CHAPTER 168: GREAT BATTLE OF THE DAWN CITADEL

“Who is that bitch?”

Hearing that cold voice, Nicholas turned back towards the shop’s entrance, and when he saw the woman glaring at him, he almost felt a headache coming on.

The woman wasn't outrageously beautiful, but she was still a beauty in her own right. Waist-length dark hair, electric green eyes, and small, supple lips currently pressed into a thin line.

What was most notable about this woman, however, was her bulging, well-proportioned rear. Even dressed in a modest skirt, her generous backside was so enticing that, if it weren't for the fact that the street was a bit deserted, Nicholas wondered who between the both of them would be turning heads.

Despite being directly before her, he could still clearly see the alluring curve of her rear, and he couldn't help but appreciate the sight for a moment before shifting his eyes back to her face.

"She is the wife of a co-worker. I met her for the first time yesterday at work."

The woman's cold expression turned into a small smile, albeit a forced one. "And yet, both of you met again so soon. What a pleasant surprise."

Nicholas sighed before taking the bag from her hand.

"Come, let's go home. I will treat you to a wonderful meal." Saying so, he turned and began to walk away.

The woman quickly chased after him. "You can't expect a good meal to make me forget everything every time..."

"And you can't always get angry anytime I get close to a woman," Nicholas quickly cut into her words.

"$$####$"

Just as he had expected, the strings of curses came instantly, but he simply filtered them out.

They continued to banter as they walked back home. When they passed through a secluded stretch of the street, he made sure they were alone before slapping her rear, earning himself a yelp.

With a small laugh, he broke into a sprint, another string of curses soon following after him.

---

Looking at his wife washing the dishes, Nicholas appreciated her beauty, a small smile dancing on his lips. Only then did he close his eyes and focus.

Reaching deep into himself, two threads of connection appeared in his mind's eye, reaching out from him and disappearing into the distance.

One of the threads appeared especially bright and vibrant, while the second was very thin and dim. He couldn't help but wonder what had happened to his son for his dormant bloodline to be suppressed to the point of almost being nonexistent.

But he decided to trust in his sister's words once more.

After making sure there was no discrepancy, he opened his eyes and watched his wife humming a tune as she worked, her hips swaying gently with the melody.

By now, the citadel had finally stirred to life, its streets bustling with people going about their daily tasks.

It was already noon, yet only now had the city become fully awake. With the Night Event ending at five in the morning each day, it wasn't unusual for many to wake up at this time.

Nicholas briefly considered whether he should work today, but quickly decided against it when he saw his wife lightly twerking.

That thought had barely formed when the sound of a ceramic plate crashing to the floor resounded through the kitchen.

She cursed lightly, making Nicholas shake his head inwardly.

But when he saw her bend to pick up the pieces, only to freeze, his thoughts came to a halt.

There, an especially sharp shard had pierced the palm of her hand, drawing a little blood. And while he wasn't surprised that such a thing could hurt her, given that his wife's constitution was very low as a Mind-oriented mage, what shocked and further unsettled him was that her perception should normally have been high enough to avoid such an accident.

"Are you okay, Ria?" He quickly stood up and approached her.

Ria, his wife, looked up at him while still crouched down and slowly spoke:

"I don't know." She pressed a hand against her chest, and felt her heartbeat quicken with every passing moment.

"For some reason, I feel suddenly uneasy..." Her eyes widened as she quickly stood up.

"...the kids!"

Nicholas's brows furrowed further. He quickly shut his eyes and focused once more, but found nothing unusual, just as he had seen moments ago.

Opening his eyes, he assured his wife several times that there was nothing wrong with their children. He knew how their welfare had been weighing on her mind, and he knew it was why she had been so worked up and restless lately.

If it weren't for the fact that he had reassured her of their well-being, he knew she wouldn't have hesitated to rush out and abandon the citadel, just like a certain infamous Richard.

In fact, he himself had initially planned to act the moment the apocalypse descended. But his sister had convinced him otherwise.

And he trusted her deeply.

-------

Night fell.

The city was illuminated by building lights and streetlamps.

Yet while the streets appeared somewhat abandoned, much like they had earlier that morning, the sounds of turrets and cannons firing, bombs detonating, and explosions resounded loudly around and within the citadel.

Standing on top of his house, Nicholas watched the battle raging outside the city.

This was the final Night Event, and it was by far the most dreadful yet.

The sight of thousands of mosquitoes, each the size of a bus, their wings buzzing incessantly in the skies, was chilling enough to grip one's heart in terror.

Thousands more of massive creatures resembling lizards shook the earth with every step as they clashed against the walls of the human defenders.

With the first wall behind them, over five thousand humans stood against the monsters, forming an unyielding line of defense. They fought as a single, well-coordinated unit, methodically bringing down one beast after another.

The mages remained at the rear, launching their spells from relative safety.

Fireballs exploded in the ranks of the monsters. Lighting sparks crackled in the air, and poison arrows exploded into mists that corroded bloody flesh.

On the walls behind them, thousands of weaker survivors manned the mounted turrets, spraying mana-enhanced bullets into the sky to suppress the flying insects while concentrating their fire on the densest clusters of beasts advancing across the ground.

With them near the citadel, each and every one of them enjoyed a shocking 100% boost to their overall power, increasing their chances of survival and allowing them to mount a meaningful resistance, which had enabled them to survive the apocalypse to this point.

As for those who held leadership positions in the citadel, they enjoyed even greater benefits. And finally, there was Diana herself, who enjoyed a staggering 300% boost.

This was the power of Citadels. They were the foundations upon which great organizations throughout the universe were built.

Only with these Citadels could humans stand a chance in this God-forsaken apocalypse.

Yet Nicholas knew that even outside their world, the boost their citadels provided was far more unusual than normal. Ordinarily, the boost granted by a citadel at its starting base was around 50% for ordinary members and 100% for its leader. Yet here on the blue planet, the effect was several times stronger, adding to the fact that this world was very special.

Just as the beasts were far more unusually strong.

Of course, he wasn't referring to those currently clashing against them, but to the ones the System had separated out since the beginning of the apocalypse to give the other creatures some fighting chance.

There were a few notable figures who stood out even amid the chaos. But Nicholas's eyes only fell on Diana's lithe and slender figure.

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