Lakan's face registered pure shock as he surveyed the dozens of identical figures surrounding him. He had just been thinking that if such afterimages could be multiplied, they would surely constitute an incredible finishing move; the reality of it was genuinely exhilarating.

"Then, let the show begin..." It seemed twenty-seven was the limit for Lin Luo. When the manifestation of afterimages ceased, twenty-seven Lin Luos spoke simultaneously. Of course, since there was only one true body, only one was actually speaking at that moment, but the voice carried over vast distances, "...Raksasa Wild Dance!"

A name was just a designation; it made no real difference whether it had one or not. Announcing the technique's title wasn't purely for flair; in such head-on confrontations, a resonant move could boost one's presence, and presence was an indispensable part of combat, especially against a bug-like man such as Lakan, who could shatter dimensional space with sheer willpower alone.

The instant the declaration faded, the twenty-seven figures moved almost simultaneously... In truth, his assault had already begun, but traveling the long spatial path made it appear as if they struck at the same time.

Only the main body could truly move and attack, but because the afterimages had also "traveled the long path," the visual deception rendered them completely indistinguishable from the original.

Lakan was now facing what felt like an onslaught from twenty-seven individuals at once. A normal person would likely have been paralyzed with fear, as the intensity of each strike was world-class; even someone several tiers higher would probably collapse under such pressure. Yet, Lakan appeared overwhelmingly thrilled.

He swung a fist, blocking a charging straight punch coming from the front, then used the momentum to break through and strike Lin Luo's body, but it felt like hitting air, yielding no purchase.

It was an afterimage!

Lakan dismissed it, whipping his right arm back, the immense impact force parrying kicks from two directions. He shook his body, and with his other hand, launched an uppercut... unfortunately, still an afterimage.

Bang!

A heavy blow suddenly struck his back, causing Lakan’s body to pitch forward. If he fell now, he would certainly face unimaginable attacks, so without hesitation, he roared, using his sheer presence to hold himself steady, spreading both arms outward to deflect two incoming strikes, but... still afterimages!

Damn it, at this rate, even the invincible me might actually lose...

Though Lakan's expression remained unchanged, a flicker of anxiety crossed his mind. Since the afterimages' attacks were launched beforehand, even if he blocked them, Lin Luo's real body was already somewhere else. And since the afterimages offered no substance, striking them was useless. His only chance was to discern the real Lin Luo among the twenty-seven phantoms, but—!

This old man isn't good at this kind of discernment.

Setting aside the fact that the afterimages were virtually identical to the original, Lin Luo's phantoms were constantly shifting. As soon as an afterimage's "attack" was expended, he would erase it and instantly generate another, keeping the battlefield populated by exactly twenty-seven figures. This situation made accurate tracking nearly impossible, even if one could discern the difference.

For Lakan, facing twenty-seven world-class experts individually would have been far preferable to this current predicament.

"Impressive. To unleash such a technique—did you truly just master this?" Lakan asked while launching an attack.

"Trying to use my voice to pinpoint my location? Old man, for a walking mound of muscle, you certainly have your share of cunning," Lin Luo laughed, fully aware of Lakan’s tactic but unconcerned. He shrugged nonchalantly, "Yes, this was indeed just figured out. I owe you one, actually."

"Ha! A true genius!" Lakan roared with laughter, then, ignoring the surrounding attacks, suddenly accelerated, driving a punch toward the Lin Luo positioned forty-five degrees to his right. He had determined, based on the sound, that that one was solid.

"Useless." Lin Luo smiled faintly and took a small step back. He vanished from his original spot, and an afterimage rushed in from the side, kicking Lakan’s incoming fist.

"My echoes are everywhere."

Lin Luo smiled faintly. All the previous afterimages vanished, leaving only him alone, strolling through the air. With every step he took, his true body instantly relocated, and within seconds, the space above and below was once again filled with twenty-seven figures.

"See? So even if you find my real body, it’s meaningless."

Lakan’s expression was impassive. He realized this technique was purely designed to infuriate without consequence; the real body lurked far away, sending only its shadows to attack. "You insidious little demon, you remind me a lot of someone I used to know."

Lakan spoke while engaging, recognizing the disadvantageous situation, but finding the opening for victory in desperation was the true joy of battle.

"A friend you knew before? Oh, you mean that guy, Al?"

"You know him too?"

"Well, I've certainly thought about giving him a good beating," Lin Luo said as he moved, but the afterimages' assault never ceased. Though Lakan perceived Lin Luo as merely strolling, in reality, Lin Luo himself never stopped attacking; it was just spatial distortion that hid it from view.

"Speaking of which, after fighting you for so long, I almost forgot about the original matter. If you hadn't brought it up, I don't know when I would have remembered."

"Oh? What is it? Tell me about it," Lakan hammered punches wildly around him. Countless illusions flickered around his body, and the violent shockwaves rendered the ground where he stood a complete ruin.

"It's nothing major. I wonder if Al has contacted you—we are going after someone, and you can join us." Lin Luo's main body suddenly appeared on the ground, inexplicably holding an apple, which he began to bite into.

"Who?" Lakan charged like lightning, smashing a punch toward Lin Luo's head, but it only struck an illusion. Lakan clicked his tongue in annoyance. He was fighting for his life while the opponent was leisurely eating—it was infuriating.

"If the opponent is too weak, I have no interest in participating. I won't even be swayed for the sake of the Crimson Wings."

"Don't worry, the opponent will absolutely satisfy you." Lin Luo chuckled lightly, reappearing in the sky, then spat out a name, "The Creator... How about that? Should pique your interest, right?"

"Hahaha! Now that's a worthy opponent!" Lakan burst into laughter. "Then when do we go? Now? My fighting spirit is boiling over!"

"No, first we need a warm-up exercise." Lin Luo stopped, and all the afterimages vanished.

"Who is the target?" Lakan ceased his offensive as well, looking up.

Lin Luo didn't answer immediately. Instead, he tossed the apple core upward, then shot a beam of light from his fingertip that instantly pulverized it before he spoke, "The Senate."

Lakan was momentarily stunned, then a smile spread across his eyes. "Now that sounds like a perfect warm-up target."

Lin Luo descended from the sky, first outlining their plan to him, then smiling, "So that’s the arrangement. We strike from within and without, coordinating our efforts. You handle those battleships outside New Ostia City. Hmm, maybe a few extra—if you can't complete the task, we’ll help out later."

Lin Luo's comment was clearly a jest. In the previous war, Lakan single-handedly sank 137 Imperial warships, including critical strategic assets like cruisers, Imperial carriers, and super-dreadnoughts. Calling him a ship-destroying expert would be an understatement.

"Fine then. Once I deal with those ships, I’ll come to support you," Lakan retorted with a matching quip.

"Then let's part ways for now; we'll contact you later." Lin Luo turned to leave, but halfway through his departure, he seemed to recall something and looked back, "Oh right, please also relay a message to that wild girl, the Third Princess of the Hras Empire. We'll need her assistance then, too."

"Hey, hey, why do I have to contact her? Aren't you guys free?" Lakan sounded reluctant.

Lin Luo looked at him as if he were an idiot and stated matter-of-factly, "Nonsense. You and she are old flames; who else would go?"

"Wait, wait! When did I have that kind of relationship with her?"

"Didn't you? That wild Princess has always been very fond of you. Besides, I’m creating an opportunity for you. If you marry her, you won't have to go around pulling down little girls' skirts anymore—having a princess exclusively for you to undress would be incredibly satisfying."

This statement left Lakan utterly speechless.

"Alright, that's all for now. I'm leaving."

Without waiting for Lakan's objection, Lin Luo activated instantaneous movement and vanished from the ancient ruins.

"Sigh, looks like more trouble is brewing," Lakan shook his head helplessly, departing the ruins not long after.

Meanwhile, Lin Luo didn't immediately return to his residence. Since there was nothing pressing, and his avatars would handle things, he decided to take this rare opportunity to analyze the world's fundamental rules, as combat prowess was currently his greatest necessity.

...

9:30 PM, Governor's Mansion.

Kurt, the Governor of New Ostia and a Senator of the MM (Mecarolomesombria) Senate, felt immense pressure recently. The reason stemmed from the incident where magic was exposed in the real world not long ago. Although he didn't know why such a thing occurred, he faintly sensed the shadow of the Crimson Wings behind it.

Kurt saw this as an opportunity—perhaps he could use it to eliminate the persistent thorn in his side. However, he had no intention of aligning with the Crimson Wings; the gentle methods they employed over a decade ago seemed childish to him now.

If he acted himself, although it might result in some sacrifices, he could absolutely eradicate the cancerous growth in the shortest possible time. But the problem was...

"Well now, Glasses Boy, what troubles you?"

Just then, Kurt heard a stranger's voice behind him. He instinctively spun around and saw a black-haired youth sitting casually on the window ledge.

"Who are you?" Kurt was inwardly shocked. The Governor's Mansion defense grid was incredibly tight; for this person to infiltrate silently without alerting him... He must be incredibly strong!

The youth looked up and offered a slight smile, "Want a fight, or should we just get down to business?"