Under Han Xingqian’s dispelling effect, the saccharification infection on Bai Chunian and Lan Bo vanished. A single pristine white feather now floated above each of their heads.
Lan Bo discarded the riot shield and was promptly grabbed around the waist by Bai Chunian, who flung him back behind the vine wall before vaulting in himself. Once they were safely inside, Bi Lanxing drove the vines to seal every gap, completely isolating them from the pastry chef.
The strain on Bi Lanxing was immense. He leaned against the vines, taking a moment to steady himself, barely managing to stay upright.
Throughout the entire battle, the team had relied on him to generate vines and control positioning. While observing the constantly shifting battlefield, he had to react instantly and keep track of every teammate’s condition. A single mistake could cost someone their life. Under that level of operational intensity and mental pressure, the toll on him was enormous.
Lu Yan had been carried down from the opposite side of the building by the vines. Dusting himself off, he squeezed through the crowd and rushed to the regroup point. Drawing a small amount of soothing pheromones from his gland, he pressed it toward Bi Lanxing to ease his fatigue.
“I don’t have much left either… I need to save some for my M2 ability later, but I’ll give you what I can.”
“This won’t work. You’re burning through too much energy—if this drags on, our coordination will fall apart.” Lu Yan pulled the hem from his waistband and wiped the blood and glass fragments off Bi Lanxing’s arm. “Next, I’ll move toward the vine anchor points and go down along the vines. It’ll save some stamina.”
“I’ve got it.” Bi Lanxing tucked the dirty hem back into Lu Yan’s waistband, then slumped to the ground to rest. He looked up at Bai Chunian. “Brother Chu, what’s the plan? Do we keep dragging it out?”
“The Pastry Chef’s companion ability doesn’t just wear down willpower—it can also drain an enemy’s stamina and convert it for his own use. He’s recovered again.” Han Xingqian dropped from the top of the vines, gliding lightly to the ground. Using his J1 ability, Stamina Reset, he restored his teammates’ gland energy.
With the replenishment, the pallor from Bi Lanxing’s overexertion faded, and color returned to his face.
The bandages wrapped around Lan Bo had been burned through in several places. The wrapping on the back of his hand had come loose, strips dangling at his side and exposing a pale forearm.
Near his elbow, a few scattered blue scales had been damaged, revealing tender pink flesh beneath. Lan Bo didn’t make a sound. He simply licked the wounds a couple of times, tore off a strip of bandage, held one end in his teeth, and wound it tightly around the injury.
“You okay?” Bai Chunian asked.
“I’m fine.” Lan Bo bit down on the bandage and pulled it tight. “That lousy bug’s getting cocky. Figure out a way to drag him into the sea—I’ll deal with him.”
“He can fly. Once he gets loose, we might not be able to control him. If he escapes, it’s over.” Bai Chunian took an alcohol swab from the med kit and pressed it against the areas where Lan Bo had lost scales. “My wounds heal. If your scales fall off, they won’t look good.”
“They’ll grow back if you kiss them.” Lan Bo grinned carelessly, spreading his fish tail for him to disinfect the injured spots.
Once that was done, Bai Chunian finally had time to strap on the watch Lan Bo had handed him earlier. He turned to Du Mo. “If we capture the Pastry Chef alive, can we take him back with us?”
Du Mo tightened his grip on his gun, suppressing his anger as he spoke as calmly as he could. “Take a good look. This is a prison, not a daycare. He killed my colleagues—and inmates of our international facility.”
“Ah, understood.” Bai Chunian raised an eyebrow slightly. “My condolences.”
“This approach won’t work. We need a new plan.” Bai Chunian observed the Pastry Chef from afar. The giant bee had landed on a building, feeding on melted syrup.
As the syrup was absorbed into his body, the Pastry Chef’s damaged wings slowly began to repair.
“Han, strip it.”
Han Xingqian beat his wings, and a feather glowing with holy light drifted above the Pastry Chef’s head. In an instant, the colorful syrup coating his wings lost its color, and the damaged areas stopped regenerating.
Helicopters from the police detachment continuously launched grenades at him, forcing the Pastry Chef to keep moving. Unable to land, he circled rooftop after rooftop, weaving through the mangled buildings and steadily exhausting his stamina.
“Looks like gland damage is affecting him after all.” Bai Chunian considered briefly. “Lu Yan, approach from behind. Lanxing, be ready with vine armor at all times.”
“Got it.”
The two moved at once, vaulting over the vine shield wall. Vines surged and twisted across the ground, growing upward as Lu Yan nimbly stepped from one rising foothold to the next, closing in on the Pastry Chef.
The giant bee sensed the rapidly approaching danger and whipped around. His M2 ability, Honeyed Radiance, was cast on Lu Yan once more.
“Han, cleanse it. Lu Yan, don’t fall back—keep moving. Draw him away from the buildings.”
A white feather descended onto Lu Yan’s head at just the right moment. A soft sacred glow enveloped him, dispelling the sugar-corruption effect.
With a furious buzz, the Pastry Chef charged straight at Lu Yan. His blade-like wings sliced toward Lu Yan’s waist without hesitation.
“Lanxing, toxic vine armor—don’t cover the whole body. Focus on the torso. Xiao Xun, take this chance to find high ground—above the level of his nape.”
A layer of hardened, incredibly tough vine armor wrapped around Lu Yan’s torso. The Pastry Chef carved an arc through the air, his wing-blades slashing across Lu Yan’s body. Sparks burst where the blade met the armor.
The heavy impact sent a shock of pain through Lu Yan’s ribs—his internal organs felt rattled. Clutching his side, he kept drawing the Pastry Chef’s attention. Taking advantage of the opening, Xiao Xun had already climbed to the rooftop where the Pastry Chef had previously landed—the highest point in the entire area—with his sniper rifle.
But unexpectedly, the Pastry Chef abruptly changed direction and flew straight toward Xiao Xun, launching Honeyed Radiance again. Anyone struck by it—unless they outranked him—would eventually be corroded to death by the syrup.
“Han, cover Xiao Xun. Lanxing, move Lu Yan into the collapsed building at one o’clock.”
A feather drifted above Xiao Xun’s head, neutralizing the sugar infection just in time.
Xiao Xun exhaled softly, scanning for the Pastry Chef through his scope.
At this point, Xiao Xun and Lu Yan had formed intersecting lines of fire, with Xiao Xun holding the high ground.
“Xiao Xun, tag the back of his neck with a tracking round,” Bai Chunian ordered.
“Copy.” Xiao Xun pulled the trigger without hesitation. A sniper round tore through the air and struck the Pastry Chef’s nape. A square red targeting reticle appeared there—his M2 ability, Hunter’s Recall Lock, sharing the target’s position with allies.
Lu Yan wasn’t skilled in long-range shooting, but with Xiao Xun’s shared targeting, his weapon’s aim would be corrected accordingly. With trajectory adjustments from the universal dashboard, as long as his hands didn’t shake, even blind, he could land perfect bullseyes.
Training a sniper took immense time and resources—not to mention how rare true talent was. But Xiao Xun’s sharing ability could elevate every shooter in the squad to a sniper’s level of accuracy.
In most teams, members specialize, each investing the most training time into their own strengths, which inevitably creates weaknesses elsewhere. But if everyone’s shooting accuracy is raised to one hundred percent, then under a system of specialization, the entire squad effectively becomes a unit of snipers—a level of elite configuration few teams could ever hope to achieve.
Bai Chunian narrowed his eyes. “Focus fire on the gland. Lan Bo—drag him down.”
A dense barrage of bullets locked onto the Pastry Chef’s nape with sniper precision. Round after round slammed into the vital point, the repeated impacts driving him into agony as he struggled downward, dropping meter by meter.
When he fell to about ten meters above the ground, Bai Chunian shoved Lan Bo forward. Using the force from Bai Chunian’s steel-hardened palm, Lan Bo launched upward in a sudden burst. His tail coiled tightly around the Pastry Chef’s body like a cable, lightning crackling across both of them.
Wracked by the electric shock, the Pastry Chef went berserk, dragging Lan Bo as he crashed wildly through the ruins of the buildings. Clinging to his neck, Lan Bo pulled back and slammed a heavy punch into the bee’s compound eye.
The pain drove the Pastry Chef mad. He shook his head violently and, with all his strength, activated his M2 ability, Honeyed Radiance. This time, the sugar infection struck Xiao Xun and Bi Lanxing.
Han Xingqian beat his wings, whipping up a gale. Two white feathers descended onto Xiao Xun and Bi Lanxing, neutralizing the infection just in time.
By now, two pristine feathers had already stacked above Xiao Xun’s head.
Each time the Pastry Chef used Honeyed Radiance, he also triggered his companion ability, Gingerbread House. Anyone splashed by the syrup would fall into hallucinations and lose the will to resist, while he absorbed enough energy from them to sustain his next activation.
That was why every time Han Xingqian used Sky Cavalry Wings, he also placed a feather on the Pastry Chef—cleansing allies while stripping away the enemy’s buffs.
After three cleanses, the feathers would detonate.
Now, three long, snow-white feathers had stacked above the Pastry Chef’s head.
“Lan Bo, disengage,” Bai Chunian ordered. “Han—detonate.”
The three feathers swelled at once, transforming from soft, drifting plumes into rigid, blade-like forms aligned toward the Pastry Chef’s body. With a sharp whistling cry, they shot forward like swords, piercing through him in succession before erupting in a thunderous explosion.
The Pastry Chef’s already shattered body burst apart into a storm of scattered feathers, drifting down from the sky.
Watching the disoriented bee above, Bai Chunian said calmly, “Lan Bo. Kill him.”
Clinging to the side of a collapsed building, Lan Bo heard the command through his communicator. Blue electricity surged through his body as he leapt, latching firmly onto the Pastry Chef. Black, claw-like nails extended rapidly from his fingers, sinking deep into the bee’s flesh. His long tail coiled viciously around him, tightening with a metallic creak, while high-voltage currents hissed and sparked across his body.
“It hurts…” The Pastry Chef let out a shrill, agonized cry as multicolored syrup burst from his body, splattering indiscriminately toward everyone.
His M2 ability, Honeyed Radiance, began cycling targets, draining the last trace of energy from his gland. With spiteful desperation, he smeared every person present with the viscous, corrosive syrup. Experimental subjects in the terminal stage often exhibited self-destructive tendencies before death—dragging everyone down with them. That had been the original purpose behind their creation as special combat weapons.
“Not good. Han—full cleanse. I’ll cover Xiao Xun,” Bai Chunian said sharply.
Han Xingqian spread his wings again. This time, a feather symbolizing purification and protection appeared above everyone within range, nullifying the Pastry Chef’s final, desperate strike.
Bai Chunian had to monitor the entire battlefield, calculating each teammate’s condition—including the number of feathers stacked after every cleanse. Vaulting over the vine wall, he climbed the high-rise with agile speed, rushing toward Xiao Xun, who now had three feathers stacked above him.
Once three feathers accumulated, they would inevitably detonate within a set time—regardless of friend or foe. It was the only drawback of that powerful ability. Even the mutated Pastry Chef had been left reeling by the blast—there was no way a human M2-level teenager like Xiao Xun could withstand it.
Just as Bai Chunian was two meters away from reaching him, a white wing suddenly filled his vision.
Han Xingqian got there first, pulling Xiao Xun into his arms. His wings folded inward, wrapping tightly around him.
“Go control the Pastry Chef,” Han Xingqian said, pushing Bai Chunian out of the blast radius. If Bai Chunian’s gland were injured while the Pastry Chef still lived, the rest of the fight would become dangerously uncertain.
The three feather-blades detonated against Han Xingqian’s wings. Feathers exploded into the air, and the triple blast tore his wing manifestation apart.
A pegasus’s wings and horn were manifestations born from excess energy—massive proliferation of gland cells. Damage to the wings was equivalent to damage to the gland itself. As his wings vanished, Han Xingqian pressed down on his bleeding gland, supporting Xiao Xun with one hand as Bi Lanxing’s vines guided them safely down from the high-rise.
At the same time, a water-forged steel dagger appeared in Lan Bo’s hand. He drove it viciously into the Pastry Chef’s heart.
“Blasyi kimo.”
Bai Chunian leapt down from the building, landing with one foot on the Pastry Chef’s nape, forcing him to crash heavily to the ground from midair.
The bee-like manifestation across the Pastry Chef’s body receded partially. Half his face remained that of a bee, the other half human—pitiful and horrifying.
The police finished loading their grenade launchers. A rain of shells fell upon him. Without his gland, the Pastry Chef was no longer resilient. When the smoke cleared, only several charred, broken limbs remained scattered on the ground.
Yet he was not dead.
With shattered wings, he clung to life. Only one arm still moved, dragging his ruined body across the ground.
With great effort, he lifted his head. The half of his face that had reverted to human was streaked with tears as he crawled toward Bai Chunian.
“I… met so many people… they all said I was wrong… I thought… maybe I added too much sugar… not enough salt…”
His voice was hoarse, threaded with the faint buzz of bee wings. “So… I tried hard to learn how to make food… desserts… taste good… I thought that was the right thing… Now I understand… turns out… even the way I walk… is wrong… breathing is wrong… opening my eyes… is wrong…”
He reached out with his only remaining hand and grasped Bai Chunian’s fingers.
“Begging you to save me… is wrong too…”
A notification appeared on the watch strapped to Bai Chunian’s wrist—a message from Reptile:
“The Pastry Chef’s name is Xin Yuan. I just found it from the bakery where he used to work part-time.”
Bai Chunian crouched down, took his hand, and said softly, “This isn’t the outcome I wanted. I’m sorry.”
“….” The Pastry Chef sobbed, then slowly smiled.
His damaged skin began to take on a glassy sheen, twisting and shrinking as it dehydrated, turning translucent. In Bai Chunian’s hand, he diminished into a single glass bead.
Held up to the light, it looked like a piece of pink strawberry quartz—clear, yet fractured within.
People stood stiffly amid the wreckage. Helicopters from the PBB and the police headquarters arrived on-site, beginning rescue operations for staff and inmates trapped in the collapsed buildings.
Eyes red, Du Mo organized the prison guards to recover the bodies of colleagues who had died in the battle. Meanwhile, Bai Chunian crouched in the open space, picking up the Pastry Chef’s scattered remains, gathering them into the fold of his shirt.
Lan Bo walked over and sat beside him quietly. His tail circled the area—and Bai Chunian—keeping others from disturbing him.
“Everyone grieves for their own kind. There’s nothing strange about that,” Bai Chunian said instead, as if comforting him. “I’ve seen worse than this.”
Lan Bo sighed softly. “If it were in the sea, he wouldn’t have died. I would’ve caught him.”
“Ah, no—it’s not that he died.” Still crouched on the ground, Bai Chunian picked up a slender finger, wiped off the dirt and blood, and dropped it into the fold of his shirt. “It’s that we would’ve died.”