Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Mantis

"The radiance of civilization."

Watching the flare shooting into the sky in the distance, the man grinned, a trace of amusement flickering across his face. He gazed at the lights gradually appearing in the once pitch-black ruins, a melancholic look in his eyes. Once upon a time, this had been the most ordinary of sights in this world, but now it had become scenery only glimpsed in dreams. Perhaps the land of light, which once rendered the night sky dim in comparison, would never return.

"You know, I was never interested in sentimental things like this, but now I feel those idiots weren't merely whining. I used to think whether the world lived or died had nothing to do with me. All I needed was to find a woman and have a child. But..."

As he spoke, the man waved his hand in resignation.

"Forget it, none of this matters... According to the traitor's previous report, these people suffered heavy casualties while exploring the ruins. Now is our only chance. I wonder if the traitor will be discovered by those fools. If they call for rescue..."

"They'd better not."

At that moment, another man, burly and resembling a gorilla, strode over, a cigar clamped in his teeth, wearing a broad and triumphant smile.

"We're ready for everything. More than eight hundred assault troops are waiting outside the Ninth District. Although that turtle shell is completely sealed off now, if they dare to break the line to rescue, our fighters will show these idiots what we're made of. And as for those so-called 'Seven Giants'... hmph."

At this point, the gorilla-like man sneered, recalling something with disdain.

"I remember a saying from somewhere: frogs at the bottom of a well can only see the sky above their heads. The fools in the Ninth District are just the same. They don't understand that their paltry power is utterly insignificant. I'd love to see the expressions they make when faced with mortal terror. My favorite thing is dragging those arrogant bastards down from their lofty clouds and watching them die in despair and agony, like dogs... And this time, there will be no exceptions!"

With that, the man spat his cigar onto the ground, then stomped on it with force, grinding it beneath his boot until it was reduced to dust. Finally, he looked up, flashing a mouthful of gleaming white teeth in a feral, gruesome smile.

"Then, let's begin. If our intel is correct, after the node is activated, it can't defend itself for twelve hours. They'll surely deploy all their forces at the node. As long as we eliminate them, not only will the Ninth District be ours, but this whole neighborhood will fall into our hands!"

Dark shadows began to spread, danger seeping outward, surging toward the brightly lit streets not far ahead.

"Hmm?"

Faelon stopped, lifted his head, and gazed forward. Under the dazzling streetlights, the deserted avenue was empty. Since the "Emperor" had taken over and controlled this node, the entire power system had been restored. Even streetlights that hadn't worked in decades now shone bright and clear, illuminating the once gloomy streets. Not only that, but neon signs on some shops that had survived the "Cataclysm" still flickered, and distorted music drifted from collapsed storefronts...

To be honest, it was even more unsettling than when the area had first fallen.

Just then, Faelon heard Eluca's voice in his ear once more.

"Um... Commander?"

"What is it?"

Upon hearing Eluca, Faelon turned, glancing at the three sisters. They had fully absorbed the energy crystals he'd provided, and their abilities had improved further. The youngest, Corona, had benefited most; her [Mental Perception] had jumped from level one to level three. Previously, Corona's [Mental Perception] could only sense moving or stationary objects and deduce what they were by comparison. Now, at level three, she could distinguish living from non-living entities, mark each one, and share those marks with her companions. While her detection range hadn't grown, the increase in precision and power was enough to thrill her.

"It's like this—Corona reports... we're being followed."

"Followed?"

Faelon narrowed his eyes, his face once more showing a gentle, diplomatic smile.

"How interesting. This is Blackstone Group territory. Why would we be followed?"

"I... I don't know, but according to Sister Chris, the trackers seem to be from the Wilds Alliance..."

Like Corona, Chris and Eluca had also gained much: Eluca's [Fierce Firepower] rose to level three, and Chris's [Absolute Lock] hadn't reached level four, but after absorbing the energy crystal, she gained a new trait: [Concealment]. With [Concealment], the trajectory, muzzle flash, and sound of Chris's shots were completely erased—meaning that even if she killed someone, no one would know who had done it, nor could they pinpoint her location!

In fact, Chris wasn't in the group at all; she was silently moving like a cat through the abandoned buildings, keeping vigilant watch on the surroundings. Thanks to this, she could confirm the identity of the trackers immediately after receiving Corona's report.

"Should we take them out?"

Eluca was clearly eager; her [Fierce Firepower] had improved, and she was itching to test it. As a native of the Wilds, she knew all about the Wilds Alliance. But as members of the Black Dog Squad—the hunters—they were never fond of those gangs who banded together to bully others in the wasteland. By the rules of the wastes, dislike usually meant figuring out a way to eliminate the opposition.

"No need. We have other tasks. If they want to follow, let them."

"But Commander, these people obviously mean us harm..."

Of course I know they mean harm, but that's fine. I'd been planning to deal with this problem eventually... hmm... this might be an excellent opportunity.

Thinking this, Faelon smiled and glanced at Derlin, who stood quietly at his side.

"It's up to you, Derlin. Proceed as planned."

"Yes, Master."

At Faelon's words, Derlin nodded. The maid stepped back two paces, then leapt forward—and as she did, her form shifted once again into that of a black cat, vanishing swiftly and nimbly into the ruins, soon out of sight.

Witnessing this, Eluca and Corona exclaimed in surprise. They already knew Derlin's true identity from Faelon; after all, a woman with cat ears and a tail hardly seemed human. As for summoned creatures, they weren't uncommon in the Wilds. Many preferred solitude to coexisting with humans, though some were friendly. Eluca had mentioned once being rescued by a summoned creature while being hunted, so the sisters had no strong aversion, but seeing Derlin transform before their eyes was still startling.

"We move on."

Once Derlin had departed to carry out her task, Faelon led Eluca and Corona onward down the street. Eluca, uneasy, watched everything around her with apprehension.

"Commander, where are we headed?"

No wonder she asked. When Faelon summoned them, he only said there was a mission, with no details. At first, the sisters thought they were to clean up the battlefield, but soon realized Faelon wasn't leading them to do so—he'd left the guarded core zone and was heading outward. Were they to return to the Ninth District overnight? Why not take a vehicle to save time? Or did the Commander have something else in mind?

"Just follow quietly; soon we'll have a good show to watch."

Faelon’s expression remained unchanged in the face of Eluca’s puzzled gaze. With his reply, Eluca could do nothing more. He was their commander, and they had promised to obey his orders—in any case, at this point, they'd already given him their bodies, so what else was there to fear?

Still, Eluca wondered... what sort of show was the Commander talking about?