From Apocalypse To Entertainment Circle (BL)-Chapter 33: When Hell Descends from the Sky

When Sian struck Zhao Ling, the latter crashed into a tree behind him and then collapsed to the ground in pain.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Sian charging toward him. To be honest, Zhao Ling had never experienced such fear in his entire life—not even during his years as a soldier. The feeling of impending death... It was as if the gates of hell had opened before him.

He was frightened. For the first time in his life, Zhao Ling found himself paralyzed, unable to move or utter a single word. Panic churned in his stomach like a storm, a sensation foreign to him.

Zhao Ling had always been sharp-tongued, a master of provocation even in the presence of enemies. His characteristic smirk, a blend of mischief and bravado, had earned him the nickname "The Jester" on the battlefield. It wasn’t exactly a title that inspired fear, but it served its purpose—causing confusion among adversaries and giving his allies a reason to chuckle in the darkest of moments.

But now, as he stood on the precipice of death, the weight of that title fell heavily upon him. Moments from the past danced through his mind—a chaotic blur of victories and defeats, happiness and pain.

[Oh... Is this how it feels to be on the verge of death.] The thought echoed in his consciousness, stark and bitter. It forced him to confront the reality he had always danced around, the fleeting nature of life that he had so recklessly teased.

In the freezing grip of fear, he finally understood the truth he had ignored all along: even the sharpest tongue can wither when faced with the ultimate end.

That was his true feeling. Sure, he was scared, but once he realized his death was inevitable, all that remained was... a strange sense of peace.

Just as Sian was about to grab Zhao Ling by the throat, a sudden impact struck him from the side. He staggered slightly but then executed two effortless flips in the air before landing gracefully and regaining his balance.

"Sian! Wake up! Have you really lost your mind?!"

The voice rang out loudly—it was Lan Qisheng. He had knocked Sian away from Zhao Ling, his voice thick with sorrow and urgency. Stepping closer, he continued, "Sian, this isn’t you. Come back to us. Come back to the lazy Sian who only wants to eat and sleep. Come back to the sharp-tongued but kind-hearted Sian. Sian—"

Lan Qisheng stared into those crimson eyes, wanting to continue, but before he could, Sian attacked him without warning.

Raising his arm in defence, Lan Qisheng was taken aback by the sheer force behind Sian’s kicks. Then, as they exchanged blows, his shock deepened.

[How can his combat skills be this precise—even while unconscious?]

More than that, how had he reached this level of skill, control, and precision? It was clear that such mastery required years of training, of fighting with one’s life on the line.

[Just... who are you, Sian?]

As the two clashed, the rest of the team focused on securing the hostages. By now, they had eliminated nearly half of the terrorists.

Meanwhile, the live broadcast continued, allowing the world to witness the deadly battle between Sian and Liam. No one could believe their eyes. They were simply too stunned to even breathe.

When Liam fell dead, some people screamed in terror, while others cheered. Some were horrified, condemning Sian’s actions, while others stood by his side.

"What the hell? Did... did Sian just kill someone? Seriously?!"

"Does he think he’s some kind of hero? My skin is still crawling from that scene. How could he be so ruthless?"

"You hypocrites, seriously. Are you even thinking straight? You people are disgusting. When that terrorist executed a hostage two days ago, I didn’t hear a peep from you. When they took all those people hostage and planned to slaughter everyone in that forest, you were silent. I didn’t hear a word when Liam, that bastard, tried to kill Sian—when he came at him with a knife. But now, the moment Sian defends himself and takes out that piece of trash, suddenly your humanity kicks in? Wow. You people are unbelievable."

"Calm down, no need for foul language. Even if someone is bad, that doesn’t mean we should stoop to their level. Otherwise, what’s the point of law and justice?"

"Oh, I see. So if someone comes running at me with a knife, I should just stand there and die, waiting for your ’justice’ to kick in—maybe never. Tell you what, take your ’law’ and shove it up your damn ass"

"I’m with you. Honestly, even if it seemed brutal, what Sian did was nothing more than self-defence. It’s not his fault he’s stronger than that terrorist and took him down in two minutes. Haha."

"Absolutely right."

+1

+1

...

The audience was about to continue their heated debate when Sian shocked them all. In the middle of the bullet storm, he started dancing along with the bullets. His movements were mesmerizing—graceful, almost surreal.

The chat room fell into stunned silence once again.

—

Meanwhile, as the military, police, and special forces surrounding the forest watched the ongoing battle between the terrorists and Lan Qisheng’s team—who were steadily eliminating the threats—they finally decided to make their move.

"Alright, this is the plan. We move in one minute."

"Understood, Commander. I’ll order everyone to prepare for deployment immediately."

"Yes, move out. Lan Qisheng and his team have cleared the path for us. We can’t let their efforts go to waste. We’re going in, and we’re bringing everyone out alive."

"Yes, sir!" Their voices echoed firmly inside the command tent.

But fate had other plans.

They would never reach Lan Qisheng and the others.

Unfortunately, their mobilization came a moment too late. Just as they were preparing to move before their vehicles could even start—

A deafening roar filled the sky.

A black helicopter hovered above them at an alarmingly low altitude. But it wasn’t theirs. It wasn’t part of any backup team. No one had received word of any reinforcements.

Just as suspicion took hold, the unthinkable happened.

Bullets rained down from the clear blue sky.

They shimmered like falling stars, catching the sunlight as they descended in torrents from the heavens.

From a distance, it might have looked beautiful.

But for those beneath that storm, there was no beauty—only death.

The bullets tore through the earth, the vehicles, the tents—everything and everyone in their path.

The ground was painted red.

Bullets shredded through metal, flesh, and bone. The forces had been completely caught off guard by this aerial ambush. In mere moments, they suffered a devastating loss.

The weaponry mounted on the helicopter was the GAU-8 Avenger which is a heavy 30mm rotary cannon used in military aircraft, most notably the A-10 Thunderbolt II, and not in normal helicopters.

You can imagine the horror.

Bodies were flung into the air. Limbs scattered, unrecognizable—unidentifiable.

The screams of the wounded and dying filled the air, carrying with them the agony and despair of those who suffered.

From above, people ran, fell, crawled—like ants trying to escape a flood. Some fought back. Some, knowing full well their handguns couldn’t possibly reach the aircraft, still raised their weapons and fired. Even as they understood it was futile, they refused to stop.

Until the bullets from above claimed their lives.

Honestly, I wonder what the people inside that helicopter were feeling, watching their fellow humans struggle so desperately, only to be snuffed out like flames in the wind.

But the helicopter remained distant. Its windows were black, likely reinforced, bulletproof.

As for who was inside... no one knew.

In mere seconds, the military encampment was reduced to ruins.

Vehicles exploded. Tents collapsed. Countless lives were lost.

And then, as if nothing had happened, the helicopter turned and flew toward the forest.

Toward Sian and the others.

It didn’t spare a second glance at the devastation it left behind.

It didn’t care about the ones still struggling to move.

It didn’t acknowledge the horrific scene it had created—a scene even wild animals would struggle to comprehend, let alone humans.

The ground was littered with bodies and wounded soldiers. Cries of pain and despair echoed through the blood-soaked earth.

Even the commanders who had been discussing the operation minutes ago—most of them were now dead, their bodies unrecognizable.

And those who remained... didn’t look much better.

"Soldier, are you alright?" one of the police officers asked, spotting a soldier staggering sideways.

"Y-Yeah, I’m fine... I’ll try to find a communication device to call for backup."

"Try contacting headquarters in the capital! How did an unidentified aircraft manage to enter our airspace without us knowing?" The officer was seething with rage. Luck had been on his side, sparing him from any serious injuries, but far too many had died.

It was a massacre.

He could only blame the air force in the capital—how could they allow an unknown aircraft to enter their borders unchecked? There had been no alerts, no warnings of intruders. Otherwise, how had they suffered such devastating losses?

The officer and the remaining survivors were trying to reorganize, prioritizing the rescue of the injured before calling for medical and military support. Given their current state, heading toward Sian and the others was impossible.

Perhaps that was precisely why the enemy had attacked—to ensure no one reached the forest. Or maybe... it was because of the prisoner the organization wanted.

---

Meanwhile, the helicopter flew toward Sian and the others.

Sian was still locked in combat with Lan Qisheng. Both men were breathing heavily. But unlike Lan Qisheng, who was wiping away sweat and swallowing dryly—clear signs of exhaustion—Sian remained standing, seemingly unaffected. If not for the rapid rise and fall of his chest, Lan Qisheng might have believed that he wasn’t tired at all.

Even as they fought, Lan Qisheng hadn’t given up on trying to reach Sian. He continued speaking to him, desperately hoping to bring him back to his senses.

It wasn’t entirely in vain. Sian had responded, if only slightly. The intensity of his attacks had lessened—where before he had aimed for Lan Qisheng’s vital points with lethal intent, now his strikes were less deadly. But he was still fighting, which meant he hadn’t fully regained control of himself.

Ren Yi had helped Zhao Ling up earlier, and the two had joined the fight against the terrorists. Yang Chen and the others were struggling to handle the situation.

It wasn’t that the terrorists were particularly difficult to deal with—despite their superior numbers, their skills were no better than amateurs. The real challenge was eliminating them while simultaneously protecting the seven remaining civilians. Fortunately, Michael had proven himself worthy of his title as a former soldier. He wasn’t just a decorative presence but actively fought alongside the other troops, shielding his comrades. That was what had allowed them to hold out until now.

When Ren Yi and Zhao Ling rushed in to assist, their combined strength tipped the scales in their favour. Naturally, they managed to wipe out the terrorists, capturing those who surrendered willingly.

Just as everyone finally let out a breath of relief...

A helicopter’s blades roared through the air.

To be continued...