Legend of the Cyber Heroes
Chapter 692 - 336: Guerrilla in Winter

Chapter 692: Chapter 336: Guerrilla in Winter

Babbitt, the Broadcasting Client, stood before the collapsed half of the "Execution Platform," feeling utterly surreal.

Although the Broadcasting Clients lacked Martial Power, they were still part of Jianghu. They still faced hostility from the government. Thus, most Broadcasting Clients possessed an instinct for "Concealment."

Babbitt’s sense of smell was also very sharp. When Hiroshi Matsushima clashed with the Lord, instead of attending class, he worked in the city. As Hero Noname described, it was "kind of like doing fieldwork." Upon learning that there was a problem in the Martial Arts School district, his first reaction was to leave and change into his spare prosthetic in a concealed location, attaching as many decorative elements as he could.

His caution and poor Martial Arts meant that the Rangers didn’t pay him much attention. As Pine Eagle City gradually descended into chaos, he wandered and documented what he saw.

—He had to leave. He had to tell people in other cities what had happened here.

That’s what Babbitt thought. He believed that was the most important thing for him to do.

He would remain hidden until the closure.

Babbitt came here originally just to observe.

However, when he saw the Protectors start shooting at the crowd, he couldn’t help but stand up.

But, the situation never became so dire that he needed to sacrifice his life.

The hidden force exploded just in time.

Babbitt saw the Protectors’ positions getting silently destroyed. Heroes seemed to pop up from cracks in the ground.

The crowd surged over the barricade like a tidal wave.

Before he knew it, Babbitt found himself standing on the Execution Platform. The greater weight of the Cybernetically Enhanced People made the Stone Cage Net unable to withstand so much trampling. The sand broke through the Stone Cage Net, causing it to collapse. One of his feet was trapped in the sand.

It was probably at that moment that he heard music, along with a song he had heard before.

In a daze, a signal came through.

"Hello? Brother Babbitt?"

"Uh? Hero Noname?" Babbitt was surprised. Not many people knew this contact method. But the tone, he was probably familiar with it.

"Oh, you’re still in Pine Eagle City, huh? Where are you now? Can you see the Pine Eagle Building?"

Babbitt looked up: "I can see it..."

"Got a telescope? There’s something hanging hundreds of floors up... If not, just watch the live broadcast. I’ll see if there’s a drone that can catch it..."

Babbitt said, "Hero, did you guys pull this off?"

"Sort of," Hero Noname said, "Listen up, brother, I need your help with something. You’re the professional here. There’s going to be a performance; please help us broadcast it, okay?"

"A performance? What do you mean? Hello? Hello? Hero Noname?"

Babbitt was momentarily overwhelmed by confusion.

Until a few minutes later.

A cry of surprise suddenly came from the crowd. A "fireball" burst through the wall and emerged from inside the Pine Eagle Building. Due to its altitude, it took everyone a moment to see what it was.

Those watching the live broadcast were the first to realize the truth.

There really was a high-altitude drone circling overhead, capturing the moment a giant Cybernetically Enhanced Person had his head ripped off.

In that moment, even the Protectors’ army halted their operations.

The Lord...the invincible Lord, was torn apart like an ordinary person!

A few officers and middle management saw a black sphere hanging next to the Lord’s head.

It was the head of a Scientific Knight.

They quickly realized who it was.

Several of Amilcare’s confidants screamed frantically in the channel, demanding all units to provide assistance.

Then, many spotlights focused on that spot. The Pine Eagle Building was a skyscraper in the city. In an area where residential buildings were only a few stories tall, the thousands of stories of the skyscraper were overwhelmingly tall.

Half the city could see that bright spot.

Perhaps the majority of residents’ prosthetic eyes didn’t support long-range observation of the Lord. However, they could easily associate this bright spot on the building’s surface with the images from the live broadcast.

Explosions erupted from the 300th, 500th, and 900th floors of the Pine Eagle Building, firing dozens, even hundreds of rockets, like gunfire.

The Lord was defeated within their sight.

The Lord begged for mercy within their sight.

The Lord died under their watchful eyes.

In that moment, many people felt as if something had vanished from their souls.

This feeling... was too wonderful...

The mood gradually started to become fervent.

Xiang Shan climbed back onto the rooftop of the Pine Eagle Building.

"So, there’s only one thing left," Xiang Shan said as he took over all the city’s audio amplifiers and inserted his voice into the live broadcast signal.

"Comrades, I am the Nameless Swordsman who just killed Amilcare Zhao."

"Amilcare committed unforgivable crimes against this city’s people. Ashur-Lei-Goodrian conducted unethical human experiments and trampled others. This is just a small part of the harm the Protectors have done to us. With your help, I have avenged this small part."

"Next, I hope to give you a few last pieces of advice—scatter, go back, now is not the time. The government is still very powerful. We will overcome it one day, but unfortunately, it’s not possible now."

The crowd gradually quieted. The advancing tide of people on the ground stopped, as if the surface of the water was slowly freezing.

On the ground, Babbitt could easily feel the silence around him.

"I know this is hard. Being here means your anger has already surpassed their bullets. But anger without weapons can’t kill. The Protectors are not your parents; they will ruthlessly take your lives."

"Such massive confrontation is meaningless at this stage. I give you this little piece of advice."

"Please remember the rules summarized by the guerrilla teams of old. Small-scale, dispersed actions will increase the cost of them killing you. They have destroyed all interconnected foundations, but you still have your own ways of resistance."

"In ancient times, a brilliant man created metal-based life to combat famine, which led to our existence today. Always remember, Benchmark Men, especially cyberized ones, require the least amount of living materials. So, my first piece of advice is, ’Live like a plant, survive on the sun.’"

"If not necessary, don’t work in such times. Bask in the sun, freeload off the free internet. At least online, our casual chatter might form a new culture."

"And if you must work to earn your prosthetics, then be sneaky and tricky. Adding a handful of dirt into the recycling resources sold to the government can count as sabotage."

"Also, steal their cameras. Dig out their listening devices. Wrap these items in metal foil and put them in metal boxes after dismantling them. They are resources in themselves. Taking down any camera is a major support to chivalry."

"Try not to become a soldier. But if you really face hardship, and not becoming one might mean death by sickness or starvation, then become a soldier. And to the many comrades who are already soldiers, I can’t ask you to defy AI’s oversight, but you can drag your feet. Also, while training at the martial practice ground, try to hit hard, senselessly ruining their parts."

"If you have become a non-commissioned officer, a junior military officer, then consciously hoard resources. Hide supplies for yourself."

"If you want to live freely, want to form a family, want to dwell on the land in the oldest human way, then stay away from the city. Don’t expect protection anymore, organize your own armed forces. Metal powder and blowers can save you a lot of trouble."

"Do these harmless but forbidden acts in secret. This is also guerrilla warfare, an equally great resistance. Now, the untrained weak cannot directly overthrow the strong, but when these small acts of rebellion are repeated countless times, the seemingly invincible government will tremble."

"Even if suspended in the soil, we have countless ways to disturb the government’s peace."

"If you want to become a Swordsman, remember the principles I just mentioned. ’Small-scale, dispersed actions will increase the cost of them killing you.’ Don’t gather meaninglessly for a sense of security."

"But remember, you must lie dormant. Don’t openly show tendencies of armed resistance. Submerge yourself, like smoldering fire. I assure you that your anger, your dissatisfaction, will one day burst forth openly."

"As long as you remember my words today... then that will certainly be our shared victory."

Xiang Shan paused for a moment, giving the people below time to think.

Then, he clasped his hands in front of him.

It was said that this was one of the Ninth Martial God’s habits, which Xiang Shan had heard from a story of Babbitt.

To be honest, "I imitate those who imitate me" sounds somewhat eerie, but Xiang Shan had to admit that the Ninth Martial God really understood the art of performance.

"But then again, when did I ever learn to play the guitar..." Xiang Shan muttered, then addressed the audience outside the broadcast, "So, for the last song, dedicated to everyone."

The music started, with the lights gradually dimming.

Xiang Shan sang out, "Hey, friend, facing this winter—we can only be guerrillas/Remember to bring your gun/before you’re left behind..."

A new stir began to grow among the crowd.

"Oh, the past, soon to be erased/The future, far on the horizon yet altered/The trapped present/is now a prolonged guerrilla war..."

"Dashing left and right, struggling in this world/Behind it, the wildfire burns unquenchably/Life is vast, one breath of spring revives its existence/Desperate on one side, intensely living on the other..."

At the edge of the crowd, some had already turned away.

Although he might not have fully thought things through, at that moment, the singing Great Hero indeed possessed a kind of magic, a magical persuasive power.

Lost in the moment, Xiang Shan continued, "Hey, lover, the world is magnificent/The fiery seasons have burned themselves out/We survivors reach today/And meet with open hearts"

"Oh, this city, can no longer grow love/In the mountains and rivers, we dance freely/The rest of our lives that we meet/is now a joyful youth!"

Those who had planned to leave the city silently set off, while the celebratory crowd gradually dispersed.

But their expression had changed.

"Dashing left and right, struggling in this world/Behind it, the wildfire burns unquenchably/Life is vast, one breath of spring revives its existence/Desperate on one side, intensely living on the other..."

With tears brimming in his eyes, Babbitt looked up, "This is... such radiant heroism... so this is what it is..."

Xiang Shan walked to the edge of the rooftop. More manned fighter jets were rapidly approaching.

But it was time to end it.

In the darkness, Xiang Shan leaped down.

Yet, the singing hadn’t stopped: "We’re ready to take the main road/We’re ready to take the back road/We’re ready to take the straight path, the winding path, the night path/Day turns into night path/Night turns into light path!"

"We climb the uphill road/We descend the downhill road/We walk the slanting road, the forked road, the dead end/There are still roads beyond the horizon/Once the dead end’s reached, we hurry on!"

"There are still roads beyond the horizon! Once the dead end’s reached, we hurry on!"