Chapter 257: Cold Numbers and a Pink-Haired Powerhouse
"Here, and here—we've got requests for help!" March 7th pointed to several blinking yellow dots on the holographic map. "Should we split up or..."
"Together," Dan Heng stated decisively, his gaze sweeping over the complex terrain displayed before them. "The environment is unfamiliar, and the strength of the Abyss monsters is an unknown variable. Concentrating our forces is the safer option."
At that same moment, in the territory of the Hanging Woods Tribe, Wise, Belle, and Venti activated their own auxiliary systems. The map function instantly gave them an intuitive understanding of the surrounding cliffs and dense forest.
But as Belle's eyes drifted to a small data column beside the task list, her breath hitched.
[Natlan War Zone | Real-time Estimated Casualties: 351]
The cold, stark number pierced her and Wise's eyes like a shard of ice.
They came from the relatively peaceful New Eridu. The most intense conflicts they had ever witnessed were skirmishes with Ethereals or the occasional mad dash against a Tour de Inferno. But Natlan, in this moment, felt just like the day their old capital had fallen—a world where people were in constant peril, where lives were being saved and lost with every passing second.
The difference was, back then, there hadn't been a number... Now, a concrete figure representing so much loss and pain was displayed right before them. The impact was immense, and a heavy pressure seized their hearts.
Belle's face paled, and she instinctively gripped her brother's hand, her knuckles turning white. They wanted to help, but faced with such a vast tally of suffering, their individual strength felt so insignificant.
A clear, wind chime-like strum of a lyre string sounded softly.
Venti had plucked a single note. A cool, gentle Anemo power, like a tender caress, brushed over Wise and Belle's hearts, quietly dispelling the surging unease, anxiety, and powerlessness that had taken root.
"Don't let numbers limit your vision, you two," Venti's voice was still lighthearted, yet it carried a deep understanding of the world's sorrows. "War is a cruel collection of such things. We cannot change the tragedies that have already occurred. But what we can do, right now, is try our best to prevent this number from increasing..." He winked. "Or at the very least, make it increase a little slower. Every person saved, every nest of Abyss monsters cleared, adds another glimmer of hope to the final victory."
His words were like a clear spring, washing away the gloom that had settled over them.
He was right. They couldn't determine the grand direction of the war, but they could decide where their own swords would strike and how much effort they would pour into protecting others.
Wise took a deep breath, his eyes becoming firm once more. "Mr. Venti is right! We can't let ourselves get down over this!"
Belle nodded vigorously, her own determination rekindled. "Mhm! We need to save more people!"
The two quickly recentered themselves, focusing their attention back on the mission system. They soon locked onto a blinking yellow dot that was not only the closest but was also marked as a [Large-Scale Rescue Mission].
[Mission Name: Guard the Hanging Wood Cliff – West Side Safe Zone]
[Mission Description: A large number of Abyss monsters are assaulting a temporarily established civilian safe zone. Defenses are insufficient, and the situation is critical!]
[Estimated Threat Level: High]
"This is it!" Wise declared, pointing to the marker.
Venti glanced at it, a slight smile gracing his lips.
...
Unlike the tension in the lands of the Hanging Woods Tribe or the fierce, smoke-shrouded battles in the main conflict zone, the Woluo State where Zhongli and Hu Tao found themselves presented a peculiar sight.
Since the retired Geo Archon and the lively Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor had been teleported here, they had mostly encountered scattered, small-scale skirmishes. To their surprise, however, the burly, muscular warriors of the Woluo State fought with incredible ferocity.
They didn't seem to rely heavily on the Elemental power granted by Visions. Instead, they combined their honed physiques with trace amounts of Elemental energy, unleashing devastating results. Their punches were fierce, their roars like thunder, and they often used the most direct and violent methods to smash apart reinforced Mitachurls and even crack the shields of Abyss Mages.
"Whoa! Consultant, look at them! They're so amazing!" Hu Tao watched a nearby Woluo warrior send a shield-wielding Mitachurl flying with a single punch—shield and all—and couldn't help but exclaim in wonder. "It feels like we won't even get a chance to act!"
Zhongli stood with his hands clasped behind his back, nodding slightly. "The people of the Woluo State are fierce and place great value on physical strength. In a time when the ley lines are disturbed and the flow of Elemental energy is unstable, their style of combat is all the more advantageous."
His gaze swept over the warriors, a hint of admiration in his amber eyes. "Indeed, they are courageous."
While Zhongli was pleased to see the local warriors so capable of defending their own, the lack of a major crisis left Hu Tao feeling a bit restless. It wasn't until the chat group's auxiliary system came online that the pair's expressions brightened.
"Quick, quick, see if there's anywhere this Director needs to show off her skills!" Hu Tao eagerly opened the task list.
Soon, a unique mission marker caught their attention. It was another blinking yellow dot, representing a large-scale support mission, but its description was highly unusual.
[Mission Name: Support the Lone Warrior]
[Mission Description: A single warrior is fending off a tide of Abyss monsters pouring from multiple abyss gates. The situation is extremely dangerous!]
[Note: Multiple stable abyss gates detected in this area; monster generation speed is extremely fast.]
[Estimated Threat Level: Extremely High]
"One person? Facing a monster tide from multiple gates?" Hu Tao's mouth fell open in surprise.
Immediately, her mind conjured the image of a peerless general from a storyteller's epic—a hero "eight feet tall and eight feet wide, with a voice like a booming bell and the strength to uproot mountains."
"Wow! How amazing must that Woluo State warrior be?! He's probably as mighty and imposing as the legendary Yaksha General Bosacius! Let's go help quickly! We can't let a hero like that fight alone!"
Even Zhongli's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise and curiosity. To face such extreme danger alone... such a person was indeed worth seeing.
Wasting no more time, the two immediately used the system's navigation function to rush toward the mission marker.
However, when they traversed a desolate valley contaminated by the foul energy of the Abyss, its ground littered with the twisted remains of monsters, and finally arrived at the mission location, the sight before them completely stunned the imaginative Director Hu Tao.
The mighty general she had envisioned, as majestic as a mountain, was nowhere to be seen.
In the center of this corrupted land, several unstable, dark purple whirlpools—abyss gates—festered like open wounds on the world, continuously spewing out monsters of all shapes and sizes. They roared and surged forward, forming a destructive torrent of claws and teeth.
And in the very heart of this torrent, a petite yet extraordinarily radiant figure was constructing a seemingly fragile but impossible defensive line with astonishing perseverance and strength.
It was a young girl. She had pure white, giant horns curling from her head, bright pink hair tied into twin tails, and a pinkish-purple eyepatch that added a touch of mystery to her determined face.
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