Chapter 6: Chapter Six: The Infinite Journey from Scratch
Arcas Continent, Radiant Empire, Star City, Fifth Avenue.
Skyscrapers towered endlessly under the blazing sun, reflecting its glare. The scene here bore no significant difference from Earth's metropolises, a river of steel and concrete flowing through the city. Cars of varying designs traversed the roads, distinguished only by unfamiliar brands and logos from those on Earth.
What felt familiar to Raven were the pedestrians. They wore attire not unlike those on Earth. Once, when surrounded by these herd mammals, Raven felt disgust and discomfort. An innate urge bubbled within him to tear them apart, much like a persistent canker sore on the edge of his tongue, which only worsened if left untouched but was irresistible nonetheless.
A decade has passed, and circumstances have evolved.
Raven brushed the dust off his shoulder, gazing at these mammals as if shaking off caterpillars clinging to his body. His crimson eyes shimmered with disdain. Even though he wore only shorts, barefoot and practically naked in the city's heart.
Similarly, Blueira was scantily dressed in shorts and a bra, her exposed curves seductively prominent. The delicate perspiration on her fair skin added a hint of allure as it gradually seeped into her attire, rendering it translucent.
A translucent white shield, about five meters in diameter, surrounded them. Passersby seemed oblivious, instinctively avoiding them, continuing on their paths.
[Shield Time Remaining]: 00:02:48
Note: This shield is immune to all attacks, including physical, magical, cursed, dimensional, etc. Entities within possess a 0% presence, encompassing perception, association, and memory.
[Faction]: You have chosen the human faction.
[Main Quest]: Join the Mutant Response Bureau.
[Remaining Quest Time]: 24:02:48
[Acquired Items]: 2 Time-Space Strategy Bureau recommendation letters.
Note: The Time-Space Strategy Bureau is an alias for the Infinite Road's organizers. They intervene in wars on behalf of the human faction in the current world. Participants with a recommendation letter can join the Mutant Response Bureau, immune to all criminal responsibilities and granted the privileges of a level 10 official in the current world.
[Current World Language Mastery; Forgotten Upon Exit]
[Infinite Road Round One, Revolution Path, Scene ID XR57489, Arcas Continent. Start and end times synchronized with other scenes.]
[Remaining Human Faction Mutants]: 4872
[Remaining Mutant Faction Mutants]: 6197
[Failure results in elimination and expulsion from the competition. Due to the highest confidentiality of Infinite Road, all data related to eliminated contestants in all universes will be deleted. Organizers and winners have the right to retain data.]
[Your ID: SFW48874]
[Registering…]
[Registration Successful]
[Welcome to the Infinite Road]
Both Blueira and Raven were gifted a holographic projection ring by the demon, similar in design to wedding rings. However, instead of a diamond, there was an embedded chip to access game details. With a snap, the demon transported them to the fabled Arcas Continent.
Blueira scrutinized the projection, gripping two recommendation letters as sweat formed on her palms. She had chosen the human faction, for in most tales, humans triumph. Even though they faced over a thousand more enemies, justice prevails. But what did data erasure imply? Erasing memories of oneself from friends and family?
"But... why aren't we clothed? The shield disappears in two minutes, and then everyone will... see me..."
Covering her ample bosom, Blueira was lost, on the verge of tears. She even doubted her universe-crossing misfortune to have encountered such an unreasonable situation.
Her gaze landed on Raven, seeking solace in the seemingly dependable man, despite his recent carnivorous tendencies.
However, Raven dashed Blueira's hopes, showing no interest in the ring, not even sparing it a glance.
"Mirror..."
Raven touched his cheek, murmuring to himself. Yes, he now desired a mirror.
Eighteen years had passed, and Raven had spent all that time in a dark and damp dungeon, having forgotten what he looked like.
Blueira looked utterly drained, sinking into despair. Listening to Raven's enigmatic whispers, she thought he had gone mad. She was doomed...
"The shield will disappear soon, and neither of us are clothed. What are we to do?"
Being a woman, Blueira was naturally much more panicked than Raven. It wouldn't matter if Raven was seen, but Blueira was absolutely unwilling to let anyone see the heart-shaped birthmark on her thigh—it was too embarrassing.
Raven disregarded Blueira, blatantly ignoring her. He took the initiative and stepped out of the shield, intending to rush to a clothing store to grab some attire and incidentally to see his own face.
As Raven stepped out, the shield vanished instantly.
Raven, dressed only in shorts, and the enticing Blueira were suddenly exposed to the gazes of the passing crowd.
Silence...
A deathly silence...
One after another, burning glances turned their way.
Blueira covered her face with both hands, not wanting others to see her. At that moment, she wished she had the ability to teleport, to escape this mortifying scene.
Surprisingly, this didn't cause a major commotion. Most just glanced out of curiosity. Even the men only took a few extra looks at Blueira before averting their eyes and moving on. They didn't want to attract trouble. The public, having endured the trials of the Mutant wars, had become extraordinarily composed. Mutant attacks often came after seemingly strange occurrences.
However, a beautiful young woman found Raven and Blueira amusing and took out her phone to snap a photo, intending to share the day's fun on her blog.
Only, she forgot to turn off her flash.
Snap...
The photo of the two was taken, and the beautiful woman immediately realized her mistake, looking at the two awkwardly.
Raven and Blueira, who weren't particularly eye-catching to begin with, suddenly became the center of attention thanks to the young woman's indiscretion. Even people from across the street had their attention drawn to them.
The beautiful woman quickly stashed her phone back into her bag, giving an awkward smile. Trying to explain would only make things worse. She briskly walked away, eager to leave the scene.
Snap!
Raven called this move "Blood Slice."
The inspiration for this technique came from a mechanical cutting process known as the water jet.
Originally called high-pressure water jet cutting technology, it originated in the aerospace and military industries. The cold cutting method, which doesn't change the physical and chemical properties of the material being cut, was highly favored. With continuous technological improvements, abrasives like garnet and diamond sands were added to the high-pressure water to assist in cutting, significantly increasing the water jet's cutting speed and thickness capabilities. Over time, water jet cutting was widely adopted in industries for cutting glass, ceramics, stone, metal, and composite materials.
Raven applied the same principle. In the high-pressure spray of his blood, he mixed some of his bone fragments, creating an ultra-fast slice. During the slashing process, the blood and bone residues would evaporate, making it almost impossible for human eyes to discern the cause of death.
The beautiful woman suddenly halted in her steps, her gaze becoming vacant, standing motionless.
After executing the move, Raven headed straight for a mall, with Blueira quickly following behind. The two managed to evade the gazes of the surrounding crowd, letting the incident fade into obscurity. The bystanders went about their business.
Crack...
An oblique crevice suddenly appeared on the waist of the beautiful woman, spanning her entire midsection. Then, her upper body slowly slid off.
At that moment, a water truck drove by, playing cheerful children's music.
The gaping wound on the woman's waist, as large as a bucket, was like a musical fountain, spewing blood in time to the children's tunes. Of course, the phone in her bag was also sliced in two.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone