Ten kilometers away.
Night had fallen. Free of industrial pollution and smog, the vast night sky stretched crystal clear, studded with brilliant stars.
But anyone staring long enough would notice something off.
The stars were frozen—motionless, unblinking—like crystal pendants pinned deliberately onto a dark velvet backdrop.
Amid ruins, several tents circled a crackling campfire.
A man sat beside it: stubble shadowing his jaw, a thin scar tracing his cheek, a small ponytail tied at the nape of his neck.
Beside him, a boy no older than eleven or twelve carefully wiped a sharp, gleaming dagger with a cloth.
A rustle broke the silence. The man turned.
From the shadows emerged a woman with short brown hair, clad only in ragged strips of fabric that left much of her striking figure exposed to the cool air.
“Things might be complicated, Sean,” she said, her voice slightly hoarse.
“What happened, Mia?” Sean asked.
“Word from the Kingdom: the Liberation Syndicate may interfere with this operation.”
Sean’s pupils contracted slightly.
“Which squad?”
“East Asia Branch. Loki Squad.”
“Loki Squad…” Sean fell into thought. “Meryl Caris?”
“She’s not much of a threat,” a youthful voice cut in. The boy sheathed his dagger. “But there’s a man named Bailian in the squad. I’ve fought him before.”
He paused. “He’s strong.”
Sean was silent a moment. “How much chance do you have against him, Xiao Ming?”
“Thirty percent. At most.”
Thirty percent meant Xiao Ming could barely hold the man off even at full strength. Sean might be evenly matched with Meryl—but victory wasn’t guaranteed. Sending Mia against the rest of the squad seemed unrealistic too.
“Damn it,” Sean muttered. “How did the Liberation Syndicate even learn about the White Bloodsource?”
“Undoubtedly a mole,” Mia said, settling beside him.
“Those bastards… If they ever fall into my hands, I’ll make them regret being born.”
“What now? Abort?” Xiao Ming watched them coolly, voice flat.
Sean shook his head.
“A prize within my grasp? I don’t hand it over—not even to the Liberation Syndicate.” He spoke fiercely.
“Mia, report what you found.”
Mia nodded. “I spotted a possible Loki Squad campsite ten kilometers out—very close to where the White Bloodsource was rumored to appear.”
“But they show no sign of moving. They likely haven’t found it yet.”
“Then we race them,” Sean exhaled in relief. “If we locate it first, we might avoid a clash.”
Xiao Ming said nothing, eyes cold.
---
---
Ming Yi tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.
Unlike his senior’s view, he was deeply troubled by Loki Squad’s true objective. A mission requiring a Class S squad couldn’t possibly be simple map-making.
Deploying Class S meant facing Class S-level danger.
Hunting a powerful Ravager?
Or… was the target human?
The Liberation Syndicate claimed neutrality in territorial conflicts—but was that truly the case?
Worse, they’d only just awakened their Corruption Artifacts. Even a random Class C Ravager might overwhelm them, let alone Class S.
Thinking of his Artifact, Ming Yi lifted his hand, studying the faint bloodstain on his finger.
During awakening, he’d wondered: could his blood serve another purpose?
No fixed form in his mind meant it could become *anything*.
Just like last time—when his blood instinctively surged forward, shielding him like a barrier against that claw.
Was his Corruption Artifact truly formless?
He shook his head, confused. After awakening, his seniors could vaguely sense their Artifact’s name and traits. He sensed nothing.
A sound echoed in the hallway.
Ming Yi sat up instantly, tiptoed to the door, and pressed his ear against it.
Loki Squad returning.
“Strange… We’ve scoured every inch within kilometers. Still nothing?” Kailuo grumbled.
“Could the intel be wrong?” rumbled Kevin’s deep voice.
“Questioning my skills?” Akiko’s tone sharpened with irritation.
“Just joking!”
“I’d bet the White Bloodsource is in Jin Xuanwen’s sector—he probably napped on duty again,” Kapier added with a smirk.
“Hah? Think I’m an idiot? Lazy, sure—but I know finishing fast means resting sooner. I wouldn’t overlook it!”
*White Bloodsource?* Ming Yi heard the term for the first time.
Meryl said Blood Essence always appeared as red stones. Was White Bloodsource a higher-grade variant?
Something warranting a Class S squad’s prolonged search had to be valuable.
“Keep it down. Don’t wake the rookies,” Meryl’s voice cut in. “Rest up. We continue tomorrow.”
Silence soon reclaimed the corridor. Everyone had retired.
Ming Yi lay back, replaying the conversation endlessly—yet clarity eluded him.
Gradually, drowsiness washed over him. He closed his eyes and drifted off.
---
---
Next morning, Meryl’s team prepared to leave base.
“We’ve cleared most Ravagers nearby. You may explore freely—but don’t wander far,” Meryl cautioned.
“Stay within one kilometer. We can’t guarantee safety beyond that.”
“Don’t worry, Sis Meryl! After barely surviving, we won’t go looking for trouble,” Xiao Chengcheng grinned.
“Good. We’re off.”
“Safe travels!”
---
---
“Hey, everyone! I’ve got an idea!” Xiao Chengcheng sidled up with a mischievous grin.
A bad feeling prickled Ming Yi’s spine.
“Now that we’ve awakened our Corruption Artifacts, why not hunt a couple weak monsters to level up?” Xiao Chengcheng rubbed his hands excitedly.
*Predictable little-brother energy. Textbook death wish.*
The group stared at him, speechless. His senior drawled, “You sure you can even *use* yours? Yesterday, you swung your staff at a wall—the wall was fine, but your weapon dissolved into blood mist.”
“You really think something that fragile can hurt a Ravager?”
Xiao Chengcheng flushed with embarrassment.
“Come on! It’s like a game! No grinding, no leveling! No leveling, no stronger gear! Trust me—just two small monsters…”
Ming Yi ignored the idiot. He nodded to his seniors. “I’ll take a walk.”
Without waiting for reply, he strolled out.
True—he’d overheard Loki Squad last night. Curiosity about their mission burned hotter now.
He decided to tail them.
