Zhang Yuanqing's gaze followed the Ginger Cat as it swiftly reached the villa's entrance, slipped through the iron gate's gap, and vanished behind the perimeter wall.
Moments later, trees sprouted over the wall, growing rapidly to the height of a two-story building.
Vibrant flowers bloomed along the wall and among the branches, their colors vying for attention. In an instant, the villa and its courtyard transformed into a lush, vibrant garden.
Guan Ya leaned closer and whispered, "Keep the Detoxification Pellet in your mouth. It'll be too late to take it once we're inside."
Zhang Yuanqing glanced at his companions and noticed they had all silently retrieved the Hundred Flowers Association's secret-recipe pellets and placed them in their mouths.
He turned back to Guan Ya, the "Veteran Driver," who also had a pellet in her cheek, her left cheek bulging slightly. The bulge added a touch of endearing awkwardness to her sharp, oval face, making her look almost cute.
She was still wearing her signature white blouse, black stockings, and pencil skirt. Two holsters were strapped to her long, shapely thighs, and the skirt's zipper was unzipped to the upper thigh, allowing for greater mobility. If she didn't mind the risk of exposure, performing a spinning kick wouldn't be difficult.
Of course, Zhang Yuanqing suspected she was wearing safety shorts underneath, but he couldn't lift her skirt to verify without evidence.
"Will this protect against the Witchcraft Master's poison?" he asked, popping the fragrant pill into his mouth.
"Absolutely not," Guan Ya replied, her cheerful smile replaced by a serious expression. "Witchcraft Master's poison is far too potent to be neutralized so easily. But it will weaken the toxin, preventing it from becoming life-threatening."
"Nightwalkers have exceptional vitality," she added. "You're probably the least at risk here."
Zhang Yuanqing nodded, glancing at his teammates. Besides the five captains, himself, and Veteran Driver, the remaining eight members consisted of two Water Ghosts, two Fire Masters, two Earth Fiends, and two Wood Spirits.
The team's class distribution was carefully balanced to ensure no weaknesses.
Moreover, all members were Level 2 Walkers; Level 1 Walkers were ineligible for this operation.
A Level 1 Orderly Class Walker would be no match for a Level 3 Evil Class Walker at the peak of their power—they'd be as helpless as a chick facing a hawk.
At that moment, the growth of plants and trees ceased. Captain Green Vine whispered, "Move out!"
The fifteen Spirit Realm Walkers moved swiftly and silently through the deserted residential streets, converging on the villa.
As they approached the villa, Captain Green Vine slowed her pace. Big Muscle stepped forward with two burly Fire Masters. They gripped the villa's gate lock and silently exerted their strength.
After a faint crimson glow, molten iron splashed to the ground with a plop, plop.
The three Fire Masters retreated two steps, while Tang Guoqiang, leading two Earth Fiends, charged into the villa courtyard.
Meat shields first, then warriors, Zhang Yuanqing thought, and sure enough, Big Muscle led two Fire Masters right behind the Earth Fiends.
After warriors should be mages, then Recovery Sorcerers! Zhang Yuanqing mused.
The Water Ghost and Wood Spirit immediately followed.
Scouts are even lower than Recovery Sorcerers, Zhang Yuanqing thought, glancing back at Chief Li Dongze and Guan Ya. Noticing his subordinate's strange look, Li Dongze leaned on his cane, maintaining his elegant demeanor, and whispered, "We Scouts must strategize from the shadows, observing every movement."
Chief, you don't have to force your dignity! Zhang Yuanqing decided to play along, replying in a deep voice, "Understood. True sight is crucial in team battles."
Li Dongze's face stiffened, recalling the "humiliation" his subordinate had inflicted on him that day. He glanced at the lush vegetation in the corner and muttered, "I'm considering planting you there."
By this time, the Official Walkers, pistols drawn, had reached the reinforced security door of the villa's main hall.
Because a Barrier enveloped the villa's courtyard, there was no need to disperse the team to surround the building. Moreover, given that the enemy was a Level 3 Evil Class practitioner, splitting up could lead to casualties. The group decided to breach the main entrance.
Tang Guoqiang pressed his hand against the security door's lock. The wall around the lock rapidly turned to sand, crumbling away with a soft rustling sound.
Instead of immediately entering, he turned to Zhang Yuanqing.
The night was the Nightwalker's domain. In the pitch-black environment, Nightwalkers moved as freely as fish in water.
Zhang Yuanqing understood instantly. Under the watchful eyes of the group, he vanished into the darkness.
He swiftly entered the foyer, deliberately performing a series of spins and leaps to avoid potential ambushes. His entrance was undeniably stylish, and in his Night Roaming State, he could move without making a sound.
Zhang Yuanqing paused at the threshold between the foyer and the living room, his night-piercing gaze sweeping across the spacious area. The living room featured a central seating area with sofas and a coffee table for guests, an open-plan kitchen and dining area to the left, and a staircase leading to the second floor on the right.
The living room's vaulted ceiling soared high above. The villa's interior layout formed a "回" shape, allowing those standing on the second-floor balcony to overlook the living room below.
After advancing to Level 2, Zhang Yuanqing's Night Roaming duration extended to 30 seconds, but it still wasn't enough for a thorough inspection of the living room. After a preliminary assessment revealed no immediate danger, he withdrew from the room and reappeared within the Official Walkers' line of sight.
"No one on the first floor," he whispered. "I can't say about the second."
Tang Guoqiang made a snap decision: "Move in!"
With that, he led the charge into the living room, followed by the rest of the Official Walker Squad, who moved with disciplined precision.
As soon as they entered the pitch-black living room, a sudden snap echoed through the space. The crystal chandelier suspended from the vaulted ceiling flickered to life, bathing the villa in light and illuminating both the interior and the Official Walkers who had infiltrated it.
The Official Walkers tensed.
"We've been expecting you, ladies and gentlemen!"
A man of average build appeared at the second-floor railing, his face lean with sharp, upturned eyes and sword-like eyebrows. It was Unbridled.
The Witchcraft Master leaned against the railing, gazing down at the Official Walkers below with a mocking smile.
"Fifteen Orderly Walkers? Tsk, tsk, you really think highly of me. To go to such lengths to capture me... But who can truly say where the line between hunter and prey lies?"
Before he could finish speaking, Guan Ya, dual pistols in hand, cut him off with a volley of gunfire.
The first bullet left a deep crater in the second-floor wall, while the second bullet anticipated Unbridled's evasive roll, striking him with a crisp metallic clang.
Clinging to the wall, Unbridled stubbornly finished his lines, laughing maniacally:
"I thrive on risk, revel in breaking rules, and crave the Reputation gained from hunting fifteen Orderly Class members. It's worth the gamble! Now, savor the slaughter I've prepared for you!"
The ceiling above them exploded, showering the room with shards of glass.
The spacious living room plunged into darkness once more.
Amidst the crashing glass, Zhang Yuanqing heard a faint, almost imperceptible buzzing—a dense, high-pitched hum like countless mosquitoes vibrating their wings.
Then Li Dongze's warning rang out:
"Above us!"
Big Muscle and the two Fire Masters took deep breaths, puffing out their cheeks. They tilted their heads back and exhaled sharply, their lungs emptying with a whoosh. Flames erupted, illuminating the darkened living room with sudden, searing light.
Countless sparks rained down, filling the air with a pungent, acrid stench.
These falling black specks were some kind of venomous insects. Their burning bodies released a nauseating odor; Zhang Yuanqing inadvertently inhaled a few whiffs and felt dizzy and nauseous.
The Official Walker Squad descended into a minor panic, as not everyone could see in the dark.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Flames erupted as three Fire Masters ignited scorching flames around their bodies, banishing the darkness and bringing light.
The group surveyed the living room, and what they saw sent chills down their spines.
The floor was now crawling with bizarre insects that had appeared out of nowhere. There were worms with grotesque mandibles, locust-like insects, palm-sized spiders, and others so alien they defied identification. All shared one striking characteristic: vibrant, eye-catching colors.
Though the flames provided illumination, their flickering light cast dancing shadows and offered limited visibility. In such conditions, it was nearly impossible to avoid being ambushed by the venomous creatures.
Zhang Yuanqing's mind raced. He crouched low and darted toward the open-plan kitchen, snapping on the lights.
A living room this large couldn't possibly be lit by a single chandelier.
"Nice move!" White Dragon, who carried a long black blade on his back, let out a relieved breath and shouted, "Smash the faucet! We need water!"
Without hesitation, Zhang Yuanqing punched the faucet, shattering it. To his surprise, no violent spray erupted. Instead, a steady stream of clear water gushed from the broken pipe, flowing through the air as if alive.
The clear stream swept across the floor, over the sofa, and into every corner of the living room, carrying away the myriad蛊 insects. Finally, it coalesced into a water sphere the size of a water tank, trapping countless蛊 insects within, bobbing and sinking.
White Dragon opened his palms and slammed them together.
Boom!
The water sphere exploded, scattering water droplets mixed with the corpses of蛊 insects across the entire living room.
Impressive, Zhang Yuanqing thought, genuinely impressed. No wonder he's a mage. His skills are so flashy. If it were me facing this situation, I'd have to resort to the Thirty-Six Stratagems and flee.
After all, Nightwalkers were positioned as assassins in the Transcendent Phase.
At that moment, Li Dongze, the Scout, abruptly looked up, sensing four dangerous forces rapidly expanding on the second floor. He urgently warned:
"Danger on the second floor! Four forces!"
The Official Walkers' hearts sank. Their years of experience had finally confirmed their worst fear: they had been ambushed.
From Unbridled's words, his attitude, and his countermeasures, it was clear he had prepared for this capture.
We've been lured into a trap, Zhang Yuanqing thought. Though inexperienced, he wasn't foolish. He glanced at his companions, their faces grim but silent, and suppressed his doubts.
Now isn't the time for such thoughts.
The rhythmic thud-thud of footsteps echoed through the quiet space as a towering humanoid monster emerged beside the railing.
Its appearance was grotesque: insect-like mandibles, a flattened nose, amber-colored vertical pupils, and a height of two meters. Its dark brown body was covered in scale-like keratin plates, resembling a suit of impenetrable armor.
Its jet-black, razor-sharp claws easily gouged deep scratches into the railing.
"My poor insects, sacrificing themselves heroically," the humanoid monster declared in a booming voice. "Their deaths were not in vain, for they bought me the time I needed. Come forth, my companions!"
From the three sides of the "square"-shaped corridor, three more monsters slowly emerged.
They were:
A voluptuous woman with a human torso and a spider's abdomen. Her upper body was a flawless, pale-skinned figure, completely nude, her full breasts and curves exposed. Below her navel, a swollen, fleshy spider's abdomen extended, its eight iron-spike-like legs effortlessly piercing the floor tiles and walls.
The insectoid humanoid stood upright like a man, its muscular abdomen and chest sculpted into distinct blocks. Its knees bent backward, and its powerful legs hinted at terrifying leaping ability. Its back was covered in hard, blue-tinged elytra.
The serpentine monster, nearly ten meters long, coiled tightly around itself, its body covered in dark green scales. It leaned over the railing, flicking its forked tongue at the crowd below.
All three creatures shared a common trait: their eyes burned with savage fury, devoid of human rationality.
"They are all servants of the Eerie Eye Judge," Unbridled cackled. "The power of the Fallen Holy Grail torments them. To survive, they willingly underwent my modifications, earning Merit Points by hunting you down."
Servants of the Eerie Eye Judge? Like Ou Xiangrong? Zhang Yuanqing's mind was reduced to a single, vulgar exclamation.
Green Vine, Tang Guoqiang, and the others paled visibly.
"I love your expressions," Unbridled grinned, baring his grotesque mandibles. "Today, you all die. No one can save you. Mark my words!"
Fenghua District, an abandoned factory.
Fu Qingyang, clad in a white suit, stood on the second floor of the administrative building, frowning as he surveyed the convoy of vehicles surrounding the factory.
"This factory has been abandoned for years," he said. "There's no sign of human activity. Are you certain the Black guard of Impermanence appeared here?"
Behind him stood Ling Jun, dressed in loose, unbuttoned clothes with disheveled hair, and a middle-aged man in a white judo uniform with a square-jawed face.
The middle-aged man frowned, his eyes filled with confusion. "The Hundred Flowers Association's informants detected him. To be safe, I checked the surrounding surveillance footage and confirmed the Black guard of Impermanence's presence."
Fu Qingyang shot him a glacial glare. "The Black guard of Impermanence would be caught on surveillance cameras?"
The middle-aged man's expression shifted slightly.
Ling Jun lazily scratched his head and shrugged. "We've fallen into a trap. The Black guard of Impermanence deliberately lured us here. Or rather, it might not even be the real Black guard of Impermanence. But what's the purpose of drawing us here?"
Fu Qingyang pondered for a few seconds, his stern face suddenly changing. "Ling Jun, come back with me."
He leaped directly from the second floor.
Ling Jun stared in surprise. He rarely saw Fu Qingyang so anxious and tense.