194: Chapter 194 The Last Line of Defense

"Cough, cough..."

Xing Yaoyan, who had still been in shock over the special effects of Qian Mo's ability, immediately snapped out of it. Ignoring her dizziness, she quickly moved to the side and used a light cough to hide her embarrassment.

What should you do when you're caught "slacking off" with a colleague during work hours by the supervisor on duty? Asking for advice online, it's pretty urgent...

"Um, Captain... Wolf got injured because she just saved me, so we're taking a short break here..."

Qian Mo also quickly explained, chivalrously taking all the responsibility upon himself.

Xing Yaoyan silently gave him a thumbs-up in her heart.

At least you're loyal. I'll stick with you from now on... Wait, wait, what was I just doing...

Stealing a secret glance at Qian Mo's profile, Xing Yaoyan felt her face flush again.

She had been so immersed just now that she hadn't realized she had unwittingly pinned Qian Mo against the wall, and they had been caught red-handed by someone else...

Now there was no way to explain it away. But Xing Yaoyan, why aren't you repulsed at all, besides being a bit shy? You even feel a faint sense of anticipation!

Have you forgotten the resolve you once made? You have a man's Soul; how can you fall in love with another man? Even if he tries everything to please you, helps you in a crisis, and even took your first kiss...

As she thought, she couldn't go on and quickly spoke up.

"Captain! I'm much better now and ready to fight at any time. Also, we encountered those transforming monsters on the other side earlier, and there seem to be quite a lot of them."

"How many did you deal with? What rank?"

"About a dozen, all Rank Four," Qian Mo added.

"Hiss..."

Crow couldn't help but gasp.

"Do you get the feeling these monsters are becoming more numerous and stronger?"

Crow's words struck a chord in both of them.

Suddenly, a flash of insight struck Xing Yaoyan.

Taotie had told her he brought the monsters, not that he was with them. Combined with the werewolf's words that killing an Enforcer would allow them to join the Star Cult and control this power, plus their lack of combat skills... didn't that mean...

"These monsters... they aren't being created on the spot, are they?"

Qian Mo spoke up, sounding somewhat uncertain.

Exactly! It seemed he had noticed too...

Xing Yaoyan couldn't help but look at Qian Mo in a new light again; his thoughts coincided perfectly with hers.

She was the Heaven-Swallowing Star Wolf, with a keen sense for various auras, and she had gathered information from Taotie, which led to this somewhat far-fetched guess.

But Qian Mo had arrived at this conclusion purely through deduction and a bit of intuition. This terrifying analytical ability truly made her feel a chill...

"Indeed... but we don't have time to chat. The others have rushed over and are holding back their attack. I got separated from them just now. We must go support them immediately; we have to hold out until the other Enforcer teams arrive!"

Crow whipped his cloak and charged back in the direction he had come from. Countless black shockwaves condensed in front of him as he rushed toward the battlefield of chaotic auras.

Xing Yaoyan and Qian Mo quickly followed...

At the very center of the bar battlefield.

Spirit Sparrow, a newly promoted Silver Dragon Enforcer, held her hands out, struggling to maintain the protective shield above her head.

This shield was her Superpower. Compared to the spiritual energy shields of other Espers, hers consumed less energy, was stronger, and could expand indefinitely.

She had always been the defensive pillar of the Birdcage team and her teammates' most solid support.

But now, she really couldn't hold on much longer...

Inside the shield, Parrot, wearing glasses, and Hummingbird, clutching his shoulder, were weakly holding spirit crystals to recover their spiritual energy. Beside them, Nightingale lay on the ground spitting blood, her chest a mass of bright red.

"Spirit Sparrow... shrink your shield and throw me out... I'm just a burden now... If I remember correctly, the smaller your shield, the less energy it consumes... If you just leave me out, you'll definitely be able to hold out until reinforcements arrive..."

"Nightingale! What nonsense are you talking? We can hold on!"

Parrot roared angrily, but his eyes remained fixed on every move of the monsters surrounding them, light flickering in his gaze.

"Hummingbird, three o'clock, twelve o'clock, forty-five-degree angle—there's an opening!"

"Got it!"

Hummingbird responded loudly.

Ignoring the injury on his shoulder, he suddenly slammed his hand onto the ground.

The next moment, at the positions Parrot indicated, over a dozen thick vines burst from the ground, stabbing deep into the monsters' vital points.

Although this brief outburst eased Spirit Sparrow's defensive pressure, the monsters seemed to know no fear. Their companions' deaths had no effect on them; instead, their attacks became even more frenzied.

"Spirit Sparrow... listen to your big sister..." Nightingale sighed and spoke again.

"Cough, cough... actually, I'm at my limit too..." Hummingbird spat out a mouthful of blood. The previous move had aggravated his wound. He smiled helplessly, indicating he could also be abandoned.

"Little Spirit Sparrow... remember what Brother Parrot told you before? If we ever face a life-or-death situation on a mission, we all hope you'll be the one to survive until the end... So..."

"No!"

Spirit Sparrow, struggling to hold on, suddenly shouted, interrupting them, her eyes shimmering with tears.

"Sister Nightingale... even though I'm the youngest in our team, I said on the day I joined... I will definitely become our team's final line of defense. This is the ultimate mission unique to my Superpower! Say no more; I won't give up on a single one of you!!!"

The captain was missing, and the others had no strength left to fight; everyone had to rely on her now!

The fires of battle seemed to ignite in Spirit Sparrow's eyes.

Everyone said my Superpower was useless... even though it's an Epic Grade Superpower, it has no offensive capability. When I applied to so many Enforcer teams, only the people in Birdcage welcomed me. Now is the critical moment; how can I abandon the people who were willing to accept me during my darkest times just for a slim chance of survival!

I won't allow it...

Crack—

The hearts of the four inside the shield sank instantly.

Spirit Sparrow's shield, which had never been broken before, finally showed a crack.

Not everyone can have a sudden power-up like the protagonist of a novel, and Spirit Sparrow knew that. But she was going to fight until the very last moment for her teammates; she would fulfill the promise she made to them!