Manipulating the Weather

After this move, I fear that whether it is the Bureau of Occult Investigation, Wang Chuang, or even the potentially existing mastermind behind the scenes, they will all know that there is another player from the World of Weirdness inside the Diamond Plaza.

He is right there at the animation exhibition.

He is not someone to be trifled with.

"Once I find the culprit, I'll have to give them a couple of slaps."

Drip, drip, drip.

It was at this very moment that drop after drop of rain fell, splashing against the windows, quickly turning into a torrential downpour that poured into the building and extinguished the flames that had not yet fully taken hold.

The thick, rolling smoke that had previously swept across the sky was also dissipating at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The fire... was being put out.

"The rain, how did it suddenly start raining?"

At this moment, Zhou Xu was near the Diamond Plaza, coordinating various departments and organizing firefighting and rescue efforts. When a raindrop landed on his cheek, this usually decisive member of the Bureau of Occult Investigation froze, and a rare look of excitement appeared on his previously tense face.

It was no wonder his emotions were slipping out of control.

A fire had broken out on the thirteenth floor of the Diamond Building, and it was spreading rapidly; the black smoke had shrouded half the sky in an instant. Due to the extreme height of the floors, several firefighting plans formulated by the fire department had been forced to be abandoned.

Seeing thousands of people trapped in danger and potentially losing their lives at any moment, Zhou Xu's nerves had been stretched to the breaking point.

The sudden downpour now, It was like a ray of light in the boundless darkness, dispelling all the anxiety in his heart and finally allowing Zhou Xu to set aside his heavy burden.

"Chief Zhou, it's raining, it's raining! How did it suddenly start raining? Could it be that there really is a deity watching over us from the heavens?" Zhao Keke could not hide the excitement in her heart.

Her mood had been much the same as Zhou Xu's; watching the thick smoke rise and the fire about to swallow the building, she had been completely on edge.

Now, seeing the torrential rain pouring down and knowing that thousands of people would be saved, Zhao Keke was naturally thrilled.

Zhou Xu was a veteran member of the Bureau of Occult Investigation for a reason; he quickly steadied his emotions, stood in the rain looking up at the sky, and narrowed his eyes.

"Is this really divine intervention?"

Zhao Keke was not stupid; she quickly grasped her leader's implication, though she was somewhat skeptical. "Chief Zhou, are you saying that there is also a World of Weirdness player in the building, and that they used power obtained from the Ancient Earth to extinguish this fire?"

"But that's too exaggerated."

"That is the power to manipulate the weather, a method bordering on the divine. Is there really a 'player' capable of reaching this level now?"

Indeed, Manipulating the weather—this power, akin to that of a deity, had actually been acquired by a player; it was truly hard to imagine.

But if one were to call it a coincidence, it was far too coincidental. The Diamond Building had just caught fire, and the previously clear, cloudless sky had suddenly unleashed a torrential downpour.

"Zhao Keke, from the moment the World of Weirdness appeared, we could no longer view this world according to common sense."

"None of us know how many players there are in this world."

"Nor do we know what kind of powers they have acquired."

"Although it is incredible, once you eliminate all that is impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

Zhao Keke did not speak again.

Indeed, manipulating the weather with power bordering on the divine—this might seem incredible to her, but what if there really was a player who possessed such strength?

Beside Zhao Keke was a young man named Zhuang Fan, an "exploration and tracking" type player sent by headquarters to provide support. At this moment, his expression was also grave.

Soon, Zhou Xu issued new instructions.

"Two tasks."

"First, find the player who manipulated the weather to bring down the rain. Make initial contact to see if they pose a danger; if they are harmless, you may approach them appropriately and thank them for saving the thousands of people in the Diamond Building. However, if they possess an antisocial personality, then capture them at all costs, and if necessary, execute them on the spot."

"Second: You must find Wang Chuang in the shortest time possible. Although the fire is out, he still has the Broken Statue of the Abyss Old God, an Old Day Item, in his possession. It could cause harm to the public, and we cannot leave it unchecked."

Zhuang Fan said in a deep voice, "I cannot guarantee I will find that mysterious player who manipulated the weather, but since the Bureau of Occult Investigation has Wang Chuang's genetic data, with my methods, I can lock onto his exact location within ten minutes at most."

Zhou Xu nodded.

"I leave it to you."

Immediately, the Bureau of Occult Investigation launched its operation.

"Rain, it's raining! The fire is out, the fire is out!"

"Heaven is watching over us, Heaven is watching over us."

"Mom, does this mean we don't have to die? I don't want to die, I still want to see Dad."

"Mm-hmm, we're fine now, we've made it to safety."

"Thank the heavens, thank the Three Pure Ones, thank the Buddha, thank God, thank Shiva."

The anime convention venue was a scene of jubilation, with excitement over surviving the ordeal etched onto everyone's faces, forming a stark contrast to the atmosphere of despair from just moments ago.

Thanks for the invite, but I'm not the heavens, nor the Three Pure Ones, and certainly not the Buddha... and what the hell is with the Shiva mention?

This guy just wanted to save Sister Xin and Little Bean; you lot were just collateral, so there's no need to be so grateful.

Yang Qizhou couldn't help but feel amused; with this downpour, he had saved at least several thousand people, if not ten thousand. He could count himself a great hero now.

"Rescue personnel from the fire department and other relevant agencies have already entered the building and should reach the thirteenth floor soon. The members of the Bureau of Occult Investigation must have started their operations as well; finding Wang Chuang is only a matter of time. If there are no accidents, things should be settled before long."

Just as he prepared to relax, Yang Qizhou suddenly recalled something.

The effect of the Broken Statue of the Abyss Old God wasn't arson, but the emission of an unobservable Abyssal Mist that rewrote a person's five senses.

How could Wang Chuang have refrained from using the effect of this Old Day Item?

Could it be that the Broken Statue of the Abyss Old God was no longer in his possession? But if that were the case, how had he evaded the pursuit of the Bureau of Occult Investigation?

The fire had been extinguished by the rain, but due to the interaction between heat and cold, the thirteenth floor of the building was currently filled with a thick white fog. While it wasn't so dense that one couldn't see the person standing right in front of them, visibility was extremely low.

"Ah..."

Just then, a faint scream rang out, and the scent of blood began to spread.

Something had gone wrong.

It was the effect of the Old Day Item, the Broken Statue of the Abyss Old God.

Yang Qizhou quickly looked toward where the mother and daughter were; sure enough, they had also been struck. Sister Xin was gripping her daughter's throat with a ferocious expression, while Little Bean, instead of struggling, wore an eerie smile.

Something was wrong.

The Broken Statue of the Abyss Old God was originally only a Mortal-grade Old Day Item, capable of controlling ten people at most. Yet, judging by the chaos at the anime convention, it was clear that thousands of people had been affected to varying degrees.

"This Old Day Item."

"It has grown stronger."