Shrouded Seascape

A sultry summer night. The bustling streets were filled with people enjoying their evening strolls after dinner. Currently, their eyes couldn't help but to be captivated by a stunning, alluring woman as she walked past them.

Some whispered among themselves, trying to figure out if she was a celebrity. Some even went as far as to pull out their flip phones and secretly snap photos of her.

Anna's perfected arched brows furrowed slightly. This wasn't good; she was attracting far too much attention.

The next moment, she grabbed the towel around her neck—the one that a kind older woman had given her to dry her hair—and quickly wrapped it around her beautiful face. She hastened her steps and weaved through the crowd.

Blending into the crowd, Anna swiftly moved from the lively main street into a narrow alley. Now that she was away from the humans, she slowed down. Her mind started to race as she tried to figure out her next steps to get herself out of her current predicament.

Indeed, the surface world was safe. Yet, it was extremely foreign to her.

If she wanted to find a way back to the Subterranean Sea, she would need to adapt and find stability here first. And that meant, a legal identity was her utmost priority. Fortunately, she possessed memories of this world that would play a crucial role in allowing her to blend in.

A loud sizzling sound resonated in the air the moment the squid tentacles hit the grill. As the tentacles with suction cups curled and twisted from the flames, the smell of cooked meat permeated the air, eventually drifting past Anna's nose.

She had just escaped from the police station and she couldn't help but salivate at the delicious smell in the air. Her stomach tightened in hunger as she walked over to an empty table and sat down.

Though she still drew attention since it was rare to see someone covering their faces with a towel, it was still an improvement from before.

Soon enough, Anna's orders of barbecued skewers arrived. Pulling a corner of the towel slightly away from her face, Anna picked up a stick and took her first bite to replenish the nutrients she needed.

The oil on the lamb was still sizzling due to the residual heat from the grill. Coupled with the generously sprinkled cumin and chili powder, it tasted pretty good.

Anna had barely taken a few bites when a figure slid into the seat across from her.

"Hey, gorgeous. You won't mind if I join you, right?"

Anna lifted her gaze from the platter of skewers to the man opposite her. He looked scrawny and his face was dotted with pimples. The dragon tattoo that spanned across his ribcage made him appear rather unfriendly.

Seeing no response from Anna, thes scrawny man continued his self introduction with a greasy smile.

"My name's Li Long. I frequent this area a lot, but why haven't I seen you around before? Are you new here for vacation? You know, it's dangerous for someone as pretty as you to be wandering around here alone."

Li Long had his own methodology for dealing with women. It was a simple and straightforward approach: shameless persistence. He didn't care about their background; he just wanted to try his luck.

It was almost instinctual for a lowly gangster like him. And, truth be told, he had gotten lucky a few times in the past.

"Have you been to the estuary below the Baita River? That spot's really majestic when the tide comes in. Really! I'm not exaggerating! It's way better than that overhyped Qiantang River…"

Li Long babbled on and on but suddenly came to an abrupt halt when the woman in front of him stopped munching on her food. She looked up at him with evident irritation in her eyes.

"Scram. Even if I was gangraped, you wouldn't make the cut!"

"Pft!"

Around them, several people nearly choked on their beer, some even spitting a mouthful out in shock. Clearly, they couldn't believe that they had just heard these crude words from a seemingly delicate young woman.

Immediately after, bursts of mocking laughter erupted and they were all directed at Li Long. Li Long's face flushed with embarrassment, but as a seasoned lowlife, he ignored his pride and decided to adopt a different approach.

"Oh my dear, those words sting my heart," Li Long said with a feigned pained expression. "I wasn't trying to offend you. To be honest, I'm just a pitiful guy. I grew up without my parents, lived on scraps from my neighbors, and I'm all alone and lonely at night. I'm just looking for someone to talk to…"

Just as Li Long continued with his made-up sob story, he failed to notice the way Anna's eyes started to gleam with a sudden interest.

"Pay the bill and take me to your place to have a look," Anna said, cutting Li Long's story off.

Li Long blinked in disbelief. He thought he had misheard her. But when he realized that she meant exactly what she said, he felt a wave of excitement surging through him.

Would it be dangerous to bring a stranger to his place? Those thoughts never crossed his mind. What kind of threat could a girl like her pose? If anyone should be worried about being in a precarious situation, it was her and not him.

Quickly tossing a few bills on the table, Li Long stood up and Anna followed him.

They navigated through the twisting and turning alleys until they arrived at a crowded slum area. After a few more turns, she stopped in front of a run-down house.

The rusted padlock unlocked with a creak and Li Long pushed open the gate to a cramped yard.

Old, peeling furniture cluttered the inside of the house, and the interior design reminded one of a time long past. The air smelled stale, and dust coated everything, giving the impression that whoever lived here didn't care much for cleanliness.

"Here it is, babe. This is my place. Pretty big, right? Sure, it's a bit worn but don't let that fool you. I've got a buddy who told me that this entire area's set for demolition. When that happens—"

Li Long's voice stopped abruptly as he felt a weird sensation; something hard was pressed against his lower back.

He turned his head stiffly and his gaze locked onto the source of his pain. Pressed against his back were three iron skewers—sharp, greasy, and still reeking of grilled meat. The ends were twisted together into a makeshift brass knuckle. He was certain that the skewers were from the street vendor they had just come from.

"Hey, babe…What are you doing? Do I look like a bad guy or something?"

Anna's right hand shot upward and gripped Li Long's tongue inside his mouth with brutal precision. The next moment, her left hand plunged the skewers deep into his lower back.

Li Long's eyes bulged to a size wider than that of a goldfish's. He couldn't process the illogical scene before him. How could this be happening? How could she dare stab him? This was a society of law and order! People wouldn't get away with murder! And he hadn't even done anything to deserve this!

But before Li Long could make sense of anything, a series of thuds echoed as the skewers plunged into his side again and again.

"Mmff! Mmmff!" Li Long's muffled cries rang out as he struggled to escape. However, his strength soon ran out. By the time he collapsed to the floor, his waist was a torn mess of shredded flesh, and blood oozed out of his gory wounds to pool at his feet.

"No! I don't want to die! I'm sorry! I'm really sorry!" Li Long whimpered, his face covered with tears and snot. The fear of death gripped him. His legs scraped desperately against the ground as he tried to retreat and drag himself away from the young woman.

By this point, his heart was overwhelmed by extreme terror. He had no idea who this woman was, but he was clear of one thing: he had messed with the wrong person. No ordinary person could kill with such cold precision, without even a blink of hesitation.

Anna's face remained cold and indifferent as she took a step forward, her left hand still holding onto the bloodied skewer.

"Relax," she said without a hint of emotion. "I know human anatomy very well. I deliberately avoid any vital organs. After all, if you died, you would be useless."

A chill crawled down Li Long's spine. Before he could ask how she planned to use him, he watched the woman crouched down beside him. Her delicate finger dipped into his pool of warm blood and she began to smear it across the cold cement floor.

The cement floor was rapidly stained a deep crimson by the blood seeping out of Li Long. It didn't take long before a large concentric circle was drawn around him, with intricate and unfamiliar symbols filling the space between.