"The entire city is a ritual circle," Lin Ming said, the horrifying realization dawning on him. "Every battle, every death... it's all part of their plan. We need to get back to the library, now!"
Quynh Nhu (comms): On my way down. But Zenith, the whole city is a warzone. We can't just stroll through the front door.
Minerva (comms): She's right. Military command is reporting heavy resistance at all major intersections. And multiple Berserker squads have changed their vectors. They are converging on the library now, likely to protect their 'antenna'.
The enemy, having started their ritual, was now moving to defend its focal point.
"They're anticipating us," Pham Tuan growled, slamming a fist into his palm. "We're caught in their trap."
"Then we'll have to break it," Lin Ming said, his mind racing, formulating a plan. "Minerva, I need the path of least resistance to the library's underground entrance. And I mean least resistance, even if it means going through buildings or sewers. Get us there."
Minerva: Calculating... There is a route through the old storm drain system that emerges into the library's sub-basement, two levels above the 'Hall of Four Books'. It will be cramped and structurally unstable, but it bypasses 95% of the street-level conflict. I am uploading the schematic now.
"Good. Quynh Nhu," Lin Ming called as the agile sniper dropped gracefully from the rooftop, landing silently beside them. "We can't use you in the tunnels. Your rifle is useless there. We need you to cause a distraction. A big one."
Quynh Nhu's eyes glinted with a fierce, almost joyful light. "Distraction is my middle name. What do you have in mind?"
"I need you to draw the attention of every Madakaros between here and the ASEAN Command Tower," Lin Ming said. "Climb the tower. Set up a nest. And become the most annoying, most deadly threat they have ever faced. Pin them down. Make them look up, not down."
It was a suicide mission. The ASEAN Command Tower would be the primary target for the strongest Madakaros forces. Sending her there was sending her into the lion's mouth.
Quynh Nhu didn't even blink. She just gave him a sharp, predatory grin. "So, you want me to go god-mode and carry the entire team? Finally, a plan I can get behind. Don't take too long saving the world, boys. I'll get bored."
With another salute that was all swagger, she sprinted in the opposite direction, disappearing into the urban jungle. A lone hunter heading for the biggest pack of wolves.
"She's insane," Pham Tuan muttered with a note of deep respect.
"She's the best there is," Lin Ming corrected. "Let's move. We can't let her bravery be for nothing."
They located the entrance to the storm drain system in a deserted alley. The manhole cover was heavy and rusted. Pham Tuan ripped it off with his bare hands as if it were a dinner plate. A wave of foul air washed over them.
"This is going to be unpleasant," Pham Tuan grumbled.
They descended into the darkness. The tunnels were narrow, slippery, and filled with a disgusting mixture of refuse and stagnant water. It was a complete contrast to the hallowed, ancient halls they were trying to reach. Their flashlights cut through the gloom, revealing scurrying rats and creeping mold.
Minerva (comms): My connection to you will be spotty down here. Follow the path on your HUD. And Zenith... according to my projections based on the current rate of energy accumulation... you have approximately 45 minutes before the 'antenna' reaches full charge.
The clock was ticking.
They moved as quickly as they could through the oppressive labyrinth. Their journey was a tense, silent sprint through the city's forgotten underbelly.
Every distant explosion they heard from the world above was a reminder of the desperate battle Quynh Nhu was fighting for them, a reminder that with every passing second, the enemy's horrific ritual grew stronger.
Lin Ming focused his mind, pushing aside the grim reality of the situation. He opened his mental connection to the Book of Earth, the primordial knowledge flooding his consciousness even as he ran.
He couldn't afford to waste a single second. He had to learn, to understand. He was no longer just fighting for survival; he was fighting to master a power that could save them all.
He visualized the [Gravity Press] skill. He imagined the weight of the earth, the relentless pull that kept worlds in their orbits.
Suddenly, a section of the tunnel ahead of them collapsed from the shockwave of a nearby explosion, blocking their path with tons of rubble.
"It's a dead end!" Pham Tuan said, readying himself to try and punch through the wall of debris.
"Wait," Lin Ming said, holding out a hand. He closed his eyes, his breathing evening out. He reached out with his [Spiritual Sense], not with force, but with understanding. He felt the weight, the density, the immense potential energy in the pile of rubble.
He focused his will. 'Heavier.'
He activated [Gravity Press] for the first time. The air above the rubble seemed to thicken. The pile of debris groaned, shifted, and then compressed downwards with incredible force, crushing itself into a much smaller, denser mass and clearing the top half of the tunnel. An opening was created.
[First use of Gravity Press successful!]
[Geomancy Skill Tree: +10% proficiency.]
Pham Tuan stared in amazement. "You... you just crushed it with your mind."
"Less talking, more running," Lin Ming said, his forehead beaded with sweat. The skill had taken a precise, mental toll.
They continued their desperate race against time.
Meanwhile, on the 100th floor of the ASEAN Command Tower, Quynh Nhu was setting up her nest. She had blasted the lock off a maintenance hatch and now had a perfect, 360-degree view of the burning city.
"Okay, Minerva, you still with me?" she whispered, assembling her rifle.
Minerva: Loud and clear, Hawkeye. Multiple hostile squads are already attempting to scale the tower. Estimated time until they reach your level: 12 minutes.
"Twelve minutes is an eternity," Quynh Nhu replied, a cold smile on her lips. She chambered a special, high-explosive round. Her first target was a Madakaros heavy weapons team setting up a plasma cannon in a plaza below.
She took a breath, steadied her hands, and squeezed the trigger.
The world seemed to hold its breath for a second. Then, a plaza five blocks away erupted in a ball of fire.
"Attention, all you ugly three-eyed freaks," Quynh Nhu broadcasted on an open, unencrypted channel, hijacking the city's emergency broadcast frequency—a trick Minerva had taught her. "This is Hawkeye of Task Force Chimera. The 100th floor of the big shiny tower is now my personal shooting gallery. First one to the top gets a free, high-velocity face-reconstruction. Come and get me."
All across the city, Madakaros commanders who had been directing their forces towards other targets suddenly stopped. Their comms channels lit up with the insolent, challenging voice of a single human. It was an unbearable taunt.
Their objective shifted. The hunt for Quynh Nhu was on. She had just painted the biggest target in the city on her own back, willingly and with a smile. The distraction had begun.