Explosion

Yue Shi did not let hatred cloud his judgment.

He sensed that something was not quite right.

The Su Yuanhe before him was performing too perfectly, acting exactly like a high-ranking old man would when trying to beg for his life under torture.

Yue Shi didn't know Su Yuanhe's true personality, but in his memories, the man viewed experimental subjects as mere ants and enjoyed the process of experimentation like a scientific demon.

Would a scientist beg for mercy like this?

Furthermore, every word Su Yuanhe spoke was an attempt to bait him into revealing himself or making a sound.

Most importantly, after such a huge commotion, why was there still no backup from outside? Where had those transcendent confidants gone?

Had they been lured away by that “anonymous person” who had come to assassinate him?

Despite the many doubts in his heart, Yue Shi did not stop what he was doing.

The hard skull was slowly being ground open, and Su Yuanhe’s entire body was twitching.

“Please, just kill me, give me a quick death,” he pleaded with a dying breath, his eyes vacant and his consciousness fading.

The pink brain was already exposed, and just as Yue Shi was preparing to pour some red wine into it...

Outside the window, in the night sky, a point of brilliant light suddenly flared!

Accompanied by a sharp whistle, a rocket trailing a tail of flame shot toward the top-floor room with extreme speed and precision!

Boom!!!

The rocket shattered the thick bulletproof glass, slammed into the room, and exploded with a roar.

A scorching fireball instantly swallowed the entire suite, the shockwave tearing the luxury furniture, decorations, and everything else into shreds.

The entire building shook violently, and the sound of glass shattering rang out like a rainstorm.

Su Yuanhe, who had been tortured into an unrecognizable state by Yue Shi, didn't even have time to let out a final scream before he was completely incinerated in the explosion, dying a definitive death.

Amidst the flames and thick smoke, Yue Shi unfurled his wings, shaking off the surrounding fire and debris. He flew out of the window and hovered high in the sky, looking down at the mess below.

The top-floor suite burned fiercely, and Cloud Rest Villa fell into chaos.

Who fired the rocket?

The first person Yue Shi thought of was that “anonymous person.”

If it were an ambush by the Glory Association, it shouldn't have been this crude.

【Trace Seeking】 activated. The trail of smoke left by the rocket became incredibly clear in Yue Shi’s perception.

Without any hesitation, Yue Shi beat his wings and sped toward the source of the trail.

In a few breaths, he arrived at a small wooded slope not far from the villa.

The woods were silent in the night, with only the rustling of wind-blown leaves.

Yue Shi landed on the ground, his gaze scanning the area inch by inch.

He soon found some traces.

There were two crudely covered footprints in the soil, positioned in a forward lunge; the person who fired the rocket launcher had clearly withstood a significant amount of recoil.

Beside the footprints were a few scattered fragments that looked like the stabilizer fins unique to certain high-explosive rockets, their edges marked by scorch marks.

A faint smell of gunpowder lingered in the air, and the nearby bushes showed signs of being singed by high-temperature airflow.

This was the launch site.

But beyond that, there were no other valuable clues in the vicinity.

No footprints leading away, no discarded launcher, no clothing fibers, not even a lingering trace of an aura.

Yue Shi expanded his search area and activated 【Trace Seeking】 to sense any unusual traces in the nearby space.

However, he found nothing.

The opponent seemed to have appeared out of thin air, fired a shot, and then vanished just as mysteriously.

“They’re certainly no amateur,” Yue Shi thought as he stood on the slope. He felt a bit disappointed, yet it also felt expected.

Someone who could quietly uncover his background and evade the layers of pursuit from Lab 0 was bound to be an extremely cautious, observant person who wouldn't make low-level mistakes.

Yue Shi looked up, gazing at the distant Cloud Rest Villa.

Siren wails drew closer, sharp and piercing.

Thick smoke billowed from the massive hole in the top floor, looking particularly startling against the night sky.

A luxury villa hotel in the city center had been attacked by a rocket; this was undoubtedly a major security incident.

Yue Shi calmly reviewed tonight’s operation.

From the anonymous information to the containment vehicle trap, to the ambush by the serpentine girl and the three control-type transcendents, to the woman who blocked the space, and finally to this Su Yuanhe, who was easily found and tortured to death without any rescue.

The earlier steps seemed logical, but the latter part was strange.

Yue Shi took off the black outer garment he had worn for tonight’s operation, corroded it into fragments, and then devoured and banished the remains.

He wondered where all the things he banished today would eventually end up.

Then, his figure blended into the night sky as he returned to the Bureau’s staff dormitory and climbed through his bedroom window.

Lying back on his bed, Yue Shi stared at the ceiling.

Although there might have been something wrong with the Su Yuanhe he killed, it had still felt quite satisfying.

Of course, it was far from enough.

Everyone associated with Lab 0, including their friends, relatives, and their entire bloodlines for nine generations, deserved to be wiped out by him!

Otherwise, he wouldn't be doing himself justice.

With these chaotic thoughts, Yue Shi slowly closed his eyes.

The next morning.

Yue Shi got up and did a quick wash. When he turned on his phone, the entire internet and Amber City’s local media had exploded.

“Breaking: Cloud Rest Villa, a Glory Association Site, Attacked by Terrorist Rocket!”

“Charity Night Turns into Nightmare; Extremist Group Suspected of Targeting Glory Association!”

“Exclusive: Violent Explosion at the Top of Cloud Rest Villa; Casualties Unknown!”

All sorts of headlines were everywhere. Most of the news photos showed the smoking roof of Cloud Rest Villa, the chaotic scene, and the panicked crowds.

Public opinion was almost entirely skewed toward sympathy and support for the Glory Association.

“This is terrifying! The Glory Association has done so much charity and helped so many people. How could anyone have the heart to attack them?”

“The perpetrator must be strictly investigated! Protect charitable organizations!”

“Salute the staff of the Glory Association. Even at a time like this, their charity aid activities have not ceased.”

“Praying for peace!”

The Glory Association’s past charitable deeds were heavily reported, and its image was molded into that of an innocent victim and a shining model of philanthropy.

Of course, amidst the mainstream sympathy, there were also a few faint but sharp dissenting voices:

“Heh, it’s just a show. In this day and age, for a charitable organization like this to keep growing larger, who knows how much dirty work they do behind the scenes? Maybe it’s karma.”

“Charity as a whitewash? The Glory Association is backed by transcendent families. Anyone who knows, knows what they're really about.”

“Check their fund flows; I guarantee there will be surprises.”

However, these comments were quickly drowned out by a surge of “positive energy” comments and what appeared to be comment control by hired shills, failing to make much of a splash.

Yue Shi scrolled through the news on his phone, eating breakfast with a cold expression.

He arrived late for work as usual and walked into the office.

His colleagues were all there, and everyone was calm.