Zero stood all alone in front of the Alt Conglomerate Tower, her figure almost entirely swallowed by the shadows. As she watched the neon-lit nightlife, she steeled herself.
They would split into two groups: one would serve as bait, while the other rescued Noel. The bait had to keep every Psionic under the Alt Conglomerate occupied, so whoever took that role needed sufficient combat strength. Zero was the strongest member of the team rescuing Dorothy, so she had to be the bait.
Her psionic energy and stamina had recovered. As long as she did not encounter another Fifth-Tier Psionic, she could hold out for a while even under a coordinated assault from Fourth-Tier Psionics, then escape safely.
But Zero was facing the Alt Conglomerate, a monster that controlled the vast majority of District 25's wealth. Most of the district's top combatants were probably concentrated within it.
This operation was, in every sense, a brush with death.
Yet Zero did not care. She simply drank the last mouthful of milk, tossed the carton into a trash can, then tore open a bag of barbecue-flavored chips and ate them with solemn concentration. Only after tipping the last crumbs into her mouth did she clap her hands together, as though completing a farewell ritual, and walk into the rain and mist.
Her silver hair stood out in the rainy haze, and her ice-blue eyes constantly watched for the slightest movement around her. Yet, unexpectedly, she saw no one at all, even after stepping onto the first floor of the Alt Conglomerate Tower.
Zero rested her hand on her sword's hilt, growing wary.
Normally, the Alt Conglomerate Tower should have been bustling even on a rainy night. Why was it so quiet?
There was not a single visitor, and the reception staff had been