The Rain Keeps Falling, This Is a Massacre!

"Is that Bai Zhou?" Drawn by the disturbance in the distance, the officer squinted into the darkness, fixing his gaze upon the figure beneath the black umbrella. Doubt flickered across his face, instantly giving way to delight. "It really is him! Heaven is on my side!" The fat on the officer's cheeks quivered. He roughly shoved Old Qiao away, strode off the steps into the rain, and headed eagerly toward Bai Zhou. Beside him, the Swordbearer captain observed from afar with keen interest. *Bai Zhou? He didn't run, but threw himself into the net instead?* It seemed the person who had slipped into the Reflected Ruin Realm right under his nose just now had indeed been Bai Zhou. Still too green. Entering the Reflected Ruin Realm at such a critical juncture—could he have hoped for some stroke of miraculous luck to rewrite his destiny? How was that any different from jumping off a cliff right before a battle and saying, *Wait for me to grab a secret manual down below, I'll be right back*? Was someone so foolish truly worth the Major's grave concern and wrath? It was only right that he capture him and present him to the Major as a stepping stone for his own advancement! To stumble upon him so easily— *Destiny smiles upon me!* "Captain, should we..." A Swordbearer operative stepped forward, whispering uncertainly. "What are you standing around for!" The captain glared at him, thinking his subordinate utterly lacked vision. "Quick! Take your men and surround him!" Couldn't he see the second lieutenant was already heading over with his agents? If they didn't hurry to snatch the credit, they wouldn't even get leftover broth! A flurry of movement erupted. Aside from the personnel necessary to guard the scavengers, everyone closed in on Bai Zhou. The internal walkie-talkie channel had already devolved into a cacophony. "Bai Zhou spotted! Bai Zhou spotted! Return immediately! Over!" "Bai Zhou spotted in front of the unfinished building! Requesting assembly, stop wasting time elsewhere—over!" "Wait, this Bai Zhou... *Thud!*" Following two dull thuds, the soldiers closing in on Bai Zhou realized they might not need to go any further. Because the umbrella-holding youth was walking directly toward them. *Pitter-patter, pitter-patter—* The rain grew heavier. Raindrops violently pelted the umbrella. On this rainy night in the outskirts without streetlights, the darkness hung thick and deep. Yet powerful beams of flashlights snapped on from all directions, converging squarely upon the approaching youth. Dozens of infrared lasers swept brazenly across his body, each beam signifying a loaded rifle trained on him. The scavengers, who had been beaten into submissive silence by the soldiers' gun butts, stared with wide, unblinking eyes at the newcomer. They wondered who this fierce champion could possibly be, daring to walk in alone with such audacity— All eyes were locked upon him! "When did you get here?" The burly second lieutenant blocked Bai Zhou's path, a flicker of bewilderment on his face. "You could have kept hiding, yet you deliberately made noise to draw us out?" "Why?" "..." Bai Zhou remained silent for a moment. Illuminated by the intersecting beams of flashlights, his expression was calm, but his gaze drifted toward the huddled scavengers. The officer froze, then narrowed his eyes. "You're not going to tell me..." His stubby finger pointed toward the pathetic crowd of drenched scavengers squatting behind him, who looked just as bewildered. "...that you did it for them?" Amused by his own words, he chuckled. "Since when did the Special Control Bureau produce a saint?" "Ah, no, my mistake. You're Blood Worship Cult." He corrected himself, chuckling with sheer amusement. "But do you know something?" "Meddling is the ultimate taboo for Extraordinaries. It will get you killed." He spoke with a meaningful edge, clearly referring to more than just the present situation. There was Adjutant Han, and the Special Control Bureau— Yet Bai Zhou merely shook his head. "When it comes to the matters of Extraordinaries, it's not your place to lecture me." He had a teacher for that. "As for them—" Bai Zhou looked over, his eyes sweeping across the scavengers, lingering imperceptibly on the incredulous Old Qiao before moving on, without drawing anyone's attention. Then, he let out a soft sigh. "There are things one must do, and things one must never do." If you believe something ought to be done, then you simply do it. There is no need to ask what others have done for you. The core of the matter was simply that he was willing to do it. ...What? The officer frowned, falling abruptly silent. For some reason, under the glare of the flashlights, the radiance-bathed youth gave off a quality that deeply irked him. It was an indescribable quality, an inexplicable annoyance. And so the officer said nothing more, merely raising a hand in signal. *Clack, clack-clack—* Rifle barrels snapped up in unison, locking onto Bai Zhou. Rounds were chambered. *Tap—* Footsteps sounded from behind the officer. The captain of the Swordbearers stepped up beside him, standing shoulder to shoulder. Fully armored and bundled tight from head to toe, his voice came muffled from behind a gas mask. "Perhaps you've heard the name 'Swordbearer.'" "You seem quite confident, staying completely composed even while surrounded. But I must tell you—" With a crisp *click*, he drew a pistol. The deep blue patterns engraved along its pitch-black frame glowed faintly under the pouring rain. Toying with the firearm, the captain said, "Every piece of equipment on a Swordbearer was made specifically to counter Extraordinaries!" Curse-infused ammunition; gun barrel engravings designed to amplify curses; ritual tattoos etched across their bodies for enhancement; and even specialized potions used in their meals and baths to maintain resistance against extraordinary secret arts. Every single one of them was a killing machine engineered purely to slaughter Extraordinaries. And in Branch 36, as the ace unit the Major had prioritized recruiting for himself, they were outfitted with even superior gear, fueling supreme confidence. As one of the Swordbearer captains, he was only half a step away from becoming a Tier 3 Extraordinary. But with the power of the Swordbearers at his back— No Tier 3 Extraordinary would ever be a match for him! This was the fundamental reason he could stand shoulder to shoulder with an officer in the strictly hierarchical Special Control Bureau. "...There's a question I've wanted to ask for quite a while," Bai Zhou said. He carefully scrutinized the man's heavily bundled, sealed-away appearance, and asked out of pure curiosity: "Why do you all wear pig-snout masks?" "Could it be that looking foolish makes your opponents underestimate you?" ? The captain stumbled in place. Meeting Bai Zhou's clear, earnest gaze, the captain went silent. No expression could be seen behind the gas mask, but the aura radiating from him grew distinctly terrifying. Beyond the peak of emotion lies silence. Beyond the end of words lies the gun! When Bai Zhou took another step, his foot splashing into a puddle, water droplets shattering across the ground— "Fire!" The captain's order tore through the curtain of rain, his cold voice devoid of emotion. *Bang!* The instant the command fell, countless sparks erupted in the deep rain. Scorching torrents of metal roared from the muzzles, shredding the continuous downpour. Round after round of bullets inscribed with special engravings and cursed effects spewed violently from customized firearms. In the blink of an eye, the fierce net of crossfire engulfed the silhouette beneath the umbrella. In the next instant, Bai Zhou murmured internally: *Light—* *Hummm—!* Blinding radiance erupted, tearing through the rain. A magnificent wash of brilliant white light surged between heaven and earth, searing everyone's retinas. Rifle barrels jerked upward, spraying wildly. It was as though everyone had been struck blind at once; utter chaos engulfed the field. Only deafening gunfire filled their ears, accompanied by the clatter of brass casings hitting the ground in a frenzied shower. Bullets tearing through the rain flew indiscriminately in all directions. By the time their vision finally recovered, the gunfire had ceased. The damp air reeked of ozone, moisture, and gunpowder. Flashlights crisscrossed through the downpour, refocusing on the spot where the guns had been aimed. What they beheld left them dumbstruck with disbelief. "What is that...?" Something was standing there—but it was no longer the umbrella-holding youth. Pale skin with the texture of rough stone, bound by thick chains of unknown material... Met their eyes. Both the chains and the skin were inscribed with intricate runes, glowing with an eerie sheen under the drenching rain, stretching from the neck across the spine and down to the ankles. Those twisted patterns seemed to squirm at every moment, like living curses. In the depths of the rainy night, a pale stone colossus two and a half meters tall stood motionless. Awe-inspiring and terrifying! Someone opened their mouth, wanting to scream "Monster!" Yet this giant hardly looked like a monster. His muscles were full and sculpted without being bloated, his towering, oppressive physique practically adhering to the golden ratio. Every contour seemed like a statue stepping forth from myth, carrying an uncanny allure. Yet this allure was abnormal, twisted, and profoundly daunting. Look closer, and one would realize that at its core, this allure was pure "ill omen." The first form of *Thousand-Faced Moon*: Cursebound Colossus! "Nothing more than a Blood Worship Cult trick—fire!" The Swordbearer captain's roar echoed loudly over the din of the rain. "Don't stop!" Instantly— Gunfire erupted once more. Monsters, demons, or illusions—let them talk to a torrential storm of steel! Such was the pride and confidence of the Swordbearers when facing any formidable foe. Flames spewing from gun muzzles ripped through the curtain of rain as a hail of bullets poured over Bai Zhou like water. Terrifying curses were activated on the bullet tips, streaking the air with dangerous, multicolored trails. —Yet it was useless. *Clang! Clang! Clack!* As if striking hard stone or solid steel, the barrage pelted his body. Absorbing the raw kinetic impact, Bai Zhou grimaced in pain... But that was all. "No matter, the curses will take effect!" Amidst the relentless gunfire, the captain sneered coldly. He knew that in just moments, he would witness the magnificent spectacle of countless curses detonating across Bai Zhou in a riot of color. ...He would die in excruciating agony! Compared to the kinetic energy of bullets, this was the true terror of the Swordbearers. Curses were something most Extraordinaries dreaded touching—whether as the user or the target. Only an official body like the Special Control Bureau could maintain unique entities capable of "cultivating curses" to inscribe various rudimentary curses onto bullets. However... The captain's expression shifted from eager anticipation to tension, then to bewildered doubt. For a long time, nothing happened on Bai Zhou's end. There was only the metallic clanging of bullets bouncing off him. In fact, the kid completely ignored the storm of lead and was currently... "Is he... folding his clothes?!" someone shouted in utter disbelief. The captain: "..." A surge of fury overtook him. This kid was looking down on them completely! They had to pour on more firepower! *Boom, boom, boom—* Amid the storm of bullets. Trench coat, wristwatch, trousers... Bai Zhou meticulously folded the clothes he had shed, placing them neatly on the ground behind him. He would need to wear them again later. Right now, Bai Zhou was exceptionally grateful for his "Light" ability. After transforming, the thick chains wrapping his body were enough to cover the vital areas. But what about his original clothes? He had only just acquired this nice set of gear; he couldn't let it get ruined! ...So his only option had been to strip first before transforming. Naturally, such an embarrassing act could only be performed under the cover of blinding light! No wonder the protagonists of various adventure stories always shone when transforming. *So that's how it is. They probably changed manually too.* Except others got to swap into dashing outfits with special effects, whereas he was practically streaking. It was deeply humiliating. Even concealed within intense light, stripping in the middle of the street still required overcoming a monumental amount of shame. Not to mention Bai Zhou was merely a shy, introverted boy. Poor Bai Zhou, freezing in the rain, sighed to himself as he continued folding clothes. At the same time, however, he could distinctly feel the power inside this body swelling with every passing second. Curses? The Cursebound Colossus was the very embodiment of curses. After a while, the gunfire ceased. Their magazines were empty. In the lull as they reloaded, everyone looked toward Bai Zhou, and an involuntary shudder ran through the crowd— The "monster" still stood there, completely unmoving. Yet he wasn't dead. *Burp—* The "monster" let out a satisfied belch. He was merely full. *Rumble—* Just then, lightning branched across the sky, illuminating the pitch-black, rainy night. Amidst the dense sheets of rain, molten-gold eyes flashed brilliantly under the lightning. Bearing a suffocating pressure, an aura swept forward like mountains collapsing and seas churning. Then, the monster parted his jaws, seeming to offer an embarrassed smile. Yet on his current visage, the gesture looked exceedingly grotesque and horrifying. Next, he spoke. His current voice was far hoarser and deeper than before— Laden with a dreadful oppression that Bai Zhou's original voice could never possess. He spoke with utmost sincerity: "Thank you for the treat!" "I'm full—" "How about you have a bite too?" The instant the words left his mouth, the stone colossus vanished from the spot. No roar, no howl of fury—just a single step forward. *Boom!* The ground shook violently as mud and shattered concrete exploded outward. The colossal silhouette lunged forward at a terrifying speed completely belying his massive frame. It carried the suffocating momentum of a heavy semi-truck careening down an expressway straight toward a pedestrian. A tiger among sheep. A giant descending from the heavens! Snatching up soldiers with one hand like snatching toys, Bai Zhou tore into the midst of their "encirclement." Gunfire, explosions, agonized screams, the roar of the downpour... a continuous symphony of chaos echoed through the night. Across the hazy curtain of rain, the trembling scavengers watched the unimaginable scene in pure disbelief. Old Qiao in particular had rubbed his eyes no fewer than ten times. He felt he must have stood in the rain so long his brain had fried from a fever, and that everything unfolding was merely the final dying hallucination of a tramp about to be beaten to death by soldiers. Otherwise, how could a boy who looked completely harmless suddenly turn into... Firearms were at least within their realm of understanding. But what unfolded next soared far beyond the outer limits of their imagination. *Whoosh—* The heavy rain kept falling. On this rainy night, at 00:01 in the early morning. The Swordbearers and the second lieutenant had gotten their wish and surrounded Bai Zhou. Yet right now, who was surrounding whom was up for debate. Because without question, unfolding before the petrified vagrants was a massacre no one had ever dared imagine!