Vol-2: 086. Looking up at the sky.

086. Looking up at the sky.

The punch tearing through the storm was about to fall.

However, to the Xia Jianjing's surprise, Li Aozi was not the least bit shocked at his impending defeat.

On the contrary, his obsidian-armored figure stood strangely still, motionless, as if he had given up resisting.

— Something's wrong!

The Xia Jianjing suddenly realized it, but before she could react, her elbow strike had already landed on Li Aozi's obsidian helmet. His voice echoed in her ears:

"You've been tricked."

Snap!

The sound of a gemstone shattering rang out, immediately followed by a burst of intense fire. The obsidian fragments scattered in all directions under high heat and pressure, far more dangerous than ordinary bullets. At such close range, the Xia Jianjing had no time to dodge and could only raise her arms to block.

She couldn't afford to activate her powers for such minor damage, nor waste such precious energy here.

When the Xia Jianjing made this decision, Li Aozi knew she had already lost.

Ping—

The crisp sound of a snap resounded, waking up the entire world. Eighty times gravity instantly bore down, engulfing the Xia Jianjing, forcing her legs into the ground, unable to even raise her head.

Hmph!

The Xia Jianjing let out a muffled grunt. The sudden gravity, although harsh, posed little threat to her powerful Gamma-tier organs. But after a full second, even a Gamma-tier couldn't withstand such overwhelming pressure.

She wouldn't die… but the oppressive weight made her bones unbearably heavy, with blood pooling in her lower body, her legs utterly immobile.

In fact, her powerful physique had become a burden, and now all it wanted to do was kneel before the man. Pathetic.

"Hey, Boss Lady!"

"How did this happen…"

"It's not fair! Rematch! Rematch!"

Compared to her dissatisfied subordinates, the Xia Jianjing remained calm. She struggled to prop herself up on her arms, trying to resist the weight one hundred and fifty times her own body mass.

This weight pressed down on every part of her body. Or rather, it increased the weight of every component of her form to eighty times its original amount. Even with a Gamma-tier physique, it couldn't negate such immense pressure.

Bio-King Kong, Duke Garmus, and the Xia Jianjing — none could escape the environment of Azure Star, which had prevented their bodies from adapting to strong gravity. In this extreme environment, their bodies, already ill-suited for Azure Star, suffered more than ordinary people.

Li Aozi slowly approached, his once invisible form revealed under the distortion of gravity. He was not wearing armor but a coat with a classical aesthetic.

"As expected… the moment you turned your back, you had already shed your shell and hidden invisibly beside me."

At this point, the Xia Jianjing could no longer underestimate the man before her.

"I activated 'Indomitable Stance,' which was enough to resist most control abilities. When you used a force field to pin me down, the timing was just right — how 'convenient.'"

She spoke softly, her words vibrating through the air with force and resonance.

"Have you been specifically studying me?"

Li Aozi's body was healing rapidly under the effect of [Blood of Immortality], his eyes glowing with golden circles. He neither confirmed nor denied it. The earlier trick of shedding his skin was a classic tactic used against the Xia Jianjing in the original game.

Given her strength, the Xia Jianjing could easily withstand the gravity that would turn an ordinary person's bones to mush. If she had used a secret technique and activated 'Domination,' she could have sliced Li Aozi's throat in less than half a second.

Both sides had clearly held back. This sparring match had come to a draw because neither wanted to escalate to real violence.

Li Aozi lifted the gravity pressure, and the Xia Jianjing stood up with ease, not even winded, her physical condition remarkable.

After all, judging by her pilot's jacket, the Xia Jianjing had once been a pilot for Tianhuan. Even with fragile skin, the Gamma-tier special effects made her far stronger than Li Aozi, whose bio-implant-modified body had barely reached 20 points of [Constitution].

"I'm Li Aozi of Red Arrow. Don't worry, I don't represent Red Arrow — I only speak for myself."

He extended his hand. The Xia Jianjing readily reached out, shook it, and said straightforwardly:

"Xia Jianjing, or simply, Jing. You've earned my respect, Imperial."

It was the classic case of 'no conflict, no friendship.' The Xia Jianjing looked at Li Aozi with growing interest.

"A strong person like you, without Gamma-tier bio-frequency… that's truly something."

"I'm not ready to bear the curse just yet," Li Aozi quipped.

"Haha, true enough." The Xia Jianjing placed one hand on her hip. Standing under eighty times gravity for so long, she still stood tall at 187 centimeters, towering over Li Aozi. "I've heard of you, Li Aozi of the Abyss Catastrophe, the Granthians call you Vasha Bahamut. Interesting. Seems like you're not too fond of the Four Nations' rule, huh?"

Her tone made it clear she was trying to recruit Li Aozi into her faction, the Akaban Squad.

Li Aozi saw right through this trick. [Aura of Kindness] had little effect on this woman… though her physiological and outward characteristics were female, her psychological gender identity was unclear.

That was only natural, as this was a congenital cognitive disorder. She couldn't fully recognize her own gender, leaving her psychological image fuzzy. [Charisma] naturally had a weaker impact on her than on most people.

"Not really. After all, even the worst order is better than chaos and savagery." Li Aozi didn't directly answer the question but hinted at his stance.

"I disagree with your view," the Xia Jianjing said nonchalantly. "But at least for now, you're on our side."

"Just representing myself." Li Aozi emphasized.

After all, on the surface, he held a Red Arrow green card and nationality, and he had close ties with the ruling families of Tianhuan.

"I never expected much support. Tianhuan's fate can only be changed by Tianhuan's people."

The Xia Jianjing pointed her thumb toward the tavern.

"There are things we can't discuss outside. Come in and have a seat."

"Gladly, Mr. Jing."

[The Xia Jianjing liked your title for her, favorability +76]

Moments later, perhaps due to Li Aozi's strong performance, he was given a fairly respectful reception.

He raised a glass of the Akaban Squad's homemade brew, clinking glasses with the Xia Jianjing. Sitting across a coffee table, after a few drinks and chewing on some dried mushrooms, the atmosphere became much warmer.

"Gulp— So, you're here to save Gretwo?"

The Xia Jianjing half-lay on the couch, one hand holding a cup, the other supporting her head, her eyes narrowing as she stared at Li Aozi.

As the leader of an organization, she looked more like the head of a biker gang, her long legs casually resting on the coffee table, boots of Tianhuan Air Force on her feet. Most of the Akaban Squad members had a half-military, half-gangster style. Even the better-equipped ones only wore aramid bulletproof vests, without ballistic plates. In terms of gear, Li Aozi figured they were on par with Liu Wenzhong and others who ran mercenary companies in Granth.

Hearing the Xia Jianjing say this, Li Aozi knew it was about to trigger a game storyline. He set his glass down and replied seriously:

"Gretorvo Nightsong is someone I greatly admire. Despite possessing immense power, he refuses to harm anyone. Yet when danger approaches, he steps forward without hesitation."

"That guy… just a dumb do-gooder."

The Xia Jianjing swirled her cup, pausing in brief silence before continuing:

"Is that all? An Imperial known for being pragmatic and realistic acting on sentiment? No offense, but it's hard to believe based on past examples."

"Of course, there are personal reasons." Li Aozi said. "If you really want to know, I need him, I need you, and I need the entire Tianhuan Akaban Squad to help me accomplish something. To do that, I must save Gretorvo."

"Hoh?"

The Xia Jianjing rested her forehead in her hand. She wasn't a traditional beauty; her rugged style, masculine tone, and deep voice made her more like a handsome guy than a woman. Her colorless eyes scanned the tavern hall. She didn't make any effort to keep things secret, openly asking:

"If this mission involves a prison break, aren't you worried someone here might snitch?"

"I have no desire to hide my schemes," Li Aozi chuckled. "Besides, what I'm doing is incredibly beneficial for this planet — no harm at all. The only question is whether you're willing to accept my proposal."

"Let's hear it." The Xia Jianjing's fingers threaded through her purple-gray hair as she massaged her acupoints to stimulate blood flow and enhance her focus.

Li Aozi opened his mobile terminal, projecting a world map, gesturing as he explained:

"It's well known that the dispute over the Ramada Archipelago isn't just about the ethnic hatred between Red Arrow and Tianhuan. More importantly, it concerns military supremacy for the next few centuries. If Tianhuan gains control of the Ramada Archipelago, Red Arrow Empire will lose its only geographic barrier, leaving itself exposed to Tianhuan's warriors. Conversely, if Red Arrow retakes the archipelago, Tianhuan will have to face an empire far more powerful and resourceful than it is now."

"We're aware of that."

A Akaban Squad member interjected impatiently:

"The noble families of Tianhuan are already corrupt. They're obsessed with invasion and conquest. This kind of war won't end well."

"From a geopolitical perspective, the Red Arrow Empire is not inherently expansionist. As a Tianhuan native, you should know that too."

The Xia Jianjing looked at Li Aozi:

"Red Arrow's territory is as large as Frost-Plated, Tianhuan, and several colonies combined. They can't even develop all the resources within their own borders, let alone spend massive manpower controlling a vast empire. They're only fighting for revenge."

"That's the core issue," Li Aozi said.

The Xia Jianjing nodded. "Tianhuan's government doesn't want to resolve internal conflicts. Instead, they're using the Ramada Archipelago to provoke the people's anger, diverting attention away from Tianhuan's greatest enemy—"

Li Aozi met her gaze, and they spoke in unison:

"— The Noble Clans."

"They're the enemies we must defeat," the Xia Jianjing said gravely. "The Noble Clans, led by the Hojo family, have completely taken control of our economy, stolen land from the farmers, and sent children to factories to become machines. The men become butchers, and the women are forced into prostitution. People can't see a future… but why do you care? If the clans fall, what difference does it make to you, an Imperial?"

"Before I'm an Imperial, I'm a human."

Li Aozi said:

"As long as the clans remain stagnant, I won't be able to get what I want."

"And what is it you want?"

"Look up, look above." Li Aozi raised a finger, pointing overhead.

"The tavern?" someone asked in confusion.

Li Aozi shook his head. "No."

"You're pointing upward — is it power and authority you seek?" someone speculated symbolically.

Li Aozi shrugged. "I don't need power; I am power."

"Is it the sky?" someone ventured, starting to grasp the meaning.

Li Aozi replied calmly, "The sky has already been mine."

"…The universe."

The Xia Jianjing suddenly said:

"You're leaving your homeland, heading into space, aren't you?"

At this, Li Aozi finally smiled:

"For me, that's going home."