Infinite Nightmares

As Zhang Wenda roared and swung down with all his might, Saber, who was just inches away, inexplicably vanished.

With a slapping sound, Zhang Wenda immediately twisted his head toward the source. He saw Saber, enveloped in blue light, appear beside a headless woman.

No, she wasn’t headless. She had a bird’s nest perched where her head should be, with three crows circling above it.

Zhang Wenda had grown accustomed to seeing strange people, so her bizarre appearance didn’t surprise him. What did surprise him was the Third Line flashlight she was holding!

She had just used a Blue Core ability to save Saber from his blade.

’Is she from the Third Line? Why would someone from the Third Line be in the Big Circle Gang?’ Seeing what the flashlight in her hand represented, Zhang Wenda’s mind raced with possibilities.

"Not bad, not bad. I didn’t expect you to be a match for Saber. You’ve rather impressed me."

As the woman’s voice spoke again, Zhang Wenda realized it was actually coming from the three crows hovering in the air.

As he watched, the three crows slowly descended into the nest, their crimson eyes staring in unison at Zhang Wenda.

"Could you stop your little Haozi first? How about we talk?" the crows spoke again in unison.

Looking at the red rats on a rampage in the distance, Zhang Wenda didn’t actually want to intervene; after all, they weren’t listening to him.

However, seeing that the Big Circle members weren’t attacking Song Jianguo and Teacher Rabbit again, Zhang Wenda decided to see if he could negotiate.

He could use this chance to find out what this group really wanted, or at least stall for time until 2826 arrived. Since he had no idea what this woman was capable of, now was not the time to fight.

She was the first person capable of seeing his Wai. Her power was clearly not to be underestimated.

He helped the injured Teacher Rabbit over to his side. As the rabbit recalled Zhang Wenda’s monster, the rats in the distance gradually calmed down, returning to Zhang Wenda’s side and acting cute.

The woman truly seemed to want to negotiate with Zhang Wenda. She raised her right hand and snapped her fingers. Instantly, both the roller-skating pseudo-humans and Saber’s subordinates departed without a word, a clear gesture of goodwill.

This alone proved her position within the Big Circle was anything but low.

"Are you okay, Teacher?" Zhang Wenda asked, looking worriedly at the injured Rabbit. Rabbit shook her head and pointed to the listless Song Jianguo. "I won’t die. He helped me shoulder part of the damage."

"That’s good," Zhang Wenda finally sighed in relief. He pulled a piece of candy from his pocket and handed it to Rabbit before turning his gaze back to the woman.

More accurately, he was staring at the flashlight in her hand. It was hard to imagine someone in an organization like the Big Circle using a Third Line ability.

It made sense that his own grandfather was a veteran of the Third Line, but what was this woman’s connection to it?

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Tang Xingxiong."

The woman raised a hand and started to walk over for a handshake, but Zhang Wenda and his companions quickly backed away, maintaining a safe distance.

"Whatever you have to say, say it from over there. I don’t think we’re at the ’shake hands and make up’ stage yet."

"Heh heh." The three crows chuckled in unison.

Zhang Wenda saw nothing funny in his words. He asked bluntly, "What is it you people want? The ones who came after you in the past were Bureau 507 of the Third Line. I’m just a passerby. Is it really necessary to hunt me down like this?"

"Are you that determined to kill me? Don’t push me too far. If you do, I’ll just join the Third Line and fight you to the bitter end!"

The three crows shook their heads, speaking in unison. "No, you can’t join them. The Third Line would never accept someone like you. But we will."

At that moment, Tang Xingxiong finally revealed her true purpose: she wanted to recruit Zhang Wenda.

"You probably think this is all about us getting revenge on you. No, we’re not so petty as to hold a grudge against a kid. Everything up to now was merely a test."

Hearing this, Zhang Wenda sneered inwardly. ’That assault didn’t feel like a test. More like it was ’revenge’ if I’d lost, but a ’test’ now that I’ve won.’

While Zhang Wenda was lost in thought, Tang Xingxiong continued her pitch. "The Third Line is full of all kinds of rules, but we have none. As long as you’re talented, we welcome you."

"Anything the Third Line has, we have too." She said this while holding up the flashlight. A crow then flew over, snatched up the stone radio, and brought it back. "And we have things the Third Line doesn’t."

The offer held zero appeal for Zhang Wenda. He hadn’t forgotten this organization was hostile to the Third Line. Getting involved in a business where you could lose your head was not a smart move.

After a moment of silence, Zhang Wenda said, "Give me some time. I... need to consider it."

"Of course. Take all the time you need," Tang Xingxiong said, patting her chest. "But I need you to understand something. We’re not like them. You and I, we’re the same. Who decreed that we must be monsters? We are not monsters."

Hearing those words, Zhang Wenda’s heart gave a strange leap.

As Tang Xingxiong spoke, her body, clad in a black bodysuit, began to squirm and writhe before dissolving into a flock of crows that soared into the sky.

Dozens of crows spoke at once, their voices creating a deafening, layered cacophony.

"If their rules make us criminals and monsters, then why should we have to live by them?"

When the crows converged again, she materialized behind Zhang Wenda, placing a right hand covered in a silk glove on his shoulder.

"You must feel so repressed in Thought Wave One, don’t you? Why not join our thought wave? In ours, you won’t have to hold back. You can be your true self. Here, *you* are the normal one."

"Wenda," Rabbit interjected, a warning in her tone.

Zhang Wenda gave Rabbit a slight shake of his head, signaling he was fine. "Like I said, this is a huge decision. I need to think about it."

He wasn’t about to be swayed by just a few words.

Tang Xingxiong’s fingers slid slowly across Zhang Wenda’s shoulder before pulling away. "Fine. Take your time. But while you’re considering, there are a few things I need to make clear. I know you’ve been in contact with 2826. But I’m afraid he’s only told you the good things about the Third Line, not the bad."

"What do you mean?"

"For example, did he tell you that they’re the ones who made the world into this godforsaken mess? I’m sure he left that part out."

A crow hopped onto Zhang Wenda’s shoulder and whispered softly in his ear.

The words made Zhang Wenda’s pupils contract. It was highly likely the woman was just trying to manipulate him, but if what she said was true... ’What was the world like before? What really happened to turn it into this?’

"I admit, the Third Line has its good side and its bad. But have you ever stopped to think? Why should we be considered monsters just because they label us that way? Is it simply because we can’t hide our so-called ’bad side’?"

Tang Xingxiong gestured toward the dark, dilapidated street. "The world wasn’t born with rules. Why should we have to follow the rules someone else made? By what right? Why are their rules the law, while ours are not? Who gets to define right and wrong?"

"Since everyone thinks differently, splitting the thought waves into nineteen major categories isn’t enough. Every single one of us should have the right to create our own."