Chapter Twenty: Silent Roar

A shrill ring suddenly shattered the awkward silence, and after answering the call, Yuan Liming’s expression turned grave.

“Something strange is happening at the City Trade Building. Over thirty people have died, their bodies scattered in bits and pieces.”

Bits and pieces? That odd description instantly put all three Pulse Bearers on alert. Their deep breaths created intense pressure changes, causing the doors and windows to rattle loudly.

Guo Yixian asked, “Where’s the Trade Building?”

Yuan Liming scratched his chin. “It’s hard to explain in words. I’ll arrange a special car to take you there right away.”

“Driving’s too slow. Just point it out directly,” Li Zhicheng said, pulling out a slim phone and bringing up a city map for Yuan Liming.

Yuan Liming noticed the map detailed the coordinates and elevation of every building and street—even tiny alleys were marked. Its precision far surpassed any public map, clearly military-grade.

The map showed the Trade Building’s location, but “Trade Building” seemed a local nickname, possibly differing from the official name. So Li Zhicheng wanted Yuan Liming, a local, to confirm.

Yuan Liming was incredulous. “Are you guys planning to run there? That’s a five-kilometer marathon.”

But with the Pulse Bearers’ immense strength, perhaps that distance really didn’t matter...

Just as Yuan Liming was thinking this, the roar of a helicopter suddenly thundered outside.

“Huh? Applications for this kind of helicopter usually need three days’ notice. What’s going on...?”

Guo Yixian grinned. “It’s a special aircraft from the nearest military base. No need to trouble yourself.”

He then waved his hand grandly. “Let’s go!”

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Adonsa had been ceaselessly scouring the internet for traces of supernatural power.

The Yeti of the snowy mountains.
Jurassic creatures under the earth.
Mutant vampires.
The crashed flying saucer in Antarctica.
The tomb of the Black Kirin Emperor.

The secret council of thirteen that controls the world from the shadows.
The mysterious order of the Golden Dawn.
The Biochemical Crisis Research Center of the Amest Federal.
Ancient kings who could soar through the heavens and vanish beneath the earth.
The fleeting corpse of the Black Dragon.
Artificial humans bearing the power of lightning.
The hellish apartment from which there is no escape.
The gateway to another world.

All manner of supernatural rumors intertwined, truth and falsehood indistinguishable. Many came with images and data that seemed almost authentic, enticing yet prompting skepticism that it was all pure nonsense.

Perhaps this was a government tactic—hiding the truth of supernatural power in a sea of garbage information, making the real secrets indistinguishable from the rest.

At that moment, Adonsa found it.

A grotesquely twisted existence, its hideous appearance and essence able to awaken the deepest revulsion and terror in the human heart.

Adonsa’s discovery was both an accident and an inevitability.

As Adonsa’s split bodies wandered through the city like worker ants foraging from the nest, a mass of twisted, viscous dark green flesh bounced from one shadowy corner to another, appearing only for an instant each time, but a thick, fetid stench lingered, causing passersby to clamp their noses and mouths.

The stench dissipated on the wind. Adonsa, sensitive to odors, initially ignored it. Yet a familiar brainwave hovered at the edge of his mental perception, threatening to vanish from his range entirely.

The frequency of this brainwave was vastly different from the powerful entity encountered before, but strikingly similar to another group of psychic adversaries—equally rigid and formidable.

Adonsa thus drove the black dog and several other split bodies to trail the presence swiftly, finally catching a hint of its shadow.

The black shadow melted into the corner like ink, then quickly surged from a neighboring shadow, repeating the process, darting through the streets, deftly avoiding all eyes and sunlight. Like a decaying ghost, it seemed to be searching for something.

After repeated observation, Adonsa discovered the shadow not only avoided contact with the group sharing similar brainwaves, but deliberately kept away from their perception—as if it were a hound secretly guarding its food.

This revelation prompted Adonsa to make a daring decision—capture it!

The Security Bureau’s raids and the rise of psychics made Adonsa acutely aware of the limits of his own perspective. He desperately needed a breakthrough to cross the boundary between the ordinary and the abnormal, to touch the world’s supernatural forces. This flesh-and-blood ghost, clearly, was the perfect key. If he could capture it, Adonsa might have a small chance to unravel the essence of psychic abilities, and perhaps even counter or acquire them himself.

Adonsa attempted to alter the brainwaves he emanated, awkwardly simulating a frequency—the very one belonging to the mysterious figure who had summoned the giant beastly shadow.

The ghost had deliberately avoided its peers; it must, then, be searching for the other party.

Adonsa strained to broadcast the crude brainwave frequency. The wandering ghost instantly halted, its pale eyes staring from the shadows directly at Adonsa’s position.

Adonsa had guessed correctly. The ghost was indeed searching for the mysterious figure; there was likely an inexpressible transaction between them.

Adonsa was unfazed by the beast-like menace in its gaze, calmly steering his split bodies to withdraw, quickly fleeing into a bustling building filled with people.

The flesh-and-blood ghost dove into the shadows, weaving through the corners in pursuit of the split body emitting the specific brainwave frequency.

All these covert actions were meticulously observed by several of Adonsa’s split bodies, constantly analyzing the ghost’s patterns and abilities.

Shadows, corners, spatial traversal, stench... Adonsa quickly determined the ideal location for capture.

The foul odor brought by the ghost quickly stirred a storm of complaints in the poorly ventilated skyscraper.

“Did the toilet blow up? What’s that smell!”

“Damn, who’s heating up canned herring?”

“Where’s the janitor? Their paycheck is gone this month!”

Though the diligent office workers grumbled, none were willing to leave their posts.

The Trade Building was the financial hub of the city. Every hour saw tens of millions in transaction volume—who would dare neglect their duties?

Yet their dedication would ultimately cost them their lives that day.

The flesh-and-blood ghost emerged quietly from the shadows, only to find its target standing dazed at the center of a vast plaza, surrounded by a turbulent crowd, beneath blinding lights—no shadows or corners anywhere.

It hesitated for a moment, but the mechanical program etched deep in its consciousness prioritized the search for the mysterious figure above all else.

It cautiously sent out its own signal, hoping to attract its target’s attention, but unexpectedly failed.