Endymion rose to his feet and let out a long breath. He wondered whether Lin Yun and the others had found food. It was time to go find her.
Before setting off, he used two of the mech energy crystals he had refined to recharge his mech. Though he had wanted to use all three, he set one aside—for Lin Yun. Even just two crystals provided ample energy, not enough to fully charge the mech, but more than enough to sustain it for several days.
By tomorrow, he could absorb more mana and create new crystals. With over three hundred energy crystals in hand, he could last more than a hundred days even at a rate of three per day.
But those crystals were for himself, and perhaps one for Lin Yun. As for Duanmu Bai and the rest? He didn't care whether they lived or died. Endymion had a simple code: treat him well, and he would return the favor. Lin Yun had been kind—so he'd help her. The others? They were irrelevant.
He launched his mech into the air, flying in the direction Lin Yun had pointed him toward earlier. With energy no longer a concern, flight was the fastest way to catch up.
Just as Endymion soared forward, confident and eager to reunite with Lin Yun, a shadow streaked across the sky.
"A mech!" His expression shifted.
It was approaching fast—much faster than his own. This was no standard unit. Its sleek form cut through the air like a blade.
Endymion slowed his flight. The stranger's intent was unclear, so he didn't attack—better to observe first.
As the mech drew closer, Endymion's heart sank. He recognized it. It was Duanmu Bai's.
Endymion immediately descended to the desert floor. He had never practiced aerial combat, and the air gave Duanmu Bai an overwhelming advantage. Something about Bai's sudden appearance filled him with dread.
"Endymion Lin, I've come to pick you up," Duanmu Bai's voice crackled over the comms, his mech hovering ahead.
"Pick me up?" Endymion's eyes narrowed. He didn't believe a word of it.
"That's right," Bai replied. "But I'm not taking you back alive."
Cold.
Clear.
Deadly.
"You're a waste of resources," Bai spat. "Trash like you has no right to exist."
A chill ran down Endymion's spine. So it really was an assassination.
"Who sent you?" he demanded.
"You'll know soon enough—when you're dead." Bai's voice was laced with cruel satisfaction. "But I'll grant you a warrior's death. A duel. Be grateful."
A duel? Endymion almost laughed out loud at the absurdity.
A One-Star Mech Knight challenging a first-tier pilot to a "fair fight"? The very idea was laughable. It wasn't a duel—it was a slaughter.
Still, Endymion knew he had no choice. Fight or die.
He had no illusions. Duanmu Bai was stronger—faster—better trained. But survival didn't care for odds. Only results.
Bai's mech surged forward with terrifying speed. Endymion dodged, barely avoiding the first strike.
Thank the gods for those two hundred virtual duels with the AI "Gentle Rose." Those simulations had sharpened his reflexes, giving him just enough edge to evade—for now.
"I can't beat him in a straight fight," Endymion realized. "My only chance… is magic."
The thought frustrated him. If only he'd had one more day! Just one more day, and he could've broken through to Advanced Mage and used the space magic he'd been refining for months. With it, he would've stood a chance.
But time wasn't on his side.
He had ten minutes. Maybe less.
"You're surprisingly good at running," Bai's voice returned, mockingly impressed. "I underestimated you. But no more."
His mech vanished in a blur of speed—then reappeared behind Endymion.
Too fast.
A blinding impact smashed into Endymion's mech. The force sent him crashing to the ground, burying the machine in sand. Systems flickered—he couldn't move.
The power transmission system was destroyed. The mech was dead.
Endymion's first instinct was to eject. In a mobile mech, staying inside was safer. But in a crippled one? It was a tomb.
Unfortunately, Bai wouldn't give him the chance. The enemy mech was already charging again.
Endymion had seconds—at most.
No fear.
Only a cold, burning will to survive.
He began chanting.
His magic was weak. The spells he could cast weren't suited for combat. But anything—anything—was better than just sitting there.
"...Mist Veil!"
A light fog burst into existence, mixing with the dust of the desert. The result was a swirling cloud of grit and haze.
It wasn't meant to harm. Only to obscure.
The instant the fog appeared, Endymion ejected.
It worked. Bai hesitated just long enough for Endymion to escape.
"Boom!"
Behind him, Bai's mech crashed into his already-damaged frame.
Endymion didn't wait. He cast Windstride, launching himself into a desperate sprint. On foot, there was almost no chance of escaping a mech. But even a sliver of hope was worth chasing.
Ten seconds.
That's all he gained.
A shadow loomed ahead—Bai had already cut him off.
"Impressive," Bai said, mech standing like a titan before him. "You're better at running than I expected."
He didn't attack. Not yet. Perhaps he wanted to savor the kill. After all, what threat could a mech-less warrior pose?
Endymion grinned.
A slow, calm, confident grin.
It infuriated Duanmu Bai.
"What are you laughing at?" Bai demanded, his voice taut with rage.
Because in that grin… there was mockery. Defiance. Something Bai didn't understand.
And that terrified him more than he'd ever admit.