Buzz.

Just as both sides were stuck not knowing what to do, Chu Xueyue’s comm card suddenly vibrated. Albert, like a true protagonist, swooped in to save Chu Xueyue at the perfect moment.

“Hey, Jack, where are you? I’ve already bought the tickets and am heading to our meeting spot,” Albert’s voice came through from the other end.

*Albert, you really came at the perfect time.*

*Whoever you are on the other line, thank you too. You’re a lifesaver.*

“I’m already here waiting for you. Hurry up—I’ve been waiting ages,” Chu Xueyue said.

“Mm-hmm, I’m on my way right now. Just hold on a bit longer.”

“Okay.”

With that, Albert hung up.

“Ahaha, sorry about this, but I guess we’ll have to wrap up here. My friend’s arriving soon, so…”

“I get it. *I’m* the one who should apologize for taking up your time. It’s about time I left anyway, right, Evelyn?”

???

“That’s right, sir. I’m truly sorry for bothering you so long. Here, take these two entry tickets as a gift. With them, you can even access the noble section inside,” Evelyn said. Though initially confused why the new Hero had suggested this, she quickly caught on, pulling out two lavish tickets and offering them to Chu Xueyue.

At first, Chu Xueyue had no interest in the tickets—but “noble section” changed everything. It meant he could peek at the girls inside. And with two tickets? Going alone would’ve forced him to fake being a regular, but with Albert tagging along, no hassle needed.

His hand shot out like lightning, snatching the luxurious tickets.

“How can I accept this? But I won’t stand on ceremony—thank you so much!”

“No problem. These are useless to us anyway. Consider them yours,” the new Hero said. “We won’t keep you from waiting any longer. Let’s go, Evelyn.”

“Yes. Goodbye, sir. Until next time,” Evelyn bowed politely.

“Goodbye,” Chu Xueyue waved, his mind racing: *Just leave already. Not that I hate you—it was way too close back there. Almost exposed. The faster you go, the better.*

The new Hero felt nearly the same.

“Oh, right?” The new Hero suddenly turned back to Chu Xueyue. “I’ve been wondering your name since earlier. Mind telling me now?”

*Phew. Just my name. I thought he’d figured it out. Lucky break.*

“Jack White.”

“Oh, I’m Zhang Yong. See you around.”

This time, they truly left.

After walking a fair distance, Evelyn finally spoke. “Hero, that man isn’t ordinary. I never lifted my restriction on him, yet he still saw us. But his energy is incredibly weak—unless he’s hiding his presence perfectly, he shouldn’t be this weak.”

Both were invisible, their voices muffled by magic, so they didn’t worry about being overheard.

“I agree he’s no ordinary person. But maybe he has some special ability. His strength might genuinely be that low.”

At this, Evelyn frowned. Her troubled expression, paired with her beauty, added an irresistible charm—too bad only Zhang Yong could witness it.

“Ah! I remember now!” Evelyn gasped in a bewitching voice.

“What is it, Evelyn? Remembered what?”

“The Holy War! Why did both of you act so weird when that man mentioned it? I’ve searched my memory—no Holy Wars happened in decades. Not on our side (Demonfolk) or yours (humans).”

*How do I explain this to Evelyn? She said she hasn’t visited the human world in ages. Not knowing the human-exclusive “Holy War” makes sense. Danger zone—if we keep talking, I might slip up. I really don’t want Jack to know my identity.*

“Evelyn, listen. This ‘Holy War’ isn’t what you think. For us humans—”

Before he could finish, a gust of wind slammed into his arm. It wasn’t hard, and he wasn’t hurt. Since others couldn’t see them, getting bumped was just bad luck.

“Sorry! I was in a hurry and didn’t see you there. Are you okay?” the person who bumped into Zhang Yong asked.

Zhang Yong was fine, so he reflexively replied, “No worries, no worries. You didn’t hit anything important. Don’t stress.”

“Really? No need to see a doctor?”

“Seriously, I’m fine. Trust me.”

“Alright, I’m in a rush myself. If anything happens later, find me at XXXXXX—I’ll cover all costs,” the person said earnestly.

“Sure, I’ll contact you if needed,” Zhang Yong replied, though he thought such a small thing wasn’t worth following up on. Best to humor them.

“Got it. Gotta run—urgent business!” With that, the person sprinted off again.

*Hey, running like that? You’ll bump into someone else. Not everyone’s as easygoing as me.*

“Hero, did you notice? That person not only saw you—he said ‘we’,” Evelyn reminded him quietly.

“Evelyn… maybe your magic item’s glitching? Acting up now and then? Maybe Jack earlier wasn’t special or strong—just your invisibility gear malfunctioning. Should we get it fixed?” Zhang Yong suggested.

“…” *I’ve used this for centuries without a single error. How could it be broken?*