Chapter 657 - 430: The Slaughter Day Begins

However, when he saw the caller ID, he froze.

He was stunned.

The caller was none other than his half-sister, Xiaoli—the very one he’d seen stabbed to death by the man in the black robe.

"What are you doing? Don’t tell me you’re on a date. It took you forever to answer."

The call had just connected when a cold, haughty female voice came through the receiver.

Hearing that familiar voice, Hakawa Yuuma’s tense heart finally settled.

He carefully questioned her to confirm she was safe, then let out a long sigh of relief.

Next, he called his junior and senior from school in succession.

Only after confirming that they too were unharmed could he truly relax.

’Could that really have been just a hallucination?’

Hakawa Yuuma frowned, his heart filled with doubt.

But if it was a hallucination, it had been far too realistic.

Still, as long as everyone was safe, it was a good thing.

However, Hakawa Yuuma had no idea that the day’s events were merely the beginning.

As time went on, the other Intern Readers would inevitably do whatever it took to find him.

And aside from a few who might take a gentler approach, the methods most Readers chose would likely be anything but friendly.

...

Time flew by, and a few short days passed in an instant. The Killing Day was drawing closer, step by step.

In early June, the skies over Shenmu City had already begun to turn gloomy.

Heavy clouds hung low, looking as if they could fall at any moment and crush the entire city.

Sunlight that occasionally pierced the gaps in the clouds cast not warmth, but a pale, sickly halo, like a dull knife scraping slowly across the skin.

The billboards on the streets had long since been changed.

The once-twinkling neon lights were replaced with short, red slogans: "June 7 - 10: Legal Exemption Period."

The font was blocky with sharp edges, as if carved by a knife.

Fine print scrolled beneath the electronic screens, but no one stopped to read it.

During this time, the city’s atmosphere grew increasingly tense.

Some of Shenmu City’s residents chose to stay and defend their homes; they reinforced their locks, purchased weapons, or hid in safe houses they had prepared long ago.

On the streets.

Glaring signs reading "Killing Day Special" hung above every weapon shop.

Long lines formed at every door, people waiting in silence to make their purchases.

The shelves in some supermarkets had already been picked clean.

Canned goods, bottled water, medicine—all of it was snatched up.

Another segment of the population chose to take their valuables and temporarily evacuate.

After all, the Killing Day was only four days long. Once it was over, they could return.

Both the world’s officials and the Yin Beasts adopted a laissez-faire attitude toward this phenomenon.

They made no effort to interfere.

Though many people left,

an equally endless stream of people was entering Shenmu City.

The Killing Day, this special period filled with blood and chaos, concealed not only endless slaughter but also the lure of immense "wealth."

During this time, money obtained through looting, arson, and murder was exempt from legal consequence. Once the Killing Day was over, no one would question the origin of such wealth.

The allure of wealth is a powerful thing.

Tempted by this, countless poor people dreamed of seizing this chance to get rich overnight.

There were even many organized groups who had meticulously planned to plunder as much wealth as possible by any means necessary during the four days of chaos.

Of course, the Killing Day didn’t just attract profit-seekers.

All sorts of criminals, as well as those suffocating under the pressures of life, saw this as their only outlet to vent their inner darkness and stress.

In their eyes, the Killing Day was a carnival where they could run wild.

Therefore, when the Killing Day arrived, Shenmu City would by no means be short of "participants."

After all, the greed and ugliness of human nature were more than enough to fill a city about to descend into Hell.

Furthermore, for the Yin Beasts, there was a deeper consideration.

When an insatiably greedy person dies, their Yin Energy is often exceptionally dense, and the Yin Beast born from it is fiercer and more terrifying.

Conversely, when those cowardly and timid people die, the Yin Energy they produce is as thin as smoke, and the Yin Beasts they spawn are weak and feeble.

...

Soon, it was June 6th.

By evening, the sky was as dark as ink.

Lightning occasionally snaked through it, forking out like the branches of a tree.

Outside the window, a billboard flashed a blood-red countdown:

[Time remaining until June 7, 00:00: 6 hours, 37 minutes, 51 seconds]

The number of people on the streets was half of what it usually was.

Those still outside walked quickly, their heads down, hands in their pockets.

Their cold gazes swept over every stranger they passed.

Some hot-tempered people even broke into shouting matches at the slightest provocation, roaring that they would fight to the death after the clock struck midnight.

At this moment, in Shenmu City.

Aside from a few self-aware Intern Readers who were perhaps unwilling to take the risk,

all the other Intern Readers had entered the city limits.

These people were like hungry wolves, lying in wait in the shadows.

They were awaiting the arrival of the true carnival.

...

「The Villa, Living Room.」

On the television, the mayor of Shenmu City—a bald, obese middle-aged man—was giving a speech.

The buttons of his suit were strained open by his round belly, revealing a gaudy, patterned shirt underneath. The greasy fabric clung tightly to his rolls of fat.

He was now delivering his address.

The background was the brilliantly lit nightscape of Shenmu City.

"...The Killing Day is a time-honored tradition in our city..."

the mayor said with a smile,

"...Experiencing the Killing Day allows us to understand the value of law... and promotes social harmony..."

The general idea was to "release pressure" through a few days of anarchy, so that people would "cherish peace."

Regarding this statement,

Hu Qi was noncommittal.

Although the true purpose of the Killing Day was for the Yin Beasts hidden among the human elite to create more Yin Beasts and enhance Yin Energy,

it had to be said that, in a way, the event did significantly reduce the crime rate in this world.

Because these people waited for the arrival of the Killing Day on June 7th just like people wait for Black Friday.

So, in a certain sense, it really did promote social harmony.

Because once a large portion of the "disharmonious" elements died off, the crime rate would naturally fall.

"Boss, based on our surveillance of Hakawa Yuuma,

we’ve so far observed at least eleven Reader squads that have come to Shenmu City. Aside from a few squads with only one or two members, seven of the squads have three people each..."

To the side, Vera was reporting what they had gathered.

Although Hakawa Yuuma had been released after they made their impression,

they had placed him under constant surveillance.

During this time, they had seen many people approaching Hakawa Yuuma in all sorts of ways.

As expected, those were all Intern Readers.

Hu Qi didn’t pay it much mind.

The three of them sat quietly on the sofa, waiting for the Killing Day to arrive.

Several hours passed in a flash.

DONG!

A dull toll of a bell suddenly shattered the night sky of Shenmu City, echoing in every corner of the metropolis.

The clock struck twelve, and immediately after, the city’s sirens began to wail, their shrill sound instantly piercing the night sky.

This sound announced that from this moment until four days later, the entire city’s legal order, security forces, and medical assistance systems were officially shut down, rendered completely ineffective.

Then, everything fell silent.

For just a second, perhaps even less, and then—

BANG!

Looking through the window, a pillar of fire could be seen rising into the distant night sky.

The next second.

The deluge of gunfire and blood-curdling screams tore through the night.

The Killing Day had officially begun.

Shenmu City was brighter after nightfall than it was during the day.

The streetlights everywhere remained constantly lit.

The sound of shattering glass came from a distant apartment building, followed by a scream and the dull thud of a body hitting the ground.

On the street, a figure suddenly darted out from a previously empty corner. A blade drew a cold arc under the streetlight, and the tearing sound of metal piercing flesh was drowned out by the roar of a distant engine.

A car slammed violently into the window of a convenience store.

Everything, absolutely everything, descended into chaos.

The bell had long since stopped, but the slaughter had only just begun.