Chapter 304: Operation

Eh…?

San Yue Qi was completely stunned.

The Frenzy state, interrupted by this sudden attack, became a bit stuck; the scarlet eyes quickly faded, returning to their original clear pink‑blue.

Immediately, intense pain radiated from all over the body—forehead, waist side, arms, calves…

"Ugh… so painful…"

She sobbed softly, tears uncontrollably swirling in her eye sockets.

The injuries she had ignored during Frenzy now all revived, reminding her how brutal the earlier battle had been.

Her leg gave way, and she plopped onto the cold ruin fragments, her little mouth puckered, pink hair a tangled mess dusted with grime, a black mark on her face, tears welling up—looking just like a wronged kitten that had its dried fish snatched and then got beaten.

The Insect‑transformed Lancer steadied its posture, spreading its four arms, its hollow gaze fixed on the newly appeared black silhouette, emitting a threatening low hiss.

The black silhouette—Insect Armor Assassin—tilted its head slightly, glancing through a dark‑red visual slit at San Yue Qi, who was sitting on the ground dropping tiny pearls, a faint airflow sound seemed to emanate from beneath its helm, then it refocused on its opponent and assumed a combat stance.

"Black Tower Lady?"

A Xing's voice pulled Heimu back from the subtle trance.

Heimu still held a skewer of crystal‑clear, glittering sugar‑coated Qiongshi Bird Skewer, its golden eyes looking at her curiously: "Don't you like this? I saw you shake your head earlier."

Heimu only then realized that the subconscious head‑shake she made earlier had been caught by A Xing.

She glanced at the bright red candied hawthorn on A Xing's hand, then at the skewer she had bitten a small piece from; the sugar coating shimmered temptingly under Luofu's artificial sky light.

"No,"

She curved the corner of her mouth slightly, a perfectly timed smile, "Just think… it's only pitiful."

"Pitiful?" A Xing blinked, not understanding.

Walter glanced at Heimu, his gaze behind the glasses thoughtful, but he didn't follow up.

Heimu, while chewing the sweet‑sour fruit, delightedly admired the live feed coming through the Insect Armor Assassin's perspective deep in her consciousness— that pink‑haired girl sitting on the ground, eyes brimming with tears, face covered in dust, a bewildered and wronged little figure.

(Hmm, the dust‑covered San Yue Qi… her tears have turned into tiny pearls.)

(I really do have a twisted taste.)

She thought in a good mood.

Chang Ye Yue slowly lowered the slightly raised tip of her umbrella, the scarlet eyes still vigilant, but now tinged with a hint of surprise and doubt.

She surveyed the suddenly appearing black silhouette that had blocked the Lancer's strike and was now confronting the Insect‑transformed Gunner.

(This aura… isn't a Heroic Spirit, at least not entirely. Mixed with insect traits, yet its structure is stable, its energy restrained, its actions clear…)

(It came from the side corridor… could it be related to the anomaly over at Sakura earlier?)

A thought flashed through her mind—Black Curtain Lady's operation.

(Using the enemy's troops against the enemy? Or on‑site modification? As expected of a lady…)

Chang Ye Yue's mind settled slightly, but she did not relax.

She calmly adjusted her stance; the Black Umbrella remained open, its canopy subtly tilted toward Huan Long, guarding against any possible reaction from the Extinction Great Lord.

Huan Long's reaction indeed warranted caution.

The seductive smile on her face, as if she had everything under control, faded a bit now.

Her fox‑like eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze carefully scanning the Insect Armor Assassin, and the fan ceased its flutter.

"Oh?"

She murmured softly, a genuine surprise in her voice, "Where did this little cutie pop out from? Its aura feels somewhat familiar… yet also a bit strange."

She could naturally sense the strong Breeding aura on the Insect Armor Assassin, but this Mutant was certainly not naturally born.

(Someone intervened. Right under my nose?)

(The two little girls from the Yuanban Family and Shi Chen have fled… that Yan Feng Qili fellow is also nowhere to be seen. Or perhaps… someone else entered?)

Huan Long's thoughts raced, her gaze subtly sweeping the hall, especially Chang Ye Yue and her seemingly ordinary Black Umbrella.

She did not detect any obvious power, but that only heightened her wariness.

The fact that something could evade her perception to tamper indicates the issue.

(Interesting… getting more interesting.)

Her smile resurfaced, deeper than before, yet also colder.

The fan gently fluttered again, her gaze returning to the center of the battlefield.

There, the Insect Armor Assassin had already moved first!

Its arched body suddenly launched, speed so great it left a faint black afterimage in place!

Two slender sword‑like limbs on the right front, like poisonous dragons emerging from a cave, darted up and down, swiftly stabbing the Lancer's face and the spiritual core in its chest!

At the same time, the curved blade sickle on the left silently traced an arc, blocking the Lancer's potential right‑side evasion route!

The Insect‑transformed Lancer roared, its four arms moving in unison!

Its twin pistols precisely aimed at the incoming blades, emitting two sharp "clang‑clang" bursts!

Simultaneously, the right‑side blade arm slashed at the incoming sickle, while the left blade arm seized the chance to thrust, attempting to counterattack the Insect Armor Assassin's relatively unprotected waist and abdomen!

However, the other blade limbs behind the Insect Armor Assassin seemed to possess independent will!

The pair of segmented whip blades arrived first, coiling around the Lancer's thrusting blade arm like a spirit snake, snapping with a sudden twist and pull!

Meanwhile, the comparatively robust heavy‑armored hook‑claw arm delivered a crushing punch toward the Lancer's right shoulder blade, slightly exposed due to its blocking of the sword.

The battle instantly entered a white‑hot climax!

Outside the Miatong Residence, the night grew darker.

The Black Tower still stood before the tightly shut gate, a hovering purple Light Screen before it splitting into two clear images.

The left image was a first‑person view, steadily advancing through a dim, damp underground passage covered in insect shells and slime, occasional enormous arthropod shadows beyond reason streaking past the edge of sight— that was A Xing's perspective.

The right image was a third‑person follow‑cam, Iskandar's massive figure descending another narrower stone stair, inexplicably pulling a wine flask from somewhere, drinking as he walked, his boldness as if strolling through his own cellar.

Just now, Black Tower discovered that there is more than one underground entrance.

A Xing's main passage is wide but clearly marked by insect trails, while on the other side there is a relatively hidden small passage.

After a very brief discussion, Saber went to the main passage to rendezvous with A Xing and provide support, while Rider explored the small passage alone, looking to flank or uncover other clues.

Weber and Ailisi Feier were left outside—Weber due to insufficient strength, the latter because protection was needed.

"The Caster's Master is truly impressive."

Ailisi Feier gazed at the mansion's pitch‑black entrance and sighed softly, "Exploring a place like this alone…"

"She is rather special."

Black Tower didn't even respond.

Weber listened nearby, and subconsciously imagined that gray‑haired, gold‑eyed, expression‑sparse girl advancing through this insect‑nest‑like place without a flicker of color, causing him to shiver and deepening his awe of her.

During the brief silence, Ailisi Feier seemed to look for a topic; she glanced at Black Tower's elegantly contoured profile, hesitated, and asked, "Black Tower Lady… what wish do you have regarding the Holy Grail? A Heroic Spirit as powerful as you must have an extraordinary ambition, right?"

Black Tower's gaze never left the Light Screen.

She heard that and replied casually, "A wish? Wishing at that cup? Don't joke around."

"Eh?" Ailisi Feier was startled, and Weber perked up his ears.

"The principle behind that thing is basically a high‑density energy aggregate with a half‑baked processing mechanism,"

Black Tower's tone was like evaluating a poorly designed experimental device, "Wishing? Or the kind that can fulfill anything? If such a convenient thing truly existed in the universe, Machine Head would probably be the first to dismantle it."

She shrugged, "What about energy conservation? Logical consistency? The cost and concrete method of granting wishes? Claiming omnipotence without clarifying anything sounds like marketing hype rather than real functionality."

Her wording was extremely blunt.