The heavy black mechs rumbled across the road like giant tanks, shaking the ground. As the two sides gradually entered a state of war, the sound of artillery fire became increasingly frequent.
In the distance, square-shaped hive rockets launched from the rooftops of tall buildings, their twisting trajectories cutting through the air before slamming into the streets where the heavy mechs were stationed.
Facing such attacks, the black steel mechs lowered their bodies, reducing their exposed surface area, and simply allowed the rockets to explode against their armor, sending bursts of flame and smoke into the air.
When the flames and smoke cleared, aside from a few scratches from the explosions, the heavy black mechs remained unscathed, showcasing their astonishing defensive capabilities.
"Ordinary rockets can't penetrate the armor of Black Hammer's mechs. Their frames are made from the most advanced black-pattern steel in their corporation, engraved with multiple layers of transcendent runes during forging, giving them extraordinary durability and making them exceptionally tough," the commander of Burning Iron Energy observed from afar before giving orders to the people beside him.
"Bring out the Burning Iron Incendiary Shells from underground warehouse number three. Those rounds can deal with Black Hammer's mechs."
"Yes, sir." The group quickly mobilized, and the frontlines temporarily pulled back.
As night fell, the city remained almost as bright as day due to the flames and searchlights illuminating the area. The war continued, with both sides setting up blockades at every intersection, constructing makeshift fortifications to block potential enemy advances.
At this moment, on the rooftop of a tall building in the western part of the city, Thilan and her group looked down at the burning city.
"According to our previous agreement, I'll get you out of here, but I can't work for free. You'll need to pay me upfront," Red Hat explained to them.
"No problem," Jinzerk waved his hand. This wasn't the time to be stingy with money.
"Follow me."
After receiving the payment, Red Hat picked up his personal terminal, contacted one of his subordinates to confirm the situation, and then led the group to begin their escape.
They first used the rooftops of tall buildings to move, then descended into the dark alleys below. Although there were many patrols along the way, Red Hat knew their patterns in advance, allowing them to avoid detection every time.
In this manner, the group carefully navigated their way out of the city center, eventually reaching the outskirts. This area was uninhabited and eerily quiet, with neither side setting up many checkpoints.
"This is it."
Red Hat stopped at a crossroads.
The road ahead led straight into the wilderness outside the city. Under the dim moonlight, the landscape was desolate and silent, with no lights in sight, only endless wasteland and ruined buildings.
"Although we've left the war-torn city, the future doesn't look too bright either," Jinzerk patted the dust off his clothes and sat down on a stone step to rest.
"Venturing into the wilderness recklessly isn't a good idea, but this is a decent place to rest. We can stay here for a few days," Xelian analyzed.
"This is the city's outskirts. If either side comes after us, we can leave at any time or use the vast ruins to hide. If the situation in the city stabilizes or other opportunities arise, we can re-enter the city to look for chances."
"This gives us the initiative to advance or retreat, rather than being passively trapped inside."
"It's getting late. Let's find a place to rest first," Phyllis suggested.
In the ruins on the outskirts of the city, there were many dilapidated buildings, some of which were relatively intact. Finding a temporary place to stay wasn't difficult, though without proper bedding, sleep might not be very comfortable.
The group began searching for a suitable spot and soon settled on an old-style mansion. Its retro decor and abandoned fireplace made it a good choice for their needs.
After settling in, they took out the dry rations and food they had brought with them, preparing to heat them up for a meal.
"Thilan, aren't you eating?" Dolores noticed the black-haired girl standing by the window, gazing at the distant sky illuminated by flames, seemingly lost in thought.
"I'll eat a little, but I need to go out later to check on the situation in the city," the girl informed her companions in advance.
"Alone? Isn't that dangerous?" Dolores, who wasn't familiar with Thilan's abilities like Alen and the others who had actually fought her, expressed concern.
"It's fine. I'll be more mobile on my own," Thilan shook her head, reassuring her worried friend.
Alen walked over, handed Thilan a bar of chocolate, and said to Dolores, "Don't worry. Our president is very strong, haha."
Dolores frowned slightly at Alen's casual attitude.
"This isn't school. If something goes wrong..."
She was dissatisfied with Alen's relaxed demeanor. Thilan might have excelled academically, but she looked so delicate. If she were surrounded by enemies, even with her talents, it would be hard to handle before she fully matured.
"Jinzerk."
Dolores turned to another influential member of the group. Although she didn't usually like this cousin, they were still family, and she could talk to him.
"Me?" Jinzerk scratched his head, a bit confused, then walked over.
After hearing Dolores's concerns, he stroked his chin.
"You're right. It might be dangerous for the president to go alone. How about we send two more people with her for safety?"
"Alright, I know you're worried. How about this: Valk and Phyllis will come with me as assistants," Thilan compromised.
"That should be safer," Dolores thought for a moment, then crouched down slightly, lifted the side of her skirt, and took out a small object hidden inside.
It was an exquisite pocket watch with a silver casing and intricate patterns at the bottom. When opened, it revealed white hands and a design of vines and roses inside.
"This..." Jinzerk's expression turned to surprise as he saw the pocket watch Dolores had taken out. He leaned in for a closer look and noticed the image of a rabbit wearing a hat on the back.
"Uncle actually gave you something like this? No wonder he let you come out," Jinzerk said, a hint of envy in his voice.
"What is this?" Ruby asked, curious about the beautiful, art-like pocket watch.
"This is a special item from the mega-corporation 'Alice's Watchmakers.' They're famous for these unique items, which have kept them standing strong," Jinzerk explained.
"It's a magical item with the ability to stop time. Each one is almost priceless, often requiring participation in auctions to obtain. To prevent misuse and maintain their value, the corporation only releases a very limited number each year."
"If you're suddenly attacked, you can use this pocket watch to freeze time around you, giving you ample time to react. Because of this feature, many high-ranking officials in the Federation carry one, making assassinations much harder."
"Many companies have tried to crack the secrets of these items, but no one has succeeded in hundreds of years. Currently, only the Three Pointer Workshop's time-slowing devices have a similar effect, but they're still worlds apart from Alice's Pocket Watch."
"Thilan, take this for now. I'm safer here and don't need it right now," Dolores placed the pocket watch in Thilan's hand and hugged her.
"This... it's really not necessary," Thilan thought to herself. She couldn't exactly say that she could achieve similar effects without such an item, and even go further.
"Don't make me worry," Dolores whispered in Thilan's ear, causing the black-haired girl's ears to turn slightly red.
"Alright, I'll return it to you when this is over," Thilan reluctantly accepted. She thought for a moment, then took out a pendant from her pocket (actually from her storage space). It had a silver chain with a dark blue gem.
"I'll give this to you, Dolores. It's a small item I made before, and it has some protective effects."
More importantly, it had a tracking function. If Dolores were in real danger, Thilan could rush to her side in time.
"Then I'll accept it," Dolores said cheerfully, putting the pendant around her neck and tucking it into her chest.
"Alright, it's getting late. You all rest first. Valk, Phyllis, and I will go scout the situation."
After preparing, Thilan bid farewell to the group and left the resting spot.
Watching the three disappear into the night, Jinzerk glanced at Dolores, who was sitting by the fire, fiddling with her pendant, and then at the others preparing dinner and resting. He walked over to N.
"Teacher, aren't you worried about Thilan?" He felt that N was being too calm today.
"Thilan? Of course I'm worried. I'm worried she might run into trouble," N leaned against the windowsill, holding a beer can that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.
"Then why..."
"But there's a limit to worrying. I also have a duty to protect all of you. I can't just follow her around," he shook his head and took a sip of his manually chilled beer.
"You don't think Thilan is completely unprotected, do you? Don't worry, this lovely girl is the academy's treasure. Those old folks wouldn't trust her safety to just me."
"Then who else is there? I haven't noticed anyone else along the way," Jinzerk became curious.
"How should I know? I'm just a teacher, not a board member of the academy. But if you use your brain a little and look up at the sky, you'll understand."
"The sky?"
Jinzerk looked out the window at the starry night, which seemed vast and beautiful.
"Could it be a satellite?"
If a dedicated satellite was tracking their journey, almost everything that happened could be monitored in high definition.
But this kind of thing... although Jinzerk was also the heir to a large corporation, he didn't think he was important enough for the academy to mobilize a satellite just to keep an eye on him. It involved too much, and it would require reporting to the star region government.
"Forget it, I don't want to think about it. Since you're so confident, I'll just assume you have all sorts of backup plans," Jinzerk gave up, feeling a bit tired.
After all, they had been hiding all day, and the city hadn't been safe, so they hadn't rested well. He then joined the others by the fire, grabbed a heated can of food, and started eating dinner.
"What a carefree kid," N chuckled, watching Jinzerk give up on guessing.
This guy was quite laid-back. However, the fact that Dolores had obtained a special item from 'Alice's Watchmakers' was no small matter. It seemed that Incense Workshop's influence in the Central Star Region was significant. Logically, Incense Workshop, though a reputable luxury brand, should only have influence around the Four-Leaf Crystal Star Region.
N's thoughts drifted elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Thilan led the other two through the tall buildings, eventually stopping on a rooftop in the middle of the city. The vantage point was excellent.
"This is far enough," Thilan suddenly stopped.
"You should know my strength by now. The situation here isn't dangerous for me," she turned around, her black hair gently swaying in the night breeze. Her demeanor was much colder than usual.
"President..." Phyllis wanted to say more. Although he had seen Thilan freeze the ground that night, he was still a bit uneasy.
Understanding his concerns, Thilan shook her head and looked at Valk.
"You and Phyllis stay here. I'll notify you if anything happens."
"Understood."
Valk accepted the order without hesitation. His strength was among the top three in the group, and he understood Thilan's capabilities better than most. Even five transcendents of his level would struggle to defeat this girl.
"I'll head out now."
With a slight nod, Thilan leaped off the building, her clothes and hair fluttering in the wind as she descended. Then, with a flash, she disappeared into the night.
"She's gone just like that?"
Phyllis was still a bit shocked, finally beginning to believe that their club president wasn't the delicate, gentle, and harmless girl they had imagined.
...
Moving swiftly between the tall buildings, avoiding the lights, Thilan's speed increased without the burden of her companions. She expanded her perception, and everything around her became clear in her mind, allowing her to easily avoid detection.
After traveling a long distance, she stopped in front of an old house, leaping directly into the second floor through a window. She opened a drawer facing the window and took out an envelope containing a sketch with locations and annotations.
This was the location Red Hat had told her about, where the documents were stored. The sketch marked the headquarters of Burning Iron Energy and the possible location of its top leader.
First, Burning Iron. After that, Black Hammer. Try to finish before dawn, or stopping just one side won't be effective, Thilan thought to herself.
Soon, she disappeared into the night again. In the distance, among the buildings, deep red mechs moved through the streets and between buildings, constantly shifting to avoid enemy fire and using shoulder-mounted machine guns to suppress the opposing forces.
At the center of these red mechs' protection stood a walled complex, where steam and steel roared. Workers and autonomous units moved about, refining raw materials and forging them into weapons of war.
Red-hot branding irons occasionally pressed down, imprinting burning symbols onto freshly manufactured guns and mechs. These newly produced weapons were quickly distributed to the corporation's members, arming them.
Despite the night falling, the fighting in the city didn't stop. Both sides were still searching for each other's weak points.