The night grew deeper.
Ye Ning’s brows were knitted into a tight knot, her face a picture of pure frustration.
She stuffed her school uniform into the sink, turned on the hot water faucet, and let the rushing hot water pour over the fabric.
The vivid red bloodstains quickly spread in the current, dyeing the clear water a pale red that slowly drained away.
But the blood that had seeped deep into the fibers was stubborn.
No matter how much hot water she used, it clung tenaciously, leaving behind dark, dull stains.
“I should never have pulled that stunt earlier.”
Ye Ning made a sour face, muttering under her breath, her voice full of regret.
“I should have bought two extra sets when I signed up.”
She grumbled as she sped up her scrubbing.
Soap suds piled up, splashing all around the sink and even getting on her sleeves.
Hua Niao leaned against the bathroom doorframe, arms crossed, quietly watching her fuming, helpless expression.
A faint, almost imperceptible smile flickered in her eyes.
“…”
At the same time, in the desolate wilderness where the abandoned factory stood, the wail of police sirens shattered the night’s silence.
Three police cars roared in, their headlights piercing the darkness like two beams of light, coming to a steady stop before the factory’s rusted iron gate.
The doors opened, and several uniformed officers stepped out, holding magic crystal guns, their expressions alert as they scanned the desolate surroundings.
Officer Lin was the first to step out from the driver’s seat.
He adjusted his uniform, quickly walked to the rear door, and respectfully opened it, looking inside.
His tone was serious.
“Miss Haitang Hua, we’ve arrived at the entrance of the abandoned factory. The situation inside is unknown, so please be careful.”
“Mm, thank you for your hard work, you and all the officers.”
A lively, crisp female voice came from inside the car, brimming with energy, instantly dispelling some of the surrounding gloom.
The next moment, a petite, delicate figure stepped out of the car, instantly becoming the center of attention.
She was a girl who looked no older than sixteen or seventeen, with a slender figure, dressed in a light blue Lolita-style combat dress.
The skirt had layer upon layer of ruffles, adorned with white lace trims and tiny pearl decorations.
As she moved, the skirt swayed gently, like a blooming crabapple flower—both lovely and charming.
She was A City’s Magical Girl Association’s local B-rank Magical Girl—Haitang Hua.
Haitang Hua hopped lightly out of the car, her movements as light as a feather.
In her hand, she held an exquisitely crafted magic wand.
The wand’s shaft was made of pale blue crystal, clear and translucent, inlaid with smooth, droplet-shaped gemstones that seemed to flow slowly along its length.
At the top was a lifelike pink crabapple flower, its petals distinct and layered, emitting a gentle yet not weak wave of water-element mana.
Haitang Hua looked up, her gaze sweeping over the dilapidated factory gate before her.
The smile on her face faded slightly, her expression turning serious.
She raised her wand and waved it gently, saying softly, “Everyone, stay here for now. Don’t approach the factory lightly. The Association’s alarm showed an extremely powerful witch aura fluctuation here half an hour ago, and the level isn’t low. You’re all ordinary people without the ability to fight witches. Rushing in would be dangerous.”
“I’ll go in first to scout the situation. I’ll call you in once I’ve confirmed it’s safe.”
“Understood, Miss Haitang Hua! Please be careful yourself!”
Officer Lin and the other officers replied in unison, taking a few steps back.
They stood guard at the factory entrance, gripping their service weapons tightly, ready to respond to any sudden developments.
Haitang Hua nodded, turned, and walked to the factory’s iron gate.
She raised her wand and gave it a light wave.
A stream of pale blue water-element mana surged from the wand’s tip, transforming into a slender water rope that coiled around the gate’s latch.
With a gentle twist, there was a soft click, and the rusted latch opened easily.
She pushed the heavy iron gate open.
It let out a piercing creak, jarringly loud in the silent night.
Upon entering the factory, a thick smell of blood and rot assaulted her senses, making Haitang Hua wrinkle her nose involuntarily.
She waved her hand.
Several pale blue threads of water surged from her wand’s tip, forming a thin water screen in front of her, blocking out the unpleasant odor.
Simultaneously, more water threads, like living tentacles, spread out in all directions inside the factory, meticulously probing every corner, capturing any residual mana traces.
Haitang Hua closed her eyes, lowering her head slightly, holding her wand with both hands as she carefully perceived the information fed back by the water threads.
Everywhere the water threads passed, every trace of residual mana was clearly captured—it was a cold, violent type of mana, the distinct aura of a witch.
Moreover, the concentration of the residue was extremely high, clearly indicating a high-level witch had been here not long ago.
But strangely, these auras were all cut off, with no signs of extension.
It was as if the witch had vanished into thin air.
A moment later, Haitang Hua opened her eyes.
A flicker of surprise passed through her beautiful sapphire-blue eyes.
She murmured to herself, “It’s definitely a witch’s aura. The residual dark mana is still so dense. It seems the fight earlier was intense.”
“However… that’s odd. Why did the aura suddenly cut off? The witch must have left this place, but how did she disappear without leaving a single trace?”
She retracted the sensing water threads and, holding her wand, walked with light steps deeper into the factory.
After just a few steps, the scene before her made the last traces of her smile vanish completely.
The factory floor was covered in blood.
Dark red blood had congealed on the cold ground, forming grotesque, sprawling stains.
Scattered everywhere were various shattered body parts—some were incomplete arms, others severed legs, and some were organ fragments too mangled to identify, all covered in blood and strewn about the corners.
The smell of blood in the air grew increasingly thick, nauseating.
Even the surrounding walls were spattered with blood droplets. The scene was horrifying.
Haitang Hua raised an eyebrow.
A flash of surprise and confusion crossed her beautiful, large eyes.
She stopped walking, her gaze sweeping over the mess on the floor.
Her tone held a note of bewilderment.
“Did the witch do this? She was too ruthless. These are all Chongtian Cult fanatics. Their clothing matches the cultist attire we’ve seized before. She actually wiped them out so thoroughly, not leaving a single survivor.”
She walked slowly through the blood, carefully avoiding the fragments on the ground.
Her feet made soft crunching sounds on the congealed bloodstains, eerily sharp in the silent factory.
Her eyes carefully examined the surroundings, trying to find useful clues.
But the more she looked, the heavier her confusion grew.
“It’s really strange… I feel like something’s missing…”
Haitang Hua murmured to herself, her brow slightly furrowed.
She shook her head, temporarily pushing down the doubts in her heart.
Her attention was soon drawn to several large crates stacked against the wall in the depths of the factory.
The crates were sealed, wrapped in black waterproof cloth.
However, the cloth was torn in several places, and a faint, glowing light seeped through the gaps—the distinctive energy glow of magic crystal stones.
Haitang Hua walked over quickly, lifting the waterproof cloth off one of the crates.
Inside were neatly arranged crystals the size of fists, emitting a gentle yet pure mana fluctuation—these were indeed the strictly government-controlled magic crystal stones.
Seeing this many magic crystal stones, Haitang Hua’s expression instantly turned serious.
Her tone carried a weight of gravity.
“This much… there must be at least a hundred pieces, right? These Chongtian Cult fanatics are getting more and more restless. Magic crystal stones are so strictly controlled, yet they managed to get their hands on this many.”
She turned and waved toward the factory entrance, raising her voice to call out, “Officer Lin! You can come in now! The witch here has already left. The scene is safe!”
Officer Lin and the other officers, hearing her call, cautiously entered the factory.
As soon as they stepped inside, the thick smell of blood hit them.
The sight of blood-covered ground and scattered body parts filled their vision.
Officer Lin’s eye twitched uncontrollably.
He instinctively covered his mouth, his face instantly turning as pale as paper.
He fought back the urge to vomit, muttering under his breath, “I knew I shouldn’t have taken this assignment right after dinner.”
Most of the other officers had similar reactions.
Seeing their state, Haitang Hua walked over with a cheerful grin.
She reached out and lightly patted Officer Lin’s shoulder, her tone relaxed.
“Oh, Officer Lin, you’ll get used to it!”
“These witches are all ruthless and twisted. They love toying with their cultist followers. If they’re in a good mood, they might leave them alive. If they’re in a bad mood, killing them to vent is common.”
She paused.
The lightness in her tone gradually faded, replaced by an undisguised coldness.
A flicker of disgust passed through her beautiful sapphire-blue eyes.
“In their eyes, only they are the Angel’s true believers. Everyone else, including these fanatics who work for them, are just disposable pawns and tools.”
“Hah. They really are brainwashed. Hopeless.”