Mister Zero, Her Story: Chapter 55 – Luo Yan’s Path
In a one-on-one fight, Myers could definitely defeat Qin Wen.
But this wasn’t a one-on-one fight. Qin Wen had the support of the Yan City guard.
Without Qin Wen, Myers could easily break through and rendezvous with Alyxsia at the southwest front. The spiritual energy pulse cannons could only slow them down, not truly harm a team composed entirely of “Ruin” level or higher ability users.
But Qin Wen’s presence turned this hindrance into a deadly threat.
Every time Myers was distracted, even for a moment, Qin Wen could kill a “Ruin” level ability user.
“Captain…” Seven Dawn members remained, but their expressions showed no fear. “Let’s fight, Captain! Don’t worry about us!”
If he continued to hesitate, they would be picked off one by one.
And if Myers was left alone, even as a “Peril” level ability user, he would be in danger.
“Yes, you’re right… This is a war, a war we started,” Myers looked at Qin Wen, took a deep breath, and said gravely, “The word ‘revenge’ isn’t quite accurate… I’m here to complete a mission, Sword Saint Qin Wen.
“Your opponent is Myers, Twenty-Third Cadre of Dawn, Captain of the Fourth Special Operations Team, ‘Operation Welcome Saint.’ The two you killed were Karen and Luo Leia, both brave warriors of Dawn.”
Myers gripped his weapon, his eyes fixed on Qin Wen. “Remember these names… then go to hell!”
“Sword Saint Qin Wen… accepts your challenge.”
Qin Wen slowly opened her eyes. The six swords behind her became twelve, floating around her under her control.
The aftereffects of her previous use of the “Sword Slaying Formation” had been mostly absorbed by her weapons.
These swords were hastily made by Yan City, but their quality was decent.
…Even if they couldn’t kill a “Peril” level ability user, they could still inflict damage.
At the same time, the spiritual energy pulse cannons lit up again, operated by the Apprehension Department and the city guard, targeting the entire Dawn team.
But this time, Myers didn’t try to intercept the blasts. Instead, he charged straight towards Qin Wen, locking onto her aura.
Qin Wen also knew she couldn’t target the other Dawn members now and focused all her attention on Myers.
—Forbidden Technique, “Sword Slaying Formation,” unleashed once more!
Myers wasn’t intimidated. He was a “Peril” level ability user. Although not as strong as Grifres or Alyxsia, he was still a formidable opponent.
And the most significant difference between a “Peril” and a “Ruin” level ability user… was the qualitative leap in their abilities.
“I won’t… lose to you…”
Myers gritted his teeth, struggling to reach Qin Wen, even as he was now at the center of the “Sword Slaying Formation,” countless sword beams striking him.
The other Dawn members desperately defended against the pulse cannons, several already injured.
Not far away, Alyxsia’s battle with the western front line was nearing its end.
Hua Qiling’s forces had suffered heavy losses, and the city’s defenses were crumbling.
Soon, the western front line would completely collapse.
Just then, two figures, one tall and one short, appeared in the rain.
They shared a large, floral umbrella, walking towards the western front line—the entrance to the core district, closest to the “Ember” and the “Wall of Resentment.”
…
Even though Mister was old and frail, he was still much taller than Luo Yan.
Standing together, they looked like grandfather and granddaughter.
Although their conversation was like that of close friends.
Mister didn’t know why he was telling Luo Yan so much, perhaps because her name was “Luo Yan,” perhaps because he was dying.
Or perhaps… because this little girl had touched the deepest, most vulnerable part of his heart.
“We’re almost at the core district.”
Mister looked up at the city walls, faintly visible in the rain, and the nearby battle, his eyes clouding over.
“The passing… of life…?”
Before hearing Luo Yan’s words, Mister had thought he had grown numb to death after his long life, but…
It seemed he hadn’t.
He was no different from others, accustomed to viewing death from various perspectives.
But he rarely felt the weight of a precious life being extinguished.
They were still some distance from the western gate when Mister stopped.
Luo Yan also stopped and asked,
“Nine, have you reached your destination?”
“No… but it’s time for us to part ways,” Mister shook his head, a rare smile appearing on his lips. “Miss Luo Yan, thank you for accompanying me this far. It’s been… pleasant.”
He pointed towards the western gate. “You can enter through there. As for me… I have someone I need to meet.”
“Oh, alright,” Luo Yan nodded, not pressing further.
But then she hesitated and asked, “Nine, may I ask you a question? I’ve been wanting to ask…”
“Yes? Ask away, I’ll answer if I can,” Mister whispered. “As long as I know the answer…”
“Why did you come to Yan City? As far as I know, it’s a newly established city…”
Although Mister hadn’t revealed his identity, he had told many stories, mostly from his own experiences.
Luo Yan, not being stupid, vaguely sensed that “Nine” was a powerful, reclusive expert, but she hadn’t considered the possibility of him being Dawn’s “Mister.”
After all, in the files and from Hua Qiling’s descriptions, Dawn’s “Mister” was practically a god-like figure.
Luo Yan couldn’t imagine such a legendary figure chatting so casually with someone insignificant like her.
“Because my sister is resting here, so I came to be with her, that’s all,” Mister chuckled, then a melancholic look appeared on his face. “But I don’t want anyone to disturb her… or me… Unfortunately, it seems my wishes are rarely granted.”
Luo Yan didn’t know how to comfort him. Although they shared a similar fate, both nearing the end of their lives, there was a difference.
Mister’s lifespan was naturally coming to an end, while she was still fighting to live.
“I should also go see my sister now, Miss Luo Yan. Let’s part ways here.”
Mister clasped his hands behind his back, wiping a tear from his eye. “It’s been a long time… since I’ve felt so… at peace… in my final days… If we meet again, I’ll give you a wonderful gift.
“Now, Miss Luo Yan, you must walk your own path.”
Mister turned and stepped out from under the umbrella.
Without giving Luo Yan a chance to follow, his hunched figure quickly disappeared into the rain.
“Nine…”
Luo Yan whispered, opening her eyes slightly, watching the spot where he had vanished.
A sense of déjà vu washed over her.
But as she opened her eyes, the familiar visions returned.
Unfamiliar scenes, devoid of context, flashed before her eyes, and countless voices echoed in her mind.
“What… is all this…?”
But Luo Yan was in a better state now. She endured the throbbing headache, struggling to focus on the images.
A perpetually overcast sky, a cracked earth filled with sores and lava, like the end of the world…
The scenes shifted rapidly, Luo Yan’s perspective seemingly traveling through this hellish landscape.
Finally…
The scene froze.
A tall, silent figure, a small, dark figure, and behind them, nine childlike silhouettes, their gazes all fixated on her.
A wave of sorrow washed over her.
Then, Luo Yan woke up.
“Gasp…”
Luo Yan clutched her chest, desperately trying to remember the scene.
She felt like she had dreamt of this before, but forgotten it upon waking.
Now, having seen it again, she wouldn’t let it go.
After a moment, Luo Yan recovered.
Then she noticed… her reflection in a puddle, her eyes open, but only a faint crimson.
Not the vibrant pink and black pupils, but the pale red from Ghost Town.
“What’s going on?”
Luo Yan blinked, but there was no change.
Only after focusing her mind on her eyes did the crimson return.
She quickly deactivated it, afraid of losing control again.
“Could it be… Nine?” Luo Yan looked up. “Did he do this?”
Nine had seemed knowledgeable about Demonically Infected individuals back at Spring Breeze Pavilion.
She hadn’t expected him to be a healer as well…
And he had healed her without her even noticing.
Well, not exactly healed, but he had slowed down the progression and given her greater control over “Envy.”
Luo Yan sighed, then remembered her objective.
“Right, I have to get to the ‘Wall of Resentment’… I can’t waste this opportunity.”
She hadn’t thought that the slowed progression meant she could postpone her plans.
She had made up her mind before leaving: either eternal slumber in the “Ice Coffin,” or the answers she sought.
“Alright, time to go…”
Luo Yan looked towards the southwestern district, faintly visible in the rain, and frowned slightly.
“Wait, is there some kind of disturbance up ahead…?”
With the slowed progression of her condition, Luo Yan’s senses seemed sharper.
She hadn’t sensed anything at this distance before, but now, she felt a sense of unease.
“The core district… It shouldn’t be under attack from a Devil’s minion, right?”
But if the situation was truly dire, Luo Yan would intervene.
Especially now, with her power restored, even stronger than before.
At her peak, her destructive power had only reached “Ruin” level. Now… she could use the full power of “Envy,” a threat even to “Peril” level ability users.
Without further hesitation, Luo Yan raised the large, floral umbrella and ran towards the western gate.
This level of energy… she hadn’t felt it since her initial awakening in “Ghost Town.”
…
“This damned bastard… he’s persistent!”
Hua Qiling, drawing power from the “Ember,” maintained her “Eagle Eye Vision” at its maximum, desperately defending against Alyxsia’s attack.
But even with the “Ember’s” support, Hua Qiling’s mental strength had limits.
The intense use of her ability was exhausting her, but she couldn’t stop.
Her “Eagle Eye Vision” was now obscured by a thin layer of blood mist.
Although the emerald flames in her eyes still burned, her sclera were bloodshot, and the faint scent of blood filled her nostrils.
Even so, Hua Qiling didn’t dare deactivate “Eagle Eye Vision.”
If she did… the Yan City guards here wouldn’t be able to withstand Alyxsia’s assault.
Then, not only would their previous sacrifices be in vain, but the remaining defenders would also perish.
Alyxsia wasn’t inherently bloodthirsty, but she had no qualms about taking lives.
Everything was for the mission.
Meanwhile, Alyxsia wasn’t having an easy time either.
She had learned that Team Four, sent to rendezvous with her, had been ambushed by Yan City’s forces and suffered heavy losses.
If she didn’t reach them soon, they might be annihilated.
Even Myers, their “Peril” level team leader, was in danger.
“Break! Break!”
Alyxsia’s expression was anxious. She heard reports of casualties from Team Four through her communicator, all because she hadn’t been able to breach the defenses.
She pushed her machines to their limits, sending wave after wave of mechanical soldiers crashing against the seemingly crumbling southwestern front line.
However… although the defenses were severely damaged, on the verge of collapse…
They held.
This was mostly thanks to Hua Qiling. Her “Eagle Eye Vision” always found the weakest points in the mechanical onslaught, minimizing the damage.
But even so… there was a limit. This stalemate couldn’t last forever.
Neither Hua Qiling nor Alyxsia could maintain this level of power indefinitely.
And unfortunately, Alyxsia, compared to Hua Qiling, who had the “Ember” as her power source, could last… a little longer.
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