Hearing Maca’s words, Pastor Zhong, who knew Maca possessed the strength of a peak two-star superhuman, was momentarily stunned before reluctantly admitting the truth.
“You’re right. If they were just a group of ordinary one-star superhumans, they certainly wouldn’t be able to surround you.”
“Exactly.”
Having heard the entire conversation between Maca and Pastor Zhong, Bai Yuling, now certain this was the headquarters of the Flame Demon Lord cult, saw no reason to give them time to react. She decisively launched an attack.
Immediately, small stones within a one-meter radius around Bai Yuling levitated and, under the influence of her supernatural power, shot towards the cultists in front of her at high speed.
Seeing Bai Yuling initiate the attack, the members of the Special Affairs Bureau, who had agreed on the signal beforehand, naturally didn’t just stand there idle. They quickly followed Bai Yuling’s lead and attacked the group of cultists.
“Oh no!”
Seeing the dense barrage of attacks coming their way, Pastor Zhong immediately sensed danger. The next second, he channeled his own supernatural power, manipulating the concrete on the ground to rapidly form a solid stone wall, blocking the first wave of attacks from the Bureau members.
“If you don’t want to be captured by the Special Affairs Bureau today, stop standing around! Hurry up and break through with me!” Knowing his wall couldn’t hold under such intense fire for long, Pastor Zhong shouted to the two other pastors beside him while desperately maintaining the barrier.
Hearing his voice, Pastor Hua and Pastor Li finally snapped into action. They promptly activated their own supernatural abilities and began counter-attacking the Bureau members.
“Die, you damned sinners!” Leaping out from behind the stone wall, Pastor Li, having conjured a fireball in his hand, unhesitatingly hurled it at the Bureau members outside.
Seeing the aggressive fireball coming their way, and knowing it was the signature skill of these Flame Demon Lord cultists—with guaranteed serious consequences if hit—the Bureau members dared not stay put. They quickly adopted evasive maneuvers, scattering to avoid the projectile.
“Don’t think I’m just like the ordinary cult members, you damned sinners!” Seeing the Bureau members dodge his attack, Pastor Li let out a cold snort. He then raised his hand and gained control over the fireball he had just thrown, altering its trajectory.
“What?!”
The Bureau members, seeing the fireball—which had been flying straight forward—suddenly change direction and curve back towards them, were taken aback. This was their first time encountering such a tactic, and stunned expressions appeared on their faces.
Before they could even react properly, the redirected fireball struck among them. A loud explosion followed, resulting in the first casualties among the Bureau members assaulting the cult headquarters.
“Dammit! Target that young pastor from the Flame Demon Lord cult!” Feeling the heatwave from the side and rear, and smelling blood in the air, Bai Yuling gritted her teeth in frustration upon realizing her team had taken casualties. Noticing that the attacker was a young pastor, she immediately ordered her team to focus their attacks on him.
Having received the Director’s order and witnessed the explosion themselves, the Bureau members knew exactly who was responsible. They swiftly concentrated their firepower on the young pastor.
Facing the concentrated barrage deliberately aimed at him, Pastor Li knew he couldn’t withstand the combined force of so many superhumans. He quickly retreated back behind the stone wall to catch his breath and wait for another opportunity to attack.
Just as Pastor Li retreated behind the wall for a temporary respite, Pastor Hua, who had been on the other side of the wall, noticed the commotion. Following his example, she leaped out and launched a fireball attack against the Bureau members before swiftly retreating back to safety behind the wall.
By the time she returned, Pastor Li, having recovered somewhat, took over again, leaping out to continue the assault. This cycle repeated, causing significant trouble for the Bureau members.
“Damn, are these cultists like eels? We’ve been fighting for so long without even scratching them!”
“Don’t worry, we have the numbers. If it comes to a battle of attrition, these cultists are no match for us. They probably won’t be able to mount a proper attack much longer.”
“I hope so.”
As the Bureau members exchanged words while continuously attacking, Pastor Zhong, still barely holding up the stone wall under the relentless assault, knew they couldn’t possibly outlast the Bureau in a war of attrition. He turned to Maca, who had looked as relaxed as a tourist since the beginning, and shouted,
“Alright, Mr. Maca, you see our situation. Could you please lend us a hand?”
“Help you? What’s in it for me?” Maca glanced up at Pastor Zhong, thought for a moment, and then asked.
Hearing this, and knowing the man was looking for benefits, Pastor Zhong didn’t hesitate long. “As long as you’re willing to help us, Mr. Maca, I can offer one million as a reward.”
“Just one million? That’s all you’re offering to get me to risk my neck? That seems far too little.”
Hearing Maca’s reply, Pastor Zhong understood he was negotiating the price and felt a wave of relief. He then asked tentatively, “Then… how much exactly are you thinking, Mr. Maca?”
“Not much. Just give me five million, and I’ll agree to help you out this once.”
Hearing the price, a pained expression flashed across Pastor Zhong’s face. But considering the urgent circumstances, he didn’t bother haggling and replied directly, “Fine, it’s a deal. As long as we escape safely, you’ll get the money you asked for.”