Exiting the National Library felt like stepping into a different world. The sounds of battle had faded, replaced by the wailing of emergency sirens and the organized movements of ASEAN troops securing the area.
The sky, once scarred by the fiery trails of drop pods, was now smoky and bruised in the pre-dawn light.
Quynh Nhu was there to meet them. The moment she saw them emerge, dirty and exhausted but in one piece, she jogged over, her usual sarcastic armor firmly back in place.
"Look what the cat dragged in," she said, though her eyes betrayed her relief. "You two look like you wrestled a garbage truck and lost."
"Felt more like wrestling a demigod's power switch," Lin Ming muttered, swaying slightly on his feet. The adrenaline was wearing off, leaving behind a bone-deep exhaustion.
Agent Hien and a squad of Blacklight soldiers were waiting for them. Hien's gaze swept over them, lingered on Lin Ming for a moment, and then she simply nodded. "The Madakaros forces are in full retreat.
As soon as their ritual failed, their command structure collapsed into chaos. It seems they weren't prepared for their grand plan to be... unplugged. Your distraction," she said to Quynh Nhu, "was brutally effective. It drew their command units into a concentrated kill-zone."
Quynh Nhu just shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. "I got bored."
"And you two," Hien said, turning to Lin Ming and Pham Tuan, "whatever you did down there... it turned the tide. Central Command is hailing Task Force Chimera as the heroes of Hanoi."
The "heroes" were promptly escorted to a military vehicle and rushed to the Blacklight facility's advanced medical wing.
While Pham Tuan was being treated for minor injuries and exhaustion, Lin Ming was subjected to a battery of tests.
The medics were baffled. His bio-scans showed the cellular fatigue of someone who had run a dozen marathons back-to-back, yet his body was healing at an unprecedented rate, thanks to his Fairy Qi.
The official report was another masterpiece of strategic omission. It stated that Task Force Chimera had located the enemy's ritualistic device and destroyed it, causing a system backfire that routed their forces.
The existence of the Hall of Four Books and Lin Ming's 'ascension' to machine-god for a few minutes were buried under layers of the highest-level classification. Lin Ming had become Blacklight's most powerful and most incomprehensible secret.
Two days later, the team reassembled in their barracks.
The city outside was still cleaning up, but a sense of profound relief had settled over the populace. They had faced a full-scale invasion and, against all odds, had won.
.....
Minerva's icon was glowing on the main screen.
Minerva: Damage assessment complete. While infrastructure damage is significant, military and civilian casualties were... surprisingly low. Your combined actions saved thousands of lives. ASEAN command has awarded Task Force Chimera a commendation of the highest honor and a substantial merit bonus.
Quynh Nhu, who was building a tower out of empty milk tea cartons, perked up. "Merits? How substantial? I have a list of new rifle scopes I'd like to acquire."
Minerva: Enough for each of you to live comfortably for the next decade. More importantly, we have the Soul...
Her text suddenly glitched and corrected itself.
...the enemy artifact. I am still analyzing the data on it. It seems to be a concentrated battery of spiritual energy. The potential applications are... extensive.
She was being discreet. She knew what Lin Ming held was far more than a simple 'artifact.'
Lin Ming was sitting quietly, contemplating the obsidian orb—the Soul Pearl—which he now kept in a small, lead-lined box in his room. He could feel its immense power even through the shielding.
The system had been very clear: Use with extreme caution. He knew he wasn't ready to absorb it yet. His Foundation Establishment realm was like a teacup; trying to pour the ocean into it would only shatter the cup.
Pham Tuan, who had been quiet throughout the debrief, finally spoke. "That thing... the commander in the park. It was stronger than the guards in the library. But the ones in the chamber... the two aliens at the end... they were different. On another level entirely." He looked at Lin Ming, his eyes filled with a new kind of seriousness. "We were lucky. We can't rely on you pulling a miracle out of your hat every time."
"He's right," Lin Ming agreed. "This was just their first move. Now they know we can fight back. They know about me, about Thuan Thien, and about the Hall. The next time they come, they'll be stronger and more prepared."
A heavy silence settled in the room. They had won a battle, but the scope of the war had just become terrifyingly clear.
"So what do we do?" Quynh Nhu asked, her snack tower forgotten. "We can't just wait for them to show up with a bigger army."
"We get stronger," Lin Ming stated simply. "All of us."
He looked at each of his teammates. "Pham Tuan, your defense is incredible, but your offense is limited. We need to work on channeling your power into attacks, not just absorption. Quynh Nhu, your aim is perfect, but you're a glass cannon. You need better defensive positions and escape routes. Minerva, we need you to go on the offensive. Hunt for their network's weaknesses. Find out where they'll hit next before they do."
Each of them nodded, accepting his assessment.
"And what about you, boss?" Quynh Nhu asked. "What's your plan?"
"I have some... reading to do," Lin Ming said, thinking of the three other elemental codices sleeping beneath the library. Earth had given him a taste of true power. To face what was coming, he would need the rest.
His immediate goal was clear. He needed to reach the next stage of his cultivation. He looked at his system, which was now functioning normally again.
[Battle Will Points: 11610 / 20,000 to advance.]
He was closer, but still a long way off. He needed more high-stakes battles, but the city was now in a state of high alert. Finding a casual fight would be difficult.
A new idea began to form in his mind. The enemy had a command post on Mars. The data crystal he'd recovered had contained its location. What if... what if they didn't have to wait for the war to come to them?
It was an audacious, insane thought. An impossible journey.
But as he looked at the faces of his team—a human fortress, a deadly sniper, and a ghost in the machine—and felt the quiet, steady power of Heaven's Will resting on his back, he thought, 'impossible' was just a challenge waiting to be accepted.
His eyes glinted with a dangerous, calculating light.
"Minerva," he said. "Start researching pre-invasion space programs. Specifically, any abandoned projects related to deep space travel. Look for anything the military might have forgotten about. A 'White Rabbit' project, perhaps."
Minerva: A... 'White Rabbit' project? That's an unusual search parameter. Context?
Lin Ming just smiled. "Let's just say I feel like taking a trip. And I'm very, very late for an important date."