Carrying her suitcase, Xiao Xiu plopped down beside Chi Xue.
Chi Xue grabbed a bottle of drink from the adjacent table and offered it to her.
Xiao Xiu, who was still putting away her bag, squinted at the bottle and immediately pushed it back.
“I don’t drink toilet cleaner. Do you have Coke?”
‘Seriously, Pepsi? Unthinkable.’
“I do!”
Chi Xue then handed her a bottle of Coke, which she readily accepted. That was the extent of their interaction.
This was the usual dynamic of their conversations.
One would speak, and the other would reply after a brief pause. Rarely did they engage in a lively chat that flowed without interruption.
After all, they shared very few common interests.
Xiao Xiu’s hobbies hadn’t changed since her transformation; they were still much like those of most boys.
She enjoyed playing all sorts of games, watching action and sci-fi movies, and indulging in shonen anime. Her speech was peppered with internet memes, painting a clear picture of a gaming-addicted youth.
Chi Xue, however, was different. She was a quintessential girl.
Though she was a bit more rational, fangirling, watching idol dramas, and keeping up with various cosmetics were all part of her daily routine.
The generational gap between them was perhaps wider than the East African Rift Valley.
Xiao Xiu couldn’t even fathom how she had inexplicably become friends with Chi Xue.
Their conversations always consisted of them sharing their own separate worlds: Xiao Xiu would talk about games, while Chi Xue would discuss idol dramas.
Neither interfered, nor fully understood, yet both respected the other.
‘Perhaps that’s just how peculiar female friendships are!’
“We still have an hour until departure!”
Xiao Xiu set her backpack aside and played on her phone for a while.
A glance at her phone revealed it was only ten o’clock. The eleven o’clock departure time felt impossibly far off.
“Xiao Xiu-jie, have you seen this video?” Chi Xue handed her phone over.
“Seen what?”
Xiao Xiu said, turning her head. A short video was playing on the phone, encased in its pink cover.
The video quality was poor, and the camera shook slightly, likely due to the cameraman’s extreme nervousness.
Nevertheless, it was evident the setting was abroad.
People could be heard whispering in the background, speaking neither Chinese nor English.
It was daytime, probably morning, though the exact time was unclear. Sunlight filtered through hazy windows, casting weak rays onto the wooden floor.
“Ah!”
A scream echoed from outside.
The camera tremulously rose, leveling with the window, capturing everything unfolding outside.
The street of an old, rural town lay devastated. Houses had collapsed into shattered ruins, with bricks and tiles scattered everywhere.
Decapitated bodies lay strewn haphazardly across the rubble and road, their blood staining the yellow earth as it seeped through the shattered bricks.
Motorcycles and dilapidated vans lining the street blared their horns in distress.
The crunching sound of crumbling bricks and tiles filled the air as a two-story self-built house collapsed, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Immediately, a three-meter-tall iron figure, gleaming silvery white, slowly emerged from the dust.
He slowly turned his head, lifting it, his gaze locking onto…
…the window where the cameraman stood.
Through the blurry, low-resolution footage—a result of failed focus—the iron figure’s lips curled into a cruel smile.
Whoosh!
The next instant, a missile suddenly streaked in from the distance, striking the iron figure directly.
A massive explosion sent a shockwave ripping through the air, shattering the window.
The cameraman lost their footing, dropping the phone to the ground. The camera, now facing the floor, immediately went black.
The video ended there, offering no further continuation.
“What was that?” Xiao Xiu looked up, her pupils slightly dilated.
“This video just appeared with the latest Void Web update,” Chi Xue explained. “In just an hour, it’s already topped the trending charts.”
“The location in the video is Skikda Town in Africa, a small settlement with a population of less than a thousand.”
“Yesterday morning…” She paused, swallowing hard, her voice turning hoarse.
“An entire town, no survivors.” Xiao Xiu froze for a half-second. “Was that iron figure a Void Realm creature?”
“It was an Awakened individual!”
“Why?”
“They were fighting for territory,” Chi Xue replied.
“Overseas, especially in the Third World, powerful Awakened individuals often establish themselves as warlords, carving out territories to rule. That iron figure was one of them, in fact, the largest warlord in Africa.”
“His name is Indestructible Vajra, Arnoman, an Awakened individual of the Turbid World, ranked 98th on the Hundred Saints List.”
‘Is that so…’ Xiao Xiu nodded, remaining silent.
The cruelty of the Present World far exceeded her imagination. While she couldn’t empathize with people so far away,
she understood that strength would be her only means to protect herself, her family, and her friends.
“Strength!” she murmured. Then, with a casual turn of her head, she resumed playing on her phone.
Behind her, the zipper of her backpack quietly slid open, revealing a narrow slit.
A pair of green eyes peered through the opening, fixed intently on the phone screen.
Time ticked by, minute by minute, until suddenly, it was ten forty-five.
The broadcast in the VIP lounge began precisely on schedule.
“Dear esteemed passengers, the special train service has arrived at the station. Boarding and ticket inspection will now commence.”
The announcement repeated twice, but even before the first repetition finished, the sound of people rustling to their feet filled the room.
The VIP lounge’s security checkpoint was located on the way to the platform, visible just a few steps past the door.
Numerous impatient individuals, laden with bags, had already hurried through the entrance.
Xiao Xiu followed Chi Xue and Bu Chenghua into the aisle. However, the VIP lounge once again filled with the sound of approaching footsteps.
She instinctively glanced back.
Through a gap in the incoming crowd at the entrance, a pair of panda-themed headphones became faintly visible.
“Ah, it’s Liu Lu!”
Miss Mimi’s lips curved into a slight smile as she quickly stepped forward and gently patted Chi Xue’s shoulder.
“You go ahead, I’ll be right there.” Chi Xue paused, then nodded, joining Bu Chenghua at the back of the queue.
Xiao Xiu, meanwhile, leaned against the wall, her arms crossed.
“Why are you so late? This is cutting it way too close!” Yang Qu complained, wiping non-existent sweat from his brow.
“If you think it’s cutting it close, then you should have come earlier yourself!”
Liu Lu said with an air of indifference, chewing bubblegum and occasionally blowing red bubbles.
“It’s all the same whether I come early or late anyway. It’s more comfortable at home.”
Although she eventually offered an excuse, the true reason remained known only to her.
As she spoke, her gaze swept across the VIP lounge. Only when she found no trace of that voice did she finally let out a sigh of relief.
However, just as she pushed open the aisle door, a familiar voice suddenly rang out beside her.
“Hey, isn’t that Miss Liu Lu?” A vibrant girl in athletic wear waved her hand.
“Sis!” The indifference vanished from Liu Lu’s face instantly. She hunched her shoulders, whispering, “I really can’t say!”
‘They’ve all been branded with the Seal of Bitter Calamity, haven’t they?’ Xiao Xiu grumbled inwardly, feeling annoyed.
“Never mind. If you can’t say, then don’t.”
Xiao Xiu waved her hand, not pressing Liu Lu any further.
The anger from that day had long since dissipated, fading away completely with the passing of fifteen days.
She was about to turn and catch up with Chi Xue to join the queue, but Yang Qu, standing beside Liu Lu, suddenly cried out with a look of longing, “Xiu-jie! I’m your fan!”
‘Damn it, if you’re my fan, are you planning to solo kill me next?’