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Chapter 204: Shedding
🕑 Added 2025-02-16 13:29:49 +0000 UTCFive minutes ago.
The fifth institute wasn’t spared from the chaos. The third institute was attacked by the Herrscher of Wind while the fifth institute was raided by the Herrscher of Thunder.
Unsurprisingly, Elysia was able to have the upper hand against the Herrscher of Thunder. Her current strength from the Evolution Cube and her battlesuit (i.e., Valkyrie equipment) was miles ahead of her former self.
While they were fighting, the entire fifth institute was shaken by something drastic.
Psshk-!
More than a dozen high-level MANTISes stormed inside the offices. One strike of their fists destroyed five office blocks, killing more than thirty researchers in one go.
“This..!”
The sudden entrance immediately alerted the two high-level MANTISes from Fire MOTH. Every institute has two of them, plus three to five additional MANTISes guarding in its vicinity. The third institute has them, and so did the fifth.
In normal times, it was unthinkable for a dozen “unknown” high-level MANTISes to bypass the security outside.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t a normal time.
With the Herrscher’s appearance, numerous emperor-class honkai beasts appeared on the vicinity of the fifth institute. That forced the remaining additional MANTISes to deal with the waves of honkai beasts first, more so when the fifth institute wasn’t as armed as the third who focused on military mechs and the likes.
BAM-!
Rumble-!
Akin to twelve human-shaped tanks, the squadron of enemy MANTISes wrecked through the entire fifth institute. In a matter of two minutes, more than two hundred researchers died along with four hundred non-research staff.
“Damn it!”
The remaining high-level MANTIS watched everything with red eyes. Her hands were trembling. It bled as she dug her fingernails through it. Her comrade fell to the twelve unknown MANTISes fifteen seconds ago.
One person couldn’t do anything against fifteen except to hold them back. Being able to last for nearly two minutes was a testament of his elite skills.
Sou-!
Sou-!
Ten blade-like silver fragments flew around the psychic MANTIS. They floated in the air before being launched towards the enemies.
Similarly, three blade fragments that remained underneath her comrade’s corpse shot to the air.
Its speed and close vicinity claimed the lives of two MANTISes in a second. The remaining ten fragments dealt considerable injuries to three other MANTISes, with one of them being severely injured.
However, it ends there.
She tried to recall the silver fragments, only for half of them to be struck down with various abilities. Her expression did not turn grim, but became confused instead.
‘They seemed familiar with Heidrich’s abilities… but not mine. Commander Hagen told me not to report my abilities.’
In this situation, only one possibility shone the brightest.
‘Are they the traitors?!’
That thought angered her completely. The talks of Herrschers becoming smarter was a sensation throughout the internal Fire MOTH combatants. Some rumors of Herrschers having human-like thinking floated around.
Even if these rumors were ignored, just the thought of people taking advantage of the Herrschers’ arrival and causing damage to the research institutes was infuriating enough.
Unfortunately, that finding did not help her much except to use her “unfamiliar” abilities to the fullest.
Sou-!
The broken silver fragments floated from the ground and formed a tight iron rope on one of the MANTISes. The remaining silver fragments then created several gaping holes on the masked invader’s body.
Her distance became her biggest advantage. She thought she had seen the possibility of kiting her enemies and killing them all.
She was very eager when one of the invaders reappeared behind her back. The dark blue light on the invader’s body made her eyes widen.
The invader’s fist was about to go through her chest when she inexplicably flew off.
Bam-!
Five office blocks were run through by the sudden invader’s figure. A hole five meters in radius appeared on the wall.
It was then did the MANTIS see what saved her: a clean looking silver sphere.
The said sphere followed the flying figure as its sheer impact widened the holes on the wall by ten more meters in radius.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Everyone present saw a woman with long green hair playing around with another silver sphere. Her high heels and lab coat made it clear she was one of the researchers inside this institute.
“There you go.”
She flicked it with the back of her thumb. Its original negligible weight started increasing until it struck the group of invaders.
BAM-!
It was even more drastic compared to the first silver sphere. It directly opened up a diagonal way to the sky as it pierce through seven floors. Three of the remaining eight MANTISes were sent flying outside the institute.
“Doctor Mobius!”
The remaining MANTIS in the institute shouted not to greet her, but to remind Mobius of the impending danger. It was unknown when, but a dark-blue figure emerged out of thin air. A spear enclosed with the dark blue light pierced straight to her heart.
Psshk-!
Under the girl’s shocked look, the spear went through Mobius’ chest. She was under so much shock she did not even notice the lack of blood on the dark blue spear.
“No..!”
If the dead researchers were part of humanity’s backbone against the honkai, Mobius was the literal pillar protecting humanity. Her genius was irreplaceable.
“Hah.”
An out-of-place smirk appeared on Mobius’ face. Her right hand held the exposed part of the spear’s handle tightly.
A mix of black and white particles emerged out of thin air. Her pupils emitted a deadly green light.
“You fell for it.”
She looked at the strange figure covered with dark blue light. It was the entity that triggered her ‘danger senses’ the most. All of her actions up until now were to deal with it in one swift blow.
Due to that, she managed to test her biggest ability for the first time.
The dark blue figure removed its grasp over the impaled spear, but to no avail. The black and white particles had already covered the two of them.
Once the snake starts shedding skin…
Hum.
…everything in its radius will disappear.
Everyone was still shocked by the sudden turn of events. The gazes of several invaders went to the lone MANTIS when their sight swept an unfamiliar yet familiar figure.
The moment they saw Him, they froze.
The targets weren’t limited to the high-level invaders inside. The people who were sent flying outside saw that figure clearly. The existence of concrete walls and steel did not prevent them from seeing such a “figure”.
Aleph’s three True Forms appeared in their minds.
Splatter-!
Splatter-!
…
By the time the institute’s MANTIS snapped out of her daze, all she saw were scattered blood everywhere.
