Ya, Can I Trust You? (First Update)

"...I had raised it for so long, I was almost starting to develop emotions for it."

Deputy Han suddenly seemed sentimental, his peach-blossom eyes narrowing into charming slits.

"But, there's no helping it."

"If someone is to go up, someone else must go down."

"I'm looking forward to the newcomers' performance..."

Suddenly remembering something, Deputy Han gave further instructions to the bald man:

"After midnight the day after tomorrow, you all should come by again. By then, there should be some 'fresh goods' here."

"Understood." The bald man responded solemnly.

Deputy Han nodded in satisfaction, then pulled a black notebook from his breast pocket.

The leather cover of the notebook was somewhat aged, clearly used for a long time, yet it had been carefully preserved and showed no signs of wear.

He flipped to a page near the back and began recording something, continuing from previous entries.

The bald man took two steps back, eyes fixed forward, not daring to glance at it for even a second.

"Very good, then the transaction is successfully concluded."

Putting away the notebook, Deputy Han signaled his subordinates to pick up several large suitcases, then turned his head and said, "Let's go quickly. Any later, and the patrols will be coming by."

"If you get discovered..."

The corners of his mouth curled up slightly as he said with a playful laugh:

"I'll peel your skin off~"

The tone was ambiguous, but the content was exceptionally dangerous.

Especially when paired with the Black Cat Detective doll sitting on the ground with its stomach ripped open...

It made the bald man and his group feel a chill run down their spines.

Leaving behind a light chuckle from Deputy Han, both parties departed.

The bald man and his honest-looking underlings left first, while Deputy Han scanned the surroundings before turning to leave with his subordinates.

The Resting Mausoleum returned to a state of deathly silence.

However...

None of them noticed, not far from this spot, beneath a silently standing tombstone.

A pair of eyes, hidden in the cracks of the darkness, watched their retreating backs—

eyes wide with fury!

The truth behind the missing corpses seemed to have an answer.

Was that... Section Chief Liu?

Likely.

The cold and cruel scene continuously stimulated Bai Zhou's nerves.

What were they doing, and what were they trading?

What exactly was this so-called "talent"?

Anger, confusion, and horror took turns assaulting Bai Zhou's senses.

Everything he had never imagined was unfolding right before his eyes so suddenly.

He desperately wanted to follow them and find out the truth.

But Deputy Han was standing there; just looking at him for a few extra seconds made Bai Zhou feel an inexplicable chill throughout his body.

This man was dangerous!

To act rashly without knowing anything would be the behavior of a fool.

Courage without a name is not true courage;

the blind man who rushes forward will surely fall into a Deep Pit!

His remaining reason barely managed to suppress his impulses, keeping Bai Zhou lurking in the Deep Pit.

...However, this matter would not end here.

Staring fixedly at the retreating backs of Deputy Han and his group, Bai Zhou's face in the darkness was as calm as water, his grip on the Ash Urn tightening.

Before tonight, Bai Zhou could actually accept the death of Section Chief Liu.

Ever since the first day he joined the organization, Section Chief Liu had been constantly emphasizing the high casualty rate of the Special Management Department to newcomers like them.

His Teacher, his colleagues, his superiors...

And now, it was his turn.

This place had always been filled with danger and opportunity, but it was also home to many people with ideals and hot blood, always ready to sacrifice themselves for the Federation and its citizens.

Since that was the case, dying on the path of practicing one's ideals, becoming a Hero to be remembered forever...

While it certainly brought grief to the living, there was no need to feel regret for them.

Because this was called dying for a worthy cause.

--That was how it was supposed to be.

But now, a Hero, a familiar and kind senior, had been suspected of being turned into that horrific state.

His daughter was still lying in the hospital.

This was neither normal nor correct.

Someone had to pay the price for this.

The day after tomorrow...

Bai Zhou frowned.

The day after tomorrow was the time of the Blood Worship Cult invasion.

It seemed Deputy Han intended to do something on that day.

Perhaps...

He could also prepare himself to do something on that day.

--But before that, there was one thing Bai Zhou needed to clarify.

Was it that Deputy Han had become a Mole, colluding with outsiders to betray his own side and sell out his colleagues for profit?

Or was there someone else behind Deputy Han, and he represented the entire organization, or perhaps the will of the organization's top brass?

Or even... was the entire Mystic World of Blue Star like this, a world where people eating people was the norm?

This question was extremely important.

If it were just an isolated case involving Deputy Han, then this matter would be easy to handle.

Bai Zhou was no outsider; he was a Commissioner and a newly promoted p3, so he could easily borrow the power from within the organization.

As long as the truth was known to the higher-ups, Deputy Han's fate would be self-evident.

--But if the entire Special Management Department was like this, Bai Zhou would have to reconsider his own situation.

And if the entire Mystic World of Blue Star was like this...

He might as well go back to Evening City, return to the Reflection Ruins Realm, and dance with that Fatty for peace of mind.

...Fortunately, for now, the former seemed more likely.

After all, Deputy Han was still avoiding the patrol teams and acting in a sneaky manner.

In fact, there was a logic that, no matter how one thought about it, simply did not make sense--

As an Extraordinary, Section Chief Liu was undoubtedly middle-to-high management in the organization, and as a p4 personally promoted by the Major, he practically worshipped the Major at the top of the base.

Given his loyalty to the organization and the Major, and as the Section Chief of the Inspection Department, if the entire upper echelon of the organization had problems, there was no reason for Section Chief Liu to be completely unaware.

Why wouldn't he have been recruited as one of their own?

It made no sense for him not to be a beneficiary of "eating people," but instead be the lowest-level victim.

Even regarding Deputy Han... Section Chief Liu clearly trusted him; otherwise, he wouldn't have told Bai Zhou that he had a "backer."

Since he was willing to trust this "backer," there must have been a reason for that trust.

Even for Deputy Han himself, he shouldn't have ignored other Commissioners and Extraordinaries in the Special Management Department just to kill a capable subordinate.

Why strike at his own people and weaken his own influence?

And why take the risk of exposure to go through the trouble of killing a dangerous Extraordinary who had the ability to resist and never left his Mechanical Briefcase behind?

This was illogical.

Within the Special Management Department, there were plenty of people with lower status, weaker strength, and who were much easier targets than Section Chief Liu.

Bai Zhou could not understand.

Moreover, according to Section Chief Liu, his promotion would have been impossible without the "backer" exerting force.

So, Deputy Han was simultaneously helping Bai Zhou secure a promotion for the sake of Section Chief Liu, while also doing that to Section Chief Liu.

He even took the initiative to find Bai Zhou and encourage him to work hard and promote to Extraordinary as soon as possible.

Was this man a schizophrenic?

...Perhaps, the existence of Deputy Han should be separated from the "organization."

Perhaps the reason was simpler than Bai Zhou imagined.

It might just be that Section Chief Liu had accidentally stumbled upon some secret of Deputy Han and had to be silenced.

However, there were far too many possibilities of that nature.

They all coalesced into a thick fog that enveloped Bai Zhou.

"Click--"

The concrete slab in front of the tombstone was pushed aside.

A hand reached out.

Bai Zhou crawled out of the grave and stood in the silent Resting Mausoleum.

His posture was somewhat hunched.

But he stepped forward with a firm stride nonetheless.

Standing still and daydreaming was useless--

No matter how thick the fog, one could see clearly by getting closer.

No matter how turbulent the river, one could gauge its depth by wading in.

Bai Zhou had resolved to take action.

He knew he had to prepare for the worst and, from this moment on, maintain the utmost vigilance toward everything around him.

--Two days.

Only two days remained until the arrival of the Blood Worship Cult.

Bai Zhou knew that if he were to take action, that day would undoubtedly be his best opportunity.

Before then, he had to uncover the truth hidden behind Deputy Han.

"Let's try it."

He said to himself.

This intense, unsettling sense of crisis made him inexplicably nostalgic for Evening City.

Everyone told him how dangerous and absurd Evening City was.

But...

As he was about to walk out of the Resting Mausoleum, Bai Zhou turned back.

He looked at the tombstones standing all around.

The light from the blinding strips overhead spilled down, cascading onto Section Chief Liu's "grave."

Bai Zhou's eyes revealed a touch of mockery and confusion.

Here, Blue Star, the Special Management Department... were they really any better?

--Hard to say.

But for the time being...

He could only pray that the Special Management Department and Deputy Han were two separate matters.

Because being Undying and Unending with one person was easy.

Being an enemy of an entire official organization, It was cool, But one would die very quickly.

That kind of pressure was suffocating.

"Even so, must I investigate it?"

Bai Zhou walked along the deserted road, asking himself softly.

What if he really uncovered a major problem?

But the answer emerged before he could even think.

--Isn't that obvious?

Although everything was currently shrouded in mist and Bai Zhou had too many unanswered questions, He knew one thing clearly--

Someone was going to die.

At the very least, Deputy Han had to die!

Or perhaps, there were more people who deserved to die.

He would get to the bottom of this matter no matter what.

And then, those who deserved to die, --He would kill them all!

"Back so late?"

Inside the dormitory, Ya lay slanted across a suspended ribbon, reading a book.

Hearing Bai Zhou open the door and enter, she didn't even lift her head, asking the question casually.

But there was no response.

"Hm?"

With a hint of confusion, Ya raised her head and saw Bai Zhou's silent, expressionless face.

It was the first time she had seen Bai Zhou so dejected, and what's more...

Those eyes looked exceptionally unfamiliar.

Even when he looked at her, there was no longer the closeness of days past.

He seemed to be wary of everything, distrusting everything around him.

Just like when he had first left Evening City.

...Slowly closing her book and putting it away, Ya's expression turned serious as she walked slowly to Bai Zhou's side.

The familiar scent of coffee wafted toward the tip of Bai Zhou's nose, mingled with a mysterious, faint fragrance of oranges.

"What happened?"

Ya leaned in close and said softly.

"Can you tell me about it?"

"..."

Bai Zhou pressed his lips together, wanting to speak but hesitating.

There was one thing that he could not accomplish on his own.

But, Ya could do it with ease.

"Ya."

In the end, after studying her seriously for a long time, he said:

"Can I trust you?"