After a spell of dizziness, Lu Zhaoran fell solidly to the floor, the dull pain from her buttocks making her involuntarily hiss.
"What's going on?" She squinted her eyes, rubbing her somewhat swollen temples, her voice tinged with discomfort.
But before she could fully sit up, a familiar voice sounded next to her.
"Sister Zhaoran? Why are you here?"
"Eh? Luo Lin?!" She couldn't be more familiar with this voice. Lu Zhaoran abruptly looked up and, sure enough, saw Luo Lin and the other two staring at her blankly.
"Luo Lin, why are you guys..." Before she could finish, Lu Zhaoran seemed to have realized something, her words abruptly stopping as her gaze quickly swept across the familiar furnishings around her, her pupils quaking. "Wait! Where is... here?!"
"Here... of course it's your house in the Pit Bottom District, Sister Zhaoran?" Luo Lin tilted her head in confusion, pointing to the center of the living room. "We just sat down in the living room wanting to eat something, when a purple circle suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and then you fell out of it with a 'plop'!"
"My house?"
Hearing this, Lu Zhaoran hastily stood up, looking around in disbelief.
That's right! This sofa, this coffee table, these windows... this was indeed her house in the Pit Bottom District!
In other words... Big Boss Cipher's action just now had actually sent her directly from the Chaos Capital back to the Pit Bottom District?!
"How is it? Do you believe my words now?" Accompanied by a slightly smug voice, Cipher leapt lightly out of the purple portal that had not yet dissipated, her chin slightly raised, wearing a "see, I told you" expression.
"Alright... Big Boss, I still underestimated your strength..." Confirming that Cipher really possessed the ability to cross such a terrifying distance instantly, Lu Zhaoran was completely convinced. Her body went soft, and she lay back down on the floor, somewhat resigned.
Such an ultra-long-distance teleportation—she probably wouldn't be able to barely manage it until she reached a strength around S rank.
"As long as you know." Cipher clapped her hands, then walked over and grabbed Lu Zhaoran's arm. "Let's go back."
"Wait... Sister Cipher!"
At this moment, Luo Lin suddenly called out to her urgently.
"Hmm?" Cipher stopped and turned back.
"Um... well... will you be coming back for dinner tonight?"
Although she didn't know why, she subconsciously blurted out this question.
"Uh..." Cipher choked on the question, which gave her an extremely strong sense of déjà vu. She scratched her cheek and said,
"I'll definitely be coming back... As for dinner, we'll see when the time comes."
After she finished speaking, she pulled Lu Zhaoran and stepped back into the portal.
...
The purple light dissipated, and the two reappeared beside the car outside the airport in the Chaos Capital.
"Sister Cipher, you're back?" Hong Guoguo had been waiting by the car, and seeing them appear, she asked curiously, "What did you go do?"
"I underestimated the Big Boss's strength, so the Big Boss specially took me back to 'visit' my living room..." Lu Zhaoran rubbed her still somewhat dizzy head, her tone complex. "It took me a flight of over a day to get to that place, but with one portal, the Big Boss sent me back in a few seconds..."
Hearing this, Hong Guoguo didn't look surprised.
After all, having accepted the premise that "Sister Cipher is an old monster who has lived for tens of thousands of years," no matter what ability the other party displayed, she felt it was completely reasonable.
"As expected of Sister Cipher, so amazing!" she praised sincerely.
Hearing the praise, Cipher maintained a nonchalant appearance on the surface, but the slender tail behind her uncontrollably curled upwards into a small arc.
Next, she cleared her throat and said to the two of them, "Since there's nothing else, let's get in the car and head back to the clinic."
After she finished speaking, she took the lead to open the rear door and sat inside.
Seeing this, Lu Zhaoran and Hong Guoguo also followed into the back seat.
The car started steadily, driving towards the direction of the Hyacine Clinic, while Lu Zhaoran casually raised the soundproof partition of the back seat, isolating the driver's cabin.
"Big Boss Cipher," she turned to Cipher, her expression serious, "I want to ask, what exactly was going on with that bizarre thunderstorm this morning, and the giant beast in the thunderclouds?"
"This morning's thunderstorm... and the giant beast?" A meaningful smile curled the corners of Cipher's lips. "Don't be anxious. Wait until we arrive at the clinic, naturally someone will explain it to you."
After she finished speaking, she lowered her head and leisurely began scrolling through her Terminal.
Seeing the Big Boss keeping her guessing again, Lu Zhaoran had no choice but to cast a hopeful glance at Hong Guoguo beside her.
Hong Guoguo received her gaze, silently nodded, and softly echoed,
"Mhm... Sister Cipher is right. Once we get back to the clinic, it should be clearer when you understand it."
Lu Zhaoran: "???"
Why was everyone playing the riddler now?! And Guoguo, didn't you say on your Terminal before that you'd explain in detail when we met?!
"Alright, alright, let's just wait till we get back. It won't take much time anyway." Lu Zhaoran sighed helplessly, gave up struggling, and also took out her Terminal to scroll.
Anyway, since even Big Boss Cipher was this calm, what was the point of her being anxious? If something really did happen, just the Big Boss's spatial teleportation that ignored distance was enough to cover for them.
Before long, the car stopped in front of the Hyacine Clinic, and the three of them stepped out of the car one by one.
"Huh? Why is there still a clinic with such booming business here?" As soon as Lu Zhaoran got out of the car, her attention was drawn to the scene before her.
There was a long line at the entrance of the clinic, with at least thirty to forty people.
Seeing this scene, Lu Zhaoran felt somewhat surprised.
"I remember the medical industry in this area was recently monopolized by Genesis Tech, wasn't it?"
As for why she knew the medical care here was monopolized by Genesis Tech, it was because part of the reason she came here was precisely for this.
"Genesis Tech..." Hearing these words, Hong Guoguo couldn't help but recall the scene where she was almost blasted into feline ashes by lightning at Genesis Tech. "Let's talk about their affairs later."
"Alright."
Seeing that Hong Guoguo was unwilling to speak of this or that, she had no other choice but to take it one step at a time.
The three of them walked into the clinic. As soon as she entered the door, Lu Zhaoran felt an indescribable sense of warmth and comfort sweep over her entire body.
"Mmm... so comfortable..."
Lu Zhaoran couldn't help but sigh softly. This feeling made the exhaustion from sitting on a plane for a whole day recede like the tide, and her whole person instantly felt relaxed.
She opened her eyes with some curiosity and looked towards the source of the comfort.
She saw a girl with pink twin-tail drills standing in the middle of the hall, her hands radiating a soft, Rainbow Light.
The Rainbow Light enveloped the dozen or so injured people around her, and the wounds on their bodies were rapidly healing at a visible speed.
Before long, the Rainbow Light gradually dissipated, and the patients who were originally lying or sitting down stood up one by one, stretching their fully recovered bodies. After profusely thanking the pink-haired girl with faces full of gratitude, they orderly left the clinic.
After all the injured dispersed, Cipher leisurely walked forward, patted the shoulder of Lu Zhaoran who was still somewhat dazed, and said with a smile on her face,
"Little Ran, didn't you want to know what was going on with that giant beast this morning?" She turned slightly and pointed her finger at the pink-haired girl. "There, this is the giant beast you were talking about."
"What? You're saying she's... the giant beast from this morning?"
Lu Zhaoran's brain somewhat crashed, her eyes a bit lost, as her gaze darted back and forth between Cipher and the gentle, harmless-looking pink-haired girl.
And at this moment, Hyacine also showed a gentle smile to Lu Zhaoran,
"Hello, you can call me Hyacine."