Chapter 31

Boom!

A military Hummer slammed hard into the side of a bus. The Hummer's bumper deformed, and the bus was nearly broken in half, though the situation inside was no better.

The bus body caved into a V-shape, and with no cushioning devices inside, the people who had been delivering moral lectures the previous second were mashed into paste the next.

Retribution arrived so quickly that several delinquent youths' hearts leaped into their throats, leaving them at a complete loss.

The loud crash echoed all around, and dead bodies in the distance that heard the commotion slowly approached, once again blocking the freshly cleared road with monsters.

A flash of despair crossed Saeko Busujima's pupils. Was she really destined to die here today?

No, she didn't want to die!

Her aching hands gripped the steel pipe once again. Even if she had to fight with all her might, she would carve out a bloody path.

"F*ck! F*ck! F*ck! Why are there cars on the road?! Damn it!"

A continuous stream of exasperated curses rang out from inside the Hummer. Dr. Isaac shoved aside the airbag, gripped his pistol, and crawled out through the car window.

He looked around, his somewhat dazed mind struggling to current situation, cast a lingering look of fear back toward the tunnel, and raised his gun to shoot the dead bodies, eager to leave this place as quickly as possible.

Boom!

Another engine roar erupted from the tunnel, faintly accompanied by the roars of beasts. Dr. Isaac shuddered all over, and his pace grew increasingly hurried.

Saeko Busujima and the delinquent youths looked toward the tunnel and saw yet another Hummer speeding out, with an ugly monster pinned to its hood.

The second Hummer slammed squarely into the rear of the first Hummer in a terrible posture, forming a vehicular centipede with all three cars front-to-back.

The monster, sandwiched between the two Hummers, suffered an immediate, dimensional strike, squeezed into mush by the terrifying impact as blood splattered everywhere.

Xiao Miao and Alice had jumped out before the collision. After a mid-air rotation, they landed steadily. Alice chased after Dr. Isaac, while Xiao Miao turned to look toward the tunnel.

"It's you!" Saeko Busujima widened her eyes, recognizing Xiao Miao's identity at a glance. The surprise came so suddenly that she felt she was probably safe now.

Despite not spending much time together, Saeko Busujima trusted her own judgment—this man was reliable.

Hearing the voice, Xiao Miao glanced sideways and nodded, signaling Saeko Busujima to remain calm and collected, before focusing his full attention on the tunnel.

A few seconds later, a skinless monster rushed out, opened its bloody maw to pounce on Xiao Miao, and slashed the air with sharp claws.

The Licker was extremely fast; Saeko Busujima and the others could only see a red figure flash by and vanish, while its overwhelmingly violent roars made everyone feel as though they had plunged into an ice cellar, shivering uncontrollably.

In Xiao Miao's eyes, however, the Licker's speed was nothing special—only its strength was worth noting. He sidestepped the pounce, and the sharp claws brushed past his cheek by a hair's breadth.

As the Licker flew past, Xiao Miao seized the opportunity to raise his knee and thrust upward. Terrifying force erupted abruptly. Struck in its soft abdomen, the Licker's body curled up, folding into a V-shape as it flew upward.

Taking advantage of the momentum, Xiao Miao drew his pistol, aimed at the Licker's head, and pulled the trigger. Two bullets flew out of the muzzle one after the other, accurately piercing into the Licker's exposed brain.

Bang!

The Licker crashed heavily onto the ground, its sharp claws scratching the dirt unconsciously. After struggling twice, it completely went still.

The effect of the Kakinka Character Card had already ended, leaving Xiao Miao with the skill [Pistol Proficiency Lv. 7]. Although it wasn't as heaven-defying as Kakinka's own hundred-percent-hit, headshot-every-time ability, it was more than enough to handle this situation.

The series of operations flowed like moving clouds and flowing water, not only stunning everyone present but also refreshing Saeko Busujima's perception of Xiao Miao once again.

This man seemed shrouded in a layer of mist, making it hard to see him clearly, yet every time they met, there were new discoveries.

Saeko Busujima felt an urge to dig into his secrets, which she promptly buried deep in her heart.

Saeko Busujima was still too young; little did she know that the precursor to a woman's complete downfall was developing a curiosity about a man.

[Plot Character: Saeko Busujima]

[Current Bond: Level 3]

[Extraction Cost: 30 Fate Points]

On the other side, Alice had successfully captured Dr. Isaac alive. The latter was still wailing and begging for mercy when Alice treated him to a heart-wrenching kick, leaving him clutching his chest and unable to speak.

Alice dragged Isaac over to Xiao Miao. "How do we deal with this guy?"

"Let him reap what he sowed." Without the slightest hesitation, Xiao Miao kicked Dr. Isaac right into the midst of the steadily approaching dead bodies.

"Wait, no, you can't do this to me! Ahhhhhh!!!"

Dr. Isaac let out a shrill scream, followed by the sound of chewing. The screams vanished completely, and two minutes later, Dr. Isaac—now transformed into a dead body—stood back up, only to be sent away with a single shot from Xiao Miao.

The few delinquent youths stood frozen in place like statues, not daring to move an inch.

[Ding, optional investigation quest completed, Fate Points +1000]

[New quest triggered: Escape Tokonosu City. Quest reward: 500 Fate Points, failure penalty: None]

[Do you wish to accept the quest?]

"It actually triggered a new quest. Escape Tokonosu City, huh? How is this 500 Fate Points any different from a free handout?"

Xiao Miao pondered for a moment and decisively accepted the quest while dismissing the return prompt. He raised his head to look at Saeko Busujima. "Why are you here?"

Saeko Busujima softly explained the sequence of events. Xiao Miao nodded in understanding, patted the rear of the Hummer, and said, "We're heading out of the city too. Come along."

Saeko Busujima's eyes brightened. "Is that alright?"

"Of course."

Xiao Miao had a favorable impression of Saeko Busujima and was willing to help her out in passing. When he used to watch the anime, only Saeko Busujima had truly suited his tastes; the male and female protagonists could just step aside.

The three of them got into the Hummer with Xiao Miao driving. Seeing this, the delinquent youths let their survival instincts override their fear, approached the Hummer with ingratiating smiles, and asked eagerly, "Big Brother, you're soldiers, right? Can you give us a ride too?"

Xiao Miao glanced sideways. "No, the car is full."

With that, he started the engine and stepped on the accelerator. The Hummer kicked up a cloud of dust, knocked over the dead bodies blocking the way, and sped off into the distance, leaving the delinquent youths staring at each other in blank dismay.

"Bah! What's with the attitude? There are clearly empty seats..." One of them spat in the direction of the Hummer, and the others chimed in.

"That's right, isn't it just having a gun? If I had a gun, I could slaughter everything too."

"Damn it, those two beauties both went to him!"

"So envious. Will he make them join him tonight?"

"Definitely. If it were you, wouldn't you?"

The more they talked, the angrier and more indignant they became, until suddenly they all clamped their mouths shut because the Hummer that had just driven off was turning back.

Xiao Miao parked the car beside them and rolled down the window. The delinquent youths eagerly crowded around, asking excitedly, "Big Brother, did you come back to pick us up?"

"No. I just heard some news, so I specifically came back to send you to hell."

"!!!" x5

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

After five gunshots, the world was short five pieces of scum. The Hummer departed, and the converging dead bodies began to feast heartily.

Half an hour later, a private seaside marina.

The Hummer smashed through the guardrail and charged into the marina, crushing the employees turned dead bodies into pulp.

The airport had already fallen, and driving conditions were too complicated. Once Xiao Miao left Tokonosu City, he could complete the quest and vanish directly, but Alice could not.

Thanks to Wisteria's generous contribution, the yacht docked at this private marina had originally been his backup plan for escaping. Supplies and fuel were already prepared on board, and now it all benefited Xiao Miao and the two women.

Xiao Miao didn't know how to pilot a boat, so he had to rely entirely on Alice to run around busily. Seeing this, Saeko Busujima immediately stepped forward to help, stating that she had learned how to drive a yacht in Hawaii when she was young.

Xiao Miao: ...Did you ever see a high school detective in Hawaii?

The yacht pulled away from the marina, heading toward the deep blue. Half an hour later, estimating that the quest was about to end, Xiao Miao sought out Alice and Saeko Busujima to say his goodbyes in advance.

After a quest ended, one could actually spend Fate Points to extend their stay, paying per hour with exponentially increasing fees. During that time, quests could still be triggered normally, and one could return at any time.

Bai Zhou had probably done just that back then—spending money to linger and search for new quests, only to encounter danger and have no choice but to retreat.

Out on the boundless ocean, it was completely impossible to contact anyone else, and Xiao Miao had no intention of spending this unjust amount of money. He would evacuate the moment the quest ended.

Alice was mentally prepared, but Saeko Busujima was completely clueless. Xiao Miao simply explained the origins of the Travelers of All Heavens to her, and the more Saeko Busujima listened, the more astonished she became, gradually widening her eyes.

"The myriad worlds, walking the heavens, infinite possibilities..." Saeko Busujima's breathing gradually grew rapid.

She had already learned from Alice's lips about the tragedy in Raccoon City; her father was nine out of ten gone, leaving her with no more attachments to this world. Instead, the thrilling life of walking the heavens filled her with yearning.

"Can I become a Traveler of All Heavens?" Saeko Busujima asked, feeling she was born precisely to walk the heavens.

"No, at least I don't have a way. Huh, wait..." Xiao Miao instinctively shook his head, but halfway through, he suddenly thought of something, his gaze drifting toward the panel's skill column.

"I do have a way for you to walk the heavens, but you won't be a Traveler of All Heavens. I just don't know if you're willing..."