A Blessing in Disguise

Boom.

With a deafening roar, the entire building began to shake.

Dust drifted down from the ceiling like a torrential downpour, filling the shipyard.

This sudden turn of events seized everyone's attention, and instinctively, they all looked toward the source of the sound.

The roof, yet there was nothing unusual there.

However, just as everyone instinctively looked up, a second, even louder boom erupted from the other side of the shipyard.

This time it was the main gate, and the effect was devastating.

A massive iron ball smashed through the sealed gate, then exploded. The shockwave swept through the shipyard instantly, sending everyone inside stumbling and reeling.

Boom, boom, boom.

Several more explosions followed as artillery shells tore gaping holes in the shipyard walls. Blinding sunlight streamed through the openings, illuminating the dim, lamp-lit interior.

Bang.

Before the smoke could even disperse, a figure burst through the haze and dust.

She wore a dark blue formal suit, a top hat, and a cloak. Her left hand gripped a scabbard, while her right hand held a drawn sword.

Her chestnut waves were loose behind her, and though the masculine attire could not hide her athletic physique, her stern face was pale with an underlying sickly pallor. Nevertheless, she efficiently kicked aside a piece of debris blocking her path, rushing into the shipyard faster than anyone else.

【Authority, Judgment, Ability, Deterrence.】

She swung her long legs into the air and slammed them onto the ground. A shockwave erupted from the point of impact, shaking the surrounding Deep Ones and making it even harder for them to keep their footing.

Officer Natalie Angel had arrived.

Lynch, you are not fighting alone.

I have come to support you.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

Following Officer Natalie, a dozen figures in identical formal suits rushed into the room, weapons raised. Leading them was the gray-haired, stern-faced Mr. Victor.

The main force of the Watchers had arrived.

Behind them, dozens of burly men in black uniforms carrying rifles followed, and from outside came chaotic shouting, the sound of running footsteps, whistles, and the creaking of heavily loaded cart wheels. It seemed that more and more people were rushing toward the scene.

The port guard had entered the fray as well.

A massive army had descended upon them, suddenly and overwhelming.

Taking advantage of the Deep Ones' instability, Officer Natalie scanned the vast shipyard, but all she saw were the enemies.

She gritted her teeth, her eyes bloodshot. With a flash of cold light from her sword, she cleaved a Deep One pirate in half.

Damn it, where did you hide Lynch?

Anxious but afraid to shout, lest she reveal their objective, Officer Natalie let out a low roar and charged straight into the swarm of pirates to engage them in battle.

The soldiers behind her showed no mercy, bracing their rifles and unleashing a barrage of fire at the Deep Ones. For a moment, the air was thick with smoke, deafening gunfire, splashing blood, and earth-shattering roars.

Comrade, hold on, I am here.

Wait for me.

What she did not know was that their sudden appearance was exactly what changed the situation.

The moment the first diversionary blast rang out, most of the enemies looked up at the roof, but the powerful Kelvin did not.

His eyes were fixed on Lynch. Lynch could already feel a strange and powerful force suddenly permeating the air around him.

The sudden change caused him to abandon his probing. This was likely his last chance; he would rather kill an innocent than let a potential threat escape.

This was the method of a seventh rank powerhouse; once they struck, it was a thunderous, lethal blow.

No, I cannot let all my efforts go to waste.

Lynch did not want to die. Even with the ability to temporarily negate death, he still did not want to; if he were seen through, not only would the time information he had extracted be wasted, but his interference with the Swelling Daughter would be fully exposed. Today would be a total loss.

I am not resigned to this.

However, in the instant before death descended, Lynch's eyes suddenly brightened, and he grew excited.

I have it—fox borrowing the tiger's might.

So, at the very last moment, Lynch activated a technique he had sworn he would never use.

Secret Technique: Swelling Daughter Contact Technique.

Even if I, Lynch, were to die in front of the enemy, I would never use such a bizarre technique.

Because, other than creating a mental connection with the Swelling Daughter, this technique was completely useless.

The technique was instantaneous and took effect immediately. Lynch felt as though he had touched a bizarre, cold, sinister, and terrifying will. Even though it was not his first time, it still nearly drove him to madness.

In the instant the consciousness connected, a strange aura, heavy with death, quietly seeped out from Lynch's body through the link.

This was the power of an evil god, representing certain rules. When the connection was established, the distorted power of these rules inevitably manifested, much like a leak in a phone line.

Simply put, for one brief moment, one could sense the aura of an evil god from the communicator.

The aura that leaked out at this moment happened to be the aura of the master served by the Swelling Daughters.

If there were time to carefully distinguish it, they would obviously see through the ruse, but the Watchers' sudden entry gave Lynch another chance to gamble.

I bet you don't dare to clash head-on with the official forces, and I bet you don't have the time to analyze this in detail.

The result of the gamble was beyond expectation—even Lynch was a bit stunned.

It worked better than expected. At the very moment the strange aura flashed, Kelvin and Walker's faces turned green.

They nearly went mad on the spot.

Although it lasted only a split second, this aura was the pure will of an evil god. What else could it be, if not a manifestation ritual to summon an evil god's will into one's body? It couldn't possibly be a contact technique—what fool would use a contact technique to chat at a time like this?

The problem was that the practitioner of a manifestation ritual rarely survived, and there would almost certainly be no survivors within hundreds of meters. You're not Lynch? Fine, be not Lynch! Couldn't you prove it another way? We were just testing you, and the official forces just raided us—was it really necessary to suddenly try to drag everyone down with you?

You want to die, but we don't!

"Stop!"

"No!"

Kelvin even forgot to continue his attack and shouted out loud. Fortunately, this woman seemed to have calmed down, and the aura of the evil god's will vanished even more abruptly than it had appeared. This left both of them in a cold sweat, nearly wetting their pants on the spot.

"Boom."

At that moment, the door was kicked open and Officer Natalie rushed in. The moment Walker saw who it was, he grabbed Lynch's hand and pulled her and Kelvin behind a pile of debris.

"We've been tricked. Lynch must not have been teleported in here."

This time, no one doubted Lynch's identity anymore. Walker said in a frantic rage:

"He must have discovered our ambush, had someone impersonate him, while he went to seek help from the Watchers and led them in here."

"Hiss, Madam, I apologize for doubting you. It was my mistake," Kelvin said, his speech rapid. "We..."

"Withdraw. Don't let them see me here, and your identity cannot be exposed. Withdraw now. Old Blind Eye, tell your men to withdraw immediately."

Kelvin immediately gripped Walker's wrist, but when he reached out with his other hand to pull Lynch, Lynch stepped back and avoided his touch.

"You go. I have a way to escape. They've ruined my mood, and I want to stay and see if anything interesting happens."

"Then meet me at the Engineering Building later, or go directly to the Hall of Order. Mr. Kelvin, let's withdraw."

It seems my identity is secure. Thanks to the sudden appearance of the Watchers, this has turned into a blessing in disguise.

Watching the two vanish from before him, he finally relaxed, feeling only limp all over and drenched in cold sweat.

However, his mind was still full of questions. Why did the Watchers appear so suddenly?

And had Officer Natalie woken up? Looking at her pale complexion, she clearly hadn't recovered. If she had woken up, why wasn't she resting properly? Who had led her here?

It couldn't have been me, right?

The restless officer was already chasing them to the edge of the shipyard pier.

As Walker teleported away, Old Blind Eye began directing the pirates to retreat into the sea.

Watching the Deep Ones jump into the water one by one, the officer looked anxious and rushed forward immediately, trying to intercept a few living captives.

However, just as she approached the pier, before she could catch up to the pirates jumping into the sea, a splash erupted in the water. Without warning, a figure leaped out, a blade in hand, hacking down at Officer Natalie, who was rapidly giving chase.

It was Old Blind Eye, who had already jumped into the sea, launching an ambush.

"Watch out!"

The few Watchers who had chased after her shouted in surprise, but they were a step behind the officer. Still a few paces away, they could only watch helplessly as the blade descended, unable to intervene in time.

But at that moment, everyone felt a light breeze blow past.

A human-sized black skull flew out from a pile of debris to the side. Wreathed in black mist, it sped past them, nimbly dodging Officer Natalie as she drew her sword, and collided directly with the lunging Old Blind Eye.

Bang.

The skull struck Old Blind Eye while he was still in mid-air. Though the intangible skull lacked physical substance, it seemed to carry immense force, slamming him backward and exploding into a cloud of black mist upon his body.

Enveloped by the black mist, his scaled skin appeared to lose all vitality, breaking out in large, pale blue patches of decay. Old Blind Eye let out a scream and, writhing in pain, fell back into the sea. Only a trail of water could be seen rapidly moving away.

"Who is it?"

Officer Natalie already had a premonition in her heart, but she still shouted the question aloud while turning her gaze toward the direction from which the skull had been launched.

She saw a man in a formal suit among the debris, his fingers formed into the shape of a pistol. He tapped the brim of his hat, which had been obscuring his face, and revealed a brilliant smile beneath it.

"Long time no see, Officer Natalie Angel."

All sound ceased abruptly. The group of Watchers looked in astonishment at the suddenly appearing Lynch.

And Officer Natalie, having had her kill stolen, just stood there stunned for a moment before suddenly turning and accelerating, rushing toward the posing Lynch with her sword drawn.

Hm? What's going on?

Why did she suddenly charge over? Why does it look like she's going to hit me?

In the split second Lynch was stunned, his last chance to escape slipped away. He watched as Officer Natalie rushed up to him, raised her arms...

And pulled him into a tight embrace, squeezing with all her might: "Thank goodness you made it in time, you damn fool."

"Oh, damn it, ouch, ouch, ouch! Easy, you're going to break something—my ribs are cracking!"

Crack.