Shifting Powers, Eye of the Storm

Under the gloomy sky, the Binhai City seemed to possess an air of utter grotesqueness and eeriness.

Those gigantic Monster, whose origins are unknown, are now wandering aimlessly throughout the city. Giant Spider, dozens of stories high, crawl between buildings, and One-legged Monster, dozens of meters long, traverse the steel jungle... It's a scene of utter Utter Chaos.

In addition, the effects of the previous Cold Wave made the entire city appear even more deserted.

The Giant Spider and One-legged Monster that Bai Zhi and his companions had seen were only a part of the whole picture. Many more strange and bizarre Monster were projected and roaming the city, and common humans were completely unaware of them, even when they were pierced by spider legs.

These things are merely projections of Anomaly from another world.

It's fortunate that the sudden arrival of the Cold Wave has led most people to stay indoors; otherwise, just imagining the terrifying scene of common and Monster walking together in a normally bustling city would be enough to send shivers down one's spine.

"If we consider this perspective, the so-called Cold Wave might actually have been created by the Relevant Department themselves..."

Riding a shared electric scooter on the way to the Store, Bai Zhi looked thoughtful as he gazed at the desolate and bleak scenery along the way.

The Binhai City is already filled with Anomaly, Player from all over the world, Anomaly from Otherworld, and Player from Otherworld... When all these beings gather in one city, the resulting chemical reaction will be far more than just a little bit; the common at the very center of the storm will inevitably suffer heavy casualties.

Although the Relevant Department were aware of the impending arrival of Large-scale Dungeon in advance, they simply could not relocate all the common in the Binhai City with its millions of inhabitants in such a short time. Therefore, under these circumstances, artificially creating a large-scale Cold Wave to keep those common at home might be a rather good option.

Although the rules and system for this upcoming [Large-scale Dungeon] haven't been announced yet, in the next month, Binhai City will inevitably become as peaceful as a certain Dongmu City. Anomaly are one thing, but those Player from Otherworld might not necessarily abide by the rules of this world...

With a mix of inexplicable thoughts, Bai Zhi and Mu Qiansè arrived at Xinglong Mall after cycling for nearly half an hour.

Ignoring the sharp foot that pierced through the dome and into the Store, Bai Zhi parked the self-service electric vehicle and then led Mu Qiansè into the Store.

They weren't just buying one or two things on this trip. Besides essential warm clothing, the groceries displayed in the Store were also Item; getting it done once and for all was the best approach.

It's fortunate that the Player had their own Inventory; otherwise, the two of them alone might not have been able to carry all that stuff back...

"... So that's why you asked me to come along?"

Mu Qiansè, who was silently following behind Bai Zhi and pushing a cart, spoke softly.

"The reason you chose to bring me along is actually because I'm a very useful Tool Person?"

Do you think I'm that kind of person?

As Bai Zhi packed Potato into the bag, he glanced at the other person.

"Picture."

The Young Girl nodded without hesitation.

"... Let's hurry back."

After a moment of silent silence, Bai Zhi turned his head.

The journey back was much smoother than the way there, and no accidents occurred along the way. As night fell, the city, which seemed slightly desolate and cold compared to usual, was quietly illuminated by the lights of thousands of homes.

On the west coast of Binhai City.

Because of the Cold Wave, the beach, which is usually quite lively at night, is now deserted.

... No, or rather, there are actually people who do exist.

With the sputtering sound of a motorboat, it reached the shore, but just as it was about to reach the shore, the ice that had silently frozen beneath the sea froze it in place.

"What, are you two trying to stop me from entering Binhai City? I'm a guest who's come from afar, so this kind of welcoming ceremony seems a bit inappropriate, doesn't it?"

As the gentle voice rang out, Handsome Young Man with blond hair and blue eyes, dressed in a sharp suit and possessing distinctly Western features, stood up from the motorboat.

Although he is a Westerner, his Chinese is extremely fluent.

"We shouldn't be adversaries. How about you make way and let me into Binhai City?"

"The [West Pavilion Gardener] of the Blood Cross Society... Ah, encountering such a troublesome opponent on my first mission, this is really going to be difficult."

Without intending to answer the other person's question, the Black-haired Youth, whose eyes were the same color as the Blond Young Man in front of him, scratched his head and turned to look at his companion beside him with a troubled expression.

"Little Bingbing, should we just call for help? I heard this guy is really tough to deal with... Hey, hey, hey, is that really necessary? It was just a joke, we're Teammate."

With a wave of his hand, he froze a water arrow that was flying towards Cao Zhe's vital area into a block of ice, and the boy shouted excitedly.

"If you call me that again, I'll kill you."

She glanced at her companions and uttered extremely Yu Bing words.

Unlike the boy beside him who was dressed in all black, his clothes were mainly blue, and he wore a teardrop-shaped blue pendant around his neck, which shimmered faintly in the night.

"Is it the Ice Mage [Yu Zhishi] and Water Mage [Yu Bing] systems of the Relevant Department? No wonder the sea surface is undefended..."

Looking at the two people standing on the beach, chatting away and showing no intention of paying any attention to him, West Pavilion Mage sighed helplessly.

"I don't want to fight you, but it seems you're not planning to back down... Isn't that a bit too domineering?"

Fighting on the sea, the most suitable surface for them, allows them to unleash 200% or even more of their strength, not to mention that their abilities complement each other perfectly.

If he had known it would be like this, he would have preferred to enter the Binhai City by land rather than face these two guys head-on on the sea, even though those intercepting them on land were all Monster...

"Overbearing? I don't think so."

Standing up straight, Yu Zhishi lazily began to answer.

"You haven't even resolved your own issues in the West, so why are you meddling in our affairs in the East? Your reach is a bit too far."

"That's not the same."

West Pavilion Mage shook his head and spoke frankly.

"Even if that Anomaly in the West gets out of control, its impact will at most only affect a few small towns. But if this [Large-scale Dungeon] Walkthrough fails, the impact will be worldwide. We have a common enemy, and there's absolutely no need for us to fight here."

"... I don't Trust you, or rather, the Relevant Department don't Trust you at all. After all, who knows if you're here to help or to cause trouble?"

Yu Bing clearly didn't like to talk, and stood aloofly to the side the whole time. She glanced at her Teammate with a hint of helplessness, and Yu Zhishi shook her head.

"Once the [Large-scale Dungeon] opens, Binhai City will descend into chaos. We absolutely cannot allow this chaos to escalate further, so those unstable factors must be eliminated. And you are those unstable factors."

So, in the end, isn't it all about Trust?

West Pavilion Gardener touched his forehead and sighed.

"Then how about this, on behalf of the Blood Cross Society, I'd like to reach a deal with your Relevant Department..."