199. Surrounding and Killing Remaining Moon!
"Hurry up, hurry up!"
"Grab the supplies and jump straight off the cliff. Someone will pull you up."
"Where's the teleportation array you contacted? If we have to take a flying carpet to Trevira from here, it'll take four hours!"
The players logged in quickly and started working.
Cumin Powder's rallying was effective. Her connections weren't extensive, but they came at the right time.
Night Wielding Sword and others also logged in urgently to meet up with Caramel Snail.
They didn't transport supplies. As the best-equipped team, they had a more critical mission.
"Li Aozi wants us to find the weapon in the hidden area of [Heroic Spirits of Felicia]. According to the intel, there's an Epsilon-tier boss here, but we can avoid it by using parkour and map navigation."
PVE expert Yu Tianxiao analyzed clearly, holding the intel provided by Li Aozi:
"Obviously, Epsilon-tier means at least level-100 enemies. These aren't opponents we should be encountering at our current stage. The intel from Li Aozi is likely meant for the plotline. We just need to navigate the map safely."
"Jump down from the cave above, directly into the ruins, then immediately roll to avoid the attacks of 'Warlord of Heroic Spirits' Lidwivenz. But be aware, you'll instantly face three forced [Constitution] checks. With our stats, HP will drain continuously, so you must act quickly. There's a shortcut—you'll need to perform a wall-kick mid-air to change direction and jump behind a statue. From there, follow the small path into a garden."
"This is so hard…" Garidon complained. "Do the designers of "Star Abyss" not even look at our levels? Do they think every player is a professional?"
"Isn't it possible only professional players like us get these kinds of missions?"
Yu Tianxiao smiled bitterly:
"In any case, we only have one chance. Old Night and Cumin Powder, your [Dexterity] stats are high. Unequip your weapons to run faster. Just jump into the garden and grab Li Aozi's weapon."
"No problem." Night Wielding Sword nodded. "I rented [Gravity], so I can change direction mid-air and avoid landing lag."
"Leave it to us." Cumin Powder patted her chest and then turned to Caramel Snail: "Thanks for being the bait for us."
"It's no big deal." Caramel Snail shrugged.
"I'm bait too," Garidon muttered softly. "So biased…"
Cumin Powder kicked him and immediately changed the subject:
"Do you have any ideas about Condition B?"
"No idea. We don't know any Zeta-tier powerhouses."
Yu Tianxiao shook his head:
"Let's just take it one step at a time. Honestly, I didn't expect this mission to be released so late. We've already missed the best time."
He looked at the mobilized villagers of Faithkeep Village. Compared to the players, they were even more diligent.
"If we fail the mission, we'll lose Faithkeep Village. But for them, they'll lose their home."
Yu Tianxiao sighed:
"Already refugees stranded here, and now they have to suffer again. The writers of "Star Abyss" should have a conscience."
Caramel Snail nodded, a flash of green light passing through his eyes.
"Uh…"
Caramel Snail suddenly said:
"I have some thoughts about the Zeta-tier."
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"One minute left…"
Remaining Moon lowered his head, waiting quietly.
He was calm and cautious. As a member of the [Domination] class, he believed that to eliminate Leoz, he had to finish him completely. Otherwise, Leoz would just replace his cybernetic body.
As for sparing an opponent out of admiration…
Do you believe that?
Those who did had already turned into little cards tucked into Remaining Moon's pocket.
Now that the conflict had escalated, there was no way Remaining Moon would let a witness like Leoz live.
With Dimensional Slash, he could shred Leoz into fragments. The entire city had already been bombarded. Even with a cybernetic body, Leoz should have been severed by the dimensional barrier.
By all accounts, Remaining Moon had the upper hand.
But for some reason, despite his apparent advantage, Remaining Moon felt uneasy.
Years of battlefield experience, living on the edge, had honed a unique instinct in him. The more arrogant he appeared, the more cautious he became internally. This contradictory personality didn't lead to schizophrenia but allowed him to feign weaknesses, reverse adverse situations, and triumph against stronger opponents.
Now, Remaining Moon's cautious instincts were triggered again.
'Uneasy thoughts, restless mind. I must have overlooked something. Where did I go wrong?'
He carefully reviewed his battle record and the action plan agreed upon with Governor Bablushka.
Even though Leoz's resonance seemed intense, it shouldn't have been a problem for Kappa-tier Governor Bablushka, an Ascender on the [Sacred Mechanic Monks] path. He could block it effortlessly.
The virtual relay stations set up across White Candle Star could deceive Amaryllis Fortress communications.
Combined with the dimensional barrier's obstruction, top-tier secrecy had been achieved.
Everything seemed flawless.
Yet, the unease remained—a strong anxiety urging him to review and reflect on his actions repeatedly.
'I must have made a mistake or missed something!'
If the plan was correct, then the problem lay in execution.
54. 'I must have made a mistake somewhere or missed something!'
If the plan is correct, then the problem lies in execution.
Buzz… buzz… buzz…
A slight tremor rippled through the demi-plane, but in the thunderous and stormy elemental demi-plane, it was as inconspicuous as a needle falling to the ground.
So, the issue is in the execution phase—
He glanced at his newly replaced cybernetic arm.
Drip… drip… drip…
The storm gathered rain, pouring heavily.
Remaining Moon's eyes narrowed.
——Not long ago, during his fight with Leoz, there was a momentary delay in the neural interaction of his cybernetic body.
And it was that brief delay that allowed Leoz to grab him and punch him in the face.
He had just performed maintenance to clear the fault, so it shouldn't happen again.
Yet, looking back, it was from that malfunction that his entire strategy began to unravel.
Whoosh… whoosh… whoosh——!!!
Suddenly, the elemental giants around him went berserk, flying chaotically in the air, screaming wildly.
"What's going on?!"
Remaining Moon's heart jolted as he scanned his surroundings. All the elemental giants had gone mad, and their eyes, which once reflected his extraordinary Charisma, now ignored him completely. Each storm giant tore apart its core, wrapped in electricity, and charged directly at him.
"Get lost!"
Remaining Moon waved his hand, slicing through dimensions with Omega Energy to cut down the elemental giants. Yet, despite being a pure dimensional cut—without heat or kinetic reaction—their bodies still exploded upon spatial misalignment.
The storm giants' bodies swelled to four or five hundred times their original size, releasing all their energy in an instant. The gathered giants let out sharp cries as if resonating with each other, rapidly expanding before immediate self-detonation!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Remaining Moon retreated quickly, caught off guard by the elemental explosions.
His Omega Energy could cross dimensions but couldn't twist them into defensive forms. This was the domain of the elemental giants, where explosions came without warning or time to react. Remaining Moon's repeated attempts to activate Omega Energy were thwarted by the blasts, forcibly interrupting its operation.
After several rounds of explosions, Remaining Moon kept retreating. His entire body was paralyzed, lightning carving vivid scars across his skin. The burns stung unbearably, and for a moment, he thought his soul had been blasted out of his body.
"By Morphedria—what the hell is going on?!"
Remaining Moon spat, then abruptly turned his head, his gaze falling on the saliva he had just expelled.
In the atmospheric demi-plane, without solid ground and with extremely low gravity, all matter should have floated. His spit should have quickly coalesced into a small ball and hovered in the air.
Yet, the spit fell straight down as if sinking into an endless abyss!
Gravity…
Remaining Moon's body trembled uncontrollably. Gravity had transcended space-time and locked onto him.
No, this wasn't Leoz's gravity.
"This is the gravity of the Abyss! The demi-plane is collapsing into the real plane!"
Remaining Moon's first reaction was disbelief.
Because Leoz's Omega Energy development was limited, at most barely reaching advanced levels. Such power couldn't possibly drag an entire demi-plane into the real world.
Aside from Leoz's Omega Energy, there was another possibility.
During Remaining Moon's three years of infiltration and study at White Candle Interstellar University, he learned about terrifying high-level magic. Controlled by archmages specializing in arcane technology—advanced practitioners of magical industrialization—they used intricate chain reactions to connect with demi-planes of various sizes across the universe, extracting energy remotely through formulas and mathematics.
When the energy levels dropped to their limits, the mages wouldn't waste the demi-planes. They would stockpile them as weapons, filling them with specialized magical bombs, ready to be dropped on their enemies at any moment.
'This technique demands extreme computational power—it can only be executed by a Zeta-tier powerhouse!'
Damn Leoz, freezing time wasn't to fight me—it was to call for reinforcements?!
But Bablushka had promised to lock down the planet.
Remaining Moon couldn't figure out why his luck was so bad.
At this point, he had no time to reflect.
Rumble——
The atmosphere was rapidly drained. Remaining Moon struggled to stabilize himself as billions of tons of gas were sucked into the Abyssal Universe at terrifying speeds, with an irresistible force bearing down on him.
There was no choice.
Remaining Moon extended his hands forward with great difficulty to stabilize his posture.
Jump out!
In the next moment, Remaining Moon's figure appeared in the real world of Trevira City.
As he landed, the familiar streets and humid air instantly felt off.
Snap!
Remaining Moon landed and immediately sensed a terrifying aura permeating the world.
The elements, the planet… were trembling in fear of some existence.
Rumble…
Thunder rolled. The sky howled with a chilling wind. The dense atmospheric elements in the air made Remaining Moon wonder if he had actually escaped.
Remaining Moon raised his head, but before he could react, a hand suddenly landed on his shoulder.
"Hi, thief."
He turned around to see Li Aozi's face, covered in cracks and bloodstains, breaking into a cruel grin:
"How's the otherworld?"
At Li Aozi's feet, an empty bottle rolled away.
————————————
[Name]: 'Wrath of Wind' Vintage
[Category]: Consumable/Premium Limited
[Effect]: Grants 99% physical damage immunity and a 50% movement speed boost for 350 seconds.
[Price]: 30,000 points
————————————
Remaining Moon's pupils contracted as he immediately attempted to leap.
But this time, [Remaining Moon] didn't activate.
His Omega Energy seemed to crash straight into an invisible wall!
"Activation failed? No, space has been fixed—teleportation is prohibited—it's a [Dimensional Anchor]!"
Remaining Moon's mind raced, but Li Aozi was so close that he immediately created a time-slowing field using spatial ripples.
His body couldn't keep up.
"Where are you going, Remaining Moon?"
Li Aozi grabbed his shoulder, blue neural tendrils extending from his palm and piercing Remaining Moon's neck.
—"Genetic Engineering Mechanics" Universal Effect ①"Divine Seizure"—You can copy others' genes to randomly acquire one of their talents.
[You have invaded the target's body. The effect of "Divine Seizure" is activated.]
Remaining Moon, now restrained, realized Li Aozi's intent and sneered:
"You want to steal my genetic code? It's useless. My genetic information has long been dimensionally reduced by [Remaining Moon]. You can't touch me!"
[[Remaining Moon] Omega Energy activated—you may perform a dimensional search on the reduced target.]
[Talent plundering in progress…]
[You may choose one talent from the following as your plundered spoils:]
A——[Racial Talent • Self Salvage]
B——[Professional Talent • Extraordinary Potential]
C——[Professional Talent • Wanton Plunder]
D——[Personal Talent • Object Resonance]
"Choose D."
Li Aozi tightened his grip on Remaining Moon's neck and roared:
"Object Resonance!"