Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva
Chapter 81: Chapter 43: The Disturbing Flute Sound

Following several gang members, Hexia boarded the return vehicle and then re-entered the vertical elevator she had used earlier.

Soon after, the elevator arrived at the top, taking her back to the secluded bar; by now, it was 1 a.m.

Facing the cool night breeze, the girl walked along the street, still pondering the scenes she had seen in the Underworld, although life for the residents in the lower levels of Payin City was somewhat arduous, it hadn't reached the point of being unlivable.

It was just that the noisy information and various displays of ostentation made people gradually forget these details of life.

In the Federation, even if residents lost all work, they wouldn't starve to death on the streets. Walking through the streets and residential areas, there were simple security booths at regular intervals, housing Riot Control Robots to maintain public order, dense surveillance, and few criminals could escape the police's pursuit.

You could say there were many corrupt places within the Federation, but they weren't so repugnant as to force people into untenable living conditions.

The progress of the era and the unprecedented improvement in productivity had made the basic food and materials needed to sustain a person extremely cheap; just a tiny fraction skimmed off the vast industrial system was enough to provide for one.

But people's desires also grow. When everyone can breathe air, no one thinks that being able to breathe freely is anything remarkable.

Isn't it taken for granted, everyone thinks and then chases after something that stands out from those around them, something different from others.

Hexia crossed the dim, deserted streets and arrived in front of a vertical elevator, waiting quietly.

She wasn't saying this approach was wrong; everyone has the freedom to pursue their ideals and desires, and shouldn't be criticized or blamed, it's just that the comfort that comes with the starting point makes people gradually forget how hard-won the peace they enjoy is.

The elevator doors opened, and she hopped in lightly, then pressed the button for her residential floor level. The elevator started moving, and layer upon layer of light and shadows passed over her coat through the glass.

Time flowed quietly, and the era moved slowly forward. Past pains had disappeared, but new anxieties had arisen.

Never satisfied, never stopping the comparisons, this is the source of human suffering, and also the ladder of progress.

The girl sighed softly and walked out when the elevator arrived, returning to the familiar streets and views.

Forget it, forget it, no more thinking about these lofty principles every day. Coming back so late today, I wonder if I can get a good night's sleep. I have to go to work tomorrow.

If only I didn't have to work someday, the girl wished silently to herself.

————

Underworld, the location of the 'Eight Mountains Plate' squad's office.

"Lude, are you ready?" Yang Che stood at the entrance of the passage, firing relentlessly at the oncoming monsters, among them were humanoids and beasts.

"Ready, boss."

Following an explosion and a collapse, a large hole appeared in the ceiling of a nearby cave.

"Good, keep blowing it up, there should be an exit up there."

The two had previously discovered through the Eight Mountains Plate that there was a huge void above this area, presumably connecting to many other places, which they could use to move around and escape from the pursuit of these flesh monsters, rather than being trapped in a dead-end with no escape.

While the two were persistently blasting away, on the other side of the Underworld, Qiao Long was also in pursuit of that invisible figure. Although he couldn't see it, he could determine its approximate location and direction by the sound of footsteps.

It certainly wouldn't work in a noisy place on the ground, but here, besides Qiao Long, there was only the other.

"You, you've killed so many of our people, now you will pay with your life," Qiao Long said, staring intently in a certain direction within the cave, taking steps forward, continually taunting and provoking the other using language. He was usually a man of few words, but now he also employed some of the tactics used in Underworld combat.

"Hiding here, are you afraid, or are you thinking of surrendering?" He lightened his steps slowly, his voice increasingly fluctuated.

The opponent still did not respond, and Qiao Long no longer hesitated. He decisively crushed the blue Crystal Stone in his hand. A blue crystal mist instantly dispersed, spreading in all directions.

In this flickering crystal mist, the outline of a humanoid figure finally appeared, which seemed to belong to a male.

"Found you," Qiao Long said as he kicked off the ground and charged directly, bringing with him a whistling sound of burst air.

He then punched out, shattering the rock wall behind the man, but the opponent still managed to escape.

"Damn it," the other party cursed softly, then turned and ran, and the two of them began to chase each other again.

However, the chase didn't last long. Soon there was a loud rumble underfoot. Then, with a crash, the ground cracked open, revealing a pit, from which came bursts of gunfire.

"Blasted open, boss."

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Lude looked up at the broken hole overhead and shouted excitedly. At that moment, Yang Che began to move, ordering the remaining teammates to slowly retreat, supporting each other.

"What is this..." Qiao Long frowned at the sight below, pondering how these people had appeared, while the figure stained with crystal mist jumped straight into the pit.

"Catch him, he's the culprit behind this chaos!" Qiao Long wasn't sure of the exact identity of the other party, but he knew that since they were battling those flesh monsters, they were an enemy of an enemy.

"Who's that!" the people below exclaimed in surprise, then looked at the dark silhouette that had landed.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Several blue streaks shot through the darkness, aiming for the fleeing figure. One shot missed, one hit the chest, and one struck the shoulder.

A flash of light passed over the silhouette, finally revealing his form. He was dressed in a tailor-made gray-black bodysuit, which seemed to be made of special material that had an invisibility effect, but part of it was damaged and no longer fully functional.

After several dodges, the dark figure once again hid behind a large rock column, temporarily avoiding the bullets.

"Bang!" Then Qiao Long also jumped down into the pit, steadily approaching the figure hiding behind the rock column.

However, just as everyone was nervously observing the situation and facing off, a sound of flute music came from behind the rock column, causing dizziness and confusion. Some Low Rank members even began to feel dizzy.

"This isn't good," Lude said, holding his head, barely able to stand steady, continuously tapping his head, trying to clear his mind.

Apart from him, only Qiao Long and Yang Che were able to maintain their consciousness. The others fell to the ground, writhing and screaming in what seemed like great pain, as if someone were sawing into their heads with a saw.

This psychic attack not only interfered with everyone present, but it also attracted the distant flesh monsters, who began to charge and attack once more.

In order to protect his teammates, Yang Che had to turn his gun and shoot the approaching monsters, while Qiao Long hastened his pace towards the back of the rock column.

Amidst the sounds of gunfire and roars, he suddenly rushed to the side of the rock column, and then a bottle of milky white liquid smashed towards him.

The glass shattered, and the strange scent of milk filled the air. The liquid blurred Qiao Long's vision, making him miss his target and fail again. The milk-like substance on his face also gave off a strange sensation, as if countless mosquitoes were buzzing in front of him.

This was no ordinary potion, but a concentrated Magic Potion with a Transcendent effect that could induce madness.

A potion that normally would be diluted to fill dozens of bottles was now all spilled on Qiao Long, causing him to feel disoriented, staggering like a drunkard. Various voices echoed in his head, and his vision became dizzy with colorful lights.

It was as though he saw many familiar people—his master, his elementary school classmates, teachers, and people he had known from the past, as well as those he deeply hated. Those people had humiliated him in the past, making his life a living hell...

With a thump, Qiao Long finally knelt on the ground, and heat began to emerge from his body while his bones and muscles slowly swelled, and Dragon Scale patterns faintly appeared.

"Good, very good, just like that, serve me," the dark figure sneered, then blew the mind-disturbing flute once more, adding to the chaos of the scene.