Just as Yae-hime was worrying about the trouble she might soon run into, the internet had already exploded with activity. The blurry footage of the battle had naturally become the center of attention.

«Shocking! A Real-Life Alien vs. Predator Battle Unfolds in Roc City!»

Open almost any news website or trending list and you would see headlines along those lines everywhere. From this alone, it was obvious that someone behind the scenes was pushing the topic, helping it climb straight to the top of the trending charts.

Cannibal Cat (the streamer) lay sprawled across her bed, mindlessly scrolling through her phone out of sheer boredom. She had finally graduated from Novice Village 101 and made her way to Jade City. Originally, she thought she would be able to continue following and filming Princess just like before. But a single imperial warrant had shattered that hope completely.

“Why is everyone spreading this blurry video?” Cannibal Cat muttered irritably. She had only wanted to pass the time by browsing on her phone. Yet no matter whether she opened QQ groups, Bilibili, Weibo, WeChat, or TikTok short videos, every single platform was flooded with posts about the same battle footage.

“Alien versus Predator or whatever… Is this some kind of movie promotion?” She sounded rather speechless.

After reading through the comments for more than ten minutes, she began to wonder if the world she lived in actually hid some underground realm unknown to ordinary people.

“Aliens, martial artists, transcendent beings, underground worlds, perfect organisms beyond human limits… They’re talking like it’s all real.” Cannibal Cat shook her head, a mocking smile forming on her lips.

These days, the entertainment industry’s marketing tactics had truly reached shameless levels. The more she looked at it, the more it felt like hype for some upcoming film.

“Hiring this many bot accounts to stir things up must’ve cost a fortune. With that kind of money, they’d be better off spending it on special effects, the script, or actual actors. Do they seriously think we enjoy watching those pretty boys and girls acting like stiff zombies?”

She tossed her phone aside and lay flat on the bed in a starfish position. “Ahhhh… I’m so bored.” With that, Cannibal Cat closed her eyes and tried her best to drift off into sleep.

*** 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

“Huh… Strange. Why does this video look so real?” Mylene had just finished her shower and was lying on her bed scrolling through her phone. Her stylus tapped repeatedly against the screen as she seemed to check certain key details.

“I can’t see any signs of editing. The authenticity level is extremely high.” Lifting the stylus, she frowned slightly. After reading through some of the related comments, her doubts only deepened. She quickly dialed the Ability Management Department.

After asking around for a while, her confusion turned into disbelief.

“The building shows very clear signs of non-human combat, along with some strange viscous residue. Basically, we can confirm the video’s authenticity. But if the incident truly happened, why would the higher-ups allow the video to spread like this?”

Mylene couldn’t figure it out no matter how much she thought about it. Within their circle, the existence of non-humans and alien species was no secret. But to the outside world, the truth had always been tightly sealed. Once ordinary people found out, it would inevitably cause widespread panic.

“And yet now, the authorities are simply letting it spread unchecked. Something about this is clearly wrong.” She had the strong feeling that this was some kind of rehearsal. Even though Mylene had no idea what would happen three years from now, one could glimpse the whole through a single detail.

The world was undergoing changes that no one could predict. The battle video between Yae-hime and Forgeblade was the signal that these changes had begun. At this very moment, many people had already begun to sense the approaching footsteps of a new era.

No… some had heard those footsteps even earlier, though they had yet to fully realize it.

“Master once said this game hides an astonishing secret…” Mylene looked toward the terminal device beside her pillow, about the size of a power bank, a glimmer flashing in her eyes.

Yes. This had been the very first sound of those approaching footsteps.

Then she remembered something Yae-hime had once told them.

“…Just who exactly is Sister? Why does she understand this game so thoroughly?” Staring at the dark, silent terminal, Mylene’s body trembled uncontrollably. Whether that trembling came from excitement or from fear was something only she herself knew.

***

* **Overseas, Dorado, United States — Central Intelligence Agency branch.**

“According to my analysis, this battle footage shows not the slightest trace of alteration. It can be confirmed that it isn’t fabricated. In addition, I’ve determined that the alien creature is an Insectman possessing mantis-like traits.

“Of course, it could also be a transcendent with an unusual bloodline. However, the probability of that is quite low. As for the other figure, judging from the body shape, there is a ninety-five percent chance it’s a human female.”

A blond young man wearing black-rimmed glasses sat on the sofa, speaking in a calm and orderly manner. “Moreover, there is a high likelihood that this woman is Lisa.”

“What did you say!?” The moment Mira heard the name Lisa, she nearly sprang up from the sofa.

“I said the probability that this woman is Lisa is very high,” the blond young man replied flatly.

“Why Lisa and not Princess, Yae-hime?” Mira asked as she sat back down and looked at him.

The latter pushed up his black-rimmed glasses and answered calmly. “Yae-hime is naturally also among my suspects. But the probability is very low.”

“Why do you say that?” Mira asked with a serious expression. In her view, the chances of Lisa appearing in Roc City were so small they could practically be ignored.

After all, Yanjing was currently rife with undercurrents. One careless move could bring tremendous losses to her family. As the head of the Mo family, why would Lisa leave Yanjing at such a critical time?

“The reason I say that is because there’s evidence. First, the battle took place in midair, where there was absolutely nothing to stand on. That Insectman flying in the air thanks to its racial ability isn’t surprising. After all, among transcendents, there are similar cases. Take Angela, for example, who has wings. Cathay should also have transcendents like that.

“However, from the silhouette of this woman, I cannot see anything resembling wings. Therefore, the probability that she belongs to that category of transcendent is essentially zero. Since she isn’t a flying transcendent, how did she remain suspended in midair? What exactly was she standing on?”

At this point, the blond young man paused briefly before continuing. “To my knowledge, only top-tier SS-rank transcendents or peak grandmasters can achieve something like that. They can tread upon empty space and move freely through the air.

“In Cathay, there is only one person capable of walking through the sky. And that person is Lisa.

“I know what you’re about to say. Yes. You’re going to argue that a transcendent with gravity manipulation could accomplish something similar. But please take a closer look at the fluctuations in the battle shown in the video.

“Do you think an ordinary transcendent could produce something like that? Impossible. Absolutely impossible.” The blond young man shook his head.

After hearing his analysis, Mira had no choice but to believe it, even if she found it hard to accept. Lisa had truly appeared in Roc City. Because aside from Lisa, no one else in Cathay could accomplish such a feat.1

‘If she appeared in Roc City… could it be a warning to those old men not to make a move against Yae-hime?’ The moment this possibility crossed Mira’s mind, she couldn’t help but draw in a sharp breath.

The number one figure in Cathay personally escorting and protecting her…

“Yae-hime… just who exactly are you?”

…

At that moment, in the Mo Family Tower in Yanjing, Lisa lay on her bed when she suddenly sneezed. “Who’s talking about me behind my back?”