Chapter 2: Forbidden Object, Contained Item

“The true form is a stone statue of an angel with a smiling face, made of unknown material with extremely high hardness.”

“Smiling Angel will actively approach any living being it discovers, and when within one meter, it drags the person into an illusion.”

According to those who have experienced it firsthand, that place is true Paradise.

Once they leave the illusion, they collapse and commit suicide, unable to accept leaving Paradise.

Each time someone is dragged into the illusion, it splits once.

The City of Lai has already fallen.

Millions of citizens are about to die—we must find its true form!

***

A man in a black robe led a team through the alleyways.

Their pace wasn’t fast, as if they were luring something.

Their formation was spread out, each paying attention to front, back, left, and right.

Heavy thudding sounds from behind kept echoing, accompanied by a faint, light laughter.

“Lyle Captain, can just a few of us really find its true form among so many ‘Smiling Angels’?”

Among the four team members, a woman with shoulder-length short hair and an air of heroism in her features asked with confusion.

“Rain, you’re right, but the more people that get involved, the more the ‘Smiling Angel’ will split,” Lyle said gravely.

“Remember, its true form has a bullet hole in the heart. As long as we re-contain the original, we can resolve this incident.”

“Wait, Captain, look behind you!”

A team member cried out in alarm, pointing behind the Captain.

***

Rain froze in shock, her eyes reflecting the smiling face of an angel statue.

“Run, all of you!”

“Open fire!”

***

On the clock tower, Lu Ming’s lips curled up.

“A bizarre Containment Object, huh? As long as it has nothing to do with the gods.”

A magnificent emerald robe enveloped her slender figure, her face shrouded in a gentle green light.

A crown made of plants descended onto her head.

Her body, like a work of art, shimmered with ancient green-gold patterns.

“In another world, they called me a False God, and I won’t argue that. But now, call me the God of Life!”

As she spoke, her figure instantly vanished.

***

In the alley.

Due to the narrow terrain, the squad couldn’t evacuate immediately.

And their position was on a straight road, with only forward and backward as options.

It was truly a dilemma.

The moment he heard the exclamation, Lyle Captain’s years of experience made him roll instinctively.

He narrowly dodged, ending up two meters away from the ‘Smiling Angel’.

***

“Lyle Captain, we’ll cover your retreat!”

The other team members immediately opened fire, unloading their special bullets at the stone statue as if they cost nothing.

The short-haired woman called Rain kept her finger pressed on the trigger, never letting up.

Every so often, she tossed a couple of small grenades as well.

But the more she fired, the grimmer her expression became.

“It’s completely useless. We can only barely slow it down.”

The conclusion that special bullets didn’t work on the ‘Smiling Angel’ should have already been made in the Containment Facility.

So, the organization definitely wouldn’t let them come here just to die for nothing.

That meant the Captain had a trump card.

She remembered the countless Containment Objects in the Facility.

Some were enough to wipe out the world, while others were strange and mysterious Forbidden Objects.

Only the squad captain was qualified to apply for the use of Forbidden Objects.

“Could it be, the Captain brought a Forbidden Object!”

She immediately shifted her gaze to Lyle.

Sure enough.

He was holding an ordinary-looking revolver in his left hand.

In his right hand was an old pocket watch.

“That’s 2-12 [Death Revolver] and 2-37 [Stopwatch]…”

Lyle’s weathered face was grim, beads of cold sweat trailing down his nose.

“Each time you shoot someone else, you have to fire at yourself first. It really deserves the name [Death Revolver].”

He pressed the gun to his own head, right hand ready to flick the pocket watch.

The function of the watch was simple—turning it once could rewind time in a small area by one second.

Lyle pulled the trigger sharply.

A hollow click.

Lyle let out a sigh of relief, quickly aiming the gun at the gentle-faced ‘Smiling Angel’.

“Go meet your ‘God’!”

A piercing gunshot echoed.

A pitch-black bullet struck the ‘Smiling Angel’.

It entered its body with ease.

The spot hit instantly blew open, as if it would split apart completely.

But in less than two seconds, it rapidly healed.

“What!”

“Weren’t we told that this damned [Death Revolver] could shatter the ‘Smiling Angel’, or at the very least paralyze it for a full minute?!”

“It’s too late!”

The ‘Smiling Angel’ was now within arm’s reach.

From the corner of his eye, Lyle saw Rain and the others frozen in shock.

Gritting his teeth, he threw aside the Forbidden Objects and lunged at the ‘Smiling Angel’.

But he froze mid-motion.

Because Rain had charged forward ahead of him.

***

She looked bewildered and stunned, as if she never expected to move on her own.

In that moment, her mind was a blank, but her body acted on its own.

“Am I going to die?”

“Is it a paradise-like illusion?”

“Compared to facing these dangerous Containment Objects every day, maybe it’s better to stay there.”

Rain felt as if she’d slammed into an iron wall.

Her ribs seemed to snap, icy coldness penetrating her body.

Before she could close her eyes and surrender to the illusion,

A gentle emerald light suddenly appeared in her blurred vision.

Bathed in that light, she felt warm all over, and her pain eased.

***

She saw—

A woman floating in mid-air, draped in a luxurious green robe, crowned with flowers and grass, her face veiled by a gentle glow.

Mysterious patterns flowed across her form.

She radiated an aura of kindness and closeness, utterly sacred.

She made people want to approach without even realizing it.

At the same time, a beam of green light enveloped the ‘Smiling Angel’.

That woman simply extended her hand and gently clenched her fist.

The harsh sound of stone cracking kept ringing out.

Everyone stared in shock.

The ‘Smiling Angel’ exploded and didn’t reassemble!

But because it was shrouded in green light, Rain and the others couldn’t tell what had happened inside.

Yet they had no time to care about the ‘Smiling Angel’—

Their eyes were completely drawn to Lu Ming.

***

The two team members in the back spoke up in confusion.

“Who is she? I can’t see her face, but she feels so beautiful, almost motherly.”

“No idea. Some humanoid Containment Object that’s kind to humans?”

Lu Ming slowly landed, her bare feet softly touching the ground.

Where she touched, a patch of flowers and grass sprouted.

Lyle and Rain’s eyes went wide.

Lu Ming walked toward Rain at a gentle pace.

The grass expanded, spreading along the alley.

“I say: Those who revere life shall bear its weight.”

Her gentle voice was as warm as spring after a harsh winter,

Awakening all things, uplifting the heart and spirit.

Lyle’s pupils shook violently.

“Chronicle records that God created the world in six days. On the first day, ‘God said: Let there be light,’ and there was light…”

This tone—was she truly a God?

A wave of green light surged into Rain’s chest, bathing her entire body.

Instantly, the pain of her broken ribs vanished.

She felt light and refreshed, as if her body had been remade.

“Your courage caught my eye. Can you tell me your name?”

“Rain… Are you, a God?”

Lu Ming smiled softly but didn’t reply.

Her posture was light and agile; even a casual movement filled people with joy.

Rain was utterly entranced.

“I need a spokesperson in this world. Rain, are you willing?”