Just as Lü Heng began to suspect this was a deathbed hallucination, he wondered why his final vision was so strange. Had his life truly been devoid of meaningful memories? Why was he seeing illusions of Peace Dove and Soup Dumpling?
Then, his vision gradually cleared, indicating the female ghost had relinquished its influence over him. The figures of the two girls became distinct—unmistakably Peace Dove and Soup Dumpling.
How could they be here?
Had the female ghost abandoned its attack? Was it truly because he was alone that he had been targeted?
As these thoughts raced through his mind, Firefly noticed Lü Heng's disheveled appearance and paused, startled. "What are you doing on the third floor? What happened?"
Hearing her voice, Lü Heng slowly stopped walking and glanced back quickly. Sure enough, the female ghost that had been chasing him had vanished without a trace. But as he turned back, about to breathe a sigh of relief, he spotted the disheveled, long-haired head emerging from the ground behind Peace Dove.
It was clear the chase wasn't over. Instead of continuing to pursue the wary Lü Heng, who had proven a tough nut to crack after a prolonged chase, the female ghost had chosen a new target: Firefly, who appeared easier to intimidate and lacked any defenses.
"Watch out!" Lü Heng shouted immediately, a wave of regret washing over him. He didn't know why Peace Dove and Soup Dumpling were here, but one thing was certain: if they died here now, Lü Heng would bear at least half the blame.
That's what he believed, anyway.
If he hadn't clung to that sliver of hope, if he hadn't been so indecisive, would he have ended up fleeing all the way to the third floor before stopping?
But dwelling on the past was pointless now. Lü Heng wasn't far from Firefly, but there was no way he could reach her before the female ghost attacked. Even if he managed to, what could he possibly do?
As for Firefly, she had sensed the movement beside her at the same moment Lü Heng shouted his warning—perhaps even a fraction of a second earlier. Thanks to her exceptional dynamic vision, she could see every move the female ghost made with perfect clarity.
No, it wasn't just her dynamic vision. Firefly realized the female ghost's movements were exceptionally slow, especially as she approached. It was as if the ghost were wading through an invisible swamp, each action dragging through countless unseen restraints, unfolding before Firefly like a video playing at half speed.
"What's going on?" Though bewildered by the situation, Firefly decisively drew her Transformation Device. A cyan Lightsaber materialized, and with a single swift motion, she decapitated the ghost.
In a competitive game, if your opponent disconnects, you seize the opportunity for a kill. No one waits out of kindness for them to reconnect, right?
Thud!
The ghost's hair-shrouded head fell to the ground with a heavy thud, rolling several times. Firefly froze. This female ghost actually has a physical body?
She had assumed it would dissipate instantly, like the Dark Shadow Teacher earlier.
As Firefly pondered the ghost's corporeality, Soup Dumpling, who had been hiding behind her, gaped in awe. Though they had discussed "strength" repeatedly on their journey, this was the first time Soup Dumpling had witnessed Firefly slaying a monster firsthand.
To Soup Dumpling, the scene might have seemed merely novel. After all, the female ghost moved so slowly, looked like a generic horror movie ghost, and was dispatched with a single, unimpressive swipe. Utter trash.
But for Lü Heng, who stood across from them, "outrageous" didn't even begin to describe it. He knew the female ghost's strength and capabilities all too well after being relentlessly hunted by her for so long. Yet now, what had he just witnessed?
The ghost emerged, a cyan flash streaked through the air, and her head rolled to the ground.
The entire sequence lasted less than two seconds. Wait, was that it? Lü Heng thought, Was killing a ghost as casual as stepping on an ant on the sidewalk?
"You... this... I...?" Lü Heng stammered, his mind reeling, unable to form a coherent sentence.
"Hehe, what do you think? Peace Dove is amazing, right?" Soup Dumpling crowed with pride at Lü Heng's stunned expression. "Don't worry, you're safe with us now! Just wait for my sworn sister to lead us to victory!"
Ignoring the strange man, Firefly turned to Lü Heng and asked, "So, what exactly is going on with you?"
After a few moments to compose himself, Lü Heng took a deep breath and explained how he had been relentlessly pursued since separating from his group. Then he countered, "And what about you? What's your story?"
Barely able to process the fact that the formidable enemy who had been hunting him had been casually slain by a seemingly soft and adorable girl, Lü Heng ventured, "Are you an Evolver?"
"Uh... no, I'm not," Firefly replied immediately. To admit she was an Evolver would be akin to confessing to a crime. According to the law, Evolvers and Transformers from one country were required to register their presence when entering another. Failure to do so was illegal, and Firefly had clearly not registered. Admitting to being an Evolver now would instantly make her a criminal suspect.
As for why there were no corresponding laws for Outsiders, their numbers were simply too small to warrant specific legislation. Besides, if a foreign national committed a crime, there was no need to involve the legal system. Instead, the respective governments would communicate directly, demanding explanations from the offender's home nation.
Firefly wasn't particularly worried about the potential consequences. After all, she hadn't committed any heinous acts—no murder, no arson, nothing malicious. She had merely slain a few monsters within the extraordinary circumstances of the Dimensional Rift. Perhaps her only concern was how to explain her combat capabilities to the European Union.
But that could wait. "Let's talk about me later," Firefly said. "Right now, isn't this Dimensional Rift our top priority?"
"You're right..." Lü Heng nodded. Having a powerful new ally suddenly appear in the Rift was undoubtedly a stroke of good fortune.
"Soup Dumpling and I have thoroughly searched the first and second floors," Firefly reported. "We didn't find anything suspicious, except that all the classrooms are completely empty."
Lü Heng chuckled wryly. "I'm even less informed. That damned female ghost has been chasing me relentlessly."
Silence fell between them. So, what exactly was the Clearance Method for this Dimensional Rift?
P.S.: Lü Heng isn't a student, so he's exempt from the "no running in the hallways" school rule.