Unfortunately, the face beneath the mask was not that of a beautiful young woman, nor even a woman at all. It belonged to a white-haired Ursus male who looked quite young. Calling him a "youth" felt slightly excessive. "Boy" was a far more fitting description.
After Lappland tore off his mask, "Skullshatterer" wore a deathly pale expression, as if he could not believe how quickly his side had been defeated. They were supposed to be an elite caster squad of Reunion. How could they have been so easily crushed, cut down by a single person, slaughtered from start to finish by one individual?
It seemed he had already lost the will to live. Though resentment still lingered in his heart, he knew all too well what awaited him after being captured by Lungmen. As an Infected, his end would be no different from that of discarded trash.
"Alex…"
Misha sprang to her feet. In the next instant, she vaulted over the battered obstacles before her and ran toward Lappland.
"Alex, he… he's my younger brother. Please, can you spare him?"
Shock and relief filled Misha's eyes. Seeing her brother in such a wretched state, tears welled up and trembled on the verge of falling as she begged Lappland, who was gripping Alex by the collar.
"Sister…"
Alex's voice was hoarse, carrying the heavy weight of familial affection and a faint, bitter sorrow. Anyone who heard it would feel their heart ache.
"Big Sister Lappland, please… can you…"
Misha continued to plead.
Lappland shook her head indifferently. "No."
"He may be your brother, but his identity is that of a Reunion member, and not just that, he is one of their high-ranking combatants. How he entered Lungmen, the crimes he committed before that, do you really think a simple apology or a few words can settle all of it?"
"He may be Infected, and he may have a painful past. But the moment he raised his blade against others, what difference is there between him and those detestable Infected thugs?"
Lappland clicked her tongue in disdain. "Judging by the fact that he's already a cadre, he must have joined Reunion several years ago, right?"
"During those years, can you guarantee he never slaughtered civilians, never turned his weapons on non-Infected?"
"Stop…"
Alex closed his eyes. In a rasping voice, he said, "I did it all. Kill me."
"You think your death will be that easy?"
Lappland replied coldly. She shot a sideways glance at Misha, who was still clutching her arm. Startled by Lappland's indifferent gaze, Misha stumbled back a few steps, nearly falling to the ground.
Noticing how Alex could not help but look toward Misha again, Lappland let out a sneer. "Sibling affection is indeed touching. But how many happy families have your own hands destroyed?"
At her words, Alex stopped struggling altogether. Lappland hauled him back to where Texas and the others were.
"So this is the enemy commander?"
It was Exusiai's first time seeing a Reunion commander up close. He was even younger than she had imagined. This was practically a middle-school-aged kid. How was he a Reunion commander?
Texas stared coldly at Alex. Through her drone's communications, she had already heard transport operators recount how this caster squad had entered the slums, burning, killing, and looting. She felt no sympathy for him. Even if Misha was his sister, in the face of an enemy, even a captured one stripped of all power, Texas's attitude did not waver in the slightest.
Mercy toward the enemy was irresponsibility toward those who had already perished.
With Skullshatterer's squad completely crushed, the path ahead was clear. Texas led the group forward, entering the boundary between the Lower City and the Middle City. What had once been a spacious subway station had been converted into a temporary command center and hospital. Here, one could see Tomorrow's Development operators rushing about with their duties, as well as several LGD officers responsible for communications hurrying in and out.
It was a scene of relentless activity. This location also served as a defensive line separating the Lower City from the Middle City. For Tomorrow's Development operators and players alike, holding this place had become their primary objective.
After entering the camp, two young men in Tomorrow's Development operator uniforms stepped forward. Using the drone, they verified everyone's identities. They then escorted the innocent Infected children to the Infected-side field hospital for treatment. Misha was included as well. Her gaze remained fixed on Alex, her eyes shimmering with pleading and reluctance, while Alex hardened his heart and did not look back.
The remaining three headed toward the temporary command center. The one overseeing operations here was Anthony, now commonly known as Mountain. The moment they pushed the door open, they could hear Mountain's deep, powerful voice inside.
"Coordinates 100, 167. A new Reunion squad has appeared. No cadre present. Eliminate them on site."
Besides him, dozens of operators formed a communications unit. A holographic map composed of blue light points floated before them, with small green and red markers hovering above it. The communications operators rested their hands by their ears, exchanging information in calm, steady tones.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Texas's group. At the same time, he spotted the boy Lappland was holding, who seemed to have completely given up resisting. The unmistakable Reunion uniform on the boy made him purse his lips slightly.
"And he is?"
"Skullshatterer. Leader of a Reunion caster squad. A cadre-level figure in Reunion, more or less," Lappland replied.
She casually tossed Skullshatterer onto the ground. He did not make a sound.
Mountain gave a slight nod, then looked toward Texas and Exusiai. Texas added, "This Reunion cadre is siblings with one of the Ursus Infected children who fled into Lungmen this time."
Mountain hummed in acknowledgment. "Good work. Go get some rest for now. Oh, and His Highness is currently talking with Emperor and several members of other transport teams. As officers of the transport unit, you might want to go listen in."
The three women left the building. Mountain did not spare Skullshatterer another glance. He called over two operators to escort him to the holding cells.
Given Skullshatterer's status as a cadre, his treatment would naturally be somewhat better. In addition to guards, several operators would be assigned to interrogate him.
Cadres were not the same as common Infected thugs. The latter treated their own lives as worthless, committing atrocities for pleasure alone. Cadres, on the other hand, possessed far more information. After telling the interrogators Skullshatterer's sister's name, Mountain returned to handling his remaining work.
Lappland yawned. Honestly, fights like this were laughably simple for her. Battles where she stepped in and instantly ended everything were, to be frank, boring. She wanted a more meaningful opponent, someone worthy of her blade, like the one she had heard about from other operators. At the end of the Chernobog operation, a figure wreathed in black and crimson flames. Talulah.
This was not arrogance. Lappland was chasing emotion, seeking that moment where mortal enemies carved into each other with blades, where pain and ecstasy intertwined.
Their timing was unfortunate. The meeting had just ended. The transport operators who had been observing quickly filed out, each returning to their duties. Moments later, Emperor waddled into view, his penguin feet slapping against the floor.
"Oh, you're back."
Emperor adjusted his sunglasses. Texas and Exusiai were among the first operators to work under him, and Lappland had joined because of Texas. "You've met your work quota. You can take a break now."
"Felix is inside. If you want to talk to him, go on in."
Emperor waved a flipper irritably, grumbling, "Those damn Reunion bastards. Because of them, Lungmen's airport can't operate. I've got a concert in Columbia in five days."
"..."
Emperor was, after all, the only penguin in Tomorrow's Development who showed little formal reverence toward His Highness.
After knocking, Exusiai entered first. The first thing that caught her eye was a luxurious wooden chair carved and lacquered in gold. By now, all Tomorrow's Development operators were well aware of His Highness's exalted status. Ever since Jesselton began searching for golden chairs for Felix, every venue and every meeting room would have one comfortable, golden single seat prepared specifically for him.
Felix sat in the chair, seemingly still on a call. A holographic map was spread out before him, densely packed with red and green points.
Texas caught fragments of his conversation. He seemed to be speaking with Superintendent Ch'en Hui-chieh, who was never easy to deal with.
When the call ended, Felix looked up. Seeing Exusiai, Texas, and Lappland, he smiled faintly. "Lappland, you didn't have your fill, did you?"
"What do you think?" Lappland licked her lips.
"I've received information that a unit of Phantom Crossbowmen, specialists in covert operations, has already infiltrated Lungmen. Their first targets are transport team operators."
Felix's tone was calm. "Transport operators have superior equipment and armor, but Phantom Crossbowmen excel at hiding in the shadows…"
"I understand. Leave it to me, Your Highness."
Lappland thumped her chest. "I'll root them out completely and capture their cadre alive for a proper reworking."
"You won't be fighting alone."
Felix shook his head and tapped his finger lightly. A message popped up on Lappland's drone, making her both surprised and delighted.
"You have temporarily been granted the authority of City Defense Group Commander. All adventurers and operators within the City Defense Group are now under your command and may be freely assigned to your squad."
Lappland broke into a wide grin. She said nothing more, only shot Texas a playful glance before swiftly departing.
Felix watched her retreating figure for a long moment. Then he withdrew his gaze and turned toward Texas, who was walking over at an unhurried pace.
"When this battle is over," he said softly, "I'll be waiting for you in my room."
Felix glanced at Texas, who remained expressionless despite the faint blush spreading across her face, and nodded.
Exusiai tilted her head. "In the room… are we eating ice cream and watching TV?"
———
Cold, as cold as this winter itself.
Reunion had committed its entire fighting strength to the battlefield. They showed no attachment to the city of Kursk they had seized. Under Talulah's orders, they believed victory would follow victory. Lungmen was merely the next Chernobog, the next Kursk.
FrostNova exhaled a breath of icy air. She had just received Talulah's command. The messenger reported that Reunion forces within the city had been struck head-on. This was a critical moment that required cadres to step in, turn the tide, and restore Reunion's prestige. And so, she thought of the Yeti Squad.
How strong could the Yeti Squad really be? There was a hint of mockery in FrostNova's eyes. It was self-directed, a bitter laugh at her own helplessness, and a quiet disdain for Talulah's order. The Yeti Squad was nothing more than a specialized caster unit. Even if they entered the battlefield, what could they truly change?
If she had never met the Pioneer, never met Felix, never gone through all those experiences, perhaps she would still believe following Talulah was the right path. That Talulah could give the Infected the future they longed for. But reality was far too cruel. Those so-called ideals had already turned to ashes in Chernobog. No, perhaps even earlier. Maybe it was already over when that village burned.
"Big sis… are we really going?"
Petrova spoke quietly. Her face was hidden beneath her hood, indistinct. She clenched her teeth. "Big sis, this order from Talulah is sending us to our deaths."
"..."
Only silence answered her.
Greg shook his head. "Lungmen isn't just defended by the official LGD anymore. Tomorrow's Development is also fighting on the front lines. Reunion squads haven't been able to break through the defense precisely because of that."
"What about those Reunion adventurers?" Big Bear asked with a frown. "Aren't they one of our main sources of strength? Why haven't we seen any of them?"
"Who knows," Greg replied. "They left after stopping in Kursk. There's been no contact with us at all. They only answer to Talulah."
Seeing the Yeti Squad arguing among themselves before they had even set out, FrostNova coughed lightly.
As all eyes turned toward her, Yelena spoke calmly. "We enter the city."
"But big sis—"
Petrova tried to continue, but Yelena stopped her.
"Besides Reunion members, Infected children from Chernobog and Kursk have also entered Lungmen. We must protect them. We fight so they are not oppressed by Reunion or anyone else."
FrostNova pulled her hood up. She knew that the person she thought of day and night was somewhere in Lungmen at this very moment. And yet, despite being so close, he felt impossibly distant.
She buried her sighs and longing deep within her heart. With her resolve hardened and her emotions sealed away, FrostNova began her advance.