After setting down the brewed tea, Li Desheng's gaze shifted to Todo Aoi. "Hello, may I ask what you two think about this incident? Are you fully prepared?"
The translator in Todo's ear buzzed to life, relaying the words instantly. He replied, "If you've got questions, talk to my brother here. I'm not too clued in."
"Uh… a Japanese guy?" Li Desheng caught on quick. The pair taking this mission were from Japan. It wasn't unusual these days—some folks would risk their lives for cash, no matter where they were from.
Still, seeing how young they looked—and foreigners at that—Li felt a pang of unease. Why did a domestic curse issue end up in the hands of so many outsiders? He knew the reasons, but it didn't sit right with him.
Todo Aoi had a seasoned air about him, mature beyond his years. Hayashi, though not small, had a face too fresh, too youthful. These two couldn't be that old. Taking on a mission like this? It was a death sentence.
The world was united now in fighting curses. Nations no longer clashed with weapons—humanity's greatest enemy was the cursed. So, out of a sense of duty to protect talent, Li spoke up. "You two are too young. Maybe reconsider this mission."
Hayashi shot to his feet. "No need for chit-chat. Just give us the mission. I've got this handled. Don't waste our time."
"You speak Chinese?" Li understood Japanese, but he wasn't fluent. Hearing Hayashi's smooth Mandarin caught him off guard.
"Forget the small stuff. We're strong enough to deal with this. If you keep poking around, we're out—you can clean up your own mess," Hayashi snapped. He wasn't here to dawdle. Who knew what might change if they delayed?
"Fair enough. I'll get your clearance." Li wasn't one for pointless talk, especially in a crisis. Without hesitation, he fired up his computer, pulled out a text-filled sheet, and got to work.
Hayashi sat back down. Soon, Li returned with a document and a pass, handing them over. "Keep these safe. This pass is your ticket past any roadblocks. That's all I'll say—good luck."
Hayashi grabbed the goods and bolted, the duo sprinting down the street toward the cursed zone.
Li had given that same warning to countless others. They all brushed it off with the same confidence, claiming they could handle it.
There weren't many options left. He'd let them go. If they died in there, at least he wouldn't feel too guilty—he'd tried to stop them.
As Hayashi and Todo closed in on their target, the crowds thinned out until no one was left. The area felt like a ghost town.
The residents had clearly been evacuated. Normal people couldn't see the cursed domain. Early on, too many had stumbled into its innate domain and died.
That's just how it was. In the face of curses, death was simpler than drinking water.
"Over there?" Todo scanned the surroundings as he ran. Soon, he spotted a massive black zone in the distance—like a dome, swallowing up the area ahead.
"It's grown?" Hayashi noticed the enemy's innate domain was larger than what he'd seen in the mirrored world before. Looked like that thing had been feeding on fear and negativity—probably getting stronger.
By now, the nearby buildings should've been empty, just hollow shells.
But high up in those structures, people from different factions were watching.
Some wanted to see how far this cursed zone would spread. Others were curious who'd be dumb enough to march in and die. And everyone wanted that payout.
Money's only good for the living, though. It's useless to the dead.
So they held back, observing daily, waiting for the right moment to strike.
As these lurkers killed time, two figures approached the zone. Steady steps echoed down the deserted street.
"Someone's coming!"
"Three days, and finally someone's going in?"
"Look at their age—barely twenty, huh? So young and already throwing their lives away."
"Maybe they're stronger than you think. Don't judge by looks."
The hidden watchers in the buildings perked up, eyeing the two figures below.
"That guy next to the gorilla's kinda hot," a long-haired girl with bangs said, peering out the window and licking her lips.
"Seriously, Lu Yue? You're swooning again?" The girl beside her clicked her tongue, though she too glanced down and noted the boy's sharp looks.
"I'm a heart-stealing thief, you know that," Lu Yue purred with a coy smile, her eyes dancing.
"They're just walking to their deaths. Why bother? Lu Yue, there's a stud right behind you, and you're ogling some doomed guy instead?"
Behind the girls, a short-haired guy in black lounged in an office chair, legs propped on the desk. He grumbled as he played a game on his phone.
"Tch, play your game," the other girl shot back, her focus still on the scene below.
Anyone hiding nearby could see Hayashi and Todo strolling boldly down the street.
Hayashi clocked the situation too. With his cursed energy spread out, everything within 300 meters was crystal clear. He spotted the people lurking in the buildings but didn't care. He kept moving.
Five hundred meters from the cursed zone, only police and officials had been stationed here before. Now, the military was involved.
Armored vehicles and turrets lined the perimeter. Hundreds of soldiers stood ready, guns in hand.
As Hayashi and Todo approached, a soldier blocked their path. Then an official stepped forward—a bespectacled man who eyed Todo. "No clearance, no pass, no entry."
Hayashi whipped out the document and pass. Clear this mission, and ten million was his.
The man sized them up, then stepped aside. "Let 'em through!"
A gap opened in the barricade. As Hayashi and Todo passed, every soldier saluted them.
This could be a one-way trip. No one wouldn't respect that kind of guts. They were warriors.