Chapter 021 : The Fall of Anti-Entropy Headquarters**

As Amber had reported...

Recently, Ling Ke's operational tactics worldwide had mostly leaned toward "guerrilla warfare."

In the process, he maximized the convenience of his spatial gates, initially equipping the Domination Puppets with game character templates that had high mobility, scattering gate markers everywhere.

Under these favorable conditions, large groups of Domination Puppets would swarm out of spatial gates, each bearing the face of "Kallen Kaslana," and go on a killing spree. By the time rescue forces arrived, the area would already be drenched in blood.

And the Domination Puppets, carrying the hatred of the survivors, would have long since vanished.

This approach had been testing the nerves of the higher-ups.

Especially Otto, whose Honkai-infused eyes were now bloodshot.

However, they had overlooked a crucial fact.

Namely: The reason Ling Ke had his Domination Puppets engage in guerrilla warfare wasn't because he lacked frontal combat strength.

But because it was a fast and easy way to earn points.

With over ten thousand Puppets of Dominance spread across the world, their density would inevitably become scattered.

But if they were to demolish buildings today, blow up bridges tomorrow, assassinate political figures in broad daylight, and then attack critical facilities in cities... all while governments were powerless to stop them...

The world would eventually descend into chaos.

Because the public would lose trust in their governments.

And governments, in turn, would lose trust in anti-Honkai organizations.

This effect would ripple outward.

The overly developed internet of the modern age had become a double-edged sword.

Because it would rapidly amplify related incidents, creating an unstoppable wave of public opinion.

By then, Ling Ke wouldn't even need to lift a finger. The various factions, accustomed to shifting blame, would turn on each other.

Ultimately...

Ling Ke, the Herrscher of Dominance who despised all of humanity, was a product of Schicksal and Anti-Entropy.

The latter two had no shortage of scandals.

No matter how they tried to whitewash these, they would be condemned.

And thus, they would become the scapegoats for those who felt they were innocent victims.

And Ling Ke, as the "World-Ending Player," would earn points as long as a single intelligent life died due to his actions, even if indirectly.

In any case, this was just one phase of his ongoing operations.

And when the time came for direct confrontation...

North America, Anti-Entropy's Salt Lake Base.

Whoosh~

Unlike before, an enormous spatial gate opened dozens of kilometers away.

Its appearance was instantly detected by the base's scanning equipment.

Instantly plunging the base into panic.

Alarms blared...

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack! Code red!"

The broadcast echoed through every corridor and room in the base.

Welt, Einstein, Tesla, Kiana, Bronya, Seele, Theresa, Fu Hua...

Everyone was on edge.

However, at the same time...

"Switch to siege mode—"

A cold command rang out from outside the base.

Clank! Clank!

Heavy machinery rolled out of the spatial gate, baring its fangs.

[Game Character Template: Siege Tank]

[From: *StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty]

[Character Traits: HP System, Infinite Energy, Infinite Ammo, Indestructible Equipment, Heavy Armor - Mechanical Unit...]

[Game Skills: Vortex Shell, Directed Impact, Tank Mode, Siege Mode...]

[Background Talents: Twin 90mm Cannons, 180mm Shock Cannon, High-Heat Tungsten Shells, High-Strength Cockpit Climate Control System, Holographic Navigation System...]

[Related Introduction: Full Name: Crucio Siege Tank, an upgraded replacement for the Arclite Siege Tank, widely used in battles against the Zerg Swarm...]

Clearly, in Ling Ke's recent "gacha" sessions, he hadn't just obtained humanoid game character templates.

Although he still hadn't drawn any high-tier Herrscher-level combatants...

The Siege Tank... in the background of its original game, this thing was a weapon for interstellar warfare.

They had once faced billions of Zerg.

And now...

"Fire!"

Boom!

Boom!!

Boom!!!

The deafening roar of artillery fire shook the earth.

The Anti-Entropy Salt Lake Base was in chaos, with the ground shaking and mountains trembling.

Inside the Siege Tank formation, a "Domination Puppet: Anby" wearing black headphones completely ignored the continuous explosions around her.

Waves of shockwaves swept past her body, stirring her silver-white hair and pure black skirt...

She remained unmoved.

The bombardment lasted for over half an hour.

The game character template with the "Infinite Ammo" trait was just that overpowering.

Looking ahead now, the once-standing Anti-Entropy Salt Lake Base had been completely flattened.

Everything happened too quickly.

From the moment a large number of Siege Tanks were transported here through a massive spatial gate, to their transformation into their respective forms, and then the continuous, unrelenting bombardment...

It all took less than half a minute.

(TL/N: that's what she said)

In that half-minute, the Salt Lake Base, as the headquarters of Anti-Entropy, had no time to activate its protective shields.

The combat personnel had no time to prepare their equipment or control their Titan mechs.

The hangar was destroyed.

It was as if the enemy had launched a blitzkrieg, directly striking an air force base.

The defeat was humiliating, leaving them utterly unprepared.

Now, looking at the ruins ahead...

It seemed that within the bombing range, there was no sign of life, no survivors.

However...

Buzz~

The "Domination Puppet: Anby," who had arrived as the field commander, used a spatial gate to enter and exit, appearing near the ruins of the Anti-Entropy Salt Lake Base.

As soon as she arrived, another spatial gate opened beside her.

From within, a tall figure with eerie dark purple skin and a single ponytail emerged.

[Game Character Template: Widowmaker]

[From: "Overwatch"]

[Character Traits: Health Mechanism, Infinite Ammo, Indestructible Equipment, Immunity to Fall Damage...]

[Game Skills: Widow's Kiss, Venom Mine, Grappling Hook, Infra-Sight...]

[Background Talents: World-Class Sniper, High-Strength Living Weapon...]

[Related Introduction: Full Name: Amélie Lacroix, once underwent intense neural reconstruction, now a top assassin within "Talon"...]

As soon as she appeared, she raised her left hand and pressed a button on the side of the advanced device she wore on her head.

At the same time, she spoke coldly...

"No one can hide from my sight!"

In the original "Overwatch" game, this was Widowmaker's ultimate ability voice line.

In the game, when she activated her ultimate skill, both she and her entire team would gain a special vision.

A vision that could see through all enemy units' positions and their human movement outlines.

Now...

"As expected, it's not that easy to wipe them all out."

In the infrared detection vision provided by the "Domination Puppet: Widowmaker," the field commander, "Domination Puppet: Anby," narrowed her eyes slightly, looking down at a certain spot on the ground.

There, several red humanoid outlines were running away into the distance.

It was clear that there was an escape tunnel beneath the Anti-Entropy Salt Lake Base.

And the direction it led to...

"Great Salt Lake."

(TL/N: WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT! 🗿)

To the northwest of Salt Lake City in North America, there was a massive saltwater lake.

In fact, the city's name was derived from it.

Since the survivors from the base were running in that direction... the related possibilities weren't hard to guess.

"So that's why I haven't seen the Hyperion."

"It's hidden here."

Within the Dominator Theater, Lingke's true form, hidden behind the scenes, slowly opened his eyes.

He had been keeping an eye on the developments in North America.

Not long ago, he had told Bronya that his method of revenge against her was to make her become alone again.

And the first step of this plan was... to kill anyone affiliated with Anti-Entropy.

Moreover, it would be an endless pursuit.

In recent days, because the current leader, Welt Yang, decided to disclose relevant information, many people had resigned from the Anti-Entropy organization.

The entire anti-Honkai organization had shrunk by more than two-thirds.

However, even under the pressure brought by Lingke, some within Anti-Entropy had decided to stay and fight to the end.

To be honest, their decision was actually correct.

Because from the very beginning, Lingke had no intention of sparing anyone on this planet.

Those who resigned from Anti-Entropy might not live much longer.

At any moment, he, or she, these nameless extras in the original Honkai Impact 3rd storyline, could die in the indiscriminate slaughter carried out by the "Domination Puppet: Sixth Serenade," becoming points in Lingke's hands as the "World-Ending Player."

However, those who chose not to resign from Anti-Entropy might not live comfortably either.

Like now, the number of casualties in the Salt Lake Base was hard to estimate.

"Bastard!"

In the underground escape tunnel that had already been discovered by the "Domination Puppet: Widowmaker," Dr. Tesla had just run into a subway car with Welt, Bronya, and a group of comrades. Before she could even sit down, she couldn't help but punch the side window of the car.

Just half an hour.

Too many people had died before her eyes.

And she... as well as her companions, couldn't save everyone.

Looking around now, many people were bloodied and exhausted.

Two special forces personnel in standard armor were missing an arm.

They didn't even have time to bandage themselves, only using cloth strips to tie the wounds and stop the bleeding temporarily.

Beside them, even the quantum robot that had always followed Bronya, "Heavy Armor Bunny," was carrying several injured who couldn't move.

She had just asked Heavy Armor Bunny to gently put down the injured...

The car was already crowded.

Kiana, Fu Hua, Theresa... as well as Seele, Rozaliya, and Liliya, these young girls, were all silent.

Clearly, some of them were experiencing this for the first time.

Among them, Fu Hua, whose body had somewhat recovered compared to before, was undoubtedly the one with the most experience.

Because, during the previous civilization era, the Herrschers gave people a similar feeling.

Even the once highly respected Captain Himeko, after becoming the Herrscher of Flame, mercilessly destroyed the entire Australian continent.

The only exception...

"Let's go."

Including Fu Hua, the silent crowd had their thoughts interrupted.

Welt Yang, with a grim expression, said, "I have a bad feeling."

"We need to get to the underwater hangar where the Hyperion is as soon as possible."

"As long as we can escape successfully, we still have a chance to turn the tables."

His suggestion was something no one would oppose.

Immediately, the car, under Dr. Einstein's control, began to accelerate.

Moving along the tracks of fate, heading forward.