Just as Chinatsu was directing and starring in her tragic drama
a tapestry of lies, resolve, and farewell
deep inside the factory, the killing intent outside the perimeter had solidified into a tangible presence.
Ellen Mathers took the lead, hovering at the very front of the formation.
The elite Magician unit of DEM, personally led by her, and a mixed formation composed of local AST Unit members, were rapidly approaching the factory at extremely high tactical speed.
They were precise and lethal, like a pack of wolves that had smelled blood.
The airflow generated by the high-speed movement tugged at Ellen's dazzling golden hair, making it dance wildly behind her, yet she herself remained like a cold sculpture.
Her sharp eyes, peering through advanced tactical goggles, were locked firmly onto the blinking coordinates representing the target on her screen.
Suddenly, the voice of the accompanying technical officer sounded in the encrypted communication channel, carrying a hint of imperceptible hesitation:
"Report, Madam Ellen! The spiritual energy signature of Target 'Herrscher of Reason'
Welt Yang
has vanished! Signal attenuation mode... Upon comparison, it matches the 'Lost' characteristic in standard Spirit reactions!"
Ellen's heroic eyebrows instantly furrowed, forming a sharp angle, but the sharpness in her eyes did not dim; instead, it intensified.
"Vanished?" Her voice came through the channel, carrying the cold, hard texture of metal scraping, brooking no doubt.
"Do not be fooled by such a simple diversion. The target's Authority is 'Understanding and Reconstruction'; simulating a spiritual energy signature that exhibits 'Lost' characteristics is not impossible for him. Command all units to continue advancing according to the original plan and confirm the situation at close range!"
She paused briefly, adding, as if delivering a final verdict, her tone carrying the determination to crush all obstacles:
"And that transfer student, Phoenix-in Chinatsu. Regardless of her connection to Welt Yang, and regardless of whether she herself is classified as a Spirit, she must be designated as a top-priority target and captured! Her very existence is an extremely important clue and a living sample; her value must not be compromised."
Almost simultaneously with her words, another real-time monitoring report followed:
"We have also detected a cliff-like attenuation in the spiritual energy signature of 'Nightmare'; the current active peak is less than forty percent of its peak period. Preliminary analysis suggests excessive consumption during the previous conflict with the 'Herrscher of Reason', especially... it is highly likely that a certain extremely high-cost time-based ability was used to save the dying Herrscher of Reason."
Upon hearing this, Ellen's lips involuntarily curled upwards, sketching a cold, arc of derision devoid of any warmth.
"Hmph, exhausting her own precious power just to save a so-called 'comrade'? Truly... a touching 'friendship'."
Her words were like poisoned ice needles, "Perfect. Let us seize this opportunity and settle accounts with this bothersome 'Nightmare' as well, right here, today!"
Just then, a rhythmic hum of thrusters came from the flank.
The AST Unit advance reconnaissance team led by Takamiya Mana had completed the perimeter sweep and successfully linked up with Ellen's main force.
Mana's face showed the unmistakable fatigue of continuous combat, but her eyes remained firm and sharp, like a drawn sword.
She activated her Combat Realizer, flew to Ellen's side, and saluted crisply:
"Madam Ellen, confirmation complete ahead! The core area where the target last disappeared is locked to the interior of the abandoned factory. No residual signs of a large-scale Spatial Quake were detected, but remnants of multiple high-concentration spiritual energy signatures intensely interwoven were detected. The energy spectrum is complex, consistent with high-intensity engagement characteristics."
Just as Ellen was about to wave her hand and issue the final command for a full-scale assault, a voice laced with obvious fatigue and anxiety forcefully cut into the encrypted channel
it was Ryouko Kusakabe, the captain who had just rushed in with the main AST Unit force.
-------------------------
If you enjoy this story, you can read 70+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
Webnovel will keep getting 1 new chapter every day but Patreon readers can stay far ahead.
Maybe it's not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
[email protected]/Rexlent
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"