"Blood Witch—the real one?"

"No, impossible. If it were the real one, I would have died last night."

Bai Ling was somewhat confused at this moment. In this instant, she couldn't distinguish who she really was—Lin Bai, or Bai Ling? Or perhaps, the Blood Witch?

"I am the Blood Witch, guide of the crimson moon... Crimson..."

"Stop! You can't handle the three incantations right now!"

A voice in her mind awakened Bai Ling—it was her future self.

"I am Bai Ling, I am Chi Xiaoyu's contracted anomaly, I am Lin Bai, I am a member of the investigation squad."

The confusion in the girl's eyes vanished, replaced by determined resolve. Feeling the power surging within her body, this was the two-sentence incantation unique to A-grade anomalies.

The surrounding blood continuously spread until it covered the entire arena, staining everything crimson except for the man floating in mid-air and his magnetic levitation disc.

"Who exactly are you!"

The Bishop of Envy shouted somewhat tremblingly. After all, he hadn't been in position long, and having finally broken through the technical difficulties of artificial anomalies, dying here would be a great loss to the scientific community!

He pulled out that small notebook and began writing frantically, but looking at Bai Ling who had transformed from male to female before his eyes, he didn't know how to fill it out and hesitated without putting pen to paper...

"Damn it, how am I supposed to fill this out? Are you male or female? Fuck, I can't stand this."

This was his most prized anomalous tool, yet before this person, it seemed completely useless.

The man put away the notebook and summoned a Frozen Death Anomaly. The anomaly fell to the ground with a splash of blood. Cold air continuously emanated from its body, looking like an ice sculpture with wide-open eyes and a face frozen in the desperate expression of death.

"So this is the prototype of your Cold Anomalies."

"..."

Bai Ling raised her hand, and the surrounding blood continuously gathered toward the Frozen Death Anomaly. Circles of blood instantly overwhelmed it like a tremendous flood. Massive bubbles formed and burst, and the Frozen Death Anomaly vanished in an instant.

Seeing this, the man spoke tremblingly.

"I surrender. Can you not kill me? I can research even more powerful artificial anomalies for you."

Bai Ling didn't speak but raised her right hand toward the man and opened her palm.

"Wait, if you don't like that, I can make anomalous tools for you. I can do anything for you, just don't kill me!"

Bai Ling closed her right hand, and all the blood came alive, gathering around the man and enveloping his protective shield. As Bai Ling clenched tighter, tremendous force instantly crushed the shield.

Accompanied by the man's screams, the Bishop of Envy died...

The moment he died, Bai Ling felt the surrounding space turn black and white. A man wearing a top hat with a black wing on his back walked over. He seemed not to exist in this world, as everything around him couldn't touch him.

"Dead?"

The man checked the Bishop of Envy's nose.

"What a pity... I had such high hopes for you."

The man looked at Bai Ling, stroking the blade in his hand and muttering to himself.

"I can only strike once. I don't think I can kill you. Blood Witch, heh heh."

The man emanated a terrifying aura and swung his blade at Bai Ling. Though the strike seemed ordinary, it contained countless laws within it. The moment this strike was unleashed, Bai Ling understood—this strike couldn't be dodged, this strike ignored space, this strike ignored defense.

Even though he hadn't actually hit her, even though he disappeared after swinging, along with his disappearance went half of Bai Ling's body. Bai Ling, now split in two, stared blankly at her severed body.

"Eh? I'm split open?"

"It's just a fatal wound, heal quickly!" her other self in her mind urged.

"How do I heal? I don't know how."

"You'd better hurry. You only temporarily reached A-grade by breaking through the seal. If you weren't A-grade, you'd already be dead."

"I'll try."

After familiarizing herself with her abilities, Bai Ling's two halves rejoined, the flesh writhing, and she soon recovered completely.

"Such strong healing ability!"

The moment healing finished, Bai Ling felt so exhausted she couldn't stand and collapsed to the ground, feeling waves of fatigue throughout her body.

"What's happening to me..."

"The temporary enhancement is over. Each time you break through a seal, the Blood Witch's influence on you increases, but you can also temporarily borrow her power. What you need to do is get used to her whispers, then modify her, replace her!"

"Replace—her?"

"Good luck."

As the power from breaking the seal faded, Bai Ling slowly transformed back into Lin Bai's appearance.

The arena's barrier lifted, and Lin Bai suddenly appeared in mid-air, falling to the ground. Chi Xiaoyu quickly jumped up to catch him.

"Lin Bai, are you alright?"

"Eh? Why is there so much blood?"

Su Wanying and Chi Xiaoyu looked at Lin Bai, who had lost a fatal amount of blood, with some amazement.

"Wait, I don't see any wounds. Is this the Bishop of Envy's blood?"

"Indeed, we didn't find that bishop. He probably escaped."

"I didn't expect Lin Bai could actually beat him!"

"Maybe he was just a researcher with no combat ability."

...

D City Central Hospital

"Hurry, hurry, hurry! Patient has excessive blood loss."

"Strange, why won't the blood transfusion go in?"

"This is my first time seeing this situation."

Lin Bai slowly opened his eyes, still holding the notebook he'd brought out from the arena—that man's prized anomalous tool.

"Doctor, no need for a blood transfusion. Just let me rest for a while..."

"That won't do."

After another failed attempt, the doctor could only arrange for Lin Bai to rest quietly in a hospital room.

"Are you alright?" Su Wanying touched Lin Bai's forehead.

"I'm fine. Why are you alone? Where's Chi Xiaoyu? Is she okay?"

"After confirming you were fine, she returned to E City to handle anomaly incidents. Your girlfriend is right here and you're still thinking about other women?"

Su Wanying touched Lin Bai's chest, jealously.

"I never considered you my..."

"Don't continue."

Su Wanying blocked Lin Bai's mouth with her finger.

"I know. It's enough that I like you."

"But I like Chi Xiaoyu. You should have noticed that too."

"I really hope you can remember everything between us. Maybe when you turn 19, everything will have answers."

"Is that so?"

"Your head feels a bit hot."

Su Wanying took out a thermometer to check Lin Bai's temperature. Looking at the thermometer showing 38 degrees, Su Wanying shook it, then looked at Lin Bai with a smile, her cheeks slightly red as she whispered softly.

"I really want to try what 38-degree you tastes like."

"Per-pervert?"

"Who do you think made me this way?"

"How could I..."

Su Wanying's face reddened, seeming to recall some unpleasant memories, looking at Lin Bai bashfully.