Just after Mo Xi and Yunli left, in a cold and damp alley a few miles from the ruins of the Ability Bureau, a disheveled figure was staggering forward.
He was covered in blood, his clothes were tattered, and the wound on his chest was still seeping blood. He swayed with every step.
"Damn it, if it weren't for this rain!"
Blood Butcher looked ferocious as he punched the alley wall, killing intent evident in his eyes.
After a while, he leaned against the wall and slowly sat down. His heavy breathing gradually calmed, and the madness in his eyes faded somewhat.
Unlike the Blood Butcher who had previously been "wide open," he now had a terrifying, deep wound across his back—stretching from his left shoulder to his right waist, ten centimeters deep. The hideous flesh was torn open, almost splitting his body in two, and it was barely connected by a few stray pieces of flesh.
Even with such a serious injury, he was still clinging to life, and his staggering footsteps had left a trail of dark red bloodstains in the damp alley.
And this fatal wound was the masterpiece left by that heavy sword named "Old Mettle" when Yunli first attacked.
As for the dead "Blood Butcher"...
"I had already covered my body with blood armor, yet I was still injured like this..."
Blood Butcher clutched the wound on his back, Yunli's petite figure appearing in his mind. For the first time, a trace of dread arose in his heart.
His blood armor had an extremely strong defense, so much so that even missiles could hardly damage it, yet Yunli's casual strike had almost cut him in half.
At the same time, the hideous wound on his back that had nearly split him in two was regenerating and recovering at a speed visible to the naked eye.
If one looked closely, they could see the blood inside the wound constantly condensing, while the broken organ tissues spontaneously reorganized and repaired themselves, filling the gap in the wound bit by bit.
It was just that this process was somewhat slow, and every connection of flesh made him grimace in pain. Even so, it also demonstrated his vitality, which far surpassed that of ordinary people.
"Damn it... looks like I need to find some suitable substitutes. Otherwise, I won't be able to recover for a while."
Blood Butcher's scarlet gaze unconsciously drifted toward the pedestrians on the street, a trace of greed and ruthlessness flashing in his eyes.
He supported his broken body and moved forward slowly, swaying with every step, yet he continued staring fixedly at those lively figures.
...
Jingle bell—
"Ahhh?!!"
The streets on New Year's Eve were crowded with people. Noisy cheers, countdown shouts, and the hawking of peddlers were all intertwined.
The young girl's shy exclamation was drowned out by the boiling crowd.
Vain, who was slowly walking down the street and enjoying the bustling lights of New Year's Eve, was attracted by this abrupt exclamation.
"What's wrong with you? Are you okay?"
"No, nothing!"
Mu Yao's cheeks were flushed, and she lowered her eyes, not daring to look up.
She kept her head lowered, not daring to meet Vain's eyes at all. She withdrew the little hand she had secretly touched just now, feeling both ashamed and annoyed in her heart, while the warmth she had just felt still lingered on her fingertips.
She quickly took out her phone from her pocket, and the words "Unknown Caller" were flashing on the screen.
Mu Yao (> ⤙ <): 'Ruining my good moment! I'll definitely report you someday!'
Vain, who didn't understand what was going on, didn't ask much. When his fingertips felt the falling rain, he couldn't help but chuckle.
"It seems the weather gods aren't cooperating. Let's go buy an umbrella."
Mu Yao was stunned, then nodded blankly, muttering, "Oh... okay. How strange. The weather forecast said it would be sunny this morning. Why did it suddenly start raining?"
As New Year's Eve approached, even though it had suddenly started to drizzle and the weather was unpredictable, it couldn't dampen people's enthusiasm for welcoming the New Year.
The brightly lit street was still crowded with people, neon lights flickering, and the noise was deafening.
Before long, under Mu Yao's insistence on "saving where possible," the two shared an umbrella and walked into the rain.
Vain was tall and slender, while Mu Yao was petite and charming. One high and one low formed the cutest height difference.
Jingle bell—
"Yao, are you sure no one is looking for you?"
"Um, I'm not sure either."
After being called by the same unknown number several times, Mu Yao gradually began muttering to herself—who on earth was this?
She looked up at the gray sky and couldn't help frowning. If her phone hadn't shown that it was only 5:30, she would have thought it was already evening. This rain was too oppressive.
With some helplessness, she answered the phone.
"Hello, is this Mu Yao?"
A cold female voice came from the other end of the phone, with a trace of urgency in her tone, sounding as though there was something important that needed attention.
Mu Yao frowned and carefully recalled whether she knew the voice, making sure that she didn't know its owner.
"May I ask who this is?"
"I am your roommate Mo Xin's sister, Mo Xi. Where are you now?"
Mu Yao was even more confused. She had never met Mo Xin's sister, so why had the other party suddenly called her?
Although her heart was full of doubts, she still subconsciously answered with her location.
"It might be a bit inconvenient for me here. May I ask what you want from me?"
However, Mo Xi on the other end didn't intend to explain too much.
To be precise, she didn't know how to explain it. Was she supposed to just say, "Your Ability Bureau has been destroyed"?
"I have something important to find you about, and I'll be there soon, so don't go too far!"
"Ah? What is it?"
"...I'll explain everything to you in detail after I arrive."
Before she could finish, the phone was hung up without hesitation.
Mu Yao held her phone and froze in place, her anxiety growing stronger. She felt that there was some hidden secret behind this call.
Seeing Mu Yao looking confused and staring at her phone in a daze, Vain took the initiative to ask.
"Is someone looking for you?"
"Ah? Oh, it's the sister of a Junior Student..."
Next, Mu Yao told Vain the content of the call almost without reservation.
After listening, the latter gently rubbed his chin, looking thoughtfully at the distant rain curtain.
He vaguely guessed in his heart that this matter was very likely related to that troublesome senior.
Thinking of this, a trace of curiosity arose in his heart for no reason.
"Since we have nothing to do, let's wait a while."
"Ah..."
"Hmm? Is there a problem with that?"
"No, nothing..."
Mu Yao bit her lip. Faced with Vain's lack of romance, she could only reluctantly accept the proposal.
At the same time, she kept cursing in her heart:
Blockhead! Idiot!
So, the two found a slightly empty bus stop to wait.
The rain drifted diagonally, while the station roof blocked most of the wind and rain, leaving only the occasional chill passing by.
During the wait, Mu Yao's gaze always drifted toward Vain unconsciously. He was looking down at his phone, the lines of his side profile clean and sharp, his eyelashes casting a small shadow beneath his eyelids, and even his jawline showing just the right amount of ruggedness.
Mu Yao's heart was like a little rabbit, thumping wildly, and even her breathing became a little lighter.
Although only a few minutes had passed, she felt that the waiting time was incomparably long. She hoped that Mo Xi would come quickly, while also hoping that this moment could last a little longer.
About ten minutes passed.
Suddenly, as if after an intense psychological struggle, Mu Yao grabbed Vain's hand and stared into his eyes, her cheeks flushed and her expression uneasy.
"Brother Vain, I..."
Whoosh—
However, the very next moment, Mu Yao, who had just started to speak, bizarrely disappeared before Vain's eyes. Even her warm touch was instantly pulled away.
Vain, who had witnessed the scene, froze instantly.
The sudden emptiness in his hands couldn't help but make him question his life.
Just because...