The front doors of the Last Stop Meat Packing Plant swung open.
The wind outside was biting cold, cutting through the heavy silence of the parking lot.
Ren walked out first. He looked calm, despite the blood soaking his left sleeve. He dragged Master Gui by the collar with his good hand. The Warlord's other hand rested casually on the Ledger tucked into his belt.
Jian followed a step behind, looking like a Level 1 NPC who had accidentally wandered into a Final Boss raid. He was pale, sweating, and hugging his laptop like it was a holy relic.
"Stop!" a voice boomed.
Fifty weapons clicked off their safeties simultaneously. The sound was like a synchronization of crickets—sharp, mechanical, and deadly.
On the left, the Reapers. Their scythes hummed with blue spiritual energy, casting long, jagged shadows on the asphalt. The air around them felt heavy, smelling of damp earth.
On the right, the Cleaners. The grey-masked soldiers raised their suppressor rifles. The air around their barrels shimmered, distorting the light. They smelled of nothing. An unnatural, sterilized void.
Ren stopped in the middle of the "No Man's Land" between the two factions.
"Gentlemen," Ren said, his voice projecting clearly. "I believe you are looking for this man."
He shoved Master Gui forward. The Necromancer fell to his knees, sobbing.
"Don't let them take me!" Gui screamed, looking at the grey SUVs. "Arrest me! Please, just arrest me! I confess! I did it all! The zombie army was mine!"
Mr. Liu stepped forward from the Reaper line. His face was a mask of cold fury. He raised his scythe, pointing it at Ren.
"Ren Wu," Mr. Liu growled. "Drop the prisoner. Step away from the—"
Mr. Liu froze. His eyes shifted to the boy standing behind Ren. The boy in the hoodie, nursing a burned hand, trying to hide behind the Warlord.
Mr. Liu's composure cracked.
"Jian?"
The name hung in the air like a curse.
Jian flinched. "Hi, Dad."
"What are you doing here?" Mr. Liu roared, the blue aura around him flaring up. "You are supposed to be at a study group! Why are you in a condemned slaughterhouse with a... with a suspect?"
"I... I..." Jian stammered.
"He is my legal counsel," Ren interrupted smoothly.
Before Mr. Liu could explode, the Commander of the Cleaners stepped forward.
The Commander didn't offer a greeting. He didn't even acknowledge them as people; he scanned them as potential obstacles. When he spoke, it was through a voice modulator that made him sound metallic and soulless.
"Jurisdiction Override," the Commander said. He pointed his rifle at Master Gui. "Target is a Class-A National Security Threat. Northern HQ is taking custody. Hand him over."
"No!" Gui shrieked. "They'll kill me! They have orders to—"
THWIP.
A single silenced shot rang out. It hit the pavement inches from Gui's knee, leaving a smoking crater of nothingness. The asphalt didn't shatter; it just vanished. Deleted from reality.
"Next one is a headshot," the Commander stated. "Hand him over."
Mr. Liu looked at the crater. He knew what that weapon was. An Eraser.
"Hold on," Mr. Liu said, stepping between the Cleaners and his son. "You don't fire weapons in my district without a permit. This is a Reaper investigation."
"Not anymore," the Commander said. "This is a... Classified Operation. Stand down, Reaper. Or we shoot through you."
The Cleaners raised their rifles. The Reapers raised their scythes.
It was a standoff. And Ren was in the middle.
Ren looked at the Commander. He analyzed the threat. They came for the energy spike. They think Gui caused it. If they find out it was me, they won't arrest me. They will dissect me.
Ren looked at Jian. "Now," Ren whispered. "Use the shield."
Jian took a deep breath. His legs were shaking. His dad was looking at him with a mix of horror and disappointment. The Cleaners were looking at him with the intent to kill.
Jian stepped forward.
"Actually," Jian squeaked.
Everyone looked at him.
"Actually," Jian said, his voice finding a strange, desperate strength. "You can't take jurisdiction."
The Cleaner Commander tilted his head. "Excuse me?"
"Section 9, Clause 4 of the Inter-District Spirit Act," Jian recited, the words flowing out of him like he was reading code. "In the event of a 'Magical Discharge exceeding 5000 Mana Units'—which the suspect Master Gui caused inside—the site is designated a Hazard Zone. Under Federal Law, only the Local Reaper Authority can process the scene to ensure environmental safety."
Jian pushed his glasses up his nose.
"If you shoot us," Jian said, pointing at the Commander, "you are violating the Environmental Protection Act. That's a mandatory audit from the High Council. You'll lose your license. And your pension."
Silence.
The wind howled through the broken fence.
The Cleaner Commander lowered his rifle slightly. He looked at his lieutenant. He ran the calculation in his head.
Mission: Contain the breach.
Current Status: The Warlock is caught. The "Witnesses" are two high school kids protected by a Reaper Captain.
Risk: If he shoots the kids, he triggers a Federal Audit that exposes Minister Shen.
Reward: None. The kids are irrelevant.
Ren smiled. The Bureaucrat Prodigy had done it.
"You heard the lawyer," Ren said.
Ren grabbed the Ledger from his belt. He tossed it through the air. It landed at Mr. Liu's feet with a heavy thud.
"The evidence," Ren said. "Master Gui's personal diary. It implicates Minister Shen in everything. Soul trafficking. Bribery. Illegal constructs."
Ren kicked Master Gui toward the Reapers.
"And the witness. He will testify against Shen, because if he doesn't, the Cleaners will find him in prison."
Ren looked at the Cleaner Commander.
"Checkmate," Ren said. "Take the shot and lose your job. Or walk away and let the Reapers handle the paperwork."
The Commander stared at Ren. He stared at the book in Mr. Liu's hands. The cover-up had failed.
"Retreat," the Commander hissed.
The Cleaners didn't argue. They moved with terrifying efficiency, piling back into the grey SUVs. The engines roared, and the convoy peeled away, disappearing into the smog. They had decided the Warlock wasn't worth the scandal.
The tension broke.
Ren let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He slumped slightly. His arm was throbbing.
Mr. Liu picked up the book. He looked at Master Gui, who was kissing the ground in gratitude for being arrested.
Then, Mr. Liu walked up to Ren.
"You played a dangerous game, kid," Mr. Liu said softly. "You used my unit as a shield."
"I helped you catch a criminal," Ren corrected. "And I saved your son."
Mr. Liu looked at Jian. He saw the burned hand. He saw the terror in Jian's eyes, but also the defiance.
"We will talk about this at home," Mr. Liu said to Jian. It wasn't a threat. It was a promise.
Mr. Liu turned back to Ren. He pulled out a citation pad.
"You are free to go," Mr. Liu said. "However."
Ren blinked. "However?"
"This factory," Mr. Liu said, gesturing to the carnage behind them. "It's a disaster. Zoning violations. Noise complaints. Operating heavy machinery without a license. And... unlawful discharge of magical energy."
Mr. Liu scribbled furiously. He ripped the ticket off and slapped it onto Ren's bloody chest.
"Total fines: 8,500 Spirit Coins. Payable immediately."
"I don't have that kind of money!" Ren shouted. "I just saved the city!"
"The law is the law," Mr. Liu said impassively. He snapped his fingers.
Two Reapers walked past Ren. They picked up the travel bag—the one Master Gui had filled with gold bars and spirit stones.
Ren saw the zipper hanging open. Inside, he caught the glint of pure gold ingots and the pulsating blue light of high-grade Spirit Stones. That bag was worth a fortune. It was startup capital. It was freedom. It was the future.
"Hey!" Ren protested. "That's mine! Use that to pay the fine!"
Mr. Liu shook his head. He zipped the bag shut and slapped a red EVIDENCE tag on it.
"I can't do that," Mr. Liu said, his voice maddeningly calm. "This bag contains illicit spirit materials obtained through unregistered necromancy. It is contraband. We are seizing it as evidence for the prosecution of Minister Shen."
He handed the bag to his officer.
"But don't worry about the fine," Mr. Liu added, looking at Ren's pale face. "Since you are a minor, the system will automatically deduct the 8,500 coins from your legal guardian's savings account. Have a nice night, citizen."
Ren stood there, mouth open, as the Reapers drove away with his loot and his inheritance.
They drove away.
Ren stood in the empty parking lot. He was alive. He owned a factory. He had defeated a Warlock and outsmarted a Death Squad.
But he wasn't just broke. He had been robbed by the police.
"They took the gold," Jian whispered, horrified. "And they billed your Grandma? Ren... we are worse than zero."
Ren started to laugh. It was a tired, hysterical laugh.
"Welcome to the System, Jian. The house always wins."
Suddenly, the adrenaline crashed.
[XP THRESHOLD REACHED]
Ren's vision went black. His knees buckled.
"Ren!" Jian shouted.
Ren hit the asphalt, his consciousness fading into the void.