CR CH43

Chapter 43: Anonymous Fire

A layer of gray enveloped a massive area. The fog, which should have been drifting and ethereal, was eerily stagnant, leaving the city in deathly silence.

After scanning the area, the Special Division found the weakest point in the energy field and used an energy bomb to blast a vortex-like “entrance.”

Under the instructors’ command, the Z01 Special Division members used their devices to randomly match with partners. Most of them kept their eyes on the swirling energy vortex ahead—which looked capable of swallowing everything—eager to test their mettle.

This particular mission was located in a small city on a B-rank planet, and Sun Fei had been dispatched to supervise.

The alternate worlds inside an “Evil Source” domain were unknown, drop points were randomized, and conditions were highly volatile. Operating in pairs linked by energy devices was mandatory to prevent teams from getting lost upon entry.

“021,” Jia Yun said from his side, looking at his matched partner’s ID. He asked casually, “What’s yours, Tianji?”

“…I’m not in the matching system.”

Jiang Tianji stared at his device. Seeing no response after all this time, he prepared to step forward and communicate with the lead instructor.

The crowd, which had been busy looking for their respective partners, suddenly fell quiet. He instinctively looked toward where everyone’s gaze had converged.

Two figures walked over with brisk steps, one of whom was incredibly recognizable.

Seeing that Ling Kongmiao had a clear objective and was walking straight toward their location, Jia Yun tactfully took a step back.

Jiang Tianji watched helplessly as Ling Kongmiao arrived right in front of him. Selectively ignoring the subtle glances around them, he stood up straight, a trace of exhausted resignation in his voice.

“…Chief.”

Ling Kongmiao gave a flat murmur of acknowledgment and cleanly tapped his device against Jiang’s.

Jiang Tianji stared at the words “Match Complete” on his screen and said nothing.

He keenly sensed that this Commander was still in a foul mood, so he quietly waited for orders.

Commander Sun, who had walked over with Ling Kongmiao, wore a subtle expression as he passed by. He scrutinized Jiang Tianji from head to toe before walking to the very front to conduct the final mission briefing with his subordinates.

“Send an emergency signal immediately if you encounter any anomalies,” Sun Fei gave his final warning. Then, along with several instructors, he took the lead and stepped into the massive vortex.

They had extensive experience with these types of missions. Upon entering the domain, they would immediately coordinate their location data and assign their respective sectors. This ensured that if an accident occurred, rescue could arrive in the shortest time possible.

Those who could make it here were all fine prospects; there was no need for redundant talk.

The group entered the domain one after another. Ling Kongmiao and Jiang Tianji stood at the very end of the line. Once those lingering gazes completely vanished, a chain condensed from pure energy wrapped around Jiang Tianji’s wrist.

The icy touch caused him to shudder slightly. Before he could react, the man beside him yanked him forward into the vortex.

“Whoa!”

The sensation of weightlessness came abruptly. He flailed his hands wildly in the air, losing his balance upon landing. He quickly braced his hand against a nearby wall to steady himself, but a soft “hiss” echoed beside him.

Jiang Tianji turned his head and locked eyes with a pair of blue eyes. The distance was a bit too close—close enough that he could even see the slight tremor of Ling Kongmiao’s eyelashes.

However, that wasn’t the main point.

Jiang Tianji’s gaze drifted down. Once he realized his hand was tightly gripping Ling Kongmiao’s hair, his heart rate instantly skyrocketed.

He let go immediately, only to find that he had accidentally pulled out a few strands. Holding them in his palm, it felt wrong to throw them away, yet equally wrong to keep them.

“I am so sorry, Chief. Let me fix it for you.”

This seemingly agonizing and lengthy stretch of time actually lasted only a few seconds. Jiang Tianji used every ounce of his lifetime reaction speed to smooth out Ling Kongmiao’s hair, desperately trying to cover up the fact that he had accidentally yanked some out.

Roar—

The bellow of a variant echoed through the empty building.

Jiang Tianji tightened his grip on his weapon, scanning the surroundings.

This place appeared to be the hallway of a hospital, and the lighting around them currently cast an eerie green hue. Perhaps because variants had trampled through, the furniture was in complete disarray. A overturned medical cart nearby was surrounded by shattered vials, leaving a fluid that looked as crimson as thick blood.

A dark shadow cast itself over his mind. An unaccountable surge of anxiety spread from his heart, as if an unfamiliar voice were whispering incitements in his ear.

He desperately wanted to flee this chaotic mess, craving a structured, orderly world.

The scene before his eyes began to blur, and the terrifying green hue receded, replaced by the ideal world of his fantasies.

Just as his gun was about to slip from his grip, Jiang Tianji suddenly snapped awake. The familiar taste of this psychological trick made him realize instantly that this was a form of mental interference.

He cleared his mind of stray thoughts, focusing his consciousness to fight against the shadow looming over his mental faculties.

By the time the shadow completely receded, a fine sweat had broken out on Jiang Tianji’s forehead. He let out a sigh of relief and turned to look at the man beside him, who hadn’t uttered a single word the entire time.

“1 minute and 41 seconds. Fail.”

Ling Kongmiao held his device in one hand. Catching sight of a massive shadow blocking the light of the corridor out of the corner of his eye, he issued an order.

“I’ll leave the rest to you.”

Jiang Tianji also spotted the variant slowly approaching the corridor entrance. Hearing Ling Kongmiao’s words, a highly unfavorable suspicion formed in his mind, and he looked over sharply.

Sure enough, Ling Kongmiao casually found a clean spot to sit down. Under Jiang’s stare, the man closed his eyes to rest his mind. Not only did he show no intention of taking action, but he didn’t even bother putting up a defensive stance.

Jiang Tianji: “…”

The variant, which had been approaching slowly, suddenly charged. It had been impossible to see its full form clearly against the light earlier, but now that it was close, its mouth full of sharp, densely packed fangs came into view.

Its thick limbs bore textures resembling tree bark, and its skin bulged with deformed, root-like pustules. An eye that occupied a massive portion of its face was squeezed right next to its gaping maw, causing one’s sanity levels to drop drastically just by looking at it.

Jiang Tianji abruptly gripped his weapon. The variant roared and lunged straight toward Ling Kongmiao. Just as its sharp claws were about to make contact, an energy bullet struck the variant. Its physical form dissolved—a unique property of operating inside a domain world.

The location they were currently in was far too narrow. Once surrounded by variants, the consequences would be catastrophic.

Jiang Tianji walked briskly over to Ling Kongmiao’s side. While observing their surroundings, he grabbed the man’s arm, attempting to pull him up.

“Chief, let’s first—”

Ling Kongmiao didn’t budge, offering a well-meaning reminder: “Too late.”

The moment his words fell, tremors rippled beneath their feet. The narrow corridor was suddenly packed with various types of variants from both ends.

This time, Jiang Tianji didn’t hesitate. An energy bullet precisely struck the hairless, blood-drenched lump of flesh at the very front of the left flank.

There was no extra time to communicate with this chief who completely refused to play by the rules.

Jiang Tianji fluidly drew his short blade, proactively launching an offensive before the variants could swarm them.

Fortunately, low-level variants did not possess specialized energy traits. He fired continuous energy bullets to repel them, but when he turned his head, he noticed a shadow on the opposite side approaching with abnormal speed.

Jiang Tianji retreated while holding his gun in one hand, swinging the short blade with his left hand to force the dark shadow back.

Taking advantage of the split-second gap, he re-gripped his gun and swept his fire, driving back the variants lunging from the rear.

Noticing that a breakthrough point had appeared on the side leading to the hospital hallway’s exit, he immediately wanted to pull Ling Kongmiao toward that direction. However, a dark shadow suddenly loomed over him. He instinctively bent his waist, swinging his blade backward to parry.

Yet, the variant kicked off the wall to gain momentum, snarling as it vaulted right over him, lunging straight for Ling Kongmiao. Jiang Tianji snapped his eyes up in a panic.

The perilous scene was reflected in his dark green eyes: the blood-red, gaping maw was less than twenty centimeters away from Ling Kongmiao’s head.

He was quite a distance away from that side; there was no way he could make it in time.

Ling Kongmiao sat with his arms crossed, even having the leisure to cross his legs.

His silver-white hair fluttered gently, causing Jiang Tianji’s mind to experience a momentary trance. Countless thoughts flashed through his brain, yet he had no time to catch a single one.

His body acted faster than his brain’s commands. Jiang Tianji’s heart pounded wildly. The sheer intensity of the visual stimulus made him completely forget how to think. In an instant, an inexplicable surge of power erupted within him. His body lunged toward the variant like a bolt of lightning, leaving a blurred afterimage behind.

Interposing himself in front of Ling Kongmiao, he brutally drove his short blade straight into the variant’s throat. Discolored blood splattered across his face. The muscles in his arm flared with sudden power, forcing the creature back before he cleanly raised his gun and fired a finishing shot.

Having survived a brush with death, his intense emotions had not yet dissipated, and a sudden, anonymous fire burned all the way to his skull.

He violently kicked open the door to a small operating room beside them. With a rough movement, he yanked Ling Kongmiao by the collar, forcefully hauling him up and throwing him inside.

He slammed the door shut with a backhand strike, executing the entire sequence of movements in one fluid motion.

BANG.

Ling Kongmiao stood inside the small, enclosed room. The thick door featured a transparent observation pane in the center, through which he could clearly see the veins bulging on Jiang Tianji’s arm.

He looked down, staring at the blue energy that had yet to dissipate from his own palm. After a brief silence, he suddenly laughed.

Just now, he had captured a fleeting fluctuation of energy. Although that burst of explosive energy was incredibly faint, it had left an unfamiliar mark like an electric current running through his expanding mental strength.

Jiang Tianji was clearly unaware that his split-second offensive burst had been immensely powerful, far exceeding his usual capability metrics.

His eye color deepened, his azure eyes locking onto the faintly visible figure behind the transparent door. He stared like a predator locking onto its prey, his eyes flashing with a mix of excitement and subtle intrigue.

“Not bad.”

He found that he was genuinely beginning to look forward to just how many surprises this person could bring him in the days to come.