Chapter 585 - 372: Gods Bleed (Part 2)
While Troy was lost in thought, Hibell struggled to stand and staggered towards the staircase.
Even though her body was collapsing from illness and her life was hanging by a thread, she was determined to stand with her comrades, even if it meant dying on the path to see Fenrir.
As she reached the staircase, just before she could go down, a figure suddenly appeared.
Seeing the person before her, Hibell was frozen and recognized him immediately.
Chu Nanyi had somehow arrived at the shelter building under the Wolf Strike’s assault, his gaze didn’t linger on Hibell but moved directly to the despondent Troy nearby.
Chu Nanyi’s eyes sparked with sharp intent to kill, raising his gun and aiming at Troy without hesitation.
Though Hibell’s health was failing, her combat instincts honed through years of experience were still intact. Alarmed by Chu Nanyi’s actions, her body instinctively lunged forward to block the gun.
Troy hadn’t expected him to draw his weapon right away; he quickly tucked the gene-compiling protein under the blanket to prevent it from being shattered by stray bullets and cautiously raised his hands, signaling for Chu Nanyi to calm down.
Chu Nanyi kept a close eye on Troy’s every move, coldly saying to Hibell, "Our leader knows about his betrayal. Step aside, I’m here to clean house for Wolf Strike."
Chu Nanyi was about to adjust his aim for a better shot when Hibell stubbornly blocked him again.
Chu Nanyi said impatiently, "He sold out Fenrir. He’s a complete traitor, why protect him?"
"He is indeed a traitor." Hibell’s expression was complex, her eyes filled with both desolation and sorrow, and finally, she whispered, "But he’s still my brother."
Those words silenced Chu Nanyi.
Indeed... Troy’s actions were detestable from both Wolf Strike’s and Edge’s standpoint, deserving a wretched death.
But before being "a member of Wolf Strike," he was first a brother.
Outsiders may not understand, but to Hibell, an elder brother is akin to a father.
They relied on each other since childhood, and the bond of kinship between siblings couldn’t be erased with a mere "traitor" label.
Chu Nanyi’s thoughts were sharp, quickly realizing that he couldn’t resolve this on his own and needed further instructions.
He kept a close watch on Troy while opening his communicator to connect with Su Mo.
Wind could be heard howling from the other side of the communicator—Su Mo was clearly on the move, his words were terse: "Speak."
Chu Nanyi: "Found him. I want to kill Troy, Hibell won’t allow it. Shall I proceed? Awaiting your directive."
Upon hearing "proceed," Hibell immediately panicked and shouted, "Boss! Don’t kill my brother!"
The communicator fell into a brief silence before Su Mo spoke again, "Switch to speaker."
After activating the speaker, Su Mo’s voice came through solemnly, "Hibell, with something like this happening to Fenrir, as her confidant, you can’t stay in the Inner City. Otherwise, you’ll face certain death once the aftermath is sorted. Get moving; Chu Nanyi will assist in your evacuation."
Hibell stubbornly replied, "I won’t leave! I’m going to find the big sister, even if I have to die alongside her!"
Su Mo’s tone suddenly grew harsher, "Stop fussing! I’m currently risking life and limb; one wrong step and not only are you done for, but so am I! So do what I say without back talk!"
"Get out of the city and hide swiftly; I’ll try to rescue Fenrir. You wouldn’t want the big sister stuck looking at your photo on an altar, would you?"
Stunned, Hibell asked blankly, "Can you rescue her when Heaven-Reaching Tower is surrounded?"
Su Mo: "I’ll do my utmost, so don’t create more troubles for me. Leave with Chu Nanyi immediately. Troy, the traitor, cannot stay with us; who knows if he’ll backstab us again halfway."
Hibell pressed her lips tightly together, saying: "Boss, I’ll listen to you and leave with Chu Nanyi to not create trouble... But I must take Troy."
Glancing back at Troy, her gaze mixed with resentment, helplessness, and sorrow, she said with a complex tone: "My brother might be a cowardly bastard, but he would never harm me."
Su Mo fell silent once more, letting out a long sigh as he said reluctantly, "Chu Nanyi, take both with you, but be extremely cautious on the road. I have to hang up now, handle any issues on your own."
With that said, the communication was terminated.
While usually nonchalant, Chu Nanyi never took team matters lightly.
Had Su Mo been adamant about killing Troy, no matter how hard Hibell tried to stop him, he would have executed Troy and knocked Hibell unconscious to take her away.
However, since Su Mo ordered not to kill, he refrained from doing anything to Troy, despite his inherent disgust for traitors.
Chu Nanyi coldly commanded Troy: "Bring the gene-compiling protein, leave everything else, and follow me."
Troy pulled out the gene-compiling protein from under the blanket and held it protectively, walking forward with his head lowered.
Squatting down, Chu Nanyi signaled Hibell to climb on.
Mindful of her condition, Hibell didn’t force herself and crouched onto Chu Nanyi’s back.
Suddenly remembering something, she asked worriedly, "Once we leave, what happens to the other brothers in Wolf Strike?"
Chu Nanyi shook his head, "We at the Edge can’t protect so many people. Share an internal message to let them seek refuge on their own... The rest must rely on their fate."
Wanting to add more, Chu Nanyi cut her off, "The city’s about to change drastically; surviving is the only hope. Clinging to fleeting loyalty will result in pointless deaths."
"Currently, all forces of the city are drawn towards Fenrir, making it the prime time to escape. This chance was exchanged through Fenrir’s blood; would you betray her sacrifice?"
Despite her reluctance, Hibell knew deep down that Chu Nanyi was right. Now wasn’t the time for brotherly sentiments; that only led to total annihilation.
After today, Wolf Strike as a group might cease to exist, but its members would still fight relentlessly to survive.
Eventually, everyone would reunite; this was certain!
With both of them, Chu Nanyi fled the troubled area, embarking on the path out of the city.
...
Surrounding Heaven-Reaching Tower, as more security forces arrived, the nearby area was completely locked down.
Journalists were driven away, and authorities smashed their cameras and searched each for electronic devices, attempting to control the spread of information.
No matter how hard they tried, the flames had already sparked, and the paper could never keep fire hidden.
Moreover, Heaven-Reaching Tower was too tall, standing prominently at the city’s center; even residents in Rust Wall District could spot it from elevated positions.
Currently, at least tens of millions of eyes in New Moon City were fixed on Heaven-Reaching Tower, with related images spreading globally through network signals.
Before long, the ensuing scene shocked everyone witnessing it.
The explosions, signaling Fenrir’s assault rhythm, reached the upper levels of the Tower.
Amidst visible air tremors, the icon symbolizing humanity’s supreme mystery—the double helix—was blasted on the Tower’s facade. The emblem of Hegemony Company broke apart inch by inch, accompanied by metal fragments plummeting downwards.
Soon after, the statue of a robot with glowing red eyes and the sculpture of a white dragon with wings open, fiery breath unleashed—the symbols of Iron Blood Alliance and Black Domain Group—were both shattered simultaneously, scattering fragments like a torrent of metal rain taking over the skies.
In this world, the three major corporations hold divinity-like status, overlooking all mortals below.
In over a century, attempts by mortals to challenge these deities resulted either in assimilation into them or obliteration under divine might.
Gradually, the invincible image of these corporate giants became deeply ingrained in the populace, engendering submission and fear. Raising a hand to resist or daring even a glance at them required holding breath lest an eye contact be considered a blasphemous act.
However, on March 20th of Dawn 153rd Year, the unmatched authority of these corporations, maintained for over a hundred years, crumbled under the claws of the Wolf King. Everyone on this globe witnessed their inglorious humiliation.
Gods are not meant to bleed.
When scarlet blood seeps from a deity’s body, people realize the so-called gods aren’t undefeated; they are just mortals, capable of being overthrown like anyone else.