After the knife-wielding man left, the silver-haired man leaned back in his seat, waiting for the matter to be resolved.

’This anomaly was most likely caused by that little brat. As long as we get rid of him, the anomaly will be gone.’

’Actually, most anomalies are like this, especially in desolate places like this one. Few of the locals have proper citizenship, which makes them very easy to handle.’

He had only waited a moment when a gunshot echoed in the distance. The silver-haired man frowned and asked through his Realm Token:

"Da Chen, what’s going on?"

A voice immediately replied in his ear: "There’s a Fighter inside. He has Implants, and they have a gun. It’s a bit of a hassle."

The silver-haired man cursed, "Nothing but trouble in these dumps."

He looked back and said, "An Shan, can you run interference?"

In the back seat was a short-haired woman with purple eye makeup and a somewhat languid air. The Implants exposed on her neck extended to her back and the back of her head, and were adorned with elaborate decorations.

Hearing this, she nodded. She closed her eyes, seemingly connecting to something. After a moment, she said, "Done. I’ve sent false sensory data to the Fighter’s Implants, and I’ve also severed his Realm Token Domain connection."

"Good."

The silver-haired man spoke to Da Chen again, "Finish it, quickly." He then had his Realm Token pull up music from his collection and play it. In an instant, a long wolf’s howl filled his ears.

This was his favorite song from the Sun Band—"Wolf Legend." As the music played, his body began to sway:

"Frantic, surging, like the ocean waves..."

"Bold, unrestrained, like the blazing sun..."

"Beneath the heavens, I am a lone wolf on the run..."

After just a short wait, Da Chen returned from outside, his knife covered in blood.

The silver-haired man opened his eyes and looked out the car window. "All set?"

Da Chen nodded.

The silver-haired man said, "Let’s go!"

After Da Chen sheathed his knife and got in, the SUV made a U-turn and drove away.

As Chen Chuan and Old Qi drove back, a light rain began to fall, and the sky grew dark and gloomy. Through the rain-streaked car window, the headlights and neon signs blurred into colorful splotches of light.

Chen Chuan then asked, "Old Qi, do you know where I can buy a map? A map of Central City."

Old Qi thought for a moment and said, "About two kilometers from here, there’s an old magazine shop that sells them."

Chen Chuan said, "Then please take me there. I might buy some other things while I’m at it. It’s not far from the academy, so I can walk from there. You should head home early too."

Old Qi agreed. Three or four minutes later, the car pulled up to the curb in front of a shop. After saying goodbye to Old Qi, Chen Chuan got out. About ten meters away, he found a small shop with a narrow storefront and bought a map there.

For someone like him with a mid-range Realm Token, he could just look up any destination on the platform. But maps were still essential for many people. They didn’t have much money and could only afford second- or third-hand Realm Tokens that only had a communication function. To get to unfamiliar places, they had to either find a nearby Boundary Point to look it up or rely on a map.

However, he bought it to make it easier to find the address his body’s parents had left for him.

He couldn’t use his Realm Token to look it up, as that would leave a trace.

Besides, even if he found the location, he didn’t plan on going immediately. He intended to wait for a while. Because of what was involved, he wasn’t sure if someone else was also watching.

It was raining, so he wasn’t in a hurry to head back. Instead, he strolled along a street covered by a glass canopy. A bustling crowd moved around him, and the surrounding light boxes flickered with bright text and images. A damp, cold wind brushed against his cheeks from time to time, and in the distance, lights twinkled like stars.

He stopped at a tram station. A sound came from behind him, and he turned to look. On the wall of a large building, the giant figures of a man and a woman appeared. Their bodies displayed advertisements for Implants on various parts, while warm, friendly male and female voices took turns describing the convenient life brought by Implants.

After just a moment, the tram arrived.

Just as Chen Chuan was about to board the tram with the crowd, Old Qi’s contact icon started blinking. He glanced at it, accepted the call, and asked, "Old Qi, what’s up?"

Old Qi’s voice on the other end was laced with anxiety: "Brother Chen, that Chong Dage... he suddenly sent me a message just now, but it cut off halfway through. I’ve been trying to reach him, but there’s no reply. Do you think something happened?"

Chen Chuan’s eyes flickered. He asked, "Old Qi, are you home yet?"

"Not yet. You want to go back and check? Okay, I’ll come get you right now."

"Is everything okay at home?"

"It’s fine, I already called ahead."

"I’m at the station. I’ve sent you my location."

Chen Chuan ended the call and thought for a moment. ’The urban legend has already been buried. As long as Xiaoman doesn’t dig it up himself, there shouldn’t be any more problems.’

’Unless...’

’I hope that’s not what happened.’

After waiting for just a few minutes, Old Qi’s car quickly pulled up in front of him. Chen Chuan got in. Old Qi said, "I wonder what on earth happened to Chong Dage?"

Chen Chuan said, "We’ll know when we get there."

In less than half an hour, they were back at the shantytown. Looking out, the entire area was pitch-black, with only a few spots of light.

After parking the car, the two of them started walking inside. But they hadn’t taken more than a few steps when they saw someone collapsed on the path ahead, their body still twitching. Old Qi said in horror, "What’s happening?"

Chen Chuan looked at his Second Self; it was showing strong signs of dematerialization. At that moment, Old Qi’s vision blurred. He clutched his head. "Why do I feel a little dizzy?"

Chen Chuan grabbed him, his dark, calm eyes looking deeper into the area. "Old Qi, don’t go any further. I’ll go in and take a look by myself."

Old Qi asked, somewhat startled, "Is it that thing from before?"

Chen Chuan said with a serious expression, "It’s the same one from before, but some things are different now." He turned his head and said, "Old Qi, you said you used to be involved in the Esoteric Circle?"

Old Qi nodded.

Chen Chuan said, "Then can you get me these materials?" As he spoke, he sent a list of Ritual Materials and their required quantities through his Realm Token.

Old Qi hesitated for a moment, then said, "I can!"

"How long will it take?"

Old Qi gritted his teeth. "Leave it to me. I can get them before dawn at the latest!"

Chen Chuan pulled a wad of cash from his pocket, stuffed it into Old Qi’s hand, and said, "If it’s not enough, you can use my share first."

Old Qi said, "This is more than enough. Brother Chen, leave this to me." With that, he stuffed the money into his pocket and hurried back to the car.

"Old Qi."

Chen Chuan turned and called out to him.

"What is it?" Old Qi stopped.

Chen Chuan looked at him and said seriously, "Don’t force it. Your own safety comes first."

Old Qi waved a hand at him. "I know."

Watching him leave, Chen Chuan walked deeper into the shantytown. Along the way, he saw people collapsed on the ground one after another. He immediately quickened his pace, grabbing everyone within sight and carrying them to the edge of the anomaly’s influence.

Some people had collapsed inside their shacks. This was no time for rules; he kicked down their doors and carried them out.

The rain continuously soaked his body, but it was instantly evaporated by his body heat, rising as wisps of steam.

The shantytown was home to about a thousand people, but the main area of effect was a radius expanding outward from Xiaoman’s shack.

He could only carry out some of the people on the outermost edge who could still be saved. Those closest to that area were already dead.

In all, he brought out more than twenty people. Some of the nearby residents saw what he was doing and tried to help. Others, who might have had relatives inside, rushed in anxiously. But they all collapsed after just a few steps and were dragged back to safety by Chen Chuan. After that, no one else tried to approach.

By now, more and more people had gathered around, silently watching Chen Chuan’s figure go back and forth.

After carrying out everyone he could, Chen Chuan headed for the epicenter. The whole time, his Second Self showed intense dematerialization. Even his Realm Token was unusable; the light and shadows in front of him flickered constantly, and the sound came in fits and starts, so he simply turned it off.

When he reached Xiaoman’s home, Brother Chong’s body was lying at the entrance. The fatal wound was a slit throat, and a large pool of blood had formed beneath him. A pistol lay on the ground not far away—the same one Xiaoman had been holding.

He raised his gaze. There were several bullet holes in the wooden wall opposite him. He walked slowly into the backyard. A mannequin was sitting in the rain, holding the body of a young boy. The mannequin’s hollow eyes stared upward. There was a bloody bullet hole in the boy’s back.

He watched for a while and took a deep breath. ’This urban legend isn’t something that can be easily resolved anymore.’

’And as time goes on, the range of this urban legend’s influence will likely grow larger and larger. I can’t say for sure about other places, but the entire shantytown will fall within its scope.’

’The simplest solution would be to have everyone move away.’

’But he knew these people had nowhere else to go. This was the only place they could stay, the only place that would have them.’

He turned and walked out. There was still time. Before the area of influence expanded completely, there was still a chance to contain it.

Around eleven o’clock at night, Old Qi finally returned. He carried a large case from the car and walked up to Chen Chuan. "Brother Chen, everything you wanted is in here."

Chen Chuan took it with one hand. "Old Qi, you’ve worked hard."

"It was nothing." Old Qi glanced at the surroundings and said solemnly, "Brother Chen, are you going to set up a ritual? Let me help you."

Chen Chuan said, "Old Qi, you can’t go in there. Go get some rest. I’ll handle the rest."

Old Qi said, "Alright, Brother Chen. I’ll wait for you in the car."

Chen Chuan carried the case back into Xiaoman’s shack. He glanced at the mannequin, opened the case, took out the tools inside, and began to draw the ritual patterns on the surrounding wooden walls.

This was his first time setting up an Esoteric Ritual. Fortunately, this particular containment ritual, having been refined and summarized by the Esoteric Bureau, wasn’t too complex. He just had to follow the diagrams.

What was important was that the person drawing the ritual knew its purpose and its intended effect, and he was very clear on both.

As a Fighter, his hands were exceptionally steady. Every stroke he drew was precise, and he paid close attention to the required thickness and thinness of the lines.

Luckily, the rain had stopped by now. Otherwise, drawing would have been more troublesome.

After several hours of work, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, he drew the final stroke.

...

...