Luo Nan was familiar with the chain of events that had unfolded inside the cabin.
One was the roar of fear. It was practically a replay of what Luo Nan had experienced on the viaduct. But on the soul plane, a few more essential details were revealed. Judging from the others' expressions, it was clear that they were completely unaware of the spores.
Then there were the fallen Fierce Warriors. Luo Nan sensed the unexpected change that had occurred to the Fierce Soldier. At the moment he had been forcibly pulled out of his body, a dark and incorporeal vibration had penetrated him, violently blasting his soul out.
Looking at it now, it was essentially a battering ram that acted directly on the soul plane. The physical body in the real world had no means of defense against it. A single strike hit the soul directly… it carried the essence of mystic arts.
The Fierce Soldier clearly didn't have the ability to leave his body voluntarily. This time, the situation was likely dire.
Luo Nan's mind stirred. He bore no hostility toward the military personnel. He didn't want anyone to lose their life because of this inexplicable Darksider life form. After a brief hesitation, he issued his first command to the burning wraith since the battle began.
The burning wraith moved sluggishly inside the cabin. It was currently driving its dark flames to burn away the surrounding restraints, attempting to regain its freedom. Its power had surged explosively. However, Luo Nan's command reached its core through the chains, making it difficult for it to resist.
The burning wraith separated a strand of bloody light, which wrapped around the drifting "smoke" escaping from the Fierce Soldier's body and forcibly stuffed it back inside. It then circled in the air, ignoring the erupting fire clouds as if they were nothing, and fled the cabin trailing dark red flames.
At this moment, Luo Nan's soul followed silently at a distance of over a dozen meters.
From Liu Tao's explanation, Luo Nan understood that the military used Shadow Mist to detect Darksider life forms by analyzing disturbances across various information wavebands. He didn't fully understand the calculation process, but he knew one thing—his current ability to maintain this state was largely due to his own Format.
His soul, being out of the body, naturally interfered with reality. Otherwise, he would be lost in chaotic nothingness, no longer human. Because of this, he was likely a natural signal source within the Shadow Mist. If he and the burning wraith split up, it was uncertain which one would be detected first.
Since he couldn't create a diversion, he had to conceal himself instead.
He controlled the chain carefully, maintaining a distance that was neither too far nor too close. He followed behind the burning wraith while subtly adjusting his route.
Although the burning wraith remained invisible to the naked eye, its constant interference with reality made the military's detection systems flare intensely.
The well-trained soldiers outside reacted within half a second. They redirected their weapons, using the special fire clouds to seal off the corridor.
However, the burning wraith had already activated its "Fearful Roar." It absorbed fear as nourishment, rapidly increasing its strength. It was already difficult for Luo Nan to control it—let alone for soldiers relying solely on equipment.
Even though the corridor was engulfed in fire clouds, the burning wraith moved freely. Occasionally, it used its "Siege Hammer" attack. Although Luo Nan suppressed it repeatedly, the attacks still knocked targets unconscious.
Facing an invisible enemy, the situation was extremely treacherous. It tested the limits of human willpower.
Even highly trained soldiers, maintaining continuous fire according to protocol, could not completely suppress fear and panic.
This played directly into the burning wraith's strength. As a result, the number of strange spores in the corridor increased once again. They no longer came only from the terrified rich kids but also from the soldiers themselves. Large quantities of spores rose, intertwined, and exchanged.
Fear spread like an avalanche, pressing down on everyone present. The formation of elite soldiers and the rhythm of coordinated firepower began to show visible disorder.
"1, 2, 3… 7, 8!"
Including the one still lying inside the cabin, there were nine elite soldiers equipped with advanced exoskeleton armor. Together, they formed a squad capable of contending with powerful mutants in the wilderness.
Yet under the overwhelming force of the burning wraith, they were nearly powerless.
Luo Nan observed the scene with mixed emotions.
Just that morning, he had been a suspect under police detention, forced to endure everything without resistance. Yet only a few hours later, his strength had reached a level where he could overwhelm a military elite squad.
It was both terrifying and surreal.
From what he saw, it was clear that the planetary government was struggling against the Wilderness, the Mutants, and the Darksider life forms.
Luo Nan wasn't someone who worried about the fate of the world, but a sentence surfaced in his mind:
Every person is only three hundred kilometers away from the Wilderness.
Everyone on this planet lived under the threat of Mutants. And now, it seemed that threat was far greater than what the government or media admitted.
Still, Luo Nan wasn't one to dwell on such thoughts. He quickly steadied himself, suppressing the burning wraith's flames slightly while adjusting his route. He prepared to pass through walls again and return to his body.
But in the next moment, the burning wraith transmitted a restless signal.
Almost simultaneously, Luo Nan felt an inexplicable unease.
He shifted his focus and heard muffled footsteps.
At the far end of the corridor, a figure appeared—its color like the deep azure sea. It turned the corner and advanced step by step.
It was another exoskeleton armor. Its head was slightly flattened, with a multi-angled helmet—once known as the "most masculine exoskeleton design."
But in Luo Nan's perception, it resembled a praying mantis poised to strike. Every reflected glint of light carried a sharp, blade-like presence.
A low, fine hissing sound emerged from the back of the sealed helmet. At the same time, the armor's shoulders, chest, abdomen, ribs, and limbs underwent subtle shifts. The entire structure seemed to expand slightly.
Then, intricate patterns of light began to appear across its surface—flat, circular, hyperbolic, and more.
Fine currents seemed to dance across the armor, but on closer inspection, they were not electricity. They were delicate, interwoven flames clinging to the deep-blue surface.
Only the brilliant glow flickered faintly.
Deep Blue Walker… Archetype Format Form!
Thoughts flashed rapidly through Luo Nan's mind before settling on one conclusion:
Format of Fire!
Before the thought fully formed, a translucent wave of flame spread outward from the advancing Deep Blue Walker. It was clear and fluid, like a silent tide.
It surged through the corridor and collided with the military's fire clouds.
In that instant, a violent and extraordinary reaction erupted.