Chapter 3: An Interesting Little Fellow

In the dim alleyway, a slender figure knelt on one knee, palms pressed against the cold ground. Her frame swayed, and she nearly collapsed.

Wei Zi furrowed her brow, overwhelmed by a sudden, dizzying wave of lightheadedness.

"Hah, this body... it truly is weak." After only a short sprint, her muscles felt as though they had been strained. Moreover, her newly awakened profound core had barely performed a basic, instinctive maneuver, yet it seemed to have already overdrawn her current reserves of profound energy.

The total depletion of her energy left her reeling, but the sharp cries of Zhou Xiaoya snapped her back to reality.

Biting her lower lip hard, Wei Zi forced herself to stand, navigating around the hulking carcass of the wild boar.

"Xiaoya!" Wei Zi stumbled, sinking to the ground before pulling Zhou Xiaoya into a tight embrace.

"Waaah! Wei Zi!" At just sixteen, the girl finally broke into loud, uncontrollable sobs. The ordeal she had just faced was a terror unlike anything she had ever encountered in her sixteen years of life.

Neither of them knew that above, inside an invisible war chariot—a luxury reserved only for the incredibly wealthy—a mechanical "ding" resonated: "Target deceased. Shall I continue to fire the Profound Lightning Beam?"

The owner of the chariot wore the ornate dress uniform of the Profound Kingdom’s military, his chest adorned with dazzling medals. His shoulder insignia marked his record: Major General. He was a general.

Yet, he appeared quite young. His face was sharp, as if chiseled from stone, with handsome, masculine features. Standing over six feet three inches tall, he exuded an undeniable sense of charisma.

His eyes and hair were a striking, deep flame-red. In this world, where profound energy was categorized by hue, this general was a formidable S-rank profound practitioner.

"Cancel target lock. Continue on course to the Grand Auditorium," the man commanded. He ran a rough finger over his chin and muttered to himself, "An interesting little creature. It seems she might be a promising talent."

The passing general moved toward his destination with a playful smile. Today was the day he would again be decorated for his service. Though he had earned countless honors over the past decade, these glories felt like nothing more than a tedious banquet to him.

...

On the sunny street below, the two girls held onto each other—one wailing, the other weeping with relief.

"This should be enough, right? Zhou Xiaoya didn't die here. Finally, I’ve saved my best friend's life and made amends for the regrets of my past."

"Over here! The target, designated F2314, has been located and confirmed dead. No civilian casualties, but two girls are injured!" Personnel from the Profound Arts Institute arrived first, carrying diagnostic equipment and energy injectors. Military units followed, their brows furrowing as they surveyed the scene.

"Are you two alright?" An officer approached, kneeling carefully to inquire. Seeing the girls crying, he felt no impatience, only a flicker of sympathy. Girls of this age, likely fresh graduates from the preparatory schools, had probably never seen a wild beast in their entire lives.

"Are you hurt? Just a moment, the medics are on their way!"

Because of the sudden riot, the wild beast had indeed killed several staff members at the Institute. Ambulances were already in the vicinity. Although Zhou Xiaoya’s injuries were not severe, as eyewitnesses who had been present when the experimental target was slain, they needed to provide an explanation. Thus, both Zhou Xiaoya and Wei Zi were loaded into an ambulance.

Zhou Xiaoya lay on the stretcher while Wei Zi sat beside her, holding her friend's hand, her gaze fixed on the window.

The familiar streets, scenes that had long faded in her memory, now came into sharp view.

A mocking curve touched Wei Zi's lips. "Sixteen years old! I really have returned!"

After the chaotic process of admitting Zhou Xiaoya to the clinic and undergoing a full examination—all covered by the Institute, as the accident was their fault—everything finally settled down. Even if they had been sued for damages, the girls would have won easily.

After the whirlwind, Zhou Xiaoya finally lay peacefully in her hospital bed. Representatives from the Institute remained in the room.

"Miss Wei, hello. I am Liao Changming, the director of the Institute. We need to clarify a few details," Liao said.

"Clarify what?" Wei Zi widened her eyes, putting on an expression of innocence. On her unblemished, beautiful face, this look appeared flustered and pitiable. Liao, who had intended to conduct a routine inquiry, suddenly felt as though he were committing some heinous act.

How could he speak so bluntly to a young girl? Being caught up in such a tragedy was already miserable enough, wasn't it?

"Don't be nervous. It's alright. We're just chatting—a casual conversation," Liao said softly, trying to be as gentle as possible.

Wei Zi nodded, feigning a look of relief, though deep down, she was masking her true thoughts.

She did not want to appear too unusual. At sixteen, in the prime of her youth, she was still far too weak. One wrong move could send her into the abyss. There was no one to help her, and the world around her was filled with malice.

Therefore, she was on high alert.

"Do you remember the scene when you faced the Tusked Boar? Do you have any memory of how you killed it?" Liao asked.

The Tusked Boar’s defensive capabilities were among the highest of its kind. How this girl had managed to drive a steel reinforcing bar into the creature's skull was simply inconceivable.

Wei Zi lowered her head, pretending to think, while she carefully weighed her words.

With surveillance eyes omnipresent in the city, there were no blind spots. She couldn't guarantee her actions hadn't been recorded. Rather than hiding it, it was better to tell a partial truth.

But she couldn't tell everything.

"I don't really remember. I only know that the monster charged at me. I was terrified, but when I thought about my friend behind me, I suddenly felt a surge of strength. When I came to, the beast was dead, my friend was crying, and I felt dizzy," Wei Zi said, rubbing her temples. "Come to think of it, I still feel very sleepy."

"Oh? You feel sleepy?" Liao Changming seemed to catch on to something, asking eagerly, "When you fought the beast, did you feel any discomfort? For instance, chills or a fever?"

Wei Zi pretended to ponder before replying, "I think it was a chill... a very cold sensation, as if I were trapped in an ice cellar."

"That's it!" Liao Changming exclaimed excitedly, looking at Wei Zi as if she were a gleaming diamond.

"That's it? You mean the cold? I thought it was just my imagination—I was so scared at the time!" Wei Zi said, acting bewildered.

"No, it wasn't your imagination. We detected certain profound fluctuations at the scene, belonging to the rare Ice Element. This is a very special, yet powerful, type of profound art. In the future, you could become a profound practitioner of great value to the state and society. It would be best if you came with me to the Institute now for a physical examination to see if there is a reaction from your profound core..."