Chapter 20: Anna's Unexpected Truth

"Shut up, let's fight.”

Leo, who had always been seen as the hero, was now showing an impatient expression, facing off against Alex. It was clear how much Anna meant to him; he was pushed to his limits.

"Alright..."

But Alex wasn’t scared in the slightest, because he was no longer the "weak spoiled kid" he used to be. The tension between them was about to erupt.

"Enough!"

Anna's cold voice interrupted the standoff. She stared at both of them and coldly continued:

"We’re not back at Rockhill Valley yet. Stop causing trouble!"

Leo was clearly dissatisfied, standing up and walking away. Alex also stood up to leave, but Anna called out to him:

"I’ll be on the roof, waiting for you."

Alex was surprised, but also pleased that Anna would主动 reach out to him. It seemed like this rescue mission had really changed her opinion of him...

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Later that night, the stars adorned the sky beautifully. A glowing Milky Way stretched across the night, and Anna stood on the rooftop, her hands on her hips, gazing up at the stars.

"So beautiful... This is the first time I've ever seen such a gorgeous night sky... So this is the Milky Way..."

Alex, arriving just after her, marveled at the view, as this was the first time he'd been on the ground and actually seen the stars.

Anna, still gazing at the stars, slowly spoke:

"...The only comfort during the battles with those machines was looking at the stars, because... that's when you realize how vast this universe is, and that sacrifices mean nothing... This is my gift to you, for saving me."

She glanced at Alex, and for the first time, showed a rare, faint smile. Alex felt elated, as this was the first time Anna had ever smiled at him.

Standing beside her, Alex was overjoyed that this trip hadn’t been in vain. He'd managed to touch Anna's heart. Though he felt an urge to hug her, he held back, wanting to remain a gentleman and not rush this moment.

They stood there quietly, watching the Milky Way shimmer in the night sky...

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A while later, Anna suddenly sighed and said:

"Alright... I’ve seen the Milky Way. I don't owe you anything anymore... Let’s go back inside."

Her words left Alex confused. He didn’t understand what she meant by "I don't owe you anything," and the way Anna turned to leave was strange. He called after her.

"Anna! What’s wrong? Did I do something wrong?"

Alex wanted to explain himself, but Anna didn’t seem interested in talking. Without turning around, she replied:

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"I can see how hard you’re trying to make me like you... But I’m sorry, it’s just not going to happen."

Alex was still confused and desperately tried to reason with her.

"What did I do wrong? You can tell me, I can change!"

Anna remained indifferent, her expression unreadable. After a sigh, she finally spoke:

"After we return to Rockhill Valley, I’m getting married."

Anna dropped a bombshell that left Alex stunned. He stood frozen in place, not knowing what to say...

He couldn’t process why things had turned out like this...

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At dawn, Chad led the team through the winding country road. Today, they were heading back to Rockhill Valley. Everyone was in high spirits, except for Alex, who walked with a serious and thoughtful expression.

In fact, the day before, he had asked Anna one last question:

"Who are you marrying? Is it Leo?"

Anna had stayed silent for a while, not answering, and then walked away.

Now, as Alex walked at the back of the group, his mind was preoccupied with this question, feeling downcast.

Suddenly, Chad, the team leader, stopped in his tracks and raised his hand, signaling everyone to stop.

"...Shh, don't make a sound..."

Chad seemed to sense something was off—a low-frequency hum that made him think there might be mechanical units nearby. Leo and Anna also sensed something was wrong, quickly raising their guns in defense.

Gradually, the low-frequency noise filled the air, and everyone took out their guns, ready for whatever might happen.

"Ahh!!"

A scream echoed through the air as a mechanical tentacle, out of nowhere, emerged from the grass and dragged Blenda away. The team immediately rushed to her rescue, and several of them managed to grab hold of her. Leo, Anna, and Chad fired at the mechanical tentacle, and after a brief struggle, they managed to sever the tentacle and rescue Blenda.

"Watch out!"

Chad shouted just as the ground trembled. Dust and debris flew as several mechanical creatures crawled out from the ground, surrounding them. To their horror, six 4-meter-tall mechanical squids emerged.

It turned out these mechanical squids had been lying in wait for the team, planning to ambush them.

The mechanical squids spread out their terrifying tentacles, launching the first wave of attacks, thrusting their appendages out, trying to grab anyone they could. The group scattered to avoid the attacks, but with no way out, they could only fight back with everything they had.

Bullets flew back and forth in the chaotic battle.

In the confusion, Shirley was the first to be caught by a tentacle and was dragged away.

"Help! Someone, please!"

The others could do nothing but watch as the fragile Shirley was taken. She was pulled high into the air, heading straight toward a nearby human capture cage.

Suddenly, the tentacle holding Shirley was pulled back by an invisible force, stopping it from throwing her into the cage.

It was Alex, who had arrived just in time, using his right hand to channel his air powers and lock onto the tentacle.

With control over the air, Alex forced the mechanical parts of the tentacle to malfunction, causing it to release Shirley. He leapt forward and caught her as she fell.

"...Thank you!"

Shirley said with wide eyes, wanting to express her gratitude to Alex. But before they could catch their breath, the mechanical squids launched another attack. Alex had no choice but to grab Shirley and run, with the mechanical squids' tentacles hot on their heels.

Alex ran through the fields with Shirley in tow, unable to shake off the relentless pursuit of the mechanical squid's tentacles. In his mind, he thought:

"Damn it, this isn’t going to work!... I need to think of something!"

Alex brought Shirley back to where the rest of the group was. By this point, the mechanical squids had begun to gain the upper hand. Chad, Leo, and Anna were nearly out of bullets, and the others had already used up all theirs. The mechanical squids were slowly closing in, tightening their encirclement. If no other solution came soon, everyone would be captured.

"There’s no other choice… I have to use 'it'!"

Alex, with no other options left, knew that the only way to save everyone now was by using his second air boost. Reluctantly, he decided it was time to use the precious power he'd been saving.