ABST Chapter 2

After more than two hours of bombardment, most of B6 sector had become a charred ruin. Viewed from above, it looked like an ugly scar.

 

Broken walls and ruins, with steel rods jutting out from the middle like ferocious monsters, burned by flames into branding irons.

 

Fire and smoke danced like death gods in the deathly silence.

 

A group of teenagers hid behind the ruins, all bearing various degrees of blast injuries.

 

Algiers protected everyone behind him, his nerves stretched to the breaking point, cold sweat dripping, his ears twitching alertly from time to time.

 

The indifferent mechanical voice of the thermal battlefield scanner came repeatedly—

 

“Scanning heat sources, no surviving life forms detected…”

 

“Scanning heat sources, no surviving life forms detected…”

 

“Scanning…”

 

Only when the battlefield scanner’s voice grew more distant did Algiers breathe a slight sigh of relief, his still somewhat childish face tense, fists clenched, tears glimmering faintly in his eyes.

 

This bombardment came without any warning, like the cruel whim of a malicious child’s prank, yet it easily destroyed the foundation they had worked so hard to establish in B6 sector.

 

“Brother…”

 

Jin Daike quietly tugged at Algiers’ sleeve, the little girl’s eyes red, “We have no home anymore, where will we go?”

 

Algiers took a deep breath, held back his tears, looked down, and patted her head, but didn’t know what to say.

 

The others surrounding him were also homeless orphans. Everyone followed him, trusted him, and together they built the Dawn organization. They all considered Dawn their home.

 

But everything was reduced to ashes today.

 

Moreover, he had watched several brothers die right before his eyes – how could he not hate!

 

“Little leader, don’t be sad. If Dawn is gone, we can just go somewhere else and build another one.”

 

“That’s right, little leader, we’ll all follow you…”

 

Algiers’ nose stung, but now wasn’t the time for this. He collected himself and said: “Alright, we must find a way to leave now—”

 

Before he could finish speaking, his hair stood on end as an unprecedented sense of crisis invaded him.

 

Algiers suddenly looked up, his pupils contracting sharply, his face changing drastically.

 

In front of them, a one-meter-tall robot had appeared at some unknown time, holding a pitch-black cannon barrel aimed directly at them!

 

The next second, cold mechanical voice fell clearly into everyone’s ears: “Scanning heat sources, heat source detected, executing destruction!”

 

“Beep! Beep! Beep! Executing destruction—!!”

 

The heat source scanner lit up with red lights, sharp and piercing alarm sounds tearing through the night. A crimson point of light gathered at the cannon’s mouth, aimed at the group of teenagers in front, and suddenly fired!

 

This robot that had appeared from nowhere became the grim reaper’s scythe hanging over everyone’s head, carrying the breath of death about to fall!

 

Algiers’ pupils contracted sharply as he desperately protected his sister Jin Daike, roaring: “Take cover!!”

 

He quickly threw out a shield, but couldn’t protect everyone behind it.

 

BOOM—!

 

Blinding white light illuminated this corner of heaven and earth bright as day, like the tranquility after reaching the peak of chaos.

 

He smelled the scorching bloody scent carried by the fierce wind, but felt no pain.

 

With adrenaline surging, Algiers’ hands and feet went cold. He opened his eyes and was slightly stunned.

 

A tall figure outlined by firelight stood in front of them, a pale purple mental barrier deployed behind his back. His black hair was tied in a high ponytail, wearing a simple white shirt underneath.

 

Under the intense energy impact, his windbreaker was lifted by the fire waves, the strong wind howling.

 

Extremely thin gold-rimmed glasses rested on the young man’s nose bridge, covering his overly gentle golden eyes. With his back to the light, his profile was blurred in the fire’s shadows.

 

Powerful mental fluctuations instantly blasted the scanner in front to pieces!

 

The young man withdrew his mental barrier and walked forward two steps: “Are you hurt?”

 

Algiers quickly came to his senses. No matter how mature he was, he was still only fourteen or fifteen years old. After the life-and-death moment, his limbs went weak, his eyes red, and his sister in his arms coughed from being held too tightly.

 

“No, no problem! Thank you!”

 

The young man coughed lightly against his lips: “Just call me Lan Xia.”

 

Algiers said gratefully: “Mr. Lan Xia.”

 

Several companions beside him also looked terrified.

 

That head-on impact just now—even though a shield had been thrown, without this mysterious young man called Lan Xia who suddenly appeared, they couldn’t have escaped completely unharmed.

 

Jin Daike broke free from her brother’s embrace, hid behind him, and looked at Lan Xia curiously.

 

Algiers calmed his panicked heartbeat: “Mr. Lan Xia, may I ask you…?”

 

“I’ll explain after we’re safe,” the young man said gently.

 

The next second, his expression became slightly serious as he pressed his index finger to his lips, signaling them to stay quiet.

 

Algiers instinctively closed his mouth.

 

Lan Xia listened carefully for a moment, his pupils contracting, then suddenly looked up at the night sky where dawn was faintly breaking.

 

In the distance, from the east where the Federal warships were stationed, aurora-like brightness appeared, silently rushing toward B6 sector where they were located.

 

Algiers followed his gaze and his eyes trembled violently: “This!”

 

Lan Xia glanced at his light brain.

 

5:29:31

 

He said quickly: “This is the Federation’s final bombardment of B6 sector. They’ve actually deployed Starnight Bombs. When daylight breaks, this place will truly become a dead zone. If we can’t escape, we’re certain to die.”

 

Everyone looked toward the eastern horizon.

 

Besides the light from the shells, a line of dawn color was already faintly appearing on the horizon. There was less than half an hour until daybreak.

 

But for so many of them to all escape safely in just half an hour was nothing short of a fantasy.

 

Jin Daike tugged at Algiers’ clothes, the little girl whispering anxiously: “Brother…”

 

Lan Xia bent down slightly and ruffled the little girl’s braids: “Don’t worry, everything will be fine.”

 

He looked up at Algiers and said gently: “Speaking of which, this is our first meeting, and you must have many questions about me.”

 

“But what you need to do now is keep your companions alive. Right now, only I can help you. Are you willing to trust me?” Lan Xia extended his hand, his palm clean and warm.

 

Algiers pressed his lips together, then without hesitation grasped it the next second, his eyes frighteningly bright.

 

“I trust you!”

 

The person before him had indeed saved them, but there was no such thing as kindness without reason in this world. But given the current situation, besides trusting him, what other choice did he have?

 

He’d gamble.

 

He made his choice, though his hand was ice cold.

 

Lan Xia smiled, seeing Algiers’ unease, thinking to himself: “Still a child.”

 

Countless Starnight Bombs streaked across the sky with eerie tails, pressing closer and closer.

 

Lan Xia had all fifty-plus people gather together, and suddenly a brilliant purple light bloomed in the depths of his left eye.

 

The next moment, purple mental power wrapped around everyone, countless threads binding their limbs, and under the embrace of invisible force, they rapidly swept toward the edge of B6 sector.

 

Occasionally one or two highly explosive Starnight Bombs exploded behind them, but no one was injured.

 

Algiers tightly held Lan Xia’s hand. Strong winds rushed past his ears, and he wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but he faintly heard one or two inconspicuous low coughs.

 

The edge of B6 sector drew closer and closer, and Algiers grew increasingly amazed. He couldn’t help but glance at the young man whose profile remained gentle and calm.

 

Since the Federation was established a thousand years ago, with rapid technological development, human genes were affected by cosmic particles, producing extremely rare mental power evolvers.

 

Mental power evolvers were artificially divided into six levels from E to S. Usually, the appearance of even an E-level evolver was already rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.

 

Only S-level evolvers could externalize their mental power.

 

But counting on one’s fingers, there were currently only two registered S-level evolvers in the Federation: one was Admiral Elansno, the initiator of this B6 sector bombardment, and the other was the leader of the recently eliminated anti-Federation organization Suto.

 

All without exception were renowned figures.

 

S-level mental power evolvers were too rare, so Algiers hadn’t reacted earlier when Lan Xia saved them using mental power, thinking it was just a high-level energy shield.

 

But now…

 

Algiers reached out to touch the mental power threads wrapped around his body. This mysterious and gentle fluctuation—Mr. Lan Xia was clearly an S-level mental power evolver who hadn’t been recorded by the Federation!

 

But even S-level evolvers shouldn’t be able to carry so many people while withstanding such terrifying impacts… Was Mr. Lan Xia really this strong?

 

Then why did he save their insignificant little anti-Federation organization?

 

Algiers lowered his eyes, the wariness he’d been hiding in his heart growing heavier.

 

Lost in thought, another shell exploded against the mental barrier behind them. The purple barrier’s light dimmed somewhat, and a sharp piece of shrapnel ruthlessly penetrated through Lan Xia’s left side of abdomen.

 

Dark red blood instantly soaked through his white shirt.

 

Lan Xia’s refined brows furrowed slightly.

 

Algiers was close by, and the thick scent of blood brought him back to his senses. When he found the source, he was immediately alarmed.

 

“Mr. Lan Xia, you’re injured!”

 

After all, Algiers hadn’t fully matured yet. Though Lan Xia had only been with them for less than an hour, his gentle and composed adult demeanor made these teenagers—who had just experienced a life-and-death situation and had their defenses lowered—instinctively want to depend on him.

 

The suspicion and wariness from earlier were pressed down again, replaced by slight panic. Not only out of concern for their savior, but they hadn’t escaped danger yet—deafening explosions were still following right behind them. If something happened to Lan Xia, they certainly wouldn’t survive either.

 

Little Jin Daike also looked over anxiously.

 

Lan Xia: “I’m fine, just a scrape from the shrapnel.”

 

After comforting the protagonist siblings, he sighed softly in his heart and inconspicuously freed one hand to cover his abdomen.

 

…This was troublesome.

 

Of all places to get injured, it had to be his left abdomen.

 

He hoped it didn’t injure his stomach, or it might really become difficult to handle.

 

Algiers wasn’t so easily fooled and kept staring at the wound on his abdomen. Lan Xia had no choice but to say: “Watch your step, don’t get distracted. We’re almost out.”

 

Algiers temporarily suppressed his worried emotions.

 

6:00:00

 

They steadily stepped onto the boundary line. Almost the moment they crossed the line, the deafening artillery fire behind them stopped.

 

In an instant, heaven and earth became as quiet as a vacuum.

 

The first light of dawn.

 

Cold morning light scattered over the ruins that had become scorched earth.

 

Gray smoke and unextinguished flames left traces of lingering warmth on the collapsed buildings. Souls seemed to have turned to flying ash, deathly silence sweeping every corner of this place.

 

Lan Xia withdrew his barrier and looked up into the distance.

 

The dark mass of Federal warships on the horizon were slowly withdrawing. Only from that sky-covering command ship came a proud, smiling voice, like a cold judgment from the gods:

 

“Detection confirms no human life forms exist in B6 sector. Mission execution complete.”

 

“The Federation’s malignant tumor has been removed. The destruction of B6 sector is not the result we wanted to see, but if other sectors are still harboring anti-Federation elements, and someone knows but fails to report it yet gets discovered by the military—”

 

The person chuckled softly, didn’t finish the sentence, but said instead: “Federation peace requires everyone’s joint protection.”

 

The dark mass of warships departed from this sky.

 

Algiers looked down silently. After a long while, he suddenly clenched his fist and slammed it hard against the stone wall beside him. Dark blood flowed down the stone cracks.

 

Lan Xia watched for a moment and said: “The person who spoke just now was Elansno.”

 

Elansno, Federal Admiral, S-level mental power evolver, wielding great power, moody and unpredictable.

 

Someone behind them said hatefully: “Just a mad dog of the Rosh royal family!”

 

“No.”

 

Lan Xia shook his head and said gently: “He is the greatest obstacle to overthrowing the Federation.”

 

Also the person he definitely had to kill.

 

A deep, cold light flashed in the young man’s pale golden eyes.

 

After he finished speaking, he noticed that everyone around him was looking at him.

 

Lan Xia was slightly stunned.

 

Jin Daike looked at the blood seeping from his body: “Sir.”

 

Algiers found the bloodstains quite disturbing and exhaled: “Let’s first find a place to stay, rest and reorganize. After we treat your wounds properly, sir, we’ll discuss our next steps.”

 

The young man before them was far too pale, and his fingertips hanging at his sides were trembling slightly but restrainedly, as if exhausted.

 

That made sense—even if S-level evolvers had strong mental power, it was impossible to withstand multiple explosion impacts while protecting so many people in their escape without any consequences.

 

If careless, internal injuries or mental trauma weren’t impossible.

 

Lan Xia: “It’s a minor wound, it’ll heal in a couple of days.”

 

Jin Daike: “No, we need to apply medicine properly. I know medicine, I’ll treat you.”

 

“No…”

 

Sharp, burning pain came from his stomach.

 

Lan Xia’s voice suddenly stopped, and he frowned.

 

He politely stepped back and said gently: “Please wait a moment.”

 

After speaking, he took out a clean handkerchief from his coat pocket, turned his back, and coughed dully.

 

Unsurprisingly, he saw glaring crimson bloodstains on the handkerchief.

 

His movements were small, so the others didn’t notice.

 

Algiers: “Mr. Lan Xia, what’s wrong?”

 

Lan Xia curled his palm, folded the handkerchief neatly, and put it back in his pocket.

 

The shrapnel penetrating his abdomen was just a minor wound under current medical conditions—it would heal in two or three days. But the trouble was his stomach, which medical equipment couldn’t cure. This time it had been affected by the shrapnel, and he didn’t know how many more days he’d be coughing up blood.

 

Based on past experience, the blood that came up couldn’t be swallowed back down, or his stomach condition would get worse and he wouldn’t be able to eat for an extended period.

 

It was just a pity he wouldn’t be able to eat sweets for a long time.

 

Lan Xia sighed softly in his heart.

 

The metallic taste of blood kept surging up his throat. Lan Xia frowned lightly and forced it back down with difficulty.

 

After cleaning everything up, he turned around and looked up: “I’m fine, let’s go.”

 

**

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