Chapter 1 : Rachel Ronald

It was eleven o’clock at night, and the sky was already dark.

On a commercial street in Sinhe City, a young woman with long, ice-blue hair was walking down the pavement.
Her features were exquisite, as if she had stepped out of a painting.
She had the face of a young woman but the eyes of a mature man.
She wore a white turtleneck sweater and dark blue jeans, with a leather jacket over them and black leather shoes polished to a brilliant shine.
The sweater not only failed to conceal her alluring feminine features but accentuated her curvaceous figure to perfection.
Her posture was ramrod straight, which, combined with her masculine attire, gave her a sharp and steady gait.

It had to be said, she was a remarkably beautiful woman.
Her stunning appearance, paired with a masculine temperament, drew the eyes of most people on the street.

The woman walked casually down the street.
Just as she passed a small alley, a man emerged from it.
He jogged a few steps to get behind the woman, matching her pace and following her closely.

They walked for less than a hundred meters before two more men came out of a bank across the street.
One of them was carrying a briefcase.

When the two men saw the woman on the other side, they quickly ran to a nearby intersection.
After crossing the road, they stood at the corner, waiting for the man and woman.

The woman approached them and asked, “Is all the money withdrawn?”

“Yes,” the man holding the briefcase replied.

At that moment, the man who had been following the woman spoke up.

“It’s just ahead, on Rollins Avenue.
Take a left, there’s a small alley inside, house number 10.”

The woman nodded, and the four of them headed toward the location the man had described.

“Knock, knock, knock.”

An impatient voice came from inside the room: “Who is it?”

“Here for the pickup.”

The door opened, and a gaunt face with dyed-yellow hair poked out.
He saw the woman’s beautiful face and froze for a few seconds, so much so that he failed to even notice the other three men.

“Come on in,” Yellow Hair said, beckoning them.

The group entered the house and found another man inside, wearing only shorts, lying on the sofa playing a video game.
The room was a mess.
The sofa was piled high with clothes, socks, and even a single shoe.
The table was covered with unfinished takeout boxes, which had probably been sitting there for a day.
The trash can was stuffed full, and the floor was littered with crumpled balls of paper that gave off a smell like photinia flowers, with pink wrappers scattered around.

Yellow Hair went straight into the bedroom, leaving them in the living room with the man in shorts.

“Do you always conduct your business at home?” the woman asked.

Hearing the woman’s voice, the man in shorts quickly paused his game.
He looked up, his eyes meeting the woman’s.

“Oh… oh, oh, this isn’t it.
We’re just staying here temporarily,” the man in shorts said, then began to chuckle.
“I never expected such a beautiful client to come knocking.
Truly unexpected.”

“So, is the merchandise here?” the woman asked.

Yellow Hair emerged from the bedroom, holding an exquisite black box.

“This is it.”

“Open it and let me see.”

Yellow Hair opened the box.
Inside was a large-caliber bullet.
The bullet was entirely black, with purple patterns crawling across its surface, and it emanated a dark, sinister aura.

“The enchanted bullet you wanted, 12.7x99mm caliber,” Yellow Hair said.
“Where’s the money?”

The woman nodded to the man behind her, who handed the briefcase to the man in shorts.

The man in shorts eagerly placed the briefcase on the table, undid the latches, and opened it to reveal neatly stacked bills.

“Count it. Is it enough?”

The man in shorts did a quick count and said with a smile, “It’s enough.”

Wearing an ingratiating smile, Yellow Hair handed the box to the woman.
“Thank you for your patronage, miss. Thank you.”

“I’m glad I found the right trading partners and bought the right item,” the woman said, holding the box.
She used her thumb to slightly lift the lid, catching another glimpse of the dark glow from within the crack.

She immediately let her finger go, as if the box were a hot potato, or as if its light would hurt her eyes.

“This is top-shelf stuff,” the man in shorts said excitedly.
“With a caliber this big, are you planning to pierce a main battle tank or attack a private bunker?”

Without answering his question directly, the woman smiled.
“I’m actually quite curious, where did you get this stuff?”

Yellow Hair said, “That’s a trade secret, miss. We can’t disclose that.”

“Fine. Then let’s get down to business,” the woman said.

“Business? What business?” Yellow Hair panicked.
“Hey! You guys aren’t setting us up, are you…”

“Don’t move!”

The three men behind the woman simultaneously pulled 9mm pistols from their coats, their dark muzzles aimed at Yellow Hair and the man in shorts respectively.

“Get down on the ground! Don’t move!”

“Hands up! Turn around! Quickly!”

The two, who had no time to react, were subdued in an instant, forced to lie face down on the ground with their hands cuffed behind their backs.

“From this moment on, we are placing you under arrest. The charges are… what were they again?” the woman asked, looking at her colleagues who were pinning the two men down.

“Smuggling enchanted items and illegal arms trafficking,” one colleague answered.
“And possession of illegal firearms.”

The colleague pulled two pistols from the waistbands of the two men.

“Oh, right, that’s it.”

The woman had a moment of realization, then turned to Yellow Hair and the man in shorts on the floor and began reciting the Miranda Rights.
“You have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer questions.
Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.
You have the right to consult an attorney before speaking to the police…”

‘I even managed to memorize such a long passage.
Looks like my memory isn’t half bad,’ the woman thought, raising her head in satisfaction.
“You two are really audacious.
Don’t you know the Empire has extremely strict controls on everything related to magic?
You could’ve touched anything but this.
Go pick up the soap in prison.”

“Do you know who you’re arresting, you bastards?!” Yellow Hair cursed loudly.
“I’ll remember you! You’ll regret this!”

The man in shorts also shouted, “We’ve got dirt on the police chief!
We’ll be out soon, and you’re all finished!”

“You!
Yeah, you!
You just wait!
When I get out, I’m gonna fck you, then fck you again, and f*ck you again and again!
I’ll never stop!”
Yellow Hair glared at the woman, his eyes filled with viciousness and a hint of lust.

“Oh? So arrogant?” the woman looked at the two men as if they were trash.
She slowly squatted down and pulled out her badge holder.

“Since you’re so brave, I’ll give you a chance,” the woman said, holding the badge with her photo up to Yellow Hair’s face.
“Read it.”

“Rachel Ronald,” Yellow Hair read.
“Alright, I’ll remember you…”

“You’re not done.
There’s more above that.”

Yellow Hair looked again at the line of text above the name on the badge, and then he froze.

“Read it. Read it to me,” the woman named Rachel said.

“Bureau of Abnormal Events Investigation, Control…” Yellow Hair’s voice grew quieter and quieter.

“Keep reading. Finish it.”

“…and Public Security.
You’re from the Bureau of Abnormal Affairs?” All of Yellow Hair’s earlier arrogance had vanished, his bravado rapidly deflating.