Chapter 2: Return to the Old Place (5)
Well, who knew they’d be making such a fuss?
Back in the real world, Cold Moon felt as comfortable as a fish in water. Even though this dimension wasn’t where she lived before entering the game world, the similar level of technological development made it easy for her to catch up on the latest gossip about Bel and the crew.
After Cold Moon and her gang left the meteorite crater, they found a temporarily unoccupied farmhouse nearby to heal up.
Thanks to the city’s switch to digital currency, acquiring new resources was a real headache for law-abiding visitors from other realms.
With no other choice, Cold Moon snuck into a large supermarket warehouse and snagged some food and drinking water before hurrying back to their temporary digs.
Several hours later, Lilith, Xi, and the others had finally regained most of their strength.
Cold Moon flipped on the TV, and news of the otherworldly visitors occupying a small town and confronting the Special Operations Bureau was all over the place.
If the Mage Legion weren’t holding the townsfolk hostage, Cold Moon had no doubt the Special Operations Bureau would have unleashed massive weapons of destruction to blow these nuisances to smithereens.
Unfortunately, this time the system hadn’t switched her consciousness into Lin Nan’s body in this dimension; otherwise, their situation wouldn’t be so awkward.
“Lord, if there’s nothing else, I’d like to check out the Floating City,” Lady Rong Ji said, her mind clearly elsewhere. Since arriving here, she’d been constantly distracted, frequently wandering to the rooftop to gaze at the massive steel city floating above Ocean City.
She knew that Fu Yetian was the core keeping the Floating City operational. So, for her, that floating city was like Fu Yetian’s extended body. Just seeing it seemed to calm her nerves.
“Rong Ji, no rush. As long as the Floating City’s still in the air, Fu Yetian is fine. Now that we’re here, a visit to the Floating City is just a matter of time,” Cold Moon reassured her.
Rong Ji hung her head. “I’m just a bit anxious.”
Meanwhile, Lilith couldn’t hide her love for a standing mirror; she looked left and right, wanting to strap it to her and take it home.
Xi snorted, causing Lilith to pout and retreat to a corner.
Since returning to the bl**d Moon Team, Lilith seemed to have time-traveled back thousands of years. It felt good to have the boss backing her up. Even if she got scolded, she felt sweet on the inside.
Cold Moon approached the window and spotted a helicopter squadron zooming past.
“It seems the Special Operations Bureau’s hunt for Bel is about to start. We might be able to strike a deal with the local government,” she said, making everyone else quietly await her orders.
As long as their boss didn’t seek their input, they were perfectly content to play the role of faithful executors.
…
Night fell.
The residents of the small town, worn out from a long day, bundled up in their clothes and crashed in bed.
The town was eerily quiet.
But at that very moment, a team of black-clad figures swiftly darted through the tranquil streets, racing toward a certain direction.
Turns out, while Lin Nan was having a chat with Bel, she silently deployed a bug-shaped device the size of a beetle. While no one was paying attention, it discreetly latched onto Bel’s clothing, continuously sending out location data.
Thus, Lin Nan had the confidence to initiate her decapitation operation.
Even though the Emperor had powers similar to Fu Yetian, none could withstand the blitz of the Special Operations Bureau’s ambush.
But just when they thought they were closing in on their target, a barrage of lightning bolts and fireballs suddenly appeared out of nowhere, raining down on them from all directions.
This took Lin Nan and her crew by surprise. They hadn’t realized their movements had been detected by the enemy, who had set up traps to counter their approach.
They seriously underestimated the visitors from another world.
Two years ago, even when possessed by a newcomer, Lin Nan had charged through thousands of otherworldly beings as if they were nothing.
This experience gave her a false sense of security—she thought these intruders weren’t nearly as clever as they seemed. A few clever tricks could easily dispatch them.
After all, she wasn’t an outsider… Not anymore. Perhaps wanting to shake off the influence of the outsiders from two years ago, she aimed to solve this new invasion solely on her terms.
But it was becoming clear she had underestimated the situation.
“Boom! Boom!”
The sound of countless explosions echoed in the confined space.
Even with several defense specialists on the team, their shields couldn’t endure such intense bombardment.
In no time, over twenty people were either dead or injured, losing their ability to fight back.
The continuous explosions startled the town inside and out, and media reporters pointed their cameras at the fireworks erupting in the center of the town.
“It’s on!”
“Ha! The Special Operations Bureau must be in the lead! The battle will be wrapped up soon!”
“Yeah, I heard the Bureau Director’s leading the charge. There’s no way they can lose.”
“Dear viewers, this is Ocean City Television, bringing you live updates from the small town.
Reliable sources say the Bureau Director is personally leading the charge into the enemy camp, aiming for the enemy leader, looking to reap maximum rewards at minimal cost. The battle is in full swing, with explosions ringing out. Perhaps it won’t be long before the enemy surrenders, resembling the splendor of two years ago!”
Many residents gathered nearby took out their binoculars, eager to catch a glimpse of Bureau Director Lin’s heroic feats.
People’s hopes for Lin Nan stemmed from two years ago when she single-handedly broke through enemy lines and saved the entire Ocean City.
So, everyone—both the Bureau and the general public—was radiating confidence regarding this operation.
After a series of explosive sounds, the small town fell into a concerning silence.
People sensed the battle might be winding down, and the outcome was about to be revealed.
But who would be the last one laughing?
At that moment, a figure slowly emerged from the smoke, stepping into the spotlight of everyone’s attention.
Originally, they expected it to be Bureau Director Lin announcing victory for humanity, but to everyone’s dismay, it was a black-robed alien that appeared before them.
“Foolish humans, your foes are no more than scratching the surface; they have been dealt with by our great Emperor.”
“If you don’t believe me, surely seeing the leader should convince you that I’m not lying.”
With that, he clapped his hands, and two black-robed figures dragged a dying individual into view.
As the camera locked onto the man’s face, a wave of gasps swept through the crowd.
Just moments ago, they held onto a glimmer of hope, desperately convincing themselves the black-robed aliens were spinning lies, that Director Lin wouldn’t easily retreat—she could just be biding her time for a big move, waiting to strike when the enemy felt their best, breaking their confidence completely.
But now it was clear, lying on the ground, the unconscious woman was none other than… Bureau Director Lin.
