The Ascension to Godhood Begins with the Blacklight Virus

Chapter 5 Group Formation

Cheng Song's vision blurred, and he found himself standing in a strange space that smelled of "a mixture of expired canned food and formaldehyde".

Before he could even complain about the air quality rating of this instance, he found himself surrounded by four teammates with completely different styles.

The first thing to come into view was a guy who redefined the concept of "security." He was at least two meters tall, completely encased in heavy, dark gray bulletproof armor, covered in densely packed special ceramic plates. His shoulders were so broad they could accommodate two pigeons having a meeting. The riot shield on his back was ridiculously large; it could be used as a single bed horizontally or as a door vertically. The short-handled battering ram hanging at his waist, which would be a double-handed heavy hammer in an ordinary person's hands, looked like a blunt weapon held in one hand on him. This man stood as steady as a rock, his gaze from beneath his tactical helmet carrying a metallic scrutiny. Cheng Song felt like he was being scanned from head to toe. ID hovering above his head: [Anvil].

Cheng Song paused for a moment as his gaze shifted slightly to the right.

It wasn't stunning, but rather a subconscious alertness, like having something sharp pressed against your brow.

She was a woman dressed in a moon-white, cloud-patterned, fitted outfit. Her black hair was simply tied up with a wooden hairpin, revealing her beautifully sculpted neck and a face as cold and aloof as if covered in frost. But what was most striking were her incredibly long legs, which, encased in well-fitting trousers, exuded a sense of agile yet dangerous power. She wore black soft-soled boots, standing as straight as a javelin when still. She carried no elaborate equipment, only silver-gray metal bracers with a subtle shimmering light wrapped around her arms. Standing there, she didn't resemble a team member, but rather a sharp sword drawn from its sheath, silently radiating an aura of "beware, approach!" ID: [Aqi]

The third presence was entirely different, carrying an air of coldness and mystery. A wide, almost overwhelmingly black robe completely enveloped him, the hood pulled low, casting shadows that obscured most of his face, revealing only a sharply defined jawline and a pair of eyes that gleamed with a faint, eerie green light deep within the shadows of the hood. He (or she?) held a bone-white staff, its tip inlaid with irregularly shaped, multifaceted black crystals, a faint, unsettling chill swirling around it. ID: [Secret Eye]

The last one, with a sudden change in style, was squatting on the edge of the platform, his rear end sticking out. His white lab coat was wrinkled like pickled vegetables, stained with all sorts of questionable chemical reagents; his hair was a messy, upright welt; and he wore glasses with lenses as thick as bottle bottoms, the left one cracked. At this moment, he was using a small pair of silver tweezers, intently picking up a tiny, faintly glowing substance from the viscous liquid at the edge of the platform, bringing it to his glasses. Behind the lenses, his eyes gleamed with an almost fanatical, discovery-of-a-new-continent light. ID: [Crazy Ivan].

Cheng Song subconsciously looked down at himself—a plain, unremarkable dark combat uniform, with a seemingly ordinary black dagger tucked at his waist. ID: [Scavenger].

Great, the team composition is clear at a glance: a human wall, a cold and aloof swordsman, a mysterious mage, a mad scholar, and... an ordinary person like myself. This setup, no matter how you look at it, exudes a subtle mix of "professional team" and "temporary freeloaders".

The raid instance "Hatchery" has been loaded.

[Current Area: Outer Waste Disposal Zone.]

Main Quest: Infiltrate the core of the hatchery and destroy the 'Corrupted Mother Nest'.

The cold, impersonal system notification sounded in my head, as annoying as an alarm clock.

"Everyone's here." Anvil spoke first, his voice carrying a metallic quality, steady and powerful, coming through the tactical helmet's filter. "I'm Anvil, main tank. Mission clear, environment harsh, sticking together is our only way to survive. Brief self-introductions, clear roles. Seven?"

"Ah Qi. Body cultivator, close combat, point-breaking." The mature woman's voice was as cold as ice striking jade, her gaze sweeping over Cheng Song and Mi Tong with a wary scrutiny.

"Secret Eye. Shadow and Soul Spells, Curse, Detection." The voice from beneath the black robe was hoarse and deep, its gender indistinguishable, and the black crystal on the staff gleamed slightly.

"Crazy Ivan! Bioalchemist! Part-time plague doctor and... uh, enthusiast of unconventional material structures!" The crouching scholar jumped up, waving tweezers, excitedly babbling incoherently, "I can analyze most biochemical toxins, bizarre pathogens, energy pollution, and try to concoct countermeasures on-site or... um, some interesting explosives? The biomass samples here are fascinating!" He pointed to the shattered culture chambers around him.

Finally, everyone's eyes fell on Cheng Song.

He cleared his throat, deliberately making his voice hoarse: "Scavenger. Melee, cleanup, adept at finishing off weakened opponents." — Essentially, he picks up the scraps, finishes off weakened opponents, and cleans up the battlefield. Perfectly suited to his ID.

Iron Anvil nodded and quickly assigned tasks: "C+ to B- difficulty, high-threat contamination dungeons. Seven is highly mobile, responsible for flank maneuvers, quick infiltration, and clearing high-threat points, while also protecting Secret Eye and Evan. Secret Eye, prioritize warning of magic traps, mental contamination, and invisible units, and control the field with curses. Evan, identify all biohazards, assess risks, and provide medical support. Scavenger, you and I will hold the front line, build the main defense, handle low-to-medium threat targets on the front, and be sure to cover any gaps."

The division of labor is clear; he's obviously a seasoned commander.

Cheng Song nodded silently, his hand resting on the hilt of his dagger. Having the body-cultivating older sister by his side reduced the direct pressure, but also increased the risk of exposure. This one clearly had sharp eyes; she wasn't someone to be fooled.

"Then," Iron Anvil took the giant shield from his back, "let's go. Wedge formation, me at the front, Ah Qi on the left, Scavenger on the right, and Secret Eye and Ivan in the center. Maintain distance and support each other."

The white halo around the safe zone began to fade and disappear.

The damp, putrid, and malevolent air enveloped him completely. Tiny spores in the air landed on his skin, causing a slight tingling sensation. Cheng Song could feel something suppressed within him exerting a weak, mixed desire to "reject" and "digest" these spores. He calmly circulated the cooling sensation of the "Soul Cleansing Incense" to suppress it.

The group, using the anvil as a guide, slowly stepped into the dimly lit passage. The ground beneath their feet made a soft, squelching sound. Ah Qi walked on the left flank, her steps as light as a cat's, yet each step carried a strange rhythm. Secret Eyes, clad in black robes, remained silent, his staff's black crystal slowly rotating. Ivan looked around, attempting to collect samples of mycelium from the wall with tweezers, but was stopped by the anvil's stern gaze.

The passageway was wide, but cluttered with various dumping equipment and waste. Dark green fungal carpets rippled slightly on the walls.

"Something came by, not long ago," Ah Qi suddenly said in a low voice, his gaze sweeping over a patch of slime on the ground. "More than one, their movements were chaotic, and there were drag marks."

"Thirty meters ahead, there are energy accumulation points on the left wall, suspected to be remnants of corrosive liquid spray nozzles," Mi Tong added hoarsely.

"Claw marks on the ground, three toes, sharp tips, unusual depth... not from an ordinary wild beast." Ah Qi's gaze fell on several dents in the ground.

Iron Anvil immediately raised his shield and slightly turned to the side: "Prepare to engage the enemy. Ah Qi, Scavenger, watch out for flanking attacks. Secret Eye, Ivan, stay close."

As soon as the words were spoken, a sickening rustling sound, like wet leather rubbing together, came from the shadows ahead and from behind the debris on either side. Then, several staggering figures slowly "stood up" from the darkness and ruins.

Rotten zombies. Their skin was festering and dark green, their limbs twisted, their bony claws menacing, dragging along with blackish-green pus and blood, making a hoarse sound as they moved. Their movements were stiff and slow, there were six or seven of them, approaching from the front.

Almost simultaneously, the rusted ventilation duct railings above the passage were smashed open with a series of loud crashes! Several dark red and black shadows, accompanied by sharp screechs, hurtled towards Mi-Eye and Ivan at the rear of the group like flesh-and-blood cannonballs! Swift Lickers!

The battle erupted instantly!

"Hold the formation!" Anvil roared, thrusting his massive shield forward with a thud, colliding with the two foremost walkers! His right hand swept the battering ram across, striking another walker in the ribs, the sound of bones cracking clear.

At the same moment, Ah Qi moved. Instead of charging directly at the zombies, she darted diagonally to the left, her moon-white figure moving with ghostly speed, her target the suspected corrosive liquid vent that had been detected by her Secret Eye! Just as she approached, the fungal carpet on the wall suddenly cracked open, and a stream of dark green acid sprayed out like a high-pressure water jet!

However, Ah Qi seemed to have anticipated this. Her forward momentum didn't falter; instead, with incredible flexibility, she twisted her waist to the side, almost parallel to the ground. The acid grazed her outfit and struck a zombie that had just gotten up behind her, instantly emitting white smoke. The zombie screamed and collapsed. Ah Qi, using the momentum, sprang into the air, her right fist, wrapped in a silver-gray bracer, slamming into the wall next to the nozzle with a dull thud!

"Bang!" Concrete fragments mixed with the fungal carpet splattered everywhere, and the nozzle and a piece of wriggling fungal carpet were directly blasted down.

"Shadow Binding!" Mipus's hoarse voice rang out, and with a wave of his staff, several seemingly tangible black chains shot out from the shadows on the ground, precisely binding two Lickers that lunged at Ivan. The Lickers struggled frantically.

"Watch out for the corrosive saliva!" Ivan yelled, frantically pulling several suspiciously colored glass bottles from his white coat and hurling them at another Licker that had broken through the shadow chains and was pouncing through the air. The bottles shattered upon impact, exploding into a cloud of dark green acid mist and pungent chili powder. The Licker was hit squarely, screaming in pain, its attack momentarily halted, but two more still flanked the Anvil, which was fending off the zombies in front of it!

Cheng Song was on the right flank of the Anvil. His fighting style was completely different from A Qi's agility and speed, and the Anvil's unwavering steadiness. He was like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, moving along the edge of the Anvil's shield cover, his dagger a whisper of death. His targets were not the zombies facing him head-on, but those trying to bypass the defenses and slip through the gaps, as well as the Lickers controlled by the Secret Eye and interfered with by Ivan.

The movements were devoid of any unnecessary flourishes, displaying only deadly efficiency with absolute precision. He sidestepped the Licker's flicking tongue, a flash of black light from his dagger severing the tongue. Stepping closer to the Licker, now affected by the acid mist, he struck its temple with his elbow, while simultaneously plunging his other dagger behind its ear. Facing a zombie lunging from the side, he ducked and slid, the dagger slicing upwards through the zombie's jaw, piercing its brain, before swiftly withdrawing and retreating to avoid the splatter of foul blood.

They were fast and reacted even faster, always appearing where they needed to finish off an enemy or escape. Occasionally, they would be grazed by the claws of a zombie or splashed with the saliva of a licker, leaving shallow wounds, but these wounds would stop bleeding and heal at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye. The intense battle and dim light became their best cover.

After dealing with the threat from the nozzles, Ah Qi plunged into the horde of walkers on the left flank like a tiger among sheep. She used no weapons, relying solely on her hands wrapped in metal bracers and her astonishingly long legs. Her movements were concise, efficient, and violent, imbued with a unique rhythm. Every punch and kick carried the power to shatter stone; the walkers' bony claws left only faint white marks on her bracers or clothing, and each strike she landed was accompanied by the clear sound of bones cracking and tendons snapping. Her fighting style was closer to "crushing," a combination of pure strength and skill, quickly eliminating threats from the flanks.

The battle lasted less than ten minutes.

As Ah Qi stomped the last zombie's head into the shattered ground, and as the anvil's battering ram crushed the last struggling Licker, only heavy breathing and the sound of dripping liquid remained in the passage.

The ground was a mess, with blood and gore everywhere, and severed limbs scattered all over the place.

"Quickly check his condition, treat the wound, and be alert to the surroundings!" Anvil maintained his shield-raising stance, his tactical helmet rotating to survey the area. His shield and armor were covered in grime, but his breathing was steady.

Ah Qi's breathing was slightly rapid, but her eyes remained clear and sharp, a few drops of blood staining her moon-white outfit. She gently moved her wrist, the silver-gray wrist guards shimmering.

Secret Eyes' black robes fluttered slightly, and the black crystal light on his staff dimmed somewhat. Mad Ivan's face was pale, and he was panting, leaning on his knees. His white coat was splattered with a lot of suspicious liquid, but his eyes began to light up again as he looked at the "materials" scattered on the ground.

Cheng Song silently sheathed the dagger, its blade gleaming as new. The skin on his arm that had been scraped was now only a faint red mark. He lowered his sleeve to cover it.

"Scavenger, your finishing move was timely, and your positioning is good." Anvil looked at Cheng Song, his gaze scrutinizing behind his tactical goggles. "It's like you've experienced many similar situations before."

"Just trying to make a living," Cheng Song replied hoarsely, glancing at Ah Qi, who was examining the remains of the zombie. The pure physical strength and control that this body-cultivating older sister had just displayed made him secretly wary.

"Scavenger," a hoarse voice suddenly rang out in the team channel, directed only at him, "your life field... has a subtle 'resonance' with the filth here. Quite unique."

Cheng Song's heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained unchanged as he turned to look at the black-robed mage. All that was in front of him was the shadow of the hood and eerie green eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"Just observing." After saying that, Secret Eye turned his staff towards Ivan.

But Cheng Song knew that this magic system, which specialized in souls and detection, might have noticed his abnormality earlier than A Qi.

"Evan, collect key samples, quickly analyze weaknesses, and assess ongoing threats," Iron Anvil ordered, then looked at Ah Qi and Secret Eyes. "Ah Qi, Secret Eyes, expand the reconnaissance area. We'll take a two-minute break. The commotion here is too great."

Ivan immediately pulled out his tools and, suppressing his nausea, began collecting the materials. Ah Qi's figure flickered, appearing at the corner of the passage ahead, leaning against the wall and listening intently. Secret Eye raised his staff, his eerie green eyes scanning the surrounding energy flow.

Cheng Song leaned against a metal box, catching his breath. The thrill of the battle caused the virus within his body to transmit a faint sense of "pleasure," which he carefully suppressed. His gaze swept over the destroyed monster corpses, but a cold, empty feeling rose in his stomach.