Chapter 2: No One is Safe
Dusk approached, and the slanting sunlight spilled over the edge of the city, weaving through the forest of towering buildings, leaving streaks of pale gold glimmering in its wake. Yet, deep within the confines of the Old City, where skyscrapers cast long shadows and sunlight seldom reached, the narrow alleys had long since plunged into twilight.
The lingering dampness in the air and a faint chill starkly contrasted with the dry atmosphere outside the alley. Tiny shards of ice, rapidly melting between the cracks of the cobblestones, served as subtle evidence—proof that something unusual had transpired in this tranquil, desolate passage.
A few swift, dark silhouettes darted through the gaps between buildings, leaping as if weightless, before landing silently in the corner of the alley. Their shapes rippled and wavered before solidifying into the form of Shadow Wolves. These vague, indistinct figures roamed cautiously, sniffing the air as if seeking a trail. After a moment, they gathered, and the leading shadow raised its head to the sky, letting out a piercing howl:
“Awwooo—”
“Thud!”
A rock hit the Shadow Wolf square on the head, abruptly cutting off the howl. An angry voice echoed from the shadows of a nearby building:
“Shut up! No howling in the city—even if you add a ‘woof’ at the end! Humans aren’t stupid—no one will mistake you for dogs!”
The wolves whimpered softly in unison, wisely retreating a few steps as a petite figure emerged from the shadows.
A short-haired girl, dressed in a black skirt and dark red jacket, appeared to be no older than sixteen or seventeen. Despite her youthful look, her expression was calm and composed. One lock of hair at her forehead curled upward rebelliously. She walked through the cowed Shadow Wolves without a second glance and approached the male corpse lying against the wall.
A fleeting shadow of unease crossed her face. She crouched down to examine the body while one of the wolves sidled closer, growling in a low, murky tone to convey information.
“Smells like… rainfall?” The girl frowned, looking up at the sky, which had remained clear and cloudless for days. Though the sun was now setting, the gap between the high-rises still revealed a vivid, open sky—no sign of rain, just the fading light.
After a moment, comprehension dawned. She lowered her gaze to the ghastly wound on the man’s chest and murmured to herself:
“Rain… heart… a stench like frogs…”
Suddenly, her phone chimed from the pouch at her waist—a ringtone from the 1986 Journey to the West series. She answered before the iconic melody could finish the fourth note.
“Yeah, who’s this—oh, it’s me,” she said, pressing the phone to her ear while waving at the Shadow Wolves to keep guard. She stepped aside to continue the conversation. “I’m already here. My wolves noticed something off… No, nothing caught. Just an empty chase.”
She sighed, her gaze drifting back to the unfortunate corpse.
“It’s the Rain. Generated the Entity ‘Rain Frog’. But this rain must have been a localized projection, affecting just one person… Yeah, seriously unlucky—a rain that fell for one person only. When I got here, it had already stopped. The depth’s reset to L0. The ‘Rain’ has detached from Borderland.”
She paused, listening to the voice on the other end of the line. After a moment, she glanced at the body again.
“Medical team? Just send someone to collect the corpse. No ordinary human would survive an encounter with the Rain Frog—especially without a heart… Yeah, I’ll stick around. Make sure to account for the overtime fee.”
The voice on the other end kept droning on, but the girl had already lost interest, responding half-heartedly before hanging up.
With a resigned sigh, she walked back and gestured for one of the Shadow Wolves to lie down. She sat atop it, resting her chin in her hands, her eyes fixed on the body of Yu Sheng.
“Unlucky guy… Wonder if you had any family. Dying alone here… I’ll keep you company for a bit… It must have been cold, dying in the Rain… Too bad I’m not the Little Match Girl—could’ve lit a fire to send you off warmer…”
She mumbled softly, lost in thought, while waiting for the cleanup crew to arrive. After a while, the rumble of an engine shattered the stillness—an overwhelming roar like a heavy armored vehicle dragging a container through ten consecutive speed bumps while burning wood. The Shadow Wolf beneath her stirred in shock but remained still, conscious of the human weight on its back.
The young girl turned her head toward the sound, only to see a large, worn-out van creaking and groaning as it came around the corner. It trembled as it went over a speed bump, as if embodying the shaky remnants of the Soviet Union from 1991.
Unhurried, the girl rose from the back of the giant wolf, her expression indifferent as she watched the van sputter to a halt after crossing the speed bump. Then, several burly men in black tactical gear—fully armed with high-tech equipment, as if ready for war—jumped out of the van and began pushing it from behind.
Following them, a sturdy middle-aged man in a coffee-colored jacket, with slightly dark skin and a robust build, stepped out. Behind him was a young woman dressed in a flowing white dress, her chestnut hair cascading over her shoulders. Both glanced back at the struggling operatives with a hint of helplessness before walking toward the girl.
As they approached, the short-haired girl couldn’t help but grumble, “Seriously, can’t your Second Mobilization Squad apply for a new vehicle? The Special Affairs Bureau can’t be that broke, right? I bet just one piece of gear from any of your guys could buy a new van.”
“Shh!” The middle-aged man hurriedly waved his hand, lowering his voice as he glanced back at the stalled van and the men pushing it. “Don’t say that… You don’t understand. The Special Affairs Bureau is in a peculiar situation. This van’s just having a bad day. Replacing it is absolutely out of the question.”
The girl gave a dismissive scoff, clearly uninterested in the topic, and turned to look at the petite woman in the white dress, greeting her with a flat tone, “Good afternoon, Dr. Lin. Long time no see.”
The woman known as Dr. Lin gave a restrained, almost austere smile, her thin lips curving subtly. “It would be more fitting to say good evening, ‘Little Red Riding Hood.’ How’s your injury from last time?”
“Almost fully healed,” Little Red Riding Hood replied, flexing her right wrist casually. “You know how it is—Wolf’s recovery ability is pretty strong.”
“The strongest recovery ability belongs to humans,” Dr. Lin corrected seriously, her expression unwavering. “It’s just that humans tend to resist getting hurt more than anything else.”
“…Oh,” the short-haired girl replied absentmindedly, swiftly redirecting the conversation to the corpse on the ground. “Let’s get to work. Victim: male, around his twenties. Heart extracted by a ‘Rain Frog.’ Death occurred approximately two hours ago. I haven’t searched the body yet to see if there are any ID documents—maintaining the scene’s integrity.”
Pausing, she glanced at Dr. Lin with a puzzled expression. “You came all the way here… Are you planning to heal this? Can you even do that?”
“I’m not a god,” Dr. Lin replied with a slight shake of her head, bending down to examine the corpse. “Just came to take a look. I live nearby.”
She carefully inspected the body, confirming the injuries before checking the victim’s belongings, eventually finding an ID card.
“Name: Yu Sheng, age twenty-four, registered address: Old City, Wutong Road No. 66,” Dr. Lin read aloud, comparing the photo on the card with the victim’s face. “Captain Song, check the Bureau’s records later and see if we can contact his family.”
The sturdy middle-aged man nodded, peering at the ID card curiously. He frowned. “Why does the photo look so blurry?”
Little Red Riding Hood leaned over, intrigued as well, and examined the card. The portrait appeared to be smeared with a layer of ash-black grime, obscuring the face entirely.
Dr. Lin rubbed at the grime with her fingers, but it wouldn’t come off. It was far more persistent than she expected, covering nearly the entire surface.
“Can’t even make out the name,” Little Red Riding Hood murmured. “Nor the ID number. You’ll have to use the Bureau’s equipment to scan the chip.”
Captain Song sighed in resignation, glancing down at the fragmented remains scattered on the ground. “A pity. If we could have identified the victim here, it would’ve given us more clues.”
Dr. Lin nodded slightly, her gaze shifting to the ground where faint traces of blood had been almost entirely washed away by the rain. “With no corpse left behind, it’s going to be difficult to piece together what happened.”
Little Red Riding Hood fell silent, seemingly contemplating something. After a moment, she suddenly lifted her head, greeting the woman beside her again, “Good evening, Dr. Lin.”
Dr. Lin smiled, returning the gesture. “Good evening, Little Red Riding Hood. How’s the patrol going?”
Little Red Riding Hood glanced around, absently stroking one of the nearest Wolf’s heads. “It rained here earlier, and there might have been an Entity—a ‘Rain Frog’—but no casualties reported.”
Dr. Lin visibly relaxed. “That’s good to hear.”
From the distance came the sound of an engine rumbling back to life. The old van coughed and sputtered before finally settling into a steady hum. The armed operatives, breathing heavily, emerged from behind the vehicle. The leader approached, wiping his forehead. “Captain Song, the van’s running again. Should we…”
Captain Song nodded and began moving toward his men. “Let’s head back to the Bureau. And don’t forget to take Dr. Lin with us.”
Ohhh? Cognitive change?