Funeral, Revenge, Where Are Their Last Words?!

The next day, August 26th. Two days remained before the Blood Worship Cult's invasion. Cold, silver-white walls stretched straight up to the dome, and the metallic ceiling reflected a chilly glare. Inlaid strips of cool white light supplied a steady radiance throughout the entire base. Passing through the cluster of buildings and arriving at the very rear of the base, one would find a silent forest of monuments. The fragrance of earth drifted through the air. Silver-white metal gravestones stood in rows upon the ground, glinting faintly. They were cast from an unknown special alloy, seemingly designed to isolate "contamination." In front of them lay bouquets of chrysanthemums and lilies. —This was the Resting Cemetery. A place present in every branch base of the Special Control Bureau, dedicated to burying fallen specialists. The urn containing Section Chief Liu's ashes rested atop a massive cluster of fresh flowers, set before the rows of gravestones. On the urn, the black-and-white photograph still showed that square, dark face with its stiff, awkward smile. "..." Having not slept all night, Bai Zhou stood expressionless in the midst of the crowd, wearing a solemn black suit for the first time in his life. This was Bureau-issued attire, which he had often seen Section Chief Liu wear in the past. Yet Bai Zhou had never imagined that the first time he dressed up in formal wear would be to attend Section Chief Liu's funeral. ...Come to think of it, this was also the first time he had ever learned of the "Resting Cemetery." Yet the moment he arrived, it felt as though countless gravestones were watching him, weighing down his heart with an inexplicable sense of oppression. Perhaps the shock of Section Chief Liu's death was simply too intense... Standing at the front, the Major delivered a stern address: "On this solemn day, we gather here not to bid farewell to a fallen warrior." "—We are merely returning him to the earth, laying him to rest in this sanctuary of heroes to achieve eternal peace." "Yet though the dead have passed, his name, alongside these other monuments, shall become the backbone of the Special Control Bureau—a beacon illuminating our path as we walk through the dark!" The Major's voice rose, and he raised a hand toward the silently standing gravestones behind him: "We control, we quarantine, we protect..." "We are the Black Box Special Control Bureau." "One Liu Zhen has fallen, but we will step forward in his place, pressing on until the darkness ebbs away, or else... "Until our own names are carved into the monuments behind us, left forever in the Resting Cemetery!" "..." Clad in black suits, everyone listened in solemn silence. With a low bark from an officer: "Salute!" Everyone, including the Major, raised their arms in unison, the fabric of their sleeves rustling sharply. Solemn funeral music swelled. The urn containing Section Chief Liu's ashes was draped with the Federation flag and lowered into the ground. From this day forward, he would sleep eternally alongside the other specialists who had sacrificed their lives before him. The crowd's gaze converged on the spot as an unspoken power brewed within them. In the Special Control Bureau, sacrifice was an all-too-common occurrence. Yet as a P4 Specialist, Section Chief Liu's death would not go unnoticed; it warranted at least a funeral like this. —Especially in such an extraordinary time. With the Blood Worship Cult's assault imminent, Section Chief Liu's sudden demise struck a raw nerve in everyone's already tense minds. The dead always offered strength to the living, and grief and hatred ignited the specialists' fighting spirit. Only Bai Zhou stood silent among the crowd, staring blankly at the gravestone. He couldn't understand it. A man who had been perfectly fine when they met yesterday—how was he suddenly gone? People could never truly accept sudden partings. With no warning whatsoever, there was no psychological defense. Only now, watching the urn being buried with his own eyes, did his numb, dazed mind suddenly grasp the reality with crystal clarity— Section Chief Liu was really gone. No one would take Bai Zhou out for spicy soup every morning anymore; No one would lecture Bai Zhou with earnest, nagging advice anymore. That middle-aged man who loved to flaunt his pistol and his post, who seemed perpetually proud of his profession, filled with ideals for the sake of the Federation, Had finally died on the path toward realizing those ideals. Even up to this moment, he hadn't had the chance to visit the hospital again to check on his injured daughter. "Bai Zhou... right?" a soft, effeminate whisper suddenly came by his ear. Bai Zhou turned to look. The first thing that caught his eye was the round head and comically wide, piercing eyes of a Sheriff Black Cat doll. He felt the thing was even puffier and rounder than the last time he saw it... and, of course, cuter. Adjutant Han, cradling the Sheriff Black Cat doll, appeared beside Bai Zhou. The arrival of a "big shot" prompted the surrounding specialists to quietly make way, leaving an open space around the two of them. "I've always concurrently served as Director of the Black Box Maintenance Department. Old Liu was a friend of many years, and my most valued subordinate." The whiskers on the Sheriff Black Cat twitched as Adjutant Han spoke gently. An overly dense wave of yin chill rolled over, prompting Bai Zhou to shift subtly to the side without drawing attention. "Lately, he often brought you up to me. It was clear he thought very highly of you." "Your exceptional promotion to P3 this time was something I helped secure for you." Only then did Bai Zhou realize. So the "backing" Section Chief Liu had mentioned... Was this seemingly very... somewhat effeminate Adjutant Han? "Now that Old Liu is gone, you might be the one taking over his post in the Maintenance Department in the future." "Tomorrow, find some time to come to my office and collect your potion." Adjutant Han gave Bai Zhou a deep, searching look. "I hope you can advance to an Extraordinary soon and grow up quickly." "Don't let down my high hopes, and don't let down everything Old Liu did for you." Having delivered his instructions, he cradled the sheriff doll and turned to leave. ...So he came over just to say that? Bai Zhou hesitated, starting to speak before stopping himself, but in the end, he called out to Adjutant Han: "How did Section Chief Liu die?" "Hmm?" Adjutant Han stopped and looked back. After a moment's thought, he said: "Killed by the Blood Worship Cult, of course." "He was out on a mission and got targeted by those rabid cult dogs. His death was quite gruesome..." Just then, the Major on the platform also raised his arms and roared: "The Blood Worship Cult!" "It was the Blood Worship Cult that murdered Section Chief Liu Zhen!" "And after this, they intend to kill even more of our people!" "—Revenge!" The Major's voice resonated with ringing force in everyone's ears. "Take revenge against the Blood Worship Cult!" ...At that, the eyes of every specialist turned red. "Yes, revenge!" "We must have revenge!" "Completely wipe out the Blood Worship Cult!" Voices roared, and the crowd boiled over with fury. A near-fanatical thirst for vengeance ignited an unyielding fighting spirit in every person present. Yet Bai Zhou, mingling in the crowd, remained dead silent, completely out of place among them. He was deeply suspicious. Just yesterday afternoon, Section Chief Liu had been busy pulling strings for his P3 promotion, acting all secretive. He had even said he wanted to give Bai Zhou a surprise, not looking in the least like someone burdened by heavy worries or stress. Yet by eight o'clock that evening, he had already died outside, killed in the line of duty? Then what time had he received the mission? Even a suicide squad wouldn't rush things like that, would they? Even someone facing decapitation gets a final meal first. Bai Zhou said nothing, merely staring at Section Chief Liu's gravestone, lost in thought. "..." Suddenly, a shiver ran through his entire body, and his eyes gradually widened. —No! Something was wrong! Bai Zhou looked around at the gravestones standing in the Resting Cemetery, his heart skipping half a beat. He finally realized where the subtle sense of incongruity he had felt ever since arriving came from. ...In the quiet, serene Resting Cemetery, petals from fresh flowers were strewn across the ground. The silver-white gravestones, each engraved with a specialist hero's life and standing in silence, were spotless, catching the light from above. However, there was a problem. Weren't they a little too "clean"? "..." Bai Zhou tightened his facial muscles, forcing his expression under control so as not to reveal the slightest abnormality before the crowd. Yet a chill shot straight up his spine and into his brain. —Where there were corpses, where there were ashes, there should be "last words." Just like the corpse pits in the Ruins Realm, where last words littered the ground. Even the Blood Worship Cult's "Doctor" had burst with last words upon dying. Yet here in the Resting Cemetery... With so many Special Control Bureau specialists, countless fallen Extraordinaries, and Section Chief Liu, who had unquestionably been an Extraordinary— How was it... that Bai Zhou couldn't see a single last word? Where were their last words?!