Breaking Through The Clouds - [Author: Huai Shang (淮上)]

Volume 1: Chapter 1

Volume 1: Case 502 - The Intoxicated Frozen Corpse

Chapter 1

"Go to hell with me," said the demon with a smile.

-

BOOM-!

The waves of gas and smoldering flames assaulted the senses as fragments of rocks disintegrated in the explosion, bursting forth in all directions. The heavy walls could not hold up, resulting in a new round of walls collapsing from a distance. Amidst the raging flames, the debris fell like torrential rain, sealing off the flickering lights of police cars and the loud clamoring of people in the distance.

"THE COMMAND CENTRE NEEDS REINFORCEMENTS! WE NEED REINFORCEMENTS!"

"CAPTAIN JIANG? WHERE IS CAPTAIN JIANG?!"

"NO! CAPTAIN JIANG JUST RUSHED IN! QUICK! QUICKLY NOW! HURRY! ..."

　　......

Patches of color, turned mottled and twisted within the purgatory, and the clamoring quickly receding with the waves. His hands propped against the wall were being scalded, the blood flowing from his fingers rapidly vaporized in the raging flames; however, he felt no pain. He couldn't hear anything at all. No matter how many times the same scene replayed in his dreams, the only thing he could hear was his own hot, hoarse breath, gasping for the air of the world. Then, he raised his gun at the demonic figure slowly stepping out from the sea of fire.

BANG!

The figure was getting closer.

BANG!

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

The bullets went right through the illusory demonic figure, as if piercing through air, soundlessly throwing themselves into the flames.

His grip loosened, and the Type-92 dropped onto the ground before him, letting out a barely perceptible clatter in the sea of fire.

"I'm here." He heard a voice that sounded like a viper come from behind him, carrying a soft laughter by his ear. In an instant, a hand covered his face and the voice said once again, "Jiang Ting. I'm here."

For the one-thousand-and-oneth time, he turned around in his dream. Yet, no matter how much effort he put in, he could never get a clear picture of the shadow in the nightmare.

"Go to hell with me," said the figure with a smile. "This is the end for you... forever."

He shut his eyes. With his final thread of consciousness, he could hear the sirens of fire trucks and police cars approaching from a distance. However, the blazing fire devoured everything; as the earth trembled and cracked, countless demonic claws reached out and dragged him alive into the pitch-black abyss...

Three years later. Jianning City.

Jiang Ting's eyes fluttered open.

Sunlight penetrated through the muslin curtains into the hospital ward, illuminating the room with a gentle glow as the light reflected off the clean snow-white walls. There were still dewdrops on the bouquet of white roses placed before the hospital bed, filling the room with a faint fragrance. The soft voice of a nurse traveled into the room through a small crack in the door.

"Patient No.538 will go through the discharge formalities today. Go and inform the head so that the bill can be prepared for the family..."

"He was in a coma for many years, and he could still wake up to get discharged! He really is..."