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墨書 Inktalez
Nian Gui's sternum shattered, and the sound of his heart being pierced mingled with his cries of agony. Then, the valley fell silent once more, leaving only the lingering smoke over the battlefield atop the mountain. The clouds above seemed mesmerized, no longer drifting aimlessly, as they watched the bizarre spectacle of humanity below. On the battlefield not far from them, the stench of blood filled the air, wilting flowers; even life itself was reduced to mere flesh, shriveled yet exuding a semblance of vitality.
The Celestial Warriors stood side by side until Aibo's iron anchor had truly pierced Nian Gui's body. Only then did they turn their gaze toward the ancient Titan who held the anchor, unmoving like a mountain. For him, the struggle had never ended; the resentment and grievance of seeing his kin slaughtered could not be quelled by this fatal blow.
"Is it over? Did we win?" Lu Sha asked first.
"I can't believe he can still stand. In any case, we won," Jiao An's joy was evident on her face, a faint smile that resembled a warm sun in winter, easing the tension among them. Qin Weishan and Jiao An could only rise with the support of their teammates, but that did not diminish their relief.
Blue Face Hero activated his Thruster and slowly descended beside Aibo. He gently placed a hand on Aibo's tree-trunk-like leg and spoke calmly, "Thank you."
However, Aibo remained motionless in his original stance. Liu Xuan noticed that Aibo's arm was trembling uncontrollably, and the shaking grew more pronounced. His grip on the anchor had not loosened; instead, it tightened further. With his hands clasped around the anchor's shaft, it had plunged deep into Dompey's chest cavity. The exposed shaft made Aibo resemble a weary swordsman with his blade embedded in an enemy’s corpse, lost in thought and emotion. No one could know what thoughts crossed the mind of a swordsman who had slain his foe while gazing at the lifeless body below; he also appeared like a supplicant, hands clasped in prayer for fate to return his family. Yet all this was merely a wish—a prayer cast adrift in Time’s river that could never return.
"He seems very sad," Liu Xuan said to Nars.
In Nars' eye, the moonlight dimmed significantly as he lowered his head and softly comforted Aibo, "I am sorry for your loss regarding Stone Giant Titan. As one who has also lost kin, I understand your feelings. But we both know that not everything can be undone; no matter how painful or reluctant we are, we must move forward."
"If you believe they should not have left you, carry their beliefs and live brilliantly."
An Xiaotian, Jiao An, Qin Weishan, and Lu Sha silently stood behind Nars. Xu Yicheng ran to Aibo's side and noticed Dompey's outstretched arm still standing there, his face frozen in an expression of agony as he stared at Aibo who had pierced his chest with the anchor. His pale skin peeked through tattered clothing like a white flag.
"Aibo..." Xu Yicheng looked up into Aibo's eyes.
With a dull thud, Aibo suddenly knelt down; as his body descended, his hands slipped down the anchor's shaft. His gaze fell upon the wild grass below as he emitted a sound akin to an infant's whimper from his throat.
"Is he crying?" Qin Weishan asked cautiously from behind Aibo where he couldn't see.
Nars shook his head and sighed, "Stone Giants cannot shed tears."
Everyone stood quietly as if praying for the departed souls—not just for Aibo's kin but also for those who perished under the Tear Star battle axe. Beneath Aibo’s iron anchor, may they rest in peace.
But had The Celestial Warriors truly won?
City S - Abandoned Factory
A few rats chattered together as they gnawed on something; upon closer inspection, one could still make out parts of a dead mantis. In the desolate workshop with its pale walls covered in various flowing red graffiti, sunlight streamed through nearly shattered windows to create mottled patches of light that soon warped into concrete sunlight illuminating machines that still held warmth. The machines had long ceased operation; congealed oil clung to them like a figure quietly sitting in wait for someone to clean up.
Waiting for what?
A Time portal suddenly appeared in the workshop amidst the terrified squeaks of large rats. Stalker dragged out her Quantum String Engine Locator and stepped forward with a mournful expression before tossing aside her Energy Column and leaning against a wall to sit down while gazing up at City S’s clear sky. The large rats shrank back into their holes but peeked out when she remained motionless, waiting for her to truly become lifeless so they could feast without restraint tonight.
According to Dompey’s instructions, she was supposed to move with the Energy Column to a spot not far from him; Dompey would come looking for her. However, during battle he had lost all reason and chose to fight The Celestial Warriors Alliance to the bitter end—now he could not fulfill that promise.
The more Stalker thought about it, the sadder and angrier she became: why did this ragtag group have such good fortune? If any one of them were pitted against Dompey’s command alone, they wouldn’t even be on the same level—how could they possibly kill him?
She was not the only internal Human on this planet but she was its sole internal Human warrior. All internal Humans hidden on Earth were connected through a unified network under the Familiar Plan; yet she couldn’t find any kindred spirits among them. She didn’t even know when reinforcements would arrive—the expeditionary force was heading towards a realm so distant it couldn’t even be measured in light-years—both Divine Realm and that realm transcended Dimension of the Cradle of Life—and ships like Kser Colony Ship and Judgment Day Flagship were likely still searching for jump points in space. Even if they wanted to return home now, it would require three Quantum String Engine Locators to activate simultaneously to pinpoint their fleet’s location within lunar orbit accurately. If she couldn’t find anyone from her own plan among her kinfolk, she would be doomed to live in depression on Earth for life.
The despairing Stalker felt her hatred for the Celestial Warriors swell to its peak, but she understood that it was impossible for her alone to confront these six individuals. Among Ban Sa's most capable warriors, she was considered the weakest in combat. The six members of the Celestial Warriors Alliance were the top fighters in the Earth military, and among them was Nars, the leader of the Inner Beings resistance. The only thing she could do now was to find her "acquaintances" who had been planted within Earth’s civilization as quickly as possible, waiting for Emperor Ban Sa's return to the Solar System. She knew that all Emperor Ban Sa wanted were two crystals; the Life Crystals were already in his possession, while the Chaos Crystals remained in the Demon Realm. By the time the Emperor returned, she feared she would be old and worn out.
She curled her legs up and wrapped her arms around herself, burying her head in her arms. Her mind began to imagine various ways humans could kill her, and the increasingly heavy sense of oppression made her lift her head and sigh loudly. Where could she find those "acquaintances" hidden within Earth’s civilization? At this moment, she had nothing but martial skills, lacking any information or resources. The harsh reality forced her to make a difficult decision.
“End it all.”
The Stalker had made up her mind. She stood up and walked toward the stairs leading upward—this kind of suicide would be painless; it was just that no one would remember her.
Step by step… The stairs leading to the rooftop felt like a final passage to heaven. The Stalker's vision grew blurrier, and dizziness washed over her until it felt as if tears were clouding her eyes, obscuring everything.
“Ah?” The Stalker thought she was so desperate that she was hallucinating. She couldn’t help but lean against the wall, gasping for breath as the pressure on her brain surged. She needed to breathe, to keep breathing.
What was happening?
Suddenly, the Stalker looked up and remembered something. Her eyes filled with anticipation, and her fingernails dug deeply into the wall. Now, instead of panic, she felt an overwhelming excitement and joy. This situation was a form of salvation for her.
Indeed, the blurry illusion before her gradually dissipated. She saw their emperor from the Internal Human tribe walking on an illusion that paved a path for him, slowly approaching her. As he drew near enough for her to see his mask clearly, the fragments stopped laying down their path right at the edge of the concrete steps beneath her feet.
“Your Majesty!”
The Stalker immediately knelt down. The ground of the illusion was too cold; a bone-chilling sensation began to creep up from her knees. She lowered her head, not daring to look at him or even know how to explain herself to Emperor Ban Sa. She knew what he would ask; as she looked down at the ground, a pair of iron boots came into view and stopped.
“Stand up, my daughter.”
The Stalker felt a jolt in her heart—she wasn’t Ban Sa’s biological daughter, but it couldn’t be denied that Ban Sa had raised her and trained her into a fearsome assassin. Cautiously, she lifted her head; this gaze took all of her courage.
“Stand up,” Ban Sa repeated, his eyes glowing green beneath his mask.
“Yes.”
“Is he… in trouble?”
The Stalker felt like a child caught in wrongdoing; her hands hung limply at her sides as she dared not answer.
“I connected with him through mental illusions over a dozen times without any response; it was Azores who discovered that all his life indicators had gone dark.”
The Stalker didn’t dare say anything; she merely nodded silently.
“My old comrade… he was my proudest subordinate.” Ban Sa sighed softly and reached out toward the Stalker.
She broke down then, beginning to sob as she recounted everything about herself and Dompey’s battles against the Celestial Warriors Alliance while confessing to her adoptive father about her suicidal intentions. What made Emperor Ban Sa terrifying was never his true power; it was his ability to convey overwhelming authority with just a few calm words without needing to display his strength.
“Lord Dompey is dead… but our Quantum String Engine Locator is still operational.”
Ban Sa’s hand stroked the Stalker's hair but suddenly halted upon hearing this statement.
“Is the Energy Column still here?” Ban Sa tilted his head to one side.
“Yes, I was ordered to quietly relocate the Quantum String Engine Locator. I cannot be a deserter!”
“Hmm…” Ban Sa withdrew his hand and said, “Everything you’ve said has made things clear to me. Child, Dompey’s death may actually be a good thing.”
“A good thing?” Stalker looked up at Ban Sa.
“To kill Dompey is not something a Level One Basic Civilization could achieve. If it were, it would prove that this civilization possesses extraordinary mental strength. I regret your defeat, but looking at it from another angle, it allows the king to see the potential of this civilization.”
“So what do you mean?”
“I will have Azores pass on all member information from the ‘Acquaintance’ plan—including their names on Earth—to you. As a leading general, with our Radio Burst Capturer, as long as we send the information to the Sun system, you will receive it soon. After that, I need you to replace Dompey and become the overall leader of the ‘Acquaintance’ plan.”
“Me? So you mean I will stay on Earth forever?” A hint of panic flickered in Stalker’s eyes.
“Not forever,” Ban Sa replied. “We will return soon.”
“Soon?” Stalker finally received an affirmative answer from Emperor Ban Sa.
“The Chaos Crystals are no longer in the Demon Realm; they are in Vamulel,” Ban Sa said. “We are officially on our way back to the galaxy. This Quantum String Engine Locator must be kept safe; two more will be launched towards Vamulel upon my command, along with shuttles carrying more hidden ones. You and they will unveil the secrets of this planet for me.”
Stalker suppressed a smile at the corners of her mouth. “Understood.”
“You can call us anytime, daughter; your father is always here,” Ban Sa said before turning to leave, and the dream began to fade with his footsteps.
After leaving the dream, Stalker walked down while cheerfully talking to herself, “This counts as a good thing, right?”
The door that had just been closed swung open again, stirring up dust from the ground and creating a gust of gray wind. Stalker covered her mouth and nose as she entered, looking at the life-threatening Quantum String Engine Locator without making any moves—she was waiting for the next step if what Emperor Ban Sa said was true.
Sure enough, her hopes were not in vain. “A temporal connection request detected from Kser. Decoding radio burst information content for you.”
Stalker pressed “Agree” to the request.
With a clang, six iron claws extended from beneath the Energy Column and plunged into the ground, blooming like a flower under the sun. All energy began to converge upward, forming an energy sphere at the center of the flower. Under Stalker's gaze, this energy sphere grew larger and larger.
Stalker rubbed her hands together in anticipation as the reading percentage gradually approached 100%. As the sun set, she leaped into a nearby shadow aimlessly, wanting only to disappear for a while.
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