I am, Flame-Chaser of Previous Era-Chapter 77: Take it

"What's happening on the surface? Why are we detecting rising Honkai energy levels?"

Deep underground, in the dark mine shaft, night-vision equipment cast a green glow; the Cocoon team sensed something was wrong.

But their calls went unanswered; only static crackled through their comms.

The figure in black approached; he couldn't contact his surface team; he opened his terminal; the map showed no team markers.

"It seems the target is struggling; her jamming is effective."

"Captain, should we continue?"

"We can't turn back now; we're at the bottom of the mine shaft; she has few places to hide." The figure in black glared at his subordinate, his voice low. "She's a genius; given enough time and resources, who wants to face her again?"

The Cocoon members fell silent; Vill-V had left a deep impression—cunning, adept at evasion, and her creations were troublesome.

High-speed arm-severing machines, liquid nitrogen bombs, and various strange robots; if they weren't so strong, they wouldn't have gotten this far.

"Don't worry; she's just a girl, but my gut feeling is bad; I feel things are slipping out of control."

"We'll release the jamming units. Even if pursuers arrive, they'll have to deal with the monsters first."

"That's the plan, but trust your instincts; split up; silence the target; then we retreat."

No one objected; they were trapped underground; if Fire Moth arrived and found them responsible for releasing the jamming units, they would be severely punished.

"Three paths remain; Goushinnso Memento, you and Nọc độc take that one; the rest follow me."

"Understood."

Without further discussion, the teams separated; the pink-haired woman fell silent, noticing the figure in black's cold gaze; she steeled herself.

The Third Herrscher's influence had forced her hand; she hoped her sister would be protected by Fire Moth, at least brought to a safe city; this dirty deed had to be done.

If I'd known, I would have assassinated Dr. Mei first; I wouldn't have gotten involved in this mess.

She sighed; a simple assassination had become complex; her employer was betraying Fire Moth; in the struggle between powerful figures, she was merely a pawn.

If she withdrew, she'd be silenced; her sister would die.

"Then don't blame me."

She gripped her sword, heading towards the tunnel's end.

Leather boots splashed through puddles; the mine's stillness was unsettling; thankfully, she didn't see any of those strange machines; as the captain had said, the pursuit had lasted months; the target hadn't had time to prepare.

Ahead was an open space; the mine had ended here; a companion tapped her shoulder.

"Tracks."

The black box opened, emitting light, outlining delicate footprints. The woman wasn't excited; she sighed in relief.

This game was finally ending; kill her, then retreat; what happened afterward wasn't her concern.

"Cover me."

The woman, sword in hand, sprinted into the open space; the sound of locks clicking echoed; the bright light forced her to squint.

A large lamp illuminated the cavern; at the far end, a small figure sat on a rock, legs crossed, clapping gently.

"Congratulations. You finally caught me."

Vill-V showed no fear; it seemed like the climax of a play; she raised a poisoned crossbow, then frowned slightly.

"Don't be hasty. I just need to press this button, and the entire tunnel will explode."

"Do you think you can escape?"

"Escape? No, no, no. Every good show has a curtain call. I need to thank my audience, even if you're a rather boring one." Vill-V jumped down, pacing back and forth; the crimson button in her hand looked menacing.

"From Shenzhou to Europe, then Mu Continent; your noses are sharp, but a bit dull; you never let me finish speaking."

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

"Because you're going to die; we're not interested in listening to a dying person's ramblings." The pink-haired woman's face hardened; her muscles tensed; she shifted slightly. "Surrender or die; stop playing games."

Having pursued her for so long, Cocoon viewed Vill-V as a trickster, capable of countless escapes; she always seemed calm and controlled.

"I merely accessed the Mu Continent branch's data center; I found some interesting things. Was there a need for such a dramatic pursuit?"

"You're reckless; that's why you must die." The pink-haired woman charged, ignoring her companion's attempts to stop her; she was willing to die.

Challenging the world order was naive and irritating.

Oh dear, this is a tough one.

Vill-V's smile faltered; there was no explosion; her pursuers were too close; she had no time to prepare; only a small, adorable hole was being dug beneath her feet; reaching the underground river, she could escape.

Should she surrender, then find a way to escape?

Hesitation flickered in her eyes, immediately noticed by the pink-haired woman, who attacked without hesitation, like a hungry tiger.

She tricked me!

Hesitation turned to panic; panic to cunning.

Ha ha, I'm tricking you too.

Boom—

The ground exploded; a geyser of water blocked the pink-haired woman and her poisoned crossbow; by the time they broke through, Vill-V was gone.

"Typical magician. Pursue!" The pink-haired woman didn't hesitate; this was clearly a planned escape route through the underground river.

"Wait."

A deep voice echoed; they stopped and turned to see the figure in black and his team.

"She's not just a magician; she's a master manipulator. Continuing the pursuit is pointless."

The target was desperate; her speed couldn't surpass Cocoon's; having evaded them multiple times, they were experienced.

The team spread out, using the screen to meticulously scan the area; the device was like liquid mercury; anything physical would show up, bypassing thermal and infrared detection.

The figure in black stroked his combat knife, his eyes narrowed; based on his instincts, he was 90% certain the target was here.

As the screen's range expanded, a smirk touched his lips; a brief distortion in space.

"Optical camouflage. I wondered where Duanmu's body went; you stripped his equipment."

Bang—

The combat knife was drawn, its blade gleaming under the lights; the other Cocoon members aimed their weapons.

"Impressive patience; you almost fooled me."

The voice echoed through the cavern; there was no response; the figure in black stopped teasing; dealing with "pieces" was simple—

Ignore her words; use the knife; cut her to pieces!

His foot pushed off; his power armor reached full power; he accelerated from a standstill; spinning due to the thrusters, his two combat knives formed a dazzling circle, slicing through the air.

The organization's top hunter.

The pink-haired woman showed appreciation; the combat skill was at the peak of human ability; combined with his exceptional instincts, no one could escape the figure in black's pursuit; he'd claimed hundreds of lives.

Everything was over. She relaxed her grip on her sword, considering the assassination of the scientist and what gift to buy Rin...

Until a purple light filled her vision.

Lightning shattered the rock, striking from above; the dazzling blade was instantly dwarfed and vanished.

Boom!!

The sound echoed; the woman instinctively tightened her grip on her sword, her knuckles white.

Not just her; the entire Cocoon team tensed; dust erupted; their renowned intuitive, skilled leader was enveloped in dust; only a figure remained visible.

A white shirt, ordinary trousers, rimless glasses—the newcomer was pristine, incongruous with the assassins, yet his actions were brutal.

The top hunter was bisected; his head was upturned; his eyes held a look of disbelief, as if his instincts hadn't registered the attack.

Silence fell; the man brushed dust off his shirt and looked at the assassins with a gentle gaze; he slowly levitated.

"Good afternoon. Can we save some time?"

Unlike his gentle gaze, violent lightning crackled, leaving deep marks on the ground.

"Who's going first?"