Chapter 178.1 – Key (21)

◎ Long time no see, Uncle ◎

Ten days ago.

District A1, Central Court.

In the spacious conference room, empty and void of any person, several holographic projections sat or stood on both sides of a long table, engaged in hushed conversations:

“S7 level is rare, but not unique.”

“As far as I know, besides the publicly known Song Ke and former Special Operations Unit member Punk, both Azure Phoenix and Vulture have two internally known figures each, right?”

Xie Lan, the leader of Azure Phoenix, was not invited to today’s secret meeting. Everyone turned their gaze towards the end of the table, where the highest-ranking officer of the Sixth Division of Fuerche.

He didn’t activate his holographic projection and spoke with a hoarse voice, “It’s a tradition in Vulture that only death can reveal the code names.”

In other words, he wouldn’t disclose any information as long as those two S7 levels were alive.

Others exchanged glances, tacitly understanding, and no longer pursued the matter. Unlike Azure Phoenix, a regular military force, the Sixth Division of Fuerche (Vulture Unit) specialized in intelligence and assassinations. Offending these rats in the sewer could lead to a grim fate, and one might not even be aware if their throat was silently slit one day.

“There are indeed many S7 levels, but as for S-level dual attribute, so far, only one has appeared in the entire Alliance, and that is the Bloody Hunter, Punk.”

Park Jae-woo gazed towards the main seat, a fleeting desire for supreme power flickering in his eyes: “Mr. Gu, after Punk was expelled from the special operations team, he sought refuge under Commander Simon and has been a loyal dog under his command… serving diligently and wholeheartedly.”

“This is the recording of Punk’s death, and the one who killed him is Song Ke.”

The participants sat up straight, their attention fully focused on the screen. The video provided by Park Jae-woo came from the miniature camera inside Punk’s confinement collar, cutting off any “irrelevant” parts and leaving only the final scene.

As the image lit up, it was filled with the impact and shock of a first-person perspective. Song Ke, wielding the Overlord Spear, aggressively advanced with a deathly expression. The two clashed with powerful abilities, and Punk, unable to withstand, retreated. Song Ke first pierced his intact right eye, then severed his hands and feet, ultimately forcing Punk to self-destruct.

The brutal combat prowess left everyone in a bone-chilling silence, sinking into a prolonged contemplation.

“For this person, is there a possibility of surrender?” Mr. Gu, the head of the meeting, asked calmly.

A profound silence followed, and no one dared to answer.

After a while, a certain official nervously said, “This S7 level comes from a low-level district, and I’m afraid… it may be challenging to control.”

Punk’s death might not be of great significance, but it proved one thing: Song Ke’s strength far surpassed everyone’s imagination. Intelligence indicated that she came from the impoverished digital area, shrouded in mystery, with unknown parents, and had never received any favors from the Alliance. Yet, she was inseparable from the Key, making it challenging to persuade her.

Song Ke was like a ticking time bomb, ready to become the greatest obstacle to the Reboot Plan at any moment.

Mr. Gu sighed deeply, “What a pity.”

The attendees fell silent and bowed their heads. This former leader had already made a decision, and unfortunately, the Alliance was about to lose an S7.

“The only one who can kill a dual ability is another dual ability.”

Simon, with a hooked nose, stood up with a gloomy expression. He noticed that Song Ke’s right arm had been blown off before but quickly regained combat capability. Simon coldly glanced at the smug Park Jae-woo, a despicable and shameless person who deliberately brought up the “only S-level dual ability in the Alliance.” He had long sensed something was amiss and dared to hide such important footage until now, building his own ladder to success.

Simon chuckled inwardly. Let it come; let’s see who will be the ultimate winner. He respectfully bowed to the main seat, “Mr. Gu, no one understands S-level dual ability better than me. I am willing to personally confirm the opponent’s second ability.”

*

Fenak City.

Simon, dressed sharply in a suit, stopped walking forward and couldn’t appreciate Song Ke’s cold humor.

He aimed at the bounty hunter’s body and, without warning, it exploded several times. Deep red blood sprayed into the air like a fountain and showered down.

“Do you remember now?” Simon “kindly” reminded.

In Song Ke’s pupils, the fireworks-like bloodlight reflected, and the familiar scene gradually made her realize.

—Blood explosion, Punk’s ability.

Oh, it’s really a dog. She killed a dog, and the owner came for revenge?

Simon’s gaze swept over Zhuang Qingyan and then returned to Song Ke. “You’ve caused me a lot of trouble.”

After Punk’s sudden death, Simon lost his “executioner,” and with no one to handle the dirty work, he was tied up and oppressed everywhere. His political rival, Park Jae-woo, took advantage of the situation and rose steadily.

“Is it you who led us here?” Song Ke frowned and asked, “The fallen of Huangyuan, did you release the bait?”

Simon smirked sinisterly but didn’t answer.

Swoosh, swoosh—slight sounds of breaking air.

Su Cha reacted quickly, pushed Lin Youyou aside, and swiftly rushed forward like a whirlwind. He turned around and delivered a fierce side kick, and with a clatter, the chain with high-voltage electricity was kicked away.

“Damn, have some shame, launching a sneak attack!” Lin Youyou cursed loudly.

Since he was discovered, Simon gave up the pretense. He raised his hand, and more than ten figures jumped down from the rooftops on all sides, three of them S-level, and the rest A-level.

The entire street was covered with the bright light of abilities, and mixed awakened energies, under the influence of radiation, collided and roamed recklessly.

The V587, all S+A level, managed to endure, but the “Three Grandsons and One Grandpa” were on the verge of collapsing, their vision darkening, cold sweat flowing. The four of them resisted the overwhelming pressure with all their might.

“Step back,” Song Ke helped them block and said, “This has nothing to do with you; we’ll handle it.”

She slowly drew the twin blades from her back, the cold blades pointing forward, aiming at those three S-level individuals.

At first glance, Simon had the numerical advantage, but V587 showed no fear. Lin Youyou took the initiative, and an ethereal singing voice resounded. The chaotic mist of the blade descended, thickening the surrounding fog. Both sides lost sight, unable to see each other.

Indeed, the opponents lost track of Song Ke and the others, but V587 could “see” them clearly because they had an S-level mental awakener in their ranks with exceptionally keen senses. While Zhuang Qingyan directed, Xu Xing laid down ice rings, and Su Cha released poison.

Despite the assailants being quite cautious, under Zhuang Qingyan’s calculations, they still stumbled like headless flies, willingly walking into traps. Legs frozen and unable to move, they then convulsed and fell to the ground, pierced by sharp ice blades.

Rumble, rumble—!!

Continuous gunfire erupted, prompting Fang Zhixu to sprint desperately. Tall office buildings collapsed around him; anyone a fraction of a second slower would be crushed into pulp.

An awakener carrying a mortar cannon maneuvered for support. Lu Xiaoyu, who had disappeared since the start of the battle, suddenly peeked his head out from the thick fog. His six mechanical arms, like claws, swiftly dismantled the core components, rendering the cannon silent in an instant.

The agile Lu Xiaoyu spun around, waved his sleeve, and took away crucial parts from the enemy.

Su Cha appeared mysteriously, constantly reaping lives. Once injured, he vanished into the mist of blades, only to reappear with wounds already healed, thanks to Fang Zhixu’s treatment. Under Zhuang Qingyan’s directing gaze, the infiltrators’ every move was exposed, and V587 collaborated seamlessly, effortlessly dealing with the A-level opponents.

With the odds against them, it was a crushing victory. V587, the team ranking first on the Alliance scoreboard, lived up to its reputation.

The three S-level individuals gained no advantage. Even when working together, they couldn’t withstand Song Ke. Amid the chaotic intervals of abilities, Song Ke resisted their attacks and, with a kick, toppled the first person. She then kicked the opponent’s chest, causing it to collapse. The twin blades crossed, and the second person’s head was chopped into a gory mess. Flames erupted, burning Song Ke’s shoulder, but she seemed impervious to pain, silently grabbing the last person by the neck and snapping it with a crunch.

A piercing roar echoed, and Song Ke abruptly turned around. The awakener with the concave chest staggered to his feet, blood vessels bulging all over, veins popping. He charged towards the fog where Zhuang Qingyan and others were located. Song Ke realized he intended to self-destruct and hurriedly rushed to stop him.

Simon closely watched the actions of the two, his eyes bursting with a dazzling light.

In the nick of time, the dying S-level twisted his body, the rapidly swelling blood sphere abruptly shrinking, changing direction eerily. Song Ke’s pupils contracted. This person wasn’t going to self-destruct! It was too late for any reaction; she could only dodge to the extreme. The ball of light grazed her abdomen, splashing blood.

Song Ke thrust a knife through the back of the opponent. The person’s mouth curled into a cold smile as he slowly and hoarsely said, “For the future of Utopia…”

“For your ghostly future,” Song Ke coldly interrupted, beheading him with a backhand swing.

She touched the wound on her abdomen, blood flowing incessantly, staining her hands crimson.

All of Simon’s men brought in had fallen, but he remained unfazed. His gaze remained fixed on Song Ke.

“Your life will end today. I will sing a dirge for you in advance,” he declared.

“So much nonsense.” Song Ke raised her hand and threw a blue blade, piercing Simon’s heart. However, the expected scene of flesh and blood flying did not happen. Simon’s figure swayed as if shattered glass, disappearing on the spot.

Song Ke was momentarily stunned, then realized that because of the fog’s concealment, she hadn’t noticed. This person wasn’t a physical entity; he only appeared through illusion ability. No wonder he didn’t dare to approach for fear of revealing himself.

But… wasn’t he seeking revenge for the dog? Did he just run away like that?

Song Ke pursed her lips. Even the “favorite dog” was just saying nice words.

Zhuang Qingyan hurried over and knocked on her forehead. Thump! With a stern expression, he pulled out a bandage to stop the bleeding.

Despite the cut on her abdomen, Song Ke acted as if nothing happened. However, when her head was knocked, she complained with a hint of grievance, “That really hurts!”

Zhuang Qingyan carefully wiped away the blood splatter on her cheek. “Go back and whine. Let’s leave this place first.”

As Fang Zhixu swiftly cleaned up the battlefield, Lu Xiaoyu had already activated the starship.

After a moment of thought, Song Ke turned to Duanmu Qi and the others, “Originally, I wanted to give you a ride, but now, it’s better to go your separate ways.”

She wasn’t sure if the crisis was over, and she didn’t want to involve Duanmu Qi and the others.

“See you at the Northern Base,” Song Ke nodded at them before leaving.

After the two teams hastily departed, the bodies of over ten awakeners, like the bounty hunters’, suddenly burst into blood fireworks. Faint fluctuations of awakened ability dissipated in the air.

…

Inside the starship, the injured Song Ke was firmly pressed onto her seat to receive treatment. She spread her hands and feet, revealing her injured abdomen. While petting Xu Xing’s furry head, she drank water from Zhuang Qingyan’s hand. She even rested her lower legs on Lin Youyou’s knees, enjoying a massage from the beautiful older sister.

She waved her hand casually, “I’m really fine, not hurting much.”

“Don’t move around.” Fang Zhixu pressed down her eager head, swiftly cleaning the wound. A clear, white ability flowed in, but it seemed to be sucked into a bottomless pit, having no effect. It was the first time he encountered a situation where his healing ability was ineffective, and his brows furrowed tighter and tighter, “Why isn’t it working?”

Fang Zhixu brought another injured person, Su Cha, and treated him effortlessly, even healing the minor scratches on the back of his hand. He muttered to himself, “This works pretty well, doesn’t it?”

Perplexed, he looked at Song Ke. The gruesome wound inflicted by the S-level was like a stagnant pool of water, resisting any external treatment.

“I’ve seen this kind of injury before,” Su Cha unexpectedly spoke, “The last time was… during a mission in the Rainforest. Special bullets were used, causing non-stop bleeding from the wounds, and they couldn’t heal no matter what.”

During that mission, everyone except him died. Su Cha clenched his fists tightly, his spine slightly trembling.

Lin Youyou held the back of his neck, stroking it in a comforting manner, and Su Cha gradually loosened his clenched fists, returning to calmness.

“The ability that wounded the captain is probably similar to those special bullets, making all healing ineffective.”

“The heart is dark enough,” Fang Zhixu spat.

If Song Ke were an ordinary awakener, there would be no solution to this situation; she could only bleed to death.

Fortunately, Song Ke’s second ability kicked in just in time. The originally deeply visible wound slowly healed, and it was estimated that it would scar over in a few hours.

Zhuang Qingyan lowered his eyes, pinching Song Ke’s finger bones, lost in thought.