Chapter 123 - 120: Shadow of the Sky
A jolt went through Qin Xiaoxia. It was true. As he extended his Perception now, he realized that compared to all the other information in the surrounding environment, fire seemed particularly active.
Even if Doudou couldn’t figure it out, simple logic suggested that the object about to collide with the space "outside" the Bevo District had to be related to fire.
"See? See? It’s already like this and it hasn’t even hit yet! A huge monster is definitely going to show up! Big Bro, let’s get out of here!"
Doudou struggled free from Qin Xiaoxia’s hand, jumped to the ground, and started tugging on his pant leg, trying to drag him backward.
Qin Xiaoxia really wanted to trust Doudou, but unfortunately, Doudou was just too much of a letdown. The little guy was completely unreliable, always screaming to run away. The feedback from the environment was the complete opposite of Doudou’s reaction.
From his past few experiences, Qin Xiaoxia understood that while the feedback from the environment didn’t guarantee safety—on the contrary, it often signaled great danger—it always, without fail, promised considerable rewards.
For example, there was the Nightmare Swamp incident, which had nearly gotten him killed but had granted him the Magic Body, and the time that brought him Mumu, the "Living Ginseng."
Besides, there was a strange psychological quirk he couldn’t shake even though he was aware of it—when you know there’s a reward on the table, you can’t just give it up to someone else without even trying.
"It hasn’t hit yet!"
Qin Xiaoxia said to Doudou, his tone sincere and earnest.
"Let’s say you see a big truck about to lose control and crash into a store. Do you choose to run away, or do you do something you’re capable of doing?"
Doudou answered without a second thought.
"Of course I’d take out my phone and get ready to record it!"
THWACK!
Qin Xiaoxia blew on his middle knuckle. That seemed to quiet Doudou down.
It seemed Doudou was more afraid of his Big Bro than any monster.
"Let’s find a high vantage point to get a look and make some preparations!"
The Secret Realm Technique Engraved on his arm gradually increased its Magic Power frequency. Relying on the feedback from his environmental Perception, Qin Xiaoxia avoided sensitive spots like security cameras and suddenly picked up speed.
The people around him only felt a slight breeze and vaguely sensed something fast pass by, but they all paid it no mind.
Atop a thirty-story building near the Bevo District, a team of soldiers stood guard. Among them were two snipers and their spotters, as well as other Soldiers equipped with rocket launchers and automatic weapons—about twenty men in all.
CLANG!
The rooftop door flew open, and a dozen guns immediately aimed at the entrance, giving Qin Xiaoxia a fright.
"Sir, ma’am, this is a restricted area now. Please leave."
A lieutenant motioned for the Soldiers to lower their weapons, then explained the situation to a couple who had come up to the roof for a bit of a thrill.
The couple didn’t dare argue. They apologized and retreated back down the stairs, closing the door behind them.
From the side of the stairwell, Qin Xiaoxia and Doudou watched the damn couple head back the way they came.
"Americans are so open!"
Qin Xiaoxia remarked, then reached out and gently touched the handle. The rooftop door swung open without a sound.
A few seconds passed before a Soldier noticed the door was open again.
He glanced left and right, then peered down the empty stairwell with his gun ready before closing the door again. As he did, he noticed the lock and handle seemed a bit stiff.
Unlike the Soldiers, whose attention was focused on the ground, Qin Xiaoxia and Doudou were staring intently at the sky.
At a height of over a hundred meters, with fewer things obstructing their view, what they saw was much clearer than from the ground.
With his Magic Power operating at full capacity, faint purple, particle-like specks of starlight shone in Qin Xiaoxia’s eyes.
In his vision, the sky itself seemed to be faintly changing color, taking on a fiery red hue.
’It’s not going to crash down like a meteor, is it?’
Qin Xiaoxia suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. If it was a meteor strike, even a hundred of him wouldn’t be enough to survive staying here.
And for an event of this magnitude, asking Su Su to perform a divination was unrealistic given her current physical condition and Magic Power levels. It might even cause a severe backlash that would harm her.
He had originally planned to wait until night, but now, with no idea how much time was left, Qin Xiaoxia had to take a small risk to avoid a bigger one.
RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE...
Another slight tremor occurred. The Soldiers on the building looked a little tense, but since it had happened so frequently, they didn’t frantically try to evacuate as they had the first few times.
The Annihilation Tide appeared as scheduled.
’Now is the time!’
Qin Xiaoxia’s right hand exerted immense force, instantly crushing the Magic Energy Crystal he held in his palm.
The miniature Secret Realm Technique Engraved on his arm erupted in a brilliant flash of light.
He hadn’t had time to prepare a large-scale Technique, but he could compensate for a lack of skill with raw power. By sacrificing a Magic Energy Crystal, he should be able to borrow most of the Secret Realm’s power for a short time.
The Shadow of the Red Demoness appeared in a massive, somewhat ethereal form, absorbing Qin Xiaoxia and Doudou into its leg.
It stretched out an arm of bewitching, otherworldly beauty and pointed toward a certain spot in the sky.
"Aaaaaaaahhh... aaaaaaaaaahhh..."
A heavenly, melodious sound with a layered, echoing quality rang out from the mouth of the Shadow of the Red Demoness. It was the most primal and purest song of a Sea Siren.
The "Fall of the Red Demoness" was, after all, a Secret Realm from the Order of Truth. Although it couldn’t communicate with the entire Law of Order like the Image of Order could, it still possessed a certain interpretive Ability.
But what Qin Xiaoxia hadn’t expected was that the moment the Red Demoness’s song began, it seemed to trigger a chain reaction with the collision point in the sky’s barrier. The Secret Realm’s power was instantly amplified, but at the same time, its stability spiraled beyond his control.
The Sound Illusion power of the Sea Siren fluctuated violently, and then... it shattered.
’Fuck!’
The Secret Realm’s power had been amplified too much. Qin Xiaoxia released his own Magic Power with all his might, spreading it upward from the leg of the Shadow of the Red Demoness in a desperate attempt to regain control over the Secret Realm Power.
It would be a disaster if something happened to the Red Demoness here. Not only would he get no reward, he’d lose a Secret Realm!
’I’ll! @#$@#@%...’
...
"WHEEEE... ZZZZZZZZZT..."
A severe hum and a piercing electronic screech from his earpiece assaulted Norton’s eardrums. He hastily ripped the communication device from his ear, only to find that everyone around him wearing a similar device was doing the exact same thing.
"Aaaaaaaahhh... aaaaaaaaaahhh..."
Before he could get angry or even wonder what was happening, an indescribably beautiful melody began to echo faintly in his ears, sending a strange tingling sensation through his body.
"What’s going on? What is that sound?"
All the nearby military and police dogs began to bark and thrash about, their handlers barely able to hold them back.
Norton roared.
"Sir! Look over there!"
A subordinate pointed frantically at the sky, and everyone’s gaze followed.
Norton’s eyes widened, his pupils contracting to pinpricks!
A giant, ethereal shadow, leaning out from the corner of a building, was pointing far off into the sky.
Beautiful! But bizarre!
Compared to the people below, the twenty Soldiers on the rooftop were even more bewildered. They stared in shock at the red figure that had appeared out of nowhere, hesitantly aiming their weapons at the sky as they discreetly shuffled toward the rooftop door.
"Wooooo... ooooooo..."
The notes were long but exceptionally beautiful. When the song rang out again, everyone understood where the sound was coming from.
RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE...
The tremors came again. As they instinctively followed the direction the figure’s finger was pointing, Norton and several others suddenly noticed that at the exact moment the shaking began, a faint ripple spread across the sky.
In an instant, it was as if a bolt of lightning flashed through his mind, and many of Norton’s questions were answered.
Why did the earthquake reports show the epicenter on the surface in the Bevo District, yet we could never pinpoint it? Why did our days of searching the community turn up nothing?
The sky! Because we were all thinking about it wrong! It’s in the sky!
Norton whipped his head toward the beautiful, ethereal figure.
’It’s warning us!’
What was it... or she?
"Sir, should we attack?"
The question made the hairs on the back of Norton’s neck stand up. He spun around and saw that most of the weapons in the vicinity were already aimed at the red, ethereal figure.
What? Fuck!
"EVERYONE, HOLD YOUR FIRE!!!!!!"
...
P.S. First Chapter of the day. I got my first Sect Leader today!! A huge thank you to the big boss Uncle Black Bear!! I’ll post a bonus Chapter this weekend to celebrate.
By the way, I hadn’t really thought about this before, so I asked some of my seniors. For now, the plan is one bonus Chapter for a Sect Leader, and three for an Alliance Leader. I don’t dare to even dream about the tiers beyond that.
On another note, the Three Meow-Lions lost last night. The rooftops must be getting crowded!