Chapter 12: Fire Support

The sharp burst of pain drained the color from Mr. Z’s face.

If he were still just an Aberrant-level ability user, the gunshot to his right shoulder alone might have already taken him out of the fight. Not to mention the earlier blow—he had been caught off guard and stabbed in the left leg by a flying dagger.

Fortunately, he had long since reached the Awakening stage.

His physical strength, pain tolerance, and recovery speed had all undergone a qualitative leap.
While the injuries were unpleasant, they weren’t enough to cripple him.
What truly unsettled him wasn’t the pain—it was her.

From the moment their blades crossed, Mr. Z had sensed that this mysterious girl who’d suddenly shown up to protect Lu Xiaona was trouble. An Awakened, very likely on the same level as himself.

But now, in the thick of battle, he realized he’d still underestimated her.

Her reaction speed…
Her counterattacks…
No wonder Kane and his men were annihilated.
Did Lù Míng hire her to protect his daughter? But she doesn’t look like a hired gun…

A dozen thoughts flickered through his mind, but he had no time to connect the dots.

Seeing her raise her gun again, he shoved all distractions aside.

Mr. Z dodged swiftly, narrowly avoiding the second shot.
But before he could regain his footing, the girl was already upon him—her slender figure fast, fluid, and dangerously precise. She swung a punch directly at his chin.

Years of battle-hardened instinct kicked in.
He ducked and countered with a dagger strike.

But it hit nothing.

No resistance. No impact.

Shit.
She’d feinted.

A blur of movement in his peripheral vision—
She’d already shifted to his other side.

Too late.

Thud!
A solid punch landed against his waist, sending him flying.

As he staggered through the air, Luo Yan raised his pistol again, ready to finish it.

But before he could pull the trigger, a flash of cold steel arced toward him—
He was forced to give up the perfect shot and dodge instead.

Within the shadowy forest, two figures clashed repeatedly—
Gunshots cracked. Blades flashed. Fists landed.
The brutal rhythm of battle echoed through the trees.

Watching from behind cover, Lu Xiaona stared in disbelief.
This girl… was holding her own against an Awakening-level opponent.
No—she was dominating.

Her heart stirred with something she rarely felt: envy.

This girl was beautiful, curvy, agile, and impossibly strong.
If only she had half her strength—
Uncle Lì might still be alive.
And Atlanta…

Just then, a figure burst into view, leaping through the underbrush.

Lu Xiaona tensed up—enemy reinforcements?

No.
The moment she caught sight of that unmistakable blonde ponytail, her heart soared.

“A… Atlanta!”

She blinked, hardly daring to believe it.
Her breath hitched. Tears fell uncontrollably.

She had thought Atlanta was dead.
To see her now—
It was a miracle.

Mr. Z spotted Atlanta too—and his expression darkened.

Of course she’d come.

He’d fought her briefly earlier. After realizing he couldn’t win quickly, he’d disengaged and left his subordinates to stall her while he chased down Lu Xiaona.
The plan was simple: seize the girl before reinforcements arrived.

What he didn’t account for… was this other monster.

Just dealing with the girl in front of him required his full focus. One wrong move, and he’d be dead.

Trying to capture Lu Xiaona now? Impossible.

He hadn’t run yet because he was gambling—hoping his backup would arrive before hers.

But it was clear now: the gamble had failed.

Mr. Z leapt back, narrowly avoiding another strike from Luo Yan, and made a break for it.

But she wasn’t letting him go that easily.

She chased him down, closing the distance with practiced efficiency.
With the system active, she didn’t have to worry about deception or sudden tricks—
Every subtle shift in movement or threat would light up on her HUD.
She’d know before he even acted.

“Damn it. What kind of crazy woman is this?!”

Mr. Z was thoroughly rattled.

Whether advancing or retreating, he couldn’t shake her.
She read his moves like a book.
Feints, counters, bait—it was all useless.

He couldn’t even think of a way to escape her pursuit.

Just then, Atlanta flanked him from another direction.

She gave Luo Yan a long, appraising glance—then shifted her attention to Mr. Z.

After disposing of the last of his men, she’d sprinted toward the sound of gunfire.
When she saw Luo Yan fighting Mr. Z, she didn’t hesitate.

The enemy of my enemy is my ally.

Though they’d never met and knew nothing about each other, Luo Yan and Atlanta fought side by side without a word.
They had a common goal—keep Mr. Z from escaping.

And with Atlanta’s arrival, the pressure on him spiked drastically.

Already injured from his earlier fight with Luo Yan, Mr. Z knew:
If they trapped him now, he wouldn’t make it out alive.

“If I don’t gamble now, I’ll die here…”

Bang!
Another shot grazed his side, adding a fresh wound to his collection.

His face paled, but his steps didn’t falter.

Ducking low, he moved deeper into the forest’s tangled terrain.

At some point, a small black device had appeared in his palm—
A fire support beacon.

One press would instantly broadcast his location to the artillery team.

As long as he was within range, a strike would come swiftly.

Of course, calling it down now meant he’d be in the blast zone too.

But he was out of options.

He pressed the button.

Signal sent.
If all went well, fire support would arrive in about 10 seconds.

Luo Yan noticed his subtle movement—but couldn’t identify what he’d done.
The system hadn’t issued a warning either, which only made him more cautious.

A cornered rat might lash out.
And under the pressure of a two-pronged assault, he expected a desperate counterattack.

Gunshots rang out through the forest.

In just a few seconds, several new wounds appeared on Mr. Z.

His stamina was clearly running low—but he still refused to fall.

Something’s wrong…

Luo Yan’s eyes narrowed.
He’s too calm. That wasn’t the behavior of someone resigned to death. No… he must’ve called in support!

And just as the thought struck—

Fwoooosh.
A piercing whistle cut through the sky.

At the same time, she finally saw the system’s warning and the evasion route calculated in real-time.

Looking around, the red area representing danger filled most of her field of vision.

“It’s artillery! Get clear—now!”

He shouted the warning.

Mr. Z used the chaos to gain distance, retreating rapidly.

Atlanta paused, glanced upward—then bolted in the opposite direction.

Luo Yan didn’t chase.

He didn’t have the luxury of time.

He had been the closest to Mr. Z—meaning he was almost dead center in the artillery strike zone.

Damn it… I underestimated this world’s tech level. I need to account for over-the-horizon attacks when dealing with militarized enemies…

He sprinted, faster than he’d ever moved before.

Moments later—

BOOM!!!

A massive explosion tore through the forest.

The shockwave rolled out like a hurricane.
Chunks of earth erupted.
Burning debris filled the air.
Trees shattered like matchsticks.

Though Luo Yan had escaped the worst of it, the sheer force of the blast lifted him off his feet.

“—Ugh!”

The world spun.

His head hit something hard.

And everything went black.