The Doctor’s Defeat and a Peculiar Encounter

This door… it felt as though it had been dismantled countless times.

Stepping into the bar in an exceptionally unceremonious manner, Xiu Lan was greeted by a figure comprised almost entirely of mechanical parts, save for its head—a bartender, perhaps?

“Gang, capture them alive.”

A calm, steady voice resonated from within the bar, drawing Xiu Lan’s gaze inward. There, a man in a full-face mask sat at ease, taking a leisurely sip of red wine, his demeanor radiating an air of absolute triumph.

He held unwavering confidence in his cyborg; in direct combat, Gang was formidable enough to rival the Association’s [Heroes].

‘So confident, are we? Should you lose, remember to kowtow to your grandpa here.’

After muttering a few silent insults, Xiu Lan, with a surprising lack of confidence, threw a punch at the robot before her.

Issuing threats before a fight certainly felt satisfying, yet losing meant facing a lifetime of repercussions.

“Bang!”

The two fists collided.

To Xiu Lan’s surprise, it was the robot that stumbled back a few steps.

‘Huh?’

‘Much weaker than I’d anticipated.’

Having gained the upper hand with her initial strike, Xiu Lan’s confidence surged. The girl in the black overcoat unleashed a flurry of punches, left and right, an assault that appeared fluid but was utterly devoid of technique, forcing the cyborg to retreat steadily.

“With skills like these, I suggest you gracefully retire. At your age, getting into this line of work means no one will be there to pick up your corpse if things go south.”

Unfazed by the barrage of taunts from his opponent, Gang patiently sought an opening for a counterattack.

Through their brief exchange, he had already discerned a crucial detail about his adversary.

‘Immense power, yet utterly lacking in skill.’

His chosen tactic against such an opponent was to feign weakness, guiding her to build her advantage step by step, fueling her confidence.

And then…

The moment arrived.

Seizing the opening Xiu Lan presented, his hands abruptly transformed, two razor-sharp blades, capable of cleaving through ordinary Bloodkin, springing forth.

With this single strike,

‘He would cripple her!’

The intersecting blades carved an ‘X’ in the air, sending the girl in black crashing violently into the wall.

But it wasn’t over.

Gang, a veteran of countless battles, demonstrated his prowess by immediately pursuing Xiu Lan the instant she was thrown back.

In the corner of the bar, the gleaming twin blades descended upon the girl slumped against the wall, aiming for her legs.

“Clang!”

The Shadow Sword clashed with the twin blades.

‘Blocked?’

‘After taking such a heavy blow, she could still react?’

‘Had I underestimated her?’

Gang mused, astonished.

“Heh heh.”

A twisted laugh emanated from the black-clad figure beneath him. Had anyone been able to glimpse the girl’s expression through the shadowy mist, they would have surely seen pure exasperation.

Without the protection of the shadows, she would have been half-dead, if not entirely so, from that last attack.

A flicker of relief mingled with Xiu Lan’s burgeoning fury as she began to unleash her wrath upon her opponent.

“You enjoy playing the pig to eat the tiger, don’t you?”

The shadows began to writhe.

“You enjoy overcoming the strong with weakness, don’t you?”

A terrifying force pressed down on Gang.

“You enjoy…”

Unable to conjure further taunts, the girl, fueled by her internal rage, unleashed a flash of sword light. Due to their close proximity, Gang, despite his swift reaction, had an arm severed as he tried to dodge.

The severed limb faintly revealed intricate gears and wires within. Undoubtedly, he had been defeated.

Under the soft glow of the lights, the black-clad figure, still clutching the Shadow Sword, stared coldly at the cyborg before them. The terrifying killing intent emanating from Xiu Lan was palpable, even to The Doctor, who observed from a distance.

“Gang, you miscalculated. Retreat for now.”

Rather than showing anger at his cyborg’s failure, The Doctor calmly rose, a red gem glinting faintly on his person. With unwavering confidence, he addressed Xiu Lan: “Henceforth, I shall be your opponent.”

Hmph, defeat the junior, and the senior appears.

Adjusting her stance, and exuding a palpable aura of menace, Xiu Lan slowly advanced towards The Doctor.

“Truly astonishing. I cannot discern the origin of the power you wield at all. Are you human, or… a Blackblood?”

Even when confronting the foe who had vanquished his capable lieutenant, The Doctor remained self-assured, calmly remarking:

“Your fighting style is utterly devoid of technique, relying solely on brute force. Were your power level restricted to that of an average person, you likely wouldn’t even be able to defeat one.”

‘Go to hell. If *you* were reduced to the level of an ordinary person, could *you* win?’

The girl, silently cursing him, inadvertently noticed The Doctor’s heavily muscled physique and wisely refrained from vocalizing her retort.

“A true powerhouse is one who refines their own being and holds steadfast to their convictions. You, however, are different. I sense that your body is fragile, your will shatters at the slightest touch. That someone as weak as you could possess such power is truly perplexing.”

‘Well, isn’t that something? Is he calling me worthless?’

‘My Vanguard has already endured all my hardships for me. If you’re so capable, find someone to suffer in your stead.’

‘Close now. Don’t rush. I’ll cut you down in a moment.’

“But rest assured, I won’t extinguish you immediately after defeating you. Instead, I shall thoroughly research the power within you. It’s truly exciting to consider; perhaps, in my hands, you could become even more formidable than before.”

The red gem shimmered with increasing brilliance.

In Xiu Lan’s perception, The Doctor’s form grew increasingly distant, yet simultaneously larger, until he transformed into a towering giant, reaching out to seize her.

‘He’s growing larger?’

‘No, I’m shrinking.’

‘More precisely, the world around me is shrinking.’

Immediately after, visible spatial walls materialized on all sides, ultimately forming a square, inescapable “prison.”

Even someone as slow-witted as Xiu Lan grasped the gravity of the situation.

She raised her Shadow Sword, leaped high, and slashed at the colossal hand.

No one ever decreed that the small could not overcome the large.

“Hah!”

The Shadow Sword effortlessly tore through the spatial wall, allowing Xiu Lan to escape the confined world.

To her astonishment, however, while she had indeed departed the original world, she seemed to have merely stepped into another, identical one.

The Doctor’s resonant voice clearly reached Xiu Lan’s ears:

“This is the [Multi-Locked World], a world like a set of nesting dolls. Beyond each layer lies a new one, stacked endlessly. Even if you spent an entire lifetime, you could never escape, so you might as well make yourself comfortable within.”

‘No, I can leave this place.’

‘As long as…’

Seemingly convinced he had cornered his foe, The Doctor picked up the miniature world and, with wide eyes, began to observe the black-clad figure within.

And then…

The miniature world vanished.

“What?”

The Doctor stared in astonishment at the scene before him. This was not an attack launched from within, nor was it an external factor; it was more akin to…

‘Canceled?’

He attempted to try again, but the black-clad figure would grant him no further opportunity.

“Wham!”

The girl, having broken free from her confinement, slammed a furious punch squarely into his face.

Staggered by the brutal impact of the fist, The Doctor’s body reeled backward like a kite with a severed string. Yet, a single blow was clearly insufficient to quell Xiu Lan’s rage. She leaped into the air, planted her right foot firmly on The Doctor’s head while he was still airborne, and then pushed down with immense force.

“Thud!”

Driven by the sheer power, the masked man’s head slammed violently into the ground, carving out a deep crater.

“Quite amusing, isn’t it…? Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you have your fill of fun now!”

A malicious grin spreading across her face, Xiu Lan unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks upon the speechless Doctor, venting her fury.

****

When Yao Jing and his companions finally entered, they were met with the sight of Xiu Lan seated in a chair, her foot resting atop a bloodied, mangled head.

“Oh, so you *did* remember to come in? Enjoying the show, were we? You bastards who tricked me into being the vanguard!”

Her slightly disgruntled voice, distorted by the shadows, sounded exceptionally bizarre. To describe it, it was akin to a middle-aged man, well past fifty, whining to you in a saccharine tone.

****

‘Truly terrifying.’

Fortunately, half the people present were privy to parts of the girl’s identity. Yao Jing and Wu Liyun, for instance, automatically substituted her voice with Vanguard’s voice pack. Listening to a hero act coy? It actually sounded quite pleasant, they had to admit.

“Ahem, ahem, we *were* supporting you.”

Among them, Xiu Lan and Tina were the most resilient, yet for some peculiar reason, Yao Jing had still decided to send Xiu Lan in as the vanguard.

‘Having crashed through the door so many times already, one more wouldn’t make a difference, would it?’

“Heh heh.”

Chuckling derisively, and disinclined to entertain the group of deceitful bastards, Xiu Lan hoisted The Doctor and tossed him towards them, stating:

“So, this is your target? He seems rather unremarkable. Still, his mask won’t come off. Here, you try.”

“Cough, cough.”

The Doctor, having been thoroughly thrashed by Xiu Lan, suddenly coughed. He glanced at Wu Liyun among the group and a realization struck him: “You dealt with Irina?”

Yao Jing nodded.

“I see. No wonder the gem suddenly lost its power.”

The powers of the two gems could cancel each other out. It was precisely because someone outside was manipulating things that his [Multi-Locked World] had abruptly dissipated.

The Doctor fixed his gaze on Wu Liyun: “Do you truly intend to betray us? To betray the Bloodkin who granted you new life? Do you wish to bring shame upon your father?”

“There’s no need for your divisive tactics now.”

Yao Jing interrupted him: “We’ve come too far for anyone to care about your petty words. As the primary orchestrator of the vampire incident, you will simply await the judgment that is due to you.”

“…”

Apparently realizing his fate was sealed, The Doctor fell silent.

Curiously, Gang, despite his severed arm, had been watching the entire spectacle unfold. When questioned later, he simply stated that a loss was a loss, and having lost, he would not interfere with the victors’ actions.

‘What a peculiar man.’

“So, after escorting these two to the Oversight Bureau, we can call it a day, right?”

“Precisely.”

Inside the Order Maintenance Team’s “van,” Xiu Lan, Yao Jing, Tina, Wu Liyun, and Robin sat quietly.

Rosa was driving upfront, while The Doctor and Gang, bound hand and foot, were left in the back of the vehicle. It was unlikely they could escape under the watchful eyes of five people.

“But why did *you* come along too?”

Xiu Lan looked at Robin in confusion. She could understand everyone else’s presence, but why had this “freeloader” with so little combat strength squeezed in? Did they have a death wish?

“Who are you calling combat-ineffective?”

Robin angrily ruffled Xiu Lan’s head, though the shadowy texture didn’t seem particularly pleasing, and she quickly grew tired of it.

“I called her over.”

Yao Jing explained: “This situation provides an opportune moment to leverage her popularity on online platforms to vindicate ordinary Blood-thirsters.”

“Indeed, that’s the case.”

Rosa, who was driving, spoke next: “The Oversight Bureau was already planning to reveal the existence of vampires. Miss Robin here can conveniently assist the [Propaganda Department] with their work.”

“Is that so?”

The carriage fell silent once more.

“Good evening, everyone.”

Suddenly, a female voice, clearly belonging to no one present, echoed within the vehicle.

“Who’s speaking…?”

“Everyone, maintain vigilance!”

“Wait, I’ll pull over first.”

The once-quiet carriage instantly erupted into a cacophony of noise and a state of high alert following the woman’s voice.

“I apologize for the intrusion, but I harbor no ill will.”

“Cackle, cackle, cackle.”

Space began to tear open.

Amidst everyone’s vigilant apprehension, a wing extended from the rift, followed by a three-eyed bird’s head, and finally, the bird’s body.

A three-eyed bird…

Facing their gazes, she elegantly bowed with a wing: “A pleasure to meet you all. You may call me [Duo Shi]…

“This creature is a [Derivative Species]!”

Rosa exclaimed.