Chapter 25: Clue III
Under the cold white light, Li Chengyi swaps out the magazine of his gun for a new one and slowly approaches Meng Dongdong. To improve his accuracy, he had opted to aim for the torso, considering his one month of training and the forty meters distance between them, aiming for the head without hesitation and expecting to hit with precision was difficult.
The recoil of the gun under rapid fire could destabilize his hand. Missing the first shot meant subsequent shots amidst the vibration would likely miss as well. Hence, targeting the larger area of the torso was the safest and most effective choice.
Suddenly, Li Chengyi’s gaze sharpens as he notices no blood under Meng Dongdong. ‘Bulletproof vest,’ he realizes, recalling the gunman from before who likely warned Meng Dongdong.
He speeds up towards her, taking advantage of her apparent unconsciousness when suddenly, a huge dark shadow swiftly pounces from his right.
A human face!
Li Chengyi only has time to turn his head for a glance before he’s violently knocked away, his gun flying out of his hand.
Meng Dongdong, barely recovering from her brief unconsciousness, witnesses this scene. With great effort and despite the severe pain in her chest, she draws a high-powered Gelus R9 pistol – a customized, forbidden weapon from her father’s workshop, meant to be discarded after use to avoid detection.
But its power could easily penetrate any bulletproof vest. Given her strength, she could fire it three times at most. ‘No need now,’ she thought, seeing the creature move away. Escaping again seems possible as she didn’t expect her luck this outing.
A loud explosion sounds not far away, spreading a wave of white ash, resembling smoke.
Meng Dongdong, eyes wide in shock, realizes something impossible.
She didn’t leave her cover, meaning the man didn’t die. ‘How could he not be dead?’ Her body tingles with shock and fear as she struggles to focus on the approaching footsteps.
A boot clad in purple-black metallic armor with distinct floral patterns, embedded with purple crystal lines, steps through the dust – the patterns glowing with a faint purple phosphorescence even through the dispersing dust.
“You’ve been modified,” Meng Dongdong gasps, recalling something.
A purple shadow breaks through the white ash towards her. She screams, trembling, and raises the gun.
A blackness engulfs her vision as a sharp pain explodes in her head, losing consciousness.
Li Chengyi retracts his hand from Meng Dongdong’s head, his flower scale armor showing subtle changes. Previously, the armor was merely decorative, but now, it seems activated, enhancing his defense and physical capabilities.
Standing confidently, the patterns on his armor flow with a faint purple glow, akin to some electrified substance, giving off a sci-fi vibe.
Not killing Meng Dongdong but merely knocking her out was a strategic choice – fearing killing her might extricate him from the Greewus Parking Lot as well.
‘I hope to find clues this time,’ Li Chengyi thinks, searching her and finding a knife with a poison-coated blade. After stashing the knife, he proceeds, ignoring the monstrous human face grinding against the wall side, spotting and climbing up a massive white arrow towards a higher level.
The flower scale armor seems to have evolved in strength, coupled with his evasion from direct confrontation with the monster, sparing him from substantial damage or wear.
Reaching the hidden crevice in the wall he was looking for, he notes it must have appeared alongside the appearance of the monster. Venturing into the darkness, he senses an eerie discomfort, leading him to halt.
Suddenly, cold dread washes over him as an unsettling sensation overtakes him.
A soft breath comes from behind, and turning, he sees a door opening with a pale, deathly boy standing there – his gaze unsettling.
The crevice darkens rapidly as a giant black and white face attempts to peer in, clutching Meng Dongdong’s leg, dripping with blood, before the opening closes completely, plunging everything into darkness.
Li Chengyi stumbles back, caught by a steadying hand as his father, Li Zhao’s voice reaches him, sounding distant. Slowly, light returns, and he finds himself at home, about to step into the living room.
His father looks on with concern, prompting Li Chengyi to share only a bit of disorientation.
After some food and chocolate to supposedly ‘stabilize his blood sugar’, Li Chengyi remains preoccupied with thoughts of the unexpected encounter, to the point of not noticing his sister’s unusually irritable behavior at dinner.
Unable to stay put, he excuses himself for a walk and heads towards the company, seeking to share his experience and revelations in Greewus with Sindra via a message.
A rapid exchange confirms an immediate arrangement for assistance upon his arrival, along with an enigmatic ‘congratulations’ from Sindra, to which he tersely thanks before refocusing on the implications of his recent venture and the evolved monster he faced.
The car ride is silent save for the driver’s radio played to fend off sleepiness, the lights blurring outside as Li Chengyi is ensconced in his thoughts, mulling over the challenges and anomalies encountered within the boundless, dark crevices of Greewus.
