When Gilan arrived at the Third District, what he saw made his expression change slightly.
BOOM!!
A horse-drawn cart carrying goods overturned while speeding along, skidding for more than ten meters. Fresh fruits and vegetables were stained with blood.
One after another, soldiers dressed in brown uniforms, wearing helmets, and carrying bolt-action rifles appeared here, seemingly out of nowhere.
Wearing red slashed badges of the Ovena Federation, they roamed the streets, firing indiscriminately and killing anyone they saw.
Crack!
Bang! Bang bang bang!!
Residents of the wealthy neighborhood, regardless of age or gender, fled in panic through the streets, only to be shot and killed.
Gilan estimated that there were at least several hundred Federation soldiers, and many more figures flashed past at the end of the street.
They seemed to have launched a surprise attack from the top of Fengdeng Mountain, traversing the first and second blocks. The reason I hadn't encountered them on my way here was probably because I had taken the narrow, secluded path on the east side.
Not far away, a young gentleman and lady were running hand in hand, their lives hanging by a thread. Behind them, several Federation soldiers, their faces cold, raised their guns and pulled the triggers.
Bang bang bang!!
A burst of gunfire rang out, and the two men immediately collapsed into a pool of blood.
A carriage sped through the street, attempting to escape, but with a volley of fire from the Federation soldiers, the horse neighed and fell, causing the carriage to overturn by the roadside.
Several soldiers rushed forward and stabbed the coachman and an elderly gentleman to death on the spot with their bayonets.
On the right side of the street, a little girl with blonde braids was leaning against the wall, having been shot twice in the chest.
Beside her lay scattered flower baskets, their vibrant flowers arranged in a disorderly, rounded pattern, as if in mourning.
Gilan recognized the girl.
When he first arrived in the affluent area, he bought a flower basket from the other party as a reward for his new life.
But now, that vibrant and lovely life has long since perished.
This city is also disappearing.
"Damn it!" Gilan couldn't help but curse.
He moved his feet and flashed past on the side of the street.
Before long, they arrived near Number 13 on Third Street.
From afar, one could see that the once tranquil and elegant " Swan Cafe " had been smashed, with its high-end floor-to-ceiling windows shattered on the ground. Two men and a pretty waitress lay on the ground, dead for some time.
The doors to the Assembly Apartment complex are wide open.
A group of Federation soldiers dragged an old man away, but when the old man resisted, a man who looked like an officer pulled out a right-hand revolver from his waist and fired several shots into the old man's chest.
Bang bang bang!!
Gilan's pupils contracted.
The person who got shot was Old Jerry!
The next second, with a loud bang, several Federation soldiers were sent flying out of the apartment door.
A familiar figure was seen fleeing outside, carrying a silver cane.
Dozens of soldiers opened fire on him.
With a series of cracking sounds, blood splattered from Mr. Stork's body. He groaned as he drew his gun and retaliated, simultaneously swinging his cane and killing several soldiers who blocked his path.
He actually fought his way through a bloody path and darted into a side alley.
Gilan's eyes narrowed, and he rubbed the sapphire ring on his middle finger with his right thumb, saying in a deep voice:
" Vivi."
"Yes, Master!"
A dark shadow emerged from the ring.
The familiar Vivi flew over and cast the " Hatred Curse " and " Confusion Curse on the group of Federation soldiers.
In an instant, hatred filled the soldiers' faces, and they immediately opened fire on their comrades.
The gunshots rang out, accompanied by the muffled thuds of bayonets piercing flesh, throwing the Federation soldiers into chaos.
With a cold expression, Gilan pulled out his revolver and shot the leading officer in the head from a distance, killing him instantly.
Immediately, they headed straight for the direction in which Mr. Stork had fled.
After the Federation soldiers had killed each other to death, Vivi flew back to Gilan's shoulder. But she looked tired and said weakly:
"Master, Vivi is a little tired."
Gilan recalled that it had first followed him to seek revenge against the Louis Family, and then cast a spell on more than a dozen soldiers, which probably meant it had temporarily exhausted its strength.
"Go and rest in the ring," he said in a deep voice.
Vivi hummed in agreement and obediently flew into Gilan's sapphire ring.
bass!
Gilan quickened her pace.
Before long, they caught up with Mr. Stork in a narrow alley.
To be precise, Mr. Stork stopped running.
Because he couldn't run anymore.
The once elegant gentleman was now sitting slumped against the wall, his hat gone, his hair disheveled, and blood streaming from his mouth and nose.
" Mr. Stork!" Gilan quickly stepped forward and squatted down in front of him.
Without saying a word, he took out a Bitter Throat Medicine and poured it into Mr. Stork's mouth.
"Cough cough!!" Mr. Stork suddenly opened his eyes wide while his consciousness was blurred, coughing up blood and medicine.
He turned his head with difficulty and saw that the person who came was not Federation pursuer, but the familiar Mr. Snowy Owl, and couldn't help but smile.
" Snowy Owl ..." Mr. Stork slowly raised his hand, took out a leather package from his pocket, and stuffed it into Gilan's hand. "Run quickly... The war came too suddenly; no one was prepared."
"I'll take you with me; a carriage is waiting outside the city."
Gilan frowned and spoke.
Unexpectedly, Mr. Stork chuckled softly and, with trembling hands, pulled open the collar of his trench coat.
Gilan was taken aback.
Mr. Stork had been shot six or seven times in the chest and abdomen, one of which was in his left chest, and blood was seeping out uncontrollably... It was only because of his background as Emblem- level fighter, plus the effects of the Bitter Throat Medicine, that he was able to endure it and still speak.
"If you can, go help the rest of the Assembly."
"Mr. Stork said hoarsely."
"I hope you can all survive, find the truth about the film, and witness its true mystery..."
Please.
His last words were barely audible, and his amber eyes gradually lost their sparkle.
" Mr. Stork ..."
Gilan called out.
There was no response from the other party.
" Mr. Stork?!"
Gilan placed her hands on the other man's shoulders and gave him a slight shake, but Mr. Stork's head drooped down as a result.
He patted the other person's face again, but there was still no response.
Mr. Stork is dead.
Gilan opened his mouth, then looked down at the leather bag Mr. Stork had given him. Inside were two reels of black True Film Reel, one of which was < Black Lake > and the other < The Rongdeng Great Plague #2>.
Besides that, there was a roll of banknotes, and Miss Sparrow's thank-you gift, a gold coin bearing the " Red-billed Stork " identity.
And a pure silver card symbolizing the host of the secret society's " Record Society," with a projector on the front and the number "024" and Mr. Stork's real name " Franco Thurman" on the back.
Gilan took a deep breath, looking at Mr. Stork's body, her breathing trembling slightly.
An indescribable sadness, grief, and resentment welled up within me.
His heart pounded heavily and rapidly, and his vision darted and distorted in response.
Whether due to his unstable mental state or not, " Iridescence " acted strangely, and a beam of colorful light seemed to float out from Mr. Stork's body and instantly entered Gilan's eyes.
He took a step back, but didn't notice any change in himself.
It was as if what I had just seen was an illusion.
Gilan didn't have time to think about what had happened. After hesitating for a long time, he still didn't lift Mr. Stork's body. Gritting his teeth, he turned around and ran towards the Fourth District.
Just as Mr. Stork said.
If he could, he wanted to save the rest of the Assembly!
There was no time to bury Mr. Stork!
call out--
Rumble!!
A deafening roar came from afar.
The ground trembled under the ravages of the shells. As Gilan ran, he looked back and saw the landmark building, " Fengdeng Castle," which was the administrative center of the Black City in the first block, collapse with a roar.
Countless fragments shot into the sky, turning into dust and flying everywhere.
The bursts of gunfire, like rain, gradually intensified.
The sky was clear and the sun was shining brightly.
Amidst gunfire and explosions, life was like a prison.
Thank you to "Wishing to Sleep Forever and Never Wake Up" for the 5000-point donation!
Thank you to "Hu Ermu", " Echo of the Times", "l Blue Ocean", and "Darwin the Caveman" for the 500-point donation!
Thanks to MRSV. SAM and Fengyan123 for the reward!
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Many thanks to the generous contributor "Disguise-Wearer 314 " for donating to both books and consistently sending monthly tickets. Therefore, I'm adding an extra chapter in recognition of this generous contribution, bringing the total to five chapters.