"Gurgle. Gurgle."
Luo Nan could clearly hear the clamorous sound of boiling water.
In fact, the majority of the long corridor was filled with boiling fire clouds. Swelling and bursting dark red bubbles piled together. At first glance, it looked like a lava lake underground.
But from the perspective of the burning wraith, these bubbles were like a powerful detergent with a rolling, corrosive effect.
The spores stirred up by the roar of fear were immediately annihilated the moment they came into contact with the boiling fire clouds. Even the power that had already been operating effectively—such as the gloomy dark flames revolving around the wraith's body—suffered enormous interference.
A vortex formed in the void.
Three types of flames—whether from the burning wraith, the Deep Blue Walker, or the soldiers—would produce no reaction once they were sucked into the vortex.
If that were all, the burning wraith wouldn't necessarily have been at a disadvantage.
But the problem was: who would fight you one-on-one on a military transport ship?
A muffled bang rang out. A blue light suddenly burst forth from a nearby cabin along the corridor. A robust figure rushed out—it was another Deep Blue Walker.
Its propulsion system had clearly been pushed to the limit. It was far more aggressive than the previous one, pouncing forward directly. The alloy dagger in its hand was held horizontally, with the same translucent Format of Fire flickering across its surface.
"So accurate!"
Luo Nan nearly suspected that this Slayer possessed the ability to directly perceive Darksider life forms. The dagger's trajectory was aimed straight at the burning wraith's position—near its core.
The burning wraith reacted a little too slowly. Perhaps the distance between them was too short, or perhaps it lacked awareness of physical danger. Only when the fiery blade was almost upon it did it attempt to blur its form and evade.
But it was too late.
Whether it was the outer layer of gloomy dark flames or the inner shadowy core, a long, visible gash was carved straight through it.
Everything within that strike was reduced to nothingness.
On Luo Nan's side, the feedback transmitted through the chains suddenly turned chaotic. Then a violent surge of power erupted.
The burning wraith's ferocity had been fully awakened.
It completely ignored Luo Nan's previous commands. The Siege Hammer no longer held back and struck directly.
The Slayer's protective Format of Fire dimmed instantly. Its body, still mid-air, lost control and slammed into the metal wall of the corridor with a heavy crash, leaving shallow dents in the alloy.
Several people cried out in alarm.
But the collision rebounded the hundreds-of-kilograms exoskeleton back into motion. Though its protective flames had dimmed further, and the dagger's fire nearly solidified, it still leapt up once more—
—and slashed again.
"Oh no!"
Luo Nan cursed inwardly.
This strike deviated slightly from the previous one, only grazing the periphery of the burning wraith. However, the will behind it—tyrannical and resolute—merged with the Format of Fire and struck directly at the wraith's core.
After taking two consecutive hits—especially that final strike—the burning wraith's reactions became disordered. It froze in place.
As expected, despite its terrifying appearance, this creature was extremely vulnerable to firm and resolute willpower. It had once been suppressed by Yu Ci, and now it was stunned by a single blade.
Of course, the Slayer wasn't in good condition either.
After that strike, the Slayer collapsed heavily onto the ground, sliding into a corner before coming to a halt.
"Save him!"
At that moment, the first Deep Blue Walker to enter the battlefield shouted an order. At the same time, he seized the opportunity to control the Format of Fire, tightening the already powerful fire vortex around the burning wraith.
However, perhaps due to the chaotic situation in the corridor, his control wasn't perfect. The vortex wasn't completely sealed, and there was a slight misjudgment in the wraith's position.
At that exact moment, Luo Nan stimulated the burning wraith again, forcing it out of its stunned state.
The burning wraith didn't bother with revenge.
It transformed into a streak of light, forcefully breaking through the weakest point in the vortex. Then it tunneled through the ground, passed directly through the body of a fallen rich kid, and escaped to the lower deck of the warship.
The central AI reacted sharply as ever, but the presence of unconscious civilians in the corridor made further action difficult. It could only issue orders for a second wave of interception.
The first Deep Blue Walker shook his head, making no move to pursue.
He removed his sealed helmet, revealing a handsome and solemn face—it was Yan Yongbo.
At that moment, medics rushed to check on the fallen Slayer. But before they could make contact, the Slayer suddenly flipped over and sat up, pushing the medic aside.
A heavy fist slammed into the floor.
Frustration and fury were fully displayed.
Yan Yongbo walked forward. For the first time, his usually stern face showed a faint smile. He extended his hand:
"Captain He, controlling your emotions is the number one rule when dealing with Darksider life forms. And just now—you handled it perfectly…"
"I know exactly how I performed."
The Slayer ignored his gesture completely. Her voice was low and cold. She used the armor's assistance system to stand and began recalibrating it.
"Captain He…"
The Slayer turned her helmet toward him.
"Quantum Corporation's professionalism is acceptable. I hope future cooperation will reduce unnecessary errors… I value my time."
Yan Yongbo smiled faintly. "Naturally."
The Slayer turned and left. Yan Yongbo followed behind.
He quietly savored the low, slightly hoarse voice—the unmistakable hint of femininity—and pondered whether there was deeper meaning behind her words.
A few seconds later, he lowered his head and spoke over the company's internal channel:
"The target is strong. When cooperating with the military, stability is the top priority… Blackie, especially you. Don't rush in. Focus on support."
Blackie replied simply, "Understood. I'm watching."
According to wartime regulations, all non-military communication channels were either blocked or monitored. Careless speech was not allowed.
Yan Yongbo's words quickly triggered a routine warning from command. However, since no sensitive information was revealed—and given the military's stance toward Quantum Corporation—the matter was treated as standard procedure.
Only Yan Yongbo and Blackie truly understood the message: Delay the operation. Observe. Wait. Yan Yongbo lowered his head, thoughts spinning.
Today was truly a lucky day. He had the chance to meet and interact with Captain He.
Compared to someone like her—a koi ready to leap the dragon gate—the insignificant Luo family brat could wait.
There were always ways to investigate a child's background. But opportunities like this?They didn't come twice. No matter what, he had to leave a strong impression on Captain He. Yes… putting in a bit more effort would be worth it.