Chapter 247

Chapter 247

Gurgle, gurgle…

A colossal, translucent whale-like phantom glided through the mist, its tail flicking to swat away a nearby skeleton on the right, shielding several youths securely within its ethereal form.

A long whip lashed out like lightning, coiling around two skeletal monsters before flinging them into the distance. The force was masterfully controlled; the bones clattered to the ground, rolling a couple of times before settling, perfectly poised on the verge of disintegration. On the other other side, Zao Jian Chun Sha used her tachi scabbard to bat away another skeleton.

After disassembling one skeletal monster and confirming its ability to regenerate two complete bodies from separate parts, the group decisively trusted the intelligence delivered by the unexpected arrow. They opted simply to hurl the monsters far away, abandoning any further attempts at dismemberment.

The note on the arrow also contained a simple route map. Though their wristwatches lacked signal, they still functioned as compasses. Under these challenging conditions, the Empire’s rescue team steadily advanced, reaching the main hospital building.

Ning Yibei, leading the way, let out a surprised "Eh?" He squinted, gazing up at the faint, pale red sun barely visible on the horizon. "The mist is thinning."

"My spiritual energy is recovering much more smoothly now too," Luo Wenqing added, a smile curving her lips after a moment of careful perception. "It seems we took an unnecessary detour. They appear to have resolved the issue themselves."

"Let’s go in and check first. Someone might be injured."

Eve had long since cut off the source of the mist, but its extreme density meant it hadn't yet fully dissipated. The whale-shaped spiritual entity patrolled above and below, its faint blue glow illuminating the wide-open entrance of the building and the indistinct figures of several people supporting each other.

Ultimately, Eve and her companions were the first to spot the people outside. A blinding flashlight beam landed squarely on Cecil’s face. He instinctively flinched away, and with a sudden rush of wind, a cluster of arrows zipped past his cheek, impaling a skeletal monster that had used the mist as cover to approach.

"You—!"

A flicker of shame and anger crossed Cecil’s face. He clenched his jaw, convinced this was Eve’s deliberate attempt to assert dominance. But before he could finish speaking, Luo Wenqing beside him erupted, "Aha, so it was you! You’re the one who ambushed me earlier!"

As she spoke, she huffed and rolled up her sleeve. Although Cecil had provided initial treatment, Luo Wenqing had asked him to stop once the bleeding was staunched, to conserve spiritual energy. A vivid red mark still stood out on her skin, looking quite alarming—and for good reason! Who would have thought that the first peril upon entering would be a sneak attack from their own side, nearly crippling Luo Wenqing’s arm?

"Ambush?" Eve lowered her left hand, her right shoulder still supporting the dazed Jessica. It took her a moment to grasp what Luo Wenqing was saying, and her expression became even more bewildered than the victim’s. "I couldn’t see where any of you were at the time. I just fired a few shots randomly in different directions. Did I actually hit someone? …Uh, my apologies, Senior Wenqing."

Luo Wenqing: "..."

Did she hear that right?

There was even a hint of bewilderment in Eve’s tone. What was there to be bewildered about? Was she surprised that someone could actually be that unlucky?

Originally, Luo Wenqing had only intended to identify the culprit, not to escalate the situation. But now, she was utterly furious.

Just as a monumental clash between the current and former chiefs of the First Empire Academy’s medical department seemed imminent—though the exact details were unclear, it appeared Eve’s earlier claim of "leaving a message" hadn’t quite panned out—Alice, observing the scene, discreetly nudged Eve behind her. Half-protectively, half-diplomatically, she interjected, "Misunderstanding, misunderstanding! Ahaha, let’s not get hung up on this. Some of our team have been affected by a sedative. Cecil, could you come and take a look?"

It was unclear what this group had endured inside, but roughly half of them appeared listless. Some could still walk independently, while others relied entirely on support. Cecil scanned the group, his gaze lingering for a moment on Eve, who avoided Luo Wenqing’s eyes, before snapping back to attention at Alice’s deliberately emphasized "Cecil."

He frowned almost imperceptibly, but not wanting to provoke Alice, he nodded. "Alright."

"Let’s talk over there," Alice said.

Once the two had moved away, Eve asked Ning Yibei, "How are things at the Riverside Building?"

Since Ning Yibei arrived at the People’s Hospital and reported his location to Isabella, there had been no further news from the building. Even after the signal was restored and he sent another message, no one acknowledged receipt.

Ning Yibei’s voice was low. "We didn’t enter the building—we were diverted midway. But the situation is likely not good. Lin Cuimei’s abilities are stronger than we anticipated, and because the building’s layout is constantly shifting, neither side can predict who they’ll encounter around the next corner."

The fact that the building’s interior terrain automatically shifted had long been announced by Qi Ying in the faction’s communication channel, so even the alchemist team trapped in the hospital was aware. Eve crossed her arms, pondering for a moment. "So, there’s no counter-measure?"

"Hard to say. Personally, I think someone with a high-level mind-control-type Spiritual State ability would have a greater advantage against her. But as you know, such talents have long been extinct in the Empire." Ning Yibei gave a short, dry laugh. Due to the rebellion centuries ago, the Empire had since strictly guarded against individuals with similar abilities. However, S-class Spiritual State awakenings were rare to begin with, especially in the uncommon direction of mind control, so this policy had always been executed with extreme secrecy and efficiency. "But the royal family’s oath ability also has some use."

Eve glanced back, though it was unclear whether she was looking at Alice or Jessica. After a moment, she said, "Jessica isn’t in good condition. I’ll take Alice back first. While Cecil is treating them here, could you and Senior Wenqing stay to keep an eye on things and return for backup as soon as they recover?"

Ning Yibei raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by her request. Eve stated calmly, "I’ve heard about the internal dynamics of the Medici family."

"Understood," Ning Yibei agreed without further questions. "I can stay. My ability is significantly affected by Lin Cuimei, which is why Isabella sent me out. Wenqing can go back with you."

His Spiritual State ability was mind-reading, which indeed made him more vulnerable to mind control compared to others.

Though they hadn’t worked together before, Eve trusted his ability to manage the situation. Just then, Alice finished discussing the injured students with Cecil. To their pleasant surprise, some students who had been continuously bleeding from wounds caused by bone blades could also be healed by the silver moon clematis.

After regrouping, Ning Yibei personally saw them off at the intersection. Soon after, several mythological mechs of varying shapes soared into the air.

-

The Riverside Building was also in utter chaos. It wasn't that they intentionally ignored messages; they simply had no spare moment to check communications.

After realizing he was no match for Isabella, Gong Yangxiu decisively retreated into the building, with other Alliance contestants following closely. Isabella, however, didn’t rush to pursue immediately. Instead, she stored her mech, took a headcount of the Empire contestants, and then divided them into teams before entering.

Floors changed, rooms shifted—one moment you might be on the eighth floor, the next on the eightieth. Maintaining order in a large group was nearly impossible. Rather than risk panic from accidental separation, it was better to split into teams from the start.

The ever-changing terrain had little effect on the Alliance side. Lin Cuimei’s Spiritual State floated high above, countless threads of fate extending from beneath its serpent scales, loosely enveloping the entire building. Not only could she perfectly coordinate her own side’s attacks, but she also occasionally attempted to manipulate Empire contestants. Almost everyone’s movements were under her control.

—Except for three leisurely individuals who strolled about as if on a casual walk.

"Isabella is on the 63rd floor. There are five Alliance members at the end of the corridor on the same floor. I’ve altered the simulation system’s data, leading them into a mirror-image perspective on another floor. I’m not sure which floor they’ll end up on. Lin Cuimei has deployed system-generated adult Zerg there, but with Gong Yangxiu nearby, the disruption will be limited. Yang Haibo’s team is one floor above her. Considering their low chances against the Alliance, I’ve also twisted their path."

Qi Ying wore a half-mask-like holographic visor, standing stiffly facing a wall, expression serious, as if reporting to someone. Yan Ning couldn’t stand it any longer and manually turned him around.

"...Thanks," Qi Ying whispered, peeking from under his visor at the silver-haired girl who wore a faint smile. He coughed lightly and lowered the visor as if nothing had happened. "Sorry, directly interfacing with the network with my main body tends to cause short circuits."

"So why did you suddenly have us switch back to our real bodies?" Yan Ning was baffled. "The data bodies were more convenient. And you only had the two of us switch back—you didn’t switch yourself."

Of the three, two now cast shadows. The only one still hovering slightly off the ground had handed her own body over for Yan Ning to carry.

As if she and her own body were strangers.

Though carrying one person’s weight was nothing to Yan Ning, she felt inexplicably irritated, as if she’d been treated like an errand girl.

"Just for a quick escape if something goes wrong," the silver-haired girl said with a faint smile. "If I were you, I’d start moving toward the windows now. Otherwise, you might not have time to run later."

"But we haven’t found the valid item to confirm this as a civilization point yet?" Yan Ning exclaimed in surprise.

Qi Ying said calmly, "With the place beaten to rubble like this, does it even matter if it’s a civilization point or not?"

Both sides had already lost over a thousand points combined.

As they spoke, the floor above them shook violently. Someone must have impulsively summoned their mech. The ancient Old Era architecture couldn’t bear the strain, and cement dust immediately rained down from the ceiling like snow, covering Qi Ying and Yan Ning’s heads in gray.

Yan Ning: "..."

There weren’t many times when the notoriously disruptive Capital People's University chairman could be rendered speechless. Yan Ning sulkily shrunk her neck, deciding to keep her mouth shut and just focus on the task.

But the shaking didn’t stop. After taking a few steps, the building shuddered violently again. They were on a lower floor, so the tremors felt muffled, like low-frequency sound waves pounding dully against their heads, causing subtle waves of dizziness.

Yan Ning, who had just vowed to stay quiet, couldn’t help but curse again: "Who is it now? Isn’t it over yet…"

Before she could finish, Qi Ying grabbed her sleeve. His dark eyes, like beads steeped in icy water, were piercingly cold. "No, the tremors aren’t coming from above—they’re from below."

"Huh?"

Yan Ning exclaimed, "Does the competition venue have earthquakes too?"

Weren’t large-scale natural disasters like this supposed to be risk-assessed and eliminated before the competition?

Someone opened a window nearby. A breeze drifted in. Beyond the wall was the bright sky and the hundred-meter drop of the high-rise.

"So of course it's not an earthquake. A force that doesn't belong here has been unleashed."

The silver-haired girl seemed to have anticipated it, stepping aside from the window. The wind blowing in from outside lifted the ends of her hair, revealing a pair of eerie double-pupiled eyes glowing like polished glass in the sunlight.

She no longer seemed interested in hiding her identity—or perhaps she hadn’t bothered from the start. It was just that the two of them, completely focused on the match, had never once suspected the companion they themselves had summoned.

With a sharp shing of a blade being drawn, Yan Ning stepped back with her left foot as she stared at her with a mix of shock and wariness. "Who are you?"

"I have two suggestions for you. One, get in your mechs and jump out of here immediately—the farther, the better. Two, issue a notice for everyone else to evacuate as well. For those unwilling to leave, just adjust the parameters to auto-eliminate them. Don’t worry, the committee won’t penalize you for an irregular victory. As for the permissions, someone will handle that for you."

Maria seemed to ignore the question completely, even mockingly maintaining Eve’s appearance. Yet, with four sapphire-like eyes embedded in their sockets, the sight was oddly unnerving no matter how one looked at it.

"I’ve already heard the planet humming. You have at most a minute and a half to prepare for what I just mentioned. I don’t know who decided to hold the competition on this planet, but clearly, you poor suckers have stumbled upon the most troublesome situation."

After saying what she needed to say, Maria finally retracted her raised finger, tilting her head slightly as she sized up Yan Ning—like an adult lion in a pride observing a half-grown cub. After a moment, she let out a frivolous whistle and said with a smile, "Who I am isn’t important. Just think of me as a well-meaning cyber ghost—a little stowaway from the Chaos Star Sector."

Yan Ning’s pupils contracted sharply, and behind her, Qi Ying also furrowed his brow in alertness. But the next second, both of them almost simultaneously lost control of their bodies. An unfamiliar spiritual force went wild in their minds, seizing their thoughts. The deterrent force was so intense that even the enormous serpentine Spiritual State hovering in the sky paused, its amber vertical pupils glancing downward in surprise.

Step forward, connect with the mech, and finally—

The two of them leaped from over 400 meters high in stiff poses, like Olympic divers. Bursts of light flashed one after another—the reflection of sunlight off their mechs’ polished exteriors. It wasn’t until they were inside their mechs that Yan Ning shuddered violently, regaining control of her body.

"That was terrifying…" She barely managed to stabilize her mech, flying upward while patting her back. Her palm, like her head, found nothing. She couldn’t help but scream, "Wait—Qi Ying, Qi Ying!"

"My mind is still connected to the system. Don’t shout so loudly," Qi Ying replied impatiently over the mech’s internal channel.

But Yan Ning was too frantic to care about his feelings. Fear and regret filled her voice as she cried out, "Wait, where's Eve’s body—that person kept it!"

"She won’t die," Qi Ying replied, still busy booting people from the system and sending messages. The moment he saw those double pupils, he realized exactly whom he had summoned.

Though he had no idea where Eve’s spiritual body had gone, that didn’t stop him from following the other’s instructions. "That woman is Eve’s ancestor. She won’t harm her."

Yan Ning: "…?"

"Are you crazy?!" Her voice grew even shriller, like a panicked groundhog. She maneuvered her mech and delivered a kick to another mech mid-air, nearly jolting Qi Ying—whose mind was still connected to the network—right out of his thoughts. "I asked you to transfer Eve over! Why did you summon her ancestor instead?!"