“Big brother, be careful. “

“I’m fine… ” Yang Zicang, now bearing the resurrection intel left behind by Hong Haocheng, was a chaotic tempest of clashing emotions.

“About… the Third Era Lander—no, I mean the real old world info—I need you to dig it up from the library as much as you can. I’ll… I’ll also keep an eye out and confirm the intel on this front. “

Seeing that Brother Yang could pull himself together in just two or three sentences, Boboli’s worried expression finally loosened a single notch.

_”Brother Yang, don’t blame yourself too much. Even though the Demon Hero Hall was ours… Brother Moli knew this calamity was one he couldn’t dodge.

He never regretted his choice from start to finish. He was a true hero… and now he can rest. Let’s just train harder, raise our own strength, and wait until we’re powerful enough to protect those we want to protect. Once everything is safe, that will be the time we’ll have found a way to bring him back. _”

“Mm. ” Yang Zicang hummed softly, then asked: “How are you supposed to take my Radiance Transfer? “

“Oh, that part is simple. “

Sweeping neon lines flickered across Boboli’s open palm, rapidly knitting a sleek elaborate Lost Illusion Company employee card.

Its material and filigree—Yang Zicang had never seen such, which made it clear this was a special ability granted only by Boboli’s executive-tier employee card.

｛– Radiance: Deceive the guest of the distributor.｝

｛– Radiance: Escape the man who is not in the hotel.｝

｛-Radiance of Glory: Tearing through the disguise of the hidden Secret Treasure.｝

｛-Radiance of Glory: The umbrella-less escort athlete.｝

As the pendant touched the employee card, four specks of light shot into it with a “whoosh. “

-｛Distributor Loki Tata Mingqi utters an “Alas. “｝

More specks of light emerged, like tiny, individual meteors streaking into the deep, dark surface of the card in Boboli’s hand, leaving a trail of minuscule starry sparkles upon impact.

｛-Radiance of Glory: The night wanderer who startled the navy.｝

｛-Radiance of Glory: The blackboard newspaper that kindles sparks.｝

｛-Radiance of Glory: The business card branded with distinction.｝

｛-Radiance of Glory: The senior investigator with no enterprise.｝

｛-Radiance of Glory: The warrior who protects the researchers.｝

｛-Radiance of Glory: The gatherer of Ancient Gold…｝

In an instant, a powerful light blazed across the card’s surface, forming a perfectly arched rainbow.

Boboli received the pulse of the Chief Director’s thoughts from the card face. Confirming this in his mind, the novel in his hand faded slightly in transparency, rapidly transforming into thread-like creases, like a knitted sweater being unravelled, and then shot into the model on his chest before vanishing completely.

Boboli glanced at the other two next to him; they swallowed their saliva nervously.

“Big brother, if they practice without rest day and night, they should be able to cut the time by more than half, right? “

“Hey, what in the world are you saying? ” Qiao Bing immediately exclaimed.

But he had no time to resist. The mental call of a “Covenant ” cancellation echoed in his mind, and in an instant, the formidable strength that had filled his body over these past “years ” completely dissolved into nothing.

Bolang was suddenly overwhelmed by a feeling that no matter what he did, his fate was controlled by someone else.

“Keep it up, you two. The skill-training witnesses for this round of service-level Covenant are me and Brother Yang. He’s a really nice guy, so for the next few practices, you won’t generally have to worry about these basic skills being abruptly taken back. “

“Generally… ahhh! ” Qiao Bing clutched his head and collapsed to the ground in agony.

A streak of energy shot from Boboli, streaking into all three people nearby him.

“If it hurts this much, are you still going to practice? “

With an intentionally melodramatic sob, Qiao Bing hammered the ground.

“I will practice! “

……

The rain was torrential. Aside from a few pauses in the morning, it had been pouring from yesterday evening straight through until now.

The town had long since become a human hellscape. Inside the barrier, central area, people ran madly, uncontrollably charging out of their homes and through the rain toward the outskirts.

And then, with these rain-fleeing people running about, the foul magical energy in the downpour only grew denser, the turmoil spreading even to the relatively safer periphery of the small town.

Bang!

Another gunshot echoed in a place not far away, making the stable hand and coachman on the ground floor jump with a start.

“Hear that? Another dead. “

“I never thought it would be the common townsfolk who would be the first to turn to slaughter… sigh… ” Ebiser said, his head bowed under the crushing weight of inner torment.

Lianna tugged at his arm. “Father, are the things I carried truly worth all this? I… “

On Ebiser’s face, already aged and haggard from exhaustion, a grave look immediately set in.

“Never say such things again. It’s just… child, this is simply how the world works. We’ve lived a life of plenty for many years. Sometimes, falling into hardship, or even danger, is only normal—because most people have always lived like this. “

“Don’t you believe a hero will come to save us? ” A man dressed like an old grandmother asked from beside them.

Several others looked up as well, and one of them said, “Speaking of which, what exactly do you have that’s worth them stealing? “

“Haven’t you heard? They’re mostly after a weapon the hero is carrying. “

The people circled around on the floor, all chiming in with their own remarks.

He Yishu listened to their conversation, his gaze occasionally drifting to Ebiser and the young girl, Lianna.

The three who lay slumped on the floor had been fast asleep for a while now. Sometimes, faint ripples of energy radiated from their skin, leaving those around them utterly bewildered.

“Time for my watch. ” One of the men said, glancing at the simple pendulum clock mounted on the wall. It was half past nine.

He stood up, carefully dodging the streaks of blue bloodline energy piercing through the walls at times, walked to the window, and relieved a companion, then took the hunting rifle and turned his watchful gaze outward.

Outside the window, within the curtain of rain, the originally formless energy hurricane had become tangible. Throughout the deep town, there was no creature left standing; many lay collapsed in puddles, some had already choked to death on the shallow rainwater on the ground, and more of those still struggling were as chaotic as if their programs had malfunctioned.

If this continued, such a calamity would eventually leave no sane person within the town.

“Hey, you people in there, listen up! “

A faint shout came from beyond the barrier not far away.

On the rear walls and windows of nearby houses, many heads popped out to take a look. They were astonished to find that outside the transparent energy layer trapping them from leaving, a dense crowd of people had gathered.

This rain-soaked troop all held firearms in their hands, and there were also two heavy cannon platforms.

“Now, every resident must come out into the rain. We pledge to record your information and ensure a subsequent rescue plan. “

“What are they saying! ” The townspeople hiding in their houses were all stunned.

Everyone had gone to great lengths to get inside, and now they were being ordered to go out into the rain—how was that any different from sending them to their deaths?

“Who the hell are you people? Why are you trapping us here! ” someone yelled, craning his neck.

Beside the outsider, Mr. Ben, a man held a rolled iron-loudspeaker: “There are Fogfolk carrying out very dangerous activities in the town! That magical blood contamination inside is their doing! Only by stepping out into the rain can we confirm that you have nothing to do with them; otherwise, everyone will be treated as an accomplice! “

“Come out, line up, and lie down. Our next round of fire won’t be aimed at you. This is for your own good too! “

The few men encircling Yang Zicang and his two companions were seething with rage.

“Bastards! “

“To dare pin their own deeds on us. “

Two of the five locals ran to a small window at the far end of the living room to peer outside. Their faces turned grim as they looked back at He Yishu and the two Fogfolk lying on the floor.

“A lot more people have joined them outside, and they’re all armed. “

“Those hundreds of rifles out there… “

“…And two cannons. If they fire a volley, that’d be enough to kill Fogfolk, wouldn’t it? “

This method of concentrated fire was said to be one of the more straightforward and reliable ways to deal with Fogfolk.

“What do we do? People are starting to go out. “

“We… “

The five of them exchanged glances. The old woman and old man from the house emerged, leaning on their canes, hesitantly watching the group.

A heavy silence settled over the room.

Lianna bit her small, white teeth and stood up in anger. “They just want our box, don’t they? Let’s just give it to them! “

“Lianna! ” Ebiser glared at her furiously.

The girl looked down at the floor, tears welling in her eyes.

“Once the hero wakes up, we can definitely take it back… “

The people in the room exchanged silent glances and gave slight shakes of their heads.

Outside the barrier.

Behind the rear woods, in a clearly new wooden hut, several people in uniforms with headphones were intently listening to the dense, chaotic noise coming through their earpieces.

Sitting upright and motionless before them was a man on a wooden chair; his gaze held faint rings of light expanding outward.

Suddenly, he turned his head toward the second listener on the right.

“I heard it again. In that block, they mentioned ‘Hero’ again.“

The listener nodded nervously as he twisted a knob on the machine on the table. Amid the cacophony, the faint mention of the word <英雄> Could indeed be heard once more.

So sharp…He stole a glance at the gaunt-faced man in the chair, who had already shut his eyes again.

In the storage area, an academy teacher slumped down heavily. Ma, gritting her teeth, suddenly struck the defensive barrier.

The surrounding people turned toward the Crown Prince before him, his eyes landing upon the sword marks.

On the chair ahead, “Black Beast” Grasse opened his eyes, from which four faint rings of halo flickered slightly.

“What else did you hear?“

Relieved that his interruption hadn’t irked the man, the operator built up his nerve and continued:

“I heard someone, late last night, say something like ‘I should sleep.’ Beyond that, I couldn’t make out clearly.“

“Good. Your control of the tainted demon aura is showing preliminary results.“

Encouraged by “Black Beast,” the operator excitedly pressed his hand over the earphones.

This more or less meant that His Excellency would remember him—that in this special information unit, he might carve out a better chance for advancement.

“Black Beast ” Grasse nodded approvingly. “Keep an eye on the movements over there. Beware, it might be an enemy trap. Besides, what Yang Buchen actually said last night was… “

The information unit personnel, wearing headsets and holding their ear cups, looked up at this Chief Listener.

“…Enter the dream, to acquire the statue that can seal the bloodline. “

In the small room, everyone’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“……“

“This… no way, doesn’t that mean Mr. Ben’s painstakingly laid plan might go down the drain? “

“Perhaps. “

“Then… sir, why don’t we report this firsthand intelligence to Mr. Ben? “

The wires from the ear cups converged along the desk’s edge, leading underground, then into the barrier-enclosed town through pipes. They surfaced at various points, camouflaged as tree stumps, wooden blocks, or cornerstone planks. Each listening device inside bore a special magic mark that helped resist ordinary psychic and Stellar Yuan scanning spread.

Sensing these wires and the countless faint buzzing vibrations transmitting through the headsets, “Black Beast ” slightly glanced to the side with a soft snort.

“Because… the moment I leave your sight, I’ll just disappear. “

“Wh-what! “

Several people in the room shot up in shock, the rest exchanged glances, their minds racing with possibilities. As far as they knew, several high-ranking forces seemed to be vying for certain opportunities, with old nobles of the patriarch-tier frequently coming to beg the “Black Beast ” chief for intelligence-gathering help.

“Black Beast ” Grasse raised his hand.

“Sit down and don’t move. Each of you is precious. Remember, unless someone from the Bureau actively comes to ask for us, don’t leave this room. Otherwise… I won’t be able to look out for someone too far away. “

After saying these words, “Black Beast ” Grasse cast a sharp sidelong glance at the air beside him, as if he could pierce through its emptiness and see the hidden hand lurking in the void.

……

Unable to bear the pressure in town, some had already prepared themselves, leaving the room and walking into the rain.

Even those sleeping under the eaves were scolded by people outside in raincoats. The townspeople immediately understood that their real purpose was to accelerate the spread of Miasma Pollution’s energy.

“This is for your own good too! ” someone holding a loudspeaker shouted back inside. “This Miasma Pollution isn’t fatal. Once we eliminate the pollution source inside, we’ll lift the barrier and let everyone out. This is also to prevent you from running around chaotically and making things worse! “

Some people grumbled and retreated back, while others, at a loss, chose to sleep in the rain. Even more were stumbling out, losing control of their bodies in the intensifying energy storm, struggling desperately to roll over and avoid suffocation.

“So many people lying outside. My God, I never dreamed this could happen right under our noses. “

“We… How about we go out too? “

Looking at the sleeping figures sprawled all around, one of the five suggested, “The hero said he was going to sleep for a whole day, but I’m afraid it’s already too late for us to wait. “

Last night, they had only interacted with that Mr. Ben outside once; they believed he wouldn’t specifically target their group.

The old man, unable to leave through the door yet unwilling to stay inside, let out a sigh. “Good heavens, why did something like this have to happen? Old woman, with your frail health… sigh. “

“Isn’t there really anything we can do? ” the old woman asked, gazing at the “hero ” who had been sleeping since entering the house.

She and the old man had chosen to trust this person only because they recognized him from the newspapers as a big name—never imagining things would end up like this.

“Ah, forget it. Let’s go outside too. “

Amid the sound of rain, the old man made his decision. The five people inside the house also resolved to leave. They cast one last glance at the few remaining, their eyes filled with the sighing finality of a parting forever.

Now determined, the group no longer hesitated. They grabbed some roughly prepared, practically useless shelter covers and prepared to head downstairs.

Yang Zicang’s eyelids trembled.

-｛Distributor Loki Tata Mingqi indicates “Now. “｝

Yang Zicang lifted his head, his blurry eyes fixed on the distant figures making their way down the stairs.

“Where are you all heading? ” came Kaden’s voice from beside them.

“Huh?! ” The five at the door, along with the old man and woman in their raincoats, turned around in surprise.

He Yishu turned around in surprise and had just called out, “You’re awake? ” when he saw Lianna painfully throw herself onto the lying Yang Zicang, “I thought I’d never see you wake up again. Boohoo. “

Yang Zicang stiffened for a moment, then patted her on the back with his hand and sat up. Qiao Bing and Kaden beside him also quickly scrambled up from the ground.

The people who had been heading downstairs immediately rushed back with a mix of tension and anticipation.

“So, did you get it or not? “

Both Kaden and Qiao Bing turned to look at Yang Zicang.

“Huh? What does that mean, did we get it or not? ” several people in the room asked.

Yang Zicang listened sideways to the decent cheering going on outside, then expanded his perception through the Musing Night, and his expression instantly turned grim.

“Don’t worry, ” he said, lifting Lianna and placing her into Ebiser’s arms. “Of course I only make promises about things I’m confident in. “

“Oh, thank goodness! ” the group of people exclaimed, bursting into joyful cheers.

“Where is it? Where is it? “

Yang Zicang’s hand clenched, and several folded lines drew three small light portals out of thin air. With a surge of energy, two objects tumbled out of the portals with a “thump, thump ” and landed on the padded bedsheet below.

｛I discover the Bloodline Statue.｝

He Yishu stared, his eyes wide with shock.

The surrounding people cried out in disbelief: “Two! “

They all looked up together at this star they had only met the night before, this “hero ” from the newspapers. At this moment, he truly was like a hero, having brought back from impossible places creations that could counter the disaster—and brought backtwoof them at once!

“Haha, well, to tell the truth, ” Qiao Bing huffed. “There were originally three, you know. But one of them was already taken away by an old friend of Yang’s. “

“Ah…! “

This time, everyone was truly and utterly stunned into numbness.

“Listen up, you people still in the rooms! ” The shouting came again from the curtain of rain outside, echoing throughout the various points of the town’s barrier.

Yang Zicang, spreading the Musing Night sensation, wore a face drained of all warmth and filled with chilling coldness.

“We’re giving you one last ten minutes! Anyone who doesn’t come out will be considered an accomplice of the Fog Bang spies inside! Our bullets hold no mercy for traitors like that! “

“Mr. Yang! “

“Hero, ” the others said with a hint of worry. “The military has gathered outside. Even if you’ve managed to contain the bloodline corruption, if they launch a concentrated attack… “

Under the still-anxious gazes of Ebiser and the others, Yang Zicang said calmly, “If they really dare to strike first, then they’ll have no one to blame but themselves. “