Volume 4, Chapter 65-2 – En Route at Full Speed (Part 2)

“Ring-a-ling, ring-a-ling…”

The phone stored inside Butler No. 1’s chest suddenly began to ring. Butler No. 1 immediately opened his chest panel, and Anran took the phone out.

Missed calls?

“Ring-a-ling, ring…” It disconnected again.

Every call was from Liang Minyao.

The signal in this damned weather was terrible.

On the third attempt, Anran finally managed to answer.

“Terri… An…”

With the phone pressed to her ear, she could make out only a few fragments through the constant crackling.

Something terrible had happened?

“What happened?” Anran asked as she started walking back.

Liang Minyao’s words came through in broken fragments. After repeatedly confirming things with her for what felt like forever, Anran finally understood what she was trying to say.

When the call ended, Anran’s expression darkened. Just as Liang Minyao had said, the situation was extremely bad.

Trade Station No. 2 and Trade Station No. 3 had just sent emergency messages one after another. Both trade stations had come under attack from Morningstar.

Morningstar’s target was not merely Trade Station No. 1.

Or rather, Trade Station No. 1 was not their main focus at all.

The people here were merely bait meant to draw attention. Morningstar had gathered nearly all of its elite combat power to attack Trade Station No. 3. Trade Station No. 2 was only a secondary target, assaulted by a large number of players.

Although additional personnel had also been sent to Trade Stations No. 2 and No. 3, their numbers were nowhere near those stationed at Trade Station No. 1.

Worse still, Morningstar’s strongest fighters were all over there.

Nine Songs had already dispatched reinforcements in haste, but they did not dare transfer everyone away from Trade Station No. 1. The reports had made no mention of Morningstar’s swordsmanship master, Wang Juyan.

He might be hiding somewhere, waiting for Nine Songs to make a mistake amid the chaos.

Nine Songs was panicking, and Anran was feeling a little rattled too.

Morningstar really did have another scheme in mind.

Trade Stations No. 1 and No. 3 were one thing, but if anything happened to Trade Station No. 2 and the flight that came once every three days was suspended, wouldn’t Anran be trapped on No. 1886? How would she go stir up trouble in Sea Blue Forest then?

Rеaⅾ оn КαtReаԁiոɡCаfе

Trade Station No. 3 was three hundred kilometers from Trade Station No. 1.

Trade Station No. 2, meanwhile, was separated from Trade Station No. 1 by… an entire continent.

“Motherfudger!”

Even with 72 Agility, Anran’s full-speed running was faster than a high-speed train, but there was no way she could run to another continent.

Driving to Trade Station No. 3 would take two hours.

Running there would mean leaving Aila and a large amount of equipment behind, while also consuming a great deal of stamina.

She would just have to do her best.

“Aila, we’re leaving.”

Before Aila could respond, Anran picked her up and placed her in the front passenger seat. Once the two robots were seated, Anran stepped on the accelerator and set off.

The vehicle was moving faster than the storm itself. Trade Station No. 3 also lay directly in the storm’s path, so it was certain to be affected.

“Beep, beep, beep…”

“Beep, beep, beep…”

“I can’t get through. The signal is too poor.” Liang Minyao shook her head helplessly at Rodney.

“Damn. Morningstar really outmaneuvered us. I never expected them to use this many people as bait. I just hope the others can hold out a little longer until the reinforcements arrive,” Rodney said.

Storms like this had an enormous impact on vehicles, but they barely affected those with truly great strength.

“…”

Boom!

The person hiding behind the door was sent flying together with it. Blood sprayed from his mouth. While he was still in midair, he thought, This is bad, before losing consciousness.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three bullets streaked toward the tall figure who had appeared in the doorway. After a series of metallic clangs, the shooter froze.

The bullets had indeed hit their target, but they had been blocked by whatever the man was wearing. Even the impact failed to make the burly man take a single step backward.

“He’s an expert.”

The shooter’s pupils contracted sharply. How could the few of them possibly hold this position? Their unlucky comrade’s chest had already been caved in.

The burly man suddenly pulled out a rotary-barrel machine gun.

Rеаⅾ оո КаtRеadіոɡСαfе

“Run!”

Ratatatat!

A storm of bullets swept through the room. Everything inside was instantly blasted to pieces, while the few people who failed to dodge in time were riddled with holes.

The burly man stepped in from outside. He resembled a ferocious beast opening its jaws, and the sight of his taut muscles alone was enough to inspire fear.

“Help… Help…”

A survivor muttered as his gun hand trembled. He tried to aim at the burly man’s head, but at that moment, the man abruptly stepped back and raised the muzzle of his weapon.

Ratatatat!

Whoosh… Clang!

A figure flashed past from the side, grabbing the survivor and barely pulling him out of the way.

“Stay hidden,” the figure said.

“You…” The survivor’s eyes widened. “You’re with Nine Songs!”

Delight appeared on his face.

Bang!

The Nine Songs fighter ignored him. He rolled across the floor, fired blindly, and rapidly closed in on the burly man. Once the distance had shrunk to three meters, he flung away his empty pistol, drew another gun, and charged forward at the same time.

Smack…

Bam! Bam! Bam!

The two muscular men immediately began fighting with tremendous intensity.

Scenes like this were unfolding all across the outer defensive perimeter of Trade Station No. 3. However, there was not always someone around to rescue the survivors. Sometimes, even when both sides appeared evenly matched in number, Morningstar’s forces crushed the Nine Songs squads and uprooted them completely.

One female figure was especially striking. Her marksmanship was extraordinarily precise, and the blade she wielded in close combat moved so quickly that it was impossible to follow. She cut her way from the outer perimeter all the way into the rest area.

There had not been many people inside the trade station to begin with due to the storm. The staff members hiding within trembled in fear, resembling lambs that had been stripped bare, weak, pitiful, and helpless.

“Half of you, head to the hover station. The other half, follow me to the tower base. Break through the outer defenses as quickly as possible. Don’t waste time.”

A young man wearing a hat ended the call on his radio, motioned to the two men in black beside him, then gestured to several people up ahead.

The tower base was the foundation on which the hover station depended.

Rеаd οո ΚаtRеαⅾiոɡСаfе

…

Woooo…

The wind outside the windows grew louder and louder. The pounding rain and the debris that occasionally struck the windshield were unbearably irritating.

“Damn it, this junker is slower than I am. I’m definitely getting a better ride in the future. What kind of garbage is this?”

They had already been driving for more than an hour. Had the player forum not still been accessible, Anran would have lost contact with the outside world entirely. Even on the forum, there was very little information about Trade Station No. 3. Although many players were rushing there, not many had reached the scene yet.

Everyone knew there were plenty of “fat sheep” from Morningstar inside, but there was nothing they could do if they were not strong enough to beat them. Even taking potshots from outside carried the risk of being counter-killed and having to make a corpse run.

[The outer defensive perimeter has already been breached.]

[Chaaaarge! Members of the Heaven’s Chosen Destiny Guild, chaaaarge! Anyone who stops Morningstar’s operation will receive a direct reward of one million!]

[First kill on the faction BOSS! If someone from our guild lands it, come straight to me and collect the property deed to a seaside villa!]

[Cover Morningstar’s operation! Whoever gets that Night Owl letter of introduction in the end can contact me.]

[Idiots. What’s wrong with following the government army and farming EXP? Why insist on helping Morningstar cause trouble when the mission difficulties are so different?]

[Heh. Even if we lose the faction war, we’ll still get plenty of rewards as long as we help Morningstar complete this mission.]

[Grabbing popcorn and watching the show. Is anyone livestreaming?]

[By the way, where’s that cute reporter girl from the forum?]

[Yeah, where’s Leading the Escape? I want to see her brilliant commentary.]

At that moment, at the bottom of a valley in western Canyon Continent, Zhou Jieyu lay in the grass wearing thick winter clothes, boredly scrolling through the forum.

Stupid Security Department. They drag me out here to eat dirt every single day.

After following Anran’s advice and leaving the Equilibrium Sect, Zhou Jieyu was now on the verge of reaching Level 16.

She had heard that the nearby map was suitable for players between Levels 15 and 30. It sounded pretty good.

Hohoho.

Claude Prell: [Everyone, don’t panic. With me, gold-medal commentator Claude, here, I’ll spare no effort to bring you all a spectacular commentary!]

[…]

[Bro, you’re back again.]

[It seems everyone still remembers my brilliant commentary from last time.]

Rеad οn ΚatReaⅾіnɡСαfе

[Modern medicine really has advanced to the point where even a eunuch can reconnect.]

[…]

Rumble… Rumble…

[Ahem. Let’s return to the scene. In the distance, an off-road vehicle is braving the wind and rain as it comes roaring toward us.]

Splash!

A huge wave of muddy water instantly drenched Claude Prell from head to toe, turning him into a mud-covered figure. Anran did not slow down in the slightest as she charged straight toward the defensive perimeter.

Bang!

A bullet struck the roof, but the vehicle remained completely undamaged.

What a joke. This was a vehicle she had personally modified. It was tough as nails.

[Where did Claude go?]

[Where’s the commentary?]

[I have some tragic news for everyone. We just received a notice from the hospital. Mr. Claude has been admitted again.]

[I saw Claude almost get run over.]

“Pfft, haha…” Zhou Jieyu could not hold back her laughter. He dared compete with this young lady? Destiny itself was on her side!

Skrrt…

The off-road vehicle slid sideways. Its sudden braking produced an ear-piercing screech and sent a great sheet of water flying before it finally came to a steady stop.

All four doors opened at once. Fully armed, Anran immediately jumped out, followed closely by Aila and the two robots.

Splash, splash, splash…

The downpour continued, and the wind did not stop.

Anran could not see what was happening near the hover station, but she knew the situation had to be terrible.

Gripping her double-barreled shotgun, she slid forward and charged into the defensive perimeter.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Another burst of gunfire joined the battle.