The past was built upon collecting unique characteristics.

[12 minutes 05 seconds]

He wasn't sure if the unusual celestial phenomena were related to that dangerous relic, but if it was indeed a sign that the relic was about to be activated, it meant that he didn't have much time left.

In the suffocating silence, Morian glanced at the map at the edge of his field of vision and noticed that the moving red dot on the map had stopped without warning.

It stopped? Why?

Did they reach their destination, or did something unexpected happen? For example, did the relics prematurely enter some irreversible stage?

The deep black car roared, its performance pushed to the limit. Morian could only grip the steering wheel, praying that it wasn't the worst possible outcome, that the "Grey Paradise" hadn't entered its final stage.

"Will turn to whisper in your ear..."

"And you know what they say might hurt you..."

"And you know that it means so much..."

"And you don't even feel a thing..."

The indistinct singing continued to come from the car's radio. Dark clouds swallowed the last rays of sunlight, plunging the city into an eerie gloom. The thunder grew closer, but unsettlingly, no raindrops fell.

[09 minutes 58 seconds]

Thanks to the red dot's prolonged stagnation, the distance between the two is rapidly decreasing.

Morian gradually slowed down, observing the situation on both sides of the road, searching for Joseph's figure.

There are no obstacles along the way, only sparse trees and barren grasslands beside the road. If anything happens, you can see it clearly.

Finally, he saw it.

On the grass to the right of the road ahead, there was a gray old-fashioned sedan parked. A slightly overweight man in work clothes was anxiously squatting on the right side of the rear of the car, constantly groping for something.

Did the tire blow out?

Morian slammed on the brakes, and the car stopped a dozen meters away from the other car, also coming to a stop at the edge of the grass.

Once he got closer, he finally saw the situation clearly.

Damn it, it really is a flat tire... Morian thought to himself, thinking, "Brother, you're running away with such important high-risk relics, couldn't you at least get a better tire and drive a little more smoothly?"

It turns out that they broke down during their escape and ended up stuck on a tire. It was quite dramatic and embarrassing.

He took a deep breath, quickly put on a concerned expression like an ordinary passerby, and got out of the car.

Any rash action could provoke Joseph, indirectly triggering the high-risk relic, a gamble he couldn't afford.

The most important thing now is not to subdue Joseph, but to keep him occupied and buy time for the official organizations that have already been dispatched to arrive at the scene. This is the safest approach.

If all else fails, then we'll improvise.

"Hey! Need any help, friend?" Morian called out, walking casually toward Joseph.

Joseph was startled by the sound and his body trembled violently. When he turned around and saw that it was a "helpful citizen" walking towards him, the fear on his face faded.

"It was just an accident, a flat tire, my friend." Joseph walked towards Morian, forcing a smile. "It's nothing serious."

As Morian approached, he casually glanced at the blown tire and the condition of the vehicle.

"The tires are pretty badly damaged. There's always a lot of debris on this shitty road, and the guys in charge of road maintenance are too lazy to clean it up." He nodded, steer the conversation toward the road conditions.

"Yes, it's been a long time since anyone came to repair or clean it," Joseph replied casually, stopping at a suitable distance. "Thank you for your kindness, but this small problem isn't worth your time. I can handle it myself."

[08 minutes 13 seconds]

Morian, seemingly oblivious to the resistance in his tone, looked up at the dark clouds in the sky, his voice filled with well-meaning concern:

"Don't mention it, a flat tire in a place like this is no small matter." He emphasized the word "flat tire" and looked at Joseph with sincere eyes.

"Look at this awful weather. Your luck isn't great. A downpour could come any minute now. You're all alone on the highway, and you won't be able to get any help."

"Really, there's no need. I have a spare tire in my trunk, I can change it myself," Joseph explained in as calm a tone as possible, his eyes flickering.

"Changing the spare tire?" Morian suddenly smiled even more enthusiastically, as if he had remembered something to be happy about, and without saying a word, he put his arm around the other person's shoulder.

"I happen to have some simple tools in my car, which might be of some help."

"Two people working together is always better than one, right?"

As he spoke, he half-pushed and half-embraced Joseph as he walked toward his black car, looking every bit like a kind-hearted person offering help.

...What help are you going to give me?! Can you just get the hell out of here?!

Joseph's expression froze as he was being embraced, a barely perceptible glint of ferocity flashing briefly in his eyes.

At this moment, he was probably cursing in his heart and wished he could strangle this "helpful citizen" who was passing by on the spot, but he had a treasure in his car and could not lash out on the spot.

Morian released his grip and deftly opened the car's trunk. It was surprisingly tidy; there were no repair tools as mentioned, only a few bottles of red wine wrapped in cloth, lying quietly on top.

He casually picked up a bottle of red wine, raised it, and waved it at Joseph, a hint of apology on his face.

"Looks like my memory's been messed up by this awful weather; I probably left my tools somewhere else." He changed the subject, skillfully tearing open the bottle's seal and pulling out the cork.

A sweet, fruity aroma immediately filled the air.

"Would you like some drinks first? These are all excellent red wines."

"No need, I'm not thirsty..." Joseph avoided Morian's seemingly casual gaze, pretending to nonchalantly scan the empty road around him, wary of anything unusual.

Drink it or not, it's up to you. If you don't drink it, I will.

"That's a shame." Morian shrugged, unconcerned about the other party's refusal, and raised his bottle to drink.

As long as Joseph doesn't do anything unusual under his surveillance, nothing else matters. At least for now, he's already halfway to stabilizing the other party.

If this continues, we'll just have to wait for the official intervention...

Just as he put down the bottle and prepared to continue the conversation, the music in the car suddenly stopped, and a muffled sound, heavily interfered with by signal jamming, came out intermittently from inside the car.

"Urgent Notice: The Bate City Police Department has issued an arrest warrant for a dangerous suspect who has stolen a significant amount of contraband and is currently on the run..."

"The wanted criminal was formerly an employee of a building materials factory, and is approximately in his thirties or forties. Anyone with significant information can collect a reward from the local police station..."

"Cough! Cough cough cough—"

The moment the broadcast started, Maurian was caught off guard and choked on the red wine he had just poured into his mouth, causing him to cough repeatedly. He was clearly quite frightened by the sudden "bad news".

Even so, he forced himself to close the previously open car door despite his discomfort.

What's going on here?!

There's also a loud conspiracy?