Moonlight fractured through frost-etched windows as Ziye’s thermal silhouette phased into the dormitory. Fourprestige’s retinal feed analyzed her biometrics—heart rate suppressed to 28 bpm, adrenal glands inactive, carbon-fiberweave bodysuit absorbing 99.3% of infrared emissions. Lin Hao’s mattress sensors recorded fake sleep patterns: 22% REM cycle simulation with intermittent limb twitches.


    23:31 – Revelation


    “You’ve grown careless.” Ziye’s voice carried subzero crispness. She placed the memory crystal on the nightstand—its quantum encryption visible only to Lin Hao’s cycle eyes. “Two years’ back pay plus interest. Spend it before the currency reforms.”


    Lin Hao’s olfactory implants detected nanothermite residue on her gloves. “Still running demolition ops for Dark Eagle?”


    Ziye’s camo hood retracted, revealing frost-burned lips. “The Crown Prince’s new pleasure barge needs... restructuring.” Her pupils dilated imperceptibly—a telltale sign of neural dampener withdrawal.


    23:33 – Interrogation


    The interrogation began without preamble. Ziye’s gloved hand hovered over Lin Hao’s carotid. “How did you neutralize Bloodbane?” Her breath smelled of mint and polonium-210 lozenges. “Even grade-S combat androids crumble within six months.”


    Lin Hao’s augmented reality overlay projected plausible lies:


    Probability of surviving Bloodbane: 0.004%


    Suggested narrative: Mutated viper venom + lunar eclipse + radioactive cave minerals


    “Got lucky.” He shrugged, tendons humming with suppressed combat protocols. “A three-headed cave adder bit me during Bloodmoon tides.”


    23:35 – Epiphany


    Ziye’s ocular implants flickered through toxin databases. “Impossible. Adder genome can’t synthesize…” Her voice trailed off as Fourprestige’s shadow engulfed the window—the thunderbird’s newly upgraded wingspan blocking moonlight entirely.


    23:37 – Evolution


    Lin Hao activated the payment crystal. Quantum filaments danced across Fourprestige’s plumage as S-class upgrades initiated:


    Plumage restructure: 00% → 100%


    Plasma core activation: Stable


    Thunder Phoenix DNA integration: Commencing


    The air ionized. Static made Ziye’s nanoweave bodysuit cling to her curves. “You’re playing with forces even Dark Eagle fears.”


    23:39 – Transformation


    Fourprestige’s cry shook the building’s foundation. Frost patterns crystallized into fractal feathers across every window. Downstairs, Qin Yu’s liquor cabinet shattered in harmonic resonance.


    Ziye’s augmented reality monocle overloaded—ERROR: CLASSIFIED SPECIES DETECTED.


    The thunderbird’s new form dominated the room:


    Length: 4.2 meters


    Wingspan: 8.7 meters


    Plasma output: 9 gigawatts


    23:41 – Revelation


    Lin Hao’s neural interface streamed combat analytics:


    _Thunder Phoenix capabilities:


    <ol>


    <li>Electromagnetic pulse generation</li>


    <li>Tactical weather manipulation</li>


    <li>Quantum entanglement communication_</li>


    </ol>


    Ziye backed toward the window, her heartbeat finally spiking. “This changes everything.”


    23:43 – Negotiation


    “The National庆典 needs chaos.” Lin Hao tossed her a plasma dampener. “Tell Dark Eagle I’ll destabilize the palace security grid during the fireworks display.”


    Ziye’s gloved fingers traced the device’s event horizon containment field. “Price?”


    “Full autonomy. And...” Lin Hao’s cycle eyes projected the Black Market’s real-time inventory—a certain nuclear-powered pleasure barge highlighted in crimson. “That demolition job stays on schedule.”


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    23:45 – Departure


    Ziye’s escape route lit up in Fourprestige’s tactical overlay—seven guard patrols, twelve surveillance drones, one leaking coolant pipe perfect for thermal masking. She paused at the windowsill. “The Crown Prince keeps tiger sharks in his moat.”


    Lin Hao smiled. “So do I.”


    As she vanished into the night, quantum filaments began weaving through the city’s power grid. Fourprestige’s shadow stretched across seven districts, its shape exactly matching the Thunder Phoenix constellation now burning through light pollution above.


    23:47 – Preparation


    Qin Yu’s drunken snores morphed into combat readiness codes. Downstairs, Lei Meng recalibrated vibro-daggers using Fourprestige’s shed feathers as resonance tuners. Gu Yunle extruded data spikes—tonight’s security footage required careful editing.


    23:49 – Watch


    Fourprestige’s cry split the night a final time—a challenge to all listening surveillance drones. Lin Hao’s cycle eyes tracked energy signatures across the city:


    Imperial Palace: Defense grid activation delayed by 47 minutes


    Black market docks: Pleasure barge reactor core overheating


    Tianyan Academy: Zhao Ling’er’s thermal signature approaching abandoned greenhouse


    The game board lit up.


    <hr>


    Rune Phantasm Protocol


    Dawn painted Tianyan Academy’s quartz pathways in mercury-silver tones. Lin Hao’s cycle eyes analyzed the third-year classroom—vibration-dampened desks, holographic chalkboards flickering with residual combat runes, thirty-seven students leaking cortisol spikes. Qin Yu’s thermal signature burned hotter than others, his hydraulic arm servo-whining with restless energy.


    08:03 – Orientation


    “Your bird’s gone rogue?” Qin Yu sniffed the air where Fourprestige’s ozone scent usually lingered.


    Lin Hao’s neural feed replayed fabricated footage—a pixelated parrot silhouette pursuing mates across rooftop solar farms. “Evolutionary imperatives.” His shoulder joints emitted textbook civilian-grade servo hums. “We must respect nature’s call.”


    08:05 – Revelation


    Mo Yuntian entered with the creak of unoiled joints. The illusionist’s aura carried the metallic tang of cryogenic fluids—preserved organs, Lin Hao’s olfactory enhancements deduced. Classroom temperature dropped 3.2°C as the instructor’s cycle eyes swept across students.


    “Phantasm runes exploit three vulnerabilities.” Mo’s voice rasped like rusted gears. “Hunger. Fear. Regret.” His bone-chilling gaze lingered on Lin Hao’s artificial irises. “Today’s lesson: how to break minds without touching flesh.”


    08:07 – Initiation


    The rune materialized—a fractal spiral pulsing in ultraviolet wavelengths. Lin Hao’s retinal dampeners activated too late.


    Reality fracture detected


    Primary sensory override: 97%


    Initiating countermeasures…


    08:09 – Illusion


    Smog-choked highways materialized. Honking taxis blared familiar frequencies—21st-century combustion engines. Lin Hao’s calloused palms touched cracked smartphone glass. A notification glowed:


    WeChat Message Received:


    Mom: Come home for dumplings tonight


    His augmented adrenal glands flooded with primal chemicals. Knees buckled against linoleum flooring that shouldn’t exist.


    08:11 – Resistance


    Dark tomb memories surfaced—two years of counting stalactite drips, reciting prime numbers, chewing lichen until tongue bled. Lin Hao stepped into oncoming traffic.


    The delivery truck’s horn Doppler-shifted into Mo Yuntian’s dry cough. Classroom air tasted of ionized failure.


    08:13 – Observation


    Qin Yu giggled at phantom brothel holograms. Lei Meng screamed soundlessly, fingers clawing at nonexistent spiderwebs. Gu Yunle sat perfectly still—too still, neural inhibitors maintaining 85% brain activity suppression.


    Mo’s frostbitten finger pointed. “You. Explain your escape vector.”


    08:15 – Interrogation


    Lin Hao’s vocal cords synthesized textbook awe. “Beginner’s luck, Instructor.”


    The lie detector rune above Mo’s desk remained dark—a calculated risk. Cycle eyes couldn’t penetrate tomb-forged mental shields.


    “Luck?” Mo’s chuckle sounded like ice cracking. “The Blind Swordsman’s blood runs thin in this generation.” His cane tapped Lei Meng’s quaking form. “Observe proper technique.”


    08:17 – Demonstration


    Mo’s revised rune pulsed sickly green. Lei Meng’s screams gained audio—raw, wet, human.


    Phantasm analysis:


    - Target trauma: Sister’s drowning (age 9)


    - Amplification rate: 300%


    - Neurochemical release: Adrenochrome dominant


    Lin Hao’s grip fractured the desk edge. Ancient tomb instincts warred with modern ethics.


    08:19 – Intervention


    Qin Yu’s hydraulic arm short-circuited, spraying coolant across Mo’s rune matrix. The illusion shattered. Students collapsed like marionettes with cut strings.


    “Apologies, Instructor!” Qin Yu’s grin revealed zero remorse. “Faulty military surplus.”


    08:21 – Retribution


    Mo’s cane struck Qin Yu’s neural port. The impact resonated at 40Hz—precisely the frequency to trigger migraine auras.


    “Tomorrow: pain amplification runes.” The instructor’s thermal signature spiked with sadistic anticipation. “Prepare your mindscapes.”


    08:23 – Epiphany


    Lin Hao’s cycle eyes recorded Mo’s exit—asymmetric gait suggesting prosthetic left hip, frostbite patterns matching northern glacier expeditions. His neural feed cross-referenced archives:


    Mo Yuntian


    Last confirmed sighting: Black Ice Citadel (23 years ago)


    Presumed dead: Glacier collapse incident #774


    08:25 – Revelation


    Gu Yunle reactivated vocal synthesizers. “His phantasm signature matches Black Lotus interrogation techniques.”


    Lei Meng vomited bile into a hologram bucket. “Need… neural scrub…”


    Qin Yu massaged his port, grin intact. “Worth it to see the old ghoul flinch.”


    08:27 – Preparation


    Lin Hao’s fingers traced invisible runes on sweat-dampened desk. Tomb memories superimposed classroom walls—every crack mapped, every resonance frequency calculated.


    Fourprestige’s quantum entanglement link pulsed reassurance:


    Thunder Phoenix combat mode: Ready


    Plasma reserves: 98%


    Palace security grid vulnerabilities: 47 identified


    The game board tilted.