From the Abyss of Stars

59. 【Shadow Assault】

 

"You've been staring at me for four hours. Aren't you going to rest your eyes?"

 

Yavanna opened her eyes, looking at Nomi, who was glaring at her with one eye. She kindly suggested:

 

"Relax, I won't run away. You've already taken my compressed biscuits and personal terminal. Traveling in the outer world without transport is no different from seeking death."

 

"Shut up." Nomi raised a wrench and pointed at her, disdainfully saying, "There’s not a single good thing about the Four Nations. Our Rose Army kills dogs and lackeys like you."

 

"Mr. Li Aozhi is also from the Four Nations, from the Red Arrow Empire. You seem to get along well with him."

 

Yavanna said calmly, noticing a flicker in Nomi’s eyes. She then blinked:

 

"Is it because you like him?"

 

"Fuck you (polite Frost-Plated). How could I like such a weak, pretty boy? Don’t disgust me."

 

Nomi shivered with disgust:

 

"We’re just cooperating, each taking what we need, so we’ve temporarily ceased fire."

 

"Since the Rose Army can cooperate with people from the Four Nations, I think we can also cooperate with Frost-Plated people."

 

Before Yavanna could finish her sentence, Nomi stomped on the car door beside Yavanna's head, revealing a ferocious smile from beneath her bandages.

 

"Yes, of course, we can cooperate—after all, we’re still compatriots from a racial standpoint!"

 

She lowered her head, her face twisted, and the bandages showed signs of tearing:

 

"—My parents, my siblings, my mentors, and comrades all died at the hands of compatriots! You’re talking about cooperation now, so why don’t you give back their lives?"

 

Her knuckles whitened as she gripped the wrench, her eyes filled with hatred and anger.

 

"Louis, Rowenko, Julei, Oren, Lilia, Teray... The entire village was forced out of their homes and into the outer world wilderness by your Frost-Plated army because there was a rich iron mine in the village. They starved and froze to death along the way. Now you’re talking about cooperation? I spit on that! Every inch of Frost-Plated land is buried with the blood and bones of outer world people. You bastards born from sinful soil all deserve to die!"

 

She was extremely emotional, but even so, she didn’t act violently. Noticing Yavanna’s confusion, Nomi sneered:

 

"Think I’d hit you? No, no, no, we in the Rose Army aren’t like the beasts of Law IV. We treat prisoners well. No matter how angry I am, I won’t do such a thing."

 

After saying that, she put down the wrench, crossed her arms, and looked down at Yavanna.

 

Yavanna was silent for a moment, then said:

 

"I’ve never abused a prisoner. Never. During interrogations, I use reasoning and evidence to leave them speechless, forcing them to confess. I’ve never killed anyone. In fact, I’ve only been working for three months..."

 

"Oh, now you’re playing innocent?" Nomi sneered.

 

Yavanna shook her head: "I’m not lying. In fact, I think the government and media have somewhat stigmatized the Rose Army..."

 

"Stigmatized, my ass. We’re rebels. Sooner or later, we’ll tear down the whole Frost-Plated! Rebuild a country for ordinary people on your ruins."

 

Nomi interrupted loudly:

 

"That’s my motivation for living. Go ahead and stigmatize us. The Rose bandits will eventually break into the capital and drive out the big capitalists and bureaucrats!"

 

"If that’s the case," Yavanna said, "we shouldn’t be enemies."

 

"—Huh?" Nomi raised an eyebrow. "Are you (polite Frost-Plated) kidding me?"

 

"No, I’m serious."

 

Yavanna stared at her and said solemnly:

 

"My name is Yavanna Huskisin, but that’s my mother’s surname. You should be familiar with my father."

 

"Oh, which young lady now? You parasites are disgusting—"

 

"My father is Daverin, director of the Frost-Plated Ministry of Internal Security Special Affairs Bureau. The Rose Army’s intelligence is outstanding. You should know he’s also a candidate for the next Minister of Defense."

 

Yavanna said:

 

"But the Rose Army wouldn’t know that a year ago, he was secretly tried and imprisoned for treason and collusion, held on Elf Island."

 

Elf Island... It sounded dreamy and beautiful, like a resort, but it was actually a prison for high-level and dangerous criminals in Frost-Plated, guarded by superhumans and heavily armed soldiers, making escape impossible.

 

Nomi was slightly stunned, then pretended to be indifferent: "So what?"

 

"My father is a true patriot. He didn’t commit treason or collusion."

 

Yavanna said solemnly:

 

"He was framed by female political enemies because he, as a man, entered the Twin Palaces (Frost-Plated Presidential Palace)."

 

"My family has always been protected and supported by my father. He was honest and devoted to the country. He never let us enjoy the privileges of the elite class. He rose to his position through hard work and achievements. But such an honest and loyal father was framed because of his gender..."

 

"My family collapsed overnight. My mother broke down and, in an attempt to clear my father’s name, knelt in front of the Twin Palaces to plead, only to be beaten and imprisoned by the military police for 'attempting to assassinate the president.' My elder brother was implicated, fired from his job, and though he graduated from a prestigious university, he couldn’t find work."

 

"...Oh."

 

Nomi carried the wrench indifferently.

 

"To save my family from decline, I joined Law IV."

 

Yavanna said:

 

"I’m at least a college graduate. Joining Law IV as a field agent didn’t require exams or political background checks. As long as I completed two major tasks, I could work at the Twin Star City headquarters. It was the fastest way to enter politics and save my father."

 

"Do you think that’s possible? How could they not check your political background? Your father has been arrested. The common people don’t care, but the high-ups know. They’ll never let you join the inner circle of power."

 

Nomi mocked:

 

"People like you only care about your own interests, contrary to the ideals of the Rose Army."

 

"There are only two ways to save my father."

 

Yavanna said:

 

"One is to become president and sign a pardon."

 

"The second is—to find the location of Elf Island and storm it."

 

"Don’t bother. Let him die."

 

Nomi lay on the sofa, cross-legged, hands behind her head, uninterested. She shrugged:

 

"You want to be president? Sorry, but even Qiu Ran looks more reliable than you. At least she seems kind and likable, even if she’s not very bright. What skills do you have?"

 

Nomi tapped her head, mocking:

 

"As for attacking Elf Island, I suggest you save your energy. No one knows its exact location, and it’s guarded by Frost-Plated’s elite troops. You’d be better off finding a new father."

 

She watched Yavanna lower her head and added:

 

"I understand your intention, young lady. You want to use the Rose Army to save your father. But why should we do that? High-ranking officials in Frost-Plated can die as many as possible—it doesn’t matter."

 

Bang!

 

Before Nomi could finish, a loud noise came from behind, something hitting the car door hard. The two inside became alert, and Nomi grabbed the wrench, ready for battle.

 

Shhh—

 

The outer camouflage cloth was instantly torn open, sharp shadow claws scratching the bulletproof glass, leaving deep cracks. The beast lowered its head, opening its mouth wide at the two inside, letting out a piercing roar:

 

"Ziaaaaa—"

 

"What the hell is that?!"

 

Just making eye contact with the shadow filled Nomi with intense discomfort, as if her body temperature had dropped by several degrees, leaving her hands and feet cold.

 

Whoosh!

 

A chain sliced through the night sky, heavily accelerated by gravity, like a silver-gray holy sword, instantly decapitating the shadow beast.

 

"Chains—Li Aozhi!"

 

Nomi's eyes lit up. She quickly opened the car door and jumped out.

 

"Good job, Li—"

 

Her praise was cut short as Li Aozhi's figure flew toward her like a broken kite.

 

"Shit! Don’t come over here!"

 

Thud!

 

Li Aozhi’s back crashed into Nomi. Without time to explain, he immediately adjusted the direction of gravity, leaping into the air and throwing Nomi, who served as his cushion, to the other side of the car.

 

"Nomi, drive!"

 

As he looked up, the one-armed girl’s figure appeared in his vision, her lifeless, thin form starkly contrasting against the biting cold wind... looking so grotesque.

 

Nomi, thrown to the ground, quickly got up, opened the car door, and sat in the driver's seat. Without fastening her seatbelt, she immediately started the car.

 

Vroom—

 

As the engine roared to life, the one-armed girl suddenly appeared in front of the car.

 

"Move!" Nomi shouted, turning on the high beams, hoping to force her away.

 

Snap!

 

The blinding light reflected off her pale skin. Nomi's pupils shrank; the girl's young age and numerous wounds shocked her. In that moment, she hesitated, failing to press the accelerator.

 

This brief hesitation gave the one-armed girl an opportunity.

 

She stiffly raised her hand, and from the wounds all over her body, shadowy black mist gushed out like a flood, ready to engulf the entire car.

 

"Kneel!"

 

The thunderous roar startled the one-armed girl, causing her to kneel instantly, her knees smashing into the snow, bones breaking.

 

Whoosh—

 

Li Aozhi, with a taut chain, descended from the sky. The increased gravity turned the chain into a straight spear, piercing through the girl’s skull from her chin and nailing her to the frost-covered ground.