Title: I Swear I Didn’t See It Wrong, Something’s Really Off at the Abandoned Chemical Plant in the East District!
Poster ID: Yellow Robe Enthroned
Content:
“OP, this info is 100% legit!
I’m a late-night food delivery driver.
About half a month ago, around 2 AM, I passed by that abandoned, unfinished chemical plant in the East District.
I heard this…
how do I put it…
like a giant dog gnawing on bones.
That crunch, crunch sound made my scalp tingle.
I got curious and peeked inside.
I saw a shadow in a second-floor window.
It looked human, but its arm…
its arm was ridiculously long, almost touching the ground!
I got so scared I twisted the throttle all the way and bolted.
The next day, I heard the area was sealed off, supposedly for a hazardous chemical leak investigation.
It’s still sealed off now.
Does investigating a chemical leak really take this long?
Something’s definitely fishy here!”
Attached Image: A blurry night photo, full of noise.
You can barely make out the dark silhouette of the factory in the distance, like a slumbering beast.
A few strands of glaring yellow caution tape are faintly visible around the perimeter.
“Chemical plant?
A long-armed shadow?”
Cyrene stared at the text on the screen, her fingers tapping a rhythmic beat on the desk.
She quickly switched windows, opened a map application, and entered the approximate location.
The clatter of the keyboard sounded exceptionally sharp in the quiet room.
Soon, the screen flickered, and a red landmark pin labeled “Hongda Chemical Plant” appeared on the edge of the East District.
“The East District currently has only this one chemical plant, and even ‘Shady Maps’ shows that the plant recently halted production and is in a ‘Maintenance’ state.”
Cyrene rested her chin on her hand, her azure, diamond-shaped pupils narrowing slightly.
“The time matches, the location fits.
That delivery guy wasn’t lying.”
Next, Cyrene skillfully opened her browser and typed “Hongda Chemical Plant” into the search bar.
The moment she hit Enter, a bolded news headline popped up, dominating the most prominent spot on the screen.
BREAKING: Severe Chemical Leak at Hongda Chemical Plant in East District; Surrounding Area Under Emergency Control
Cyrene clicked on the news article, her eyes quickly scanning the paragraphs filled with official jargon.
“Local News: In the early hours of X Month X Day, a storage tank valve ruptured at the Hongda Fine Chemical Plant in our city’s East District, causing a leak of irritant gases and industrial wastewater.”
The Environmental Protection Department immediately rushed to the scene to handle the situation.
According to the official announcement, the leaked substances may cause respiratory irritation.
To ensure public safety, a temporary lockdown has been imposed on the plant and a 500-meter radius around it, with the reopening time yet to be determined.
The police remind the public: Do not believe rumors, and strictly refrain from entering the sealed-off area to avoid inhaling residual harmful gases that could cause irreversible physical damage.”
Reading this information, Cyrene leaned back in her chair, crossed her arms, and wore an expression that screamed, “You really think I’d believe that?”
“What kind of leaked substance takes half a month to dissipate?
I could understand if it were nuclear radiation, but chemical gas?”
She scoffed, tapping her finger on the words “Do not believe rumors.”
“And…
Isn’t that just a classic case of protesting too much?
It seems the officials knew something was there all along and are just suppressing the news to prevent panic.”
Having read this far, Cyrene already had a good grasp of the situation.
A Xeno was most likely entrenched there, and its level was probably not low.
Otherwise, the officials wouldn’t have failed to clear it out after half a month, let alone need to maintain such a large-scale containment zone.
“Since even the officials are struggling with this, it means this monster’s experience points…
oh, no, its Memory Imprint Points must be substantial.”
Cyrene glanced at the time displayed in the bottom-right corner of her computer screen: [00:14].
A wave of fatigue washed over her at just the right moment.
She couldn’t help but yawn, squeezing two physiological tears from the corners of her eyes.
“Forget it.
Vision is poor at night, and since the area is sealed off, there must be guards.
I’ll scout it with the radar during the day.
For tonight, I’ll rest and recover.”
Cyrene muttered to herself and reached out to press the power button on the computer tower.
As the whirring of the fan gradually faded, the screen went black, and the room returned to silence.
Cyrene stood up and stretched luxuriously, her bones letting out a series of soft cracks.
Then, she turned her head to look at the figure sitting quietly on the living room sofa.
Phainon was holding his phone, the screen’s faint glow illuminating the sharp contours of his profile as he focused on researching information about this world.
“Phainon!”
At Cyrene’s call, Phainon’s movements paused.
He lowered his phone and turned to look at her.
The focus in his eyes instantly softened into gentleness.
“Cyrene, what is it?
Did you find something?”
Cyrene walked to the bedroom doorway, pointed to the other room’s door across the hallway, and said:
“It’s nothing major, just that it’s late and time to rest.
You can sleep in that room tonight.
It’s the ‘parents” bedroom the System created, so the bed and bedding are all ready.”
However, upon hearing Cyrene’s arrangement, Phainon showed no intention of getting up.
He shook his head gently, his tone calm:
“No need, Cyrene.
Although my powers are temporarily limited, my Warrior’s physique remains.
For me, sleep is not a necessity.”
As he spoke, he stood up, but instead of heading toward the bedroom, he walked straight to the living room’s floor-to-ceiling window.
He scanned the outside warily through a gap in the curtains before sitting back down on the sofa.
“I’ll keep watch in the living room and continue searching for information about this world.
This world’s technological network is fascinating, containing a vast amount of information that I need to master as quickly as possible.
You go to sleep first; I’ll ensure our safety here.”
Seeing Phainon’s dutiful demeanor, Cyrene’s brow furrowed slightly.
She strode over to the sofa, placed her hands on her hips, and looked down at Phainon.
“That won’t do.
Even if your body can handle it, what about your mind?
You were just Summoned and have already been through a battle; how could you not be tired?”
Phainon looked up, meeting Cyrene’s gaze, and shook his head slightly, trying to explain:
“You don’t need to worry about my mind either.
Back in Okhema, I was used to long periods of…”
“Stop!”
Before he could finish, Cyrene raised her hand, cutting him off. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
“Phainon, this isn’t Okhema, nor is it that desperate Amphoreus.”
Cyrene’s voice softened.
She looked at the young man before her, who always seemed to carry every responsibility on his shoulders, her expression growing complex.
“You said before that you originated from my memories, so you know everything.
Then you must also know, through my memories, what happened there afterward, right?”
At Cyrene’s words, a ripple disturbed the usually calm surface of Phainon’s eyes.
He fell silent for a moment, then slowly nodded, his voice turning somewhat low:
“I know.
That place…
has already been saved.”
“Yes, it’s already been saved.”
Cyrene leaned down, bringing her gaze level with Phainon’s, her tone incredibly earnest:
“You sacrificed too much for it.
In those countless cycles, you never lived for yourself for even a single second.”
She reached out and gently patted the back of Phainon’s hand, which rested on his knee.
“So…
rest for a while, okay?
There’s no tragic fate to bear here, nor do you need to constantly be on edge, playing the savior.
Instead of having you burn yourself out fighting, I’d rather you, and the other companions who will arrive later, live peacefully in this world.”
Cyrene’s words were like a spring breeze, gently blowing away the faint, cold armor that surrounded Phainon.
He looked at the girl before him, her eyes filled with concern, and for a fleeting moment, it was as if he saw the figure from the end of his memories, smiling and reaching out to him.
No longer needing to bear the eternal cycles, no longer needing to be just a sword that only knew how to kill.
After a moment of silence, Phainon’s tense shoulders slowly relaxed.
He stood up and gave Cyrene a warm, pure smile, one that held less of his divine detachment and more of a human softness.
“I’m sorry, Cyrene.
I was stuck in my old mindset.
I made you worry.”
His voice was clear, like lake water warmed by the sun.
“You’re right.
I really should learn to live like a normal person now.”
With that, Phainon turned and strode toward the ‘parents” bedroom.
When he reached the doorway, he stopped, grasped the doorknob, and turned his head to look at Cyrene, who was still standing in the living room.
“Well, I’m going to rest now.
Cyrene, you should get to bed early too.
Staying up late is bad for your health.”
At this, the worry on Cyrene’s face instantly vanished.
She beamed at Phainon and waved enthusiastically.
“Okay, I will!
Good night, Phainon!”
“Good night.”
With a soft click, the door closed, shutting out the light from the living room.
Cyrene gazed at the closed door, the heavy stone in her heart finally lifting.
“Phew…
I finally convinced him to go to sleep.”
She rubbed her slightly sore cheeks, turned to switch off the main living room light, and fumbled her way back to her room in the darkness.