"Sigh..."
In the early morning, Wende stood on the balcony of Meryl's villa, letting out a world-weary sigh... It was a beautiful, sunny day...
It seemed that after the Punklorde trip was over, he would have to return to the Xianzhou to restock on some medicinal herbs. While the harmony of Yin and Yang was a good thing, but...
The Mara-Struck condition... was truly terrifying!
---o---
After a quick wash-up, Wende saw Jingliu waiting for him in the villa's large living room, along with a smiling "Tingyun" who was making small talk with Meryl. For the first time in a long while, he felt a bone-deep exhaustion.
The last time he'd felt this way... was when he was acting as a free workhorse for Stelle in Aurum Alley...
[Ah, Mr. Wende, you're awake? Meryl will go make some breakfast...]
Seeing Wende slowly descending the stairs, Meryl smiled at him and typed on her tablet.
"Ah... there's no need. We're the guests, after all. Speaking of which, Miss Meryl, you probably haven't tried my cooking, have you? I'll go make breakfast for everyone."
Reading the message on Meryl's tablet, Wende quickly waved his hands in refusal. Then, under Meryl's touched gaze, he dove headfirst into the villa's kitchen.
[Mr. Wende is such a good person.] Meryl typed out her honest thoughts on the tablet.
"Hehe, our Benefactor has always been this way," "Tingyun" chuckled softly, her gaze unconsciously drifting to Jingliu as her large tail swayed back and forth.
---o---
"Sigh... I'd better cook myself. If that bad woman finds another excuse... I might never get to leave Punklorde," Wende thought with a sigh as he skillfully prepared breakfast.
Who would have thought? What kind of normal person would have that kind of reaction after eating dark cuisine... Right, right, you truly live up to the name "bad woman"! Wende thought, gritting his teeth.
Sigh. Suddenly, Stelle seemed pretty great. His little padded jacket was the best, after all!
Today... was the first day of missing Stelle!
---o---
"Achoo!"
Stelle, who was on her way to Neon Street, suddenly sneezed and wiped her nose in confusion.
"Hm? What's wrong? Did you catch a cold because you're not used to the climate on Punklorde? Or is the police station too full of negative energy... and you've been possessed by an evil spirit!"
Seeing Stelle wipe her nose, March 7th's mind instantly went into overdrive, thinking of every possible scenario! After all, besides Himeko's coffee, what else in the universe could possibly make a Stellaron-human hybrid sick!?
"March... it was just a sneeze," Stelle said, looking helplessly at March's crystal-clear train of thought.
"Really? Don't force yourself if you're not feeling well, okay?"
"Don't worry, I won't."
Stelle looked at March, who was about to glue herself to her side, and patted her on the head with a resigned fondness.
"Hm? This gesture feels a little familiar," March murmured, slightly stunned by the gentle touch on her head.
"Uh... it does, doesn't it," hearing March's words, Stelle retracted her hand and stared at her own palm lines, muttering to herself.
"Forget it, just keep patting... It's the second day without Wende. I miss him~~~ Although, Stelle's cooking is starting to have a hint of his style."
"Hehe, and little March's massage techniques are gradually improving as well," Himeko said with a smile from the front of the group.
"Hmph, of course! I have a natural talent for this!"
"By the way, will Miss Topaz be alright staying there by herself?" Stelle asked Himeko with some concern, thinking of Topaz who had told them that morning she was staying in the New District to conduct a survey.
"So, are you worried about Miss Topaz, or are you worried about Numby?" Detective March saw through Stelle's little scheme in an instant and called her out directly.
"Uh, they! Are all my wings!"
"You! Be careful your wings don't get tangled, you hear me!"
"Alright, alright~" Himeko chuckled, interrupting their nonsense.
"Miss Topaz needs to investigate the specific situation on Punklorde. The follow-up support from the Corporation will be determined based on her assessment," Himeko said seriously, recalling the contents of yesterday's meeting.
From the looks of it, the situation on Punklorde was a complete mess. Help from the Corporation would probably make things easier. That is, provided the Corporation didn't get any "ideas."
According to the information from the current police chief, all of Punklorde's armed forces had been deployed near the Legendary Tower. They were trying to eliminate as many monsters around the tower as possible, but this was clearly an unrealistic goal.
The Legendary Tower was located at the very core of the Neon Metropolis, and the monsters were radiating outwards from it in all directions. Given Punklorde's current state, the manpower of the police department and the Hacker Alliance was insufficient to handle the threat...
However, according to frontline reports, the monsters' offensive had eased considerably since the day before yesterday. Although the reason was unknown, it was undoubtedly the best time to observe the Stellaron. Unsure of how long this window of opportunity would last, Himeko decided to seize it.
At the same time, she had contacted Wende, telling his group to head toward the Old District's defensive line after they had gathered their intel. They would rendezvous there.
---o---
"Move it! Get the ammunition up there! And get those hackers to do something useful! Tell them to stop playing that pirated version of Aetherium Wars! Don't they know the damn Corporation already sent a legal notice to HQ!"
"Where's the cyberdoc? We've got another one whose prosthetic is out of control! Take his arm off for me!"
"Dammit! You lazy bastards! Do you know what a strategic window of opportunity is!? Whose damn battle mech is this!? It's Corporation property, get it the hell out of the way! Can't you see you're blocking the road, you son of a bitch!"
On the New District frontline, a fierce-looking, middle-aged man was carrying a chainsword on his shoulder, shouting at everyone on the battlefield.
"Tch... the monsters aren't even here yet. What's he getting so worked up about?" a young man in a black coat with the Hacker Alliance insignia on his chest remarked nonchalantly, still fiddling with an Aetherium Wars coin.
"Not here yet? When they get here, you'll be the first to die, you little brat!"
The short-tempered commander grabbed the hacker by the collar, his bloodthirsty eyes staring daggers at the punk who was making light of the situation.
"I told you this bunch of hackers was useless! Nothing but a pack of wine bags and rice sacks!"
Thud...
He threw the hacker violently to the ground as if tossing aside garbage, then turned and walked away.
"You f*cker!"
Having been utterly humiliated in front of everyone, the hacker stared at the commander's back with pure hatred, his eyes bloodshot. He summoned a virtual screen and viciously typed in a command.