Mister Zero, Her Story: Chapter 59 – A War…
The battle within the city didn’t last long. The blazing, desperate light quickly faded.
Myers’s objective hadn’t been to kill, but to cover his teammates’ retreat.
He had to hold back the entire Yan City ambush force, and more importantly, stall Qin Wen.
If Qin Wen caught up to his fleeing team…
With her strength, killing the isolated ability users would be easy.
So, Myers burned through his life force, ensuring Qin Wen couldn’t pursue his five teammates.
A “Peril” level ability user’s resolve, when facing death, was a terrifying thing.
Qin Wen couldn’t break free, forced to retreat by the suicidal Myers, and the Yan City army also pulled back.
Only after confirming his teammates’ escape did Myers finally collapse.
He leaned against a broken wall, his vacant gaze fixed on the distance.
—The direction of Dawn’s headquarters.
Even in this state, the Yan City army didn’t dare approach him.
Countless pulse cannons were aimed at him, ready to fire.
But Qin Wen raised her hand, stopping them.
“Captain Qin…”
Her second-in-command frowned. Why not take this opportunity to finish him off?
Qin Wen shook her head.
“There’s no need. He’s already dead.”
Yes, Myers was already dead.
His soul had been completely burned away, only a lingering obsession driving his body in the final moments of the battle.
Qin Wen sensed this and was deeply moved.
Even an enemy…
She dragged her injured body towards the lifeless Myers.
“A terrifying and ruthless enemy,” Qin Wen whispered, closing his eyes. “A tragic, yet respectable opponent.”
She stood up and looked at the devastated battlefield, at the bodies of the Yan City guards.
“A… war…”
At this moment, Qin Wen seemed to understand why her usually jovial master had shown such a rare solemnity and sorrow when speaking of the war in Yan City.
The Yan City army watched silently in the rain, as if in mourning.
—Following the victory at the southwestern front line, the battle in the core district had also ended.
Although the outcome wasn’t perfect, five “Ruin” level ability users from Dawn had managed to escape.
But they had lost a “Peril” level Cadre, and the Yan City forces hadn’t suffered heavy losses, only about fifty casualties.
This result far exceeded their expectations, and more importantly, they had achieved their strategic objective.
However, for Dawn, this was a major setback.
They hadn’t even breached the first line of defense in the core district, yet they had lost a valuable Cadre and several members.
More importantly, Alyxsia, Dawn’s strongest attacker, had lost her “giant machine,” her greatest asset, and was now reduced to an ordinary “Peril” level combatant.
It would take a long time for her to recover her full strength.
But time… wasn’t on Dawn’s side.
They needed a swift victory, but they couldn’t concentrate all their forces for a direct assault.
Otherwise, a single “Ember” eruption could annihilate them.
Although Yan City wasn’t likely to take such a gamble, it was still a possibility.
So, according to the original plan, while other teams attacked various locations to divide Yan City’s defenses, Team Four was to breach the weakest western front line, creating an irreparable gap in the core district’s defenses.
Then, using their mobility, they would coordinate with the other teams, completely dismantling Yan City’s defenses.
And finally, they would surround the “Ember” and the “Wall of Resentment,” retrieving the Eldest Mister’s remains. But now… Dawn’s blitzkrieg had failed, and time was running out.
The elite teams currently in Yan City were practically Dawn’s strongest available force.
But Yan City was different.
Although, like many mega-cities, their relationship with “Noah” was strained…
It was still an alliance.
The moment Dawn declared war, support from other mega-cities began pouring into Yan City.
Resources, energy, and troops were being transported through the lifelines.
Even “Noah,” almost a continent away, had dispatched a “Holy Knight” team led by a “Peril” level ability user, using teleportation arrays to reach them as quickly as possible.
—The reason they only sent one team was because of the limitations of long-distance travel.
Otherwise, “Noah” would have sent dozens of teams to crush Dawn’s main force.
At least when facing external threats, “Noah” was reliable.
So, Yan City’s current objective was to hold on, until Dawn’s resources were depleted.
Rhine, as the commander of this war, knew this very well.
He sat in Dawn’s temporary command center, surrounded by several Cadres who had retreated from the front lines.
The atmosphere was somber, tinged with sadness.
“Myers is dead,” Rhine said gravely. “His team brought back the news… and also… the information about the Sword Saint’s involvement.”
The Sword Saint…
The Cadres exchanged glances, their expressions complex.
They knew many secrets about the Sword Saint sect.
Although they didn’t know that the sect’s founder was Dawn’s Fifth Mister, they knew that the Sword Saint Sect Master had close ties to the Misters.
But now…
He was on Yan City’s side.
Could this be Mister’s will?
This was their main concern.
“And the sudden appearance of ‘Miss Luo Yan’,” Alyxsia said, her voice filled with fear. “That mysterious girl found in the ‘Peril’ level disaster zone… she’s far more terrifying than Grifres described…”
The countless white Heroic Spirits appearing on the battlefield, roaring and charging towards her…
That scene would forever be etched in Alyxsia’s memory.
Hearing Alyxsia’s words, Grifres, who had experienced the “Ghost Town” incident, was silent for a moment, then said,
“Miss Luo Yan is growing stronger.”
“And,” Alyxsia swallowed hard, still shaken, “she seems… similar to the Misters…”
“What do you mean?”
Rhine asked, his voice tense.
“When she uses her ability… she’s like Mister,” Alyxsia hesitated, then continued, “Not that their abilities are similar, but… the feeling… when she uses her power…”
The Cadres’ expressions turned to shock.
They had witnessed the Misters using their abilities.
That primal fear, that irresistible force, was imprinted in every Dawn member’s heart.
Even if “Miss Luo Yan’s” ability was only similar, it was still terrifying.
“If this ‘Miss Luo Yan’ truly possesses the abilities you described, resurrecting the dead and sniping ‘Ruin’ level ability users from long distances…” Rhine frowned, his expression grave. “Then… she’s a far greater threat to us than anyone else in Yan City.”
Including the “Ember’s” eruption.
Rhine had already considered and planned for the “Ember’s” eruption; it wasn’t a major concern.
But Luo Yan’s existence… hadn’t been part of any plan.
If she hadn’t appeared, even with Hua Qiling’s desperate defense, Alyxsia would have eventually broken through the southwestern front line.
And Team Four, having infiltrated the core district, would have received reinforcements from her giant machine.
Then, even with Qin Wen’s intervention and the heavy casualties, Dawn’s blitzkrieg would have continued.
Their failure… was entirely because of this mysterious, silver-haired girl.
Rhine himself wasn’t afraid of Luo Yan, but… what about the other members?
“There’s no point dwelling on this now,” Rhine said gravely. “We have to change our plans.”
“But…”
Grifres was worried.
Dawn now only had nine elite teams left, and with the incapacitated Alyxsia and himself, only ten Cadres.
With this strength, it would be difficult to achieve their strategic objective of overwhelming Yan City’s defenses and breaching the city walls.
Unless…
“Brother, isn’t that too risky?” Grifres said gravely. “If you intervene now, the ‘Ember’s’ eruption…”
Unless Rhine himself joined the battle.
His power was immense, evident from his ability to maintain this torrential rain for days.
He was just a step away from “Destruction” level, comparable to the lower-ranked members of Noah’s Twelve Saints.
Unlike Alyxsia, whose claim of single-handedly conquering a city was an exaggeration, Rhine could truly face a mega-city.
Alyxsia’s most impressive feat had been defending against a mega-city’s attack with her “Mobile Fortress,” successfully covering Dawn’s retreat.
But she had only faced the city’s conventional forces, not the “Ice Coffin Weapon” or the “Ember.”
Although impressive, it wasn’t enough to conquer a mega-city’s core.
Rhine, however, was different. Thirty years ago, he had led Dawn to a shocking victory, destroying an entire mega-city.
He had even suppressed that city’s “Ember” eruption, minimizing Dawn’s casualties.
Because of that victory, Rhine had held his position as Dawn’s Third Cadre until now.
However…
“Brother, if you intervene now, Yan City will be prepared, and the ‘Ember’s’ eruption will be much more difficult to handle…”
Grifres said gravely.
He had also participated in that war and witnessed the terrifying power of the “Ember.”
It was even more terrifying than when the Eldest Mister’s remains had been deployed to destroy Ghost Town.
If the Yan City government knew that Rhine was the commander of this war, they would undoubtedly focus the “Ember’s” full power on him.
Then, unless Rhine achieved a breakthrough and reached “Destruction” level at the last moment, he wouldn’t escape unscathed.
Death was a very real possibility.
Rhine had been able to suppress the “Ember” eruption back then because no one knew he was capable of it; the power had been dispersed, not concentrated.
“But we have even less time now than we did back then,” Rhine stood up, his large frame making the small room seem even smaller.
“Even though I know a commander shouldn’t be swayed by emotions, I can’t just watch my brothers and sisters die,” Rhine whispered. “I heard from Millie and the others that Myers sacrificed himself to cover their retreat.”
“But… Brother, your safety is more important than ours,” Grifres said.
“We shouldn’t calculate like that, Grifres,” Rhine shook his head. “My life isn’t important, what matters is the result, what my life can achieve.”
“If my death can ensure Dawn’s survival, I’m willing to die… So don’t worry, a small city like Yan City isn’t worthy of taking my life.”
Grifres didn’t know what to say.
Rhine chuckled and waved his hand.
“Let’s go. The second wave of our attack… is about to begin.”
“This time… I’ll lead the charge.”
…
“…”
Frick opened his eyes slowly, his expression filled with lingering terror.
He looked down at his left index finger, where he stored the power of “Envy.”
A strange red light was fading, but its intoxicating aura lingered.
While Luo Yan was confronting Alyxsia at the southwestern front line, the “Envy” power Frick had stolen had gone out of control.
This time, it was even worse than before; he had even lost consciousness.
“Could it be… that the ‘Witch of Envy’s’ will fragment within this power… hasn’t been completely destroyed…?”
Frick was terrified. This was his worst fear.
Anything related to a “Primordial Demon” was incredibly dangerous.
Especially… their power.
“No!” A thought flashed through Frick’s mind. “I can’t keep this power…!”
He couldn’t understand why he had thought stealing the Devil’s minion’s “Envy” power was a good idea…
Frick drew his sword, determined to sever his finger.
…But the blade stopped mid-swing.
“No… I can’t… This is… the Lord’s gift…”
A strange smile appeared on Frick’s usually grim face, a captivating charm.
It was as if a pair of slender, beautiful, invisible hands were gently embracing him from behind.
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