Rampager

"What an astonishing coincidence. Alice Kingsley saw the anomaly in the Antigonus Family notebook in the Dream. With Alice's advance warning, Dunn did not read through the Antigonus Family notebook. This was logical."

"Things took a turning point. Dunn entered Hainas Vincent's Dream and saw the True Creator's clear image within it, suffering tremendous harm. Yet he was not contaminated because of it. This would be noticed by the Nighthawks' high-level officials."

"With reminders from Alice and Daily, Dunn began trying the Acting Method, which somewhat improved his condition."

"It was truly unbelievable! Klein Moretti noticed Ince Zangwill's secret influence and saw that dark-red chimney."

"Klein ran into Sirius at the library and killed him without being able to hold back. Thus, the clues regarding Lanlus were cut off by half, and the discovery of the problem was delayed, pushed back."

"Klein encountered Megose, but his spirituality prevented him from examining her. Afterward, he did not notice that subtle anomaly. This was perfectly logical; our story was not fabricated nonsense."

"He gathered information on the Red Chimney, but he always chose routes that did not include the target. Perhaps only two or three months later, with the final batch, would he discover the true 'Red Chimney House.'"

"Alice Kingsley noticed something was wrong through an accidental car accident. At her reminder, Klein realized the matter was not simple, and together they reported it to Dunn."

"Dunn contacted the Punishers and Machine Heart teams. After an investigation, they confirmed that Megose's child was actually the offspring of the True Creator."

"The official Beyonders of Tingen City reported the matter. The Three Churches each dispatched high-level officials from Backlund. Oh, poor Ince Zangwill, his plan had failed once again. Megose would soon..."

A slightly pale hand gripped the Quill Pen that was writing and moved to the next line to begin again:

"The arrival of a large number of official Beyonders drew the attention of Aurora Order members in Tingen City. Based on this, they discovered Megose, who was carrying the Divine Child, and contacted Mr. A, who was in Backlund."

"As the Aurora Order's Divine Emissary, Mr. A's departure would inevitably draw attention. He would attract the notice of all official Beyonders in Backlund. This was logical."

Having just been stunned by the news that Megose carried the True Creator's offspring, Alice was immediately slapped in the face by news of Aurora Order Divine Emissary Mr. A's arrival.

The matter had been discovered outside Megose's home. Mr. A, who had been preparing to take Megose away, happened to encounter the Red Gloves team guarding the place. However, Mr. A did not attack and simply left the scene.

"So, he ran away?" Alice, upon hearing of it, asked an innocent question.

"It would be more accurate to say he spared the Red Gloves." Dunn shot Alice a warning glance. "Aurora Order Shepherds are considered the strongest in encounters below the Demigod level. If you happen to encounter him, run away as fast as you can!"

"I'm not that unlu..." Alice almost instinctively wanted to say she was not that unlucky. As a Lucky One, she had great faith in her luck, but her experiences of late had left her uneasy. She remembered the first image in her memories—the Lucky One who had accidentally fallen to his death—and silently swallowed her words. "I understand."

"Starting today, whenever you go out, you must travel in teams of at least three. Alice, you are no exception." Dunn gave Alice another individual warning.

Not being a child completely ignorant of the gravity of things, Alice quickly realized the seriousness of the matter and reined in her usual frivolity and laziness.

In this solemn atmosphere, Alice met her first Rampager.

"I need your help." In the Underground Market, Alice had been squatting and staring wide-eyed at a "Monster" when Swain conveniently took her along.

"A member of a Punishers team has lost control nearby. We must deal with him before he harms any ordinary people!"

Since stepping into the world of Beyonders, Alice had heard countless accounts of losing control. Countless people had likewise marveled at her luck—that she had not gone mad, had not lost control on the spot and become a monster, and had not suddenly gone mad or lost control on some later day.

But hearing about something and witnessing it firsthand were not equally shocking. When she saw Dunn's solemn and utterly unhesitating response, when she sensed the sudden heaviness in his emotions, Alice's own mood could not help but grow heavy as well—she remembered Old Neil, who had gone for treatment and had yet to return.

In truth, Alice and Old Neil had only met briefly, and she did not feel much for him. But she had heard Dunn mention Old Neil; he was a comrade Dunn had fought shoulder to shoulder with for many years.

...Losing companions must be a painful experience, right?

Passing through drinkers discussing animatedly, they followed Swain to the Docks District, panting for breath.

Dunn stuffed two Slumber Charms into Alice's hands. When he rushed up himself, Alice understood what she was supposed to do—in Dunn's heart, she was most likely not yet a team member, but a civilian holding a gun.

"But I'm a Nighthawk too." Alice muttered, slipping the charms into her left pocket. She reached for the revolver in her underarm holster and adjusted the firing position and trigger.

The monster burst out of the gap in an instant. Alice caught sight of its appearance: it stood over 1.8 meters tall, dressed in a shirt and trousers tattered beyond recognition. The exposed parts of its body were covered with dark-green scales, and membranes grew between its limbs, like the webbing between the toes of certain aquatic animals. Its wrinkled head vaguely retained a human appearance, while mucus flowed over its scales and continuously dripped down.

Alice pulled the trigger. The bullet struck what was suspected to be the monster's eye with perfect accuracy, one of the few areas on its body not covered by scales.

Roaring in pain, the monster abandoned Swain, who had been fighting it, and lunged at Alice.

A heavy fishy stench came on the wind. This scene was far more shocking than that carriage charging straight at her, yet Alice found herself unexpectedly calm. She ducked low and, as the monster pounced on her, slipped beneath it and hid behind the Punishers who had caught up.

What followed had little to do with Alice. As she watched the People of Wrath defeat their former companion, then support one another as they stood, an indescribable sorrow suddenly rose in her heart.

In her daze, she seemed to feel a warm embrace, as though she heard someone shouting at her at the top of their lungs:

"Huanhuan, run! Don't look back!"