Free Web NovelThe team member who rushed over to report the situation looked like he had been drowned himself rather than Bai Liu. His face had turned an ugly bluish-purple, and at the mere thought that every heretic in the entire base had been released, his legs gave out beneath him.
He collapsed onto the floor, pale and helpless, then looked toward Tang Erda in panic.
“C-Captain Tang... what do we do now?!”
Up until now, many of them had still harbored doubts about Tang Erda’s judgment regarding Humanoid Heretics.
But Bai Liu had just overturned the entire containment base before their eyes.
Whether they wanted to believe it or not no longer mattered.
None of them had even recovered from the shock yet.
“Get up,” Tang Erda ordered coldly. “Take your weapons. Put on protective gear. Fully seal the base to prevent the heretics from escaping, then begin containment one by one.”
As he spoke, he drew the gun tucked against his lower back. His sharp gaze swept across the panic-stricken members.
“What are you all standing around for? Notify every department immediately. The base is entering Level 1 Alert status.”
“Move!”
The surrounding members finally snapped back to their senses and scrambled into action.
Some rushed to issue emergency notices while others ran for protective suits and equipment.
“Level 1 Alert! Level 1 Alert! More than eighty percent of contained heretics are currently escaping!”
But when one of the members reached for the large red button marked [Complete Base Lockdown], his hand began to tremble violently.
Tears gathered in his eyes as he looked toward Tang Erda.
“Captain Tang... do we really have to completely seal the base? If we do, nobody from outside will be able to enter. There won’t be any reinforcements...”
His voice shook harder with every word.
“If we fail to contain these monsters... then we’ll die down here with them...”
Tang Erda looked at him indifferently.
“Do you know why this base was designed as a sphere?”
“T-To better reflect the shielding lights protecting the base’s information...?” the member answered uncertainly.
“No.”
Tang Erda’s tone was ice cold.
“It was designed this way so that, in the event of an emergency, the entire structure can be completely sealed and permanently buried underground.” fгeewebnovёl.com
“To ensure that not a single heretic escapes.”
His eyes darkened.
“The moment we joined the Dangerous Heretic Management Bureau, we should have already accepted the possibility of dying underground alongside these monsters.”
“Either we die here...”
“...or everyone else in the outside world dies with us.”
“Do you understand?”
The member’s eyes reddened completely. His entire arm shook as he forced himself to raise a salute.
“Yes, Captain!”
Then, gritting his teeth, he slammed his hand down on the lockdown button.
Deep underground, the enormous white circular base slowly began to rotate and descend.
Layer after layer sealed shut around the structure while massive clouds of dust erupted upward. Finally, the entire base sank completely beneath the earth, transforming into a tightly sealed underground sphere.
Under Tang Erda’s calm yet merciless command, the panicked team members gradually regained control of themselves and resumed operations in orderly fashion.
One member hurried alongside Tang Erda while fastening the hood of his protective suit.
“Captain Tang, besides the heretic riot, we’ve also discovered three intruders!”
Tang Erda frowned.
“Intruders? Only internal personnel can access this base. How did they get inside?”
“That’s exactly the problem!” the member replied urgently. “They used Vice-Captain Su Yang’s work ID to enter. His clearance level is extremely high, so security allowed direct access, but we still don’t know how they obtained his—”
Tang Erda abruptly stopped walking.
Very slowly, he turned his head.
His gaze was so terrifying the reporting member nearly stopped breathing.
“...Whose work ID did you say they used?”
The member involuntarily shuddered beneath that stare.
“V-Vice-Captain Su Yang’s...”
——————————————————
It was already deep into the night.
Su Yang lay asleep on the large bed, exhaustion written clearly across his face.
The pillow beside him, however, was empty.
Ji An had chosen to sleep in the nursery tonight.
After nearly losing her child earlier, she no longer dared leave the baby alone. She had spread a blanket beside the crib and fallen asleep there instead.
The repeated scares throughout the night had clearly affected her deeply. Even in sleep, her brows remained tightly furrowed as though trapped inside restless dreams.
Beside the crib sat Su Yang’s phone and work ID, which she had absentmindedly brought with her earlier.
The phone rang endlessly.
The caller ID displayed:
[Captain]
The ringing stopped.
Then started again.
Again and again.
But Ji An remained trapped in her nightmare. She merely frowned deeper, turned over, and sank into heavier sleep.
Finally, the ringing ceased.
A red notification appeared across the screen:
[21 Missed Calls from Captain]
——————————————————
Tang Erda lowered the phone slowly, his expression frighteningly grim.
The nearby team member carefully asked, “Vice-Captain Su still isn’t answering?”
“I called his mobile. His landline. Even his wife’s phone.”
Tang Erda’s eyes had already turned bloodshot. Veins bulged visibly beneath them from the sheer force of his emotions.
“...Why would Su Yang’s work ID be in the Little Witch’s hands?” frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
Tang Erda had already reviewed the remaining surveillance footage.
Two of the intruders wore masks and patrol uniforms, making identification impossible.
But the third—
The black figure darting through the water—
He recognized immediately.
Liu Jiayi.
Or rather—
The Little Witch.
The killer within Bai Six’s team.
She was infamous for her ability in water. The number of people she had murdered underwater far exceeded those she killed on land.
Once submerged, she became something akin to a man-eating shark.
And the Little Witch’s preferred prey...
...were men between thirty and forty-five years old.
Especially fathers with daughters.
Su Yang matched her preferred target profile perfectly.
And now his work ID was in her possession.
Tang Erda drew in several deep breaths, trying to suppress the violent emotions clawing through his chest.
It didn’t work.
The moment he closed his eyes, he could already see Su Yang lying in a pool of blood, smiling faintly while calling him Captain.
The image made his killing intent spiral completely out of control.
For one fleeting moment, Tang Erda even wanted to put a bullet through his own skull just to end the torment.
“All surveillance systems have already failed...” one of the members reported nervously. “The teams on other floors have already begun containment operations according to your orders. Captain Tang, should we proceed as well?”
Tang Erda remained silent for several seconds.
Then he reached behind his back and drew out another firearm.
It was an exquisitely crafted old-fashioned revolver made entirely from silver-colored metal. A withered rose emblem was engraved into the grip.
Holding both guns, Tang Erda flicked his wrists downward with practiced precision, chambering the rounds.
Then he slowly raised his bloodshot eyes.
“If anyone encounters the intruders...”
“...or the Humanoid Heretics belonging to Bai Six’s group...”
“Do not prioritize containment.”
“Kill them on sight.”
“I’ll take responsibility for all consequences.”
——————————————————
Lu Yizhan had been locked inside another room.
Not long afterward, however, the entire base began shaking violently.
While he was still trying to understand what was happening, the two officers guarding him hurriedly shoved a protective suit and firearm into his hands.
“You’re an investigator, right?” one of them asked urgently. “The base is in an emergency situation now. If you can help, then help.”
“Protect yourself carefully. There are dangerous monsters everywhere inside.”
“If you encounter one you can’t handle, run immediately. Don’t fight head-on.”
The two officers turned to leave in a rush.
But Lu Yizhan quickly grabbed one of them.
“What about Bai Liu?” he asked anxiously. “How is he? Is he alright?”
The officer gave him a strange look.
“If the Bai Liu you mean is the Humanoid Heretic we captured, Captain Tang just issued a Kill-on-Sight order for him.”
Lu Yizhan froze.
But only briefly.
Very quickly, determination settled into his eyes.
He pulled on the protective suit while loading the gun with practiced movements.
“If I find Bai Liu before anyone kills him,” Lu Yizhan asked seriously, “and prove that he isn’t dangerous—that he isn’t some monster or heretic—then he won’t need to be executed, correct?”
This time, the two officers were the ones left stunned.
After exchanging uncertain looks, they hesitantly answered:
“...In theory, yes. If containment is possible, extermination is generally avoided.”
“But Bai Six is extremely dangerous right now. We strongly advise against looking for him.”
“I know better than any of you whether he’s dangerous.”
Lu Yizhan interrupted calmly.
CLICK.
The magazine locked into place.
Then Lu Yizhan smiled warmly.
“I’ve known him for ten years.”
“When it comes to Bai Liu...”
“...I think I understand him better than [N O V E L I G H T] any of you do.”
The two officers clearly disagreed. They had personally seen the footage of Bai Liu opening every containment door inside the base.
“He’ll kill you,” one of them said bluntly.
Lu Yizhan simply smiled.
“Then I’ll bet my life on it.”
“I bet he won’t.”
——————————————————
Liu Jiayi’s group stopped outside Room [1807].
The door was already open.
Mu Ke cautiously leaned inside to check before pulling back.
“He’s not here,” he said while looking toward Liu Jiayi. “Bai Liu isn’t here, and the room’s completely empty. Are you sure this was the outlet point you tracked down?”
“This is definitely the place.”
Liu Jiayi adjusted the visual goggles over her eyes while carefully scanning the surrounding corridor.
Then she frowned.
“Something feels wrong.”
“The water’s already drained away, but when we first entered, all these doors were sealed shut.”
Her gaze swept across the now-open rooms.
“There must’ve been extremely dangerous things imprisoned here.”
“But now every containment room is empty...”
“Wait.”
Mu Sicheng suddenly removed his breathing mask.
He crouched low and sniffed the air several times with complete seriousness before waving them over.
“I can smell Bai Liu here.”
Mu Ke and Liu Jiayi both stared at him blankly.
“...What exactly does Bai Liu smell like?”
Mu Sicheng answered with utter solemnity:
“The scent of filthy money.”
Mu Ke: “...”
Liu Jiayi: “...”
“Can you stop making stupid jokes at a time like this?!” Liu Jiayi snapped.
“Hey! Don’t look at me like I’m an idiot!” Mu Sicheng exploded angrily. “I’m serious! Bai Liu’s scent is definitely here!”
“That means Liu Jiayi’s water-route tracking was correct!”
“Bai Liu was here.”
——————————————————
Author’s Note:
4: Don’t act like I’m mentally handicapped just because your Intelligence stat is ridiculously high! An Intelligence score in the 70s is already considered smart by normal human standards, alright?!
6: Oh.
+1: Oh.
Mu Ke: Oh.
2 — whose Intelligence stat is also only in the 70s: ...Oh.
4 (exploding): Then why the hell are YOU joining in too, you damn “2” idiot?! Look at yourself first! You’ve spent countless worlds losing to that lunatic Bai Liu!
2 (furious): Who the hell are you calling “2”?! Do you think beating him is easy?! Look at yourself—you got tricked so badly you sold yourself for a hundred points, and you still have the nerve to mock me?!
The two immediately started fighting.
+1 watched them with pity.
“Are humans with Intelligence stats in the 70s always like this?”
“How tragic.”
——————————————————
(T/N: I’m not sure I’ve ever fully explained this before, but most of the core members of Bai Liu’s team have names connected to numbers—or to words that sound like numbers. I’ve mentioned it here and there throughout previous notes, but here’s the full breakdown.)
Mu Ke is the only exception. His name has no numerical association at all, and I don’t think the story ever explains why.
Jia Yi (佳仪) → Jiā Yí
The character 佳 is pronounced similarly to 加, which means “plus” or “add.”
Meanwhile, 仪 (Yí) sounds close to 一 (Yī), the number one.
So in the author’s notes, she’s often referred to as +1.
Mu Shicheng (牧四诚)
The character 四 (Shì) directly means “four.”
That’s why the author abbreviates him as 4.
Tang Erda (唐二打)
The character 二 (Èr) means “two.”
So he becomes 2 in the author’s notes.
And then there’s obviously Bai Liu (白柳), who corresponds to 6.
A fun extra detail: Bai Liu’s surname also contains a numerical pun.
The word for “hundred,” 百 (bǎi), sounds very similar to 白 (bái), which means “white.”
So his name literally translates as White Willow.
In some author’s notes, he’s also called 86, which is another pronunciation joke.
“Eighty-six” in Chinese is 八十六 (bā shí liù). But if you separate the digits—8 (Bā) and 6 (Liù)—and say them together, “Bā Liù” sounds extremely close to “Bai Liu” (Bái Liǔ).
The author may use “86” to distinguish the original Bai Liu from the various “Bai Six” versions across different timelines, though this is never directly clarified in the novel.
There is also no “5,” which later becomes the subject of another joke in a future author’s note.
As for 3, that would be Du Sanying (杜三鹦), although he doesn’t officially become part of the team until much later.
The number three, 三 (Sān), is the exact same character used in the “San” of Sanying’s name.
