"Deity?" Yue Ge paused for a moment, caught off guard.

"Anyway, come here first. I'll explain when you arrive." Bai Ya didn't elaborate. She simply sent coordinates and ended the call.

Yue Ge checked the location—it was surprisingly close, practically beneath his feet. He just needed to take the elevator down. Pushing aside stray thoughts, he quickly composed himself. Now wasn't the time to dwell on the past; what was done couldn't be undone.

He swiped his card several times, but the warehouse door remained sealed. Just as Mi Lin had warned, it was locked tight—impossible to open through normal means. But this posed little challenge for Yue Ge. After a half-second’s hesitation, he reactivated his dormant Essence.

The volume of Death Aura hadn’t increased—or if it had, the change was too subtle for him to notice. The good news was that after tasting death, it no longer refused to cooperate like before. Realizing this, Yue Ge’s mood darkened slightly.

"Never mind… let’s deal with this first." Shaking his head, he materialized a slender blade in his hand and swept it toward the steel door. After a few slashes, he carved just enough space to squeeze through.

The corridor outside was deserted, though the lights still glowed. Yue Ge quickly oriented himself and sprinted along the navigation route. He didn’t know what had happened, but whatever had Bai Ya so frantic couldn’t be trivial—likely tied to that earlier roar.

For some reason, Yue Ge felt this was connected to the Reaper. But he had no memories from that time. Unless the Reaper reappeared, confirmation was impossible.

Bai Ya’s coordinates led to the building’s lowest level. By the time Yue Ge arrived, nearly five minutes had passed. True to the Fate Organization’s efficiency, people had evacuated calmly despite the vague emergency broadcast. The entire building was cleared within minutes.

The bottom level resembled an open plaza—empty except for a few pillars. Bai Ya stood near the stairwell and waved when she spotted him. "Yue Ge, over here."

"Coming… what’s going on?" Yue Ge joined her. Dozens of people stood silently in the plaza’s center, waiting. Nearly every notable member of the Organization was present. Lingkong stood at the forefront, with Nightingale standing behind him, eyes lightly closed.

"We’re waiting for others. Lingkong summoned all Chosen Ones of High Danger Class or above still at headquarters." Bai Ya’s expression was graver than he’d ever seen, edged with anxiety. "If things go poorly… I may have to fight too."

"That serious?" Yue Ge frowned. Scanning the crowd—over thirty elite fighters—he realized a single meteor strike here would cripple the entire Fate Organization.

Yet what unfolded beneath them was far more terrifying than any falling star.

"Lingkong will brief everyone shortly, but I’ll tell you first." Bai Ya rubbed her temples, clearly out of her depth. "Do you know how Fated City came to be?"

"Uh… built?" Yue Ge offered a clumsy guess.

Bai Ya stared at him like he was an idiot. "Fated City was constructed atop ruins. Beneath those ruins lies the corpse of a dead ‘Deity’."

"A Deity-class entity?" Understanding dawned on Yue Ge. He hadn’t considered the literal meaning at first, assuming it was metaphorical.

"Only nine Deities are historically documented. One rests beneath this city." Bai Ya continued.

"…Bold move." Yue Ge could only offer a bitter smile. Though he lacked firsthand experience with Deities, the Reaper alone proved the records weren’t exaggerations.

True "Deities" earned their title only after unleashing catastrophes surpassing natural disasters. At that level, they ceased being mere monsters—only continent-shattering calamities could rival them. Cities meant nothing to such beings.

"Not quite," Bai Ya corrected. "That Deity is truly dead. No Essence remains—just an empty shell. Otherwise, Lingkong would never have built here."

"Then why’s it waking now?"

"No idea. The building’s foundation *is* the corpse. We’d need to blast through the ground to see." She shook her head. "Sensors detected a terrifying life signature below—matching the Deity’s size and location exactly."

Bai Ya had never seen the corpse herself, but photos had killed her curiosity. It wasn’t even a proper corpse anymore—just scattered bones. Only its colossal size and structure hinted at its divine origin.

"Maybe it’s just a normal reanimation. Probably nothing major," Yue Ge tried to reassure her.

Meanwhile, Lingkong began his briefing once the last members arrived. He withheld details, only stating that a Deity-class corpse lay beneath them—and it might be awakening.

Humanity’s understanding of monsters was incomplete; Deity-class entities were pure speculation. This was self-inflicted trouble. But Lingkong couldn’t evacuate the entire city in time. He had no choice but to gamble—that the buried Deity wasn’t fully awake.

"That’s all. If we don’t eliminate this Deity, we all die. This is a battle to slay a god." Lingkong raised his hand, turning to Bai Ya. "Doctor Bai Ya—I’m counting on you."

"I’ll handle it." Bai Ya nodded, activating her Essence and pulling a small syringe of sedative from her pocket.

"Everyone else—fall back!" Lingkong ordered. "Doctor Bai Ya will breach the ground. High Danger Class members lead the descent; Danger Class provides support. Prioritize survival."

Yue Ge moved to leave with the others, but Bai Ya caught his arm. Soon, only they remained in the plaza—even Lingkong had retreated.

"What is it?" Yue Ge asked.

"Nothing. Just checking." Bai Ya handed him the sedative. "I’m relieved you’re unharmed."

"What happened?" Confused, Yue Ge took the syringe anyway.

"When you arrived, your expression was… terrifying. I thought something had gone wrong." Bai Ya floated upward, extending her hand.

Yue Ge grasped it, rising with her. He wasn’t unfamiliar with this sensation—in theory, he should be capable of it too. If the Reaper could hover, why couldn’t he? But without fully enveloping himself in Death Aura, flight remained impossible.

He’d never attempted full factorization willingly. Some instinct held him back—though he couldn’t say why.

"It’s nothing. Just…" Yue Ge shook his head.

"Just what?" Bai Ya tilted her head slightly.

"Just… not knowing what to do." Yue Ge stared at the sedative in his palm. He wasn’t even sure if he *should* be troubled by this. But there was no turning back now.

People grew—by any means necessary.

Bai Ya didn’t fully understand, but she recognized his low spirits. He reminded her of the boy on the train, gazing out the window at passing landscapes. "Then find the answer," she said simply.

"And if I can’t?"

"Then make a choice. Right or wrong—better than standing still." Bai Ya’s voice softened. She closed her eyes, focusing her energy.

The air crackled. A visible vortex swirled around her.

Slowly, she raised one hand—and swept it down.

"*Skyfall*."

Everything within sight collapsed inward, compressing soundlessly into dust. The plaza floor, the pillars—all vanished as if devoured by an invisible maw. A bottomless pit yawned beneath their feet.

"Hah…" Bai Ya exhaled. Her hood dissolved, revealing a face drained of color.

Yue Ge caught her as they landed beside the pit, injecting the sedative into her wrist. Her pallor eased slightly.

"Let’s go," Bai Ya leaned on his shoulder. "This is enough."

Neither noticed the pit’s deepest depths—where nothing remained at all.