Bluffing

[Sanity Value -1, entering Containment Scene]

Fu Qian reached out and touched the Mist Door that had appeared again inside the Warehouse.

This time, Fu Qian didn't pull any tricks. He obediently followed White Porcelain Woman Su Gao outside.

Only after stepping out of the building did Fu Qian realize what Su Gao had meant by "not good."

The place looked like it should have been a bustling street, but there wasn't a soul in sight.

The most striking thing was overhead.

The blue sky had been completely obscured by mysterious patterns like a tortoiseshell, as if a giant umbrella had been opened above them.

A true evil god was descending?

Seeing this, Fu Qian could understand why Su Gao and the others were so tense.

As for why there wasn't a single person on the street, Fu Qian had probably already guessed the answer.

"Have all the people been evacuated?"

Fu Qian turned and asked.

"Only those we could evacuate."

Su Gao's voice was low.

"We were sent to investigate, but unfortunately, we arrived too late.

The area near the source of the contamination has already begun to mutate. The cursed civilians are starting to transform into something deformed.

Given the risks, my team and I... are carrying out a purge."

"You made the right call. I'd have done the same."

Fu Qian didn't criticize them. Instead, he immediately voiced his approval.

The situation was clear enough. Lady Su Gao and her teammates had been sent to investigate, only to discover that the area was suffering from severe contamination and a curse.

After evacuating the people on the outskirts, they'd had no choice but to purge the civilians who could no longer be saved.

That also explained what had happened to him earlier: they'd attacked him without a word.

No wonder the woman looked so utterly broken. She'd clearly been driven to the edge by having to kill.

They'd classified the incident as a severe contamination curse, but they probably didn't know about the Evil God's Progeny yet.

That was what the introduction had meant by "they still don't know what they're facing."

The good news was that, at least for now, the beautiful woman and her teammates seemed to have much the same goal as he did.

The trouble was, getting them to trust him wouldn't be easy.

"Actually, I'm in the same boat!"

Before Su Gao could say anything else, Fu Qian snorted and tilted his face up toward the sky at a forty-five-degree angle.

"I've been contaminated too."

At his words, a cold glint flashed in Su Gao's eyes.

But in the end, the hand gripping her blade didn't move.

Fu Qian seemed not to notice her reaction.

"I happened to discover something strange here, so I came to investigate. I didn't expect the curse to be so hard to guard against."

"I've managed to suppress it for now, but I can't hold out much longer. When the time comes, I'll tell you when you need to strike."

"But before then, I have to fulfill my responsibility..."

If he wanted these people to follow his lead, it was essential to pass himself off as a supernatural being.

But they were all professionals. They wouldn't be fooled by the aura of power he gave off.

He needed an excuse for why he seemed to be in such poor shape.

Fu Qian was in the middle of spinning his tale when he soon saw several people running toward them from different directions.

The one in front was a tall, dark, lean man in his forties, his eyes sharp and alert.

"What's going on?"

The moment he spotted Fu Qian, the middle-aged man frowned and couldn't help asking Su Gao.

"This operation allows no room for mercy. Otherwise, we could be looking at tens of thousands of casualties."

"Captain!"

Su Gao greeted him with a nod, then pointed at Fu Qian beside her.

"We found him over there. He claims he came to investigate the anomaly too."

He came to investigate?

The middle-aged man eyed Fu Qian uncertainly.

That's right!

Fu Qian's expression was more natural than nature itself.

"Su Gao has already told me what's going on. It's worse than we thought, so we'd better hurry."

"What are you, exactly? There are four licensed Night Watchers here. Your power aura says you're just an ordinary person. What gives you the right to tell us what to do?"

Before the Captain could speak, a Buzz Cut Man behind him cut in.

Fu Qian glanced at him. He looked much younger, with a powerful build.

His hair stood straight up, and despite the chilly weather, he wore only a short-sleeved shirt.

Like the others, he was spattered with blood, his expression savage and murderous.

He'd clearly gone berserk from all the killing. He looked ready to cut someone down at the slightest provocation.

"There's no time to waste. Let's talk as we go."

Fu Qian didn't even acknowledge him. He kept his eyes on the Captain.

"Captain, his condition is suspicious. He's most likely been contaminated. I say we eliminate him immediately."

Ignored, the Buzz Cut Man's eyes turned bloodshot, and he moved to kill Fu Qian.

"That's right. I have been cursed."

Fu Qian's admission startled them all.

"You can't sense it right now because I've managed to suppress it. The price is that I've got almost no fighting ability."

Look.

Fu Qian casually raised his hand. An Air Bullet shot from his fingertip and struck a streetlight nearby.

"I can only offer a little help."

So he really was a supernatural being!

The Captain and the others, Su Gao included, were all taken aback.

No matter what, ordinary people couldn't pull off something like that.

The Captain glanced toward Su Gao, hoping she'd provide more information.

But Su Gao was clearly in a terrible mood. She stood there like a puppet, paying no attention to the Captain's expectant gaze.

After a moment's hesitation, the Captain stopped the restless Buzz Cut Man.

"If our goals are aligned, that's a good thing. What should we call you?"

That settled it!

The moment he heard the question, Fu Qian knew he'd won them over.

"Fu Qian will do."

He remained composed on the surface.

"Since you've been investigating this for a while, have you identified the source of the contamination?"

Then one of the middle-aged man's teammates, an Old Man who hadn't spoken until now, suddenly asked.

It couldn't be easy, going out on a mission with hair that white!

Fu Qian glanced at the older Night Watcher. Compared with the others, he looked more tired.

Good question!

Fu Qian sighed.

"That's why I said there isn't much time."

"We have to stop that thing from descending as soon as possible."

Descending? That thing?

The group was startled.

That's right. Fu Qian's expression was sincere.

"The contamination comes from some immensely powerful evil presence."

"What you're seeing now is only a tiny leak of its power.

I can tell you with complete certainty: if that thing truly descends, the consequences will be unimaginable."

For instance, I'd have to start my mission all over again!

Fu Qian silently added that to himself.

When he finished, the Night Watchers exchanged glances.

After a moment of silence, the Captain cleared his throat.

"Then I won't hide anything either. We're the Night Watcher team for this district. Not long ago, we received a report that something abnormal was happening here, along with mass casualties.

"Once we arrived, we realized the situation was far from simple. After urgently evacuating the people, we had no choice but to take some necessary measures—"

"I completely understand. I'd have done the same."

Fu Qian cut him off, sparing him any need to feel guilty.

"I know firsthand how terrifying this curse is. Once I've fulfilled my responsibility, I'll need you to help me find release."

What a hero!

Even the Captain was moved now. Fu Qian's figure seemed more imposing than ever.