The people in the control center fell silent for a moment; only List's unhurried voice over the mic and Pyon's steady typing could be heard.
" So, how can we help you?" Bisky finally broke the silence and pulled the topic back to the beginning.
Cluck glanced at Germain and the others as if admiring a painting on the wall, then nodded. "We really do need your help."
"Bisky's 'Magical Beautician Miss Cookie' can soothe people on the verge of a breakdown, much like Melody's ability, so we'll leave that part to you."
"No problem." Bisky nodded, her golden pigtails bobbing up and down.
"I see Queen Oito and Steiner are still badly shaken. Melody should be tending to them, so I'll start with the survivors in the hall."
Cluck turned to Shizuku. "Besides storing and moving things, your 'Blinky' can also suck toxins, shrapnel, and rubble out of the human body.
"If you could team up with Cheadle and Gel to treat the survivors, that would help us a great deal."
Shizuku gave an easy nod. "Sure. I'll look for them in a minute."
At last Cluck faced Germain and Ging. "As you can see …"
"We're in the control center—monitoring the fortress interior, directing the defense, and searching for survivors outside. We really can't be everywhere at once."
"I'd like you two to share the load. One of you hold the outermost defensive line, the other head outside, rescue as many survivors as you can, and bring them back here."
"We'll assign manpower and supplies to back you up in real time."
Germain and Ging exchanged a glance. Knowing each other well, they settled on their choices without a word.
Ging stayed on the frontline to keep monsters from storming the fortress and to stop the mixed group of survivors from wrecking order inside.
Germain headed out alone, determined to save as many lives as possible in the small hours before dawn.
At 2:41 a.m., Germain slipped through a side gate of the fortress, accompanied by a mechanical scout drone released by List.
The red eye of the mechanical drone could transmit everything it saw directly to the control center.
At the same time, thanks to a simple modification by List, the control center could also use the drone to communicate with Germaine.
Beyond that, the drone's power source was a cleverly processed "Unmanned Rock", ensuring there were no immediate concerns about its endurance.
The long, endless night was finally nearing its end. The land before dawn was blanketed in a pale blue hue.
For those long hours, Chameleon Meleoron didn't dare to lift his ability, Perfect Plan.
Only when he was truly out of breath and had no choice but to gasp for air did Perfect Plan and God's Accomplice temporarily fade.
That was when he was most vulnerable—he needed a protector by his side.
Especially after the outbreak of chaos on BW1, Meleoron's appearance could easily be mistaken for those monstrous beings... or even for one of the Chimera Ants that supposedly existed on this imaginary continent.
Damn it... the entire area was swarming with man-eating Chimera Ants. It felt like being dropped into the heart of some cannibalistic tribe in a primordial jungle.
Yes, Meleoron was a Chimera Ant too—but at least he didn't eat humans. He didn't eat his own kind either. He had already chosen to stand on the side of humanity.
Even so, on this imaginary continent, his identity put him in an incredibly awkward situation.
He could be devoured by other Chimera Ants who couldn't communicate.
He could be hunted by monsters that fed on resentment and malice.
Or, worst of all, he might be killed by humans who saw him as one of the above.
In some ways, life was just too hard for him.
That's why, just like last year during the Republic of East Gorteau incident, Meleoron knew he needed a partner.
Back then, he had taken the first step—bravely and willingly.
Only then did the thrilling and soul-stirring events of that final night unfold.
Meleoron had to do something similar now.
Honestly, if he had the choice, he would've preferred to team up with someone more familiar—like Morel or Shoot.
But unfortunately, they weren't here. They had been separated from the very beginning.
After running alone for hours, completely exhausted, Meleoron finally set his eyes on a Nen user who looked incredibly powerful.
He had been quietly observing the man for quite some time.
Whether it was those monsters feeding off grudges, or man-eating Chimera Ants, none of them lasted more than a few rounds against this man.
More importantly, Meleoron noticed that, despite how ruthlessly the man fought, he was always trying to avoid unnecessary battles. He kept himself hidden whenever possible.
Meleoron didn't want to fight either. He believed they thought alike. Maybe they could hit it off.
So, he chose to reveal himself.
But the next second, a golden needle came flying toward him, nearly killing him on the spot. The near-death experience left Meleoron shaken.
What made it worse was that the man had sensed his presence long before Meleoron had shown himself.
Meleoron's ability, "Perfect Plan," only breaks when he breathes. Only then can other living beings detect him.
Yet the man, from such a distance, had sensed Meleoron's existence from just a few brief breaths... That kind of strength was terrifying.
The man didn't kill Meleoron, only because he realized that Meleoron had been tailing him using perfect stealth—but never once tried to attack.
Curious, the man wondered just what this Chimera Ant was trying to do.
That gave Meleoron the chance to explain himself.
He made it clear how different he was from the other man-eating ants, and laid all his intentions for cooperation on the table.
But even as he spoke, a silent regret had already started creeping into his heart.
The man's pitch-black eyes remained open, rarely blinking, like the gaze of a ghost. His face was pale, almost lifeless.
Meleoron found it difficult to read what this man was truly thinking.
For the first time, he started to question whether his decision had been the right one. This man could very well refuse the deal in the next moment—and kill him on the spot.
Even though Meleoron had the power to hide himself, it was clear that this man's speed with his golden needles was far superior.
And even if the man couldn't see him, once the needles scattered, they could still end up hitting him by chance.
If that happened, his end would be… far too miserable.
"Sure." To his surprise, the man with the long, flowing black hair agreed without much hesitation.
"You're called Meleoron, right? I'm Illumi. Your idea's the same as mine. I think… teaming up with someone every now and then isn't too bad."
"Even though the situation's pretty bad right now, I haven't finished the task my client gave me. So I can't rest just yet..."
Meleoron felt like he had heard that name somewhere before, but in this moment, he was more focused on the relief washing over him. He didn't have the time to think about it too deeply.
After that, Meleoron used God's Accomplice to share his stealth ability with Illumi.
When Meleoron needed to breathe, Illumi would stand guard by his side to ensure his safety.
The two worked together, helping one another. Hours passed safely like this, and now it looked like the sun would rise in another hour or two.
Cheeks puffed as he held his breath, Meleoron gently patted Illumi's arm, signaling that it was time to switch.
Illumi, who had been supporting Meleoron, let go of him. His pitch-black eyes—still and unreadable like deep wells—watched as Meleoron gasped for air.
Then, he suddenly spoke, startling Meleoron:
"Something's getting close. We should hide—now."
*******
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