Chapter 159 – Key (2)
◎ No one can put up a fight ◎
Bai Qi led a few awakeners to the scene.
Because one of the corpses had a shattered head and the fingerprints were deliberately worn off, it took some time for them to collect biological information. The other B-level illusionist, however, quickly produced results.
The person reporting had a solemn expression, “Brother Bai, no identity information, and the entry record is from two days ago.”
No identity information meant that they were not legal residents of the Northern Base. Bai Qi glanced at the suspect’s face reconstructed through data, ordinary features with no memorable points, easily forgotten in the crowd.
Zhuang Qingyan snapped a tree branch, frowned, and disdainfully opened the collar of the illusionist awakener. Sure enough, he had a miniaturized bomb implanted, but Song Ke’s one fatal blow killed him before it could be triggered.
“Did he say anything else?” Zhuang Qingyan threw away the tree branch and wiped his hands with disinfectant tissues.
“No, just that sentence in Tokushima.” Song Ke held the megaphone with one hand, swinging her legs on the tree trunk. The ground was covered with blood and minced meat, sticky. She was quite a clean person. After confirming that the other party had breathed their last, she climbed up again.
“Do you remember how he said it?” Zhuang Qingyan didn’t hold much hope.
“I remember.” Song Ke tilted her head, thought for a second, cleared her throat, imitated the person’s tone, and shouted with vigor, “Kurozu—so!!! (I’ll kill you)!!”
Her voice was loud, her momentum was strong, but her pronunciation was… broken.
“Pfft—!!” Awakeners on the scene covered their mouths, not daring to make fun of the mighty S7, but they couldn’t hold back their laughter, making muffled sounds.
Each person in District B must be proficient in at least three foreign languages before graduation. Due to years of resentment and the need for mutual insults, most people in the Northern Base chose to study Tokushima. It was the first time they heard such a strange “Colonial accent”.
Song Ke: “?” What are you laughing at? She clearly imitated it well.
Zhuang Qingyan’s fingertips itched, wanting to pinch her face, but he resisted.
He turned to Bai Qi, “These two are assassins. They shouldn’t have come for us.”
If it’s not for V587, then it must be for Ye Zheng.
They came all the way, confirming they were not being followed. These two individuals acted suspiciously outside the General’s Mansion, concealing their whereabouts and not daring to approach. With A and B-level abilities, they didn’t pose an assassination threat. They were probably here to gather information, but unfortunately, they ran into Song Ke.
Bai Qi understood his implication and had the bodies removed. “Thanks for taking action.”
“You don’t seem surprised,” Zhuang Qingyan looked at him.
“Lately, there are many ‘sparrows,'” Bai Qi’s eyes showed a hint of killing intent. Though sparrows couldn’t cause substantial harm, they were disturbing and irritating.
“Because ‘summer’ has come,” Zhuang Qingyan hinted that when the weather gets hot, some people can’t sit still.
The scorching sun shamelessly poured down blinding sunlight, making people sweat profusely.
One year ago, the apocalypse caused by radiation came without warning at the end of summer.
One year later, in the distant North, the S-level floating city, Utopia, rose like the Sword of Damocles, hanging high above everyone’s heads.
Ye Zheng was right; some people couldn’t sit still anymore.
Before leaving, Bai Qi looked up at the tree. “This megaphone…”
Song Ke swiftly tucked it back into her space, feigning innocence. “What megaphone?”
Bai Qi paused for two seconds. “…Don’t use it here next time.”
Fortunately, the villa area was equipped with a high-quality soundproof system; otherwise, the general’s desk would have been piled with neighbor complaints.
Song Ke grinned and gave him a thumbs up, implying that it was quite righteous.
After the others left, Song Ke landed lightly. “Those two, are they Tokushima people?”
“Not necessarily,” Zhuang Qingyan said, “The grudges between the Northern Base and Tokushima are not a secret. The phrase he shouted was too deliberate.”
The person in charge of the Northern Base was He Qiuhong; if they wanted information, they should go to the Awakener Department. Why come to the General’s Mansion? Moreover, Ye Zheng himself was S-level; it would be difficult to assassinate him. The timing and motive of these two’s appearance seemed suspicious no matter how you looked at it.
It was like two seemingly irrelevant pawns on the chessboard, or maybe not pawns at all, but were just coincidentally disrupted by Song Ke.
Zhuang Qingyan believed that the person who made this move must have their own intentions, but further speculation would have to wait for the opponent’s next move.
“Just now,” Song Ke cleared her throat, her gaze wandering, “did I not imitate well?”
Zhuang Qingyan’s train of thought was interrupted, and he chuckled, “Certainly well.”
He finally fulfilled his desire and pinched Song Ke’s cheek, putting aside his perfect score in sixteen foreign languages and shamelessly saying, “Your Tokushima is better than mine.”
*
At the same time, on the high-altitude commercial street.
Holographic billboards flickered and changed, showcasing futuristic floating supercars everywhere. Fashionably dressed men and women occasionally descended from them. The glass doors automatically opened, and AI shopping assistants smiled charmingly, providing attentive and companionable services.
Open-air ice cream shops, immersive cinemas, and a myriad of entertainment venues…
This was one of the most popular places in the Northern Base, consistently topping the charts as the “Customer Satisfaction Top 1” consumer location.
In a high-end store, Su Cha, dressed in all black with a mask and a baseball cap, stood like a wooden stake at the entrance.
Lin Youyou selected clothes at the virtual counter, lightly tapping her fingertips, and physical dresses were delivered to the side, quickly forming a small mountain. Her long curly hair was casually tied up with a hairpin that was entirely dark blue, with a green tint at the tip, resembling a rare jade from an ancient civilization. On closer inspection, it was revealed to be a concealed weapon, a plum blossom needle.
Curious glances from passing awakeners turned into astonishment. Rarely did they see such exquisite weapons.
Two girls approached politely and inquired, “Miss, can we have a link to your hairpin?”
“Oh, this? It’s a creation from my friend…” Lin Youyou paused for a moment before smiling sweetly, “My friend’s original design brand, handmade and custom-made. Limited production. If you want one, you can contact me, but it might be a bit pricey~”
Which girl could resist the temptation of “limited edition”? The girls expressed that “price is not a problem” and happily added her contact information.
“I’m truly a walking billboard…” Lin Youyou mumbled a couple of sentences, typing in the group chat to share the money-making information with Song Ke.
After sending the message, she looked up and saw Su Cha standing coolly at the door. His aura clearly marked him as a high-level awakener, and both men and women around were sneakily glancing at him.
Lin Youyou’s beautiful eyes flickered. She casually picked up two dresses with similar styles but different colors. “Which one looks better?”
Su Cha pointed to the green one. Lin Youyou raised an eyebrow, he hesitated and pointed to the red one.
“Are you sure?”
“Mm.”
“The green one is five times the price of the red one,” Lin Youyou smiled, teasing him, “In your eyes, can I only wear cheap clothes?”
Su Cha, who was content as long as there were clothes to wear, completely didn’t understand the existence of “brand premium.” Thinking he made a mistake, he stood up stiffly, feeling constrained, “No, I…”
Lin Youyou snapped some photos in front of the mirror, sending them to Jennifer and asking, “Which one looks better?”
Jennifer instantly replied in a voice message, background noise suggesting a brawl, “Darling, this emerald green matches your cold white skin perfectly. It’s noble and stunning, with a tasteful slit at the back, and the skirt sways elegantly. But I think the Burgundy wine red one is also good. My darling looks good in anything! Are you shopping? I’ll come over after I finish my job.”
“…Why don’t you ask yourself?” Jennifer suddenly scolded someone beside her, “Yin Xiao asked me to find out if your captain is there with you.”
Lin Youyou couldn’t help but chuckle, “Focus on your task first. Let’s shop together next time. Also, our captain is not here.”
After ending the call, she hooked her finger under Su Cha’s chin, “Understand now? Sometimes when girls ask questions, it’s not about giving you multiple-choice.”
Su Cha remained stiff, “…”
A lovey-dovey couple entered, the girl affectionately saying, “Baby, just buy whatever you like today. I’ll pay.”
“Thank you, baby. But do you know? The two most handsome moments for a man are when he swipes his card and when he wins a duel.”
Su Cha was staring at Lin Youyou’s terminal, enchanted. Upon hearing these words, he came back to his senses, took out his terminal, and silently prepared to pay.
Because Song Ke occasionally sent him money, he now had a few million, no longer as financially constrained as before.
Before Su Cha could reach the cashier, Xu Xing bounced past in a duck-patterned small yellow sunglasses, wearing a floral shirt and flower shorts. A long string of AI shopping assistants followed behind, carrying full shopping bags.
“Dear customer, is there anything else we can assist you with?”
“Yes, I want to buy a bag for my sister.”
Captain of V587, Song Ke, who possessed tens of millions in assets, yet still carried a worn-out 80L hiking bag.
Xu Xing walked confidently past the display cabinets, pointing here and there, “This one, this one, not these, but the rest, I’ll take them all. Charge it to my card!”
Despite his young age, Xu Xing’s bold spending startled the entire high-end boutique.
Xu Xing turned back to look at Lin Youyou, reluctantly pouting, “Pay for hers too.”
Lin Youyou wasn’t short of that bit of money, but the flattery made her blossom with joy. “Xu Xiao Xing, you’re really handsome. Right now, in my heart, you’re two meters and eight centimeters tall!”
Xu Xing gave a haughty hum.
Su Cha: “…”
Feeling somewhat at a loss, he pinched his terminal, suddenly thinking that the training in the rainforest might be more suitable for him.
…
In the lounge, Fang Zhixu and Lu Xiaoyu were communicating with the black market, handling the tasks assigned by the captain.
Song Ke decided to sell a batch of crystals and spiritual weapons. Most crystals were below level 3 because V587 had a relatively high average level and rarely relied on “power banks” during battles. They had accumulated quite a few through missions, and as a hard currency, crystals were very popular in the black market, with no worry about sales.
As for spiritual weapons, Zhuang Qingyan suggested going for the high-quality route. So, this time, only a small quantity of 500 were sent to the market. Lu Xiaoyu skillfully wiped off the seller’s information, adding this batch to the auction list.
The two spent half an hour sorting it out. When they went out to join the others, a message suddenly popped up on the terminal, surprisingly a private mission:
“C-level Mission (Region Limited): Defeat Fujita Hiro within three hours at the Silver Ring Arena.”
The issuer’s words were intense, and even through the screen, one could feel his overflowing anger: “I can’t stand it anymore! Whoever can kill this scumbag, I’m willing to transfer 400,000 points to him!”
Silver Ring Arena? What place was that?
Clearly, the awakeners on the commercial street had also received the same mission. They hastily headed outside. Lin Youyou put down the clothes she was trying on and turned to her companions, “Shall we go and take a look?”
With nothing else to do, her proposal received unanimous approval.
Following the crowd, the five purchased tickets to the “Silver Ring Arena Station.” The unique three-dimensional subway in District B descended rapidly from the high sky. The surroundings transitioned from bright to dim, with the light panels on both sides rapidly changing. The magical spatial tunnel made people dizzy.
Fortunately, V587 was accustomed to Lu Xiaoyu’s black car. Otherwise, experiencing it for the first time might make one vomit.
Ten minutes later, the subway doors opened, and a deafening roar and a chaotic surge of awakened energy hit everyone’s senses. A prompt lit up before their eyes:
“You have entered an unrestricted area for awakeners.”
Simultaneously, a mechanical and monotonous voice echoed in their ears: “A friendly reminder from the Awakener Department, Northern Base does not advocate any dueling activities. Please remember, do not strive for short-term gains, but strive for long-term success.”
The lighting on this level was generally dim, giving off an atmosphere reminiscent of Sin City. However, compared to the chaotic District F180, the crowd here seemed more restrained.
Due to the presence of millions of civilians, the Northern Base had strict regulations on the use of abilities. Each entrant would receive a code of conduct that they were required to read, including rules such as no indiscriminate brawling and no harming others.
However, conflicts and clashes between awakeners were common, and physical confrontations were inevitable. How could such a large number of dangerous individuals be regulated and managed?
Until now, they were either staying at home or busy with scoring points, the realization struck V587—Northern Base had another world entirely for awakeners.
The five were pushed forward by the crowd, left the platform, and took several turns. Soon, a massive sunken arena appeared in their line of sight, surrounded by colorful holographic projections. Thousands of awakeners were seated or standing in the spectator stands. Unlike the irrational revelry of Ferrara’s citizens, most of them had a serious expression.
“Wow! So many people!” Xu Xing exclaimed with the innocence of someone unfamiliar with the world.
In the center of the Silver Ring Arena, a figure with a black-clothed head and a face covered by a black scarf stepped onto the throne of the arena. Arrogantly surveying the surroundings, he raised his middle finger provocatively. According to the information displayed on the screen, he was the target of the previous C-level mission—Fujita Hiro.
“What’s this? Is this all the Northern Base can do?”
“We came all the way here for this? Not a single person who can put up a fight?”
Facing the audience, Fujita Hiro taunted in a sarcastic tone, “A bunch of trash, you know that? Wastes, got it? Idiots.”
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