Chapter 175: Hero Meeting

Before the official meeting began, the division chief gave the heroes some time to review the documents.

“This matter is of great importance, so I ask everyone to carefully read through these materials. We’ll formulate a response plan based on the information afterward,” the division chief said, indicating the seriousness of the situation.

The materials distributed to everyone were printed in color, and they contained the most confidential information that the Star Alliance had gathered so far. These documents hadn’t been made public yet and were classified as top-secret.

As always, Lin Xinyan was thorough in her approach. She read the materials word by word, her expression growing heavier with each passing moment. By the end, she was completely shocked. Of course, she wasn’t the only one; other heroes showed similar reactions, including S-rank hero Wind Fether.

Heroes like Jing Xin and Black Dragon didn’t show much change in their expressions, but their usual ease had given way to a more serious demeanor.

The room grew tense as everyone focused on the task at hand.

However, there was one exception–Shi Ji. He was as relaxed as ever, not affected by the gravity of the situation. After a quick skim, he had grasped the general idea and didn’t find the information particularly concerning.

“Chief, are these documents accurate?” A-rank hero Dark Moon asked, his face stern.

In response, the division chief gestured for someone to turn on the large electronic screen in the meeting room.

He stepped aside as a massive detection chart appeared on the screen. The resolution was high, and the data presented was crystal clear, allowing everyone to see the details with precision.

All eyes in the room shifted toward the electronic display simultaneously.

“The situation has changed far beyond our expectations, heroes,” the division chief began. “This will be the largest disaster Yinshuang City has ever faced. After a joint investigation by the Alliance and the Alien Survey Center, we have confirmed the presence of a massive energy source one kilometer beneath the city. The detected energy levels are extremely high, surpassing the threshold for Devil-class monsters by more than double. At this point, we cannot rule out the possibility of a Devil-class alien appearing.”

Historically, the highest-level anomaly seen in Yinshuang City was at the peak Spirit-class, such as Tisila, which appeared not long ago. 

Fortunately, Tisla was successfully stopped, minimizing the damage. But for the people of Yinshuang, a Devil-class aberration was something they’d never even heard of. Records show that Devil-class aberrations were most common during the early stages of the Great Cataclysm. As time passed, mentions of such powerful creatures became almost non-existent.

In today’s world, Devil-class aberrations were exceedingly rare. Even in the most advanced city of Xiyu, there had never been a recorded encounter with one.

The division chief kept his words measured, but based on the known data, the appearance of a Devil-class aberration was already a near certainty.

Since the five S-rank heroes had already been briefed in a prior meeting, they were less shaken. However, for the A-rank heroes, the confirmation of this news brought shock and an overwhelming sense of pressure.

Yinshuang City’s pool of heroes was limited, and their overall strength wasn’t particularly high. Facing a disaster of this scale might prove to be too much for them.

After hearing the news, the heroes were already shaken. If this information were to leak out to the public, it would throw Yinshuang City into complete chaos, leading to its collapse without a fight.

Perhaps to ease the tension, the division chief said, “I’ve already reported the situation to headquarters. They’re currently formulating a plan, and heroes from the main office will be dispatched to assist Yinshuang soon. Please try not to feel too much pressure.”

This reassurance did help ease the tension among the heroes somewhat.

At that moment, Alloy raised a question.

“Chief, I have a question. Since there’s a confirmed threat of a Devil-class aberration in Yinshuang, what about the X-rank hero? I hope you can answer this seriously. Yesterday’s events hinted at the existence of an X-rank hero, but no one actually saw them. I imagine the Star Alliance knows more about this, right?”

The recent halt in the aberrations’ attacks was largely due to rumors of the X-rank hero. For aberrations, the influence of an X-rank hero was, in many ways, even more significant than for humanity itself.

In past battles against Devil-class aberrations, it was almost always an X-rank hero who led the charge. The existence of an X-rank hero was a beacon of hope and protection.

Alloy’s question caught everyone’s attention, and they all looked toward the division chief.

It wasn’t that they were too scared to act without an X-rank hero’s leadership, but they wanted a clear answer to solidify their resolve.

Facing the collective gaze, the division chief hesitated for a moment before finally deciding not to hide the truth any longer.

“This… is actually what I planned to share with you today. I’ve just received word from headquarters. Of the remaining X-rank heroes in the world, none have been confirmed to be in Yinshuang at this time.”

After the truth was revealed, the room remained surprisingly calm.

Hong Yao crossed his arms, looking naturally relaxed, but the muscles on his arms and chest were fully flexed. With firm conviction, he said, “We don’t necessarily need an X-rank hero to protect Yinshuang. I believe if we all work together, we can get through this crisis.”

Equilibrium nodded in agreement. “That’s right. I hope no one here feels too much pressure. Let’s give it our all.”

This sentiment was echoed by many others. They exchanged glances and nodded in response.

Shi Ji agreed with this. If their resolve was worn down even before the battle began, they didn’t deserve to be called heroes.

The division chief was also pleased, smiling at the collective resolve in the room.

But just as everyone was rallying behind Hong Yao’s statement, a dissenting voice cut through the room.

“Are you all underestimating the Devil-class aberration? In past battles against such enemies, the majority were led by X-rank heroes. And in cases without an X-rank hero, we had the support of high-powered modern weapons. Here, in the middle of the city, those so-called modern weapons are useless. You all better be prepared and not just assume you’re so powerful or unbeatable. Don’t think that just because of your strength, you can actually defeat a Devil-class aberration. You’re like frogs at the bottom of a well. Completely short-sighted.”

At a moment when morale was high, someone suddenly poured cold water on the group. It rubbed everyone the wrong way. Not only did the heroes feel irritated, but even the division chief looked displeased, casting his gaze toward Blade.

Blade continued, “Aside from myself, Jing Xin, and Black Dragon, has anyone here ever fought a Devil-class aberration?”

No sooner had Blade finished speaking than a burst of laughter echoed through the room.

“Haha! Don’t act so high and mighty. I’ve fought Devil-class too. Am I bragging about it?”