Shrouded Seascape

The footsteps of Gao Zhiming and his companions echoed through the spacious subway tunnel as they slowly made their way out of the underground city.

No one spoke, but everyone had quietly drawn their weapons.

According to Olivia, the person who had been following them on the street was now behind them in the darkness, and they were getting closer and closer.

Their identity and motive, as well as if they had any accomplices, were unknown to Gao Zhiming and the others. Thus, a tense air hung above them within the dark tunnel.

Regardless of whether the one following them was aware of her true identity or not, Anna had already decided to strike first and ask questions later.

Swoosh!

Anna thrust her hands skyward, grabbing the person's foot. Immediately afterward, green corrosive flames manifested and moved toward the stranger's face.

Bang! Bang!

Two gunshots echoed as bullets flew toward the stranger. The stranger ignored the bullets, allowing them to phase through their figure, but they were clearly afraid of Anna's corrosive flames.

The stranger pulled a black cloth from their sleeve and covered the flames with it.

Unfortunately, the green flames held and engulfed the cloth instead, transforming it into a fireball.

Just as Anna's group was about to launch another round of attacks, the stranger quickly raised a hand and removed the hood covering their face.

All attacks ceased immediately afterward.

Looking at the "face" being illuminated by the green flames, Gao Zhiming excitedly ran over while shouting, "Uncle Mask! So you're okay?! Thank goodness!"

The stranger turned out to be the clown. No wonder Olivia couldn't find any memories within him. Without a brain, how could there be any memories?

Anna rose slowly from beneath the ground, and she stared wide-eyed at her former companion. She had never expected to encounter him under such circumstances and in this place.

The clown placed one hand on his chest and bowed, greeting Anna in a gentlemanly manner.

"Didn't the IMF capture you?" Anna asked in surprise.

"I was captured, but I escaped. If I could escape once, of course, I could escape a second time," the clown replied by conjuring playing cards with letters written on them.

Just then, footsteps echoed from the darkness in the distance. It seemed that people were leaving Subterranean London.

"Let's go. This isn't the right place to talk. We'll go somewhere safe."

With that, they brought the clown with them to their lodgings, and the clown recounted his experience to Anna's group.

"I was detained at a containment site on a deserted island somewhere in the Atlantic. One day, people appeared out of nowhere and attacked the site."

Recalling the recent news, Anna instantly discovered the identity of those attackers. "It's a good thing you ran away immediately. Otherwise, someone would have absorbed you."

"I escaped while they were fighting," the clown remarked. Then, he tugged at the corners of his mouth, stretching it into a smile before saying, "I knew you wouldn't die. And I was right."

He was genuinely happy to see that Anna was still alive.

After briefly rejoicing at her companion's return to her side, Anna decided to ask more questions. "Tell me more about the situation back then. Do you know what happened to the others before you were contained?"

"There's not much to tell. They rushed to contain me, but I knew that they were after me, so I hid your other fleshly body as well as Gao Zhiming."

"I took Li Long with me and used him to draw their attention."

"What about Li Long? Did he get captured as well?"

The clown unexpectedly shook his head at that question. "I killed him before I got captured. That guy's mind was too weak; I was afraid that he would stab you in the back."

The words written on the playing cards sent chills down everyone's spine, but Anna's gaze toward the clown softened.

The clown was extremely thoughtful—far more thoughtful than she thought. For her sake, he not only acted as bait but had even considered the possibility that Li Long could betray her during the interrogations.

Before all this, they shared a superior-subordinate relationship, but now, they could be considered friends with whom they had overcome life-or-death battles.

Anna rarely trusted anyone, and the clown was now one of those few people.

"Thank you, Mask. Upon my return to the Subterranean Sea, I'll make sure you'll get a share of whatever I have there."

"It is my honor."

While the two were basking in their heartwarming reunion, Gao Zhiming's eyes were red, and his voice was choked with tears as he asked, "Uncle Li Long is dead? Why did you kill him? He was a good person..."

Anna stared at him and patiently explained, "There are times when you'll have to make a decision, and Mask made the right decision back then. And you must remember that sometimes, what determines a person's fate isn't whether they're a good person or not, but whether they have any value."

Gao Zhiming stood frozen and in a daze. He felt that something wasn't exactly right, but he couldn't pinpoint it.

I hope my words won't turn him into a murderer when he grows up, Anna thought, worried about Gao Zhiming's future. However, she remembered something and added, Well, his memories will ultimately be deleted, anyway.

With that, Anna was finally at ease.

After comforting Gao Zhiming, she turned to the clown and asked, "What are you doing in Subterranean London? Aren't you afraid that the IMF's shadows hidden among the crowd might end up seeing you?"

"It's because Tobba told me to meet him. I was passing through, so I thought I'd look around to see if I could find anyone else."

"Tobba?" Anna was surprised upon hearing that.

"He managed to escape as well? Wait, could this be a trap created by the IMF?"

"Probably not. If the IMF knew where I was, they could just send a mobile task force to capture me rather than setting a trap."

Anna frowned deeply, carefully weighing the clown's words.

Unlike the clown, Tobba had never been useful to her since he was born.

Anna's death back then made her understand that even though Tobba would survive until the Foundation descended into the Subterranean Sea, Tobba couldn't necessarily help others survive along with him.

Since he wasn't helpful, why would she make any contact with him again?

"I advise you not to go there. The risk is too high, especially since Tobba is completely useless. He's just going to be a burden.

"Anyway, since he believes that I'm dead, then we should let him keep believing that I'm dead. Let him run around out there. It'd be great if he can divert the IMF's attention for us."

However, Mask actually shook his head. "It appears as though he doesn't have any special abilities, but he managed to free his mother from a containment site without anyone noticing it.

"That's enough proof of his prowess. His special ability might be very unstable, but I believe he's going to be helpful in the future.

"Moreover, he easily deduced my location, which is already quite astonishing."

Upon hearing that, Anna thought, Could it be that his special ability ended up awakening after that incident?

It was possible. If it was true, Tobba's foresight would certainly be useful to her.

"Where are they?"

"In Norway."