Uncle here isn't your average office worker!

With his mind already racing, Xuan Tie concealed himself, knocked out all the guards along the way, and headed straight for the energy agency that controlled the last key to the core power furnace linking the four cities.

"The power has been cut off, kids."

A soft "click" sounded. The jubilant celebrations that were just beginning in Kazimierz suddenly fell silent.

P.S.: I don't have the energy to argue anymore, so I thought I'd just write a separate chapter to explain the Deep Sea Hunters' combat power issue, so I won't have to explain it next time.

Volume 1: Titi's Combat Power Setting (Updated Today)

PS: Here I will focus on explaining the issues in the previous chapter.

Regarding the combat strength of the Deepsea Hunters: First, let me clarify that the author is not a Deepsea fanboy, but YJ is, and the author was merely making a comparison. In the established lore, the Deepsea Hunters, numbering less than a hundred, managed to fight their way into the Abyss, with one squad breaking through, another covering the rear, and the remaining two squads attacking, directly crushing Isamara. However, in the Silent Era scenario, Isamara, transformed into Da Ti, led the Sea Heirs and directly destroyed the combined forces of Letania and Kazimierz. In reality, whether Da Ti's combat strength is higher than Marna's is not a point of contention.

Some might argue that the Sealings evolved in the Tranquil Era dungeons, and even if the number of Sealings in the Abyss Lair and those invading the Land are roughly the same, the latter's average number of Slayers would definitely make it more difficult. However, we can look at other examples.

The uncle's combat prowess, as currently presented, is primarily demonstrated by his solo kill of seventeen rebellious high-ranking knights and the tower sorcerers who colluded with them. He single-handedly charged into a warring knight order with a borrowed sword and defeated their commander. How to describe this combat strength? First, high-ranking knights aren't necessarily Silver Spear Pegasus Knights; certainly not everyone possesses the combat power of Nearl's grandfather. In a horizontal comparison, they would be comparable to the Ursus Empire's Red Hundred-Battle Vanguard or Red Sorcerers. Even above the tower sorcerers are the Queen's Guard and the Golden Law Guard; their strength is definitely less than that of an Inner Guard.

As for the combat strength given by Titi, in the storyline of "Under the Tide," Dario ambushed Titi with a cannon shot, causing Titi to suffer a minor scratch. According to the plot description, Dario in Saltwind City didn't hold back at that time. He was surprised to find that Titi only suffered a minor scratch and bled a little (and Dario was absolutely unaware that Skadi's bleeding would attract the Terrorfish Sealing, because the plot explicitly made Titi a Riddler, keeping it a secret). It is known that Dario can cause the Sealing to evolve with physiological resistance. As one of the Iberian's truly top combat forces (the lower and middle-level combat forces are the Inquisition Army, and the top-level combat forces are Carmen), his strength is definitely greater than one Inner Force. And in his conversation with Ulpian, he claimed that two Inquisitions could take down a Hunter. So, all things considered, Skadi's strength is at least greater than or equal to two Inner Forces, comparable to at least the Patriot (the Patriot claimed that it would take three Inner Force guards to kill him; at that time, he was an elderly infected person, and the younger ones should be stronger), which is the ceiling of Ark combat power.

Patriot was able to lead a group of shield guards into Cyril Nearl's (Marna's father, the old Pegasus) encirclement, rescue the old man Hellagur, and escape unscathed. Moreover, he had fought against Pegasus, Gun Riders, Steam Armorers, and Northern Plains Demons in his lifetime. As a benchmark, Natiti's combat power is clearly higher than Marna's.

Ultimately, Skadi and the Deepsea Hunter are typical examples of characters whose strength is "just enough to get through the story." I looked through the combat power settings currently provided by Arknights, and apart from the Royal Nobles, Theresis's brother-in-law and Theresia (my wife), the Witch King, and the Giant Beasts, who are basically close to or already mythical in strength, the others are truly one-on-one, and even if they can't win, they can at least draw.

Of course, Zhouzhou's combat power has always been a mystery, and the recent plot has seen it inflated wildly. Humanoid natural disasters are wiping out armies single-handedly like they're free, and I never know when my team will be overwhelmed. So, in the end, I'll just give him a buff.

This is just a lighthearted and entertaining story; just enjoy reading it and don't worry about the combat power.

Volume 1: Chapter 110 It must have been done by the Supervisory Committee!

"What happened? Why is it so dark?"

"It's not that it's dark, it seems like there's a power outage."

"Huh? This is the finals venue! How can there be a power outage? What is the organizing committee doing? Do they even want to stay in business? Do you believe I'll demand a refund?!"

"I know you're in a hurry, but don't panic. Look at your phone, there's no signal, the intercity network is down, and it seems like it's not just the arena that's out of power. The whole city is without power."

The noise in the stands gradually subsided. In the pitch-black venue, where you couldn't see your hand in front of your face, people turned on their cameras and flashlights, using the flashes to illuminate each other. They could see the deep-seated fear hidden on each other's faces.

Humans are ultimately afraid of the dark. The unfathomable darkness signifies the indescribable unknown. When the lights of civilization are extinguished, those past nightmares resurface from the depths of memory.

How long has it been since the people of Kazimierz have seen such pure darkness? In the past, even in the dead of night, the neon lights outside their windows would still flicker, but now, the spectators in the arena are as if trapped in a cage, unable to see anything but each other.

The spokesperson for the Business Federation, Charné, also turned on his flashlight. At the very first moment of the power outage, he rushed out to the Business Federation's headquarters and tried non-stop to contact the organizing committee, the National Assembly, and even the head of the Oversight Council. However, the paralysis of the communication network left every call with an annoying dial tone.

"What's going on? Why did it have to happen at this time?"

Utterly perplexed, a sense of foreboding gradually rose from the depths of his heart. Looking at the tall buildings on both sides of the street, their oppressive dark red lights illuminated by temporary emergency power, Charn felt a wave of unease.

This situation has never occurred in the previous 22 editions of the Cavaliers Major. Why did it have to happen in this edition, and why in the finals?

This is a major competition held by the Business Federation every four years. Who would be so foolish as to cause trouble at something like this? Or is the person who did this specifically targeting the Business Federation?

Was it done by someone from the Supervisory Commission?

Charné stepped on the brakes, his mind filled with doubts, opened the car door, and walked toward the towering KGCC headquarters building in the distance.

KGCC Business Federation Headquarters Building, Board Meeting Hall.

Seemingly to maintain an air of mystery, the joint meeting hall was already poorly lit, and the power outage only exacerbated the already limited light. Fortunately, having grown accustomed to darkness, the board members were all capable of night vision, and after a short adjustment, the darkness didn't significantly hinder their movements.

However, while it may not affect their operations, they are genuinely anxious.

A power outage at a crucial moment in the finals is no joke. Losing or killing a hundred people is a minor issue compared to the damage to the Special Championship's reputation, the reputation of their business association, and the loss of their profits. That would be a much bigger deal!

“Constantine, I remember your company is an electronics company, right?” One of the directors looked at the other director sitting opposite him, his eyes darting around, a plan forming in his mind, and asked.

“Yes, what’s wrong?” The director named Constantine was taken aback, then nodded.

"The whole city is without power now, and the arena is dark too. Could you go and build a generator on the spot and send it to the arena?" the director suggested earnestly.

A question mark slowly appeared above Constantine's head: "?"

"What, are you having trouble?" the director asked with a displeased look.

It was reporter Kane who stepped forward first, stopping Constantine from rushing forward to offer a violent explanation, saying:

"I just sent someone to check out the energy agency's control room. I have some bad news for you all: the energy agency we control was manually shut down. Moreover, the person who shut it down was very skilled. They not only blocked all the surveillance, but also knocked out all the guards before they even noticed."

Reporter Kane paused, then emphasized seriously: "In other words, this damn power outage was not an accident, but something deliberately planned!"

As soon as this statement came out, the scene was in an uproar.

But questions were quickly raised:

"Kane, you need to think this through. You can't just say things carelessly. To paralyze the Grand Knight Territory when the four cities are linked, it's basically equivalent to simultaneously shutting down the energy control mechanisms controlled by the National Assembly, the Commercial Federation, and the Oversight Council. In Kazimir, who can do that?"

"Who could? Isn't the answer simple?" Kane sneered. "If it were an outsider, I would never believe anyone could break through our triple defenses simultaneously, but what if someone were to steal from us?"

Embezzlement?

The group exchanged glances, a hint of understanding flashing in their eyes.

The National Assembly was nothing more than a puppet in name only. No matter how stupid the opposition in the Chamber of Commerce was, they wouldn't risk making the entire organization lose money by doing something so foolish. The Supervisory Council, with its military strength and sufficient motives, was undoubtedly the most likely party to do such a thing.

But do those inflexible knights really have that kind of courage?

Moreover, while they may have a motive, what benefit could they possibly gain? It's just a massive power outage. Although it might cause the Business Federation significant losses, what do they actually gain? This kind of self-destructive behavior, paying such a high price simply to annoy the enemy, doesn't seem like the style of those knights.

The members of the joint meeting remained silent for a moment, still not fully agreeing with Kane's opinion. They chose to prioritize resolving the power outage issue over finding the prisoner.

"Can we get in touch with the Unarmored Alliance?" one of the directors asked, drawing disdainful glances from the others.

"Communications are already paralyzed. In the future, we should remember to separate the power supply of the communication lines from the main power supply of the four cities. That way, we can make more money. But right now, it's definitely impossible to make contact."

"Then we'll have to send someone to make the trip in person. In any case, let's go to the National Assembly and the Control Yuan first and get the power back on."

"Agreed." "Agreed." "Agreed."

The vote passed unanimously. Kane clicked his tongue in amazement, and finally raised his hand: "Now that things have come to this, I agree."

"Oh, and remember to send a spokesperson to the arena to maintain order. You can promise some compensation prizes, but make sure not to damage the reputation of the Special Championship."

"Who to send?"

Driving at night is very dangerous; a moment's inattention can lead to a fatal accident.

The group looked at each other and fell silent. For a moment, no one answered in the large room.

Fortunately, the awkward silence didn't last long. There was a knock on the door of the joint conference room, and Charn's voice came from outside: "Excuse me..."

Before he could finish speaking, the board members inside the door exchanged glances and nodded:

"He's here just in time, he's the one."

PS: Today's symptoms: recurring fever, cough, and stuffy nose. I wake up startled after sleeping for two hours, and then uncontrollably fall asleep anytime, anywhere.

PS: I don't know why the four-city circuit breaker only required turning off a switch. That's how YJ set it up. In fact, in the original storyline, the power was cut off at just one place, the Hongsongchong Building.

I was burning up and not quite lucid, so I went back and reviewed the plot. It was the Wuzhou Alliance that bombed it. Sorry.

Volume 1: The Worst Day: Unable to Get Out of Bed

I can't get out of bed, the worst day ever. I can't get out of bed, the worst day ever. I can't get out of bed, the worst day ever. I can't get out of bed, the worst day ever. I can't get out of bed, the worst day ever. I can't get out of bed, the worst day ever. I can't get out of bed, the worst day ever. I can't get out of bed, the worst day ever.

I tried voice typing, but Trump makes so many typos, and I had to type it all out by hand, but that didn't work either. I'll see if it recovers tomorrow. Didn't the official announcement say the most difficult days are four or five, and then it gradually recovers? Hopefully.

I'm so sorry for the delay.

Volume One: Obituaries

2022年12月25日，星期日，上午10：26分我最亲爱的爷爷还是因为新冠肺炎离开了。永远怀念。

This is the worst day of my life.

People are powerless in the face of illness. I was raised by my grandfather from a young age, and I was by his side in his final moments. Twenty years passed in this relationship.

COVID-19 is really not a cold. Behind those so-called "good students" and "academic geniuses" is the overflowing funeral homes, where people even have to queue up until the 27th to enter and pay their respects.

I really felt physically nauseous.

May there be no disease in heaven, and may there truly be an afterlife.

I will always remember him; as long as I remember him, he will never truly die.

With deepest condolences.

Volume 1: Updated tomorrow.

On the 30th, I finally finished everything and am taking a break today. I'll resume updates tomorrow.

Another year has passed in the blink of an eye. We've all been through a lot in the past year. Tonight, as we ring in the new year, I hope everyone gets a good rest, spends time with their families, and that everything will be well in the coming year!

Happy New Year!

Volume 1: Chapter 111 This is my escape route!

“I originally thought that it was the knights of the Overwatch Council who would shut down the energy control device. But when I arrived at the gates of the Overwatch Council myself, I realized that I must have been wrong.”

In the future, Charlene would often recount this experience to others. What a sight it was!

Pegasus, wielding a blade bathed in light, casually unleashed a torrent of sword energy. Grand Knight Russell, who hadn't personally fought in over a decade, wielded his rapier with incredible speed, each strike like a torrential downpour. Opposite them, a white-haired, red-eyed girl wielded a massive, almost as tall as herself, black iron sword with effortless grace, deflecting attacks that nearly cleaved her in two.

Although the girl's face showed signs of fatigue, Charné had no doubt that she still had energy left. If she continued to hold on, Marner and Russell would have to fight for at least another ten minutes before they could subdue her.

In contrast to the two sides who were locked in fierce combat yet remained unscathed, the Oversight Council building behind them was far less fortunate. Sword marks and hollows made the building resemble a battlefield ruin in the Bolivarian War Zone or an unknown relic in the Colombian frontier. Charne even thought that when the Oversight Council staff arrived for work the next day, they might wonder if they were still half asleep and had wandered into a place like Block Zero.

"Damn it, how did the Supervisory Committee get into this mess? And who is that woman?"