Chapter 63: Heavy Shadows

The next day.

The dense fog was slightly lighter than the previous day, but the damp chill left behind by the disaster rain still clung like bone-eating maggots, permeating every corner of the abandoned coastal city.

Without further delay, Lu Ming and Lin Wan boarded the modified off-road vehicle with Xia Tong. Amidst the low, growling roar of the engine, the vehicle crushed across the slippery streets and headed toward the city center.

Curled up in Lin Wan's lap, Xia Tong appeared to be dozing, but her glass-like cat pupils shifted quietly beneath her eyelids, keenly observing everything.

She noticed that when Lu Ming was driving, a very thin layer of frost would occasionally condense along the edge of the dashboard inside the vehicle, only to melt away just as quickly.

Clearly, he was using his ice-attribute superpower to assist in controlling the vehicle or maintaining constant vigilance. This man, much like his appearance, was icy and cautious.

...Load up!

The vehicle bumped forward, weaving through the silent, dead buildings.

Suddenly, Lin Wan's delicate brows furrowed slightly. Her continuously outward-projecting mental perception captured a trace of vague, malicious surveillance—as cold as a viper's tongue, yet vanishing without a trace in an instant.

"Huh?" She let out a soft exclamation, her expression instantly turning guarded. "Such strong malice! There's someone nearby!"

Lu Ming's grip on the steering wheel tightened abruptly, his expression suddenly turning stern. The modified off-road vehicle executed a sudden emergency brake, the tires producing a harsh screeching sound against the slippery ground before coming to a brief halt.

A chilling, bone-piercing murderous intent flashed and vanished within him, like a newly unsheathed sharp blade.

Almost at the same time, Xia Tong felt the cold prompt tone of the "Source Core" ring out in her mind:

[Warning! Unknown high-threat target short-term signal detected and marked.]

"Are they still there?" Lu Ming asked in a deep voice, his gaze as sharp as a falcon's, scanning the ruins shrouded in dense fog outside the car window.

Lin Wan shook her head with a hint of uncertainty:

"Maybe I sensed wrong, or perhaps it was just a passing low-tier mutant. That malice vanished much too quickly."

Lu Ming's tense nerves relaxed slightly, but the vigilance in the depths of his eyes did not dissipate.

Xia Tong secretly kept the matter in mind. That sensation of surveillance filled with intense malice was definitely not something possessed by mindless corrupted beings.

This abandoned coastal city had undercurrents surging far more violently than she had imagined. She wondered if following this pair was the right move; she was slightly worried that irresistible factors might emerge...

However, enormous benefits lay right ahead; no matter what, she had to take a gamble.

The vehicle started up again.

To ease the tense atmosphere from a moment before, or perhaps to make Lin Wan understand more clearly the importance of the mission assigned by the superiors, Lu Ming took the initiative to mention more information about the "Key of the Red Moon":

"Lin Wan, regarding the 'Key of the Red Moon,' the older generation of my family once recorded in a secret document that it might not be a physical key in the traditional sense we understand."

"Oh?" Lin Wan showed an interested expression.

"Mhm," Lu Ming said in a deep voice, "It is more like a 'qualification,' or perhaps a 'primer.'

It is capable of opening a 'special secret realm' that briefly appears during the red moon. Rumors say that this secret realm is different from any secret realm previously discovered in the wasteland; it harbors fortuitous encounters capable of changing the destiny of superpower users, and may even contain... mysteries touching upon higher levels."

Listening quietly from the side, Xia Tong twitch her cat ears slightly.

Fortuitous encounters that could change the destiny of superpower users?

The "Source Core" had previously analyzed that the "Key of the Red Moon" might provide assistance to the host's rank elevation and aptitude strength. It seemed that statement was not false, though she had no idea how it knew... The thought flashed and vanished swiftly from her mind.

Yet, her longing for this "Key of the Red Moon" deepened by another fraction.

The shackles of her F-tier water-attribute superpower aptitude in this lifetime were the deepest thorn in her heart. Although she never mentioned it, in her past life, she had after all been an entity of A-tier aptitude. Being reduced to a stray cat in this life was one thing, but even the awakened superpower aptitude was of the lowest grade...

Fortunately, she had figured that since the "Source Core" was so miraculous, perhaps it could help her break through the shackles. Unexpectedly, the opportunity was right before her eyes; no matter what, she had to contend for this "Key of the Red Moon."

A fire ignited within Xia Tong's heart...

...

Perhaps due to the recently concluded disaster rain, the entire ruined coastal city was dead silent, and the roaming monsters had no idea where they had gone to hide.

After an unknown passage of time, the off-road vehicle stopped in front of a tall building covered by countless vines and bizarre plants.

The vegetation here was abnormally lush, or rather overgrown. The dense branches and leaves almost blocked out the sky; however, beneath this excessive prosperity, there lingered a trace of unsettling stillness, as if all vitality had been suppressed by some invisible force.

"This should be it." Lin Wan took a deep breath. Her mental perception was heavily interfered with here, plunging as if into a quagmire, yet she said with certainty:

"The 'area with the purest energy' detected by the base is right around here; there's no mistake." As she spoke, she picked up the signal receiver in her hand and began monitoring...

Lu Ming nodded with a solemn expression and looked around: "Be careful. In a place like this, there are likely other competitors already, or... powerful mutant guardians lying dormant."

Taking advantage of the moment when the two were focused and on guard, Xia Tong quietly activated the faint wood-attribute superpower within her body.

Now, her wood-attribute perception was much stronger than at the beginning. Wisps of perceptive force spread along the ground, penetrating deep into this bizarre cluster of dense high-rises.

Instantly, several powerful energy fluctuations fed back to her, like torches burning in the dark. One of the energy fluctuations was particularly prominent, filled with a tyrannical and greedy aura, causing her to instinctively feel a strong sense of disgust.

"What on earth is going on?"

"How come after just one rain, all sorts of monsters and demons are crawling out? And gathering together at that?"

...

Just as Lu Ming and Lin Wan prepared to get out of the vehicle to further investigate the interior of the tall building, an extremely shrill scream suddenly echoed from deep within the desolate building, tearing through the dead silence!

Immediately following were the sounds of violent energy collisions, accompanied by exploding sparks and the muffled snapping of plants.

Before they could react, an arrogant and icy voice exploded like a thunderclap, echoing in the thick fog: "This place has been cleared by the 'Blood Bat Group'! Those who don't want to die, scram!"

Lu Ming and Lin Wan exchanged glances, a cold, fierce glint flashing in each other's eyes.

A cruel, mocking smile curved the corners of Lu Ming's mouth:

"The Blood Bat Group? A bunch of notorious plunderers in the wasteland who survive by drinking human blood and slaughtering the weak. To think they actually dare to covet the 'Key of the Red Moon'—they truly overestimate themselves."

A thought stirred within Xia Tong: "The Blood Bat Group..." She had also heard of this name in her past life. Famous for their cruel methods, reckless bravery, and corporate-style plundering, they were an extremely tough nut to crack.

It seemed today's trouble was far greater than anticipated.

Before his voice faded, a figure slowly walked out from the dense fog lingering deep within the tall building.

The person wore combat gear stained with dark red blood, with a ferocious, blood-colored bat pattern emblazoned on the chest. A distorted, bloodthirsty smile hung on his face as he stuck out his tongue to lick the fresh blood off a short dagger.

His gaze was greedy and lewd, sweeping back and forth over Lu Ming and Lin Wan as if sizing up prey.