In the capital of the Roland Kingdom, within a hundred-meter radius of the Moonlight Temple, a cube-shaped structure suddenly descended from the sky and enveloped the area. All those trapped inside lost contact with the outside world – no trace of the living or dead could be found. People outside dared not approach the eerie cubic structure, and many fled in panic as if escaping an earthquake…
Even though this happened in the dead of night, the commotion was too great to go unnoticed. News spread quickly from those who witnessed the cube’s descent, with photos and videos serving as evidence.
When relatives and friends of those trapped inside began posting anxious messages online about losing contact with their loved ones, the reality of the situation became undeniable.
The internet erupted once again – this time even more terrifyingly than the Cursed Painting incident.
While the previous incident had captured global attention due to its gruesome livestream content witnessed by countless people, it had only involved four victims. Even a multiple-car accident might have claimed more lives. Had it not been livestreamed, it likely would have been quietly resolved like other extraordinary incidents, merely appearing as a small note in the newspapers.
But this time was clearly different. The location, scale, and number of people affected were on an entirely different level. A national capital, hundreds of square miles, and at least a thousand missing people – all during Roland Kingdom’s Year Festival.
Those gathered in the capital included artists from around the world, influential guests invited to the celebration, tourists from various countries, and naturally, members of the Roland Kingdom’s royal family who had assembled for the Year Festival. The cube had essentially captured them all at once.
No wonder the entire world was in an uproar.
The world’s leaders were especially concerned. During the previous incident, they could calmly dispatch investigators while watching the livestream, unconcerned that the Cursed Painting might suddenly appear before them despite their protection. But now, seeing the massive cube that still loomed over Roland Kingdom, those in power felt a deep sense of crisis – they dreaded the possibility of their own capitals and themselves being suddenly engulfed by a cube while half-asleep.
Even those under heavy protection, possessing the most powerful artifacts, or young rulers who practiced martial arts, couldn’t feel any sense of security.“Investigate! We must uncover the truth immediately!”
Countless people crawled out of bed and returned to work, summoned back by orders from above. Director Chandler was no exception.
Though the future Special Case Investigation Team held immense potential, he couldn’t ignore the rare unified orders from the royal family, cabinet, and parliament – especially considering that fearful old emperor probably hadn’t slept since receiving the news.
However, unlike other nations’ extraordinary department heads who were completely baffled – still investigating potential artifacts, with some foolishly hoping to control this suddenly-appearing object – Chandler had a vague suspicion amidst his confusion…
Just two days ago, he had handed the Roland Kingdom’s invitation to that mysterious Spirit Forger who called himself an artist. Today, on Roland Kingdom’s Year Festival and the day of the Moonlight Temple concert, the capital was struck by disaster.
…Such coincidences made it impossible not to speculate.
Was it possible that this disturbance was caused by that Spirit Forger? The Cursed Painting incident had already shown that this person had quite an unconventional approach…
The more he considered it, the more likely this theory seemed, leaving Chandler breathless. If anyone discovered that everything had happened because his invitation had brought this terrifying Spirit Forger to Roland Kingdom, causing all this chaos… The urgent priority was to confirm whether this incident was related to Joey!
Unable to bear thinking further, Chandler made an immediate decision. He quickly logged into his Extraordinary Forum account and searched for one of his contacts.
The Spirit Forger, who had only recently reconnected with the outside world, seemed uncomfortable with many modern tools, including mobile phones. When they last parted, Chandler had offered to exchange phone numbers but was refused, though they did connect as friends on the Extraordinary Forum instead.
Apparently, Joey had registered on the Extraordinary Forum at the recommendation of the Heavenly Master of Divine Calculation. He had mentioned meeting the Eastern Heavenly Master of Divine Calculation recently, who had helped register him while creating their own accounts. While Joey had no interest in ordinary internet forums, the supernatural nature of the Extraordinary Forum had piqued his interest enough to join.
This now made it convenient for Chandler to contact him.
[Mr. Joey, pardon my intrusion, but have you used the invitation I gave you? The unexpected incident in Roland capital – I hope it hasn’t affected your experience?]
After much editing and deliberation, removing direct questions like “Did you cause this?” or “Are you involved?” that might seem accusatory, Chandler settled on this carefully worded message that expressed only appropriate concern.
After sending it, he didn’t receive an immediate response.
Chandler wasn’t surprised. Joey clearly wasn’t comfortable with modern technology, and having an Extraordinary Forum account didn’t mean he checked it regularly. ℞ＡɴǑ𐌱ĘȘ
He minimized the forum window and continued directing his subordinates’ investigation. What if Joey wasn’t responsible?
Meanwhile, other countries were also taking action. But lacking crucial leads, they were unlikely to uncover the truth anytime soon.
While official departments worked overtime investigating, night owls across different countries exploded with activity online:
[Holy crap, what happened? A huge chunk of Roland capital just vanished with a DUANG?!]
[Actually, it’s about 1/4 of the capital. The other 3/4 is still fine.]
[Is that the point? The point is, what’s with that cube falling from the sky? Thousands are missing, and it didn’t even cause tremors when it landed – that’s totally unscientific!]
[With spiritual energy returning, is anyone still talking about science?]
[Off topic! So what’s actually happening? Is this a new artifact manifesting?]
[Probably. I was there when it happened, touring the capital with friends. We nearly got trapped – I was only twenty meters from the cube’s edge! Terrifying! Now packing up to flee Roland Kingdom…]
[Didn’t you try getting closer or touching it? Am I the only one curious about what material it’s made of? Wonder if heavy weapons could break it open?]
[Even if they could, no one dares act rashly with thousands of hostages inside! Roland’s military arrived immediately but hasn’t done anything. Everyone knows how unpredictable artifacts can be. Maybe it’s just temporarily containing people – who knows what attacking it might trigger or how it could harm those inside! I heard many distinguished guests invited to the Moonlight Temple are missing, including Roland’s princes and princesses.]
[Not just VIPs – artists and tourists from various countries too! My brother was traveling in Roland Kingdom and now I can’t reach him. Could he be trapped in that cube? Aren’t there special agencies for handling supernatural events now? What are they doing? Save people already!]
[These agencies can’t work that fast. This incident is huge, affecting people from over a dozen countries. The authorities must be more anxious than us, investigating and seeking solutions. With so many strange artifacts around, maybe some country has one that could rescue people. This isn’t the time to keep secrets – hopefully all countries will work together!]
[Agreed, hope the government steps up and rescues everyone quickly. Plus, this strange cube seems like a powerful artifact – maybe some extraordinary person will be interested in containing it and rescue people in the process.]
[To be honest, this feels more complicated than it seems. What if it’s not just an artifact going out of control, but someone deliberately causing trouble?]
[Damn – that’s possible! Since extraordinary powers emerged, even criminal methods have become more elaborate. Given how unpredictable artifacts are, we can’t rule out someone using one for a terrorist attack. The hostages involve so many countries and have complex identities – they’re perfect leverage against various nations!]
Government officials monitoring public opinion naturally saw these online discussions, and this was exactly what they feared. If someone with ill intentions tried to use these hostages to threaten various countries, they would be in a very difficult position.
Worried, they had no choice but to prepare contingency plans.
****
Ding—
The notification sound broke the silence in the quiet office, startling the overworked, balding Chandler. His screen suddenly lit up.
He quickly opened the Extraordinary Forum backend with the message notification and saw the reply from his contact.
[I did use the invitation and am currently in Roland capital. The experience hasn’t been great. For a country that claims to be devoted to art, too many people here don’t understand true art. It’s disappointing. I’m now teaching them the true essence of art.]
Chandler: “???”
…It was over. His suspicions were confirmed.
…It really was Joey’s doing!
Thinking about the special invitation he had personally delivered, and now all these countries frantically investigating and preparing emergency plans, including Chenxing Empire’s top officials, Chandler, the root cause of it all, felt his mouse-holding hand trembling slightly.
Tracing back to the beginning, all this started with his desperate attempt to recover lost items and befriend a certain Spirit Forger, which he had indeed succeeded in doing.
So this was what friendship with a powerful Spirit Forger meant?
Chandler showed a tired smile.
…The weight was too heavy; he didn’t think he could bear it.
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