The moment the system notification rang in Su Wan’s mind, she clearly felt a vague sense of control over Ah-Lan, who was standing outside the door.
It was as if an invisible thread now connected them. Within the range of this building, she could perceive the other woman’s general state and location, and even exert a certain amount of influence over her.
This was a partial manifestation of the Absolute Access Authority and Domain Sovereignty.
“You may enter,” Su Wan said, stepping aside to clear the doorway.
Ah-Lan bent down to hoist Ah-Hao onto her back again and stepped up the stairs.
The instant she stepped through the security door with her brother—
Warm, dry, and clean air enveloped her.
There was no ubiquitous dust or smell of mold; no scent of blood or decay; no piercing cold; and certainly none of that nerve-wracking, sweet, sickly metallic smell of rust.
The concrete floor of the hallway was rough but exceptionally clean. The lights were stable and bright, making her feel slightly dazed.
They were really… inside.
It wasn’t a hallucination, nor was it a trap.
This space, protected by an invisible power, was real.
Ah-Lan carefully placed Ah-Hao on the floor in front of Room 104, but her gaze instinctively drifted back toward the door.
Outside, under the dark-red sky, the figures of Black Rat and Viper were faintly visible behind the half-collapsed wall.
Ah-Lan had hired these two using two precious crystal cores, originally intending to have extra help searching for Ah-Hao.
She knew their character well—greedy, ruthless, and utterly without bottom lines. They were loathsome.
If not for the approaching Death Tide and her desperation to find her brother, she would never have dealt with such people.
Now, seeing the two of them lingering and peering from a distance, Ah-Lan’s heart tightened again.
They would not give up easily.
The threat of the Death Tide was imminent. A shelter that could supposedly provide absolute safety was an irresistible temptation for any drifter, let alone desperate outlaws like Black Rat and Viper who only cared about profit.
“They won’t leave,” Ah-Lan whispered to Ah-Hao, who had just begun to relax. She glanced at the calm Su Wan, her voice carrying a warning and a trace of subtle apology.
Su Wan, however, desperately hoped they wouldn’t leave! She just didn’t show it on her face.
Looking at the sky turning an even deeper shade of dark red, Su Wan knew those two probably wouldn’t last much longer out there.
Behind the wall, Black Rat and Viper were far less composed than they appeared.
“Damn it, those two brats actually went in!” Black Rat whispered, his eyes filled with both jealousy and confusion.
“There’s definitely something going on with that building. Can you smell it? Not a single whiff of that moldy rust from the Death Tide is drifting out!”
Viper narrowed his eyes, licking his cracked lips like a snake flickering its tongue. “The inside of that place is indeed unnervingly clean.”
“And that light… it’s too steady to be powered by some junk generator or glow sticks.” He paused, his voice growing even darker.
“The key is that woman… what do you think of her?”
Black Rat frowned, the centipede-like scar on his face twitching as his muscles shifted, making him look even more hideous.
He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he closed his eyes, his nostrils flaring slightly as if he were sensing something.
A few seconds later, he opened his eyes and shook his head, his tone laced with bewilderment. “Strange… I can’t sense any ‘scent’ from her.”
“How can that be?” Viper was also confused.
“The scent of danger, the smell of blood, killing intent, or the Presence of a powerhouse… she has none of it,” Black Rat explained his special perception ability, which was one of the primary reasons he had survived until now.
“That woman is too clean.”
“She’s soft and mild, like some fledgling who’s never seen blood or gone hungry. She’s completely out of place in this hellhole, especially next to a little wolf cub like Ah-Hao.”
Viper’s eyes flickered. “Is she faking it?”
“Doesn’t seem like it.” Black Rat shook his head. “No matter how well you act, the things in your bones can’t fool my nose. She really doesn’t have that ‘scent.’”
He rubbed his chin. “But that girl Ah-Lan is as sharp as a ghost, and that little brat Ah-Hao is full of schemes. For the two of them to be so respectful to that woman… it doesn’t make sense.”
The two men exchanged a glance, both seeing the uncertainty and suspicion in each other’s eyes.
When things are this strange, there must be a catch.
Either the woman was hiding herself so deeply that she could even fool Black Rat’s perception, or she truly possessed some power or backing they couldn’t comprehend, forcing the siblings to bow their heads.
“The Death Tide is practically snapping at our heels!” Viper glanced at the deepening dark red on the horizon and the increasingly clear grey mist. He was growing anxious.
“If we stall any longer, we’ll both dissolve into puddles of rot out here!”
Black Rat’s gaze wavered with internal struggle.
Reason told him this place was eerie and that he should stay away.
But the terrifying memories of the Death Tide and the desperate craving for a safe shelter tore at his nerves like two competing hands.
Ultimately, the fear of death overwhelmed his doubts.
“Let’s gamble!” Black Rat gritted his teeth. “That woman doesn’t look like a fighter. Let’s get inside first!”
“If there’s really something weird inside, with our skills, we can act according to the situation!”
Viper nodded sinisterly. “Right! Survival first. Once we’re in, we’ll figure out if she’s a sheep or a tiger!”
The two quickly reached an agreement.
They hid their outward ferocity, slung their crossbows behind their backs, and tried to make their posture look as non-threatening as possible. Then, they emerged from behind the wall and walked toward the stairs of the unfinished building.
Seeing them approach, Ah-Lan’s body instantly tensed, her hand moving toward her blade once more.
Ah-Hao also clenched his fists in nervousness.
Su Wan remained standing inside the door, watching the two men approach step by step, her heart leaping with joy.
The two stopped at the bottom of the stairs, roughly where Ah-Lan had stood before.
“Miss Landlord,” Black Rat squeezed out what he thought was a friendly smile, though combined with his features, it only looked more distorted and strange.
“My brother and I are being pushed to the brink by this damn weather, so we wanted to ask you to take us in.”
Viper also pulled at the corners of his mouth, softening his voice. “That’s right, Boss Lady. The Death Tide is coming, and there’s really no way to survive out here.”
“We can tell you’re a person of great ability. We… could we also rent a place to hide, just like Sister Lan?”
“The rent won’t be an issue! We’ve still got some savings!”
As they spoke, they each pulled a small cloth bag from their tunics and opened them, revealing several Energy Crystal Cores that emitted a faint glow. Their quality seemed even slightly better than the ones Ah-Hao had produced earlier.
However, the moment they neared the doorway, the system notification rang coldly in Su Wan’s mind:
【Warning! Highly malicious units detected nearby!】
【Unit A (Black Rat): Malice Level: 92. Obvious deceptive intent. Possesses a Low-rank Danger Perception ability.】
【Unit B (Viper): Malice Level: 90. Strong aggressive tendencies. Specialized in sneak attacks and poisoning.】
Rate on N.U.
