Chapter 529: Action Before Seven
01:45 PM.
The Change Residence.
Tucked away on an unassuming corner at 52nd Street and 10th Avenue in Hell's Kitchen lies a complex of buildings known only to shapeshifters.
These buildings blend so seamlessly into the surroundings that ordinary people passing by would pass by without even noticing.
This concealment, meticulously crafted through advanced magic and shapeshifting techniques, makes it one of the shapeshifters' favorite safe houses.
Sera Change drove his car along a familiar route toward the Change Residence—a hidden location known only to a few.
As a Thousand Faces and Illusionist, Sera possesses the unique ability to change appearance and identity, making him a natural fit for his missions.
He is the family's market intelligence expert, skilled at transforming into various identities to infiltrate different social circles, gathering information and providing data support for the family's business decisions.
He is also a member of the esoteric cult, the Emetics. He participated in the development of numerous banned drugs now circulating on the market, possessing profound knowledge of pharmacology and magical abilities.
He is also a radical conservative. He expresses extreme opposition and dissatisfaction with the family's decision to divest from the esoteric medicine industry, believing it to be a betrayal of family interests and traditions.
Sera is one of the most radical voices opposing the family's strategy of retreating quickly, believing that the family's business interests and traditions should be upheld and protected, even in the face of pressure from the Administration and the Municipal Affairs Bureau.
He attempts to gather support within the family to prevent a complete divestment from the esoteric medicine industry.
Today, as usual, Sera stopped at a regular gas station to refuel.
This gas station is located on his usual route and has become an integral part of his itinerary. He believes his itinerary is foolproof, as he always arrives there in a different appearance, driving a different car model, and using a different gender.
Behind the gas booth, the familiar female attendant remained at her post, her movements mechanical and practiced, as if she had repeated this scene countless times.
She charged Serra, as if she were treating any ordinary customer, without a ripple.
This was the final toll booth on the boulevard, marking Serra's departure from the familiar urban landscape and entry into a more secluded realm.
He tapped the brakes, the car slowly coming to a stop in front of the counter. Then, as usual, he pulled a banknote from his pocket and handed it to the attendant.
This simple action had become a habit for Serra. He disliked paying with a debit card because it left his payment information, even if it was an anonymous card.
On this ordinary afternoon, Serra sat in his Berlinetta, his slightly tilted body and the slightly rolled-up window betraying his habitual vigilance.
He stared intently at the toll booth attendant, waiting for the change to arrive. Despite the waiter's deft and skillful movements, Sera's vigilance remained high.
Even so, he couldn't foresee what was about to happen—a moment that would become the starting point of endless regret.
His daily life in Terra's present world was as peaceful as flowing water. Sera's past businesses and operations had almost always gone smoothly, and this success had, to some extent, weakened his vigilance.
He underestimated his enemies, especially the Administration's extensive and sophisticated intelligence network, and their decisiveness and resoluteness. He also overestimated the unity and strength of his own family.
Just as he was distracted, waiting for his change, a rapid and abrupt sound shattered the afternoon's tranquility.
Bang—
Beep, beep—
It was the sound of cars colliding, harsh and tense.
At the same moment of the collision, Sera's peripheral vision caught an unusual sight outside the car—two cars suddenly appeared from nowhere, pinning his car between them like precision machines, causing a violent collision.
He noticed that neither car had a driver.
Sera's heart pounded as his mind rapidly analyzed the situation.
"Cars appearing out of nowhere, without a driver..."
These details quickly pieced together in his mind like a puzzle, and he realized the truth almost instantly.
"Administration!!!"
Bang—
The car he was in was directly trapped and quickly collapsed into a ball.
At the moment the car was about to explode, Sera activated his extraordinary Transfiguration ability. His body began to transform rapidly, flowing like mercury, squeezing through the cracks inside the car, attempting to escape this dangerous area as quickly as possible.
His transformation abilities reached their peak at this moment, as he attempted to transform into a lithe bird, quickly ascending into the air and escaping the impending disaster.
However, just as he was about to escape successfully...
Boom—
A resounding explosion erupted behind him like thunder.
A massive blast of air swept all around, a force so powerful that even Sera, still transforming in mid-air, struggled to withstand it. His trajectory was suddenly overturned, and his body tumbled uncontrollably.
The force of this explosion far exceeded Sera's expectations. Clearly, this was no ordinary vehicle explosion; it must have been equipped with highly effective explosives.
All of this pointed to one fact: the Administration had not only used their intelligence network to launch a precise ambush on him, but also intended to eliminate him in one fell swoop.
Struggling in the air, Sera felt a mixture of shock and fear. The directness and ferocity of this attack had exceeded his expectations. They had become accustomed to the weakness of the Honkai Administration, which had only been established a few months earlier.
As the sixth core institution of the Kingdom of Heaven, the Administration was weak and powerless. Everyone viewed this organization, which attracted a large number of disabled secular personnel, as a charitable institution established by the Kingdom of Heaven in an attempt to secularize itself, as a soft target that had yet to develop.
The Administration's position as one of the three major powers of the New World Alliance was entirely due to its parentage, the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, its treatment of all New World forces affiliated with the Administration was vehemently disobeyed.
This situation only improved slightly after the announcement of the Fourth Sword-Bearer of the Kingdom of Heaven taking up residence at the Administration headquarters and becoming its Director.
Everyone knew that this newly ascended supernova of the Kingdom of Heaven would undoubtedly carry out drastic reforms within the Administration's jurisdiction and would undoubtedly attempt to promote the Kingdom of Heaven's "human supremacy" in the New World.
As a result, many in Hell's Kitchen temporarily became more docile, but they were simply afraid of the wielder of great power.
They simply feared that great power. Regarding alien races, or even the various realms, no one would willingly submit to the devil or the abyss.
How could the angels arbitrarily decide what to do with our lives? How to distribute the benefits that rightfully belong to us?
What a joke! The Kingdom of Heaven is only powerful, not invincible!
This is the thinking of most young aliens, including Sera Change.
According to his prediction, the authority's leader would have to be patient for at least a few months, stabilizing his power, before taking action against Hell's Kitchen and the Hub District.
He believed that during this time, through his own abilities and wisdom, he could maintain his partnership with the Esoteric Emetics without violating his family's interests. Then, they would form alliances, win over all the hub forces and aliens in Hell's Kitchen, then the twenty-five alien states, the merchant associations in the border regions, and the Golden Courts of the various realms behind the Hub chaebols...
Use this momentum to put pressure on the Authority and force its authorities to compromise!
His idea was a brilliant one. Many young people were like this, and it wasn't wishful thinking.
The entire Federation allowed the Authority and the Fourth Sword-Bearer of Heaven to reside in Eddiesi only out of fear of a collective madness among the Celestial Angels.
Isolating Celestialism is the politically correct course of action in the Federation's new world, and everyone will attempt to pressure the Authority and the one behind it.
This is a silent game, and Sera's greatest mistake in this struggle is overestimating himself.
In the eyes of the Authority, he is merely a "gift" casually crossed off the list by that master.
At this moment, the searing pain from the explosion behind him burned Sera's back like a thousand needles piercing his body, ruthlessly interrupting his attempt at bird transformation.
In agony, he could no longer maintain any form, transforming into an amorphous pool of green liquid that dripped onto the ground.
This kind of extreme pain and loss of control was something Sera had rarely experienced. He had always mastered Transfiguration with ease, but now he was forced into such a dire situation.
As he struggled to reassemble his form, Sera glimpsed several burly figures wearing masks adorned with strange emojis, slowly approaching him.
The expressions on these masks were distorted and sarcastic, giving him a chilling feeling at first sight.
Two of them, in particular, wore unique brass knuckles that shimmered with a faint light.
As they approached, without hesitation or pause, they smashed their shape-sealing knuckles at Sera's liquid form.
Bang—
The moment the knuckles touched Sera, a throbbing pain, even more intense than the pain from the explosion, ripped through every inch of his "muscles." The intense pain instantly engulfed Sera's entire being, a pain far greater than physical damage, striking deep within his soul.
Sera felt the entire body part that had been struck convulsing, and even more terrifyingly, he discovered that his form had been forcibly frozen in the unbearable pain. The effect of the brass knuckles was evident, solidifying his once fluid, liquid form into an immutable, "humanoid" green object.
As his final consciousness faded, his gaze locked onto the masked figure at the head. He was a massive figure, with two striking horns on his head. This feature stood out in Sera's blurry vision, and he realized that this figure was no ordinary creature.
Just as Sera tried to gather his remaining consciousness to analyze the situation, the man clapped his hands gently, as if signaling something.
Instantly, invisible ripples formed in the air, like a stone thrown into still water.
And as these ripples spread, a weapon appeared that felt both familiar and unfamiliar to Sera—the Authority's bolter.
The tension reached a crescendo.
Each of the surrounding people clutched a bolter. This high-tech weapon looked particularly menacing in the darkness.
Their target was the amorphous, jelly-like "humanoid" creatures ahead. He was unable to transform due to the effects of his brass knuckles, and now he could only face the impending attack in this helpless form.
"Go!"
With a command, everyone pulled the trigger almost simultaneously, and the bolters began to unleash their might.
Bang, bang, bang—
Bang, bang, bang—
Fire burst in the air, like fireworks, but with a hint of destruction.
The bolts exploded against the "humanoids," sending sparks flying and a deafening roar.
The attack lasted nearly a minute. Throughout, Sera, frozen in his form, was unable to escape and could only wait in agony for the outcome.
The horned, masked figure in the lead appeared remarkably calm amidst the violence. He glanced down at his watch, seemingly calculating the time.
Then, he looked up at Serra, who had "accidentally passed away," his expression unreadable.
He gently signaled his men to take action, and the surrounding operators immediately understood his intention.
They approached the wreckage of the vehicle, ravaged by the explosion, its frame now ablaze. This vehicle, a witness to the brutality of the attack, would now become Serra's final resting place.
Without hesitation, the operators carefully placed Serra, bullet-riddled and lifeless, inside the vehicle, as if conducting a grotesque funeral.
Amid the flame-lit ruins, a dramatic scene quietly unfolded.
Inside the blazing vehicle, the man known as the "accidental victim" lay in the driver's seat, his body unrecognizable, only his outline engulfed in flames.
Flames licked at the wreckage, and everything around was engulfed in this catastrophic tragedy.
The entire vehicle was completely engulfed in flames, becoming the brightest focal point in the ruins.
The blazing flames danced, tinting everything around with an orange-red glow.
Black smoke rose into the air, blending with the night sky to create a scene of apocalypse.
The flames licked every corner, mercilessly destroying every part of the vehicle. The glass windows shattered, and the paintwork was burned black, its original color and shape unrecognizable.
The flames reflected on the faces of the people around, casting flickering shadows and adding a sense of eeriness and terror to this sudden disaster.
At this moment, Special Operator Green Ox, standing not far away, glanced at his watch again. Time seemed to weigh down.
He said in a deep voice, "There are 17 more. This operation must be completed before seven o'clock."
His voice was calm, but each word was like a hammer.
Green Ox glanced at the surrounding team members and continued, "Moon Rabbit will be responsible for the cleanup. They will contain the spread of intelligence, and we just need to complete the work before seven o'clock."
Moon Rabbit and his team were responsible for the cleanup, which not only required them to deal with the traces at the scene but also ensure that this operation would not attract excessive attention from the outside world.
This was the first operation of the Administration task force, so every detail must be perfect.
Green Ox and his team, as the direct executors of this operation, must accurately strike the remaining targets within the specified time to ensure the smooth progress of the entire operation.
This was the Administration's first gift to its "friends," and it deserved to be treated with extraordinary respect.