The system is four years ahead of schedule, but Weird is still a cub.

Shen Ge's eerie eyes were firmly locked onto the almost imperceptible trace of eerie energy left behind when the strange crow finally disappeared.

The trajectory was like a cold, ominous dark line, rapidly weaving through the city ruins and chaotic air currents.

"Little Seven, lock onto it." Shen Ge gave the order, increasing his speed to the maximum. With the help of the Red Mist Armor and the "Invisible" property, he silently passed through the shadows of buildings and the air currents at high altitudes.

"Target trajectory locked... Master, the target's eerie energy characteristics are extremely unique, exhibiting highly concealed and mimicry properties. The tracking signal is attenuating... Multiple secondary eerie energy signal sources have been detected simultaneously in the nearby area, suspected to be interference signals." Xiao Qi's voice carried a hint of seriousness.

really!

Shen Ge instantly sensed that a dozen, or even dozens, of strange energy signals, which were of the same origin as the crow but much weaker, suddenly appeared in the air.

Like a flock of startled birds, they suddenly burst forth from different directions and heights, then quickly dissipated into the air.

These signals, like carefully laid smoke bombs, instantly obscured the originally clear tracking trajectory.

"Analyze the location of the interference source." Shen Ge didn't slow down. As he spoke, he activated the system to conduct reconnaissance, searching for all the strange energy signals within range. In an instant, the strange energy perception spread out like an invisible spider web, trying to capture the core of those interference signals.

"Analyzing... The interference source is irregularly distributed, has low energy intensity, dissipates quickly, and is not sustainable... It is determined to be a one-time decoy signal flare," Xiao Qi responded quickly.

"Core target trajectory...lost! Last vanishing point, north of Ronghe River, signal blocked by water or large interference source."

North of Ronghe River?

Shen Ge suddenly stopped at the top of a skyscraper, looking down at the wide river surface in the distance, which was shimmering in the sunset.

The Ronghe River is known as the "Mother River" of Rongcheng City, encircling the entire city. However, the northern section of the river has complex terrain, numerous buildings, and significant environmental disturbances.

That eerie crow, like a drop of ink merging into the sea, vanished without a trace.

"Try scanning for fluctuations in the spatial rift." Shen Ge was unwilling to give up and gave the order again.

"Scan complete... No significant residual spatial anomalies detected in the northern urban area. Weak spatial ripples were detected in the area where the interference decoy was detonated, but these are accompanying phenomena from the detonation of the signal flare, and the source teleportation point cannot be located." Xiao Qi's report extinguished the last glimmer of hope.

Shen Ge stood on the edge of the high-rise building, the river wind whipping at his clothes. The setting sun cast a long shadow of his tall figure, but could not dispel the icy chill between his brows. His opponent had clearly anticipated his tracking abilities and meticulously designed this plan for interference and escape. That crow, or rather, the "crow" controlling it, had made the most of Rong City's terrain and environment.

Continuing to blindly pursue this is pointless.

Shen Ge took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the murderous intent surging within him. He gazed intently at the distant Ronghe River, as if trying to imprint the image of his hidden adversary in his mind.

Then, his figure disappeared again, speeding towards the headquarters of the Special Operations Department.

……

……

The underground command center of the Special Operations Department in Rong City was brightly lit, but the atmosphere was as heavy as lead. The air in the corridor outside was filled with the mixed smells of disinfectant, sweat, and strong coffee.

On the huge, curved tactical screen, catastrophic images of the downtown "Genting" clubhouse and its surrounding area were being displayed:

Collapsed buildings, burning vehicles, and areas contaminated by supernatural energy flickered with an ominous red light.

On the adjacent split screen, preliminary casualty figures, property damage assessments, and images of the insect pillars destroyed by Shen Ge and the bizarre, fused remains scrolled by.

Minister Deng Yuqi sat in the main seat, her face so gloomy it could drip water. Beside her sat Lin Yin, whose heavy exoskeleton had been removed, but whose combat uniform still bore traces of gunpowder and dirt.

Several team leaders involved in the operation, including Yang Yuxin, Feng Chengxiu, and Tu Doupi, were present, their faces showing exhaustion and solemnity.

Cheng Shengnan, as a core member of the intelligence and logistical support team, also attended the meeting. Her face was also pale, clearly indicating that she was exhausted from dealing with the subsequent public opinion and appeasement work.

Shen Ge appeared silently at the conference room door, instantly attracting everyone's attention.

"Shen Ge! How is it?" Deng Yuqi asked immediately, her voice filled with urgency.

"The target escaped. The interference tactics were sophisticated; they finally disappeared in the northern part of Ronghe, and the trail went cold." Shen Ge said succinctly as he walked to his seat.

A hint of disappointment flashed in Deng Yuqi's eyes, but she didn't say anything. She gestured to the technician next to her: "Minister Li, report the analysis results."

The large screen switched to Li Xiang's face, which was bloodshot from staying up all night but was unusually excited. He was in the highest-level analysis laboratory, with various flashing instrument screens in the background.

"Minister, everyone!"

Li Xiang's voice came through the loudspeaker: "The 'letter' that Lao Shen brought back is made of an extremely special material. Preliminary analysis shows that it is a kind of biological organic polymer that has never been seen before. Its molecular structure is highly similar to the 'upgraded black mud' parasite that was captured before, as well as the tissue sample after Zhou Hongyu's mutation... It can be confirmed that they are homologous!"

A suppressed gasp rippled through the conference room, signifying that "Raven" not only possessed terrifying parasitic technology but could also use it to create these "messengers" for transmitting information.

“More importantly,” Li Xiang’s voice rose, “the ‘blood’ that makes up the writing has been confirmed by spectral and energy characteristic analysis to contain strong mental pollution characteristics and eerie energy. Its core frequency matches the residual energy of the ‘fear aggregate’ that we detected in the core sample of the multiple eerie spaces by more than 90%.”

The screen magnified the sharp, blood-red characters on the letter, alongside a complex energy diagram for comparison.

"In other words, this letter itself is very likely written with the 'blood' of some bizarre creation controlled by 'Raven' and feeding on fear. It is not just a letter, but also a... mark, a provocative ritual!"

A deathly silence fell over the meeting room. To write a declaration of war using the fear and lives of victims as ink? This madness and cruelty exceeded the limits of many people's imagination. "Motive!"

Deng Yuqi's voice broke the silence, cold and sharp: "Going to such lengths, risking exposing the Rock Security network, creating such massive chaos, and even using suspected spatial technology and multiple mysterious spatial cores... what is their ultimate goal? Is it merely to deliver a letter? To create panic?"

Feng Chengxiu, a captain known for his composure, said in a deep voice, "Creating panic is a means, not an end. Their actions are highly targeted—against the Special Operations Department, especially against Captain Shen. The auction, the banquet, the parasite samples, the strange energy equipment, the multiple strange spaces... one link after another, all ultimately leading to Captain Shen. It seems like they are provoking Captain Shen, but in reality, they may have a deeper plan."

Tu Doupi added, "'The stage has been set for you'... This is more like a declaration. They seem to be forcing us, or forcing Captain Shen, to enter the next 'game' they have pre-planned."

Cheng Shengnan spoke, his voice tinged with fatigue but his thoughts clear: "Start with Panshi Security. They bypassed the Special Operations Department to secure the banquet security, provided the paranormal equipment, and may even have participated in the auction of the live paranormal. This requires a huge amount of money, connections, and underground channels. Following this line, we might be able to uncover their deeper network in Rong City."

Recalling her experience in the eerie space, Yang Yuxin said with lingering fear, "And those fusion-type anomalies... they appeared so abruptly, as if they were precisely targeted. 'Raven's' mastery of spatial technology far exceeds our previous estimates. This may be the key to their next move."

Deng Yuqi's gaze swept over everyone present, finally settling on Shen Ge. Shen Ge remained silent throughout, simply staring at the ominous letter on the screen.

Everyone chimed in, seemingly analyzing the true "motives" and "purposes" of the twelve zodiac signs.

"That concludes the discussion." Deng Yuqi's voice carried an undeniable decisiveness. She stood up, exuding an aura of iron will.

"Based on all intelligence, the twelve organizations 'Crow' and their forces pose the highest level of threat to the security of Rong City. Although their objectives are not entirely clear, their aggressiveness and harmfulness are beyond doubt!"

"It is hereby announced that the Rongcheng Special Operations Department shall immediately enter a state of first-level combat readiness!"

The order boomed through the conference room like a thunderclap.

"All personnel on leave, return to your posts immediately! Logistical support is elevated to the highest priority! The city's paranormal energy monitoring network is operating at full capacity, and monitoring thresholds are lowered by 20%!"

"The city's defense zones have been reorganized, with Lin Yin, Feng Chengxiu, Tu Doupi, and Yang Yuxin each serving as the defense commanders for one of the four main areas. Each defense zone must ensure that at least one captain-level combatant is stationed at key points 24 hours a day, and establish rapid response teams to ensure that any abnormality in any area can be addressed by receiving support from at least one captain-level combatant within five minutes!"

"Director Cheng, in conjunction with the police and security departments, we must do everything in our power to investigate the remaining forces of Panshi Security Company and the financial chain and personnel network behind them. We must dig deep and find out their hidden tails!"

"Minister Li, concentrate all research efforts and prioritize analyzing the material and energy properties of the 'black mud' parasite, the space interference samples, and this letter. I need to know their weaknesses, operating mechanisms, and possible countermeasures!"

Orders were transmitted clearly and swiftly, and the entire Special Operations Department was instantly awakened like a massive war machine, entering its most efficient operating state.

Finally, Deng Yuqi's gaze fell on Shen Ge again: "Shen Ge."

Shen Ge raised her head, her gaze calm yet unfathomable.

"The leader of the twelve tribes, 'Crow,' and his core members are all under your complete responsibility for tracking, locating, and eliminating! You have the highest operational authority and can mobilize any resources within the department to cooperate! I have only one request—" Deng Yuqi's voice was resolute, carrying a chilling killing intent.

"Find him! Tear him apart! Make him understand the price of provoking the Special Operations Department on Rong City's soil!"

Shen Ge slowly stood up, without any impassioned vows, only an extreme calm and coldness.

"clear."

The night passed.

The official media controlled by the Ministry of Information, under the guise of a "multi-department joint counter-terrorism and disaster prevention exercise in response to the current strange and complex environment," gave extensive coverage to the "emergency evacuation" and "sudden accident handling" of the "Genting" clubhouse and surrounding areas last night.

On the streets, the patrol density of heavily armed military police and members of the Special Operations Department in uniform increased significantly, while drone formations flew low overhead, emitting a low hum. New types of eerie energy detectors were set up at major intersections and sensitive areas, their eerie blue indicator lights flashing in the morning light.

The citizens hurried by, their eyes meeting with unspoken worries.

The high-sounding "exercise" rhetoric in the news sounded pale and powerless to those who personally experienced the panicked escape and witnessed the towering flames and eerie red lights last night.

The Cyberspace Administration of China worked through the night, relentlessly bombarding social media and self-media platforms with high-pressure water jets, blocking, limiting traffic, and redirecting content... their actions were swift, precise, and ruthless.

Thanks to the backdrop of frequent supernatural disasters worldwide, ordinary people's acceptance threshold for "anomalies" has been forced to rise. Although the panic has not been completely eliminated, the situation has been temporarily controlled within a relatively stable range thanks to the Special Operations Department's swift and effective explanation of the "exercise" and strong stabilization efforts. There has been no large-scale riot or uncontrolled rumors, which can be considered the only good news.

The lights in the underground command center of the Special Operations Department remained on all night long.

"The Information Department reports that the information dissemination chain on major platforms has been basically cut off, key public opinion monitoring points are stable, and no large-scale inflammatory remarks or clearly targeted conspiracy theories have been found. The public... has a relatively high level of acceptance and cooperation." Cheng Shengnan's voice was heavy with fatigue, but the report was clear and powerful.

She rubbed her temples and continued, "But the undercurrents beneath the surface of the internet have never ceased. In some encrypted channels and small anonymous forums, fragmented information about 'Black Raven' and 'Bloody Letters' circulates in specific circles, with the source difficult to trace, like... deliberately leaked information."

Standing in front of the huge tactical screen, Deng Yuqi looked at the green traffic light that indicated the city had basically resumed operation, but her brows furrowed even more.

"Calm down?" She scoffed. "'Raven' made such a commotion, risking exposing the Rock Line and triggering a strange disaster in the central city, just to send a letter, and then lie low and watch us 'exercise' to maintain stability? This is more unsettling than if they immediately launched their next attack."

She turned to Shen Ge and asked, "What do you think? Is their 'stage' just for us to frantically clean up the mess?"

Shen Ge's gaze fell on a corner of the tactical screen, where there was an enlarged view of the northern Ronghe area, with meandering rivers, towering buildings, and interlacing shadows.

When he heard Deng Yuqi's question about the last place he tracked down last night where the vanishing point was, Shen Ge slowly spoke, his voice low: "They are waiting."

"Wait?" Lin Yin removed some exoskeleton components, but remained fully armed, and asked with a frown, "Wait for what?" (End of Chapter)