After quietly reviewing the documents, Azrael picked up his office phone and dialed a number.
"Director Diesel, come to my office."
Not long after, Diesel appeared in the Vice President's office.
"Vice President, you wanted to see me."
Azrael nodded, handing over the documents.
"Tell me about this situation. There must be something problematic with this secret realm, correct? Otherwise, it wouldn't have been escalated to my level."
Normally, the appearance of a secret realm wouldn't require a Lore Cardian of Azrael's caliber to intervene.
Standard protocol dictated that regional branches handled such incidents within their own jurisdictions.
Now that Azrael had received this document, it indicated this newly discovered secret realm posed extraordinary complications.
Diesel's next words confirmed his suspicions, "Exactly."
"This secret realm that materialized in Laiyang County differs from typical manifestations. It's surrounded by densely populated residential areas."
"The entire district has been placed under martial law. We must determine whether civilian evacuation is necessary before proceeding with containment protocols."
The square-faced middle-aged man spoke with obvious gravity.
He had escalated this secret realm incident specifically because it had manifested within a heavily populated urban zone, an unprecedented complication.
Upon hearing this assessment, Azrael stood immediately. "No time to waste! Take me to the location immediately."
"Understood."
The summer afternoon hung oppressively hot, especially after recent rainfall had increased the humidity to stifling levels.
"Have you heard? Martial law's been declared in Old Pan's neighborhood," a middle-aged man in a white tank top whispered conspiratorially to several elderly residents seated on small stools nearby.
However, the other elderly citizens paid no attention to his gossip, instead admiringly observing the compact fan in his hands that generated a faint but blessed stream of cool air.
"Your son is truly filial! That card isn't inexpensive, is it?"
Hearing this praise, the old man immediately abandoned his previous topic. "Of course it wasn't cheap! This is the association's newest utility card, the [Portable Electric Fan - Super Cooling Endurance Enhanced Edition]. Even with my limited mental strength, it operates for hours."
"Eight hundred Empyrean Dollars! I scolded that boy for such wasteful spending. What do you think of that?"
Although the old man complained about his son's expenditure, his words brimmed with pride and satisfaction.
Just then, a young man passed by, glancing briefly at the elderly group.
He recognized the truth behind the old man's gossip, as he lived within the affected complex. The association had temporarily relocated him, though he'd returned today hoping to retrieve something essential from his apartment.
As he considered offering cigarettes as bribes to gain entry, a cold voice halted his approach, "Stop right there!"
Looking up, he saw a Lore Cardian from the association, approximately his own age. "The area ahead is under security lockdown. Please take an alternate route."
The young man forced an ingratiating smile, withdrawing cigarettes from his pocket. "Hello, sir," he began, explaining his situation.
But the Lore Cardian remained unmoved, mechanically repeating his instructions, "The area ahead is under security lockdown. Please take an alternate route."
The young man froze, caught between desperate necessity and immovable bureaucracy.
The identification documents he needed to retrieve were essential for starting his new job today.
While the association could eventually reissue official documents, by that time his employment opportunity would have vanished completely.
Just as he prepared another persuasive attempt, the association's Lore Cardian suddenly stiffened, then hurried toward a slender young man who had just arrived.
Only then did the citizen notice two figures standing at his community's entrance: a young man and a square-faced middle-aged official.
He watched the association's Lore Cardian bow respectfully while speaking to the young man, who then looked directly at him.
An inexplicable chill ran down his spine, as if something predatory had assessed him as potential prey.
Fortunately, the sensation passed quickly.
The young man patted the association's Lore Cardian's shoulder, apparently giving instructions, before the official quickly returned.
"President Azrael requested your name and apartment address."
"He'll personally retrieve your belongings. Please wait here."
The citizen started in surprise. "My name is Stephen, and I live at 602, Building 7, Laiyang Village 3."
President Azrael?
Which President Azrael?
"Vice President, is there a problem?"
Diesel whispered to the young man beside him.
Azrael dismissed the concern with a wave. "If he can successfully deceive two Gold-level Lore Cardians, then I'll concede the victory to him."
With that declaration, a Shadowkhan soldier materialized, bowing respectfully before vanishing into shadow to retrieve Stephen's identification from Room 602, Building 7.
"Has Director Diesel dispatched reconnaissance teams into the secret realm?"
Azrael asked casually, setting aside this minor matter.
Diesel shook his head. "Until now, this secret realm has remained in preliminary formation stages. The entrance was unstable, preventing our teams from entering safely."
Azrael understood the situation.
Secret realms rarely materialized instantaneously. An unstable spatial fissure typically appeared first, gradually stabilizing into a functional entrance over time.
If a Lore Cardian with sufficient spatial manipulation abilities interfered during initial formation, they could potentially disrupt the manifestation entirely.
Destruction wasn't the precise term, as Lore Cardians on Earth couldn't observe conditions on the opposite side of spatial rifts.
However, such intervention required considerable spatial manipulation expertise to achieve meaningful results.
The challenge was that secret realms usually manifested in remote, sparsely populated areas, making early detection difficult for association monitoring systems.
This marked the first time Azrael had encountered a secret realm materializing directly within a densely populated urban district.
"Unfortunately, Shiraori can't maintain this identity currently."
Otherwise, Azrael could have attempted using Shiraori's spatial magic to investigate whether the secret realm's formation could be prevented.
"Let's proceed. Time to examine this secret realm personally."
After speaking, Azrael took the lead, striding into the deserted neighborhood.
Diesel watched the young man's determined figure, his expression flickering with complex emotions, before sighing silently and following.
"Why is this taking so long?"
Stephen sat restlessly on the curb, waiting for Vice President Azrael to retrieve his identification documents.
Both the young official and the square-faced middle-aged man had been inside the complex for considerable time without reappearing.
Glancing at the association's Lore Cardian standing guard beside him, Stephen scratched his head and initiated conversation, "That Vice President Azrael is the national champion, correct?"
Remembering Azrael's instructions to engage with the civilian, the Lore Cardian decided to respond, "Yes, that's correct."
"Thought so," Stephen muttered.
Azrael's face, seemingly younger than his own, flashed through his memory, causing him to grimace wryly. "We're roughly the same age, so why is there such an enormous gap between us?"
"But can a Silver-level Lore Cardian really serve as Vice President?"
Hearing this question, the association's Lore Cardian replied in a strange tone, "Vice President Azrael already achieved Gold-level advancement."
"Didn't you see the online footage?"
"Huh? Gold-level?" Stephen started in shock. "What online footage?"
Before he could finish his inquiry, the ground began trembling violently.
"What the hell is happening?"
BOOM!
A deafening explosion shattered the air.
Several residential buildings in Laiyang Village 3 collapsed instantaneously into rubble and dust.
"Holy shit! I bought that apartment with a thirty-year mortgage and monthly payments of two thousand Empyrean Dollars!"
Stephen suddenly recalled an online joke he'd seen: When an Association Lore Cardian's summoned creature lifts your two hundred thousand Empyrean Dollar car and hurls it at a demon, only for the demon to dodge and the projectile to land on your house, the same house you've been paying for over thirty years, will you still trust the Association?
While he brooded over his demolished home, the association's Lore Cardian beside him had already reacted, hastily explaining, "The Association will handle reconstruction costs. Don't overthink this, just run."
Stephen snapped back to reality and scrambled to escape.
But as he stood, the violent tremors sent him stumbling and crashing to the ground.
He hugged his knees, his face contorting as he whispered, "I'm never going to mock those ridiculous disaster movies again. Why do helpless supporting characters always trip at the worst possible moments?"
Ordinary people, when confronted with genuine terror, could indeed become paralyzed by overwhelming fear.
"There it is."
"No wonder it was detected immediately upon manifestation."
Azrael sighed, observing the massive spatial fissure that had nearly bisected an entire residential building while continuing to expand ominously.
"Can you estimate the precise timeline for stabilization, Director Diesel?"
Everyone possessed specialized expertise. Before arriving in Donglai, Azrael had been an ordinary student, an exceptionally unremarkable one at that.
Naturally, he lacked familiarity with secret realm emergence and formation protocols.
That's why he had requested Diesel's presence.
"Stabilization should occur within the next two days."
"Compared to its initial expansion rate, growth has slowed considerably."
Azrael nodded acknowledgment.
Just as he prepared to respond, the trembling, flickering spatial fissure suddenly stabilized completely.
Then, a faint azure vortex materialized within the rift.
Azrael's pupils constricted as numerous cards instantly appeared before him in defensive formation.
"Director Diesel, immediately organize civilian evacuation from surrounding areas. Demons from the secret realm are beginning their invasion."
"Also send an urgent message to headquarters requesting immediate reinforcements."
Without hesitation, the black-haired young man made his critical decision instantaneously.
As an experienced Lore Cardian stationed along the coast for decades, Diesel naturally understood the situation's gravity.
He could already sense the malevolent energy emanating from the opposite side of the portal.
"Understood!"
After receiving Azrael's orders, Diesel pursed his lips, then gritted his teeth and declared, "Vice President Azrael, you should retreat immediately."
"After all, no one knows what conditions exist on the other side."
Hearing this suggestion, Azrael replied without turning back, "Don't concern yourself with my safety. If the situation truly becomes untenable, I'll make my own strategic withdrawal decision."
The young man's expression remained stern, his eyes fixed unwaveringly on the secret realm entrance.
Layers of thunderclouds began gathering overhead, bright lightning crackling through their dark masses.
"For now, let me assess the quality of these demons personally!"
Diesel fell silent. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke with solemn resolve, "I spoke out of turn."
"I will remain here with you until the end, Vice President."
Hearing this declaration, Azrael glanced at the square-faced middle-aged man with surprise, then sudden understanding dawned.
"A paradox addict."
"I see."
"Damn it, move, you useless legs!"
Stephen braced his hands against his wobbling knees and growled in frustration.
Although he had managed to stand after his fall, whether from terror or injury severity, he could only move slowly, step by agonizing step.
Clearly, this pace provided no assistance in escaping the danger zone behind him.
Meanwhile, orange energy beams flashed across the sky, and a purple half-giant loomed menacingly amid the ruins of Laiyang Village 3.
"God, am I going to die here today?"
Stephen swallowed hard, his throat dry.
He slapped his cheeks and attempted self-encouragement, "Stephen, Stephen, you can't die here. You're the man who aspires to become the King of Assembly Line Workers."
Thinking of his bleak future prospects, Stephen's expression fell. "Maybe dying here would be preferable."
However, after this moment of dark humor, his legs regained some strength.
Just as the worker prepared to run again, a faint cry carried by the wind reached his ears.
"Caliburn!"
Stephen couldn't resist looking back. He witnessed a golden torrent of light slashing down from the sky, instantly engulfing the site of Laiyang Village 3.
Simultaneously, countless attacks shimmering with varied luminescence rose from the ground to meet the golden torrent.
Continuous detonations echoed as the multicolored energy attacks and golden light remained locked in fierce stalemate.
A moment later, both forces intertwined and detonated in a massive explosion.
"Is this really a person?"
Stephen muttered, his words almost a groan.
The young man, witnessing the Lore Cardian battling demons from the secret realm, only now truly comprehended this world's harsh realities.
Just as he regained his composure and prepared to flee, a massive shadow engulfed him completely.
The old, deteriorated buildings near Laiyang Village 3 could no longer withstand the battle's intensity.
"I..."
"I'm going to die?"
At that moment, Stephen's mind raced with final thoughts.
He closed his eyes in despair.
BOOM!
The sound of collapsing masonry thundered around him.
However, the pain and death he had anticipated never materialized.
Stephen opened his eyes in confusion, discovering several steel reinforcement bars and metal plates blocking the falling concrete debris.
Through the gray dust and smoke, he glimpsed a colossal black sand giant in the distance, its surface crackling with fine electrical arcs.
Above the giant's head stood a young man and a brown-haired woman.
"Is it him?"
In his daze, he seemed to see the young man and woman glance in his direction.
Before he could process this further, a figure in black clothing with blue-tinged skin appeared beside him.
The mysterious figure grasped his arm and guided him into the shadows beneath their feet.
When Stephen regained awareness, he found himself several kilometers away from Laiyang Village 3.
The figure in black handed him a transparent document folder before vanishing from sight completely.
He examined the contents quickly and discovered his identification documents inside.
Stephen stared at the folder in his hands, his heart, which had been pounding wildly with terror, gradually returning to normal rhythm.
Turning back, he could still observe the towering black giant in the distance.
"It really was him."
At that moment, two lightning bolts struck down like divine punishment, leaving only the roar of thunder reverberating between heaven and earth.