Stronger with More Jobs-Chapter 428 - 228: Black Pine Ridge Ghost Village

It was Fang Qingyu.

"Captain Fang... did you say... Black Pine Ridge?"

Zhou Zhenguo instinctively repeated, his tone carrying a strong sense of confirmation.

His finger once again forcefully tapped on the glaring red dot.

Fang Qingyu met his astonished gaze, his tone still calm yet imbued with an air of certainty:

"Yes."

"Rest assured, General Zhou! No matter if it’s Black Pine Ridge or White Pine Ridge, if any Life Ghost dares to show its face, I’ll hammer it back underground!"

Chu Kuanglan pounded his chest forcefully, producing a dull thud that made the water glass on the table slightly tremble, his face showing no trace of fear and full of boldness.

Lu Jiuyuan gripped the sword handle at his waist tightly, his gaze as sharp as a drawn blade, and said deeply, "It’s our duty, and we will not shy away. Leave it to us."

Wei Banmeng said nothing, merely giving a slight nod to Zhou Zhenguo, his cold gaze containing a silent promise.

Zhou Zhenguo looked at the five young faces in front of him, each one filled with responsibility and serenity, and he saw no trace of evasion, hesitation, or dissatisfaction in their eyes.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the surging emotions, suddenly stood up straight, and gave a perfectly standard military salute to Fang Qingyu and the others, as well as all the officers in the tent, with a crisp "snap!"

"Thank you!"

Zhou Zhenguo’s voice carried heartfelt respect, "On behalf of the Anjiang Battle Zone, on behalf of the villages and towns that might be spared because of you, thank you!"

The officers behind him all stood up in unison, their movements uniform, and solemnly saluted in the direction of Fang Qingyu’s squad!

Silent gratitude and trust flowed through the solemn military salute.

Although the special squad members were young, their sense of responsibility had long surpassed the boundaries of age.

"Alright, there’s no time to lose!"

Zhou Zhenguo lowered his hand, suppressed his emotions, and immediately got into the moment.

He gestured for the operations staff officer beside him to step forward.

A sharp major staff officer promptly stepped forward, picked up the laser pointer, and pointed at Black Pine Ridge on the map, while another staff officer quickly brought up a tactical board displaying the curated Life Ghost Atlas and battlefield records footage.

"Captain Fang, comrades, here are the most threatening types of Life Ghosts recorded in the Black Pine Ridge area during the Ghost Festivals over the past five years. Please be vigilant!"

1. Iron-Eating Ghost (Large/Swarm):

Form: Resembling an enlarged steel centipede, with a body length generally exceeding eight meters, some individuals over ten meters! The segmental body is forcibly pieced together from rusted, twisted metal components, with joints emitting dark green corrosive toxic mist.

The head usually features a constantly rotating metal drill or crushing pincers.

Behavior: Operates in swarms, usually in groups of 3-5, producing harsh metal grinding and cracking sounds when moving.

Possesses a strong affinity and control over metal, able to attract, manipulate metal fragments on the battlefield as weapons or to repair itself.

Extremely strong defense, ordinary Tier Two attacks struggle to penetrate its heavy "armor."

Weak points are at the joint connections and relatively fragile energy cores inside the drill/pincer.

The emitted corrosive toxic mist has strong corrosive properties, rapidly weakening metal equipment and eroding protective Qi Force.

Attack methods: Ramming and crushing, metal fragment storm projection, physical bites with drill/crushing pincers, corrosive toxic mist emission.

When in a swarm, they form a simple encircling and strangulation formation.

2. Shadow Weaver (Medium/Eerie):

Form: Humanoid silhouette, but extremely thin and twisted, about three meters tall. Entirely covered in a writhing mass resembling living thick shadows, making specific facial features unrecognizable, like a mass of darkness absorbing light. Occasionally, distorted human faces or limb phantoms emerge silently from the shadows.

Behavior: Elusive and skilled at high-speed stealth within shadows. Its core abilities are "Spiritual Web" and "Pain Absorption."

Quietly releases a range of mental waves, weaving an invisible "Web of Pain," causing those caught within to constantly relive their deepest fears, sorrow, despair, and other negative emotions, subjecting them to continuous spiritual shock. The weak-willed can quickly collapse or even be controlled.

Simultaneously, it absorbs the pain emotions within the range as nourishment, strengthening itself.

Physical attacks are ineffective against its body, requiring attacks on its core, usually hidden deep within the shadows as a pulsating dark red "Pain Crystal."

Attack methods: Spiritual Shock (area/single-target), Shadow Binding (tentacles emerging from ground or object shadows), Pain Absorption Aura, Shadow Assault. It’s a "Spiritual Pollution Source" and "Morale Destroyer" on the battlefield.

3. Mountain Demon (Large/Power Type):

Form: Ape-like, but exceptionally tall and fierce, averaging six meters in height, with muscles knotted like granite, covered in dark green moss and sturdy vine-like tissues.

Arms are exceptionally long, reaching past the knees, ending with rocky, keratin-covered claws.

Face is fierce, with exposed fangs and blood-red eyes.

Behavior: Solitary or appearing in pairs (possibly mates). Of immense strength, can easily overturn armored vehicles and crush concrete fortifications.

Has the ability to manipulate rocks and earth within a certain range (similar to Low Tier Earth Element abilities), can raise ground spikes, throw boulders, or even create small-scale ground collapses or quagmires.

Skin is incredibly tough, with substantial resistance to both physical and energy attacks.

Weak points are relatively fragile joints (like knees, elbows) and the blood-red eyes.

Its roar can trigger small-scale shockwaves, disrupting the mind.

Attack methods: Violent physical pummeling, boulder throwing, launching ground spikes, ground collapse/quagmire, seismic roaring.