After leaving the restaurant, Xu Xiaoyou wandered through the streets and alleys guided by the map, heading toward the Red Lady bar.
The figures around were vague, and occasional incidents of crime and violence occurred, with only a few people stopping to watch. Most went about their own business, living in their world with a low spirit, rarely intersecting with others. This was the norm in this city.
Everyone was a part of this city, like a tiny nut, together supporting the enormous machine that was Nest City.
Everyone was insignificant, the life or death of one person in this city could not stir any waves. Even those considered legends by others, who had done something monumental, would, upon death, merely become a name on a commemorative drink in a bar, the pages of the city's book flipping quickly with the wind.
A tiny nut, even if it fell off during the forward rotation of this machine, would not affect the operation of this large machine.
Only when all the parts of this machine were corroded over the years of wind and rain would it, like a fatigued giant on a wasteland, roar to the sky, leaving one final enormous footprint before collapsing thunderously.
Finally, Xu Xiaoyou stopped in a remote place not far from a mall, where the network of the city's overpasses crisscrossed overhead. The concrete dome cast a large shadow, and the mall's holographic advertisements in blue and purple flickered. Next to the giant 3D projection of Su Leshuang's drink, a few figures leaned against the railing, vomiting a rainbow-colored liquid from their stomachs.
They were thin, their skin covered with sores, and wore stiff expressions like numbed zombies.
The foamy, colorful liquid reflected these addicts' faces, the foam gurgling. A few fish-like creatures with insect-like appendages danced joyfully among them, leaping into the air. Their tails whipped across the addicts' faces, only to disappear into the air like dreamlike bubbles after being noticed.
"Come out, I know you've been following me since I left the restaurant." Xu Xiaoyou said without turning her head.
"I didn't expect you to be so perceptive."
Behind a concrete pillar large enough to require several people to encircle it, a girl wearing a cat face mask emerged, holding a short knife tightly.
It was the Catwoman she had seen in the restaurant.
"I originally wanted to give you a big surprise."
One of the addicts noticed, raising his head as the girl walked past him. A bloodline appeared on his neck, and as he clutched it in horror, his world spun. He saw his body fall, and the figure of the girl walking away with a cat-like stride, the long cat tail being the last scene he witnessed.
What a pity from this angle, I can't see anything...
The addict thought moments before he died.
The remaining addicts, seeing this scene, were all terrified and hurriedly scattered and ran away.
Catwoman's attire was bold and revealing, with only a holey white T-shirt on her upper body. The lower half of the T-shirt was torn away, revealing a large area of snow-white around her waist and abdomen. Below her hot shorts, her pair of slender legs were attention-grabbing. She flipped the short knife in her hand, and rested a Nail Ball Stick on her shoulder.
"Sure enough, it's still cute to see you again!"
Upon seeing the blonde girl looking at her warily, Catwoman trembled with excitement.
"I've changed my mind! I'm not going to let you go, haha."
Her tone became sinister, licking the fresh blood off the knife's tip, looking with urgent eyes from under the cat face mask.
"How could I let such an adorable girl go so easily?"
Xu Xiaoyou frowned, staring at the strange figure before her.
"From the moment I saw you, I just liked liked liked liked you very much..."
The other seemed to have thought of some imagery, her emotions becoming agitated, her sharp fingertips constantly rubbing against her shoulder, leaving terrifying blood marks. Finally, she cupped her face, a strange laugh emanating from her mouth, her eyes reflecting the figure of the blonde girl filled with greed and desire.
"I want to become one with you! Just like with the other girls!"
Catwoman began to speak madly, pointing to the sewing marks on her wrist:
"Let me see, this is Xiaolan..."
Then she pointed to the needle marks on her legs, thighs, and arms:
"This is Xiaohua, and Xiaowei, Xiaoqing."
"Oh right..."
Catwoman thought of something, lifted her head, and took off the cat face mask, revealing a clean and pure face. Her crimson long tongue flickered like a viper's tongue, pointing at her neck; the only part of her body with intact and unblemished skin:
"You see, here... here is still empty."
"Let me become you, how about it?"
"Damn." Even the seasoned Xu Xiaoyou couldn't help but curse. "You lunatic!"
She quickly drew her gun, knowing it was pointless to reason with such madness. No one knew how their minds worked or what illogical move they would make next.
"A gun...?"
Seeing the dark barrel pointed at her, Catwoman didn't show fear or evade, instead, she tilted her head with a curious expression.
Bam—
Xu Xiaoyou pulled the trigger, and the bullet flew out.
A scary scene unfolded as Catwoman slightly tilted her head, and the bullet passed through her hair.
She could even dodge bullets!?
Xu Xiaoyou's eyes widened, taking a step back, pulling the trigger again.
This time Catwoman didn't dodge the second bullet, but placed her short knife in front of her chest, vertically slicing the bullet!
The fragments fell to the ground, making a crisp sound.
"How can you call me a lunatic..."
The short knife's blade reflected Catwoman's sad face.
"That really makes me sad!"
The next moment, Catwoman suddenly attacked, rushing towards Xu Xiaoyou with a short knife and Nail Ball Stick.
"Anya!" Xu Xiaoyou shouted.
A young girl bared her teeth and darted out from beside her, claws manifesting on her hands, skimming the ground as she sprinted, covering the distance in an instant.
Anya's claws swiped suddenly, but who knew Catwoman's movements would suddenly become so ghostly, leaving several afterimages behind. Her slender form agilely moved through the air, performing countless confusing maneuvers in the blink of an eye.
The enemy's shadows dazzled the eye, Anya swiftly locked her sight, launching another pounce. This time, her claw tips barely scraped Catwoman's face, leaving only a scratch.
Catwoman's lips curled into a manic grin. From start to finish, her beast-like gaze never fell on Anya but was locked intently on the blonde girl behind.
Xu Xiaoyou sensed something amiss, seeing Catwoman dodge Anya's attack, propelling herself off the ground in a nimble leap, directly clearing the little girl's head. Upon landing, the muscles in her lower leg surged, exploding with the force of a cannonball as she launched toward Xu Xiaoyou.
"Stop struggling, darling~ Just unite with me, the pain will pass soon."
Catwoman approached the girl's position, the short knife in her hand falling. Xu Xiaoyou couldn't dodge in time, the sleeve on her arm torn open.
"Of course, your struggling look is also quite adorable, I like it a lot!"
Xu Xiaoyou dodged Catwoman's successive attacks somewhat awkwardly, keeping her mind calm. She calculated it would take a few seconds for Anya to reach her position, while the distance between her and Catwoman allowed no chance to aim and shoot. The upcoming attacks, she had to find a way to evade them by herself.
In the midst of the chaos, her gaze locked onto a metal rod on the ground. She quickly rolled in that direction, scooped it up, and assumed a sword-holding stance. The swordsmanship knowledge from her previous training flooded her mind...