Zhuo let out a slow whistle, rocking back on his heels as he eyed the woman standing before him. She had that look—the type that said she had absolutely no patience for his nonsense.
Great.
That meant messing with her would be fun.
The woman took another deliberate step forward, her sharp silver eyes scanning him like a hawk preparing to rip out his liver.
"I'm Captain Seraphine Ashcroft," she stated, her voice firm, commanding, and completely uninterested in whatever idiotic remark he was about to make. "I lead the Evernight Guard. You are in violation of this city's quarantine order. Evernight is off-limits to outsiders, and we've had enough rogue elements roaming around."
Zhuo raised an eyebrow, deliberately unimpressed.
'Quarantine?' he mused internally. Sounds serious.
On the outside, however—
"Violation?" he echoed, placing a hand dramatically over his chest. "Captain, I swear, I had no idea. Here I was, just looking for a nice abandoned café to grab a coffee, maybe reminisce about the good old days—"
Seraphine's expression did not change.
Not even a twitch.
Her eyes remained cold and assessing, the kind of stare that could make a weaker man crumble on the spot.
Zhuo grinned. He liked her already.
"Drop the act," she said flatly. "No one comes to Evernight for sightseeing."
Zhuo clicked his tongue. "Well, that's not entirely true. I mean, just look at this place! The aesthetic, the atmosphere, the whole 'post-apocalyptic haunted city' vibe—absolutely top-tier. I think there's a real tourism opportunity here, you know? Evernight Ghost Tours! We could—"
"Enough."
Seraphine's tone hardened like steel, and Zhuo immediately felt the temperature of their conversation drop.
"If you think humor will get you out of this, you're sorely mistaken."
She took another step forward, closing the remaining distance between them. He could see the faint glow of mana lining the edges of her fingers, a subtle but clear warning.
"I'm going to need to take you in for questioning. You can explain yourself at our headquarters," she continued, her voice brokering zero argument.
For the first time, Zhuo's expression flickered.
Not outwardly, of course. Outwardly, he tilted his head and gave her his best 'oh no, how unfortunate' face.
Inside?
He was already running through every possible escape route.
This is bad, he thought. If I let them take me in, I'll be boxed into their system. I'll have to interact with more officials, more bureaucracy… more paperwork.
A shiver ran down his spine.
No. Absolutely not.
Zhuo was fine getting captured, but paperwork?
He'd rather face a cosmic horror.
Still, he couldn't just bolt. That would raise too many questions. He needed to stay under the radar.
At least… for now.
"Headquarters, huh?" Zhuo said aloud, keeping his tone easygoing. "Sounds like a plan. I assume there'll be free snacks, right?"
Seraphine did not respond.
Not verbally, anyway.
Her deadpan glare spoke volumes.
Zhuo grinned. "No snacks? What kind of hospitality is this? I'm starting to regret coming here."
Before Seraphine could retort, she made a small, sharp gesture—and immediately, movement stirred in the shadows.
Zhuo's smile didn't waver, but inwardly, he was impressed.
They were good.
He hadn't sensed them before, but soldiers—clad in dark tactical gear—began emerging from the ruins, stepping into the dim light like ghosts. Their weapons were already drawn, aimed directly at him.
Not bad. Not bad at all.
Zhuo mentally adjusted his evaluation of Evernight's forces. They weren't amateurs.
Still, against him?
Yeah. They might as well be aiming water guns.
"Wow," he mused, surveying the well-coordinated ambush. "You guys sure know how to make a guy feel special. I don't think I've ever had this many people point weapons at me before."
One of the soldiers flinched. Seraphine did not.
"Move."
Her voice carried zero room for negotiation.
Zhuo sighed. "Alright, alright. No need to be so scary about it."
As he moved forward, hands still in his pockets, he casually leaned toward Seraphine.
"You know," he murmured, his voice conspiratorial, "I have to say, I'm starting to think you don't like me."
Her silver eyes flickered toward him, and for the first time, a smirk ghosted across her lips.
"I don't."
Zhuo blinked.
Then, he let out a genuine laugh.
"Ah, Captain," he said, shaking his head as they walked. "You and I are going to get along just fine."
Seraphine simply rolled her eyes and marched ahead, leading the way toward their destination.
As Zhuo followed, he kept his energy suppressed, his posture relaxed, but his mind working swiftly.
Seraphine Ashcroft.
Evernight Guard.
A force organized enough to set up an ambush without alerting him.
And most importantly—
They didn't know what he was.
Not yet, at least.
Zhuo's grin widened.
This was about to get interesting.