was surprised the creatures dared to venture so far from their nest. However, surprise was quickly replaced by a new tactical plan. He would turn Nguyen Thai Binh Street into a bloody arena for the two hordes.
With a cold, cynical smile, Thien Anh commanded: "Mutt, full speed toward Nguyen Thai Binh Street. We aren't going home in a straight line. We're taking a detour to give the Ghouls a 'gift'."
Thien Lang replied instantly, "Yes, Master!"
Lam Linh was bewildered. "Why not head straight back to the bunker? That street is full of university dormitories; the Ghouls there are like a disturbed anthill. It's extremely dangerous!"
Having come to view Lam Linh as a reliable comrade, Thien Anh explained patiently:
"I want these things and the Ghouls to shred each other. The detour is to test if the Ghouls fear these One-Eyed freaks. If they flee, I'll need a different plan. But if they engage, then 'borrowing a blade' will work. Furthermore, we need to buy time to prepare decoys. If we run straight to the bunker, their tracking will lead them to our doorstep. Being besieged isn't on my to-do list."
He paused, looking at her. "A brief explanation, but a woman as sharp as you should get the gist, right?"
Lam Linh nodded, the anxiety in her eyes beginning to dissipate. "I get the basic idea."
"The basics are enough. You're about to see a hell of a show."
Thien Anh's team rapidly closed in on Nguyen Thai Binh Street. Once a bustling university district, it was now a 'sanctuary' for hundreds of Ghouls clawing through the snow for food. The moment Thien Lang's silhouette appeared, dozens of Ghouls caught the scent of fresh meat, erupting in a frenzied howl and charging like a hurricane.
"ROAR—!"
Thien Anh didn't flinch. He signaled Azure Sky to partially neutralize the venom in one of the captured One-Eyed Demons, then used his full strength to hurl the creature forward, directly into the path of the charging Ghouls.
Released from its paralysis, the parasitic nature of the creature flared instantly. The One-Eyed Demon shrieked, launching itself into a suicidal frenzy against the Ghoul pack. A visceral, bloody clash erupted immediately. The Demon tore the head off one Ghoul, but in exchange, it lost a leg, then two more. Finally, it was swarmed by the pack and devoured alive right there on the street.
Witnessing this, Thien Anh smiled with cold satisfaction. "Mutt, stick to the ruins and the higher debris. Choose the most jagged, difficult path possible. We're going home!"
Though he didn't fully grasp every nuance of the plan, Thien Lang didn't hesitate. He took massive, powerful strides, leaping across the ruins and vanishing into the white veil of the blizzard toward the bunker.