This villain is too popular.

Chapter 200 The 'Hero' Riding on Auspicious Clouds

[The Steam City, the Brass Tower]

Half an hour before Vivian's execution

In the dimly lit cell, Vivian, dressed in a pristine white prison uniform, knelt quietly on the cold stone floor.
Her face was pale, but her back was ramrod straight.

At the same time, her prison clothes did not become dirty due to her many days of imprisonment; on the contrary, they revealed an indescribable cleanliness and neatness.

The nearly seven days of detention did not make this former knight lady weak.

Because the weight that had been pressing on my heart for so long was finally lifted.

Having avenged herself and fought against fate, Vivian finally returned to being her true self.

Even though everything was proceeding according to her plan, Vivian was inexplicably lost in thought, a hazy mist clouding her beautiful eyes.

An indescribable feeling spread through her heart.

Is it regret?

Feeling the complex emotions in her heart, Vivian finally shook her head, because every step she had taken up to this point was her own choice, and there was nothing to regret.

But if it's not regret, then what is this heavy feeling in my heart?
Vivian pondered for a long time before finally finding the answer in her heart.

"It's because I can't bear to part with it."

Vivian spoke softly, her voice so low that only she could hear it.

In a daze, she couldn't help but recall the brief time she spent with Chen Kong and the others in the lower city.

The coffee, still warm, was handed to me by Chen Kong.

Liu Ma's loud, obnoxious, and utterly unfunny jokes.

Although these days were short, they left an indelible mark on Vivian's heart.

However, among all these impressions, Vivian was most impressed by Chen Kong's eyes.

Those eyes, earnest to the point of being a little silly, were just like those of her father, William.

Because both of their eyes held that tenderness that suggested a willingness to burn themselves to ashes for others.

"How can there really be such incredibly naive and overly kind people in this world?"

Vivian twitched the corners of her mouth, then reached out to wipe away the tears that had welled up in her eyes from laughing.

Click!

Just as Vivian was still immersed in this warm 'memory', a dull footstep interrupted her thoughts.

A steam-powered guard, made entirely of brass and infused with a 'special machine spirit,' stood expressionlessly before her cell.

"It's time, Vivian."

Upon hearing this, Vivian remained silent for a moment before slowly standing up.

The hem of her prison uniform swept across the ground, carrying a heartbreaking sense of desolation, as she followed the steam guard out of the dark and gloomy cell, heading towards the end of her life's journey: the steam furnace not far from the top of the brass tower.

[Top of the Brass Tower]

The wind was strong at the top of the brass tower, and a cold drizzle was falling from the sky, making one feel depressed and gloomy.

Vivian arrived at the top of the tower and immediately saw a figure that surprised her.

Unexpectedly, Yu Chen, who had been imprisoned, appeared here.

At the same time, his status changed from the vice-captain of the Fifth Division to the captain of the Fifth Division.

Vivian was unaware of what had happened in between, nor did she care what had happened.

Because that has nothing to do with her now.

With this thought in mind, Vivian lowered her head, preparing to silently pass by Yu Chen.

Just as she walked up to Yu Chen, the man, who had been keeping his eyes narrowed, suddenly spoke.

"No regrets?"

Upon hearing this, Vivian paused, and her slender shoulders trembled almost imperceptibly.

After a moment, she took a breath and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "It's the path I chose myself, so how can I talk about regret or not regretting it?"

After saying that, Vivian stopped walking and silently headed toward the huge steam furnace hidden in the clouds in the distance.

It was a massive building, like a steel behemoth.

The brass surface was not only covered with gears and pipes from the previous era, but also with large amounts of white steam hissing out from the surrounding pipes, turning into dense clouds that enveloped the lower area.

Between this enormous furnace and the brass tower stands a bridge made entirely of brass.

This bridge is the 'Brass Road,' the only way to reach the steam furnace without triggering the furnace's protection mechanism, which was recently opened by the Twelve Brass Councils.

Looking at the 'road' that symbolized the end, Vivian suddenly stopped just as she was about to step onto it.

Strange, I had planned all of this a long time ago, so why do I feel like I can't move forward now that I've come this far?
In the distance, watching Vivian suddenly stop in front of the Brass Road, Yu Chen, who had been squinting, suddenly opened his eyes and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips.

Sure enough, she regretted it.

Knowing this is enough.

“Vivian, you criminal, please embark on the Brass Road in accordance with the Council’s ruling.”

The Steam Guardian's voice was devoid of warmth, carrying an undeniable forcefulness.

At the same time, it raised its metallic steam greatsword with a clang and pointed its sharp tip at Vivian's slender back.

For the steam guards, who possess only cold, mechanical souls and are devoid of any human emotion, any sign of Vivian showing even the slightest intention to 'resist' would result in them mercilessly 'sending' her to them.

Upon hearing this, Vivian's eyes dimmed completely, and she stepped onto the road made of brass.

But at that moment, a familiar voice, like a thunderclap, exploded at the other end of the top of the brass tower.

"Vivian! We've come to save you!"

Vivian turned around abruptly and saw two figures wearing steam guard armor tear off their helmets with a 'bang'.

Chen Kong's black hair was lifted by the wind, and Liu Ma's white teeth gleamed in the sunlight.

Seeing this, Vivian felt as if her heart had been struck hard, and a glimmer of hope appeared on her face.

However, besides the steam guards, there is also Yu Chen, the captain of the Fifth Division, and other members of the Fifth Division.

But the next second, something completely unexpected happened.

Just then, seeing Chen Kong and the others come out to 'make trouble,' Yu Chen jumped out with a 'whoosh' and blocked Chen Kong's way.

He looked at Chen Kong and Liu Ma not far away and said in a serious tone, "Chen Kong, Liu Ma, how dare you openly disrupt the order of the Steam City? Do you still respect our Steam Branch?"

The bullet grazed past Chen Kong's ear, but what was truly amusing was that Yu Chen's shot not only missed Chen Kong, but also hit the steam guards next to Chen Kong and Liu Ma with incredible accuracy.

The accuracy can be described as either wildly off or wildly accurate!

After all, his gun didn't look like it was aimed at Chen Kong and the others at all!
Even after acting to this point, Yu Chen still felt it wasn't enough.

Just as Chen Kong arrived not far in front of him, Yu Chen seemed not to have reacted in time and was hit in the chest by a 'Void Pattern Bullet' from Chen Kong.

Before he collapsed and closed his eyes, he even moved to the open space next to him so as not to block the two people's way.

It's too deliberate; the performance feels too contrived!

But even more amazing than Yu Chen are the other members of the Fifth Division.

Just as Vice Captain Kong Cheng charged forward with his sword raised, he suddenly slipped and landed face-first in Liu Ma's fist, sending him flying with a single punch.

The other ordinary members of the Fifth Division were no better; their performances were also exceptionally poor.

Some of them slammed their heads against the railings with a cry of "Ouch!" while others simply squatted on the ground, clutching their stomachs and yelling in pain.

Let me be blunt: you bunch of guys who are at least Level 1 Star Envoys, do you really think you'd be blind enough to bump into a railing and then all get stomach aches? You're kidding me!
Looking at the screen, Chen Kong and Liu Ma were taking down a squad leader with a single shot and a vice-captain with a single punch.

If they still can't see that the Fifth Division guys are putting on an act, then they've really wasted their eyes!
After all, it's one thing for you, Yu Chen, a squad leader, to have such surprisingly poor marksmanship.

But how can you not be accurate enough to hit everyone except Chen Kong and Liu Ma?

Meanwhile, what about Vice Captain Kong Cheng and the other members of the Fifth Division?

Where are your star resources? Where are your weapons? You're not even bothering to pretend anymore!
Looking at the members of the Fifth Division who, just as Chairman Liam had said, did not stop him at all and even secretly helped him, Chen Kong felt a surge of emotion.

Who says the association is rigid?
Look, don't these guys also know right from wrong and do their best to uphold justice in the Steam City?
The association's rules do state that association star envoys cannot interfere in local affairs, but they also don't say that they can't choose not to help.

At this moment, the Star Envoy Association's rigid rules and flexible morality were perfectly embodied in this brass tower in a humorous yet heartwarming way.

With the help of this group of 'traitors', a large number of level one and level two steam golem guards were completely unable to stop Chen Kong and Liu Ma.

After overcoming countless enemies, Chen Kong arrived in front of Vivian and, amidst the excited gazes of the audience, grabbed her hand.

"Come on, I'll take you out."

Chen Kong's voice was soft, but it carried an undeniable firmness.

Vivian looked at him as if he were a 'hero' who had come to save her riding on a colorful cloud.

As he tore through the darkness that shone upon him, he also shone warm light upon himself.

Feeling the warmth in that glimmer of light, all the strength Vivian had been holding onto crumbled instantly.

Because she knew that this time she wasn't heading towards the end, but following the light towards a brand new beginning called 'hope'.

In the misty rain, Vivian looked up and responded with a smile.

"Okay, it's all up to you."

Just when everyone thought a happy ending was about to arrive...

A cold voice sounded.

"Kong, you still love being a nice guy, just like when you were a kid."

Upon hearing that familiar yet unfamiliar voice, Chen Kong immediately turned his head to look.

In the middle of the Brass Road, someone who shouldn't have been there suddenly appeared.

And this person was none other than the former captain of the Fifth Division, Shuimo, who had died a few days earlier.

However, from his words, both Chen Kong and the audience in the dimensional world sensed something was wrong, because Shui Mo clearly meant that he had known Chen Kong since childhood.

However, in the memories of both the audience and those from the dimensional world, they could not find the person named Shui Mo.

Either the other party only appeared briefly, or the identity of Shuimo was someone's disguise from beginning to end!
　PS: That concludes today's update. Fat Tiger will update three chapters as usual tomorrow at noon, making up for the last bonus chapter owed from last month.

　　Also, tomorrow night at midnight, Fat Tiger will release a 'Monthly Ticket Bonus Chapter' that won't affect the main storyline. You can unlock it by simply casting a monthly ticket; no coins are required.

　　Then tomorrow, Fat Tiger will write a separate chapter summarizing July and an extra chapter for August.

　　I'm asking for your monthly votes as usual!

　　[37 chapters owed from last month's monthly votes and alliance leader requests]

　　[Repaid: 36]

　　
　
(End of this chapter)