Lishan and Wangya Islands—once glittering jewels under the Jin Family's dominion—had long since fallen into shadow.
According to Jin Zhuo, the twin islands were rich in resources: gold veins that ran deep through the earth, fertile lands perfect for agriculture, and strategic naval routes. Once plagued by pirates, the islands were reclaimed through Mu Che's cunning and the Jin Family's silent influence. Not a drop of blood spilled—only whispers, negotiations, and a quiet purge in the dead of night.
But after Mu Che's supposed death, vultures began to circle.
The Zhu Family and Wu Clan, both backed by the influential Cang Outer Family, seized the islands through political force and military intimidation. The Jin Family, weakened and without a standing army, was powerless to reclaim them. Every attempt to retake the islands cost them dearly—hundreds, even thousands of lives—wasted in futile struggle.
Now, the islands served as a forward base for their enemies, crawling with armed forces and war machines disguised behind merchant guilds and trade banners.
Tonight, that was about to change.
High above the sea, under the shroud of a moonless sky, a VTOL gunship sliced silently through the air. Inside sat Yun Che and Nemu, their expressions calm but alert.
Their so-called date?
An infiltration mission—to survey and assess the military strength amassed on Lishan and Wangya. A strike now would cause chaos, yes. But it would also scatter the enemy, force them into hiding, and drag this into a longer war. Yun Che wanted all the snakes in one pit—then he would bury them in one strike.
They had time. Let them gather. Let them bring everything.
"According to the dead elder, ten thousand men are stationed across the island," Yun Che muttered, eyes locked on the flickering HUD.
"Hai," Nemu confirmed. Her fingers danced across the console. "They've fortified the beach with watchtowers. Reinforcements are on the way too."
"Good," Yun Che replied, adjusting the stealth settings. "Let them keep thinking no one's watching."
Outside the cockpit, the dark outlines of Lishan and Wangya Islands came into view—littered with flickering campfires, fortified emplacements, and half-buried supply depots. Ships sat docked at makeshift harbors, while deeper inland, crude mines and slave camps fed the war machine's hunger.
Yun Che narrowed his eyes.
"Activate stealth mode. Land near the southern beach—low terrain, fewer scouts."
"Hai." Nemu's voice was calm. With a tap, the VTOL's invisibility field shimmered to life, rendering the sleek craft nearly invisible as it descended silently behind a line of forest trees.
The ramp hissed open, letting in the salty wind as Yun Che stepped out into the night. He loaded the HDR Sniper Rifle, sliding on a suppressor, and holstered a silenced Quincy Desert Eagle at his thigh.
Beneath the moonlight, his form shifted—encased in sleek, matte-black plating. But this wasn't just any tactical suit.
It was his first contingency, crafted long ago as a fallback in the event he ever lost his Shinigami or Heretic Celestial Powers.
Compared to Libra—whose TX Terminator artificial skeleton alone consumed hundreds of thousands of SP—the development of this armor was modest. Where Libra boasted a nanite-based faux body and battlefield-dominating presence, this suit was designed with subtlety in mind. Modeled after the Crynet Nanosuit 2.0, Yun Che built it using the same nanite framework he'd engineered after his battle with Wrath.
Though its abilities were inferior to his Heretic Arts, the Nanosuit came with scalable perks tied to its user's cultivation. It wasn't just armor—it was a support system, designed to amplify power discreetly while concealing identity.
In Cloak mode, it could cloak his entire body in optical camouflage.
In Armor mode, it hardened into an invisible shell, capable of absorbing mid-tier attacks.
In Power mode, it synergized with his cultivation base, turning him into a ghost that could shatter steel silently and speed that made him superhuman.
The true brilliance of the suit wasn't in its raw power—but in its versatility. It allowed Yun Che to operate without drawing attention, preserving his more infamous powers for when it truly mattered.
Alone, the Nanosuit couldn't even defeat an ordinary Profound cultivator. But with a cultivator inside it?
It became a ghost of war.
And most importantly—it allowed him to mask himself to throw the world off his scent.
For now, anonymity was power.
Yun Che took off his coat and took out a small black cube.
Immediately, the faux body nanites surged from within the cube, crawling over his skin like a living shadow. In seconds, they reshaped and solidified, forming the Nanosuit 2.0 around him.
From head to toe, he was now encased in a sleek, black biomechanical armor—a fusion of synthetic musculature and advanced exoskeleton. The suit wasn't composed of rigid plates, but of segmented, sinewy fibers resembling carbon-woven muscle. It pulsed subtly with strength, built for agility, stealth, and devastating power.
The helmet sealed itself last, smooth and angular, its surface devoid of facial features. A narrow, horizontal visor glowed faintly in red, evoking the eyes of a mechanical predator. Beneath it, his tactical HUD flickered to life—weapon diagnostics, targeting overlays, and threat assessments scrolling across his view.
When he spoke, his voice came out transformed: radio-filtered and modulated, eerily calm, like Prophet from the old Earth game Crysis 2.
"Nemu. Are you ready?"
From the VTOL's shadow, Nemu stepped forward, her own female version of the Nanosuit 2.0 wrapping tightly around her form. Slightly more slender than Yun Che's, her suit retained all the same advanced properties, with slight adjustments in structure—particularly across the chest and hips—for balance and fit.
Though they now stood eye-to-eye in the suit's scaled proportions, her presence remained distinct. Where Yun Che's armor exuded sheer power, Nemu's leaned into precision and surgical finesse.
The suit's most refined feature—especially for someone like her—was the hair-phase function. Instead of cutting her long hair, the nanites opened a minor spatial sub-pocket, storing her hair safely out of the way, letting the helmet seal cleanly without compromise.
"Hai," she replied calmly, her own voice filtered through a gentler, female modulation. "Preparation took a bit longer than I thought… but I'm fully operational now."
The two of them stood on the beach—ghosts in the night, cloaked in a technology far beyond anything this world had ever seen.
Operation: Recon and Sabotage had begun.
"You look quite cool," Yun Che remarked, his glowing visor tilting toward her.
"Thank you, Yuu-sama," Nemu replied softly, her modulated voice crisp yet gentle.
"Is this one of the designs from your world?"
Yun Che gave a nod. "Yeah. Intimidating, right? This is one of Crynet's Technologies—their elite armor system. I merged its structure with nanite gigai tech, then scaled it to match our Spirit Energy levels. Without cultivation, the Nanosuit alone wouldn't hold up against real cultivators. But with our power? It becomes game-changing."
Nemu tilted her helmet. "But isn't your Heretic Arts capable of similar functions?"
"They are," Yun Che admitted, "but I don't want to rely on them all the time—especially not for stealth. I also want to avoid exposing my identity. This suit's made for infiltration, not battlefield glory."
He sighed slightly. "Shame I didn't finish this before I wiped out the Yin Devourer Sect. Could've been cleaner. But I doubt your sister would've worn this anyway."
"Hai… Nee-sama isn't that keen on armored suits," Nemu agreed. "She values tradition."
Yun Che's visor flickered as he glanced at her. "What about you? Got a preferred weapon loadout?"
Nemu nodded. "Hai. I prefer the Predator Bow and Automatic Crossbow. I haven't learned to handle firearms properly yet."
"Oh? You developed the Predator Bow?" He sounded genuinely curious.
"Hai. I followed the blueprint you gave me. It's efficient—especially when tied to system nanites. The arrows are completely formed from programmable matter and return to the bow when recalled."
She held up her weapon.
It was the Predator Bow—sleek and deadly. The mechanical limbs curved with a predatory tension, made from advanced composite alloys, folding neatly into a compact form when stored. Angular limbs, high-tension cables, and glowing cams pulsed softly with energy as it synced with her Nanosuit. It had no traditional string; instead, kinetic force was stored in silent electro-tension cables, unleashing pinpoint strikes with no sound.
A small, magazine-like quiver on her back held arrows—each made from nanites capable of shifting between explosive, electric, thermite, or standard piercing tips.
It was a perfect blend of ancient archery and future warfare—silent, elegant, and deadly. Even better if such a bow has the power to pierce a class six beast with one shot.
Yun Che gave an approving hum. "Silent death from the shadows. That suits you."
"I will support you from range. Shall we begin?"
They nodded to each other before silently exiting the VTOL, which remained hidden in stealth mode under the forest canopy. The faint shimmer of its cloaking field faded completely as they stepped into the darkened jungle.
Yun Che moved swiftly through the undergrowth, taking the lower route. His steps were silent, enhanced by the Nanosuit's adaptive traction system, but his raw speed alone was enough to tear across terrain without slowing.
Above him, Nemu moved like a phantom.
With her Nanosuit amplifying her agility and controlling weight distribution, she effortlessly leapt between the branches, barely disturbing the leaves. Each jump was calculated, graceful, and silent — a shadow among shadows.
Within minutes, they arrived at a ridge overlooking the Wu Clan's forward base.
From their concealed positions, both activated their visors. The HUD flickered to life inside their helmets, scanning and highlighting key targets in infrared, motion-sense overlays, and enemy tag markers.
"Zooming in… confirm visual on primary encampment," Nemu whispered.
Yun Che narrowed his eyes as the magnification adjusted. Crude metal walls lined the base perimeter, watchtowers built from reinforced logs and salvaged steel. Tents were pitched in organized clusters, and in the center — massive containment cages.
Inside them: humans. Or rather… what used to be.
"Those are the failed ones," Yun Che said darkly.
The creatures inside the cages twitched and snarled — once human, but now disfigured with bone masks and hollowed eyes. Muscles bulged irregularly. Veins pulsed black with corrupted energy. Their movements were twitchy, primal, hollow. Hollowfied.
"According to the elder," he continued, "the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region has started producing human–Hollow hybrids. These look like the failed prototypes. Probably unstable. But still usable… as cannon fodder."
Nemu's voice remained calm, but her disgust was evident. "There are thousands…"
"They'll throw them at cities, villages — let them infect and kill. Then bring in the army to finish whatever's left."
Yun Che clenched his fist. "Sick bastards."
"A perfect way to disguise and protect their army," Yun Che muttered under his breath, eyes locked on the disturbing scene below.
"What are we going to do, Yuu-sama?" Nemu asked, her voice quiet and serious.
"We scout ahead. We need to locate the main base," he replied. "Do not engage unless it's absolutely necessary."
"Hai…"
"Let's go."
With a faint shimmer, both activated their cloak systems — their forms rippling before vanishing completely into the night. Their silhouettes melted into the shadows as they slipped through the perimeter undetected.
They moved like ghosts.
Thousands of failed hollow hybrids were crammed into cages and sunken pits across the compound. Some screeched weakly. Others simply twitched, slack-jawed and vacant, their bodies barely alive but filled with violent energy.
Yun Che gritted his teeth.
How many innocent lives were sacrificed… twisted into this?
It was no different than turning people into zombies. Corrupted weapons of war. Once released into Jin Province, they'd infect everything in mere days. Towns, cities — all reduced to nothing.
As they pressed deeper into the compound, Yun Che's visor pinged with faint energy signatures. He scanned the nearby patrols and saw symbols on their armor — unmistakable.
"The Zhu Family," he muttered, then frowned. "And the Wu Clan…"
Crests of both clans were proudly worn by the guards and commanders stationed at key choke points. These weren't just bandits. This was a well-planned operation.
And behind it all, he suspected, was something far worse.
Cloak Mode rendered them undetectable, even in close quarters. Moving like wraiths, Yun Che and Nemu silently traversed the compound, their footfalls muffled by the Nanosuit's adaptive weight distribution.
With Nanovision enabled, the darkness posed no obstacle — the landscape lit up in shades of thermal heat, energy outlines, and cold silhouettes.
They slipped past the forward base undetected, keeping to the treeline and cliffs as they headed toward the main encampment.
This isn't the only one, Yun Che noted silently. Judging by the scale, there were likely multiple bases across both islands. But Lishan Island… this was the heart. The command center.
They scaled to a higher ridge overlooking the camp perimeter. The vantage point gave them full visibility of the surrounding terrain — rocky cliffs, broken hills, patches of jungle, and dirt paths carved by constant foot traffic.
Suddenly — twang — Nemu loosed an arrow from her Predator Bow. A faint, pulsing hiss followed as the arrow struck a patrolling scout directly in the throat. He collapsed soundlessly.
Simultaneously, Yun Che materialized beside another sentry, snapping his neck in one fluid motion before cloaking again.
They regrouped atop a large boulder formation, where Nemu unfolded her visor's binocular mode. Yun Che raised his HDR Sniper Rifle and zoomed in.
Dozens of tents stretched out across the inner compound, arranged in tactical clusters. Their weathered fabric and entrenched positions made one thing clear — this wasn't temporary.
"They've been here for months," Yun Che said quietly.
"Judging from the scale, this is their staging ground," Nemu confirmed. "More than ten thousand personnel. Logistics suggest long-term operation."
Below, slave workers dragged supplies, hollow hybrids snarled in their cages, and officers barked orders across the torch-lit camp.
Yun Che's grip on his rifle tightened.
If this is just Lishan… Wangya might be worse.
Yun Che adjusted his scope. A Profound Ark descended into the main base, its hull gleaming under the moonlight. Emblazoned on its sides was the unmistakable seal of the Zhu Family.
"Confirmed," Yun Che muttered grimly. "Zhu Family just arrived."
Both he and Nemu zoomed in simultaneously. Their eyes widened in disbelief.
Disembarking from the ark was none other than Liu Wuyan — the former city lord — accompanied by General Zhu Lin.
"In enemy territory…" Yun Che clicked his tongue in irritation. "Of course. These bastards are in on it. Their forces are stationed here, so they came to cry after Cang Yue dismantled their grip on the city."
They watched silently as the two men exchanged words with a cloaked officer before vanishing into the large command tent near the center of the compound.
"Nemu," Yun Che said, lowering his rifle, "I'm heading in for a closer look. Keep overwatch on me."
"Hai. Be careful, Yuu-sama."
He passed his HDR Sniper Rifle to Nemu, who immediately took up position behind the foliage, adjusting its scope and activating full-range visual modes.
Yun Che descended the slope with silent precision. The Nanosuit's cloak enveloped him in transparent shimmer, and he became a ghost — invisible to the naked eye, undetectable even by most energy scans.
He slipped past sentries as he infiltrated the heart of the main base.
What he saw made his blood chill.
Rows of Profound Battle Arks stood on standby, engines humming. Heavy crates of firebombs were being loaded in by teams of cultivators. The distinct scent of refined alchemical powder — highly combustible — hung in the air.
Judging by the scale of preparation… this wasn't just a show of force.
They were preparing to burn the city to the ground.
Right now, Yun Che focused on the mission — obtain intel, secure a way out.
As he stalked through the shadows, a grim sight caught his eye: attendants dragging chained women from the Zhu Family's ark. Their faces were hooded — deliberately covered to keep them unaware of their location.
His jaw tightened. Collateral… or sacrifices.
"Nemu, you seeing this?" he whispered.
"Confirmed," her voice replied through the comms. "Shall I prepare for extraction?"
"No. Stay in overwatch. I'll find an exit route first… if we're rescuing them, I want a clean way out."
"Hai. Understood."
Yun Che pressed forward.
The command building stood at the center of the camp — tall, fortified, heavily guarded. Getting in through the front was out of the question. His eyes tracked up. The second floor was less protected — only two guards on the balcony, each wielding a longbow.
He crouched low, then leapt silently. The Nanosuit's enhanced strength launched him onto the ledge with catlike grace.
One quick strike — the first guard dropped soundlessly.
Thwip.
An arrow whizzed past and struck the second guard in the neck. He collapsed without a sound. Nemu had anticipated his move and provided cover without needing a word.
Good girl.
Yun Che quickly dragged both bodies behind a support beam and disabled their life signs on the security talismans they wore.
The balcony door slid open with a soft click. He slipped inside — silent, cloaked, lethal.
Now he was in the belly of the beast.
Slam!
Liu Wuyan's fist crashed down on the table, rattling the lacquered tea cups and scrolls. Around him, several Wu Clan elders sat in tense silence, their expressions grim.
"Damn that Jin Zhuo!" he growled. "How the hell did he rope the princess into helping him?! Without control over the city, it'll be nearly impossible to stir unrest among the people!"
Above them, perched silently in the rafters, Yun Che listened with narrowed eyes. So that's how they played it…
Liu Wuyan hadn't just corrupted the city—he'd weaponized it. Legalized gambling dens, underground fight pits, manipulated taxation, controlled inflation… All to push the desperate deeper into poverty and let the wealthy tighten their grip. The chaos served as perfect cover for the Wu Clan to sink their roots deeper into Xuanwu City. Making it the perfect target to invade the city.
But if the citizens learned that Jin Zhuo was back—truly reinstated—it could all unravel. The poor still remembered the stability under his rule two years ago. They would rise behind him again.
"They'll hear of it by dawn," muttered a Wu elder.
"No. We act tonight," Liu Wuyan snapped. "Before the news spreads. We need to silence the princess and pin the blame on Jin Zhuo!"
Zhu Lin leaned back, arms crossed. His voice was skeptical.
"Isn't the princess supposed to be… trash?" he said with a smirk. "Wasn't that what the Cang Outer Royal Family said? Spoiled. Weak. Incompetent."
Liu Wuyan didn't answer. The silence that followed was heavy.
Zhu Lin's eyes narrowed.
"And yet—my nephew barely survived her 'incompetence' this afternoon. And during the banquet? Don't insult me. That wasn't the work of a pampered royal. She was trained. Efficient. Dangerous."
He glanced at the others.
"I didn't believe she was truly here. But tonight…? I'm sure of it."
"Wasn't His Highness once confident he'd control the throne, being the Emperor's own brother?" one of the Wu Clan elders muttered, voice thick with frustration. "How the hell did that so-called incompetent Emperor rise from a sickly bastard to seize power again in just a few years?"
Another elder scoffed. "The plan was perfect. That failed uprising should've eliminated all the male heirs. With them gone, the throne would've defaulted to the so-called trash princess. She was supposed to be easy prey."
"Disgraceful," another spat. "Our royal branch humiliated by the main Imperial family. His Highness Cang Xingwu was defeated—defeated—by Princess Cang Yue herself."
"How?!" Zhu Lin snapped. "How the hell did she defeat him? Wasn't she supposed to be weak, sheltered, untrained?"
A grim pause.
"…She didn't come alone to this province," an elder finally muttered. "She has a guardian."
Zhu Lin's eyes narrowed. "You mean… Xue Ling? The Imperial Protector?"
"Yes. But there's a problem—she's no longer Mid Sky Profound Realm. She's at Mid Emperor Profound now."
Murmurs of disbelief rippled through the high table.
"The Blue Wind Imperial Family doesn't even have thrones," one elder growled. "Not a single one. All of them belong to the Four Great Sects. How in the world did Xue Ling surpass them in power?"
"That's impossible," another hissed, shaking his head. "It's far too great a leap—from Mid Sky Profound all the way to Mid Emperor Profound? In mere weeks?"
A third slammed his palm on the table. "We've tracked every single one of her Imperial Protectors. Not a single one made a breakthrough last month. Not even close."
"Their cultivation should be stagnant. And yet she's crossed a realm barrier and returned stronger than anyone we've seen outside the Sacred Grounds?"
"It's unnatural. Unprecedented."
"Unacceptable," Zhu Lin muttered coldly. "She's a variable we can't afford. We need the Wu Clan to deal with her."
The elders fell into tense silence, each one trying to mask the unease creeping into their hearts. Whatever power Princess Cang Yue now commanded… it was clearly not something they had accounted for.
It might impact their plans.
"No one knows how she did it," the elder continued, voice tight. "But as long as she protects Jin Zhuo, that old fox will keep rallying the people if the princess stood by his side."
"Tch. Half the city still supports Liu Wuyan. There's no way they'll suddenly turn on him."
"The other half," someone pointed out, "still remembers Jin Zhuo's rule two years ago. If the Princess publicly reinstates him, they'll rise without hesitation."
Silence fell like a blade.
"…Then we can't let it happen," Zhu Lin finally said. "Princess Cang Yue must be dealt with—before the city turns."
"Can't the Zhu Family elder deal with her?" one Wu Clan elder asked darkly. "Didn't the Profound Elixir you obtained from us push him to the Fifth Level of the Emperor Profound Realm?"
Yun Che's brow twitched behind his visor. Profound Elixir?
Is this the same one Mulan mentioned? The one the Jin Family used to break into the Emperor Profound Realm?
And the same reason Mu Che was killed—to steal its recipe?
"He did reach the Fifth Level," Zhu Lin confirmed, "but even then, we can't deal with that Grand Imperial Protector. She's too powerful. If we want to bring down the Jin Family, we have to take her out first."
"Then send Elder Fang," someone suggested. "He's stronger, isn't he?"
"Currently," Zhu Lin nodded, "Xue Ling is at the Seventh Level of the Emperor Profound Realm."
"Then Elder Fang, at Eighth Level, will be more than enough to deal with her—and assassinate Princess Cang Yue in the chaos. We'll pin it on the Jin Family. With that, we'll have the pretext to execute Jin Zhuo and restore Liu Wuyan's control of the city."
"If the people start rallying around Jin Zhuo again, it'll be too late to suppress them. He's still popular among the poor."
"Then don't delay. Inform Elder Fang. Let's see if that so-called protector can defend her precious veiled beauties… and that pampered little princess."
"How's the preparation?" Zhu Lin asked, his tone cold and calculated.
"The top elders are on their way," the unknown Wu Clan elder replied. "They're bringing more of those white-masked abominations from the Sacred Ground. By two week's time, the entire army will be assembled. We just needed Liu Wuyan to play his part. With Jin Zhuo in the way, this might hamper our plans."
Zhu Lin narrowed his eyes. "Why so many of them?"
"We don't need our army to get involved. They'll stay behind while the white masked people do our deeds. We simply release them onto the battlefield—those creatures will wipe out civilians and soldiers alike. Efficient… and deniable."
"Have you brought the test subjects?"
"They're just my incompetent servants. A dozen of them. Why do you need those women?"
"The Sacred Ground reports that the white-mask transformation fails on women. Their weaker wills cause immediate breakdowns—they turn feral and uncontrollable. The early test subjects all had to be put down. But…" the elder smirked, "they claim to have refined the process. They want us to verify it."
"So, you needed my servants?"
"Yes. To avoid suspicion. If the pills work, good. If not… well…" He shrugged. "We'll just toss the bodies to the men. No waste. You can get new servants anytime."
From his hidden vantage point, Yun Che clenched his fists inside the Nanosuit. His teeth ground together, barely suppressing the fury building in his chest.
They were treating people like livestock…
No, worse.
Yun Che remained calm, slipping deeper into the shadows like a phantom. He had already gathered enough to piece together the larger picture. The Wu Clan's high elders were en route, bringing more of the hollow human hybrids—living weapons to be unleashed. Acting now might destroy this operation, but it would alert the entire Wu Clan. Their army would scatter, and their plans would shift to another date.
No—he needed something more permanent.
If he could obtain those pills, the key to transforming humans into hollow hybrids, there was a chance he could study them—reverse their effects. Maybe even find a cure for the infected. That kind of weapon in his hands could be hope instead of devastation.
From the shadows above, he watched as one of the elders handed a sealed vial to a robed attendant.
"Test them on the women. We'll observe the results," the elder ordered, his tone void of emotion.
Yun Che's eyes narrowed.
The attendant obeyed without question, making his way toward the prison cells.
Yun Che followed.
The prison was dark and suffocating, lit only by the flicker of a distant torch. Twelve women—chained, gagged, and blindfolded—sat hunched in silence. Their clothes were torn, their spirits shattered. None of them had done anything to deserve this. They were civilians. Former attendants, maids, and servants. All they wanted was to survive… and now they were nothing more than experiments.
The attendant stepped forward, a vile smirk twisting his lips. His eyes scanned the women, lingering far too long. Lust and cruelty danced behind his gaze.
One of the women flinched as he neared. Her terrified eyes locked onto him, but the chains bit into her wrists, and the gag silenced her pleas.
"Such beautiful flowers…" the attendant whispered, crouching in front of one of the women. He ran a gloved hand along her cheek, ignoring the way she trembled and tried to recoil. "Shame you have to become test subjects. Rumor has it none of the women survived. But don't worry… you might. Maybe as a mindless beast."
The woman's muffled scream fought against her gag. The others jerked in their chains, panic spreading like wildfire. None of them had asked for this. None deserved it.
Yun Che's visor scanned over the women as he guided them to the temporary safe zone behind the outer barracks. Most were still in shock, eyes wide and unfocused, barely able to walk without stumbling.
Then he stopped. His breath hitched.
One of the women, though dirtied and bruised, was unmistakable.
"…Li Bing?!"
The woman flinched at the sudden call of her name. Her eyes met his—glassy, frightened, but still holding a flicker of recognition.
The attendant leaned closer, his breath foul, his smile vile.
"That doesn't mean I can't enjoy such delicate beings first. I haven't touched a woman since I got here."
Li Bing's eyes went wide with terror. She thrashed, desperate, as he reached for her—
—and froze.
Behind him, a figure emerged from the darkness. Clad in a sleek, obsidian suit that rippled faintly with energy. The attendant never saw it coming.
A black-gloved hand seized his neck.
There was a soft crack.
The body collapsed like a ragdoll, lifeless before it hit the floor.
Yun Che stood silently over him, the shadows seeming to cling to his frame. His visor flickered red for a moment as he turned to the terrified women.
"It's alright," his voice came through the suit, quiet and cold. "You're safe. For now."
His helmet turned into nanites as he revealed himself before him. Li Bing stopped squirming and her eyes teared up.
"Lord Mu…?" she whispered hoarsely. "You came for me."
His hands clenched into fists.
Mulan's personal handmaiden. She had excused herself to go to the city hours ago. He'd assumed she stayed behind at the estate—or perhaps slipped away to handle errands. But this? To find her chained like this among the kidnapped?
"Damn it," he growled under his breath. "She must've been taken either on her way back… or during the banquet when no one was watching."
That meant Mulan had no idea. She was probably searching even now, tearing apart courtyards or contacting guards. The woman who served her loyally day and night—abducted, gagged, and nearly used as a test subject.
Li Bing's lips trembled. "They… they said they were going to… turn us into monsters…"
"You're safe now," Yun Che said firmly, his voice low but clear. "I'll get you out of here. All of you."
There was no time for rest. Not when the Wu Clan was already preparing their next move—and now, Yun Che had even more reason to end this quietly… and completely.
Li Bing gasped and wept, her shoulders trembling as Yun Che examined her chains. Li Bing hugged him and cried. He consoled her for a moment and treated her injuries.
Then, he picked up the vial that had fallen from the dead man's hand—the pill. He tucked it safely away in a compartment on his suit.
"I'll get you all out. But not yet. I need a safe route first."
The other woman he released opened her mouth to scream—but before a sound escaped, Yun Che's hand gently clasped over her lips. His other hand rose slowly, index finger pressing against the spot on his visor where his mouth would be.
Shhh.
His body radiated calm despite the danger around them. The woman's eyes, wide with fear, slowly focused on him. His gesture wasn't violent—it was a plea. A silent promise.
She nodded, trembling.
Yun Che released her mouth with care, then moved quickly, kneeling to undo her chains. One by one, he did the same for the other women. Some whimpered. Others were frozen with shock. Not a single one spoke—they couldn't even if they tried. Their voices were stolen by trauma, and their bodies struggled to obey even the simplest commands.
"It's alright," Yun Che whispered, his voice low and steady through the filter of his Nanosuit. "Follow me. Stay low. Don't make a sound."
"Lord Mu… Please… don't leave us," Li Bing pleaded, her voice trembling, her eyes desperate.
Yun Che turned to her, his gaze meeting hers through the faint shimmer of his visor. "I need you to get them out. You're stronger than you think. I promise—I'll come back for you. Mulan probably worried sick."
Without waiting for argument, he moved—silent, deadly. He slipped into the corridor's shadows ahead of them. Two guards stood at a junction. Before they could react, Yun Che was upon them. Two swift strikes—one to the neck, the other to the solar plexus—dropped them like stones. No sound. No struggle.
The women flinched as the bodies hit the floor, but none screamed. They kept moving. Silent. Trembling. Their steps unsteady—but they walked. Somehow, they still moved forward.
Yun Che led them through winding back passages until they reached an old, abandoned storehouse hidden behind a stack of unused supply crates—quiet, dark, untouched by the foot traffic of the main compound.
"This is far as I go for now," he said, checking the perimeter once more. "Go. Follow the outer trail. Head toward the forest. Stay hidden."
Li Bing hesitated, then turned to the women. Her voice cracked, but it carried resolve. "Come on. We're getting out of here."
She led them into the darkness—toward the trees, toward freedom.
Yun Che stood behind for a moment longer, just enough to make sure no shadows followed them. His hands tightened into fists.
He wasn't done yet.
The women clung to one another, finally safe—if only for now. Yun Che activated his cloak again and vanished into the shadows.
Yun Che crouched near the edge of the warehouse district, the cold steel of the pill container in his gloved hand. These were the male-variant transformation pills—the first wave of monstrosities birthed from this island. He needed to erase all traces of them before more harm could be done. So, the Wu Clan had to deal with whatever beasts they had if the pills were destroyed.
Ahead, several bodies lay slumped silently in the dark—clean kills. Nemu was waiting just past the entrance, standing over one of the fallen guards, her bow already returned to her back.
"Took the scenic route, eh?" he quipped quietly, one brow arched behind his visor.
"I did take out several guards," she replied evenly. "Now we can make it look like an accident."
"What's the plan, Yuu-sama?"
"Stage a fire. Pour oil over the pill crates, then set a lantern on top. With the guards already dead, it'll look like a storage accident. Maybe even sabotage. By the time it goes up, we'll be long gone."
"Hai," Nemu nodded.
The two moved swiftly and precisely. Yun Che found the crates containing the processed hollow pills—rows of small, black capsules in silk-lined boxes, marked with a strange alchemic seal. He doused them in lantern oil while Nemu dragged two more bodies closer to the site, positioning them to appear like workers caught in a warehouse mishap.
Next, Yun Che placed one of the oil lanterns—a squat, rusted one—gently atop the soaked crates. Inside the boxes, he'd already hidden several of his explosive marbles. Once the flame made contact with the oil, the heat would trigger the chain reaction.
Boom. No evidence. No retrieval.
"You sure this'll catch in time?" Nemu asked, stepping back beside him.
"It'll take five minutes max before the wax falls on the oil. Just enough to give us distance."
He gave the lantern's base a gentle tilt, letting the flame drip slowly from the wick. A trail of fire began to slither toward the crates, slow but certain.
"Let's go."
Together, they melted into the shadows once more, Nanosuits cloaking them as they scaled the ridge overlooking the compound.
As they reached the upper ridge, a deep rumble shook the ground behind them—followed by a flash of orange light.
Fwooom!
A muffled explosion rocked the warehouse district. Flames erupted skyward as the pill stockpile vanished in smoke and fire.
"Accident," Yun Che muttered.
But Yun Che's expression stayed grim. The pills for women were still in his possession—untouched. He would need to analyze them, find the weaknesses, and possibly a cure for those already transformed.
Yun Che and Nemu returned to the outer compound. The warehouse was in flames now—smoke billowing into the sky, panic spreading through the base like wildfire. The explosion had done its job.
But then—
A scream.
Both of them turned instantly, eyes narrowing behind visors. Without a word, they moved—silent shadows weaving through the brush. The sound led them to a grim scene in a clearing just behind the compound wall.
The women were there. Tied up. Faces bruised. Clothes torn.
Li Bing was bloodied, collapsed to her knees. Blood dripped from her lip, staining her once-pristine dress. She had clearly fought back.
One of the captors—clad in Wu Clan armor—grabbed her by the hair and yanked her up.
"How the hell did you escape?" he snarled. His breath reeked of smoke and wine. "You think we wouldn't find you?"
She said nothing.
The man's face twisted. He slammed his foot down on her leg with a sickening crunch. She cried out—but not a word of betrayal left her lips.
"She's the one who led them," one of the thugs growled. "Grab her friend!"
Another man seized a younger girl from the group and dragged her up by the hair. Her screams echoed through the trees.
"No—please!" Li Bing gasped, struggling to rise. "Don't hurt her!"
A blade flashed—resting against the girl's trembling throat.
"Now talk," the man hissed into her ear. "Or she dies right here."
Li Bing's breathing hitched. Tears mixed with blood on her face. Her mouth opened—
—but then something moved behind the guards.
Li Bing's body trembled. Blood dripped from her mouth as she stared at the blade pressed to the girl's throat. I'm sorry... I'm so weak...
The executioner raised his sword.
Then—thunk!
An arrow buried itself into the ground inches from his foot.
He froze.
Bang! Bang!
Twin gunshots echoed through the trees—two of the guards dropped, bullets punched clean through their skulls.
The clearing exploded into chaos.
Yun Che burst from the shadows, grabbing the nearest guard by the throat and slamming him into the dirt. Beside him, Nemu appeared, releasing a flurry of bolts from her rapid-fire crossbow, each one hitting a target with unerring precision.
More men charged.
Yun Che turned, Desert Eagle in hand. Bang! Bang! Bang! Three more bodies hit the ground, not even a chance to scream.
Arrows rained from the tree line. Screams erupted from the women as they ducked for behind the rocks nearby.
Thwip—Thwip—THUNK!
Dozens of projectiles streaked toward Yun Che and Nemu.
--------------
[MAXIMUM ARMOR]
------------
The voice rang cold and mechanical from their suits.
A sudden surge of pulsing aqua-blue energy enveloped their forms, shimmering like liquid steel. The arrows clattered harmlessly off their reinforced plating, shattering on impact or ricocheting into the dirt. Even the women, crouched and terrified, couldn't help but stare in awe.
"N-Nothing got through…" one of them whispered.
The men in the treeline faltered. Their power—Peak Earth Profound Realm—should've been enough to pierce any armor. And yet… their attacks were meaningless.
Yun Che raised his Desert Eagle.
BOOM!
A soldier's head snapped back, vanishing in a mist of red.
Nemu dropped to a knee and fired two bolts in rapid succession with her auto-crossbow. One bolt pierced a man's throat, the other buried in his chest—both fell before they hit the ground.
Another volley of arrows launched. Again, they bounced off the energy shield.
Yun Che stormed forward, eyes glowing behind his visor, and fired three times. Each shot was surgical. One through the heart. One through the eye. One through the helmet.
Nemu's bow clicked—she yanked a high-torque bolt and slammed it into place, the string humming with tension. She took aim and fired.
KA-THOOM!
An explosive bolt detonated at the enemy's flank, tossing bodies into the air.
They'd witnessed a massacre—executed not by cultivators, but by two strangers clad in impossible armor, wielding weapons that defied their world.
"W-What… are they…?" one of the women whispered.
Li Bing, still bloodied but upright, stared at the two figures as if seeing gods of war. "Our… saviors," she murmured, voice trembling.
-----------
[Cloak engaged]
----------
A faint ripple passed over Yun Che's form—and he vanished.
Nemu followed suit, her silhouette blurring and then dissolving into the air.
"They're gone!" a soldier shouted. "Keep your eyes—"
He didn't finish.
A flash of steel—crack—his body crumpled silently.
Panic spread like wildfire.
"Where are they?!"
"Form up! Back-to-ba—"
Another man disappeared mid-sentence, pulled into the shadows. A muffled grunt. Then nothing.
Nemu's crossbow clicked—empty.
Without hesitation, she dropped it mid-step, spun on her heel, and yanked a sleek black arrow from her hip. She moved like liquid shadow—graceful, silent, deadly.
With a single step, she slipped behind a soldier and shhk!—drove the arrow into his throat. Blood sprayed in a red arc. He gurgled and collapsed.
Another man turned, eyes wide—just in time to catch Yun Che's boot to his chest. The force cracked ribs. He staggered back—Yun Che followed up with a punch enhanced by his Nanosuit, and the man's neck snapped violently sideways.
Chaos reigned.
Screams turned to gasps. The attacking force was no longer fighting a battle—they were being hunted.
"Demon! These are demons!" one shouted, breaking ranks to flee.
Thunk!
An arrow slammed into his back as he fell mid-run.
Yun Che emerged just briefly—face hidden beneath his visor, blood splattered across his armor—before vanishing again into invisibility.
One by one, the remaining soldiers were picked off, methodically and mercilessly.
Another rushed her with a raised halberd—but her Predator Bow snapped into her grip. Fwshhhk! The shot impaled him through the chest, pinning him to a tree.
A fourth tried to sneak behind her.
Yun Che moved first.
Thwip!
A combat knife sailed through the air and lodged itself between the attacker's eyes.
The women—bloodied, bound, and beaten—could only watch in stunned horror as the two dark-suited figures tore through their captors like phantoms of death.
One man turned to run.
He made it three steps before an arrow slammed into his back. He fell without a word.
Silence followed.
Heavy, shaken breathing was all that remained.
"Bing!" Yun Che was already at her side, kneeling. Her eyes fluttered open.
"Lord… Mu…"
"You crazy, reckless girl," he muttered, pulling a vial from his belt. He tilted it to her lips. "Drink."
She coughed as the potion poured in. Her wounds sealed rapidly, skin knitting back together under the glow of healing energy. Her breath steadied.
He moved to the others, administering what potions he had left. One by one, bruises vanished, blood clotted, and color returned to their faces.
Meanwhile, the Wu Clan's carriages—left behind in the panic—waited untouched nearby.
"Looks like luck's on our side," Nemu said, checking her quiver.
"If the carriages aren't here, it'll be a while before we can get to the VTOL." Yun Che nodded.
Yun Che helped the women climb aboard.
He and Nemu took the reins. With most of the guards pulled toward the central base after the explosion, the front checkpoint would be sparsely manned. If they moved fast, they could reach the VTOL and get everyone out safely.
He glanced back at the rescued women—quiet, terrified, but alive.
Now he just had to get them home.
Yun Che gave Nemu a sharp nod.
Without hesitation, she pulled three explosive-tipped arrows from her quiver and set them in rapid succession. With a deep breath, she aimed—
Thwip—BOOM!
The front gate exploded in a burst of flames and splinters.
The carriage burst through the wreckage like a thunderclap, wheels rattling wildly. Inside, the women ducked low, gripping the edges, eyes wide with terror as smoke and fire danced around them.
Shouts rang out.
The few guards who remained at the front base took up bows and opened fire, but—
Thwip! Thwip! BOOM!
Nemu cut them down effortlessly. Her arrows hit with pinpoint precision, each one igniting on impact. Men were sent flying in bursts of fire and smoke.
"To think this is your idea of a date," Yun Che muttered, sharply steering the carriage as flaming debris rained down around them.
"I think Nee-sama would approve," Nemu replied calmly, nocking another arrow. "She might even be jealous."
BOOM!
Her next shot struck the rear gate just before they reached it, blasting it open. The horses didn't slow—they thundered through the smoke into the night beyond.
Behind them, more carriages gave chase, the thunder of hooves and shouted orders growing louder.
"Pursuers," Nemu noted.
"Handle it."
Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!
She spun, her automatic crossbow releasing a precise volley. Each bolt struck a wheel, a horse, or the driver himself. Carriages veered off course or flipped violently.
Still, a few pushed forward.
Nemu calmly reached for another explosive-tipped arrow. Boom! One cart was engulfed in fire, crashing into another behind it.
The road behind them lit with flame and falling debris.
Inside the carriage, Li Bing held one of the frightened women close. "Just a bit more," she whispered, more to herself than anyone else. "Just a bit more…"
Yun Che narrowed his eyes, the VTOL's beacon now in sight over the horizon.
"Hold on," he growled. "We're almost home."
The carriage skidded to a halt just beyond the treeline. Yun Che leapt off, landing in a crouch as he unstrapped the HDR Sniper Rifle from his back.
"Nemu, get them to the VTOL and fire it up. Sixty seconds," he ordered, tone sharp and resolute.
"Hai." Nemu nodded, immediately helping Li Bing and the others down. The women stumbled, still shaken, but Nemu's calm presence urged them forward.
Above them, concealed in the thickets and high brush, the black VTOL loomed like a silent predator. Its sleek, angular frame shimmered faintly in the moonlight—nothing like the carriages or arks the women had ever seen. Several of them froze in awe.
"W-What is that…?"
"Don't stop!" Nemu snapped. "Inside. Now."
Reluctantly, they obeyed, scrambling up the ramp. The interior hummed with strange, glowing lights—metallic seats, consoles with blinking glyphs, and screens displaying unreadable schematics. It was like stepping into a world beyond their own.
Li Bing turned, worry etched across her bruised face. "Lord Mu! What about him?!"
"It's okay," Nemu said, taking the pilot's seat. "He knows what he's doing."
"No… no, he shouldn't be alone—!"
"Miss Li," Nemu cut in, her voice softening, "if anyone can survive out there... it's him."
Outside, Yun Che lay prone on a rocky ledge above the clearing, his HDR rifle locked in position. The scope's digital reticle flicked as he adjusted the wind calibration.
Whirr… Target locked.
The thundering of hooves drew closer.
The first horseman burst through the treeline.
CRACK!
The high-caliber shot echoed like a cannon.
The rider dropped instantly.
A second, then a third.
CRACK—CRACK!
Yun Che's hands moved with practiced precision. Each shot tore through armor and bone. He counted seconds in his mind.
Thirty-five.
The VTOL's engines roared to life, its stealth plating shifting to compensate for lift.
More riders approached from the flanks. Yun Che adjusted, exhaled—
CRACK!
A crossbowman's bolt clattered harmlessly to the side, his aim broken forever.
Inside the VTOL, Nemu tapped a holographic display. "VTOL at seventy percent lift. Just a little longer…"
Outside—
CRACK!
"Twenty seconds," Yun Che whispered to himself, eyes cold behind his visor.
A pair of enemies dismounted, trying to flank through the undergrowth.
CRACK!
CRACK!
Two headshots. Clean.
Yun Che pulled the trigger—BOOM.
The shot echoed like thunder across the hills. One man dropped instantly, and the rest scrambled for cover in a panic.
Against a high-caliber sniper rifle, their bows and arrows were useless. It was a slaughter.
He fired again. And again.
Each round tore through armor and bone, picking them off one by one with merciless precision.
Some soldiers tried to regroup. Others simply ran—terror overwhelming whatever courage they had left.
A voice crackled in his comms.
"Yuu-sama! The VTOL's ready—get on!" Nemu's voice was sharp with urgency.
Yun Che slung his sniper rifle across his back. More enemies surged toward the hill, hoping to cut him off.
Too late.
His suit surged with power, and in a blur, he leapt—soaring through the air in an arc of impossible grace.
He landed on the VTOL's rear ramp just as it began to rise.
Nemu flipped a switch in the cockpit.
------------
[Stealth Mode Engaged]
--------------
The aircraft shimmered—and vanished from sight.
From the ground, the enemy could only stare in confusion and rising fear as their prey disappeared into thin air, leaving only silence and the bodies behind.
Inside the VTOL, Li Bing's eyes welled with tears as she rushed toward Yun Che.
"Lord Mu! You're fine!"
He gave a small nod.
"Hey now… Mulan's probably worried sick about you."
Li Bing lowered her head in shame.
"They caught me and the others on our way back. We tried to signal the palace but… we couldn't escape. I failed to contact the princess. I… I'm sorry."
Yun Che placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, his voice filtered but calm.
"Hey. You're safe now. That's what matters. Return to her."
But his gaze hardened as he turned toward the display screens. The mission was supposed to be silent, surgical—covert. But those men had seen them. Seen the tech. Seen too much.
Behind him, Nemu had already stepped out of her suit, slipping back into her usual calm demeanor, brushing dust off her sleeves.
Yun Che turned to her, his voice cold with intent.
"Nemu. Turn us around."
She blinked. "Going back?"
"Yeah."
A grin tugged at her lips.
"Fry and die?"
He smirked beneath the visor.
"Fry and die. Let's do it."
Nemu climbed back into the cockpit, flicked switches with practiced grace, and spun the VTOL back toward the battlefield.
The engines roared low like a predator circling back for the kill.
This time, there would be no witnesses.
Nemu nodded and banked the VTOL hard, looping them back around.
Yun Che stood at the rear ramp, eyes cold, body steady.
"Arm weapons."
Nemu tapped a sequence on the console.
From beneath the VTOL, hidden hatches slid open with a mechanical hiss—revealing four triple-barreled M61 Vulcan miniguns, each one gleaming like the jaws of a beast. The fifth—a larger rotary cannon—emerged beneath the cockpit.
Two of the guns rotated, scanning autonomously, locking in on hostiles.
-------------
[Miniguns – Armed]
------------
"Weapons armed," Nemu confirmed.
Yun Che gave a nod.
The aircraft climbed higher into the clouds, then with a low metallic groan, it tilted downward—diving.
Below, the enemy regrouped at the outpost. Men shouted orders. Some prepared to report what they saw. A few laughed, thinking they had survived.
They didn't know death was already screaming toward them.
Inside, the rescued women clutched their seats, knuckles white, eyes wide. The atmosphere shook with the sound of wind shearing past the VTOL's hull.
Nemu locked her eyes forward.
She squeezed the trigger.
The miniguns spun up with a deafening whirr—
And then hell rained down.
Explosive tracer rounds tore through the outpost, ripping apart tents, towers, and soldiers alike. Bodies were flung back in bursts of fire and dirt. Screams were drowned beneath the thunder of relentless gunfire.
Every shot was vengeance for the women.
Auto-tracking systems locked on stragglers—those who fled were cut down in seconds.
Some of the enemy scrambled to man the arrow turrets, desperate to retaliate. But it was futile.
The explosive Vulcan miniguns roared to life again, tearing through wooden ramparts and crude defenses like paper. Shattered arrowheads flew like sparks as the forward base was ripped apart, one turret after another shredded under the hail of gunfire.
From above, it wasn't a battle—it was an execution.
As the VTOL soared overhead, Nemu flipped a switch on the console.
A hiss followed as a fine mist of fuel—refined from Profound Engine combustion residue—sprayed out from the undercarriage vents, coating the base below
Yun Che moved to the open ramp. The wind howled. The flames from the first wave of destruction flickered like the dying breath of the guilty.
With a smirk behind his visor, he drew a flare gun—loaded with a high-ignition round—and aimed it down.
Fwoomp.
The flare arced through the air and kissed the soaked ruins.
WHOOMPH.
The ignition was instant—a rolling inferno burst outward, blooming into a fiery tidal wave that engulfed the entire forward base.
Chain reactions followed as hidden supplies, oil drums, and weapon caches detonated one by one. The explosion was slow but massive—controlled chaos, a burning message written in smoke.
The firestorm reached skyward, and in the distance, alarms echoed from the main base. Panic swept through the island like wildfire.
And yet—no trace of who caused it.
The VTOL, already veiled in stealth systems, vanished into the clouds, leaving only silence, fire, and ash behind.
"Let's go back," Yun Che said as the flames below slowly faded into the distance. "That's more than enough to stir the hornet's nest."
Nemu nodded, flicking several switches. The VTOL's weapons retracted into hidden compartments beneath the hull with smooth mechanical clicks. A soft hum filled the cockpit as the ship climbed higher, disappearing once more into the clouds.
Behind them, Yun Che's nanosuit shimmered—then melted away into a sleek black cube that dropped into his palm. His real form emerged from the dissolving armor, and the air around him seemed to relax.
Li Bing gasped when she saw his face. Tears welled up as she rushed into his arms, sobbing softly. "You… you really came back..."
He held her gently, reassuring her with calm words. "You're safe now. That's all that matters."
"Thank you… You always come when I need you," Li Bing said with a soft smile, her voice trembling with gratitude.
Yun Che gently patted her head. He wasn't truly Mu Che—but if fate had placed him in this role, he would see it through. He would make sure Li Bing lived… and saw her twin sister again.
"Let's go home, Bing," he said quietly.
"Yes," she replied, leaning up to kiss his cheek. "For rescuing us."
Yun Che let out a quiet sigh, his expression unreadable beneath the lingering weight of the night's mission—but somewhere in that sigh was relief.
And maybe... just maybe, a hint of peace.
After making sure the rescued women were secured and comforted, Yun Che returned to the cockpit.
"Great job, sweetie," he said, brushing his hand against Nemu's as he slid into the seat beside her.
"Hai... thank you... Yuu-sama..." she replied, her voice soft but proud.
"No, thank you," he said with a smile. "I'd say our first date went pretty well."
"Hai… extremely well," Nemu admitted, her cheeks coloring with a rare blush. "But... for our second date... I hope for something more... normal. Just a couple's date."
He chuckled and leaned over, pressing a quick, tender kiss to her lips.
Nemu's eyes widened. Her voice caught in her throat as she sat frozen, stunned by the gesture. A blush burned across her cheeks.
"I'll arrange it," he said with a grin, giving her a gentle pat on the head. "Shall we go back?"
"…Yes." She smiled faintly, still flustered but happy. Her first date with him had been chaotic, dangerous—and utterly unforgettable.
And somehow… it was perfect.