However, before he could finish speaking, "Carousel" intercepted another Ability attack. Just then, the interference device flickered, and the elderly woman—an established Storm Factor professional with an excellent reputation—spoke through it. "You didn't get away?"
"The interference device you gave me isn't very reliable. The Government tracked me down so quickly. I'm trapped in this city now, and the Players stationed at the District Government will probably be here in less than a minute. Getting caught before I've finished what I came here to do would be pretty ridiculous."
The old woman's tone was calm. "Don't worry. They'll be heading back soon."
"How?" Xu Huo looked at the Players who had already appeared at the edge of his perception, wondering how to proceed, when she replied, "I planted a flaw in the District Government's intelligent system."
Xu Huo knew little about the technical jargon surrounding Storm Factors in District 019. He could only gather that she had tampered with the intelligent system that controlled and maintained the Jixin Terminal. "Let's hope it works in time..."
Before he could finish, two Players appeared in front of him. One shoved Old Mr. Yue, who had deliberately stepped in front of Xu Huo, aside. The other conjured a black Short Sword in his palm and stabbed straight through the Flower Bloom barrier, only to be stopped outside Inviolable Territory.
The attacker probably hadn't expected Xu Huo to block the strike, but his surprise lasted only an instant. Black spikes then emerged throughout the space around Xu Huo, attacking the spatial barrier in rapid succession. Inviolable Territory had a three-second cooldown between uses, so there was no way to avoid such a high-frequency assault.
Dodging the two Players, Xu Huo retreated down the corridor. He activated "Goalkeeper" and wedged it across the passage. When