Five million people. The number was staggering, easily exceeding the entire population of so 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 overwheld by the suicidal charge of a re hundred thousand. It was only thanks to Bronya's tily support with the Thunder chs that the tide had turned.
From their current position to the outermost periter of Changkong City, the straight-line distance was at least thirty kiloters. Fighting their way out seed like an impossible task.
"Bronya, can you still operate the Thunder chs?" Rovel asked, turning to her.
"Negative," Bronya replied, shaking her head. "The chs 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 kiloters of enemies by killing them one by one would be a fatal war of attrition.
While the individual Anti-Entropy chs 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, chanical voice echoed from Project Bunny 19C. A communication channel had sohow, without any warning, patched itself directly into the ch's frequency.
"Who is this?!" Bronya's voice was a mixture of shock and anger as she frantically checked her systems.
In the next mont, 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 garnt. 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 movents 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 environnt 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 ca 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 sothing for 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 assud he might be after Raiden i, 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 mont."
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?" i 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 soone 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 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, i, 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 i beca the focal point of five million hostile gazes.
"i, be careful," Rovel cautioned, quickly passing her another potion just in case.
"Mm, you too, Rovel," i 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 ters wide, the shockwave alone turning a dozen unlucky players into disintegrating fragnts 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 i, but her figure was like a phantom. She weaved through the horde with impossible grace, a blur of purple lightning and gleaming steel. Every ti she passed an enemy, they would simply collapse, turning into motes of light without ever knowing what hit them.
Bronya, anwhile, was a fortress of destruction. She manipulated Project Bunny 19C's massive chanical 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 sward in to fill the gap.
Gray Serpent's support was brutally effective. Each missile scread 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 bombardnt allowing them to advance at a shockingly rapid pace.
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