So You Believe in Light Too

“Please take care of Qianqian during this time.”

Ning Yu led Ji Mengyao into her apartment and handed her the keys along with a stack of Ark exchange coupons.

“You two...”

Ji Mengyao looked Ning Yu and Shen Yiyue up and down.

“Are you going on some dangerous mission?”

She took the keys and coupons but secretly tried to hand the coupons back to Ning Yu, who refused.

“Yes, we’ll be away for a few days to deal with a small issue.”

Ning Yu packed a few stacks of clothes into her bag, while Shen Yiyue behind her was fully equipped with grappling hooks and weapon cases.

“If there’s something going on, why not take us along?!”

Ji Mengyao couldn’t help but nudge Ning Yu’s shoulder with her elbow, her expression saying, ‘If it’s fun, take me with you!’

Behind her, Wu Di peeked out, looking clueless but staying silent.

“It’s just a private matter, nothing to worry about. Besides, we need you to take care of Qianqian.”

Ning Yu looked at Ji Mengyao’s playful demeanor, which made it seem like they were going on a spring outing rather than a serious task.

“Got it...”

Ji Mengyao pouted, feeling a bit deflated. She had only mentioned it casually since she had to take care of her friend’s younger sister.

Meanwhile, Shen Qianqian suddenly pulled her sister aside.

Her eyes darting around, she tugged on Shen Yiyue’s sleeve and dragged her to a corner.

“Sis, are you and Ning Yu eloping... Ouch!!”

Before Shen Qianqian could finish, Shen Yiyue bonked her on the head.

“I told you, we’re going to fight some little monsters.”

“So you believe in the light too!”

Shen Qianqian’s eyes sparkled with righteous energy.

“You little rascal, aren’t you always picking on me? Why are you so clingy now?”

Shen Yiyue reached out to pinch her sister’s cheek.

“I’m not! I’m just happy you won’t be around to steal my snacks anymore, hmph!”

Shen Qianqian turned her head away, her cheeks still squished, trying to act tough.

“Oh—really? Then I’ll just leave now...”

Shen Yiyue drew out her words, turning as if she were about to walk away.

She had only taken one step when she felt a small hand grab the hem of her skirt. She turned to see Shen Qianqian holding on, silent but refusing to let go, trying to act cool.

“Hehe, I knew my little Qianqian would miss me!”

Shen Yiyue immediately turned back and hugged her sister, rubbing her face against Shen Qianqian’s cheek.

“Eww, get off me!! I just washed my face, you stinky sister!!!”

Shen Qianqian pushed Shen Yiyue with all her might, but it was no use—her little face was squished out of shape.

At the doorway, Ji Mengyao and Ning Yu watched the two of them, their faces full of exasperation.

......

T City.

In the nearly deserted urban area, a few ordinary zombies wandered aimlessly.

In the heart of T City stood a grand domed building, its architecture starkly different from the surrounding structures.

If one looked closely, faint patterns occasionally lit up on the building’s exterior, like it was breathing, before vanishing again.

Around the building, soldiers armed with advanced equipment patrolled. Each squad was led by a fully cybernetically enhanced individual, distinct from the regular soldiers, who carried no firearms.

In the square before the building’s entrance, a strong black light flashed, distorting and destabilizing the space.

However, the disturbance didn’t cause any panic among the soldiers; their patrol continued as usual.

Only the leader of one squad seemed to receive a command, raising his hand to his ear to listen to the transmitted message.

The squad then moved to the center of the square, where the distorted black light had already disappeared.

Ning Xuan’s figure emerged from the center; she had just used her awakened ability to perform a spatial jump.

She arrived earlier than planned.

This time, she hadn’t brought anyone else along, which seemed to make the jump easier. After resting on the ground for a moment, she stood up.

Her mechanical wings had retracted, and the cybernetic devices on her limbs had returned to normal arms and legs.

“Please present your identification.”

The leader of the approaching squad stepped forward to Ning Xuan.

Ning Xuan took out a small gold-edged card from her pocket and tossed it to him.

The man caught it, and his arm transformed into a device with a slot, into which he inserted the card.

“Miss Ning Xuan, you are still under the sub-mission of task number XS-1001. Why have you come to ‘Eden’?”

He returned the card to Ning Xuan and began questioning her. The soldiers behind him remained alert, their guns held at a uniform angle.

“I have urgent intelligence that needs to be reported to the organization and... that person.”

The leader was about to say something when a beeping sound came from the device behind his ear.

He waved his hand, and the soldiers immediately turned and resumed their patrol.

“Your father happens to be inside ‘Eden.’ He has issued a clearance order. You may enter.”

He spoke in a monotone, like an electronic broadcast, before returning to the patrol.

Hearing this, Ning Xuan began walking toward the entrance of the domed building, ‘Eden.’

The interior of Eden was surprisingly simple, almost austere, except for the intricate religious patterns and decorations on the ceiling. The rest was just some basic European-style decor and rooms.

But this was only the surface.

Beneath Eden lay an extensive research and testing facility, spanning an unknown number of levels, which also served as the organization’s headquarters.

Ning Xuan herself had never ventured to the lower levels.

But this time, she didn’t head downstairs. Instead, she went to the meeting room on the second floor of Eden.

The room’s decor was plain, a stark contrast to the heavily guarded exterior, making it hard to feel any sense of anticipation.

“Come in.”

After knocking, Ning Xuan heard the permission to enter and stepped inside.

“What’s the situation? Why have you returned?”

A stern middle-aged man stood in the room, draped in a white robe with a dark red vortex emblem on the back, surrounded by various other symbols.

“Commander, I must report an urgent matter to... that person.”

The man looked up and noticed the wounds on Ning Xuan’s body.

“What happened? Did you clash with your sister? There’s no one else here; you can call me father.”

“Commander.”

Ning Xuan kept her head lowered, refusing to look up.

“Chen Xing is trying to kill the mission target.”