Global Survival: I Got the D-Rank Personnel Simulator-Chapter 88: Before the Storm

Qin An: "...I admit it, Divine One. I do like Yu Jing."
Lin Ye: "Then you'll need to work hard. A god won't always be around to save her for you."
Qin An: "You're absolutely right."
Lin Ye: "Your tone reminds me of an old friend."
Qin An: "Even gods have old friends?"
Lin Ye: "Of course. Now go to the door, pick up the grenade and pull the pin."
Without question or hesitation, Qin An walked to the door and pulled the grenade's pin.
Lin Ye took control, calculating the perfect angle before hurling the grenade with precise force. It ricocheted off the wall and exploded amidst the crowd.
BOOM!
Lin Ye: "Pick up the rifle. Move to the hallway."
Qin An lifted the rifle and entered the corridor. Lin Ye assumed control, firing several shots that blew apart the skulls of every black-coated terrorist—whether they were still moving or not.
BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG!
Several remaining black-coated men peeked out from a classroom. Lin Ye showed no mercy, casually popping their heads like balloons.
BANG BANG BANG BANG!
Lin Ye: "Approach the rear classroom door but don't expose yourself."
Qin An swiftly advanced. Lin Ye took over, sliding the rifle barrel through the door crack before firing—another terrorist's brains painting the wall behind him.
No visual confirmation was needed. Spiritual energy revealed every enemy's position.
They systematically cleared the entire floor of terrorists. Rescued students remained in classrooms while a few brave teachers armed themselves and found Qin An in the hallway.
"Qin, you're with the Public Security Bureau, right? Yu Jing mentioned it. What's our next move?"
Teacher Wang gripped his rifle, face set in grim determination.
Lin Ye: "Tell them you'll handle the terrorists while they evacuate students to the front gate. Once the spiritual barrier falls, lead everyone far from the school."
Lin Ye: "Speak calmly. Stop shaking your leg."
The school's layout was simple—main and auxiliary buildings separated the playground from the front courtyard. With most classes held in the main building, the auxiliary building stood mostly empty. This meant any incident on the playground wouldn't immediately endanger students.
After explaining the plan, the teachers readily agreed to shepherd students to safety.
"Can you manage alone? Should some of us stay?" Teacher Wang asked worriedly.
"Don't worry. I'll eliminate them all," Qin An replied evenly.
"I'm coming with you," Yu Jing declared firmly, rifle in hand.
"Yu, you should go with the teachers. This will be dangerous," Qin An couldn't help urging.
"That's exactly why I'm coming. Don't worry—I won't get in your way."
Though acknowledging her inferior skills, Yu Jing refused to hide while others fought.
Lin Ye: "Move out. Clear the lower floors first. Save the romance for after we handle the playground."
Qin An: "Understood."
The trio quickly dispatched terrorists on lower levels. Yu Jing proved surprisingly accurate with her shots. However, some black-coated men had escaped to the playground with hostages.
While teachers led students toward the main gate, the spiritual barrier prevented their escape.
Lin Ye: "Get closer. I'll attempt to break it."
As Qin An approached the shimmering barrier, Lin Ye took control. He attempted to construct a collapse rune, but the barrier's structure barely rippled under the assault. Next came a severing rune, but Qin An's meager spiritual energy couldn't sustain the necessary force.
Lin Ye: "No good. This isn't a first-level practitioner's work. They're using some artifact. We'll have to check the playground."
After updating the others, Qin An and Yu Jing advanced toward the playground. An eerie silence blanketed the campus. Were it not for the imminent terrorist confrontation, Qin An might've believed they were the last people on earth.
Lin Ye: "You might die soon. No confession?"
Qin An: "...I barely know her. I don't even understand what the Public Security Bureau does."
Lin Ye: "Irrelevant. What matters is whether you'll regret staying silent when death comes."
Qin An: "Now you're scaring me. Am I really about to die?"
Lin Ye: "Our enemy is an unknown first-level spiritual energy user. Even gods aren't omnipotent when working through your fragile body."
Qin An: "Somehow that's reassuring."
Lin Ye: "...How wonderful."
Qin An clearly missed the implication—"not omnipotent" meant potential failure, and failure meant death. Binary outcomes: 0 or 1. That was Lin Ye's operating principle. Yet he chose not to explain, allowing Qin An to face his end—whether survival or demise—with peace.
Emerging onto the bloodied playground, they raised their rifles. Only one living figure remained—the first-level spiritual energy user leading this massacre.
Lin Ye: "Save your bullets. Get closer. The nearer the better."
Ordinary bullets couldn't penetrate a practitioner of this caliber. Without proper materials for rune inscription, close combat became their only option.
'This is madness.'
Approaching while outmatched in speed and strength was suicidal. Qin An instructed Yu Jing to provide rear support before advancing alone.
The playground center resembled a charnel house. Mutilated corpses—terrorists and civilians alike—lay strewn without pattern.
"You've got nerve approaching me. Name?"
Cao Wenting stood amidst the carnage, every mutilated body his personal handiwork.
"Qin An."
Still advancing steadily despite the gore and metallic stench clogging his nostrils, Qin An remembered his divine instructions.
"Afraid? Then why come closer? Some trick up your sleeve?"
Cao Wenting's spiritual scan detected no threats, further piquing his interest.
"I'm not afraid. You should be."
"Fear?" Cao Wenting chuckled. "Know what the Doomsday Cult is, boy? Only the truly desperate crave apocalypse. I've got nothing left to lose."
He allowed Qin An's approach. The ritual was complete—doomsday would dawn within minutes. This was the calm before the storm, a solitude he'd planned to savor alone. Now he awaited his opponent's move. Should this boy disappoint... well, Cao Wenting knew countless ways to make him suffer.
"Then fear meaningless death."
Lin Ye assumed control. His ritual knowledge was limited, but fortunately, their power gap wasn't insurmountable.