Chapter 578: Stray Hair

Perspective shift.

Ding—

The elevator doors slowly opened, emitting a crisp chime.

The eighteenth-floor corridor appeared before the three of them.

The corridor was long, lined on both sides with tightly shut doors, and the overhead light tubes cast a pallid glow, illuminating the whole space brightly.

The carpet was deep red, patterned with intricate designs; it felt soft underfoot and made no sound at all.

Saber stepped out of the elevator first, her golden hair shimmering softly in the light.

She wore a well‑tailored black suit, exuding a heroic aura while also radiating a reassuring composure.

Bai Hang followed closely, dressed in a plain school uniform, looking like a high‑school girl who came to the hotel to meet a friend.

Jing Yuan was the last to exit the elevator; his white long hair drifted gently in the faint draft of the corridor, and his golden eyes casually scanned the surroundings, as if this were merely a casual stroll for him.

At that moment, a tiny piece of paper drifted down slowly from the top of the elevator.

It was as light as a feather, spiraling in the air, silently floating toward Saber's head.

Saber didn't notice at all.

The paper skimmed the lone stray hair atop her head—

Pat—.

The stray hair fell from her head, landing softly on the floor.

Saber's steps halted.

Bai Hang and Jing Yuan looked down, seeing the yellow paper on the floor and the golden stray hair beside it.

It was a palm‑sized paper figure, drawn with simple features, a bizarre grin at its mouth, and eyes consisting of two black ink dots.

The grin was so glaring and eerie that Bai Hang's gaze was involuntarily drawn to it.

"What is this..."

She furrowed her brows, crouched, and tried to pick up the paper.

Jing Yuan's hand suddenly pressed on her shoulder, neither light nor heavy, but with a clear warning tone.

"Don't touch."

His voice was hushed, his golden eyes fixed on the paper, brows slightly furrowed, "This thing… looks familiar."

Bai Hang paused, "Do you recognize it?"

Jing Yuan didn't answer immediately, merely staring at the twisted patterns on the paper, which overlapped with certain memories in his mind—those were the standard talisman papers of the Ten Kings Office.

"Item of the Ten Kings Office."

He finally spoke, a hint of gravity in his voice, "How did it end up here?"

Before his words finished, the paper suddenly ignited on its own, burning slowly!

The Flame was an eerie green, cold to the touch, with only light and shadow flickering.

The grin on the paper warped in the firelight, the two black ink dots seeming to come alive, staring intently at the three people before them.

Jing Yuan's pupils contracted slightly, then he snapped his head up, looking at Saber!

"Miss Saber, you—"

Saber stood there, motionless.

Her head was bowed, golden bangs covering most of her face, obscuring her expression.

The black suit remained crisp, but the severed stray hair had vanished completely, leaving only a few stray strands hanging over her forehead.

"Saber?"

Bai Hang called tentatively, and instinctively took half a step back.

Saber still gave no response.

But the aura around her began to change.

The originally majestic Magic Wave now seemed polluted by something, beginning to tremble violently, twist, and deform.

A chilling aura seeped slowly from her, spreading through the corridor.

A golden spear materialized in Jing Yuan's hand, its tip angled toward the floor; he shielded Bai Hang behind him, his gaze locked on Saber.

"Retreat."

He said in a deep voice, the usual leisure gone, leaving only pure vigilance.

Bai Hang inhaled deeply, her hand already reaching for the Assassin job card.

At that moment, Saber slowly turned, looking this way.

That face—

Her previously fair skin now turned even paler, exuding a morbid grayish decay.

The golden strands lost their luster, becoming a cold gray‑gold, as if something had siphoned away their vitality.

Her emerald eyes had fully turned gold— not the warm gold of Jing Yuan, but a cold, temperature‑less amber.

Her expression was terrifyingly indifferent, a faint, almost imperceptible curve at the corner of her mouth.

"Saber..." Bai Hang's voice trembled.

The black suit on Saber began to change.

The fabric seemed to come alive, twisting until it transformed into a set of jet‑black armor!

The armor was entirely black, its edges inlaid with dark‑purple patterns that writhed like living things, emitting an ominous glow.

The skirt‑armor was sharper than usual, each piece resembling a blade ready to be unsheathed.

Black thigh‑high boots encased her slender legs, and the metallic knee guards were etched with bizarre runes.

She clenched her hand in the void—

A jet‑black sword appeared in her palm.

The sword was entirely black, its blade coursed with crimson patterns, exuding a suffocating pressure.

It was the Sword of Covenant Victory, but it had already completely changed its appearance.

Jing Yuan's pupils narrowed slightly.

He had no time to think, because Saber had already moved!

The black sword swept in carrying the Force of a thousand pounds, its speed astonishing!

Jing Yuan blocked with his spear—

"Clang—!!!"

The golden spear shaft lay across Jing Yuan's head, firmly holding the sword!

The massive impact force radiated outward, the corridor walls on both sides cracking instantly!

Jing Yuan was shaken, his arm numbing, stepping back half a pace.

He looked at the familiar yet strange face before him, unable to suppress a wry smile.

"Indeed… you've become lax."

Blackened Saber gave him no chance to breathe; the second sword came cutting immediately!

Jing Yuan sidestepped, the black sword grazing his chest and slashing the wall behind him— the entire wall split like paper, revealing the steel‑reinforced concrete within!

"Bai Hang!"

Jing Yuan called, his tone still Calm, yet with undeniable resolve, "Go find that door!"

Bai Hang froze for a moment, then immediately recovered.

She gripped the job card tightly, pressed the Command Spell onto the back of her hand—

A flash of light!

Silver‑white long hair fell from her crown, the pair of fluffy Fox Ears poked out from her hair, and a fluffy fox tail swayed gently behind her.

Her school uniform was replaced by a black outfit, the cuffs embroidered with purple cloud patterns.

The Recurve Bow materialized in her palm, its limbs coursing with pale blue light.

Assassin form, full power activated!

She didn't hesitate, turned and rushed toward the deep corridor!

Behind her, massive clangs of metal rang one after another, the whole corridor trembling!

Bai Hang sprinted down the corridor, the doors on both sides flew back rapidly.

She could feel Saber and Jing Yuan's battle receding, those massive clangs gradually left behind.

But her heartbeat not only didn't slow, it grew faster.

That door.

Must find that door.

This must be the work of that purple‑haired woman!

She remembered the room number—1812.

Room 12 should be at the corridor's end.

She rushed around a corner and finally saw the door.

The doorplate read: 1812.

Bai Hang halted, took a deep breath, then thrust the door open—

A gigantic mouth filled the entire doorway.

The mouth opened so wide it could swallow a car in one bite!

Deep in its pitch‑black throat, a faint lapis‑blue light was coalescing!

The jagged sharp teeth, each about half a meter long, glimmered with an eerie cold light in the dim glow!

Bai Hang's pupils dilated instantly!

(What—?!)

She instinctively leaned back, her whole body tipping backward!

In that instant, deep within the massive maw, the lapis‑blue light erupted violently!

A terrifying energy wave spewed from the throat's depths, instantly filling the doorway!

The energy wave's speed was astonishing; Bai Hang had no time to dodge, forced to leap backward with all her might!

"Boom—!!!"

The energy wave skimmed her chest and blasted outward, piercing the corridor wall behind her, then bursting through the hotel's exterior wall and vanishing into the night sky!

Bai Hang was hurled by the shockwave, her body falling from the eighteenth floor like a rag doll!

"Bang!"

She smashed through an outer wall of a lower floor, disappearing into the ruins.

Jing Yuan was tangled with Blackened Saber, golden spear shadows interweaving with the black sword light, each clash erupting a terrifying shockwave.

The corridor walls on both sides had vanished completely, exposing the rooms inside, the furniture in those rooms shattered into fragments, a total wreck.

At that moment, a massive clang rang from the corridor's end!

Jing Yuan's peripheral vision caught a lapis‑blue Light Pillar spewing from a room, piercing countless walls, then blasting out through the hotel's outer wall!

Immediately after, a familiar figure was flung backward from that direction, disappearing into the night!

Bai Hang!

Jing Yuan's pupils suddenly contracted!

"Master—!"

He instinctively tried to rush forward, but Blackened Saber's sword had already slashed down!

Clang!

He gritted his teeth to brace the sword, but the shock in his heart lingered, unable to settle.

At that moment, from the door that had been blasted open, a petite figure slowly stepped out.

Short hair of ashen‑green, claw‑shaped green eyes, a face without expression.

She wore a dark‑cyan short outfit, a hat on her head, and the Li trigram emblem on the hat was clearly visible in the night.

Huo Huo.

She then walked out at an unhurried pace, stood in the middle of the corridor, watching Jing Yuan and Blackened Saber grapple, with no expression at all.