"Wait a minute!"
Huai Shi subconsciously raised his hand in objection, only to see Raven toss a fully-packed travel bag his way. "Take this. Use it on the road."
"What is this?"
He caught it reflexively, not paying much attention at that moment.
The next instant, Huai Shi's footing gave way.
A large hole appeared beneath his feet, and amidst his screams, he plunged into darkness.
Silence descended once more upon the Special Affairs Department.
Such a pity, they really didn't leave any survivors...
Raven spread her wings, gliding over the chaotic mess of the dungeon, up the staircase, across the silent hall strewn with debris, and landed on the rooftop of the Special Affairs Department, gazing up at the dark smoke pillars unseen by ordinary eyes.
From a skyward view, beneath layers of disguise and surging power hidden in the darkness, everything revealed its true form within Raven's crimson eyes.
Like the vast shadow of a great bird, it spread slowly like a tide, covering the entire city.
Nine gruesome heads, each facing a different direction, devoured the sacrifices and offerings from various parts of the city, as if returning to an egg.
Lurking in the darkness, nurturing a transformation from Hell.
Nine Phoenix, huh? How amusing.
She chuckled softly. Should I say they're determined or brainless? But in the end, it will all be for naught.
No one responded. The stage was set, the curtain raised. The real drama was about to unfold.
But this time, who will be the protagonist?
.
.
Huai Shi felt himself falling through darkness.
The wind howled past. After what seemed an eternity, he finally landed on his backside. Before he could even get up, he felt a strong gust of wind on his face, and a heavy Iron Whip hovered before him.
It was inches away, and Huai Shi's hair stood on end.
"Who's there!"
Following the Iron Whip with his eyes, Huai Shi saw a burly man standing before him. His left arm was amputated at the shoulder, his face pale, yet his eyes, bloodshot and blazing, seemed to burn with fire.
"Mister, don't shoot, it's me..."
Huai Shi instinctively raised his hands, then, realizing halfway through that what he was saying wasn't right, hastily corrected himself, "Friendly! We're friendlies!"
The bearded man looked at him coldly, the Iron Whip hovering motionless before him, as if the slightest stir would mean his death.
The bone-chilling killing intent emanating from the man was palpable.
One look at the grotesque, mangled corpses behind the large man made it clear this murderous intent was real.
Even from a few inches away, the Iron Whip exerted a tangible pressure on Huai Shi's shoulders, its weight almost paralyzing him as sweat soaked his back.
"This, I can explain..."
"Astronomical Society?" the large man asked first.
Huai Shi was taken aback. "Uh, yes. How did you know?"
The large man glanced at the travel bag that had fallen before Huai Shi. On the zipper, someone had thoughtfully clipped his Astronomical Society work card.
Name, age, headshot... his identity clearly stated, as if on a matchmaking profile, to prevent friendly fire.
Just too damn thoughtful.
If only the method of descent could have been a bit more graceful!
"Huai Shi, right?" He scrutinized the harmless, innocent face of the youth before him, his expression growing increasingly displeased. "You're the local Sublimator mentioned in the report. I know you."
"Uh..." Huai Shi wasn't sure if this was good news or bad. "And you are?"
"Social Security Bureau Special Operations Department. Third Stage, Jin Mu."
After finally confirming Huai Shi's identity, he slowly withdrew the Iron Whip and flicked a metal insignia from his trouser pocket towards Huai Shi. The insignia bore the unmistakable alchemical imprint of Jin Mu's Source Fluctuation and his military rank.
Having been trained by Ai Qing, Huai Shi knew how to verify its authenticity. After confirming it was genuine, he promptly returned it with both hands, saying, "My apologies for the disrespect."
"Come with me."
Clearly not fond of Huai Shi, he snatched back the insignia, hoisted the Iron Whip with his one arm, and took the lead again. "Just don't lag behind."
Only then did Huai Shi have a chance to observe his surroundings.
They appeared to be underground in a massive tunnel, with signs of excavation all around. The flickering dim light from the overhead bulbs revealed traces of a fierce battle.
As Huai Shi took a step, his foot hit a snapped railway track.
Railway?
Huai Shi paused for a moment, then a thought struck him: Subway?
Considering the scene, he could almost be certain of his location.