After the devastating attack by the Suicide Worms, the human unit had suffered nearly one-third casualties.
The Commander stood in silence, his gaze heavy as he surveyed the wreckage. The loss of tanks and armored vehicles weighed on him most.
There was nothing to be done.
Most of humanity's military factories had been prime targets on Cataclysm Day. Now, every destroyed vehicle was irreplaceable—each one lost was a permanent blow to their already dwindling strength.
Just then, the Commander received a transmission. His expression darkened.
"Selun City… is about to fall?"
If that were true, only two human cities remained.
Firefly continued with the main force toward the evacuation point. Her earlier performance hadn't gone unnoticed—her flawless marksmanship, her composure under fire. She didn't look like an ordinary girl.
But Firefly had other things on her mind.
She quietly retrieved the light-blue treasure chest dropped by the Di Xue Zu Elite Infantry. The brutal reality of this dungeon world had made one thing clear: her current strength wasn't enough.
She needed to grow stronger—fast.
Without hesitation, she opened the chest.
A soft blue glow shimmered, and two items materialized before her.
Ding! You opened the Di Xue Zu Elite Infantry's Treasure Chest (Exquisite Grade):
Item: Di Xue Zu Elite Infantry's Heart (Material) Skill: Armor Adaptation (Common Grade)
Not bad. For a mid-tier chest, getting a skill book at all was already fortunate.
She examined the items:
Di Xue Zu Elite Infantry's Heart (Common Grade)
Description: The heart of a Di Xue Zu Elite Infantry, rich in bio-energy. Can be used as an experimental material or submitted to the United Government for 500 military merits.
Armor Adaptation (Common Grade)
Effect: Increases armor value by 10% when wearing any armor-type item.
Theoretically, killing just two Elite Infantry and submitting their hearts would fulfill the 1,000 military merits required to complete the main quest.
But Firefly knew better.
A Level 10 player encountering one of those monsters would be crushed instantly. And the heart wasn't even a guaranteed drop—it was probabilistic. You could risk everything and walk away with nothing.
Besides, Firefly hadn't come here just to scrape by.
Crisis always came with opportunity—and she still had a trump card she hadn't played.
As for the skill book, it was a passive Mechanic-class ability. No need to hesitate.
Ding! You used Armor Adaptation (Common Grade).
Ding! Under your exclusive skill Mechanical Affinity, Armor Adaptation (Common Grade) has been upgraded to Armor Adaptation (Exquisite Grade)!
Armor Adaptation (Exquisite Grade):
Effect: Increases armor value by 30% when wearing any armor-type item.
A 30% boost was massive.
For Mechanic-class players, armor was life. It was their second health bar. A 30% increase was practically a 30% HP boost.
Firefly glanced at her current gear:
Mechanical Power Arm (Excellent Grade)
Armor Value: +780 (including +180 from Armor Adaptation) Strength: +15 Evaluation: An exceptionally crafted Mechanical Power Arm. Its refined design greatly enhances both function and durability.
That bonus alone was equivalent to gaining 180 HP—or 18 points in Physique.
Firefly exhaled, feeling a little more grounded. Despair difficulty was brutal, but the rewards were real—if you had the strength to claim them.
Without it, this world would chew you up and spit you out.
By the time she returned to her senses, the human unit had reached the evacuation point. A checkpoint had been set up to screen for infiltrators—especially biological weapons like Suicide Worms.
If even one slipped through, panic and chaos would erupt. Trampling, stampedes, and secondary casualties would follow.
At the checkpoint, Fuman stood tall, her sharp eyes scanning every face.
She had been there for over ten hours, inspecting each survivor.
Her adjutant approached.
"Commander Fuman, you should rest. After the Cave Dweller Clan's assault on the city center… it's unlikely the girl survived."
Fuman didn't respond immediately.
She didn't want to believe it.
But this was the final wave of evacuees. If the girl wasn't among them, she'd have to leave Selun City behind.
Still, she held onto hope.
Then—she saw her.
A flash of silver hair in the crowd.
Fuman's breath caught.
In the next instant, she moved—faster than any normal human—appearing before Firefly like a gust of wind.
She pulled the girl into a tight embrace.
"Little Samuel… thank goodness. You're alive. I didn't give up—I knew you'd make it…"
Fuman held her close, trembling with relief. To her, the daughter of her fallen best friend was family.
Firefly, however, was stunned.
A beautiful red-haired woman had suddenly appeared and now had her face buried between two soft, fragrant mounds.
She could barely breathe.
Still, the woman's speed and strength were enough to tell her one thing: this wasn't someone to take lightly.
And from her words, she clearly meant no harm.
It was likely a benefit of Firefly's current identity.
With Fuman's protection, Firefly boarded a military helicopter—far safer and faster than the ground convoys.
Inside, Fuman sat across from her, smiling warmly.
"I still remember when you were three. Now look at you—a little beauty. Your mother wasn't even this pretty at your age."
Firefly didn't respond.
Her gaze was fixed on the city below.
Selun City was burning.
Smoke curled into the sky. Buildings crumbled. Fires raged. Somewhere in that inferno, countless lives were being extinguished.
The Cave Dweller Clan had overrun the city.
Selun City… has fallen.