"W-w-what do we do?! They're all charging at us! Aaaah!" Soup Dumpling cried, surrounded by female ghosts closing in from all sides. Her first instinct was to cling to Firefly, believing that only a tight grip on the expert's leg could offer her any sense of security.
She wasn't far from Firefly, but just as she was about to throw herself into the embrace, a flicker of reason returned. She forcibly stopped herself, realizing that clinging to Firefly would only hinder her movements. Wouldn't that be just plain dragging her down?
Soup Dumpling was just an ordinary person, utterly helpless in this Dimensional Rift. But she could still do one thing: try her best not to be a burden to her teammates!
Of course, Firefly had no idea about Soup Dumpling's internal struggle. In fact, even if Soup Dumpling had tried to hug her, she wouldn't have been able to—because the poor girl was already running in the opposite direction!
As the ghosts launched their assault, an illusion swept over them. Shu Cat and Soup Dumpling began walking straight toward the female ghosts, while Lü Heng froze in place, temporarily paralyzed. Only Invincible Bro snapped out of it. He grabbed Shu Cat and Soup Dumpling by the arms, pulling them back, and turned to look at Firefly.
Though no words were spoken, the message was crystal clear: "Miss Firefly, please!"
Firefly didn't disappoint. With swift, decisive strokes, her blade cleanly bisected each female ghost.
In truth, Firefly could have easily handled these ghosts alone. But protecting her four teammates while fighting proved far more challenging.
Fortunately, her Tarot card slowed all ghosts within a certain radius. Exploiting this advantage, she cleared the ambush within moments. But just as quickly, the second wave of attack arrived.
Behind the Sakura Nation man, a swirling black vortex materialized, forming a portal-like structure. From this portal surged countless White Specters—ghosts consisting only of upper torsos, their faces obscured, and their bodies semi-transparent. The sheer number of specters threatened to overwhelm the corridor before Firefly.
She recalled Robin's encounter with a Birth-type Dimensional Rift. Even then, only five White Specters had emerged. Now, Firefly faced a horde too vast to count.
The Sakura Nation Evolver possessed a simple yet formidable ability: 'Ghost Crafting'. He carried a 'Personal Backpack' filled with 'Crafting Recipes'. Each crafting attempt had a chance of success or failure, but regardless of the outcome, he accumulated 'Experience'. Once he gained enough Experience, he could increase his 'Crafting Level', unlocking a larger backpack and more recipes.
This ability was naturally potent, and coupled with the Evolver's official status within the Sakura Nation—allowing him access to government-supplied materials—leveling up was effortless. He simply needed to keep crafting, endlessly grinding Experience and Levels.
It was no exaggeration to say that in terms of raw power, this Sakura Nation Evolver surpassed the Principal of the Dimensional Rift.
Firefly stepped forward, surveying the dense swarm of Ghosts before her. Theoretically, these creatures should possess the trait of 'ignoring physical attacks'. Hadn't Robin needed to use 'Conversion Powder' to strike them during their previous encounter?
Firefly cautiously swung her sword and discovered she could strike the Ghosts. Though she didn't fully understand why, the fact that she could hit them was all that mattered.
She began wielding her weapon with swift, unrefined strikes. Lacking any formal swordsmanship, her movements were purely instinctive, fueled by intense focus. Anyone who approached was met with her blade. Her rapid swings left a mesmerizing cyan trail in the air, forming a breathtaking pattern that reaped the lives of everything that drew near, as seen by Invincible Bro behind her.
Beautiful yet deadly.
"A futile struggle," the Sakura Nation operative sneered, stroking the orange cat on his shoulder. "I have countless Ghosts at my disposal. How long can you possibly hold out?"
Invincible Bro frowned deeply. "Moriya Shushei, official Sakura Nation Evolver. Recruited in 2040, five years of service. This attack... was it orchestrated by the Sakura Nation government? What's your objective?"
With such a distinguished record, no one would believe he was acting on personal motives. This had to be a state-sponsored operation.
Upon hearing this, Moriya Shushei's face instantly darkened. The feeling of being seen through completely, down to his underwear, was naturally unbearable. "You bastard!"
"So what if I can? So what if I can't?"
"Damn it! You can see through illusions, can't you? Then how about this?!"
In the next instant, a ghostly blue figure materialized behind him. Unlike the previous White Specters, this new ghost possessed a breathtakingly beautiful face, draped in what appeared to be a shimmering silver veil that radiated a faint, ethereal glow.
The ghost leaned against Moriya Shushei's back, gently wrapping her arms around his neck in a tender embrace. Then, she opened her mouth, but no sound escaped. Yet behind Firefly, everyone—the three trapped in the illusion (Shu Cat, Soup Dumpling, and Lü Heng) and the fully conscious Invincible Bro—rolled their eyes back and collapsed to the ground.
"What's this..." Firefly stared at her fallen teammates in shock. Seeing her unaffected, Moriya Shushei was equally stunned. "You can actually resist Mental Stripping?!"
It was clear that this wasn't a simple sleep or coma-inducing ability. This was something far more sophisticated—a coercive control method that stripped a person of their mental capacity to act.
"I don't know how you did it," Moriya Shushei said, tilting his head back to look down at Firefly, his nostrils practically flaring. "But your teammates are down and won't be waking up anytime soon. You're all alone now. What, still struggling to your last breath?"
"Really? They won't wake up anytime soon?" Firefly's eyes lit up at this news.
"Huh?" Moriya Shushei was completely taken aback by her counter-question. Wait a minute, why does that sound so... weird?
He pondered this, fairly confident in his Chinese comprehension. If he wasn't mistaken, her words seemed to imply that she hoped her teammates wouldn't wake up anytime soon.