Chapter 59: Fierce Battle

Lin Xun took a step back, face darkening.

“My lord! Don’t force me!”

His clenched right fist began to emit a faint crimson glow.

A devastating power surged forth from the rising mist of blood, warping the very air around him. In the distortion came the distant roar of some unspeakable beast.

Talros, as he called himself, clearly sensed the danger and quickly backed away, suppressing his anger with a deep breath. “Good! Very good!”

“Engineer… No wonder Bashir entrusted the Source of the Apocalypse to you.”

“My lord, give me the seat pass, and I’ll hand over the Source immediately.”

Talros’ expression shifted erratically for a while, before finally settling back to calm—he even smiled faintly.

But Lin Xun sharply caught the killing intent flickering in the depths of the man’s eyes.

Talros casually tossed the pass to him.

Lin Xun caught it and swiftly stored it in his inventory. Without a word, he extended the Source of the Apocalypse with both hands.

“My lord, please accept it.”

Talros, unable to hide his joy, stepped forward to take the festering sludge.

But just as he reached for it, Lin Xun’s wrist flicked—and the Source vanished.

In its place appeared the gleaming, fast-approaching tip of a golden spear.

A spearhead blazing with deadly light.

“Now!”

—

That night—In the outskirts of Wen City, inside a two-story bungalow.

On the ground floor, more than a dozen fully-armed men and women stood ready.

They were elite Apostles from the Armed Division and Intelligence Division. Though unaware of the exact objective of this joint mission, they followed their team leader’s orders and waited in silence.

Upstairs, Team Leader Wang Zong paced impatiently, frequently checking the watch on his wrist.

On the couch nearby sat a beautiful woman in a black skirt suit—Li Xingyue—casually flipping through television channels.

“Li Xingyue, we’ve been waiting here like idiots for ages. What if the enemy doesn’t take the bait?”

“Then we keep waiting. Don’t forget, your precious little darling is in there too.”

Wang Zong fumed.

“You—! Seriously, you’re a division leader and you couldn’t find a better pretty boy? You bring that punk into the organization—fine, but dragging Yiyi into this mess?”

“If I’d known you were sending her to protect that little punk, I’d never have lent her to you!”

The memory of that humiliating night flashed in his mind again.

That cursed upside-down photo of him had become a meme among his comrades—still popping up in the group chat from time to time.

This grudge must be repaid, he thought bitterly. Once this mission ends, he’s going to make that punk pay dearly.

Li Xingyue ignored him, casually changing channels.

Wang Zong scoffed internally.

Fine. You sent my girl into the fire? Just don’t cry when I go all out on your boy toy.

He alternated between cursing Lin Xun and worrying for Lu Caiyi’s safety.

No chair could hold him long—he kept rising to pace.

Suddenly, his wristwatch buzzed.

Across the room, Li Xingyue looked up at the same moment.

The enemy had taken the bait.

“Move!”

—

“Now!”

At Lin Xun’s command, the Engineer shell burst forth with surging power. His body was covered in dark-silver knight plate armor, and his Thunder Dragon Staff-Spear thrust directly at the enemy’s face.

Within the confined space, the weapon tore through the air with an ear-piercing screech.

Lu Caiyi had been waiting for this signal. In a heartbeat, the gentle girl transformed into a fierce warrior—clad in a beast-hide top and skirt.

Her metallic lion-headed gauntlets howled with wind pressure as they slammed toward Talros.

BOOM!

Flames burst forth from Talros’ body, followed by an explosive blast like a bomb going off.

The intense heatwave smashed into Lin Xun, hurling him away before his spear could even land. His vision blacked out.

CRASH—CRACK!

The entire bungalow collapsed in an instant. Lin Xun was blown through several walls and sent flying over ten meters, crashing into the ground and forming a crater.

“Pffft!”

He coughed up blood, staggering to his feet from the pit. His armor was cracked and scorched.

He looked toward where the house once stood—now just rubble.

Amid the wreckage stood a burning figure wielding a guard-hand rapier, locked in combat with Lu Caiyi in her warrior shell.

CLANG!

Lu Caiyi’s lion gauntlet struck the thin rapier—but it was like smashing into a steel wall.

Talros deflected her attack with ease, then retaliated with blazing speed—leaving a charred hole in her shoulder with a strike of fire.

“Run! I’ll hold him off!”

Though clearly struggling, Lu Caiyi still fought to protect Lin Xun.

Lin Xun swallowed the blood rising in his throat and lowered his body, charging forward like a battering ram.

He swung his staff-spear at the enemy—but Talros blocked effortlessly.

The thin blade felt like an impassable wall.

It wasn’t just the weapon—it was the immense gulf in their levels. No Epic weapon could bridge that gap.

With his left hand, Talros parried Lin Xun’s spear. With a quick sidestep, he punched Lin Xun and sent him flying again.

He followed up with a casual kick, launching Lu Caiyi backward as well.

“Engineer. So you really did betray New World and side with the Apostle Security Council. Even roped in an official Apostle.”

He clearly recognized Lu Caiyi’s shell.

Talros walked toward Lin Xun, rapier in hand.

Lin Xun got up, gritting his teeth, hands gripping his spear tightly. He twisted his waist and swung again—

Talros deflected it calmly.

“If you’d handed over the Source earlier, I might’ve spared your miserable life.”

“But now that you’ve got the seat pass to the Sanctum—I can’t let you leave alive.”

Lu Caiyi charged again, her fists flying.

Talros parried every blow with elegant ease—one man overwhelming both of them.

Lin Xun knew it now: he and Lu Caiyi couldn’t win.

If they ran now, maybe they could escape—but Talros would surely report them to New World, rendering the seat pass meaningless.

If they stayed, they’d both die before backup arrived.

His mind made up, Lin Xun shouted, “Run! I’ll handle him!”

“Engineer… today, none of you are leaving alive!”

Talros’ eyes blazed with fury as a pillar of fire erupted around him.

He unleashed the same earth-scorching inferno that had flattened the house.