[Caius Tower, Catastrophe Year 62]
Yasa Acto died once again, and a grand funeral was held for him.
Resources were becoming scarcer, and the world was descending into chaos.
Humans have always been adept at fighting. The presence of deities rely provided them with a flag to rally around.
The transition between the old and new eras, the Keepers and the Traitors, the rule of the City-States and the scrutiny of Outer Cities, the clashes between armies and factions... For the few survival resources left, people tore at each other like insects in a frenzied scramble to snatch the last wing from one another.
In the borderlands of destruction, within a canyon, two armies were locked in opposition. Magnetic blue electric arcs streaked across, and hot weapons and Yuan Guang harvested soldiers’ lives as screams of agony filled the air with the fall of many.
"Swoosh!" At dusk, she wielded her sword, decapitating a soldier. She harbored thoughts of retreats as their forces, intercepted by the enemy and less than half the opponent’s strength, would soon be dood if this continued.
However, five minutes later, the enemy began to retreat.
"What’s going on?" she wondered, clueless.
"Commander, a person suddenly appeared and helped us by killing many enemy soldiers, causing them to retreat..." reported a soldier.
"Could it be reinforcents?"
She ran towards the direction indicated by the soldier and saw the person’s black hair fluttering in the cold wind, his face shielded by a mask. The head of an enemy in his hand was cleanly severed by his blade, the cut at the neck smooth, indicating his formidable strength.
Initially thinking he might be reinforcents, but seeing the mask on his face, she guessed he was an unnad hero unwilling to reveal his identity.
"Thank you for your support," she ran over and bowed slightly, "May I have the honor of knowing your na?"
"Xue?" The person answered, moving his hand to his mask, about to unveil it, "I am A..."
[Lewis, can you hear my voice? It’s Bi!] Suddenly, a voice flooded into his mind.
Su Ming’an was slightly startled.
After feigning death, he awakened from an underground hibernation capsule only to find that ti had moved forward to the 62nd year of the catastrophe; he casually walked around and found Xue’s legion under siege, so he lent a hand.
He wasn’t sure about the current situation, but the state of humanity was probably not good.
[Don’t reveal that you are Acto yet, or the deities will locate you. I’ll contact you later, that’s it!] Bi’s voice was unclear and faded out permanently after speaking.
"You are A...?" Xue asked in front.
"I am A... A... Eni!" Su Ming’an corrected himself, hands on his hips, "— my na is ’Fire Mystery’."
He didn’t know what Bi was up to, but the TE4 progress bar was increasing. Since he couldn’t reveal that he was Acto, it was best to maintain a sufficient disguise.
"Ah, alright..." Xue said, "As you wish..."
The lethal power of Eni proved significant; this "Fire Mystery" disoriented even Xue on how to deal with such an eccentric character.
The players within the army gave sideways glances; they did not recognize Su Ming’an disguised as Eni.
"Mr. Fire Mystery, you intervened to save our army, but we have nothing to offer you at the mont. Our army is about to return to Doomsday City, would you care to join us?" Xue asked.
"Alright," Su Ming’an responded.
He inquired about the current circumstances. Indeed, humans excelled in infighting, and due to the intensifying invasion of [One Dinsions], many from [Other Dinsions] appeared. Doomsday City remained the largest human settlent, albeit slightly less prestigious than before.
The army began its journey.
Healthy individuals supported the injured, and this band of broken soldiers slowly moved forward.
In the morning, the army arrived at Doomsday City.
Now, Doomsday City had begun to show early signs of what had been City of asurent in 2102. The long tracks in the sky intersected each other, with even small airships and other transportation vehicles visible. Looking around, the city’s original yellow-gray tone was gradually taking on the iron-gray color that represented industry and chanics.
"Leader Casador, I am Commander Xi of the Fourth Army. Our forces were attacked by the enemy; we have returned to the city to request support and healing," Xi provided her credentials.
"Please co in," Leader Casador said courteously.
The army marched mightily into the Inner City, where Su Ming’an, as a valued soldier of the rescue corps, was taken to et the Deputy City Lord.
Lu sat in the office, with a dozen people including Yamada Machiichi, Noel, Yuanyuan, Noah, Anjie, Sen, Cheng, and Cheng Luohe present. This was a high-level eting.
"Deputy City Lord, I am here to report on the military situation," Xi said as she knocked and entered.
"Please co in," Lu said and noticed Su Ming’an wearing a mask, "Oh, and this is...?"
"This gentleman is Mr. Fire Mystery, who rescued our forces during a crisis. He’s a very powerful adventurer," Xi introduced.
...Fire Mystery?
Lu and the other players showed a weird expression. They had already guessed who this was.
Sen and other NPCs, however, did not understand what Fire Mystery ant and greeted ordinarily, "Since Xi has arrived, let’s start the eting together."
Xi sat down. She did not expect that turning her head, Su Ming’an brazenly took a seat as well.
She frowned slightly. This was a high-end eting in Doomsday City, and even if he had done a favor for the army, he was not qualified to partake in the eting.
"Mr. Fire Mystery, please..." she intended to ask Su Ming’an to stand up, but Lu interjected, "Upon seeing Mr. Fire Mystery, I feel very cordially and have an impulse to beco sworn brothers on the spot. Mr. Fire Mystery must surely partake in the eting, or I will regret it for the rest of my life."
Yamada Machiichi nodded, "Indeed, seeing Fire Mystery gives a feeling of love at first sight."
"Fire Mystery, just hearing the na tells he is a highly wise person. Having him in the eting, I feel assured," Noel said.
Sen, Cheng Luohe, Anjie, and others looked in shock at Lu and the others, whose minds seed to be malfunctional.
...Where was Fire Mystery wise? It sounded downright foolish?
But under Lu’s command, the eting began regardless.
Su Ming’an glanced at the crazily scrolling comnts and coughed.
"...Now, we need to gather all possible forces; already too many powers have slipped from our control. And there’s Lin Guang, whose absurd actions are extrely reprehensible..." Xi said.
...What exactly did Lin Guang do?
Su Ming’an perked up his ears.
"If it weren’t for his absurd actions, the news of Acto’s death would never have spread so widely! Everyone now claims, it was us who killed our own City Lord... Nonsense! The City Lord died three years ago, what does that have to do with us? Wasn’t it Lin Guang who invited the City Lord to visit ’Ta Wei’, and that led to the City Lord’s death?" Leader Field said coldly.
"’Ta Wei’ has now beco capable of spreading words to this world, claiming that by handing over the City Lord, they can provide resources to humanity. So, many people hope to hand over the City Lord..." Sen said, "Could it be, in the eyes of ’Ta Wei’, the City Lord isn’t dead yet?"
"The City Lord is undoubtedly dead, after all Lin Guang, he..." Xi said.
...What exactly did Lin Guang do?
Su Ming’an listened for a long while; these people hadn’t clearly ntioned "what Lin Guang did", as if it was sothing unspeakable.
Xi clenched the gemstone in her hand, murmured somberly:
"It’s a pity, if the City Lord were still here, we wouldn’t be as lost as we are now. I miss his always correct war strategies..."
Everyone showed their agreent.
Su Ming’an suddenly said, "Do you only rely on one person? Without him, are you like souls lost?"
Instantly, dozens of people glared at him angrily.
"Fire Mystery, what do you an?" Cheng Luohe frowned.
"Hearing the title ’Fire Mystery,’ I already think you are not very smart, and now you even dare to insult the city lord," Anjie said coldly.
"Indeed, ’Fire Mystery,’ sounds like sothing a dumb person would say..." Considering that Su Ming’an had saved Xue before, people’s remarks were slightly restrained, but still very disdainful.
Xue frowned slightly, "Mr. Fire Mystery, you can’t understand the importance of the city lord to us; no one can obey anyone but him..."
At that mont, Su Ming’an suddenly heard Bi’s voice: "It’s okay now, Lewis, I have finished here, you can reveal your identity."
He removed the mask from his face.
"..."
Xue stared blankly at his face for several seconds.
Those who were still scolding "Fire Mystery" for being stupid had their expressions instantly stiffen, their pupils shuddering, plunged into great shock.
"The city lord..." Sen, whose hair had turned gray, trembled as he stood up.
"Lord Lewis..." Cheng Luohe exclaid.
"Grandpa..." Noah called out.
Xue’s face was mixed with a smile and tears. After a mont, she suddenly began to laugh, her eyes bloodshot:
"You’ve co back... you’ve co back... Haha, Little Handso... what are you playing at? Little Handso?"
She felt bewildered.
Each ti he led them through a difficult junction, Su Ming’an would suddenly disappear, pulling them from paradise into hell. Then in their despair, he would suddenly appear, telling them he was never actually dead.
The all-knowing Acto. His godlike, perfectly extre decisions, what are they really for? Is it to toy with them like ants, or to toy with their emotions of hope and despair repeatedly? His playing dead and appearing, disappearing, who is he truly mocking?
Su Ming’an tried to reveal the truth about Caius Tower but was silenced. Except for special NPCs like Lin Guang who knew the truth, NPCs like Sen couldn’t comprehend the significance of Caius Tower.
"I’m not playing anything," Su Ming’an could only say, "Trust , I will lead you forward."
"..."
The conference room fell silent for a while.
"Rumble——!!"
Suddenly, people heard a sound from outside the window.
"Here it cos again!"
"How has Lin Guang co again? This is already the twenty-sothing ti this year?"
Xue’s face changed drastically as she saw dust floating in the distance, and packs of fierce Exotic Beasts were approaching.
Su Ming’an looked outside the city. In front of the massive tide of Exotic Beasts was Lin Guang. Controlling Exotic Beasts was Lin Guang’s ability.
Lin Guang seed to be pushing sothing, which appeared to be a wheelchair. His expression beca increasingly cold, like a damp, sticky swamp.
"Doomsday City, give the life-sustaining energy," Lin Guang’s voice spread throughout the city, commanding the Exotic Beasts to block the city gate.
"We’ve given it to you so many tis over the last three years, we can’t give any more, please back down!" Xue’s voice, amplified, confronted Lin Guang.
"Don’t force ," Lin Guang said. "Give it to quickly."
Su Ming’an was slightly taken aback. He knew what life-sustaining energy was—it was the energy that kept bionic bodies from decaying. What did Lin Guang want it for?
He stared intently at the thing Lin Guang was pushing, suddenly realizing what it was.
Through a blurry view, he saw a corpse dressed in a white lab coat sitting in the wheelchair, neatly dressed, with its head hanging down as if it was just asleep.
Lin Guang pushed the wheelchair and even spoke lowly to the corpse.
"Damn!" Yamada Machiichi couldn’t help but exclaim upon seeing this scene.
He couldn’t help but remark:
"Su Ming’an. I often hear that the World ga produces freaks. I didn’t realize freaks are especially nurous around you. In addition to Shen Xue who skins people, Xu Anna who bathes in human blood, the Tulip Princess who eats the hearts of the Soul Clan, and Xiber who wants to break your limbs... and now Lin Guang who pushes a corpse. Does he refuse to believe that you are already dead? Damn, real freak, how do you attract so many freaks?"
"I also... don’t want it this way," Su Ming’an said.
"—Lin Guang, if you had the slightest respect for him, you wouldn’t be wasting resources!" Noah responded coldly to Lin Guang.
"He’s my friend, it’s none of your business! Give it to !" Lin Guang roared.
Exotic Beasts burst out, and Lin Guang’s figure disappeared among them. Soldiers activated the city’s defense system, and shells fell into the midst of the Exotic Beasts, each containing the human race’s scarce heating resources.
"—Be careful! Be careful! Don’t hit the wheelchair!" the leader of Doomsday City shouted.
While the city’s defense system was bombing, it carefully avoided the area where Lin Guang was, preventing damage to the corpse on the wheelchair.
"What are you circling for? Just target Lin Guang’s position and bomb it," Su Ming’an said.
"Lord, there is your body there..." soone said.
"A living is standing right here. What do we need a corpse for?" Su Ming’an said.
Only then did everyone react, and Noah issued the command, directly bombing Lin Guang’s position.
Under the continuous bombing from Doomsday City, Lin Guang was finally pushed back. Without the protection of the City of Gods, he could only retreat temporarily. He kept guarding the wheelchair, blood streaming down his back.
"What is the current situation for humans?" Su Ming’an turned his head, not caring about Lin Guang’s obsession.
"It’s extrely perilous," Xue said.
"...I see," Su Ming’an closed his eyes briefly and donned a blood-red cloak:
"I’m back, let’s continue the battle, call everyone back."
...
"I am Luo Ming, the son of the lord of Tocasa City. I have co in response to your call, to recapture the human positions."
In the hall adorned with red cloth, people lined up in a long queue, bowing one by one before Su Ming’an.
The queue, like a long dragon, stretched from one end of the hall to the other. Each person represented a different force from the Ruined World, each a military leader or a relative of a powerful figure.
"Luo Ming. Welco," Su Ming’an nodded.
He was dressed in a white fur-edged suit, the edges adorned with gold thread and blue gemstones, shoulders bearing the golden epaulettes of the Freedom Faction, and a thick crimson cotton cloak reaching to his mid-calf, his attire extrely grand. As he shook hands with others, he felt a slight weight on his shoulders. This suit was greatly inconvenient for movent.
But oddly enough, formalism is what people like most. It’s as if only in this way can it represent his importance to the guests.
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