Chapter 132: Making a Clean Getaway

Tanya squinted her eyes and flashed a cunning smile; she had finally shed the burden that had weighed her down. As a ghost defined by humans as evil, how could her true nature be as pure as a white lotus?

Everything had merely been a persona she adopted under the immense pressure Chu Ning exerted upon her. In films and television, ghosts belonging to the "good" faction are, in the end, a minority. Born from condensed resentment, Tanya’s spectral form was ultimately dominated by her wicked side.

What amused Tanya, however, was that someone had actually believed her charade. Their level of guard against her had been so low that it left her utterly speechless. Furthermore, she felt genuine gratitude for the other party’s actions; had the battle dragged on for too long, and had the two unconquerable forces inside decided on a final victor, her own fate would surely have been dire.

Witnessing the deafening, earth-shaking sounds emanating from the trap constructed by the insect swarm, Tanya couldn't help but shudder. Indeed, the world remained as biased as ever toward certain individuals. The combat prowess of the monsters inside was beyond her comprehension—what had started as a mundane supernatural style had shifted into the realm of immortal cultivation.

Tanya could not gauge Chu Ning’s strength; it was a level of power that remained perpetually out of her reach.

"Hurry and get out of here, you are free, Tanya!"

Tanya whispered to herself. She crouched down, wiping the blood from her hands with a piece of discarded rag with an expression of disgust. She possessed no morbid obsession with licking up blood after a kill. Since the spread of scientific knowledge, most ghosts—save for a few unique specimens and some stubborn old fossils—had moved on. Even vampires, who once relied on blood to sustain their lives, now opted for safe and reliable channels to obtain fresh sustenance. It was, one had to admit, quite ironic.

Most supernatural entities now paid attention to the prevention of infectious diseases; this could be considered a form of keeping pace with the times. Tanya offered a self-deprecating smile and shook her head helplessly.

Scientific development had indeed changed many things; organisms that could not adapt to these modern shifts were destined to be eliminated by nature.

Tanya cautiously delivered final blows to the bodies behind her. The events that had transpired were still fresh in her mind, and there were far too many cases of those who rose from the dead. She did not want the victims to feign death only to come seeking revenge; cutting weeds by the roots was the best policy.

"Bye-bye, Chu Ning!" Tanya offered a few seconds of silent tribute toward the sealed enclosure of the insect swarm before turning away, resolute in her departure from this place of trouble.

She had never forgotten that she was a target listed by the Company. It was possible that some of the people at the scene might recognize her identity. Once they realized that the high-value target was gone, these hunters—no different from hyenas—would surely descend upon her with a frenzy. After all, a thief never leaves empty-handed; it was one of the baser instincts of humanity.

Tanya quietly retrieved a cloak from the ground. Sometimes, a corpse could provide unexpected surprises. She draped the blood-stained cloak over her shoulders without much care; though it was a size too large, a cloak was just a cloak, and its size would hardly invite suspicion.

To be or not to be—it was a question both simple and complex. In different scenarios, people would make diametrically opposite choices. For the sake of survival, Tanya naturally overlooked the blood-stained garment, realizing instead that it might offer better cover. The weak are always treated with a subconscious relaxation of vigilance; no matter what the opponent’s choice might be, this provided Tanya with room to maneuver. Besides, she had recently become quite adept at playing the weakling—or rather, relatively speaking, she was indeed a weakling.

Tanya’s exit proceeded without any major incidents as she felt her way toward the path leading to the outside world. She had no expectation of returning the way she came; the emergence of X-07 had changed too many things. During this time, she did encounter other survivors. Tanya exchanged some "friendly" pleasantries with them, which only served to intensify the scent of blood clinging to her. Eventually, her facade could no longer hide the truth; Tanya became a figure of terror in the eyes of others, and survivors would scatter and flee the moment they caught sight of her.

"Finally, almost out!" Tanya squinted, savoring the impending freedom as she dragged her exhausted body to the factory gates. In this game where no one was supposed to survive, she was the final winner.

The world outside was as empty and desolate as it had been at the start. Tanya surveyed the environment with an arrogant gaze. Spotting a dark shadow lurking near a withered tree in the distance, she quickly ducked behind a wall to observe.

The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. There was never a shortage of people in this world looking to reap the rewards of others' labor. Someone had actually managed to suppress their anxiety and wait quietly for the matter to reach its conclusion.

The reason Tanya was able to detect the person hiding there was not only due to her keen observation but also because that spot had been one of their initial hiding places. Tanya even harbored a deep suspicion that this might be internal Company personnel stationed there to monitor the smooth progress of the game. Otherwise, someone lurking outside would not appear so composed, unmoved by the prospect of such a massive payout.

The situation remained deadlocked. Tanya could not yet determine the level of threat the individual posed. According to the information she possessed, there was no explicit rule stating that Company personnel could not participate in the competition. As for the so-called fairness of the game, Tanya had known from the very beginning that the world was inherently unfair; she only cared whether the other party would initiate an attack.

Suddenly, a violent explosion rocked the chemical plant. Tanya could feel the ground trembling as orange flames erupted from within, forcing her to evacuate the area immediately. She could no longer concern herself with the potential dangers outside; this was not the time for hesitation. Hesitation leads to defeat!

"Yo, so there were people hiding out here after all. That’s truly unexpected! Are they all here to catch the late-night market?" Tanya lightly licked her dry lips, mocking the opportunists with a sarcastic tone.

There was no longer any need for them to fight to the death. When there was hope of escape, no rational person would choose to waste time on mutual destruction; fleeing for their lives was now their only desperate hope.

Tanya could now confirm that this explosion was not orchestrated by the Company to destroy evidence, for she watched in stunned silence as people fled while clutching heavy camera equipment.

"This is truly absurd; this world is indeed too crazy! If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed such a thing could be real!"

Tanya looked on, speechless, at the cameramen who were unwilling to discard their equipment even while fleeing for their lives. If the cameras had been sleek and lightweight, she wouldn't have bothered to complain. But their massive, cumbersome bulk made them instantly recognizable. And that wasn't even the most preposterous part: Tanya discovered that the cameramen were actually the most efficient at escaping. She could only imagine the depth of the trauma the others were feeling.

It seemed cameramen really were all former sprinters. Tanya didn't know how to comment on the urban legends playing out before her eyes; the sight was so baffling it left her jaw hanging.