Mister Zero, Her Story: Chapter 50 – Time to Depart
“Sister…”
Mister paused.
He could sense many familiar auras gathering in Yan City.
Old friends, family.
All his juniors.
Everyone was waiting for him to take his final step, waiting for the last remnant of that era to vanish completely.
Whether… he wanted to or not.
“Now… what should I do? Sister, Brother, all of you…”
The youngest of the original nine Misters of Dawn, now the oldest human in the New Era, seemed to merge into one at this moment.
“It’s been a long time since anyone made decisions for me,” Mister murmured. “In the centuries since you passed, I’ve grown accustomed to leading the way, but now… it’s finally time to let go.”
Mister stood up shakily and walked towards the door of the small room.
“Time to depart.”
“Sister, Brother, all of you… your wishes, our final obsession…”
“It’s time for it to end.”
…
The relentless rain continued for days.
Yan City was practically submerged, all districts flooded, the water reaching people’s ankles even in the less affected areas.
The drainage systems were overwhelmed, and most citizens were forced to seek shelter on the second or even third floors of their buildings.
Forget going outside; having a place to stay was a blessing.
Fortunately, the mega-city had disaster preparedness measures in place, and the supply of resources wasn’t yet an issue.
But this wasn’t the only crisis Yan City faced.
The heavy rain had also caused the city’s defense systems to collapse.
In this weather, neither the Anomaly Management Bureau nor the city government could establish an effective blockade.
Only the minimal automated defense systems were still functioning, but these were useless against ability users above “Ruin” level.
And this… was exactly what Dawn wanted, or rather, what Dawn had caused.
Under the cover of the rain, exploiting the vulnerabilities in the city’s defenses, Dawn had quietly assembled nearly ten Cadres and a hundred members within Yan City.
They were hiding in the inconspicuous District Eight, waiting for the operation to begin.
Every Cadre present was at least “Peril” level, the weakest among them capable of defeating Sun Biwu, Yan City’s only “Peril” level ability user currently available.
The other members were mostly “Ruin” level or above.
In total, Dawn’s assembled force was equivalent to ten elite teams.
This was enough to launch a small-scale war, more than enough to handle a lower-tier mega-city.
“But it’s still not enough.”
Standing beside Grifres and Alyxsia was a large, muscular man.
Even Grifres, who was considered burly, seemed small beside him.
The man had thick eyebrows and a commanding presence, his very aura oppressive.
—Dawn’s Third Cadre, “Harbinger” Rhine.
His ability… Superpower type, weather manipulation.
This torrential rain, a once-in-a-century event for Yan City, was his doing.
“If there weren’t enough cumulonimbus clouds in the area, I wouldn’t have been able to summon this rain,” Rhine’s voice was deep and steady. “But even so, it won’t last long. We don’t have much time to gather more forces.”
“Ten elite teams… isn’t that enough?” Alyxsia frowned slightly. “Yan City only has one ‘Peril’ level ability user available, and any one of us could defeat him.”
And with her ability, she could even handle three “Peril” level ability users simultaneously, if she had enough preparation.
“No, Alyxsia,” Grifres shook his head. “If we were just defending against a mega-city, our current strength would be more than enough.
“But we’re attacking, we’re going to infiltrate the core district,” Rhine continued Grifres’s thought. “Even for a small mega-city, invading the core district comes at a cost.”
Although Alyxsia outranked Grifres in both strength and position, she was much younger.
Grifres was over seventy, while she was only forty.
For ability users, whose lifespans were extended by their abilities, a forty-year-old “Peril” level ability user was still very young.
Youth meant potential, but also a lack of experience.
Alyxsia had never participated in an attack on a mega-city, but Grifres had, unfortunately.
“Why…?”
Alyxsia was puzzled.
“Because of the ‘Ember’,” Grifres said gravely. “The ‘Ember’ isn’t just an endless energy source for a mega-city; it can also protect the entire city in critical moments.”
“But to use the ‘Ember,’ one needs to be at least ‘Peril’ level, otherwise they can’t withstand its power. That’s why every mega-city must have a ‘Peril’ level ability user stationed within,” Rhine looked up slightly, a flicker of remembrance in his eyes. “The last time we attacked a mega-city… must have been over thirty years ago… Grifres was still young then (meaning forty years old), he wasn’t on the front lines.”
“We won that war, right?” Alyxsia had heard of it, although she hadn’t even been ten years old at the time. “I remember it was a decisive victory, we easily defeated…”
“But sixty-seven of our brothers and sisters, including six Cadres and sixty-one members, died in that battle, killed by the ‘Ember’s’ final eruption,” Rhine said calmly.
“Although that mega-city only had one ‘Peril’ level ability user, boosted by temporary life-burning drugs, the power of the ‘Ember’ still haunts me.”
What Rhine didn’t mention was that nearly a million people in that defeated mega-city had become refugees in the Endless Wasteland.
However, the suffering of the defeated city’s citizens was of no concern to Dawn.
“Of course, we’re not trying to conquer Yan City this time, just infiltrate the core district and reach the ‘Wall of Resentment’ where the ‘Ice Coffin Weapon’ is stored,” Grifres patted Alyxsia’s shoulder. “Don’t be careless, but there’s no need to be overly nervous either.”
“I… understand.”
Alyxsia nodded and stepped aside, no longer arguing.
“What I want to say is, in this battle, anyone could die, including me,” Rhine looked at the other Cadres and members in the room. “But this is to retrieve the Eldest Mister’s remains, so that she, who should be resting peacefully, can finally come home.”
The Dawn members’ expressions were solemn, no one making a sound, only Rhine’s voice echoing in the room.
“Although ‘Mister,’ for various reasons, perhaps to avoid our casualties, or perhaps others’, hasn’t brought his ‘Eldest Brother’ home…”
“We have a duty to fulfill, and that is… to ensure all our family members find their way home.”
“No matter the cost.”
Rhine closed his eyes, lowered his head slightly, and placed his fist over his heart.
“Everything… for Dawn.”
The others mirrored his gesture, their voices a low murmur, almost drowned out by the rain.
“For Dawn.”
…
“The rain still hasn’t stopped…”
Anna sighed, her chin resting on her hand as she looked out the window at the gloomy sky and the torrential downpour that threatened to submerge the entire city.
“It’s certainly unusual,” Luo Yan agreed, then continued reading the files in her hands.
They were in Luo Yan’s apartment, the small unit provided by the Yan City government.
However, Anna wasn’t here for a casual visit.
She was here out of necessity.
The “Flower Shop” only had one floor, and in this heavy rain, it was at risk of flooding, let alone being open for business.
But it had once been Hua Qingling’s property, and even though it had changed hands, the Yan City government didn’t dare neglect it.
A thin energy shield now protected the “Flower Shop” from the rain.
But this had a drawback… no one could enter or leave.
Therefore, Anna had sought shelter elsewhere, staying at Luo Yan’s apartment for a few days.
Luo Yan’s apartment was on the tenth floor… even the heaviest rain couldn’t reach here, unless it was a flood.
Hua Qiling and Qin Wen were both busy with missions assigned by the Anomaly Management Bureau; Luo Yan hadn’t seen them in a while.
With manpower shortages, they couldn’t afford to leisurely stroll around like before.
…And there was nowhere to stroll anyway.
“Although I’m used to being a shut-in, I’m still bored…”
Anna sat at the table, her hands and feet unconsciously mimicking the motions of operating a sewing machine.
The table was covered with clothing designs, and the wastebasket overflowed with discarded drafts.
With nothing else to do, Anna could only draw.
Unfortunately, without a sewing machine, her designs were useless.
Luo Yan, however, was enjoying her free time, finally having a chance to read the files Hua Qiling had given her, and the classified documents from the Yan City government.
—About the “Ice Coffin Weapon.”
The files were detailed, containing various parameters of Yan City’s “Ice Coffin Weapon.”
Based on these parameters, a simple calculation revealed that this Ice Coffin Weapon, designated “F-02,” had a maximum kill radius encompassing an area twice the size of Yan City.
And within this range, it could deliver “Peril” level destructive power.
Even more impressive, this power could even penetrate hyperspace, damaging souls and consciousness.
According to the file’s assessment, it ranked among the top ten, even top five, of all “Ice Coffin Weapons.”
Because “F-02” had rarely been used, its true “limits” were unknown; these parameters were just estimates.
…However, another puzzling aspect was the low cost at which Yan City had acquired “F-02.”
Thirty years of one-third of their annual tax revenue was, to “Noah,” merely the equivalent of two years’ worth of taxes from a single district.
Such a powerful weapon, at such a low price…
“It’s suspicious… as if someone deliberately sent her to Yan City…”
Luo Yan murmured, closing the file.
The information was detailed and valuable, but it lacked what she wanted to know.
—The “Ice Coffin Weapon’s” origins.
“Lady Luo Yan,” Anna, hearing the sound, perked up and looked at Luo Yan. “Have you finished reading?”
Anna had been bored for days. Lady Luo Yan liked reading, but she didn’t, and she couldn’t disturb her.
She cherished every opportunity to talk to her.
“Yes.”
Luo Yan nodded and stood up from the wheelchair with some effort.
Anna rushed to help her, but Luo Yan waved her hand dismissively.
She still had enough strength to walk a few steps.
Luo Yan slowly walked to the window and listened to the rain.
She could no longer open her eyes casually; her “Envy” was nearing complete loss of control.
Soon, even with her eyes closed, she would unleash indiscriminate attacks.
Then, it would be either the Ice Coffin, or exile to the Wasteland.
Even just listening to the rain… would soon become a luxury.
“I don’t have much time left…”
Luo Yan whispered, her voice barely audible.
For some reason, she recalled “Elise,” whom she had met a few days ago.
And her words…
Familiar, yet not.
Luo Yan hadn’t forgotten what the bandaged girl had said upon seeing her.
—”Finally found you… Sister Luo Yan…”
“I want to see ‘her’ again, with my own eyes,” Luo Yan touched the cold glass of the window. “One last time…”
“See who?”
Anna blinked, confused.
“…Perhaps an old friend, or perhaps… an old friend of ‘Luo Yan’,” Luo Yan whispered.
No matter what, she had to see the bandaged girl again.
“What?”
Anna still didn’t understand.
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