Utilitarianism

At the moment when 【The Hour of the Moon】 ended, countless blades of light illuminated Leviathan's true form, covering it with dense, glowing cracks.

Ning Yu had already stepped aside by this point, and all the bullets fired by Shen Yiyue struck Leviathan's body.

Leviathan couldn't even utter a single word. In an instant, amidst a flurry of blood butterflies and bullets, it shattered into countless fragments.

All of its clones vanished in that moment, as if waking from a dream, turning into one doll after another, falling to the ground.

The sword strike Chen Xing had aimed at Ning Yu naturally missed its mark. She hadn’t expected that by the time she regained her senses from the time-stop, Leviathan would already be dead.

She quickly assessed the situation and retreated into a curtain of light, using it to move across distances, clutching a black flame in her hand.

Ning Yu knew that this was the seed of Leviathan's soul, which Chen Xing had kept. With this seed, Chen Xing could resurrect Leviathan once more.

The situation was about to shift to two against one. Chen Xing's power had already been weakened, and her protective barrier had been shattered. She was now at a severe disadvantage.

Her decision to retreat and resurrect Leviathan was undoubtedly the right choice, but it all depended on whether Ning Yu would give her the chance.

Ning Yu's eyes were cold as she turned and stepped back into the mist, chasing after the curtain of light Chen Xing had used to escape.

The roles had now reversed, and this was the perfect opportunity for a pursuit.

Shen Yiyue followed the direction Ning Yu had indicated, using a grappling hook to keep up. Her sniper rifle was at the ready, waiting for Chen Xing's position to be confirmed.

"Miss Chen Xing, would you like to discuss terms now?"

Ning Yu continued to chase relentlessly, watching as the curtain of light ahead continued to expand. Chen Xing must have known that Ning Yu was still hot on her trail.

From within the mist, Ning Yu occasionally revealed herself, calling out to Chen Xing.

Chen Xing paid no attention to Ning Yu. How could she possibly trust her? If their positions were reversed, Chen Xing would not hesitate to strike a fatal blow.

And so, it was certain that the equally decisive Ning Yu would do the same.

Yet, after a stalemate, neither had managed to catch up to the other. Chen Xing used the curtain of light to buy time, making it impossible for a fight to break out.

Ning Yu glanced at her points. She didn’t know if Chen Xing’s use of the curtain of light required any cost, but for her, the consumption of points was real.

Both were now engaged in a hidden game of strategy, as Chen Xing also had no idea what Ning Yu’s state of consumption was like.

Suddenly, the curtain of light in the sky stopped moving forward, and Chen Xing’s figure emerged from within. Her ash-white hair fluttered, a far cry from her regal appearance when seated on her throne.

But her eyes and expression remained unchanged, as if the defeat had no effect on her at all.

The black flame in her hand continued to swirl. Restoring Leviathan still required some steps, but Ning Yu wasn’t about to give her the chance.

Without her protective barrier, Chen Xing now had to face Ning Yu’s attacks head-on.

"Clang!"

Sure enough, shortly after Chen Xing appeared, Ning Yu swung Blood Kite at her, and the blade clashed once again with Chen Xing’s cruciform sword.

"I will kill you."

The force of the strike sent Chen Xing flying backward through the air, while Ning Yu’s silver hair streamed behind her, tracing an elegant arc.

The killing intent in her eyes was unmistakable.

"Then let’s see if you have the skill to do so."

As Chen Xing landed on the ground, she retreated into the horde of undead she controlled, seemingly intending to use the zombies to buy more time.

The mutated zombies on the ground immediately formed walls of flesh, encircling Chen Xing. Some began climbing the ruins, charging toward Ning Yu and Shen Yiyue.

"Do you really think a zombie horde will work against me?"

Ning Yu set Blood Kite aside in mid-air, letting it hover, and pulled out an RPG from her system space.

Not far away, Shen Yiyue didn’t need any verbal cue from Ning Yu. She too brought out heavy weaponry, aiming it at the advancing mutated zombies.

These were free points delivered right to them.

"Boom!!!!"

"Bang!!!"

Explosions erupted one after another, shaking the earth.

Ning Yu deliberately targeted the area where Chen Xing was hiding, forcing her to use the undead as shields to absorb the damage or to constantly shift her position.

The ground was soon covered in charred zombie flesh, the entire area a scene of devastation.

Even the crimson hues of the setting sun seemed dull in comparison to the carnage.

Just as the battle between firearms and mutated zombies raged on, all the flesh on the ground suddenly seemed to come alive, rising into the air.

Ning Yu’s pupils contracted as she saw, in Chen Xing’s direction, a blood-red, egg-like object slowly rising from the ground.

It rotated, drawing all the flesh toward it. As the flesh merged with the colossal egg, it grew even more massive.

But that wasn’t all. All the mutated zombies on the ground stopped their advance, trembling violently before suddenly disintegrating.

They were reduced to flesh and blood, turning into streams of disgusting liquid that flowed toward the blood-red egg in the sky.

The efficiency of this death was far greater than the bombardment from Ning Yu and Shen Yiyue’s heavy weapons.

In a matter of moments, tens of thousands of mutated zombies had perished, their existence absorbed into the colossal egg in the sky.

It loomed overhead, blotting out the sky, its presence terrifying.

Ning Yu and Shen Yiyue redirected their attacks, firing heavy weapons at the egg. Unlike Chen Xing’s previous barrier, this egg wasn’t indestructible.

However, while the attacks caused significant damage, the flesh quickly filled in the gaps created by the explosions.

This process seemed unstoppable.

"Is this what you call the continuation of your species? Sacrificing your own people like this?"

The two of them paused their assault, and Ning Yu couldn’t help but shout a mocking question at Chen Xing, who was now hidden within the colossal egg.

"My species is vast. Sacrificing this small portion to save the rest—how could a mere insect like you possibly understand?"

Chen Xing’s ethereal voice echoed from within, now completely different from before. It was clear that the egg had brought about some indescribable change in her.

Ning Yu frowned, feeling as though she had heard these words somewhere before.

"You utilitarian types are truly laughable."