The next morning, in a fabricated reality composed of myriad colours, the sky and ground shimmered with a psychedelic intensity, akin to a vivid dreamscape. This realm was a manifestation of Old Curler's power, a testament to her being a Dream Weaver-class character.
Standing beside her was the Gunslinger, known as 50 Guns. They awaited the arrival of the necromancer, Lady Flux. The space in front of them rent open, revealing another dimension. This new realm resembled the Matrix, with verdant digital codes—streams of 0s and 1s—lining the sky and space like ethereal pillars.
The two S-rank characters remained unfazed by the sight. The realm was not new to them. They recognised it as the Pure Game Realm, sometimes referred to as the Gamer's Realm due to its unique nature. This domain was exclusively accessible to special characters. Ordinary individuals could neither perceive this realm, even when it appeared as it did now, nor enter it. The realm simply excluded regular players.
Old Curler and 50 Guns discerned a figure approaching them from a distance within the Gamer Realm. It was the form of Lady Flux. She wore a white dress shirt and leather trousers that accentuated her alluring contours. She walked calmly towards the two S-rank characters positioned outside the Gamer's Realm, pulling a small white suitcase behind her.
Suddenly, another figure materialised on her left flank. It was the undead entity from the trio's previous encounter. 50 Guns' eyes widened; he was startled to see the undead again. Furthermore, the undead's aura felt oppressive.
'Has that summon grown more powerful?' 50 Guns wondered.
50 Guns observed the undead's appearance. It seemed taller, and its gothic armour exuded a malevolent aura. The aura was palpable, manifesting as thick tendrils that spontaneously writhed and flailed. The green glow in its eyes was subdued yet captivating in a sinister way. The undead trailed behind Lady Flux like a devoted bodyguard and follower.
Lady Flux exited the Gamer Realm with her summon. She surveyed the realm that Old Curler had forged. She looked at Old Curler and remarked, "A psychedelic dream reality?"
Old Curler shrugged. Lady Flux's summon seemed to revert to its normal state the instant it exited the Gamer Realm. Its armour ceased exuding and manifesting the malevolent aura. Concurrently, its eyes glowed brighter and lost their evil charm.
50 Guns warily regarded the undead before shifting his attention to Lady Flux. He said to her, "Why did you summon it?"
50 Guns felt there were no immediate threats around their meeting point; thus, the display Lady Flux had orchestrated seemed unnecessary.
Lady Flux tilted her head back, surprised. She replied, "It was an extra precautionary measure. I would rather be overly cautious than injured."
50 Guns lowered his gaze. Her explanation was logical. Given that the psychedelic dream reality was itself a precautionary measure, why wouldn't Lady Flux also prepare her safeguard?
He murmured, "But it feels excessive."
Lady Flux gently nudged him in the chest with her shoulder. She stated, "Nothing is too much to ensure one can survive to witness another day."
50 Guns nodded in agreement.
Lady Flux looked at Old Curler and 50 Guns. She declared, "Lady and gentleman, we are assembled. We have reached a decision, and we shall execute it."
She embraced Old Curler and 50 Guns. The latter duo then entered the Gamer Realm. The moment they stepped into the realm, their appearances transformed, adopting their avatar forms.
50 Guns transformed into a seven-foot-tall man wearing a black bulletproof vest over his oxblood-coloured suit jacket. He wore an eyepatch over his right eye and held an exaggerated revolver in his right hand. A golden utility belt encircled his waist, independent of his trouser loops.
Old Curler transformed into a seven-foot-tall woman with twelve pairs of arms. She now possessed three pairs of eyes. Her black hair, which typically reached her shoulders, now cascaded below her waist. Her primary pair of arms held open a large, thick, covered book containing over a thousand pages. Just as the previous day, she wore a white dress with a voluminous, floral hem. The hem extended, trailing behind her like a cathedral train.
Old Curler and 50 Guns assumed dignified yet formidable appearances.
Lady Flux said to them, "Good luck, comrades; humanity's freedom rests upon your shoulders."
The spatial rift began to close. Old Curler and 50 Guns watched the sealing process. Before the final inches could be sealed, 50 Guns exclaimed at the top of his voice, "Cringe."
The rift sealed completely. Old Curler chuckled, amused by 50 Guns' jab at Lady Flux's farewell speech.
On the other side, Lady Flux bit her lip. She murmured, "Clever of you to wait until the last moment to say that."
However, she smiled. The psychedelic dream reality shattered like broken glass, but it crumbled silently. She found herself in a modest, empty apartment in Section 2.
"Not a bad location for a covert operation," Lady Flux assessed the apartment.
She had materialised in the apartment's bedroom after the psychedelic reality had dissolved. She sat down on a chair in the room while the undead began unpacking her luggage.
Meanwhile, at Section 2.5's central police station, Ivan awaited clearance from detention. Daiyu had arrived at the police station to provide proof of ownership for her phone and additionally offer testimony in Ivan's favour.
Daiyu did not come alone. She was accompanied by Chioma, who waited in the lobby while Daiyu gave her testimony.
Close to an hour elapsed before Ivan was released. After Daiyu had testified about the thief snatching her phone and Ivan pursuing the thief to recover it, some police officers enquired about the location of the theft. She provided the details, and the officers proceeded to review the previous night's surveillance footage on the street where the incident occurred.
The police officers had reviewed the footage of Ivan defending himself in the alley before examining the footage of the snatching incident. Ivan informed the officers that the thief was a special character and had misused his special abilities to attempt to harm him. The officer handling the case deemed this evidence insufficient to release Ivan.
Ivan had to call upon Daiyu as a witness to assist him. Her testimony played a crucial role in securing his release.