In this era, the subway could hardly be considered a very safe mode of transportation.
Ordinary people didn’t choose to take the subway often unless they were really pressed for time.
At dawn, there were only a handful of passengers in this carriage. Shen Ning sat alone on one side, while the White Scarves sat on the other.
The young woman discreetly counted them — one, two, three, four, five in total.
Their sitting postures were casual, without any hint of nervousness in an unfamiliar place. It seemed they were very confident in their own abilities.
Shadow felt her cautious instincts were justified. The recent trip to Ya Ha City hadn’t left a pleasant memory and had nearly ended in disaster. Seeing a group from the Yaha Region naturally raised suspicions.
Where were these people headed? What were they planning?
Ding—ding—ding—
The subway arrived at the station. The White Scarves stood and got off, muttering a few words in an unintelligible language as they walked.
“This isn’t so bad, they didn’t get off with us,” Shadow said, suppressing the tension.
But Shen Ning glanced at the train schedule. This was the station just before Academy Station. Getting off here and walking to the Academy would only take a short while.
One second before the subway doors closed, the young woman quickly followed and got off as well.
Ding-da, si-da, da-da.
“I don’t like Center City.”
Someone tugged at the white scarf over their crotch, trying to pull it up to cover their mouth and nose. “This place reeks of filth. It’s nauseating.”
Hospitals that allowed abortions, Slaughterhouses with all sorts of meats, and even a Lesbian Bar tucked away in an alley!
“Put your hands down, Quail,” a companion scolded, “do you want to stand out that much?”
Wearing those clothes might pass for traditional ethnic wear, but covering the face? Were they afraid people wouldn’t think they were strange enough?
Center City was a high-rise urban plain, with no need for protection from sand or wind.
“Bear with it,” said the squad leader, code-named Falcon. “I understand how you feel. Remember that woman who got on the subway with us? She came out of the Lesbian Bar. At the time, I really wanted to kill her.”
“You should have,” said Vulture from the rear, “I’d have cleaned up after you.”
Coming from another city’s region to execute a mission in Center City was already considered a long-range expedition. Thus, the entire squad used bird names as their codenames.
“But I didn’t do it. I held back, understand?” Falcon glanced at them. “You all need to endure as well. Don’t cause unnecessary trouble before the mission’s complete.”
Dove, who walked at the front, turned back curiously. “Captain, is one woman really worth all this trouble?”
“That woman meddled too much,” Falcon said, his narrow face full of menace. “She leaked information she shouldn’t have. Because of her, what the True God granted us had to be handed over to another group — the ones fighting us over the mines. In the name of the True God, we’ll deliver divine punishment.”
To outsiders, the Yaha Tower Battle had looked like a failure. Only a thousand or so of those ‘ghosts’ remained, and they were too afraid to unleash them.
But to them, those things were gifts from the True God — they simply hadn’t yet mastered how to use them.
Before they could learn to wield those gifts, a hateful woman had caused the True God’s blessings to be stolen by others. How could they swallow that bitter pill?
“If that’s the case,” Dove asked, puzzled, “why don’t we just go straight to the people who stole the True God’s gifts and take them back?”
In his eyes, the busty young woman was just a scout and messenger, about the same age as him.
After something went wrong, you wouldn’t go after the Fire Wells but seek revenge on the messengers, right?
Because his own work was reconnaissance and reporting, Dove’s worldview was hard to accept.
Falcon’s fierce expression twitched several times before he said slowly:
“Because we’re not devout enough. The power granted by the True God is limitless, but we’re not devout enough to receive its full strength.”
In other words, their rank was too low. If the Long-Range Bird Squad’s members were all above Tier Four, they would have already struck at the Rockmorgan Family’s manor.
Unfortunately, everyone was only at the peak of Tier Two. Since none of them were capable, they were stuck seeking revenge on that busty woman.
As for why only Tier Two peak members came — anyone Tier Three or above was recorded, and traveling to another city required a diplomatic procedure, much like the foreign trade delegation led by Swina back then. Too conspicuous.
Each member of the Long-Range Bird Squad had been carefully selected, their ranks barely scraping by. They were skilled in both the common language and Traditional Slang, and spoke in dialects within the team, able to understand local speech.
After walking a short distance, they arrived in front of a seemingly desolate building. Falcon pulled out a key and unlocked the door.
The property had been bought by the Financial Group a few days ago through a Shell Company. For the wealthy, it was no big deal.
Though the building appeared abandoned, its desolation offered advantages. The sprawling corridors provided convenient spots for hiding and maneuvering. The unlocked corridors on the upper floors served as natural periscope points. From the edge of the high-level walls, one could clearly see the silhouette of the Academy Clock Tower in the distance.
“We’ll set up a periscope here. We’ll have clear visibility of anyone entering or leaving the Academy. Downstairs, the Underground Parking Lot is unused and very spacious. Once the battle starts, we can lure them there.”
Dove introduced the geographical advantages to his teammates in a half-hearted manner.
Having just had the previous conversation, Dove’s mind was elsewhere. Walking at the front, he didn’t notice the little shadow tailing behind.
Shen Ning followed the White Scarves all the way. They whispered in dialects she didn’t understand, but the more she followed, the more suspicious they seemed.
They had no apparent purpose, avoided contact with outsiders, their base was an abandoned building, and they were spying on the direction of the Academy.
“There’s definitely something wrong,” Shadow said, “I suggest we call the City Security Department directly and have them handle this… Tang, wait, they can’t even deal with the Clown Gang.”
After the recent Clown Gang attacks, everyone had a clear understanding of that department’s personnel.
They knew their place, went to work honestly, didn’t cause trouble, but were also afraid of trouble.
“There’s a lone person over there,” Shadow suggested. “Let’s see if we can find out anything from them.”
Dove always felt he wasn’t a complainer, but there was so much wrong in this world that he simply couldn’t bear it.
Leaning against the window frame with only the skeleton remaining, he took out a photo from his bag — their target. A seemingly obedient, cute, and busty young woman, supposedly already eighteen, definitely a woman.
“What’s wrong with Center City people? A woman already eighteen and still roaming around outside? If she were with us, I would have locked her up at home at least four years ago, having her bear children for me every day.”
Right, the True God — that’s the proper way.
Suddenly, Dove furrowed his brows, slipped away from the window frame, and looked toward the rear. A white-haired young woman stood there.
“Who are you?”
The young woman didn’t reply but blinked her crimson eyes at him. Her breathing grew heavier.
“What do you intend to do to her?”
At that moment, in the underground parking lot, Falcon held a flashlight and, along with Dove, scoured the area.
“I studied the terrain before coming here. Now that I’ve walked a round, I have a full understanding,” Dove said. “If a fight breaks out, you don’t need to look around. I’ll guide everyone.”
As the information specialist among the five members of the Long-Range Bird Squad, Dove had been meticulously selected and had considerable skills.
Falcon nodded, about to speak, when a loud, noisy voice suddenly came through the comm.
He frowned and pressed the answer button. “What’s going on?”
“Captain, someone’s following us. We’ve been spotted!”
That quick? Or were they careless on the way here?
Soon, Dove added, “She’s gone mad. She wants to kill us!”
As a well-trained Holy Warrior, Falcon adhered to the Academy Style during real combat. Hearing his subordinate shouting like this, he instinctively ordered: “Lead them to the underground parking lot. Everyone, assemble!”
After a while, someone had already come down. Falcon finally remembered to ask: “How many people? What’s their strength?”
“One. A young woman. Peak Tier Two. Same as us.”
Falcon was speechless.
Just one person had them so rattled? He had expected far more.
When all five of the Long-Range Bird Squad had gathered in the parking lot, Falcon asked Dove about the situation.
“Captain, it’s not that I’m cautious, but she’s really abnormal. She’s like she’s lost her mind, saying she wants to kill us all. She…”
Dove didn’t finish his sentence because the young woman suddenly rushed into the parking lot as well.
Falcon began to believe the woman was truly crazy. Her strength was considerable, but the numerical disadvantage was huge. Yet she still dared to charge headlong into the dark encirclement. That was insanity.
“Follow the pre-battle plan. Everyone, go to your designated positions. Aim for zero casualties.”
With that, Falcon led the charge, rushing toward an ancient shelter diagonally beside the young woman to break the encirclement.
Biu—!
The air was split apart. The spiritual force shield around Falcon’s body rippled in layers. The force of the impact through the barrier caused him some pain.
“Watch her attack patterns. This white-haired woman may be crazy, but her power is real.”
After issuing orders to the team, Falcon shouted, “Who are you?”
On one side, he tried to divert her attention. On the other, he was genuinely curious.
Who was this person who didn’t go home at night, silently followed them all the way, then suddenly went mad and chased them here?
“We are the True God’s holy devotees,” Falcon loudly declared. “We have come here in the name of our faith to deliver divine punishment to blasphemers. No one can stop us!”
This time, the answer was the young woman’s icy roar:
“You! All of you! Will die here!”
Falcon’s face twitched slightly.
“Ca-Captain,” Dove’s voice came through the comm, “she sounds even more devout than us…”
“Shut up. No matter how devout, she’s a heretic of another faith!”