Chen Gu, however, calmed down. "Mind Belief" granted him incredibly sharp intuition. He turned to look at the cocoon of flesh behind Nagano Takesakura. Subconsciously, he felt that the key to defeating Nagano Takesakura was encased within it.
What is wrapped inside there?
The remains of a super life?
Clutching "The Wrath of the Azure Sky," Chen Gu roared and struck out with his sword towards the force that was controlling him.
It seemed as if some force had shattered. Chen Gu instantly felt lighter. He swiftly leaped behind Nagano Takesakura.
Nagano Takesakura was somewhat confused: Why did this fellow let out a delicate shriek? Isn’t he a man? Did I remember wrong? But he clearly looks like a man.
The Mutant, already confused, was further bewildered by these thoughts, allowing Chen Gu the chance to escape.
Chen Gu had already discovered that Nagano Takesakura’s controlling ability required the use of her hands. As long as her palms didn’t envelop him from a distance, he wouldn’t be restricted by this power.
"The Wrath of the Azure Sky" rose proudly, like a colossal dragon burrowing out from the depths of the sea, savagely biting towards Nagano Takesakura’s scorpion tail.
With a cunning flick of her scorpion tail, she avoided the strike. "The Wrath of the Azure Sky" then thunderously carved a deep gorge in the ground. It pierced through the floorboards, causing both of them to fall through the broken flooring to the level below.
In the midst of the chaos, Chen Gu’s radiant power jetted backward, propelling him like a cannonball towards Nagano Takesakura.
BANG! BANG! BANG! Their continuous collisions reverberated. Chen Gu’s "The Wrath of the Azure Sky" clashed repeatedly with Nagano Takesakura’s scorpion tail. The impacts made his head swim with stars, and he crashed heavily into a pile of broken concrete.
Nagano Takesakura was the first to rise from the chaotic debris. Her tendrils flew through the air like deadly vipers, slithering through every gap from various angles, aiming to deliver a fatal bite to Chen Gu.
Chen Gu’s head was buzzing. He felt as if his body had fallen apart, and he was unable to move.
The tendrils had silently closed in, now less than half a meter away from him.
Four hours had passed since the collapse of the Zhaojieze City branch office. The ordinary residents in the six city blocks surrounding it had been completely evacuated.
But most of the residents in the farther areas were still in their homes. Despite the Confederation’s best efforts, there were just too many people. It would take at least a week to fully evacuate everyone.
Half an hour ago, Aviloya, Director-General of the Bureau of Mystic Security, had arrived in the orbital space of Yinglong star aboard a spaceship.
Here, a third-level fleet of the Confederation had assembled. On the flagship, Aviloya met with the fleet’s commander, Vice-Admiral Rogia.
Rogia’s face was darkly tanned, his shoulders broad. His military uniform looked even more solemn and imposing on his frame.
He spoke with a stern expression, bluntly accusing Aviloya, "What in the world are your subordinates paid for? The Bureau of Mystic Security, specifically responsible for dealing with Mutants, has been completely infiltrated by Mutants! Someone must take responsibility for this situation!"
More than forty years had passed, yet Aviloya had not aged a bit. She remained coldly majestic. Her Bureau of Mystic Security uniform was tailored to fit perfectly, accentuating her tall, slender figure to near perfection.
Even as Rogia held her accountable, his own composure wavered slightly. This was, after all, the goddess of all men across the stars.
Aviloya spoke indifferently, "My people, I will handle them myself. The Vice-Admiral is here to solve the problem, and accountability, in this case, is not for the military to interfere with."
Rogia’s face grew stern. Unable to refute Aviloya, he changed the subject. "I demand that a Close Range Attack Ship be dispatched immediately. As soon as the evacuation area meets the standard, it is to bombard the branch headquarters and melt all those disgusting Mutants into gas!"
Aviloya did not oppose this plan; it was the most straightforward and reliable solution.
She looked towards Qiao Shengyi, Governor of Yinglong star, at her side. "How much longer do we need for the evacuation?"
Qiao Shengyi answered, "At least half a day more. But... there is a generator beneath the branch office. If the bombardment destabilizes the generator... the entire Zhaojieze City will be completely destroyed!"
"Damn it!" Rogia slammed his fist on the table. "I’ve said it before, all generators should be under unified military control and safekeeping!"
After a moment’s thought, Aviloya said, "I have the highest clearance. I can remotely shut down the generator to ensure no such instability occurs during the bombardment."
As a civil official, Qiao Shengyi hesitated before asking, "Are there still our people inside the branch office? If any of them have survived and we bombard the building..."
Rogia interrupted him without hesitation, saying, "This is a necessary sacrifice! What war is fought without casualties? This is a war between us and the Mutants! They brought this upon themselves. They should have no complaints about sacrificing themselves for it!"
"This..." Qiao Shengyi hesitated, and a hint of pity flickered across Aviloya’s face. Rogia thought to himself, Predictably soft, like a woman.
He pretended to ponder for a moment, then added, "How about this: before the Close Range Attack Ship commences its bombardment, I will order them to use infrared life detectors to scan the entire building. The readings for Mutants and normal humans are entirely different on such detectors. If no living humans are found, then we’ll proceed."
"That would be best..." Qiao Shengyi said repeatedly, and Aviloya tacitly agreed.
Rogia sneered inwardly. When the time comes, whether or not there are any life signs on the infrared life detector will be entirely up to me, the Vice-Admiral, won’t it?
"Your Excellency, please shut down the generator remotely first."
A tendril paused briefly in front of Chen Gu, then thrust viciously towards his eyes. Chen Gu’s body suddenly emitted an incredibly intense light. Although fleeting, it was strong enough to swiftly carbonize the surrounding tendrils, which then shattered with a SNAP.
Chen Gu slowly stood up. The light emanating from his body gradually faded, but a strong radiation signature remained.
This was a skill from his ’Radiation Missionary’ path that Chen Gu himself had gradually comprehended. He had temporarily named it ’Radiant Heat Melting’.
But just as he stood up, Chen Gu suddenly found himself unable to move. Under the cover of the chaotic dust, he had been unwittingly captured by Nagano Takesakura’s controlling power.
Chen Gu struggled fiercely, twisting his body. His superhuman physique allowed him to resist, but his body emitted strange, creaking sounds under the strain.
Nagano Takesakura, with her massive form, quietly approached Chen Gu. All four of her arms were aimed at him. The tendrils that Chen Gu had burned to char were rapidly regenerating; he saw a mist-like energy flowing out from the cocoon of flesh behind her.
The remains of a super life. Nagano Takesakura is continuously absorbing it, growing stronger every moment, even as she fights me.
Her control ability wasn’t this strong before. The last time I was caught by this power, I could still barely move.