A faint sound, like the tearing of seasoned leather, echoed in the air.
Several pitch-black veins, writhing like living creatures, suddenly tangled and condensed on the back of Xia Ji’s hand.
They transformed into an incredibly sharp spike that lunged out at a speed difficult for the naked eye to track.
With precise accuracy, it pierced the chest of the last mutant, going straight through its heart!
The mutant’s forward charge froze instantly.
The murderous light in its crimson pupils quickly faded, its massive body swayed, and it crashed to the ground.
Following that, the protruding black veins softened and decomposed as if they possessed a life of their own, retracting beneath the skin of Xia Ji’s hand and leaving behind only a few faint, eerie patterns.
Xia Ji let out a soft breath and turned her head.
Her gaze swept over the surrounding ground littered with mutant limbs and charred remains before finally landing in the distance…
Gu Qiancheng was standing with several survivors from the second rescue team, looking her way.
She nodded slightly in that direction.
Gu Qiancheng noticed her signal.
He quickly spoke a few more words to the team members beside him, then crossed the intervening distance with several swift movements, arriving in front of Xia Ji.
His expression was not as relaxed as usual, carrying an obvious weight of gravity.
“The situation here isn’t optimistic. A few people are too heavily injured and must be sent back for full treatment as soon as possible…”
Gu Qiancheng spoke first as soon as he stood firm, his pace rapid.
“Additionally, of the two teams sent by the North Prefecture, only Ye Shou has arrived so far. There has been no news at all from the other one, the Twenty-Third Team.”
Upon hearing this, the black veins that had just settled on Xia Ji’s arm unconsciously wriggled again.
Her brow furrowed slightly, a trace of lingering worry appearing on her delicate face.
“Commander Gu, I… I feel like something is wrong.”
“I told you not to call me Commander, it’s too formal. Just call me Brother Gu,” Gu Qiancheng also frowned, surveying the canyon that had just experienced a tragic battle as he lowered his voice.
“It is wrong. These mutants appeared too abruptly, and their timing was too precise. Not only did they set an ambush, but they even understood simple tactical coordination. This is nothing like their usual chaotic and disorderly style… Furthermore, they suddenly retreated collectively just now as if they had received an order. This is too abnormal.”
He paused, his eyes sharp, as he voiced the hidden concern in his heart: “I can’t help but feel… are we being observed in the shadows by something, or perhaps someone? Or even… being intentionally led by the nose?”
Xia Ji nodded vigorously, her pale face filled with agreement.
“Mm, I have that feeling too. But right now…”
She changed the subject, a deeper worry gathering between her brows as she looked toward the location of the third rescue team.
“The priority now is to go support Sister You as soon as possible. She went toward the third rescue team alone…”
“Let’s do this,” Gu Qiancheng made a quick decision after a brief thought.
“I’ll go support my junior. You take the brothers from the second rescue team who can still move and escort the seriously wounded back immediately. Let the injured receive treatment as soon as possible. Time is life; we can’t afford to delay!”
“But Command—cough, Brother Gu,” Xia Ji looked up, gazing at Gu Qiancheng with concern.
“Your Oracle…”
“I’m fine,” Gu Qiancheng waved his hand with feigned ease, forcing a reassuring smile onto his face.
“The suppression effect at the edge of the Dead Realm isn’t as exaggerated as expected. It’s just a bit more draining. I can hold out.”
“Besides, I can travel faster and reach my junior’s side at the first possible moment. Dividing the work like this is currently the most stable and efficient arrangement.”
Seeing the unquestionable determination in Gu Qiancheng’s eyes, Xia Ji knew she couldn’t change his mind and stopped dwelling on it.
She nodded softly, her voice light but carrying a solemn entrustment: “…I understand. Then Brother Gu, you… you must be careful. And also… you must bring her back!”
Upon hearing those words, the smile on Gu Qiancheng’s face became a bit more genuine.
He raised his hand and naturally rubbed Xia Ji’s hair with a hint of reassurance, an action much like what Chu You usually did to her.
“Don’t worry, leave it to me!”
Suddenly having her head rubbed, Xia Ji froze for a moment.
Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she lowered her head in a bit of a fluster, murmuring in a small voice, “Then, then we… will see you at headquarters!”
“Right! See you at headquarters!”
Gu Qiancheng responded crisply and wasted no more time.
He turned, his gaze instantly locking onto the position of the third rescue team.
The power of the Oracle surged within him, and the space around him rippled with subtle fluctuations…
In the next moment, his figure seemed to melt into the air, instantly blurring and vanishing from the spot.
Xia Ji gazed in the direction where Gu Qiancheng had disappeared and let out a soft sigh, as if to exhale all the tension and worry in her heart.
She pursed her lips slightly, her eyes reflecting a complex mix of worry, trust, and a faint, imperceptible resolve.
Immediately, she turned back, her face regaining its composure.
She walked toward the members of the second rescue team with steady steps.
Now, she also had a mission she had to complete.
….
….
On the dried-up riverbed, Chu You gasped for air in large gulps.
Her chest heaved violently, and the fine hair on her forehead was soaked with sweat, clinging to her skin.
That eerie peach-colored light in her pupils had also dimmed slightly at this moment, revealing an undeniable exhaustion.
Severed limbs and twisted corpses almost covered the riverbed, and the thick scent of blood and char was nauseating.
However, the dark, pressing wave of mutants seemed endless.
Just as one clearing was made, more would immediately surge from the surroundings, roaring as they launched a new round of impact.
Behind Chu You, the only remaining rescue team members who could still stand formed a crude defensive circle back-to-back, protecting several companions who had lost the ability to move due to heavy injuries.
Looking at the enemies surging again like a tide, their faces were incredibly grim, and a sense of despair spread silently.
“Specialist Chu! This can’t go on. We’ll all be ground to death here!”
A rescue team member swung his blade with all his might, hacking down a swift-type mutant trying to break the defensive line.
He took the chance to glance toward the front—at that slender back that was single-handedly blocking more than half of the impact—and shouted hoarsely, “Break out! The few of us who can still move will cover the rear and shield you as you charge out!”
Upon hearing this, the specialized military knife in Chu You’s hand did not pause for a second.
The blade flashed, accurately piercing the heart of a power-type mutant in front of her.
With a flick and a pull of her wrist, she drew out a fountain of foul blood.
Simultaneously, she threw out her left leg like a whip, violently kicking away a mutant that tried to pounce from the side, sending it crashing into a group behind it.
She didn’t look back.
Her voice carried a slight wheeze due to her rapid breathing, but it was exceptionally resolute and beyond question: “Cut the crap! If I were afraid of dying, I wouldn’t have come!”
“Conserve your strength and hold your positions! Reinforcements—will be here soon!”
On a distant ruined building, a figure lay flat on the edge of the rooftop, watching the slaughter unfolding on the riverbed with great interest.
“Blood and killing, conspiracies and elegies…”
A sighing voice sounded from the rooftop entrance.
Another tall and slender figure slowly stepped out from the shadows of the wall, strolling toward the person at the edge of the roof.
“These are indispensable factors in a perfect tragedy. I… am very honored to cooperate with you.”
“Haaa~~”
Upon hearing this, the person lying on the roof edge drew out her tone.
She turned her head and stared with great interest at the person who had suddenly appeared behind her, saying with a smile, “Do you always talk like that?”
The fingers of the hand propping up her cheek gently poked her flesh, her eyes narrowing slightly—
“Mr. Jin?”
“My apologies, it is a habit of mine,” Jin, wearing a spotless tailcoat and an eerie mask, nodded slightly.
Immediately after, he took two more steps forward.
Mimicking her, he rested his arms on the edge of the roof, looking through his mask at the person beside him as he said sincerely, “Pardon my presumption, Madam, but you are… even more beautiful than I imagined.”
“Suddenly, I feel like your way of speaking isn’t so annoying,” the woman’s tone became increasingly cheerful.
“Then, let’s have a formal introduction, shall we? I am Ayane Hanyu. It is a pleasure to meet you… Apostle of Fate, Mr. Jin.”
Jin tilted his head, his tone gaining a few hints of ambiguous emotion.
“I am Jin. It is a pleasure to meet you, the beautiful Madam Ayane Hanyu.”
“Speaking of which—” Ayane Hanyu turned her head, fixing her gaze once more on the exceptionally eye-catching figure on the dried-up riverbed, speaking with a smile, “Is that the medium to cleanse the world? No matter how I look at it, she’s just a… pathetic little fox~”
“Do not underestimate her, and do not underestimate the Sword-Bearers of the Hua Prefecture…”
Jin opened his palm, displaying a seed that radiated misfortune and distortion before Ayane Hanyu.
He tilted his head to look at the figure fighting with all her might in the distance and said indifferently, “If we were anywhere else, why would I have needed ten years to reach this step?”
“I must remind you, Madam—”
“When you face them directly, please maintain sufficient caution and respect.”
“Otherwise…”
“You will pay a tragic price for your arrogance.”