Trap

The sky gradually darkened as dark clouds gathered, and a few moments later, raindrops began to fall. Chino, noticing the rain, pulled up his hood. Just then, the girl from earlier appeared, running over with an umbrella.

"Hasn't it been raining for... Has it been raining every day for the past few days?" She asked, trying to keep pace with him.

Chino unconsciously tried to avoid the girl, but she persisted, following him closely, "If you have something to say, say it. I won't laugh at you. Think about your three years of high school, am I not the one who was always there for you?"

The girl continued to follow Chino, who quickened his pace several times, attempting to shake her off. Suddenly, a raven landed on a nearby electric pole and let out a series of strange noises.

Hearing Raven's call, Chino's expression changed suddenly, "Can you stop following me? I still have a job to do."

"What kind of job? Is it really killing fish at RT-Mart?"

"Yes," Chino replied tersely, "Two days ago, I saw an advertisement on the internet. A man said that he... Fuck off!" He suddenly shouted angrily at the girl.

Startled by Chino's outburst, the girl froze, a tear fell from the corner of her eye, "You..."

Chino said nothing more. He pulled his raincoat tighter around himself and turned to leave.

From her perch on the electric pole, Raven let out a strange laugh, then flapped her wings and flew away.

...

The falling rain gradually increased. Chino's face trembled, and his heartbeat became extremely intense. 

Just then, Raven flew next to him and transformed into a young girl, "Whoa, who was that girl just now? Doesn't she look like she's good to you?"

"You roared like that just now, I think her heart will be broken now ~," She mocked with a smirk.

Chino did not reply.

"Well... It's better to transform her into a Deep One. Based on her attitude towards you, if she transforms, she will be much more loyal and trustworthy than your current subordinates," Raven suggested, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

Chino glanced towards Raven, "That girl talks too much; it's not very effective."

"Let's go. We should take action now."

The young girl Raven curled her lips and smiled, "This is really, really interesting..."

...

At night, in the Yangyan district, Chino stood on the upper floor, observing the street below. The heavy rain fell sporadically, showing no sign of stopping. A Raven flew in and transformed into a young girl, standing next to him.

"Are you sure they will come through this place?" Raven asked.

Chino closed his eyes and let out a strange scream, similar to a whale call. The sound wave was extremely unusual, covering a wide area and almost the entire Yangyan district. Many people heard the sound, but no one paid attention. Those who heard the scream appeared in Chino's mind.

"The road has not changed," Chino said. "A total of four police cars, seventeen people. Their target is Nanyan. Notify Queen Bee, she has been revealed."

Hearing this, the young girl Raven took out a phone, "Hey hey, hello hello, is 004 here? I'm looking for 004.... Ah, you've been exposed. It has nothing to do with me, 002 said, the police are already on their way over there. Can you handle it yourself?"

"Give it to me," Chino said, taking the phone directly.

"Queen Bee, in this group, there is one person you cannot handle," Chino said into the phone., "There's something strange about that brat. Quickly disperse all the normal people in Nanyan. I will release my Deep One army."

Queen Bee's voice came through, cautious but resolute, "All?"

"All."

"Today, no one can live to leave Nanyan," Chino declared, hanging up the phone.

"Enko, if you really have the ability to survive this night, I—"

"Don't set a flag, be careful of sudden failure," The Raven girl mocked, taking back the phone. Her body then transformed back into a raven, and she flew away, "My job is to record, so I'll go."

Chino pinched his neck, and his body immediately began to expand. Blue-black scales covered him in an instant. Within moments, Chino fully entered his Fish-Man mode, ready for the imminent confrontation.

...

A little earlier.

Beiling City, police station.

A group of seventeen people waited to depart. Avee even took out a bulletproof vest and gave it to Enko, "Wearing it can provide many security points."

Enko nodded once, then put on his bulletproof vest, then they quickly got into the car.

Four police cars started driving towards Nanyan, while dust and rain fell from the sky.

The car was very quiet, everyone was nervous, everyone was nervous, including Enko.

Avee and Enko sat in the back seat of a police car.

"You say, our opponent is most likely not just a monster?"

Enko nodded, "The monsters in Nanyan probably have the ability to control people. The worst case scenario is that everyone in Nanyan is our enemy."

Avee fell into deep thought.

"We have no way to open fire on innocent people. Assuming they are really controlled, then it will be troublesome..."

At this moment, a strange, loud sound suddenly echoed throughout the city!

Avee and the others listening were stunned.

"What sound?"

"It's like... a whale's cry."

"Whale?"

What are you joking about?

The strange sound's wavelength spread out, covering an extremely wide area, but there was only this one sound.

"There's something strange about this sound."

"If...you can really hear whales calling in the city, I think there must be some reason."

Enko also frowned.

Based on what he knew right now, there was no monster that could make a whale cry, but it was very possible that he didn't know it yet.

Not knowing is often the scariest.

Because you don't know what kind of opponent you are about to face.

...

Four police cars moved in unison and stopped in front of the Nanyan Hotel. A bearded police officer exited one of the cars and scratched his head, "It's not about me, it's just my driving technique..."

"No need to pretend to be cool, this mission is not about travel," Avee interjected as he got out of the back seat.

"I'm just trying to lighten the mood," the bearded officer shrugged.

Enko stepped out of the police car next, stretching his body and performing some warm-up movements before standing next to Avee, "However, are we late?"

The bearded officer looked up at Nanyan Hotel, which was brightly lit but eerily silent with no cars outside, "Is this a trap?"

"I'm afraid we're being set up."

"Stay alert, everyone. Our opponents are not human!" Avee warned.

"Enko, be careful," Avee said.

Enko nodded, "Don't worry, I have some ability to defend myself."

Above them, a raven flew by, carrying a camera on its chest, recording the scene below.

...

Nanyan's top floor.

Vex twirled a rolled-up cigarette in her fingers, puffing on it before flicking it away. Hundreds of people dressed in feminine attire stood beside her.

"Guests have arrived."

"Even though that fish told us to stay out of it, this is our territory. I don't want this turning into a seafood market."

"You all, if they resist, apply pressure. If they push, stab. Today, anyone who dares to enter this hotel won't leave."

With those words, the hundreds of women nodded in unison, dispersing into the elevators to descend downstairs.

Vex then dialed a number on her phone.

"Hello?"

"There's a group of police officers here causing trouble... They're all going to meet their end. You'll ensure justice, won't you?"

A pause followed, then a man's voice responded through the phone.

"...Yes, my queen."

...

Inside Nanyan Hotel.

Enko and the others proceeded cautiously. They meticulously checked every room on the first floor, but encountered no signs of life along the way.

"It's eerily quiet."

Throughout the hotel, the only sounds were their own footsteps echoing in the empty corridors. The silence was unnerving.

Everyone present shared a sense of unease, including Enko. This situation was unprecedented for him, whether during his previous visits to Nanyan or his experiences in the Death Game.

Thus far, it seemed that the building was entirely deserted. However, the nature of their operation suggested a degree of secrecy, or even the possibility of an insider.

Enko and Avee exchanged a perplexed glance before the group split into two teams to ascend to the second floor.

Yet, the scene on the second floor mirrored that of the first: an eerie emptiness prevailed.

"This is strange... exceedingly so..."

"Could they have evacuated so swiftly, even with prior knowledge of our arrival?"

Avee's brow furrowed in contemplation. "Unless..."

"Unless they're all remarkably obedient," Enko finished his thought.

"Remarkably obedient?"

The bearded officer looked puzzled.

"That's a major issue."

The two teams pressed onward and soon arrived at the third floor.

Suddenly, without warning, all the lights in the hotel simultaneously went out!

The hotel plunged into darkness, prompting both teams to draw their flashlights.

"Stay sharp!"

Enko shut his eyes, attuning himself to a weighty noise.

Rattle, rattle, rattle!

He recognized it—the sound of wet footsteps!

But they weren't isolated; they echoed from every direction!

Enko's eyes widened in alarm as he registered the multitude.

There were over a hundred!

And they were closing in fast!

Avee and the rest, too, caught sound of the wet footfalls.

"What's that noise?"

"It's like..."

"This isn't good!"

"Everyone, cover your ears and fall back!"

Reacting swiftly, Enko's command prompted the team to shield their ears and hastily retreat downstairs!