"Hanyue Street is normal."
"Cold Wind Street is normal."
"Cold Snow Street is normal..."
Consecutive voices crackled through the walkie-talkie as Chen Yifei stood alone on the rooftop of a five-story building, scanning the surroundings.
This small building was the tallest in the vicinity. On a clear day, standing here, Chen Yifei could take in five or six streets at a glance... But now, amidst the dense fog, he couldn't even discern the edge of this floor. It was as if the entire world was cloaked in moisture.
He sighed helplessly and pressed the walkie-talkie, "Cold Frost Street is normal."
This was already the second evening since the thick fog descended. There were no signs of impending disaster, and Aurora City remained silent... Everything was eerily quiet, unsettlingly so.
Especially for Chen Yifei, who, after seeing the prompt about the audience's expectation value, was convinced that something had happened in the Third District. Yet, he had scoured every street last night and found nothing out of the ordinary.
"The third shift of law enforcement officers is taking over. The rest can take a break," Han Meng's voice announced over the walkie-talkie, followed by a chorus of acknowledgments.
As dusk fell, Chen Yifei pocketed the walkie-talkie, descended the stairs to the first floor, and headed straight home.
Stimulated by the audience's expectation value, he had spent a sleepless night. Today, he desperately needed rest... As he approached his doorstep, he glanced across at Zhao's Breakfast Stall, still brightly illuminated. After a moment's hesitation, he opted not to disturb them and turned back into his house.
After washing up, Chen Yifei lay down early on the bed, his consciousness gradually slipping into slumber...
Of course, dreaming was out of the question.
Chen Yifei opened his eyes once more, to find pairs of mischievous red eyes gazing at him from the audience seats. The harsh spotlight illuminated him, making him the sole focus on the dilapidated stage.
Chen Yifei was no stranger to this scenario, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that today, the audience's gazes seemed even more peculiar...
As if they were anticipating something.
Chen Yifei frowned slightly and peered down at the screen on stage. Despite a day of tedious guarding, the audience's expectation value had not waned, remaining steadfast at 39% from the previous night—an almost unprecedented occurrence.
"This isn't right..." Chen Yifei keenly sensed something amiss. "There must be some underlying issue."
Chen Yifei mentally reviewed every detail but found no apparent flaw. This wasn't surprising, as Chen Yifei knew the audience could witness "plots" that eluded him... Inferring the problem through such means required a stroke of luck.
After much deliberation, Chen Yifei reluctantly abandoned his efforts.
He closed his eyes, and in a trance-like state, the distorted divine path ascending to the heavens once again materialized around him.
Since unlocking the qualification to ascend the second step, Chen Yifei had attempted the climb every night. He could feel his spiritual power gradually strengthening with each passing day... Though the increments were marginal, they were undeniably present.
Chen Yifei inhaled deeply and continuously channeled his spiritual power into his feet. As his soles drew near the step's surface, a crisp bell chimed from above the stage!
Ding Ling Ling——
Chen Yifei was taken aback.
He was all too familiar with this bell tone, signifying the end of intermission... For him, it heralded the impending end of his dream.
But he had only dozed off for a fleeting moment!
Chen Yifei cast a quizzical glance at the screen in front of the stage, where a line of text had materialized:
[Intermission ended, please continue the performance]
Subsequently, a flurry of notifications followed:
[Audience expectation value +3]
[Audience expectation value +3]
[Audience expectation value +...]
Chen Yifei's consciousness abruptly plummeted!
...
Dong Dong Dong——
In the depths of sleep, Chen Yifei abruptly opened his eyes!
Was someone knocking at the door?
The mist seeped through the dark window. He swiftly sat upright, his gaze fixed on the door.
Dong Dong Dong——
The knock resounded again, neither too loud nor too soft, with a metronomic rhythm that exuded both elegance and politeness.
Chen Yifei checked the time. It had barely been an hour since he had drifted off... No wonder the stage was urging him to resume his performance. It was due to the knock at the door.
No, that couldn't be right...
Chen Yifei vividly recalled that before succumbing to unconsciousness on stage, he had witnessed the audience's expectation value soaring on the screen. What could possibly elicit such fervor from the audience couldn't simply be a knock at the door!
Without hesitation, Chen Yifei disembarked from the bed, grasped the gun by his bedside, and cautiously approached the door.
Dong Dong Dong——
"Who is it?" Chen Yifei inquired in a gruff tone.
After a brief pause, an eerie, discordant voice echoed from beyond the door.
"I'm here... to find someone..."
Upon hearing this voice, Chen Yifei knew something was amiss. It was a sound unlike any human vocal cord could produce, akin to nails scraping across a chalkboard, yet somehow mimicking human speech.
Find someone?
Chen Yifei instinctively inquired, "Whom are you seeking?"
"The Crimson Dominator of the Ghost Taunting Abyss;"
"The King of Infinite Forms who mocks destiny."
These two sentences flowed smoothly and effortlessly, as if rehearsed countless times.
Chen Yifei's mind raced as he pondered whether to open the door and confront whatever lay beyond or simply fire his weapon... After a moment of silence, he replied,
"The person you seek is not here."
The voice outside the door fell silent.
In the next instant, Chen Yifei's front door exploded!
Through the gray mist, a figure lunged towards Chen Yifei's face!
Prepared for the worst, Chen Yifei swiftly lifted his knee, striking the figure's chest, and subsequently bashed its head with the butt of his gun. The figure let out a muffled groan and collapsed heavily to the ground.
Only then did Chen Yifei catch a glimpse of its full form.
"Zhao Yi?"
Upon recognizing the person's face, Chen Yifei was stunned.
"...Beware! My shadow!!" Zhao Yi's complexion was ashen. Despite the vertigo assailing him, he shouted at the top of his lungs.
Chen Yifei's pupils narrowed slightly. Almost simultaneously, a colossal shadow darted towards him from the shadows!
Its speed was breathtaking. Chen Yifei had no time to deliberate. His most potent attack was unleashed instantaneously. The Tribunal's domain abruptly expanded, and the black gun barrel swiftly aligned on the figure before him. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger!
Bang——!
The deconstructive bullet pierced the shadow, rending it into nothingness, transforming it into a heap of shattered mud that plummeted to the ground.
The spiritual power depletion from the [Tribunal] left Chen Yifei slightly disoriented, though it was far less severe than his previous encounter in the Ancient Treasure of the War Path. He frowned, eyeing the misshapen corpse on the floor before turning to Zhao Yi, who was sprawled on the ground, coughing violently.
"Zhao Yi, what's happening?"
Zhao Yi lay prostrate, panting heavily, his voice barely audible, "Chen Yifei... They're coming!"