Chapter 396

"I think so too. The main problem is that without their help, it would be difficult to integrate into the local environment," Dan Heng nodded. "However, we still need to be careful and observe for now. If we encounter any suspicious situations, we will have to leave decisively."

"There shouldn't be any major problems." Xing was clearly quite confident in her intuition. She then turned her gaze to the spear in Dan Heng's hand. "How's the Strike Cloud? Is it alright?"

"Yes, I checked it. The point of impact is slightly deformed, but it shouldn't be used." Dan Heng nodded slightly, his expression somewhat subtle. "If Strike Cloud hadn't been upgraded before, it probably would have been severed by that previous attack."

"Could they have been behind that attack on us before?" Xing seemed to have thought of something again, and couldn't help but frown. "The timing of their appearance is a bit too coincidental."

"I have the same concern, but from the perspective of who was attacked, it shouldn't be them." Dan Heng shook his head. "Besides, those refugees couldn't have been faking it. We can only assume for now that they don't belong to the same faction."

"That Bai E said before that this is the territory of Conflict." Xing remembered another key word, "Could it be that Conflict was behind this?"

"That's quite possible, but we still know too little about Onfaros." Dan Heng sighed. "I just tried to get information about Onfaros out of Bai E, but they managed to fool me with their own rhetoric... They must have their own concerns."

"Now that things have come to this, we have no choice but to use the Nameless Guest's ultimate secret," Xing scratched his head, then put his hands on his hips and, under Dan Heng's questioning gaze ("What ultimate secret? I don't know anything about it"), said the second half of his sentence, "Let's take it one step at a time!"

"What's this all about..." Dan Heng shook his head subconsciously, but then revealed a helpless smile. "No, that's not entirely wrong. Let's join them for now and see what happens next."

Thus, the two pioneers joined Bai E's group and helped them find and persuade some of the refugees who had not evacuated nearby.

But in the process, they encountered even more unfamiliar words.

Apocalypse, the Golden Kin, Titans, and... miracles.

"It seems this world is not so simple." Even though he already knew this was a breeding ground for incubating Great Extinguisher, Xing still frowned. "Incubating a Great Extinguisher requires such a complicated design?"

"You've been spending too much time with Mr. Ai Yue, and your worldview has been influenced." Dan Heng, who was always clear-headed, said, "Without the Star Gods around, the Envoy is the strongest being in the universe. Not everyone can summon a Star God anytime, anywhere to help them with trivial matters."

"Hehe!" Xing made a deliberately cute gesture, trying to escape Dan Heng's lecture. "Dan Heng, what do you think?"

"I... I don't know." Dan Heng shook his head, looking somewhat confused. "I know perfectly well that this is all just a virtual world, and even those people are products created by data, but they are so real that I can't see them as fake at all."

"Just as I thought, is this really a simulated world?" Xing shook her head slightly. "In short, let's treat them as real life forms. Isn't this place nurturing a Great Extinguisher? Perhaps if we protect everything, it won't be able to be born?"

"Things might not be that simple," Dan Heng. He was clearly not as carefree as Xing, but the girl's optimism had somewhat infected him. "However, since we have no clue right now, we can only do what we should do as nameless guests."

As they were talking, Xing suddenly saw something, then pointed ahead. "Dan Heng, look over there!"

A magnificent city was gradually appearing before them—and most importantly, the enormous sphere they had previously gazed upon was also within that city!

Clearly, this is the legendary holy city of Ochema.

Only...

"Is that smoke?" Star blinked, gazing at the black smoke rising from the city gate. "Is this the sophistication of a big city? Holding a barbecue party in a place like this?"

"I'm afraid it's the exact opposite of what you think." Dan Heng was more observant than Xing, and thus noticed more. "Look below the city gate—those are the claws of conflict!"

At this moment, chaos reigned at the gates of Ochema. Countless soldiers I had seen before were brandishing their weapons, attempting to breach the city. The thick smoke was clearly their doing.

"Looks like there's no time for small talk." Xing bluntly brandished his baseball bat. "Dan Heng, let's go!"

"Be careful, these lackeys alone can't possibly break through Ochema." Dan Heng, spear in hand, followed closely behind. "The fact that they're here means they have other trump cards up their sleeves!"

And that is indeed the case.

Just as the two were charging into the city, undeterred by the enemy soldiers, the ground beneath their feet suddenly began to tremble.

"What's wrong now?" Xing quickly pulled out his rock hammer to support himself. "The earth beasts are attacking the city too?"

Those docile but enormous dragon beasts could indeed cause such a commotion, after all, the nameless guests had arrived here riding on them.

But the tremors were becoming increasingly intense, gradually exceeding what the earth beast horde could cause.

"You two, quickly seek refuge in the Holy City!"

Accompanied by a familiar voice, Bai E and Tibao arrived together. "We've received news... the one attacking the city is the Mad King Nicadori!"

"He has another name," Bai E added, knowing the two knew very little about Onfaros, "'The Titan of Strife'!"

"Titans besieging the city?" Xing gripped his rock hammer tighter upon hearing this. "Shouldn't we witness it?"

"I know what you're thinking, but right now it's more important to protect the unarmed," Dan Heng said calmly. "Go and disperse the crowd; we'll find a way to stop him."

"But..."

Before Bai E could finish speaking, she was interrupted by a terrifying loud noise. The sound was like thunder, yet it also seemed to be the painful and frantic howl of someone. When she heard that sound, even the fearless gray-haired girl couldn't help but tremble.

"Did you hear that? That's the war cry of the Titan of Strife. He's getting closer and closer," Bai E said slowly. "You two, if you want to leave, this is your last chance."

"I don't understand." Xing waved her hand. "What are you afraid of? I've died several times already!"

"Don't worry about us, this isn't the first time we've faced a situation like this." Dan Heng shook his head slightly. "So, don't waste your time."

"...I'll be back soon." This time, Bai E didn't insist any further. He knew very well that if Ochema wanted to survive this ordeal, his two new friends were her only chance. "Please hold on!"

After saying this, he turned and left with Tibao, and thus, the man did not notice the smiles on the faces of the nameless guests.

"Finally gone. That guy's been dawdling. It reminds me of an old friend." Ai Yue's shadow lit up from the side. "That guy was like that when he was young, but later... never mind."

"Mr. Ai Yue, you've finally arrived." Dan Heng nodded slightly. "We can rest assured now."

"It's not that I've finally arrived, it's that you've finally arrived." Ai Yue shook his head slightly. "Otherwise, who do you think has been holding Nicadori back, preventing him from rushing into Ochema?"

Chapter 101 A Fake Journey of Salvation

Ai Yue understood and analyzed the world even faster than he had imagined.

Although this was his first formal encounter with a simulated world, perhaps because he had once created the Data Space where virtual Honkai Beast lived, Ai Yue's acceptance of this place was incredibly high.

While Dan Heng and Xing were still gradually learning about this world through normal means with the help of Bai E and others, Ai Yue was already able to teleport over a large area—distance, for someone who could manipulate this world from a data perspective, didn't actually have much meaning.

Therefore, as soon as Bai E and the others set off, Ai Yue had already rushed towards the giant sphere and finally arrived at the entrance of Ochema.

Unfortunately, another group arrived around the same time as him—the minions of the Titans of Strife.

"So that's how it is."

Xing and Dan Heng naturally understood Ai Yue's words and couldn't help but show expressions of realization. Xing even gave a thumbs up. "That's definitely Brother Yue's style."

The three people present were well aware that the people here were truly a mass of data, and even if they died, they would be "resurrected" as the world evolved. However, none of them felt that it was pointless to go to great lengths to stop the enemy from invading for the sake of such beings.

Just as the three were chatting, the owner of that terrifying war cry finally appeared in their field of vision—it was a deformed and twisted giant humanoid figure, seemingly pieced together entirely from a skeleton. Its body was covered in metal and covered with sharp, protruding spikes, making it a weapon born for war.

And that is indeed the case, after all, its name is "Conflict".

"The Titan of Strife Nicadori ..." Xing frowned, feeling the terrifying pressure emanating from the other party, but refused to admit defeat, "It looks quite thin, doesn't it like to eat?"

"Maybe he's on a diet." Dan Heng rarely joked, perhaps because he was also under immense mental pressure. "In any case, facing the opponent in this state... our chances of winning are probably very slim."

"What's there to be afraid of?" Ai Yue snapped his fingers, and the two of them immediately felt much lighter. "This isn't the real Titan, it's just an avatar. Just put all your strength into hacking at it, and it'll be dead in no time."

"Even if you say that, I don't know where to start," Xing stared at the other person with a conflicted expression, seemingly searching for Nicadori's weakness. "Oh well, never mind, I'll go first, Dan Heng, you cover me!"

After saying that, the girl leaped up and smashed the baseball bat down on Titan's head.

However, such a straightforward attack was clearly not enough to threaten Nicadori. Instead, it would expose his weaknesses to the opponent. Therefore, Nicadori did not even try to dodge this attack. He raised his hand and swung his spear at Starthorn.

The spearhead alone was larger than the girl's body. It wasn't hard to imagine the bloody scene if it actually pierced Xing. But even so, Xing had no intention of backing down, and her expression didn't even change.

Because she trusted her companions.

Sure enough, the Titan's arm had barely been raised when it froze in mid-air. A cloud-like mass of energy wrapped around the Titan's arm, firmly restricting its movement.

The other end of this energy was connected to Dan Heng's hand, which was none other than the signature Cloud-Chant Art of the Luo Dragon-Scythe Clan.

Although this level of Cloud-Chant Art was not enough to truly imprison Titan's clone, allowing Nicadori to break free with a slight effort, it bought Xing a crucial moment, enabling the girl's baseball bat to strike Nicadori's head without hindrance.

"Boom!"

With unrestrained force, even Titan was slammed downwards. The girl didn't press forward; instead, she used the recoil to flip back to her companions, a serious expression on her face. "This is a tricky situation. My suggestion is Plan B."

Clearly, this attack was merely a test of the enemy's strength, with the plan to strategize based on the information gathered.

As she spoke, she glanced back, and sure enough, Ai Yue was gone again.

"I can see that." Dan Heng's expression was also not optimistic. After all, although the Cloud-Chant Art just now looked like it could be torn apart with a single tear, Dan Heng had put in a lot of effort. The fact that the opponent broke free so easily could only mean that this enemy was indeed troublesome. "So what is Plan B?"

As they spoke, the two men stepped back to the left and right respectively, causing Nicadori's spear to miss its mark.

"Drag it out." Xing had an extraordinary talent for battle planning, so much so that during the battle, both Dan Heng and March 7th followed her lead. "Drag it out until the big white goose comes over, and then let him take the lead."

In reality, with their combined strength, defeating each other wouldn't be impossible. However, being newcomers, they were still unsure of Onfaros's situation and therefore needed to hold back to avoid being targeted by those with ulterior motives.

"A big white goose?" Dan Heng was taken aback by the animal that suddenly appeared in the other person's mouth, before realizing that it referred to Bai E. "We've only known each other for a short time, and you've already come up with a nickname?"

"You don't understand, giving nicknames is one of the techniques to get closer to someone," Xing waved her hand, her face showing a "go ahead and learn" expression. "In short, we're new here, so we can't steal the show."

"You want to take this opportunity to see just how powerful the so-called Golden Kin really are, right?" Dan Heng wasn't new to Xing, and after a moment's thought, he realized Xing's intention. "That's fine then, I'll do as you say."

Having determined their battle strategy, the two decided against a direct confrontation with Nicadori. Instead, they used a roundabout approach, drawing his attention away from the city gates of Ochema to prevent him from causing further damage to the city.

"Gentlemen, I've arrived!"

Bai E did not disappoint Xing's expectations. After confirming that the situation inside Ochema was not serious, he returned to the city gate and joined the battle.

Only at this moment did the battle truly begin. Bai E lived up to his reputation as a powerful figure who could disarm the two nameless guests in an instant. Although he was still somewhat strained to truly confront them head-on, he was able to easily inflict damage on Nicadori under the restraint of Xing and Dan Heng.

During the earlier entanglement, the nameless guests had basically figured out Nicadori's fighting style. After all, he was just a soulless clone and did not have the ability to adapt to changing circumstances or the wisdom of combat. Therefore, under such circumstances, he was easily led by the nose by the three of them.

Even so, it was still part of the Titan of Strife. As the wounds on its body gradually accumulated, this weapon of war did not become sluggish or clumsy, but instead became more and more ferocious, to the point that the final stage of the battle became the most dangerous moment for everyone.

However, at that moment, countless golden threads descended from the sky. They looked delicate and fragile, but they firmly bound Nicadori's body, freezing its attempt to throw the spear in the last moment, rendering it unable to move an inch.

Bai E didn't seem surprised by this, but Xing and Dan Heng couldn't help but look up at the source of the golden threads—a woman dressed in an elegant white dress, with hair as dazzling as gold threads, was hanging upside down in the sky, opening her lifeless eyes and looking down at the crowd on the ground.

"Do it."

As a melodious yet cold voice rang out from the woman's mouth, Bai E no longer hesitated. He charged towards Nicadori with all his might, his longsword slicing through Nicadori in two, along with the golden thread.

In its final battle cry, the terrifying Titan transformed into golden specks of light, like fine sand, which drifted into the sky with the wind.

The white soldiers besieging Ochema seemed to have received some kind of signal and began to retreat into the distance.

"This is not Nicadori's true form, but merely one of His many divine bodies." The blonde woman landed lightly on the remaining golden threads, without even making a sound. "The spark is not here."

"I can sense it." Bai E sheathed his weapon and nodded. "Compared to the image I have of him, he is much weaker and more twisted."

The blonde woman nodded slightly before turning to the unfamiliar visitors. "Welcome to Onfaros, two new allies of Ochema."

"You're too kind, Ms. Aglaea." Xing waved her hand, gazing at the spot where Nicadori had disappeared. "That was quite a special welcome."

After clearing up the misunderstanding with Bai E, they learned a lot about Ochema from her, including information about the blonde woman in front of them—an elegant woman named Aglaea, who is now the nominal ruler of this holy city.

"It is indeed very unfortunate, but it also helps us dispel our doubts." Aglaea nodded with a smile. "You have proven your stance with your actions. From now on, you two are honored guests of the Holy City and distinguished guests of Ochema."

Clearly, Xing and Dan Heng's initiative in intercepting Nicadori's divine body has earned them great favor from Ochema's side. After all, this matter was originally none of their business, yet they were willing to take a huge risk to stay and resist the invasion. If they were to continue to question them, it would be rather unreasonable.

"I saw Teacher Tian leave with the fleeing soldiers," Bai E interrupted their conversation. "Was that also part of the plan?"

"Of course, we anticipated this attack—although things didn't go as planned, it was clearly an opportunity," Aglaea said. "Ever since Nicadori fell into madness, its fortress has vanished into the mists, its location unknown, but now it has unexpectedly launched an attack on Ochema ..."

"Then the Holy City can also take this opportunity to uncover His hiding place and sound the horn of counterattack."

"It really is a series of interconnected events." Bai E nodded, then turned his gaze to the nameless guest. "I promised them that after returning to the Holy City, I would answer all the questions about Onfaros for our allies... But right now, I'm afraid I still need to appease the frightened people, so Aglaea, could you do me a favor?"

"Rest assured, these two distinguished guests have devoted themselves to the Holy City, and I will naturally treat them well." Aglaea nodded, then "looked" at Xing and Dan Heng, "This is not the only case of something that exists outside of language, yet is woven into destiny by me."

"Wouldn't we be considered...?" Xing looked at Dan Heng beside her, "Completely arranged for us?"

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do. It's perfectly normal." After greeting Bai E and watching him leave, Dan Heng turned to Aglaea. "So, Ms. Aglaea, shall we begin now?"

"Please wait a little longer," Aglaea smiled and shook her head. "This isn't really the place to talk. Please come with me."

And so, Aglaea leisurely led the two nameless guests on a tour of Ochema, answering many of their questions by combining the city's situation with her own. The most important of these were probably about the "Black Tide," the calamity that caused the apocalypse, and the Golden Kin's Journey of Chasing Fire.

Through Aglaea's account, Xing and Dan Heng gained a general understanding of Onfaros's situation—the entire world is now surrounded by a disaster called the "Black Tide," with more and more city-states being swallowed up and turned into lifeless wastelands. The Holy City Ochema is one of the few remaining city-states.

Now, to salvage this situation, they must embark on Journey of Chasing Fire, rebel against the gods, and thus "Re-creation" the world, thereby rescuing it from the threat of the Black Tide.

The so-called Journey of Chasing Fire is the journey by which the Golden Kin kill the Titans, seize the authority of the gods, and thus reshape the world.

In this Journey of Chasing Fire, the most important thing is the "fire," which is the symbol of the Titans' authority and the key to the Golden Kin's acquisition of divine power. The Titan of Strife that they faced before had the fire, representing the power of "strife," hidden within its body.

"No wonder Bai E was a little disappointed when he heard there was no fire seed." Xing recalled the scene and nodded. "So he's the Golden Kin's going to inherit the Fire of Conflict?"

"That's indeed our current plan, but whether it can be realized depends on the specific circumstances," Aglaea said with a smile. "In short, we are trapped in the apocalypse, and therefore need more allies to become Ochema's solid support."

"Will you be the allies the Golden Kin have been waiting for?"

"It's hard to say." Although Xing understood the perilous situation Ochema was facing, he hadn't forgotten the mission they needed to accomplish by infiltrating Onfaros. "I will help you as much as I can."

"Don't try your best."

As the girl pondered, she heard Ai Yue's voice again. She glanced around discreetly and saw a glowing humanoid figure appear beside Aglaea.

"The Journey of Chasing Fire is doomed to fail—this world is already stuck," Ai Yue said calmly. "To save this place, simply collecting the fire seeds is probably useless."

Chapter 102 Black Tower: Oh no, I've become a free-to-win dog!