Chapter 996: Breakthrough
For the first time, Lin Sanjiu witnessed what it meant to have an "organized attack."
She had experienced chaotic brawls before, but the systematic, sequential, complementary, and coordinated tactics displayed now were truly unprecedented to her. Only the Twelve Worlds could achieve such mastery over the abilities and characteristics of multiple posthumans and use them to allocate and coordinate the pace of combat.
"Patch it up!"
As soon as the battle began, the petite woman retreated into the center of the crowd, surrounded and protected by layers of posthumans. Undoubtedly, she was the command center of this battle. However, Lin Sanjiu was not a member of the Night Wanderers, so eight out of ten orders given were incomprehensible to her.
The posthumans were now divided into three layers, forming a semi-encircling formation that cornered Puppeteer in the corner of the corridor. To prevent their own members from becoming puppets, they abandoned all close combat methods. The outermost layer of posthumans maintained a continuous barrage of firepower. Although such an attack couldn't inflict real harm on Puppeteer, it was enough to suppress him and drastically limit his mobility. Amidst the storm of dense gunfire, Lin Sanjiu could barely catch a glimpse of a frail black shadow.
As soon as the command from the petite woman was given, someone in the last layer of posthumans immediately responded. This person's skin had a bluish tint, resembling the color of a river fish even without applying paint. As he took a deep breath, ripples appeared in the air around the Night Wanderers' camp, creating a water screen beside them in the blink of an eye.
Almost as soon as the water screen formed, several small objects that approached at high speed collided with it and turned into shimmering dots of light, one after another. The once formidable "Pestilence," which had been so troublesome, now disappeared like snowflakes falling into a bonfire, vanishing without a trace.
"How can he still unleash attacks?"
The petite woman seemed surprised by Pestilence's fate. She immediately shouted loudly, "Strengthen the immobilization!"
It was clear that she was giving orders to the robed man from earlier. Lin Sanjiu, who was in the second layer of the encirclement, squeezed her way toward his direction and happened to see him retrieve a square, silver object from his sleeve. She intended to quietly maneuver behind the robed man but was interrupted by a nearby posthuman who said, "Stay in your position and don't run around!"
Suppressing her growing impatience, Lin Sanjiu reluctantly halted her steps. She was separated from the robed man by four or five people. Despite several shoulders, backs, and heads obstructing her view, she could no longer see that silver object—it had vanished in the blink of an eye. However, although she couldn't see it, someone else could.
As soon as Lin Sanjiu's gaze met Bohemia's, she raised her chin toward the robed man.
Bohemia had entered alongside the robed man and was not far away. However, when the rugged and lax face of the middle-aged man caught sight of Lin Sanjiu, a sense of confusion washed over him. It was as if he had no idea what he should be doing at that moment.
Lin Sanjiu was genuinely starting to feel annoyed.
It was frustrating that Bohemia was so absent-minded. Didn't she realize that Puppeteer couldn't be further "fixed" now? Lin Sanjiu cursed inwardly, glaring hard at Bohemia. After a moment of confusion, Bohemia finally reacted, but it was already too late. While she was still stunned, the robed man had thrown the mechanical object into the air, and after flashing brightly dozens of times, he swiftly caught it again.
It wasn't until the device spat out a stack of photos with a buzzing sound that Lin Sanjiu finally realized it was an instant camera.
"Quick, act!" the petite woman shouted.
With a wave of his hand, the robed man scattered dozens of photos into the air. In a fleeting glance, Lin Sanjiu vaguely saw that each photo seemed to lack the corridor, the posthumans, and even Puppeteer. Instead, there was only a figure clad in black leather standing in an empty white background.
Regardless of what his next move would be, this was the only chance to stop him.
Gritting her teeth, Lin Sanjiu shoved aside a posthuman blocking her path, but as soon as she rushed forward a few steps, several posthumans beside the robed man swiftly surrounded him, as if they had rehearsed this moment. This preparation was intended to prevent Puppeteer, but it also happened to keep her outside the protective circle.
Lin Sanjiu forced herself to stop, watching helplessly as the robed man, with acrobatic agility, threw another object into the air before the photos landed. The dozens of photos were pierced by the object, hanging motionlessly in the air as if nailed in place.
Now, she finally saw it clearly.
In each photo, only the dark Puppeteer floated in a milky-white background, appearing thin and fragile like a shadow cast by a fallen leaf. Even the slightest movement, such as Puppeteer raising his right hand while releasing Pestilence, was captured and broken down into a series of continuous photos. And on his limbs, countless nails were hammered in, making him look like a voodoo doll made of photographs.
"The immobilization is strengthened!"
The robed man shouted triumphantly. Lin Sanjiu's heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively looked up at Puppeteer. Everything had happened within just a couple of minutes, and only now did she have a chance to think about what "immobilization" meant. As her gaze fell upon Puppeteer, she suddenly understood.
Puppeteer obviously reacted faster than Lin Sanjiu, as his combat instinct and experience surpassed hers. He stood sideways in place, using only his left arm to barely block the barrage of intense gunfire aimed at him, while his right arm remained stiff and motionless. It wasn't so much that he was hindered by his injuries, but rather that he seemed to be deliberately avoiding certain physical movements. The petite woman in charge didn't let this opportunity slip by and immediately shouted, "Prepare for the next immobilization! First row, spread out! Second row, attack!"
"Get in position!"
As soon as the command was given, a posthuman behind Lin Sanjiu pushed her aside. Lin Sanjiu quickly glanced around her and immediately realized the dire situation. The second row consisted of posthumans with powerful offensive abilities, and as their various abilities began to gather momentum, the shimmering light and the increasing roar were chilling. After all, the heavily injured Puppeteer was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and it seemed that the Night Wanderers were determined to annihilate him with all their might at this very moment.
Even with Bohemia by her side, the two of them couldn't simultaneously stop the abilities of over ten posthumans. There was only one way out—
Lin Sanjiu suddenly lunged towards the robed man.