Night Journey

Chapter 78 News Headlines
When Elton groggily opened his eyes, it was already afternoon.

He lay huddled on the messy bed, his whole body aching uncontrollably, and a jarring noise echoed in his mind, like a broken phonograph singing hoarsely.

"Ha ha……"

Cold sweat seeped into Elton's eyes, stinging his face in agony.

After struggling painfully for a while, Elton fell to the ground with a thud, curled up, and groaned continuously.

It took Elton quite a while to recover.

He rolled over, lay flat on the ground, and pieced together his fragmented memories, recalling what had happened the night before.

Last night... nothing happened.

Elton's memories begin with a party with friends and end with the arrival of the Reverse Falcon.

As for what happens next.

Elton only remembers running away like a madman, even when he fell and was covered in injuries, he staggered to his feet and followed his instincts to escape.

—They kept running away, as if fleeing some dark fate.

"damn it!"

Elton slammed his fist on his head, as if tapping a broken radio, a flash of clarity crossing his mind.

“Calm down, Elton. You’re an employee of the City Guard, even if you’re just a clerical worker…”

Elton took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, and tried to recall everything from the beginning.

Elton Hawke.

His life was not smooth, just like many others in this crazy era.

Elton lost his father when he was young, and a few years later, his mother also passed away from a serious illness.

Despite the successive blows, Elton did not break down.

He simply became more and more taciturn, locking himself in his cramped room all day.

There was not a sound; it was as silent as a coffin.

Fortunately, Elton's parents left him a considerable amount of savings. With this money, Elton grew up with many hardships and eventually passed a series of screenings to successfully join the City Guard Bureau.

"Elton is very difficult to deal with."

This is how his employees described him.

“The ascetics live a life of poverty for the sake of their faith, but all I can see in Elton’s life is numbness, and what’s worse, he is completely unaware of his own numbness.”

Elton didn't care what they thought.

He has boundless enthusiasm, but he poured that enthusiasm into Yanxun Technology.

Yanxun Technology...

Suddenly, Elton's hazy memories began to clear.

He remembered.

He first fled back home and checked his body to see if it had been tainted by chaos or if he had become demonized.

Then... under extreme emotional stress, I did something.

Something.

Elton slowly shifted his gaze to the corner of the room, where a strange device covered with cables and antennas was piled up.

It was a Yanxun communication station that Elton had assembled and modified himself.

To perfect it, Elton spent most of his monthly salary on this equipment.

Elton walked step by step to the Yanxun Communications station, checked the equipment records, and found that he had sent a message out at midnight.

What did I post?

Elton looked at the papers beside him with a puzzled expression.

To avoid sending invalid information, Elton always writes and organizes his messages on paper before sending them.

The paper was crumpled and wrinkled, completely blank, without any writing on it.

It seems that Elton was simply typing nonsense as he sent the message.

New problems arise.

"Damn it, who did I send this to?"

Just as Elton was struggling with this, the Yanxun Communications Station was activated.

Amidst the hum of the machinery, the antenna began to rotate automatically, and the lights flashed in succession.

Like a printer, Yanxun Communications Station swallowed the pre-set paper into its machine and slowly spat it out. But now, the blank paper was covered with lines of freshly written text.

Elton nervously picked up the paper and began to read the words on it.

"Elton, I don't quite understand what you're saying, but I can sense that you're in a painful situation, right?"
You said you were all alone, and that you were going through a tough time.

I understand that everyone goes through moments like this, but ultimately, there will be a hurdle we need to overcome.

Elton silently read the words on the paper, as if reciting sacred texts, and his restless heart miraculously calmed down.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's alright, Elton, it's alright."

No matter what, you still have me. I've always been by your side. Although I may seem unreachable to you, we're also incredibly close.

Upon finishing the book, Elton carefully folded the pages and opened the side of the bookshelf.

The room was filled with folders labeled with dates. Elton took out the most recent one, wrote down today's date and time, and carefully put the paper inside.

Elton murmured as he closed the cabinet door.

"Thank you, Lila."

Elton still couldn't remember what he had sent out during his emotional breakdown last night, but he was surprised that Lila, who had been silent all along, had replied to him.

This brought him a great sense of peace.

At the same time, this also made Elton make a certain decision.

Last night, he almost died there. If he had really died, then all the feelings hidden in his heart, the countless suppressed words, the unfinished business... nothing would have come to an end. Realizing this, Elton saw the image of the reverse falcon before his eyes, and a jolt of shock ran through his body.

"Oh, right, the Reverse Falcon..."

Elton's eyes gleamed.

Of all the stories his radio hosts were interested in, the most were undoubtedly those about the Reverse Falcon.

Elton had not personally experienced that era, and coupled with the city council's attempt to erase the existence of the Reverse Falcon, over time, Elton himself would occasionally doubt the authenticity of the Reverse Falcon.

"Oh my god, you really exist?"

This mysterious figure, who once single-handedly rewrote the status quo of Hull City, has now returned.

Elton was stunned for a while before turning his gaze to the clock. Seeing that it was already afternoon, he hurriedly tidied his clothes, pushed open the door, and left.

Regardless of what happened last night, there's one thing Elton hasn't forgotten.

Today is a working day.

Elton rushed to the City Guard Bureau, bracing himself for a severe scolding from Daelin, but surprisingly, no one paid him any attention.

Everyone was busy at their posts, the whispers of idle chatter had disappeared, leaving only hurried murmurs and the rustling of pages turning.

Elton arrived at Dalyn's office and, through the gap in the blinds, saw Dalyn arguing with Anya. Both of them looked serious, and the tense atmosphere was almost palpable.

The unusual behavior of the city guard made Elton forget about what had happened the night before.

Back at his workstation, Elton asked Mefnny, who was sitting next to him.

"Meifuni, what's wrong?"

Maefuni glanced up at Elton, then looked back at the table, and said...

"Oh, Elton, you're finally done with your work."

Elton remained silent.

Maefuni didn't realize Elton was absent, assuming he was busy with something more important... and so did everyone.

"What happened?"

Just as he finished questioning it in his mind, Elton noticed a newspaper on the corner of the table.

Unfold the newspaper, and rows of striking words and horrifying pictures come into view.

The falcon returns.

The title reads like this, accompanied by a picture of the familiar Memorial Square, with a headless corpse hanging from the tip of a raised sword.

Elton blinked, his dazed brain struggling to process the barrage of information.

"The long-lost Reverse Falcon reappeared last night..."

"The hanged, wicked offspring; the exposed chaotic power..."

Reporters beat the city garrison to a lockdown and truthfully reported everything that happened at the memorial square.

To avoid any accidents, they had to print an extra copy in an emergency; Elton could even feel the lingering warmth of the ink on the newspaper.

The return of the Reverse Falcon has undoubtedly ignited a tremendous storm in the city of Hel.

Whether it's his past actions or his current purpose for returning, it will arouse the vigilance and suspicion of many forces. Not to mention, according to past data, Reverse Falcon himself is a powerful high-level superhuman.

A mysterious, high-ranking superhuman who does not belong to any faction.

A commotion arose outside the city guard bureau. The staff stopped what they were doing and looked up to see Director Decal walk in with a grim face, followed by countless reporters and flashing lights.

"Director DeKarl, what is the City Guard's opinion on the return of the Reverse Falcon?"

"The chaotic forces at the memorial plaza are undeniable. Is this a dereliction of duty by the City Guard Bureau?"

A series of questions gave De Karl a headache, and his staff rushed forward to try to keep the reporters out.

"There are rumors that the city council deliberately erased information related to the Reverse Falcon. Is this true?"

The loud voice drowned out all the noise, and upon hearing this pointed question, the others fell silent, awaiting De Karl's answer.

De Karl stopped and looked back. He couldn't find the person who asked the question, but his suppressed gaze betrayed his barely concealed anger.

He took a deep breath and calmed himself down.

"The City Guard remains the shield of Hull City, as it has always been, and as it is today."

With that, De Karl turned and walked into his office, leaving the reporters making a ruckus at the door.

Having obtained no useful information, the reporters were just about to leave when they spotted Elton in the corner.

All eyes fell on Elton, instantly making him feel extremely uneasy.

Elton was unaware of what had happened at the memorial square, but he witnessed the arrival of the Reverse Falcon.

Have you been discovered?

Reporters swarmed over, and Elton's heart raced.

Just as he was about to run away, the reporters swarmed around Meifuni, chattering incessantly with questions.

"Ms. Love, it is said that you were the first person to discover the evidence at the scene. Could you tell us more about what exactly happened?"

"Did you only see the body at the scene and not find any trace of the Falcon?"

Meifuni closed her eyes tightly and silently clenched her fists.

Suddenly, a piercing metallic clang rang out, silencing all other noises.

"Everyone, this is the City Sanitation Bureau, not an interview site."

Ciri appeared here at some unknown time, brandishing his Boiling Sword, standing in front of the crowd, and said sternly.

He made no attempt to conceal his murderous intent, which, like a biting cold wind, stung the nerves of the reporters.

The reporters exchanged bewildered glances, swallowed hard, and then realized that the City Sanitation Bureau was itself a violent institution.

"You should leave!"

Cillian pointed his sword toward the gate.

(End of this chapter)