Who left their last words here?

Chapter 13 New Last Words
"You look ethereal, like..."

"Your kidneys are exhausted?"

Early that morning, Section Chief Liu appeared, carrying a silver-white metal briefcase in his left hand and a stainless steel thermos in his right.

Upon meeting him, he was startled by the heavy dark circles under Bai Zhou's eyes.

"—Our base shouldn't sell anything that could negatively impact the healthy development of teenagers, right?"

"You know, Section Chief... I'm adjusting to the time difference."

Bai Zhou forced a stiff smile, but his lifeless eyes resembled those of a dead fish that had been forgotten for half a year at the bottom of a freezer.

"Oh, I forgot that a day in the Reflection Ruins is thirty-six hours long."

Being stared at intently by Bai Zhou, Section Chief Liu felt inexplicably uneasy.

He couldn't help but miss the young man from Wancheng with clear eyes and a simple, honest voice when they first met.

"Actually, you don't have to smile."

Can't ask for it.

Bai Zhou promptly stopped smiling.

Even maintaining this position makes him feel tired.

This "energy-saving" lifestyle of reducing energy consumption has been going on for three days.

Meanwhile, Bai Zhou's late-night intensive training has been going on for three days now.

—Three days!
God knows how he got through those three days.

The elegant and mysterious explorers of knowledge that we imagine do not exist.

Some are simply victims of rote learning who are so exhausted they can barely walk and feel nauseous at the sight of mysterious symbols.

Before formally learning "Moon Ashes," one must first lay a solid foundation. So Bai Zhou swung his sword two thousand times every night, and painstakingly swung for three nights.

If your sword-wielding posture or breathing rhythm is slightly off, you'll be slapped on the hand with a stern face.

"Imagine a swallow flying past you, then cut it down... Don't leave any room for thought, let the swing of the sword become your instinct!"

However, this is only the "secret technique," or rather, the "physical fitness" part.

After practicing swordsmanship, I'll also learn to draw.

Let's start by drawing a sketch of an egg.

Then, you need to copy various mysterious symbols quickly and accurately.

If you draw a line crooked, you'll face the terrifying, abyssal gaze of the crow.

"So close, why so close again?"

Crow's face was expressionless, his tone cold and stern.

“If even one line is drawn crookedly, the ritual of healing becomes murder, and the means of attack becomes making an ice cream cake.”

"Protective charms will turn into trouble, and you'll get hit by bird droppings even when you're walking down the street."

"—You wouldn't want to keep spitting out slugs from your mouth because of a wrong symbol while purifying yourself, would you?"

...After drawing the stars, you also have to memorize star charts with no blind spots from every angle.

Stargazing is supposed to be a romantic thing, but for the first time, Bai Zhou felt that he had developed trypophobia from counting stars.

Even sleeping became a luxury during this period.

Because when Bai Zhou finally finished training and was about to pounce on the bed and unleash his wild side, transforming into a koala and sleeping soundly—

Crow casually pulled out a crystal ball from somewhere.

Bai Zhou was instructed to place the mysterious crystal ball, which emitted a cold, white mist, under his buttocks and use cross-legged meditation to replace sleep.

Although the crystal ball was both icy cold and uncomfortable, he had to admit that the "meditation" that Crow had taught him was indeed quite magical.

It can not only help him recover his energy significantly, but also allow his breathing to resonate with the pulse of his inner spirit, thereby relieving physical fatigue and subtly enhancing his physical fitness.

However, just last night, Crow added another requirement to him: to train his mental strength.

He was asked to try to bend a spoon remotely using his mind after meditation.

Bai Zhou thought this was a complete fantasy.

—But he still spent half the night in his secluded dormitory staring at the plastic soup spoon he had brought back from the cafeteria, the one he had used to eat Mapo Tofu that afternoon.

This also explains why Bai Zhou is particularly listless today.

"Open your eyes, young man!"

Section Chief Liu patted Bai Zhou on the shoulder twice.

"Young people should have the vigor of youth, like the sun at eight or nine in the morning. What kind of behavior is this? It's outrageous!"

"Alright, let me take you to the cafeteria for breakfast. A bowl of authentic spicy soup will give you energy for the whole day of work!"

He said the same thing yesterday.

Bai Zhou has been drinking spicy soup for three days now, following Section Chief Liu.

After the initial training for new employees, in accordance with the tradition of experienced employees mentoring new employees, each new employee was assigned their own "mentor" and followed them around to familiarize themselves with the work.

As far as Bai Zhou knew, these "veteran" specialists were basically at the P2 level.

But whether it was because of Bai Zhou's special physical condition, or because of what he had said in front of the dark room that left a deep impression on Section Chief Liu,

In short, he was fortunate to have Section Chief Liu personally supervise his internship, which gave him a head start over others.

However, Section Chief Liu's requirements were also the highest.

Although I found that Section Chief Liu was quite approachable after getting to know him, he was stern and unsmiling when he was working, and he couldn't tolerate the slightest mistake.

Thanks to him, Bai Zhou has become completely familiar with his work and has gained a basic understanding of the Special Administration.

...On the way to the cafeteria, people came and went.

The agents in suits walked in pairs, while those in trench coats hurried along carrying mechanical briefcases.

In the square where the executioners in black robes were held, I saw the familiar group of researchers in white coats stretching their arms, kicking their legs, twisting their hips, and turning their waists.

The radio on the tape recorder was blaring. Last time it was evening exercise, they played "The Federation is Calling," and this time it was morning exercise, and they played something called "Colorful Sunshine."

Fully armed soldiers patrolled by; they were all burly and tall, their heavy military boots clattering as they walked, their eyes sharp as if hunting.

But when they saw Section Chief Liu, they all bowed to him from the side of the road.

Section Chief Liu returned the greeting, and Bai Zhou followed suit.

"The security department is directly under the military, and the soldiers here are professional and never retire."

After the patrol team had gone far away, Section Chief Liu spoke up:
"But our commissioners are not bad either. Every commissioner at level P2 or above enjoys federal civil service status and special allowances."

"Section Chief, look..." Suddenly, Bai Zhou blinked and pointed into the distance, "What's going on over there?"

In the distance, shrouded in the hazy morning mist, a patrol team could be vaguely seen stirring.

Then, the crowd parted, and it seemed that several people rushed out from the middle, carrying several stretchers.

But as they emerged from the thick fog and approached, Bai Zhou suddenly perked up.

Because he discovered that these guys didn't seem to be human.

It was completely different from the humans on Earth that he knew, and it was more in line with his initial imagination of the "aliens" here.

At first glance, these creatures look like skeletons lurking in the depths of the fog, but upon closer inspection, they are revealed to be far more terrifying and incomprehensible “creatures.”

On his expressionless, pitch-black face, a pair of large, protruding glass eyes gleamed with an eerie light.

The nose, reflecting a dark metallic sheen, resembles a giant, upright pig snout, with two twisted, spiraling tubes arranged symmetrically around it.

—Just as Shiraishu saw.

—A demon shrouded in mist, wearing a trench coat, rushed toward Bai Zhou and his companions, accompanied by the rolling, flowing fog.

Do not……

Bai Zhou quickly replaced "evil spirit in the smoke" with a more fitting term, because he seemed to have seen a similar description in a fairy tale book when he was a child.

"—Pig-nosed demon!" Bai Zhou blurted out.

"Cough! Cough cough!" Section Chief Liu staggered on the spot, coughing incessantly even though he hadn't smoked.

“That’s a gas mask! This is a special agent from the Special Administration who came back from a field mission!” He glared at Bai Zhou.

"...I'll explain gas masks to you later, wait for me here!"

As he spoke, he hurried over to greet them.

"What happened!"

As he spoke, he helped lift the stretcher and hurried along with the team.

"—Isn't it still that damned Dead Sea Scrolls?"

The team carrying the stretcher jogged along, passing by Baizhou.

A "pig-nosed demon" answered in a muffled voice, followed by a complaining sound.

"We're looking for the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Blood Worshippers are searching for them even more frantically... and here we are, stumbling upon each other?"

"Too many brothers have been injured lately while searching for this damn thing."

"I don't know what the higher-ups are thinking..."

As the procession receded into the distance, the murmurs grew fainter.

Bai Zhou was left standing there, lost in thought.

—What did they just say?

The Dead Sea...secret scrolls?
—【Ha, no one would have guessed that the Dead Sea Scrolls they were after were buried under the big tree in front of the Yongning Life Care Center on Dongxing Road… They'll never find it in their lifetime!】

Dongxing Road, Yongning Life Care Center!

The Dead Sea Scrolls!
He seems to actually know the answer to this question?

—Only now did Bai Zhou understand. The “they” here actually referred to both the “official” forces represented by the Special Administration and the Blood Worship Cult.

However, the so-called Dead Sea Scrolls, which both sides desperately searched for and fought tooth and nail for...

What the hell is it?
As I was pondering this, I heard heavy footsteps beside me.

Section Chief Liu walked back, puffing on his cigarette and exhaling smoke, his expression inscrutable.

"Awaited."

Section Chief Liu beckoned to Bai Zhou, "Let's go, I'll take you to have breakfast."

……

Unlike other times, the cafeteria was not bustling with people; only a small number of people were sitting there sparsely.

It seems that most people don't have the habit of eating breakfast.

"Come on, here's some freshly fried dough sticks, eat them while they're hot."

Section Chief Liu brought over a basket of fried dough sticks, each one still sizzling with tiny oil bubbles, and the aroma instantly filled the air.

"Eat seven first, and ask for more if you're still not satisfied."

On the other side, Bai Zhou came over with two bowls of spicy soup and handed one of them to Section Chief Liu.

Bending down to sit, Bai Zhou picked up his chopsticks and casually asked:

"That was just now..."

After a moment of silence, Section Chief Liu sighed.

“They are the field team… P3 level specialists and a small number of elite P2 level specialists, who are qualified to form teams and carry out field missions.”

Section Chief Liu's expression was somewhat gloomy:

"Recently, the Blood Worship Cult lost something. This thing is of great importance; it is extremely valuable and extraordinary knowledge."

"The official high command obtained some clues from somewhere and attached great importance to this item, and arranged a series of actions for it."

As he spoke, he glanced at Bai Zhou and said, "The Blood Worship Cult's stronghold in Wancheng was discovered unintentionally during this process and was subsequently eliminated."

"—Now, it's not just our 36th branch, or even just the Special Administration."

“The entire city of Tinghai is searching for him, with all government agencies and departments involved.”

"Of course, the Blood Worship Cult is also searching, which has led to many conflicts between the two sides."

"The losses are devastating. In our branch alone, 36, many colleagues were injured... Of course, the Blood Worship Cult suffered even more."

At this point, Section Chief Liu paused, leaned forward slowly, and lowered his voice to say:
"In fact, many high-ranking members already believe that this item has likely fallen back into the hands of the Blood Worship Cult,"

"Their current appearance of still searching is very likely just a smokescreen to mislead the authorities..."

That's not actually the case...

Bai Zhou muttered to himself.

Dongxing Road... it should be within the so-called Tinghai City, right?
Although we cannot learn more about the Dead Sea Scrolls, its value is undeniable given the extent of the effort both sides have put in.

So, if he can get to that address, this thing... will be his?

Bai Zhou seemed to be deep in thought.

P2 and P3 level specialists are eligible to go on field missions...

He pondered in his heart, but remained outwardly calm.

Bai Zhou slurped up a mouthful of spicy soup with vinegar, while picking up a fried dough stick with his chopsticks.

"With both old and new grudges combined, the Blood Worship Cult is recklessly challenging the Federation's bottom line!"

Across from him, Section Chief Liu's face flushed red.
"The authorities have long wanted to wipe out these scourges, but unfortunately the Blood Worship Cult is too secretive and has many strongholds, so they have not been able to find the headquarters of the Blood Worship Cult."

"The higher-ups are worried that failing to kill the snake will only result in harm to themselves. The Blood Worship Cult, which has completely gone underground, is even more difficult to deal with. This is not without precedent..."

In the end, Section Chief Liu could only vent his anger by taking a vicious bite of the fried dough stick.

"However, the Blood Worship Cult has now gone to the point of near madness in its desire to retaliate against the authorities."

"When Heaven wishes to destroy someone, it first makes them go mad; the mader they are, the easier it is for them to reveal their true colors."

Section Chief Liu sneered.
"I don't think these lurking bugs will be able to run rampant for long!"

“Indeed.” Bai Zhou nodded in agreement. “The Blood Worship Cult…tsk!”

The mastermind behind everything in the city!

If there’s a chance…

Bai Zhou opened his mouth and took a big bite of the fried dough stick in front of him.

With a "crack," the crispy, golden-brown outer shell broke open, leaving a large gap on its surface.

—Crunchy!

……

A cold, dark room, a quiet corridor.

Under a long string of dark blue chandeliers, Bai Zhou and Section Chief Liu patrolled as usual.

Everything was eerily silent, but according to Section Chief Liu…

In places like this, only deathly silence can bring peace of mind.

If anything happens, not only Section Chief Liu and Bai Zhou, but the entire 36th branch will suffer.

Bai Zhou followed a step behind Section Chief Liu, and saw Section Chief Liu in front of him unscrewing the lid of the thermos in his hand with a "creak, creak".

As wisps of steam rise and the piping hot tea enters the mouth, the Adam's apple bobs in response.

"what……"

Section Chief Liu then let out a soft, satisfied sigh.

His thermos always seemed to be filled with goji berries and ginseng slices, and the stainless steel cup had a faded black lettering that read "Thanksgiving, Limited Edition Gift".

Actually, the keychain on his waist was also faded, with mottled and blurry paint, indicating that it had been used for a long time.

Only his crisp suit was truly neat and presentable, clearly having been carefully groomed.

—Of course, it's also possible that his wife helped him manage it.

A middle-aged person who lives a simple and frugal life can be quite stingy at times.

And... he's a good person.

This is Bai Zhou's perception of him.

After all, Section Chief Liu eats all three meals in the canteen every day, and he also packs up dinner for his whole family when he goes home, claiming it's to save on food expenses. He never makes a mistake when he can take advantage of small things.

He instinctively wanted to spit out a mouthful of tea leaves, but realizing he was in a dark room, Section Chief Liu instead chewed the tea leaves in his mouth.

In the vast, dark corridor, Bai Zhou could only hear the echoing footsteps of the two people and the sound of Section Chief Liu chewing tea leaves.

Turning corner after corner, passing dark rooms, peering through doors and windows, familiar last words came into view.

There are also two old acquaintances, the last words on the heads of [Blood Thirst] and [Johor Laurel].

Although only Bai Zhou knew that the "Johor Laurel" had absolutely no connection with Johor, the information was wildly inaccurate.

It's not incomprehensible, after all, that's how archaeology is; half of the content depends on guesswork.

Bai Zhou couldn't help but imagine what would happen if, a thousand years from now, future generations were to excavate these artifacts...

Could we mistake the fantastical stories in novels for real-life historical events, and use cat trees as instruments of torture to tame animals?
--etc!
Bai Zhou's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

—Where did these last words come from?

Where are the last words on that crown?

He witnessed the broken last words rushing towards him; otherwise, where would the golden pass have come from?

With a "snap," Bai Zhou came to a stop.

"What's wrong?"

Seeing Bai Zhou stop, Section Chief Liu, who was walking ahead, also stopped and asked in confusion.

"...It's nothing, I just remembered the time we ate small cakes here last time."

Bai Zhou forced a smile. "I had just left Wancheng at the time, and that was the best little cake I've ever eaten in my life."

"It's okay, I can eat whatever I want from now on, the cafeteria is free anyway."

Section Chief Liu, unsuspecting, offered words of comfort, saying, "However, young people should eat less sweets, and the Special Administration Commissioners should take care of their physical health."

"Hmm." Bai Zhou nodded, his expression remaining unchanged.

Then, taking advantage of the moment when Section Chief Liu turned around, he quickly turned his gaze to the door of the quiet, dark room that he had just passed by.

Looking through the doors and windows, Bai Zhou indeed saw a new line of scarlet last words hanging in mid-air above the tightly sealed black box.

"There really is...when?"

Bai Zhou was confused and uncertain.

...This blood-written last message was originally very blurry, as if it were seen through a layer of mist.

Now, it simply floats quietly high above, silently overlooking its surroundings.

The moment Bai Zhou saw it, he felt an ancient, mysterious, and mottled charm rushing towards him, making him feel breathless.

The longer Bai Zhou gazed at it, the clearer the line of words inexplicably became.

Finally, a blood-written last message, never before seen, bold, striking, and weathered, slowly emerged as if floating on the surface of water…

it says--

Even though the Age of Gods has long been shattered, there is still a hope that someone will rise from the ashes, don the crown, and become the new...Golden King!

(End of this chapter)