215: Chapter 215 The Hunter King Takes the Bait, First Reinforcements in the Hot Spring

The red alarm blared three times in the main control room.

Shen Wanbing stood before the holographic console, her white shirt sleeves rolled up to her elbows, her fingertips swiftly swiping across the Radar map.

"The Tier 6 Hunter King has severed the tracking chain."

"Speed is climbing, it has already broken the sound barrier."

"The route has no detours, it is charging straight at our main body."

On the main screen, a blood-red trajectory turned back from the northwest wasteland, plunging toward the Sea-Air Composite Fortress.

Mio's projection instantly filled with static.

"I knew it!"

"A Tier 6 unit isn't a stupid dog! You fed it three layers of fake bait, and it just flipped the table!"

Jiang Jiuyou, draped in a dark red cloak, stood beside the secondary control console. She had just finished synchronizing the fire control, and she still carried the languor from last night's reinforcement, but her tone was sharp and clear.

"At the current speed, it will enter the hundred-kilometer range in three hours and twenty-seven minutes."

"Before the long-range saturation strike, we still have one window of opportunity to set up."

Yi Chang also connected to the main control channel.

"There are 1.27 million people in the bottom hold; we cannot increase our movement speed any further. The ecological modules have just stabilized; forcing an acceleration will cause a second stampede."

Shen Wanbing looked up.

"I suggest maintaining the current cruising speed and retreating to the southeast to widen the distance."

Chen Chen leaned back in the main command chair, tapping his fingers twice on the armrest.

"Reduce speed."

The main control room fell silent for half a second.

Mio's projection froze completely.

"What did you just say?"

Chen Chen looked at the red line on the Radar.

"Reduce the entire city's speed to one-third."

"Hover in place."

"Wait for him to come."

Mio's electronic voice instantly spiked in pitch.

"When others encounter a Tier 6, they wish they could grow eight extra thrusters on the spot, and you want to reduce speed?"

"This is called courting death, you understand?"

Su Xiaoqi poked her head in from the doorway, holding a bowl of hound bone soup.

"Sister Mio, is 'courting death' edible?"

Mio broke down.

"Don't insert recipes at a time like this!"

Chen Chen raised his hand and closed the three escape plans.

"If we run too fast, the Void Projection barb will unhook."

"The Hunter King is now suspicious of all signals."

"Since he doesn't believe the fake bait, let him come and smell the real thing himself."

Shen Wanbing paused for a moment before immediately realizing what he meant.

"Are you going to partially open the shielding for the Star Core main mineral heart and the sea-stabilizing needle?"

Jiang Jiuyou turned around.

"Make him think he has finally caught the core of the main body."

Yi Chang frowned.

"The risk is very high. Once a Tier 6 Spirit scan presses into the mineral heart, the ordinary people in the bottom hold will collapse first."

Chen Chen stood up.

"Therefore, we have a three-hour combat readiness maintenance period."

"Stabilize the artillery array, the ecological modules, and the order in the bottom hold."

"I am going to reinforce our core combat strength."

Blood Rose leaned against the doorframe, her loose red jacket slipping to her shoulder, her wrists still wrapped in suppression bands.

Upon hearing this, she immediately chuckled.

"Lord, I am very professional when it comes to reinforcement."

Jiang Yanxue walked by clutching her blade and glanced at her.

"Your wrist hasn't even healed yet; are you professional at staging accidents?"

Blood Rose raised her wrist, her tone sounding incredibly soft.

"It's a backlash injury; it needs to be treated in the hot spring."

"We just upgraded the constant-temperature pool; surely we can't just leave it there as a decoration?"

Jiang Jiuyou took her gun from the secondary control console and slowly wiped the barrel.

"You certainly know how to pick your timing, soaking in a hot spring during combat readiness."

Blood Rose moved half a step closer to Chen Chen; she had changed into a red bathrobe at some point, the thin silk material clinging to her shoulders and neck, her long legs exposed through the slit.

"This is a wounded person's application."

"Besides, I just performed a meritorious service by using poison threads to counter-control the positioning bug; you can't just discard the rose after crossing the river, right?"

Jiang Yanxue's blade slid half an inch out of its sheath.

"If you lean any closer, I'll help you take it apart."

Chen Chen looked at the three of them.

"Are you all idle?"

Jiang Jiuyou put her gun back into its holster.

"Fire control parameters require an in-person report."

Blood Rose immediately chimed in.

"I require in-person treatment."

Jiang Yanxue sneered.

"I'm responsible for watching her to make sure she doesn't use poison."

Chen Chen turned and walked toward the interior of the Ghost Fortress.

"Ten minutes."

"If you exceed the time, you're all going to the bottom hold to distribute nutrient paste."

The three of them shut their mouths simultaneously.

Mio floated behind them, her electronic pupils staring blankly.

"The Tier 6 Hunter King is on the way, and you guys are going into the hot spring first?"

Su Xiaoqi nodded seriously.

"Bathing consumes a lot of energy; we need to drink soup."

Mio: "..."

"This city will eventually anger me into formatting myself."

The interior of the upgraded Ghost Fortress had completely changed.

The first floor was no longer crowded.

A holographic sand table hung in the center, flanked by a high-tier ecological kitchen, with the medical room, lounge area, and weapon racks clearly partitioned.

Down the white stone steps on the inner side was the constant-temperature circulating hot spring pool.

Steam rose up, and the temperature was just right.

Blood Rose walked to the edge of the pool first.

She untied her red bathrobe, the silk slipping down her shoulders to reveal the form-fitting black and red sheer fabric underneath, large patches of snow-white skin shimmering in the steam, dizzying to behold.

She stepped into the hot spring, her long legs submerging into the water, the red gauze spreading out, her curves pressed tighter by the water pressure.

"Lord, the water temperature is just right."

Chen Chen took off his jacket and entered the water.

Blood Rose immediately leaned over, her fingertips resting on his shoulder, the remnants of the pink poison threads in her palm very faint.

"Don't go around releasing poison."

Chen Chen gripped her wrist.

Blood Rose took a soft breath, her voice lowering slightly.

"This faint fragrance is just for pain relief."

"Really."

The next second, Jiang Jiuyou pushed the door open and entered.

She had changed into a black silk sleepwear with a high slit, her silver-white long hair draped over her shoulders, and she was holding a tactical tablet.

"The fire control parameters need to be protected against eavesdropping."

Blood Rose looked up.

"Commander Jiang, does the hot spring fall under your jurisdiction too?"

Jiang Jiuyou stepped into the pool, the waterline rising over her calves.

"Everything inside the core vehicle is under my command."

Jiang Yanxue stood at the doorway, not putting down her blade.

"I won't be going down."

She looked at Blood Rose.

"Lest someone pretends to faint and falls into his arms."

Blood Rose smiled even more softly.

"If you don't come down, how would you know who would fall?"

Jiang Jiuyou placed the tablet on the edge of the pool and moved closer to Chen Chen's other side.

"After the Hunter King enters within two hundred kilometers, the artillery array will deploy in three stages."

"Qin Hongye's sniper tower has already been raised to the highest point."

"The anti-hunting marker's predictive module has been successfully connected."

Chen Chen gave a grunt of acknowledgement.

Blood Rose's fingertips suddenly tightened.

A system notification popped up.

[Forbidden Domain Dual Cultivation: Qi and Blood Mutual Nourishment triggered.]

[Blood Rose's constitution is being reinforced.]

[Blood Rose's Spirit is being reinforced.]

[Jiang Jiuyou's constitution is being reinforced.]

[Jiang Jiuyou's Spirit is being reinforced.]

[Mechanical Empress: Starport Resonance compatibility increased.]

A current of heat spread along Chen Chen's chest.

Two streams of nourishment flowed back simultaneously.

Blood Rose let out a muffled groan, and the backlash red marks on her wrist faded at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Jiang Jiuyou's breathing faltered for a beat, and she immediately steadied herself against the pool wall.

"This nourishment is stronger than last night."

Shen Wanbing's voice came through the communicator.

"Energy resonance within the core vehicle detected to be rising."

"Chen Chen, your constitution fluctuation has risen again."

Blood Rose leaned against the edge of the hot spring, the red gauze clinging to her body, her voice slightly hoarse.

"Lord, for this healing effect, I apply for long-term reimbursement."

Jiang Yanxue dealt a cold, finishing blow from the doorway.

"You'll get a faster approval if you apply for long-term accommodation in the bottom hold."