Chapter 54: First Fortress 6

“It all started with a dog,” An He said, head bowed, her tone flat and defensive.

Gu Xianqing slowly crouched down halfway, reaching out to lift An He’s chin so their eyes met levelly. “What dog?”

An He bristled with annoyance and embarrassment at Gu Xianqing’s overstepping touch. The dream surroundings felt too real, giving her the nagging illusion that Lola and Tina were still watching nearby—if Lola saw her like this, frozen and at someone else’s mercy, An He would never live it down.

Thank god it’s just the two of us in this dream.

“Eyes on me. No glancing away.” Gu Xianqing commanded, her irritation still simmering, her tone far from friendly. “Cut to the chase. What trouble did you run into?”

An He gave a quick rundown of the obstacles she’d hit entering the fortress.

“Min He?” Gu Xianqing released her chin. “Don’t know her. But if you didn’t kill her off, watch your back. Nobody in the First Fortress is harmless.”

“I’ll be careful,” An He said, her gaze turning urgent. “Tell me the next steps.”

Gu Xianqing conjured a holographic map in the air, her fingertip tracing paths across it. “Cross the Moat to reach Babel Tower—but skip the main gate. Scale the outer wall and breach the seventeenth floor. Then, snag some researcher’s biometric data to slip inside…”

“Wait.” An He cut her off. “That won’t work. Too complicated.”

She’d started out thinking her skills made infiltrating the First Fortress a breeze, but Min He’s caution had shattered that naive optimism.

Gu Xianqing made it sound simple, but every ten words hid a chasm. “Find a way to climb seventeen stories.” “Find a way to get biometric data.” Easy to say, impossible to pull off. She wasn’t some flying superhero!

If she racked her brain and still came up empty, she’d be stuck, doomed right there.

“Backing down already?” Gu Xianqing arched a brow, smirking faintly. “I thought you had more guts. Or just surrender nicely like me—get caught and dragged straight to the Research Institute. Way simpler.”

No way. Beyond the humiliation of bowing to Gu Xianqing, with tensions this high, getting captured didn’t guarantee an escape like hers.

She had to leverage every resource around her to boost her odds of survival.

After a moment’s thought, An He fixed her gaze on Gu Xianqing, took a deep breath, and stared into her eyes. “You’ve been to the Research Institute. Ever think about teaming up with me?”

Gu Xianqing looked up. “Huh?”

An He doubled down. “We partner up inside the First Fortress.”

“Why should I team up with you?” Gu Xianqing seemed amused, letting out a scoff. “You’re just dragging me into the muck.”

Don’t play coy. An He smiled. “We both know what’s up. You’re using me to hit the First Fortress hard. I don’t know your endgame, but I’ve played along because it suits us both.” She paused. “If you want me working for your interests, you can’t hide in the shadows taking zero risks.”

“Why not? You said it yourself—I’m a selfish woman.” Gu Xianqing laughed. “In history, top commanders never charged in; they just directed the troops and rode the momentum.”

“You’re not my commander,” An He huffed. “We’re allies.”

Gu Xianqing paused, then burst out laughing. She’d almost forgotten—An He had never fully submitted to her.

But An He didn’t know Gu Xianqing saw her as a useful tool, nothing more.

Gu Xianqing shrugged it off. She wasn’t about to throw herself into danger like An He. In her eyes, An He was the mantis stalking its prey; she was the oriole waiting behind to snatch the spoils.

“Fine.” Seeing no give in Gu Xianqing, An He softened her voice abruptly. “Let me rephrase—”

“Go ahead.”

An He paused to build the mood, then whispered, “I need you.”

Gu Xianqing nearly stumbled.

An He flashed that look Gu Xianqing knew all too well—the same vulnerable one from their first exchanges, when she’d played weak on purpose. “Think about it: once I’m in Central City, we lose contact. If something happens to me, you lose your inside help—and your intel on me. Weeks without linking up? Bad for both of us. I’ve seen what you can do; together, we’re safer.”

She pressed the advantage. “Plus, you don’t even know who Min He is. The First Fortress’s shielding puts you at a disadvantage. Didn’t it bite you here already? Let me help you settle that score.”

An He appealed to emotion and reason, drawing a deep, knowing look from Gu Xianqing. Here she goes again, playing the good girl.

It had been ages since An He powered up her abilities—no more of that cutesy act.

Gu Xianqing found it amusing. “Little lamb, you betting I fall for a soft touch but not a hard one?”

“No such thing,” An He averted her eyes. “My suggestion’s solid. Think it over.”

As if. She’d figured it out: Gu Xianqing did fall for soft, not hard.

Sadness—or maybe pleading—clouded An He’s eyes. “If you don’t help and I die in the Research Institute… you wouldn’t worry?”

Not even a little.

Gu Xianqing bit back the blunt reply. She sat cross-legged, facing An He directly, propping her arm as she studied her intently.

With Gu Xianqing’s gaze locked on, An He had to keep her eyes downcast, which put Gu Xianqing in a great mood.

Only after staring her fill did Gu Xianqing weigh the request.

She truly didn’t care if An He died. But An He had hit a nerve.

That young officer Min He? Gu Xianqing took her seriously.

A total unknown—a real newcomer. Not promoted from Lower City; probably always operated in Central City. Before the First Fortress’s Mental Shield Device went up, Gu Xianqing had never heard of her.

Proof the shielding had blinded her to key intel. It unsettled her.

Before, with Tina holding the fort, Gu Xianqing only needed to watch her. Now the Captain was sidelined, and fresh faces were popping up—who’d replace Tina? No clue.

Gu Xianqing thrived on total control; this felt like a threat. The First Fortress had blocked her too long—she couldn’t stay on the back foot.

Using An He to strike now was a solid play.

But she wouldn’t be the one charging in.

“Entering the First Fortress is high-risk for me. You need to sweeten the deal,” Gu Xianqing conceded, laying out terms.

“Fine, consider it me begging,” An He murmured, eyes down.

First time begging, and the second rolls off the tongue easy.

“Smooth talker now—doubt that’s what’s in your head.” Gu Xianqing called her out. “My condition: once we infiltrate the Research Institute, help me destroy the First Fortress’s Mental Shield Device.”

“This time, you mean?”

“Yeah. Best before you show your face publicly—no suspicion on you.”

“Urgent,” An He hesitated. Her own scouting was hefty; everything had to wrap in two days.

But partnering with Gu Xianqing doubled efficiency. “What’s it look like?”

“No idea. It’s targeted at me—I’ll know it when I see it. Could be a machine… or a person. Blow up the machine, kill the person.” Gu Xianqing said flatly.

“Deal.” An He sealed another pact with her. As their eyes met, An He felt no relief—only a fresh wave of unease. Our ties are binding tighter, and I just pushed it myself.

Shaking off the worry, An He asked, “How do you get in?”

“Come pick me up.”

An He frowned. “Can’t you move on your own?”

“What happened to that begging tone?” Gu Xianqing patted An He’s cheek. “You flip faces fast—not cute at all.”

“Fine. I figured you went anywhere like you owned the place. Dawn’s breaking—where are you?”

“I’ve got a physical body; entering draws eyes. Otherwise I’d be in already.” Gu Xianqing pinched An He’s cheek hard again. “Meet me in District 21. Half hour.”

…

Five a.m. sharp.

The District 21 incident site was still a mess—walls collapsed, ground littered with rubble and dirt. Patrol Squad members tallied the damage, reloading the autoguns.

No sign of Min He or her armored vehicle amid the crowd. Fresh, wide tread marks suggested she’d pursued the wounded Bone Eater. An He eavesdropped: the thing was badly hurt; they’d rushed two backups from Babel Tower.

An He slipped out the same way, hearing distant cannon fire in the woods.

Perched on a distant treetop, she spotted Gu Xianqing approaching on foot from another angle.

Gu Xianqing wore a black hooded cloak over her red attire.

An He dropped from the tree, eyeing Gu Xianqing closely. Excluding dream meetings, it’d been half a month since seeing her in the flesh—and last time in reality, they’d traded blows.

This time, they kept an arm’s length between them.

Reality lacked the dream’s one-sided edge; with grudges like that slap, one wrong word and fists would fly.

So they held that safe distance, preserving a fragile balance.

An He asked, “You walked here? In half an hour? Were you camped near the First Fortress this whole time?”

“I’ve been here two days—beat you to it.” Gu Xianqing doffed her hood, her wavy hair simply tied back, clashing with her dream-self’s leisure. She pulled something from her waistband. “Here. You’ll want this.”

An He glanced at her palm: the gun from the lurker they’d killed together, which An He had stashed with her. Now returned.

An He took it, holstering it on her belt.

“How’re you sneaking me in?” Gu Xianqing grinned like she was watching a show.

“The overhead infrareds are back online—gotta dodge ’em. But wall sensors are half-fried; gaps to slip through.”

An He inhaled deeply and beckoned. “Come here.”

Gu Xianqing eyed her warily but stepped forward after a beat.

In that instant, An He reached out, palm pressing Gu Xianqing’s back as she wrapped an arm around her waist, locking her tight.

Gu Xianqing reflexively blocked, left hand clamping An He’s, a wrist-lock primed.

As pressure hit her wrist, An He activated her Innate Talent.

“Don’t move,” An He said gravely. “You need my Shatterblade Time to match my speed.”

An He drew a breath and bolted, hauling Gu Xianqing along. She timed it perfectly—slipping past the Shell Membrane from a blind spot while distant Patrol Squad bent to sift rubble.

Gu Xianqing was dragged along bodily; An He’s strengthened grip had her forearm muscles firm against her waist.

An He felt it: Gu Xianqing tensed every muscle, her counter-grip unmoving—specifically pinning the Wrist Blade on An He’s bracer.

Pressed side-by-side, yet still on guard. Clearly scared I’ll gut her waist again.

Whipping wind grazed their cheeks. Gu Xianqing kept a casual face, scoffing softly. “This how you carry Lola too?”

What the hell—even now she’s gotta poke. An He rolled her eyes. “Lola doesn’t need carrying. Her Innate Talent’s sharper than yours.”

Lola could vault in solo; Gu Xianqing’s only worked in dreams. In reality, powerless, she lacked natural combat edge.

Gu Xianqing’s smile faded. “Then get Lola to take you into the Research Institute.”

“As if I wouldn’t.” An He whispered. “Her wounds aren’t healed—how’s she climbing seventeen floors?”

“Sigh, you think of everything for others, but it’s me who has to risk my life,” Gu Xianqing sighed. Her words wandered off-topic, but the hand clasping An He’s didn’t budge an inch.

Under Shatterblade Time, the two crossed the checkpoint and entered the street. Mindful of the previous lesson, An He didn’t dare linger. She kept Shatterblade Time active and ran even farther in one go, her arm around Gu Xianqing’s waist never loosening the whole time.

Once Shatterblade Time ended, the two quickly put distance between them. It was like magnets of the same pole repelling each other—they sprang apart in an instant.

Each tightened their clothes.

Gu Xianqing knew District 21’s terrain better, so she took the lead. Before dawn broke, they hurried toward the Moat.

On the way, An He broke the silence. “I thought getting into the First Fortress wouldn’t be this troublesome for you.”

“How so?”

“You’re a Nestsoul. Couldn’t your main body just retrieve you? Have it stand by the wall, then summon you through the failed Shell Membrane—wouldn’t that let you slip in without any effort?” An He gestured to illustrate.

“Your little head is pretty sharp.” Gu Xianqing gave a noncommittal smile, then quickly masked her expression. She pulled on her hat, fastened her cloak’s buttons, and slipped quietly around the street corner, hugging the wall as she walked.

A moment later, Gu Xianqing sighed into the darkness. “It’s just a shame. I’m not like you all—I can’t be retrieved. If I ever disappear one day, that means I cease to exist. In other words, I’ll die.”

Her voice was low and bleak. An He’s heart skipped a beat for no reason. “Is that why you said entering the First Fortress carries such high risk?”

“Yes.” Gu Xianqing’s reply was curt.

An He was utterly shocked. Gu Xianqing’s entire existence depended on her Nestsoul identity?

If the Nestsoul vanished, Gu Xianqing would die?

It sounded… so fragile. Nothing like the power she projected.

“What about your main…”

“We’re here. Look, the edge of the Moat.” Gu Xianqing cut her off and stood by the railing, peering down.

“Fine.” An He steadied herself. “If danger hits later, stay behind me. I’ll take the front.”

“You’re going to protect me?” In an instant, Gu Xianqing flashed a radiant smile. She stepped back confidently, circling behind An He, and said politely, “Then I’ll look forward to your performance.”

Seeing Gu Xianqing’s beaming delight, An He choked with anger. I’ve fallen into a trap.

Was this sincere from Gu Xianqing, or just her way of teasing? An He couldn’t tell.

The Moat before them was black as starless night. The liquid flowing inside didn’t look like water—more like thick sludge. The entire Central City lay protected within the Moat, accessible only by two symmetrical bridges at front and back.

No need to guess—the bridges were guarded a hundred times more tightly.

Land routes were out, so the best option was to swim across.

An He had given her jacket to Lola, leaving her in a fitted short-sleeved shirt. Her wrist guards and shoulder straps could handle getting wet; no extra protection needed. After a few deep breaths, she prepared to vault the railing.

“What are you doing?” Gu Xianqing grabbed her collar from behind. “You’re going to swim?”

“Aren’t we?” An He turned back, bewildered.

Gu Xianqing frowned. “This water’s irradiated and loaded with heavy metals. There are three layers of rotating guards on the far shore. And most importantly—how filthy.”

Swim it, and not only would their clothes get ruined—nostrils would clog with mud.

The guards were that tight. An He climbed down from the railing. “Then how do we cross?”

Gu Xianqing released her. “Follow me.”

They turned into the empty building behind them amid the darkness.

From the forty-fifth-floor rooftop, An He felt a biting chill. Maybe there was no real wind—it was just the high altitude warping her senses.

“Your plan is wingsuit flying?” An He glanced at Gu Xianqing’s cloak.

“I’ve realized today—your imagination’s quite vivid.” Gu Xianqing offered praise.

She gauged the distance, sprinted toward the edge, then vaulted the railing without warning. Arms spread, she dove like a swift goose flashing past.

Gu Xianqing had jumped off the building!

An He’s heart rate spiked. She rushed to the railing and peered down urgently. For a split second, she truly feared Gu Xianqing had plummeted to her death, splattered into meat paste.

But Gu Xianqing hadn’t died. Two meters below the rooftop hovered a pair of rails. She stood steady on one, waving up at An He.

The rail was three meters from the building;

two meters below the rooftop;

over a hundred meters from the ground!

A single rail was as narrow as a rollercoaster track—barely wider than a balance beam, just enough for one foot.

“You’re insane!” An He’s heart pounded in terror.

Gripping the rooftop railing, she saw the hover rail loop through the sky in great circles before heading into Central City, spiraling up along Babel Tower.

But midway, the rail was broken—several gaps one or two meters wide.

An He instantly dropped any pity for Gu Xianqing. Fragile? Those earlier words were a lie. I’ve seriously underestimated this madwoman.

Walking a tightrope up here—better than swimming?

Only a lunatic would think so!

“No worries. If you’re not afraid of heights, this path’s easy.” Below, Gu Xianqing looked up, eyes crinkling in amusement as she savored An He’s panic. She turned and actually started walking the rail.

Each step was steady and effortless, her upright posture relaxed, showing no fear.

Real wind whipped through the heights, lifting Gu Xianqing’s hair and cloak, revealing a hint of red from her shirt.

She moved with such grace—like a rehearsed performance, a carefree stroll oblivious to the world. The searchlights sweeping from Babel Tower became mere stage lighting for her show.

Soon, six meters away, Gu Xianqing turned again and slowly urged her on. “Time’s running out.”

An He’s heart raced in dread.

Wasn’t this the whisper of the Grim Reaper?

An He was utterly spellbound. Counting that hurried glimpse in the forest, this was her fourth real-world encounter with Gu Xianqing. Each time, Gu Xianqing shattered her understanding of madness.

Their second meeting, Gu Xianqing had wounded her Nestsoul. The third, she’d broken free of An He’s Parasitic Talent and slapped her. This time, Gu Xianqing wanted to watch her fall to her death.

Maniac.