Devil America: Becoming a God from Infinite Job Changes

the next day.

Qiao Ye stood at the entrance of the shantytown.

If Guan Yu hadn't provided the route, Qiao Ye would have had a hard time finding this place on his own.

This is the most dilapidated part of Donghan City.

The illegally constructed tin sheds were crammed together, and electrical wires were tangled overhead like a spider web.

The ground was covered with puddles of sewage, stinking and swarming with flies.

The alley was so narrow that only one person could pass at a time, and both sides were piled with scrap and garbage.

Ironically, looking up from here, you can see the skyline formed by those skyscrapers.

The address Guan Yu gave was in the deepest part.

Qiao Ye walked into the alley.

After walking for about ten minutes, the surrounding sheds became increasingly dilapidated, some of them had already collapsed, leaving only half a wall.

There wasn't a soul on the street; it was so quiet it didn't seem like anyone lived there.

The alley has come to an end.

There was a wall in front of us, and on the wall was a rusty iron gate, half-closed.

There was no sign or address on the door.

"Is this really the place?"

Qiao Ye was a little worried that he might have come to the wrong place.

He pushed open the door.

Inside is a two-story building, which is slightly more intact than the surrounding houses.

Guan Yu sat on the steps in front of the building, wearing an old jacket and holding a cigarette.

He saw Qiao Ye, stood up, and put out his cigarette.

"You're here?"

Qiao Ye nodded.

"Come with me, I'll show you something."

Guan Yu turned and walked into the building.

The building was dark and dusty.

The first floor was empty, with only a few load-bearing columns and dilapidated furniture.

Guan Yu walked to the corner and pushed aside a broken table.

Underneath the table was a wooden board, the same color as the surrounding cement floor, so it was almost invisible unless you looked closely.

Guan Yu lifted the wooden board.

Below is an opening, and an iron ladder extends downwards.

"Follow me."

He climbed down first.

Qiao Ye followed.

The iron ladder was very deep; it took about ten meters to climb down before I finally reached solid ground.

It was a narrow concrete passageway with a dim yellow light every few meters overhead.

After walking for two minutes, the passage came to an end.

A heavy iron gate blocked the way.

After pushing it open, the space inside suddenly opened up.

The basement is about 200 square meters, and facing the door is a whole wall of display screens.

There were more than a dozen pieces of varying sizes, all of them black.

In front of the display screen is a row of control panels, piled high with operating instruments and several old computers.

There were several training dummies in the corner, their bodies covered in weapons.

A whiteboard hangs on the wall, covered with intricate route maps drawn in markers, with photos and newspaper clippings pasted next to it.

"This is a secret base that I modified myself."

Guan Yu said, "I'm here to analyze intelligence, watch surveillance footage, and hone my combat skills."

Qiao Ye stood in front of the control panel, looking at the instruments covered in dust.

"You did all this by yourself?"

"I wasn't alone before."

Guan Yu walked to the wall and turned on an old radio.

After a few buzzing sounds, the sound of a news broadcast came on.

He turned the volume down, using it as background noise.

"I used to have a partner named Haoqiang."

Guan Yu said, "He helps me gather clues and analyze intelligence; he is my most capable assistant."

Qiao Ye understood. It was probably similar to Robin from Batman?

Moreover, he also caught the details in Guan Yu's words.

before.

So what about now? What happened to the powerful figures?

Qiao Ye could vaguely guess the answer.

Guan Yu's tone grew increasingly heavy: "Three months ago, he and I were handling a criminal case. The enemy was more troublesome than we had imagined, and then..."

"Something went wrong, didn't it?"

Qiao Ye said softly, "Was Hao Qiang murdered by that criminal?"

Guan Yu remained silent for a long time, then shook his head.

"It's very close, but not quite right."

He said, "The powerful figure was indeed murdered, but not by that criminal, but by me!"

Qiao Ye immediately became solemn.

Guan Yu walked to the wall, opened a sliding door, and behind the door was a glass cabinet.

There was a knife stuck inside.

The small, bluish-green knife, less than a foot long, had a dark, gleaming blade.

The blade is engraved with fine lines that extend like blood vessels all the way to the handle.

When Qiao Ye saw the knife, he suddenly frowned.

For some reason, he sensed a peculiar aura emanating from the knife.

just like--

This knife is alive.

"This is the source of the power of the Azure Dragon Warrior."

Guan Yu said solemnly, "More than a year ago, it followed a shooting star and fell into Donghan City, landing right next to me."

He didn't open the cabinet; he just looked at it through the glass.

"By drawing this sword, one can become the Azure Dragon Warrior, possessing inexhaustible power, and easily defeat any opponent."

He turned around, his back to the cabinet.

"But the price is that using this power will have a subtle influence on oneself."

"Every time I draw the knife, it leaves a mark on my body."

Guan Yu raised his hand to show Qiao Ye the back of his hand.

There was nothing on it, but when Guan Yu clenched his fist slightly, faint blue lines quickly appeared.

"After using my power, these patterns will appear on my body. I didn't know what these patterns were for before. Although I was vigilant, I never studied them in depth."

"until--

"The night the tragedy occurred."

He lowered his hand.

"That night, we were chasing someone. We chased them into an alley, and I drew my knife."

"In the past, when I transformed, I was always fully conscious, but that night was different."

"Suddenly, countless whispers filled my ears, as if I had crossed a certain threshold, causing me to lose my mind instantly."

"When I woke up, Haoqiang was lying in front of me, his chest pierced by my stab."

"...It was me who killed the powerful man."

silence.

The basement was so quiet that only the crackling of the radio could be heard.

Guan Yu walked to the control panel, opened a drawer, and took out a photo frame.

Inside was a group photo; he was standing with a young man, both of them smiling happily.

He stared at the photo for a long time.

"He doesn't have superpowers, he's just an ordinary person, but he works harder than anyone else."

He put the picture frame back in the drawer and closed it.

"So I never draw my sword again."

He said, "As long as I don't draw my sword or transform into the Azure Dragon Warrior, it can only sleep there quietly and cannot affect me further."

Guan Yu turned around and looked at Qiao Ye.

"The price of being a hero is far greater than you imagine. Are you truly mentally prepared for that?"

Qiao Ye did not speak.

Just then, the old radio on the control panel suddenly emitted a piercing static.

The images on the blacked-out monitors on the wall started flickering.

One piece, two pieces, three pieces—

More than a dozen screens lit up at the same time, flashing static.

A few seconds later, the image became clear.

It's a news channel.

The female anchor's voice came from all directions.

"Emergency news briefing."

"An attack by an unidentified creature has occurred in the city center's commercial district. According to eyewitnesses, the creature is entirely black, enormous, and capable of attaching itself to human bodies and controlling its host..."

In an instant, Guan Yu's expression turned extremely ugly.

Controlling the host?

Could it also be an alien symbiote?