"Phew... Luckily... luckily I made it in time."
The girl propped her hands on her knees, her chest heaving violently.
Sweat slid down her cheeks, dripping onto the concrete ground covered in scorch marks.
The air was thick with a pungent smell of ozone mixed with the foul stench of charred meat.
Cyrene stood a few paces away, her azure rhombic pupils flickering slightly.
Although she hadn't seen the strike itself, the charred body of the monster nearby served as proof of just how staggering that power had been.
However, it seemed the monster hadn't been successfully killed.
After all, that red dot on the radar had not yet disappeared.
"Um... excuse me, are you alright?"
Cyrene blinked, quickly concealing the scrutiny in her gaze and replacing it with the cautious look of someone who had been frightened.
She took a small, tentative step forward and asked in a tone tinged with concern.
"I... I'm fine."
Hearing the voice, the girl took a sharp breath and straightened her back stubbornly as if to prove she was okay.
She wiped the sweat from her forehead with force, attempting to maintain her dignified posture as Thunder.
But her overextended body clearly refused to cooperate.
Her slender legs were trembling uncontrollably, and her face was as pale as a sheet of paper.
"Lord Thunder!"
The man disguised as the pancake Stall Owner finally snapped back to his senses.
He immediately holstered his handgun and rushed over in a few strides, supporting the girl. His weather-beaten face was filled with worry and self-reproach.
"Are you all right? Is it an ability overdraft?"
Looking at this young girl in her early twenties, who clearly should have been spending a peaceful time on a school campus but was instead running around dealing with Xenogeneic matters, a hint of heartache flashed in the Stall Owner's eyes.
"I said I'm fine! Uncle Wang, don't make such a big deal out of it!"
An Ning somewhat awkwardly avoided the Stall Owner's hand. Her brows were furrowed, and while her tone was blunt, it held less anger and more bravado.
"I'm just... just a bit weak right now! I'll be fine after resting for two minutes!"
She emphasized through gritted teeth, as if admitting to weakness was something that would damage her dignity.
Then, she raised a slightly trembling finger and pointed at the charred mass of flesh slowly writhing not far away.
"Hurry up and take this thing away! It's one thing that we can't kill it, but why can't we even keep it contained?"
"Yes! I'll contact them immediately!"
The Stall Owner known as Uncle Wang nodded, giving the stubborn girl a complex look before turning aside, pulling out his phone, and beginning to call for backup.
Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps approached.
Chen Lang, fully armed and holding the still-hot stun gun, rushed out of the factory gate.
When he saw the charred monster on the ground and the swaying An Ning standing nearby, his tense shoulders visibly relaxed.
After letting out a long sigh, Chen Lang stepped forward quickly and stood at attention to salute.
"Lord Thunder, my apologies. It was our poor supervision that led to the Reviver going out of control, forcing you to step in again."
"Fine, fine, skip the perfunctory. I have a general idea of the situation; it's not your fault."
An Ning waved her hand irritably, then her gaze unconsciously drifted toward Cyrene, who was standing to the side looking somewhat lost.
She sighed, forcing herself to perk up.
Turning around, An Ning straightened her messy collar and tried to put on a stern face to make herself look professional.
She fished a black leather wallet from her pocket and snapped it open in front of Cyrene.
It was a special identification card, with an exquisite metal badge embedded next to it.
A shield served as the base, a silver sword sat in the center, and golden chains were wrapped around it, reflecting a cold, hard luster in the sunlight.
Then, she extended her right hand toward Cyrene.
"Hello, I am from the Special Bureau Action Team, code name Thunder, real name An Ning. This is my identification."
"Ah?"
Cyrene let out a perfectly timed, short exclamation of surprise.
She first stared blankly at the badge, then glanced at the charred mass of flesh not far away, as if she hadn't yet recovered from the shock.
After two seconds, she seemed to snap out of it and looked timidly at the girl in front of her.
"He... hello, my name is Cyrene."
After speaking, Cyrene did not shake hands immediately.
Her gaze instinctively fell on An Ning's extended right hand.
There were still faint red marks on that hand, seemingly traces left behind by a current overload.
After confirming there were no blue electric arcs jumping at the fingertips, Cyrene then hesitantly reached out and lightly shook it.
The moment their palms touched, Cyrene felt a damp heat.
It was cold sweat.
Although she didn't know exactly what they meant by ability overdraft, Cyrene had read enough novels to understand the general gist.
It seemed this Miss Thunder was likely at the end of her tether.
After the brief contact, An Ning quickly withdrew her hand.
"Ms. Cyrene, as you have seen."
She turned slightly and pointed at the mass of flesh that was still twitching faintly, her tone becoming businesslike.
"This kind of creature... does not belong to the realm of common sense. Its existence is a massive threat to ordinary people."
An Ning paused, her eyes fixed on Cyrene's as if trying to see through the beautiful girl's thoughts.
"For your own safety, and to avoid causing unnecessary panic, I hope you can come with us."
"We need you to give a statement at the bureau and sign some confidentiality agreements. I hope you will cooperate."
Hearing this, Cyrene bit her lower lip, a conflicted expression appearing on her face.
Go with the Official Authority?
This was undoubtedly putting herself under the spotlight; one wrong move and her identity could be exposed.
But if she refused now...
She glanced at Uncle Wang, who was on the phone nearby, and Chen Lang, who although having lowered his weapon, still had a wary gaze.
Turning and running at this juncture would only cause the suspicion level on her to explode instantly, and she might even be handled as an accomplice of the monster.
Moreover, since she had already shown her face on this stage, she had to play the role of the innocent Passerby to the end.
Thinking of this, Cyrene quickly calculated in her mind.
Phainon had not been exposed and was still lurking in the dark.
As long as she stuck to the story that she was just passing by, the most they would do is check her background and let her go after signing a paper.
Besides...
Cyrene's peripheral vision subtly swept over the heavy shadows behind her.
If she truly reached a dead end where she couldn't escape, having Phainon on the outside as backup would be a necessary last resort.
Even if that was the outcome she least wanted to see.
"...Alright."
After a period of "careful consideration," Cyrene nodded gently, her voice soft but tinged with helplessness.
"Since it's for safety... I will cooperate with you."
"Thank you for your understanding."
Hearing Cyrene agree, the tense lines of An Ning's face finally softened, and her lips curled into a slightly weary smile.
She closed her ID and tucked it back into her pocket.
"Come with me."
After speaking, An Ning turned and walked toward a black Special Service Vehicle parked by the roadside.
Cyrene followed obediently like a well-behaved student.
As the car door opened, a blast of cold air hit them.
An Ning signaled for Cyrene to sit in the back seat, then she climbed in herself, leaning heavily against the backrest with a comfortable sigh.
The engine roared, tires gripped the pavement, and the Special Service Vehicle quickly drove away from the messy scene.
Silence returned to the street once more.
Only the leftover charred monster remained, its newly grown buds of flesh slowly writhing under the sunlight.
A few seconds later.
In the shadows not far from where the vehicle had been parked, the air suddenly distorted.
A foot wearing black long boots stepped silently onto the ground.
Phainon walked slowly out from the darkness.
He did not look at the regenerating monster; his pupils, which held a golden luster, remained locked on the vehicle that was gradually disappearing into the distance.
Without any wasted movement.
The muscles in his legs instantly tensed and exerted power.
His figure vanished from the spot, chasing after them soundlessly like a ghost without a physical form.