As soon as the words left his mouth, his body shot forward again, heading toward the building, skimming low over the ground at incredible speed.
Just as he was about to reach it, the building finally gave way under the constant strain, collapsing with a thunderous crash from the bottom up.
The collapse was chain-reactive. Once it started, it accelerated uncontrollably, completely irreversible. Zane had almost no time left.
Inside the building, Qingyi and Zhu Yuan finally realized something was wrong. The tilting, cracking ground was a clear warning of imminent danger.
They had been heading upstairs, but halfway up the staircase, they caught a glimpse through the window and saw the situation outside—Zane had already gone down and was locked in close combat with the Defense Force.
And the Defense Force was about to fall apart.
They quickly turned back, rushing downstairs, but they had barely made it a few floors when disaster struck.
"Senior! This way!"
Zhu Yuan bent her knees, bracing herself sideways to keep from sliding, then used the various fixtures and pillars between the floors to push toward the large windows.
Qingyi followed close behind. Even though jumping out of the window wasn't exactly safe, it was better than being buried under the rubble.
Gunfire shattered the glass instantly, and Zhu Yuan and Qingyi leaped out one after the other, emerging from the crumbling building into open air.
"Zhu Yuan, grab onto me!"
In midair, Qingyi reached out to Zhu Yuan, who grabbed her hand in return, drawing them closer together.
With nothing but hard ground below, a fall from this height would mean certain death.
Qingyi planned to absorb the impact herself to greatly improve their chances of survival.
After all, she could still be repaired—but Zhu Yuan couldn't. If she broke, there'd be no fixing her.
Zhu Yuan didn't realize Qingyi's plan and thought she must have some backup strategy.
As the two plummeted downward, Zhu Yuan caught a glimpse of a dark shadow rapidly rising toward them.
"Is that the Special Ethereal?"
"What's it trying to do? Attack us?"
On instinct, Zhu Yuan tried to aim her gun at Zane, but he, climbing rapidly with the help of Ether crystals, didn't give her the chance.
In the blink of an eye, Zane was right beside them, the distance between them almost nothing. For a moment, Zhu Yuan felt her heart skip a beat.
This was the closest she had ever been to this Special Ethereal.
Suddenly, she felt a pull at her waist. Her body, driven by inertia, dipped downward before her fall abruptly slowed.
She glanced to the side and saw that the Ethereal had grabbed the rappelling device attached to her waist.
"Zhu Yuan, he means no harm."
Qingyi's voice drifted over. Zhu Yuan looked and saw that Qingyi was also being held—since she didn't have a rappelling device, Zane simply cradled her under his arm, her limbs dangling naturally, completely calm.
Senior! How can you be so calm in a situation like this?!
Still, Zhu Yuan trusted Qingyi. Since she said the Ethereal meant no harm, she didn't resist, letting him hold onto the device.
Soon, with the wind whistling past their ears, both of them were safely brought down to the ground.
Leaving behind the last Ether crystal, Zane touched down lightly—this time without the crushing force he had used before.
He released his grip, and the two quickly got to their feet. Zhu Yuan looked at him, unable to hide the shock and confusion on her face.
Once she realized they had landed safely, it fully hit her.
She had been saved. And not by just anyone—but by an Ethereal.
If she told her colleagues at the Public Security Bureau about this, they'd probably nominate her for Best Fantasy of the Year.
"Why... did you save us?"
Zhu Yuan asked cautiously, facing the towering Ethereal.
They were so close she could clearly see the sharp lines of his face, making her feel a little uneasy.
"I wanted to. Isn't that reason enough?"
Zane answered calmly, leaving the two women speechless.
It was the first time they had heard Zane's voice—and from the sound of it, they realized that this Ethereal... was male?
Qingyi studied Zane. Was this what it meant to act purely on instinct?
It was her first time observing this Special Ethereal up close. She had to admit, he didn't look like an Ethereal at all.
But there was no doubt—he was an Ethereal.
"Thank you. We owe you our lives. If we get the chance, we'll definitely repay this favor."
Zhu Yuan said with a complicated expression.
Her mind was a tangled mess, like a ball of yarn hopelessly knotted together.
"No need. It was nothing."
Zane clearly didn't care about any so-called life debt.
"Knowing to repay a favor is the right thing to do."
Qingyi shook her head slightly. Keeping the favor clearly acknowledged was the best way to maintain distance.
Truthfully, her own thoughts were a mess too.
The enemy had just become their savior.
Zane said nothing more. He turned to look at the Defense Force not far away. Some soldiers were still able to stand, watching him with fear and guarded eyes.
The battlefield was littered with wounded and wreckage—a scene that made even the strongest shudder.
Closer by lay the commander, who wasn't badly hurt but was clearly rattled.
Looking at the battered remains of the Defense Force, Zane spoke slowly.
"I wonder what the mastermind was thinking. It's fine if they want to target me, but sending troops this weak?"
Zhu Yuan's mouth twitched involuntarily. She wanted to retort but swallowed it back.
Was this guy even speaking human language?
These soldiers were part of the Defense Force—one of New Eridu's strongest lines of defense. Their combat power was top-tier, way beyond the capabilities of ordinary peacekeepers.
Still, looking at the devastation around her, Zhu Yuan couldn't help but feel a growing unease.
"Alright. I'm leaving. Do what you can to save them. How many survive is up to you."
Zane's voice was calm and indifferent.
Since Ethereals showed no expressions, Zhu Yuan couldn't guess what he was thinking.
"Thank you."
She still thanked him, for sparing their lives.
Watching Zane turn and walk away, her emotions were all tangled up.
"Arrogant... presumptuous... You'll only attract more enemies this way! The Defense Force isn't something you can take on!"
Maybe it was the sight of so many fallen comrades, or maybe it was Zane's high-and-mighty attitude, but the commander staggered to his feet and shouted after him.
Maybe he was hoping to provoke Zane and end things quickly, rather than face the grief of his comrades' families later...
At this point, he had almost lost all rationality.
"So what? I never planned to run or hide. No matter what monsters come at me, I'll take them all head-on."
Zane stopped, his body still, only turning his head slightly as he spoke in a steady, quiet tone.
"Even if my enemy is all of New Eridu—so what? I'll still turn it upside down!"
His blue eyes gleamed with a strange, chilling light.