Chapter 408: Evacuation Countdown
Zhongli's brow furrowed slightly. His amber eyes narrowed, his piercing gaze seemingly stripping away the physical brass of the bullet casing to discern its inherent, underlying nature.
March 7th gasped, instinctively shrinking back and rubbing her arms as a sudden chill washed over her. "This thing... feels so strange," she muttered softly, her voice tinged with unease. "I can't quite put my finger on it, but looking at it just gives me the creeps..."
Lumine's golden eyes flashed with deep solemnity. Her attunement to the elements allowed her to sense it—a faint, yet terrifyingly potent aura of absolute 'rules' flowing smoothly along the complex, etched patterns of the casing.
Paimon, even more sensitive to the oppressive atmosphere, immediately dove behind Lumine's back. She peeked out with only half her head, her tiny hands gripping the Traveler's scarf. "Traveler... that bullet... it feels so scary..."
Their visceral reactions did not go unnoticed by the four members of Section 6. Yanagi and Miyabi exchanged a deeply puzzled look.
The immense value of those emerald-green, high-grade elixirs they had acquired earlier was self-evident. In a place like New Eridu, such miraculous concoctions would undoubtedly be classified as top-tier medical resources—the kind of priceless treasures that major factions and syndicates would fight tooth and nail to monopolize.
The 'Skeletal Heart' was even more crucial to their mission, its assessed bounty reaching an astonishingly high figure.
But why were these extraordinarily powerful individuals so utterly fascinated, and even visibly wary, of a seemingly ordinary piece of ammunition?
Breaking the tense silence, Dan Heng reached out. With deliberate care, he picked up the bullet from the velvet-lined bottom of the box.
The very moment his fingertip made contact with the cold metal, an extremely faint yet incredibly clear stream of information surged directly into his consciousness. This was not a standard text explanation provided by their Chat Group interface, but rather 'conceptual' information inherently carried by the item itself.
[Item Name: One-Shot Kill]
[Trait 1 - Infallible Hit: Once fired, the projectile's trajectory will ignore all physical obstructions, energy deflections, and spatial evasions. It automatically anchors to the conceptual target locked at the moment of firing, persisting until impact. Cost: Cannot be re-aimed; cannot be canceled mid-flight.]
[Trait 2 - Death: Upon impact, the projectile draws upon a trace of the conceptual rule of 'Death'to entangle the target. If the target cannot resist or claim immunity to this'Death'declaration on a purely conceptual level, its existence will be forcibly guided to'termination.']
Dan Heng slowly drew in a steadying breath. Opening his eyes, he relayed the perceived information in the most concise language possible to the group, specifically aiming his explanation at the Section 6 operatives who did not yet comprehend the item's terrifying value.
"...So, the true preciousness of this bullet lies not in its physical material, but in the absolute 'rules'it carries," Dan Heng concluded. His voice remained perfectly steady, yet the sheer weight of his words sent a phantom chill racing down the listeners' spines. "'Infallible Hit' means that once a target is locked, escaping is practically impossible.'Death'means that upon impact, what you are resisting is no longer physical damage or a kinetic energy blast, but rather... the very concept of'Death' itself."
Miyabi's fox-like ears twitched, and her eyes suddenly narrowed into sharp slits. As a seasoned Hollow Special Operations Section Chief, she possessed a deep understanding of 'power'—whether it manifested as extreme speed, overwhelming destructive force, exquisite martial skill, or an unwavering will.
But 'rules'... this kind of utterly unreasonable, reality-bending power that directly manipulated the very essence of existence was a concept on a completely different, almost divine level. It made her genuinely question if such an abstruse, terrifying thing could truly exist in their world.
Just as the group stood in stunned silence, grappling with the existence of this rule-based anomaly and pondering its catastrophic potential—
A familiar, translucent light-blue screen abruptly materialized before everyone's eyes.
[System Prompt: Special Subjugation Mission 'Pursuit of Bringer' - Completed.]
[Primary Objectives: Capture or kill Bringer (Completed). Obtain the Skeletal Heart (Completed).]
[Mission Basic Reward Settlement: Distributing according to contribution...]
[Hollow Evacuation Countdown: 00:09:59]
[Warning: All members must leave the current Hollow area via any established evacuation point before the countdown ends. Those who remain after the countdown reaches zero will face unknown risks and severe penalties.]
Although the multiversal travelers already knew that Hollow operations operated on a strict time limit, seeing the specific, glaring red numbers of a ten-minute countdown flash alongside the mission completion prompt instantly cranked the sense of urgency up to an overwhelming degree.
"Only ten minutes?!" March 7th exclaimed, her eyes widening in panic as she immediately began fumbling with her system interface. "Quick, quick, quick! Z-Bot! My good little Z-Bot, come out, hurry! We need to find a way to evacuate right now!"
Answering her frantic call, a pitch-black, spherical Bangboo popped into existence beside her through a small, localized spatial rift. It emitted a cheerful series of "Eh-nah, eh-nah!" noises, its digital eyes spinning as it simultaneously scanned the chaotic environment and calculated the optimal path to the nearest system-designated evacuation point.
She wasn't the only one reacting. With a flurry of digital chimes, Lumine, Hu Tao, and the rest of the Chat Group members summoned their respective Z-Bots.
For a brief moment, a chorus of energetic "Eh-nah, eh-nah!" electronic beeps echoed across the scorching, glassed battlefield, instantly transforming the tense atmosphere into one of bustling, chaotic activity. After all, absolutely no one wanted the precious materials and hard-earned spoils they had painstakingly collected and fought tooth and nail for to be unceremoniously confiscated by the system just because they missed a curfew.
The calmest individuals on the chaotic field were undoubtedly Wise and Belle. As legendary Rope Masters, their innate ability to perceive, analyze, and calculate shifting Hollow structures and volatile Aether flows was their absolute specialty. To them, the fixed evacuation points provided by the Chat Group system were merely convenient backup options, not desperate lifelines.
Wise turned to Yanagi and Miyabi, his calm tone carrying a polite hint of apology. "Deputy Chief Yanagi, Section Chief Miyabi, I apologize for the sudden rush. Due to the strict restrictions of our 'event' rules, Lumine, Dan Heng, and the rest of our group must leave the Hollow area before that countdown ends. They have to go on ahead."
He paused, his analytical gaze sweeping over the remaining Section 6 operatives. "Belle and I will also be evacuating from another direction shortly. Regarding the many inexplicable things that happened today, and any burning questions you might have... how about we discuss them in detail once everyone has safely returned to the outside world?"
"As per our little tradition, after each 'event,' our group of friends gathers for a small banquet to celebrate our survival and exchange experiences," Wise added with a faint, welcoming smile. "If you are free later, you are all more than welcome to join us."
Belle nodded vigorously at her brother's side, chiming in with her usual cheerful energy. "Yes, yes! Deputy Chief Yanagi, Miss Miyabi, you absolutely must come! The banquet is always super lively, and there's going to be mountains of delicious food! Definitely enough to fill everyone up!"
Undoubtedly, that last enticing promise of food was directed squarely at Soukaku. The oni girl's eyes sparkled, and she practically started drooling on the spot. After fighting at such high intensity for so long, her stomach was already rumbling aggressively, though she had tried her best to keep quiet about it while still trapped in the dangerous Hollow.
Having delivered the invitation, Belle turned her attention to Eous. The little Bangboo was standing quietly nearby, its usually pristine shell currently marred by scorch marks and battle scratches. Belle crouched down and gently stroked its smooth, metallic head, her tone softening with genuine affection.
"Eous, I'll leave the rest to you now. Please guide Section Chief Miyabi and the others out safely. You've worked really hard this time. I promise I'll give you a thorough, top-tier maintenance session the moment we get back!"
Eous's digital eyes instantly shifted into a happy (＞ ＜) expression. It threw its stubby arms in the air, emitting an incredibly energetic response. "Eh-nah-nah—!" [As long as I can help Belle and Wise! Eous will definitely take everyone out safely! Mission guaranteed to be completed!]
Soon enough, guided by the frantic navigation of their respective Z-Bots, Lumine, Hu Tao, March 7th, and the rest of the multiversal crew quickly darted off in different directions, vanishing into the shifting labyrinth of the Hollow. They left behind only the fading echoes of hurried footsteps and brief, shouted goodbyes like "See you outside!" and "Meet back at the base!"
Wise and Belle offered one final, respectful nod to Yanagi and Miyabi. Turning on their heels, the sibling duo headed in a completely different direction. Their agile figures quickly merged into the dense, corrupted shadows of the Hollow, beginning a rapid, flawless transfer along their perfectly calculated escape route.
In the span of just a minute or two, the once crowded and lively epicenter of the battlefield was completely emptied. Only the four elite members of Section 6 remained, with the loyal little Eous quietly standing guard nearby, ready to lead them out.
The immediate surroundings were once again swallowed by the Hollow's characteristic, oppressive dead silence, broken only by the faint, eerie hum of ambient Aether. The only testaments to the sheer chaos that had just unfolded were the vast stretches of molten, vitrified glass coating the ground and the massive, smoking crater in the center—silent witnesses recounting the devastating battle that had recently transpired.
Harumasa let out a long, exhausted breath, his perpetually tense nerves finally relaxing just a fraction. He stretched his shoulders, then noticed that Miyabi, standing right beside him, seemed entirely lost in thought. The Section Chief was gazing deeply into the shifting shadows, her eyes locked on the exact direction where Zhongli and the others had disappeared.
Slingshotting his bow over his shoulder, he couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong, Chief? What are you thinking about?"
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