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墨書 Inktalez
There were no paths in the mountains suitable for vehicles, only trails for walking. The escort team formed a line at the front, pushing through the dense underbrush, while Colonel Gao and Xu Yicheng moved forward slowly step by step.
"Dr. Xu, you can start here," Colonel Gao said, pointing to a patch of dry ground at the edge of the ridge that was inexplicably bare of grass.
Xu Yicheng glanced at the compass on his phone, feeling reluctant deep down. However, he had no choice but to obey Colonel Gao's orders; they were not familiar with each other, and Colonel Gao was acting as the commanding officer in place of General Jiang. Xu Yicheng held the Summoning Stone tightly in his palm, feeling the echoes from the other end grow stronger as he ventured deeper, like waves crashing against his chest, while the sea level rose in his mind, continuing to resonate. Yet, it still did not reach the sensation he desired. He recalled whether he had passed this spot when he came out from here before but had no impression of it. If Aibo was indeed still here, it was at least two or three kilometers away from Aibo's actual location.
He did not know if this distance was enough for him and Aibo to meet in a sufficiently connected illusion. A close-range illusion would allow both parties to interact physically within it. Xu Yicheng hoped to get a little closer; that way, the chances of success would increase, giving him more possibilities to save Aibo.
He sat down on the dry ground and began to silently call out Aibo's name.
"Alert! Do not make any noise so as not to disturb Dr. Xu," Colonel Gao ordered.
"Understood!" The escort team surrounded Xu Yicheng, remaining vigilant.
Xu Yicheng sat on the ground with a furrowed brow. As his will gradually stabilized, ripples appeared in the Summoning Stone in his hand, flickering more frequently.
He saw himself reflected on the snow-white surface of the illusion; everything felt so real that even resting his hand against a wall produced a distinct tactile sensation. A gust of wind blew by, and Xu Yicheng looked in the opposite direction of the airflow. Three meters away, a tunnel extended before him; the snow-white surroundings shattered into colors as it formed, shifting hues in real-time from different angles he observed, overall appearing to flicker like flames under scorching heat.
Deeper and deeper he went...
The forest in his mind drew closer; this scene was clearer than any previous connection and indistinguishable from reality. However, as Xu Yicheng looked around, he realized this was not the cave from last time; it was a cliff with a massive stone block eroded into sharp angles by the wind, presenting an irregular shape. Behind it loomed a Stone Giant's shoulder, where Aibo leaned against the stone block, gazing out into the misty sky beyond the cliff.
"Aibo?"
Xu Yicheng adjusted his perspective and slowly walked around to stand beside Aibo. Aibo held his anchor tightly with both hands and continued staring blankly at the dissipating fog. His eyes were filled with a watery substance that moved fluidly, evoking a profound sense of sadness and despair in Xu Yicheng. Nars was right; the Stone Giant Titan clan had been nearly wiped out, and Aibo was the last surviving Titan.
Xu Yicheng followed Aibo's gaze toward where the fog parted slightly; he could vaguely see outlines of a city but chose not to disturb Aibo. However, when he came back to himself, he found Aibo already examining him.
Xu Yicheng wanted to know what he looked like now—perhaps just a ghost?
"What is it?" Aibo asked succinctly.
Xu Yicheng replied, "The Human Alliance has gone to war with the lunar invaders, Aibo; you need to step up. If you want revenge for your brothers and if you love this planet... I mean if you do, then come help us, okay? You are also a citizen of this planet; everyone needs you."
Aibo remained silent; he simply shook his head and stood up to walk back. "Aibo thinks maybe Mie Litter is right; before our race ends, we have gained nothing. Perhaps we have deemed our lives meaningless."
"I know your Titan Clan sacrificed a lot for human territory," Xu Yicheng said uncertainly about whether his words were strong enough. This was his first time persuading a Stone Giant—a different race—"I want you to understand, Aibo, you are not alone; we will be one family in the future."
Yet Aibo remained unmoved; his hand brushed over his anchor as rust fell away like raindrops under repeated friction against his stone palm.
"Don't you want revenge?" Xu Yicheng pressed impatiently with an exasperated slap on his own face. "I really! Why am I caught up in this? Whatever you decide, Aibo! I'm just your friend—no need to care about my request; it's your life; I can't interfere with your choices!"
Xu Yicheng's passionate words caused Aibo's body to shift slightly as sounds of stone clashing echoed around them. Aibo set down his anchor and turned to meet Xu Yicheng's gaze. "Aibo cannot fight back; Aibo has no strength—the green enemies are too strong."
Xu Yicheng argued back: "So what if they are strong? If we unite our efforts, we can definitely drive them away! We..."
The towering figure of Aibo, nearly five meters high, loomed like a mountain. After a tremendous noise, he turned to Xu Yicheng and said, "Aibo wants to ask Xu Yicheng, if there is only one human left, what is the meaning of this race's existence? If there is a meaning, then Aibo is merely living for the will of his ancestors, but Aibo is already dead."
As the last Stone Giant, he must carry the hopes of his fallen brothers and live on, not for any other reason but to allow their souls to find peace.
Xu Yicheng rushed forward and realized he could truly embrace Aibo's leg in this illusion. He saw that his hands were a pair of white hands, swirling like mist around him.
"Do you think this is what they want to see?" Xu Yicheng asked Aibo. "I believe they all hope you can live well and rewrite the history of Titans as Yuan Zun."
Aibo slightly raised his head, a subtle expression flickering across his face.
"What if I promise you that we can reclaim the Life Crystals?" Xu Yicheng said with determination in his eyes. "It won't just be your revenge; it will be a counterattack from all of us living in this world. We have never shied away from fate, nor have we ever fallen. I don't force you, Aibo, but I hope you can do it."
With a loud crash, Aibo threw an iron anchor to the ground, startling Xu Yicheng. As he focused, he saw Aibo pulling away from his grasp and walking further away.
"You said that if I needed you, I could summon you with this stone and you would appear! Why did you go back on your word?!" Xu Yicheng shouted at Aibo's retreating figure. A wave of disappointment surged within him, drowning his heart in both anger and sorrow.
"Wait for me," Aibo said as he walked toward the nearby forest, leaving behind those words.
Xu Yicheng slowly processed what Aibo had just said: "me."
He opened his eyes slowly and heard explosions echoing from the mountaintop behind him.
On the battlefield at the summit, the firepower of the four was completely blocked by Nian Gui's barrier, making it difficult for the Energy Column behind them to be attacked. Even the stalkers and elite soldiers were trying to divert the Energy Column; although they had not received Nian Gui's approval, diverting it had become their best option.
"Charge!"
Nian Gui extended his hand, revealing a massive gray vortex in his palm that resembled a black hole, with a radius of two meters. It stood before all soldiers and himself, absorbing all incoming firepower. With this mental black hole, Nian Gui nearly nullified all firepower from The Celestial Warriors, putting them in a very unfavorable position. Conversely, the enemy's firepower came raining down under Nian Gui's protection like hailstones upon The Celestial Warriors, forcing them to retreat into the woods behind them.
"Damn it, Xiaotian! Give the order! At this rate, we're going to be sitting ducks!" Divine Fist crouched low to the ground as nearby laser bullets struck around him, sending up clouds of dirt. He wiped the dust from his face and shouted at Fierce Eagle.
Fierce Eagle turned to Blue Face Hero and asked, "Nars, can his barrier really hold indefinitely?"
"Theoretically yes, but it requires intense concentration on his telekinesis. Nian Gui fears distraction above all else," Blue Face Hero replied. "It's not worth wasting ammunition on his barrier right now; we need to find a way to close in on him and force them to break formation."
"Let me go!" Divine Fist shouted. "I can get close to him!"
"What about Lu Sha?" Nightmare suddenly asked during a moment of calm as a laser bullet whizzed past her helmet; she quickly shrank back inside.
"It's not her time yet; there's no need to rush," Fierce Eagle said. "Weishan, try out the new gear Nars gave you."
After their firepower coverage ended, an eerie silence fell over the opposing side. Nian Gui signaled for the stalkers to cease fire; only smoke from burnt laser bullets lingered on the ground—no figures were visible. He couldn't believe such an assault could wipe out everyone on the opposing side; after all, they were Earth's most elite combat organization—most likely fraudulent—so he called out warily: "Are you too scared to show yourselves?"
The stalker gazed at the rising Sun through the mist; its hazy golden silhouette made her eager to flex her muscles—having Sun meant she could control more shadows and significantly enhance her combat abilities.
However, at that moment, a loud roar erupted from the eleven o'clock direction among the tree shadows. The Divine Fist suddenly leaped out from behind a tree trunk, its Thruster propelling it skyward in a beautiful straight line. After soaring to a height of eight meters, the Charge Booster ignited with maximum force, sending the Divine Fist hurtling diagonally downwards toward Nian Gui!
Nian Gui immediately canceled the Black Hole Barrier and, at the instant the Divine Fist made contact, raised a pure Psychic Defense. With a dull thud, the combined might of the Divine Fist's punch and the Charge Booster's explosion shattered Nian Gui's barrier, sending him flying backward with tremendous force. He rolled several times before finally coming to a stop, gripping the ground for stability as he regained his senses, staring incredulously at the massive man before him, clad in white and wearing oversized gauntlets.
"How is this possible?" Nian Gui could hardly believe that he had encountered an opponent on this backward planet whose strength rivaled that of Gad.
The Charge Booster came from Nars' second-tier weaponry and was designed to enhance physical power. However, Liu Xuan's physical capabilities were insufficient to utilize such equipment effectively; conversely, it was perfectly suited for Qin Weishan. The Charge Booster could provide a short burst of explosive propulsion for its user, enhancing both movement speed and punch power within a second. The catch was that the user's physical condition had to meet certain criteria; otherwise, it would result in "the machine taking over" rather than "the person using the machine." Qin Weishan was the ideal candidate. That last strike was a technique developed by Qin Weishan himself based on the Charge Booster's characteristics, aimed at maximizing power output in a short time for a decisive blow.
"Come on!" The Divine Fist roared again and charged forward with another leap toward Nian Gui's face.
"You are too reckless," Nian Gui replied unfazed, waving his hand. The Stalker had been waiting patiently and swiftly slipped into the shadows to approach the Divine Fist. Just as she was about to collide with him like a shark breaching the surface of water, she drew two Light Arc Daggers and slashed toward his neck!
It all happened so fast that the Divine Fist couldn't react in time. He wanted to defend himself but found it impossible.
Just then, a Recoil Projectile flew between them! They were almost touching each other; there was barely any space left between them, yet it managed to be launched so accurately?!
Boom! The Recoil Projectile exploded. It caused no actual damage but unleashed a powerful repelling force.
The Divine Fist and Stalker were instantly propelled away by the shockwave. The Divine Fist struggled to regain his balance mid-air, rolling several times before landing. He managed to plant his heel against the tree trunk behind him and used its elasticity to leap into the air again, landing safely while cushioning his fall with his fists.
"Are you okay?" Nightmare asked as she holstered her gun in their team channel.
"I'm fine, heh, still need your help," the Divine Fist replied, giving a thumbs-up in Nightmare's general direction before turning to face Nian Gui, Stalker, and their soldiers. Stalker had just managed to stand up as well.
Everything had happened too quickly; their skirmish had left Internal Troops hesitant to fire freely and merely watching from the sidelines. Now that they saw The Celestial Warriors had separated from their leader again, they immediately moved to cover Nian Gui and Stalker.
However, they no longer enjoyed such advantageous conditions.
A gunshot rang out! The soldier on the far left fell dead instantly as his head exploded. Before the soldier next to him could react, he too collapsed. The remaining soldiers panicked and turned their gaze elsewhere but saw no one—only Fierce Eagle soaring into the air from that direction.
"Sister Jiao An, cover me; I want to go big," Fierce Eagle hovered in mid-air as its ammunition bay extended its cannon in preparation for launch—Scatter Bomb was Crimson Phoenix Armor's only long-range offensive equipment and was only used when Fierce Eagle faced multiple targets.
Suddenly, a shell trailing blue-purple lines flew from behind the trees. Fierce Eagle couldn't dodge in time; it was hit on its left shoulder, and an explosive reaction from its armor emitted blinding white light. "Ah!" Fierce Eagle lost balance and fell toward the ground as all launch preparations went awry.
It wasn't that Nightmare failed to cover him; she was forced to retreat under a hail of bullets.
"Sister Jiao An! I've been hit!" Fierce Eagle shouted.
Nightmare's heart sank; she could feel Internal Humans closing in rapidly. They had originally planned for Fierce Eagle's scattershot to eliminate those minions directly; however, this sudden artillery strike turned Fierce Eagle into an easy target while exposing her position as well. Now both found themselves surrounded.
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