Digging Deep

"What's with you all of a sudden...?" Sancho’s expression was odd. "What happened?"

Although the youth usually felt quite detached and was always silent with a weak presence, he felt particularly off today.

"It’s nothing."

Cervantes lowered his hand and stepped back several paces.

"I was just expressing some bottled-up emotions. If a bionic is always suppressing themselves, it will affect work efficiency."

"Perhaps I am just too tired. The events of these past few days have left me a bit depressed."

"That sounds like the symptom of 'consciousness fatigue' in the thought beacon. Do you need to see Doctor Wood?"

Sancho’s tone was full of concern. "Those woodpeckers will surely find the cause of your depression. Perhaps your emotional and consciousness storage modules can be replaced; that would make you feel better."

Only when facing Cervantes would this usually reckless disciplinary officer show such a side.

Cervantes sighed lightly and shook his head.

"There is naturally a reason why I didn't let you arrest that Boss Xu."

"Within Nine Dragons Street, the Moxing Chamber of Commerce has significant influence. If the black box incident truly involves such a force, acting rashly would definitely leak word. Once the people behind it are alerted, the fish that has leapt above the surface will dive back to the bottom, and catching the mastermind would no longer be easy."

"Moreover, since we entered Nine Dragons Street, many eyes have been watching us from the shadows. The opposition is extremely vigilant; we might even put ourselves in danger."

"To pull the entire industrial chain behind the black box up by the roots, we need patience, especially at a time like this."

"During this period, we can stay in Nine Dragons Street and start investigating from Boss Xu. We follow the vine to the melon. Before confirming how muddy this water really is, do not report these matters to the Hera Network to avoid alerting the enemy."

"So that’s how it is." Sancho suddenly understood, scratching his head sheepishly. "Cervantes, if only my brain were half as useful as yours. I almost caused a huge disaster; thankfully, you stopped me."

Cervantes remained silent, a ripple of light shimmering in his eyes.

At that moment, a piercing alarm suddenly echoed above Nine Dragons Street.

Cervantes looked up and saw countless Pulao drones skimming low over the alleys, all flying in the same direction.

In an instant, a vibrant crimson color flooded the entire sky, as if an invisible curtain had descended. A grid-like pattern emerged on the surface of the walls; that was The Fourth Wall. Humans could pass through it, but bionics attempting to leave Nine Dragons Street would be blocked.

"An unknown force has invaded Nine Dragons Street," Cervantes judged.

"Judging by this scale, The Fourth Wall across all of Nine Dragons Street has been activated. Why did the alarm only trigger now?"

Sancho frowned.

"I’m not sure..." Cervantes’ voice suddenly cut off as he stared at the alley entrance.

Sancho turned his head in confusion, following the youth's gaze, only to see five young girls walking toward them. Xu Xiaoyou waved with a brilliant smile. If the five of them weren't each holding weapons, perhaps that smile could have been called friendly.

"We meet again, Mr. Disciplinary Officer. Finding you took quite a bit of effort."

"As you can see." Xu Xiaoyou sighed. "We’ve been targeted. The armed group invading Nine Dragons Street is after us. The gospel says that when humans encounter life-threatening danger, you are obligated to provide us with assistance."

"Even if the ones looking for trouble with us are also humans."

Cervantes nodded solemnly. "Understood, Miss Xu. Judging by the current situation, your priority is at the maximum."

"We will prioritize providing you with assistance, even if it harms the interests of other humans."

"From now on, help me continuously search for the weakest five-person squad within a two-kilometer radius."

As Xu Xiaoyou spoke, she projected the 3D map of Skyline City created by her Survey and Mapping Mastery. With a swipe of two fingers, the map zoomed in, focusing on their current location in Nine Dragons Street.

"And mark them on my tactical map."

"Now, please come with us, Mr. Disciplinary Officer."

The five of them took the two disciplinary officers hostage, driving straight through the intersecting waterways toward the southern part of Nine Dragons Street, while the dull roar of artillery fire occasionally drifted from the distance.

A disciplined and lethal steel torrent rolled forward. Members of the Golden Navigator used armored vehicles to blockade the streets, pulling long cordons and driving the residents, who were scurrying about like headless flies, toward the outskirts of the district. They maintained real-time contact through combat communications to ensure the status of every block.

Several black transport aircraft resembling dragonflies tore through the air. As the vibration of their flapping wings slowed, their altitude began to drop.

They landed steadily on the roofs of the pavilions, stirring up turbulent air currents.

As their bottom hatches opened, spraying white gas, fully armed members of the Pilot Army rushed out, advancing in tactical formation. They had already coordinated through countless operations. The Kuangpi guards stationed in Nine Dragons Street were no match for the players' seamless teamwork and equipment that was several times superior to theirs. They were picked off the moment they showed their heads, and the defensive line collapsed rapidly.

Before long, the Pilot Army had occupied all the high pavilions and began setting up defensive perimeters. A girl in a Logic Studio L-2 combat uniform leaned against a wall, attaching a forearm-length muzzle to her sniper rifle, while team members on either side remained vigilant, communicating with their companions on the opposite high-rise with their eyes.

"Vice chairman, the people nearby have mostly been evacuated," a subordinate ran over to report.

Nanjiamu nodded. He certainly didn't do this out of humanitarianism; there was no point in discussing humanitarianism with a bunch of virtual data. Killing too many neutral NPCs would affect the Golden Navigator's total sin value, and he didn't want to be wanted by the Order Court like the Age of the Dead.

"Even if you have to dig deep, find Dark Gold Rose for me!"

After clearing the area, reconnaissance drones flew at high speeds within the cordoned zone, scanning for life signatures inside the buildings. Shortly after, the whistle of air currents came from above. Four Assault Hawk gunships descended, their machine guns rotating violently. Coordinated with missiles, they began raking the ground. Countless buildings collapsed like sand, broken stones splashing everywhere, and rising dust filled the sky.

Simultaneously, their drone swarms mobilized collectively. One by one, kamikaze explosive drones rushed into the Kuangpi guards' ranks with a series of whooshes. As continuous explosions rang out, brilliant red flames tore through the sky.

Next, the combat drones gathered into an array, beginning to surround and annihilate the remaining Po-jun battle armors. The tall and mighty armors were instantly riddled with holes, components falling off before exploding violently in the intense flames, the resulting shockwaves shaking the buildings on both sides.

On the chaotic battlefield, fire and smoke stained the sky. The sound of gunfire, cannons, and collapsing buildings rose and fell in succession. Deafening explosions occurred every second, making one's head ring.

Beneath a row of arcade buildings, five figures ran forward swiftly, dodging falling plaques and boulders. At that moment, a red light enveloped their heads as a surveillance drone discovered them and sounded the alarm.

Angelina pivoted, turning back to hurl her spear with force, instantly piercing the drone. At the same time, she kicked a falling boulder to pieces. Her spear swept across, scattering the rubble that had collapsed into a slope.

Several more combat drones flew in from the distance; clearly, the enemy had locked onto their position through the previous scene.

"Never-ending and relentless."

Angelina snorted coldly. Instead of lingering to fight, she turned and quickly followed the others into an underground passage exposed beneath the slope.