Because Wanda and Ke'ermo were both intelligent men, neither of them made a reckless attacking move immediately. They stared at each other warily for a few seconds, then suddenly realized that both sides probably had the same intention.
One of the most embarrassing things in this world must be getting caught while trying to escape, right? Of course, if you discover at that moment that the other party is also escaping, then it's hard to tell whether you should feel embarrassed, humiliated, or a sense of kinship.
Then came another half-minute of stalemate, and for a moment, neither the human nor the Luminar knew what expression to make. So, they could only simultaneously force out an extremely awkward smile; one's facial wrinkles were almost twitching off, and the other's facial carapace was almost wrinkling together.
"You... were with a few warriors just now, weren't you?" Wanda asked.
"Yes, unfortunately, they all got separated," Ke'ermo said sadly.
You never intended to bring them, did you? You must have only prepared escape supplies for yourself, or perhaps you have some unspeakable secret. Heh heh... Looking at your usual thick eyebrows... thick-shelled, big-eyed appearance, I never thought you'd be this kind of person!
Utterly shameless! Extremely despicable! How can someone with such conduct dare to call himself "General Bai"?
"What about you? What about Nao Wen? And your guards?"
"They all... they decided to stay behind to cover my retreat!"
Cover your head's rear! There aren't any large numbers of pursuers hot on your heels! Do you think I don't know that you, this insidious cult leader, are actually a "Savior"? That is, the Five Rings of the Pure Star Ring; used positively, it can bring the dead back to life, but used negatively, it can turn others' flesh and bones into nutrients for self-healing.
Nao Wen and his subordinates must have died in unbearable agony.
How malicious, how malicious! From your soul to your spirit, you reek of decaying corpses! This is your malice, but it was Nao Wen's loyalty!
"...Let's not mention past grievances and disagreements. In fact, if you think about it carefully, we don't really have any irreconcilable grievances!" Wanda said.
Ke'ermo agreed: "Indeed, if we clash again, our common enemies will be laughing their heads off."
Wanda breathed a sigh of relief. The opponent's Ring level wasn't high, but it was more suitable for direct combat than his own "Pure" ability, and he still had an Atomic Light Spear in his hand, while he himself was still injured. If they really fought, it wouldn't be optimistic!
"Well then, take care... I'm going this way." The leader pointed to a fork in the road, leading to a dead end.
Ke'ermo nodded: "Take care. I hope we can continue to cooperate next time we meet. I'm going this way."
The path the other party pointed to was also a dead end, and Wanda's heart filled with joy.
Then, still on guard, they exchanged smiles of reluctant farewells and embarked on their respective paths, parting ways.
Wanda ran for five minutes down the fork, figuring the other party must have gone far away. So, he immediately executed a tactical turn, turning back and running towards his original destination.
However, as he was about to reach the junction, he once again heard familiar footsteps.
He was somewhat startled and could only slow his pace. The footsteps from the opposite side also seemed to gain a few hints of hesitation and doubt.
Wanda sighed and trudged out, once again seeing the stiff-faced Ke'ermo.
This time, neither of them truly knew what expression to make.
"...Uh, what a coincidence!" Ke'ermo forced out an ugly smile.
Wanda had always thought Luminars were particularly ugly, and all their expressions were ugly, but this was the ugliest he had ever seen. Yet, he also knew that his own expression at the moment must not be much better.
"Yes... what a coincidence."
The two fell silent again.
Fortunately, this awkwardness didn't last too long. Ke'ermo, being a martial artist, was the first to grow impatient. He slammed his Atomic Light Spear onto the ground: "Alright, let's be frank! There's only one way out of here! How did you know?"
"...Count Salwen left behind a secret map of Sero Ancient City! It included all the dead ends and forks, as well as special mechanisms that could only be unlocked with spiritual energy, and it later fell into my hands."
Actually, it fell into the organization's hands, and then they gave it to me, Wanda thought, but said aloud: "Then how did you know?"
"I am the sole surviving descendant of the Sero royal family! All the secrets of Sero Royal City are here..." Ke'ermo pointed to his head and said proudly: "Passed down through generations!"
How classic a setup! Do you think I believe you? Wanda sneered inwardly.
"This passage leads to the Green Realm Valley behind the mountain! I built a secret hangar there! I hid a Swift-class Light Shuttle filled with supplies and energy." Flores Wanda said. He felt he had never been so frank in his life, and immediately felt a sense of moral accomplishment.
"...What a coincidence. I built a safe house underground near the Clear Spring Pond. Inside, there's a military-grade source-matter wave sensor that can penetrate most signal shield." he said.
"Understood. We can cooperate again. Use your machine to call for outside support and extraction, then leave on my ship." Wanda stepped forward and extended his hand to the other party.
"Yes, we are not enemies." Ke'ermo didn't hesitate either, reaching out and shaking Wanda's hand.
Although their smiles were a little stiff, overall, they were very sincere, and both temporarily lowered their guard, accelerating their pace forward.
Ke'ermo even thoughtfully inquired about Wanda's physical condition, stating that he could also carry the other party forward. Anyway, the armor he wore was actually a spiritual weapon, exceptionally sturdy and self-equipped with a spiritual energy protective membrane, so it wouldn't be infiltrated by strange means, and it also had the effect of enhancing physical strength.
Wanda was very moved and showed the other party a particularly punk-style mechanical watch he always wore on his wrist, stating that it was actually the core of an ancient nano-intelligent machine. It could transform into various weapon forms at any time, such as a sword, shield, electromagnetic rifle, or even a single-person cannon. Of course, it could also transform into miniature power exoskeletons wrapped around the ankles and calves, which could save a lot of physical strength.
The two looked at each other again, and for a moment, they felt a deep kinship, both feeling that if they had met a few years earlier, they might have already forged an unbreakable strategic alliance between the Wanling Sect and the Luminar rebel army, instead of a loose relationship of mutual exploitation.
"It's alright, we have a long future ahead of us," Wanda comforted him with the demeanor of an unyielding elder.
"Indeed! As long as we unite, the vastness of the galaxy offers endless opportunities for us to achieve great things!" Ke'ermo expressed his agreement as an impassioned young man.
After walking for some more time, they finally saw the end of the passage, which was still a cold, bare stone wall, as if it were another despair-inducing dead end.
However, both knew they hadn't taken the wrong path. Like old partners with years of unspoken understanding, they simultaneously stepped forward, simultaneously pressed their hands against the stone wall, simultaneously pressed down on a special brick, and then simultaneously exerted force.
Then, only the sound of a spring mechanism clicking was heard, and a crack appeared in the stone wall, along with light. Similarly, more intense explosions, tremors, and the screams of giant beasts permeated directly through the crack like a plague.
"Orbital bombardment..." Ke'ermo murmured: "Judging by the sound, it must be space-quake bombs!"
Wanda glanced at Ke'ermo, his estimation of him rising a few points, and self-deprecatingly said: "...All our arrangements, our objectives, it seems he saw through them all! Like a group of clown puppets dancing on strings!"
"...That Captain Yu Lian?"
Wanda didn't answer him directly, pondering for a moment, then said: "When we get to the safe house, can I use that source-matter wave sensor first?"
Ke'ermo nodded silently.
The two of them exerted a little more force, pushing the door open just wide enough for a Luminar to pass through. After exchanging another glance, they stepped out of the door at the same moment.
The scenery outside immediately opened up, a tranquil and vibrant green that should have been a refreshing sight, accompanied by the scent of earth. However, what incessantly filled their ears were still the buzzing sounds of air tremors, explosions, and screams, growing heavier.
The visual and olfactory relief was completely destroyed by the auditory and tactile oppression, immediately creating a sense of sensory disorientation and oppression for the two of them.
Immediately after, the slight beauty in their vision also vanished. They both felt a huge shadow hanging overhead and couldn't help but look up at the sky. An iron fortress, sweeping across the horizon, thus occupied most of their field of vision.
Ke'ermo gazed at the mighty space battleship, filled with longing. He knew, of course, that in a true cosmic fleet, this was merely a junior light cruiser, yet even such a battleship was something they did not possess.
"Let's go, this place is beyond saving..." Wanda said, taking a step forward to leave, but just as he lifted his foot, the ancient nanomachines on his ankle directly transmitted an alarm signal through his nerves.
Flores Wanda drew back his foot, startled and uncertain.
Ke'ermo, however, had already bent down, plunged his light spear into the ground, and pulled out a string of professional tools from his tool bag. With nimble movements, he swept away the dust on the ground, carefully handled it, and then picked up a disc the size of a baby's head.
"Hmph, look what this is? A Scorpion Mine? Luckily, I know how to handle these things."
Scorpion Mines are anti-personnel landmines made of composite materials, causing damage through shockwaves and magnetic storms, with astonishing power.
"This place has been discovered! We must retreat!" Wanda said in a deep voice.
As for what to do after retreating, it was no longer the time to worry about such things.
Ke'ermo felt that the other party made a lot of sense and was also preparing to retreat, but at that moment, his heart suddenly twitched, as if the blood flow throughout his body stopped for a moment.
As a battle-hardened spiritual energy user, he knew this was a subtle reaction indicating imminent danger.
But at this moment, his spiritual perception had already captured an hostile target approaching from afar, tearing through the night sky and stirring up spiral air currents.
It was a bullet...
That's it? Really, that's it?
Ke'ermo felt a little ridiculous at first. He knew he couldn't dodge it now. But he was clad in armor, he was a spiritual energy user, and he was a warrior who trained diligently every day, never daring to rest for a moment! The carapace covering his vital head area had long been trained by him to be able to withstand bullets and blades.
He should have been fearless, yet the sense of crisis seeping into his bones seemed even more pronounced.
His well-honed dynamic vision allowed Ke'ermo to finally track the bullet's trajectory at the last moment. Then, he watched as it drilled into the disc in his hand.
A scorching shockwave, accompanied by the flashing of electrical arcs, engulfed a twenty-meter radius in blinding light.
