My Apocalypse Territory

Before the collapsed courtyard, the atmosphere was heavy.

Bright beams of light illuminated the pitch-dark courtyard, making it clear inside and out.

"It has been confirmed. The identity of the deceased is Vice Director Liang from the Security Bureau, a Seventh Layer Peak performer, not an ability user, skilled in swordsmanship."

"The problem now is... why would Vice Director Liang be here, and why would he die here?"

"What does Director Huang think?"

Many people, with doubtful eyes, looked towards the Director of the Security Bureau.

Director Huang furrowed his brows, "Liang wasn't on duty tonight, but he had been very attentive to the investigation into the 'Doomsday Cult' recently. He must have discovered a clue and was tracked down and murdered. We need to quickly capture the murderer!"

Another top expert from the Ancestor Dragon Battle Group glanced to a corner of the courtyard, at the dense holes, "Director Huang, don't conclude too soon. If the murderer is from the Doomsday Cult that attacked the orphanage, with Vice Director Liang's Seventh Layer Peak strength, he wouldn't have been able to make such a commotion... It's harsh to say, but he wouldn't have lasted even a second. Remember, there were two Seventh Layer Peak Awakeners at the orphanage then."

"It might be that there was something problematic about Vice Director Liang's identity as well."

Recalling some of Liang's unusual actions lately, Director Huang's expression subtly changed.

If there was a mole in the Security Bureau, even if he truly hadn't known, this responsibility would still be too great to bear.

He composed his facial expression and assertively said, "Impossible. Perhaps Vice Director Liang encountered only a fraction of the cult, which allowed him to hold on for a while..."

Several forensic scientists dressed in white coats and gloves had begun identifying the scene, but battles among Awakeners, especially ability users, are hard to conclusively determine using pre-apocalypse identification methods.

Concerning the recently troubling 'Doomsday Cult,' over a hundred Awakeners from various factions gathered outside the courtyard, all waiting in anticipation.

Director Huang and the Ancestor Dragon Expert fell silent, each holding their opinions, but only evidence could determine the truth.

After another ten minutes, several Awakeners hurried to the scene.

Everyone's eyes fell on a young man in his thirties, a precious Retrospection Ability User, who had also intervened during the orphanage incident.

Knowing his task, the ability user stepped into the collapsed courtyard, scanned the extent of the battlefield, and found the right angle.

"My 'Mirror Retrospection' can cover a sixteen-meter range and should be able to reproduce the recent scene at once... So, I'm starting."

As his words fell, the ability user extended his arms, splayed his fingers, and aimed at the disarrayed ground in front.

Fog swirled around.

Seconds later, a huge mirror appeared before all the Awakeners.

It was like watching a movie in front of a screen.

Inside the mirror, wrapped in darkness, one could vaguely see the scene before the courtyard was destroyed.

Shortly after,

a figure in a black cloak appeared in the mirror, the cloaked figure deftly leaping lightly from the courtyard wall and landing on the roof tiles.

The retold scene had no sound, but from the visuals alone, the Awakeners at the scene could tell that the leap was perfectly executed, almost silent.

An expert in stealth.

"Could it be that this is the cult Awakener who assassinated Vice Director Liang?"

This thought had just begun to form when the rooftop exploded in a burst of tile shards, and a brilliant blade light slashed outward from within.

Utterly sudden.

Even though it was only a retrospection, unable to feel the sharp and peerless aura, they were still taken aback.

Empathetically, if they were the cloaked figure, they might have been killed instantly.

However, the cloaked figure, with a light leap, dodged the lethal attack.

The scenes that followed were utterly shocking to the many experts present.

One cloaked figure and a shadowy figure who attacked from within the house engaged in battle, and within just a few seconds, the mere aftershocks of their clash had caused half of the courtyard to collapse.

The night was dark, and within the field of retrospection, disrupted by Source Power, the figures were extremely blurred.

Whether it was the masks on the cloaked figure's face or the shadow inside the house, they couldn't make out the details, but they could glimpse the speed, the strength, and the destructive power...

"At least Ninth Layer Peak, I'm no match for them!"

An Ancestor Dragon Expert stated, his expression growing more solemn.

Many around him were stunned upon hearing this... The speaker was a Commander from one of the Ancestor Dragon Battle Groups, a Ninth Layer Peak ability user; in the entire Pingliang Sanctuary, there were hardly a handful who could surpass this Commander in combat power.

Were both of the combatants stronger than him?

Was that some kind of joke?

Yet in the mirror, the soundless battle unfolded with a speed that their eyes barely followed, with a continuous emergence of lethal threats, which definitely told those present that this was no laughing matter.

"What kind of ability is this? Turning hair into steel needles, Ten Thousand Needles? Absolutely terrifying!"

"Wait, this ability..." someone looked towards the pockmarked walls and floor, "it's the ability user who attacked the orphanage! It's someone from the Doomsday Cult!"

The plot took several unexpected turns.

The shadowy figure in the cloak, who moved sneakily, turned out to be the one who was ambushed.

And the ambusher ended up on the losing side.

More thrilling than a thriller movie.

Until at the last moment, Cai Jiajia with a move of "Instant Movement Continuous Stabbing" took down the ambusher, the elite experts present felt their backs soak with sweat—others, due to insufficient understanding, focused merely on the visual effects and were less impressed.

The battle lasted only about ten seconds; after the death of the ambusher, they saw the cloaked person bend down, reaching towards the body of the ambusher, seemingly searching for spoils of war...

Zzz~~Zzz—

The mirror of retrospection suddenly became very unstable and the next moment shattered into nothingness.

"What's happening! Why did it disappear at the crucial moment! During the last retrospection of the orphanage, a thirty-second battle only used up most of the Source Power!"

Director Huang was very anxious.

Other experts and influential figures all turned their eyes towards the Retrospection Ability User.

The critical failure irked them significantly.

The Retrospection Ability User's face was pale, and he nearly burst into tears, "The… those people's strength was too formidable, the interference was severe, the flow of Source Power was much faster than during the orphanage event, I… I've run out of Source Power."

After speaking, the Retrospection Ability User fainted outright, whether from exhaustion or unable to bear the reproachful gazes of the authorities, opting to pass out.

Not being able to see the end of the event disappointed Director Huang, the eastern Commander of the City Guard Army, and the Ancestor Dragon Commander, among others.

However, they knew that based on the distorted quality of the retrospection, inferior even to a poor-quality film, even if they could gather some information, they would not have the capability to see clearly—once the Retrospection Ability User replenished his Source Power, they could continue watching.

Even without an ending, the short retrospection of about ten seconds clarified many things.

Director Huang maintained a stern face, no longer speaking, while numerous captains, Commanders, and other leaders frequently glanced over at him.

Ultimately, it was an Ancestor Dragon Commander who stepped forward to assume control:

"The real identity of Vice Director Liang, although there's no direct evidence yet, is very likely a member of the Doomsday Cult, and also the perpetrator behind the orphanage case, but… the sudden emergence of a cloaked figure, who appears even stronger than the hidden-strength Vice Director Liang, leaves one to wonder who they truly are."

He shook his head.

The Pingliang Sanctuary was put under lockdown again.

Having identified a traitor, yet facing the appearance of a top combatant whose identity was unknown, many significant figures looked towards the ruined courtyard, their gazes flickering.