Each Fled for Their Lives

Tian Sheng never imagined that he, a law-abiding folk Spell Formula enthusiast who never took risks, would one day encounter a terrorist attack by Gray Magic Organization.

As an ordinary caregiver at the Fangting City No. 1 Welfare Institute, he is currently using Spell Formula to conceal his presence, hiding alone in the storage room of the sanatorium building.

He chose to work at this orphanage for two reasons: first, the environment was stable and the pay was good; second, it would allow him to study magic Spell Formula in his spare time.

He had worked as a caregiver here for five years, and his knowledge of magical Spell Formula was only at a basic level. Recently, he was considering whether to change jobs and try to get into the local Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau.

But as luck would have it, the orphanage was attacked the very next day when he had this idea.

The newcomers were well-trained and skillfully bypassed and deactivated the alarm, taking control of the vast majority of ordinary people and killing those who dared to resist, plunging the entire sanatorium into silence with bloodshed.

Realizing something was wrong, Tian Sheng's first thought was to protect himself and sneak away, only to find that the entire block was sealed off by a large Magic Barrier. He didn't have time to analyze the barrier's structure, and with his pitiful magical power, breaking through was impossible.

This further proves that those who carried out the terrorist attack were not ordinary criminals, but most likely Gray Magic Organization that terrifies folk Mage.

The term "Gray Magic Organization" is a general term used to refer to groups of Mage who engage in illegal activities. These groups are mostly dens of iniquity, gathering thugs who conduct illegal research and criminal activities; to put it more bluntly, they are criminal gangs that have mastered Spell Formula powers.

Such organizations are actually quite common, and every member of them is a complete villain to ordinary people. Even someone like Tian Sheng, who also studies Spell Formula, would not want to deal with them.

Anyway, the city has the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau responsible for maintaining order, which dismantles several dens and arrests a large number of Mage criminals every year. These people will be arrested one day, so I just need to stay away from them.

He has always believed this, and it is indeed true.

He never expected that such an arrogant group of people would launch a collective attack on a public service institution operated by the municipal government in broad daylight.

The enemy arrived suddenly and was clearly stronger than him, so he had no choice but to hide alone.

In terms of his skill in using Spell Formula, although he has reached the basics, he is far from being a pro and cannot even be called a "Mage." In terms of the number and strength of the Spell Formula he has mastered, he is pitifully small. If he were to challenge an entire team alone, he would probably die without even knowing how.

Fortunately, he still had enough magic power left, so he could continue to use Spell Formula to conceal his breathing and magic fluctuations without any problem, and he didn't have to worry about being discovered for a short time.

He had already made up his mind to remain inactive and wait for the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau to come to his rescue, acting as a coward in the meantime.

However, after hiding in the storage room for a while, the noise coming from the hallway caught his attention.

It seemed someone had passed by, he concluded. In the end, he couldn't hold onto the decision he had made not long ago, and he secretly pushed the door open a crack, peering out.

Then, he saw a somewhat familiar figure.

Bai Jingxuan was unable to return to her room as usual.

As she quickened her pace, trying to return to her room, she saw several masked figures in black robes.

Although she didn't know what these people were there for, Bai Jingxuan could tell from the eerie silence of the orphanage and their hostile demeanor that she shouldn't expose herself to them.

So she hid.

Continuing down the corridor was undoubtedly dangerous, and even if she returned to her room, there was no guarantee that these people wouldn't come looking for her. So Bai Jingxuan had no choice but to turn around and run back the way she came.

She reasoned that she hadn't encountered these uninvited guests on her way there, so the courtyard should still be safe.

But this expectation was destined to be dashed.

Before she could even step out of the sanatorium's entrance, she heard voices coming from ahead:

Still haven't found it?

"We've searched every possible hiding place in this open area, but there's nothing there."

"Damn it, where could a little girl possibly hide? Could the location be marked wrong?"

"Impossible. The information provided by informants is always accurate. After the incident at Xizhao Minxin Hospital, the whereabouts of all witnesses were recorded. That child was undoubtedly sent here."

"Not adopted?"

"There was no such information previously; we are currently verifying it with the people here."

"Where could it be? It can't be hidden by someone, can it?"

"We can't rule out that possibility. In any case, let's send the results here to Bing Chu Three first, and he can decide whether or not to conduct a room-by-room search."

After their conversation, the two fell silent. Soon after, a cacophony of footsteps sounded, gradually approaching Bai Jingxuan's location.

Bai Jingxuan couldn't quite make out what they were talking about, only able to glean from snippets like "Xizhao Minxin Hospital" and "little girl" that they seemed to be referring to her.

Because three years ago, she and her parents died at Xizhao Minxin Hospital, and after that, she was the only orphan who was sent to this welfare home.

Realizing she might be the target, Bai Jingxuan had many guesses in her mind, but she quickly shook her head, realizing that now was not the time to let her imagination run wild and that she needed to find another way to leave.

These people seem to have a hostile attitude; looking for her is probably not going to bring any good news. It's better to hide.

Bai Jingxuan was a very proactive child; she acted on her thoughts immediately. She quickly backed away along the wall, turning and leaving quietly. She wanted to escape before the other party entered the corridor and before she was exposed to their sight.

There are two staircases at each end of the corridor, leading to the second floor. Although she didn't know how many of their people were on the second floor, it seemed that this was the only way for her to escape.

Bai Jingxuan tiptoed up the stairs, but before she had even taken a few steps, she heard a change in the tone of footsteps at the entrance of the corridor. That sound clearly meant that someone had stepped from the concrete ground outside the building into the building, onto the floor tiles.

Those people have arrived.

Hearing the approaching footsteps behind her and feeling her heart pounding faster, Bai Jingxuan pursed her lips, subconsciously held her breath, and moved upstairs as fast as she could in this state.

Because the staircase steps are very long, she has to go up to the second floor before they reach the staircase entrance to completely avoid their line of sight.

The two groups of people in the corridor moved forward with completely different mindsets. As their target drew closer and closer, and the corner on the second floor was already in sight, Bai Jingxuan seemed to have already seen the scene of her successful escape.

But at that moment, she suddenly felt no feeling in her calves, and then she lost control of them.

Her legs could no longer exert any force, nor could they climb any more steps; like a malfunctioning mechanical part, they had lost their vitality. Unable to stop her momentum, Bai Jingxuan's body slumped forward and collapsed onto the stairs.

Clatter.

The sounds of clothes, torsos, and the stairs colliding abruptly echoed in the hallway.