Chapter 15 Explosion

"What just happened?!" exclaimed one of the individuals standing in front of the hotel, as their balance was disrupted by the aftermath of the explosion.

Regaining their composure, both duos surveyed the scene of shattered glass and a disoriented crowd amidst the shockwaves.

With the instincts of a seasoned journalist, Smith swiftly flicked on the camera switch and directed the lens toward the source of the explosion.

"It's the Thunderbolts!"

Zooming in through the camera, the cameraman caught a glimpse of the unfolding chaos in the distance. Amidst the billowing smoke, faint apparitions flickered, accompanied by intense gunfire and furious roars.

Recognizing the identities of the phantoms, Smith steadied the camera's angle and turned to his companion, Colin, awaiting instructions from the reporter.

Sensing Smith's gaze, Colin made a quick decision.

Obviously, Colin's prompt action wasn't driven by journalistic ethics, but rather by the intent to establish contact with the Thunderbolts in order to acquire more Time Fragments.

"What's going on, Colin?"

Despite the newspaper being acquired by business tycoon Dexter Bennett, The Daily Bugle's fundamental structure remained mostly unchanged. The studio promptly responded to the live call from the on-site reporter.

"Apologies for the interruption..."

As Colin headed towards the explosion site, he relayed the situation through the camera lens.

"...but just moments ago, a significant explosion occurred in a nearby city block, close to the Hilton Hotel. We can still feel the shockwaves here on the ground. Currently, we're uncertain about the details, but the footage captured at the scene suggests that members of the Thunderbolts were engaged in combat... We'll have more information once we reach the explosion site."

Accompanying Colin's report, the cameraman shifted the lens towards the affected street block, providing the studio audience with a visual understanding of the situation.

"Colin, can you hear us?"

"Are you safe? Do you need to evacuate?"

In the studio, upon learning about Colin and the others' situation, the host immediately sought updates.

"We're safe at the moment..."

Colin and the others were roughly two blocks away from the explosion site.

They were almost there by the time the host spoke.

Halting their steps momentarily to catch their breath, Colin observed the parked police cars on the road before continuing the report.

"As you can see, the police have arrived at the scene. We still don't have precise information regarding casualties caused by the explosion..."

Trailing behind Colin, Smith documented the scene with the camera.

The thick smoke from the explosion engulfed everything, creating a haze that blurred their surroundings. Just after standing there for a dozen seconds, a thin layer of dust has already settled on the camera lens.

Not only the lens but also Colin and Smith themselves.

Witnessing the immense devastation caused by the explosion, both Colin and the cameraman grew more cautious. Carefully navigating the debris-strewn street, Colin answered the host's questions while keeping a vigilant eye on his surroundings.

"...At present, we can still hear sounds of intense fighting at the scene. From this, we can see that the fighting situation is quite fierce. We'll do our best to convey the situation while ensuring our own safety."

"Alright, safety first, Colin."

The live coverage not only captivated the studio host but also engaged the viewers tuning in to the news on their televisions.

[Faith (269/1000)]

Meanwhile, on-site, Colin noticed something peculiar. The Faith points, previously frozen at 268, quietly increased by one. It appeared that accumulating Faith was not limited to the real world but extended to the anti-world as well.

"However, why does it seem that the rate of Faith increase in the anti-world is slower compared to the real world?"

When considering the scale of media and the speed of information dissemination, the newsboys of the Great Depression couldn't possibly keep up with the pace of the internet. However, the clear upward trend in Faith growth before Colin's eyes indicated that the situation was not so straightforward.

"Could it be that with the rise of the internet media era, although people have more convenient channels to receive information, it has also led to a decrease in patience when dealing with news? Nowadays, everyone craves the latest firsthand information and no longer delves into every piece of news like in the past."

Naturally, all of this was mere speculation on Colin's part. It didn't represent the truth, especially since he hadn't yet figured out the specific role of Faith.

"...How's the situation at the scene, Colin?"

Caught up in his speculations due to the changes in the numbers of Faith, Colin was interrupted by the host's question after a brief silence in the studio.

"Colin, can you hear me?"

"Yes, I can hear you..."

Regaining his composure with a prompt from the cameraman, Colin scanned his surroundings and continued, "In fact, we've covered quite a distance at the explosion site. As you can see, the surrounding neighborhood has suffered severe damage from the blast. The streets are scattered with remnants of the battle. Fortunately, up until now, we haven't come across any injured civilians..."

Colin found it hard to believe that there were no casualties in such a massive explosion. The only plausible explanation was that someone had promptly evacuated the injured civilians. With caution, they continued their walk, captured by the camera.

The scene captured by the lens grew increasingly obscured.

"No, if we go any further, we won't capture anything."

Coming to a halt, Colin called out to Smith, the cameraman, and shook his head.

"It seems like we'll have to retreat."

Considering their safety, Colin had to abandon the plan of venturing deeper into the area. Having only recently left the hospital, he had no intention of returning so soon.

"I apologize, everyone. Due to the hazardous conditions and the reduced visibility caused by the thick smoke, we have no choice but to retrace our steps..."

Turning around, he conveyed his apology to the camera.

As Colin prepared to head back to the entrance of the neighborhood, following the same path with the cameraman, his gaze inadvertently caught sight of a blurry figure in the distance. Cloaked in a loose overcoat and shrouded in dense fog, the figure seemed to be moving about.

However, before he could utter a word...

The figure vanished into the thick fog, leaving no trace behind.