Belobog, Heed My Command!
Cocolia's chest heaved, and beads of cold sweat gathered on her forehead.
The Stellaron's seductive whispers had nearly made her lose control just now.
But now, an even colder dread gripped her heart.
Her gaze locked onto Lin Hai, and she replayed his incredible evasion over and over in her mind.
That was far beyond what an ordinary person could accomplish.
No.
Strictly speaking, even someone with immense Path energy would have struggled to dodge it.
At the instant the energy's aftershock struck.
For an incredibly brief moment.
Lin Hai's aura had surged to an almost insane level.
His movements had been so swift, his chosen path so efficient and economical, that it was as though he had found the optimal solution through the most precise calculations, perfectly avoiding the major impacts.
Cocolia herself ranked among the strongest in Belobog, and she knew better than anyone what it meant to reach such a level.
A chill shot up her spine. Only now did she truly realize that she had made a fatal mistake.
She should never have provoked someone like Lin Hai!
An even more terrifying thought surfaced beyond her control:
Even if she fully embraced the Stellaron's temptations in exchange for destructive power, her chances of defeating the unfathomable Lin Hai would still be slim.
Cocolia's gaze shifted slightly, settling on Sparkle behind Lin Hai.
The powerful aura surrounding Sparkle had quietly dissipated, but the fighting spirit dancing in her eyes was plain to see.
Cocolia had no doubt that if the fight had broken out just now,
Sparkle would have acted without hesitation, without Lin Hai even needing to speak.
Against the two of them together, she would have stood no chance!
Bronya, watching everything from the side, felt her heart rise into her throat.
On one side was the mother who had raised her; on the other was the man she loved and trusted.
The sudden tension left Bronya in immense anguish and conflict.
Yet, attentive as she was, she also keenly noticed that her mother Cocolia's loss of control had been highly unusual!
There had to be some problem hidden behind it.
Bronya couldn't help recalling what Lin Hai had once said.
What was the greatest threat to Belobog?
It wasn't the wind and snow filling the sky.
There were ways to withstand the cold they brought.
But if Cocolia embraced the Stellaron's power and lost control, that would be the greatest disaster!
Lin Hai looked Cocolia straight in the eye and asked:
"Cocolia, in your current state, can you really still carry out your duties as Supreme Guardian?"
The question was like a needle piercing the most sensitive spot in Cocolia's heart.
Her expression shifted slightly, but she merely replied stiffly, "There's no need to say more."
With that, she turned sharply and disappeared behind Kliperburg's heavy doors, her steps somewhat hurried.
Lin Hai watched her leave, then turned to face the members of Wildfire who had steadfastly supported him all along.
"Split these twenty vehicles into two groups. Drive half back to the Underworld and leave the other half in the Upper District."
Then he looked at Bronya, his tone solemn:
"Bronya, you'll be responsible for receiving and assigning the ten vehicles in the Upper District. We'll use concrete actions to change the predicament Belobog faces, little by little."
No one raised an objection.
Before anyone realized it, Lin Hai had earned immense prestige in everyone's eyes through the strength he had displayed, the tangible aid he had brought, and his calm decisiveness.
More and more people began to realize that perhaps only the mysterious Lin Hai could offer hope of leading Belobog through the wind, snow, and fog to find a way out.
The wind and snow still howled across the square in front of Qlipoth Fort.
They gradually swept away the tension from moments before.
Following Lin Hai's instructions, the Wildfire members started some of the engineering vehicles.
Their engines rumbled with a low, powerful roar as the convoy slowly drove away toward the Underworld.
Bronya composed herself and demonstrated the efficiency of a Silvermane Guards commander, directing her subordinates to arrange the ten engineering vehicles assigned to the Overworld in an orderly fashion.
Yet when all the vehicles had left and the clamor had briefly subsided, she remained there alone, gazing at the silent Qlipoth Fort amid the wind and snow and the SUV beneath the falling snow, utterly at a loss.
Icy snowflakes struck Bronya's cheeks, but they were nothing compared to the turmoil in her heart.
On one side was Cocolia, her mother by blood, whose behavior was impossible to predict.
She was now alone inside the fortress that symbolized power.
On the other was Lin Hai, who had brought hope of change and inspired Bronya's dependence and admiration.
Which side should she choose?
Should she enter Qlipoth Fort and press her mother for the truth about her loss of control?
Or follow Lin Hai and embrace that reassuring strength?
After a brief struggle, Bronya took a deep breath, and her gaze grew firm once more.
She finally turned and strode resolutely toward Qlipoth Fort's heavy doors.
Bronya had to face her mother and uncover the truth behind her loss of control.
Meanwhile, Lin Hai had taken the driver's seat of the midsize SUV. Sparkle and Seele followed close behind, taking the passenger seat and the back seat respectively.
Unlike the tense atmosphere outside, Lin Hai seemed unusually relaxed inside the vehicle.
He adjusted his sitting position, as though what he had just experienced had not been a life-or-death confrontation, but an inconsequential incident.
That composure allowed Lin Hai to quickly pull himself out of his high-pressure state and return to calm.
"After a scene like that, you managed to act as if nothing had happened so quickly." Sparkle turned to look at him, a hint of admiration in her voice. "You really don't lose your cool in a crisis!"
Seele also looked at Lin Hai, her eyes full of trust and admiration.
"Yeah, staying that calm in a situation like that is very... manly!"
Hearing that, Lin Hai couldn't help chuckling.
The atmosphere relaxed.
But what he said next left both Sparkle and Seele stunned.
"Since you trust me so much," he said casually, "take off your shoes now."
The request seemed especially abrupt at a moment like this.
Sparkle and Seele instinctively exchanged a glance, each seeing surprise in the other's eyes.
Lin Hai remained as unruffled as ever.
Sparkle was the first to laugh. With her characteristic irreverence, she deftly kicked off her boots.
Seele blushed slightly, but lowered her head and did as Lin Hai said.
Two very different pairs of feet were exposed in the warm vehicle.
Lin Hai smiled with satisfaction, his gaze sweeping over the sight before him as his mood grew even brighter.
Outside, Belobog's eternal winter wind remained biting.
Yet the SUV carrying them was like a warm mobile fortress, cutting through the curtain of snow with an unstoppable edge and a steady, solid weight.
Lin Hai held the steering wheel with his left hand and grabbed Sparkle's and Seele's feet with his right, feeling their delicate texture and feeling immensely happy.
Both Sparkle and Seele showed a sense of submission.
Lin Hai couldn't help laughing, feeling utterly exhilarated!