Chapter Twenty-Six: The Bayonet of the 57th Army

At the summit of the pyramid, on the edge of the broad steps, two groups faced off, tension crackling in the air, the battle poised to erupt at any moment.

Sunlight fell on Dragon Star Wild’s resolute face, sharpening the lines of his expression.

“Old Dragon, today we fight for our own sides. I hope that, as before, we can meet civilly and part civilly,” Lily of the Valley said coldly.

“Civilly?” Dragon Star Wild couldn’t help but let out a mocking laugh. “Do you really think you have the right to talk about civility with me? Who struck first? Who killed in a flash? My brother self-destructed just now because your so-called civility pushed him to it. Don’t insult my intelligence, thank you very much.”

Lily of the Valley raised her sword with a frosty glare. “So, you want justice now?”

Dragon Star Wild replied, “Solo fight or group battle, your choice. Since you’re a woman, I’ll give you special treatment.”

At these words, Lily of the Valley’s face was shrouded in icy disdain, and even Snow Night Fairy’s eyes flickered with murderous intent.

Flying Girl couldn’t help but chuckle—her captain rarely spoke, but when he did, his insults never needed foul language.

Wu Hua felt uneasy. The captain was overdoing it; in the heat of battle, gender meant nothing. Dragon Star Wild clearly hadn’t learned the lesson that all’s fair in war.

Lily of the Valley stared at Dragon Star Wild for a long moment before finally saying, “I’ll take you on alone. Today, I’ll prove to you that a woman can cut you down.”

Dragon Star Wild’s hand tensed, veins bulging. He had insulted her cleverly, and she had retorted in kind, each striking at the other’s sore spots.

Both groups stepped back ten meters, sheathing their weapons.

In the game, there was a rule: opposing sides could send a solo duel request. If both accepted, death wouldn’t result in loss of level—a rule mainly for high-level players. In Star Wars, leveling up past twenty-five was no easy task.

Lily of the Valley gripped her sword with both hands, the hilt held at chest height, assuming a charging stance. Her entire body radiated an unstoppable martial aura. Many present, seeing her posture, knew instantly she was not one to be trifled with.

Her sword closely resembled the bronze blades ancient warriors wielded, but its entire length shimmered with green light. The members of the Odd Squad were tense—this was likely a green-grade weapon, though no one knew its exact attributes.

But when Dragon Star Wild revealed his own weapon, even Snow Night Fairy’s face showed surprise.

The K57 military dagger—a famed Swiss blade, slender, sharp, and razor-edged, glowing with blue light.

“Is that a blue-grade item?” whispered the crowd.

“It is. Don’t say I didn’t warn you—be careful,” Dragon Star Wild said with pride.

Everyone was stunned—a blue-grade K57 military dagger was priceless.

Wu Hua’s jaw dropped. He’d never seen blue equipment before; average players had plenty of white gear, and many level twenty-plus players had red items. A purple piece was enough to show off in public. As for green, Wu Hua had only ever seen his own sensor as green. Now, Dragon Star Wild’s blue dagger was surely a deadly weapon, a blade that would seal with blood.

“Nice blade. Take my sword!” Lily of the Valley’s gaze sharpened, and she lunged forward, thrusting her sword straight at him. Dragon Star Wild shifted his foot lightly, sidestepping her attack.

Lily of the Valley missed, pushed off her feet, soared through the air like a bird, then reversed direction, the sword’s edge slashing at Dragon Star Wild’s chest in midair.

A hiss—the military dagger’s edge met the sword’s blade, the clash sending a shower of electric sparks.

Their first exchange ended with Lily of the Valley returning to her position. Above her head floated a damage number: "-566", while Dragon Star Wild was unscathed.

Few could see how she’d been wounded, but Wu Hua caught the detail: Dragon Star Wild was wielding his dagger in a reverse grip with his left hand. When the blades crossed, Lily of the Valley was a fraction slow withdrawing, letting Dragon Star Wild slice her wrist—a deft, hidden move, invisible from most angles.

“Fourth Sister,” Snow Night Fairy approached.

Lily of the Valley raised a hand to stop her, sighing, “Good technique.” She downed a vial of gene medicine, then charged forward, sword swinging.

This time, her attack was anything but gentle, unleashing every skill she had—classic warrior combos: Heaven and Earth Cross Slash, Gale Seven Strike, Sirius Explosive Slash.

Same moves, same skills, but in different hands, the effect was entirely different. After drinking the gene medicine, Lily of the Valley’s strength was clearly boosted; each slash sent flashes of electricity from Dragon Star Wild’s dagger. Yet his technique was bizarre—no matter how her blade struck, his dagger always deftly “stuck” to her sword’s edge, and with a twist of his wrist, the dagger would arc strangely toward her hands.

An inch longer, an inch stronger; an inch shorter, an inch more dangerous—this was the perfect moment to prove it.

Both were gene warriors. After a symphony of clashing steel, it was clear to all: Lily of the Valley took the high constitution, high strength, high agility path, every move vicious, with a reckless, do-or-die intensity. Dragon Star Wild favored high strength, high agility, and combat skill—his moves appeared effortless, but were cunningly efficient. The blue-grade dagger was certainly superior to the green sword—each hit dealt around 600 damage, while the green sword managed only about 400. Lily of the Valley had the added boost from her gene medicine, relying on combos for damage.

The two masters battled in close quarters, the spectators—even those below the tower—watched, entranced. They’d never seen such professional sword and dagger work; this was true warrior skill.

Ri Wan, seeing his captain in action for the first time, watched the K57 dagger dance like a serpent. He thought his own kitchen knife ought to be renamed the pig-slaying blade, for that was butchery, while his captain’s was true killing technique.

Wu Hua, a calculating genius, figured Dragon Star Wild at level thirty had at least 4500 HP, plus essential warrior constitution points—HP would be over 6000. Lily of the Valley was likely similar, but she was at a disadvantage, her gear inferior, her HP dropping fastest.

Suddenly, Wu Hua understood Dragon Star Wild’s strategy. Dragging the fight out didn’t benefit Blue Company, as the bomb was ticking down.

He was startled: if he could think of this, so could the enemy. They weren’t fools; surely they had their own schemes. The earlier step-side firefight proved Blue Ocean Company’s people were anything but benign.

Looking up, Wu Hua’s heart sank. While everyone was transfixed by the duel, Snow Night Fairy and the technician had vanished.

Wu Hua quietly withdrew, drew his Desert Eagle, and headed upstairs.

The new reporter, seeing Wu Hua pass through his camera's frame, paused in surprise, then quietly followed him.