Who left their last words here?

Chapter 44 Safe House, Raven's Former Legacy (Second Update)

I slept soundly, unaware of how much time had passed.

Bai Zhou woke up on the floor of a small apartment on the top floor of the villa...

What came into view was an unfamiliar...sky.

There was also a strange and blinding sun.

—This is what a "sunroom" without a ceiling and missing two walls looks like.

In short, rounding.

Thanks to Bai Zhou's efforts, he lived the life of a fairytale-like successful person... though only half of it.

"morning."

The familiar voice, soft and gentle, rang precisely on time, like an alarm clock.

Good morning, crow.

Bai Zhou rubbed his eyes and sat up.
"How long have I slept?"

Seven hours.

"Has it been that long?" Bai Zhou looked up at the bright sun overhead.

"Haven't I had any reaction after being exposed to the sun for so long?"

He subconsciously rubbed his face, wondering if he had been tanned to a crisp.

"..."

The crow was too lazy to answer and remained noncommittal about Bai Zhou's question.

But as soon as Bai Zhou turned his head, he discovered that in the corner where he had just slept, a menacing, shadowy tentacle was rapidly moving away—

Finally, they returned to the crow's feet.

"Could it be that?"

Bai Zhou looked at Ya with a surprised expression.

Did the crow use its shadow to shield him from the sunlight?

No wonder he was sleeping so soundly.

"Now that you're awake, it's time to get down to business."

But Ya simply turned her head away and continued talking about serious matters with a blank expression.

"Da, da da!"

She lifted her boots and stomped the platform twice with the heels:

"As a base, this place is lacking in so much!"

"Especially in terms of escape plans and reinforcement."

"If the enemy fires a few rockets or artillery shells here, you'll be helpless and can only wait to die."

The crow shook its head seriously.
"—Unqualified!"

"but……"

Seeing Bai Zhou's stern expression, Ya's voice softened somewhat.

"An internal trap is somewhat plausible..."

—It's more than just passable.

Aside from their strength, the ingenuity and cunning angles of many of these traps are so impressive that even crows are speechless.

It was as if Bai Zhou had a lot of experience in this area, had seen many insidious traps set, and had a well-thought-out plan in mind.

But how is that possible?
As Bai Zhou's only teacher, she had no recollection of ever teaching Bai Zhou this.

...Then it can only be talent.

This reminded Crow of the limestone he had thrown during the battle with White Boat, and the powerful flashlight strapped to the spear...

Is Bai Zhou truly the chosen one of the "Chen" astrological principles, renowned for its grandeur and righteousness?

Which of the four words, "grand and upright," does Bai Zhou possess?

—The crow did not understand.

...So, as soon as Bai Zhou got up, he started getting busy.

The abandoned villa has been completely transformed beyond recognition.

Red brick fragments were used to write and draw on the wall, creating all sorts of strange patterns.

Powdered dried rat carcasses, bones from bird corpses, and the bodies of various insects were all placed in special locations for each ritual.

In practice, Baizhou has become more proficient in handling small-scale rituals.

In fact, he had learned about ten miniature rituals from the crows. Each one had little effect, but they happened to cover a wide range of aspects.

—This can only be considered an introductory learning experience.

Of these, the most extraordinary is also the most difficult to learn...

It was the bombing ceremony that shocked the entire Special Administrative Region.

—Even this requires the assistance of special chemical raw materials.

An hour passed quickly.

Under Bai Zhou's tireless efforts, this deserted "haunted house" was finally transformed into...

Something even more eerie and terrifying than a haunted house.

If a homeless person were to wander in, even without touching any traps, the sight inside would frighten them so much that they would flee overnight.

Because at this moment, all the floors, ceilings, and walls of this five-story villa were covered with strange ritualistic patterns painted in red paint.

—It looked exactly like a gathering place in a secret cult, it was incredibly creepy!
With a "snap"—

Discard the small red pebble in your hand that was almost worn away.

Bai Zhou patted the red powder off his hands, stood on the stairs, and looked down at his masterpiece with satisfaction.

On the rough cement wall, a dense, spiderweb-like network of crimson ritual symbols covered and filled the entire field of vision. Although they looked quite eerie, Bai Zhou experienced something else entirely:
"—I feel so safe."

Bai Zhou sighed aloud.

"Gululu..."

Perhaps because she felt more at ease, Bai Zhou's stomach reacted.

A wave of intense hunger washed over me.

Ah, it's time to eat.

Thinking back, the last time I ate was yesterday at noon, at the base canteen.

In the blink of an eye, the whole day is almost over.

"Bai Zhou."

Just as he was pondering this, the sound of a crow suddenly reached Bai Zhou's ears.

Bai Zhou turned his head and saw that Ya was looking down at him from the corner of the stairs.

But perhaps it was just his imagination...

He thought the crow seemed a bit listless.

There were also faint dark circles under her eyes.

...So, she gets sleepy too?

Thinking about it carefully, Bai Zhou seemed to have never seen Ya eat or sleep.

It's incredible, it doesn't look like a living person.

"Once the outpost is set up, it's time to move into the city."

The crow seemed to have something important to tell Shiraishu.

"Go into the city?" Bai Zhou asked, puzzled.

"A cat-and-mouse game has begun."

The raven's cry, still cold and with a uniquely hoarse quality, echoed in the empty, unfinished hallway of the villa.

"For now, they are cats."

"Because their initial advantage was too great."

"Not only are there a large number of people, but the surveillance system that is spread throughout the city alone is enough to make it impossible for you to move an inch."

"Even escaping their pursuit is unlikely, let alone investigating their supply chain while they're being hunted down..."

"—So, you might need some external help."

“External things refer to…” Bai Zhou blinked twice.

He understood the implication in the crow's words, and his heart skipped a beat.

With a "snap,"
Crow pulled a folded map from his pocket and tossed it to Bai Zhou.

"A cunning rabbit has three burrows; it's a survival instinct etched into the bones of every extraordinary person."

"In every seemingly insignificant corner of this city, in every shadow, even in the sewers..."

"They may all contain supplies and weapons that some extraordinary individual has hidden for themselves, things that could help them crawl back from the brink of hell."

"They usually call this a 'safe house'."

"—This is also an important lesson I want to teach you."

Her expression carried a hint of familiarity and emotion.

He looked like a ruthless, veteran wanted criminal, reminiscing about his glorious days when he was hunted down by the underworld...

“I have marked the coordinates on this map.”

“A long time ago, I left some ‘pocket money’ here and forgot to use it.”

Between words,
The crow was filled with nostalgia and confidence in the "pocket money" it had once hidden away.

"While it's not the launch button for a nuclear bomb, it's enough to arm you."

"To transform you, this 'lamb to the slaughter,' into a wolf capable of biting through the throat of its pursuers..."

"—And it just happens to solve the problem of being monitored by roadside cameras."

Safe house!
Pocket money...

"Shall we go now?" Bai Zhou asked.

"of course."

The simple two-word answer was like a "open sesame" command, about to open a strange door for Bai Zhou.

Behind the gate lies the legacy left by Crow, a mere glimpse into the blood and fire she endured.

She wanted Bai Zhou to quickly inherit everything she had, arm himself to the teeth, and then...

Live!
With a "whoosh" sound...

With a mix of anticipation and nervousness, Bai Zhou curiously opened the map.

Examine carefully.

A location is prominently marked on the map with a red circle.

It seems to be located in the most bustling and vibrant part of the city center, and it appears to be something extraordinary.

Even amidst a dense array of map coordinates, it still manages to stand out with its own distinctive name.

L'Ambroisie

Completely unfamiliar scribbles, resembling both incantations and shop names, entered Bai Zhou's clear yet bewildered eyes.

The following are also:

"A Michelin three-star upscale restaurant, established in 1988!"

"—Reservations required!"

(End of this chapter)