Suddenly, Li Ang emerged, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

Two younger agents from the Special Affairs Bureau exchanged bewildered glances, their faces etched with confusion. Xun Zian glanced at Li Ang, who was draped in a "cloak of justice," then at the expressionless Liu Wu Dai, and said with slight hesitation, "This is..."

Before Liu Wu Dai could speak, Li Ang ran a hand through his hair and smirked. "In the tumultuous seas, a hero's true nature is revealed; amidst the enduring mountains, one's aspiration to reach the clouds never falters. To prop up the falling sky with white jade pillars, to span the seas with purple gold beams, to reel in the wild torrents already spilling over, to support the teetering mansion. I am the officially three-meter-tall, Leo, code-named 'Red Dog,' the Logia-type 'Magma-Magma Fruit' ability user, current rank: Marine Admiral, Sakazuki!"

Bullshit!

The young male Special Affairs Bureau agent's eyes widened as he mentally scoffed. He was also a loyal fan of "One Piece." If the situation weren't so uncertain, he probably would have started loudly complaining—aside from that online-purchased cloak, was there anything about him that even remotely resembled the character?!

As a player attached to the Mobile Detachment, Xun Zian had also skimmed through "One Piece" and naturally didn't buy it. He immediately raised an eyebrow, a pair of rather crudely made pink plastic handcuffs silently materializing in his palm. "Are you also a player..."

"Wait a minute!"

Li Ang held out a hand in front of him and said solemnly, "Commander Xun, I believe you've also sensed that the chaos here wasn't caused by us. It originated from another non-human player who has committed serious crimes and is currently a fugitive in hiding. The mission Liu and I received is to pursue and capture it within the city. If we delay any further, it's only a matter of time before it causes serious harm to the lives and property of the general public. If you allow us to continue our mission, we will certainly report to the Special Affairs Bureau afterward..."

"I know."

Xun Zian, holding the pink handcuffs, walked forward expressionlessly, his aura steadily intensifying. "My other colleagues have already gone after that 'non-human player.' It won't be long before it's captured and brought to justice. Since you both have regular tasks to carry out, you can accompany me to our base and undergo the standard investigation procedure. If there are no issues, we can fully assist you in completing your regular tasks, ensuring you suffer no losses..."

On this point, Xun Zian was not deceiving them.

The Heterodox Academy's project to decode ancient texts had achieved a new breakthrough two months ago, unearthing a Formation known as the "River Map."

The River Map Formation was extremely intricate and complex; the Heterodox Academy had only deciphered less than one-thousandth of it. However, this tiny fraction was enough for them to develop various mysterious and powerful effects, for example, scanning and detecting all extraordinary energy fluctuations. In collaboration with the scientific research team from the Academy of Sciences, and through numerous experiments, analyses, and verifications, the Heterodox Academy confirmed the controllability of the River Map. They then chose Yin City as a pilot site to test its effectiveness. The experiment was quite successful. In less than twenty days after launching, the detection range of the River Map device had expanded to cover the entirety of Yin City.

If the fluctuations of extraordinary energy were minor, it might be manageable. But if the energy fluctuations were intense, the River Map device could precisely scan and locate the source of energy, tracking it continuously for an extended period.

Previously, players (especially most non-human players) hesitated to use their extraordinary abilities for criminal acts, fearing capture by the Special Affairs Bureau's Mobile Detachment. The emergence of the River Map, however, served as an even greater deterrent to all players lurking in the shadows.

TAP. TAP. TAP.

Xun Zian's footsteps struck the ground heavily. The supposedly indestructible concrete pavement rippled like the surface of water under his tread.

With each step he took, Liu Wu Dai's heart felt as if it were being smashed by a heavy hammer, threatening to burst.

Absolutely, she couldn't be taken away like this.

Liu Wu Dai's eyes suddenly snapped open. An antique wooden short bow appeared in her hand, her fingers already on the bowstring.

According to the System's annotations, even if she tried to explain, she probably wouldn't get help from any Special Affairs Bureau personnel, including Xun Zian.

Not to mention that this mission might concern the life and safety of her father and all Datura sufferers, the deadline for the barrier's next contraction was indeed drawing near—a player's Sanity Value diminished continuously once exposed outside the barrier.

If her Sanity Value ran out... it would be no different from going completely insane. The Special Affairs Bureau certainly wouldn't allocate elite agents and armored vehicles to escort her in chasing the shrinking barrier under such special circumstances.

So the only option was to fight back...

Liu Wu Dai tapped the ground with the tip of her foot and shot backward. She raised her short bow, drawing the string taut like a full moon.

However, Li Ang moved even faster. Almost the instant Xun Zian approached, Li Ang whipped out two SCAR-Hs and sprayed bullets toward Xun Zian's feet like a torrent of water.

As one of the team leaders of the Mobile Detachment's Sixth Team, Xun Zian naturally couldn't be harmed by an attack of this level. He roared, and a golden lion-elephant, so tangible it seemed real, materialized before him, taking up nearly half the street.

The bullets struck the surface of the lion-elephant and stopped dead, as if hitting ballistic gel, before CLINKING AND CLANKING to the ground.

The two Special Affairs Bureau agents standing behind Xun Zian also charged forward, one from the left and one from the right, each wielding a standard-issue electric shock staff.

Tsk, what a pain.

Li Ang aimed directly at Xun Zian and activated the Drown in Misfortune Assassination Method, causing the latter's respiratory tract to fill with warm water, making it impossible for him to maintain the Lion Elephant Beast King Roar.

Miss Chai, who had remained silent until then, also charged forward with her Cyan Moth Armor. Braving the incredulous looks of the Special Affairs Bureau agents, she took a direct hit from an electric staff, then countered with a punch that sent the female agent flying. The agent crashed against the traffic light at the opposite side of the intersection, staggering and struggling to get back up.

With her teammate already engaged, Liu Wu Dai had even less reason to hesitate. She shot a wooden arrow at the remaining young man.

The single, featherless wooden arrow exploded into countless fragments in mid-air, forming a circle of splinters around the agent. If he attempted to pass through this circular barrier, the splinters would rise on their own, as if moved by an unseen wind, and lacerate him severely.

Neither side intended to deliver fatal blows, but with his agents attacked, how could Xun Zian stand by and do nothing? Enduring the suffocating sensation of wanting to vomit water, he stomped heavily on the ground, leaped a distance of over ten meters, and swung the pink handcuffs toward Li Ang's hands.

If the user actively attacked or was attacked while the Drown in Misfortune Assassination Method was active, its special effect would be interrupted. Li Ang hastily rolled backward, dodging the pink handcuffs.

As Xun Zian tried to press his attack, Miss Chai, who was behind him, directly tore down a streetlamp and, with the force of the wind seemingly behind it, smashed it toward the back of his head.

BONK!

The back of Xun Zian's head was struck hard, yet there was no blood. Instead, the sturdy metal lamppost bent grotesquely, vaguely taking on the outline of a human head—just like in a "Tom and Jerry" cartoon.

Taking advantage of this brief delay, Liu Wu Dai's Wood Arrow Imprisonment Skill had also just finished its cooldown. She shot an arrow at Xun Zian from a distance, temporarily halting his advance.

At the same time, she leaped into the driver's seat of the black sedan and yelled to Li Ang, "Quick, get in the car!"

Li Ang grabbed the car roof and, using the window he'd rolled down earlier while pretending to be Li Dakang, nimbly vaulted into the back seat. He called out to Miss Chai to get in, and the car executed a drifting turn, speeding off in a cloud of dust.