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墨書 Inktalez
“Particle Shield locked, prepare for bombardment…”
Before the voice of the artificial intelligence inside the armor could finish, the cannon fired, and it felt as if the world around Blackhawk was shaking violently. A powerful shockwave burst forth from both sides of the Particle Shield, and the deafening noise jolted Blackhawk awake. All the information panels within the armor momentarily went blank.
As the bombardment ceased, Blackhawk attempted to stand and looked outside the shield, only to find that the cannon of the Guardian was still aimed at him—Wen Yue City was unharmed, and as long as the target remained alive, the Guardian would not stop its assault.
Another cannon fired! This time, Blackhawk thought he heard Wen Yue City shouting, but his voice was instantly drowned out by the explosion. After the flames subsided, inside the Black Hawk Armor, Liang Muqi saw the real-time status of the Particle Shield. The information panel indicated an unstable connection with broken segments. After a brief assessment, the AI provided an update: “Optimistically, the Particle Shield can withstand two more hits. Dr. Liang, you must devise an escape plan before those two hits are over.”
“My ankle!”
A jolt ran through Blackhawk, and he turned to see that while Wen Yue City had not sustained fatal injuries, unfortunately, a small piece of metal was lodged in his ankle, rendering him unable to move quickly. This drastically reduced Blackhawk's chances of successfully evacuating him.
It was impossible for Blackhawk to remain stationary under the bombardment from the Guardian. As the sounds of cannon fire echoed in his mind, Liang Muqi quickly considered his options: he could turn and carry Wen Yue City, using his flight advantage to escape into the sky, but he wasn't confident he could evade the Guardian's artillery; alternatively, he could engage in close combat with the Guardian, but he wasn't sure he could draw its full attention.
What to do?
As he watched a third bombardment charging up, he realized that this round's two shells were enough to destroy his Particle Shield. For the first time, Liang Muqi felt utterly helpless; even someone as brilliant as him had moments where he was out of options.
Another violent cannon blast! The complete rupture of the Particle Shield sent a fierce shockwave through the air! In that instant of explosion, Blackhawk was already prepared; he grabbed hold of Wen Yue City, pulling him into his embrace. The Feathered Mechanical Wings enveloped them both while instinctively positioning his armored back against the oncoming torrent of flames. They flew out like a meat roll, landing on the ground amidst countless tiny crystal fragments drifting through the air in the residual heat of flames—debris created by the shattered Particle Shield.
“It hurts…” Wen Yue City groaned within Blackhawk's wings; their earlier actions had driven more fragments deeper into his flesh. Setting him down, Blackhawk stood protectively in front of him as the Guardian stepped onto the remnants of the burnt-out shield. The flickering flames from burning debris made it appear even more like a towering reaper come to claim lives.
After scanning for targets, the Guardian emitted a mechanical voice that only Wen Yue City could understand: “Target not yet deceased; continue execution.”
“Don’t worry about me!” Wen Yue City shouted at Blackhawk, “If I die, I die! The Element Device is behind the stone tablet; hurry and take it back to save Lu Sha!”
“Impossible!” Blackhawk stood firm like a mountain; he couldn’t engage in close combat—the sole objective of the Guardian was to kill Wen Yue City, and it wouldn’t make any unnecessary moves. He could only use his body to create a final barrier for him.
“Just go get it!”
“Impossible!” Unlocking his helmet's visor, Blackhawk shouted back, “Get back now!”
“No!”
“Run!”
With arms spread wide, Liang Muqi positioned himself in front of the cannon’s muzzle. If he moved aside, that shell would strike down on Wen Yue City: “I can’t live with more sins on my conscience, Yue City.”
This was all that remained for Liang Muqi. He owed humanity so much and owed even more to the Celestial Warriors. Having once joined the Viper Organization for resources from the Moon People, all he wanted was to avoid dying as a historical villain.
Closing his eyes to brace for what might be his final shot, a dull metallic clang echoed—a sound that nearly brought tears of joy to both him and Wen Yue City. The anchor thrown by Aibo struck precisely at the back of the Guardian's head!
The attack from the guardian was forcibly interrupted. Looking up, Liang Muqi saw that behind it, Aibo leaped into action, delivering heavy punches down onto its head and creating a dent in its barrel-like skull. Seizing this opportunity while it was downed, Aibo picked up the anchor from the ground and aimed its tip downward at one of its raised arms!
The timely arrival of both Xu Yicheng and Aibo almost made Liang Muqi collapse onto the ground. But instead, he sat down like a child watching a show as he observed how fiercely and violently Aibo's attacks tore away piece by piece at the armor of the fallen guardian. As it fell to earth under these blows from Aibo, it was met with relentless strikes from a Titan Stone Giant.
Guardian attempted to defend itself, but Aibo offered no chance for the robot to retaliate. With one foot firmly planted on its other arm, Aibo leaned down and grasped Guardian's eyes with a single hand, digging fingers deep into its sockets and yanking out the entire mechanical processor from its head.
Devoid of its processor, Guardian ultimately collapsed to the ground, silent and motionless. Aibo let out a cold snort and tossed the severed arm beside Guardian's dismembered joint. The flames that had been burning on the fragments of the Particle Shield were extinguished by the clash of the two giants, leaving only swirling white smoke across the battlefield.
"You needn't be so dramatic," Xu Yicheng emerged from the shadows, reaching out to help Liang Muqi, clad in Black Hawk Armor, to his feet. Wen Yue City leaned against Liang Muqi, informing them that the Element Device was still in place. Xu Yicheng stepped forward, cradling the Element Device as if it were his own child.
Seeing Xu Yicheng approach through the night, a bittersweet smile crept onto Liang Muqi's face as he said, "If you hadn't come, my drama would have been unavoidable."
"Dr. Xu, how are you?" Zombie King Miao Chengmin inquired over the comms. "The cannon fire just now lit up every building within five kilometers."
"All taken care of," Xu Yicheng replied. "Wen Yue City is fine, and we have secured the Element Device."
"So..." Miao Chengmin turned to glare at the sniper beside him—the one who had just attempted to assassinate Wen Yue City. This internal Human had regained consciousness but stubbornly refused to divulge the location of the Quantum String Engine Locator, instead hurling insults at Wen Yue City. What infuriated Wen Yue City further was that only he understood what was being said; Liang Muqi, Xu Yicheng, and Aibo exchanged glances, curious about what this spitting-mad internal Human was shouting.
"He hasn't said anything," Wen Yue City grumbled back to the others. "Though he certainly has a lot of curse words."
"Cursing, is it?" A black flame ignited in Miao Chengmin's hand as he seized the right index finger of this internal Human. He merely touched the fingertip with a flicker of flame; it vanished instantly but reappeared moments later, engulfing his fingertip in black fire. Amidst his grotesque screams, his finger was gradually consumed by the flames until it completely disappeared from his hand, leaving only exposed bone as thick strands of deep blue blood dripped down like molten threads.
"If I remember correctly, you pulled the trigger with this finger," Miao Chengmin said without any intention of letting up. The black flames reignited in his hand. "Wen Yue City, every time he curses, tell me so I can burn him slowly, turning each joint and part into ash! Let's see who can torment whom!"
Wen Yue City translated Miao Chengmin's words into the language of the Moon People. The effect was immediate; visible terror washed over the man's face as he looked at Miao Chengmin with pleading eyes.
If merely threatening a soldier with death could push most soldiers to their limits—where they would willingly sacrifice their lives for their ideals and beliefs—then this was something soldiers across worlds could possess. However, did not Miao Chengmin understand this? People fear not death itself but a fate worse than death. He intended to make this internal Human’s demise filled with agony and torment, watching as his so-called conqueror's faith crumbled before him.
"You want to kill me? Go ahead!" this internal Human shouted with his last ounce of courage.
"We won't kill you; I promise to leave you a way out," Wen Yue City replied. "But you need to lead us. No tricks; even if you try, you won't stand a chance against us."
The internal Human, pulled up by Wen Yue City, could suppress his instinct for survival but feared the torment from Miao Chengmin. Under his guidance, they crossed through the city gate into a desolate expanse that had yet to be developed by the government—only scattered ruins and patches of yellow grass remained. As they ventured deeper into the night, a towering spire emerged at its end: the ancient defensive structure known as the Bow and Arrow Tower.
"Wen Yue City whispered to everyone: "When activated, the Quantum String Engine Locator should emit blue light spots like those from a string energy-driven engine. If what our hostage says doesn't match reality, we will have ways to verify his truthfulness."
"001, activate infrared detection and zoom in; I need clearer visuals," commanded Liang Muqi, her armor merging with her AI system.
The infrared scan initiated; dozens of humanoid figures appeared in her view within the entire structure of the Bow and Arrow Tower, busily transporting something. At its highest point glimmered a star-like blue light.
"Is that where they're hiding?" she gestured towards it.
Using the language of the internal Human, Wen Yue City asked their guide. The man hesitated before finally nodding.
"The Quantum String Engine Locator is inside too?" he pressed further.
The internal Human suddenly lifted his head, casting a resolute gaze at both Liang Muqi and supporting him with determination.
Startled, he sensed an approaching and oppressive killing intent, hurriedly retreating backward. However, as he was walking in a jumpy manner, his balance faltered, and he fell to the ground.
Realizing that he had been seen through by Wen Yue City, the internal Human let out a furious roar and lunged forward with a dagger aimed at Wen Yue City! In that instant, the Zombie King decisively intervened, flashing to the side of the internal Human and grabbing him by the neck, lifting him off the ground. When the surprise attack failed, the internal Human went wild, stabbing the dagger into the Zombie King's neck. However, such an attack would not inflict any effective damage on him. Seeing his resistance, the Zombie King exchanged glances with the reacting Xu Yicheng. With a powerful twist of their wrists, they snapped the internal Human's neck on the spot.
"He actually thought about taking someone as a backup," Xu Yicheng reassured the still-shaken Wen Yue City. "That only leaves one possibility: the Bow and Arrow Tower ahead is their hideout."
"My infrared detection has already scanned it; it's not just a possibility, it is their base." From Blackhawk's shoulder, a box-type rocket launcher had already elevated from his right shoulder blade, aiming at the blue halo atop the Bow and Arrow Tower. "I see the blue spot on the rooftop."
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