This time I chose Paladin.

Chapter 186 Destiny
“They must have been discovered,” Liang Zhenduan said. “The movements of so many people cannot go unnoticed by the Returning Sect. During their absence, we must do our best to guard against enemy attacks on the old city.”

"Also, watch out for their prison break." An old man pushed up his reading glasses, his expression cold. "Ping Xingdou and Fu Nian, the Star God Sect is definitely watching them. Especially Ping Xingdou, he probably has something special about him... Haven't you found out yet?"

“Not yet. He’s even a real astronomer by profession. Apart from his obsession with stargazing and the ‘real night sky,’ we haven’t found anything special about him… Oh, right,” Liang Zhenduan’s expression turned strange, “he has replicated the night sky of the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth into his system panel.”

The conference room fell silent. The old man adjusted his reading glasses, and more than twenty pairs of eyes met on the long table, all filled with astonishment and confusion.

"You heard me right, he memorized the entire starry sky." Liang Zhenduan's tone was tinged with disbelief. "The system determined that the star map's authenticity to be 100%. I don't know how he did it, it's simply..."

“I also do research, how come I can’t memorize the detailed structure of all cells?” Biologist Li Xiangjun lamented.

The young man beside him quickly offered tea: "Teacher, this is simply beyond the reach of ordinary people. Besides, cells also vary from person to person, just like hair..."

"Try saying that again?" A bald scholar next to him turned his head coldly.

The young man immediately made a zipper gesture over his mouth, obediently shut up, and sat back down in his original position.

“These past few days, Ping Xingdou has been studying that star map,” Liang Zhenduan continued, unconsciously rubbing his temples. “He said, ‘The star map is a reflection of fate. Fate is everything within the observable universe, while everything outside of it is meaningless.’”

Liang Zhenduan repeated Ping Xingdou's words, feeling a bit of a headache.

How did things get to the point where we have to discuss fate and the stars? If only the original mayor of the old city hadn't died, he could have just thrown all this stuff away and led his troops into battle...

Before the apocalypse, he never had to face these mystical questions. If the former mayor hadn't sacrificed himself after the arrival of the apocalypse, he would be sitting in this position now.
"Yes, all information at present is the inevitable result of events within the light cone in the past. What has been observed is the 'past'. Light does not turn back, time moves in one direction, and the past cannot be changed."

"It's like how a person can never be reborn. At most, they can only go to a similar parallel world. Even if the difference between the two worlds is only the way a leaf flutters, everything is similar yet different."

A physicist pushed up his glasses. If Nie Weiyang were here, he would immediately recognize this man: the guy who told lame jokes in the dark area of ​​Shuli.

"The light cone defines the boundaries of causality, but humans can still shape their destiny within a limited scope through logical deduction and prediction, such as scientific forecasting and risk planning... Why are you all looking at me like that?"

Surrounded by onlookers from all sides, the scholar of lame jokes leaned back tactically.

“I think you should go talk to Peace Star,” Liang Zhenduan sincerely suggested. “His obsession with the real starry sky might be because he wants to see the ‘predestined fate’ of this universe. Why don’t you bring some food and drinks and chat with him tonight?”

Scholar of lame jokes: "..."

The scholar of dry humor: "Huh?"

The evening breeze ruffled the white hair at Nie Weiyang's temples, and the long, drawn-out roar of machinery and the mournful cries emanating from the police cordon echoed through the mountains, cold and eerie.

He turned around, put a finger to his lips, and his fingernail gleamed with a cold light.

This cordon was different from the one he had encountered during his first visit to the old city and the one he had seen at the biological research institute. He had already moved the research institute's building back to the ground floor—after all, otherwise a large section of the floor would be missing…

“Warning line. No kills recorded yet.” Nie Weiyang’s voice was low. “Normal attacks cannot penetrate its shell. To weaken its mobility and aggression, we need to focus on attacking the tail joints, the ‘area seal’ generator, the structural movement points, and the front headlights—the headlights can only be destroyed by ranged skills.”

He glanced at the crowd behind him and continued clearly, "It has two weaknesses: one is the [power source] inside its chest cavity, which can be destroyed through the access port in its neck; the other is the [Netherworld Signal Transceiver] behind the head spotlight, which can only be accessed by destroying the spotlight."

He spoke of this almost unknown information without hesitation—as if it had already been proven in the flames of war.

As for why no one had ever killed the monster, he knew it all.
At this moment, no one is going to investigate further; all that remains is to listen and obey.

"Understood." "Understood."

The instructions were repeated, passed around, and checked in hushed tones. Among the crowd, experienced warriors had already begun to adjust their positions, ranged classes silently checked their arrows and staves, and melee classes tightened their armor one last time.

Nie Weiyang looked at the three healers accompanying him—their speed was enough to keep up with this elite team, which in itself was proof of their strength.

“Please keep a safe distance.” He looked specifically at one of them. “I recognize you, the best trauma doctor at the city hospital. I didn’t expect you to come. How long has it been since you had a break?”

The person being questioned had dark circles under his eyes just like Liang Zhenduan's. Hearing this, he laughed awkwardly and half-dead: "Hehehehehe... Rest?"
"In the hospital, I don't even have time to hang myself. Even when I'm trying to take poison and wait for it to take effect, I still have to find time to have my appendix removed..."

He paused.

"Don't worry, we'll take care of ourselves. There are no easy people in the medical profession who have made it this far, Mr. Nie."

Nie Weiyang nodded.

Due to their inherent lack of offensive capabilities, healers typically have to worry more. They often need to maneuver through hail of bullets, balancing positioning, self-preservation, and providing support; every decision is a matter of life and death.

“Good.” He called out, his voice echoing through the valley. “Finish it tonight, or many of our troops will perish here. Remember our objective: victory, and to get as many people as possible home alive.”

"Yes!"

The response, though subdued, was full of determination.

Nie Weiyang turned around, drew his longsword with his right hand, wore a shield on his left arm, and finally, pulled the golden spear from his backpack with his left hand.

The spearhead emitted a soft yet resolute white light, like a guiding light in the darkness, illuminating his advancing figure.

A scorching evening breeze swept over him, and the air was thick with the tension of an impending storm. He could feel sweat trickling down his back, but his hand gripping his weapon remained steady.

Ahead, a massive, angular machine resembling a giant dog slowly rose to its feet. Its outer shell was forged from some dark alloy, gleaming coldly in the moonlight. As it turned its head, a crimson light swept across the forest, drawing a deathly fan-shaped area in the darkness.

Nie Wei stepped forward, deliberately drawing its aggro. The long tail of the warning line lashed out like a giant whip, accompanied by a piercing whistling sound. Lightning tore through the air, and wherever the tip of the tail swept, a bright yellow seal of light rapidly spread, instantly scorching the vegetation in its path!

"Woo——"

The alarm blared mournfully, like a wail from the abyss, and the cordon turned completely around, its crimson light focusing on Nie Weiyang.

A dazzling red light instantly engulfed Nie Weiyang's figure. He gripped his spear tightly and slammed it heavily on the ground.

A pure white light burst forth from the spearhead, stubbornly carving out a safe zone within the red glow. This light not only physically resisted the attack but also spiritually inspired its comrades.

He stood firmly in place, drawing the enemy's attention and creating valuable opportunities for his teammates to sneak, flank, and launch surprise attacks.

Last week, he was more of a raider lurking in the shadows. Even not long ago, he often acted as an assassin in the name of a paladin.

Facing danger head-on is much harder than avoiding it.

Now, under the gaze of two hundred pairs of eyes, he stood there, facing the onslaught head-on with his very being. He could feel the trust and expectation in those eyes behind him, a weight that was both suffocating and gave him unprecedented strength.

Perhaps this is the deepest mark that fate and struggle have left on him after the reset?
This time, everything will be different.

(End of this chapter)