Clang!
The sound of metal striking metal rang out between Dan Heng and the figure. With his Cloud-Piercer held horizontally before him, Dan Heng blocked the figure's surprise attack, sending a shower of sparks into the air! Then, with a sudden jolt of his arms, he threw the person back, spun his spear, adjusted his stance, and a glint of cold light tore through the underground night, stabbing straight for the man's throat!
Swish!
A blade suddenly slashed in from the side. Seeing this, Dan Heng immediately switched from offense to defense, his gaze heavy as he faced the two opponents before him… which then became four… then eight… then sixteen…
"Is… is this some kind of magic trick? Or asexual reproduction? Why are there so many all of a sudden? Weren't there just two of them a moment ago!"
March 7th, holding her longbow, quickly coated everyone in a layer of Six-Phased Ice shield. Her eyes were filled with a touch of horror as she stared at the sixteen identical figures who had finally stopped multiplying. The same appearance… the same weapons. It was like something out of a horror movie… Eek!
"It seems we've run into some formidable enemies this time," Himeko, who hadn't seen action in a long time, took out her pizza cutter and drone, vigilantly watching the strange figures opposite them.
"Stelle, don't be impulsive. Protect March and Miss Tingyun," Dan Heng decisively instructed Stelle behind him. The opponents were strong; they couldn't afford to be careless.
"Oh my, I'm not that helpless, you know," Tingyun said with a light chuckle, half-hiding her face with her folding fan. "Everyone, just focus on the battle. After slacking off for so long, I'd like to show what I can do, too!"
A pure Yang Flame faintly materialized on her fan. While it had no physical heat, this was a flame that could touch the very soul, its power far surpassing that of ordinary fire!
Back when she was controlled by Phantylia, the Yang Qi that the Lord Ravager had absorbed from Wende had been secretly nourishing Tingyun's soul. Coupled with the massive amount of Yang Qi Wende later risked himself to provide for her revival, the current Tingyun could be considered to have an acquired "Pure Yang Body." Furthermore, influenced by Phantylia, using the soul's Yang Flame as a means of attack was perfectly suited for her.
Jingliu stood with her sword at the ready, the icy blade in her hand emanating a flowing light like moonlight.
Wende stood to Stelle's side, his Yang Sword blazing hot. The power of Primordial Chaos continuously differentiated into flames, merging with his Yang Qi. The pure white fire caused the temperature in the tunnel to rise by a degree or two.
"Eliminate… the anomalies!"
The sixteen figures shouted a shared slogan, raised their long blades towards the group, and charged forward in perfect unison!
VMMMM!!!
Himeko's drone reacted instantly. The monomolecular cutting saw mounted on it immediately engaged two of the figures, leaving the remaining fourteen to attack everyone else in pairs!
"Hey, hey, hey! I can't take on two of them! Help me! Mr. Wende!"
Seeing the two figures charging menacingly toward her, March panicked. She was the ADC! She couldn't get ganked by assassins!
Clink!
Jingliu's ice sword appeared in front of March, blocking one figure, while Wende intercepted the other.
As the matriarch of the Express, Himeko was clearly at a slight disadvantage against such swift enemies. Tingyun's performance, however, exceeded everyone's expectations. With Yang Flame clinging to her specially-made fan, she was actually holding her own against two figures, and even seemed to have the upper hand!
Pfft!
A spear pierced through a figure. Dan Heng swung his weapon around, powerful gales swirling around him as he swiftly dispatched the other opponent before rushing to Himeko's aid.
Jingliu and Wende each faced three opponents. What would seem an unfair fight to others was handled with effortless grace by Jingliu. Within ten moves, all three were slain!
Compared to Jingliu's absolute碾压 with her swordsmanship, Wende was a bit more direct and brutal. The flames on his Yang Sword directly sliced through the three figures' weapons. Without their blades to defend themselves, they were no longer a threat.
Meanwhile, Stelle had already taken care of one of her opponents, so there was no need to worry about her for the time being.
A few minutes later, the sudden skirmish came to an end.
On Punklorde, any local force that encountered these mysterious figures would have to pay a heavy price, if they didn't die outright. There was no other reason than the fact that these people moved bizarrely and struck ruthlessly. Ordinary people wouldn't last more than a few exchanges with them.
But were the members of the Astral Express ordinary people?
Even Himeko's drone could tank two of them! So, without any suspense, they were no obstacle to the Express's advance.
"Are these… Fragmentum creatures simulated by the Fragmentum?" Himeko murmured, her eyes filled with contemplation as she watched the figures' remains slowly dissipate into motes of light.
"Phew, that scared me to death. Miss Tingyun, you're so amazing! You could actually fight two at once… wait, doesn't that mean it was totally unnecessary for us to protect you this whole time!?" March pouted, looking like she had been deceived for a long time and was very hurt.
"How could that be? Before, it was little March who always protected me. So now, I can protect little March~" Tingyun said with a beaming smile, gently tapping the tip of March's nose.
"Ngh!"
Staring directly into Tingyun's gorgeous, makeup-free face, March couldn't help but blush. She could only turn her head away, feigning a tsundere attitude.
"W-well, alright then. Miss Tingyun, you have to protect me from now on, too!"
"Mm, of course."
Watching their interaction, Wende felt a little helpless. Hadn't the tables completely turned? Now, little March had become the one everyone needed to protect the most…
"Let's keep moving. If there are enemies here, it means we're not far from the Legendary Tower," Himeko said as she recalled her drone into her toolbox. It might be needed in the fights to come, so it was best to keep it safe.
"Yay! We're finally getting out of here! After being in this place for a day, I feel uncomfortable all over!" March complained with a pout.
"Everyone, be prepared. The path ahead will be far more dangerous than what we've faced so far."
---o---
"..."
"Huh? A fucking cliffhanger AGAIN!? So I really have to wait for the next version update to continue the main quest, huh! Stuck right before the boss fight AGAIN! miHoYo! God damn youuuu!!"
An enraged roar echoed from Sister Guoguo's livestream.
This new boss was ridiculous, too. One guy is a whole army, is that it? A total of three phases, and each phase just throws a bunch of people at you! Luckily, she brought her Kafka, Himeko, Wende, and Topaz team. The enemy had a fire weakness, which immediately kicked off Himeko's combo show. Otherwise, she would have been stalled to death by this crap!
Disgusting! So disgusting! Disgusting! Hey, game designer, do you even look at the monsters you design! Disgusting!