While Luoshu investigated the Demon's Slogan in the restaurant, "The God" and Barbie arrived at the Foundation's command post outside the restricted zone.
As a Level 6 Overseer, "The God" rarely revealed his identity—preferring to operate through O5 proxies.
This time, he'd temporarily granted Barbie supreme authority to deal with Luoshu's incursion.
Neither was surprised that the blockade had failed to stop him.
Barbie monitored Luoshu's satellite-tracked signal while questioning the Site-CN-02 director overseeing the zone:
"Is the nuke ready? Target's inside a building."
The director handed her a tablet showing drone footage:
"10-kiloton neutron bomb armed and loaded. Ready for drop."
Barbie glanced at "The God."
Though nominally in charge, only an O5 could authorize a nuclear strike.
"The God" studied the drone feed and Luoshu's coordinates.
Since Luoshu's Hume level had surged to 250, tracking him had become trivial.
Unobservability and Perception Block couldn't fool Kant Counters—only human senses.
Still, those abilities made him immune to conventional targeting systems.
But against a nuke?
Different story.
Yet "The God" hesitated.
Luoshu had twice survived nuclear blasts:
Site-CN-06: Escaped by entering My Cult Leader World.
New Atlantis: Used water to block neutron radiation.
This time, "The God" would ensure no third escape.
The草原小城 lacked:
Surface water (no radiation shielding).
Spacious sewers (no underground escape).
All he needed was to block the game-world loophole.
"Monitor him," "The God" told Barbie. "I'll prepare the trap."
The Trap Springs
Near the blockade, a CBRN unit (Chemical-Biological-Radiological-Nuclear) unloaded a familiar device—one Luoshu had nearly died to in New Atlantis.
Activated, it projected a water-blue barrier that spread across the ground, forming a dome over the entire zone.
Simultaneously, "The God" boosted his Hume to near-Level 5—Earth's limit—and fused his Spatial Barrier with the dome, sealing all dimensional travel.
Including access to My Cult Leader World.
Luoshu's own trick, turned against him.
With the trap set, "The God" gave the order.
The drone released its payload.
No countdown. Instant detonation.
From outside the barrier, "The God" watched the dome glow an eerie blue.
Inside, 100,000 lives vanished in a flash.
Not a single building remained intact.
Not a single breath drawn.
Yet when "The God" called Barbie to confirm Luoshu's death, her reply chilled him:
"His signal disappeared... before you left the command post."
"What? Why wasn't I notified?!"
"I tried! You didn't answer!"
A beat of silence.
Then—
"That's impossible."
The Missing Piece
Somewhere in the death zone, unobserved and unrecorded, a lone figure stirred.
Luoshu had never been in the restaurant.
The signal? A decoy.
The trap? Spring on empty air.
And now, the hunter had become the hunted.