Terra Calendar 1591.1.16.

06:55 MP.

Hell's Kitchen

48th Street with Ninth Avenue Shapeshifters Batting Club.

In the silence of the night, the perimeter of the Shapeshifters Batting Club was suddenly surrounded by an unusual surrounding.

In the cold wind of the night, the vehicles of the Authority, decorated with cold and hard badges, lined up and indifferently occupied the streets, as if to foretell the coming storm.

On the streets, the Authority's line-up is tight, and their vehicles are like cold iron walls, not only physically blocking every exit of the club, but also symbolically marking the boundaries of the Authority's Hell's Kitchen power.

On the vehicle, the relentless emblem reflects a faint glow in the dim light, like a harbinger of impending night—a vivid red palm symbolizes dominance and control, clinging to Terra, all set against a stark black background.

The members of the Authority surrounding the club, dressed in black uniforms that represent authority and order, make the air around them seem to be solemn.

In the club's most luxurious private dining room, the scene is completely different.

It's like another world, in stark contrast to the tensions outside.

"Bottom right pocket."

Knock –

Under the soft yellow light, a handsome young man with blond hair and golden eyes was casually knocking a black eight-ball on the last table of the game into the bag in front of the billiards table.

The blonde youth was dressed in a simple and sophisticated attire, a white shirt and black trousers, and his dress jacket, top hat, and an ornate silver cane were casually placed aside, showing his relaxed attitude towards what was about to happen.

The people around them all stood in an attitude of almost awe.

Their eyes were sometimes attentive to the young man's movements, and sometimes they swept worriedly towards the door of the private room, as if waiting for a decisive moment.

"Evan, you're losing."

After Xia Xiu knocked the ball down, he casually picked up the hand powder box on the frame of the billiard table, rubbed it lightly on the cue head, and then turned around and looked at the special operator Qingniu who was standing upright with the rod on the side.

"Are you really new to Eight Balls? It was a very good fight. ”

Dressed in the Authority's signature black uniform, the green bull tried to imitate the director's movements, and he also picked up the small hand compact next to him and rubbed it gently on the club while answering the leader's questions.

There was a hint of nostalgia in his voice.

"The vast majority of Oretin's entertainment is in [mobile cities] – whether it's Sky City suspended above the sky dome or [orbital cities] that move along orbit all over the Oletin continental plate. Most of the Imperial peasants lived in new rural areas on the outskirts of the cities that were moved by rail, and because of the distance from the cities, a single round trip required a lot of fuel. As a result, people often go to the city for the purpose of buying necessities rather than for entertainment. ”

Qingniu's words undoubtedly showed Xia Xiu the unique cultural and social structure of the Oretin Empire - a country that is highly dependent on technology to move cities, and its residents live and play in a completely different way from cities in the traditional sense, and the urban-rural duality is extremely serious.

"Yes, if the schedule is sufficient, I should go to the Far East for an investigation and support mission."

Xia Xiu put the rubbed club in his hand. Qingniu, who heard the words, raised his head and looked at his leader with expectation and hope, he was obviously very concerned about his hometown.

Hearing this, Evan Rowell immediately raised his head, his eyes flashing with obvious anticipation and hope, this proposal obviously touched his deep concern for his hometown.

Facing the expectant gaze of Qingniu, the director of the Authority couldn't help but smile, and his smile contained a kind of warmth and encouragement of a leader.

"When the time comes, you can lead the group."

Xia Xiu didn't mean to draw a cake when he said this, he had seen the planning cycle of Eden's Heavenly Plan, and as the fourth sword-wielder in the Heavenly Kingdom, he really needed to go to the Far Eastern front.

The Far East campaign is an area that the Celestial Kingdom has to pay attention to, and most of the Celestial Knights are embedded in the hot war in the Far East, and they need to keep an eye on this key strategic plate; The Authority, on the other hand, is placed between the Addison Federation and the New World in the Far West, and is responsible for monitoring the gods outside the territory who have come to stare at the present world because of the attraction of the Golden Tree.

[The Wandman newspaper] has reported that, from the perspective of Terra as a whole, the Far East has entered a full-scale local hot war.

The members of the [Olive Branch Pact] and the Oretin Empire are completely torn apart.

Oletin has made no secret of his desire to expand westward, and the Pact countries do not want to make the Oletin Empire feel better.

Of course, Qingniu knew that his hometown was in a dire situation, so when he heard the leader's words, he replied excitedly:

"Okay."

At the same time, Xia Xiu casually picked up a richly decorated cane placed next to him, the fine carvings and silver materials on the cane reflected the warm light in the room, which was particularly eye-catching.

His gaze then turned to the other dignitaries present: Pansy Jane, the Authority's Secretary-General, Operator Mole, and the young Deputy Commander Tours.

Most of the operators were dressed in black with serious expressions.

In addition to the "pretending" Tours, he is dressed in a white sweatshirt and sweatpants with canvas shoes on his feet, which contrasts with the serious atmosphere around him.

After Xia Xiu briefly looked at everyone in the room, his gaze inadvertently fell on the clock on the wall, as if he was silently estimating the time in his heart.

The "snooker game" he estimated is also about to kick off.

While Xia Xiu checked the time, the silver cane in his hand inadvertently patted on the palm of his hand, as if quietly summoning some kind of change in his leisurely stroll.

As he gently tapped his open palm, the cane began to unleash its true magic, and it gradually morphed, slowly evolving into a silver snooker club.

It is decorated with intricate but elegant patterns, like the brightest stars in the night sky.

At the moment when Xia Xiu easily changed his cane into a snooker club, the atmosphere in the private room suddenly froze, and everyone's eyes were focused on the blonde young man. Tours, who had a relaxed atmosphere, couldn't help but feel an inexplicable nervousness after witnessing the amazing changes in the cane, his hair stood on end, and he unconsciously adjusted his posture and became serious.

Everyone's eyes were irresistibly captivated, and what they saw was no longer an ordinary walking stick, but a presence full of horror and incredulity.

The pattern on the surface of the cane began to distort, as if it had a life of its own, and slowly wandered on the cane.

These patterns, originally elegant and intricate, now seem to tell some ancient and evil secrets, and there seems to be some kind of power hidden between them that is impossible to look at. Looking at this club, an indescribable fear rose in everyone's hearts, as if something was watching them through their souls in that dark and deep pattern.

They saw that the universe was beginning to shrink, and traces of the distortion of time and space appeared in the universe.

In this distorted universe, a huge, cosmic-scale snooker cue suddenly appeared in the void.

With unimaginable force, the club smashed a cratered satellite into an unspeakable monster that seemed to be a nightmare from the edge of the universe.

They saw that the stars shone brightly, but then one by one they fell, and after they burst like fireworks, they eclipsed and dissolved into nothingness. In this chaotic universe, time and space seem to have lost their meaning, and everything is violently distorted.

Suddenly, a large cow-like creature appeared in everyone's field of vision.

Its body was enormous, and its iron hooves crushed the stars, shaking the mountains.

Its appearance brought destruction and chaos, and the planet turned to dust under its iron hooves, as if all the order of the universe was crumbling under its feet.

Smack-

A crisp sound sounded, it was the sound of the cue club making contact with Xia Xiu's palm, and it was this clear sound that pulled everyone out of the vision.

The cold sweat on his forehead reminded everyone present that they had just seen some kind of unspeakably terrifying scene, and their eyes seemed to flee away from the "snooker club" in the hands of the blonde youth, and instead looked at the other party's warm smiling face.

Xia Xiu had already walked to the billiard table again at this time, his eyes fell on Qingniu, and his tone was a little playful:

"Black Eight has played enough, depending on the time, it's time to play a game of snooker. Evan, do you know how to fight snooker? ”

Qingniu was a little overwhelmed by this sudden attention and inquiry, but he quickly adjusted his state and replied honestly:

"I don't know much about ......"

As the [Grey People] of the new countryside of the Oretin Empire, even if they go to the [Orbital City] to study or work, they rarely have time to engage in entertainment.

It's not that they can't afford to play, it's that most of them simply don't have time.

Evan Lowell didn't go to college and didn't work in the city, so he had little exposure to entertainment.

The black eight of billiards was also learned when he played with the director just now, and it was quite easy to say that it was quite easy, using 16 balls, including a white batting ball (cue ball), a solid colored ball from No. 1 to No. 7, a striped ball from No. 9 to No. 15, and a black ball from No. 8.

After tee off, players decide their group based on the ball (solid or striped) that is legally hit into the pocket for the first time. If no ball is hit at the time of tee-off, it is the opponent's turn to tee off until a player hits a specific group of balls. Players alternate their shots, and each stroke must hit the ball of their own group first.

If a single stroke is successful in pocketing the ball of their own group, the player may continue to hit the ball until they fail to hit the ball of their own group.

When a player has hit all the balls in their group, they must legally hit the number 8 ball in one stroke to win.

The shot that hits the No. 8 ball must declare the pocket, that is, the player must clearly indicate which pocket the No. 8 ball will be hit into, which is also the sentence of Xia Xiu at the beginning.

A very simple activity, but also an activity that tests a lot of skill and strategy.

Qingniu believes that no matter who fights with his leader, he doesn't need to consider what kind of human feelings, because the leader is really strong, even if both sides disable extraordinary abilities, the leader is also strong.

"Evan, I like snooker more than Black Eight because it has more strategies and more techniques."

When Xia Xiu spoke, he had already arranged the fifteen red balls into a triangle, and the six colored balls were also placed in the designated position.

"15 red balls, 6 colored balls, play a red ball to play a colored ball, the red ball is scored and then no longer taken out, and the colored ball is in the point again, after the red ball is played, and then the color ball is played in order, and in the end, whoever gets more points wins-each red ball is worth 1 point, yellow ball 2 points, green ball 3 points, brown ball 4 points, blue ball 5 points, pink ball 6 points, black ball 7 points.

When hitting the colored ball, the referee must be informed of the target of the hit, and points will be deducted if the colored ball is not hit in order. After all the red balls have been hit, the player hits the ball in the order of the score of the ball from lowest to highest, and the ball is not re-played.

The main purpose of batting is to accumulate more points than your opponent. Players can score points by hitting the ball in pockets and the opponent fouling.

When all the balls have been hit into the pocket, the player with the higher score wins. If the lead of one side exceeds the remaining score before the black ball is struck, then the leading team wins. ”

His gaze was on the clock, which was [06:59].

"Every time a decision is made, people are more inclined to maximize the benefits, and after kick-off, they try to chase the black ball as much as possible, pray that the enemy will make a mistake and hit the white ball into a position that is difficult to attack."

Xia Xiu's palm easily encircles the silver ornate snooker club, the thumb and index finger gently form a perfect ring, the other fingers naturally support the club, which is the standard grip style, while the other palm is flat on the green flannel of the table, the fingers are elegantly spread to form a solid "bridge", the club passes between the index and middle fingers, this posture brings greater stability and precise control to his shots.

"The family of Whisper Square thinks they can get the white balls to safety, thinking that the Authority and my hands will never touch the safe zone they do?"

Xia Xiu did not hide the coldness on his face, and he sneered abnormally.

The people around couldn't help but widen their eyes because of the three halos like mutton fat and white jade behind the blonde youth.

These three auras exuded a terrifying intimidation that almost suffocated the people around them.

"Those fools think that they have a [Boundary Wedge] and have asked the gods of the Golden Court for seven holy relics, so they can be unscrupulous?"

"There's one thing they don't understand – once you've kicked off, no matter where you hit the white ball, the game doesn't stop."

At that moment, Xia Xiu deeply felt the crazy flow of EVE energy, elements, and authority in his body.

It was an indescribable feeling, as if thousands of voices were whispering in his ear, it was the "Flesh Recipient" from the Whisper Square, who was praying to him and asking him for strength.

At that moment, Xia Xiu seemed to have become a bridge between mortals and gods, and his body turned into a huge container, constantly transmitting power to those who prayed.

Xia Xiu's response to the voice praying to him was firm and clear—take it, as much as you want.

"I've already chosen the secret word square, and now, I can only tell them that time is running out~"

Knock –

The tip of the silver cue touched the white ball, and with a crisp impact, fifteen red balls scattered as if by magic, starting the prelude to this "snooker game".

**********

Time goes back to the Whisper Square five minutes ago.

In this sacred and epic moment, the other messengers of the Night Lady, the Dark Tentacles, the Dead-Eye Tyrant, and the mysterious Shadow Monster, appear at the edge of the terrace, serving as messengers, guards, and practitioners of the Night Lady's will.

They surround the tendrils of darkness, forming an invisible barrier that protects Eric as he performs the ritual, while also demonstrating the power and majesty of the Night Lady to all living beings present.

The first to appear were the dark tentacles, whose bodies consisted of countless black tentacles that twisted and stretched in the air, as if they could reach any corner. Each tentacle is surrounded by a purple aura at the end, giving it a feeling that is both mysterious and terrifying.

The Dark Tentacles floated in silence, silently speaking, but locking the space around them with their invisible tentacles, making it impossible to escape their surveillance.

Then came the figure of the Dead-Eyed Tyrant, known for their large single eyes and small floating eyes.

Their giant central eyes glowed coldly, while their small eyes swirled around them, each emitting a different magical energy.

The Dead-Eyed Tyrants slowly moved through the air, their presence freezing the air around them, and any creature that tried to get close to the altar would face their merciless sanctions.

Holding the Divine Blessing aloof, he held the Night Spear, like a hero in an epic, and shouted to the people, to the other masters, and to the rebels:

"Ladies and gentlemen, there are ambitious people in the world who will be desperate to climb the ladder if they feel that there is a way forward for their personal advancement, and if they are always moving forward, they will be desperate to overcome all the dangers of the journey, and they will be brave enough to climb the ladder. But if their desire for career is hindered to a certain extent, they will be suspicious, resentful, and look at people and things with a vicious vision. ”

Countless lights shone on Eric's body, and he began to give a speech like a hero of Destiny.

"Yes, that person is the fourth sword-wielder in the kingdom of heaven, the director of the administration."

"Hugh Abraham, how much innocent blood he has had on his hands along the way, he is a demon, he is the embodiment of calamity, and everywhere he passes, there are corpses and devastated all over the ground!"

"Why should we listen to Him, to the kingdom of heaven?"

"Ladies and gentlemen, don't listen to the kingdom of heaven, and don't listen to any word of the abyss—"

"They decide what we do with our lives, they can declare war at will, and then demand that we protect their gains with flesh and blood. Why should we harm ourselves in order to protect the interests of others? And we look out for our own interests, so why should they interfere? This is our business. ”

We govern our own world, because that's our world, our business. We must unite closely to resist external interference. Otherwise they'll put nose rings on us. ”

"Everyone, we should unite !!"

"We are the people of the Golden Court, although we are of different races, but the enemy is strong, we must unite!"

Eric Darkweave, the leader of the Shadows Clan, stands in the center of the Whispering Square, his figure standing in the night. With his speech, an indescribable power filled the air. His spear was a symbol of the Chosen One, and every word elicited an enthusiastic response from the crowd around him, who cheered like waves of the sea.

In the midst of the thunderous laughter, Eric walked slowly and firmly, holding the spear that symbolized the power of the Night Lady, and walked slowly towards the betrayer who stood in full view, the leader of the Ever-Changing Workshop family. Each step seemed heavy and full of meaning, and his figure was elongated by the light of torches, as if he were a messenger of justice and fate, to judge those who had deviated from their principles and beliefs.

Under Eric's gaze, the leader of the Ever-Changing Chemical Workshop family seems to have become an outcast in an isolated island, and all evasions and justifications will have nowhere to hide.

In a shady corner of the open square, Eric marched towards the head of the Ever-Changing Mill family, his impassioned speech echoed through the air, winning the cheers and support of the crowd.

At this time, a figure with rabbit ears and a grim face quietly appeared.

He pulled out a disc from the depths of his robes, which depicted the image of a golden giant, shimmering with a mysterious and uncanny light.