“Hah…
Thank…
thank goodness I made it in time.”
The young woman rested her hands on her knees, her chest heaving violently.
Sweat slid down her cheeks, dripping onto the scorched concrete floor.
The air was filled with the acrid smell of ozone, mixed with the foul stench of burnt flesh.
Cyrene stood a few steps away, her azure, diamond-shaped pupils flickering slightly.
Though she hadn’t seen the attack, the charred monster corpse nearby was a testament to its astonishing power.
However, it seemed the monster hadn’t been completely killed.
After all, the red dot on the radar hadn’t disappeared yet.
“Um…
excuse me, are you alright?”
Cyrene blinked, quickly concealing the scrutiny in her eyes and adopting a cautious, startled expression.
She took a tentative step forward, her voice laced with concern.
“I…
I’m fine.”
Hearing the voice, the young woman took a sharp breath, stubbornly straightening her back as if to prove she was unharmed.
She forcefully wiped the sweat from her forehead, trying to maintain her majestic posture as “Thunder.”
But her exhausted body clearly wasn’t cooperating.
Her slender legs were trembling uncontrollably, and her face was as pale as a sheet of paper.
“Lady Thunder!”
The man disguised as a vendor finally snapped back to his senses.
He immediately holstered his pistol, rushed over in a few quick strides, and supported the young woman, his weathered face filled with worry and self-blame.
“Are you alright?
Did you overexert your Special Ability?”
Seeing this young woman, barely in her early twenties, who should have been enjoying a peaceful campus life but was instead rushing around dealing with Xeno matters, a flicker of heartache crossed the vendor’s eyes.
“I told you I’m fine!
Uncle Wang, stop making a fuss!”
An Ning awkwardly pulled away from the vendor’s hand, her brows furrowed.
Her tone was stiff, but it held less annoyance and more forced bravado.
“I’m just…
just a little drained right now!
I’ll be fine after a two-minute rest!”
She gritted her teeth and emphasized it again, as if admitting weakness was a great blow to her dignity.
Then, she raised her still slightly trembling finger, pointing at the slowly writhing, charred mass of flesh not far away.
“Get this thing out of here!
Fine, we couldn’t kill it, but why couldn’t we even contain it?!”
“Yes!
I’ll make the call right away!”
The vendor, addressed as Uncle Wang, nodded. New chapters come out on g.com first.
He glanced with a complex expression at the young woman still forcing herself to stand strong, then turned and walked aside, pulling out his phone to call for backup.
Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps approached.
Chen Lang, fully armed and holding the still-hot stun gun, rushed out of the factory gate.
When he saw the charred monster collapsed on the ground and An Ning swaying unsteadily nearby, his tense shoulders visibly slumped.
After letting out a long, heavy breath, Chen Lang strode forward, stood at attention, and saluted solemnly.
“Lady Thunder, my apologies.
Our negligence led to the Revenant’s escape, forcing you to intervene again.”
“Enough, enough.
Spare me the empty self-criticism.
Besides, I have a general idea of what happened.
It wasn’t your fault.”
An Ning waved her hand irritably, her gaze then unconsciously drifting toward Cyrene, who stood nearby looking dazed and helpless.
She sighed, forcing herself to pull herself together.
Turning around, An Ning straightened her slightly disheveled collar, trying to compose her expression into one of seriousness and professionalism.
She pulled a black leather wallet from her pocket and snapped it open in front of Cyrene.
Inside was a special ID card, next to which was embedded an exquisite metal badge.
A shield formed the base, with a silver sword in the center, entwined by golden chains that reflected a cold, hard glint in the sunlight.
Then, she extended her right hand toward Cyrene.
“Hello, I’m from the Special Bureau Action Group, codename ‘Thunder,’ real name An Ning.
This is my identification.”
“Huh?”
Cyrene let out a perfectly timed, short gasp.
She stared blankly first at the badge, then at the charred mass of flesh not far away, as if still reeling from the shock.
After two seconds, she seemed to snap out of her daze and looked timidly at the young woman before her.
“You…
Hello, my name is Cyrene.”
After speaking, Cyrene didn’t immediately shake her hand.
Her gaze subconsciously fell on An Ning’s outstretched right hand.
Faint red marks lingered on the hand, seemingly traces left by an electrical overload.
Only after confirming no blue arcs of electricity danced at the fingertips did Cyrene hesitantly extend her hand and gently grasp An Ning’s.
The moment their palms touched, Cyrene felt a damp warmth.
It was cold sweat.
Although she didn’t know exactly what they meant by “overdrawing a Special Ability,” Cyrene had a general idea from the novels she’d read.
It seemed this “Miss Thunder” was likely at the end of her rope.
After the brief touch, An Ning quickly withdrew her hand.
“Ms.
Cyrene, you saw it too.”
She turned sideways, pointing at the still-twitching monster, her tone becoming strictly professional.
“This creature…
doesn’t belong to the realm of common sense.
Its existence poses an extreme threat to ordinary people.”
An Ning paused, her gaze fixed on Cyrene’s eyes, as if trying to see through the beautiful girl’s thoughts.
“We need you to give a statement at the Bureau and sign some confidentiality agreements.
We hope you’ll cooperate.”
After hearing this, Cyrene bit her lower lip, her face showing a conflicted expression.
Go with the authorities?
This would undoubtedly put her directly in the spotlight, and the slightest misstep could expose her identity.
But if she refused now…
She glanced at Uncle Wang, who was on the phone not far away, and at Chen Lang, who had lowered his gun but whose gaze remained vigilant.
Turning and fleeing at this critical moment would only make her suspicion level skyrocket, and she might even be treated as an accomplice to the monster.
Besides, since she had already appeared on this “stage,” she had to play the role of the “innocent bystander” to the very end.
With this in mind, Cyrene quickly calculated her options.
Phainon hadn’t been exposed; he was still lurking in the shadows.
As long as she insisted she was just passing by, they would at most do a background check, have her sign some papers, and let her go.
Moreover…
Cyrene’s gaze subtly swept over the deep shadows behind her.
If she truly found herself in an inescapable situation, having Phainon ready to extract her would be a last resort.
Though that was the outcome she least wanted to see.
“…Alright.”
After some “deep deliberation,” Cyrene nodded lightly, her voice soft yet tinged with resignation.
“If it’s for safety…
I’ll cooperate.”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
Hearing Cyrene agree, the tense lines of An Ning’s face finally softened, and her lips curved into a slightly weary smile.
She closed the ID and tucked it back into her pocket.
“Follow me.”
With that, An Ning turned and walked toward a black special operations vehicle parked by the roadside.
Cyrene obediently followed behind, like a well-behaved elementary school student.
As the car door opened, a blast of cold air rushed out.
An Ning gestured for Cyrene to get into the back seat, then slid in herself, leaning heavily against the seatback with a sigh of relief.
The engine roared, tires screeched against the pavement, and the special operations vehicle quickly sped away from the chaotic scene.
The street returned to deathly silence.
Only the charred monster left behind continued to slowly writhe under the sun, new flesh buds sprouting from its body.
A few seconds later.
In the shadows near where the vehicle had been parked, the air suddenly distorted.
A foot clad in a black long boot silently stepped onto the ground.
Phainon slowly emerged from the Darkness.
He didn’t glance at the regenerating monster; his Golden pupils remained locked on the vehicle receding into the distance.
Without any unnecessary movements.
The muscles in his legs instantly tensed, then powered up.
His figure vanished from the spot, like an incorporeal phantom, silently giving chase.