Who left their last words here?

Chapter 78 Absurd Moonlight and the [Black Knight]! (6k)

The rooftop of the building.

The moonlight was like frost, and the neon lights shone on Bai Zhou's face.

Bai Zhou sat on the edge of the rooftop, swinging his legs and making dangerous moves, but he didn't seem to care at all.

The boy seemed to have finally been freed from a heavy burden; a long-lost joy appeared on his tired face, and his clear eyes shone brightly.

Even if those suffocating, ruthless pursuers suddenly appeared out of nowhere, Bai Zhou regained the confidence to face them.

Because of his extreme weakness and powerlessness, he had to meticulously plan everything in advance for every situation... This kind of approach was simply not suitable for Bai Zhou.

Every extraordinary individual who walks the mysterious path has their own style of doing things. On the fog-shrouded road, some carefully explore with their astrolabes in hand, while others walk into darkness and embrace depravity.

Bai Zhou is someone who, though afraid of death, feels extreme grievance and anger at the moment of life and death, and thus picks up a sword to cut through the fog.

—Wielding his purple-gold saber, his all-out [Moonlight Oath of Victory Slash] was his answer!

Special Administration Bureau? Does the Bauhinia Group have unpredictable pursuers?
Who is the enemy?
Just cut it open.

This is Shiraishu's answer.

"..."

A crow stood to one side, the hem of its trench coat fluttering in the wind.

She suddenly felt that Bai Zhou should really look at herself in the mirror.

At this moment, Bai Zhou's face was full of high spirits, a far cry from the cautious and insecure boy he had been when they first met.

...In Crow's view, even if one embarks on the extraordinary path, there is no essential difference between extraordinary people and ordinary people.

Only mental strength is true strength.

To achieve greatness, one must first cultivate the extraordinary mindset of an extraordinary person.

Bai Zhou has really grown up...

His rapid growth always surprised and astonished the crow.

It seems that every night the white boat grows a little bigger, and in the blink of an eye it grows from a seed into a sapling, and now it is beginning to provide shade.

Perhaps if Ya were to remind Bai Zhou a few times now, Bai Zhou would realize that he is not what he used to be, and then proudly put his hands on his hips for a while.

...But the crow would never say that.

I want her to genuinely praise Bai Zhou's progress—

The current Baizhou is still far from being ready!

"Crow, look at the sky."

Suddenly, the sound of the white boat reached the crow's ears.

"What's wrong?"

The crow raised its head and looked at the sky in the direction the white boat was pointing.

There are very few clouds tonight.

The deep night sky is filled with dazzling stars, each constellation forming its own unique pattern, creating a breathtaking spectacle.

Among the twinkling stars, there is a "star" that is slowly moving and occasionally emitting soft points of light.

"What's that?" Bai Zhou pointed at it and blinked.

"That's... an airplane."

The crow answered without hesitation.

As airplanes fly thousands of meters above the ground, the flashing lights on their fuselages appear as "moving stars" to people on the ground.

This is a very common sight in modern times.

"An airplane?" Bai Zhou had never seen such a thing before, and he looked at the "star" thoughtfully.

"Yes, it's something like a car, but it can fly in the sky."

The crow nodded and answered patiently:

"Like the cars you saw at the Special Administration, they are products of modern industry."

"Of course, extraordinary individuals also played a very important role in this."

"Whether it's Tao Chengdao, known as 'Wan Hu,' or the Wright brothers who invented the airplane, they are all members of 'us.'"

The crow raised its hand and caught a wisp of wind in its grasp.

The wind swirled around her slender fingertips, creating tiny vortexes that were almost translucent.

"Tao Chengdao, an extraordinary senior from the Eastern Federation, sacrificed his physical body. His last glimmer of spiritual light escaped into the atmosphere, where he saw the remains of the Wind Serpent and signed a contract with it."

"At this point, humanity was qualified to travel in the stratosphere."

"Then, with the help of a proper ceremony, the Wright brothers of the Western Federation used wood, cloth and a rudimentary gasoline engine to build a strange bird, which they named an airplane, thus announcing mankind's initial conquest of the sky."

"Da Vinci's manuscript conjectures, the Montgolfier brothers' hot air balloon experiments, and the crashed Hindenburg airship... generation after generation of predecessors followed one after another."

"In the realm of the sky, whether extraordinary or ordinary, there is no shortage of prophets who have been martyred for exploring the unknown boundaries."

"Among the manuscripts left by the renowned and extraordinary Leonardo da Vinci, there is a thought-provoking statement—"

"We have never invented flight; we are merely redeeming, little by little, our long-lost right to soar among the stars."

After thinking for a moment, the crow added very seriously:
"Theoretically..."

"If you make a bigger fuss and alert the higher-ups in the government, helicopters with machine guns will come looking for you."

That's terrible.

A slightly chilly evening breeze blew by, and Bai Zhou, sitting on the edge of the rooftop, shivered.

Then he looked up again.

The higher you go, the stronger the wind becomes; the wind on the rooftop was quite strong.

The howling wind swept across the sky, as if it would shake the stars down from the heavens.

This moving star stands out prominently in the tranquil night sky, as if aliens have visited Earth.

"A remarkable human being."

Ultimately, this was Bai Zhou's assessment.

It wasn't an alien visit, but rather the masterpiece of humanity on this planet beneath our feet.

Just like now, as Bai Zhou sits on the rooftop, he can't help but think of the image of freefalling over obstacles... People envy the wings of birds and have never stopped fantasizing about flying.

Want to experience the feeling of "the wind rushing past your ears after taking flight," want to break free from all constraints and achieve romantic transcendence...

Winged angels and witches flying high in the sky on broomsticks—these mythological figures embody humanity's aspirations.

Even for Bai Zhou himself, the first thought that crossed his mind when he embarked on the extraordinary path was when he would be able to fly.

I want to fly high—

For some reason, this is a desire etched deep in the human gene pool, yet one that is so desperately sought but never attained!
But on this blue planet, humanity has already used its intelligence and tools to fly so high into the sky, standing shoulder to shoulder with the stars—

amazing!
As the crow said, the so-called flight was simply a silent and magnificent ritual miracle that lasted for centuries!

And this miracle continues to this day.

but……

"Why don't airplanes crash into stars when they fly so high?" Bai Zhou asked.

"..."

Faced with Bai Zhou's earnest question, Ya was speechless for a moment.

That's a good question. Don't ask it again next time.

This is a question that no one who has received twelve years of compulsory education could answer.

But for Bai Zhou, explaining it to him was genuinely difficult.

After some thought, Crow decided to abandon his long list of explanations about the universe, the atmosphere, and gas dynamics.

—Mainly because she herself doesn't understand that much.

So, the crow straightened its little face and answered simply and forcefully:

"because……"

"The stars will 'twinkle'!"

Do stars twinkle?

"Is that so?" Bai Zhou was somewhat surprised, but also felt that the answer was unexpectedly impeccable.

"Um……"

Seeing Bai Zhou's thoughtful expression, Ya looked away, avoiding eye contact with him.

My face feels a little hot.

In any case, I just brushed off Bai Zhou's endless questions for the time being.

Retract the preface that Shiraishu has grown up.

Although Bai Zhou is already a formidable extraordinary individual, in terms of common sense...

The crow has made its decision.

—The purchase of "100,000 Whys" is urgent!
however.

Suddenly, Bai Zhou frowned and looked at Ya:

"……wrong!"

The crow felt a pang of panic: "What's wrong?"

Bai Zhou's expression turned serious:
"You just said that Major Luo most likely has the instructions on how to consume [Tears of the Moon Goddess]..."

"So I tried to recall what extraordinary materials the major had bought at the auction house, thinking that maybe I could find something useful."

It turns out it was about a major.

Crow secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then looked coldly at Bai Zhou, his brows furrowing slightly:
"and then?"

"Then it suddenly occurred to me that the major had bid a high price for a 'Midnight Compass' at the auction!"

"【Midnight Compass】?"

"Yes, as long as you have the target's name and birth date, you can break through the barrier of the ritual and accurately locate the target's position once every night at 23 pm."

Bai Zhou recalled everything that happened at the auction and said in a deep voice:

"If you don't have the birth date and time, you can use a photo or other relevant information as a substitute."

"—Now it seems there's no doubt this is aimed at me!"

If that auctioneer number 2 really is a major...

Bai Zhou couldn't understand why the major would buy this thing if it wasn't for his use.

Fortunately, I already knew the major's identity and saw him bid on the item.

Otherwise, once their location is known, they could set up an ambush beforehand...

Bai Zhou felt a chill run down his spine.

But the crow had a different opinion:

"It seems that the major is also anxious because we have temporarily lost track of you."

"But in my opinion, this may not necessarily be a bad thing!"

“If you didn’t know this, this compass would be enough to kill you a hundred times over… but you happen to know it, and the major is better off not knowing that you do.”

The crow narrowed its eyes, and its brows slowly relaxed:
"—In this way, the enemy is in the light while we are in the dark, and the initiative is in our hands."

"Isn't it just location tracking at 23 PM every night?"

The wind ruffled the crow's collar, and a faint smile played on her gleaming eyes:
"If we have this information beforehand, then we can determine his location..."

"Isn't it all up to us?"

Bai Zhou's eyes lit up, and he immediately understood what Ya meant:
"At this point, we must not let him know that we already know about the compass."

"We can even use this to plan some new surprises for him!"

So-called positioning is nothing more than the provision of intelligence.

In situations like these, whoever controls the intelligence has everything.

There are countless examples in books of using a counter-strategy to trap someone, like catching a turtle in a jar.

Bai Zhou simply thought of many ways to create a "surprise" with a casual thought.

Of course, it's the simplest and easiest to use.

It was the kind of explosion that Bai Zhou was most familiar with.

Bai Zhou couldn't stop the major from using the compass, but what the major learned from it was hard to say.

It sounds a bit like a dream...

But he actually quite hoped that the major would personally lead the pursuit.

"As expected of you, Crow!"

Bai Zhou sincerely praised:
"—You're a super-skilled villain!"

crow:"……"

Bai Zhou became curious again.

Crow couldn't be considered an expert at either being "wanted" or "counter-wanted"...

It's not that it's something ingrained in their bones, something they can do effortlessly.

It has a calm, detached feel, like you could rob a bank one minute and then just grab a bowl of noodles across the street before leaving.

—Without ten years of experience in the evil party, one cannot develop this skill!

"Gu... Gugu..."

With his worries temporarily relieved, Bai Zhou was about to get up from the rooftop when his stomach suddenly growled.

A crow glanced over from the side. "I'm hungry."

Bai Zhou coughed lightly, feeling embarrassed.
"I want to eat breakfast."

The crow understood completely.

After all that effort, all the energy should have been used up by now.

Even a donkey that has been pulling the millstone for half a day deserves some food, let alone a teenager going through a series of crises...

"But it's three in the morning."

Crow shook his head regretfully.

Even the most diligent breakfast shops barely open for business until 4 a.m.

At this time, standing on the rooftop and looking down, you can see almost half of the tightly closed doors of thousands of households in Tinghai City.

There was no breakfast served, and I was turned away at the door.

Even if Bai Zhou had no common sense, he would know that this was not the time for breakfast.

"It's alright, let's wait then."

Bai Zhou rubbed his stomach, shook his head, and said:
"When it gets light, I want to try Tinghai's xiaolongbao."

After breakfast...

We should go to that Dream Realization Middle School to investigate; who knows what kind of trouble it might cause.

But it's not over yet.

That evening, he had to prepare in advance to deal with the major's men...

Just thinking about it gives me a headache.

But all of that happened after daybreak.

Before dawn, Bai Zhou just wanted to clear his mind and rest.

At least, things are much better today than they were in yesterday’s despair.

Each day is better than the last.

It will get better.

Bai Zhou pondered optimistically.

Then, he began to concentrate on what the first basket of fresh pork dumplings and the first spoonful of steaming millet porridge from the first pot of breakfast stall would taste like.

Thinking about it.

Greedy.

I'm even hungrier now.

Bai Zhou sat down again on the edge of the rooftop, his legs dangling in the air.

He raised his right hand, which bore the crescent moon mark, to his cheek and closed his eyes.

His breathing became more steady and shallow.

The shadow of the building was tall and large, while the boy's shadow was small, and he fell into a deep sleep.

Waiting for dawn.

"clatter……"

A very, very soft sound.

Crow draped the tattered cloak that Bai Zhou had just taken off over Bai Zhou's shoulders.

Suddenly.

Bai Zhou swayed twice, causing Ya's stealthy movements to freeze.

"?"

"call……"

A strong wind blew across the rooftop, lifting a corner of the cloak.

Meanwhile, the figure of Ya, bent over facing the white boat, stood motionless against the howling wind at the conspicuous edge of the rooftop.

The scene seemed frozen in time, and the air seemed to solidify.

Fortunately, Bai Zhou did not wake up.

So we didn't see the crow putting on a cloak.

This finally relieved Miss Crow, and she slowly got up.

"..."

She tucked the stray hairs behind her ear, and Miss Crow's face returned to its cold, aloof expression.

One person sat down and fell into a deep sleep.

A person stood to one side, his trench coat fluttering in the wind.

The two of them stood quietly on the edge of the rooftop, their shadows elongated by the gentle moonlight.

Stretch, stretch...

Then, the two figures appeared in the elongated and distorted moonlight...

Their shoulders touched.

Fortunately, Miss Crow did not turn around and see this scene.

Otherwise, someone might draw their sword and cleave the moon, shattering this absurd moonlight.

……

the other side.

Branch Base No. 36.

The major finally managed to deal with that damned headquarters inspection team and temporarily settled them in a luxury room at the base.

"Provide them with the best food and drink, give them whatever they want, and even if they don't want it, find a way to give it away. As long as they are willing to accept things, things will be easy."

In the conference room, the major gave instructions to several officers:

"Especially that jewel witch—"

"I've heard that she always spends gems when she makes a purchase, so she must be of extraordinary background and generous. Money and worldly possessions probably can't sway her heart."

"So forget about the money. You need to find out her preferences and then address them accordingly."

"...But there's one thing: we can't let them do anything important!"

The major's voice paused here.

He lowered his eyes and surveyed the crowd, then spoke in a low, stern voice:

"We must not hand over Bai Zhou's case to them. You must delay as much as possible."

"I will resolve the issue of Bai Zhou as soon as possible in the meantime!"

Some of the officers hesitated, wondering if there was really no problem with these arrangements, given that there had been no movement from Bai Zhou for so long and his mental state seemed a bit off.

But seeing the major's eyes turn red for some reason, every officer felt a chill and stopped saying a word.

In the end, they simply stood up with a "snap," saluted, and replied:

"Yes, Major!"

……

The major returned to his office.

Two people dressed in strange clothes were already waiting here.

"Commander Luo."

Upon seeing the major enter, they bowed slightly to him.

A man and a woman, dressed in extremely distinctive and unique clothing, would definitely turn heads on the street.

Everyone wore a painted mask, and their entire bodies were covered in vibrant colors...

Without a doubt, they are all artists from the Art Club.

The woman with a curvaceous figure is the first artist to emerge after Munch's death.

The other one, of course, is the new second one after Monk's death.

Originally, including Edward Munch, the three of them were sent by the art club to hunt down Shiraishu.

But no one could have predicted that before Bai Zhou even arrived, the most powerful one would be gone first...

"I am very sorry about [Monk]'s situation."

The major was not surprised by their arrival and nodded to them.

His expression became somewhat unnatural when [Monk] was mentioned:
"I have already transferred the funds to the previous card."

"You can verify it."

Upon hearing this, the female artist waved her hands repeatedly and said in a low voice:

"No need, we certainly trust your reputation."

Let's leave the matter of [Monk] behind here—

"We heard you had a way to find Bai Zhou tonight, that's why we came here."

"Bai Zhou..."

The major's gloomy expression seemed somewhat strange, but in the end he simply shook his head.

"Yes, Bai Zhou..."

Before today, his target was definitely Bai Zhou.

But after today, the person he most wanted to skin and rip apart had become that unknown auctioneer number 22.

Unfortunately, he knew nothing about that person, and the Midnight Compass could only help him find the White Boat.

...Let it be a white boat then.

"I've also prepared some helpers for tonight's operation."

The major's words surprised the two "artists" slightly.

Then, the major clapped his hands twice.

The sound of clapping was particularly crisp in the quiet office.
The next moment——

"Click! Click!"

The sound of machinery operating could be heard.

The bookshelf behind the major flipped up automatically.

It was as if a curtain had been drawn back, revealing a deep, secret passage.

The long, secret passage was filled with profound darkness.

Then, one pair, two pairs, ten pairs, dozens of pairs... a dense array of scarlet lights suddenly lit up in the thick darkness.

Those are human eyes.

But more like a wild beast.

Cold, pure, and devoid of emotion.

In the dim light cast by the office, the "artists" could barely make out the scene inside, and their hearts nearly stopped.

—Because the top of the secret passage and the walls on both sides were covered with countless human figures.

Each person was completely wrapped in black cloth, like a "ninja" or "samurai," blending perfectly into the darkness.

They are like "bats," attaching themselves weightlessly to various places.

"they are……"

The two "artists" instinctively held their breath.

Even those who considered themselves extraordinary had never seen such a "person".

Most importantly, they felt a deadly threat from these "people".

No one would have imagined that the major would hide such "strange things" in his office.

"They are the helpers I prepared for you."

Looking at these "people" who had been hiding in the office's secret passage for who knows how long, the major's gloomy expression finally eased considerably.

As soon as the major spoke, all the pairs of eyes in the secret passage seemed to receive some kind of signal, focusing on the major as if waiting for his instructions.

They remained silent, still, and a sense of inhuman oppression arose spontaneously.

They didn't seem like living people; they were more like a group of sophisticated and ruthless killing machines.

"Almost no one knows they exist."

"...Insensible to pain, absolutely obedient, the strongest 'biological weapon' I personally designed!"

Looking at them, the major's voice gradually became steady, and his chest slowly rose.

His mood improved considerably, and he finally rediscovered his pride in these creations:

"Each one is an extraordinary masterpiece that incorporates some characteristics of the [black box] and has undergone biological modification."

"Possessing its own pollution and adapting to all environments, it can be described as an infinitely enhanced version of the [Swordholder] tactical squad."

As he spoke, the major slowly turned his head, the shadows of the secret passage enveloping half of his body.

A pair of scarlet eyes gleamed behind the major, like a peacock spreading its tail feathers.

The overwhelming sense of oppression even made the two 'artists' who were at the peak of level 4 feel as if their blood had frozen, and they subconsciously held their breath.

"I call these masterpieces..."

The major whispered, each word ringing slowly in their ears:
"—【Black Knight】!"

(End of this chapter)