Chapter 105: We Won… Did We Really Win?

At the moment of nearing victory, people can always unleash astonishing potential and resilience.

Lin Mowei was like that right now.

Although her spirit was already quite exhausted, her opponent was clearly no match for the initial stage.

This made it seem as if she still had endless energy.

Every attack was exceptionally fierce.

Finally, her opponent revealed an opening.

She raised her long blade, and the spear in the humanoid creature’s hand flew off.

Lin Mowei gripped the sword with both hands and slashed heavily at its head.

At that instant, the creature twisted its body forcibly, using its shoulder to take the powerful blow.

Crack!

The black armor shattered.

Beneath it was indeed human flesh, but because the armor had blocked most of the impact, the blade only cut a shallow wound, blood flowing down.

Lin Mowei withdrew her blade and was about to swing again when suddenly a large amount of black mist surged from the creature, forcing her to retreat.

After all, she didn’t know if the mist was harmful.

When the black mist dissipated, the creature was already far away.

As Lin Mowei looked over, her brow furrowed beneath her faceplate.

It was smiling.

Even though it was injured, weapon lost, retreating in disgrace, it was smiling.

That smile held no anger at defeat, nor fear of death, but rather a kind of… inexplicable satisfaction?

Even though the creature probably couldn’t understand, Lin Mowei couldn’t help but ask with anger, “What are you smiling at?”

Hearing her words, the smile on the creature’s lips grew thicker.

It opened its mouth, made a strange sound, then turned and quickly fled toward the Radiation Zone.

Pursue!

At this point, Lin Mowei couldn’t let it go.

Just as she was about to chase, a strong dizziness and exhaustion immediately filled her body.

She staggered, barely managing to support herself by stabbing her long blade into the ground, preventing a fall.

‘Damn it…’

So close… clearly so close!

Overusing her abilities had pushed her spirit to the breaking point.

That interruption just now completely let the air out of her.

Frustration, anger, anxiety intertwined in her heart, but she could only watch helplessly as that black figure grew farther and farther, eventually disappearing into the dust and distorted light of the Radiation Zone.

Perhaps seeing that the creature had escaped, Mu Qingqing quickly sent people over to bring Lin Mowei back.

Meanwhile, the technician had finally fixed the Positron Cannon.

“Chief? Should we fire?”

She had clearly seen everything.

Lin Mowei obviously wanted to bring that creature back, but unfortunately failed.

If they fired this shot, the Black Tower would fall, and finding that creature again would not be easy.

Lin Mowei had already removed her helmet.

Her face was pale as paper.

She gasped heavily, her eyes fixed on that direction.

Personal obsession could not override the overall strategic goal.

Destroying the Black Tower and winning this battle were the most critical tasks at hand.

She closed her eyes and nodded.

Mu Qingqing immediately picked up the communicator, and a firm, powerful voice spread across the entire front line.

“Charge and fire! Everyone prepare to intercept the remaining Rift Beasts that escape!”

The moment the order was given, the soldiers who had been waiting for a long time erupted with uncontrollable excitement and fervor in their eyes.

Although the process had been fraught with twists and turns, unexpected incidents, and paid with blood and sacrifice, they had finally reached this moment!

At Huanxing Town.

Lan Lan and Qin Wuyue looked at each other.

The dawn of victory was clearly close at hand, yet it always felt tainted with a strange, indescribable anomaly.

Just then, several logistics personnel ran over excitedly, shouting as they ran:

“Chief! Doctor Qin! News from the front. Chief Lin’s battle is over. That humanoid creature was repelled and fled. The Positron Cannon has been repaired and was just successfully fired, destroying the Black Tower!”

Hearing this, the two turned sharply to look in that direction.

As if to confirm the news, on the distant horizon, that black giant tower that had stood for three hundred years, branded like a nightmare in human memory, began to slowly tilt and collapse irreversibly with a dull roar.

The towering structure tore through the low-hanging dark clouds.

A long-lost ray of brilliant sunlight, like a sword piercing the clouds, happened to shine on the tip of the collapsing tower.

The rain gradually stopped at some point.

In the humid air, the smell of earth and gunpowder still lingered.

But that beam of sunlight, growing brighter, clearly indicated one thing.

The shadow that had weighed on human hearts for three hundred years had finally fallen.

The flag of humanity was truly planted for the first time on land that had been taken away.

“Haa…” Qin Wuyue let out a breath, wiped the corner of her eye with the back of her hand, and nudged Lan Lan beside her with her shoulder.

“Tell me, is this a win or not?”

Despite many unstable hidden dangers appearing, the counteroffensive had ultimately achieved an indisputable stage victory.

Lan Lan took off her helmet.

On her usually stern face was a faint smile.

“Of course it’s a win. You came to help me, so there’s no reason not to win.”

“Heh,” Qin Wuyue turned her head, her tone a bit cold.

“Don’t count me in. I told you, it has nothing to do with me.”

After saying that, she met Lan Lan’s eyes and her face returned to that playful, lazy expression.

“Oh, by the way, my Chief Lan, didn’t you say you’d agree to anything for me?”

“…”

Lan Lan instantly withdrew her smile, her eyes filled with obvious caution.

“Say it first. I can’t guarantee I can do it.”

Qin Wuyue’s expression didn’t change, but her tone carried undisguised mockery.

“So you’re going to back out? Fine, you’re the Chief after all. You don’t have to keep your word.”

The logistics personnel who had rushed over hurriedly changed expression.

Was this something they should be hearing?

They quickly turned and left quickly.

“…” Seeing this, Lan Lan was speechless again.

After a long while, she sighed.

“Sigh… go ahead. If I can do it, I will.”

Qin Wuyue didn’t continue to tease.

Knowing when to stop, she said, “Go see Yanran. She admires you quite a bit.”

“?”

Lan Lan opened her mouth, a complex look flashing in her eyes.

Finally, she agreed.

“Okay.”

When they came back, it happened to be when Xia Yanran was pulling Lin Yu out.

Seeing them, Xia Yanran waved happily.

She had watched the entire process from above.

Although the distance was a bit far and she couldn’t see details, she knew the other side had been defeated and fled.

She immediately grabbed Qin Wuyue’s hand and shook it vigorously.

“Mom, why did you never tell me you were this strong? And you even know, know…”

As she spoke, she shrank slightly behind her mother.

Her current state perfectly matched the idiom “Lord Ye’s Love of Dragons.”

She indeed admired Lan Lan, and also admired Lin Mowei, but there was a big difference between the two.

One was a big sister from the neighborhood she grew up with; the other was someone she had only heard of but never seen.

Both were legendary figures to her.

Qin Wuyue lovingly patted her head, then shot a glance at Lan Lan.

The message was clear: “Your turn. Don’t screw it up and make me lose face in front of my daughter!”

“Ahem,” Lan Lan cleared her throat and extended her hand to Xia Yanran.

“Hello Yanran, I’m your mother’s friend. Nice to meet you.”

The young girl was clearly flattered.

A visible blush appeared on her face.

She lowered her head and tremblingly extended her hand, speaking very softly, not knowing what to say.

“Hello… hello…”

Hmm?

Lin Yu watched the two shaking hands, frowning slightly.

Xia Yanran was too excited to notice, but he sensed it.

At the moment of contact between Chief Lan and Xia Yanran, her expression seemed to flicker unnaturally for an instant.

Was he mistaken? That shouldn’t be…

What was going on?

And at that moment, he noticed Qin Wuyue’s questioning look.

“…”

‘Oh dear, I almost forgot about this.’

‘But you can’t blame me. It was this girl who refused…’