The Chase and the Truck

“Here you go.”

Taking the heavy plastic bag from the pharmacy owner, Liu Yu eagerly rummaged through the medicines inside.

…It seems like if I eat all of these, the illness will be cured.

A thought crossed her mind, and a black shadow flowed to her fingertips, probing towards the bag’s contents….

“Whoosh.”

A hand reached out and snatched the bag away.

“What are you doing?”

“I should ask you the same thing.”

Villy checked the medicines in the bag, noting that only one box of cough syrup had clearly been tampered with by [Shadow], while the rest remained mostly intact.

Seeing this, she couldn’t help but tap Liu Yu’s head and scold, “Can’t you control yourself better? Even pigs aren’t as gluttonous as you are.”

Liu Yu’s face turned red with embarrassment.

Unlike the lifeless state of [Shadow], [Shadow] in the [Life-Eater] form was exceptionally active. Apart from granting her immense power, it was easily influenced by her inner desires.

Just moments ago, [Shadow] had stolen and eaten the medicines, clearly influenced by Liu Yu’s thoughts.

But even so, being called a “gluttonous pig” made Liu Yu angry, especially coming from an idiot like Villy.

Thinking of a plan for revenge, Liu Yu suddenly stopped walking. With a confused expression, Villy watched as Liu Yu turned and dove into her flat chest.

“Y-you… what are you doing? We’re still outside… this isn’t right…”

Villy stammered, her mind going blank at the sudden, unexpected “gift.” She didn’t think about the possible motives behind it.

Until the “slurp slurp” sounds started, when the gray head began to rub against her clothes.

“…Hmph.”

I knew it. To expect this kid to have those thoughts is…

Villy’s anger surged, not just because someone used her clothes as a tissue, but more because of the mockery of her feelings.

She reached out to grab the girl’s ear, but the girl deftly dodged and darted away at high speed, clearly using her abilities.

“Hehe, can’t catch me, can you, Villy?”

Liu Yu made a mischievous face, freely mocking her friend’s failure, her ugly grin resembling a mischievous imp.

Villy’s fists clenched.

“You little brat, if you have the guts, don’t run.”

“Do I look stupid to you? Catch me if you can, flat-chested idiot. Your chest is so hard, you know.”

“You’re asking for it! I’m going to rip that mouth of yours apart. Stop running, you hear me?!”

The two chased each other down the rainy street, but with Liu Yu’s cheating abilities, even the athletic Villy could only watch as she was left far behind, sighing with frustration.

“Huff puff…”

Villy leaned against a lamppost, catching her breath. Her long black hair was tousled across her face, revealing a tired expression.

As a top athlete in their class, Villy had great confidence in her stamina, even enough to escape from vampires. But this time, she had reached her limit.

A normal person couldn’t compete with a cheater.

She glared at the gray-haired girl dancing in the middle of the road, deciding to trick her into coming closer for a good scolding.

“Let’s stop, I give up… Hey, what’s that sound…?”

A faint, barely audible song echoed through the quiet street, interrupting her thoughts.

“Rumble…”

Before she could place the sound, a massive truck, at least 5 meters tall, sped out from the corner, no horns, no lights, like a prehistoric beast, heading straight for the girl in the middle of the road.

“Liu Yu, watch out behind you…”

Villy shouted.

“Do you think I’m an idiot? Such a simple trick won’t work on me…”

“Bang!”

Her words were cut short as Liu Yu was hit by the speeding truck, her body tumbling through the air like a kite, spinning and drifting, rising a few meters before plummeting down.

But strangely, the driver didn’t flee after the hit. Instead, the truck maintained its speed, skidding around the corner with ease, and charged back at the still-falling gray-haired girl.

“Bang!”

Predictably, Liu Yu was hit again, and from a distance, her confused and helpless expression was visible.

It was like playing ping pong.

Villy thought, wishing she could help, but knowing she was just an ordinary person, she decided to watch from a safe distance.

Meanwhile, Liu Yu finally realized this was a targeted attack, growing angry. Threatening the driver, she yelled:

“Hey, can you hear me? You must know this won’t hurt me, so… if you don’t stop, don’t blame me for what happens next.”

The only response was another impact.

“Hmph…”

Even a clay statue has three fires, and this annoying, unyielding assailant had finally enraged Liu Yu. Using the momentum, she adjusted her position in mid-air, diving headfirst towards the ground.

And just before impact,

She extended her index finger, lightly tapping the windshield.

“Squeak…”

Halted by an unexplainable force, the truck screeched to a halt, tires screaming against the pavement, unable to move forward.

The falling gray-haired girl stopped the speeding truck with just one finger.

Despite the astonishing sight, the driver’s expression remained calm. Through the windshield, Liu Yu saw the lifeless, wooden face and understood immediately, speaking with a bored tone:

“So, you’re another [Puppet], huh? This is never-ending.”

“If you’re going to keep at it, then let’s show you my power. Cut this car apart, Shadow.”

At her command, the black shadow gathered at her fingertips, and with a snap, a crack spread from her finger to the car body.

“Crack, crack, crack…”

Amidst the sound of shattering, the metal truck was reduced to pieces in an instant. Parts fell to the ground with a clatter, and tires rolled away, leaving only the intact driver’s cabin.

At the same time, the gray-haired girl landed from mid-air, “plop,” right into someone’s arms.

“Ehe!”

Liu Yu looked up, smiling as she nuzzled against Villy, seriously saying, “I didn’t expect you to catch me. Hmm, looks like we could be a great team, in sync.”

She happily extended her hand for a victory high-five, but instead received…

“Ow, ow, ow, stop twisting!”

The classic ear-twisting punishment for a mischievous child.

…

“Am I interrupting something?”

It turns out, the police weren’t the only ones to arrive after the incident; the Management Bureau’s hunters were there too.

They looked towards the speaker, a man holding a large sword, jumping down from a building. The familiar face belonged to a renowned hunter.

“Yao Jing, how did you find us?”

Villy stared at the unexpected arrival of Yao Jing, wondering how he had tracked them down when they hadn’t been in contact since leaving the pit.

Villy had heard that Yao Jing was known as the [Seer] in the Management Bureau, with the ability to foresee the future. Could it be true?

Maybe I should get him to read my fortune?

True to his familiar and annoying expression, Yao Jing looked exasperated.

Since resolving many potential incidents through time travel, his colleagues in the bureau had started looking at him strangely, not with the eyes of a reliable partner, but of a mystic.

He was constantly dragged to meetings and stopped on the street, with people asking about love, lottery numbers, and omens, even when he was in a remote location for hunter training, he still received countless messages from Dongchuan.

And now, seeing that hopeful expression on Villy’s face was all too familiar.

To get to the point quickly, he pointed at the driver’s cabin, explaining, “I followed the truck here.”

****

“Restrain the driver,” Yao Jing ordered, his voice stern as he approached the scene. “We need to find out who’s controlling these [Puppets].”

Villy nodded, ready to assist, but Liu Yu was already on the move, using her shadow to bind the driver.

“Hey, I’m the one who should be giving orders, okay?” Liu Yu smirked, her shadow wrapping around the driver’s wrists, tightening until he could barely move.

“You’re still as stubborn as ever,” Yao Jing replied, a hint of a smile on his face. “But you’re right, let’s focus on finding out who’s behind this.”

They quickly secured the driver and began their investigation, determined to uncover the truth behind the [Puppets] and their mysterious controller.

****

As they stood there, a sudden gust of wind blew past, carrying with it a faint, barely audible whisper. Liu Yu’s eyes narrowed, sensing something familiar yet elusive.

“Do you hear that?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Villy and Yao Jing exchanged a glance, both sensing the tension in the air. They listened intently, trying to catch the faint sound.

“It sounds like… a voice,” Villy murmured, her brow furrowed in concentration.

“Yes, but it’s too distant to make out,” Yao Jing added, his gaze scanning the surroundings warily.

Liu Yu closed her eyes, focusing her senses. The whisper seemed to be calling her, beckoning her to follow. She knew she had to find its source.

“Let’s go,” she said, her voice resolute. “We need to find out what that is.”

Villy and Yao Jing nodded in agreement, ready to follow her lead. Together, they set off, their steps echoing in the quiet street as they ventured into the unknown, driven by the mysterious whisper that seemed to hold the key to their next challenge.