Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!

The sentry in charge of security on the city wall spotted a black dot descending from the sky in the distance.

"Is that some kind of mutated bird?"

The seasoned veteran squinted in confusion, "Ordinary birds don't grow that big, do they?"

This made the rookie stiffen with fear. "Could it be… a new bug variant?!"

"Doesn't look like it..." The veteran shook his head after using a telescope to observe the metallic glint on the surface of the object. "Not sure what it is. Never seen anything like it before. Better prepare for anti-aircraft security."

Once the anti-aircraft cannons near the city wall were fully prepared, the visitor in the sky slowed its approach upon reaching a certain distance from the city. It stopped flying and landed on the ground, advancing toward the city in a deliberate and non-threatening manner.

A massive blue-and-white mecha strode slowly across the ground, causing the earth to tremble faintly.

The sentries on the wall became instantly excited.

"Is that... a mecha?"

"Holy hell... A mecha that big and it can still fly? What kind of cutting-edge tech is this? Why do our city's big clunky turtle shells look so stupid in comparison?"

"I heard rumors that support from the big brother of our alliance might arrive soon. Could this be it?"

"What 'big brother of the alliance'? It's clearly the big brother of our region."

"Right, right! Regional big brother! But regional big brother's support… couldn't possibly just be this one mecha, right?"

When the mecha approached close enough, the radio communication channel between the two parties finally connected.

"Szzzt--"

Amidst crackling static, a slightly distorted voice of the visitor came through, "This is reinforcements from Blackwater City. Requesting to meet Thorn City's City Overlord."

The messenger receiving the transmission froze.

"Reinforcements from Blackwater City, really?"

He had indeed been informed that reinforcements from Blackwater City were on their way, but no one said the reinforcements were just a single mecha!

So he responded to stall for time, "Please hold on, we are requesting clearance from the City Overlord's dedicated line."

Setting aside the external communication channel, the messenger turned and dialed the internal line of the City Overlord.

"Reporting to the Overlord: A mecha has arrived outside the city, claiming to be reinforcements from Blackwater City."

A mix of static and faint female voices came from the other side before a response was given, "The City Overlord wants to know how many are here?"

The messenger hesitated. "O-only one mecha."

"Just one mecha?"

"Just one mecha… but it can fly."

The muffled voices on the other end rose sharply in volume, and one could clearly hear someone shouting, "Overlord, the sentries reported that Blackwater City sent a flying mecha!"

After a string of indistinct curses, the voice on the other end finally answered clearly, "The City Overlord says to make them wait! Beep--- Beep--- Beep---"

"Wha..." The messenger stared dumbly at the now-dead phone line.

This put him in quite a predicament.

On one side, potentially critical support from the regional big brother… although it was just one mecha.

On the other side, an order from his own City Overlord… who seemed increasingly disinterested in leadership.

Faced with such a dilemma, he had no choice but to make a decision.

After much hesitation, he nervously picked up the radio communication channel again and timidly replied, "The City Overlord requests that you please wait a moment. He'll be joining shortly."

"I heard that." Bai E narrowed his eyes slightly, a cold light flashing in his pupils.

With his increasingly refined command of his Spiritual Energy, he could now do much more.

For instance, using the innate 'Heavenly Eye' psionics, which had a special affinity for information, to monitor the opposing party's communication frequencies...

It seemed the City Overlord truly wasn't all that interested in his job anymore.

The messenger's face froze at Bai E's response. He could not fathom how Bai E overheard conversations on another channel, but for now, he could only nervously offer an explanation for his city. "Our City Overlord likely has urgent matters at hand and cannot break away at the moment. As soon as he finishes, he'll come over right away!"

"..." Bai E neither agreed nor disagreed. He simply hung up the call calmly.

The towering mecha remained standing in place, making even the sentries on the wall feel awkward about its presence.

The reinforcements from Blackwater City had arrived from afar. Even if it was just a single mecha, they couldn't let it stand around outside the city so stupidly, could they?

"The City Overlord is being… a bit much."

"Shh! Speak carefully!"

"Hey! It's moving!"

"Where's it headed?"

"Oh no! Did we drive them away?"

"What do we do? This was the alliance reinforcements we've been desperately waiting for!"

"Let them leave, then! It's just one mecha. Honestly, Blackwater City doesn't seem all that sincere about helping. They probably sent it just to make a token effort for the alliance. Now our City Overlord refusing to meet them gives them the perfect excuse to not even fake it anymore. It's great."

"Tch! What a goddamn world! If we're doomed, everyone's doomed together! This world's going to hell, sooner or later!"

...

The shadow of the city grew distant behind him.

Bai E wasn't actually leaving in anger.

It's just that he figured if he was going to waste time, he might as well find something to do.

Thorn City was one of the cities most plagued by the threat of insect hives, incessantly tormented by the Bug Race's unending invasions.

Their fungal creep had even spread to an alarmingly close distance from the city.

If the Bug Race so desired, they could launch a devastating assault against Thorn City at any moment.

From Eternal Night City's experience, the Bug Race was fully capable of initiating large-scale campaigns but refrained from annihilating humanity outright due to some unknown agenda.

The key to this agenda lay with the mutant insectoids known as "Infiltrators," who had either already embedded themselves within human society or were planning to do so.