The second prophecy given by the Prophet was equally cryptic and difficult to grasp.
“Three guests arrive by night, a red star lights the way. Seen but not recognized, passed but not perceived, danger lurks beneath the feet.”
“Three guests arrive by night”—the three of them had just arrived in Jiangcheng tonight.
“A red star lights the way”—Yin Ji looked down at the watch on his wrist, which was still flashing red, the curve of his lips turning stiff and bitter.
“Seen but not recognized”—they had sensed the existence of this energy fluctuation but had no idea what it meant.
“Passed but not perceived”—they had come from the industrial zone and driven all the way through this area; the energy fluctuation was right around them, yet they were unable to locate, track, or lock onto it.
“Danger lurks beneath the feet”...
This second prophecy had also come true.
A series of chills ran down Yin Ji’s spine.
Two of the Prophet’s three prophecies had been fulfilled.
What did this mean?
It meant that the “variable” the Prophet had foreseen, the one significant enough to affect the success or failure of the Guixu Project...
Had appeared.
Yin Ji looked at the red light on the watch face, knowing that the Ability User was following them right at this moment.
He took a deep breath, suppressing the emotions churning in his heart.
Before departing, his direct superior, Duan Tianya, had summoned him.
In that meeting hall, so spacious it was nearly empty, Duan Tianya sat at the end of a long table, his face hidden in the shadows, his expression unreadable.
“You already know the Prophet’s three prophecies,” Duan Tianya’s voice was low and steady, devoid of any superfluous emotion.
“The first has already come true. Liu Junnan was captured by the Special Abnormal Affairs Bureau; the organization will no longer harbor any illusions.”
“Liu Junnan was merely the first step of probing. In truth, his mission wasn't to find that variable, but to confirm whether the variable even existed.”
“Now, we have our confirmation.”
Duan Tianya’s finger tapped lightly on the tabletop.
“Therefore, your trip to Jiangcheng is not just to advance the project...”
Yin Ji’s spine stiffened slightly.
“There is another task: to lure the snake out of its hole.”
Duan Tianya’s voice echoed in the empty hall.
“The Guixu Project is too important. The organization takes the Prophet’s prophecies very seriously.”
“Regarding this uncontrollable variable, we absolutely cannot be careless.”
“But as for who he is, where he is, or how strong he is, we know nothing.”
“Therefore, we need someone to draw him out.”
Yin Ji lowered his eyes, his posture respectful. “Subordinate understands.”
“The organization members sent to Jiangcheng this time are not limited to the three of you.”
Duan Tianya’s speaking pace slowed slightly.
“The three of you are the advance team on the surface, but there will be others acting separately from you.”
“They are all combat-type Ability Users from within our organization, equipped with the organization’s most advanced tracking and containment gear. They are already lying in wait in three directions around Jiangcheng.”
“The Guixu Project Security Department has also dispatched a five-man squad. The captain is a Level 3 Late Stage, and the members are all Level 2 Peak. They are responsible for the direct capture.”
“All peripheral liaison points in East China have completed their evacuation, and all available resources are being tilted toward Jiangcheng.”
Duan Tianya’s voice suddenly softened at this moment, as light as a leaf falling onto the water’s surface.
“Of course, these people exist only for the sake of the variable’s existence...”
“If you discover traces of the variable, you must not alert the enemy. You only need to transmit the signal...”
Yin Ji had pretended that nothing was out of the ordinary as he completed the entire meeting with Gu Huaian, and then pretended nothing was wrong as he drove away.
He looked toward Wen Ruoan.
He saw Wen Ruoan’s hand resting on her knee, her fingertip pressing down on a black chip the size of a fingernail.
The moment the car stopped, Wen Ruoan had already sent out the agreed-upon action signal through that chip.
This signal was an internal operational code of Yuansou.
It was also at the instant the signal was sent that the “Control Variable” plan was officially launched.
“Control Variable”—to control the variable in Jiangcheng.
Once the signal was sent, the operational teams lying in wait around Jiangcheng and the five-man squad from the Guixu Project Security Department would receive the command immediately.
They would set out from their respective ambush positions and converge on Jiangcheng at maximum speed.
They would blockade all major routes in and out of Jiangcheng, lay a dragnet around this industrial zone, and encircle the entire area into an airtight cage before that variable could even react.
No matter how strong this variable was, no matter which corner he hid in, no matter how many trump cards he held—
Tonight, he would find it impossible to escape even if he had wings!
Su Wan looked at the car stopped in the middle of the road ahead, feeling a sense of unease.
The premonition of danger pricked at Su Wan’s nerves like fine needles.
She instinctively spread her perception out, extending it into the distant darkness.
In the Apocalyptic Plane, her Level 4 Mid Stage mental power coverage range was eighteen thousand meters.
But on Blue Star, this number was reduced to twelve thousand meters.
Even so, this range was enough for her to see everything around her clearly.
Her perception was like an invisible giant net, spreading silently in all directions.
Then, she saw them.
To the east, five kilometers away, three cars were speeding along the intercity highway, their headlights dragging three blurry streaks of light through the night.
Four people sat in each car, all of them emitting energy fluctuations, the lowest being at the Level 2 Peak.
To the south, four kilometers away, two figures were leaping across the roofs of abandoned factory buildings, their speed incredibly fast.
They wore dark combat suits and had equipment strapped to their waists that she hadn't seen before; that cold, hard metallic texture looked like some kind of specialized ability amplifier.
To the west, six kilometers away, a black box truck without a license plate was turning out from a junction. Five people sat in the back, and the energy fluctuation of the leader was as heavy as an abyss—a Level 3 Late Stage.
To the north...
Su Wan withdrew her perception.
From all directions, at least twenty Ability Users were closing in on this industrial zone.
They moved swiftly along precise routes, maintaining a certain tacit distance from one another that she couldn't quite decipher, like a fishing net being tightened.
It seemed Yuansou already knew of her existence.
They were coming to catch her!
Su Wan’s expression remained calm; she did not panic.
Over twenty Ability Users sounded like a lot.
But with her Level 4 Mid Stage strength, not one of these people could pose a genuine threat to her.
However, she had many concerns because she could not afford to be exposed.
Once her true identity was revealed, she would never have another day of peace.
Su Wan did not hesitate; she turned and left immediately.
Yin Ji kept his eyes fixed on the Tracker Watch on his wrist.
The red light on the watch face suddenly changed from flashing to a rapid pulsing, the frequency more than doubling.
His pupils constricted sharply.
It was the variable!
He’s trying to run!
Yin Ji’s heart tightened, and he shoved the car door open.
Before Meng Changhe and Wen Ruoan could even react, Yin Ji had already charged out.
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