I really don't want to date a girl addicted to the internet!

……

The air in the dock returned to silence, except for the pungent smell of gunpowder and the strange odor of roasting flesh.

The four men quickly reloaded their ammunition in case the enemy attacked again.

"Miss Nagasaki, the four of us can't escape, and it's hard to defend. Are we doomed?" Miriam leaned against the ammunition box, clutching her weapon, looking somewhat desperate.

Although they had ample ammunition, there were only four of them. They barely managed to hold out thanks to the terrain advantage. Once the enemy broke through the fire blockade and rushed in, the four of them would have nowhere to escape.

"Don't worry, Cheng Fei and the others will be back soon. We just need to stall for time," Nagasaki Asuna said softly.

Although she didn't know when the others would be back, judging from the tone she heard when she went to see Shen Xi before, it seemed that they also had trouble to deal with.

Time ticked by, and in the unsettling atmosphere, the sound of rustling footsteps echoed outside the passage.

The four men quickly gripped their weapons, preparing to resume positional warfare.

There are two passages leading out of the shipyard: one leads directly to the Light Magic Technology Association in the upper city, and the other leads to the lower city.

This time, the enemy did not appear from the direction of the association, but instead broke through the gate in the direction of the lower city.

As the four women pulled the trigger and unleashed their fire, they were met with flares launched by the enemy.

The snow-white light instantly illuminated the entire dock, so dazzling at close range that it was hard to adjust to for a moment.

The sound of hurried footsteps came a beat later, and the enemy advanced simultaneously from both passages, led by a large, broad shield.

"Miss Zhou Han, hurry!" Milian was stunned. She snapped out of her daze, grabbed the automatic grenade launcher beside her, and fired into the passage without even looking.

Zhou Han once again picked up his recoilless rifle, squinted, and pulled the trigger at the moving target.

The cannonball pierced the giant shield, only to be blocked by another giant shield. The enemy advanced with layers upon layers of shield walls. Then, a demon knight, holding a shield in one hand and a sword in the other, emerged from behind the shield wall and charged forward with agile movements.

Even though the narrow passage was covered by fire, the vanguard led by the Demon Knights still managed to break through in a very short time and leave the narrow terrain. They immediately took cover in the nearby bunkers to avoid the fire.

The four men were like facing a swarm of locusts jumping around wildly, struggling to cope and forced to watch helplessly as more and more enemies advanced into the dock and gained a foothold.

"Miss Nagasaki, it's terrible, what if they break in?!" Miriam's scalp tingled.

"We need to move first and hold them off. Ruan, hurry up and set sail!" Nagasaki Asuna said immediately.

The ship's fuel supply is insufficient for long-distance voyages, but short-distance maneuvers are still possible. They should still have a chance once they leave the dock.

Ruan Jingyi hurriedly dropped her weapon and ran towards the Milian behind her. The remaining three fired at any enemy they could see as if they didn't care about the cost. They even gave up reloading in order to suppress the enemy's fire, firing and discarding the various weapons they had purchased one by one.

The small dock had become a hell of firearms. The demon knights, who were hiding behind cover, were suppressed and could not raise their heads. They simply stayed in place to attract fire and waited for the shield wall and soldiers to push the front line forward.

Ruan Jingyi ran to the other end of the dock, intending to pull the lever to open the gate. Before taking action, the girl thought for a moment, and then, as if possessed, she first approached the gate and looked out through the small window above.

The girl's pupils then contracted.

She happened to see an Imperial warship with a blue background and a golden lion flag flying as it passed by the natural cave where the shipyard was located. She could see that the deck was full of soldiers ready to go, and the stern was spewing out streams of glittering particles as it docked at the nearby pier.

Ruan Jingyi stumbled back to Nagasaki Asuna's side, a hint of anxiety appearing between her usually expressionless brows. "There are Imperial ships outside."

"There are some outside too?" Nagasaki Asuna was stunned.

Edward, sword in hand, and his men entered the underground passage leading to the shipyard. Soldiers armed with Light Magic Particle Rifles surged in from both sides, cautiously advancing forward.

Edward knew he had won. Both passages of the dock were occupied by the Imperial Army, and a fleet on the outer side of the continent was blocking the airspace. None of the Allied forces in Riften could escape, and the teardrop-shaped airship would be no exception.

Cheng Fei, you've finally been caught in a trap! Weren't you so good at escaping? Try escaping again and see what happens...

Unaware that someone wasn't even in the dock, the blond youth had already begun to imagine the scene of that despicable scoundrel who had humiliated him in Yongquan Town kneeling and begging for mercy.

Jasmine lowered her eyes and leaned on his shoulder, her small hand gently touching her neck.

The Imperial Army's shield wall had completely advanced into the shipyard. With the help of the cover, even the most terrifying firepower couldn't harm them in the slightest, unless the enemy intended to blow up the shipyard, making it impossible for anyone to survive.

The four opponents had already retreated to the airship moored at the other end of the dock, and were firing at them from the deck to suppress them. They probably realized that leaving the dock would mean facing the Light Demon Cannon, so they did not flee further.

Edward entered the dock under the protection of the shield wall, his face cold as he surveyed the area before shouting at the airship, "Cheng Fei, surrender! Hand over Leia honestly, and perhaps I can spare your life!"

the other side.

Miriam fired another shot, then cast a desperate look at Nagasaki Asuna. "Miss Nagasaki, shall we surrender?!"

Ruan Jingyi looked at her and opened her mouth.

"I'll go ask Shen Xi how much longer it will take before she arrives!" Nagasaki Asuna said, then logged off and collapsed to the ground.

"Oh no, oh no, then there are only three of us left, Miss Zhou Han, hurry!" Milian turned her even more panicked gaze to the other side.

Zhou Han ignored her. The petite girl's round eyes had completely lost their luster. She only knew how to mechanically pull the trigger at the approaching enemy, muttering to herself, "You asked for it, you asked for it..."

"Miss Ruan, Miss Zhou Han has gone berserk!" Milian couldn't help but shout.

At this moment, Nagasaki Asuna, who had been lying on the ground, opened her eyes again, bit her lip, and looked at the three of them. "Shen Xi said that she didn't have time to come back and told us to decide what to do ourselves. What do you think?"

“Then I think surrendering is better. It’s better to live a wretched life than to die!” Miriam said without hesitation, her words righteous and firm.

Zhou Han seemed to hear nothing, only knowing to keep pulling the trigger and firing.

Nagasaki Asuna then looked at Ruan Jingyi.

The quiet girl thought for a moment and said, "I think it's better to fight until the very end."

“I don’t want to surrender either, let’s fight to the end!” Nagasaki Asuna said quickly.

“Then I won’t surrender either!” Miriam’s expression hardened.

While the four (or three) on the ship discussed the matter, Edward waited behind the bunker, his patience gradually fading.

"Enough, charge!" He narrowed his eyes, took a deep breath, and ordered his adjutant.

The heavy shield wall left the cover and began to advance again.

Soldiers wielding Light Magic Particle Rifles fired from cover, sending bright green particle streams toward the ship's side, leaving red-hot holes in the railings.

Seeing this, the four men on the ship brought over more weapons and unleashed a final, fierce barrage of fire.

Just as the battle inside the dock reached its climax, untimely shouts of battle suddenly came from the passageway in the direction of the lower city.

A sudden stream of green particles rained down, and the soldiers closest to the passage fell to the ground like wheat being harvested.

"What's going on?" Edward turned around and frowned.

A group of soldiers who looked completely like civilians rushed out, wielding light magic particle rifles that were completely different from those of the Imperial Army. They ran and fired, easily tearing a gap in the Imperial Army's rear.

Unlike the old-fashioned rifles used by the Imperial Army that required reloading and firing one round at a time, those men had weapons like the four men on the ship, capable of firing continuously at a terrifying rate, with one person enough to suppress a squad.

A bad feeling crept into Edward's heart.

706. The group reunited

The newly emerged combatant instantly reversed the situation in the dock, forcing the Imperial forces approaching the Miriam to allocate troops to deal with the opponent that suddenly appeared behind them.

The surging green particle stream flew everywhere, and Imperial soldiers, hit from both sides, fell down screaming in agony.

"Sir, the enemy has reinforcements!" the adjutant said hurriedly.

Edward squinted at the civilians wielding advanced light magic weapons, realized something, and his face darkened. "The Allied Forces... can't be caught in the middle. Retreat first."

"Yes, sir! Retreat!"

"retreat!"

The Imperial Army quickly retreated into formation, using the giant shields as cover, and headed towards the passage leading to the Light Magic Technology Association. They were then relentlessly pursued, leaving behind a trail of corpses as they disappeared into the depths of the narrow passage.

Zhou Han's eyes were blank as he mechanically fired in the direction the enemy was retreating, shouting, "Don't run! Don't run! If you come, you're all going to die..."

"Miss Zhou Han, calm down!" Milian looked at her, shocked.

Ruan Jingyi simply snatched the weapon from the petite girl's hand. When she saw that the girl still wanted to take the gun, she grabbed her arm and pressed her back into place.

“These people…” Nagasaki Asuna frowned slightly as she sized up the unknown reinforcements from behind her bunker.

Having driven out the Imperial Army, the soldiers, disguised as civilians, quickly deployed cover in front of the enemy's retreat route, their actions swift and efficient.

Then, the familiar baby-faced girl jogged in from the passageway in the lower city area. Seeing that the four people on the boat were unharmed, she patted her chest and breathed a heavy sigh of relief, "Thank goodness, you're all alright."

……

Edward returned to the Light and Magic Technology Association on the ground and ordered the passage to the shipyard to be sealed off.

The liaison officer rushed up to him and saluted, "Sir, all units have just reported simultaneously encountering unidentified resistance, and some outposts have fallen!"

Edward frowned and thought for a moment, "First, order the defenses to be tightened, block key points, and gather intelligence on the enemy."

"Yes!"

At this very moment, the same situation as at the shipyard is happening throughout the lower city.

The Imperial army that invaded the lower city was attacked by unidentified people dressed as civilians. The opponents, who were armed with new light magic weapons, were fiercely armed. Even the magic knights were deterred from advancing in the complex terrain of the canyon.

After the staff officer left, Edward fell into deep thought.

Jasmine stood to the side and glanced at the blond youth, her eyes lowered, her voice still carrying a sickly ethereal quality, "Cheng Fei is an ally, could we have fallen into a trap?"

“Did they deliberately not conceal their whereabouts to lure us to Riften? Cheng Fei…” Edward muttered to himself, staring at the map and clenching his fists tightly. “But it doesn’t matter. The First Fleet is operating in secrecy. The Allied forces couldn’t have predicted it. It’s still uncertain who will win or lose the battle at Riften.”

……

As the flames of war quietly spread throughout Riften, five people were hurrying along a secluded path in the lower city, taking advantage of the cover of night.

Cheng Fei suddenly sneezed loudly, then looked seriously at the person beside him, "Teacher Shen, are you secretly cursing me in your heart?"

"What nonsense is Cheng Feiyu spouting?" Shen Xi frowned, looking at him with disbelief.

"You wouldn't believe there are people in this world who would talk about me behind my back." The boy touched his nose.

"Shut up, or the enemy will find you again, you babbling idiot Cheng Feiyu." The girl glared at him without any politeness, then cast a wary glance around.

"Teacher Shen, it should be safe here now, there's no need to be so nervous," Cheng Fei said, raising his hand to comfort her.

Ye Shuang, Leia, and Eve followed silently behind the two, without participating in the conversation.

The group rescued the surviving elves, then received news of the shipyard being attacked. On their way back, they ran into the Imperial Army who had been airdropped, and barely managed to shake off their pursuers by using the terrain.

Cheng Fei thought for a moment, "Teacher Shen, I suspect the dock has already fallen. Why don't you ask Nana? I'm afraid I'll just walk right into Edward's face."

“Cheng Feiyu, who’s always backing down.” Shen Xi kicked him angrily, then paused, “I asked her and she said she held on.”

"They actually held on? That's amazing." The boy exclaimed in surprise.

As they spoke, they arrived at the passage connecting the lower city to the shipyard. They carefully observed the area and found no trace of the Imperial Army. Instead, they saw a group of civilians on guard, carrying light magic particle rifles.

Seeing that they showed no hostility, the civilians let them pass.

Before even stepping into the dock, the pungent smell of gunpowder, blood, and the strange odor of limbs being roasted by the high temperature immediately filled their nostrils. Upon entering, they could see charred and mangled corpses lying haphazardly on the ground.

Shen Xi frowned slightly.

"Don't mind it, Ms. Shen, just treat it like barbecue." Cheng Fei glanced at her, his expression serious.

Then I got kicked.

The boy casually observed what was happening ahead.

Armed civilians can be seen cleaning up the battlefield, and it is reasonable to guess that these people helped repel the Imperial Army. Meanwhile, Nagasaki Asuna and her companions are discussing something in the open space next to the Miriam.

The sweet girl with long pink hair was the first to turn around as if sensing something, and breathed a sigh of relief while clutching her chest, "Cheng Fei, you're finally back."

"Junior!" Miriam also raised both hands and waved.

The crew of the Miriam reunited.

"Nana, what's going on?" Cheng Fei looked around and saw that the corridor was littered with used weapons, realizing that his previous purchases had not been in vain.

“Cheng Fei, just now…” Nagasaki Asuna leaned closer to the boy and whispered.

Next, the two sides exchanged some intelligence.

"So you're with the Allied Forces?" Cheng Fei looked at Wei Nuo beside him and raised an eyebrow.

“I’m not.” The baby-faced girl shook her head subconsciously, paused for a moment, then nodded. “I wasn’t before, but I am now. Grandpa has decided to support everyone in resisting the lord and the imperial people.”

She paused, a look of confusion on her face, "Aren't you the same?"

"We're allies? Who told you that?" Cheng Fei looked around in surprise.

"Why would they help you if you're not allies?" Vino was even more puzzled.