Chapter 420: The Seventh Page of the Wordless Book |
Time waits for no one.
After the Beixing team decided to stay behind to guide the "Annihilators" in completing the mop-up operation, they immediately began making intensive preparations.
When the Suroma Major General learned of this from Li Meng, he was overjoyed. Apart from Uenoshi, who represented Sakura Prayer Country and also chose to stay, all the other teams had already decided to leave.
He had originally planned to abandon the city and evacuate as well. Now that the Beixing team and the Sakura Prayer team were willing to stay and help, the situation had taken a turn for the better.
After the Major General reported this up the chain, even the higher-ups in the Suroma Senate were quite surprised. The King of Suroma personally sent a video communication to express his gratitude.
"I, on behalf of the city's one million people, thank you for the Beixing team's assistance," the King of Suroma said on the screen. "I have already mobilized trustworthy Ascendants from the eastern region and all available 'Annihilators' to rush to the battlefield. The authority to guide them will also be granted to your team members. Regardless of whether the operation succeeds or fails, we will provide sufficient rewards for your help this time."
Li Meng replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "We are fighting to protect the lives of the city's one million people, not for profit. We only hope the reinforcements can arrive as soon as possible."
After the communication ended, the Major General took out several specially-made remote control devices and handed them to Li Meng.
They could be used to mark attack targets and ranges on-site, guiding the "Annihilators" in combat.
He went to the temporary training ground and saw Bai Xuewu practicing guidance and coordination for her [Perception Domain] with Chen Na, with Silver Fox and Yang Ran assisting on the side.
Due to the nature of their abilities, although the entire squad was staying this time, only two people would actually be responsible for close-range guidance: Bai Xuewu and Guan Tong.
Silver Fox and Yang Ran's abilities couldn't be utilized in this operation, so their task was simply to protect Chen Na, who would be using her perception as a substitute for vision at medium range.
As soon as Li Meng arrived and noticed Guan Tong was absent, he immediately asked, "Where is your captain?"
Silver Fox answered, "He said he had something to do and would be over in a bit."
Hearing this, Li Meng frowned. With the cultist army at the city gates and the situation critical, what could be more important?
However, he also knew Guan Tong wasn't an unreliable person. If he wasn't here at a time like this, he must be making some important preparations. So, he waited with the others.
On the other side, Guan Tong, who had stayed alone in his room, was indeed doing something important.
The [Wordless Book] was spread open before him, displaying the seventh page, which was still blank.
Although he had been developing the content of the previous pages since Pinglu, he hadn't had a good idea about what to write on the new page.
The sticking point was that infinite choices meant infinite dispersion of energy.
The result of wanting this and that was the inability to finally put pen to paper.
But now the situation had changed.
He was now facing a tangible crisis.
This reminded him of the original intention behind writing the previous pages—each was to solve an actual problem he faced at the time.
Except for the first page, which he hadn't thought much about, starting from the second page, each page's content specifically targeted a particular predicament.
So, at this moment, why should he hesitate? Using the power of the new page to deal with the current crisis was the simplest, most direct, and most reasonable choice.
"The biggest threat we face right now comes from the brain, or rather, the mental level," Guan Tong pondered.
"On the rule level, the irrational fear induced by Scarlet Fear can cause people to die from fear-induced stress, which is a mental threat. On the enemy level, the suspected mind controllers within the Fire Thief Worship Cult and the transformation by parasitized forms are also about controlling and altering people on a mental level... So, what I need right now couldn't be more obvious."
He knew that what he needed now was the ability to resist mental attacks.
And this ability should ideally help others resist as well.
"My own Mind Power upper limit is high, so others' mental attacks probably won't affect me much. But that's not necessarily true for my teammates or other people."
Guan Tong's heart stirred, and he suddenly took out two items.
They were the one black and one white Go pieces given to him by Wenren Yizhi.
"Why can't I emulate her method of ability application?"
If he could give his own Mind Power creations to others to help them deal with mental-level threats, it would undoubtedly be a major breakthrough.
The reason he had this idea was that he was no longer the Guan Tong from before, who "traveled the world alone" with no attachments.
Now he frequently cooperated with others, receiving help from them and helping them in return. It wasn't strange for a new ability to not only protect himself but also consider others one step further.
Looking at the two pieces in his hand, Guan Tong's train of thought became increasingly clear.
Soon, his eyes lit up, he made a decision, and he wrote a single character on the seventh page of the [Wordless Book].
"Anchor."
Not the anchor of a ship, but the anchor of an "anchor point."
That's right, he wanted to use the power of the [Wordless Book] to create a brand new Mind Power construct.
This construct was a type of "mental anchor point." As long as one held it, they could, to a certain extent, resist or weaken attacks from the mental level.
This construct was also inspired by Wenren Yizhi's "black piece."
Learning from the excellent abilities or item effects of others to improve his own abilities by incorporating their strengths had been a strategy he adopted a long time ago.
As the pen touched the paper and the character was formed, a massive amount of Mind Power converged and poured into the page.
The character "anchor" twisted for a moment before separating from the page. The [Wordless Book] comprehended Guan Tong's needs and transformed his imagination into reality.
As the written character separated from the page, Guan Tong suddenly felt a warm sensation in the palm of his right hand.
He opened his hand and looked, seeing a new pattern on his palm: "two black triangles interlocking, one above the other."
"Is this 'mental anchor point' existing in the form of a totem?"
Guan Tong looked at the pattern formed by the two black triangles, thinking that the [Wordless Book] had probably referenced his idea of "an anchor point stabilizing the mind."
It probably thought triangles were the most stable shape, so it designed the totem style as two triangular patterns.
But the form didn't matter; what mattered was that it worked.
The cost to generate one mental anchor point wasn't fixed. The minimum required one hundred points of Mind Power, but there was no upper limit.
"It seems the amount of generation cost determines the anchor point's own level of resistance."
Considering the need to maximize resistance, he would naturally max out the upper limit, using just over a thousand points of Mind Power to generate one.
Not just for himself; each of his teammates definitely needed one too.
"Earlier, to break through the Magic Array set up by the cultists, I used up almost three-quarters of the reserves I'd accumulated over the past month or so. I need to use what's left sparingly."
After completing the development, Guan Tong put the [Wordless Book] back inside his clothes and prepared to head to the training ground.
As soon as he stepped out the door, he saw Uenoshi walking towards him.
"We're about to set off soon, I came to get you," she said.
"Mm." Guan Tong extended his right hand towards her. "Shake hands, I'll give you something."
"?"
Although puzzled, Uenoshi still extended her left hand, took off her glove, and shook Guan Tong's right hand.
The next moment, she felt a warm, almost hot sensation appear on the palm of her left hand. Letting go, she looked down and saw a pattern of two nested black triangles appear on the scales of her palm.
Seeing the anchor point pattern appear, Guan Tong breathed a sigh of relief. "I was originally worried that since your body is covered in scales, it might not take effect on you. Glad I was overthinking it."
"What is this?" Uenoshi looked curiously at the pattern.
"A type of mental stability anchor, used to resist or weaken mental-type attacks to a certain extent."
Uenoshi was somewhat surprised. Having worked with Guan Tong for a while now, she knew this must be something new he'd come up with specifically to counter this rule and these enemies.
But she was also used to Guan Tong frequently pulling out new things. Out of a sense of boundaries, she wouldn't ask too many questions. She put her glove back on.
"It will form a double insurance with Wenren Yizhi's black piece," Guan Tong said. "But to be safe, stay with Chen Na and the others later."
Although Uenoshi's ability was strong, there were many restrictions in this battle.
Especially her power to transform Serpent Servants, which required her serpent-pupil gaze to activate. This was precisely countered by Scarlet Fear.
"The color of this mental stability anchor pattern is black, just like your shadow," Uenoshi said. "Might as well call it 'Shadow Anchor.'"
"Shadow Anchor?"
Guan Tong thought about it and felt it was pretty good. Especially since this anchor point, besides stabilizing the mind, also had a teleportation function—meaning Guan Tong could use it as a target to activate his "Body Swap" ability. This way, whoever held his anchor point, he could instantly reach their side, which was much more convenient than before.
The two then headed to the training ground. The rest of the squad was all there. Seeing them arrive, Li Meng immediately informed them of the situation.
"That Major General just notified us. According to satellite reconnaissance, the enemy's main force will reach the outskirts of the city in less than ten minutes. Our operational plan is to intercept them in the city's suburbs; we can't let them enter the urban area. You need to set off now. The first batch of the 'Annihilator' corps will arrive on the scene in fifteen minutes."
"Mm," Guan Tong said. "Then let's go. I'm all prepared."
Li Meng didn't ask what Guan Tong had prepared, only repeatedly cautioned, "Remember what I said before. Your lives are more important than this city. If the situation turns bad, abandon the mission and evacuate immediately!"
"Understood."
The six of them immediately took the remote guidance devices and set off.
...
"Buzzzzzzzz—"
The helicopter rotor blades spun, emitting a piercing noise. Even though the passengers wore noise-canceling headphones, they were still irritated by the clamor.
The Suroma driver glanced in the rearview mirror at the people behind.
He had received orders to transport the group to the outskirts at the fastest speed to deal with the incoming cultist army.
He knew very well how dangerous this was. Even for powerful Ascendants, they would face the threat of imminent death.
Under such circumstances, these foreign Ascendants were still willing to go and fight, which gave rise to a deep sense of respect from the bottom of his heart.
In the back seats, Silver Fox's expression looked relatively relaxed, while Yang Ran kept muttering softly to himself, trying to ease his inner fear.
Chen Na rubbed her hands together, occasionally tugging at the hem of her clothes. Her performance in this operation would be crucial; she had to stay focused.
Bai Xuewu gently patted Chen Na's shoulder, signaling her to relax. Then she turned her head, her gaze crossing the narrow aisle to look at Guan Tong sitting by the portside window. He had one hand propping up his chin, the lower half of his face hidden in his hanging long hair. His calm eyes looked out the window, as if gazing at a world only he could see.
She wondered, as the world's most famous Ascendant, what was he thinking about right now? And what was the goal he had been pursuing all this way?
"We're almost at the landing point," the driver shouted. "Good luck, everyone! Make sure you beat those bastards until their teeth are scattered all over the ground!"
After the helicopter landed, some Suroma soldiers were still on-site. They had blocked the city entrance roads with wire mesh and obstacles and had constructed some cover positions.
Looking into the distance at the other end of the road, they could already faintly see the cultist army's vehicle convoy advancing towards this location.
"The enemy is almost here, you should withdraw. Don't accidentally see photos of Scarlet Terra," Silver Fox said, taking a walkie-talkie from a soldier. "Leave this place to us."
"Alright, then we're counting on you!"
The on-site commander led the soldiers in retreat. Soon, the vast, wide highway was left with only the six of them.
Staring at the convoy approaching from the edge of their vision, Yang Ran said with a tearful face, "I feel so insignificant!"
"The 'Annihilator' corps is projected to be deployed on-site within five minutes," Li Meng's voice came through everyone's headphones. "You just need to hold out for five minutes, then you can guide the 'Annihilators' to eliminate the enemy!"
Guan Tong said, "Everyone, come here for a moment."
Under their puzzled expressions, he shook hands with each of them one by one, granting them the mental stability anchor point.
Everyone looked at the black triangular pattern that appeared on their palms. After learning its effect, they were all surprised. Yang Ran exclaimed in amazement, "Captain, is this some new item you picked up in the terminal market?"
Silver Fox narrowed her eyes. "Not picked up from the market, right? Right after the new rule was announced, all items in the market that could resist mental attacks were swept clean. Looking at the pattern's color, it seems to be of the same lineage as the shadow. I'm guessing it's a newly developed ability?"
Silver Fox's judgment was precise. Guan Tong nodded. "You could say that. So, you can also call it 'Shadow Anchor.'"
After saying that, he glanced at the distant convoy and, as the captain, began directing the operation. "Silver Fox, Yang Ran, Uen, you three enter the cover position with Xiao Na. Xiao Na, you can activate your ability now. Bai Xuewu and I will use your power to stop the enemy from advancing further."
"Mm!"
Under the protection of Silver Fox and the other two, Chen Na entered the cover position prepared in advance by the Suroma soldiers. She closed her eyes and activated her [Perception Domain].
With her as the center, everything within a thousand meters around appeared on her "perception map."
Just as she had said before, this perception wasn't "seeing," so it wasn't affected by Scarlet Fear.
"Big Sister Bai, Brother Guan, I'm ready. Please act according to my guidance."
Bai Xuewu summoned her [Snow Traces] mecha. She shut down the visual module, and instantly, everything before her eyes turned pitch black.
For humans, who are visual creatures, this feeling of complete darkness was very unpleasant. But she wasn't overly nervous because she knew she had reliable teammates.
"A part of my shadow will attach to your mecha," Guan Tong's voice sounded in the headset. "Just think of it as an 'additional weapon.'"
The shadow didn't need vision. As long as it split enough, with thousands of shadow lines spreading out, it could detect and eliminate enemies through touch. Guan Tong chose a portion to attach to Bai Xuewu's mecha. This would both provide a layer of protection and help her kill enemies around her.
Hearing his voice, Bai Xuewu felt a wave of relief in her heart, but she said, "Hmph... Last time these shadows of yours attached to my mecha, the feeling was pretty terrible."
"Don't bring up old grievances from Holy Grail Island at a time like this."
"The enemy convoy has approached to within five hundred meters," Chen Na's tone was highly focused. "They've already spotted Big Sister Bai's mecha. The flanking convoys are accelerating to surround us!"
"I'll leave the flanks to my shadow to block," Guan Tong said. "You focus on dealing with the enemies directly ahead."
"Got it. Xiao Na, let's begin!"
"Mm!"