Chapter 628: Chasing Shadows in Flame City

Weaving through the towering buildings of Flame City, they scaled countless walls and squeezed through innumerable gaps between structures.

Lu Xin and Dracula dared not let their guard down as they moved at breakneck speed.

Dracula, shaken by the terror of the earlier Black Box Ability Users, was hell-bent on shaking them off. With one Case missing, her pace naturally quickened. Lu Xin trailed behind, taking note of how she ran with her head bowed and her limbs impressively agile—hardly the look of someone who had just undergone heart surgery.

At that speed, even the helicopter overhead couldn’t keep track of their trail.

Puppet-type users might catch up in open areas densely packed with buildings, but Spider-type adversaries exploit narrow spaces—clambering through windows and over roofs—to thwart their foes and nullify any advantage the Puppets could offer.

In their rapid escape, the figures chasing them gradually diminished in number.

Except for one—they couldn’t tell where he was, only that someone was persistently on their tail, never losing ground.

Several times, when they glanced back to identify him, they caught only a fleeting glimpse of a bulky black shadow.

Because of that relentless shadow, they never dared to slow down.

After over ten minutes of nonstop running, the sound of the helicopter’s rotors faded, as did the sporadic whine of nearing cold bullets and the din of Ability Users in pursuit. With the shadow gone, Dracula slightly eased her pace, scanning the area. She spotted an unlit building towering over thirty floors and quickly made her approach.

Pressing her face against the glass to check inside and ensuring it was empty, she etched a circle with her sharp nails. A gentle push sent the pane tumbling inward, leaving a perfect round hole. Shrinking her body, she slipped through.

Lu Xin hesitated for a moment before following.

In the deep darkness, Dracula panted and anxiously said, “Quick, check—are they on our tail?”

Lu Xin peered out the window and replied, “I think we’ve shaken them off…”

“That’s a relief…”

Breathing a heavy sigh, Dracula admitted, “You really scared me there. For a moment, I felt like something was moving unnaturally fast…”

“It was as if someone had seized my heart—some bizarre ability at work.”

“Fortunately, I ran fast enough to escape that effect.”

“…”

“Uh…”

After a pause, Lu Xin remarked, “It doesn’t seem to be some strange power—it looks like your heart was actually stolen…”

He added with a tinge of regret, “I risked my revolver for your sake!”

“That was my favorite gun. My work has always run smoothly with it…”

“…”

“Huh?”

Dracula quickly patted her chest and then reached behind her to feel her back.

Finally, in the darkness, she shot Lu Xin a strange, exasperated look: “You’re unbelievable. How can you spout such absurdities?”

“Talking about a stolen heart—it nearly scared you to death. If my heart were truly taken, how would I survive?”

“Don’t tell me you ended up shoving it back in…”

“…”

Lu Xin was momentarily speechless—it seemed he might have actually put it back.

Yet, he couldn’t explain it himself.

He had definitely seen a pale arm appear out of nowhere and grab Dracula’s heart.

Before he could ponder further, his instincts kicked in. Using the ability of the Black Playing Card, he replaced Dracula’s heart with his revolver and then, without thinking, put her heart back in—all in a rapid flurry of actions.

He couldn’t quite explain the mechanism behind it.

If Dracula’s heart had indeed been snatched and returned, why was there no sign of injury on her back?

More importantly, can a heart really function if it’s simply shoved back in?

He had extracted others’ hearts before and knew from experience that merely reinserted, they wouldn’t work.

So what on earth was happening with Dracula?

Amid her reproach, Lu Xin’s eyes drifted to her chest.

He then circled around to glance at her back.

Earlier, during their escape, he had scrutinized her closely—her movements and appearance never hinted at any anomaly.

Lu Xin felt an urge to lift her clothes and inspect further, but with a lady like her, the words wouldn’t come out.

…

While Lu Xin was lost in thought, Dracula had already reached the window and peered outside.

Outside, in mid-air and atop the skyscrapers, both helicopters and the pursuing Ability Users had vanished. However, on the streets below, flashing police lights began darting along the avenues, patrolling back and forth.

Irritated, she grumbled, “Are they really this relentless?”

“I only killed a damn kidnapper, assumed his identity for a while, and even used some counterfeit money…”

“Is Flame City really chasing me that hard?”

“…”

“After all, you did kill someone, impersonate a man, and even used counterfeit money…”

At that, Lu Xin bristled, “I merely breached a sentry post, yet so many are after me…”

He recalled his once orderly life, now marred by being chased by the Police in Flame City.

That’s got to leave a mark on your record, right?

“So, why complain?”

Dracula shot him an annoyed look, “You’re a fugitive, Lu Xin.”

“But that’s different…”

Lu Xin explained, “Sure, I breached a sentry post, but my plan was to reach Flame City and then negotiate with the higher-ups about their lax agent policies, chaotic fees, and potential solutions…”

“?”

Dracula turned sharply, scrutinizing him for a long moment.

Noticing how serious he was, she finally exclaimed in surprise, “They’re not even discussing a solution with you?”

Lu Xin replied, “Then I’ll report it to someone even higher.”

Dracula countered, “Even the top brass aren’t willing to work with you?”

Lu Xin hesitated, “In a world this big, is there really no place for reason?”

Dracula fell silent, giving him a deep, appreciative look and murmuring, “No wonder you’re the club’s prodigy…”

After a brief pause for rest, another helicopter emerged overhead. Glancing down, they saw an increasing number of police cars and even a few armored vehicles patrolling the streets—as if searching for something. Though it didn’t look like they were coming directly for them, the search zone was clearly closing in.

“What’s happening here…?”

Dracula scratched her head in frustration, then removed her blonde hair to reveal a head of black hair.

It seemed she instinctively wanted a change of hairstyle, but upon noticing her missing Case, she reluctantly put her hair back and said,

“Does Flame City really have that many police forces?”

“So many troublemakers in the city, yet endless people are chasing us without letting up…”

“…”

Lu Xin too sensed something amiss.

Based on the club chatter and the commotion he’d overheard in the bathtub, it was clear that several major incidents were unfolding in Flame City. Normally, law enforcement and the Security Hall’s forces should have been dispersed.

Yet, he and Dracula were being pursued relentlessly.

Not only were police and the Security Hall behind them, but even along their escape route, Black Box Ability Users were intercepting them.

This just wasn’t right…

Suddenly, Lu Xin recalled something and anxiously asked, “Did you get yourself into another mess?”

Dracula hesitated, then admitted guiltily, “I’ve stirred up plenty of trouble; I just don’t know which one has now blown up…”

In the darkness, noticing Lu Xin’s odd look, she quickly waved it off, “It’s nothing—no one will find us here for a while…”

Before she could finish, Lu Xin grew extremely alert.

Sure enough, just as Dracula’s words faded, something suddenly bulged out from the adjacent wall.

The scene was bizarre—a massive, plump mushroom appeared to sprout from the wall, complete with a body and limbs… or, more literally, as if a person were silently and swiftly emerging from within the wall.

In the pitch-black room, this eerie growth produced no sound.

By the time Lu Xin and Dracula noticed, half a body had already emerged, ready to squeeze out of the wall.

“Swoosh!”

Almost simultaneously, Lu Xin grabbed a vase while Dracula extended her sharp, crimson-clawed hand.

They both managed to seize the enormous head at nearly the same moment.

In that instant, the mushroom spoke in an excited tone, “Tiger, tiger, cover me up?”

“…”

“Swoosh…”

Lu Xin and Dracula froze, their eyes wide in shock and confusion as they asked, “Who are you?”

The mushroom replied cautiously, “First, give the code.”

Dracula snapped impatiently, “I’m Dracula. Got a problem?”

Lu Xin quickly added, “Come on, there’s no need for code in times like these—I’m Family Fun.”

“Huh?”

The mushroom let out an excited, low cry, hastily reaching out to shake Dracula’s hand, “Brother, so you’re actually a sister…”

Then, extending his hand to Lu Xin, “Brother, you really came to pick me up. I told you, once we meet, I owe you a massage…”

“…”

“Let’s save the massage talk for another time…”

“…How did you end up here?”

Lu Xin flushed with embarrassment, yet from that question he recognized the identity of the speaker. Before arriving, he had owed this person a favor—and they’d promised to treat him to a massage upon meeting. In the entire Club, there was only one Night Owl.

Studying Night Owl carefully, Lu Xin noted how he laboriously extricated his legs from the wall, his body unmistakably bulky.

His face was round and chubby, reminiscent of an overfed British Shorthair…

“So the cat in his name—is this really the cat?”