Arknights: I'm Pretty Strong With Minecraft — Chapter 67

Chapter 67: Blaze

Just then, system prompts, visible only to Ivan, quietly materialized in his field of vision.

[Task Completed: Rescue Afa, Yelena]

[Acquired MOD]

[Katana]

[Create]

[Cute World]

Ivan inwardly grumbled. ‘No way, this system reward delivery is way too slow, isn’t it? Has my internal server not connected to 5G yet?’His attention was immediately drawn to the final modification on the list.’I know about Katana and Create. But what kind of mod is this Cute World? It sounds completely out of place…’

“Ivan! Why are you spacing out again! We’re about to breach!”

Ch’en’s sharp shout pulled him back to the grim reality of Terra. She was already standing at the ready, her grip tight on her standard-issue L.G.D. longsword.

“Hey, Officer Ch’en.” Ivan snapped back to attention, resting his hands casually on his hips in a posture practically begging for a reprimand. “Although I know I’m incredibly awesome, you can’t rely on me for everything, can you? You’re a Senior Superintendent, at least take the vanguard yourself!”

“Who is relying on you!” A visible vein throbbed on Ch’en’s forehead. “You are the one standing at the very front of the formation!”

“Alright, alright, stop arguing.” Hoshiguma’s voice drifted from behind them, laced with a deep, weary helplessness. “How did you two end up bickering like this the moment you team up…”

Watching them, Hoshiguma felt as though she was witnessing a bizarre, alternate-universe version of Ch’en and Swire.

“Enough. Move out!” Ch’en suppressed her mounting irritation and issued the command.

The tactical team infiltrated the Lungmen Guard Department building’s central command center, weapons raised and corners checked. The massive room was entirely empty.

“No one? How can this be?” Ch’en vigilantly scanned the deserted terminals and darkened screens. “Go confirm the internal situation!”

“Received!”

“Activate backup power!”

“Restarting security system!”

The L.G.D. officers scrambled to the consoles, their fingers flying across the keyboards.

“Reporting, Officer, the defense system is severely damaged, almost completely inoperable!”

“Wait, some surveillance cameras are still online!”

“Officer! A signal from Reunion Movement’s temporary command post has been detected on the top floor rooftop! Someone is up there!”

Ch’en stared at the flickering monitor screen, her pupils contracting slightly. “That is…”

She immediately turned on her heel and barked out her orders. “All personnel, attention. Core members of the Reunion Movement command post have been located on the rooftop. Ivan and I will push up to raid it. The rest of you are to disperse across the lower floors, suppress the stragglers, and arrest the remaining enemies. Hoshiguma, I am entrusting the command and rear cover here to you.”

“Understood.” Hoshiguma hefted her massive shield. “You two be careful.”

Ch’en and Ivan charged up the stairwell and kicked through the heavy rooftop door, stepping out into the howling wind. They came face-to-face with Faust, who stood waiting near the edge of the roof, his heavy crossbow resting in his hands.

Faust’s cold gaze bypassed the L.G.D. officer entirely, fixing solely on Ivan.

“You are finally here, Ivan. Tell me, where did you take Mephisto?”

Ivan simply spread his hands. “To a place he should be, of course. Don’t worry, he’s still alive.” He paused for a beat, tilting his head as if genuinely trying to remember. “Hmm… I think so, anyway.”

“You…!” Faust’s breath hitched. His knuckles turned white around his weapon, but he forced himself to calm down. “I know… he did many unforgivable things, but…”

“There are no buts.” Ivan interrupted him, his casual tone dropping a few degrees into something much colder. “He is not worth you throwing your life away like this. If you have anything you want to say, come back to Rhodes Island with me. Don’t worry, the landship is quite lively these days. You already have two colleagues waiting for you there.”

Before the sniper could process the offer, Ivan lunged forward. His blade of slaughter cut through the air, striking directly toward the heavy crossbow in Faust’s hands.

Faust reacted with terrifying speed. He took a clumsy but calculated step backward, narrowly dodging the fierce blow as cold sweat beaded on his forehead. ‘So fast.’

Just then, the deafening roar of heavy rotors tore through the sky. A massive Rhodes Island transport helicopter breached the cloud cover, hovering directly above the L.G.D. rooftop.

Inside the open cabin, a Rhodes Island Operator’s voice rang out over the comms. “Countdown thirty seconds to open the hatch! Prepare for air drop! We are going in, Amiya, Doctor!”

“Let’s go! Charge!” The second voice was entirely too excited for a combat drop.

However, as soon as the hatch slid open, the people on the roof saw a single tall figure holding two other people under her arms. She leaped directly from the aircraft, plummeting toward the concrete in a manner that completely defied every known air drop safety regulation.

“Ivan! I am here! You are secretly grinding experience again! That is way too much!”

The Doctor’s muffled shouts grew from distant to near, accompanied by the rushing wind of a terminal freefall.

Amiya shouted helplessly, “Doctor! Please do not swing around! I cannot keep my balance!”

Faust looked up at the descending chaos and murmured, “Rhodes Island… is it?”

Knowing he was completely outmatched, Faust made a decisive move. “Retreat.”

His figure blurred as he activated his Originium Arts, his camouflage blending perfectly into the concrete environment as he rapidly fell back toward the edge of the rooftop.

“You’re running too?” Ivan was about to give chase, but a quick glance at his HUD revealed that the red avatar representing Faust on his minimap had already vanished beyond the detection range. “Tsk, he’s fast.”

Boom!

With a deafening crash, the tall Operator slammed onto the rooftop like a meteor, still clutching the Doctor and Amiya. The impact shattered the concrete and kicked up a massive cloud of dust and debris.

As the dust began to clear, the Doctor was the first to scramble up. He held a sparkling diamond sword in his hand, striking what he clearly thought was a heroic pose as he shouted at the empty rooftop.

“Come on! Reunion Movement! Fight me!”

Ivan walked over and speechlessly patted the man’s shoulder. “Stop looking, everyone’s gone. Next time, try to be a little quieter. If you keep this up, I’m just going to run these dungeons alone.”

“Uh… okay.”

The Doctor sheepishly put away his diamond sword, then threw an arm around Ivan’s neck, beginning his interrogation. “You brat! You ran off to play by yourself again without me, didn’t you! Are you trying to hog all the loot and experience again?”

Ivan choked on his own spit. “Cough… Let go, Doctor. By the way, how did you turn into such a silly-looking person? Where is your previous cool, mysterious, and strategizing commander image? It is completely shattered.”

“I learned it from you, alright.”

“Hey! Are you Ivan?” A vibrant, booming voice rang out from the dust cloud.

Immediately after, Ivan was tightly embraced by a crushing, incredibly warm hug from the tall Feline. She directly pressed Ivan’s head into her chest, giving him a solid, suffocating face wash.

“I have heard Brother Ace and Scout talk about your achievements in Chernobog for a long time! I have wanted to meet you for ages!” she said enthusiastically, completely oblivious to Ivan’s frantic struggles for oxygen.

Buried deep in her chest, Ivan’s body began to emit continuous, flashing red light effects, accompanied by the rhythmic ticking sound of taking suffocation damage.

“Eh? Ivan, what is wrong? Why are you glowing red?” She finally noticed something was wrong and quickly let go of him, stepping back.

“Holy shit… I’m… I’m alive…” Ivan collapsed to his knees, gasping desperately for air. His face was flushed crimson, having nearly died on the spot. “I almost… almost got taken out by a face wash…”

“Hehe, my bad, my bad!” She scratched the back of her head apologetically, her feline ears twitching slightly. “I got way too excited, I did not control my strength at all!”

Ch’en stood a few paces away, looking in absolute surprise at this group of Rhodes Island personnel who had just descended from the sky. Each one seemed more eccentric and chaotic than the last.

“Amiya, how did you…?”

Just then, Ch’en’s tactical terminal rang at the most inconvenient time. Swire’s voice came through the speaker.

“Hey! Ch’en! Are you still alive?” Swire’s opening line was as polite as ever. “If you really died, then please have someone over there say something. It will save me from wasting communication resources worrying over here.”

Ch’en could perfectly imagine Swire on the other end of the line, arms crossed, chin slightly raised in her usual haughty manner. She sighed helplessly, speaking into the terminal. “At a time like this… you specifically contacted me just to ask that?”

“Hmph,” Swire snorted lightly. “Nothing. My mission is complete. Just letting you know now. Remember to thank me properly later, Officer Ch’en.”

Ch’en listened to her words, her gaze sweeping over the Rhodes Island personnel who had just cratered her rooftop. The pieces clicked together, and she instantly understood what had happened, interrupting Swire’s gloating.

She asked, a hint of uncertainty in her tone. “Could it be… Rhodes Island, was it you who arranged this?”

Before she could finish, Amiya had already stepped forward, brushing the dust from her coat. She first nodded solemnly to the L.G.D. officer.

“Officer Ch’en, I apologize, we are late. Rhodes Island Pharmaceutical Company, in accordance with the cooperation agreement signed with the Lungmen Guard Department, will now provide you with complete tactical support.”

“Thank you, Amiya.”

This timely support undoubtedly relieved a massive amount of pressure on the Lungmen Guard Department. Ch’en let out a breath she had not realized she was holding. Her gaze then fell upon the tall, vibrant Feline female standing beside Amiya. This unfamiliar Operator’s devastating entrance and overly enthusiastic greeting had left a very deep impression.

“However, this is…?”

Amiya immediately reacted, stepping aside to formally introduce her to Ch’en.

“Ah, Officer Ch’en, this is our elite Operator from Rhodes Island, codenamed Blaze. Although she sometimes… well, her operational style is quite direct, her strength is very powerful, and she is a very, very reliable helper.”

The named Operator immediately straightened up, a brilliant and slightly embarrassed smile blooming on her face.

“Hello, Officer Ch’en! I am Blaze! I have long heard that the Lungmen Guard Department’s Chi Xiao wielder is super amazing! Please guide me in the future!”

Her voice was loud, echoing across the rooftop, full of an infectious, sunny vitality that stood in stark contrast to the grim war raging below them.

“Elite Operator Blaze… I will remember that.”