Chapter 42: Far From Home, Hunted

“Well, thankfully, a phone shop stood right here. Perhaps my luck hadn’t entirely run out after all.”

Originally, Liu Xingluo had merely intended to scavenge for a discarded phone, hoping some unfortunate soul had left one behind for her temporary use. However, the sight of a sprawling shopping mall prompted a swift change in her plans.

Such establishments typically housed phone shops, complete with display models that negated the need for password guessing. Deciding to try her luck, she was pleasantly surprised to find the very first storefront on her right was indeed a phone shop, flanked by several others showcasing different brands. ‘Excellent,’ she thought, ‘it seems I’ll effortlessly ascertain my current whereabouts.’

“The Heteromorphic Beast has breached the shopping center. Do we give chase inside, or should we wait for it to emerge before engaging?”

Concurrently, the Espers (TL Note: Individuals possessing superhuman abilities, dispatched by official agencies.) sent by the authorities, tracking the beast’s residual energy, arrived just outside the shopping center.

Typically, an Esper’s primary directive was to neutralize Heteromorphic Beasts swiftly, thereby averting any substantial collateral damage.

This particular instance, however, presented a deviation. By the time the Espers reached the scene as commanded, the Heteromorphic Beast had already incapacitated the anti-Heteromorphic Beast squad and fled. Such an occurrence was notably uncommon; typically, a Heteromorphic Beast possessing the power to overcome these forces would first unleash destructive chaos upon its surroundings.

Irrespective of the underlying cause, the Heteromorphic Beast’s escape necessitated immediate pursuit by the Espers, who were tasked with neutralizing it before it could inflict any further devastation.

Curiously, the directive from above had been to capture it, apparently due to the Heteromorphic Beast’s rare classification, which the higher echelons wished to secure for research.

‘Ah, well,’ he mused, ‘my core duty remains unchanged.’ He resolved to first assess his capabilities for capture. Should the creature prove overly resistant, however, lethal force would be his only recourse. Preventing widespread damage was, after all, the paramount concern; all other objectives were merely ancillary.

Guided by the operations center’s directives and the insistent blips of his compact detector, the Esper tracked his quarry relentlessly, finally reaching the exterior of the shopping center.

[Please wait outside for the target to emerge before attacking.]

The reply was unsurprising. An Esper engaging in combat within a structure, given their formidable power, would almost certainly inflict considerable damage. The subsequent repair efforts would prove a significant headache, as current technology had yet to advance to a point where buildings could be restored with ease.

Consequently, outdoor combat was always preferable. It afforded Espers ample room to unleash their full potential, and the subsequent cleanup proved considerably less arduous than interior repairs.

“Understood. I’ll maintain position outside, then.”

Despite his assigned waiting position, he knew he had to remain vigilant, scrutinizing the detector for any shifts. A sprawling shopping center, after all, boasted numerous ingress and egress points; focusing solely on one while neglecting the others would be a grave oversight, potentially allowing the target to slip away, an outcome that would be anything but humorous.

Meanwhile, Liu Xingluo had successfully pinpointed her current location, using one of the display models conveniently placed on a counter.

Yet, not a trace of joy graced Liu Xingluo’s features. The reason? She had discovered her current location was not only incredibly distant from her home but also in an entirely different city. The notion of returning without the assistance of a train or plane seemed utterly fantastical.

“Are you serious?! It actually brought me all the way out here!”

Prior to checking her location, Liu Xingluo had assumed she was merely in a different district of her own city. The revelation that she was, in fact, in an entirely separate metropolis was a punchline she found anything but amusing. While she occasionally enjoyed a stroke of good fortune, it seemed that, more often than not, ill luck was her constant companion, stranding her so far from home.

Upon reflection, however, merely being in another city was a comparatively favorable outcome. At the very least, she hadn’t been whisked away to a different country or even another planet, had she? If it was just a matter of cities, a bit of strategic thinking should enable her return.

“What troubles you, Princess? What causes you such anguish?”

Observing Liu Xingluo clutch her head, a sound of utter despair escaping her lips, Lain naturally could not remain idly by. It was his mission, after all, to alleviate her predicaments. Yet, this particular situation, he suspected, might prove beyond even his capabilities, despite the profound trust Liu Xingluo placed in him.

‘Probably.’

“Nothing at all. It’s simply that our current position is far too distant from my intended destination, and I’m at a loss as to our next course of action.”

“Hmm… hmm… it doesn’t appear to be that far, does it?”

Though utterly ignorant of human technology, Lain could discern that the image on the screen likely depicted their route to their destination. Yet, simply by observing it, he remained unable to ascertain the true extent of the journey.

“No, no, no, Lain, do you lack any comprehension of distance? This is incredibly far! I nearly forgot, you aren’t human. For such a distance to mean nothing to you is perfectly understandable.”

“I am, of course, no such frail existence as a human. However, Princess, are you not also, in your current form, something other than human?”

Indeed, the present Liu Xingluo was no longer human herself. With her physical prowess far exceeding that of any mortal, the prospect of returning home solely on foot did not seem utterly impossible.

No, that still wouldn’t suffice. Even disregarding the physical exertion, entry and exit points for cities were invariably regulated by checkpoints. In her current form, she possessed no means of proving her human identity, rendering entry impossible. To force her way through with brute strength would merely invite an even greater cascade of complications.

Deliberating carefully, she concluded that to return home without inciting trouble, her only recourse was to locate a secure, secluded spot to recuperate her strength. Once sufficiently revitalized, she would revert to her human form, then solicit the police’s aid to transport her back. While this approach would entail a wait of several days, it represented the most secure method Liu Xingluo could devise.

In her current guise, she would inevitably become a target for the anti-Heteromorphic Beast forces. Furthermore, it was highly probable that her distinct features had already been cataloged within their databases. To persist in this form would only invite an escalating torrent of trouble and inconvenience.

“Never mind this. Let’s go, Lain. Once outside, we’ll locate a safe haven to conceal ourselves. In merely a few days, I’ll devise a method to reach my destination without incident.”

“Understood.”

Emerging from the shopping center into the open plaza, Liu Xingluo had barely registered her surroundings when a potent gust of wind assailed her. This was no ordinary natural current; it was a deliberate, focused blast, charged with unmistakable killing intent.

“Dodge!”

Fearing Lain might not sense the imminent strike, Liu Xingluo simultaneously recoiled and cried out a sharp warning.

The very next second, the floor tiles where Liu Xingluo and Lain had stood moments before fractured, as though subjected to a devastating impact.

[‘This attack, there’s no mistaking it. It’s an Esper. An Esper has arrived nearby.’]

Considering her current predicament, it was all too simple to deduce the identity of her assailant.

Yet, having traveled such a considerable distance, she had foolishly believed herself beyond detection. It seemed she had once again underestimated the situation. Unless she could incapacitate her opponent swiftly, a relentless stream of other Espers would undoubtedly join the pursuit.

The existence of Heteromorphic Beasts could not be tolerated in this world; no matter how far they fled, the hunt would never cease. For humanity, the protected species, this unwavering resolve was profoundly reassuring. Alas, Liu Xingluo’s current identity was anything but human, and all she now experienced was an unending cascade of vexations.