After drawing cards, the evil god became my source of吐槽 (tu cao, a form of humorous commentary/criti

Chapter 5 Discovered

An Jing leaned against the wall of the safe house, listening quietly to the sounds outside.

Her heartbeat hadn't completely calmed down yet; the series of escapes, shadow escapes, and summoning cards had left her weak all over. The fact that she was able to sit still was entirely due to willpower.

She was afraid to go out.

Even though she heard footsteps and brief gunshots outside, and even heard people talking, the voices were not eerie, hoarse, or distorted; they were clear and powerful.

But she still didn't dare to go out.

She knew those were the lamplighters.

This is not a legend, not a rumor circulating online, nor an urban fantasy passed down by word of mouth. It is a real organization with sufficient understanding of mysterious magnetic fields, capable of confronting the mysterious head-on.

It was also someone she absolutely did not want to provoke.

An Jing looked down at the card in her hand.

If the lamplighter knew she possessed such a thing, what would he do to her?
She gently stroked the card: "System, do you think... if they find me, they'll save me?"

As far as I know, the lamplighters are not affiliated with the government; they are only responsible for clearing the mysterious magnetic field and have no obligation to provide rescue.

"……Oh."

Of course she knew that.

There have been many posts discussing this online, many of which have been deleted, but some people still manage to relay snippets of information.

The people holding the lanterns were merely partners, not government officials or a rescue team. Their agreement with the authorities was about sharing the results and distributing the props, not about "humanitarianism."

The authorities provide the Lamplighters with convenience, privileges, and funding so they can pursue their research as they please, while the strange items obtained within the mysterious magnetic field are split equally between the two.

As long as they can ensure that the magnetic field does not expand, they will not give special attention to living people.

Once, a netizen who escaped wrote, "Don't expect the lamplighter to save you; they might even step over your dead body without a care."

Therefore, she won't go out.

If she goes out now, not only will she not receive rescue, but she might also be treated as a contaminant and disposed of on the spot.

She licked her lips; her throat was dry and tight. There was a metallic taste in her mouth, probably from biting something in her nervousness.

[Remember, you must not mention the existence of the system, nor the gacha system.]

The system voice suddenly rang in her mind.

An Jing scoffed: "You actually know about this thing?"

【Um. 】

Why did you suddenly remind me of these things?

[This is solely for your safety. The Lamplighter possesses multiple detection devices. If you are suspected of mental pollution, you will be immediately forcibly locked down and sent to an isolation facility. What will become of you then, no one knows.]

An Jing remained silent for a moment, then gripped the card tightly.

She didn't know if the system was 100% accurate, but coincidentally, that was exactly what she was worried about.

Outside, the gunfire stopped.

The atmosphere suddenly tensed, accompanied by a steady, rhythmic gait. She heard someone outside giving orders.

"The primordial source has not yet appeared, and the magnetic field fluctuations are still strong. Logically speaking, this should not be the case."

"Start the second scan."

"Note that any room with abnormal fluctuations must be investigated one by one."

An Jing's heart jumped into her throat in an instant.

She silently took two steps back, gently sat on the edge of the bed, her back against the cold wall. Clutching the paper umbrella woman's card tightly in her hand, she reached into her pocket with her other hand and touched the empty glass bottle.

"...They're so capable! How did they clear the area so quickly?" she muttered to herself.

She knew the Lamplighter would find her, but she hadn't expected them to handle it so quickly—she had already seen at least seven or eight strange creatures in the villa, and there was a magnetic field surging within them. Yet they had done it in less than twenty minutes.

what does this mean?
They possess a large number of sophisticated tools. They are experienced in combating mysterious entities, work together seamlessly, and this is definitely not their first time dealing with this type of incident.

Now, they are going to begin a thorough search.

She's about to be discovered.

An Jing couldn't help but feel nervous.

"Next room."

001 flicked his wrist, and the specially made wristband made a soft sound. He glanced down at a blurry bright spot on the detector, his eyes flickering slightly. He stopped in front of the wooden door that seemed out of place with the style of the villa.

"This is a safe house. There are signs of interference. We recommend you enter."

After he finished speaking, he reached out and pressed the doorknob, then gently turned it.

The door lock unlocked.

A very faint sound came from inside the house.

It sounded like someone was holding their breath.

001 moved with lightning speed, almost instinctively drawing his pistol from his waist, stepping into the room, and coldly saying, "Don't move!"

An Jing looked up and was met with a gun barrel glowing blue.

She raised her hands and slowly stood up: "I am not contaminated."

Her voice was hoarse as she tried to sound rational and clear-headed.

“I am human. I am conscious, untainted by the supernatural, and have not mutated.”

001 squinted at her, then took out a small glowing device and scanned her forehead.

"Heart rate is unstable, and mental fluctuations are slightly elevated... but not beyond the limit."

He put the gun away, but didn't relax.

How did you survive?

An Jing swallowed.

Of course, she couldn't say, "I drew a Shadow Walker card and a Paper Umbrella Girl from a gacha pull, and then survived as a human thanks to my skills."

She paused for two seconds before cautiously speaking, "I... found the safe house the moment the mysterious magnetic field was generated and hid inside."

001 frowned and looked around the room.

He then asked, "Were you the only one living in this villa before?"

"No, I'm a student who just finished the college entrance exam. Our class organized this event, a party at a villa, and this happened. I was lucky, I ran fast, and found a safe house when things got dangerous. By the way, are any of my other classmates... alive?"

An Jing tried to calm herself down.

She really wanted to ask that question too.

Was she the only one who survived from the entire class?

If that's really the case, An Jing feels she'll really break down.

Eighteen years old, the age of blossoming youth.

Their class is an honors class; they'll fill out their college applications after the results are released. Most of them will go to very good schools.

However, the hardest times have passed, and everyone...

001 didn't answer, but continued asking on its own:
When did you come in?

"About half an hour ago, I lost track of time inside the mysterious magnetic field; it felt like an eternity."

001 didn't press the matter further. He gave her a sharp look, as if judging whether she was lying.

But An Jing wasn't lying, at least not on the surface. Seeing no flaws, he said, "Let's go. I'll take you out."

She was taken aback. "Didn't you say... you don't care about people?"

001 turned around, her voice cold: "You know quite a lot, don't you? You must read a lot online, right? But your understanding is incomplete. Anyone taken out of the Mysterious Magnetic Field alive has to be quarantined for at least a month. Are you just going to let you go like that? What if you have problems?"

An Jing's lips twitched slightly: "...So that's how it is."

Oh my god, we still have to quarantine for a month.

She didn't dare say anything more and obediently followed the other person out of the safe house.

Just as she stepped out the door, the system whispered a reminder in her mind again:

Remember, don't reveal my identity. Don't say anything about cards, gacha pulls, or the paper umbrella girl.

"Well, if you're really scared, then talk less and make yourself less noticeable."

An Jing lowered her eyes, speaking to the system in her mind, not daring to look at the lamp-bearer again.

(End of this chapter)