The sky had opened its wound, and the rain fell as if it were mourning what remained of Long Qi City.
Beneath that gray sky stood Lin Xian alone, his body drenched in blood and mud, his sword dripping with a black liquid that would not dissolve in water.
At his feet lay a slowly twitching rotting corpse—
but there was no life left in it.
It was one of the "Mutated Zombies", the remnants of those who couldn't bear the fusion of Dao with their souls after the Fall, warped into half-human, half-corrupted Daoic abominations.
Without emotion, Lin Xian knelt down and plunged a small silver dagger into the corpse's chest.
Not to kill it—he'd already done that—
but to extract a rare kind of stone that sometimes formed in the hearts of these creatures, known as "Contaminated Soul Stones".
He took the stone, gazed at it for a moment, then tossed it into his worn leather pouch.
He said nothing.
The rain intensified, and the wind tore at his tattered cloak.
But his eyes remained fixed, as if the world no longer held any meaning.
Moments later, the ruined building emerged through the fog, as if the shattered structure had risen from the debris of war.
Once, it had been called the "Tower of Hope," but now, it held no hope—only the name remained.
He entered silently and climbed the crumbling stairs to the ninth floor.
There, in a half-destroyed room, sat Rai Yu, Yue Mi, and her younger sister.
They were quiet.
In the corner, a small fire burned—fed by damp paper and industrial alcohol—to offer some warmth.
Outside, the scene was terrifyingly panoramic.
Half the city was cloaked in darkness and ruin, a crime scene on a grand scale.
The other half still glimmered with neon lights and holographic billboards, as if life had never stopped.
That luminous part was known as:
"Zone Z"
Rai Yu stood by a broken window, eyes fixed on that sector as if it were a beast smiling in the dark.
He spoke in a low voice:
"From the intel I've managed to gather… that part of the city isn't under any government. But it's not lawless either."
He turned to them and continued:
"It houses a large number of Awakened… and they've split into organizations and sects."
As he spoke, he pulled out a small projector. With a press, multiple holograms flickered into view above them, showing the emblems of four major factions, along with names and images of certain leaders.
But before he could explain further, Lin Xian spoke, having taken a seat silently on a broken stone slab:
"I've heard of them while selling Soul Stones...
Some merchants used to speak of them.
They said these were the first of the Awakened… specifically, the first to break away from the A.C.E.S. organization."
Rai Yu raised an eyebrow and nodded:
"Correct... the region has split into four dominant forces."
He raised a hand, pointing to the first emblem:
"First... we have the Eastern Dragon Sect.
They control the black market—everything illegal: forbidden weapons, Dao enhancers, even human trafficking."
A masked man appeared, body covered in dragon tattoos, with the caption:
"Li Jin – Sixth Dragon"
Rai Yu continued:
"Second… the Huang Trade Chamber.
They monopolize the legal sale of weapons, medical supplies, healing pills—everything an Awakened needs to survive."
A middle-aged woman appeared, dressed in purple with glowing eyes, holding a golden balance.
"Lady Huang – Mother of the Market," the caption read.
He then pointed to a green emblem resembling a jade blossom:
"Third… the Jade Guild.
They specialize in training and Dao control techniques.
But… they're not as peaceful as they seem."
An old man appeared, long white beard, but with eyes glowing like death itself.
Then he pointed to the last emblem—pitch black with a black star at the center:
"Fourth… the Diamond Night Wing.
The most dangerous.
Experts in assassination, infiltration, and dirty work.
No one knows their leaders… but it's said they communicate only through dreams at night."
The three of them looked at the floating holograms while Rai Yu spoke with a sharper tone:
"Soon… we'll be entering the city officially."
"And when we do… we'll have to decide:
Do we ally with one of them…
Or stand alone against all four?"
He paused briefly, then cast a long glance at Lin Xian, saying:
"But before anything else… you must hide your Dao, boy.
In Zone Z, anyone who reveals anything… is hunted."
Lin Xian didn't reply, but his grip tightened around one of the stones he had previously taken.
Yue Mi's eyes filled with worry… but she said nothing.
Outside, the rain didn't stop.
And every drop seemed to whisper a warning:
The city hasn't died yet…
But it will devour those who don't understand its laws.