The Xin King shifted his gaze away from the pitch-black screen, looking through the glass window at the myriad of lights below.
The glass reflected his young but steady face, his brow harboring a weariness that belied his age.
The place where this King resided was the only remaining high-rise in the city—a perfectly preserved skyscraper.
The top-floor office offered an excellent view, allowing him to take in the entirety of Xin City at a single glance.
At this moment, the Xin King was frowning deeply, his fingertips lightly tapping on the desk, revealing his inner turmoil.
"Mo Ming..." he murmured the name, his eyes as deep as an ancient well, lost in thought.
Knock, knock, knock—
Suddenly, a series of urgent knocks interrupted his train of thought.
"Enter."
The Xin King quickly composed himself and adjusted his appearance, his tone returning to its usual indifference.
"My King!" A man dressed in a black guard uniform rushed in. "Something has happened!"
The Xin King raised a hand to signal him to stay calm.
The guard took a deep breath and gestured behind him.
Outside the door, several soldiers carried in a stretcher covered with a white cloth.
The Xin King frowned; he could smell the blood.
The guard who had entered first didn't hesitate, pulling back the white cloth to reveal a gruesome sight.
On the stretcher lay a corpse that had been severed in two, the head separated from the body.
The cut was remarkably clean and swift, as if it had been sliced by an incredibly sharp weapon without any resistance or hesitation.
This was not a wound that could be caused by an ordinary melee weapon.
"It seems they have arrived," the Xin King's frown deepened.
"Proceed according to the prepared plan," he commanded calmly.
The guard bowed and immediately led the soldiers out with the stretcher.
The Xin King turned back to look at the city below.
The city was no longer peaceful.
In just a few moments, disturbances had broken out in several places. Fires flickered in the distance, and crowds of people were fleeing in panic like headless flies.
Soon, squads of soldiers emerged from various locations, beginning to maintain order and disperse the crowds on the streets.
But the Xin King knew this wouldn't stop the hunters from another world.
Under the glow of the fires, the originally warm orange lights were gradually stained with an eerie, bloody hue.
The carnival had begun.
...
"Lord Son of God, this is the place." A strikingly beautiful female believer led Ren Yi into a bedroom.
The bedroom was decorated simply yet luxuriously, though items like the ornaments and the roughly tanned rug on the floor inevitably carried a hint of wasteland style.
She looked at Ren Yi with a fanatical expression, her eyes filled with adoration. "Is there anything else you need me to do?"
"Just close the door on your way out, thank you."
After sending everyone away, Ren Yi casually dropped his backpack onto the floor.
He stretched and collapsed onto the bed. The soft mattress allowed his tense body to relax instantly, and he let out a long sigh of relief.
Although the people of the Holy City were quite eccentric, it truly lived up to its reputation as one of the few surviving human cities in the apocalypse.
Even that female believer from earlier had lean muscles on her arms.
Ren Yi even suspected that under the old Pope's elaborate robes, he was ready to throw a punch at any moment.
Their style could certainly be described as decisive.
After hearing Ren Yi's request, the Pope had immediately summoned all the Bishops and Priests for a meeting.
They quickly decided to lead the entire military force of the Holy City to attack the largest nearby mutant beast nest.
However, gathering an army and preparing supplies took time. As the "Son of God," he had ironically become the most idle person, gaining a rare period of rest.
They called it rest, but it was effectively house arrest.
His request to "go out for a walk" had been deflected by the Pope's soft-spoken excuse: "You have just returned; you should rest well."
In short, Ren Yi seemingly had nothing to do for the time being.
Lying on the bed, Ren Yi closed his eyes. With a thought, he successfully connected to the Anomaly Web.
As soon as he logged in, Lu Zihan's messages popped up like cannonballs.
【Lu Zihan: Stool! I'm in Xin City. Which city are you in? This place looks okay; it doesn't even feel like the apocalypse.】
【Ren Yi: This skin of mine is a Participant in the Holy City. I'm currently inside the Holy City.】
The next second, an emoji of someone beating their chest and stomping their feet jumped out.
【Lu Zihan: Then I'm afraid we won't be able to meet up this time. I wanted to team up with you and cause some trouble; acting alone is so boring.】
【Ren Yi: It's fine. Your ability is better suited for solo operations anyway. We can chat when we get back and see how these two cities differ.】
As he spoke, Ren Yi casually opened the Anomaly Web's photo album and sent over the photos he had secretly taken of the Holy City's streets and the Colossus on the Peak.
【Lu Zihan: Holy crap! I've seen that statue on the Anomaly Web forums! That's incredible!】
Forums?
Well, Ren Yi once again bowed to Lu Zihan's surfing speed.
How did this guy always find various strange information sources so quickly?
【Ren Yi: How are things on your end? What's your plan? Do you want me to give you some advice?】
【Ren Yi: Xin City isn't simple. Their leader is very strong.】
【Lu Zihan: No need, no need. The Anomalies on our side have already made contact. We plan to cause some commotion first and then go for something big!】
【Lu Zihan: I've already killed several scouts sent by the Holy City. One was even an Esper, but they couldn't even take a hit.】
【Lu Zihan: Oh, right! I've carefully chosen a new nickname for myself. I'm calling myself... The Beheader! How about it? Isn't it cool and badass?】
That nickname is way too edgy. Ren Yi felt his forehead go dark; he could practically see Lu Zihan's smug expression on the other side of the screen.
【Ren Yi: Did you see my previous message? Be careful of this city's Xin King.】
【Ren Yi: I just sneaked into an online meeting between the three cities. This man successfully cleared this Instance before; his strength is definitely not to be underestimated.】
【Ren Yi: He's quite young but can sit firmly on the throne; he likely has a very strong ability. Don't just focus on looking cool. Be careful not to mess up and die there.】
【Lu Zihan: As expected of our Stool, you can get inside intel wherever you go. Give you a few more days, and will you be sitting on the throne of the First Man of Humanity?】
【Lu Zihan: Don't worry, I don't plan on experiencing death just yet.】
【Lu Zihan: I'm "The Beheader." How could I die here so easily? Once I deal with the Xin King, I'll come find you!】
Did this guy even listen to a word I said?
Ren Yi emphasized his warning a few more times and shared some intelligence he had gathered during the meeting.
After chatting for a bit more about the details of their respective situations, Lu Zihan said he needed to prepare for his move and hurriedly logged off.
Ren Yi exited the chat interface, remembered the forum Lu Zihan mentioned, and casually searched for it.
Rate on N.U.
