Preliminary Round Strange Events (Part 4)
On the outskirts of Coachella stands a spire.
When you change the angle of observation, you will find that its surface flows like liquid. This special coating makes it hidden from the sight of ordinary people.
There are no visible windows or gaps in the tower, and countless prison cells are stacked inside. Occasionally, if a prisoner touches the wall, he will be knocked to the ground by the phantom energy barrier.
Lucien's cell is on the 83rd floor.
His long, light-blond hair had lost its former silky sheen and clung to his sweat-soaked neck in a mess. His eyelashes were stained with what looked like a sheen of sweat or tears. Cold sweat soaked through his thin prison uniform, and his arms, exposed at the cuffs, were covered in bruises and burns.
Just now, he finally pried open the filter device of the ventilation duct. The inner wall of the duct was stained with old dried blood, probably left by a predecessor who was unwilling to be imprisoned.
Every time he touched the wall, he would suffer the torture of the barrier. With his phantom beast captured, he had already exhausted his energy just by prying open the vent.
But there is no other choice.
Flora would not give him any more time.
He took a deep breath, climbed up the ventilation pipe, endured the severe pain, and flipped in.
………………
Linyin put her hands in her pockets and Song Baiyue held a kitten as they walked through the corridor of the dormitory area. Just as they were about to enter the landscaped balcony area, the wind blew over the sound of some loud discussions.
"There's no need to give my sister-in-law a break." The speaker, wearing the distinctive reflective uniform of Lighthouse Academy, leaned against the railing. "The thorn flower is looking very impressive right now."
The process of Song Baiyue and Lei Annabelle showing off their fantasy beasts was secretly filmed and posted on Star Network. Now the two of them even have a fan club.
"Yes, and Daoming Si Lian may not appreciate our kindness."
Trancy stood aside, smiling as usual, "That's a bit too cold, Lian has always taken good care of us."
"That's true..." They had to admit this, "and let's be honest, Miss Lan, he got her just as he said, he's a real man." The Lighthouse team members gave a thumbs up, their mouths watering when they thought of Belle's outstanding beauty and the Lan family's wealth.
Belle's name pierced her eardrums. Lin Yin paused, then strode forward, "What are you talking about? It's so lively?"
There was a smile on his lips and ice in his eyes.
"Ah, nothing, nothing." The cricket man behind was caught on the spot. The lighthouse team member leaning against the railing was startled and straightened up.
"What sister-in-law?" How could Lin Yin be fooled? Her eyes were like lightning, staring at the person who spoke with a chill in her heart. "Have you forgotten what you just said?"
"Tsk...what are you pulling for?"
Another student curled his lips in dissatisfaction. The fact is that the Lan family chose Daoming Si Lian as their son-in-law with great fanfare. They dared to do it, and they didn't allow people to say anything?
"Annabelle Lan is currently single and not in any romantic or marital relationship. Please be mindful of your words and actions." Lin Yin looked coldly at those who were unconvinced, and the Wuji Qi was circulating secretly.
"You are the captain, not the parent. Do your team members need to report their weddings and funerals to you?" someone muttered.
"Weddings and funerals?" Lin Yin didn't let him off just because his voice was low. "You hit the nail on the head. According to Lan family tradition, the bloodline follows the Dark Night Orchid, and only female heirs are passed down. Even if Bei'er ultimately chooses Daoming Si Lian, it's him joining the family, not Bei'er marrying off." She raised the corners of her mouth in disdain. "Even if it's just wishful thinking, it has to conform to common sense. The future head of the Lan family can't be your 'sister-in-law' in any sense."
In recent years, Belle's too frequent "blind dates" have ultimately had side effects - the people in the lighthouse in front of her are obviously happy to see an ancient, mysterious, and superior matriarchal clan being brought down from the altar.
"...You Thornflowers should just focus on the competition. If even Eighth-chan can't get in, and we're begging you to discuss it, we're too lazy to bother." Someone, knowing they were in the wrong, tried to change the subject. Meanwhile, Trancy, standing nearby, seemed to have just woken up. "Ah, my, what's with the quarrel? Don't be angry, Rin-san, they don't mean any harm."
"They?" Linyin sneered. "Were you unaware of their discussion? You didn't participate?"
A crack appeared on Trancy's smile.
The next second, the air twisted like ripples in water. Before the Lighthouse Academy students could react, they felt a huge force suddenly grab their bodies.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Several people collided with each other one after another. The huge impact and the extremely brief oxygen-deprived environment caused by the star-chasing step made them all faint. The reflective uniforms made their movements particularly dazzling. The slightly rounder team member, like an over-inflated hydrogen balloon, rolled twice in the air comically, his head slamming into his teammate's butt.
"I don't like hearing about this kind of talk." Linyin tilted her head. "Since you guys won't talk sense, then we can discuss it in other ways."
Trancy was the only one who hadn't fainted. He struggled to maintain his balance and returned to the ground. His carefully styled bangs clung to his forehead, and a gloomy look finally appeared between his brows. "Rinne-san, fighting outside of the competition will result in disqualification."
"Really?" Linyin smiled and opened the terminal. Eight big words appeared on the screen -
"Certificate of Mentally Unstable Persons"
"Perhaps you don't know this yet, but my mental stability index is only 40. When I'm having an attack, I'm exempt from many penalties." The awl was placed on Trancy's neck, the tip resting against the center of his collarbone. "Instead, the person who caused my attack will bear full responsibility for the accident."
“…”
Trancy gritted his teeth, veins popping out.
Hell, his God Ring Jellyfish was clearly swimming in the miniature aquarium in his arms, but why couldn't he transform into armor?
The hateful woman was so powerful and heavy, like a mountain, that he was trapped and unable to move at all - of course, he didn't dare to move in the first place, as there was a strange-looking weapon against his neck - wait, where did she take out that weapon?
In Linyin's vision, the infinite true energy slowly flowed into his body along the tip of the cone, successfully sealing the area he used to communicate with the phantom beast.
This is a new discovery.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Rin'in-san. Don't worry, I won't say that again." His drooping eyelashes hid the gloom swirling in his eyes. When he looked up again, his exaggerated smile had returned. "But, you know, I don't have much prestige, so...what others say is not something I can control."
"Besides, Lian also tacitly agreed to what we said..."
Linyin raised an eyebrow. His little thoughts were seen through by her. It seemed that he and the 'Lian' he mentioned were not so close... But she was too lazy to understand the details of the quarrels between these boring men.
"Now, can you let me go?" Transy felt like his collarbone was about to break.
Linyin let go of her hand, and Song Baiyue came over and straightened her crooked collar.
"There won't be a next time." Lin Yin waved the awl in her hand, "Unless you want to see me lose my temper again."
The tall, dark-haired girl before him pushed the corners of her mouth into a malicious smile. Trancy's chest felt tight, and for the first time in his life, he failed to control his expression. He hummed and dialed the infirmary's voicemail.
…
After turning the familiar corner of the stairs, the sound of the on-duty robot disappeared at a certain moment. The skylark on the big tree outside the building, which loved to sing at the top of its voice, also stopped singing. The surroundings were strangely quiet.
All the fur on the kitten's back and tail stood up.
"Good evening, both of you."
A lazy female voice echoed from overhead. Flora was enveloped in a large black robe, emerging from the shadows. A black metal mask obscured the upper half of her face, revealing only her blood-red lips.
Behind her, Pinkie Pie silently emerged from the shadows in the corner of the wall, a mercury-like luster flowing on her visor, and her whole body was shrouded in misty phantom beast armor.
"First place in Group A... is indeed a surprising result." A smile appeared on Flora's red lips, and her eyes were cold to the bone. "Especially you, Number Nine."
"For the mission, I work hard at everything I do."
The woman's voice was as purring as a snake, and Lin Yin guessed the identity and purpose of the visitor almost instantly. At the same time, she felt the muscles in Song Baiyue's wrist tense, and the silver light belonging to Yingyue Linglu had bloomed under the pressure.
"Take the kitten and leave."
This day had finally arrived. Song Baiyue lowered his voice, several 1v2 battle scenarios already emerging in his mind. No, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they were sacrificial scenarios—the Yingyue Spirit Deer, born from the Fantasy Beast Hall's laboratory, had been genetically locked. When facing Flora, the Hall Master, all attacks would turn into self-inflicted damage.
Rinne didn't know, and he wouldn't let her know that.
They were very close, and a few strands of Song Baiyue's silver hair fell on Linyin's neck, trembling slightly with his slightly rapid breathing.
Rinyin squeezed his hand.
Although she hadn't expected to face the Master of the Fantasy Beast Palace so soon, now that things had come to this, she certainly wouldn't be a deserter.
"After all the conspiracies and intrigues, the Palace Master still has to show up in person. Is there no one left in the Fantasy Beast Palace?" She spoke bluntly.
Flora's hands trembled slightly.
Indeed, only she and Pinkie Pie came for today's operation because she asked Pinkie Pie to send the other shadow guards to different locations to confuse the audience.
These incidents had made her realize that she could no longer confirm the names of those infiltrated by Frost or other external forces. And now that the Fantasy Beast Hall had lost the full support of the nobles and wealthy, it lacked the energy and financial resources to select, train, and form a new team of Shadow Guards in the short term.
But it doesn't matter.
"Flora alone can defeat hundreds of elite Shadow Guards."
When she first heard this, Electra, the husband she had killed with her own hands, was still alive.
At that time, he only used these words to praise her charm as a little pet. He would never have thought that Flora could really defeat a hundred people with one strength.
"It's a good thing for young people to be energetic."
Flora wasn't surprised that Rin recognized her. She wondered how much Nine had revealed to her. She thought, "Just catch them together and interrogate them slowly. There's no rush." So, with a forced smile, she said, "Since we already know each other, there's no need for small talk," while motioning for Pinkie Pie to fetch the kitten.
Seeing Flora's gesture, Lin Yin's mind was alarmed, and Wuji Zhenqi immediately circulated throughout her body. As soon as Bi Qi disappeared from the spot, her movement trajectory was clearly visible in Lin Yin's eyes -
Judging from her current direction of movement, she is likely going straight for the kitten in Song Baiyue's arms.
The alloy bracelet quietly transformed into a curved cone. This time, Rin Yin made no effort to conceal its imposing presence. The air within the narrow stairwell seemed to freeze as it appeared. Bi Qi felt as if her unstoppable speed had been curtailed, a feeling of paralysis and suffocation.
Like many of the Shadow Guards, Biqi's phantom beast was a unique hidden beast of the Phantom Beast Hall, exceptional in concealment and assassination. Realizing her attack would fail, she decisively changed her target, deciding to take out Rinne first.
Seeing her change of direction, Lin Yin also adjusted her steps. Silver light like lightning pierced Bi Qi's throat.
hiss.
The tip of the cone passed through Pinkie's armor silently, but everyone seemed to hear the sound of it rubbing against the rolling fog.
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