Oubos.

As the core of the Devil conflict, in this city filled with monsters, Bologue wouldn't be surprised by any bizarre events, let alone since he, as a Field Staff, is already accustomed to the constant presence of crises.

Even after work, it stays the same.

The shadow came rushing with the remnants of flesh and the scent of blood, rapidly closing the distance between them. Bologue jumped back vigilantly, keeping a safe distance while observing the beast's appearance.

The beast resembled a tiger magnified several times, with hard, dense black fur covering its entire body, allowing it to perfectly hide in the darkness of night. Its limbs were strong and powerful, with sharp claws leaving scratches easily on the ground.

A tail like an iron whip was dragged behind the beast's raised spine, this part not covered by fur but by pitch-black scale armor. The end of the segmented tail bore a sharp spike, transforming into a swinging blade that randomly slashed as the beast charged forward.

As for the beast's true visage, Bologue could only barely make out the blood-filled mouth brimming with sharp teeth, with its entire head otherwise enshrouded in an impenetrable darkness.

The beast lunged at the spot where Bologue had just been standing, splitting the entire section of brickwork instantly, and dust flew everywhere.

The situation escalated, and a glow of Ether appeared in Bologue's eyes. He stepped on the edge of the rooftop, leaping onto the adjacent rooftop.

The beast did not continue attacking but instead crouched down, a deep rumbling sound rising from its throat, as if beneath its flesh-and-blood body lay the heart of an engine.

Ether surged within this savage body, after which the darkness covering the beast's head began to convulse violently.

Absolute darkness swallowed all light, and by the streetlamp's dim glow, Bologue could barely make out its flickering black silhouette, like a burning black spark.

Bologue was unsure what it actually was—it could be some alchemical creature, or possibly something even more troublesome. But none of this prevented Bologue from dismembering and slaughtering it.

Just before launching his attack, Bologue glanced at the bustling street. It was currently the late rush hour after work, and the red light blocked everyone's path. The street was extremely crowded, with constant honking from vehicles.

Bologue still recalled Geoffrey's complaints, during the time-axis disorder incident, Bologue's clash with the King's Shield Guard broke out on the street, their battle traversing several blocks. Although there weren't many casualties, quite a few people witnessed the entire fight.

The Logistics Department spent a great deal of effort to handle this incident, using some necessary measures to make the citizens forget the bizarre scenes they saw in the morning.

Now the battle broke out again in the bustling downtown, and so many civilians were nearby...

Bologue never cared much about others' opinions; he even brought this self-regard into his work, such as when encountering a Demon in a restaurant, ignoring what others thought and directly stabbing the Demon's head with a dining knife.

Anyway, afterward the Logistics Department could handle it as a murder case. They were very skilled at dealing with troubles for the Field Operations Department.

Solving these evils was the primary purpose, defending peace and life was merely incidental.

Bologue had always firmly believed that.

But after experiencing numerous disturbances, Bologue's heart of stone began to soften; he gradually started believing in some warm things like a naive child.

Such as love and peace.

"Let professionals do the professional work."

Bologue dismissed the idea of acting recklessly without consequence, considering it as a challenge match, and aimed to finish the battle in the shadows without endangering those unlucky civilians.

Thinking of this, Bologue instead felt somewhat excited; with a simple shift in mindset, things took on a completely different form.

It's not that these maniacs came for him, but rather he would use them to hone his professional skills.

The Alchemy Matrix gradually spread over his arms, and the Deceitful Snake Scale Liquid forged another long sword, the two blades crossed on his chest.

Between Bologue and the beast lay the pitch-dark alley, like a boundary dividing light and shadow.

Bologue broke the standoff first; he had always been the one who preferred to take the initiative. Blue flames ignited on the rooftop. Under Bologue's deliberate control, the Flame of the Cauldron burned less fervently, and subsequently, the nearby area fell under Bologue's command.

"I'm really fed up with you lunatics."

Bologue muttered under his breath, and then densely packed spikes shot out from the walls, piercing the narrow, dark alley in an instant, causing those demons who charged forward one after another to turn into corpses.

The beast did not expect Bologue to prioritize taking out those demons. It was ready to prepare for defense, and seeing this opening in Bologue's attack, it leaped towards Bologue.

With its pitch-black fur, when the beast leapt into the air, from below, it seemed to merge with the night completely. If it weren't for Bologue's ability to sense the beast's gradually rising ether, he would also struggle to distinguish the beast from the darkness.

The sharp weapon cut through the air, issuing a piercing hum.

The beast forcefully rolled in mid-air, with every bone and inch of muscle working together. Its segmented tail bent like a fully drawn bowstring, and at the moment of release, the tail's end easily broke through the sound barrier, a blast covering the hum, delivering a fatal blow.

It was a high-speed slash almost impossible to observe with the naked eye. When it sliced through, Bologue felt nothing. Only when the shock waves it caused rippled did Bologue become aware of the attack's presence.

Before the slash was completed, relying on his combat instincts, Bologue dodged sideways. The exposed skin felt a gust as sharp as a steel needle, and immediately, a corner of the coat was sliced open, and the ground beneath displayed a deep indentation.

If the beast's tail blade had been long enough, this strike could have cleaved through an entire building.

This was not the end of the assault, but rather the beginning of a new round. A massive silhouette pounced on Bologue's body.

Deceitful Snake Scale Liquid transformed into several towering long spears beside Bologue, but this did not halt the beast's downward smash. As the long spears pierced through the beast's body, it also leveraged the impact and its mass to crush the rooftop beneath Bologue.

"I really must apologize, everyone from the Logistics Department!"

Just before falling into the room, Bologue said in his heart.

...

Dudel's life always differed from normal people, such as his radio broadcasting times being at midnight and early morning. To accommodate his work, Dudel often stayed up late, and over time, he entirely became a nocturnal creature.

The good news is Dudel does not have to meet too many living people each day, avoiding most meaningless social interactions. For a staff tormented by work, this can be considered a rare advantage.

The bad news is that living like this for too long made Dudel feel he was drifting farther from a normal life, becoming unbearably laid-back and difficult to return.

Ordinarily, this wasn't much of an issue, but when facing some extremely important matters, Dudel obviously became flustered.

For example... dating.

Elegant music filled the restaurant, with classy decorations matching the dim lighting, giving off an ambiguous and deep vibe.

As a rock-oriented radio host, Dudel felt indifferent to such a soothing environment. He preferred shouting endlessly with those garishly dressed folks in the recording studio.

Dudel took a look at his watch, his gaze wandering, sitting alone at a table in a restaurant where people came in pairs, appearing somewhat out of place.

He was very nervous, feeling a tightness in his chest. He raised his hand to loosen his collar and exhaled deeply.

When he first started working, Dudel felt he was a socialite and should dress neatly and elegantly; hence clothing became his armor.

Dudel spent a lot of money on this high-end outfit, boosting his confidence considerably. At first, he meticulously maintained this high-end gear, carefully polishing his shoes every day after work.

And now?

If not for today's date, Dudel would have nearly forgotten this outfit. The armor once bolstering his confidence now felt like a constraint, ill-fitting shoes making him miss the slippers from his radio station.

As long as I get through tonight, it'll be enough.

Dudel comforted himself. Just then, a beautiful figure flashed into his sight. He remembered the woman's preferences; she was a fan of Crown Blue Jay, whom he had recently interviewed. As long as he followed that topic, everything wouldn't be a problem.

Thumping sounds came from overhead, very close and gradually increasing.

Dudel stood up, still maintaining a greeting posture. The next second the ceiling collapsed, a dark mass punching through the layers of the ceiling, leaving an impassable pit between Dudel and the woman.

"Hi..."

Like responding a beat too slow, Dudel greeted awkwardly.

The woman on the opposite side dazed for a second, then let out a piercing scream before fleeing downstairs with the other customers.

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