Meteor Fall Master in the 'Starry Abyss'
Chapter 440: Leap over the Dome

Chapter 440: Leap over the Dome

Affected by the centrifugal force generated by the fortress’s own rotation, the thin upper atmosphere rubbed against the electrically charged particle defense field system "Dome," creating a light purple halo. To the people on the surface of Valenkov, it looked more like the sky had been painted purple.

This was the night in Valenkov, with the purple sky tinged with a hint of crimson. If one looked closely, they could also notice the laser storm bursting forth from the Voloshitov front two light-years away—the light of their defeat from two years ago only now reaching people’s eyes.

Li Aozi and Nikita walked shoulder to shoulder, heading straight for the main entrance.

The cold wind whipped up the dust from the ground, and even near the bustling area of the Merlot Building in Valenkov, the scene was nearly desolate. Even the placards from demonstrations had been looted, and abandoned police cars and eastern artillery emplacements had been thoroughly ransacked.

"So we just walk in like this?" Li Aozi asked curiously.

"The Merlot Building is divided into an inner and an outer part, the inner being where the high command’s leaders reside, and the outer being the public office spaces. But well..."

Nikita explained as he led Li Aozi into the outer building. The lobby was already filled with tents of protesting crowds, and the air was thick with the smell of excrement, food, and sweat. In short, it was the smell of poverty.

Women and children huddled together, fighting over the government’s warmth and electricity. Power strips and wires were haphazardly connected, and Li Aozi and Nikita had almost no room to step, a situation that was even more impassable than the dampest trenches and the most barb-wired battlefields.

"If there were a fire, everyone would be done for," Li Aozi assessed.

"Hard to believe, right?" Nikita said self-mockingly. "Kalmetz has taken a patient and weak stance towards the people, refusing to deploy the military police and security to maintain order. He thinks doing so will earn him the support of the citizens since he is the child of a doctor and a lawyer, thinking too ideally in some respects."

"If morality were effective, then what would be the use of law?" Li Aozi sneered. "Order has always been maintained by force. The rights of the citizens come from the collective mutual aid; uncontrolled freedom only breeds a mob."

As they talked, another robbery and brawl occurred.

"Kalmetz is trying to make the country better; we all know that."

Nikita spoke with a complicated tone:

"But if kindness can overcome the law and rationality, isn’t that in itself a trampling of human nature?"

"Who knows? At least you should be grateful. I’ve seen planets just as disorderly and chaotic—at least you have the sun," Li Aozi joked, but Nikita was not in a light mood.

They took a detour, and Nikita led him to an electrical room, secretly altering a part of the circuitry. Then they took an elevator down to a sewage treatment pool. The previously shutdown circuits stopped the electrostatic filters from operating, allowing them to pass through the pipelines smoothly. After many twists and turns, they officially reached the inner part of the building.

Nikita was surprised that Li Aozi didn’t complain at all about the detour and was actively cooperating, using "Spacetime Ripple" to help retrieve some items and tools separated by wall plates and doors.

Li Aozi’s practiced manner prompted Nikita to complain:

"Why do I feel like you know this place better than I do? Do you really need me?"

"I would be too slow on my own, and ’Spacetime Ripple’ is not only noisy but also likely to be detected by gravitational wave detectors. With your help, we can reduce the risk by half."

"So it’s for insurance, huh?"

Nikita chuckled:

"You’re not so boring, Leoz."

"I once thought that I could ignore some objective facts due to my own ability and experience, which resulted in my teammates’ deaths."

Li Aozi did not respond directly.

"Who hasn’t made mistakes?" Nikita replied while operating the elevator, "Only gods do not err, and if they do, it must be due to a lack of strength; that’s why people yearn to become gods."

"The spots for the Pathway are limited—out of trillions of Layer Abyss creatures, only several hundred million are qualified to become gods. Believing in becoming a god is even less likely than winning the lottery."

Li Aozi and Nikita chatted casually, their actions flawless as they quickly infiltrated the inner building.

The scene here was not much better than the lower levels; the walls were damaged and nobody even bothered to repair them. The guards on duty looked grim, and Nikita even saw administrative staff forced to work overtime secretly wiping away tears.

They stealthily made their way, with Nikita leading, avoiding all security cameras without any conflicts arising.

"They have it tough too," Nikita said softly, "Let’s try to avoid conflicts with them as much as possible."

"You and I will split up," Li Aozi handed over the pre-prepared hacker program to Nikita, "Go and bring out Merlie Dunwei, the second daughter. We’ll meet at the top. The escape ship is just above."

"Wait a moment!"

Nikita accepted the chip, glanced behind, then turned back to Li Aozi, "If you’re going to deal with Kalmetz, it’s best to gather some of his unsavory comments and have the hacker maliciously edit them."

"What’s the point of that?"

"The outside world doesn’t understand anything, they just know that ruthless mercenaries killed a good person." Nikita said complexly, "Tarnishing his image a bit will make it easier for Valenkov’s people to accept."

Li Aozi fell silent.

"Even if he has achieved nothing and has dragged the country into the Abyss?"

"A mediocre leader and a foolish one are not the same."

[Task Updated: Extra Branch—"End-of-Life Care"]

[Settlement Conditions—Forge a negative portrayal of Kalmetz and disseminate it in the future.]

[Reward: Skills [Frame-up]]

—That’s why I’m seeking you out, Nikita.

For characters with [Charm] as the main attribute, the essentials are a trio: persuasion, charm, and frame-up.

Lying requires [Intelligence], but these three non-combat skills benefit purely from [Charm].

Early-stage players can also engage in framing, but without the skills, it’s not very efficient.

Nikita here can reliably acquire the [Frame-up] skill. Not only that, his son-in-law Julian will also offer a very useful non-combat skill.

Of course, that’s not something he could say out loud.

"Alright then."

Li Aozi activated his optical invisibility and vanished.

Instead of first raiding the children, he headed straight for the office of Valenkov’s supreme leader.