The Omnistore System

Left alone, Kevin took a look around and, to his surprise, noticed another increase in security personnel. The crowd was becoming more aware of them, unlike before, and they had good reason to, given the large high-tech guns in their hands. What's more, they seemed active, emitting Qi that Kevin could perceive.

'What's the deal with them?' Kevin pondered suspiciously as the sudden increase in security seemed too abrupt. Just as he was contemplating the reason, one of the soldiers approached him and asked, "Ticket and ID, please."

Kevin was surprised but quickly caught on, pulling out a pin with the logo of Emporium and handing it to the soldier. "There are more guards than usual. Is everything okay?"

The soldier held the pin for a moment before responding, "Everything's fine, sir. Just usual checkings." Handing back the pin, which served as Kevin's ID card of sorts, the guard continued, "Apologies for any inconvenience. Hope you're enjoying your stay at Nimbus Desire."

With that, the cultivator proceeded to another passenger, checking their tickets and ID cards, while some of the guards were even escorting some passengers away for further questioning.

As Kevin observed the heightened security measures and the guards escorting passengers away, he couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. He scanned the area, searching for any clues or signs that might shed light on why the ship guards were acting so diligently.

He didn't find anything suspicious, and thinking it might not be as serious as the guard had suggested, he reassured himself, "And even if there is, it's nothing to do with me." Reminding himself that he had taken the ship to relax after being busy fighting monsters for the past two months, so to maximize his relaxations he found a bench a few steps behind and sat on it, waiting for Keyara and Viana whole fidgeting on his watch.

Which soon buzzed, making him smile. With a grin, he picked it up, swiped right, and the face of the gray-haired woman appeared on the screen. "Hey there," he greeted and teased. "Already missing me, huh?"

Kevin had expected Lidia to be smiling, but seeing her worried face surprised him. Before he could ask for the reason, she spoke hurriedly. "Where are you now? No, it doesn't matter... Just get off the ship fast... It's going to get dangerous," she said, leaving Kevin's mind in a muddle as he didn't know what she was talking about.

"Wait, what's happening?" he asked, but Lidia shook her head, saying, "Don't have enough time to explain, just get off the ship quickly..."

Boom Just as she was about to say something else, a big booming sound echoed through the hull, shocking everyone. Kevin then looked at Lidia's projection, which had already shut off, the last thing he saw was a white flash that blinded him for a moment.

As the booming sound reverberated through the ship, panic rippled through the crowd. Passengers looked around frantically, their expressions a mix of confusion and fear.

With almost everyone being cultivators, there weren't many problems, but tension was visible on everyone's face.

"What was that?"

"Is it an explosion?"

"Are we under attack?"

People began to bombard the security with questions, their faces showing dire expressions. But being professional, the security personnel started evacuating the passengers while controlling the panic. "It might just be some malfunction... Please wait and proceed to the evacuation areas... Apologies for the inconvenience..." Every question was met with the same answer.

Kevin didn't know where to start, but he began by looking for Keyara and Viana. He soon found them, their excitement about getting rich nowhere to be seen. Instead, worry and fear clouded their expressions as they searched for him too.

"Kevin, over here!" Keyara shouted upon seeing him. Kevin hurriedly went toward them and asked, "Are you two okay?"

Both of them nodded, and Viana asked, "What's happening? What was that exploding sound before?"

Lidia's warning call was still fresh in his mind, though she hadn't provided much detail. However, he felt he knew a bit more about the situation than the panicked crowd. He knew it was best to get out of the ship. "I don't know, but we have to get out of the ship quickly," he said, scanning for any available exits.

"Why?" Keyara asked, her voice surprisingly calm as she also searched for an exit. Just then, a frightened cry erupted from the crowd. "Ahhh..."

The trio's attention snapped towards the source of the chilling scream, their hearts pounding in unison with the rising panic around them. Their eyes widened as they beheld the terror-

stricken face of a woman, her features contorted with fear and her once pristine attire now spattered with crimson droplets, evidence of the grisly scene unfolding at her feet.

Before her lay a security guard, his uniform stained with blood. A gaping hole marred the center of his forehead, a grotesque wound that seemed to defy comprehension. The metallic scent of blood hung heavy in the air, mingling with the acrid odor of fear that permeated the space.

For a brief, surreal moment, time seemed to stand still as the passengers grappled with the shock of the horrific sight before them.

Quelch Another sound of squelching and spraying echoed from the side. Despite it being barely audible, it was the loudest sound in the now-silent atmosphere after the scream. This time, as everyone turned to see where the sound came from, their expressions turned fearful. They saw another soldier with a hole in his forehead, and behind him stood another person with a bloodied face.

Quelch

Quelch

Before they could recover from what had happened, a repeated series of sounds followed: piercing and splattering, followed by the thuds of bodies hitting the ground.

At first, the passengers were frozen in shock, unable to comprehend what they were witnessing. Then, as the reality of the situation began to sink in, panic set in. People started to scream and scramble for safety, their fear palpable in the air.

As they struggled to make sense of the chaos unfolding around them, the repeated quelch sounds continued, each one punctuated by the sickening sound of bodies hitting the ground. The corridor soon descended into chaos, with passengers pushing and shoving in a desperate bid to escape the impending danger.