Chapter 60: Amusement Park (Part Four)

Chapter 60: Amusement Park (Part Four)

Rong Mi observed clearly that there was an extremely deep cut on "Lu Tianchen's" neck. It was so deep that the artery had been severed... His neck was no longer strong enough to support the weight of his head.

The man's head hung limply to one side, with most of the muscles connecting it to the skull severed. White bones were visible through the gash, and the edges of the torn flesh appeared to be dissolving – a telltale sign of a mental energy-inflicted wound.

Bright red ice butterflies weaved around this horrifying injury, as if forming new blood vessels, densely covering the area.

This was clearly not a function that a human should possess, but within the wound were human bones and flesh.

"You assimilated Lu Tianchen?" Rong Mi frowned.

He had seen the butterfly-like creatures in human form before. Beneath their wounds, there were no such realistic human bones. Even when they disguised themselves as humans, they retained the bodily structure of ice butterflies.

"To a certain extent, yes," Cecil, the adult butterfly, smiled. "This body won't be able to hold my energy for much longer. I just escaped from a backup vessel the military captured, but I didn't expect you to walk right into my trap."

"Were you here to rescue your companion who just escaped?"

"I prefer seeing you over him," Cecil replied.

A surge of scarlet spiritual energy erupted, enveloping Rong Mi like a tide and shattering the barrier of mental force in front of him.

Rong Mi's pupils constricted as purple flames of spiritual energy burst forth, only to be rapidly consumed by Ice Butterfly's power.

The butterfly that inhabited Lu Tianchen's body was more potent than any iteration Rong Mi had witnessed before.

In the confines of the narrow elevator, their proximity was dangerously close.

...Forget about operating a mecha, there was barely any space to dodge!

Within the swiftly descending elevator, the battle boiled down to a straightforward contest of spiritual strength.

In Lu Yi's apartment study, the admiral sat before a light screen, engaged in a final conversation with Zhang Lingyu to confirm the amusement park base operation plan. His voice suddenly faltered.

His expression shifted, and he swiftly rose from his seat. Silver ice crystals materialized in the air around the admiral; the Ice Butterfly antidote by his hand instantly froze into a block of ice, shattering abruptly.

Outside the study, the lion, who had been dozing at the door, perked up with alertness, rising to its feet. It lowered its head to see the floor beneath its paws rapidly freezing over.

A chilling aura seeped out from the study, but in the blink of an eye, Lu Yi withdrew his mental energy, and the icy coldness dissipated abruptly.

A series of brittle sounds echoed within the room as the furniture and objects around Lu Yi were frozen by his mental power before shattering into fragments within just a couple of seconds.

"On what account?" Zhang Lingyu, on the screen, was confused but her expression had already turned grim. "What's happened?"

She had never seen Lu Yi in such an uncomposed state.

"Supreme Commander, request for deployment of the highest-grade starship," Lu Yi replied promptly without answering her question. "A Chengdie has appeared inside the amusement park base."

"How is the Capital Star Guard preparing right now?"

"The... Chengdie?!" The Capital Star Guard's commander turned pale, not daring to contemplate the implications of such a creature appearing in the heart of the safest star region, the Capital Star.

His thoughts momentarily scattered, but under Lu Yi's watchful gaze, he instinctively answered the admiral's question. "The guards near the entertainment zone have already assembled, but their numbers might not be sufficient... The fifth and sixth squads are currently mobilizing from neighboring areas and should arrive at the entertainment zone within an hour."

"As per your request, we're evacuating all residents near the amusement park under the pretense of a toxic gas leak. The evacuation should be completed within an hour."

"The spatial folding weapon around the amusement park is in place, with a power reserve at sixty percent."

"You're planning to initiate the attack ahead of schedule." Zhang Lingyu, a seasoned commander, immediately grasped Lu Yi's intention.

However, they were not yet fully prepared.

With a furrowed brow, Lu Yi stood amidst the wreckage, closing his eyes briefly before he sternly called out, "Ayin."

In his mental domain, the silver spirit sea reversed its flow, pouring upward into the suspended, illusory Silver Wolves' spirit domain above.

A hundred percent empathy was activated, channeling Lu Yi's strength into the wolf's body.

He knew that relying solely on the wolf's power would not be enough to stop Cheng Die.

He could not possibly leave Rong Mi to face Cecil alone.

Yet within the amusement park base, Ayin, despite being willing to help, was unable to take action.

"....Ooohhh."

The Silver Wolf's fur, concealed within the young man's coat, bristled and struggled fiercely.

In the very first second of Chen Die's assault, it had attempted to burst out but was held back by Rong Mi's hand on its spine.

"Stay still," the youth pressed the wolf down through his clothes, "listen to me, Ayin."

Fixing his gaze on the torrent of Chen Die's mental power, he whispered, "Haven't you noticed? It doesn't plan to kill me."

Rong Mi could sense that Chen Die wasn't using all of his strength. Though Cecil had launched an attack, there seemed to be another motive at play.

"Ignore what your master says. Listen to me now," the young man repeated hastily, "Of course, Ayin can help, but you have other tasks to attend to."

"Don't let Chen Die detect you, and don't let the military act prematurely."

"The situation in the main tower is unclear. When the military strikes, Ayin needs to assist in shutting down the base's defense system."

Otherwise, the military would have to pay a much greater price to enter the Amusement Park Base.

Rong Mi's thoughts were calm and lucid.

Years of serving as the lead mecha pilot on the flagship had ingrained in him the priority of mission completion.

"Tell Lu Yi that everything is to proceed as originally planned..."

"Buzz—"

The unusual resonance of the Ice Butterfly's energy drowned out the young man's words.

In that instant, Rong Mi's psychic flame before him was abruptly extinguished.

"Buzz buzz—"

In the blink of an eye, Rong Mi's figure was submerged by the Ice Butterfly's psychic energy.

Cecil stepped forward, entering his own crimson ocean of psychic power.

Its head remained tilted to one side, a cryptic smile still playing on its face.

"I'm pleased to see you again, a day sooner than I had anticipated."

"I now realize that I prefer to utilize your body rather than end your life."

"I wish to witness..."

"Ack." Its voice was interrupted by a soft sound.

"..." It suddenly fell silent.

Cecil came to a halt. A piercing chill spread through its chest, as if it had been pierced by a sharp object, followed by an unbearable heat.

It instinctively lowered its head, gaze descending.

In the midst of the crimson scene, a silver dagger abruptly appeared.

A silver dagger that had impaled its heart.

As it bowed its head, vibrant purple flames ignited along the intricate patterns of the dagger, whipping up a hot gale that howled and surged in all directions.

The icy butterflies surrounding Rong Mi's spirit energy were shattered and dissipated, while the cluster of spirit energy resembling butterfly wings behind Cecil was instantly torn apart, leaving a massive void.

Rong Mi had just momentarily withdrawn her mental energy, all in anticipation of this moment when Cecil would subconsciously let his guard down and draw near.

"Thud! ——"

The elevator car shuddered. The panel behind them was seared black by flames, and the steel cables above groaned under the impact, on the verge of collapse.

A trace of blood trickled from the corner of Cecil's mouth.

Taking a step back, he tore his gaze away from the wound on his chest and refocused on Rong Mi. Surprise was evident in his eyes, but there wasn't excessive tension or pain.

"Woah." Rong Mi, dagger in hand, raised an eyebrow in surprise, locking eyes with him. "Your elevator's quite sturdy. I was almost convinced it was going to crash!"

He spoke with a jovial tone and a casual expression, but his veins bulged on the back of his hand from the strain.

The young man's dark eyes shimmered with a vivid purple hue, and flames of the same color erupted from the silver dagger, growing more intense by the second, scorching the surrounding space with searing heat.

Cecil's wound on his chest ignited.

The fabric around it turned to charcoal and peeled away, revealing the skin beneath.

Charred blackness spread across its skin, but vibrant red spiritual energy promptly adhered, weaving an eerie, web-like pattern over the charred surface.

Unflinching, it allowed the dagger to pierce its chest.

Around the wound, fair skin regrew from beneath the crimson patterns, concealing the traces left by the flames.

Simultaneously, the gash on its neck was nearly fully healed.

Blood flow slowed, and flesh and skin visibly grew toward the center, merging together and pulling his tilted head back into alignment.

The extraordinary regenerative power of the Ice Butterfly, manifesting in a human body, created a bizarre and absurd scene.

"Your spiritual energy has grown stronger," remarked Cecil, whose horrifying wounds were healing.

Rong Mi frowned, expressing regret, "Your fatal weakness isn't in your heart."

At least not in a human's heart.

Within the realm of his spiritual perception, Rong Mi detected an abundance of Ice Butterfly energy. Swiftly, he searched for Cecil's energy core.

It was merely a fragment of mental energy parasitizing within a human body, much like how its pieces were concealed within the remains of Yadet. As Rong Mi struggled to locate Cecil's mental energy fragment, Chengdie had already grasped his wrist.

Vibrant red mental energy threads filled the elevator cabin, seeping into the floor, piercing through the walls and ceiling. Before Rong Mi could pinpoint where Cecil's fragment was hidden, Chengdie's hand was already enveloped in flames.

The crimson threads clung to the purple flames, being scorched, dissolving, and then regenerating anew.

The flames licked at Chengdie's palm, causing Cecil to furrow his brow as if sensing pain, yet dismissing it with disdain.

Its mental energy intensity continued to escalate. Rong Mi felt resistance building up in his hand.

No matter how he increased his mental energy output, the blade found it increasingly difficult to advance, as if trapped in a quagmire.

"It's not as simple as you think to overcome the suppression of mental energy levels," it whispered softly. "Not even if you become more powerful." It added, "Not even with a fine weapon in your grasp."

The crimson Ice Butterfly mental energy finally ensnared Rong Mi. They adhered tightly to his body, piercing beneath his skin like a puppeteer threading red strings into the joints of a puppet. A hint of a smile tugged at the corners of Cecil's lips.

It sensed every inch of Rong Mi's body as the crimson threads sank into the young man's wrist, spreading along his forearm...upper arm, and then his shoulder.

Rong Mi bit her lip tightly, remaining silent amidst the excruciating pain, while the purple flames continued to burn.

The flames within the elevator cabin were being compressed and forced inward by the crimson hue.

The surrounding air temperature escalated steadily.

The flame's color deepened, becoming an intense purple shimmering with specks of light, indicating an increasing energy density.

Cecil sighed softly.

"Not even started ascending, yet so formidable... It seems you're quite a handful."

"But there's a vast chasm between your abilities and mine."

He raised his hand, extending his fingertips into the flames, touching Rong Mi's heart.

A cold, viscous crimson slowly permeated the purple, seeping into Rong Mi's chest, as if to make her surrender completely.

...It hurt.

It was as if a searing pain, akin to rotting from the skin into the organs, wracked Rong Mi's body, causing him to tremble involuntarily.

The young man's breaths became erratic, yet the vibrant flames suddenly intensified, bursting outward to forcefully repel the invading ice butterfly's mental energy.

"Human potential is always unleashed in moments of crisis…" Rong Mi muttered to himself. "It's quite an effective method for power enhancement."

His reckless expenditure of mental energy overloaded his mental domain.

The scene before Rong Mi's eyes began to blur with a dusky hue, and the sounds around him echoed like a reverberation. Yet, his face remained devoid of any signs of pain; he even raised an eyebrow and smiled.

Rong Mi took a step forward, and the purple flames that had initially been beneath him started to reverse their direction.

"I'm curious, as just a vessel, how much of a true butterfly's power do you possess?" His breaths quivered from the lingering pain within him, but his enunciation remained clear. Fear was absent from his voice. "Seventy percent? Sixty percent? Or perhaps not even half?"

"Don't overestimate yourself."

"If the gap between us is truly insurmountable, as you claim… You wouldn't be standing here, being pulled and constrained by my mental energy."

Cecil: "…"

Cecil pondered for a moment before shrugging.

"You're right," it admitted casually. "I can't unleash my full power."

"However, you are currently in my domain."

The ground beneath them trembled softly as the rapidly descending elevator finally came to a halt.

The moment the elevator doors slid open, Rong Mi sensed a fierce gust of wind behind him.

His heart sank, wanting to dodge, but he was immobilized by the ice butterfly's mental energy.

The purple flames were engaged in a fierce struggle against the crimson, leaving no energy to spare for a defensive barrier against the impending attack from behind.

He heard the soft whine of the particle gun and the mechanical wheels of the guard robots.

Rong Mi: ...Damn it!

In comparison to the energy he was releasing, the particle gun's power was insignificant.

Yet, he had no strength left to resist.

Cecil: "Stop struggling. I don't really want to hurt you. After all, you're my next vessel..."

In the next instant, the particle beam struck Rong Mi in the back.

The brilliant white energy mercilessly pierced through the young man's chest.