An air wave, compressed by a sudden ejection, violently exploded from beneath Soldier No.4’s feet. His form tore through the distance in an instant, dragging a blurry afterimage behind him!

Wager stared wide-eyed, his mouth agape, as the Steel Federation super-weapon that could single-handedly destroy a city shot toward him with a pressure as heavy as solid lead.

At that very moment!

Suddenly, something in Wager’s pocket flashed with rings of intricate, esoteric ripples.

“Trajectory Master? “

Whether it was the remaining soldiers on the scene or the command post far away watching through high-magnification observation scopes, the same word instinctively echoed in everyone’s mind!

Bang!

A thick, black smoke erupted behind Wager!

The soldier soldier’s outstretched hand veered weirdly to one side! Wager and the fleeing Ian saw their figures yanked by someone within the black smoke, and the three of them plummeted into the midst of the fog!

“What?! ” The commander watching through a telescope from outside exclaimed in shock.

“General! That smoke… isn’t it our interference round! ” The deputy commander’s voice carried a hint of panic.

A few people nearby panicked and cast uneasy glances over. “General… “

“Damn it… might be someone captured it… ” The commander said through clenched teeth, his face ashen.

Outside the barrier, a vast sea of soldiers stared tensely at the rapidly spreading, eerily vanishing smoke.

Soldier No.4 slowly withdrew his hand, clutching only a fragment of Wager’s suit torn from his body.

“They escaped. Where did that ‘Trajectory Master’ come from… Who could it be? “

……

“It’s actually you… ” Wager stammered, still in shock. Before him stood a person emanating the very “title ” information printed on the name card.

The Trajectory Master, Yang Zicang, had barely recognized the man he’d grabbed before he vanished like a puff of smoke.

Emotionally turbulent Wager dissipated within a swirling mix of various “Ether Traits ” energies, fluctuating between weak and strong, such as ｛Panic｝, ｛Shock｝, ｛Fear｝, ｛Deception｝, and ｛Truth｝.

Of the two men beside Wager, only Crossing People remained momentarily, but his body was quickly encased in energy drawn from countless conflicting emotions.

This poor Crossing People shouted in terror: “‘Defender!’ It’s you…! Could that be the legendary ‘Ether Business Card’! “

He also vanished.

All that remained on the spot was Yang Zicang and “Bai Guan, ” along with the chaotic emotional ripples yet to settle in the air.

-｛Distributor Loki. Tata Mingqi anticipates my supply.｝

“Sure enough… ” Just as planned, but what terrible timing.

With a certain distance put between them, and the “Ether Business Card ” in hand, he had no fear of losing Wager, who must be trapped in an illusion somewhere across the vast land.

“What do we do now? ” Bai Guan asked beside him.

Yang Zicang, whose features had taken on a more realistic appearance, was emitting faint traces of “Betrayal ” and “Indecision. “

——｛Target pulled into Sub-Ether Space transfer.｝

— “The surviving members of the Weiting Travel Merchant Association are mentally unstable and should be trapped in Sub-Ether Space.“

A voice that was previously inaudible suddenly reached the ears of both individuals.

Everything around them began to solidify; the once-blurry outlines of trees turned sharp, and in the distance, soldiers’ silhouettes that were normally invisible within the Sub-Ether Field materialized as chaotic yet discernible figures,

as if the Ether Field itself was transforming into the real world.

“What’s going on?!“

Yang Zicang struggled to quell the ｛Earnestness｝, ｛Suspicion｝, ｛Horror｝, and ｛World being forcibly stabilized｝ he had amassed, but these voices made his surging emotions increasingly uncontrollable.

The soldiers’ forms twisted like ethereal figures, clumping into misty masses that surged toward the ravaged city, battered as if by a colossal beast.

“Don’t worry—they lack the power to manifest the Sub-Ether Field.“

“Then what’s solidifying…“

He looked down at his own arms and legs; even Yang Zicang’s body was writhing, shifting into a more human form, as if the Sub-Ether Space was syncing with reality.

“The Soldiers of Consciousness!“

Bai Guan’s voice carried ｛Shock｝ and ｛Reverence｝.

“It’s the will of the Soldiers of Consciousness reshaping the Ether Field here!“

“What?!“

“Soldiers of Consciousness… their willpower has never wavered, solid as a mountain steadfast!“

“Nothing will anger him, no setback will demoralize him, and no reward will sway him. He simply focuses on executing orders, like a humanoid weapon! ” Bai Guan declared, his tone grave yet brimming with confidence.

“There’s really someone like that! “

“Indeed, that is the spiritual conviction of Staufen’s top-tier warriors. He projects reality into the spiritual world, and through the manifestation of his willpower, the nearby Ether Field energy, driven by his mental force, materializes in accordance with his will! “

This was almost like a rudimentary “Mental Force Field “!

A man of such immense power—the ‘Warrior’ of the Lion Empire, no less!

Yang Zicheng asked incredulously, “Could it be that what we heard was actually his broadcast reaching us here? “

More and more emotional trait energies began to manifest on Yang Zicheng’s skin, which was now a mix of pale and ruddy tones.

“Stay calm, hero of White Violet City. Think about your desires. “

Yang Zicheng immediately suppressed his emotions.

An ethereal, biting ｛Cold Severity｝ crept closer, carrying an almost tangible weight. That condensed Ether information was unmistakably emanating from the true Warrior itself!

— “Here he is. “

Yang Zicheng turned and bolted.

“Get away quickly. We’ll find a way to get to Wager later. “

Damn it, he absolutely couldn’t let him enter the Ether Field and catch Wager first. But would there be enough time? Maybe someone here also possessed an Ether Name Card.

— “Who could it be? “

— “He seems to have left, Commander. Hmm… I hear my mind can project inside there… “

“Hundred Crowns ” and Yang Zicang, who was pinching the business card, had their silhouettes instantly elongated in the diffusion of the “Trajectory Master ” information, ethereally appearing several kilometers away. Yet, even here, the Warrior’s faint voice could still be heard.

“Faster! The elemental force around him is extremely strong, so in reality, we might have only run a few meters. Ah, stay calm! “

Yang Zicang quickly suppressed the shock rising in his heart.

“Is this… a warrior of the Stedfin Lion Empire? Unbelievably strong… How did he get here? “

“The so-called Warrior is one of our Lion Empire’s ultimate weapons. Even I am not clear on the conditions of its creation. “

“That was just a single punch, yet the gale force almost shook me back to reality. “

“Good thing we didn’t recklessly go out. If we had, there’s absolutely no way you could have entered the Ether World under the Royal Court’s barrier—it isolates elemental force. “

-｛Distributor February. Di’an assesses my current life experience.｝

The two fled for their lives through the bizarre and radiant Ether World, running for what felt like countless heartbeats before Yang Zicang felt his feet sink into empty space, as if crossing some invisible boundary.

Behind him, the enormous ruins of the city that had been “solidified ” by the Warrior’s will were suddenly yanked backward by an invisible giant hand, instantly shrinking into a tiny black dot on the far edge of his vision!

This single step seemed to span dozens of miles of spatial distance!

Yang Zicang, whose appearance had become somewhat more humanoid, now reverted to the special azure-and-crimson form unique to the “Ether World “.

“We’ve escaped its vicinity!“

Yang Zicang let out a long, trembling breath of relief.

The heavy, lingering mass of complex informational energy around them gradually softened and thinned out.

Not knowing had been one thing, but now that he realized the sheer ferocity of their enemy, Yang Zicang feared that an accident might leave him stranded here, caught by the Steffen people. That would be disastrous.

“Hundred Crown” Bai Yuxian was also gasping for air, his heart hammering wildly:

“Now are you satisfied? The three of them have all locked themselves up. That’s what you get for acting rashly with almost zero intelligence. So, what’s your next move?“

“The Key… he actually managed to distribute it. If that’s the case…“

It seemed Wager was so cornered that he was willing to give away some rooms in the inn to outsiders, just to bring control of the “Divine Status” back into his own hands.

Seeing Mark’s lack of reply, “Hundred Crown” switched questions:

“What happens if the Key changes hands? It shouldn’t let them enter the inn directly, should it?“

Yang Zicang’s body suddenly flickered forward a bit before he answered:

“No, it doesn’t. But it can also prevent the lodger from returning to the inn. The old key’s only invalidated if the landlord goes back to the inn and applies for a new one.“

Even though the lad had cleared some distance, “Hundred Crown” still caught the term ｛SUSPICION｝ from that fleeting “Trait Message.“

The two kept moving, not stopping for a single breath until they were well beyond the Qijun City limits. Only then did Yang Zicang dare to truly halt.

“Now, how are you going to catch him? ” Baiguan stared straight at Yang Zicang. “I just helped you interfere with the soldier figurines. If I apply for another tool to break the illusion and rescue someone, exposure is almost inevitable. “

After a moment’s thought, he took out a business card and handed it over. “You should still keep one. At least if something unexpected happens, I’ll be able to find you. “

Yang Zicang gazed back at the Steffen spy, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

“Mr. Baiguan… I can’t help but feel—isn’t all this a little too coincidental? “

“Oh? “

The Steffen’s eyebrow arched slightly.

“To be honest, I once encountered… a certain special existence, ” Yang Zicang chose his words carefully.

“He could sift through a person’s life experiences, find some unique chapter worth etching into memory, extract energy used to ‘invest’ in others… and through a series of seemingly coincidental events, alter the target’s track of fate. One of my friends was thus pulled back from the brink of death. “

“‘Flash investment’… I see what you mean. “

Baiguan slowly nodded, a glint of understanding in his eyes. “You’re suspecting that I’ve engaged in such an investment? Then, do you still plan to let me into the hotel? “

The two met each other’s gaze within the flowing, illusory Sub-Ether Field.

“The hotel… After all, you are the Steffen Intelligence Bureau’s director, Master Bai Yuxian. How can I truly believe you’re not going in just to execute some mission or another? “

The Steffen spy fell silent for a moment, his face revealing neither joy nor anger as he said placidly:

“So far, Mr. Yang, to me… this has been full of ‘coincidences’ too, hasn’t it? Out of nowhere, I’ve turned from a partner into a suspect. “

At the very last moment before entering the inn, such a trivial thing caused a critical deviation.

“White Crown ” radiated the glow of her Trait.

“If all this were my scheme, I’d have handled it far more naturally than this. “

-｛Distributor May Valkyrie wishes to pre-order the glorious prelude I’m about to conceive.｝

He handed over a business card:

“Regardless, take it. Let’s find another place to talk. If you keep thinking here any longer, I’ll really have to risk being hunted down just to fetch something that’ll snap you back to reality. “

Yang Zicang took a deep breath.

“No, thanks. “

If he made the decision to “refuse, ” it would almost seem like someone was secretly investing in keeping this man out of the Travel Inn…

Could that really be the case? Who knows?

This man was nothing less than the head of the “Blood Beasts ” intelligence bureau. Someone draped in secrets, closely watched. An empire that kept an eye on the Tr****el Inn might already have scrutinized that street.

Exhaustion crept into Yang Zicang’s soul. A paper scrap spiraled toward him… He didn’t want to keep going.

Just as he was about to sink into the sofa, take a long sip of iced coffee, and play on his phone, the café door was suddenly pushed open.

A somewhat familiar yet unfamiliar man walked in, a wisp of a mustache on his lips and an old-fashioned brown leather briefcase in hand. He scanned everyone in the room and strode over with a sharp look. “Found you. Thank goodness you didn’t go wandering off. “

“Who the hell are you? “

“Mm… I’m Bai Yuxian, ‘The Hundred-Crown.’ Quick, listen to me. “

“Bai… Yuxian? Hey, what are you doing? Do I know you or something? “

All the customers and staff nearby stared over, their faces tinged with a hint of suspicion.

Bai Yuxian warily regarded the people around him; they constantly emanated signals of ｛Rejection｝, ｛Suspicion｝, ｛Wanting to Rest｝, ｛Watching a Movie｝, ｛Weekend｝, ｛Going Home｝, all while chatting among themselves about related topics.

Bai Yuxian set the briefcase on the table and pulled out a stack of newspapers. “How have you forgotten me again? Wake up, damn it—you’re the hero of White Violet City. You’ve got to believe me this time! “

“Hero? “

Gripping his drink, Yang Zicang stared blankly at the newspaper shoved into his hands. “According toThe International Weekly, an explosion is erupting in White Violet City… “

He was just starting to process this when suddenly the café door burst open, and a boy of about eight or nine, whose face rather resembled his own, ran in. “Brother! “

“Brother! ” Yang Zicang sprang to his feet in joyful surprise. The newspaper slipped to the floor, and the Steffen man let out a wail.

Yang Zicang instinctively froze for a moment.

“Wait… don’t I see my brother every day? Why… am I this thrilled… “

It felt like someone you thought you’d never see again…

A young couple walked by arm in arm. “Let’s go see a movie! I heard the latestMob Racer 4has great ratings. “

“Let’s head to the park and watch some basketball, ” said two high schoolers passing by.

“Let’s buy some milk tea; it’s been ages since we’ve had any. “

Yang Zicang watched their retreating backs. Bai Yuxian frowned slightly and said, “Don’t get led astray by these illusory desires! “

“What? “

｛Rejection｝, ｛Disgust｝, ｛Preaching｝, ｛Makes sense｝…

Suddenly, the whole café—no, the world around—shook with tremors.