Chapter 74

"Did they use some underhanded tricks? Or did they use Curio to cover it up...?"

The group circled the corridor of the Storage Zone several times, clearing out numerous Voidranger along the way, but they found no trace of the Stellaron. However, the screen of the detection device consistently showed that the Stellaron was nearby.

"Ha, simple and crude, but effective."

Silver Wolf stood still, and after a brief deduction, he quickly located a Curio numbered 211—the "Blind Spot"—by hacking into the information system of all the Curio in the Storage Zone.

"What is this?" Kafka asked.

"A very simple deflecting light field works by making things in a region less noticeable, but it will reveal its true nature once other things become inconspicuous."

Silver Wolf raised an eyebrow, a faint smile playing on his lips. With a hint of smugness, he quickly operated the terminal, causing the space behind the box that was supposed to hold the Curio to shift, revealing a doorway leading to another space.

"That's a good idea. The simpler the method, the harder it is to detect. As expected of someone from the Genius Society, isn't this going against the grain?"

A flicker of surprise crossed Kafka's eyes, then a knowing smile spread across her face. "Blade, please keep watch outside. Silver Wolf and I can go in."

"... good."

As if unwilling to waste any more words, Ren shut his mouth, watched the two enter the room, and then silently stood by the door, holding the Shard Sword.

Kafka and Silver Wolf passed through the energy barrier at the gate and finally saw their ultimate mission objective: the golden orb of light— the Stellaron —located in a specialized containment box in the center of the room.

"It has an independent protection system... As expected, even for the Herta, Stellaron is no ordinary collectible."

Is it easy to remove?

"Of course, in the hacking world, even the genius Herta is no match for me."

A smug smile appeared on Silver Wolf's face. He swiped his right hand across the blue screen in the air, and with just a few gestures, he completely paralyzed the defense system.

Silver Wolf then quickly used "Aether Editing," which can modify real-world data, to conjure a vessel in the shape of a girl, and nodded to Kafka, indicating that everything was ready.

Kafka walked to the containment platform, completely disregarding the danger of the Stellaron, and boldly placed it on her right hand.

"How much does she... still remember?"

She looked at the Stellaron in her hand, which contained boundless energy, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes, but the corners of her mouth turned up slightly, her smile somewhat forced.

"At least I'll remember you... Don't be sad, the vessel is ready, the rest is up to you. But don't forget we're still on someone else's turf, okay?"

Silver Wolf sighed, and even though he knew the reason, he still spoke to Kafka in a slightly urging tone.

Kafka walked slowly and gracefully to the gray-haired girl whose true appearance had been revealed. She leaned close to the girl's ear and whispered something in a nostalgic tone before pointing the Stellaron at the gray-haired girl's chest.

Time to get up!

As a gentle voice rang out, the Stellaron was injected into the girl's body.

The chaotic and violent energy belonging to the Stellaron erupted instantly, seemingly about to Destruction everything around it, but before this terrifying energy could fully dissipate, it was all absorbed into the gray-haired girl's body in less than a moment.

The mysterious Stellaron, which caused countless deaths and was so enigmatic that even geniuses racked their brains trying to understand it, was easily absorbed into the body of the gray-haired girl who was in a coma.

Although the power of the Stellaron did not affect the surrounding area, the slight energy that burst out at that moment still affected Bai Jun, who had just entered the Storage Zone.

"Tch, so its target was indeed the Stellaron. Looks like we're a step too late..."

In that instant, Bai Jun sensed the aura of the Stellaron and immediately focused his gaze on its approximate location.

The purpose of the visitors is still unclear, but one thing is certain: we absolutely cannot let those guys take the Stellaron away.

Just as Bai Jun was about to arrive at the location of the Stellaron, an ancient sword gleaming with blood-red light slashed straight at him.

Bai Jun's brows furrowed as he caught sight of the rapidly approaching black figure. With a flick of his scabbard, he steadily blocked the full-force sword strike.

As a brief, rapid metallic clang echoed through the corridor, Bai Jun lowered his center of gravity slightly, his scabbard suddenly unfurled, revealing the lacquered blade, and at the same time, he kicked his right leg hard at his opponent's unsuspecting side.

However, his opponent's combat experience was not to be underestimated. The moment the sword was shaken off, he saw through Bai Jun's intention and lowered his center of gravity, quickly raising his left arm to block the incoming kick.

The seemingly perfect plan of action changed at this moment. He had clearly underestimated the force of the kick. Even though he was prepared, his body was still sent flying several meters away by the strange force, and the bones in his left arm were broken, looking terrifyingly deformed from a distance.

This road is blocked.

The two distanced themselves from each other. Blade expressionlessly reattached his left arm, his tone remaining unchanged throughout. With a series of cracking sounds as bones reformed, his previously severely injured left arm returned to normal.

That sword...

Bai Jun's eyes trembled slightly, as if he recognized the name of the sword. Before he could confirm it again, the blade attacked again, much faster than before. It was no longer a probing attack; the lacquered blade glowed with a crimson light, aiming straight for his vitals.

Seeing this, Bai Jun no longer hesitated. He drew his longsword, and a pale white blade of light flashed by in an instant, locking the crimson sword energy scattered by the Shard Sword with a single strike.

A sword and a blade locked in mid-air. This time, the opponent's weapon was fully revealed. Not only Bai Jun, but even Ren's expression froze instantly. In his almost stagnant eyes, his pupils trembled with astonishment, and a turbulent vortex stirred in the depths of his leaden eyes.

--The sword named Shard is flawless, its lacquer gleaming with a bloody sheen, and only a craftsman who inherits the name of Hundred Refinements Master is qualified to forge it.

Bai Jun had seen this sword in Huai Yan's handwritten notes, or rather, he had heard of it countless times, simply because the person who forged it was Huai Yan's most proud disciple, a person Huai Yan would still mention inadvertently even after many years...

"Who forged that knife for you?"

The question wasn't raised by Bai Jun, but by Ren, who was standing opposite him.

"Studied under Huai Yan and Flamecourt Lord..."

Bai Jun answered truthfully.

"Huai Yan... Flamecourt Lord... uh!?"

Fragments of Remembrance seemed to be tearing his mind apart. Blade suddenly clutched his forehead in pain, panting heavily like a wild beast. When he raised his head again, his eyes were bloodshot, and the Power of Abundance within him seemed to erupt madly.

There's only one possibility for that situation.

"Mara-struck Body?"

But how could someone trapped in Mara-struck Body maintain their original form? And we were just having a normal conversation with him...

Before my thoughts could wander, a crimson sword aura responded.

Bai Jun subconsciously raised his longsword to block the sword energy. The blade, which had fallen into the Mara state, completely lost its ability to communicate and charged forward like a mad beast. Its Shard Sword was slashing haphazardly, relying entirely on muscle Remembrance and physical strength to fight.

Normally, Bai Jun could use other methods, but the current situation is more urgent. For the sake of the Stellaron, Bai Jun doesn't have time to linger with him.

"I don't have time to consider your identity right now. I'm sorry, it might hurt a bit. Please lie here for a while!"

With a spinning kick, Bai Jun sent his opponent flying. He sighed, and the long sword in his hand suddenly gathered a sharp light.

The pale white color on the blade instantly faded, replaced by crimson, flame-like patterns and a translucent, shimmering gold hue.

The dazzling blade light swept across the blade's body, and in the next second, his limbs were severed one by one. At the same time, the flames that targeted the regenerative abilities of the Long-lived species began to sizzle in his wounds, restricting the Power of Abundance within his body.

Having dealt with the blade, ignoring his cries of pain, Bai Jun headed straight for the room containing the Stellaron and kicked the door open.

As the door, its flight path now a straight line, crashed into the wall with a deafening roar, leaving a horrifying crater, Silver Wolf and Kafka inside the room were momentarily stunned.

Bai Jun glanced around. The woman with long, wine-red hair had her hand pressed against the chest of a gray-haired girl, while the petite silver-haired girl stood blankly to the side, as if startled by the sudden movement, with the bubbles she had exhaled sticking to the corners of her mouth.

Three completely unfamiliar faces, especially the gray-haired girl—why was she unconscious in the room? Could it be that she wasn't with those two?

Moreover, upon looking around, Bai Jun could not find any trace of the Stellaron.

You can't exactly say it was eaten by someone, can you?

"Hand over the Stellaron now, and I'll try to be as gentle as possible with you, otherwise..."

Bai Jun's eyes were icy cold, and the longsword, radiating a terrifying heat, once again flashed with dazzling firelight.

"I wouldn't mind cutting off your limbs too."

"Aha ~ I'm sorry, but I can't give you the Stellaron."

Kafka gently placed the gray-haired girl in her arms on the ground, drew a sharp blade and a gun from her sleeve, and even her usual composure showed a hint of seriousness at this moment. She took a few steps back and stood with Silver Wolf.

"Hey, the enemies have respawned. Looks like these are some elite monsters that will be quite challenging."

Silver Wolf spoke casually, raising the crossbow mechanism on her arm; in fact, her palms were completely sweaty.

Whoa, what a terrifying guy! This is really going to be tricky... Was Blade held back by the others? Or was she defeated by this guy? Are she and Kafka really capable of dealing with him?

A flurry of questions arose in an instant, but amidst the tension, a sense of excitement at challenging the boss slowly emerged in my heart, just like encountering an extremely difficult level in a game. It's a pity that I don't have a top-tier support like [Nan Liujing] in real life, otherwise this time it might be easier.

Silver Wolf had no time to think deeply, and Bai Jun, carrying a long sword, slowly walked over from the opposite side.

"Kafka!"

Silver Wolf raised the crossbow in his right hand, and a light cannon quickly condensed at the top of the device, shooting out a blazing beam of light.

Without hesitation, Kafka pulled the trigger, unleashing a fierce hail of bullets.

In an instant, the two displayed their battle-hardened teamwork, bullets raining down and beams of light flying toward Bai Jun like cannonballs.

However, the beams of light and bullets vanished under the slash of the longsword. Some of the bullets were even caught by Bai Jun with his sword, gently placed on the ground, and then struck with the back of the sword, sending the bullets flying back at several times the speed.

With a muffled thud, Silver Wolf and Kafka barely managed to block the incoming bullets with their weapons.

--This guy is ridiculously strong!

In just a brief exchange, Kafka and Silver Wolf felt their arms go slightly numb, and one thought involuntarily came to mind.

The two exchanged a glance, and then Kafka changed her attack method, gripping her slender blade tightly, and charged forward as swiftly as a cheetah. The Silver Wolf behind her did not attack, but instead raised her left hand and tapped and drew on the floating light screen.

Bai Jun didn't bother to guess their plans. He held his long sword horizontally with his left hand to block her incoming blade, while simultaneously lashing out at her waist with the scabbard in his right hand.

Even though Kafka tried to defend herself, she couldn't keep up with Bai Jun's scabbard strike at all. She felt a sharp pain suddenly come from her waist and was sent flying backward, crashing into the wall.

However, as Kafka was thrown backward, several heavy grenades that had lost their fuses also fell to the ground.

Boom boom boom--

A massive explosion erupted at Bai Jun's feet, producing thick black smoke that enveloped the surrounding area. Silver Wolf looked expectantly at the smoke; she knew very well that the power of the Kafka grenade was enough to wipe out a medium-sized Swarm, and that an explosion at such close range would be too much for a human body to withstand.

"Boring, is that all your plans are?"

The thick black smoke dissipated in the next instant, Bai Jun casually waved his hand, almost unharmed except for some damage to his clothes.

Just when Bai Jun thought their moves were over, several iron chains made of a special material suddenly appeared out of thin air and firmly bound his left hand holding the knife.

During those two seconds that Kafka delayed, Silver Wolf used "Aether Editing" to modify reality data and summoned the Curio chains specifically designed to bind planetary-level behemoths. Even so, Silver Wolf dared not relax for a moment, shouting as if urging them on:

"Kafka! Quick! I can only control one of his hands with all my might!"

"The prey has been caught... Blade, make your move!"

Kafka wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. As the sound fell, a chilling killing intent and roar suddenly came from behind Bai Jun. The one who came was none other than Blade, whose limbs had just been severed.

"Return everything!"

Unbeknownst to him, his limbs had completely recovered, and under Kafka's Spirit Whisper, the madness in his eyes intensified, and the Shard Sword unleashed an unprecedentedly terrifying sword aura over an extremely short distance.

Faced with overwhelming danger that seemed certain death, Bai Jun narrowed his eyes, threw his longsword to his unbound right hand, and intercepted the incoming sword energy at the last second.

Upon seeing this, Kafka showed no panic whatsoever; instead, a triumphant smile spread across her face.

A faint purple light flickered in her eyes. She parted her lips slightly, her voice still soft and gentle, yet carrying an irresistible allure. "I said, stop."

The previously disadvantageous Art of Spirit Whisper, now a true killing blow, struck directly at the unsuspecting Bai Jun.

Bai Jun's eyes widened instantly, then he lowered his head, his body trembling slightly.

However, it was not out of fear, nor resistance to the allure of the Spirit Whisper, but rather out of anger at this malice stemming from the lingering "Favor of the Sun" within his body.

"How dare you use such a ridiculous move against me? What arrogance!"

Kafka's expression changed. Realizing that the Spirit Whisper had failed, she immediately raised her blade and slashed at her opponent.

The sharp longsword grazed Bai Jun's cheek, yet the sound it produced was a metallic clang. He hadn't used any means of defense, meaning... he could achieve this purely through physical strength?

"Enough! This boring game of pretend is over. I've lost my patience with you all."

Bai Jun raised his head again, his azure eyes now nearly half-colored with gold, and his body gradually grew ten centimeters taller, a pure and immense power surging from his body.

With a snap, the Curio chains specially designed to restrain planetary-level behemoths shattered like plastic, and Blade's body vanished instantly, embedding itself in the hard wall without moving.

Oh dear, are you angry?

Even in this situation, with cold sweat trickling down her forehead and neck, Kafka maintained her composure, simply chuckled, and looked up at Bai Jun as he approached.

"No, how could I possibly be angry with those weaker than myself? To you, I feel only pure pity."

Bai Jun's expression was devoid of any extra emotion, only coldness and... a hint of mercy?

"How arrogant..."

Kafka chuckled and shook her head, then lost consciousness.