Turns Out You're Pretty Capable

"Duke Inferno" Afrit and the Annihilation Gang.

Bai Heng had once looked up information about them in the archives of the Interastral Astronomical Society.

According to Dr. Primitive, the value Nanook saw in the "Annihilation Gang" might not even compare to that of a baby who deliberately smashed a vase.

They called themselves servants of "Destruction," yet they had never once received a glance from Nanook.

Compared to the Antimatter Legion, one was a proper standing army, faithfully following the Path of Destruction, while the other was more like a band of rogues wandering among the stars, trying to drag everything around them into the torrent of ruin.

However, if one underestimated these desperadoes walking the Path of Destruction because of that, they could still cause plenty of trouble.

Looking at Afrit standing in the center of the stage and igniting the karmic flames of destruction, Bai Heng also guessed the second grand finale item of this auction: the cancer of all worlds—the Stellaron.

If they had come for that, then everything made sense.

"Ruan Mei, I'll get him out of there. You'll owe me one." Herta pressed a slender finger to her overclocked communications earpiece, staying in contact with Ruan Mei some distance away.

In Herta's eyes, Bai Heng was merely a clerical worker from the Interastral Astronomical Society. Like most of the scholars present, he was probably too weak to even restrain a chicken and would have difficulty escaping the Annihilation Gang.

At that moment, several charred humanoid monsters wreathed in crimson flames suddenly appeared in the darkened venue.

"Fire Demons..." Bai Heng identified the origins of those Annihilation Gang members, his tone calm. "Herta, the Astral Society archives state that Duke Inferno is actually a descendant of the Creation-Phase Spirit Flame created by Genius Society member #29, Siskal—the king of the Fire Demons. In that case, this guy is practically the grandson of your Genius Society's twenty-ninth member. You do share some connection."

"I admire your courage to make jokes so calmly in a situation like this, but if you don't want Ruan Mei to become a widow, you'd better leave with me now." Herta looked up at Bai Heng and said coldly.

If it had been anyone else, Herta could not have been bothered.

But Bai Heng was Ruan Mei's beloved, and he also had something on him that interested Herta. Naturally, she could not abandon him.

She raised her ring finger, which bore a gleaming silver metal ring.

Judging by its design, it was likely another Curio.

But just as Herta activated the ring to leave, her delicate brows furrowed slightly.

"The surrounding spatial parameters have been altered. I need three minutes to modify them, otherwise I can't complete the spatial transfer."

As soon as she spoke, the staff members beside Herta—originally from the Security Department of Herta Space Station and serving as bodyguards on this trip—grew tense.

The Fire Demons, like black goats, crawled out from clusters of crimson flames as though carrying the karmic fire of the underworld, surging toward every living thing in the venue.

Those who had only attended through projections could naturally leave without concern.

But many staff members who had come in person were now in danger. The moment their bodies touched those of the Fire Demons, the bizarre karmic flames would instantly ignite them.

Duke Inferno Afrit still stood in the center of the venue, like the conductor of this symphony praising "Destruction."

He basked in the supreme glory bestowed upon him by chaos and death.

That bizarre movement grew ever more intense, turning the entire venue into a prison of flames.

If her true body had been here, Herta naturally would not have feared this insignificant Annihilation Gang. Unfortunately, the Herta present on-site was merely a puppet.

Several Fire Demons began closing in on the VIP seats, their shriveled hands burned down to the bone gripping the circular platform of the second floor.

Those capable of becoming security personnel for Herta Space Station naturally possessed no small degree of skill.

Facing the approaching Fire Demons, they immediately drew the portable short-blade railguns they carried.

Once the ammunition was loaded, pale blue light poured from the muzzles and rained down on the Fire Demons like a storm.

But unfortunately, the railguns' energy rounds could not penetrate the Fire Demons' bodies. Instead, they only made the monsters more violent.

The security personnel trembled slightly, yet they still gripped their weapons and kept pulling the triggers, trying to slow the monsters down. Unfortunately, it had little effect.

The Fire Demons hunched their flaming bodies and pounced on Herta's group with frenzied, savage movements.

But just as the Fire Demons' shriveled limbs were about to touch the retreating security personnel, their searing heat rushing toward them, even Herta hurriedly sent Ruan Mei a plea for help.

"Ruan Mei, there's a bit of trouble over here..."

A flash of cold light appeared. A silver longsword sliced through a hunched body, severed the bones forged from flame, and extinguished the raging karmic fire.

"Three minutes."

Bai Heng pulled the Nameless from the Fire Demon's body and kicked the creature, now reduced to shattered bones. His tone was calm.

"Right?"

Struck by his kick, the Fire Demon's ruined body instantly broke apart, collapsing into scorched chunks of bone.

Another Fire Demon lunged at him. Bai Heng twisted slightly, then raised his sword and thrust it along the creature's spine, severing its entire backbone.

Once the flames went out, he stepped on the Fire Demon's skull and instantly crushed the charred black goat into dust.

His movements flowed without pause, his sword strikes sharp and ruthless. Following Jingliu's teachings, every strike pierced a vital point, and he did not forget to finish them off afterward.

Herta's gaze froze. From the other end of the communications device came Ruan Mei's unsteady voice.

"Herta? Her... I'll be right there."

Only after hearing Ruan Mei's voice did Herta come back to her senses.

"No, you don't need to come. The problem here has already been handled."

Several security personnel stared blankly as Bai Heng dispatched the Annihilation Gang's creations with every swing of his blade. They could not imagine that the seemingly frail scholar before them had been capable of this.

Having bought three minutes, Herta's face regained some of its pride. She waved a hand.

"Done."

The gleaming silver ring on her ring finger gave off a soft white glow, enveloping everyone in the VIP seats.

The next instant, the group arrived at the entrance of the Bololunzi Hotel.

Punklorde was still being battered by torrential rain. Towering buildings vanished into dark rain clouds, yet the upper floors of the Bololunzi Hotel, flickering with data chains, now swayed amid the firelight.

The venue occupied more than a hundred floors, and most of them were burning in karmic fire. Rain poured down in sheets, yet it could not extinguish the flames. This strikingly contradictory sight unfolded before everyone.

Many onlookers gathered beneath the Bololunzi Hotel, watching the spectacle.

"Punklorde's security system needs to give us an explanation for what happened today! They actually let people from the Annihilation Gang in!" A scholar who had just escaped from the Bololunzi Hotel roared amid the crowd.

Herta heard him and replied evenly.

"We should have expected this. The auction revealed information about the Stellaron in advance, so it was bound to attract unnecessary trouble. I just didn't expect it to be the Annihilation Gang instead of Stellaron Hunters or the Antimatter Legion... Still, it turns out you're pretty capable after all."

Herta put her hands on her hips, her dark violet eyes examining Bai Heng beside her anew.

Bai Heng had no intention of being modest with Herta.

"Of course. I'm actually—"

Before he could finish, a fierce pressure suddenly descended upon Bai Heng's shoulders.

His brows furrowed, and he immediately changed his words.

"Run!"