Night fell. Wu Ji lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
That boy from the book — standing in the square, facing countless soldiers, his eyes like burning flames.
He thought about the checkpoints he passed every day, the townspeople who walked with their heads down.
What if that person in the book really existed?
What if... I could be like him?
He sat up suddenly and grabbed his phone.
"Right! If the town was wiped out, that must be big news. I can find clues online."
The thought flashed through his mind. He opened his phone and started searching for info about the book and its author.
He scrolled slowly and found a post about the massacre at Silent Fog Village. He read it carefully.
"...Silent Fog Village Massacre! The rebel author..."
The post described how the Unified Nation's army first bombed the center of the village, then used that as a signal to slaughter the whole place. It also talked about the author being executed. The details might not all be true, but the name "Silent Fog Village" made Wu Ji's heart skip a beat.
"So it's in Silent Fog Village. Not far — only twenty-six kilometers from here..."
His heart started racing. Even though the post said the author was dead, he refused to believe it. He took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and started planning his escape.
"Right now, the people here can't leave town unless it's for farming or collecting supplies. Delivery trucks get searched too. So the only way out is..."
While thinking, he carefully dragged a bag out from under his bed.
He opened it and packed a few changes of clothes, a dagger an antique shop owner had given him, and some food.
In the dead of night, while everyone else was asleep, Wu Ji put the bag on his back and quietly left his room.
"I'm leaving, Mom... Dad..."
He said goodbye in his heart, then headed toward the wall. He knew that to get out of Twilight Town, he had to climb over that tall wall.
He crept through the silent streets, avoiding the patrol soldiers' line of sight. Every step was careful, afraid to make any noise.
He got close to the stairs leading up the wall and climbed. Step by step, trying not to alert the guards.
But just as he reached the top, he locked eyes with a soldier.
"Crap!"
Wu Ji's heart stopped. A chill shot up from his feet.
If only I could...
In that instant, a crazy plan flashed through his mind.
Then, as if possessed by some power, he kicked off hard and tackled the soldier to the ground in the blink of an eye.
The soldier was well-trained. Even though he didn't get hit clean, he still fired back in that short moment.
"BANG!"
The gunshot tore through the quiet night, echoing over Twilight Town. From the watchtowers on the wall, voices called out in confusion.
"What's going on?"
"What happened?"
Hearing the shouts from all directions, Wu Ji knew there was no turning back.
He gritted his teeth and turned to look at a big tree about ten meters outside the wall. That was his key to escaping.
"No choice. I have to go for it!"
With superhuman speed and strength — like something possessed him — he ran along the walkway on the wall. Then, just as he got close to the tree, he put all his power into his legs and leaped.
The soldiers who saw it couldn't believe their eyes. Wu Ji flew two stories high and cleared nearly ten meters. It was insane.
Karl, who had just stepped out of his office, saw it too. In his eyes, Wu Ji looked like a bright star cutting through the darkness — dazzling, but also dangerous.
But from Wu Ji's own point of view...
"OH CRAP, WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING?! AAAAAH — OW!"
With a scream full of fear and shock, Wu Ji disappeared into the dark, thick forest outside Twilight Town.
"Quick ! Send men to catch him !" Karl shouted, his face dark with anger.
"A rebel ? Or some other coalition force ? Or....."
He muttered to himself, feeling confused and uneasy. He had a feeling that this ordinary-looking boy had some hidden power — and that power would bring huge trouble to Twilight Town, maybe even the whole Unified Nation.
ns216.73.217.39da2
and then Add to home screen.