Outpost City had been built by tens of thousands of Settlers working together, and after so many days it was no longer what it once was.

The city grew ever more prosperous; its six great districts each served their own function.

In truth, the seven-level Outpost City was vast inside, able to house not only the Settlers of this channel but also a large number of refugees.

Yet it was precisely because of these refugees from other channels that an unprecedented chaos erupted within the city.

The Settlers had no helpers; they had to do everything themselves.

But the System's promotion functions let them craft weapons, and with the advantage of surprise they launched this city-seizing revolt... On the widest first level, a large force now surrounded the passage the other Settlers used to reach the sixth level.

Their leader was named Aspartame, an Elemental Rifle in his hands; behind him followed Settlers from other channels he had rallied—some originally from his own channel, some from entirely different ones.

Yet without exception, after being taken in by Great Strength Bull they felt no gratitude; instead, swayed by promises, they prepared to seize Outpost City for themselves.

The air on the first level seemed to freeze.

The Elemental Rifle in Aspartame's hands glowed a dangerous blue; behind him stood hundreds of exiles from every channel, all wearing identical red armbands.

That was their sign of fellowship.

The Illumination Crystals lining the passage had been smashed, leaving only a few pale beams to cut through the crowd and fall on the sealed metal gate.

“Listen up—we've got thirty minutes.” Aspartame turned and snarled at the rebels.

“Great Strength Bull's group is holding a meeting on the sixth level. By the time they notice, we must control the lower three levels!”

The crowd let out a muffled cheer.

Their tasks were assigned: seize the Energy Hub, occupy the Weapons Workshop, seal the Vertical Transit Shafts.

According to Lala's plan, once the upper levels' supply lines were cut, the inexperienced Settlers would quickly surrender.

The metal gate suddenly shrieked an alarm and red lights flashed.

Someone on the sixth level was trying to open the passage.

“Ready for battle!” Balagan raised his Elemental Rifle, the barrel humming as it charged.

The twenty elites behind him at once fanned out, raising homemade Energy Shields.

Those same shields, bought earlier from the Exchange, were pitted with uneven welds, but at close range they could stop ordinary elemental rounds.

The instant the gate opened, a blazing white beam lanced through the passage.

The three shield-bearers in front had no time even to scream before they were turned to ash.

Aspartame rolled behind cover, heart pounding. “What the hell was that?”

Seeing that terrifying lethality, he was shocked—where had the Settlers gotten such a weapon?

“City guards?”

In all his days here he had never seen any powerful guards or army inside the city.

Gritting his teeth, Aspartame barked, “Attack!”

Aspartame's Elemental Rifle carved a blazing blue arc through the darkness as rebels poured into the passage from every direction.

Six shield-bearers formed the vanguard, their Energy Shields locking into an improvised barricade that blocked the second white beam.

Using that instant of respite, Aspartame waved sharply; twenty exiles armed with Pulse Daggers surged from the flanks, electric arcs dancing over blades that cast spider-web shadows on the walls.

“Great Strength Bull!” Aspartame's voice echoed. “Think hiding on the sixth level keeps you safe?”

“Let me tell you—we have a full fifty thousand!”

As the gate was completely destroyed, the rebels finally saw what lay beyond.

Great Strength Bull stood alone amid charred guard corpses, the Particle Cannon in his hands smoking from overload.

On either side were only signs of battle between rebels and original Settlers—bodies everywhere, blood pooling on the floor.

His left-arm armor had shattered; blood dripped between his fingers—he was clearly at the end of his strength.

“That all you've got?” Aspartame sneered, firing another shot.

Great Strength Bull dodged sideways, but the blast still flung him to the ground.

The rebels cheered and swiftly seized the passage exit.

“Energy Hub and Weapons Workshop secured!” a voice crackled through his earpiece, and Aspartame grinned in victory.

He strode up to Great Strength Bull and pressed the Elemental Rifle to his forehead.

“Your city is ours now.”

Great Strength Bull panted, yet his gaze stayed calm.

He rasped, “You... really think taking Outpost City will threaten our City Lord?”

Aspartame froze; before he could react, every light in the city died.

The next instant, an invisible energy swallowed them whole.

Then space itself twisted, and countless razor-sharp slashes appeared from nowhere like a terrifying storm.

Ceilings, walls, even the floor split open; several nearby rebels were instantly cut in half, reduced to chunks.

Screams rose /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ and fell in the darkness.

“What's happening?!” Aspartame roared, retreating, feeling the ground shake as though the entire city had come alive.

Just then, an icy voice spoke from the dark.

“A bunch of clowns.”

At the far end of the passage, a slender figure stepped out unhurriedly.

Bai Cheng had one hand in her pocket; with the other she casually lifted a finger tipped with faint silver light.

Aspartame's pupils shrank. “You're—”

For some reason the girl looked familiar.

Though certain he had never met her, he seemed to recall her description... “Bai Cheng? You're Bai Cheng!!”

The image of the terrifying Survivor his leader had feared gradually overlapped in his mind.

Aspartame's eyes contracted, disbelief all over his face.

He turned to Great Strength Bull, still unwilling to accept it. “Why the hell didn't you tell me the City Lord of Outpost City was Bai Cheng?!”

Great Strength Bull only smiled, giving no answer.

He knew that with Bai Cheng's return, everything was about to end.

Meanwhile Bai Cheng's face was blank as she snapped her fingers lightly.

In an instant, every red armband worn by the rebels exploded into countless tiny metal shards that buried themselves deep in their flesh!

“No...”