Chapter 33: The Vigilant Watcher

Within two days of the incident's conclusion, the entire city of Jiangdu was in an uproar.

A massive creature had been rampaging through the city streets, and anyone with functioning eyes could see it in the vicinity of several streets. Despite the urgent and extended efforts of the Government, they couldn't prevent the spread of information among those in the know.

By the following day, it seemed like the Government had simply given up on containment. They didn't delete posts or impose any restrictions, almost as if they were saying, "Let it be destroyed quickly."

The unrestrained internet suddenly became lively, with descriptions of the previous night flying everywhere. Overnight, it seemed like ten thousand people claiming to be eyewitnesses emerged, vividly describing the terrifying and precarious situation at the scene.

Rumors are like the devil's carving knife, with each person leaving their mark on it when spreading it. By the time it spreads from one to ten, and from ten to a hundred, who knows what shape it has been carved into?

Although the Government seemed to have abandoned their efforts, most of the circulated online information was limited to text and lacked any videos or visual images. Since nobody had pictures or evidence, it became a competition of who could come up with the most sensational and captivating story.

Apart from the horrifying madness and terrifying monster at the scene, the focus naturally shifted to the mysterious individual who had managed to stop it all.

It's unclear who initially released this information, but gradually, everyone came to know that the one who had eliminated the monster and averted the disaster was a mysterious masked vigilante.

No one had any visual data of him, and the widely accepted information online only mentioned that he appeared to resemble a bat. Other than that, people knew nothing about him, except that this brave warrior had single-handedly ended the calamity and prevented its further spread, all without any teammates or external support.

Numerous "eyewitnesses" came forward, claiming to have personally seen the mysterious hero.

"He can fly, I saw it with my own eyes! I witnessed him battling the monster in the sky!"

"I saw it too, I swear! I saw him soaring through the air outside my grandmother's window! And he definitely has superpowers; I saw him send that massive creature flying with a single punch, collapsing buildings in the process."

"He can also use magic, spewing fire, freezing things, and summoning winds and rain. I bet a pack of spicy sticks that he's definitely a mage."

"."

As the topic continued to gain traction and attention, people quickly discovered some overlooked news from the previous nights.

For example, a woman walking home at night was attacked by a pervert, but the mysterious vigilante appeared and broke both of the attacker's legs.

Another incident involved a public brawl where streetlights suddenly went out, followed by a burst of smoke, and the troublemakers ended up sprawled on the ground in disarray.

At the time, some criminals who were arrested were terrifiedly muttering about vampires or bats, but it didn't catch much attention. Now, people went back to review previous news and suddenly had an epiphany, realizing that those descriptions matched the mysterious hero who appeared in this current event.

A class representative compiled all the information available online and summarized the abilities of this mysterious vigilante: flight, invisibility, immense strength capable of flipping cars with ease, and a high likelihood of knowing spells and magic.

On the day approaching evening, the authorities finally stepped forward to make an official statement.

A previously unheard-of department called Special Task Force Nine (STF-9) stepped forward and held a press conference. The spokesperson publicly disclosed the existence of the infected individuals for the first time, even announcing that STF-9's official website would be made accessible from tonight onwards, allowing everyone to access more details about the infected individuals.

This announcement caused a seismic impact across society, stirring up a storm of reactions.

While there had been hints of abnormal events in the past and no shortage of conspiracy theorists murmuring about the government concealing information or predicting an alien invasion that would bring about the destruction of the world, no one believed it, or rather, no one wanted to believe that such things could be true.

However, what spread rapidly through fiber optics and telecommunication signals was fear.

On the evening following the official announcement, everyone, to varying degrees, realized that the familiar world they knew might no longer exist.

From now on, they would have to live in a world where caution was paramount. They needed to adapt to a life where everyone around them could potentially be a madman. They had to be wary of every patch of darkness, every shadow they passed by. Moreover, they needed to constantly examine themselves to ensure they showed no signs of going insane.

Meanwhile, that same evening, heinous acts unfolded in various places. Crime rates of all kinds skyrocketed overnight. Perhaps some individuals, driven by fear of the future, became lost, while others seized the opportunity to unleash the dark desires that had always lurked within them, using the excuse of the infection.

That night, at the STF-9 Jiangdu Branch Office.

Luo Yajun stuffed his crumpled uniform into the locker in a disarrayed manner, changing into casual attire. He zipped up his backpack and slung it over his shoulder.

"Getting ready to leave?"

His superior, Chen Meiyue, leaned against the door, appearing out of nowhere.

Luo Yajun didn't even turn his head.

"Just a few days off, it's not like it's the first time," he replied indifferently.

It was strictly forbidden to shoot at non-infected civilians without authorization. Although most of the people he killed were deserving of punishment, many of them were ordinary individuals who hadn't been infected.

In reality, he was merely suspended from duty. Considering the merits he had gained from his recent actions, it could be said that his superiors were showing him some leniency.

"Perhaps that guy was right," he suddenly said.

"Who?" Chen Meiyue asked.

"The laughing lunatic," Ruo Yajun sat amidst the swirling smoke. "He said that what people fear the most is 'nothingness,' the unknown and the uncertain.

Those fears were originally hidden deep within everyone's hearts, and the revelation of the infection event has brought them to the surface. Fear drives society to change, causing people to unleash their primal selves and bringing the world closer to its true nature."

"Here we go again," Chen Meiyue shrugged. "Is it another one of your pessimistic theories?"

"It's realism. Believe me, the demons that humanity has created will surprise even themselves. I've seen plenty of such things during my time in the Public Security Bureau."

Luo Yajun took a drag from his cigarette, pondering for a moment.

"A new era is about to begin, and the extraordinary will become the catalyst," he said. "People's fear of the unknown will be magnified like never before, and unease and anxiety will invite deeper darkness."

"So, if you ask me, the upcoming era will be a dark one, where moral boundaries will become incredibly cheap. The age where people could sleep peacefully has already passed. People need to be vigilant against every dark corner, every shadow around them, and even be constantly alert to ensure their own sanity."

"So, you definitely won't like this era," Chen Meiyue remarked.

"Not like it? Are you kidding?" Luo Yajun burst into laughter, changing the tone of the conversation.

"I absolutely love this era," he extinguished his cigarette, revealing a faint smile. "It means I'll have an endless supply of scum to eliminate. I will kill those lunatics, crush them all, until there's not a single one left, or perhaps I'll have my fun before that.

But regardless, I will thoroughly enjoy this process, even if I have to go it alone."

Chen Meiyue's beautiful face tightened for a moment, but soon she burst into laughter.

"Hahaha, sorry, it's just funny to see you being so serious about all this," she waved her hand. "But you're exaggerating too much."

She was about to say something else, but a series of hurried footsteps interrupted her in the hallway. The two of them turned their heads towards the sound and soon saw Tang Li gasping for breath as she appeared at the door.

"Did you see it?" she asked straight away.

"See what?" the two of them looked at each other.

"Quick, look outside the window."

Tang Li crossed the room and reached the window, pulling open the curtains with a swish.

Chen Meiyue and Luo Yajun joined her at the window.

Then they all froze simultaneously.

The night sky was pitch black, devoid of moonlight and stars, as if a vast curtain extended to the horizon.

In the midst of that deep and boundless darkness, there was only one unique light source that seemed to illuminate the entire night.

A warm golden light pierced through the thick black clouds, leaving a circular glow in the night sky. A sharply defined bat stretched across the center of the illuminated area.

There was no visible source for the light, no traceable path, just like a round moon suspended in the night sky.

It served as the only beacon in the vast darkness, a tireless sentinel in the night.

It was a signal.

A signal that was simple and clear, immediately understood by anyone who saw it.

A new era was about to dawn, and the world would undergo a transformation. But with the arrival of this era, it didn't necessarily mean only darkness.

As people walk through the night, encountering darkness and shadows, they don't have to be afraid.

Because in the darkness, there is not only evil.

There are also vigilant guardians.

(Here, we should play the ending theme song of The Dark Knight, "A Watchful Guardian"~)