Under the night-shrouded sky of Backlund, the crimson moonlight shone silently. In the southern district, the Evernight Guardians considerately closed the doors and windows of each household, while the Heart of Mechanics team focused all their attention on the deserted streets.

Tap, tap, tap. The sporadic yet soft footsteps broke the silence as a figure appeared in the sewage-laden alley, seemingly avoiding something.

Thud, thud, thud. The urgent and heavy footsteps followed closely behind, always appearing precisely five meters away, no matter where the light footsteps went.

"Someone, please help me... someone, please help me!"

A girl with flowing emerald hair was running aimlessly. She bit her lower lip tightly, tears welling up in her slightly red eyes. The tall pursuer seemed hidden behind her, and she appeared to be in a state of despair.

Bang! Her head collided with a hard chest.

The girl looked up in surprise. Under the red moon, she saw a man with a wild beard and thick hair.

In an instant, disappointment, panic, and hope flashed across her eyes. Finally, with a hint of hope, she whispered to the man:

"Sir... someone is chasing me. Can you help me?"

"Help you?" The man grinned bloodthirstily, his eyes filled with undisguised desire. "Sure, but... you need to cooperate."

"No!"

Amidst her despair, she was struck unconscious and fell into the hairy man's arms.

Thud, thud, thud. The tall, sturdy man rushed out, surprised and angry:

"Hand her over to me!"

The rough-looking man glanced at the other's height with a hint of disdain in his eyes:

"Fusac fool, if you don't want to become my slave, get back to the north!"

As he spoke, his left hand's nails turned black and elongated into five deep black claws!

"You... you... damn it!"

The tall man retreated instinctively upon seeing the claws, hesitating and reluctant, his gaze fixed on the girl. Finally, he cursed angrily and turned to run away.

As the heavy footsteps faded, the rough-looking man relaxed. He turned the girl over, her delicate features facing him.

He was stunned for a moment, examining her from head to toe, finally smacking his lips and muttering:

"Nice taste."

"Too bad I can't enjoy it alone..."

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He took a deep, greedy breath, hoisted the girl over his shoulder, and swiftly disappeared into the alley.

In the darkness, the girl's face revealed a triumphant smile mingled with unparalleled disdain.

...

On the rooftop, the Heart of Mechanics team watched in astonishment.

"Is this their method of infiltration? If that bishop weren't good-looking, it probably wouldn't have worked at all!"

The joking team member couldn't help but mutter to himself.

The young team member asked:

"With that demi-god as bait, why bring another bishop?"

The scholarly-looking team leader, a Sequence Five "Mystical Teacher," spoke while observing:

"Harl, that's experience."

"In the face of obvious threats, people often overlook the hidden dangers around them. Unfortunately, the members of the Rose School of Thought won't understand this."

"Right!" The joking team member laughed. "Their extraordinary sequences doom them to being insane from the start."

A usually silent team member spoke up:

"I think that demi-god is actually enjoying himself."

...

After a while, the rough-looking man carried the girl, making several turns before entering an ordinary house.

He walked to the center of the room, pried open a wooden plank, revealing a staircase below, marked with desperate claw marks.

Following the blood-stained steps, he arrived at a basement engraved with bloody, mysterious patterns. A crimson altar was set up, surrounded by several robed figures, one of whom stood out for his silence and puppet-like demeanor.

"Victor, where's the sacrifice?"

The man called Victor suppressed his desire to possess the girl and threw her to the ground in front of him, lifting his chin slightly:

"Here it is."

The questioning robed figure glanced at her and exclaimed in amazement:

"Damn, top-quality!"

To be precise, top-quality makeup... which I refined! Quinn silently retorted.

With a bit of makeup, he became the most likely target for an attack at night. In the face of the obviously formidable Father Utravsky, ordinary thugs would back off, but only the members of the Rose School of Thought would dare to snatch prey from a tiger's mouth.

Quinn fully suppressed his abnormal life force, aided by some alchemical tools, allowing him to hide his presence even from potential demi-gods.

The puppet-like robed figure silently crouched down, his invasive gaze scanning the girl's tightly knit brows, thin lips, delicate collarbones, and not-so-prominent body... the "anti-detection" makeup had cost Quinn quite a bit.

Including Victor, the robed figures held their breath, nervously observing the expression of the crouched figure, while Quinn dared not even breathe heavily.

Finally, a rasping sound came from the crouched figure. He nodded:

"Acceptable."

"That's good!"

With a crisp cheer, the robed figures exhaled collectively. Then they realized: who just shouted that?

The puppet-like robed figure jolted, about to shout. The petite girl suddenly opened her eyes, giving him a sweet, heart-stopping smile:

"Translate this."

Translate what? The robed figure couldn't process it, and then a sweeping kick from the girl "opened up" his "mind."

Bang!!!

The puppet-like robed figure flew back, smashing through the altar. A ghastly, exaggerated blood hole appeared on his head, with vines inscribed with sinister patterns rapidly growing, devouring the wriggling gray brain.

"Ahhh!!!"

The real, brain-piercing pain, coupled with Quinn's implanted madness and mutation, caused the puppet-like robed figure to temporarily lose his sanity, convulsing on the ground.

It hurts! Quinn got up, discreetly wiping away the tears of pain. His left leg's broken tibia instantly healed.

Amid the agonizing screams, Quinn tilted his head slightly, smiling at the panicking, transforming robed figures:

"Translate this... what is surprise?"

With that, Quinn activated the mechanism in his fingers.

In the distance, on the rooftop, the Heart of Mechanics team received Quinn's signal:

"Paratrooper One, Quinn Benwei, ready!"

Along with the cryptic signal, they also got Quinn's location.

"Got it!"

The Heart of Mechanics team members pulled out their rifles and heavy weapons, aiming at an inconspicuous house, the Rose School of Thought's base.

The team leader's wise, slightly aged face showed a grin ready for a firepower barrage:

"Fire!"