Kong Yan'er

The atmosphere at Jiangcheng's third airport was somber.

The enormous transport planes, like giant steel birds, were arranged in a solemn formation against the dark red sky.

The air was thick with the smell of aviation fuel, the coldness of metal, and an invisible yet oppressive heaviness that made it hard to breathe.

This is the starting point on the road to the "Furnace".

Luo Li was wearing the "Dragon Scale Type III" combat suit she had received, with Castorice standing beside her, who had also changed into more practical clothing.

Her long, silver-purple hair was tied up, her face expressionless. She quietly observed the busy crowd and the enormous mechanical creations around her, a hint of instinctive scrutiny of the unfamiliar environment flashing deep in her purple eyes.

Yang Shan, carrying a huge backpack, muttered his final instructions, "Li Zi, be careful when you get to ' Ironwall ' Fortress! It's not like Jiangcheng; there are more rules and even more troublemakers there! And Castorice Die, make sure you stick close to Li Zi, don't get separated from me..."

Luo Li answered absentmindedly while glancing across the waiting area.

The recruited superhumans gathered in small groups, their auras varying in strength. Some were excited, some had somber expressions, and many, like him, possessed complex emotions—anxiety about the unknown front lines, yet driven forward by some sense of responsibility or destiny.

His gaze lingered for a moment on a spot not far away.

Lu Jingheng sat in a wheelchair, being pushed by a staff member in a research institute uniform. Seemingly sensing his gaze, the staff member turned his head, smiled gently at him, and nodded, indicating that everything was arranged.

Luo Li nodded slightly in response, but the doubts in her heart caused by the warning message did not dissipate.

What exactly is the "Harvester"?

"All recruits heading to ' Ironwall ' Fortress, please proceed to transport aircraft three through five for boarding! Repeat..."

The broadcast interrupted Luo Li's thoughts.

"Let's go, Shan Zai."

Luo Li patted Yang Shan on the shoulder.

Take care, wait for us to come back.

"Must!"

Yang Shan gave him a big hug, then said earnestly to Castorice, "Sister, keep an eye on this rascal, don't let him show off!"

Castorice nodded gently. "I will."

After saying goodbye to Yang Shan, Luo Li and Castorice followed the crowd toward the designated transport plane No. 3.

The enormous hatch, like the mouth of a monster, devoured figures one by one.

The cabin interior is spacious, but it feels somewhat cramped when filled with people and equipment.

The fixed seats were arranged closely together, and the air began to fill with the smells of sweat, metal, and a subtle sense of tension.

Luo Li found her and Castorice's seats according to her boarding pass; they were window seats together.

He had Castorice sit inside by the window, while he sat on the outside, subconsciously separating her from the noisy outside environment.

Just as he put down his small bag and was about to sit down, a slightly flippant voice sounded beside him, "Oh, a new face? From Jiangcheng?"

Luo Li turned his head and saw a young man wearing a non-standard, well-tailored black combat uniform, smiling at him.

The man looked to be in his early twenties, quite handsome, with a naturally upturned mouth and a kind, harmless smile. He had neat short hair and bright, lively eyes, as if he was interested in everything.

But as he stood there, he exuded a subtle yet palpable sense of pressure, the aura of a powerful figure, at least A-level.

Some of the superhumans around him, who were clearly veterans of the front lines, looked at him with a hint of barely perceptible apprehension.

"Yes, Jiangcheng, Luo Li." Luo Li nodded, her tone neither humble nor arrogant.

"Luo Li? Oh--that newly promoted B+ who solo-killed Earl Shadowwing?"

The young man's eyes lit up, his smile widened, and he extended his right hand. "Kong Yan'er, you've been working at ' Ironwall ' for years, so you're practically a host—and who is this?"

His gaze shifted to Castorice beside Luo Li, a hint of undisguised amazement flashing in his eyes, but without any offensive intent, only pure curiosity.

My girlfriend, Castorice.

Luo Li gave a brief introduction and shook hands with Kong Yan'er. The other's palm was dry and strong, and the hand parted immediately upon contact.

"Castorice? What a nice name!" Kong Yan'er smiled brightly and patted the empty seat next to Luo Li in a familiar manner. There should have been another person sitting there, but that person seemed to have tactfully moved aside.

"You don't mind if I sit here, do you? I'm bored on the way, so I'll chat with the newbies and give you a preview of the 'local customs and culture' on the front lines."

Without waiting for Luo Li's explicit consent, he sat down naturally, his movements fluid and effortless.

Luo Li raised an eyebrow slightly, remaining wary of this overly enthusiastic guy.

However, the other side is friendly and powerful, so it's not a bad thing to inquire about news from the front lines.

He sat down naturally, saying, "Brother Kong is a senior colleague; please guide me."

"Of course, of course!" Kong Yan'er waved her hand, her smile unchanged.

"Forget about seniors, once we get to the front lines, we're all brothers who risk our lives."

I like you, I'll be your friend!

As he spoke, his gaze inadvertently swept over Castorice again, the curiosity in his eyes deepening slightly, but he quickly turned back to Luo Li, lowering his voice slightly. "Brother, not bad, daring to bring family members on the ' Furnace Project '? You've got guts! But... ' Ironwall ' isn't some resort town, so you'd better keep a close eye on any pretty girls there."

His tone was joking, but Luo Li sensed the warning in it.

"Thank you for the reminder, Brother Kong. I understand," Luo Li said in a deep voice.

"It's good that we know."

Kong Yan'er smiled, leaned back in her chair, and relaxed, as if she were going on a picnic rather than to the battlefield.

"By the way, you're new here, so there are some unspoken rules you need to know about the front lines."

For example, try not to be alone at the base, especially at night.

Also, try to avoid people wearing dark red military uniforms with black fang-shaped armbands...

"Dark red military uniform? Black fangs?"

Luo Li pressed for an answer.

"The ' Harvester '."

Kong Yan'er's smile faded slightly, and her voice became even lower.

"A group of... rather special guys. They handle some 'tricky' tasks, have high authority, and their methods are... well, just don't mess with them."

The Harvester!

Luo Li's heart skipped a beat; Lu Jingheng's warning instantly came to mind. He asked calmly, "' The Harvester '? Very powerful?"

"It's more than just impressive."

Kong Yan'er pouted.

"Those guys are monsters. They're ruthless when killing vampires, but they can be pretty ruthless with their own people sometimes. Anyway, it's best to stay away from them."

Just then, the transport plane jolted violently, its engines roared loudly, and it began to glide slowly.

The lights inside the cabin flickered, becoming even dimmer.

The noisy conversation gradually subsided, and a silence mixed with tension and resolve spread out.

Castorice gently grasped Luo Li's hand; her fingertips were slightly cool.

Luo Li grasped it in return, giving her a sense of security.

Kong Yan'er looked at their clasped hands, a playful smile on her lips. She didn't say anything more and closed her eyes, as if she were conserving her energy.

The transport plane accelerated on the runway, finally breaking free from Earth's gravity and soaring into the sky shrouded in Blood-Erosion Clouds.

Through the narrow porthole, one could see the Jiangcheng below shrinking smaller and smaller in the field of vision, eventually being swallowed up by an endless sea of dark red clouds.

Destination – the "Ironwall" fortress, the front line of the bloody battle between humans and vampires.

The flight was long and tedious.

Most people in the cabin chose to rest or remain silent, with only the continuous roar of the engines.

After flying for several hours, the aircraft suddenly experienced a violent jolt.

A piercing alarm suddenly went off.

"Warning! Interference from an unknown energy field! Warning!"

"Vampire aerial units approaching! All personnel prepare to charge!"

An commotion instantly erupted inside the cabin.

Luo Li suddenly opened her eyes and, through the porthole, saw several enormous, bat-like monsters, their bodies wreathed in black energy, rapidly approaching from the dark red clouds outside.

"It's a ' Nightmare Flying Bat '! A C+ level social species! How did they end up on this flight path?" a knowledgeable veteran exclaimed.

Bang bang bang!

The flying bats crashed into the transport plane's hull with a dull thud, accompanied by a hissing sound of energy corrosion.

The aircraft shook even more violently.

"Attention all combat personnel! Prepare for engagement! Open the side emergency hatches!"

The officer's shout came through the loudspeaker.

The emergency exit door slowly opened, and a violent gust of air instantly rushed into the cabin.

Kong Yan'er had stood up at some point, the kind smile on her face gone, replaced by a cold indifference.

"Newcomer, take a good look, this is the 'welcome ceremony' at the front lines."

Before he could finish speaking, his figure blurred!

Luo Li's pupils contracted slightly—instantly, another identical "Kong Yan'er" appeared next to where Kong Yan'er had originally stood! Their appearance, clothing, and even their eyes were exactly the same!

Clone?!

Both Kong Yan'er raised their hands simultaneously. As they did so, countless tiny runes seemed to flow beneath their skin, blurring the edges of their palms as if they were merging into space itself—this was his A+ level ability, "Trickster Hands."

The next second, a strangely shaped short blade, shimmering with eerie blue energy, appeared simultaneously in the hands of both Kong Yan'er's. It was not a physical weapon, but rather a highly condensed form of energy, and one could even faintly sense the same soul fluctuations as their natal weapons! The Clone could even perfectly replicate a weapon?!

Without the slightest hesitation, the two Kong Yan'er rushed towards the opened emergency hatch like ghosts.

The Nightmare Flying Bat outside swooped in, screaming.

All that could be seen was Kong Yan'er and his Clone, their arms twisting and weaving at angles completely contrary to human ergonomics, their energy blades drawing unpredictable and elusive trajectories.

Puff! Puff! Puff!

The sound of a sharp blade cutting through flesh and bone was masked by the wind, but the effect was astonishing.

Those Nightmare Flying Bat, known for their speed and agility, were like being manipulated by an invisible hand to crash into blades in front of Kong Yan'er and his Clone. Often, before they could even react, their cores were instantly shattered or their wings were severed by the strange angles of the attack, and they fell from the clouds with mournful cries.

His movements were elegant and efficient, without any unnecessary frills; every strike was precise and deadly.

The Clone and the main body worked together seamlessly, as if sharing the same fighting spirit, creating a barrier of death at the narrow hatchway.

In just over ten seconds, the approaching Nightmare Flying Bat were wiped out.

The two Kong Yan'er sheathed their swords, Clone merged into their main bodies like phantoms.

He turned around, his face once again displaying that harmless, bright smile, and clapped his hands as if he had just casually swatted a few flies.

"Done -- looks like my luck wasn't too bad today."

He walked back to his seat, sat down again, and winked at Luo Li, who was staring in disbelief. "So, newcomer? Pretty impressive 'local customs' from the front lines, right?"

Looking at his incredibly sincere smiling face, and recalling his ruthless, decisive, Clone unpredictable fighting style just now, Luo Li felt a chill in her heart.

Castorice watched quietly from beginning to end, her purple eyes reflecting Kong Yan'er's figure, calm and undisturbed. Only when Kong Yan'er's Clone appeared did her fingertips twitch almost imperceptibly.

The transport plane evaded the attack and regained stability.

But Luo Li knew that the real test had only just begun.

(PS: I'm exhausted from writing so many chapters for the author in one day, please rate it and urge me to update more -- please.)