"What's wrong, Sam Li? Are we at the Abandoned Skyscraper already? I feel dizzy... Where are we?"
After flying through the air, Belle was swaying and dizzy.
Only now did she slowly come back to her senses.
She wanted to check where they had landed, but Eous was damaged and couldn't even stand.
Nicole walked over,
helped Eous up, and said, "Proxy, this is the Abandoned Skyscraper. You and Sam Li looked amazing just now! Quick, tell me, how did you ride a stone pillar here? What kind of equipment did you use to launch the pillar into the sky? It's a genius idea!"
Belle slowly opened her eyes.
Not far away, she saw a huge Notoriety Ethereal pinned to the ground by Sam Li's stone pillar.
"The Ethereal... is dead? We won?"
What was going on?
What had happened?
She had just flown with Sam Li for a bit, and suddenly the Ethereal was down—pinned by a stone pillar no less.
This was... too shocking.
It felt like watching a movie where the villain gets taken out in some bizarre, dramatic way before you even realize it.
Belle stood there, stunned, not knowing what to say.
Nicole pressed, "Proxy, snap out of it!"
Belle hesitated, then said, "Sam Li threw the pillar into the sky, then grabbed me and jumped onto it... and we rode it all the way here..."
She knew how ridiculous that sounded.
It wasn't realistic at all.
But that was exactly what had happened—more unbelievable and over-the-top than any movie.
Movies only dared show people flying on swords.
Sam Li rode a stone pillar.
If she hadn't seen it herself, she wouldn't have believed it either.
After hearing Belle's explanation,
Nicole burst out laughing. "Why don't you just say you blew the pillar into the sky yourself? Proxy, don't joke around. There aren't any reporters here, you don't have to exaggerate. Tell me what really happened?"
Billy chimed in excitedly, "Nicole, Boss, maybe Sam Li really did throw the pillar into the sky!"
Nicole immediately shot back, "Come on! Stuff like that only happens in movies. Sam Li, you gonna tell us the truth or what?"
Sam Li: "..."
Belle: "..."
Just as Belle expected—
Even telling the truth wouldn't make Nicole believe it.
On the side,
Anby said seriously, "I believe Belle. I believe Sam Li. I once saw someone lift a building."
Billy looked helpless,
wanting to facepalm, but realizing he couldn't even move his hand.
He could only say, "Anby, that was a movie. It was all fake. No one can lift a whole building."
Anby insisted, "But Sam Li did it. He really flew on a stone pillar."
Billy: "..."
Belle: "..."
It was clear the people from Hare's House had no idea how strong Sam Li really was.
Although Nicole and the others were skeptical about the flying pillar,
one thing was undeniable—Sam Li was strong.
Just as everyone was celebrating another victory,
Soldier 11 frowned. "No, the Notoriety Ethereal isn't dead yet."
Hearing that,
everyone immediately turned to look.
Pinned to the ground by the massive pillar, the Notoriety Ethereal was still struggling fiercely.
Nicole didn't care. "Who's going to finish it off?"
Billy volunteered, "Nicole, Boss, leave it to me!"
Nicole gave Billy a glare. "You can't even move a finger right now. Should I hold your hand and help you pull the trigger too?"
Soldier 11 gripped her sword. "Let me do it."
But—
Just as she took a few steps,
cracks suddenly appeared on the giant stone pillar.
In the next moment—
the pillar shattered with a loud bang, breaking apart into rubble.
Seeing this,
Sam Li wasn't surprised at all.
With his current 20% roleplaying progress and his control over the Geo element,
it was already impressive that the Rock Ridge lasted this long.
He would need to reach 50% progress to make the Rock Ridge permanent.
As the pillar collapsed,
the Notoriety Ethereal broke free and stood up again,
roaring furiously at the group.
Its massive chest wound was visibly healing.
But with Sam Li here,
there was nothing to worry about.
Sam Li stayed as calm as ever. "No need to panic. Leave it to me."
As he spoke,
a long spear appeared in his hand—
his weapon, the Vortex Vanquisher.
Soldier 11 gripped her sword tighter and adjusted the headset Anby had lent her. "I can still fight, Sam Li. I'll help too."
Facing the furious Ethereal,
Soldier 11's gaze was resolute and fearless.
Nicole picked up her fallen suitcase. "I can help too..."
The warm golden shockwave from earlier hadn't injured her.
Instead, it had restored some of her strength.
At the same time,
Anby and Nekomata also joined in.
Everyone except Billy and Eous, who were still down, rushed into battle.
Sam Li didn't actually need their help—
but since they insisted, he had no reason to refuse.
He wasn't worried about them stealing the finishing blow either.
Soon,
the group attacked the Notoriety Ethereal from all sides.
Blades and flashes of light filled the air,
pressing the Ethereal down hard.
Watching the battle,
Billy felt a deep pang of regret.
It sucked not being able to fight alongside them.
But he quickly shook off the feeling and started cheering them on:
"Yo, Nicole, Boss, hit a little harder for me while you're at it!"
"Nekomata, scratch it while its wounds are open... Anby, go for the kidneys... Sam Li, stab its head... Soldier 11, where's the fire? Burn it up!"
"Shut up and lie down!" Nicole snapped back.
Billy could only obediently lay still, cheering quietly.
At that moment, on the battlefield—
the earlier hit from the Rock Ridge had left the Notoriety Ethereal severely wounded and barely clinging to life.
Under their relentless assault,
it quickly reached its limit.
At the final moment,
Sam Li casually thrust out his spear, landing the finishing blow.
Victory.
The Ethereal collapsed with a crash, shattering into a pile of crystals.
Everyone—except Sam Li—let out a long sigh of relief.
Soldier 11, Anby, Nicole, Nekomata...
all collapsed to the ground, lying there like Billy, laughing happily.
"Zero... how long has it been since we fought together like this..."
Soldier 11 suddenly froze, realizing she had said something she shouldn't have. She quickly shut her mouth.
Nekomata yawned. "Meow, Soldier 11, are you so tired you're losing your mind? You're giving Anby weird nicknames again. Mr. Mole is dead. You don't need to pretend anymore. Just call her by her name."
Nicole agreed, "Yeah, no need for strange code names anymore."
Soldier 11 smiled and nodded. "Greedy Bank Rabbit, Mackerel Destroyer—you two are absolutely right."
...