Chapter 158: An Unexpected Surprise
Faced with the charging mob, Lyte's eyes sharpened. He was confident he wouldn't need anyone else's help.
He shot forward first, a tiger pouncing into a flock of sheep. Lyte's punches were devastatingly heavy; with every swing of his arm, one or two of the grunts would inevitably scream as they were sent flying backward, their ability to fight instantly nullified. Seeing this, Hark let out a furious howl and charged straight at Lyte.
Bernice and Nicole followed Lyte into the fray, effortlessly clearing out the stragglers.
However, as the number of enemies thinned, Bernice's gaze locked onto a particularly agile figure darting through the crowd—Pockona. Her eyes lit up, and she immediately abandoned the main fight to initiate a gleeful game of cat-and-mouse.
Nicole, meanwhile, leaned leisurely against her massive axe. She watched Lyte display his overwhelming power and Bernice give energetic chase, a relieved smile gracing her lips. She sighed, "Youth certainly comes with a lot of energy!"
Caesar and Lucy did not participate, instead observing from a short distance away.
Caesar stared at the melee, his brow deeply furrowed. "It seems that forcibly keeping Uncle Pompey with us has caused considerable chaos for the Triumphant Ones," he murmured to Lucy, his tone laced with self-reproach.
Lucy, arms crossed, offered her analysis. "It's not entirely because of Pompey. He's only been gone for five days, and a 'new captain' who doesn't even recognize our core members has already appeared within the Triumphant Ones—and one who's this aggressive, no less."
She paused, her expression turning grim. "I suspect forces from other districts are taking advantage of the Triumphant Ones being leaderless to meddle in the affairs of the Outer Ring."
Their discussion was brief. The battle consisted mostly of ordinary grunts, with only Hark possessing any real captain-level strength. Before long, there were no more enemies left standing on the battlefield.
Surprisingly, however, Hark's stamina was remarkable. He had endured several solid punches from Lyte without collapsing and could even manage a few desperate exchanges, though he was completely on the defensive. It was enough to earn a sliver of respect.
It wasn't until Lyte decided to get serious, executing a skillful grappling move that pinned Hark firmly to the ground, that the farcical battle finally came to an end.
Caesar then stepped forward, looking down at the subdued man. "I am Caesar, the leader of the Cunning Hares," he said in a deep, steady voice. "I promise you, Uncle Pompey is fine and perfectly safe. After we return, we will have him rejoin the Triumphant Ones."
Hark struggled against Lyte's hold, his voice thick with suspicion. "Really? Is Big Brother Pompey really okay?"
Lucy, having lost all patience with his stubbornness, snapped, "Yes, really! It's all true! Just go back and wait! Lyte, let him go."
Lyte released his grip and stepped back, remaining vigilant.
Hark scrambled to his feet and retreated several steps, creating distance. His gaze darted between Caesar's earnest face, Lucy's impatient expression, and his own subordinates groaning on the ground. He knew he couldn't win a fight against them, but judging by their demeanor, they didn't seem to be lying…
He hesitated for a moment before puffing out his chest in a show of bluster. "...Then I'll believe you this once! But if Big Brother Pompey doesn't come back, we'll be back for you!"
With that, he began clumsily helping his groaning subordinates to their feet. He gathered the remaining men and scurried out of the Hollow.
As for the mercenary Pockona, she had already nimbly slipped away under Bernice's lingering, regretful gaze.
At that moment, Bernice finally bounced back to the group, a bright, contented smile plastered on her face. It seemed she had gotten her wish and successfully touched the fluffy tail she had been yearning for.
And so, the farce born from misunderstanding and prejudice finally concluded.
With Miegars rescued, the team successfully departed from the Hollow.
After leaving the chasm, Caesar and Lucy went to find the recuperating Pompey, explaining in detail what had just happened and sharing Lucy's concerns.
Pompey listened, his expression growing complex. He hadn't expected that in the few short days since his departure, the Triumphant Ones'internal affairs would descend into such chaos. A'new captain' had emerged who couldn't read the situation and blindly sought revenge, and they might have even been infiltrated by outside forces.
He solemnly apologized to Caesar and Lucy. "This is my dereliction of duty. I've caused trouble for the Cunning Hares. Once I return, I will thoroughly reorganize the Triumphant Ones and eliminate any unstable elements."
He paused, his gaze firm. "The reconstruction of Zhitobog is a major event for the entire Outer Ring. On the day of its official opening, I, Pompey, will personally attend to offer my congratulations."
Time passed quietly, and soon it was afternoon.
[Belle (Zenless Zone Zero)]: "Big brother, big brother! Is the matter resolved? Is Miegars okay? Reply quickly when you see this!"
[Wise (Zenless Zone Zero)]: "Don't worry, it's resolved. It was just a misunderstanding. Miegars is fine." (Attached is a photo of Miegars clinging tearfully to Lucy's leg)
[Belle (Zenless Zone Zero)]: "That's great! Seriously, you scared me!"
The chat group gradually grew lively again as the atmosphere of worry dissipated.
[Stelle (Honkai: Star Rail)]: "Oh man, finally a moment to breathe! This Okhema place is ridiculously huge!"
[March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail)]: "Yeah, yeah, it feels even bigger than Belobog!"
[Paimon (Genshin Impact)]: "That sounds exhausting! But, did you find anything tasty?"
[Stelle (Honkai: Star Rail)]: "Food can wait! @March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail), quick, show them how awesome we are!"
[March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail)]: "Coming, coming!"
March 7th shared several photos. In them, she and Stelle stood before a ruin, a soft blue light converging in their hands. Miraculously, the collapsed building before them was reassembling itself piece by piece.
[Belle (Zenless Zone Zero)]: "Wow! So amazing! Did you guys learn that magic too?"
[Paimon (Genshin Impact)]: "Is that the Olorotitan miracle you mentioned before? You really learned it?"
[Stelle (Honkai: Star Rail)]: "Hehehe! Of course! My comprehension is top-notch! And with the lovely Tribbie teaching us the techniques, learning this was a piece of cake, wasn't it?"
[March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail)]: "Yep! Tribbie said it requires communicating with time and experiencing 'memories.' Although we don't know the exact principle, it seems we can use it after reciting a prayer, so we picked it up super quickly!"
[Belle (Zenless Zone Zero)]: "Amazing, amazing!"
[Stelle (Honkai: Star Rail)]: "But seriously, this Okhema place is too big! Even with the three of us, we'd probably have to explore for several days without rest!"
[March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail)]: "Yeah, it would be great if everyone could explore together. It would definitely be more interesting and faster."
The moment March 7th's words fell, the familiar blue light of a system screen popped up before the eyes of every group member without warning.
[System Notification: Detected increased exploration desire and cross-world collaboration needs from multiple group members. A World Activity is about to begin! Click for details…]
The lively group chat instantly fell silent. Everyone's attention was captured by the sudden notification.
Unexpectedly, the world-threatening mission they had all been worried about hadn't arrived. Instead, a World Activity had come first.
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