As Yumikou unfolded her celestial spell, the towering clock tower spire was covered by layers of celestial formations, and the essence of cultivation began to scrutinize all beings.
At this moment, the mobilization of Z Country's official forces and the barriers created by the enforcers made all players in City A feel pressured, realizing their own insignificance.
The conflicts between different factions were beyond their intervention.
The only thing they could hope for was not to get involved and safely make it through the night. That would be enough.
Perhaps only ordinary people, shielded from the view, could truly experience the prosperity and beauty of the world. Or perhaps, it was also a kind of sadness.
A sadness of being completely unaware of one's own fate.
"We can only give up on today's mission. Let's each go back home."
At a bus stop in the Linggu District, a white-collar woman took out her phone and checked the updates from Bureau Seventeen, announcing the disbandment in a cold tone.
"Sleep..." The girl in pajamas nodded in agreement. "Sleepy..."
I still have one dream left...
"Hold on!" A young man carrying a baseball bat on his shoulder objected. "I don't have the word 'give up halfway' in my dictionary!"
As for his objection...
"I've already told you before, don't get carried away."
The white-collar woman responded indifferently, leading the girl in pajamas back the way they came, without a hint of hesitation or delay in her footsteps.
But halfway through, she stopped and looked back at the sportswear-clad young man.
"We must not overlook the dangers of tonight," she earnestly reminded him. "You understand the position of E-rank players in this conflict, don't you?"
In other words, both he and she were insignificant, and there was no need to risk their lives.
There was a moment of silence.
With the baseball bat on his shoulder, the sportswear-clad young man turned his face away and muttered:
"Hmph, it's just A-rank. What's so special about it?"
Someday, I'll also reach that rank!
Then, he turned his back to the two of them, taking a couple of steps forward.
Afterward, he stopped and looked up at the massive celestial formation in the sky, let out an almost imperceptible sigh.
Finally, he turned his head, glanced at the two with a hesitant expression, and then feigned indifference with a disdainful grunt before continuing in the direction of his home.
"This isn't giving up halfway; it's a strategic retreat!" He didn't look back.
"Ah..." The white-collar woman showed a trace of melancholy as she watched him leave.
Indeed, even if they ranked high in the E-rank, they still needed to compromise unconditionally in front of high-ranking players.
That was the fate of the weak, if the world hadn't been changed yet.
"Let's go. I know you're tired... Huh?"
Beside the white-collar woman, the girl in pajamas had fallen asleep, dreaming of an encounter with that mysterious player in black.
Meanwhile, above the streets of City A...
"Can you sense it?"
The voice of a Bureau Seventeen colleague came through the communicator near Yumikou's ear. She lightly pressed her fingertip and described the situation against the night wind:
"I haven't found any traces of the other party yet. It will take some time."
There was a momentary pause on the other end, seemingly receiving other instructions.
"Understood. Stay safe."
"Received. I'll be careful."
After the situation report ended, Yumikou looked up and stared at the countdown of the sequential game on the night sky.
"Twenty-nine days until the arrival."
She softly pronounced the ever-changing countdown, feeling both relieved and exhausted.
Then, an indescribable emotion flickered in Yumikou's eyes, as her thoughts wandered in many directions.
"Twenty-nine days... I hope it ends soon..."
The reason for her anticipation was that everything had two sides, pros and cons.
The A-rank national-level sequential game was an extremely rare event that occurred almost once in a century, and each time it brought tremendous consequences.
On the positive side, it naturally meant the birth of high-level national-level artifacts and the comprehensive strength enhancement of the winning faction. Their prestige in the sequential game world would also greatly increase.
But on the negative side...
Yumikou tilted her head slightly, her expression gradually devoid of emotion. She changed the topic and let her spiritual energy intertwine, forming an extremely cold sword aura.
"—That means bad women like Lian will be attracted here~"
Under the night sky, a stunning woman in a black evening dress sat on the edge of a building, playfully holding her cheeks in her hands, swaying her fair, long legs in high heels.
—"A-rank, 73rd place."
Behind her, where her long black hair cascaded down, a huge amethyst crescent blade lay, emitting a faint dark purple glow, like a neglected useless item.
"Oh my, oh my~"
In the next moment, she made eye contact with Qingxian in the distance. She lightly bit her slender fingers, a slight smile curling up at the corner of her mouth, with strands of hair touching her fingertips.
No need to say more; the result of making eye contact with the Z Country enforcer was naturally...
"I've been discovered~"
In an instant, a sharp sword aura sliced through the night, dividing it in half. Perpetual Night's Lament's 11th Seat calmly stood up, blinked her purple eyes at the opponent, and made a cute expression—despite being over a hundred years old.
Then, dragging the abandoned amethyst crescent blade, her figure gradually faded from reality, disappearing like a ghost.
"I did it on purpose." Only this statement remained at the scene, along with the lingering scent of the bad woman.
...
...
Cracks appeared as the wasteland technology armament rapidly unfolded on his right arm, and crimson energy opened its eyes like a malevolent ghost!
"Why don't you want to die?"
"Tsk."
In the undeveloped district of City A, in the riverside area where there was no way out, the scarred-eyed man calmly locked onto an E-rank player.
"No need for useless escape. Just accept the fate of the weak being preyed upon by the strong."
"The area under Bureau Seventeen's jurisdiction will soon have patrollers coming."
Regarding the warning from his prey, the scarred-eyed man smiled disdainfully, glancing back at the massive celestial formation in the night sky, then turned back and said:
"You're talking about... Bureau Seventeen?"
Then, he sneered, "Ha, don't kid yourself."
"What do you mean?" The E-rank player's gaze became focused, and he pulled out a talisman from behind him.
"Bureau Seventeen is busy dealing with the major figure invading City A. The personnel in the undeveloped district have long been redeployed. Did you think otherwise?"
Compared to the undeveloped district, the consequences of the invasion in the city area were more severe. Bureau Seventeen wouldn't have the spare capacity to deal with the disputes of ordinary players.
Then, at the moment the words fell, a detonation talisman flew like a dart, with glowing runes.
"So..." The scarred-eyed man dodged its counterattack by sidestepping. "Prepare to die."
The detonation talisman missed and detonated in the air, creating a slight gust of wind as it brushed against the scarred-eyed man's coat, causing the hem to flutter!
If one had to blame someone... blame this world of survival of the fittest.
Crimson energy filled his right armament, and the scarred-eyed man squinted his eyes, about to launch a powerful energy blast that would end his opponent's life.
Then, at an inopportune moment, a voice rang out.
"Good evening."
"Who?" The scarred-eyed man swiftly changed his target, readjusting his armament!
By the dimly lit road where the streetlights failed to reach, a mysterious player in black stood with a nostalgic gaze at the massive celestial formation in the night sky. Then, their gaze shifted lightly.
"Just a passing hunter."
Alister and the scarred-eyed man locked eyes, revealing a self-assured gaze.
"Sorry, your game is over."