Chapter 27

Ma Le was taken aback upon hearing the news: "Doctor, what do you mean by that?"

Lagrande sighed and said, "Although I don't know why there are so many mutated monsters outside, this incident has already announced that the military has lost control of Manhattan. A large number of mutated monsters have breached the safe zones, and the facilities in Manhattan have been severely damaged, making it unnecessary to attempt any rescue. Therefore, the people isolated here will likely be eliminated, and based on my understanding of Blackwatch, they might use some extreme measures!"

This so-called extreme measure must refer to nuclear weapons, Ma Le couldn't help but admire the old expert's judgment. In the game's plot, there indeed was a plan to clean up with nuclear bombs, although it was later destroyed by Alex, the citizens of Manhattan were ultimately sealed to their deaths.

"Moreover, even if Blackwatch is willing to spare the citizens of Manhattan, I am special. After the crisis, others can leave, but I can only be under strict surveillance by Blackwatch," Dr. Lagrande added. "So, I want to entrust you with this research. You are a perfect evolution body, not as powerful as Alex, but also not yet noticed by Blackwatch. With your abilities, you should be able to take this out of Manhattan. This is the last thing I ask of you!"

Seeing his determination, Ma Le had no choice but to take the box and put it in his backpack. He said goodbye to Dr. Lagrande and left St. Paul's Hospital. Although Dr. Lagrande did not appear in the sequel, he was Alex's friend, and perhaps he could survive in Manhattan.

Avoiding the battles between the mutated monsters and the military, Ma Le finally arrived at Times Square. He didn't dare get too close but climbed a nearby skyscraper to observe the battle from a distance.

In the center of the square, a massive viral organism stood on the ground, resembling a thick spine. At the top of the spine was a large, fleshy mass with a split at the front, where the outline of Elizabeth's human form could be faintly seen. From a distance, it looked like a giant swaying "flower." Beside this large "flower" were two smaller tentacles, continuously blocking the shells aimed at the flower and lifting large rocks to attack the surrounding enemies.

Around the square, seven or eight tanks had gathered, and four armed helicopters were circling in the sky, concentrating their fire on the large "flower." Elizabeth was no pushover; the flying rocks were just a small threat. The real danger came from the green, spherical viral organisms that spewed from the split in the "flower." Each time the split twitched, it would spew out a dozen of these green balls, which would explode violently upon contact, releasing corrosive liquid. A tank could be rendered useless after just a few hits.

The military had also invested heavily in this operation. The tanks were being lost quickly, but they were being replenished even faster. From Ma Le's vantage point, he could see a steady stream of tanks converging on Times Square from all directions, firing from a distance. At this rate, even someone as powerful as Elizabeth wouldn't last long.

Elizabeth also realized the severity of the situation. The giant "flower" let out a long, ear-piercing scream, the sound waves visible to the naked eye. The glass of nearby skyscrapers shattered, and Ma Le couldn't help but cover his ears. This scream was actually a summoning signal, and countless hunters emerged from the ground, attacking the tank units.

The human mechanized forces were pitted against the powerful, virus-mutated creatures, a raw and primal clash of steel and flesh. This intense battle made Ma Le's blood boil, but he dared not join in. Even a single hunter would be more than he could handle, and there were hundreds of them below.

Suddenly, Ma Le noticed a tank being hit by several green viral balls, its turret blown off and instantly destroyed. However, a Blackwatch soldier emerged from the wreckage, still alive after such a violent explosion! Ma Le marveled at the soldier's resilience, but then saw him easily jump onto another tank, manually open the locked hatch, and jump inside. Blood splattered from the hatch, and the tank continued to move, firing at Elizabeth.

Alex! This soldier must be Alex, with his classic and direct carjacking move, it had to be him! Alex's actions inspired Ma Le. If Alex could hijack a tank, why couldn't he?

With this thought, Ma Le began to act. He didn't dare go to Times Square, and even if he did, he wouldn't have the strength to open the tank's hatch. However, the smaller battle teams in other areas were easier to handle. Ma Le left the area and found a small team fighting scattered hunters. He took advantage of the chaos to absorb a Blackwatch soldier with a rocket launcher.

The team's enemy was only one hunter. Although the monster was strong and agile, it couldn't withstand the combined attack of a tank and a dozen armed soldiers. Ma Le soon felt that the hunter was ready to be absorbed, its life nearly depleted. He "bravely" charged forward and was thrown back by the hunter's dying counterattack.

After the other Blackwatch soldiers eliminated the hunter, they came to Ma Le's aid. Ma Le pretended to be injured and unable to move, successfully convincing a few soldiers to carry him into the tank for rest.

The tank was operated by three soldiers. While his absorption ability was still on "cooldown," Ma Le lay quietly, observing the three soldiers' operations. One was responsible for driving, one for the main cannon, and the last for the automatic weapon. However, the military technology in Prototype was more advanced than in the real world. Ma Le noticed that all three operations were controlled by a computer, and the control platform could be moved, allowing one person to operate all three. This explained why Alex could operate a tank alone after killing the crew, though it required multitasking, which reduced combat efficiency.

The team was also summoned to join the attack on Times Square. After a brief rest, they headed to the square and soon joined the siege on Elizabeth. By this time, Ma Le's absorption ability had cooled down. Taking advantage of the three soldiers' focus on the battle, he used a dagger to quickly kill the machine gunner and the gunner, absorbed the driver, and the memory fragments flashed through his mind, instantly teaching him how to operate the tank.

Ma Le moved the control platforms for the turret and machine gun to the driver's seat, sat down, and began operating the tank. However, this was a skilled job, and knowing the method without practice left him quite inexperienced. When he started the tank, it was like a novice driver, careening around and nearly running over nearby infantry.

"Joey, are you crazy?!" the soldiers outside shouted through the radio. Ma Le replied in Joey's voice, "Sorry, I was a bit scared by that monster!" The soldiers laughed over the radio, "Ha, you're such a coward, you said you were going to kick the monster's ass before we left!"

After successfully bluffing his way through, Ma Le quickly adapted to driving the tank and joined the massive artillery bombardment of Elizabeth. Elizabeth was a major boss in a high-level world, and Ma Le estimated that as long as he could inflict damage on her, he would receive a reward for participating in her elimination.

The battle lasted for several hours, with helicopters and tanks being turned into scrap metal by Elizabeth's fierce attacks. Ma Le's tank gradually moved from the rear to the front lines. As the sun began to set, Elizabeth finally began to weaken. Ma Le keenly sensed that she was now weak enough to be absorbed.

Ma Le had a small idea. If he could successfully absorb Elizabeth, his power would surely increase dramatically. However, he quickly dismissed this thought, chuckling to himself. A dead camel is still bigger than a horse, and if he really approached, he might not be able to absorb her, not to mention the ever-watchful Alex.

At that moment, a Blackwatch soldier leaped out of a nearby tank, agilely rushing to the base of the "large flower." He gathered his strength and slammed his palms into the ground, causing countless massive, sharp spikes to grow from the ground within a few hundred meters. Both Elizabeth and the nearby tank units were hit with fatal blows.

Sure enough, Alex had also sensed Elizabeth's weakness and came out to deliver the final blow! Ma Le recognized this move; it was one of Alex's three signature moves in the game, the Grave Spire. It could drive viral organisms into the ground, turning them into steel-hard, massive blades that burst out, causing widespread damage. In reality, this move was even more impressive, with a larger range and higher damage, almost wiping out the entire armored force in one strike!

Ma Le's tank was not spared. He climbed out of the wreckage just in time to see Alex pull Elizabeth out of the massive viral organism and absorb her.

Alex seemed not to notice Ma Le hiding in the ruins and left after absorbing Elizabeth. Seeing no one nearby, Ma Le boldly approached the remains of the large "flower" and placed his hand on it. "Huh? Not dead yet?" Ma Le keenly sensed that this massive viral organism was still alive, though its life force was extremely weak and would likely die soon if left alone.

Ma Le was overjoyed. The fact that it was still alive meant it was not part of Elizabeth, and more importantly, it could be absorbed! He walked to the fleshy split and saw a core the size of a human head. Ma Le extended his hands and tried to absorb it. Countless black tentacles climbed up the core, instantly breaking it down, absorbing it, and fusing it with Ma Le!

"Success!" Ma Le shouted in excitement, waiting for the power boost from the absorption. Indeed, soon a intense pain spread throughout his body, far more intense than when he evolved his "Iron Fist"!

However, he soon realized something was wrong. The last time he absorbed, the pain lasted only a few seconds, but this time it lasted for ten minutes, and it showed no signs of easing, only intensifying!