Love, Gun, Cupid

"Won't my brothers and sisters increase in the future?" she asked.

Ragnar shook his head: "No, the technology is mature enough. If you want, I can easily get a batch of humans to make brothers and sisters for you. I destroyed the Greeks because they were no longer useful, to silence them, and to gather enough sacrifices."

"So, you mean the five you mentioned weren't enough even after slaughtering the entire organization?"

"Well, I didn't kill them all. I left you two to keep you company, so you won't be lonely."

Moonlight streamed into the church, and Iphigenia saw Takiya Zero and Naigou Salted Fish in it. The former's face was contorted with rage—both because of her ugly appearance and because of her anger.

The latter was very depressed. The defeat of the Greek organization at the hospital made Cai Gou Xian Yu realize that he had lost his same-sex lover, Dian Jin Cheng Shi, forever.

In addition, the dolphin, possessing the souls of a panting squatter and a little melon, used the same technology to create two waves of artificial offspring, leaving only four. In the distance, a ball of light rose, shining brightly in the darkness.

“Five more sacrifices are needed,” Ragnar said. “You, and the pursuers, only need five more victims to truly open the gates of the Holy Land.”

Takiya Reikiri and Cai Gou Xianyu felt a slight panic. When Ragnar suddenly turned on them and killed all the members of the Greek organization, they were stunned by Ragnar's power and stood there stiffly. When they calmed down, they found that they were still alive, but apart from that, all the people who knew about it were killed, all the documents were burned, and the equipment was turned into indistinguishable clumps.

"Although the Greeks scoffed at the foolishness of their old rivals, the Guardians of the Holy Land, I think this organization isn't much better."

Those who seek power must also possess the capacity to bear it... Capacity is usually judged by strength, so those who seek greater power must themselves possess strength.

The same principle applies to creating monsters. Monsters are different from giving birth to life; rather, they are like creating weapons. The creator can wield the weapon as he pleases without worrying that the weapon may have its own will and provoke resistance.

Therefore, the Greeks lacked power, yet sought great power. They created monsters, but had no reliable means to control their existence. They themselves were so weak... Following such an organization, even if you fulfill your responsibilities, you're probably not far from the bad end where Korobochka comes and kills everyone.

"Will you remain loyal to the organization and seek revenge against me, or will you follow me and choose a path to survival? I'll give you five minutes to consider."

Within five minutes, seeing that the situation was hopeless, Takiya Zero and the lazy bum, in the spirit of "if you can't beat them, join them," became Ragnar's subordinates, though they were somewhat unwilling. Moreover, they were worried that they would become cannon fodder to be discarded at any time—for example, at this moment when they were still short of five sacrifices.

"Is the real... Fuxing City, where light and darkness are divided, still not a holy place?" the dolphin asked.

Ragnar explained, “It is a sacred place. If we use a peach as a metaphor, the traditional City of Revival, which is the real City of Revival, is the skin of the peach and the light flesh of the same color as the skin. The City of Revival we live in, which does not exist in time, is the rest of the flesh.”

The true holy land comes from the authority left behind by the ancient war of the celestial observers. Your power and that of the guardians of the holy land both originate from there; it is the pit of the peach.

The Greeks and the guardians of the Holy Land were fools who guarded the treasure, content with just a tiny bit that leaked out from the cracks in the chest, while I was the one who opened the treasure and seized its power.

Before that, let's deal with the problem first.

Ragnar gazed into the distance, where the sphere of light drew ever closer, flashing intermittently. It was a scene of their battle against the monsters that the Greeks had raised and that had lost their restraints after the Greeks' demise.

Ragnar patted everyone on the shoulder, and everyone, whether monsters or offspring of the white dragon, felt a warm power. Instantly, they gained the ability to manipulate fire and shape it.

"Is it really that surprising? The Greeks have been studying the Holy Land for a long time, and I have my own research as well. Although I cannot yet master the true power of the Holy Land, I can still use the knowledge I have learned from the Holy Land to modify the spells I already have."

Ragnar smiled. "For the loyal, it is a reward; for the disloyal, it is a punishment. Gentlemen, do not disappoint me."

After Ragnar and his men left, a pink-haired, white-winged angel descended. Her toes touched the ground, yet the bloodstains could not stain her in the slightest.

"Returning here once again, after two thousand years, examining these distant memories, I almost treat them as someone else's story, but the familiar feeling reminds me that this is ultimately my lost authority, my past."

Du Juan opened her palm, revealing the number 5. She looked up at the moonlight and said, "Five more sacrifices, and Troy will open for me... You'd better do your best to fight the enemy, Lin Jiade."

Lin Jiade, who was being thought of by a bad woman, suddenly sneezed. He didn't realize that it was because Du Juan was thinking of him... He sneezed because of the chill spreading around him.

Midway through their journey, they were attacked by monsters. These low-intelligence, low-combat-power monsters were all killed by Ice Cave alone, much like the protagonist of a single-player game with Wind Spirit Moon Shadow.

Ice Cave was somewhat smug, feeling she had played a crucial role in regaining the lost ground. But her joy was short-lived, as the entire convoy's vision was suddenly illuminated by a rain of fire.

“It’s Ragnar Sigurdsson,” Gladiolus said calmly. “Is it because electronic devices can’t be used properly in the Holy Land that he’s recklessly displaying his power?”

Power, of course, must be met with power. So ice condensed above the convoy, colliding with the flames. Brilliant sparks fell along with the glistening rain, like watching a grand fireworks display through a rain curtain.

Other cars might find it romantic, but Lin Jiade, sitting next to Jianlan, was suffering from it. He felt like he was about to turn into a hibernating animal, his head spinning... It wasn't until Jianlan gave him an apologetic kiss that his chill dissipated.

“This contains a small amount of my power; it’s my latest research,” Jianlan said.

Just like swallowing a capsule for nasal inflammation caused by cocklebur, a cool sensation traveled from Lin Jiade's stomach to his throat. Soon, he could no longer feel the cold, and when he opened his palm, a frost flower danced in his hand.

“I heard from Jasmine that the offspring of the White Dragon control the power of fire to shape things, so that gives you a slight advantage in terms of compatibility.”

"Is the concept of elemental counters also prevalent in witchcraft?" Lin Jiade asked.

"No, when comparing witchcraft and magic, it's all about strength; the winner takes all. What I'm instilling in you now is the structure of a spell. Casting the spell requires your own energy reserves."

Lin Jiade knew his own energy reserves all too well. He used to have celestial weapons that could be used as large batteries, but those have been completely used up in the series of battles.

The good news was that his supplies included three Amanda Stones containing stored energy. Without hesitation, he took one out and connected it to his shield generator to enhance his protection. Then, following the example of Kapok, he used a one-time method to extract the energy stored in the remaining two stones and inject it into his weapon.

After completing all this, Ragnar's second attack came. This time he targeted the overpass the convoy was about to cross. In a cloud of dust, the convoy made an emergency turn and saw several figures standing on the wreckage of the overpass.

Hannah got out of the car, raised her rifle and fired tracer rounds, indicating the direction of the shot. Her night vision was far superior to that of humans, and her team members fully trusted her abilities, raising their weapons and firing at the target on the bridge.

Most of the figures on the bridge dodged, but some ignored the bullets, letting flames light up the sky and sculpt themselves into the shapes of melee weapons, firing in a dense barrage. Although Jianlan responded with the same ferocity, the speed of her ice spear was not as fast as Ragnar's swords, putting those below at a disadvantage in the exchange of fire.

Jianlan's car was the one most targeted. While resisting, Jianlan gestured for Lin Jiade and the others to get out of the car. Mumian and Lin Jiade opened the car door on the same side. The latter had an ice hole under his ribs. The two ran quickly and hid in the temporary shelter formed by the collapsed bridge.

"Luckily you're relatively light," Lin Jiade said to the ice cave.

"You should be glad she didn't drink much water," Kapok said sarcastically.

These kinds of jokes are a way to relax before a fight. According to Lin Jiade's PvP experience, it's not good to be too tense before a fight. If you're too serious, your hands, feet, and sword swings will become heavy.

Ice Cave hadn't spent enough time with them to understand their nonsense, and she thought they were really making fun of her. Tears welled up in her eyes... but soon they stopped because the battle between Gladiolus and Ragnar had captured her attention.

Gladiolus's incantation covered the car's surface, and soon the car transformed into a steel giant. Gladiolus sat steadily in the cockpit, controlling the giant to take off. On the other side, Ragnar (Lingard did not see the other party's figure clearly, but judged the other party's identity based on the spell) also wrapped himself in flames, transforming into a ferocious-looking mecha.

On either side, it was like a tyrant and a car. In the empty city, the experts with the highest professional titles were finally able to fight without restraint, unleashing destructive power.

Gladiolus deliberately led Ragnar away from this place, while Ragnar chased after Gladiolus further and further away, leaving only fragmented silhouettes of the city from time to time, ice and fire colliding, and fleeting lights proving their existence.

Lin Jiade felt awe and envy for such power. He longed to pilot a humanoid mecha, but to put it into practice, he needed to graduate from university and join the Fuxing City Police Department's Special Tactics and Rescue Service Team. The mecha he could pilot was the kind that was only three meters tall, a police mecha that wasn't cool at all.

After the giants' battle receded, it was Lin Jiade's turn to launch an attack. They had ten people on their side, while the enemy only seemed to have about five. With ten against five, the advantage was in their hands. As long as each combat unit maintained a reasonable distance and formed a long, straight line, attacking the head would bring down the tail, and attacking the tail would bring down the head; if they hit the head, both the head and the tail would be caught in the crossfire.

When he told Kapok about his idea, Kapok said, "Jiade is very insightful."

Hana shouted at the top of her lungs and fired a signal flare, signaling Lin Jiade and the other two to cooperate with them in launching an attack from the flank, switching between primary and secondary attack directions according to tactical needs.

Lin Jiade demonstrated his obedience to orders through his actions. He and Mu Mian protected the ice cave in the middle, cautiously but boldly jumping and climbing upwards (they were not the main attack direction for the time being). While attracting the enemy's attention, he saw the enemies standing on the top of the ruins light up one flame after another. Then, primitive but simply shaped cold weapons emerged from the flames.

Kapok hugged Lin Jiade and lay down, while Lin Jiade hugged the ice cave. Seventy percent of the first round of cold weapon fire was aimed at them. Although Lin Jiade's enhanced shield could hold out for a while, he didn't want too much of the shield's energy to be consumed before engaging in combat.

Hannah's seven-man squad was in a more awkward position than Lingard's. They faced less firepower, but had fewer obstacles available in front of them, so they had to use their shields to hold the line and then retreat behind the vehicle to act as cover.

Lin Jiade temporarily became an outsider on the sidelines, watching the friendly forces' positions. He saw them removing rifle parts and replacing them with other items. Mu Mian followed his gaze and said, "They are replacing urban warfare parts with precision-guided parts."

"Ok?"

"In order to reduce logistical pressure, all regular armed personnel in the Empire are equipped with the same series of weapons and armor. What distinguishes them are the modules and accessories of the weapons and armor."

For example, police officers maintaining local order often equip their basic general-purpose rifles with urban warfare accessories. These accessories have a shorter firing range but stronger bullet penetration.

Precision-kill accessories are designed to handle special situations such as terrorist hostage situations. Their aiming system is military-grade and applicable to almost all combat environments, but their rate of fire is relatively slow.

Kapok didn't just give an explanation; she turned to the side, opened her backpack, and at the same time opened the backpack in the ice cave, saying, "Fortunately, we also have one here, and I've received relevant training."

Lin Jiade asked enviously, "When I get promoted to intermediate professional title, can I play too?"

“Privilege-limited,” Kapok replied. “However, you will have the authority to equip pistols with accessories and use basic submachine guns.”

Ice Cave used binoculars to scout ahead, Kapok methodically assembled weapons, and Lin Jiade provided cover with his sword to prevent any enemies outside their line of sight from attacking them.

Chapter 101 The Road to the Holy Land (3)

The bullets used for the precision-killing attachment are about twice the length of ordinary bullets. Lin Jiade was worried that the bullets would get stuck in the muzzle or explode in the barrel, but the subsequent results of Kapok dispelled his concerns.

This special bullet, like a gunfight in a TV show, achieves a "turning" effect through magic attached to its tail. Meanwhile, someone in Hana's team used another accessory to mark the shields of several enemies standing on the overpass wreckage, as if they had been sprinkled with a layer of fluorescent material, thus giving the remaining precision-killing bullets an automatic hit effect.

From this, Lin Jiade learned that there were four people on the bridge, not five.

The difference in equipment between the two sides offset the difference in terrain. On the contrary, Lin Jiade and his group, who occupied the unfavorable terrain, forced the enemy to break away from the bridge by constantly firing at medium range and wearing down the enemy's shields.

"careful!"

The ice cave sensed the fluctuations of the dark power of the sacred land. Black mist gathered and quickly coalesced into the shape of a door. The ice cave cast a sacred land spell over it, but what passed through the door was a sword shaped by flames.

Lin Jiade reacted quickly, holding his sword in front of the ice cave and using his shield to block the attack. But then, a freezing spell, typical of squatting people, froze him in place. Next came the freezing spell, followed by a fist shaped like a small melon that emerged from the doorway.

Kapok also turned around, abandoned her gun and picked up her sword, slashing at the fist aimed at Lin Jiade, forcing Dolphin to stop. They stood guard in front of the door, waiting for the enemy to emerge from inside, but what they received was a loud warning from the ice cave that an attack was coming from behind.

To protect their shields, Lin Jiade and Mu Mian instantly transformed into swords. The shaped swords pierced through the phantom images of their bodies and exploded. At that moment, a figure finally emerged from the door and ran towards the ice cave.

Kapok landed first and transformed back into human form. She considered herself to be a senior professional—although the promotion in professional title would not lead to an increase in strength in the short term, she was still full of confidence in the face of the monster created by the Greeks.

"Ice Cave!"

The buffing support quickly blessed her weapon and shield, allowing her to confidently slash at the enemy's neck. The enemy used his crossed short spears to entangle her blade, pushed her weapon aside with his left hand, and thrust with his right arm, aiming straight for her throat.

The black mist on the enemy's weapon was neutralized by the shield blessed by the ice cave, but the flames surging from the enemy's spear tip caused the shield's energy at the point of contact to drop rapidly. Mu Mian jumped back, and the enemy followed up with two thrusts, both of which Mu Mian blocked, but they disrupted her rhythm, causing her to stumble when she landed.

"What's wrong, swordsman? Your offensive isn't strong enough."

Standing at approximately 175 centimeters tall, with his underwear on the outside like Superman and his clothes tightly packed, the double-gunner stood upright. Mu Mian's arms felt numb, the lingering sensation from being shocked by the opponent's brute force.

“He is very strong, and the techniques he uses seem to be Lu-style marksmanship, which originated from Lu Wenlong… Don’t ask me who he is, look it up yourself,” Mu Mian said to Lin Jiade.

“According to your human etiquette, it seems that you should announce your name before engaging in battle,” the Twin Gunner said to Lin Jiade. “You can call me Cai Gou Xianyu.”

"Kapok".

"Emperor Lin".

"Very well, then let me ask you, how is the 'Turning Gold into Stone' project going?"

“You’re good. A fair trial awaits him. If you don’t have any lives on your hands, surrendering is your best option. That way, at least you won’t die,” Lin Jiade said.

"Unfortunately, I have no chance to surrender. As far as I know, Dianjin didn't kill anyone because he was too weak, so the organization only gave him logistical and cleanup work... Now it seems that he has benefited from misfortune."

Cai Gou Xian Yu picked up his gun and said, "Thank you for telling me all this. I have no regrets. Come on, let's fight to our hearts' content!"

Kapok took a deep breath, slowly exhaled, and said to Lin Jiade and the ice cave behind her without turning around, "Lin Jiade, come and lend a hand."

Lin Jiade has about half an hour until he can use the Lionheart spell again, and his amulet will not reset for another week. A one-on-one fight is out of the question. He doesn't want to fight one-on-one this month. He can only survive by being a helper to his teammates.

He and Kapok were like conjoined twins, coordinating their attacks. The originally confident dual-wielder hurriedly retreated. At this moment, Iphigenia's figure emerged from the door and met Lin Jiade's gaze. Her beastly appearance resembled a black cat with female characteristics walking upright and wearing human clothes... Nevertheless, Lin Jiade still mistook her for Yang Xuemeng at first glance.

“Ling Jiade…” Iphigenia said.

"Don't call me that voice!"

"Is it really that hard for you to accept the fact that it's a monster who fell in love with you?" Iphigenia clasped her hands together in front of her chest. "Even if you succeed in separating humans from monsters, have you never considered the possibility that humans will forget you and return to their daily lives, while the monster, who still loves you, will be destroyed by you?"

"That's the result you deserve!"

"If murder must be repaid with death, then everyone around you... except for that guardian of the holy land, is tainted with the scent of death. Clearly, they too have killed people."

Since you are so insistent on a just trial, why not start by judging those around you?