Sensing the presence behind me, I turned my head without thinking, dodging the dagger aimed at my vital spot.
Then I grabbed the person’s arm, threw them over my shoulder onto the ground, and snatched the dagger from their hand.
Weapon in hand, I finally felt somewhat grounded.
I kicked the man I’d thrown down to knock him unconscious, then leaped back several steps to get a clear look at the attackers.
Most of them wore Bola City attire, nearly identical to the guards at the gate.
The only difference was their white clothes versus the gate guards’ earthy yellow.
“What are you people?”
I asked them probingly.
Though I didn’t expect an answer, I was wearing an official City of Hope uniform.
Anyone bold enough to attack me openly like this couldn’t be mere thugs.
Plus, every one of them carried rifles on their shoulders.
Even if the rifles looked like models from a decade ago, their firepower was more than enough against ordinary people.
“Chief, that uniform is from the City of Hope.”
“So he’s the one?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
The man at the front listened to the report from the person behind him, then turned back to face me.
He waved his hand, and his subordinate understood immediately, tossing a handgun from behind.
The leader caught the pistol midair, aimed it at my face, and threatened, “You have two choices now. Come with us, or die right here.”
‘Hey, hey, no way. Just got here and someone’s already targeting me? Either get captured or killed—that’s too much to ask.’
‘What should I do? Even if I die, I’ll resurrect. But if they throw me into a pit and bury me, coming back to life won’t do much good.’
‘Should I surrender? I still don’t know who they are or what they want. Maybe getting taken would be a way to find out.’
‘Hmm…’
I was about to drop the dagger and raise my hands over my head to surrender when a corner of my vision caught a rapidly moving figure silently dragging one of their members standing farther away into the shadows.
‘Ah, looks like someone’s here to help me. I can’t let them down.’
I let the dagger slip from my hand.
The leader’s grip on the gun loosened too.
But the moment the dagger left my fingers, I caught it with my other hand and threw it at the pistol in the leader’s hand, striking it with perfect accuracy, making him lose his threatening weapon instantly.
I charged into his chest, driving my elbow into his abdomen and striking his chin with my palm, sending him crashing to the ground.
The turn of events was too fast.
The people behind him only reacted now, hurriedly flicking off the safeties on their rifles.
But before they could aim, they watched helplessly as their guns were yanked away by an invisible thread.
Taking advantage, I rushed over and knocked them out one by one.
With my mysterious ally’s help, from being threatened to resolving the situation took less than five minutes.
After finishing off the group trying to kidnap me, my silent helper finally revealed themselves.
“Mr. Wu Yin, hello. I am Mora, sent by Commander Walid of Bola City to receive you. I’m very sorry you were attacked by those thugs. Your arrival was earlier than expected. I failed to confirm that—it’s my fault.”
“It’s fine. In the end, no one got hurt. Anyway, it doesn’t seem peaceful around here. Let’s talk somewhere else?”
“Yes. Please follow me. I’ll take a safe route.”
Mora pulled her veil back up, then shot into the gap between buildings.
I hurriedly squeezed in after her.
But due to our size difference, she moved freely through the narrow space while I had to sidle through inch by inch.
Our speed differed by far more than a little.
“Miss Mora? Is there an easier way to go?”
I barely managed to squeeze out, but then she was immediately climbing walls and leaping onto roofs, leaving me struggling just to stay a few meters behind.
“I’m sorry, but the area around here is under blockade by the thugs. Forcing our way through would draw too much attention.”
“Hmm… Then… at least slow down a bit. I’m getting tired…”
“Are you all right? Do you need help? If you can’t run, I can carry you.”
“No, no, I can manage this distance!”
“Very well. Please do your best. It’s not much farther.”
With that, Mora immediately stood up and dashed off.
I had no choice but to keep following her in exhaustion.
‘Why did I pretend?! I can barely crawl from fatigue, and I still put up a front. Well, men always get stubborn over the strangest things.’
Just before I collapsed, Mora jumped down from the rooftop, signaling that I no longer needed to be so cautious.
“This area is under military control now. No need to worry about thugs.”
“Finally! …Phew.”
“Mr. Wu Yin! You’re that exhausted?! I’m sorry I didn’t notice—how should I be punished?!”
“No, no, it’s not that serious. Just… pant … gasp … a little … pant … gasp … trouble breathing.”
“Then let me support you. I’d hate for you to fall.”
Mora took my arm and placed it over her shoulder, making me feel a bit better.
Before long, a pair of patrolling soldiers spotted us.
They greeted Mora when they saw her, and after confirming my identity and purpose, they suggested we take the police motorcycle to the Defense Building.
“Please get on, Mr. Wu Yin. I’ll follow closely behind.”
“Aren’t you riding?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Then let’s go.”
The soldier driving the motorcycle started the engine.
It let out a puff of invisible smoke and a slightly harsh noise as it sped out from the middle of the road.
Looking back, I could see Mora keeping pace on the rooftops.
She was fast—really fast.
Compared to my squad members, any speed would feel agonizingly slow, but among ordinary people, Mora’s running speed was probably top-notch.
She flew across the roofs as if they weren’t roofs but solid ground.
“Sir, judging by your uniform, you’re here to support us from the City of Hope?”
“Yeah. So what happened around here? Why did those people take control of the outer areas?”
“It’s that fanatical group—the cult. They cut off our contact with the outside world. Taking advantage of our military being deployed elsewhere, they seized control of the outer city. Fortunately, the central forces are still strong enough to hold them off. They can’t break in yet.”
Military deployed elsewhere?
‘Come to think of it, I heard our Marshal was planning a large operation in the Central Continent and summoned troops from cities all over. Bola City isn’t a frontline city against the Mad Beasts, so they probably sent their main force to the Marshal. This group chose this exact time to attack—they must have been waiting for an opportunity.’
“We’re here, sir.”
“Thanks.”
I waved goodbye to the friendly soldier and walked into the building.
The guard at the entrance stopped me.
I tried to pull out my token, only to realize I’d given it to the gate guards and hadn’t gotten it back.
“Oh no… Folks, can you let me in based on my uniform?”
I pleaded politely with the two burly soldiers.
They resolutely shook their heads.
“Sorry, sir. A uniform alone isn’t enough to let you through.”
‘What do I do now?’
Just as I was agonizing over this, Mora emerged from a small alley.
Seeing me stopped by the two soldiers, she stepped forward to explain, “This is Mr. Wu Yin, a distinguished guest of Mr. Walid.”
“Miss Mora?! So he’s the Commander’s guest. Please come in. I apologize for the obstruction.”
“Don’t worry about it. You were just doing your duty.”
Mora and I walked into the elevator together.
She pressed the button for the top floor, and the elevator rose, arriving in no time.
The top floor had only one room.
A simple door bore the sign: Commander-in-Chief Office.
Mora pushed open the door.
The man inside, who had been frowning at the screen in front of him, immediately looked over.
He stood up and greeted me warmly.
“Welcome, Mr. Wu Yin. I am Khalid bin Walid, the Commander-in-Chief of Bola City.”
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