Chapter 4
Above the protective barrier, a sudden expanse of ominous dark clouds materialized, shrouding the sunlight. In the distance, the sounds of turmoil began to echo, and within those noises, both Jason and Will sensed an indescribable weight pressing down upon them.
Adrian appeared to be attuned to something, his complexion gradually paling. He was all too familiar with those sounds.
Suddenly, the sky was illuminated by a stark white lightning, followed by a multitude of panicked birds and animals fleeing frantically. They fled in all directions, as if being pursued by some monstrous entity.
What became visible to everyone was a blood fiend, nearly five meters in height. Despite being infernal entities, imperceptible to ordinary human eyes, the destruction they caused remained unmistakable. Hence, the Nocturnal Guardians' division managed these creatures' incursions to desolate areas.
This was Jason's first encounter with such colossal infernal entities within the city. He opened the entrance to the barrier, urgently contacting the cleanup team, urging them to enter the perimeter.
Jason and Will didn't have the time to dwell on Adrian's situation any longer. Their top priority was to eliminate this vicious blood fiend and safeguard the lives of all ordinary people in the vicinity.
With an anxious heart, Jason and Will rushed towards the barrier's exit. Though the barrier offered relative safety, they advanced towards the source of danger in a relentless commitment to their duty.
Watching the bloodthirsty monster, grotesque and ruthless, Adrian's mind flashed with fragmented images. He recalled pushing his parents in front of the terrifying creature, abandoning them to save himself. In a moment of desperation, he even kicked his father in the shoulder.
While running forward, he cried out, "Don't eat me, spare me! Eat them instead! I don't want to die!"
This young yet selfish boy didn't even spare a glance for his parents' expressions.
Finally, the illusion in Adrian's eyes burst like a bubble, and the full force of pain, regret, guilt, and all the negative emotions in the world hit him like a relentless tidal wave. He staggered, nearly unable to stand. It was at this moment that he first saw the apparitions of his parents, materialized by his own thoughts.
Distorted, devoid of self-awareness, these spirits were bound to him by the unseen psychic chains extending from his mind. He was on the verge of a breakdown.
The family home was stained with congealed, dark-red bloodstains. Thanks to his abilities, he had been immersed in the delusion that his parents were still alive.
The illusion had caused Adrian to forget that he had pushed his parents into the monster's maw, making him oblivious to his own guilt.
Adrian's sanity snapped like a taut guitar string the moment he confronted the brutal truth.
Now, his sole thought was to vanquish the second monster beyond the barrier and then self-destruct, seeking atonement for his parents.
In his imagination, he grew cyberpunk-like wings similar to Will's on his back. With a powerful flap, these wings, glistening with metallic brilliance, carried him into the sky. Behind Adrian, the phantoms of his parents, which he had unintentionally manifested, followed him like worried parents from their living days.
Under the overwhelming assault of his spiraling psychic energy, the protective shield broke, creating an opening. Adrian rushed through it.
As he emerged, he imagined countless sharp, pointed air projectiles launching toward the grotesque blood fiend not far away.
At this moment, the monster was locked in intense combat with Jason and Will. Fire spiraled under Jason's control, hammering into the creature, while Will flew beside it, repeatedly striking at its vulnerable points with steel feathers.
His wings flapped, generating tornadoes with razor-sharp edges that whirled toward the monster, leaving a trail of bloody gashes.
The intensity of their attack momentarily caused the monster to let its guard down. Adrian's projectiles pierced numerous bleeding wounds.
However, the assaults were too feeble, and within a brief moment, the wounds were healing, with flesh and blood rapidly regenerating.
Yet, these attacks had drawn the attention of the blood fiend toward Adrian. He sensed that this particular monster was after him, and the one he had self-destructed earlier was female.
He then attempted to manipulate his limited psychic energy to take control of the monster's mind. However, the awakening was too brief, and his psychic energy was too limited. The male monster was overpowering, and he couldn't infiltrate its mind.
Backlash surged through him like a heavy hammer, crushing his mental resistance. Adrian couldn't materialize his wings, and just as they vanished, he plummeted from the sky.
At this moment, Adrian didn't want anyone to save him, as he had lost his will to survive. Yet, he saw his parents' ghosts, previously devoid of consciousness, running towards him, attempting to catch him as he fell.
Seeing his parents' innate urge to protect him, Adrian was paralyzed. Subsequently, tears streamed uncontrollably from his eyes.
"Sorry, Mom, Dad. Forgive me, I didn't mean to harm you. I'm sorry, really sorry. Can you please come back? I can't lose you."
In agony, Adrian couldn't be saved by the ghosts. The monster, disregarding Jason's flame barrier, extended sharp claws toward Adrian.
Just as the next second was about to pierce Adrian's body, a black spatial tunnel suddenly appeared in the air. A brilliantly golden-haired woman emerged from the tunnel, single-handedly cradling Adrian. She swung a heavy hammer, sending the monster's claws and body flying, crashing heavily to the ground.
Several others, also dressed in gray sportswear, surrounded the monster, pinning it to the ground and mercilessly beating it like a punching bag. Various colored abilities were unleashed without restraint, continually smashing into the blood fiend, eliciting painful howls.
"Captain, you finally arrived!" Jason and Will, both injured, saw the newcomers in the sky, their eyes gleaming with the brightest stars, as if witnessing angels.
"Captain...?" Adrian, in a daze, glanced at the woman holding him before slipping into the deepest darkness.
With disheveled hair, Jason ran to Gloria, who was still carrying Adrian single-handedly. He looked at the woman in front of him with admiration, paying no attention to the blood fiend being pummeled behind him.
"Captain, you know I almost died today. So, after everything is over, can I apply for a vacation?"
Rubbing his hands together, Jason continued with anticipation, while Will gestured on the side, signaling Jason to put in a word for him too.
"Oh, and Will, he was the first to find Adrian. Look at the injuries we have. After we return, you have to give us at least a week off!"
As Jason eagerly looked at Gloria, suddenly feeling a cold breeze behind him, he turned around to find Benjamin, the usually cold and ruthless man.
"I've seen your injuries, both you and Jason. Indeed, a vacation is in order," Benjamin adjusted his glasses, carefully examining the wounds. Hearing this, Jason widened his eyes in surprise, "Did you change your personality? You're scaring me with this coldness, Benjamin."
"Don't be hasty; I haven't finished. Your injuries are much lighter than Will's, so you can have a half-day vacation to receive medical treatment in the infirmary."
"You, with a body temperature of 37 degrees Celsius, are speaking with a frigidness of minus thirty degrees Celsius!" Jason, infuriated, even considered using his flames to burn Benjamin's hair.
"As for Will, your wings were torn by the blood fiend. If not repaired properly, next time, you might only be able to fly with one wing. But you can become my guinea pig for wing restoration. It will take about five days, and you can consider it a perfect vacation."
Will remained silent, realizing for the first time that silence could be the best form of protest. He vowed to make Baron dissuade Benjamin from such terrifying ideas when they returned.
"Don't scare them, Benjamin," Gloria, holding the unconscious Adrian like a pig, lifted her hammer and casually smashed the blood fiend behind her, instantly tearing the horrifying monster apart.
"This incursion of the Blood Fiend into the city is our collective failure. After our mission, immediately instruct the cleanup team to erase the memories of everyone within a five-kilometer radius during this period and perform a time reset on all houses to restore this area to its original state."
Gloria methodically organized the task. As for the boy, she pursed her lips, paused for a moment, and said, "His potential is extraordinary. In two months, he will begin training as a new recruit for the Nocturnal Guardians. I will reserve a spot for him. I believe his potential shouldn't be confined to our Phoenix Squad but should shine where he is needed, becoming a guiding light for ordinary people."
Hearing this, Jason and Will, who were previously making a ruckus beside Gloria, fell into silence. Only the unknowing newcomer, Will, looked around, clueless about what was happening.
Gloria, a level-eight powerhouse, was originally one of the most formidable superhumans among the active members of the Nocturnal Guardians. However, if not for the tragedy a few years ago, the Phoenix Squad wouldn't have transformed from a special unit into an ordinary guard team, ranking at the bottom in the national rankings every year.
In a bright, clean room with five beds, a man wearing a white doctor's coat sat beside a bed where a person lay. He wore glasses, crossed his legs, and recorded information attentively.
Behind him was a metallic cabinet through which glass containers filled with liquids of various colors were visible, securely placed.
Adrian, at this moment, lay on the bed, deeply submerged in an unrecoverable nightmare, his consciousness devoured by guilt, devoid of any will to survive.
Gloria, Jason, and Benjamin stood outside the medical room, discussing the proposed solution presented by the team's medic.
However, this solution was somewhat perilous, especially for the three of them who lacked psychic abilities.
The medic informed them that Adrian's ability was psychic in nature, and he was currently immersed in the illusions created by his unconscious mind. Unless the illusions were shattered, Adrian couldn't overcome his mental obstacles, gain a new lease on life, and awaken. His guilt and anguish were too overwhelming, almost shattering him entirely.
This meant there needed to be a powerful individual to connect with Adrian's consciousness, enter his illusions, and wake him up. However, doing so easily trapped the outsider in a deep-seated environment, making it impossible to break free. The body, devoid of human consciousness, would become an empty vessel, a living vegetable never to awaken.