Chapter 24: Gepard, Battle!

Under Sampo's lead, the group headed towards Belobog, said to be the only human settlement on this planet's surface.

On the way, chatting with Sampo, they gathered a lot of information. 

For instance, the Silvermane Guards he mentioned are actually the official armed forces of Belobog, equivalent to police and military.

"Then why are you hiding from the Silvermane Guards?" March 7th curiously asked.

"Uh... Just for a few ancient relics I stashed away, no big deal. Blame those sticklers for the rules, always so rigid in their duties..." Sampo chatted nonchalantly.

He was indeed very talkative, not stopping even once along the way.

At this moment, several figures appeared ahead of them.

"Who are they..." Dan Heng frowned.

The people in front wore blue uniforms, white metal armor, and carried weapons, exuding a well-trained combat aura.

Sampo helplessly covered his forehead, "They are the Silvermane Guards, just my luck..."

Seeing Gu Tang and the group, the guards immediately raised their weapons, "Suspicious individuals detected along with their accomplices, arrest them immediately!"

"No better time to run than now!" Sampo turned and ran, light as a feather on the snowy ground, "Leave it to you, friends!"

Such speed, even the Hunt deity would be amazed by the swiftness of this Sampo.

"Hey! That guy—" March 7th gritted her teeth, watching Sampo's retreating back.

She turned to the ready guards, "Um... How about we sit down and talk, you see, we're clearly not with him..."

"Win or die!" Stelle already charged forward with her bat.

"Stelle!? Are you influenced by the Destruction deity?" March 7th helplessly picked up her bow to provide support.

"Not bad, reminiscent of my days traveling the galaxy," Gu Tang nodded approvingly, arms crossed.

Boom!

Stelle's bat sent one guard flying.

Another guard tried to attack her, but March 7th's ice arrows froze him, allowing Stelle to knock him out with a swing.

Though well-trained, the guards were no match for the train crew.

"Hmm?" Just then, Dan Heng, who had been slacking off, sensed a new presence and grabbed his spear.

Whoosh—!

A heavy metal shield came crashing towards Stelle, who fearlessly swung her bat to meet it.

Clang—!

A loud clash of metal rang out.

The resulting shockwave stirred up surrounding snow, creating a whirlwind of mixed ice and snow.

The heavy force made Stelle retreat several meters, leaving deep footprints in the snow.

She exhaled a breath of white mist, eyeing her new opponent.

A tall, resolute man stood before them.

Dressed in a sleek white combat uniform, a blue cape billowing in the wind and snow, he exuded courage and professionalism.

With golden short hair and blue eyes, he gazed sharply at Gu Tang and the group.

In his hand was a massive metal shield, taller than a person, resembling a guitar case, exuding a heavy oppressive aura.

The man stood like a tall wall, even a fortress, with an unshakeable demeanor.

"I, Gepard Landau, Captain of the Silvermane Guards, order you to cease your futile resistance."

Gepard pointed at Gu Tang and the group, with several more guards appearing behind him.

"Getting tricked by Sampo like this, really makes me angry..." March 7th fumed.

Gu Tang casually said, "No worries, our goal is to enter Belobog. Meeting the official personnel now is beneficial for us."

"That's true, but I don't want to be arrested as a criminal when entering Belobog..." March 7th sighed.

"Don't rush, March 7th. Negotiations..." Gu Tang tossed a grenade into the air, "require showing equal strength first."

The grenade exploded, turning into a massive fireball, crashing down on the guards.

[Name: Evil God's Flame]

[Type: Damage Item]

[Level: 4]

[Effect: Turns into a fiercely burning fireball flying towards the enemy, then explodes.]

[Evaluation: It's said the Evil God still resides within the Flame Giant]

"Hmph." Facing the fierce fireball, Gepard snorted coldly, slamming his shield into the ground.

The force field generator within the shield activated, covering all the guards present.

Boom—!

The fireball collided with the force field, and the massive flames and explosion engulfed the area.

The cold air turned scorching, melting a large amount of snow into flowing water.

Yet, behind the force field, Gepard and the guards remained unscathed.

"Interesting equipment..." Gu Tang observed Gepard's shield with interest.

"Stelle, March 7th, handle the others." Dan Heng gripped his spear, slowly approaching Gepard, "I'll take him on."

No extra words were exchanged between the two.

In an instant, the spear tip and shield clashed, sparks flying.

Very strong...

The same thought crossed both their minds simultaneously.

Body, skill, will, all without the slightest flaw, forged through countless battlefields, continuously honing themselves.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Gepard's moves were grand and forceful, swinging the massive shield as if it were weightless, attacking Dan Heng relentlessly.

Dan Heng countered with exquisite Cloud Knight spear techniques, his spear parrying, deflecting, and redirecting, skillfully neutralizing the attacks and striking back through openings.

"Not as straightforward as it appears..." Dan Heng analyzed internally.

His spear had struck multiple times, but even when Gepard couldn't use his shield, he still blocked with his sturdy arm guards, rendering the spear ineffective.

Beneath the seemingly straightforward moves lay extremely delicate combat skills.

"Let's go stronger..." Dan Heng spun his spear.

The Taiji symbol lightly rotated with a ding.

A watercolor painting briefly replaced the snowy scene.

"Transforming illusion, a long dream... Break!"

Using the hand to maneuver the spear, using the spear to move the body.

A lightning-fast strike arrived before Gepard, at a perfect moment, making it indefensible.

But it was still blocked.

Dan Heng felt the air in front of him thicken a thousandfold.

The spear slowed down, trembling, and stopped a few inches from Gepard.

"It's the force field, when did it—" Dan Heng's pupils contracted.

"Protecting only myself requires no activation time," Gepard said, leaping high with the shield, then slamming it down.

"This ends now!"

With Gepard's shout, a massive icy blast erupted, carrying countless ice spikes towards Dan Heng.

Dan Heng's spear spun rapidly, shattering the incoming ice crystals, but his body uncontrollably slid back several meters in the snow.

"Got him!"

Before he could recover his stance, the massive shield was already upon him.

Whoosh—!

Gepard's full-power strike whipped up a gust of wind.

Clang—!

Sparks flew as Dan Heng's spear was knocked out of his hands, sent flying far away.