Chapter 84: Escaping Changkong City (Part 2)
Five million people. The number was staggering, easily exceeding the entire population of some small nations.
Even if not every single one of them intended to fight—even if only twenty percent were truly committed—that was still a force of one million players.
Not long ago, Rovel had found himself on the verge of being overwhelmed by the suicidal charge of a mere hundred thousand. It was only thanks to Bronya's timely support with the Thunder Mechs that the tide had turned.
From their current position to the outermost perimeter of Changkong City, the straight-line distance was at least thirty kilometers. Fighting their way out seemed like an impossible task.
"Bronya, can you still operate the Thunder Mechs?" Rovel asked, turning to her.
"Negative," Bronya replied, shaking her head. "The mechs are too far from this location."
Rovel's brow furrowed. None of them possessed any truly large-scale, area-clearing abilities. To carve a path through thirty kilometers of enemies by killing them one by one would be a fatal war of attrition.
While the individual Anti-Entropy mechs weren't overwhelmingly powerful, their baseline combat effectiveness was high, and more, they could be mass-produced. Dropping them into a battlefield like this was the equivalent of deploying a weapon of mass destruction.
"Perhaps… I can lend you all a hand."
Suddenly, a synthetic, mechanical voice echoed from Project Bunny 19C. A communication channel had somehow, without any warning, patched itself directly into the mech's frequency.
"Who is this?!" Bronya's voice was a mixture of shock and anger as she frantically checked her systems.
In the next moment, a holographic projection materialized before them.
It depicted an android clad in a black hoodie, accented with sharp, glowing green lines. The character for 'Wu' was emblazoned on the right hem of the garment. He wore a stark white mask that covered most of his face, revealing only a single, glowing right eye. A black insignia of two crossed daggers was printed on the mask's surface.
Strangely, despite the clear night sky, he held a closed black umbrella.
"I am Gray Serpent, of the 'Serpent' designation. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Though it was impossible to discern the focal point of his bionic eye, Rovel felt its gaze lock onto him with unnerving certainty. The android gave a slight, polite bow, his movements as smooth and formal as a gentleman's.
The rest of the group frowned, their expressions clouded with suspicion at the appearance of this strange visitor.
"And why should we trust you?" Kiana challenged, her hand hovering near her pistols.
"If you wish to escape this city," Gray Serpent stated calmly, his tone devoid of emotion, "you have no other choice."
His words hung in the air, heavy with an unspoken truth. Currently, only one or two Temple-class Honkai Beasts had manifested within Changkong City, and by sheer luck, the group hadn't encountered them. But in an environment with such a high concentration of Honkai Energy, no one could predict what might happen next. A Honkai Emperor, or even an Emperor-class Beast, could spawn right in front of them without warning.
When it came to the Honkai, certainty was a luxury no one could afford.
This was the primary reason no one objected to the desperate need to leave. They had to break through the blockade of Descenders, no matter the cost. Players could be dealt with, but if they ran into a truly powerful Honkai Beast, escape would be impossible.
"What do you want?" Bronya asked, her voice cold and level.
"Mr. Ruobai," Gray Serpent said, his attention suddenly shifting entirely to Rovel. His tone was laced with an unexpected respect. "I will require you to do something for me in the future."
"..."
The girls' gazes snapped toward Rovel. They couldn't fathom why this android, Gray Serpent, would have any connection to a Descender like him. They had assumed he might be after Raiden Mei, or perhaps the mysterious Yae Sakura… but Rovel?
'Just as I thought…'
Rovel took a slow, deep breath. His gut feeling hadn't been wrong. Gray Serpent was here specifically for him.
"I cannot agree to a request with no defined limits," Rovel replied, shaking his head. He was firm, but he left the door open for negotiation. Bargaining wasn't a sign of weakness; it was just smart.
"The matter I speak of… you should be aware of it," Gray Serpent continued, his posture unwavering. His words implied a deep, almost baffling trust in Rovel's knowledge. "I only require you to act at the most critical moment."
Rovel's mind raced. He was almost certain Gray Serpent was referring to the rescue of Kevin Kaslana, who was trapped within the Sea of Quanta. Even if he refused, World Serpent would undoubtedly find another way to free their master. From that perspective, agreeing wasn't a particularly difficult choice.
"If it's that matter," Rovel said, giving a slow nod, "I can agree to it."
The two of them spoke in a code only they understood, leaving the others to listen on with utterly bewildered expressions.
"A pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Ruobai," Gray Serpent said, a hint of satisfaction in his synthetic voice. With that, the projection vanished and the communication line went dead.
"Rovel, are you alright?" Mei asked, her eyes filled with concern as she moved closer to him. "That Gray Serpent… he doesn't seem like a good person. Making a deal with someone like that is too dangerous."
"It's fine, don't worry." Rovel offered her a reassuring smile. "Let's get ready. His support should be arriving soon. We need to prepare to break out."
"Alright! Watch me blast those Descenders to bits!" Kiana declared, throwing a couple of practice kicks into the air.
After all, the Descenders wouldn't truly die, and they were the ones blocking their path. She had no reason to hold back.
Rovel took out his remaining stock of potions and handed one to each of them. He had only six Ultimate Healing Potions left; after distributing them, he was down to just three for himself.
Roughly ten minutes later, the night sky was torn asunder by the fiery trails of incoming missiles. They illuminated the ruins of Changkong City in strobing flashes of light, signaling the start of their desperate breakout.
In an instant, the swarms of Descenders, many of whom had been dozing off, were thrown into complete chaos.
"Let's go!" Rovel shouted, hoisting the still-unconscious Yae Sakura securely onto his back. He drew his Prototype Pulse Katana, its blade humming to life, and was the first to charge into the fray.
Kiana, Mei, and Bronya followed without a second's hesitation.
A new notification suddenly blared in the minds of every enemy player.
[Faction 2 Mission Target has appeared. Warning: The Herrscher of Thunder is currently in a weakened state! The Herrscher of Thunder is currently in a weakened state!]
Instantly, Raiden Mei became the focal point of five million hostile gazes.
"Mei, be careful," Rovel cautioned, quickly passing her another potion just in case.
"Mm, you too, Rovel," Mei replied, her expression hardening with resolve as she nodded.
A katana materialized in her own hand—the Pulse Katana Type-19, a model that was a clear upgrade from the prototype Rovel wielded.
Five people against five million.
'The advantage is ours!' Kiana thought with a grin.
She leaped high into the air, twisting her body before smashing down into the densest part of the crowd. The impact created a massive crater several meters wide, the shockwave alone turning a dozen unlucky players into disintegrating fragments of data. Her dual pistols, the Usurper Pri-ARMs, spat an unending stream of fire, each bullet finding its mark and vaporizing a Descender.
The largest number of players surged toward Raiden Mei, but her figure was like a phantom. She weaved through the horde with impossible grace, a blur of purple lightning and gleaming steel. Every time she passed an enemy, they would simply collapse, turning into motes of light without ever knowing what hit them.
Bronya, meanwhile, was a fortress of destruction. She manipulated Project Bunny 19C's massive mechanical arms, swinging them in wide, devastating arcs that smashed any nearby Descenders into digital dust.
"I can't fall behind, either!" Rovel yelled over the din.
"Inch Force: Thunderbolt!"
He unleashed a powerful wave of concussive force from his palm, instantly clearing a path directly in front of them. But just as quickly, the endless tide of Descenders swarmed in to fill the gap.
Gray Serpent's support was brutally effective. Each missile screamed down from the sky, striking with pinpoint precision to avoid their position while vaporizing huge swathes of the enemy, clearing a path for them.
And so it began. Though the five of them were surrounded by a seemingly infinite sea of enemies, they pushed forward, their combined strength and Gray Serpent's orbital bombardment allowing them to advance at a shockingly rapid pace.
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