Chapter 932: Emergence
Lin Sanjiu propped herself up with one hand, about to sit up, but she took a sharp breath and fell back to the ground. She felt like a stone man cracking all over, on the verge of shattering into pieces. The Defense Forcefield reduced half of the pain, but it couldn't completely negate the effects of the ability.
What kind of ability was this?
As a Munitions Factory member with a full beard bent down, preparing to grab Lin Sanjiu, Percival Levin stopped him.
"You were somewhat polite to me just now," he looked down at her and said, "I am a person who believes in reciprocity. Let me advise you as well, don't attempt to resist... otherwise, the Empty-handed Kleptomaniac will dismember you."
Lin Sanjiu knew well to listen to advice at this critical moment.
She leaned against a pile of broken stones, her back throbbing with pain. "W-What's going on?" she gasped, "You don't know Luther?"
"I have never mentioned that name voluntarily." The tall man's face was solemn now. Amongst the cries for help and wailing amidst the flames, he couldn't smile like he did before. "It's all your own speculation... You convinced yourself a long time ago, and I just went along with it."
Lin Sanjiu blinked in confusion.
"But Silvan said... you are someone without a past."
"Is it so strange?" Percival Levin spread his hands and gestured in the air. "My past vanished with that world long ago, and I prefer to maintain a state where no one knows me. It's a personal preference."
He glanced at Lin Sanjiu and added, "I initially thought that Luther or Septimus might have some connection to tonight's intrusion. But as I cooperated with you until the end, I realized they seem unrelated to the Munitions Factory. However, capturing you alone is still useful... With you, finding Silvan won't be difficult."
Lin Sanjiu was momentarily stunned and immediately understood his meaning. "Don't you think this method is somewhat despicable?"
"Why would it be despicable?" Percival Levin tilted his head, his black hair falling. "In the midst of battle, isn't it natural to exploit the weaknesses of the enemy?"
"But you're using a woman to pressure him—"
"That's his own fault for having such an untimely weakness," Percival Levin's expression remained unchanged. "In a world like this, what difference does it make between men and women? Why should women be seen as weak?"
Lin Sanjiu clenched her lips.
If he were to release the information that she was in his hands, she was almost certain Silvan would turn back and take the risk to rescue her—then she would be walking into a trap.
She might have been overwhelmed by worry, and instinctively struggled again—only to find herself thrown back to the ground once more. This time, she even felt a faint tendency of her right arm to split, and a chill immediately made her reluctant to move again.
"...Can you delay the activation of your ability?" Lin Sanjiu asked, panting.
"When I first hit you, it was just to make you feel some pain," Percival Levin rolled up one sleeve and rubbed his wrist as if he were taking off a bracelet. His fingers brushed against the seemingly empty skin but caught a halo of light when they descended. "I made you think it was just an ordinary physical attack. But the seed has been planted, and I can make it grow and bloom whenever I want."
Lin Sanjiu glanced up at the orange halo in his hand.
"You have enough trouble on your neck," Percival Levin crouched down and glanced at her bandages. When she tensed up, she saw him lift the orange halo and suddenly bring it down towards her neck—his movements were not fast, and she could clearly see everything, but her body was sluggish and unable to dodge. The halo passed through her neck without any obstruction and closed behind her neck.
"Alright," he stood up, "Do you need me to introduce this item to you?"
Lin Sanjiu gave him a cold glance and didn't say a word.
"After you put it on, you must stay within ten steps of me at all times. Any attempt to touch it, escape, or attack will activate the halo. The moment you make any movement, it will simultaneously fix the part of you above the halo, such as your head, in space."
As if afraid she didn't realize the severity of the situation, he smiled slightly. "...Do you understand? Your body will still move in a certain direction, but your head will be forcibly left behind in its original position. That's its effect. I hope you remember this well."
Lin Sanjiu responded with a mocking laugh, "Such a good thing, and you're giving it to me?"
Percival Levin looked at her, his pitch-black eyes devoid of emotion—he was clearly someone very skilled at concealing his feelings.
"Madam, take a look at the dying people behind you," Lin Sanjiu hit his sore spot without hesitation, "Did any of them die because of me?"
Percival Levin pursed his lips. Though he didn't turn his head, he couldn't help but glance at the figures lying on the ground in groups of two or three in the distance.
"Don't worry," his voice was squeezed into a thin line, "As long as the guests in the tower haven't died inside, they will receive our warmest welcome."
"Then I hope they're unharmed." Lin Sanjiu smirked, devoid of any humor, "I'd love to see who would win between you and your commander if I could drag both of you down from the sky."
Percival Levin raised an eyebrow and nodded, "I'm starting to believe that you really are unaware of the people inside the tower."
Lin Sanjiu didn't respond. She had already thought of a way to escape, and now she just needed to wait for the right moment... After all, this was just a branch of the Munitions Factory. Whoever that person was, since they dared to challenge the Munitions Factory, they must have been adequately prepared—at least enough to create an opportunity that she or Silvan could take advantage of.
It was quite a coincidence; on the very night when she and Silvan took action, the Commander's Tower happened to be under attack from another party.
Thinking about this, she furrowed her brow slowly.
Percival Levin waved his hand in front of her, presumably canceling the ability of "Blooming Garden"—because the fear, like that of a stone figure about to crumble into pieces, suddenly lifted from her.
"You can stand up now," he said in a low voice, "Remember to stay within ten steps."
Even though the Munitions Factory was in desperate need of manpower, Percival Levin still arranged two combatants to follow behind her, closely following her every step. Led by the Chief of Security, Lin Sanjiu walked towards the silent and dark half of the tower in the distance.
Although the fire on the tower was more poisonous than usual, it had been extinguished by the reinforcements that had arrived. Only scattered sparks continued to leap on the ground, nourished by the bodies of those who had fallen and could no longer get up.
As the group crossed over the corpses and approached the slender tower, Lin Sanjiu suddenly heard the sound of metal twisting open—a creaking noise. Instinctively, she turned her gaze towards the sound and saw a figure stepping out of the slender tower.