Chapter 152: Orion's Gambit
"Let's not worry about the cause for now," Cocolia decided. "The most urgent task is to confirm the situation outside. Bronya, immediately dispatch a reconnaissance team."
"Yes, Mother."
"Trailblazers," Cocolia looked at the Express crew. "If it's convenient, I hope you can assist. You are well-traveled and might notice something amiss."
"Of course," Dan Heng nodded.
In the evening, Orion brought the Express crew to the city walls. From here, they could see the scene outside—the once vast white snowfield was rapidly disappearing, and the melted snow formed countless rivers.
"How beautiful…" March 7th raised her camera. "This sight is probably the first in 700 years."
"Let's go to a more distant place," Dan Heng suggested. So, the group left the city. The further they went, the more astonishing the sight became. The snow had completely disappeared, but what was exposed was not fertile soil.
After walking for about half an hour, Orion suddenly stopped. He squatted down and picked up a handful of "soil." Fine white sand flowed through his fingers.
"Sand?" Stelle also squatted down, looking at the white sand in surprise.
Dan Heng's face changed. "The entire surface is turning into desert…"
Just then, a wind picked up in the distance. On the horizon, a huge white wall of sand was rapidly approaching.
"A sandstorm!" March 7th exclaimed.
"Quick, back to the city!" Orion made a decisive call. Everyone rushed into the city just before the sandstorm hit, enveloping the world outside in white.
Two days later, an emergency meeting was held. "The last reconnaissance team has been out of contact for 12 hours," Bronya's expression was grim. "The search and rescue team found no trace. It's as if… they vanished into thin air."
"I'll go see for myself," Bronya decided. "Orion, can you accompany me?"
"Okay," Orion nodded.
"We'll go too!" Stelle immediately said.
Thus, a temporary squad was formed: Bronya, Orion, the Trailblazers, and ten elite Silvermane Guards. They followed the last reported route of the missing squad into the endless white desert.
After several hours, a Silvermane Guard shouted, "Here!" At the foot of a huge glacier, they found the missing squad's equipment, scattered on the ground, but no sign of the people.
"There are signs of a struggle," Dan Heng inspected the scene.
Stelle walked to the edge of the glacier. "March, there seems to be something inside…"
Crack! The ice wall shattered, and countless pairs of crimson eyes lit up in the darkness! Grotesque monsters crawled out, brandishing their weapons.
"They're Fragmentum creatures!" Bronya immediately ordered. "Prepare for battle!"
"No… that's not right!" March 7th suddenly shouted. "Those aren't Fragmentum creatures!"
Dan Heng said in a deep voice, "They are Voidrangers of the Antimatter Legion."
"Antimatter Legion?" Bronya was shocked. "How is that possible…"
"They've been frozen for 700 years," Stelle murmured. "Now that the glaciers are melting, they've also awakened."
The awakened Voidrangers surged forward like a tide, and the battle instantly erupted. Stelle was the first to charge, her baseball bat whistling through the air. Dan Heng's spear weaved like a dragon, while March 7th shot ice arrows from the rear.
But the number of Voidrangers was too great, constantly crawling out of the glacier. "This won't do!" Bronya shouted. "There are too many of them!"
Just as the situation became precarious—
"Everyone, move aside," Orion's voice rang out. He walked forward, clenching his right hand in the void. The Sword of Oblivion gradually condensed into shape in his palm.
"That is…" Stelle's eyes widened. The moment she saw that black sword, her heart pounded wildly.
Orion held the sword and advanced. The Voidrangers seemed to sense the threat and pounced even more frantically.
Then— Slash!
With a single swing of the sword, the world seemed to fall silent. Everyone saw an indescribable black rift, spanning across the sky! In an instant, it cut through the Voidrangers' formation and the hard glacier, as if space itself had been torn open!
Rumble—
It wasn't until half of the glacier slowly slid down, completely burying the remaining Voidrangers below with a deafening roar, that everyone awoke as if from a dream.
"You've got to be kidding me?!" March 7th's eyes were wide, her bow almost slipping from her hand. Someone who could kill dozens of Voidrangers and cut through a glacier with one sword…
"So strong," Dan Heng rarely felt surprised by others' strength. But that single sword strike was simply perfect.
Stelle stood dumbfounded, her heart still pounding. Bronya and the Silvermane Guards were speechless in their shock.
Orion put away the black sword. He turned and smiled at the still-stunned group. "Let's retreat for now. It's not safe here."
[Inorin Note:
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