The swaying moonlight, unchanged for a thousand years, rippled through the night, casting a touch of quiet tenderness over the world.
An ambulance sped through that tenderness toward the shore.
The medical staff inside were unusually quiet. A young nurse kept folding her mask, glancing out the window from time to time.
Just over ten minutes earlier, everyone in Small Town had seen a blinding light flare on the horizon.
No one knew what had happened over there. Even the police had sealed off the roads.
Had the person calling for help not been the famous The Deep, their ambulance would never have been allowed through.
The vehicle gradually approached the shore, its rolling wheels grinding over gravel-and over every medic's nerves.
"My God, was there a war here?"
Someone cried out, pointing a trembling finger out the window.
A massive crater hundreds of meters long lay starkly along the shore.
Rubble and scorched earth were everywhere. The landscape was devastated, and a faint smell of gunpowder still lingered in the air.
It inevitably brought scenes of war to mind.
The driver picked up speed as well, accelerating toward their destination.
The Deep lay in a sorry state beside the road, his eyes vacant.
The driver slammed on the brakes. "We're here! The Deep's over there!"
The medical staff filed out and hurried toward The Deep.
At last, a trace of a smile appeared on The Deep's face.
Finally, I'm saved!
He assessed his injuries, then closed his eyes again in pain.
Several ribs were definitely broken. The wounds Kailong had slapped into his face crisscrossed one another, and it was swollen like a steamed bun.
"Sir, how are you feeling?" the doctor asked with concern.
The Deep shook his head weakly, indicating that he did not want to speak.