Chernobog had completely turned into a sea of fire. Calling the city an apocalypse was no exaggeration.
The Infected of Reunion began to withdraw in silence, casting resentful glares at the operators of Tomorrow's Development and Rhodes Island. If given the chance, one could be certain they would plunge their daggers and weapons mercilessly into their bodies.
In the plaza, the clash of blades resumed. Black-and-crimson flames flared in Talulah's eyes as she unleashed her utterly destructive fire without restraint, a blaze capable of burning everything to nothing.
"If you want to keep fighting, what about the people behind you?"
Those malicious words rang out again, answered only by the sound of steel colliding.
Bang!
Talulah was driven back once more. Using the force of the clash, she flipped backward and leapt onto the broken remains of a wall, gazing down coldly at Felix from above.
His strength had already exceeded Talulah's expectations. In her estimation, Rhodes Island Pharmaceutical would not pose any real threat. They should have been able to seize the city and then return to Lungmen for revenge. Now, it was clear that the plan needed adjustment. No, the adventurers had already begun attacking another city on their behalf.
The plan had gone disastrously wrong, but that in itself was not the real issue. What truly made Talulah frown was Felix's overwhelming power. She had never anticipated the emergence of such a formidable individual.
Black-and-crimson flames surged forward like a tornado, colliding head-on with gold-and-blue fire. The impact produced a shock unlike anything before. Under the searing heat, the surface of the plaza was burned away entirely, leaving only the drainage channels beneath exposed to view.
When they looked up again, Talulah was gone.
"Are we… safe now?"
ACE raised his shield and murmured hoarsely, his throat dry. If not for Felix, he truly did not know what would have happened. No, perhaps it was better to say that he had almost charged forward alongside Felix. As an elite operator, he believed he should at least buy time for the others of Rhodes Island. Against an enemy like that, the chance of dealing damage was practically zero, but he did not care in the slightest.
"We're safe, for now."
Felix turned and sheathed his sword. His MP was running low. Fighting an existence like Talulah was indeed taxing. Still, he had suffered little injury, while Talulah had taken more damage. Opportunities like that were rare. In a one-on-one confrontation, Felix was confident he could defeat her, but he did not know what trump cards she still possessed that would allow her to retreat unscathed.
As the sword slid back into its sheath with a click sound, the racial traits of the Teekaz faded away, and he returned to his Sankta appearance.
"Chernobog… has completely fallen. We should withdraw immediately and discuss everything after we leave."
Amiya pressed her lips together. "The Originium Catastrophe has just begun. Pollution levels inside the city will skyrocket. Every extra minute we stay here puts us in greater danger."
Felix made the final call. "Withdraw to outside the city first. Ines, take point. Siege, keep an eye on the Rhodes Island action team. They all took considerable injuries during that last impact. Nearl, assist the medics with emergency treatment. I've already contacted Shining. Do everything you can to stabilize them so surgery can begin as soon as we're out of the city."
All three saluted Felix before departing. Siege, who had not yet fully integrated into Tomorrow's Development, a faction that represented both the Kazdel government and a business presence on Terra, finally understood why the operators called Felix their king.
A king should protect the weak.
His actions just now stirred something deep within her. This was the kind of person truly worthy of being called a king.
"W."
Felix spoke into the drone. "Sweep the battlefield. We'll meet outside the city."
"…Mm."
From the other end came W's slightly soft, almost sticky-sweet response.
Felix exchanged a glance with Amiya, then looked toward Doctor Kal'tsit. She had nothing further to add, only saying, "Lord Felix, please allow me access to the Venus. Grant me authorization to perform medical surgeries."
He nodded. Although Rhodes Island was also stationed outside Chernobog, the Venus could accommodate far more patients, and their medical staff outnumbered Rhodes Island's by several times.
The scenes of the recent battle, as well as the earlier moment when a single strike split the falling meteor, had not only been witnessed by the operators on the southern wall. The players had seen Felix's power with their own eyes as well.
They felt as if it had been a long time since they last saw Felix make a move. With version 3.0 finally here, shouldn't it be possible to gather thirty people and spar with him? Clearly, that idea was pure fantasy. Felix, who rarely acted during version 2.0, made a single move in 3.0 and instantly blinded every player watching.
Seriously, bro. Splitting a meteor with a sword. Are we even playing the same game?
Using terran strength to contend with a natural catastrophe… it could only be expected of the pioneer who had led players all the way from version 1.0 to now, the King of Dawn.
What comforted them was that they had all recorded that moment. Some content creators were already itching to turn it into videos and upload them online.
"Damn it, we lost them."
Cosmic cursed under his breath. "Those Laughing Coffin bastards ran the moment things went south."
Huangtian Houtu wore a grave expression. "According to information from our mole, all of their adventurers were sent to attack another mobile city. It's called Kursk. Its scale is comparable to Chernobog, but its nobles are far weaker. The intel I received was ten hours ago. Now… that city has likely already fallen."
"Damn it."
The professional players and top-tier veterans exchanged glances and sighed in unison. This kind of PvP situation felt absolutely terrible.
After stepping out through the southern gate, the first people to greet Felix were neither the higher-ups of Tomorrow's Development nor the players, but the nobles of Chernobog.
During the siege, they had no water, no food, and no electricity. Every one of them looked filthy and haggard. If Talulah had not redirected the Infected's objectives earlier, their defenses would have collapsed long ago. In truth, one of the reasons they had lasted this long was because they had previously struck a deal with the Pioneer.
They were the ones who oppressed the Infected most severely, and their treatment of ordinary residents was hardly any better.
They were despised by both sides. Now, as they stood here, they had almost nothing left besides their wounded guards.
They could not bring out most of their assets. Their estates were largely destroyed, leaving only the funds still sitting in their bank accounts.
Feeling the gazes around them, the nobles' legs trembled. They bore responsibility for this catastrophe. If they had not diverted the majority of the military and manpower to protect themselves, civilian casualties might not have been so severe.
Felix did not even feel like sparing them a glance. To be honest, he had assumed they would die in the noble district. Earlier, he had heard that Mountain and Jesselton went there to scout, and guessed that the two had probably resolved some of the nobles' troubles. He had made no comment on it. He rarely interfered with his operators' actions.
"Y-Your Excellency… Your Highness!"
The once-glamorous nobles bowed deeply in unison. Felix had no interest in idle chatter with them, but he did spot a familiar face and offered a greeting.
"It's been a while, Count Rostov."
Standing at the head of the nobles, Count Rostov froze when he heard his name. A mix of shock and joy surged through him, along with an almost overwhelming urge to burst into tears. The sight was somewhat embarrassing in the eyes of his daughter standing nearby, but given how far they had fallen, having the other party acknowledge him at all, even with a simple greeting, carried extraordinary weight in this moment.
"I've made a spectacle of myself before Your Highness."
These nobles were masters at reading the wind. As nouveau riche who rose through industry and commerce, they had none of the pride of old aristocrats forged by war. If kneeling before the Infected to beg for their lives could save them, some of them would probably do it without hesitation.
"Any matters can wait. Go rest first."
At Felix's glance, an operator stepped forward and invited them into the temporary tents set up nearby. The nobles dared not complain and followed obediently. They had hoped to be treated with courtesy, perhaps even invited aboard a ship. Clearly, they had overestimated their standing.
"Mountain, you'll be responsible for negotiating with them."
Mountain straightened his chest and answered crisply.
Leaving this troublesome group of nobles to Anthony was also a form of training.
Loughshinny among the higher-ups was already overwhelmed with work, so the burden naturally shifted onto Anthony.
"Dismissed. Go do what you need to do."
Felix looked at Ines and the others, then his gaze settled on Siege. He smiled faintly.
"This mission was completed excellently. I hope to hear your report at the mission debrief later, Siege."
Siege's smile was light and restrained. She glanced back at the members of the action team behind her. Their eyes were filled with trust. That feeling was… rather nice.
"Amiya."
"Yes! …Um, Brother Felix, we should return to Rhodes Island first to recover. The Doctor's physical condition still needs time to stabilize."
The hooded Doctor could barely stand at this point. After witnessing the brutal clash between Felix and Talulah, her legs had gone weak, and even remaining upright was a struggle. According to Dr. Kal'tsit, there were two main reasons.
First, the Doctor had only just emerged from cryostasis, and her body was still failing to keep pace with her mind. Second, the repeated exposure to catastrophes and attacks had forced her brain into a short-term self-protection state, temporarily stripping her of control over her own body.
"Thank you for stepping in, Your Highness… If it weren't for you this time, Rhodes Island…"
Dobermann offered her thanks with utmost seriousness, even gratitude delivered with a soldier's rigor.
ACE said nothing. He simply smiled and gave Felix's shoulder a solid punch, inviting him to share a drink later.
Everyone moved to their respective duties and began the withdrawal. Felix remained where he was, alone, until a voice sounded behind him.
"You weren't waiting for me, were you?"
Felix turned around to find that W was not alone. Scout, along with his reconnaissance squad from Rhodes Island, was there as well. Familiar faces all around. Scout stepped forward.
"It was extremely dangerous. Without Your Highness's support, we might have lost contact with Amiya, Dr. Kal'tsit, and the others."
"I would never forget comrades who fight alongside me."
Felix patted Scout on the shoulder. When he saw the bitter smile on Scout's face, he added, "You and ACE owe me quite a few drinks."
Scout bowed deeply. Before leaving, he lowered his voice.
"In truth, both Logos and I… fully acknowledge Your Highness. We don't know exactly what changes you experienced inside the city, but no matter what happened, you are the king best suited to lead the Sarkaz."
"Even if Her Highness Theresa were to return?"
Scout pressed his lips together. "The Sarkaz King… stands too high. So high that no matter how hard we struggle, we can never truly reach her. Ah, I don't mean that you're down to terra in a bad way, Your Highness."
Felix clicked his tongue and gestured for Scout to get moving and rejoin Amiya and the others. Scout thanked him once more and left with his reconnaissance squad.
Being able to return alive this time was largely thanks to Mudrock and Qalaiša. He would have to find a way to repay that debt.
"Don't you have anything you want to say to me?"
W spoke up brightly. She stood in front of Felix with her arms crossed, head turned aside, clearly sulking.
She really was sulking. She had arrived first, yet he spoke with Scout before her. Did Scout have more charm than she did?
"You worked hard, W. I saw every risk you took. Honestly, I think you pushed yourself too hard."
Felix had a clear grasp of W's movements. In a short span of time, she had darted across Chernobog, acting as a messenger while striking enemy forces in multiple locations.
She had helped many civilians and police officers, and in the end escorted Scout and his squad through the Reunion blockade. Of course, she did not take credit for bowing or formalities. The bulk of that breakthrough had been accomplished by Mudrock and Qalaiša.
"My contribution this time was huge, right?"
Felix considered it. "You played a critical role. Thanks to the minefield you set up, Reunion's Infected didn't dare approach the camp."
"So shouldn't I get a little reward?"
W uncharacteristically extended her hand toward him, making her request explicit. To be honest, Felix was surprised. W was not someone who usually cared much about merit or rewards. But people change. Perhaps she had seen something, or experienced something, that shifted her thoughts.
"What kind of reward do you want?"
"I want…"
W's shy gaze flickered away. Her small tiger fangs showed as she spoke, and then, almost as if giving up entirely, she blurted it out.
"...I want you to kiss me. On the lips. Like how you kissed Ulšulah before."