Meanwhile, in the forested area near the southern road of the Imperial Capital.
In the dead of night, where the forest trail should have been silent and deserted, the sudden sounds of battle rang out.
"Level 1 Danger Beast, Earth Dragon!"
"Spread out into squads! Quickly widen the distance!"
"Second Squad, deploy the net!"
"First Squad, aim for the eyes with crossbows! Fire!"
Strangely, none of them were wearing Imperial military uniforms. Their attire was varied, and they didn't look like mountain hunters either.
Rather, they seemed like a well-trained group of soldiers with high physical capabilities. Even when suddenly faced with danger, they strictly adhered to discipline and maintained their formation while luring the Earth Dragon.
On the opposing side was a massive, fully-grown A-Class Danger Beast, an Earth Dragon, stretching over ten meters long and five to six meters tall. Its entire body was a dull yellow, with a grotesque head resembling a demon. Besides its tough exterior, the exposed parts of its body were covered in hard spikes.
Oddly enough, it seemed less like the soldiers were attacking the Earth Dragon and more like the Earth Dragon was aggressively attacking them.
It fought with a reckless desperation, its roars filled with a deep sorrow.
Despite the soldiers' impressive coordination, a few were still caught by surprise when the Earth Dragon suddenly sped up, biting them in half, spraying blood everywhere!
As they created distance, the area around the Earth Dragon erupted in a flurry of activity. The soldiers launched a barrage of crossbow bolts, the sound of them slicing through the air filling the night.
The squad leader found it strange—why was this Earth Dragon behaving this way? From the moment they encountered it, it had been attacking them with a frenzy. Anyone would think they had killed its offspring.
With such an attack, the Earth Dragon should have retreated in pain.
But contrary to expectations, the Earth Dragon didn't retreat. The rain of arrows fell upon it, mostly striking the vulnerable areas around its head. It was indeed injured.
However, the result was the opposite of what they anticipated. The pain seemed to drive it into a further frenzy, enraging it to the point of madness. The hatred in its blood-red eyes was palpable, even the soldiers surrounding it could feel it.
Roar!
Charging headlong into the barrage, the Earth Dragon snapped its powerful jaws, tearing through the young soldiers' bodies, sending blood splattering everywhere.
"Retreat! Fall back! Quickly retreat!" The commanders finally realized their mistake. This beast could not be dealt with through conventional means.
All creatures, when attacked, experience pain, fear, or hesitation. But this Earth Dragon—what was wrong with it? It had gone mad!
"Enough, I'll handle this. As Revolution Army soldiers, you all need more training!"
Just as the squad leader was about to step in, a clear, bell-like voice rang out.
In the next moment,
A giant sword was unsheathed, flashing coldly. A young woman with light blonde hair, wielding the heavy sword, leaped into the air, descending like a war goddess.
The massive sword, weighing over a thousand pounds, moved in her hands like a feather. With a speed that set the air ablaze, she brought it down in a single, decisive slash.
In that instant, to the Revolution Army soldiers watching, it seemed as though the entire world had been cleaved in two by that golden figure. The Earth Dragon, still in the midst of its roar, was suddenly frozen in fear, its blood-red eyes widening in terror.
"Roar... roar..." The Earth Dragon's head didn't even have time to make another sound before it was severed, blood spraying everywhere.
A fully grown female A-Class Danger Beast was felled... just like that. It was almost unbelievable—a girl of seventeen or eighteen had effortlessly slain such a terrifying creature!
However, the Revolution Army soldiers nearby seemed unfazed by the sight, some even slumping to the ground in relief.
After finishing off the beast, the girl sheathed her giant sword, clapping her hands as she gazed at the Earth Dragon's massive corpse, lost in thought.
"Commander Celica." At that moment, a muscular male officer hurried over and asked, "What should we do with this Earth Dragon?"
The Revolution Army officer named Celica had light blonde hair, skin as fair as snow, and a presence that commanded respect. Her tall, slender figure was complemented by a stunningly proportioned pair of legs.
"A fully grown Level 1 Danger Beast, an Earth Dragon... its meat is incredibly delicious. It would be a shame to waste it. Since we're close to our destination, let's treat the troops to some fresh meat. They've worked hard along the way."
"And make sure to set up extra sentry posts."
"Yes, ma'am."
...
Soon, the Revolution Army soldiers had prepared an open-air Earth Dragon barbecue. Despite the harsh conditions, the lack of variety in food, and the scarcity of spices, the soldiers still ate heartily.
Sitting on a rock beside a stream, Celica watched them enjoy their meal, a smile spreading across her face. This was why she had joined the Revolution Army—to ensure that her family, friends, and everyone could live a life free from the Empire's oppression.
Although the Revolution Army was currently struggling under the Empire's harsh crackdown, Celica believed that one day they would overthrow the Empire.
Suddenly, there was movement in the northern part of the forest.
"Who's there!"
Celica instantly stood up, grabbing her sword and turning towards the trees.
Though it was strange that the sentries hadn't noticed anything, Celica, a skilled martial artist, remained highly vigilant. Her keen senses could detect any disturbance within a 50-meter radius.
As her clear shout echoed, the nearby Revolution Army soldiers, who had been enjoying their meal, quickly stood up, grabbing their weapons and facing the direction of the rustling bushes.
A deep, raspy male voice called out, "Mountain Hawk."
"Razor!" Upon hearing the familiar password and voice, Celica immediately lowered her sword. Only Youliang knew her codename, and as a friend from the Revolution Army headquarters, she was very familiar with his voice.
But in the next moment, when Youliang emerged, Celica's expression changed drastically, "What happened to you?!"
Meanwhile, back at the bandit hideout...
"Have the other two hideouts been cleared?"
"It's done. We decapitated 206 and took some prisoners..."
"Hmm, who would've thought that raiding a simple bandit hideout would lead us to the Revolution Army? And there's a big fish involved, codename: Razor. Isn't this a perfect opportunity to rack up some merits?" Seated on a folding chair in the open, Selene sipped her tea, watching her soldiers clean up the battlefield.
Across from her, the towering, yellow-faced giant Gensa fell into deep thought. "Based on my years of experience in the Imperial Guard... whenever someone has a tough-sounding codename, it's usually a woman."
"Oh? You have that kind of experience? Well, we'll see soon enough..." Selene stood up, a sly smile on her face. "The fish has taken the bait; it's time to reel it in."
Gazing into the distance where Celica's camp was located, Selene raised her tea cup and whispered, "This is my first time using Honkai Energy for strong nuclear force manipulation... I hope it goes well."
...
"Youliang... what happened to you? And where's your Chimera?"
Looking at the bloodied, dismembered Youliang, Celica was stunned.
"Run! I've been compromised! Run!! She's coming! That monster is coming!... Run!!"
But it was too late. As Selene released the suppression on the Honkai particles within Youliang's body, the Honkai Energy went out of control, causing a violent reaction.
In that moment, as Youliang's desperate cries echoed through the night, time seemed to freeze under the blinding light.
"Run!!!"