Amidst the flashes of lightning and rumble of thunder, Xueji, her hood drawn, arrived at the entrance of a narrow alley.
She looked up at the distant sky glowing with a reddish light, her brow slightly furrowed.
But Xueji didn’t stop. Following the scent of black magic, she stepped into the pitch-black alley.
In the impenetrable darkness, Xueji moved cautiously, her footsteps making no sound. The only noise in the entire alley was the faint whistling of the wind.
After obtaining the transferred authority from Ling Xiaoxiao, Xueji had reviewed the confidential files of the Special Powers Unit on the development of various power systems worldwide: magic, cultivation, dark arts, and others.
Ultimately, gaining power boiled down to two directions: cultivating oneself or relying on external aids. Many systems shared the same ultimate goal, though their differing methods cast them in distinct lights.
Dark magic, falling under the category of evil arts, often involved sacrificing suffering and filth to gain power from malevolent deities.
The intensity of the previous black magic thunderstorm was immense. Although the caster wasn’t within China’s borders, there must have been a black mage acting as a relay; otherwise, containing it within a single building would have been impossible.
‘That person hid themselves well. Even after several days, only a wisp of black magic aura has leaked out, faint and elusive.’
But that tiny wisp was enough for Xueji to follow the trail and find that black mage. As a Sage, her ability to discern magical energy was truly on the level of finding a needle in a haystack.
With each step Xueji took, a scent of blood began to mix with the odor of black magic.
‘It seems they used their own body as a vessel to seal away that black magic aura.’
What could their goal be? To avoid exposing their tracks, they willingly bore the corrosion of their own flesh to control the black magic’s emanations. Xueji pondered the enemy’s purpose as she walked.
City A had imposed strict controls on all supernatural powers half a month ago. Furthermore, with Ling Xiaoxiao previously stationed here, it should have been an inescapable prison for a black mage—flight itself a distant hope.
‘They are waiting for an opportunity, hiding to avoid exposing the next wave of attacks.’
From this, Xueji deduced that the number of black mages currently lurking in City A was certainly not small. At the very least, in the enemy’s eyes, destroying City A without Ling Xiaoxiao present wouldn’t be difficult.
When she reached the end of the alley, several puppet wolf-dogs charged at her, barking from the darkness. With a flash of light, Xueji illuminated the entire alley, revealing the parasitized creatures. They looked even more grotesque than the controlled cloud wolf corpses from before, black liquid dripping from their maws, their eyes completely replaced by a dark, filling substance.
Xueji didn’t flinch. A snap of her fingers released four flaming hummingbirds from her hand. The holy flames adorning the hummingbirds were the bane of such corrupted things. Even a single falling flame feather, upon touching the puppets, caused them to burst into intense flames.
A sea of fire instantly erupted in the alley. Xueji mounted her staff, activated a concealment spell, and vanished from the alley.
She hadn’t left. Instead, she hovered in the air, setting up the sniper rifle formed by the combined Black & White Twins. The rifle body turned white, firing pitch-black bullets—a form Xueji called “White Reaper.” There was also a melee form dubbed “Shadow Angel,” but it wasn’t needed for now.
‘Six in total.’
Xueji instantly activated her spiritual sight, locking onto the black mages hidden near the alley. Without giving them time to react, she pulled the trigger.
The dark bullet trailed a long wake, like the hem of Death’s gown. After piercing through the first target, it didn’t stop, ricocheting towards the nearest one. These people had no time to react before their heads were neatly punctured in a line.
Yet, these “people” didn’t cease moving. Instead, they gathered together, forming a circle, using their hands to plug the holes in each other’s heads.
“A resentment curse? Childish!” Xueji gave them no chance. The White Reaper in her hands, a blend of magic and technology, shifted slightly and fired a shell of holy flames.
The exploding flames engulfed the six corpses, purifying them along with the black magic power within.
Xueji didn’t need intelligence from them. Those who practiced black magic carried a distinct voodoo-like stench—a spiritual energy tainted with malevolence. If Xueji wished, she could simply open her eyes and scan the entire city. These rats would be exposed to her sight.
However, to avoid interfering with the Special Powers Unit’s missions, she chose to deal with them one by one.
She killed nearly fifty black mages that night, a number within her expectations. Simultaneously, she sensed a powerful black magic brewing, feeling the other party’s naked threat and intense resentment.
Suddenly, the weather around Xueji’s location shifted violently. A thick, black lightning bolt tore down from the sky towards her.
‘The biggest rat can’t stay hidden any longer~’
A familiar method of attack. This time, however, Xueji wasn’t hampered like last time. How could such a low-level attack threaten her now?
Xueji deployed a purple magic circle. A thick purple lightning bolt, launched later but arriving first, transformed into a thunder dragon that chomped down on the black lightning, annihilating it.
At that moment, a surge of black magic aura shot straight into the sky from the direction of the park. Xueji hurriedly rode her staff towards it.
The enemy was preparing for a desperate, final struggle.
——-
In a park in City A, a group of robed sorcerers sat surrounding a statue, chanting chaotic incantations. It was impossible to tell if it was serious spellcasting or the ravings of lunatics.
The Special Powers Unit, having detected the anomaly, had already gathered, occupying all the park exits, with more personnel continuously arriving.
But they weren’t the only ones coming. The Pioneers were there too, and the vampires had also poured out in full force. Immediately, fierce fighting erupted around the park’s periphery.
Elemental powers and the vampires’ blood magic flew through the air, while brutal close-quarters combat broke out in various spots, instantly igniting the entire city center into a battlefield.
The vampires’ abilities were enhanced at night, and the black magic had lowered the concentration of spiritual energy in the area. The Special Powers Unit found themselves at a disadvantage from the start, forced into a defensive posture.
Just then, over twenty nuns from the Sacred Conclave, who had been waiting in readiness, joined the fray. Auras of Holy Light Protection and Blessing Enhancements directly covered the entirety of City A—the culmination of preparations they had been making since their arrival half a month ago.
They had liaised directly with Ling Xiaoxiao and had remained unseen until now; this was even Xueji’s first time seeing them.
After activating their formation, the nuns hefted greatswords, massive hammers, and even giant crosses, charging into the battle. Who would have thought these women with such stunning figures would possess such immense strength? They moved through the vampire encirclements as if strolling through unguarded territory.
Watching these Valkyries from above, Xueji’s eyes widened in astonishment.
She saw one tall nun literally pummeling a Lord Vampire—whose physical prowess rivaled a mid-level physical enhancement ability user—into an unrecognizable state. Then, with a mighty leap, she crashed down amidst a group of vampires, creating a massive crater.
“Holy crap, they’re so fierce!”