File No. 7: Anomaly Candle Night

Fang Yi returned home and began his usual routine of checking the news.

He had noticed something: during the Great World Change, perhaps to protect ordinary people, the Xia Kingdom always issued warnings at the first possible moment.

Pioneers could catch a glimpse of opportunities through such warnings.

An explosion had occurred at a chemical plant. There were currently no casualties.

One news item caught Fang Yi's attention.

An explosion?

Fang Yi fell into thought. Anything involving explosions was usually far from innocent; ninety-nine percent of the time, there was some hidden truth behind it.

When he clicked in, he found an official clarification.

"An explosion occurred at a chemical plant, causing black smoke to spread and resulting in urban pollution. These are all normal phenomena. Citizens, please do not panic, and be sure to take care of your own safety."

Several pictures were attached beneath the text.

From afar, it appeared to be dusk. A factory resembling a chemical plant had exploded, with half the facility swallowed by a sea of flames.

Black light rose into the air like enormous clouds.

Half the sky had been dyed black.

It looked both terrifying and spectacular.

The comments were equally interesting.

"Was it really just an explosion?"

"My home is nearby, and I heard the explosion too. But honestly, the feeling was especially strange. I don't know how to describe it."

"A cold and evil aura?"

"Yes, yes, yes, cold and evil. That's exactly it. You described it so accurately."

"Are the two of you upstairs mentally ill? An explosion, and you somehow got a cold and evil aura out of it? What, did some unspeakable thing awaken inside? Have you gone crazy from being online too much?"

"A chemical plant in our area exploded too. It smelled a little bad, but calling it evil is a bit exaggerated, isn't it?"

"The picture does look pretty cold and gloomy. Half the sky is black, and it makes me feel oppressed and heavy. My depression is going to get worse."

There were hundreds of replies beneath that comment.

Fang Yi was reading through them and was about to scroll down.

Suddenly, a notification popped up on the screen.

The comment you were viewing has been folded.

"Folded?"

Fang Yi was a little surprised.

Thoughtfully, he backed out to look at the post.

Sure enough, the entire post had been banned. Even the account that had published it had been deactivated.

To Fang Yi, this behavior was clearly a case of trying to hide something only to reveal it more.

The authorities were so eager to ban this post. Had he guessed something right?

This information couldn't be allowed to spread. Once too many people knew, it would affect morale, so the authorities immediately stepped in to delete the post and forbid discussion of the topic.

Fang Yi recalled the process of reading the post just now.

Everything else had seemed fine. If there was one suspicious part, it was that comment.

"Cold and evil"... a forbidden phrase?

If what he said was true, then a mutation capable of making people feel coldness and evil was no good thing.

Could it be that, against the backdrop of the Great World Change and Spirit Qi Recovery, something had begun invading?

Fang Yi's gaze deepened as he looked out the window.

Outside, rain poured down in torrents.

Because of the lightning, the weather had been rainy recently, and the air was saturated with a gloomy, icy chill.

Within the rain-shrouded city,

could something truly have awakened from its slumber?

The rain came down in sheets.

There were no pedestrians on the streets, and even the surrounding shops had closed early.

In weather filled with thunder and lightning, no one wanted to go out. They would rather stay home watching television or playing games.

Within the black night, where rain fell in threads,

a team of figures slowly emerged.

They wore black raincoats, their movements agile as they moved through the city like hawks hunting in the night.

Each of them wore a silver earpiece that faintly gleamed, becoming the only bright color in the darkness.

The person at the front lightly pressed his earpiece, his voice calm.

"We are tracking the Candle Night Anomaly from File No. 7. Its known abilities are blending into the night, concealing its form, and making a faint sizzling sound when it approaches. It enjoys eating people. Please help supplement the file."

A response soon came through the earpiece.

"Received and reported. Please be sure to stay safe during this operation."

"Please be quick. The information is very important to us."

The figure spoke again, his voice carrying a hint of gravity.

"This Candle Night is extremely troublesome. With the recent heavy rain, it's difficult to find when it hides. But it is destined to feed."

"Once it feeds, ordinary people may be put in danger."

"We will never allow that to happen."

The city beneath their feet remained peaceful and prosperous, its neon lights flashing as though it slept within a massive eggshell.

That eggshell was like a protective layer.

Even though the world outside the shell had long since been turned upside down, the people within still dreamed sweetly. This was the spirit of Xia Kingdom official organizations: protecting ordinary people's ordinary lives to the greatest extent possible.

"Understood."

The voice on the other end also grew solemn.

A burst of rapid typing sounded.

"File No. 7: Candle Night. Request for immediate supplementary information has been submitted under Priority B. It is expected to be resolved within twenty-four hours."

The leader fell silent.

Twenty-four hours was not fast, but it was already the greatest help headquarters could provide. The Xia Kingdom was vast, and mutations were awakening everywhere. Headquarters was overwhelmed as well.

"Alright."

The earpiece flashed, and another message came through from the other side.

"By the way, there is someone from our Spirit Qi Cultivation Association in the district you are currently approaching. She is carrying out a Pioneer observation mission. We can send her a message and have her assist you temporarily."

"Alright, thank you."

The leader did not refuse.

He needed to deal with Candle Night as quickly as possible. At a time like this, the more people there were, the easier it would be to find its trail.

Elsewhere.

Su Qingying stood in the security booth at the entrance of an apartment complex, preparing to... take over the shift.

That was right.

After what had happened before, she was already eighty percent certain that the high-attribute Pioneer lived in this apartment building.

"Being a temporary security guard lets me better observe the residents entering and leaving the complex every day, and I can collect two paychecks at the same time. It's killing two birds with one stone."

Su Qingying hummed a little tune.

She was in high spirits and planned to change into her work uniform before heading out on patrol.

"Little Su, you're on duty during the second half of tonight, right? Could you switch with me? I have something to take care of."

A colleague beside her spoke up.

Su Qingying was about to refuse. She did not like staying up late. Suddenly, she noticed movement from her earpiece.

"Sorry, I need to take a call first."

Su Qingying walked outside the security booth. After confirming that no one was around, she lightly tapped her earpiece.

"Agent Su Qingying, new assistance mission."

"Please assist the Destroyer Squad in handling File No. 7: Candle Night. The location has been sent to your wristband. At present, the Destroyer Squad is heading toward your area. Estimated arrival time: twenty-seven minutes."

Anomaly... Candle Night?

Su Qingying's expression immediately turned grave.

Anomalies were immensely powerful and evil mutated creatures, each possessing the power to destroy a city.

If it was not dealt with quickly,

the entirety of Tai City could fall into a devastating crisis!