The dim ceiling lights illuminated a silent white room. The door slowly, carefully pushed open after permission was granted. A young woman stepped in, her movements swift yet graceful, making no sound.
She came to a halt in front of the director's gleaming white desk, fixing her emotionless gaze on the young man. It was impossible to read her thoughts. The constant hum of the air conditioner was the only sound in this tranquil space.
After observing and assessing the young man in the director's chair, and evaluating the situation, the young woman slightly raised her brow. She parted her lips and spoke politely, her voice soft yet clear and weighty with meaning.
"The situation at the rift in Port City L is extremely precarious. We've detected an enormous amount of interdimensional energy from a single source. It's possible that behind that rift lies a catastrophic-level interdimensional being, or perhaps something even worse. Team Leader A wants to investigate the interior now, but she's awaiting your approval."
Kilenc stopped focusing on the stack of documents on his desk. He slowly leaned back in his chair, raising his eyes to meet the young woman who had just entered the room without a word. His calm gaze held a sharp intensity, as if it could pierce through everything. Kilenc's eyelids slowly closed, as if he was sinking into deep thought to make a difficult decision.
The young woman waited patiently. Despite the urgency, she allowed him time to decide. The current situation was fraught with danger and extremely high risk. If even a small mistake occurred, or if the situation worsened, the one who would bear the burden wouldn't be her, but him... this young director.
After several seconds, Kilenc's distinctive black eyes opened once more. He looked back at the young woman. She had long, ash-grey hair, tied back in two low buns secured by antique floral hairpins. Her hair was meticulously styled, with no stray strands, save for a few small wisps that fluttered in the breeze from outside.
Her slender face had delicate contours and well-defined cheekbones, though not overly prominent. Her skin was smooth and flawless, without blemish. Her narrow eyes, with slightly upturned corners, were fixed on Kilenc, ready to react to any outcome of the director's decision.
The young woman wore the organization's uniform, designed with meticulous attention to detail, emphasizing both excellent agility and unique elegance. A well-fitted white shirt perfectly accentuated her slender, hourglass figure. The black skirt was just the right length and designed to allow maximum freedom of movement.
Her serene beauty and delicate physique were like a masterpiece, carefully sculpted by heaven itself. The owner of this exquisite body was Lian, or more precisely, Ling Lian.
She was beautiful, possessing an oriental elegance that needed no mention of her figure; Ling Lian's face was beyond description. In the past, this woman could have been called a city-destroying beauty, her unparalleled charm was no exaggeration.
Both men and women couldn't help but admire and envy her stunning appearance.
"Approved, and I will be going to the site myself. Help me prepare." Having said that, without waiting for Ling Lian's reaction, Kilenc neatly organized the documents on his desk. He rose from his chair and walked directly to pick up his coat, which felt soft yet quite cool after hours in the air-conditioned room.
Ling Lian's eyes widened slightly before returning to their usual calm and cool state. She watched the young man's actions without speaking, her inner thoughts unknown. She nodded lightly and replied, "Yes."
The door closed, and the sound of black shoes striking the floor echoed in the silent space. Kilenc strode down the long, white corridor stretching endlessly ahead, followed by another set of footsteps. Ling Lian walked silently behind him while talking on the phone with someone.
The two figures soon walked side by side at a steady pace, neither rushing nor lingering. One tall, the other slightly shorter, they walked until they reached the end of the corridor.
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The sky was overcast, and a light drizzle made the streets damp in Port City L.
A handsome, black-haired young man with sharp eyes stepped out of a helicopter, followed by a young woman whose beauty was no less striking. When the two stood side by side, they looked perfectly matched, like a pair destined by heaven. These were Kilenc and Ling Lian, who had just arrived from the capital.
The distance between the capital and Port City L was considerable, but that was no problem for a professional organization like theirs. They possessed advanced and highly efficient long-distance teleportation devices. They simply teleported close to the L district, then took a helicopter to the port city.
The entire journey took less than half an hour. However, using long-distance teleportation was, of course, expensive. Therefore, the organization typically only used it for urgent or emergency situations.
Meanwhile, on the beach area by the sea, where Team A and the defense forces were stationed.
"Didn't the weather forecast say it would be sunny and cloudless today?" a young woman grumbled, clearly displeased. Her name was Aleah, adapted from Allium, the scientific name for a type of plant.
"Perhaps it's because of the dimensional rift," Selene looked at the human-sized void not far from her. Interdimensional energy surged wildly from the rift. The surrounding area was chaotic, and the beach sand had turned a blood-like red.
Occasionally, monsters would escape from the dimensional rift, but the forces could deal with them quickly. These monsters weren't very strong when facing the forces led by Selene. However, in a different location or situation, a single monster could easily destroy a small to medium-sized city.
"Chief, when will the director arrive?" Aleah stopped complaining about the uncooperative weather and asked Selene. At the mention of the director, her eyes lit up with a faint sparkle, and her heart began to beat uncontrollably. Whenever she thought of that unforgettable face, Aleah would show all the signs of a girl in love.
Aleah had once had the opportunity to meet the director. He was handsome, remarkably intelligent, polite, gentle, calm, incredibly strong, and powerful—so perfect he seemed almost non-human. Although he rarely smiled, on that one occasion she met him, the director had smiled warmly at her. From that day on, his smile occupied Aleah's thoughts daily.
Aleah's imagination ran wild and far beyond reality, like a romantic movie. From holding his hand, to their relationship deepening, and finally becoming lovers. They traveled to many places around the world together, seeing each other's happy smiles every day.
"Aleah, marry me," the director's voice was filled with determination and sincerity, his gaze intense and full of love.
"Yes, darling," Aleah met his gaze, her eyes just as intense and loving as his. Her heart swelled. The ring was slowly slipped onto her slender finger by the man she loved.
The symbol of eternal covenant was placed upon her. Aleah moved her delicate body closer to his warm form, lifting her head slightly to look at his face. He was quite a bit taller than her, she thought quietly to herself.
She stood on her tiptoes adorably. A breeze passed by, a single leaf fluttering past their faces. Aleah's breathing became heavier and more labored. Soon, their faces were almost touching, so close they could hear each other breathe.
Aleah was about to do what she had always desired. Unfortunately, just as their lips were about to meet, a soft clearing of a throat echoed, cruelly shattering the illusion she had created into tiny pieces.
"It won't be long. He's already reached City L," Selene shook her head with a smile. She knew immediately when she saw Aleah's dreamy expression. This girl had become foolish again. She always acted like this when she thought of the director.
"Why are you smiling like that, Chief? I wasn't thinking anything strange or inappropriate at all!" Suddenly, a faint pink blush appeared on both of her cheeks. Aleah quickly turned her face away, not daring to meet her chief's eyes.
Selene laughed, "I didn't say anything."
"No, you must have been thinking it!" Aleah didn't believe what she heard and felt incredibly embarrassed at that moment. But deep down, there was still a lingering feeling of disappointment. She was slightly disappointed. To have been so close to doing that with the director… she mumbled softly.
"Oh…" Selene playfully hummed. Seeing the girl's flustered shyness, she felt even more inclined to tease her. "So, what do you think I was thinking, Aleah?"
"I…" Thinking to herself, the imagined scene resurfaced in her mind. Aleah was even more embarrassed. She quickly pushed them out of her thoughts before turning her back to Selene, trying to hide her shame as much as possible. "I don't know… I really don't know what you're thinking."
"Hmm… our little girl is hiding now," Selene couldn't resist teasing further.
"No… no, I'm not hiding, and I'm not a little girl either!" Aleah covered her face with both hands. The soft touch of her hands did nothing to cool the heat on her face.
Smoke was practically coming out of Aleah's head. Suddenly, her eyes met someone's. The young woman rushed to hug the other person immediately. The other person was slightly surprised but accepted her into the embrace without resistance.
"Elena, help me! Waaah… Chief is bullying me!" Aleah buried herself deeper in Elena's embrace when the other woman accepted her rush.
"Chief, are you bullying Aleah?" Elena turned to ask Selene, but she already knew the answer in her heart.
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry. You're just too fun to tease, I couldn't help myself," Selene chuckled softly at Aleah's reaction.
"Aleah, the Chief has apologized. You can get off me now," looking at the young woman rubbing her face against her chest as if seeking warmth and comfort, Elena felt helpless. She tried to persuade Aleah to let go of her clingy embrace. Of course, it didn't work.
"I want to stay a little longer. I really like it here."
Elena finally softened. She quietly let Aleah bury herself in her chest, no longer resisting. This friend was always clingy, and as expected, Elena couldn't refuse.
"Okay."
"Elena is the best! I love you so much!" Aleah confessed without reservation. Of course, her feelings for Elena were purely platonic, nothing more than friendship. Because in her heart, she already had the director. Aleah had fallen in love with him at first sight.
Meanwhile, on Kilenc's side, they had successfully arrived at the port city. It wasn't raining here, but the sky was still overcast and the air was chilly. As soon as he stepped onto the sand, a strong wind swept past his body. His coat flapped in the wind along with his black hair.
"Looks like they have no worries at all," he said to Ling Lian beside him. Kilenc's gaze rested on the three young women not far from the water.
Ling Lian remained as serene as before, yet her voice was strangely gentle. "Isn't it good to make life happy while there's still time to spend together?"
Kilenc remained silent, offering no opinion on the matter. Perhaps her words were true, or perhaps he disagreed entirely but chose not to show it.
The two walked towards Team A's members, who quickly spotted them. Selene was the first to approach Ling Lian and Kilenc. "Commander, it's been a long time."
Kilenc nodded slightly, reflecting on past events. It was nostalgic. Back then, Selene was just an innocent young girl who had just joined the organization, unlike her now, who still offered the same gentle smile, but it was a gentleness that understood the world and was no longer pure and innocent. "It's been a long time. How's the rift situation?"
He gazed at the young woman with an emotionless expression, but his mind was slightly troubled. Not now… Kilenc thought, before dismissing his human feelings and losing interest in her.
"Interdimensional beings escape from the rift periodically, but they aren't very strong. Even the support forces can handle them," Selene smiled gently at Kilenc. If not for the urgent current situation, she too would have liked to spend time with him after not seeing him for months.
Ling Lian looked at Selene without any reaction. Then she walked away from the two, stepping onto the red sand closer to the rift to examine it. At this distance, Ling Lian could feel the concentrated interdimensional energy from the other side of the void. She frowned slightly, her expression growing more serious.
The young woman stepped back from the rift area, preparing to rejoin Kilenc and proceed with the next step of the plan. However, just as Ling Lian turned to leave, an interdimensional being burst out of the void. It quickly swiped its claws at the young woman. A red flash of light streaked through the air, intending to kill the human in front of it in one blow.
The sound of flesh tearing, blood splattering across the sand. Body parts fell from the air. A gruesome sight unfolded on the beach.