Sky-cracking Rider

Chen Fei's assurance of "not using it again" made everyone breathe a sigh of relief in unison.

The rank of "Light Burst Flash" wasn't high, and its lethality was almost nonexistent, but it always caught people off guard, making it a particularly headache-inducing spell that no one liked because of the sudden scares it caused.

Pure Light Sparrow Xiao Jiu began a wholesale of "Light Healing Technique," tossing small light orbs here and there, occasionally delivering one or two lifesaving spells like "Light of Redemption." The effects were almost instantaneous, greatly reducing the pressure on emergency care, a true godsend in their current predicament.

At this moment, almost everyone was relieved that Jiu Defense Company had brought this Light-based Little Bird to the salon gathering.

Without the "Light Healing Technique," the various injuries alone would have been enough to drag down their group of just over two hundred people.

Watching the nimble Little Bird continuously casting Light-based Spells, Zuo Gengming from Spring Field Defense Limited Company couldn't help but sidle up to Chen Fei with a big bruise on his left cheek, and asked curiously, "It must not be easy to train a Pure Light Sparrow to this level, right?"

He was a bit embarrassed at the moment, as after viewing the surveillance video provided by the Manor Butler, he had thought that Chen Fei was the murderer who killed Mr. Xia Ji, the Manor Lord, and had immediately distanced himself from him. But afterward, he had a nagging feeling that something wasn't quite right, and now he somewhat regretted it.

How could someone who was willing to stand shoulder to shoulder with everyone in critical situations and take the risk to rush to the frontline be someone who would kill out of a fit of emotional strife?

Moreover, when looking at the way Chen Fei and Hanna Gagel interacted, there was not the slightest hint of intimacy; there were no signs of a private affair at all, making the surveillance footage seem even more suspicious.

"Hmm!"

Chen Fei nodded vigorously and said, "Indeed, it's not easy. The cost was too great!"

On this matter, there was indeed nothing worth boasting about in a Versailles style—investing such resources in Xiao Jiu, he could hardly afford a second Pure Light Sparrow.

If those investments were converted into cash, they'd be enough to pay off his personal debts immediately, with plenty to spare, allowing an ordinary family to live worry-free for a lifetime.

But the little guy was so adorable that Chen Fei was more than willing to care for him.

After all, it was his own "child." If he didn't care for it, who else would?

"Chirp!"

After casting a barrage of Light-based Spells, an exhausted Xiao Jiu flew back to Daddy Chen Fei's shoulder, nuzzled his earlobe for a hug, and eventually burrowed into Chen Fei's pocket, curling up into a ball and drifting into a deep sleep, evidently worn out.

Zuo Gengming looked at Chen Fei's slightly bulging pocket and said enviously, "What a cute little guy."

"That's right, Mr. Zuo, your face—shall we have Xiao Jiu take care of it later?"

Chen Fei didn't mind letting the Little Bird do some favors for friends when it had the strength to spare; he hadn't taken the temporary distancing to heart.

After all, it's natural for people to seek good fortune and avoid disaster; even if relations are strong, one cannot stand with a murderer.

"No, no need, they are just minor flesh wounds, they will heal in a few days."

Zuo Gengming didn't want to waste Xiao Jiu's Healing Spell resources unnecessarily. At times like these, every "Light Healing Technique" or "Light of Redemption" could potentially save a life.

He then asked with concern, "What should we do next?"

Not only Zuo Gengming but everyone else was thinking along the same lines.

The sudden attack by the Mutants had completely disrupted everyone's previous disputes and choices; whether it be leaving the Manor Main House to seek a way out on their own or to hold out for help, both options had become unviable, the former being a sure way to death and the latter a waiting game for the inevitable.

Chen Fei diverted his gaze from his bulging pocket and said, "Of course, it is… to survive!"

Having been involved in the campaign against underground Mutants before, he knew very well that in an almost sealed environment, the Mutants held a natural territorial advantage, making many human methods difficult to unleash.

Chen Fei's voice was not loud, but many nearby heard him loud and clear. They all looked over in alarm. Had the situation become so dire?

After repelling the first wave of Mutant attacks like a tide, the casualties among the military contractors and the manor staff who were holding the Manor Main House were not severe, with at most two seriously injured, more with minor injuries, and no deaths. Thus, many were optimistic, thinking they could eliminate the Mutants and escape the crisis.

Hanna Gagel suddenly said, "I wonder if anyone here has considered that this conspiracy was not actually aimed at Chen Fei and me, but at all of us!"

The theory of conspiracy had by now gained consensus among everyone.

They were not foolish; the Manor Lord's murder, the mysterious communication failure, the shifting of the manor and its occupants to this bizarre location, and the sudden Mutant onslaught – no matter how one looked at it, there seemed to be an underlying issue.

Butler Thompson said in a trembling voice, seemingly in shock, "You mean to say… this conspiracy was actually meant to kill everyone here?"

"Heh! Mr. Thompson, you could broaden your thinking a bit more, such as considering what might happen after everyone here dies. If it were just for the sake of murder, there would probably be no need for such a grand display."

Once a Second-Level Inspector for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Boss Hanna could be a skeptical conspiracy theorist when she got back into her professional mode. It was not easy to plan against her, even the Apocalypse Defense Group, her former employer, suffered a significant loss.

"What?"

"How is that possible?"

"That's impossible!!!"

"Planning to such an extent, what's the point?"

"It's just over a hundred of us. If we all died, what good would it do?"

...

The people present erupted into a commotion almost in unison. Although a small number of them had inherited family businesses, even more were self-made people who had started with nothing and were fearless in the face of death. They took challenges head-on and treated life and death with indifference. Trying to easily scare these folks with the threat of death was like expecting to be fed peaches (Peach) without reaching for them!

"What do you think would happen if over a hundred leaderless aircrew bases were simultaneously attacked by mutants?"

Though Hanna Gagel didn't know the exact truth, she couldn't help but assume the worst.

Target the horse when shooting a man, capture the king in order to nab the crooks. Without reliable and capable lieutenants possessing enough authority and resources to deal with sudden crises, the over one hundred aircrew bases that had lost their leaders would almost certainly not be able to survive the turmoil.

Hanna Gagel had experienced a similiar situation and had a personal understanding of it.

The Apocalypse Defense Group had once faced a similar dilemma where, aside from the 911 Aircrew Base led by the parachuting executive manager Hanna Gagel, the other aircrew bases had fallen during corporate warfare. Countless examples exist where incompetence of a single person resulted in the downfall of thousands.

It's easy to find a thousand soldiers, but hard to find a good general—not just a defensive one, but one who can turn the tide at a critical moment.

"Heh, how could that be possible, mutants don't have intelligence, nor are they an army."

Zuo Gengming suddenly laughed, and others nodded in agreement. If even the mutants had intelligence, that would be the end of humanity.

"Doesn't anyone know that someone has been secretly breeding and nurturing mutants?"

Hanna Gagel's words hit like a boulder plunging into a small pond.

All the water in the pond shot up into the sky, and in an instant, the pond was gone.

The scene fell silent...

The manor butler Thompson's mouth twitched uncontrollably as he said in a serious tone, "That joke isn't funny at all."

Yet his eyes betrayed a flicker of panic and unease.

God forbid this speculation be true!

Gulp, someone swallowed hard and said with a forced smile, "Hehe, right, that joke isn't funny at all."

Mutants with intelligence and those without were entirely different creatures, the danger of the former being sufficient to destabilize humanity's dominion over the entire planet.

The Magical Beasts of Cangqiong Star were originally divided into those acting on instinct and those with near-human intelligence known as Demon Beasts. Later, some bored Blue Star Humans tried domesticating these Magical Beasts for fun. Surprisingly, after training and enlightenment, many beasts exhibited high intelligence and some could even communicate normally with humans like Demon Beasts,

even though they had been genuine Magical Beasts before, with no signs of mutation or evolution.

It was because a large number of such cases emerged that the biological classification on Cangqiong Star was later adjusted to merge Magical Beasts and Demon Beasts into one category, both termed Magical Beasts capable of using magic.

Intelligence and language are not unique to humans; this is also commonly seen on Blue Star, where creatures like chimpanzees, dolphins, and parrots can demonstrate high intelligence.

"Not too long ago, the Joint Defense Committee mounted a major operation in the Xingdu Kush Mountain Area and called up many Ability Users."

As soon as Hanna Gagel finished speaking, many people's expressions changed.

Calling up Ability Users, just what are they planning to do?

Not all military contractors have the opportunity to recruit Ability Users, and the majority of their staff are normal people. After all, whether it's Cangqiong Star or Blue Star, the bulk of humanity is composed of normal individuals, not Ability Users.

Like the 911 Aircrew Base that boasted two Ability Users, it was an anomaly.

Only industry giants like Merman Brothers Consortium could scrabble together an Ability User squad to boast with, and even then, this squad was practically decimated in the ordeal of their night raid on the 911 Aircrew Base, coming very close to complete annihilation.

The military contractors looked at each other, some better informed than others, and had heard whispers of such events, while some were completely clueless.

The Blue Star Global United Defense Committee had imposed a gag order on all participants, and that's why the outside world remained unaware. After all, mobilizing upwards of a hundred Ability Users, ranging from Earth Order to A-Rank, and using a "Dragon Slayer Missile", constituted a force so formidable that it could threaten the existence of some minor sovereignties.

"This can't be true!"

There were those who still couldn't believe it.

"It seems to be true. I've heard about it."

Soon enough, someone confirmed the information.

"My relative is an Ability User and seems to have participated in that operation. Once, while drinking, he let something slip about that Pure Light Sparrow... ss, it really is you guys!"

"Right, that Little Bird is quite famous!"

Several people looked at Chen Fei and Hanna Gagel with their mouths agape.

Where's the bird?

The Little Bird was sound asleep in the pocket, but no matter, everyone knew Xiao Jiu.

It seemed like the little guy had made quite an impression on many people during that operation. Despite being only the size of a fist, it could rival Low-Rank Light Casters. Even the Blue Star Global United Defense Committee recognized its efforts after the operation and rewarded it accordingly, so its efforts weren't in vain.

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