Amid the dense forest of towering buildings, the streamlined sports car glided elegantly through the traffic-clogged streets.
Leaning against the rock-hard black Alcantara suede seat and feeling the similar yet different force pushing him back compared to the four-wheeled mining carts, Bai Zhou wore a dazed expression.
This thing called a "car" was probably quite expensive. He could tell from the envious looks people repeatedly cast their way as they passed the other vehicles.
He wondered how many boxes of Four-Flavor Instant Noodles it could be exchanged for.
Bai Zhou turned his head and looked at the "strange" man beside him.
Neatly trimmed crew cut, enormous sunglasses, and a thick cigar...
He looked no different from a vulgar, uncouth nouveau riche, but Bai Zhou knew that an enchanted pistol named "Judge-300" was tucked at his waist. At the slightest disagreement, he could draw it and riddle someone with bullets. He was a bona fide Dangerous Element.
The silver-white briefcase marked with a cross might even be hidden in the trunk behind them, ready to be pulled out at any moment so he could transform into Iron Man in the middle of the street, fly up onto a lamppost, and exchange passionate cannon fire with someone.
The flashy white suit could not conceal the robust, well-trained chest beneath it. Perhaps vulgarity and uncouthness were merely the Suit Thug's disguise to the outside world...
"Hrrrk—"
A low, viscous sound rose from deep in his throat.
Section Chief Liu turned his head, stuck out his chin, and pursed his lips...
A glob of thick phlegm flew precisely toward the roadside.
The entire motion was smooth and practiced.
Bai Zhou: "..."
All right. It was not a disguise.
This man really was the most uncivilized person on the entire street.
The familiar man had returned in an instant.
"You made it just in time, kid."
Section Chief Liu rested one hand on the butterfly door, cigar between his teeth, his voice muffled.
"Strictly speaking, this is a sensitive period. The entire base is under military control, so no one should be allowed to leave casually."
"But yesterday was the End of Heat. The Black Box Maintenance Department has an annual holiday around this time every year."
"Major's generous. Saying the Blood Worship Cult isn't enough to make the department so nervous that they'd cancel our annual leave."
"End of Heat..." Bai Zhou blinked.
"The Twenty-Four Solar Terms have extraordinary significance in the Mystic World. You'll understand later."
Section Chief Liu gave him a brief explanation.
"Every year after the Beginning of Autumn, the things inside the Black Box grow quiet. The Reflection Ruins Realm also falls silent, becoming much safer for people to explore."
"This hard-won peace lasts until the Beginning of Spring the following year, when the Awakening of Insects brings the greatest eruption."
As he spoke, Section Chief Liu grinned. "Still, you get used to it. There's no guarantee any of us will live to see next year!"
"—So enjoy yourselves while you can, young man!"
The Twenty-Four Solar Terms.
Why did exploring the Reflection Ruins Realm feel so much like farming?
Farmers guarded against pests, busy or idle according to the changing seasons.
...What was the principle behind it?
As Bai Zhou silently committed these concepts to memory, he gained a new understanding of the dangers surrounding the Special Management Department.
So the department's consistently high casualty rate was actually almost used up during the first half of every year?
Fortunately, he had joined the Special Management Department after the Beginning of Autumn...
Thinking about it that way, Section Chief Liu's nouveau riche attitude after leaving the base suddenly made perfect sense.
"Look at their ignorant, happy faces... They know nothing because we're shouldering everything in the shadows!"
"We risk life and limb for the Federation. Now that we finally get to enter the city, can't we enjoy ourselves a little?"
"...Besides, the higher-ups are reimbursing everything."
—Those were Section Chief Liu's exact words moments ago.
"Oh, right. Where are the others?"
Bai Zhou remembered the other people who had come with them.
He suddenly felt that this car was pretty useless. It could only seat two people.
Wouldn't it be better if it could carry more people? Strength in numbers, and it would be livelier too.
Section Chief Liu answered:
"Look behind you."
Bai Zhou turned around, then his eyes widened abruptly.
What entered his view was an entire luxury convoy stretching out like a long dragon!
There were jeeps so huge and beastlike they were exaggerated, as well as sports cars sleek as blades. Every driver's seat held a man wearing sunglasses.
Their faces were cold and their postures rigid. Their movements were perfectly synchronized, as though they had undergone professional training. Rather than driving, they looked more like top-tier... bodyguards carrying out a high-level escort mission.
Arrogant and unrestrained.
—But they were official elites. They risked their lives for the world, possessed incredible advanced weapons, and wielded supernatural, otherworldly powers.
If they could not act arrogantly, then who had the right to?
Yet at that very moment...
In the eyes of passersby—
The foremost vehicle in this luxury convoy was the only convertible sports car,
and the youngest, fairest boy sitting in the passenger seat, so out of place among the others,
was probably some wealthy young master from an unknown family, protected by these suited "bodyguards"...
Bai Zhou did not understand what those gazes meant. He only knew that the eyes of many girls were nearly drowning him.
Some gazes were so hot they were difficult to comprehend, as if they wanted to devour him alive.
The convertible Maserati did not even have a roof to shield him. A wave of embarrassment rose to his cheeks—
Bai Zhou suddenly felt an urge to cover his face.
Seeing this, Section Chief Liu grinned.
"Our branch may be short of everything else, but we're definitely not short of money!"
"And Major is more generous than you imagine!"
"We don't get to leave often. Look lively. We can't let the Special Management Department lose face!"
High risk meant high returns.
Bai Zhou suddenly gained a profound understanding of those words.
"Temazcal steam baths, high-altitude hydrotherapy, underwater steam baths, champagne French cuisine..."
While waiting at a traffic light, Section Chief Liu twisted open his faded thermos with a "creak, creak," took a sip of tea that had almost lost all its flavor, and listed the upcoming activities like a treasured catalog.
"I've got a credit card here. Don't worry about the limit."
"—The only thing you need to worry about is how to spend the money and make yourself happy!"
Bai Zhou blinked his clear eyes.
He was... actually quite tempted?
He was still utterly unfamiliar with this world. How did it already feel as though he was being corrupted?
Suddenly,
passionate music rang out from Section Chief Liu.
"Eyes wide as bronze bells~ Shooting lightning-like brilliance..."
"Ah-ah-ah, ha-ha-ha, Black Cat Detective♫—Ah-ah-ah, ha-ha-ha, Black Cat Detective♫"
Section Chief Liu pulled out a piece of glass.
Bai Zhou jolted, because the glass was astonishingly identical to the Forbidden Object that had once served as an anchor to attract the Special Management Department and directly caused Evening City to shatter!
Meanwhile, Section Chief Liu composed his expression and spoke to the "glass" in the gentlest voice he could manage:
"Wife, what is it?"
"Mhm, mhm, I know you're writing reports at the base. What's wrong?"
"—What? Our daughter's sick! Is it serious?"
Section Chief Liu's expression changed, and his voice rose.
"All right, I'll be right there!"
After putting down the "glass," Section Chief Liu pressed a button in the car.
Static crackled from the speakers. Section Chief Liu spoke in a low voice:
"Brothers, the plan has changed."
"You go on ahead. I need to stop by the boarding school for a while."
"They called and said my daughter's sick."
Static sounded again, followed by a chorus of overlapping voices:
"No need to say anything, Boss. Your niece's business is our business."
"Let's all go take a look. If something's really wrong, we can lend a hand."
"Section Chief, since you put it that way, what else is there to say... Let's go. We're coming too!"
...Section Chief Liu could not overcome everyone's enthusiasm.
In the end, the pale yellow Maserati MC20 was surrounded by the convoy and raced toward the boarding school.
Hengtan Elementary School.
It was famous throughout Tinghai for its strict boarding-school management and exceptionally high teaching quality.
"It's nothing serious, just a fever."
The speaker was a young female teacher wearing glasses. She had delicate features, a petite build, and a round, baby-fat face that radiated an almost maternal warmth.
"I took her to the infirmary. Her fever has just gone down, and she's fallen asleep."
That was what she said, but beneath her forced calm, she still could not help feeling nervous.
After all, gathered before her was a group of stern-faced, burly men... and a pale-faced boy wearing a Golden Necklace. She had no idea who they were.
"I'm terribly sorry for the trouble!"
Section Chief Liu bowed in thanks, his voice sincere.
"You've had to take extra care of this child normally, too."
"It's what I should do. It's what I should do."
The Round Face teacher secretly breathed a sigh of relief and waved her hands repeatedly.
"Student Liu is usually very well-behaved. She hardly gives me any trouble."
"Is that so..."
As soon as he heard the teacher praising his daughter, Section Chief Liu could not help grinning.
Meanwhile, Bai Zhou looked around and asked curiously:
"Teacher, may I ask why we haven't seen any students in class at this hour?"
It was clearly three in the afternoon, yet although they stood in the corridor of the Teaching Building, they could not see a single student in the classrooms.
"Because the school is holding a 'Public Security Team Visits the School' event. Everyone went to attend the lecture," the teacher explained.
So that was it.
At her reminder, everyone recalled the colorful banners hanging all over the campus on their way in—
"Combat fraud starting with elementary school students."
"Love the Federation and study hard to build the Federation!"
"Cooperating with Public Security Officer uncles is the duty of every Federation citizen."
And so on.
Meanwhile, the teacher secretly observed Bai Zhou as he asked his question.
There was no other reason. Bai Zhou's presence among these men was simply far too conspicuous.
That Golden Necklace of his was especially dazzling, making it hard to keep one's eyes open.
Surrounded by a crowd of burly men, he possessed a plain yet overwhelming air of wealth.
...Didn't rich people these days all pursue elegance?
Why were this young master's tastes so unusual?
Had he returned to simplicity?
The teacher was muttering inwardly when she saw that Bai Zhou seemed to sense her gaze and looked over.
Like a startled rabbit, the Round Face teacher flinched and hurriedly looked away.
Then she coughed twice and pretended to glance at the tiny watch on the inside of her wrist.
"By my estimate, everyone should be coming back soon."
—As it happened,
not long after she finished speaking, a noisy commotion came from the distance.
The enthusiastic students crowded around several uncles in Public Security Officer uniforms as they came down the corridor.
The lecture seemed to have been a great success. Every Public Security Officer uncle had temporarily replaced the Masked Monster and Ultraman as the person the children most wanted to become and the idol they most worshiped.
—Tied for first place with scientists and astronauts.
The middle-aged Public Security Officer at the front carried an inexplicably powerful aura. He held a thermos and exuded an imposing air without showing anger.
The rank insignia on his uniform placed him far above the other Public Security Officers.
Seeing a group of men in black suits blocking the way in the distance, he frowned slightly.
But in the next second, his steps slowed. He raised a hand and rubbed his eyes—
Then he cried out in disbelief:
"...Brother Liu?"
Ignoring the astonished gazes around him, he hurried over with delighted surprise.
"Do you still remember me? I'm Little Wang!"
"I never thought I'd run into you here!"
Only then did everyone realize, shocked, that the way he held his thermos... seemed rather similar to Section Chief Liu.
As if he were imitating him.
"...Little Wang?"
After a long moment, Section Chief Liu looked enlightened. "Oh, it's you. Last time..."
He said no more, merely patting "Little Wang" on the shoulder.
"Got promoted? You're a captain now?"
"Compared to what you people do, I'm nothing."
Captain Wang took out a cigarette pack and tried to offer him one.
But when his gaze fell on Bai Zhou, who looked far too young, he hesitated.
"These are all your... colleagues?"
Bai Zhou: "?"
Why does this seem to involve me, too?
"Mm." Section Chief Liu nodded firmly from the side. "We happened to come out during our vacation."
Captain Wang immediately sucked in a sharp breath and looked at Bai Zhou in disbelief.
—Working in that kind of place, doing that kind of work.
At such a young age?!
But that disbelief quickly turned into lofty respect.
He regarded Bai Zhou with solemn admiration.
"A hero from a young age! Young and accomplished—respectable, admirable!"
As he spoke, he personally moved to offer Bai Zhou a cigarette.
"No, no, no, I don't smoke..."
Bai Zhou waved his hands repeatedly, somewhat at a loss for words.
He wanted to say that he was actually just a rookie. How could he possibly be a hero?
"Who is this...?"
One Commissioner looked puzzled.
"He knows about us." Section Chief Liu gave him a subtle look. "Last time, a Public Security Officer cadre assisted me with my work. This is that person."
"I see." The Commissioner suddenly understood.
The cryptic conversation ended there.
Bai Zhou thought to himself, Just as I expected.
It was exactly as he had previously guessed.
The Commissioners of the Special Management Department could not reveal their true identities to the outside world. They were an official organization hidden behind the scenes.
The Mystic World, the Reflection Ruins Realm, and those Black Boxes... On Blue Star, all of these were "taboos" that ordinary people could never know about.
Only a few people from other official organizations, such as high-ranking Public Security Officers, could vaguely know of their existence.
But Bai Zhou was an exception.
He had been born inside the "taboo" from the very beginning. As a "native of the taboo," he was instead out of place among these "ordinary" people, alienated and unfamiliar with them.
—Although, in truth, he was alienated from everyone.
Nor could he completely trust anyone.
The Special Management Department had saved him, Section Chief Liu had treated him well, and Ya was beyond reproach.
But he was actually incapable of trusting anyone again. He kept something in reserve with everyone.
Including Section Chief Liu—even Ya.
For example, the Last Will, the Golden Pass, and the Dead Sea Scrolls.
That was the aftereffect of Evening City...
The curious chatter of children reached his ears, bringing Bai Zhou back to himself.
Only then did he realize that, at some point, the area around them had filled with elementary school students.
Pairs of clear, curious eyes studied them, while tender voices whispered excitedly:
"Did you hear that? Captain Wang, the great hero, said they were the real heroes!"
"Wow... who are they? Spies? Special Forces?"
"They must be supermen—superheroes!"
"That young big brother is so cool!"
"..."
They had kept it secret, but not entirely.
Was this how the Special Management Department operated?
As long as nobody learned about the "mystical supernatural" side of things, that was enough?
Bai Zhou turned his head helplessly, thinking, Teacher, why aren't you doing something about your students?
There were so many strangers here. How unreliable. Why hadn't she hurriedly taken them back to the classroom?
Then he found himself facing the round-faced teacher's gaze as she studied him with a mixture of awe and curiosity.
—Clearly, she had imagined a few things, too.
Bai Zhou: "..."
He wanted to complain about something, but had no idea where to begin.
A feeling that was half shame and half pride at sharing in the glory rose within him.
He had not actually done anything. Captain Wang respected him only because of his identity.
So this was the status enjoyed by people from the Special Management Department when they were outside?
Those who knew nothing about them saw them as extravagantly powerful and above all restraints.
Those who did know about them regarded them with solemn respect.
No wonder the Commissioners in Tinghai City were more "reckless" than the last...
—Not bad.
Bai Zhou's desperate cheating to join the Special Management Department and become one of them had not been in vain.
"I presume you came because of that matter as well?"
Once all the students had returned to the classroom, the teacher also left.
In the now-empty corridor, Captain Wang approached and lowered his voice.
"I thought it was only a rumor. I never expected it to alarm even you."
"You're the expert in this area. If there's anything you need us to cooperate with, just let us know."
—Expert?
Upon hearing that, Section Chief Liu's expression changed.
"...Could we speak somewhere else?"
Bai Zhou did not know what they discussed.
Before their conversation began, while the elementary school students were still there, Bai Zhou had gone to the washroom.
The empty washroom was extremely quiet.
A trickling sound came from nearby. Bai Zhou was washing his hands in front of the mirror.
At that moment, a pair of dark-brown women's leather boots appeared in the corner of his eye.
Bai Zhou raised his head.
Golden light streamed through the window. In the spotless space, Ya stood tall with a blade in hand, clad in a black windbreaker, her figure hazy in the light.
Sensing that something was wrong, Bai Zhou blinked.
"The 'Luck' Ritual has taken effect."
"After going out this time, your Career Luck has indeed pointed you toward an opportunity."
Ya spoke softly.
"What... wait, isn't this the men's restroom?"
Bai Zhou finally realized what was wrong.
"That is not the important point!"
Ya's face tightened as she spoke solemnly.
"—I smell the stench of the Blood Worship Cult."
"It's in this school."
"The Blood..." Bai Zhou froze, and then his scalp began to tingle.
A name that would not leave him alone. The name he knew best.
But this was his first contact with it outside Evening City.
...Thinking about it,
Apart from Black Robe, he seemed never to have encountered a real Blood Worship Cultist.
He had only heard from the Special Management Department that they were vicious and exceptionally insane!
"Your opportunity has arrived, Bai Zhou."
Ya spoke softly. "Your chance to rise."
"None of your colleagues have realized that a Blood Worship Cultist is hiding behind the scenes."
"They think an ordinary anomalous incident has occurred at the school."
"But they did accidentally disrupt that Blood Worship Cultist's arrangements."
"So he has decided to burn his boats."
Ya's tone was utterly calm, as if describing a distant, illusory story, but her words sent a chill down Bai Zhou's spine.
"Your colleagues are currently being held up in the abandoned Teaching Building."
"A crisis is about to begin."
Ya continued:
"Only you can step forward."
Bai Zhou shuddered. "What am I supposed to do?"
"It's very simple."
Ya spoke unhurriedly.
"Kill him!"
"Kill that Blood Worship Cultist, and the crisis will naturally be resolved."
"As for what happens afterward..."
Ya pointed at Bai Zhou's wrist. "Blame it on that bracelet."
"I have a way."
Ya seemed to have already made careful arrangements.
But the core of that arrangement was—
Bai Zhou had to hack to death the Blood Worship Cultist powerful enough to plunge all his colleagues into crisis!
Me?
He had wanted to ask that, but ultimately chose silence.
Everyone else could doubt him, but he could not doubt himself.
If he really asked it aloud, nothing would change.
He would only waste Ya's instruction and make all his efforts over the past days meaningless.
Even that white Dead Fatty in the Ruins Realm would laugh at him a few times.
"...All right."
In the end, that was Bai Zhou's answer.
He looked at Ya, standing with her blade in hand, her emotions still impossible to read,
then lowered his head and looked at his two empty palms.
But he knew those hands were no longer empty.
He told himself: You're not the same person you used to be.
All that training and studying... wasn't it all for today?
So when he raised his head again,
there was a little more calm in Bai Zhou's eyes.
"—Let's see just how formidable this legendary Blood Worship Cultist really is."
His soft murmur echoed slowly through the washroom.
"Then I'd better collect some interest on the debt he's owed me for the past eighteen years!"
At that moment, Bai Zhou absurdly thought of something...
There was certainly no shortage of Bench Legs in a school.
"I look forward to seeing how you perform."
Ya said this.
The "special training" had already progressed more than halfway...
Only she, the teacher who had designed the special training, knew exactly
how powerful Bai Zhou was now.
The blade honed through such long effort was finally about to be tested for the first time.
The youth who had shed so much sweat was about to make his debut before the world.
Everyone could take their fate into their own hands.
—As long as they believed they could do it.
Before you continue