…
Magma, chains, a black dragon, and a voice that seemed to burn everything.
On the hospital bed, Lin Du’s eyes snapped open.
He gasped for air.
He stared at the unfamiliar ceiling, his mind a foggy mess.
Lin Du turned his head and saw the Bureau Chief sitting in a chair beside the bed.
An old, raspy voice came from the bedside.
Huff… huff…
“You awake?”
The old man’s hands rested on his knees, his expression calm, but the crease in his brow was deeper than usual.
Lin Du’s pupils contracted.
Instinctively, he tried to sit up.
“Chief?!”
But before his body could move, the Chief reached out and pressed a hand on his shoulder.
Only then did Lin Du feel the strangeness in his limbs.
Both his hands and feet were strapped down with restraints.
“Take it easy.”
The straps were tight.
He could barely bend his fingers.
He froze for a moment, then gave a bitter smile.
“Sorry, I need to confirm something first.”
The Chief kept a straight face, staring into Lin Du’s eyes.
“You… which Lin Du are you?”
They locked eyes for a second.
Lin Du read something in those still-sharp eyes.
He sighed and turned his gaze to the window.
“For your health, you quit smoking three years ago.
But sometimes you’d take a pack out of the cabinet, hold it in your hands, smell it—but never light one.
Last month, the pack you found had gotten damp.
You smelled it, threw it away, then bought a new one.
That new pack… you took it out again yesterday.”
The corner of the Chief’s mouth twitched.
He raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
Snap.
The straps loosened and slid off Lin Du’s wrists and ankles.
“Correct answer.”
Lin Du rubbed his wrists, where red marks had formed, and instinctively touched his right arm.
The hospital gown’s sleeve was a bit long, covering most of his arm.
Through the fabric, it felt like rough stone.
The scales were still there.
He sat up on the bed.
“So?”
Lin Du looked up at the Chief.
“What did I… do this time?”
The Chief stood up from the chair, walked to the window, and pushed the blinds up.
He turned his back to Lin Du and shook his head.
“This time… it’s serious.”
His voice dropped.
“The internet has completely blown up.
We can barely contain it.”
He picked up the remote from the nightstand and pointed it at the TV in the corner of the ceiling.
The screen lit up, showing a news channel.
On screen, the anchor sat upright with a grave expression.
The background was a photo of a charred street.
Red subtitles scrolled rapidly across the bottom of the screen.
“Blazing Knight Suspected of Losing Control? Severe Damage in Downtown Area”
“‘Guardian’ or ‘Destroyer’? Citizens Organize Protests”
“Mysterious Pink Girl Appears—Who Is She?”
The anchor cleared his throat and spoke faster than usual.
“At approximately ten this morning, a large-scale Strange Person invasion occurred in our city’s Eastern District.
During the response, the Blazing Knight suddenly lost control and transformed into a black form, causing severe damage to the surrounding streets.
Multiple witnesses captured the incident on video.
Some content may be disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised.
We will now show you the footage.”
The image changed.
The camera shook violently.
In the picture, a knight covered in black was roaring up at the sky on the street.
Then the camera zoomed in slightly, revealing his pitch-black armor with dark red patterns.
Lin Du froze.
‘Was that him?’
He didn’t remember that moment.
Didn’t remember what he had done.
But that roar, that hand choking the Containment Squad Captain’s neck—every detail stabbed into his mind like needles.
The footage cut to another angle, closer this time.
The black knight held the Captain’s neck with one hand, lifting him into the air.
The Captain’s face was bright red, his eyes rolled back, like a dangling doll.
Surrounding Containment Team members raised their weapons, but none dared approach.
The news switched back to the studio.
The anchor wiped sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.
“Currently, the Bureau of Anomalies has not issued an official response to this matter.
Sources say the attacked Containment Squad Captain has been sent to the hospital and is not in life-threatening condition.
However, the Blazing Knight’s loss of control has sparked widespread public concern and doubt.
Our reporter is already at the scene.
Next, we connect with our field reporter…”
The screen changed again.
This time, it showed a residential room with a huge hole in it.
In front of the lens stood a girl in a school uniform, her expression a mix of innocence and grievance.
It was Bai Li.
She stood in front of the hole the knight had smashed through.
Wind blew in from the hole, making her clothes flutter.
The reporter held out a microphone almost to Bai Li’s chin.
“Excuse me, are you the resident of this room?”
Bai Li nodded, her expression shifting from innocence to indignation.
She stepped aside, letting the camera capture the two-meter-wide hole.
Then she pointed a finger at the opening.
“Yes, that’s me! This morning, the Blazing Knight crashed into my house for no reason and made this huge hole!
He nearly hit me, you know? My bed collapsed! It caused me immense mental trauma!
Later, he said he would report it to the Bureau of Anomalies and compensate me. But everyone saw what happened next.
Not only did he destroy a block, he nearly strangled someone!
Now, I want to ask everyone a question.”
She turned to the camera, staring straight into the lens.
“Today he crashed into my home.
Tomorrow, will it be a school? The day after, a hospital?
Is he really our hero?
Can he still protect this city?”
Lin Du watched the indignant face on the TV, wanting to speak but stopping himself.
He remembered saying, “The Bureau of Anomalies will compensate,” but he had passed out and broken his promise.
And…
She was right.
He had done this.
He had nearly hurt her, nearly choked someone to death.
Every word was the truth.
Every word slapped him across the face.
Lin Du lowered his head, clenching the bedsheet in his fists.
“I need to go over there.”
He climbed off the bed, barefoot on the cold floor, and pulled the IV needle from the back of his hand.
Then he grabbed his coat from the chair back and headed for the door.
The Chief didn’t stop him.
The old man stood by the window and sighed softly.
“Go ahead. Be careful.”
Lin Du pushed the door open and rushed out.
Sunshine Garden, Building 1, 5th Floor.
After sending off the last wave of interviewing reporters, Bai Li was left alone in the ruined house, a mess.
She turned off her phone, which was full of scripted lines, and looked at the stars outside.
The window was gone, replaced by an irregular giant hole.
Night wind howled in.
She shivered, zipped her jacket up to the top, and tucked in her neck.
“It’s already night.”
She pouted.
“Am I supposed to sleep here?”
She walked a few steps to the corner and pulled out a blanket that had been crushed under the rubble.
The corners of the blanket had been sliced by broken glass, with cotton poking out in white clumps.
She shook it, and dust flew into her face.
“Cough—how am I supposed to cover with this…”
Bai Li coughed twice from the dust and threw the blanket back on the ground.
“Maybe I should just find an internet cafe to sleep in for the night.”
But…
She touched the wristband on her arm.
The wristband would deactivate its disguise after a set time.
If she fell asleep in a cafe and didn’t notice, getting discovered would be a disaster.
But a private room was too expensive.
She had to save her money.
Bai Li pulled out her phone, checked her balance, and sighed.
“Can I only sleep in this house?”
She looked around the debris, picked up a relatively clean rag, and shook off the dust.
She surveyed the room.
The bathroom was still barely usable.
At least it was better than this room with the giant hole.
It had a toilet and three walls.
“Ah.”
She sighed.
“I’ll rough it for one night.”
Bai Li picked up the rag and was about to head to the bathroom.
Knock, knock, knock.
Three knocks, not too hard.
Bai Li froze.
‘So late, who could it be?’
‘Did a reporter forget something?’
She looked down at herself.
Her disguise was normal.
No problem.
“Coming, coming, hold on.”
She put the rag on the table, dusted off her hands, walked to the door, and pulled it open.
“Who is it? What’s up? It’s already late…”
Bai Li looked up impatiently, ready to snap.
“Bai Li.”
Lin Du stood at the door, head lowered.
The hallway light behind him cast his upper face into shadow.
His eyes were sunken, his face pale, as if he hadn’t eaten all day.
Bai Li was startled, almost blurting out, ‘What ghost is this?’
“What the…”
Her voice unconsciously softened.
“You okay?”
Lin Du shook his head.
“I’m fine.”
He paused, as if choosing his words.
“I… saw your situation on TV.”
“What are you… going to do?”
Bai Li froze, then forced a bitter smile.
“What can I do?”
She shrugged.
“Just rough it in the bathroom. Still no compensation for me…”
They were silent for a few seconds.
“If you don’t mind…”
Lin Du scratched his cheek, breaking the silence.
“You can rest at my place.”
“Huh??!”