Trap (2)

“Senpai, are all high-rank Aberrations this smart? They can ambush, and they know how to run away and hide. Aren’t they just like people?” Raging Flame asked.

“Aberrations do have the ability to think, but it’s not strongly related to their rank. Some Aberrations only follow their instincts, while others, like this Greatarm, clearly possess intelligence.”

While talking, Violet Lightning and Raging Flame had already entered the abandoned factory where Greatarm was hiding and began to search for the enemy’s tracks.

The area where the two were was an old industrial park on the outskirts of the Fifth Ring. Since it was built in the last century, many buildings had already begun to show safety hazards. In response to the government’s call, most of the large and small factories that had been entrenched here had either relocated or shut down, leaving only empty shells to quietly await natural erosion.

“Then what’s the smartest Aberration you’ve ever seen, Senpai?” Raging Flame asked curiously.

“The smartest… what’s your definition of smart?” Violet Lightning asked back.

“Like a person. Can think, can talk, can communicate.”

“And preferably, can understand human thoughts and emotions.”

“…”

“It would definitely be interesting if there were Aberrations just like people… haha.”

Hearing this, Violet Lightning’s footsteps came to an abrupt halt.

“Senpai?”

Raging Flame looked back at Violet Lightning in confusion, “Did you find something?”

“Xiao Flame.”

“This is still advice from your senior. In the future, when you meet seniors from the Second or Fourth Rings, remember, don’t say things like that to them, absolutely not.”

“O-okay…”

Raging Flame didn’t actually know which of her words had just offended her senior. But in that moment, Violet Lightning’s overly serious face made her lose the courage to ask.

The structure of this factory was very old-fashioned. Three walls divided the rectangular area into three independent spaces, which were then connected by a single path for the movement and entry/exit of materials.

Since most of the equipment had been moved out, the interior was actually abnormally empty. Hiding in a place like this was not much different from standing in an open field.

‘No, that’s not right,’ Violet Lightning thought.

‘If it were hiding in an open field, there would still be the possibility and conditions to continue running. But hiding in a place like this, it’s clear that the opponent is at the end of its rope, preparing for a desperate struggle.’

‘To specifically choose this factory as the venue for the final battle, could it be that this Greatarm has some secret weapon hidden here?’

If she continued to reason along these lines, then the nature of this operation would change.

‘It’s not us “pursuing” it, but it “luring” us…’

“Xiao Flame…”

Violet Lightning was just about to tell her junior her thoughts, but at that moment, Raging Flame suddenly became excited.

“Senpai! Look, it’s there!”

Raging Flame pointed to a corner of the factory not far away.

At a thick steel beam, Greatarm was leaning against it, clutching its wound with its only remaining arm, looking miserable.

“It’s about to die, let’s go!”

“W-wait a minute!”

By the time Violet Lightning shouted, she realized it was already too late.

Seeing that Raging Flame had already charged forward, she had no choice but to follow.

And then, reality confirmed her earlier premonition.

“…So it was up there? D-damn it!”

The difference between an empty factory and an empty open field was the roof that could hide filth. If they had noticed the situation above their heads earlier, the two of them might have been able to avoid this ambush in time.

“—Swoosh!”

“—Swoosh!”

“—Swoosh!”

When the two were still a few steps away from Greatarm, from the roof more than ten meters high, clumps of black shadows, like bats pouring out of a nest, swooped down on them.

D-rank Aberration—Ragman.

This Aberration, like its name, looked like a pile of dirty rags. As a weak D-rank Aberration, it had no offensive means; its only function was to cover the enemy with its body and control them.

Ragmen usually appeared in the lairs or nests of Aberrations, living in a symbiotic relationship with other powerful Aberrations. In fact, they were more like traps than living creatures.

‘Twenty… thirty… no, far more! How is that possible!?’

After clearly seeing the number of attacking enemies, Violet Lightning’s pupils constricted. Then, in an instant, she made her judgment and took action.

She reached out, grabbed the Raging Flame beside her, and violently threw her backwards.

“Sen- Senpai?”

Compared to Violet Lightning, the inexperienced Raging Flame didn’t understand the situation until she was grabbed by the collar and thrown away.

In the air, she looked at her senior with confused eyes.

“—Run.”

She read the word from Violet Lightning’s lips.

Then, the clumps of black objects falling from the sky used their absolute numerical advantage to instantly engulf Violet Lightning’s figure.

****

‘…What is You Xi doing right now?’

Since the afternoon, an inexplicable sense of unease, like the gradually worsening weather outside the window, had grown stronger in You Dong’s heart.

Just a few minutes ago, he finally couldn’t hold back anymore and took the initiative to call You Xi’s mobile phone. However, the unreachable tone only further confirmed his guess.

Unable to wait even for a moment, he found a corner far away from the office area, and after confirming that no one was around, You Dong called Lao Lin’s phone.

“Lao Lin.”

“Dong-zi, what’s up?”

“You Xi…”

Realizing it wasn’t quite right, You Dong corrected himself, “Is Magical Girl Raging Flame on a mission right now?”

“Yeah, how did you know?” Lao Lin answered very cheerfully.

“…”

You Dong instantly lost all his strength. His knees went weak, and his phone almost fell to the ground again.

“Where… where is she?” he asked with a trembling voice.

“Oh, you’re worried about her, right? She’s only been a magical girl for a few days, how could I let her participate in a dangerous mission? It’s not my place to say, but you’re making a mountain out of a molehill. This mission is a joint operation, I specially arranged for a master to guide her. You know ‘Violet Lightning,’ right? Oh, I forgot you don’t care about these things. Anyway, as long as she’s there, Raging Flame can just stand by and watch, she won’t even have to lift a finger.”

Ignoring Lao Lin’s confident, guarantee-like tone, You Dong enunciated each word:

“I’m asking you, where is You Xi?”

“Sigh, I give up on you.”

After saying this, the other end of the line hung up. Less than a second later, an address was sent to You Dong’s phone.

The old industrial park in the suburbs of the Fifth Ring.

You Dong silently calculated the distance and time between the two places in his mind.

Then, without asking for leave or saying goodbye to anyone, he rushed out of the office at the fastest speed of his life and bolted towards the parking lot.