《This Spiritual Energy is Lethal!》 Chapter 1 - 001: Countdown of Life Chapter 1: Chapter 001: Countdown of Life "Your lifespan is now 1 hour 32 minutes 19 seconds..." Even with his eyes closed, Chen Ke could see this line of text at the top right of his field of vision. Anything could happen in a dream. Chen Ke didn''t take it to heart and turned over to continue sleeping. "Ouch! Hiss hiss hiss!" Suddenly, a sharp pain jolted him awake, feeling as if his heart had been viciously stabbed with a dagger, causing unbearable pain. It couldn''t be a sudden heart attack, could it? At the same time, in the lower left corner of Chen Ke''s field of vision, a line of faint golden text emerged from the bottom up: "Transcendent Skill: Lost" "Mortal Skill: Checking..." "C.A.R.S: Mastered" (Central Axis Relocking Shooting Skill) "Krav Maga: Mastered" (Israeli Maga Fighting Skill) "Kali: Mastered" (Filipino Calisthenics) He abruptly opened his eyes and found himself not lying on a bed, but on a cold floor. The surroundings became clear as he looked around, office desks laden with computers came into view, and nearby, a glass door cracked open with a sign reading "Staff Only." A sense of decay rose from within his heart as if something was being drawn out of his body, and he knew he had traveled to another dimension. Chen Ke tried to get up from the floor, but his body felt hollow and weak, unable to move his limbs for a long time. His eyes rolled around, and he noticed he was wearing a dark blue woolen coat, his left arm hanging cold and sticky on the ground. Lowering his gaze, he found himself lying in a pool of crimson blood. This didn''t bode well... that couldn''t be his own blood, could it... Chen Ke looked down and nearly scattered his soul, seeing a dagger stuck in his chest, only the hilt sticking out, his white shirt stained dark red. Chen Ke''s features twisted together in fear. Calm down! Calm down! He stared fixedly at the dagger in his chest, his body trembling inexplicably. His heart must have been pierced... with so much blood lost, he should be dead, right? But he was still alive, and oddly, he felt no pain, which clearly defied all logic! He suddenly noticed again the line of text in the upper right corner of his vision. "Your lifespan is now 1 hour 29 minutes 12 seconds..." The time had decreased. The seconds were still ticking down, 11, 10, 9, 8... "Your lifespan is now 1 hour 28 minutes 59 seconds..." This was real! Chen Ke was startled, looking down at the dagger embedded in his chest, thoughts racing through his mind. According to medical common sense, a sharp object lodged in the body can actually help to compress the wound and prevent major blood loss. Even if taken to a hospital, doctors wouldn''t rush to remove the blade before appropriately dealing with it, or else be prepared for a human fountain show. But given Chen Ke''s current situation and circumstances, seeking medical help was hardly realistic, not to mention he only had a little more than an hour left¡ªhardly enough time to receive emergency care... To pull it out or not? Extracting it might cause him to bleed to death, right? He was still alive, able to think, able to move; the injury seemed manageable... He could make it... While constantly reassurring himself and battling internally, another minute ticked off the countdown. Chen Ke clenched his teeth, and pulled! "30 minutes of lifespan consumed to treat fatal injury." A line of text scrolled in the upper right corner of his vision then, miraculously, something happened. The dagger lodged in his chest began to tremble slightly, then slid out of the wound with a pleasant "ding" as it landed on the floor. The dagger bounced a few times on the smooth floor, then emitted an orange glow; with a flash, the dagger shrank into a small, dim orange transparent diamond, about the size of a thumbnail. Chen Ke was taken aback. He instinctively looked at the life countdown and inhaled sharply. "Your lifespan is now 57 minutes 42 seconds..." He instinctively touched his chest, looked down, and saw that apart from the hole punctured by the dagger, there was not a single scar on his body, and he couldn''t even feel his heartbeat... This countdown was truly indiscriminate, curing him just like that, but now without a heart, he had only about fifty minutes left to live. Chen Ke didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. A few seconds later, Chen Ke felt he could control his body again and, with a burst of energy, he shouted "Hiya" as he got up from the floor. Maybe it was the rush to get up, but his vision went dark for a second and he staggered, collapsing onto a nearby office chair. He surveyed his surroundings¡ªthis was an office space of several dozen square meters, with three manager offices, twenty-eight workstations, sixteen computers, and one copier. The lights were off; it appeared to be after work hours. There were no windows in the room, the office must have been in the central part of the building, with ventilation relying on the central air conditioning duct, and the ceiling was roughly four meters high. Hmm... a composite office building, this must be an internal office of the building management. Chen Ke was surprised by his observational skills; just from a quick glance, he had gathered so much information. He bent down to pick up the orange diamond that had transformed from the dagger and examined it in his palm. The little diamond was very beautiful, hard to imagine it had transformed from a dagger¡ªhow could it change back? "30 minutes of lifespan consumed to summon the Holy Relic, 26 minutes 58 seconds remaining." A line of text scrolled past, and the orange diamond in Chen Ke''s hand flickered and turned back into a dagger. Chen Ke inhaled sharply¡ªwhat the hell? This was deadly! He looked at the dagger, and a transparent frame appeared before his eyes, displaying the information about the dagger: [Blasphemous Dagger] ``` [--Withdrawn] [--Withdrawn] [--Used] Chen Ke blinked, unable to comprehend. The transparent frame vanished. The dagger transformed back into an orange diamond, and Chen Ke swore never to entertaining any thoughts about it again to avoid wasting the scarce lifespan he already had. "Achoo!" A chill rose from his feet, and Chen Ke suddenly felt very cold, heavy drowsiness surging non-stop, his eyelids growing heavy. He rubbed his hands continuously to warm up, but it was useless, Chen Ke knew this was due to hypothermia caused by declining vital signs. Having crossed over just half an hour ago, and not even having crossed the threshold, was he going to die here like a dog? Chen Ke wouldn''t accept it. Although he had no clue what to do, he didn''t want to just sit quietly and wait to die. "Miles, is that you?" A hip-hop-inflected voice came from the corridor outside the door along with thudding footsteps. Chen Ke''s muscles tensed, and he promptly stood up, not knowing why he was so nervous as if something bad would happen next. The office door was pushed open, and a hefty man wearing a dark green jacket walked in, holding a gun. Chen Ke estimated he was around 180 centimeters tall, bigger built than himself. The hefty man''s gaze locked onto Chen Ke immediately, pointing his gun at him. His eyes widened, his left hand holding the gun trembled, fear and curiosity mingling into a strange emotion that crept over his face. But Chen Ke not only knew he was both fearful and curious, he could also feel the killing intent continuously emanating from him! "Absorb killing intent to convert into lifespan" "+30 minutes" "+30 minutes" "+30 minutes" "+30 minutes" ... The countdown timer for his life soared from 20 minutes to 2 hours and 30 minutes, and it was still increasing at a rate of half an hour per second! Is that even possible?! Watching the countdown timer continually adding time, Chen Ke was first stunned, then a surge of delight filled his heart. "You? What good deed have you done, Lin? This damn thing isn''t going as agreed upon, hey! You''d better raise your hands and slowly kneel down, explain clearly, where the hell is Miles?" The hefty man, as if knowing Chen Ke, spoke in a rapid-fire manner typical of hip-hop emphasis. For some unknown reason, Chen Ke could now instantly understand the English spoken by the hefty man. "Who are you?" Chen Ke slowly raised his hands, clutching the orange diamond in his right fist. "You want to play games with me, Lin? You shouldn''t think you''re smart, the problem now is that several of us are following the plan, and you, goddammit, didn''t die as planned, which confuses me, ow! Man! Where''s Miles? Tell me fast or I swear I''ll fill your ass with lead!" The hefty man said, shaking his head vigorously. "What plan?" Chen Ke asked while watching the countdown in the upper right corner of his field of vision. He delayed as long as possible, his lifespan was still rising rapidly, soon breaking past 4 hours. "Don''t play tricks on me, what are you holding in your right hand?" The hefty man noticed Chen Ke''s clenched right hand. "Want it?" Chen Ke continued to taunt the hefty man. "What are you holding? Don''t play tricks!!" The hefty man turned off the safety of his gun and threatened. Chen Ke appropriately stepped back, showing the orange diamond in his hand to the hefty man. "Where did you get this? What stops you from giving it to me? You can''t use it anyway," The hefty man eyed the diamond. "Come get it," Chen Ke spread his palm, extending the diamond towards the hefty man. The hefty man slowly approached Chen Ke, reaching out his right hand for the diamond in Chen Ke''s palm. When they were just a step apart. "Consume 30 minutes of lifespan to summon the Holy Relics." In that instant, the diamond morphed back into a dagger. In less than a second, Chen Ke, grasping the dagger, stabbed upwards from below the hefty man''s neck, piercing into his brain, and even stirred the handle. The hefty man''s eyes rolled back, he didn''t even have time to scream before he collapsed, his face buried in the small Blood Pool where Chen Ke had lain, the dagger in his throat swiftly transforming back into an orange diamond. Life Timer: 3 hours 59 minutes 52 seconds. Chen Ke did not want to rummage through flesh for that small diamond, instead picking up the Glock 17 dropped by the hefty man. He released the magazine, worked the slide, and a coppery 9mm bullet popped out from the ejection port, the double-row magazine loaded with 17 bullets. This gun was a civilian model, only capable of firing in single-shot mode, unlike the fully automatic mode available on police and military Glocks. Although it was his first time handling a real gun, Chen Ke felt strangely familiar and comfortable, as if he were a shooter who had undergone long-term professional training. The speed and accuracy of his actions in killing the hefty man earlier even made him doubt his own abilities. What exactly was the former owner of this body doing? When he crossed over, Chen Ke had felt a sense of withering, likely the sensation of the original owner''s soul perishing, the current Chen Ke was himself, just in a different body. He suddenly recalled the three mundane skills just before he had crossed over. The C.A.R.S, also known as the Central Axis Relocking System, is a close-quarter rapid reaction shooting technique, combining shooting stances, grip techniques, reloading, and aiming among various tactical skills into a comprehensive advanced shooting system. Krav Maga and Kali are two fighting skills, one being the famous Maga Skill and the other a blend of unarmed and weapon-based Calisthenics. These martial arts do not have fixed routines; every move is a killing technique. Chen Ke wasn''t a military enthusiast, but having watched countless Hollywood movies, he was familiar with these techniques. All three skills were aimed at killing, and Chen Ke, or rather the previous owner of this body, had mastered all three skills completely. But what most intrigued Chen Ke was the "Lost" status of the Transcendent ability. The soul perished, the original owner''s Transcendent experiences vanished entirely, and the skills were lost as well. However, the mundane skills honed and used over a long period, preserved within muscle memory and neural pathways, were naturally inherited by Chen Ke. Since "Transcendents" exist, Chen Ke believed that there must also be a way to break the "Life Countdown" on himself. ``` Chapter 2 - 002: The Doghouse Chapter 2: Chapter 002: The Doghouse Chen Ke had hoped to find some clues through the hefty man he just encountered, but he was somewhat disappointed. Besides a leather wallet stuffed with three 100-dollar bills, there was nothing else on the man. Not even a spare magazine! This made Chen Ke very puzzled. Surely, one should carry a spare magazine, right? Chen Ke groped his way to the end of the dark hallway, intentionally keeping to the left wall, moving silently with light footsteps. The glowing night sights of his Glock 17 emitted a green fluorescence. For some reason, Chen Ke always felt a chill breeze drifting past him, as if an invisible entity was brushing by. A sense of eerie panic slowly clawed its way up his heart, and that chaotic and frantic emotion tried to swallow his rationale. Chen Ke rallied his spirit and focused on the sight alignment. With a gun in hand, what was there to fear? He bolstered his courage and continued on toward the end of the corridor. The hallway was not very long. Aside from the door he had come through, the rest of the office doors were tightly closed. After turning a corner, a sliver of light appeared. Upon closer inspection, it was the floor indicator light of the elevator. Beside it was a double door with a green "EXIT" sign illuminated, indicating the stairwell. The elevator seemed operable. Chen Ke wondered whether to take the stairs or the elevator. At this moment, a strange shadow slowly entered his field of vision. The shadow looked like a dog; it had emerged from the door of the security stairwell and was roughly the size of an adult Husky with a gait as graceful as that of an elderly woman. Chen Ke took a deep breath, slowly crouched down by the wall, and aimed the sights squarely at the dog''s head. This dog gave him an extremely eerie feeling. And then, confirming Chen Ke''s suspicion, the dog¡ªseemingly unaware of Chen Ke''s presence¡ªslowly made its way toward the elevator. It lifted its head to sniff at the shadows where Chen Ke was hiding, then sat down in front of the elevator doors. Next, it extended its paw and pressed the down button. This was a dog that knew how to call an elevator. The floor indicator on the elevator lit up: 8th floor. The sound of the elevator''s operation echoed in the silent hallway while Chen Ke squatted there, watching the dog wait for the elevator. Several times he wanted to pull the trigger, but his subconscious told him this was no ordinary canine to mess with. When the elevator doors opened, the white light from inside illuminated the pitch-dark hallway, forcing Chen Ke to squint his eyes. The dog walked into the elevator and sat facing the doors. It was only then that Chen Ke noticed the face of a white elderly woman atop the dog''s head. It smiled at Chen Ke and pressed a floor button, its eye sockets deep, dark, and devoid of eyes. The dog''s smile appeared to come from the Abyss, and just one glance made Chen Ke feel as though his soul were being drained away. He gasped for air, unable to suppress the overwhelming fear, his hands trembling with the gun, fingers so stiff they could hardly pull the trigger, the thought of closing his eyes brutally interrupted by some inexplicable force. At that moment, a line of orange text popped into his field of vision: "Using lifespan to replace lost sanity." "-10 minutes" "-10 minutes" "-10 minutes" ... Once the elevator doors slowly closed, everything returned to calm, and the hallway darkened once again. In just a few seconds, Chen Ke had lost more than 40 minutes of his lifespan, leaving only 3 hours and 10 minutes from the hard-earned 4-hour lifespan. Taking deep breaths, he leaned on the wall and stood up, fine sweat emerging from his palms and forehead, his back soaked with perspiration. Chen Ke truly felt that the fear had taken something from him¡ªif not for the lifespan price, he might have gone mad by now. The elevator was out of the question; he didn''t want to bump into that dog as soon as the doors opened again, and who knew what else lurked within the building. He decided to try his luck with the safety passageway. Just as he thought this, a white man suddenly emerged from the stairwell door. The white man had brown hair and was about 180 centimeters tall, wearing a blue shirt and brown trousers, gripping a steel-gray pistol in his hand. Upon seeing Chen Ke, the white man first showed a trace of panic, but after confirming the other was human, he immediately put on a stern, businesslike expression. Both sides almost simultaneously aimed their guns at each other''s heads, and Chen Ke could clearly feel the intense killing intent emanating from the other side. "+15 minutes" "+15 minutes" "+15 minutes" "+15 minutes" ... "Trained? Huh? What the hell are you prowling around here for in the dead of night? Who are you?" the white man asked. From Chen Ke''s gun posture and reactions, the white man could tell that Chen Ke was no ordinary person, and his expression grew more serious. "Are you Miles?" Chen Ke suddenly asked. "No, no, my name is Parker..." the white man shook his head, but just as he finished speaking, he suddenly froze, as if catching on to something, and angrily said, "Hey you! What kind of trick are you trying to pull?" "Listen, buddy, I''m as clueless about this place as you are, so why don''t we put the guns down and figure out what the hell is going on here together?" Chen Ke said. He guessed that this Parker wasn''t with the hefty man from before, and right now, Chen Ke was desperate to interact with another living person to obtain any useful information. Besides, he had only been through the transition for less than half an hour, and he didn''t want to kill anyone he encountered. "I think you seem to have a pretty good idea of what''s going on. You guys always like to play tricks, whether in business or anything else... Completely untrustworthy! Who the hell are you?" Parker was not very cooperative. "Damn it, I''ll say it one last time, let''s put down the guns together, and then find out what the fuck happened here. If you keep talking incessantly, I swear I''ll shoot all the bullets in the magazine into your ass!" Chen Ke glared at him furiously. The two stared at each other wide-eyed for a while, and several seconds later, Parker slowly lowered the gun muzzle and allowed his arms to droop. The count of Chen Ke''s lifespan was fluctuating like the stock market within a few minutes; the life timer went from 3 hours and 9 minutes and 23 seconds to 4 hours and 5 minutes. Parker provided half as much lifespan per unit time compared to the hefty man before. Chen Ke deduced that he had received more lifespan earlier because the hefty man had pointed a gun at him when he was unarmed. In this instance, since they both had guns, the threat wasn''t as great, and thus the added lifespan was less. It seemed that the more vicious the intent to kill him, the more lifespan he received. "Tell me, what happened here." Chen Ke asked. "What? You... you really don''t know? This building has experienced a ''spiritual energy burst effect'' and has become Spirit Explosion Space now," Parker said with an incredulous expression. It was as if this situation was very common in this world, like some common knowledge. Spiritual energy burst effect? Spirit Explosion Space? Chen Ke suddenly had a thought and asked, "This is like a game, right?! Like... Horror Park?!" "I don''t know what you''re talking about, man. Are you out of your mind... You don''t seem like you work in this building, and that gun probably isn''t yours either... The ejection port has been modified to the left side, yet you''re holding it with your right hand..." Parker pointed to the gun in Chen Ke''s hand and shook his head. Chen Ke glanced at the gun in his hand and couldn''t help but admire Parker''s keen observation; the hefty man was left-handed and had modified the gun''s ejection port to the left to avoid being hit or obstructed by ejected shell casings. While they were speaking, the elevator started moving again, and both men looked at it in silence. "Did you encounter a dog with a human face when you came up through the emergency staircase?" Chen Ke asked. "No, are you talking about a person-faced dog? You ran into that thing? It''s in this building?" Parker said, surprised. "Yeah, when I ran into it, it just happened to come out of the door you came from and took the elevator down... Maybe it forgot something and is taking the elevator back up right now..." Chen Ke said while looking at Parker, noticing that his face turned ashen. Perhaps it was the sudden realization that he had been so close to that creature unknowingly that sent shivers of fear through him. As if by some unspoken agreement, both men slowly edged towards the safety passage entrance, slipped through the door, and groped their way downstairs. "That''s a person-faced dog, buddy. If it were a straight fight, I wouldn''t be scared, but a sneak attack would be tricky. They''ll rip your face off and morph their own face to resemble that of their victim. Moreover, these monsters possess strong spiritual power and can directly assault the sanity and perception of living people. Without special protective gear, they''re hard to deal with." Parker''s gun was equipped with a tactical flashlight, allowing him to light their way in the dark stairwell, so he took the lead, with Chen Ke following. As they descended, Parker briefed Chen Ke on the person-faced dogs. "It''s worse than I thought. Person-faced dogs aren''t the most powerful monsters, but they belong to the C-class that can affect the minds of normal people, which means the spiritual energy burst effect in this building is stronger than I estimated." They looked at the safety exit doors on the first floor, at the sliver of orange light leaking through the gap. Parker turned to Chen Ke, not caring if he could see his expression in the dark, and said, "This means we''re in big trouble. We can''t stay here long. There''s a Spiritual Ability Tunnel in the lobby on the first floor that can get us out of here. We need to move fast." Chen Ke and Parker pushed the door open together. The bright orange light in the lobby was blinding, and through the haze, Chen Ke saw masses of white, worm-like objects writhing on the lobby floor, accompanied by occasional low barks. A suffocating spiritual oppression hit them; Chen Ke focused and saw more than a dozen white person-faced dogs leisurely pacing the lobby floor, some even lying on the counter, licking their fur. Chapter 3 - 003: Bullets Are Life Chapter 3: Chapter 003: Bullets Are Life The safety door inexplicably moved slightly, creaking audibly, as the pack of dogs turned their attention to the two humans. The ones pacing suddenly stood still, those lying down abruptly rose¡ªthese dogs had different faces, old women, children, young people, middle-aged men... Together, they directed a bone-chilling laughter toward the two humans. "Hmm hmm hmm hmm~~~~" "Hmm hmm~~~~" "Hmm hmm hmm~~~~" "Hmm hmm hmm hmm~~~~" "Heh heh~~~~" "Ha ha ha ha~~~~~" Eerie laughter echoed through the silent hall, making Chen Ke''s scalp tingle, the sensation exactly like that time at the elevator entrance. "Using lifespan to replace lost sanity." "-10 minutes" "-10 minutes" "-10 minutes" ... Chen Ke, clutching his head, slowly squatted to the ground. Even as he consumed his lifespan, he still felt an excruciating headache. In just a few seconds, Chen Ke lost at least three hours of life. He had less than an hour left to live. Meanwhile, Parker, who seemed to pull out headphones from nowhere and put them on his head, blared music loudly; it was evident that he was listening to Lincoln Park''s "In The End." It appeared he was using the music to drown out the dogs'' laughter in a defensive maneuver. "Bang bang!" With bloodshot eyes, Chen Ke raised his gun and furiously fired at the pack of dogs, while Parker fired non-stop with his large caliber handgun. If he allowed these dogs to keep laughing, he would truly be done for, and to add insult to injury, his tombstone might even end up engraved with "Died from an Erha''s taunt"¡ªhow embarrassing that would be. 9mm bullets drilled into the floorboards and wall tiles, and naturally, several lodged firmly into the flesh of the human-faced dogs, causing them to howl in pain. The laughter stopped, and the dogs displayed a biting posture, their expressions furious as they ceaselessly howled at the two men. Though hearing barking from human mouths seemed humorous, Chen Ke was in no mood to laugh. He could feel the overwhelming killing intent of the pack, and judging by the duration of lifespan absorption, these dogs were incredibly strong! "+40 minutes" "+40 minutes" "+40 minutes" ... The dogs'' killing intent was absorbed by Chen Ke and converted into his lifespan. His remaining hour rapidly increased until a few seconds later when the countdown hit five hours, its growth suddenly halted; a line of text appeared in the top right corner of Chen Ke''s vision: "Lifespan has reached its limit." Chen Ke felt a tingle on his scalp. Was there an error? I can only live for five hours?! At the same time, a malevolent presence behind Chen Ke made his heart skip a beat¡ªthe safety doors across the way emitted an ominous noise. He spun around, just in time to see a large white dog with a human head grinning sinisterly at him. He recognized that human face¡ªit was the hefty man he had killed with his own hands. The dog, with its mouth wide open and rows upon rows of spike-like teeth dripping with flesh, lunged at Chen Ke''s face. Chen Ke was startled but quickly recovered. He aggressively pushed Parker aside and with a swift sidestep, he avoided the dog''s snapping jaws, nearly straining his own back in the process. Parker, with his headphones on, hadn''t heard the dog pounce; it missed Chen Ke and instead landed on Parker, immediately biting towards his neck. Parker jolted and frantically spun in place, trying to grab and toss the dog off his back. However, the dog was quite heavy, and soon Parker was knocked to the ground. "Shoot it! Shoot it!" Parker shouted as he made a forward roll, attempting to distance himself from the dog, but just as he was about to reach for his gun to fire, the dog pounced again, interrupting his motion. "Don''t move around; when you move, the dog moves with you, how am I supposed to shoot!" While speaking, Chen Ke aimed and fired two shots at the dog. "Bang bang!" The Glock''s crisp gunshots echoed in the hall, two orange casings ejected into the air and fell to the floor a second later, clinking as they landed. One bullet grazed the dog''s fur into the floor, while another buried itself in the dog''s flank, opening a bloody hole. "Ow!! Man!!" The dog howled in pain and when it turned to look at Chen Ke, its eyes were full of spite. Chen Ke''s lifespan could no longer increase; the excess killing intent meant the countdown was forever jumping at 4 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds. The dog shot towards Chen Ke at high speed, leaping into the air, its sharp teeth almost touching Chen Ke''s face. "Bang!" Parker fired at the dog, and its body jerked mid-air, forcefully changing its trajectory and crashing into a pillar in the hall. It let out a pitiful whine like a beaten dog, fell to the ground, and died in a puddle of blood. Dozens of dogs at the far end of the hall charged at the two men. Parker''s marksmanship was terrible; several shots hit the floor, kicking up clouds of dust, but even Chen Ke''s accurate shots couldn''t kill them. From the beginning, Chen Ke had noticed that his Glock 17 couldn''t kill these dogs; at most, it could make them yelp in pain, while Parker''s M1911A1 truly killed a dog with every shot. Chen Ke didn''t think it was a matter of caliber or power because he noticed that Parker''s gun didn''t just emit a normal muzzle flash when fired but a white glow instead. That gun was out of the ordinary. The two kept firing while retreating. When the gun chamber clicked empty, Chen Ke realized he had run out of bullets. "I''m out of ammo! Do you have any 9mm spare cartridges?!" Chen Ke shouted. "My gun is .45 caliber. How could I possibly carry 9mm spares!" The dogs seemed to understand human speech and turned to pounce on Chen Ke. Cursing under his breath, Chen Ke turned and bolted for the safety exit. Suddenly, his eyes swept over the wall and he spotted a fire axe in a glass case next to the opposite door. Chen Ke''s eyes narrowed; he quickly approached, smashed the glass with his elbow, grabbed the red axe, and swung it at the face of the nearest dog. He put all his strength into the blow, confident it would decapitate the dog. However, the toughness of the dog''s flesh far exceeded Chen Ke''s expectations. The axe blade lodged in the dog''s face, spilling blood, but it didn''t sink any deeper and the dog quickly wriggled free, escaping from his attack range. This startled Chen Ke; although he hadn''t inflicted serious damage, the hit had clearly pained the dog, and the remaining dogs immediately halted, surrounding Chen Ke. Parker was also in a bad spot. Even though Chen Ke had drawn some of the dogs'' attention, he was troubled by several that he couldn''t shake off. Worse still, his gun could only hold seven bullets and, after firing a whole magazine, he simply jumped on top of the service counter. "Cover me! I need to reload!" Parker yelled. Chen Ke, brandishing his axe to ward off the pack, leaped out of the encirclement towards Parker. Parker unzipped his waist bag, fished out a white magazine, and jammed it into the grip of his gun. Just as he was about to pull back the slide to chamber a round, a human-faced dog leapt up from behind him, bit into his neck, and dragged him down from the service counter. "Ah ah ah!!!" Chen Ke heard Parker scream. Ten steps away, Parker lay on the ground, his left arm, back, and legs were fiercely bitten by the human-faced dog. The dog on his back had already struck; Parker''s neck was bleeding, his right hand clutching the gun tightly, his left hand and arm being bitten by two dogs, unable to reload. His whole appearance was utterly pitiful. "Throw me your gun!" Chen Ke roared. "It''s no use; you can''t use my gun! Ugh!!!" As Parker struggled in agony, he tried to reload his pistol, but he was completely overwhelmed by the dogs. Finally, with no other option, he tossed the gun away. "Help me! Load it! Quick...!" Parker''s voice grew more and more pained. Chen Ke took a flying leap, skidding several steps on the floor, reached out with his right hand, grabbed Parker''s pistol, swiftly reloaded, and pulled the trigger at the pack attacking him. "Click, click, click..." No response. What the hell?! Chen Ke reloaded again, a white bullet ejecting from the chamber, pulling the trigger once more with no effect. "Give me the gun... ah ah!!! Uh uh..." Parker''s voice dwindled; at least five dogs were gnawing at him, beneath which a pool of blood had formed. Chen Ke turned back; the dogs that had surrounded him were slowly closing in again. He counted four, one with a deep gash on its face. "Damn it, what''s going on?! Fire, damn you!" Chen Ke''s rage surged as he continuously pulled the trigger at the dogs on Parker. "Sacrifice lifespan to use Spiritual Gun." "Bang!" "-5 minutes" "Bang!" "-5 minutes" "Bang!" "-5 minutes" One shot cost him five minutes of his life! But Chen Ke''s lifespan was at its limit and couldn''t increase, so there was no harm in using it! He kept pulling the trigger, the gun barrel emitting a white, sacred light. Terrifying gunshots rang out, and the bullets, like silver meteors at such close range, tore the dogs on Parker apart, scatting their heads, paws, and guts from their bellies all over the place. "Holy shit, that kills!" Chen Ke exclaimed in awe as he fired. His aim was much more precise than Parker''s; five bullets, five dogs instantly annihilated. He immediately got up and picked up two white magazines that had fallen out from Parker''s waist bag, turned back, and shot at the other four dogs. After two shots, Chen Ke flicked the empty magazine out of the gun with a quick motion and was inserting a new one when the dog he had axed in the face came at him with a leaping bound towards his face. "Ha!" With a loud shout, Chen Ke executed a spinning kick, striking the dog so hard it spat foam and flew to the side of the room, yelping pitifully. He quickly reloaded and took down the last few dogs. Chapter 4 - 004: Holy Relics Chapter 4: Chapter 004: Holy Relics The hall once again fell silent, littered with the bodies of human-faced dogs and bullet holes. Chen Ke glanced at the life countdown at the corner of his eye, firing the life-reducing gun in bursts, and his own life countdown remained at 4 hours, 45 minutes, and 59 seconds. He looked toward Parker, who lay motionless in a pool of blood, feeling that the odds were against him. "Hey hey... buddy," Chen Ke nudged Parker, who did not respond. He turned Parker''s body over and discovered a large bloody gash on his windpipe, Parker had long since stopped breathing. That being the case, it was time to see what Parker had on him. Chen Ke began to search Parker''s belongings, who, like hefty man, did not have much of value on him. His waist bag contained a phone identical to the iPhone 3G, a wallet, a magazine that was depleted except for one in Chen Ke''s hand and the four rounds fired from the lined gun, totalling only 11 rounds of ammunition. He lit up the phone screen, which displayed the date: March 22, 2009, 10:32 pm. Chen Ke really wanted to use the phone to surf the internet for some information about this world, but unfortunately, the iPhone 3G produced in 2008 did not have fingerprint unlocking technology, and he could not unlock it using Parker''s hand. He could not possibly guess the digital lock screen password, so he set the phone aside and turned to look at Parker''s wallet. Opening Parker''s wallet, he found a family photo of three, several membership cards for various stores, and two 100 denomination banknotes. Chen Ke did not even know to which country the banknotes belonged, were they US Dollars? What caught his attention was a credential sleeve tucked inside the wallet. He took it out for close observation. The lower half of the leather sleeve contained a round, embedded coin badge, with a carving of an eagle clutching a globe, and over it was a magnetic card printed with Parker''s registration photo, which read: "Parker" "Psychic Investigator" "Class: D" "Affiliated: Weber Spirit Production" "Credential Issued: United Federation of Spiritual Energy Administration" The United Federation must be the name of the country, and the Spiritual Energy Administration along with Weber Spirit Production drew Chen Ke''s attention. It seemed, then, that the existence of monsters in this world was no secret, and had even become a daily occurrence. Moreover, these monsters were not something ordinary people could handle. Judging from his own recent experience, neither axes nor Glock 17s could deal fatal damage to the human-faced dogs. However, Parker''s specially modified M1911A1 was able to kill them instantly. In order to combat these creatures, the United Federation had established the Spiritual Energy Administration, training "Psychic Investigators" like Parker to go to places where so-called "Spiritual Ability Outbreaks" occurred. Moreover, indicative of capitalism, these investigators weren''t employees of state agencies, but rather employees of companies like Weber Spirit Production, which sounded rather like security companies. Chen Ke removed the magazine and examined a bullet closely, its entire .45acp was white with no primer, and even with the naked eye, one couldn''t distinguish the boundary between the bullet and the casing. Combining the white flash produced after firing and the fact that it could not be used without consuming his lifespan, Chen Ke speculated that this bullet was produced through special engineering, likely filled with something other than gunpowder. Ordinary people might not be able to use it because they lacked "Spiritual Energy," and only "Psychic Investigators" like Parker could freely operate the firearms with their internal spiritual energy. He analyzed it wildly, his face adopting an "Ah, I understand" expression and nodded. Chen Ke only took Parker''s cash, gun, and bullets; he left the rest untouched. He remembered Parker mentioning that leaving this place required passing through a place called the "Spiritual Ability Tunnel." He looked toward Parker''s body, regretting not having asked where this passage was! He also began to consider his plans for the next four hours. The current Chen Ke could only survive on the killing intent of others, which was manageable in a monster-infested building. But what if he went outside? In a civilized society, in a world with a sound legal system. Where would he find so much killing intent? Was he to go astray and become a social scourge, a madman who killed, burned, looted, and tortured to stay alive? That was not what he wanted, but he did not want to die either. Chen Ke had more optimistic thoughts, like maybe this life countdown was merely a byproduct of the Spiritual Ability Outbreak? As long as he could get out safely, he could return to a normal life? Chen Ke pondered in torment, as if he had lost his way on the road of life; at this moment, he suddenly noticed that the bodies of the dog-faced creatures on the floor were faintly twinkling with white orbs. The white orb was very subtle, resembling a small luminous fog about the size of a fist. Moreover, not every dog''s corpse radiated this white light. After briefly counting, Chen Ke noted that among the dozen corpses, only five formed white orbs. Chen Ke squatted down beside the orb to inspect it closely. The white light wasn''t harsh on the eyes and seemed to have something flowing on its surface, the longer he looked, the softer it appeared. Instinctively, he reached out to touch it, his hand passing through the orb and grasping a handle-like object. He yanked the object out of the orb and with a "whoosh," the orb vanished into thin air. In Chen Ke''s hand suddenly appeared a faint afterimage of a sword, resembling a continuously misting rod, twisting through space, its specific features unclear. Within Chen Ke''s field of vision, a transparent interface appeared: [Unknown Short Sword] [??] [??] [??] Chen Ke immediately thought of the dagger he had previously plunged into his chest. As he cast a questioning glance at the blurry sword, a line of small text appeared at the corner of his eye: "Use 20 minutes of lifespan to identify Holy Relics." A bead of sweat trickled down Chen Ke''s forehead as his lifespan dropped from 4 hours and 44 minutes to 4 hours and 24 minutes... At that moment, the sword in his hand transformed. The white halo and mist gradually dissipated, and the sword''s image became concrete. Displayed in his hands was a Wide-Blade Sword, about 60 cm long. Its blade was sharp on both sides, featuring a blood groove down the middle. It felt heavy, wrapped tightly in a fabric ribbon stained with blood, looking far from a merely decorative sword. Chen Ke was convinced that this sword had indeed taken lives... Looking again at the sword''s details, they had changed to: [Executioner''s Bleeding Short Sword] [Durability: Poor] [Lacerate Wound: The wounds it causes will never heal] [Blood Groove: Causes significant blood loss upon piercing] The sword in Chen Ke''s hands trembled slightly, flashing with white light, and transformed into a small, bright diamond radiating white haloes. Chen Ke was clueless as to why the dog''s corpses had dropped a sword, but he was gradually getting the hang of it. He collected the orbs from the other four dogs, pulling out a coat, a helmet, a pair of boots, and a shield... When he looked at these orbs, he fervently reminded himself, "I don''t want to know what these things are!" Sure enough, his lifespan timer didn''t autonomously deduct any lifespan for identification. Looking once more at the spoils of war, the transparent interface appeared with "Would you like to spend 20 minutes of lifespan to identify Holy Relics?" Good, he could now control the use of his lifespan freely... Chen Ke had collected a total of five Holy Relics. Perhaps using these items would make dealing with monsters much simpler and convenient? Unfortunately, the Holy Relics could not be used without identification, and the lifespan cost for identification was indeed quite high. Moreover, summoning the Holy Relics from their diamond form to a physical state also required at least 30 minutes of lifespan to be consumed. Holy Relics in their physical state also seemed unable to be used for long durations; shortly after, they would revert back to their diamond forms. Even if these items were very useful, the excessive consumption of lifespan meant that for the current Chen Ke, they could only be used as trump cards. At that moment, the lighting inside the hall suddenly changed. The chandelier, originally emitting a warm orange light, slowly began casting a cold green light, turning the hall sinister and terrifying. Chen Ke picked up the dim white diamonds that the unidentified Holy Relics had turned into from the ground and placed them into his wool coat''s pocket. He aimlessly raised his M1911A1. Then, in various parts of the hall, large white slits of light suddenly opened. Through the gaps, a squad of SWAT-like agents dressed in black was seen running towards the hall from the outside. Chen Ke guessed that outside forces had forcibly opened the entrance, but he preferred not to interact with official personnel in this situation. He looked toward the other light slits and chose one displaying an alley, into which he leaped without hesitation. Chapter 5 - 005: The Truant Gun Chapter 5: Chapter 005: The Truant Gun Chen Ke stepped through the beam of light, and the scenery around him changed abruptly, with a noise similar to the mixing of electricity and Gale hitting his ears. The green light of the hall was left behind, and by the time his feet touched the ground, he found himself in a small alley under the midnight moonlight. Across the alley, the brightly lit billboard on the opposing building was quite striking. It depicted a very attractive beer girl in an American-style oil painting, beckoning with a tray of beers and smiling towards the gray street. Beside her, large red POP advertisement letters read, "In Opportunity City, we all drink Bush Beer." Winter had just passed and spring was quietly arriving, the night air still carried a hint of chill. Breathing the fresh air again, Chen Ke wasn''t too excited. Although he had finally escaped from the dangerous building, the countdown timer of his life at the corner of his eye still hadn''t disappeared. Just as he had feared before, he could now only live under others'' killing intent. It was manageable when he was in a building full of monsters, but how would he survive in the civilized world outside? Would he spend his days as an outlaw in gang territories? Or try every means to join a company like Weber Spirit Production, becoming a specialized hunter of monsters as a Spiritual Ability Administrator? Chen Ke shook his head, no, neither of these paths was what Chen Ke wanted. He wasn''t a habitual evildoer, nor did he ever find joy in intentionally harming others. Although he didn''t mind living like a "Demon Hunter" from video games, killing monsters for a living, he also didn''t want to be trapped by various consortium rules and become a nine-to-five "Monster Hunter." More importantly, Chen Ke felt that the original owner of his body was no ordinary person, skilled in various killing techniques and once possessing "Transcendent Skills." Despite such formidable skills, he was still killed by a Holy Relics dagger through his heart. This was what Chen Ke was most concerned about¡ªwho killed him? Why? Who exactly was he? Chen Ke didn''t inherit the memories of this body, so all answers had to be sought by himself. He had a premonition that he was trapped in a conspiracy. Perhaps by finding the murderer who killed him, he could unlock the secret of the countdown to his life, and become a normal person again. The countdown timer was still mercilessly ticking down, showing he had only 4 hours and 19 minutes left to live. He walked out of the alley onto the main street, just as several police cars sped by, their sirens wailing and red and blue lights glaringly bright. A kilometer away, Chen Ke saw a black office building surrounded tightly by a slew of police cars, with two black armored vehicles parked across the street. Teams of SWAT were poised and ready, a massive black machine humming loudly as it opened white slits of light in various parts of the building, with SWAT units already rushing in. He tucked two guns into the pockets of his woolen trench coat, popped the collar, and quickly walked in the opposite direction. Although unsure of where to go, he thought it best to get as far away as possible for now. Meanwhile, in a warm and comfortable room in Opportunity City, a man in his early fifties, dressed in a purple robe and looking quite corpulent, stared intently at the screen of his laptop. A cup of coffee, still steaming, sat next to his hand. His name was Pankia, chairman of the Si''s consortium. Displayed on the screen was an electronic map marking a building in the Lower District of Opportunity City. If nothing went wrong, that building should have by now been completely surrounded by the County Police and the Administration Bureau. Pankia took a sip of his coffee, "It''s likely that the Administration Bureau''s people are there as well..." He glanced at the eight photos displayed beside the electronic map¡ªsix men, two women, one Black person, five White, and two Asians. Chen Ke''s photo was prominently among them. They were the eight "Holy Relics Hunters" dispatched for this operation, accurately speaking, seven. That Asian was merely a "key"... Putting down his coffee mug, Pankia recognized a few of them. That Asian, he remembered, was called Lin Mo, who had smuggled over from the Fei Huang Republic over a decade ago... Pankia had trained him into a qualified assassin, a lethal weapon, used by the Si''s consortium to handle all sorts of "tasks" needing attention. But Lin Mo was not irreplaceable. After all, there were plenty of people who had smuggled into the United Federation at all costs. He could train the children of those smugglers into one Lin Mo after another, to do his dirty work. It was about time. He opened the official page of the "Opportunity City Evening News;" the effects of the Spiritual Energy outbreak from the office building in the Lower District had already been reported. "The hunt should be over, time to take home the spoils, kids," he murmured to himself, crossing his hands, and waiting by his BlackBerry phone on the table. "Beep beep beep... beep beep beep..." The phone rang, Pankia raised his eyebrows, and paused for a moment. Because the ringtone wasn''t coming from his BlackBerry, but from the old-fashioned white landline phone beside the computer. This phone could only receive calls and was connected to only one number¡ªit was used specifically for delivering "bad news." "You were supposed to call my mobile," Pankia said, picking up the receiver with a hopeful tone. "Chairman, one Hunter has emerged," the operator on the other end said. "One? Are the other six lost?" Pankia breathed a sigh of relief, seeing it was only a loss of personnel. "In the future, don''t count personnel loss as bad news, just call my mobile." "It''s not that... It''s the key who has come out," the operator replied. Pankia was stunned for a second, sweat forming on his forehead. Impossible! The office building had already experienced a Spiritual Energy outbreak; the "unlocking action" had been completed. The Blasphemous Dagger should have tasted the blood of the sacrifices. Moreover, the person acting as the key had to be at least a Level 1 Spiritual Ability User and had undergone a "Spiritual Energy Binding" ceremony with the Blasphemous Dagger beforehand to trigger the artificial Spiritual Energy outbreak. In other words, the person who was the key should have died the moment the ceremony was completed. "Did you confirm the signal?" Pankia asked urgently. "He''s still carrying the phone we provided, and he''s currently on the move, trying to leave the hunting ground," the operator answered. Inside the area of the Spiritual Energy outbreak, most civilian device signals would be blocked, but as soon as one left that area, the signals would return to normal. Pankia glanced at Lin Mo''s photo on the screen, trying to guess what exactly had happened. A betrayal? A miracle? A mutation? None seemed likely¡ªthe consortium''s brainwashing had never failed before... Pankia couldn''t figure it out. "Should I pass this message to Grandfather?" the operator suddenly asked. "No, I''ll tell him in person," Pankia immediately refused. Grandfather''s condition was unstable now, if he found out about this, Pankia''s position might be at risk. "Continue tracking the signals of the remaining Hunters, and call me immediately if anything unusual arises. The follow-up hunting operations will proceed according to the plan..." Pankia instructed. The person on the other end agreed and hung up the phone. Placing the receiver down, Pankia folded his arms and paced back and forth in front of his desk, his mind swirling with countless thoughts. "Lin Mo..." He picked up his cell phone, browsed through the contact list, found the number saved as "B124," and after two seconds of thought, he pressed the call button. A slight vibration came from his body. Chen Ke suddenly stopped in his tracks. He took a deep breath. He hadn''t expected to have a phone on him! It made sense, though¡ªearlier in the building, he was too nervous and focused only on searching others'' belongings without checking what he had on himself. He fumbled on his body and felt a small cell phone in the inner pocket on the right side of his coat. It was a Nokia 1208, a little grey plastic cell phone with a green screen. Chen Ke immediately felt disappointed. Damn, he had been so pleased thinking about using the phone to surf the internet for information. The cell phone kept vibrating in his hand, the caller ID showing the name "Mr. Lan Mei." "Who is this..." Chen Ke hesitated, unsure whether to answer or not. He didn''t know what relationship he had with this person and wasn''t sure what to say. After a moment of thought, he pressed the answer button. "Lin Mo, where are you?" the other person asked. "..." Chen Ke didn''t speak; he noted down the name "Lin Mo." It seemed that was his name before. "Lin Mo, come on, talk. Are you in some kind of trouble?" The caller''s tone was very friendly. "..." Chen Ke speculated. The fact that the person asked for his location right away showed they were eager to find him. Then asking if he was in trouble meant this person must be related to his troubles! "You know I''ll always help you, you can always rely on me." The caller''s voice was sincere. "Miles is dead; the ''plan'' ran into a hitch..." Chen Ke ventured. He remembered the name and the so-called "plan" he heard while confronting the hefty man shortly after arriving. "That Miles, he was a good man...uh... you need some rest, Lin Mo. Go back, get some sleep, I''ll take care of everything for you. Remember, 49 White Street, room 13," the caller said cautiously. "I will," Chen Ke said and then hung up. In just a few words, the caller had displayed three different emotions: urgency at first, pretense in the middle, and then dismissiveness after hearing about the "plan." Chen Ke believed that his life''s countdown was definitely related to this person. Finding him might be the key to stopping the countdown! The address given at the end was currently the only clue; even if it was a trap, he had no choice but to go. Time was of the essence. Chen Ke immediately took a taxi to 49 White Street! Meanwhile, Pankia was deep in his own thoughts. The voice on the phone was indeed Lin Mo''s, but the tone did not match how Lin Mo used to speak. Had Lin Mo become a different person? Was it amnesia, or a side effect of some spiritual binding ceremony? Regardless, Lin Mo was no longer the person Pankia knew. He couldn''t stay. Pankia dialed another number. "Beep beep..." "BOSS? What do you need?" "Slavin, there''s an issue with a gun." "Serial number?" "B124." "Do you need it repaired, or...?" "Just dismantle it..." "Location?" "Lower District of Opportunity City, B124''s hideout." "BOSS, I''ve already sent the executioner. I''ll notify the guardian of B124 shortly." "Don''t disappoint me." Once again hanging up, Pankia walked to the window and peeled back the corner of the curtain. The midnight city lights were dimming, and in the dark clouds on the horizon, lightning flashed. A storm was brewing. Chapter 6 - 006 Opportunity City, No Opportunities Chapter 6: Chapter 006 Opportunity City, No Opportunities Opportunity City''s Lower District reeked of depression and poverty; on his way, Chen Ke looked out the window and saw many closed factories, most of which were automobile manufacturers. "Buddy, are you sure you don''t need to go to the hospital to get that checked out?" Chen Ke''s blood-stained shirt was indeed too eye-catching, and the driver had stared at it for a long time when he got in the car. "I got it while drinking wine." Chen Ke replied casually. "You must have been drinking grape juice..." The driver shook his head. Perhaps mistaking Chen Ke for an out-of-towner or simply wanting to smoke, after a moment of silence, the driver struck up a conversation. "Buddy, if you''d come to Opportunity City twenty years ago, I would have welcomed you sincerely, but as you can see, there are no opportunities in Opportunity City now." As he spoke, the driver casually took out a cigarette pack, lit one for himself, and then extended a hand to offer one to Chen Ke. Chen Ke waved his hand in refusal. "Opportunity City used to manufacture cars for the whole world; our cars were powerful, durable, and beautiful. But it seems like the whole world prefers the cheap cars from Sunrise Country now. These workers are forced to find livelihoods in other cities, and those factories have become territories of Spiritual Beasts," said the driver. "Why not demolish these abandoned factories? Wouldn''t the authorities object to these monsters nesting in residential areas?" Chen Ke asked. Even if no longer manufacturing cars, they could still demolish the factories to build office buildings and malls, right? That would be better than letting monsters run wild. "Heh, you''ll have to ask the CEOs of the Spiritual Power Industry. They''ve bought up all the wastelands with abandoned buildings in the city, waiting for them to undergo a Spirit Explosion effect..." The driver said amidst puffs of smoke, leisurely explaining the interests involved to Chen Ke. Mystical events had been occurring throughout the world for a long time, and since 1910, countries had established the Spiritual Ability Administration to deal with indescribable anomalies and incidents. To ordinary people, these had long become part of everyday life. After World War II, with the increase of Spirit Explosion Spaces caused by Spirit Explosion effects, the spiritual departments of various countries met for the first time and established the World Spiritual Power Bureau, which began to specifically train agents who could use Spiritual Power to deal with Transcendent situations and manage supernatural events worldwide. In the 1930s, the latest scientific research discovered that Monster Corpses and the Diamond Holy Relics they dropped within Spirit Explosion Space had immense utility. This spurred related application research, whether for military or civilian use, and became a key research topic for all countries in the world. Monster Corpses were the best raw materials. They could be mixed with any other material to make medicines, food flavorings, agricultural products, daily chemical products, and even military equipment. The development of the Spiritual Power Industry in civilian sectors was even hotter than the internet. Decades of research and observation showed that the monsters within Spirit Explosion Spaces could never be completely eradicated. If wiped out once and left alone for a while, the corpses would disappear on their own. Then, more monsters would emerge. If a Spirit Explosion occurred somewhere, the Spiritual Ability Administration staff would intervene immediately to calm the situation and then rate the area based on severity and scale. Then, the Administration Bureau would use its unique technology to cover the area with a black building and open it up to all Spiritual Power Industry companies. It was like a series of instances; countless Spiritual Power Industry companies trained their own investigators¡ªpeople like Parker¡ªto enter these instances for exploration. The area was called "Black Box Space," and if nothing unexpected happened, the building that Chen Ke had just escaped from would also become Black Box Space soon. These investigators were categorized from D to S across five levels of licenses based on the amount of Spiritual Energy within their bodies, with Parker being a rookie D-level investigator. These investigators used the spiritual energy in their bodies to power a type of Spiritual Gun specifically designed to hunt Spiritual Monsters, which were very effective. Anything brought out of the Spirit Explosion Space would be supervised by the Spiritual Ability Administration, and Spiritual Power Industry companies were allowed to take only Monster Corpse materials; the Diamond Holy Relics were uniformly recovered by the Administration. Any company that dared to privately hoard these Holy Relic diamonds would suffer severe consequences, ranging from having their spiritual industry licenses revoked to having their management staff thrown into prison to rot. Black Box Spaces could be bought out from the Administration Bureau; when a company purchased a particular Black Box Space, it effectively had a stable "material collection hunting ground." Many large consortia didn''t just buy up Black Box Spaces; they also purchased abandoned properties, waiting for Spirit Explosion effects to occur naturally. Buying wasteland and nurturing investigators was standard operating procedure for these companies. Chen Ke couldn''t help feeling that behind this street full of desolation and decline was the manifestation of the will of capitalist power. Chen Ke occasionally checked the time. The constraints of his limited lifespan tightly circumscribed his range of action. This made Chen Ke realize for the first time that traveling by car was a waste of life. Fortunately, in the middle of the night, the roads were clear. The taxi sped along, arriving at White Street in about 20 minutes. A series of decrepit six-story residential buildings came into view, instantly reminding him of the old house where his family lived during his middle school years, and a sudden wave of homesickness washed over him. The car slowly stopped at the curb, and the driver snapped down the taxi meter with a "click." "Seven union coins, buddy." Chen Ke''s gaze withdrew from the window, he rummaged in the hefty man''s branded wallet, handed over a 100-union coin bill to the driver, and waited for the change. No matter where, without money, one could hardly make a move, and right now, Chen Ke needed money more than most. He just could not afford to take buses or subways. Chen Ke took a handful of small bills and coins, counted them briefly, and tucked them into the inside pocket of his wool coat, then opened the car door and got out. "Good luck, buddy," the driver nodded toward Chen Ke and drove off. Chen Ke looked up at the dilapidated apartment building, flipped off the safety on his M1911A1 in his pocket. This gun was a Spiritual Gun, and each shot fired would shorten his lifespan by five minutes, plus he only had 11 bullets left. If his Glock 17 hadn''t run out of bullets, he wouldn''t want to use it lightly. Chen Ke strode into the pitch-black staircase, glanced at the numbers on the doors in the corridor to estimate that apartment 13 was on the fourth floor, and then quietly slipped into the stairwell. Standing in front of the door to apartment 13, Chen Ke did not knock immediately, but instead pressed his ear against the door to carefully listen for any sounds inside. He heard the sound of boiling water, the burning noise of a gas stove, and the sound of someone wearing slippers walking from one end of the room to the other. The footsteps were light, sounding like those of a girl. She was on the phone, repeating "Mm-hmm, mm-hmm." Chen Ke tried turning the doorknob¡ªit was unlocked. The door opened with a "click", and Chen Ke walked into the room to see a curly-haired woman standing in front of the kitchen stove, looking like she was of Eurasian descent. "Ah!" The woman glanced at Chen Ke and immediately screamed at the sight of his bloodstained shirt. "You''ve bled a lot!" The woman took the cloth next to her and quickly walked towards Chen Ke. Chen Ke waved his hand and said, "It''s someone else''s." The meat broth boiling on the gas stove was still bubbling, its aroma wafting through the air. The woman pointed at the torn areas of Chen Ke''s shirt with her finger, and her tense expression suddenly relaxed. She smiled and returned to the stove. Chen Ke closed the door and walked straight over to the sofa to sit down, beginning to quietly examine the layout of the whole house. There were two rooms in the small corridor opposite the semi-open kitchen, a bathroom to the right of the small living room, and an old external drainage pipe outside a window... The window was open; anyone could climb into the house along the pipe. "Is everything going smoothly? I made some borscht; do you want some?" The woman asked while tending to the soup. "I just ate at Blue Road; I won''t have any," Chen Ke replied. "Huh?" The woman paused. "Then I''ll have some," Chen Ke looked up at the woman and said with a smile. The woman turned her head back to continue stirring the soup, casting furtive glances at Chen Ke. "+2 seconds" "+2 seconds" "+2 seconds" ... Chen Ke''s smile subtly grew. The woman served a steaming bowl of borscht, placing it on the coffee table in front of Chen Ke. The thick soup was still roiling, with chunks of beef and sweet potato mixed with an assortment of vegetables, bobbing in the amber broth. Although the bowl of soup looked tempting, Chen Ke did not feel an appetite. He wasn''t hungry, thirsty, or tired; he felt like he was an everlasting engine. "Tired?" The woman sat next to Chen Ke and tentatively wrapped her arm around his left arm. Chen Ke said nothing, simply turning to look into the woman''s eyes¡ªthey were blue, very pretty. In her pupils, Chen Ke saw the face of an unfamiliar man. "Go take a shower, then let''s play something exciting. Go on," the woman suggested with a smile. She planted a gentle kiss on Chen Ke''s forehead, then gave him a push. Chen Ke smiled, playing along, standing up to prepare to enter the bathroom. "Hang on, are you going to shower with your coat on?" The woman caught Chen Ke''s hand, helping him remove his blue woolen coat. Chen Ke''s brow furrowed¡ªhis gun was still inside. "Go on, go on, we''ll have the soup together when you come out," the woman nudged Chen Ke, her actions intimate. "Then wait for me, don''t sneak any bites," Chen Ke said with a smile, walking into the bathroom. Chapter 7 - 007: Killing Aura Radar Chapter 7: Chapter 007: Killing Aura Radar The tiny bathroom was no more than three or four square meters, with a toilet taking up a third of the space, and a somewhat rusty showerhead still dripping water droplets. Hanging on one side of the wall was a washbasin and a mirror. Chen Ke looked at the person in the mirror. It was only a few hours after he had traveled through time that he finally had the chance to take a good look at himself. The man in the mirror was Asian, with black medium-long hair, a bit of a rebellious stubble on his chin, and appeared to be about the same age as Chen Ke before he had traveled through time, not over 25 years old. In those black eyes, Chen Ke saw bewilderment, confusion, and... madness. And from his complexion and aura alike, he gave off the impression of being exhausted in both body and mind. "Nice face," he touched his stubble with a playful expression. He unbuttoned his shirt, took it off, and threw it into a small basin to one side, then gazed at his figure once again. He wasn''t bulky, but definitely solid, the type who looks leaner clothed but muscular naked. His arms had smooth muscle lines, a solid chest, and his six-pack abs were as clear-cut as a bar of chocolate. But on his arms and abdomen were many scars from the past, with even a bullet wound on his belly. He was certain his past was not clean. "Are you taking a shower?" a woman asked from outside. Chen Ke turned on the tap, and with a "whoosh," a stream of hot water surged from the showerhead, sending a slow rise of steam upward. During these few hours since he had traveled through time, Chen Ke had gone through quite a few unimaginable events. He was covered in both blood and sweat, and it was indeed time for a shower. He stepped into the hot water, letting the warm streams flow down all the grooves of his muscles, covering his whole body. The woman stirred the borscht with a wooden spoon, thick meaty aroma already laced with a hint of burn, yet she didn''t notice, her gaze fixed on the first-generation iPhone in her right hand. "Is the package at home?" The woman turned and glanced, the bathroom was noisy with the sound of running water, and thin wisps of steam wafted out from under the door. She texted back, "Yes, come in through the window." The woman''s eyes darted back to the bathroom, an anxious emotion evident in her gaze. Beside her lay a fruit knife, there for an emergency. "I''m downstairs now." The phone vibrated once. "+50 minutes" "+50 minutes" "+50 minutes" "Lifetime limit reached" ... "Red window." The woman typed rapidly in response. She walked quietly to the door, locked it with a key from the inside, her heartbeat thumping wildly. A blonde man''s head slowly appeared from outside the window, his blue eyes swept the room alertly, and seeing the woman inside nod at him, he deftly leaped in. He was dressed in navy blue sportswear, with a red triangular backpack on his back. He slowly took out a black FN509 pistol from the holster inside his sportswear, and screwed a silencer onto it pulled from his trouser pocket. He heard the sound of water in the bathroom, glanced at the woman again, and she pointed towards the bathroom door. He put a "shush" finger to his lips and quietly moved in front of the bathroom door, raised the pistol, and squeezed the trigger repeatedly at the door. "Bang... clack... bang... clack... bang... clack... bang... clack..." The silencer could dampen the sound of the cartridges'' gunpowder combustion, but it couldn''t silence the mechanical noise of the chamber ejecting the shells. But it was late, and no one cared about the noise. The wooden door was pierced by 9mm bullets, leaving nine holes, without the sound of a heavy object falling, only the shower continued to make noise. The blonde man approached the door and gently pulled it open, warm steam hitting his face. The room was empty, with only a blood-stained shirt thrown into a small basin in the corner. He turned his head to look at the woman, a flicker of panic crossing his mind. The woman lay in a pool of blood, her eyes shut, her lower abdomen pierced by a fruit knife that was chillingly thrust through her, its tip protruding from her back. Possibly due to the assassin''s instinct, he suddenly felt an overwhelming surge of killing intent from behind. Turning around, he saw a bare-chested man preparing to strangle him. The blond man raised his gun, intending to pull the trigger when he found the opponent had actually slipped his thumb into the trigger guard. Indeed, a professional; even a sneak attack from behind was detected so quickly, Chen Ke inwardly lamented. He pushed the blond man, then swiftly kicked towards the man''s left knee. The blond man''s leg buckled, and he fell to the ground. But the man reacted quickly too, executing a backward roll to stabilize himself and put distance between them, then raising his gun to repeatedly pull the trigger at Chen Ke. However, the gun had nothing left but a handle. Chen Ke whistled, tossing the grip and the spring he held in his hand aside. The blond man turned and ran towards the door, but when he twisted the doorknob, he found the door was bolted from the inside. Cold sweat ran down his forehead; grinding his teeth, he fished a switchblade from his pocket. "Quite well-equipped, soon they will all be mine," Chen Ke licked his lips. The blond man brandished his dagger, and Chen Ke recognized it as a Close Quarters Combat stance. The man''s killing intent continued to pour forth ceaselessly, but this time it was different. The man had a thin red outline in Chen Ke''s field of vision, as if he had been targeted. Chen Ke deduced that this indicated a hostile alert, it seemed he could now sense killing intent from a specific target within a certain range, and not just be aware of impending danger without knowing who the enemy was! This ability was incredibly useful, meaning he could quickly locate lurking attackers in a crowd, rather than just knowing that danger was approaching without knowing from whom! The corners of Chen Ke''s mouth turned up slightly. He decided to name this ability "Killing Aura Radar," and the previous ability to absorb killing aura and increase life expectancy he named "Killing Aura Vacuum." The blond man had no clue what Chen Ke was smiling about and took it as mockery, his expression flashing with displeasure. He gripped the knife in reverse and charged with a leap towards Chen Ke''s throat with a fierce slash. Chen Ke leaned back, dodging the blade, and with a sideways step, they switched positions. The man relentlessly pursued, not giving Chen Ke an inch, drawing a long gash on Chen Ke''s left forearm, blood gushing instantly. The blond man smirked, stepping back, and licked the blood from the blade''s edge. Chen Ke looked at the wound on his left forearm, a thought swirling in his mind. In the corner of his eye, a line of small text appeared: "Consume 30 minutes of life expectancy to heal the wound." Immediately, the wound healed at a visible speed, not even leaving a scar. He was now able to control when and how to use his life expectancy. The only dissatisfaction was that both fatal wounds and other injuries would require 30 minutes to heal, making it an imprudent decision to use this ability for minor ailments. His life expectancy was precious and had to be used sparingly. "what the fuck...?" The blond man wore a ghostly expression, unable to believe his own eyes. Taking advantage of the blond man''s life-questioning moment, Chen Ke casually grabbed a pot of hot soup still on the stove and splashed it at the man. The thick soup described an orange arc in the air, chunks of meat and vegetables tumbling with the broth, hitting the assassin''s face and body. "Ah! Motherfuck!" The blond man cried out in pain from the scalding, clutching his injured cheek, but even so, the switchblade in his right hand was still aimed directly at Chen Ke¡ªa sign of a qualified assassin''s discipline. Chen Ke immediately charged forward, dodging the swinging switchblade, and, seizing the man''s wrist, he twisted it hard, the crunch of breaking bones sounding as Chen Ke snapped the blond man''s wrist. Chen Ke firmly gripped the blond man''s fist, forcing him to drive the switchblade into his own throat. With a hiss, the blade effortlessly pierced the larynx. Chen Ke pulled, and the knife slid out from the other side of the neck, cutting out a third of the flesh, leaving the man like a human fountain, blood spurting out as he knelt on the ground. Chapter 8 - 008 A Haphazard Analysis Chapter 8: Chapter 008 A Haphazard Analysis Chen Ke put on his clothes and sat on the sofa, somewhat gloomily looking at the messy floor. The corpse of the mixed-race woman and the blond man''s body lay just a few steps away from him, their pools of blood merging together, forming a heart-shaped pattern that, surprisingly, seemed somewhat romantic... He had only been here for an hour or two, and already four people had died directly or indirectly by his hand. The pace was too quick. He felt like he needed to slow down, but the life countdown was like a curse that wouldn''t let him stop. Not just the life countdown; he was certain that he was in the middle of a huge conspiracy, like those amnesiac secret agents in Hollywood movies, fighting against mysterious enemies and searching for his past without any leads. Looking at the body of the blond man on the ground, Chen Ke fell into contemplation. Was his predecessor like this man? How many people had I killed? Chen Ke didn''t feel any psychological pressure because those weren''t his deeds. Whatever the previous occupant of his body had done had nothing to do with him; he didn''t need to be responsible for someone else''s actions. Chen Ke''s every motive was driven solely by one thing: to strip the life countdown from his mind and become a normal person. He took some time to think carefully, combining the information he had in hand, trying to figure out the connection between the life countdown, Spiritual Energy, Transcendents, and this world. Firstly, Chen Ke knew he must belong to the same organization as the blond man; he was also one of the professional Assassins. Combining what the Black Person he first encountered had said, Chen Ke guessed that he and other Assassins were executing a mission tonight. Then, he died... stabbed by a Holy Relics dagger. Although he wasn''t clear about who had killed him, Chen Ke was certain that his death was part of the plan. Because the Black Person had said, "...we''re all acting according to the plan, and you, damn it, didn''t die according to the plan..." Hmm... Chen Ke intertwined his fingers, his thumbs rotating over one another, thoughts swirling in his mind. If his death was part of the plan, it meant something would be triggered after his death, allowing the mission to proceed. What would that be? Chen Ke didn''t continue his speculation because he lacked other clues to deduce what followed. But at least he was certain that his transmigration had caused some paradoxes to occur. It had triggered the scenarios envisioned in the original plan and also resurrected him. Now, the issue was the life countdown. From the beginning of Chen Ke''s experience here, the countdown had already existed. In other words, Chen Ke didn''t believe the countdown only started after his transmigration. He glanced at the blond man''s corpse and began to theorize¡ªdid that man have a life countdown too? He suddenly slapped his thigh as if an epiphany had struck him. That would explain it! Maybe, like himself, these Assassins were also bound by a life countdown, forced to obey the organization''s arrangements. Depending on the success rate of their missions to extend their life expectancy? Regardless of how the organization infused people with the shackles of life, in a world filled with Transcendent monsters, Spiritual Energy... all sorts of chaotic things, it didn''t seem entirely impossible. Perhaps only such a thing could ensure that a group of people with astonishing killing Skills would comply. However, after going in circles, Chen Ke began to question this deduction¡ªif the motive for Assassins to carry out missions, or rather the means by which the organization controlled the Assassins, came from the life countdown, then why would he, knowing that death was part of the plan, still go through with it without hesitation? It didn''t make sense. Thinking back to the taxi driver''s populating of the basic worldview, the Spiritual Power Industry was the hottest industry in this world, its products covering civilian and military purposes, and the products'' sources were very singular, all coming from "Spirit Explosion areas." He had escaped from exactly such a place. The national forces would deal with the sudden Spirit Explosions immediately, turning them into black boxes to provide hunting grounds for the Spiritual Power Industry. The industry itself nurtured and appointed investigators to explore, a very straightforward relationship. But this involved the distribution rights of "Holy Relics" and "Monster Corpses." From what was known, it seemed that "Holy Relics" were monopolized by national power, and the only things the Spiritual Power Industry could take from the black boxes were "Monster Corpses." Combining the true form of diamonds: melee weapons with various special effects, Chen Ke surmised that these items were, in a sense, "munitions" more powerful than "Spiritual Guns." Although Chen Ke didn''t think melee weapons could be more effective than firearms, extensive national collection and restrictions surely had some sound reasoning. But every industry has its grey areas; it''s a worldly norm. Wherever there are people, there will be colliding interests, and for interests, people can do anything. Rules are set to maintain superficial harmony, while exchanges and struggles for benefits are always dark, direct, and dirty. Chen Ke believed that many of the spiritual oligarchs must also have such Holy Relics. Although unclear about the purpose of stockpiling such things, he figured these consortia must have their plans. Chen Ke himself used Holy Relics by sacrificing life. So could Spiritual Energy investigators use these Holy Relics? Perhaps, the use of such Holy Relics indeed required the consumption of life, hence the national ban on their circulation? When he transmigrated, he had lost all Transcendent Skills, which meant his predecessor should also have been at the level of a D-class investigator. What were these Transcendent Skills supposed to be? Emitting electricity from fingertips? Making fireballs with bare hands? Yet Parker, apart from having a Spiritual Gun, didn''t seem to have any special abilities. He didn''t seem to have any Extraordinary Ability at all? Even a few dogs couldn''t cope with him, whereas he, a mere mortal without any transcendental powers, had managed to escape alive. This made it seem like professional training might be more useful than Spiritual Energy. Could it be that these large consortia were secretly nurturing Assassins like Chen Ke, infusing them with life countdowns, allowing them to use Holy Relics? But what''s the ultimate goal? There''s no motive without benefit. Using Holy Relics by consuming life to acquire more Holy Relics? So what was the use of these Holy Relics? Since the applications of the Spiritual Power Industry already covered the military, then why the need to collect Holy Relics? It made sense for the state to collect Holy Relics, but why would the big consortia also want to collect them? Chen Ke shook his head, the tide of his thoughts surging through various possible channels, finally crashing into the dam called "logic" and coming to a halt. It simply didn''t add up. The waters were much deeper than Chen Ke had imagined; it seemed that the only way to get answers was to personally visit that "Mr. Lan Mei." Chapter 9 - 009 Hunting B124 Chapter 9: Chapter 009 Hunting B124 Chen Ke stood up and approached the corpse of the blond man. The man''s blood had spilled everywhere after his artery was cut, flowing from the center of the hall to the door of the restroom; his body was now pale and cold to the touch. He had intended to change into the man''s clothes, but the blue tracksuit was already soaked in dark black blood, and Chen Ke didn''t have time to wash it, so he had to give up that idea. However, the triangular bag he carried was originally red, so the bloodstains weren''t too noticeable, meaning he could still use it. The bag allowed Chen Ke to carry more items and freed up his hands for other tasks, which was much more convenient than stuffing everything into his coat pockets. There was something else on the man''s body that caught Chen Ke''s eye¡ªa holster hanging at the waist. The left side of the holster could fit a full-size handgun, and the right side had three spare magazine pouches. This was very useful for Chen Ke; he could fit his commonly used 9mm handgun into the holster and cover them with his wool coat. Drawing the gun would be much quicker than fumbling for it in his pockets. Chen Ke began to search through the triangular bag and found at least three 9mm spare magazines, each loaded with 12 bullets¡ªperfect for his Glock, but the magazine model didn''t fit into the Glock''s handle, and the blond man''s FN509 had already been dismantled by Chen Ke. Looking at the gun parts in the pool of blood, Chen Ke shook his head, too lazy to reassemble the gun, and simply emptied all the bullets from the three magazines into his bag. Ironically, there was even a rolled-up body bag in the bag, suggesting that the organization''s plan had been meticulous. Chen Ke wasn''t sure if the organization had underestimated his skills or if the blonde man had been overconfident. Either way, the assassination had failed, and they were probably still waiting for a response now. There was also a phone in the bag, identical to the one Chen Ke carried¡ªneither could connect to the internet. He powered it on and scrolled through the call log and phonebook, comparing it with his own phone. He noticed that the blond man had never contacted "Mr. Lan Mei"; rather, there was significant one-sided contact with another number. "...2005.06.21 6:22 pm: B330, dismantle." "2006.09.01 9:13 am: C193, dismantle." "2007.01.16 8:45 pm: C426, dismantle." "2008.07.21 6:22 am: B503, dismantle." "2009.03.22 10:52 pm: B124, dismantle." As Chen Ke read through the repetitive messages, he fell into deep thought. Judging by the dates of the messages, this blond man must have been a veteran Assassin for the organization. Disturbingly, the latest message was sent just 20 minutes after Chen Ke had escaped from the building. From the content of the message, it seemed "B124" was likely his own code name within the organization. He also discovered that these assassination targets coded by the organization bore either a B or a C prefix. Chen Ke speculated that these prefixes might represent the Assassin''s class, although it could also simply be a categorization based on the type of mission. Continuing to browse through the man''s phone, Chen Ke found a recent brief exchange with another number: "Is the package at home?" "Yes, come in through the window." "I am downstairs now." "Red window." ... Chen Ke scoffed as he approached the woman''s body, where he spotted an iPhone fallen on the ground, naturally locked, but he decided against tampering with the phone. It was entirely possible that the organization was tracking and monitoring them through their phones. On a whim, he picked up the blond man''s phone, took out his own phone, and, checking the numbers, dialed "Mr. Lan Mei." "Beep...beep..." ... Pankia paced back and forth in front of the computer, his eyes never leaving the old corded phone on the desk. "The Executioner" had been dispatched; if the operation went smoothly, Slavin should be calling him by now. Slavin was Pankia''s confidant and the executor of "The Executioner Plan," specializing in handling unruly "guns." Slavin had never disappointed Pankia before, and this time should be no exception. A pleasant chord ringtone suddenly sounded, and the BlackBerry vibrated on the desktop. Pankia paused for 2 seconds, hastily grabbed the phone, but when he saw the unfamiliar number on the display, suspicion flooded his mind. It was impossible for a stranger to call this number! Other than his controlled Holy Relics Hunters, certain internal consortium operators, Slavin, and his grandfather, no one knew this number. The number segment was even on the carrier''s VIP list, so promotional calls couldn''t come through. Could it be grandfather? Hard to say, the old man had been growing increasingly irritable and impatient lately... A cold sweat trickled down Pankia''s forehead. He pressed the green answer button. "I am Pankia... who is this?" "So Mr. Lan Mei is named Pankia." Upon hearing that familiar voice, Pankia''s eyebrows twitched, and his eyes widened. "Lin Mo... you..." "B124 is still alive, you must be very disappointed." Pankia''s hand pressed down on the table, his veins bulging on his forehead. "Lin Mo... I don''t know what kind of game you''re playing, but if you think you can fool me!" He roared aggressively into the phone. "Oh oh... buddy, you sound very irritable, but I should be the angry one." "What do you want, huh? Money? Or something else?" "Countdown. How to turn off the countdown. That''s all I want to know." Pankia was taken aback for a moment, countdown? He racked his brain, trying to sift through the tons of black ops and dealings for any information about a "countdown." But no matter how much he recalled, he could not find even a hint of anything relevant. "Lin Mo, I don''t know what you''re talking about." "Mr. Lan Mei doesn''t know about the countdown? Weren''t you the one who personally stuffed this thing into our heads?" "No matter what you say, Lin Mo, you''re doomed, messing with me gains you nothing! Si''s consortium will use all its resources to hunt you down!" Pankia threatened, feeling the other was toying with something nonexistent. "Threatening me gains you nothing, Pankia, I''ll come for you, send someone more professional next time." "Lin..." "Beep..." The other party hung up the phone. "Shit! Shit! Fuck! Damn! Fuck!" Pankia roared in the room, hurling his Blackberry phone to the floor where the battery cover popped off with a snap and the phone rolled under the bed. He had just been mocked by an Asian assassin under his own command, Pankia was furiously unstoppable, wishing he could fly to Opportunity City himself and tear Lin Mo into pieces. Chord ringtone came from under the bed. Pankia sighed, bent down, and crawled under the bed to retrieve his Blackberry, it was Slavin calling. "Boss, the Hunter has withdrawn, no losses. We had a good haul," Slavin reported. Pankia breathed a sigh of relief, finally some good news, at least he could report back to the old man. "Slavin, B124 just called me, this means the assassin failed," Pankia said. "This is impossible... C095 is a seasoned assassin, besides it was an ambush..." Pankia crawled out from under the bed and sat back at the desk. News websites were still live broadcasting the latest developments of the sudden incident in the office buildings of Opportunity City. "Boss, we just lost B124''s signal, and C095''s too... he might have destroyed his phone," Slavin''s voice sounded a bit anxious. "I don''t know what B124 wants, but since he wants to play a cat and mouse game with us..." Pankia said coldly. "I''ll mobilize all assassins in Opportunity City to hunt down B124..." Slavin was quick to understand. "Don''t fail again..." Pankia said, hanging up the phone. Chapter 10 - 010: Spiritual Energy Murder Chapter 10: Chapter 010: Spiritual Energy Murder Diana Prince ducked under the yellow caution tape and saw an all-black office building emanating an eerie green halo. Under 30, she was fit with a firm stride, and her gaze was as sharp as a knife. Opportunity City''s County Police had surrounded the building, and several black vans from the Psionic Weapons And Tactics (PWAT) teams were parked on the side of the road, with the white letters "Psionic Weapons And Tactics" printed on the side of the vans. They had set up a temporary command center and, it seemed, had already sent people inside. "I''m Lieutenant Morgan," said a soldier wearing the characteristic black combat uniform of PWAT, his temples graying, his tone and expression all business, and a specially modified MP5 hanging at his waist. "CPA, Diana," Diana replied, flashing her own badge, which was embedded in a leather case with a striking dark yellow circular shield badge, below which was a row of letters that read "Central Psionic Authority." Diana glanced at her watch, 10:50 PM. "Alpha and Bravo teams have cleared the building, took only six minutes. We are currently trying to harmonize the frequency. The Spirit Explosion Effect occurred about half an hour ago; we arrived quite promptly," Morgan briefed Diana on the specifics. "I see ambulances, are there civilian casualties?" Diana asked, looking at the white ambulances in the distance. "I suggest you go in and see for yourself," Morgan replied. "Is the light seam still stable? I don''t want to be stuck in there for hours like last time," Diana asked, looking at the several light seams opened by the Spirit Explosion Device. "FPI people were in there first, along with the forensic team. The Spirit Explosion Space is very stable this time," Morgan pursed his lips, indicating for Diana to look toward another black SUV. That SUV''s door was emblazoned with the bold white letters "FPI"; Diana let out a long sigh, clearly aware that it was a vehicle of the Federal Psionic Investigation Bureau. Because the CPA and FPI both fell under the jurisdiction of the Administration Bureau, with partially overlapping departmental functions, there was occasional friction between the two. "Those guys are always lingering around," Diana muttered as she walked toward the light seam, tying her chestnut wavy hair into a ponytail. She unzipped her brown leather jacket and pulled out a uniquely shaped revolver, opened the cylinder to check the bullets. It was a modified Chiappa Rhino 60DS revolver, firing .357 Magnum bullets. "It''s safe inside now," Morgan called out, watching Diana''s retreating figure. "Occupational habit," Diana responded without looking back, leaping into the light seam. With a whoosh, Diana leaped through the light seam into a hall glowing with green light, immediately seeing the bodies of human-faced dogs scattered all over the floor, and about a dozen PWAT members dispersed around the hall, holding their guns at the ready. A human body lay near the hall''s service desk, outlined with white chalk, and the bloodstains on the ground had long dried. The forensics team was taking photos and collecting information. Diana counted the number of human-faced dog bodies on the ground, then glanced at the bullet holes in the nearby floor and columns, forming her own conclusions. "This guy was really unlucky; killed so many human-faced dogs but still couldn''t escape with his life," said a forensic investigator wearing glasses, pausing his work to talk to Diana. "Is there anything on him that could prove his identity?" Diana asked, examining the body closely. "There''s a wallet. He was a D-grade investigator from Weber Spirit Production, named Parker," the forensic investigator took out a clear evidence bag containing Parker''s wallet. "Where''s his gun?" Diana inquired. "I didn''t find it," the forensic expert replied. Diana frowned. Every time a spiritual gun fires, it sends a coordinate signal to the "gun management department" of the Administration Bureau. This signal isn''t electronic but a kind of spiritual energy band, stemming from the spiritual power infused by the investigator while channeling the weapon, which wouldn''t be shielded even in a Spirit Explosion Area. In fact, the reason why the Administration Bureau could dispatch PWAT so quickly to control the situation was exactly because Parker had fired the first shot. Someone must have taken that gun. "There were definitely two people here at the time because we collected two types of shell casings, one white with the Punishment attribute and the other a 9mm regular bullet casing," the forensic expert explained, pulling out another evidence bag full of casings. So, was Parker protecting another civilian at the time, and after Parker died, that civilian took Parker''s gun? Diana speculated secretly. A person without spiritual power couldn''t use a spiritual gun, so that civilian''s fate was likely far from good. "Did that civilian escape?" she asked. "It''s very likely they escaped, because we also didn''t find Parker''s gun on another body," the forensic expert answered. Diana''s eyebrows shot up. Another body? She had a feeling this case wasn''t simple. "What about the Holy Relics? With so many people-faced dogs dead here, there should have been some dropped, right?" Compared to Parker and the firearms, Diana was actually more concerned about the Holy Relics, since collecting all Holy Relics and archiving and preserving them is the Central Psionic Authority''s main function. "I don''t know, we didn''t see any Holy Relics diamonds when we came in. You should ask Bader from the FPI. He''s on the eighth floor conducting an investigation with another forensic team, maybe he can tell you something useful," the forensic expert shrugged. "Oh, Bader, who else could outrun him..." Diana sighed at the mention of the name. He was an officer of the FPI¡ªthey were always the first to arrive at the scene of a Spirit Explosion, beating the CPA to get the Holy Relics diamonds. In fact, the FPI also has the right to recover Holy Relics, but they do so under the guise of "seizing" and "guarding." Ascending elevators in Spirit Explosion Space is quite unwise, so Diana climbed the stairs through the security passage to the eighth floor. Four PWAT members were on guard in the hallway, and she arrived at a slightly more spacious office, where several forensic experts were investigating the body of a black man lying on the floor. A few steps away from the body, a tall black man in a dark suit leaned against a desk, toying with a diamond. That was Bader. Diana knocked on the door as she entered, drawing the attention of everyone inside. "Diana, I knew you''d come. But I didn''t expect you to be this late," Bader said with a smile. "I''m sure you had your fun without me, Bader. Tell me, how many Holy Relics did you gather tonight?" Diana replied irritably, knowing that the diamonds burst out by the dogs downstairs had surely been "seized" by him. "Oh, you''re wronging me this time. I''m afraid the situation is a bit complicated. Take a look at this." Bader spoke and with a flick of his wrist, the small diamond in his palm suddenly transformed into a dagger. "Holy Relics... where was this found?" Diana inquired. "In his throat," Bader said, glancing at the corpse on the floor with his eyes. The black man had his face chewed off by the people-faced dogs after death; it was a gruesome sight. "Murder? Is the killer a transcendent spiritual ability user?" A chill ran down Diana''s spine. Chapter 11 - 011: The Missing Sacrifice Chapter 11: Chapter 011: The Missing Sacrifice Transcendent Spiritual Ability Users and investigators were entirely different groups; they belonged to national forces, possessed more powerful spiritual abilities than investigators, knew more about the transcendent realm, and only Transcendent Spiritual Ability Users had the ability to use Holy Relics, while investigators could only use Spiritual Guns. "Forensics has checked over the body on the ground; it''s not a Transcendent Spiritual Ability User. Once we get back and check the fingerprints and DNA, we should know who it was," Bader said. "That doesn''t make sense, even if..." Diana said, hands on her hips, looking at the body on the ground with confusion. "Even if it''s an unlawful Transcendent Spiritual Ability User, they wouldn''t stoop to killing an ordinary person, let alone using a Holy Relic," Bader added. Bader was right¡ªbecoming an investigator or a Transcendent Spiritual Ability User was no easy feat for an ordinary person. One had to pass numerous exams and screenings to qualify for "Spiritual Energy infusion" and even after being evaluated, had to register with the Administration Bureau and be subject to strict controls. All Transcendent Spiritual Ability Users would be organized into PWAT, the Spiritual Ability Administration''s CPA or FPI departments. Some might even join parts of the state police systems as high-ranking officials, essentially becoming part of the federal police system or the army. Meanwhile, all investigators worked for various Spiritual Ability Enterprises either becoming Black Box Hunters or private Spiritual Guards. Considering career paths, personal prospects, and the degree of regulatory scrutiny, the possibilities and motivations for Transcendent Spiritual Ability Users and investigators to engage in unlawful activities were minimized. "Is this Black Person one of the civilians that fled? I saw a lot of 9mm standard pistol casings downstairs earlier," Diana expressed her doubts. "Can''t confirm that; at least we haven''t found any 9mm pistols here," Bader replied. "Right, take a look at this." With that, Bader tossed the dagger in his hand to Diana. The dagger spun through the air in an arc and, with a swoosh, turned into a small orange diamond, which Diana caught with her left hand. Focusing her spiritual energy, she turned it back into a dagger. She examined the exquisite dagger, inwardly marveled that it was an orange-level Holy Relic! Diana quickly pulled out a card-like camera device and pressed the button towards the dagger: [Blasphemous Dagger] [--Extracted] [--Extracted] [--Used] This was the Blasphemous Dagger?! She was startled; the Spirit Explosion Effect here had been caused deliberately! This dagger was an extremely dangerous Holy Relic that was generally not used as a weapon because it had a one-time effect. Namely, after performing a binding ritual, by stabbing a sacrifice''s heart, it created a Spirit Explosion Effect within a certain range and temporarily opened a door to the "Great Void" in the Spirit Explosion Space... "But... why are there no entries?" Diana looked at the display screen with some confusion. "I don''t know either. It''s my first time encountering something like this. You CPA manage a multitude of Holy Relics; have you never seen anything like this?" Bader shrugged. "Never. The production of Holy Relics and the principles behind their effects have always been a mystery. They can''t be replicated or repaired, let alone extraction of entries," Diana said incredulously. "The forensic team confirmed that the Black Person''s heart is still there; he isn''t the sacrifice. But the Spirit Explosion Effect absolutely occurred, and the dagger''s special effect was activated. The question is, we haven''t found the sacrifice... And why did an investigator from Weber Spirit Production arrive first at the scene? What''s the connection here? Hmm, if this Black Person was a fleeing civilian, then where''s the investigator''s gun..." Diana thought for a moment and said, "This doesn''t add up. We haven''t seen the body of the sacrifice, and we can''t even be sure if this body is really that of a fleeing civilian?" "I''m wondering how many people were here at the time..." Bader speculated. "Maybe that civilian, or someone else, took the Holy Relic left by the human-faced dog''s body and fled," Diana added. "I''m more concerned about the two missing handguns than the Holy Relic," Bader mused. The two fell silent for a while. Watching the forensic expert pack the corpse into a body bag, because the wound on the Black man''s throat was quite large, the head accidentally fell off while bagging it. "This is not just a simple case of a spontaneous Spirit Explosion any longer. It involves three homicides, one missing person, and the loss of a Spiritual Gun. I think this case should be under the jurisdiction of the FPI," Bader said. After all, as an FPI officer, he was responsible for investigating homicides related to transcendental supernatural phenomena and the whereabouts of each Spiritual Gun. "A bunch of Spiritual Power Relics have gone missing, Bader, and obviously, this is a man-made Spirit Explosion Space. Their intention couldn''t be clearer¡ªthey aim to enter the Great Void in search of more Holy Relics, and probably other strange items... This violates the Transcendent Contact Regulations and the Holy Relics Supervision Act, the CPA has the right to take over this case too," Diana retorted without yielding, since any case involving the Holy Relics and contact with the Great Void was indeed under the jurisdiction of the CPA. In fact, incidents involving the Spirit Explosion Space with casualties and missing Holy Relics never occurred in isolation, so it was inevitable that the CPA and the FPI would clash with each other. Diana and Bader both knew that all the clues in this case pointed to that missing sacrificial victim. Find him, or his body, and they would be able to clarify what had actually happened here. "So, how do you plan to start your investigation? Are you going to scare the CEO of Weber Spirit Production with your large-caliber revolver?" Bader mocked. "Beating around the bush isn''t my style, Bader. I prefer straight punches," Diana responded neutrally. "Then let''s see who''s faster, Magical Diana. I''ll use my brain, and you use your muscles¡ªfair competition," Bader said candidly. Diana snorted and turned to walk out the door. Watching Diana''s back, Bader squinted his eyes, seemingly contemplating some other scheme. ... At an abandoned factory in the Lower District of Opportunity City. 6:42 AM. A sharp Wide-blade Sword was thrust violently into the fontanelle of an aggressive stray dog, and a spray of thick red blood and white brain matter splashed onto the ground. Chen Ke stepped on the dog''s head and pulled the sword out, wiping it on the dog''s fur. With a "whoosh," the Wide-blade Sword disappeared from Chen Ke''s hand in a flash of white light, turning into a small white diamond. After leaving his hiding place, to get through this long night, Chen Ke traversed the abandoned factories scattered throughout Opportunity City. He had found some clothes to change into in the wardrobe of his hideout. He was currently dressed in a brown jacket and dark blue jeans with a white short-sleeved shirt underneath and wore dark green hiking shoes on his feet. He was also carrying an Assassin''s red triangular bag on his back. As the taxi driver had said, these abandoned factories had indeed become nesting grounds for many monsters. Speaking of monsters, they were actually just wild dogs and cats that had been demonized due to the influence of Spiritual Energy. They had undergone some changes in appearance and were unrecognizable from their original form; they were entirely black, with teeth protruding outward and claws that had become incredibly sharp. However, unlike the human-faced dogs he encountered in the building, after roaming through several abandoned factories and killing hundreds of demonized cats and dogs, Chen Ke found that these creatures did not leave behind Holy Relic diamonds upon their death. Moreover, these monsters did not have means to attack human sanity; the only danger they posed was their teeth and claws. This could be very fatal to ordinary people, but the impact on Chen Ke was not significant. Chen Ke did not use Parker''s Spiritual Ability Pistol, instead summoning the executioner''s bloodletting short sword using his lifespan. His primary consideration was that the bullets were running low, and he wanted to save them for a critical moment. Also, during midnight, the noise produced by firearms was simply too loud, and Chen Ke did not want to attract unnecessary trouble. But in the heat of battle, he increasingly realized how great the advantage of Holy Relics was in fighting these kinds of monsters. For instance, this executioner''s bloodletting short sword, upon striking a wild dog, would create a wound that continually bled. Many of the wild dogs were not killed by Chen Ke''s blade but bled to death after being stabbed once. Chen Ke could hardly describe the sharpness of this sword; he hardly needed to exert much effort when piercing the flesh and bones of the wild dogs. The only potential drawback of Holy Relics was probably just the necessity of fighting at close quarters. In addition to a deeper understanding of Holy Relics, he also realized that he didn''t need to eat or sleep, as if he were an everlasting machine never ceasing to run. After a night of intense fighting, Chen Ke barely maintained a balance in his lifespan. The deep blue sky started to lighten, the slumbering city was awakening, and Chen Ke left the abandoned factory, leaving behind a ground littered with wild dog corpses. Chapter 12 - 012: Killing Intent Trigger Chapter 12: Chapter 012: Killing Intent Trigger Lower District, Six-Shooter Gun Store. The gun store had just opened when the first customer of the day arrived. The plump owner leaned his hands on the glass showcase, eyeing the customer with a vigilant gaze. Chen Ke didn''t understand why the gun store owner was so wary of him, but he didn''t sense any killing intent, so he didn''t take it to heart. Chen Ke picked up two boxes of bullets off the shelf while pondering his troubles. He hadn''t destroyed the mobile phone on him. Although he knew Pankia could track him with the device, even the most sophisticated technology couldn''t track a device that wasn''t powered on. For Chen Ke, the mobile phone was more like a summoning button. When needed, he could call upon the organization''s assassins at any time, so it was always useful to keep it. Although Chen Ke could battle on relentlessly without sleep or rest, it wasn''t what he wanted. Combat was only to prolong life; his goal was to find Pankia. Si''s consortium was the only breakthrough. However, the five-hour lifespan severely limited his range of activities. On his way to the gun store, he passed by an internet cafe? and spent 2 union coins to search for the information he needed. Information like the Spiritual Ability Administration, investigators, the Spiritual Power Industry, and he learned that above investigators, there were Transcendent Spiritual Ability Users who were under the Administration Bureau''s control. Most importantly, he also learned about Si''s consortium, a rather large corporation with branches all over the Federation. Opportunity City''s Upper City had one of their skyscrapers. But just knowing this couldn''t help him find Pankia. Chen Ke didn''t even know what he looked like... With no immediate plan, Chen Ke decided to deal with the current problem. He had over thirty 9mm bullets at hand, but he didn''t have enough .45 ACP bullets. Considering combat efficiency and safety, he still preferred to solve problems with guns. He picked up two boxes of white-boxed .45 COLT bullets and walked to the counter to pay. "Let me see your gun," the owner smiled. "Is that necessary?" Chen Ke asked warily. "I just want you to have the best shooting experience at the range. You know, even bullets of the same caliber differ between models. Good guns are picky about their bullets," the owner explained amicably. Chen Ke thought about it and realized there was some sense to it. Moreover, he didn''t know if Parker''s M1911A1 could fire standard bullets, so he took the gun from his bag and placed it on the glass showcase. "Take a look at this one and see what bullets suit it best," Chen Ke said with a smile. This gun was intended for hunting monsters, and to avoid accidental discharges while in the bag, he hadn''t loaded the magazine. "Oh... this gun... is something else..." The owner''s smile froze as he eyed the M1911A1 on the glass showcase, and his expression changed. "If you don''t have the right bullets for it, I''ll just..." Noticing the owner''s peculiar behavior, Chen Ke attempted to retrieve the gun and leave. The owner abruptly pressed down on Chen Ke''s hand that was reaching for the gun and smiled, "I don''t know how you got this gun, but it definitely doesn''t belong to you." Thinking of stealing my gun? "No one would buy standard bullets for a Spiritual Gun. Whose unlucky gun did you steal?" the owner narrowed his eyes. "I don''t want to buy bullets here anymore." Chen Ke''s smile faded, and he spoke seriously, attempting to pull the gun away, but the owner didn''t let go. The gun store owner pulled out a Colt revolver from under the counter and pressed it against Chen Ke''s head. "If I were you, I would calmly put down the gun, and then quietly leave. Forget about this gun." So the owner thought he was a thief and wanted a double-cross. Chen Ke didn''t feel any killing intent. The owner was just trying to scare him, which suggested that Spiritual Guns weren''t common goods, or else a gun store owner wouldn''t act this way. "What about your mother?" Chen Ke laughed and slid a flick knife out of his left sleeve. It was the same one used by the blond man, and of course, he had already wiped the blood from it. Chen Ke''s movement was so quick that the moment the blade slightly cut into the owner''s thick neck, the gun store owner realized what was happening, and Chen Ke saw a flash of surprise and fear in his eyes. "You don''t even have the guts to pull the trigger. What a coward," Chen Ke taunted. Even now, he couldn''t feel any killing intent from the owner. The store owner didn''t dare to fire the gun. Guns are indeed magical; even the weakest person believes they possess power by simply holding one. Yet, the weak will always be weak. At that moment, two burly black bodyguards burst out from the red door behind the counter. They drew their pistols and aimed at Chen Ke. They too lacked any killing intent. "Young man, what''s your background?" the store owner''s tone changed, with less aggression and more awe and fear. "It''s none of your fucking business, give me a few boxes of bullets that work with this gun," Chen Ke took advantage of the situation. Although the gun was in the owner''s hands, he seemed more nervous, while Chen Ke, the target of three guns, was as steady as an old dog. "Do you really not know? It''s impossible to buy spiritual bullets on the market; only the Administration Bureau can make them," the owner explained. "Spiritual bullets...?" Chen Ke''s thoughts flickered. Those white casings without primer indeed had a significant origin. If the gun shop owner wasn''t lying, it meant that the spiritual gun was as good as scrap metal to him, as Chen Ke had no way of restocking ammunition. Seeing Chen Ke lost in thought, the owner slowly started to move his neck backwards. "Hey, Asian Man, put away your kitchen knife, or I''ll blow your dog head off," one of the black bodyguards threatened. Chen Ke glanced at him and felt a surge of killing intent rising from within, flowing invisibly into the black man''s body at his will. "Huff, huff..." The bodyguard''s breathing suddenly became rapid, his sausage-like fat lips trembling unnaturally. Unconsciously, he took a step back, stumbled, and "thump," sat down on the ground. This killing aura was mysteriously familiar. Chen Ke suddenly realized it was the killing intent he had absorbed. He hadn''t expected it could be drawn out and infused into someone else. From the effect just now, it seemed to have a powerful deterrent effect! But Chen Ke also realized that this killing aura was quantifiable, as following his use of it, a new counter appeared below the life countdown timer at the corner of his eye. "Killing Aura: 30/50" The killing aura had a limit as well? It had exactly a 1 to 10 ratio with the limit of his lifespan. Chen Ke decided then and there to call this ability "Killing Aura Trigger." Now he had the Killing Aura Vacuum to extend his life, the Killing Aura Radar to seek enemies, and the Killing Aura Trigger for control. Who knows what other strange abilities might emerge later. The sudden behavior of the black bodyguard surprised both the owner and the other bodyguard. Sitting on the ground, still gasping for air and his pistol dropped, it took him several attempts to barely stand up. In his eyes, Chen Ke saw a fear of death and submission to absolute power. Chen Ke was very satisfied with the deterrent effect. Although he still didn''t know if the Killing Aura Trigger would affect monsters, it would at least create a deadly gap for an assassin of equal strength to him. He could also use it to avoid many disputes and unnecessary conflicts. The only downside was the consumption of the killing aura. Handling a regular person had used up 20 points of killing aura. Without continuously absorbing killing intent, he could only use it twice in one go. What if the opponent was tougher? Would it use more? This would only be answered later. "Take your gun and get out; you''re not welcome here," the store owner realized Chen Ke was a tough character, so he gave up on the idea of a black gun and put down the revolver. Chen Ke pocketed his butterfly knife, slid it into his sleeve, and picked up the gun, ready to leave. That''s when a voice came from the red door. "Young man, I want to talk to you." Chapter 13 - 013 [Spiritual Energy Subplot: The Guardian Deity of the Poor] Chapter 13: Chapter 013 [Spiritual Energy Subplot: The Guardian Deity of the Poor] Chen Ke looked up and gazed into the depths of Red Door, from where an energetic old man emerged from the pitch-dark corridor. He was probably a head taller than Chen Ke, robust, dressed in a blue polo shirt and gray suit pants, wearing a pair of amber glasses. His forearms were hairy, and he sported a full beard, resembling Pierce Brosnan closely. The old man waved his hand, signaling everyone to put down their guns, then approached the counter and extended his right hand cordially towards Chen Ke. "My name is Pihom, the owner of the gun shop. Your actions just now made a deep impression on me and reminded me of my younger days. The conflict earlier wasn''t aimed at you, and to apologize, I''d like to offer you 100 bullets. If you don''t mind, I would also like to take a few minutes to talk with you," Pihom said, smiling. Chen Ke looked up at the ceiling of the shop, noticing a camera in one corner aimed directly at him. "I''m quite busy." Chen Ke certainly didn''t have time to have a long talk with an old man who ran a gun shop, and he turned to walk towards the door. "If we get along well, I might even give you a gun," Pihom called from behind. Chen Ke ignored him and continued walking past the shelves towards the main door. "I would like to kindly remind you that the M1911A1 is no ordinary gun. Regardless of how you acquired it, I suggest you get rid of it soon," Pihom continued. Chen Ke pulled open the door. "Those wild dogs infected by Spiritual Energy only appear at night; you won''t find them during the day," Pihom still didn''t give up. Chen Ke stopped in his tracks, the morning sunlight shining on his slightly pale skin but offering no warmth. He turned back, closed the door, and pulled out a Glock 17 from his coat, unlocking the safety and pointing it towards Pihom. Two Black bodyguards and the fat owner next to the counter raised their guns again pointing at Chen Ke. This time, he distinctly felt their killing intent, the notifications not only counting three added minutes of life per second but also absorbing one point of killing intent per second, the total now reading 40/50. The tension escalated again. "Are you spying on me?" Chen Ke asked. Thoughts raced through Chen Ke''s mind¡ªcould Pihom be from Si''s consortium? Had they seen him use the Holy Relics? Chen Ke was not a registered Spiritual Ability User; who knew what consequences might ensue if the Administration Bureau got involved. "My men told me this morning that a lunatic appeared in the Lower District last night, sweeping through every deserted factory he could find, leaving nothing but corpses," Pihom replied. "While those wild dogs aren''t hard to handle, they''re still a significant nuisance for ordinary people. I admire your courage and...skill, given you''re a normal person who can''t even use a Spiritual Ability Pistol. So, I''d like to have a chat," Pihom continued, noticing Chen Ke''s apprehension. From what Pihom had said, it was clear he didn''t know Chen Ke could use the Holy Relics. After all, the fights last night in the factories were brief, and Chen Ke had left quickly without any delay, so those spying might not have witnessed his combat style. Pihom, clearly no small figure, might even be a big shot in the Lower District. Seeing Chen Ke was still skeptical, Pihom spoke, "Listen, kid, this is my territory, and nothing happens here without my knowledge, but I assure you I mean you no harm. So, it''s best we both fucking put down our guns and talk like civilized people. Having this thing pointed at one''s head is extremely infuriating." Chen Ke thought for a moment, then lowered his gun. The other three also put down their guns, easing the atmosphere slightly. "Make it brief," Chen Ke said. "You like to pick on those monsters, and I can tell you where to kill more of them. So why don''t we establish a long-term cooperation?" Pihom said with a smile. If Pihom really knew where to kill more monsters, cooperating with him wasn''t such a bad idea. It was certainly better than running around like a headless fly as he was doing now¡ªmore monsters meant a more stable source of killing intent. But he still wasn''t clear about who exactly Pihom was, so it was best to be cautious. "I generally don''t work with strangers. You need to tell me more about yourself," Chen Ke said. Pihom placed his hands on the glass counter, his eyes as sharp as an eagle''s. He looked at Chen Ke and slowly said, "Once you know my secret, you will only have two choices¡ªeither join me or become an unnamed corpse in the back alley. So before you trust me enough, and before I''m sure of your strength to join me, why don''t we maintain our cooperative relationship with this simple task?" Chen Ke thought it made sense and replied, "Alright, let''s hear it." Pihom looked at Chen Ke appreciatively. He hadn''t seen such a bold young man in a long time, so he proceeded to explain the specifics of the task. It turned out that in the Lower District, there was a noodle house called "Good Wheat House." A few months ago, it had been troubled by a group of suspicious people. Since the owner had paid Pihom for protection, he naturally turned to Pihom for help. Pihom thought it was just a small-time thug causing trouble, so he sent people to handle it, but the people he sent never came back. Since that day, the owner had never contacted Pihom again. Pihom had driven past the noodle house and noticed that the business was booming, even better than before. However, when he made eye contact with the owner standing at the door, the noodle house owner deliberately avoided his gaze. With over 60 years of life experience, Pihom knew that the situation couldn''t be so simple. "The whole thing sounds like a gang fight, where another gang is eyeing your turf, and that noodle house is just the beginning," Chen Ke sighed, having little interest in gang conflicts. "No, no, it''s not that simple. Take a look at this photo. It was taken by one of my informants I had placed in the noodle house, it was late at night," Pihom said, pulling out his slide phone and showing Chen Ke a photo. Chen Ke stepped forward, took the phone, and looked carefully. Although the resolution was low, the photographer was only two streets away from the noodle house, and he had forgotten to turn off the flash, so the image was fairly clear. Chen Ke saw several gaunt, eerie figures in front of the noodle house. "They don''t look human," Chen Ke concluded. Their limbs were too thin, seemingly without flesh, just bone. And it looked like they had just come out of the noodle house. If they really were monsters, that would be thrilling. "I need more information," Chen Ke handed the phone back to Pihom. "I would like more too, but the subordinate who took this photo is dead. After we picked up his phone, we found this photo," Pihom said as he pressed a button to bring up another picture. "Damn, no matter how many times I see it, it still scares me," he muttered quietly, handing the phone back to Chen Ke. If the first photo was eerie, then this one was downright horrifying. The screen was a bleak gray, with a small black hole in the top left and bottom right corners. The photo was seriously blurred, possibly due to shaking hands. Chen Ke carefully examined the phone, looking at different angles, trying to discern what exactly the photo depicted. Pihom gestured for him to hold the phone farther away. After doing so, Chen Ke suddenly realized something, and a chill ran down his spine. Chapter 14 - 014: Spiritual Bullet Chapter 14: Chapter 014: Spiritual Bullet That was the face of those emaciated creatures! The two small holes were actually eyes! The cheeks were sunken in due to extreme emaciation. The situation was clear now. One of Pihom''s subordinates had first taken a photograph of the group of creatures as they came out of the noodle shop, then sent it to Pihom. The flash had attracted the creatures'' attention, and the subordinate had clearly been attacked. In his panic, he had snapped a picture of the monster''s face as it rapidly approached him. For some reason, Pihom had not sought help from the Spiritual Ability Enterprise or the Administration Bureau, nor had the noodle shop owner. Perhaps they had their own concerns, which made Chen Ke all the more wary of Pihom. "The remuneration is 5,000 union coins. Once you''ve dealt with this, I''ll pay you in cash," said Pihom. "Besides, I can tell you''re running low on weaponry and ammunition. As an investment in you, I''m willing to provide weapons and ammo." 5,000 union coins? That little? Damn, I help you kill monsters and you give me this pittance? Chen Ke hesitated for a moment. Judging by Pihom''s style and demeanor, he had expected him to be generous¡ªat the very least ten or eighty thousand, right? Of course, Chen Ke was still not clear on the cost of living in this world. By comparison, 5,000 RMB in 2018 was just a month''s salary for him. After deducting social insurance, housing provident fund, and mortgage payments, he would only have about 1,100 left in hand, which barely covered a month''s commuting and food expenses, let alone the extent of his budget stretching. In this world, however, the year is still 2009. A taxi costs only 7 union coins for 12 kilometers, and an internet cafe is just 2 union coins for two hours. He had just seen a Glock 17 on the shelf priced at only 510 union coins. 5,000 union coins wouldn''t be considered a huge sum, but it wasn''t insignificant either. Of course, the union coins should really be pegged to the US Dollar. After some thought, Chen Ke felt that the remuneration wasn''t low; it was just that he had an unrealistic expectation for what "demon hunters" should get paid. Moreover, Pihom was offering free guns and ammunition, which was quite generous. "Do you have the guts to take on this job? Make up your mind quickly!" Pihom knocked on the glass counter. "They''re as good as dead," Chen Ke accepted the job. With his resources depleted and no leads, there was no reason to refuse Pihom''s offer. Moreover, based on his experience using Holy Relics to kill dogs the night before, Chen Ke believed he had a good chance of taking down these creatures. Having reached an understanding, Chen Ke and Pihom shook hands symbolically, each feeling the calluses on the other''s palms. They knew that both were skilled with guns, and Pihom looked at Chen Ke with a newfound respect. Pihom accompanied Chen Ke around the gun shop, letting him pick out a suitable companion. As Chen Ke''s gaze lingered on a row of automatic rifles on the sidewall, Pihom shook his head. "I can tell you don''t have a clue about spiritual power weapons, and I won''t inquire how you got that gun, but first, I need to tell you some basics," said Pihom. He turned and pulled out a drawer from a cabinet filled with bullets. Inside were neatly arranged brown boxes of bullets with imprints indicating they were .357 Magnum rounds. Pihom took out a box and extracted a single bullet to explain in detail to Chen Ke. The bullets for spiritual ability pistols are specially made spiritual ammo by the Administration Bureau; neither guns nor bullets would circulate in the civilian market, exclusive to the Spiritual Ability Administration and Spiritual Power Industry companies. Modified spiritual guns had no firing pins. They operated on a mechanism called a "spiritual ejector," which could channel the investigator''s infused spiritual energy into the bullets, launching them like a rubber band. The reason spiritual ammo was so deadly to monsters was that these bullets came with six types and eighteen attributes. The most common type was elemental, namely Ice, Flame, and Lightning bullets. Only these three types of bullets could be replicated by civilians through various ingenious methods. The .357 Magnum bullet in Pihom''s hand was a homemade Flame attribute spiritual bullet. The bullet Parker used was the most expensive and rare Punishment bullet with the Discipline attribute! Such bullets were not used by anyone other than investigators or special agents of the Administration Bureau. Chen Ke remembered the white flash that erupted when the bullet was fired and the devastating power it had to disintegrate a human-faced dog''s body, and he couldn''t help but sigh inwardly. "Spiritual guns are under strict control, every time one is fired, it''s like sending a location signal to the Administration Bureau and the company that owns the gun, and there''s no way to bypass this anti-theft mechanism. You haven''t used that gun, have you?" Pihom stroked his beard as he looked at Chen Ke and asked. "Do I look like an investigator to you?" Chen Ke retorted. Pihom laughed, patted Chen Ke on the shoulder, and led him to a display case filled with revolvers. He took a large-caliber revolver with a black barrel and brown grip from the display case and handed it to Chen Ke, exclaiming, "Colt Python. Paired with the .357 Flame Magnum, it''s a goddamn nightmare for all freaks. I recommend you take this gun. Its large-caliber bullets have great stopping power, and the burning effect ensures that half-dead bastards have no chance of survival." Chen Ke held the gun in his hand; it was heavy but felt just right. This was a brand new Colt Python revolver with gun oil still glistening on its barrel and cylinder, which also featured Picatinny rails on top of the cylinder and beneath the barrel for mounting various tactical attachments. It was obvious that Pihom was a gun lover, even though Chen Ke figured running a gun store was just Pihom''s side gig. Chen Ke took Pihom''s advice, loaded at least six boxes of Flame Magnum, and slipped the Colt Python into his holster, replacing the Glock 17 he had been carrying until then. When Pihom saw Chen Ke''s 9mm bullets scattered inside the bag, he shook his head repeatedly, "You treat these treasures far too roughly." Pihom had his Black People security guard take five brand new Glock 17 magazines from the handgun counter for Chen Ke, and also gave him two boxes of Flame 9mm bullets. Chen Ke glanced at the various automatic rifles and shotguns hanging on the wall but quickly dismissed the idea. Though more powerful, he couldn''t carry those weapons around. After all, this was a well-ordered modern society, not a medieval fantasy world where one could swagger through the streets with a greatsword and armor. He had considered sawed-off shotguns, like the Super Shorty, but given his likely fighting style of a gun in his left hand and a sword in his right, automatic pistols and revolvers were more suitable for him. Ready to go, Chen Ke left the gun shop and headed towards "Good Wheat Noodle House." Watching Chen Ke''s departing figure, the gun store owner looked at Pihom quizzically and asked, "BOSS, aren''t you trusting him a little too much? What if he just takes the gun and runs off?" Pihom chuckled, pulled out a newspaper from under the counter, with the headline reading "Big Trouble in Opportunity City: Black Box Conversion at Building on Route 429!" Below the headline was a smaller print: "1 civilian and 1 investigator confirmed dead; spiritual gun missing, Administration Bureau investigating!" "You think this kid did it? He dare kill an investigator?" the gun store owner asked. "If he really has the guts, I wouldn''t mind bringing him into our little group. You know, we need fresh blood right now," Pihom replied. "What if it wasn''t him?" a Black People security guard suddenly asked. Pihom glanced at the Black People man, who quickly lowered his head. "It''s too much of a coincidence, Opportunity City isn''t that small a place, and it''s hard to randomly meet someone carrying a Spiritual Ability Pistol and not knowing what bullets to buy. Right, Hall?" Pihom remarked, turning to look at the Red Door. A man in his thirties with deep chestnut-colored hair and a face marred by a large scar stood at the doorway, his gaze chilling. "I don''t know; if the kid isn''t a coward and settles the noodle house matter, I''ll have a talk with him," Hall spoke, "But for now, Pi, let''s get back to our previous topic. Si''s consortium got their hands on some good stuff last night..." "Don''t rush, when they come back, we''ll settle everything..." Pihom lit a cigarette and turned to walk into the Red Door with Hall. Chapter 15 - 015 Deviation Chapter 15: Chapter 015 Deviation ``` 7:40 a.m. Life Countdown: 4 hours, 12 minutes. A green taxi carried Chen Ke down Opportunity City''s First Avenue, and even by cab, it took 20 minutes from Pihom''s gun store to Hao Maiwu Noodle House. The driver was a somewhat overweight, middle-aged white woman who wasn''t as talkative as the guy from last night and just drove in silence. Chen Ke sat in the back seat, using the time to push the 9mm Flame Bullets one by one into the empty magazines. The bottom of these empty magazines had plastic quick-release holsters, convenient for shooters to quickly pull the magazine out of the holster in the dark, and also to know if they were holding it upside down. Chen Ke was very much looking forward to the effects of the Flame Bullets. If they were as useful as Pihom claimed, he could save his lifespan for using the Holy Relics at critical moments. The female driver''s eyes kept darting to the rearview mirror, her expression somewhat tense. The car passed the office building from last night, and to Chen Ke''s surprise, the Administration Bureau worked so efficiently that the entire building had been surrounded by temporary walls overnight, taking up one of the four lanes of the road. The lower part of the office building up to the third floor was now wrapped in a black exterior wall, the material of which looked similar to carbon fiber, but Chen Ke was sure it was definitely hard. Once this black exterior covered all the stairs, would this place become what was called "Black Box Space"? On the black walls, Chen Ke saw a line of bold white letters: Rank D. Thinking of Parker''s investigator level, Chen Ke guessed this indicated the strength of the Black Box Space. It seemed Parker had also operated outside the rules last night, entering the building first... while the Administration Bureau was still turning the Spirit Explosion Space into a Black Box. Wait! Something unsettling suddenly flashed through Chen Ke''s mind. Why was Parker able to enter the office building around 10 p.m., right when the Spirit Explosion Effect occurred? He absolutely didn''t buy into the "just passing by after work" coincidence. It was very possible that Parker was waiting in the building from the start for the Spirit Explosion Effect to take place. The situation had not been simple from the beginning. Chen Ke couldn''t help but wonder, how many people were in that building that night? What exactly were Pankia and Si''s consortium brewing? How mysterious was Parker''s background? Chen Ke pocketed the magazine and tucked the Glock 17 behind his waist. He took a deep breath and pulled himself out of the vortex of conspiracy. These matters had nothing to do with him. He only cared about the life countdown in his head. Find Pankia, remove the countdown¡ªthat was his sole purpose. The car stopped on 32nd Avenue, and right across the street was Hao Maiwu Noodle House, a distinctly Huaxia-style one-story building situated on the corner. With its red roof and simple sign featuring an oil painting of a porcelain bowl and noodles, the three traditional Chinese characters for "Hao Maiwu" beside the noodles, ah, the feeling of home. Chen Ke paid the fare and got out, having spent 12 union coins. He paused at the street corner, surveying the surrounding buildings, mainly apartment blocks. At just past seven in the morning, the nearby shops were still closed, and a grubby three-story department store was the most conspicuous landmark in the area. A police car whizzed by, and Chen Ke involuntarily thought of the two bodies hidden at his hideout. He wondered if the blond man and the mixed-race woman had been discovered by neighbors, and if someone had reported it by now. Crossing the street to the noodle house, Chen Ke pushed open the glass door, and a warm blast of air hit his face, smelling much like the internet cafe he often frequented in middle school. The noodle house was packed. Some diners were slurping noodles voraciously, others were waiting for their meals, customers stood around the pickup counter in groups of three or two, all silent and orderly. There weren''t many staff members. An Asian middle-aged man with square-framed glasses leaned against a corner of the wall, and two women in aprons were busily serving noodles. The kitchen was surely bustling. Chen Ke looked around curiously, observing the noodles being eaten by the diners. They were served in particularly large porcelain bowls, with clear broth noodles that looked very light and bland, almost the color of clear water, not very appetizing at all. He then turned his attention to the diners. They dressed plainly, with somewhat dirty clothes. Both men and women had listless expressions devoid of vitality, with dull skin and unkempt hair, like homeless wanderers or unemployed workers who couldn''t secure a steady income. But it wasn''t just that, Chen Ke noticed varying degrees of disfigurement among them. A guy sitting by the window had eyes a size larger than the average person''s, as if his eyeballs were about to protrude. A middle-aged woman waiting at the pickup counter had severely knock-kneed O-shaped legs. A man standing diagonally opposite to Chen Ke, waiting for a seat, had a belly that surpassed the term ''beer belly,'' and even his cheeks were slightly puffed up. At a glance, all these diners had such issues, differing only in severity. He''d order a bowl of noodles. Chen Ke walked up to the counter and glanced at the menu. He found that the noodle house actually had a variety of dishes, with appetizing pictures, but why were all the diners eating clear broth noodles? "Hey buddy, are you from the Fei Huang Republic too?" As Chen Ke was perusing the menu, the middle-aged man with square-framed glasses came up to him out of the blue to start a conversation. "Huh?" Chen Ke was taken aback. "Hmm? Not from Fei Huang People? From Shengyang?" The man with square-framed glasses also seemed surprised, then asked. Chen Ke caught on, realizing that Fei Huang Republic and Shengyang were the names of countries. ``` "Pankia''s," he replied in Chinese. The man with the square-framed glasses looked delighted and laughed, "Fellow countryman, fellow countryman. How long have you been here? Haven''t seen you around before?" "Only a few hours," Chen Ke said. "Your business seems to be doing well." The man with glasses smiled, adjusted his spectacles, and, upon looking up, leaned in close to Chen Ke with an indescribably eerie expression and whispered, "Do you smell something foul?" Chen Ke was momentarily puzzled¡ªwhat did he mean? He actually sniffed subconsciously, finding nothing beyond the slight stuffiness of a poorly ventilated room that was a bit turbid, but there was no disgusting odor that would make one feel sick. On the other hand, he also didn''t detect any scent of noodles. After all, if it was just water-boiled, there wouldn''t be any aroma, right? "I don''t smell anything," Chen Ke answered truthfully. The man with glasses sighed, disappointingly showing a downcast expression, and shook his head, "Here to have noodles as well, I suppose?" "Do you only serve water-boiled noodles here?" Chen Ke retorted. The man with glasses glared at Chen Ke and, no longer paying him any attention, went back to fiddling with his phone behind the counter. Although Chen Ke did not understand why the man''s attitude had shifted so drastically, he was certain something was off about this place. "I''ll have the beef stew noodles," Chen Ke told the waitress. "Only water noodles. Take it or leave it," the waitress retorted sharply. "Fine... give me a bowl then!" Chen Ke hadn''t expected the restaurant to be this lousy. He took out a few union coins and placed them on the counter. The menu did not list water noodles, so Chen Ke wasn''t sure how much to pay, but considering the beef stew noodles were four union coins, the water noodles couldn''t be too expensive. "What are you doing?" the waitress asked, puzzled by the paper money on the counter. "What do you mean ''what am I doing''? Don''t you have to pay for noodles?" Chen Ke countered. The waitress looked at him in surprise, leaving him utterly confused. He suddenly felt an odd atmosphere and, turning around, saw that several diners in the restaurant were also staring at him with baffling looks. What was going on? Chen Ke could only awkwardly take back the union coins, and, tapping on the counter, urged, "Hurry up." With the bowl in hand, he found a spot against the wall to sit down. The guy opposite him had just finished eating and was standing up to leave when he suddenly sneezed, spraying chewed bits of noodles and saliva all over the table¡ªquite disgusting. Chen Ke frowned, picked up his bowl, and moved to another spot, then cracked open a pair of disposable chopsticks and stirred the noodles. The noodles were indeed chewy, but they appeared to be exceptionally bland. Chen Ke lifted a few strands close to his nose and sniffed; apart from a faint scent of flour, there was not a hint of any other aroma. He hadn''t eaten anything since arriving in this world¡ªmight as well give it a try! Chen Ke picked up a chopstick-full of noodles and slurped them into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed. It wasn''t tasty at all, just a mouthful of the flour taste, even worse than the "Unity" brand Old Tank Suancai instant noodles. At that moment, a line of small text suddenly appeared in the corner of Chen Ke''s eye: "-10 minutes of life to resist mutation curses." He furrowed his brows, realizing something was poisoned in the noodles! Recalling the photo Pihom had shown him of the monsters, it would not be a surprise if the noodle house''s patrons were victims. Chen Ke stood up abruptly, his anger surging as he approached the man with glasses. "What''s...?" As the man with glasses watched Chen Ke approaching, he slowly put down his phone, looking somewhat panicked. "Do you mind stepping outside for a talk?" Chen Ke grabbed the man''s left wrist and said coldly. "Are you from the Administration Bureau?" the man with glasses asked, his eyes lighting up, seemingly relieved at the prospect. "You''ll find out once we''re outside," Chen Ke said, gripping the man and moving towards the exit. It was then that he suddenly felt waves of killing intent frantically rushing at his back. "+1 minute" "+1 minute" "+1 minute" "Killing intent: 50/50" ... He turned around to see all the diners in the restaurant staring at him, each of them silhouetted with a red outline... Chapter 16 - 016: Li Bo鈥檚 Troubles Chapter 16: Chapter 016: Li Bo''s Troubles What''s with these diners? Each of them looked at Chen Ke with furious eyes, as if they harbored a personal vendetta akin to the murder of their fathers. Not minding the gazes, Chen Ke grabbed the boss and headed toward the door. A white strongman rose from his seat, standing in the aisle between the tables, blocking Chen Ke and the entrance. The white man stood nearly 2 meters tall, his eyes bulging out like those of a toad, and he suffered from a severe skin condition, with noodles and saliva hanging from the corners of his mouth. His white tracksuit had yellowed from a lack of washing, and he exuded a fishy stench. "Excuse me," Chen Ke said unapologetically. "Umph grumph... oh..." the man muttered indistinctly, with noodle remnants dribbling on his clothing¡ªutterly disgusting. Chen Ke didn''t want to resort to violence. After all, everyone in the noodle house was a civilian, and killing was the worst possible course of action. Not wanting to physically engage or even make a move but still drive this strange man away was what Chen Ke desired. It was a good opportunity to test the effect of the killing intent trigger. A surge of killing intent rose within Chen Ke, and a faint red stream, visible only to Chen Ke, whirled towards the man. This stream was the physical manifestation of killing intent, encircling the man''s head and then tightening like a noose upon his forehead, seeping into his skin. "Killing Intent: 45/50" In an instant, the man shuddered unnaturally, his legs gave in, and he collapsed into the seat beside him. Previously, at Pihom''s gun store, Chen Ke had used 20 points of killing intent to intimidate the black bodyguard. It seemed that the consumption increased with the target''s resistance. The more ruthless the person, the harder they were to scare, and the greater the threat they posed to oneself, the more life and killing intent they provided. "Why don''t you accept charity and just leave quietly?" At that moment, a female diner spoke to Chen Ke. The female diner wore a black tracksuit, petite with messy brown hair like weeds, with a face full of freckles and yellowed whites in her eyes; her pupils were dull like those of a dead fish. "What''s that to you?" Chen Ke retorted coldly as he dragged the bespectacled man past the gazes of the other diners and out of the noodle house. In the alleyway beside the noodle house, he pushed the bespectacled man against the wall and pulled out a Colt Python. "Listen, you answer when I ask, no nonsense, no lies. If you dare lie to me, I''ll blow your balls off. Got it?" Chen Ke pressed his foot against an overturned trashcan, propped his right elbow on his knee, and casually aimed the barrel of the Colt Python between the bespectacled man''s legs. The bespectacled man nodded frantically, his face a mask of terror, instinctively covering his groin. "Why did you poison the noodles?" Chen Ke asked. "Wait... are you from the Administration Bureau? How do you know..." The bespectacled man hesitated, stopping mid-sentence, wary as he glanced around. Chen Ke sniffed out a hint of conspiracy. He cocked the revolver''s hammer, and the cylinder of the Python clicked as it rotated. "I didn''t poison the noodles, I swear! There''s absolutely nothing wrong with my noodles!" The man with glasses felt his legs weaken as he heard the sound of the bullet being chambered. "You''re lying," Chen Ke raised the gun with one hand, ready to shoot. "I swear I didn''t poison anyone! Damn it, you have to believe me! I''m a victim too!" The man with glasses almost fell to his knees in front of Chen Ke, ready to kowtow. Chen Ke had a theory that the diners were cursed with a mutation after eating the noodles, slowly turning into the monsters from Pihom''s photographs. At least, that''s how it seemed, but the diners'' killing intent remained inexplicable. Could it be an effect of mind control brought on by the curse? But the man with glasses didn''t seem to be lying, and he didn''t exhibit any killing intent. If he had the ability to cast such a curse, he surely wouldn''t be purely human. Looking at the situation now, it appeared that the man with glasses was indeed just an ordinary person and also a victim caught up in this bizarre incident. "Then tell me everything you know," Chen Ke lowered his gun and instructed. The man with glasses looked around the alleyway cautiously several times, making sure no one was watching, before he finally started to spill his troubles to Chen Ke. It turned out that this man with glasses was named Li Bo, and he was the owner of the noodle shop. He had been running the establishment in the Lower District of Opportunity City for five years, and with his excellent skills and reasonable prices, his Good Wheat House had gained some local popularity. But a few months ago, the reputation of the noodle shop plummeted. Many diners complained to Li Bo that the noodles they ordered had a foul smell and tasted like shoelaces. Of course, Li Bo didn''t believe it because, although he was the owner, he also cooked in the kitchen, and he was well aware of everything that the other two cooks were doing. He checked the noodles that the customers had complained about and found nothing amiss, so he ended up arguing with the diners. To Li Bo, it seemed like the customers were being unreasonable, while to the customers, it looked like Li Bo was deceiving them. The dispute escalated until the police from the County Police had to be called in. Li Bo thought that the County Police would arrest the unreasonable diner for disturbing the peace, but what happened next was unexpected. As soon as the police officer entered the noodle shop, he too pinched his nose, questioning why a foul smell emanated from the kitchen. Li Bo was dumbfounded. He cooked in front of the police officer and the customer, and the officer even inspected the ingredients, but still, after the noodles were made, both of them insisted that the bowl of noodles was giving off a rotten smell. The County Police took a bite of the noodles, spat it out immediately, but due to the lack of evidence and no issues with the ingredients, they couldn''t conclude anything. So they issued a verbal warning to Li Bo and instructed him to refund the customer''s money for the noodles before leaving with pinched noses. From that day on, Good Wheat House''s business plummeted no matter how much they reduced the prices. People passing by the shop would pinch their noses and walk away as if the noodles were indeed emitting a smell that Li Bo couldn''t detect. Before long, some homeless people started coming to patronize. Li Bo provided cheap noodles at rock-bottom prices, but the meager income was unsustainable, and he eventually decided to close the shop. However, on the night he closed the shop, he and his family were assailed by emaciated monsters, which would loiter outside his home every night, scratching the letters "Set up shop" on the hallway walls and door with knives. He never thought it was just a prank from the homeless because through the door''s peephole, Li Bo could see the appearance of these creatures, gaunt as if they were mummies without bandages. Li Bo was forced to reopen the shop but also reached out to both the County Police and the Spiritual Ability Administration. After several days of unprogressive investigations, the County Police started thinking that Li Bo was just making a fuss. His Asian background further reduced the efficiency and attitude of the County Police''s work, and they soon stopped concerning themselves with the matter. The Spiritual Ability Administration was even more indifferent, just taking down Li Bo''s report over the phone and never following up. Frustrated, Li Bo had no choice but to spend his own money to hire private investigators from Spiritual Ability Enterprises to deal with the issue. A female investigator did come to the shop and detected the foul smell. Initially, she showed great enthusiasm for the case, but as the investigation dragged on and Li Bo''s financial burden grew heavier, he could no longer afford the investigators'' daily fees. Finally, with no guarantee of payment, the female investigator also gave up. Chapter 17 - 017 Mutated Objects Chapter 17: Chapter 017 Mutated Objects "Hmm, if you don''t mind me asking... how much did you pay to hire that female investigator?" Chen Ke suddenly asked. Li Bo was startled, not knowing why Chen Ke would be interested in this. "The referral fee alone was 10,000 union coins. After the investigator arrived, the daily cost was 3,000 union coins. She was a level D, so it was relatively cheap... She investigated for a total of 8 days and I ended up spending 34,000 union coins." Chen Ke gasped, pissed off that Pihom had tricked him... Li Bo didn''t know why a trace of disappointment crossed Chen Ke''s face as he said, "Actually, the investigator herself doesn''t get much of that money. I''ve heard that the split between a level D investigator and the company is 1:9, and that split doesn''t include the referral fee." Hearing this, Chen Ke began calculating in his mind. Excluding the 10,000 referral fee, the female investigator''s total hiring cost for eight days was 24,000 union coins, and after sharing with the company at a rate of one to nine, she would pocket only 2,400 union coins. Figuring it this way, the compensation Pihom offered wasn''t low, and he even provided weapons and ammunition for free. But Chen Ke still did not believe that Pihom sought him out merely to save money¡ªthere had to be his own reasons behind it. After all this, Li Bo''s noodle shop completely lost its customers, and he was clueless why the monsters targeted him. When Li Bo was at his wit''s end, a mysterious note suddenly slipped through the door slit, warning him that if he didn''t want to be harassed by monsters, he should offer free food to the poor people in the Lower District and repeatedly cautioned that if Li Bo sought help from any forces, those monsters would act. Thus, from that day on, patrons started returning to the noodle shop. Most of these poor wanderers from the Lower District were illegal immigrants who had sneaked into the United Federation from the Covenant Union or the Fei Huang Republic, and some were local residents who had lost their jobs during the factory shutdown era. They couldn''t even smell the stink in the noodles, nor did they mind that the noodles were getting worse day by day. After all, Li Bo wanted to cut costs, obviously he couldn''t let these poor devils eat for free according to the menu''s standards. When Chen Ke stepped into the noodle shop, Li Bo still held a glimmer of hope, but when he realized that Chen Ke couldn''t smell the stench either, he mistook him for another vagrant coming for free noodles. It seemed that the situation was not simple; Chen Ke had not encountered many Transcendent objects and phenomena since coming to this world, so he couldn''t judge whether the threatening note to Li Bo was from a human or a monster. Achieving goals through coercion was a typical human behavior, and by default, Chen Ke leaned towards the belief that there was someone, or some power, controlling these monsters behind the scenes. However, if these were purely the actions of monsters, then Chen Ke would have to be impressed by them. Regardless of whether the instigators were humans or monsters, at least the motive behind it seemed to stem somewhat from justice and benevolence, although to Li Bo, the victim, this justice was almost as bad as the wrongdoing. No one had the right to do good by harming others'' legitimate interests¡ªdoing good should be at one''s own expense, thought Chen Ke firmly. And Li Bo, who was honest and upright in running his noodle shop to earn a living, certainly had no obligation to assist these poor people. When Li Bo''s assets were all depleted, he would join the ranks of those homeless. So, regardless of the motivations of these monsters or their controllers, their actions were exploitative. "I feel like I''m now supporting a bunch of wastes for the federation, and I even paid protection money! Look at my situation now. Every night, those things monitor around my house, and I''ve been long wanting to leave..." Li Bo angrily said. "Those diners eating your noodles have started to mutate a bit, those monsters have tampered with your kitchen," Chen Ke said. "I also think they are affected by the noodles...but neither the County Police nor investigators could find any issues," Li Bo helplessly responded. "I need to check your kitchen, take me there quickly," Chen Ke said as he put away his Colt Python. "So you''re saying, you''re here to help me? Are you really from the Investigation Bureau?" Li Bo asked expectantly. The two walked towards the back door of the noodle shop, from where they could bypass the diners and directly enter the kitchen. Facing Li Bo''s question, Chen Ke craftily divulged his fabricated identity. "No, but something similar, I am a... Demon Hunter." Once the two entered the kitchen, there were only zwei chefs cooking, and including the two waitstaff bustling about, the noodle shop was indeed not large in scale. A large pot boiled with bubbling water, stacks of noodles piled in buckets beside it, the chefs scooped noodles into the boiling water with a skimmer, stirred a few times, then skillfully poured it into empty bowls partly filled with hot water on the side, another chef sprinkled some salt on the noodles, and a bowl of noodles was ready. They even skimped on the oil. Chen Ke scanned the kitchen, but initially found nothing unusual. Through the walls, he saw several red humanoid silhouettes; it seemed that anyone who had harbored hostility against him would be permanently marked by the Killing Aura Radar. The chefs looked at Li Bo in confusion, as the kitchen, being a restricted area, was not supposed to be entered by others, but Li Bo waved his hand, letting them continue their work. Being a small kitchen, Chen Ke started inspecting thoroughly, not knowing what he was searching for, but hoping something suspicious would catch his eye, such as an inconspicuous amulet, a row of mysterious spells carved on the wall, or anything else out of place that did not belong in a kitchen, possibly the source of the curse. Unfortunately, Chen Ke found nothing. Just then, Chen Ke''s peripheral vision caught an orange-yellow glowing outline, and he looked toward the source, the pot with boiling water. Chen Ke approached the pot, and it turned out to be the skimmer that was emitting the light. He looked back at the two chefs and Li Bo, realizing that only he could see the strangeness of this skimmer. He grabbed the handle and pulled out the skimmer, a line of text appeared in his mind: "Unidentified mutated object" "Identification will consume 20 minutes of lifespan" Mutated object? Chen Ke guessed it was something distinctly different from the Holy Relics, but it still required lifespan to identify, perhaps this was the source of the anomaly in the noodle shop. Identify it! If it leads to finding the creature, the lifespan can be restored! "-20 minutes" "Your remaining lifespan is 3 hours 29 minutes 52 seconds..." As the orange-yellow outline on the skimmer gradually vanished, an information box appeared in front of Chen Ke... [Mutated Object Level: Common] [Mutated Effect: Ingredients touched by the mutated object will emit a decaying stench, undetectable only by those in dire poverty.] Chapter 18 - 018: Attack Chapter 18: Chapter 018: Attack "Where did this slotted spoon come from? Wasn''t here before, was it?" Chen Ke picked up the spoon and looked towards Li Bo. Li Bo stepped forward, took the spoon with a puzzled expression, and inspected it for a long while. "I''m not sure... All the stuff for making noodles here looks like this. Suddenly asking me, I can''t remember..." "How many slotted spoons do you have here in total? Just count to see if there''s an extra one," Chen Ke suggested. Li Bo slapped his forehead and began rummaging around the kitchen, tallying up the cooking utensils. Sure enough, this slotted spoon was an extra. "Damn, you''re awesome! How did you know there was something wrong with this slotted spoon?" Li Bo exclaimed in surprise. "We demon hunters have specialized tools; they sense something off when we get close," Chen Ke explained seriously, pulling out a Nokia 1208 mobile phone with its battery removed and shook it. "Just now, this thing in my pocket kept vibrating, so I knew this slotted spoon definitely had a problem." "Amazing, much better than the Administration Bureau!" Li Bo praised. Combining what Li Bo said with the photos in Pihom''s phone, Chen Ke already had a rough idea of the situation. Emaciated monsters coerced the noodle shop owner to provide aid to the poor; the foul-smelling slotted spoon acted as a kind of target selector. But there were two things that didn''t make sense. First, the transformation¡ªthe noodles had a curse that gradually turned people into monsters. This power wasn''t present in the spoon; where did it originate? Second, the result of the transformation¡ªbased on the partial transformations observed in the diners so far, Chen Ke found it hard to imagine they''d turn into emaciated monsters. They were more likely to become another species. The biggest suspicion in the whole matter ultimately fell on the motive. Why were the transcendent monsters doing this? Was their real goal just to aid the poor? Chen Ke knew it wasn''t that simple, but for now, at least, they had found the source of the foul smell. As long as they stopped using that slotted spoon, Li Bo''s noodle shop could operate normally. Now, those monsters were the only trouble. "What should I do now? Even though you''ve identified the source of the smell, those monsters won''t just give up..." Li Bo was somewhat worried. "Let''s talk about the payment; demon hunters aren''t free," Chen Ke said with crossed arms. "Of course... but you don''t charge by the day, right?" Li Bo asked anxiously. Chen Ke shook his head, "A one-time payment in full, cash only, no transfers." Li Bo pondered, his head bowed as he seemed to struggle internally. Finally, he said, "If you can solve this problem once and for all, I''ll give you 5000 union coins." Chen Ke was satisfied with the price; with the 5000 from Pihom, he''d make ten thousand from this job. "Deal. I''ll come to collect the money once the job is done," Chen Ke nodded. "That''s great! How will you find them?" Li Bo asked, very pleased. Chen Ke picked up the slotted spoon, "They''ll come to find me." He walked out from the kitchen to the entrance, under the astonished gazes of the servers and diners, holding the slotted spoon and pushing open the door of the noodle shop, leaving only a figure behind. Meanwhile, a strong killing intent surged from behind Chen Ke; he knew the subject had taken the bait. It had been hiding among the diners all along. At 8 in the morning, the streets were still quite empty. Chen Ke crossed the road, leading the entity following him into a secluded, shadowy alley. Between the old residential buildings, which were barely three people wide, filthy water flowed and garbage bins were overturned, with rats scurrying among the trash. He suddenly stopped walking, the follower only a dozen steps behind. The killing intent, initially singular, split into four streams. Chen Ke looked up, noticing three red outlines hidden inside the dilapidated buildings on either side. "If you refuse to accept charity, then why not quietly leave?" the voice of a female diner came from behind. "This isn''t charity, this is robbery," Chen Ke turned around, casually flipping the slotted spoon into an L-shape and tossing it into a nearby trash can. "Nobody cares about their lives; what you''re doing will only starve these people," the female diner lamented. "You also shouldn''t ignore the life and death of that noodle shop owner," Chen Ke said with a smile. "+30 minutes" "+30 minutes" "+30 minutes" "+30 minutes" "Maximum limit reached..." ... Three enemies lurking in the building were slowly approaching. They emerged from the windows and crawled down the external drainage. Chen Ke couldn''t see them, but he could feel the movement trajectory of their murderous intent. "You''re a heartless man; this world has too many heartless people..." The female Diner said coldly as she snapped her fingers. "Snap!" Three shadows leaped from the wall and pounced towards Chen Ke. Simultaneously, a Wide-blade Sword suddenly appeared in Chen Ke''s right hand! He turned around, sliding to dodge the attacks of the three knives. Chen Ke then saw the three attackers clearly; they held fruit knives, were about the same height as him, wore black tracksuits, and white masks under their hoods. Without catching his breath, Chen Ke swung his sword at the nearest monster''s left arm. The force of the hard objects colliding traveled from the hilt to his palm. The monster''s left arm, bones and flesh together, was severed. Chen Ke followed with a second strike at the monster''s neck, chopping its head off unobstructed. The mask fell to the ground, cracking in half, and a hairless humanoid skull rolled on the ground without spilling a drop of blood. One. The other two attackers rushed at Chen Ke. He sidestepped, pulled out a Colt Python with his left hand, aimed at one of the monsters'' heads, and pulled the trigger. An exaggerated gunshot echoed through the alley. A Flame Magnum Bullet shattered the mask and penetrated the monster''s head, like inserting a small thunderclap into a watermelon. The monster''s head exploded, and simultaneously, flames burst forth, igniting the monster. Flesh and clothing burned together, and sticky chunks of flesh splattered on the wall, not spilling a single drop of blood even in fragments. Two. These Flame Magnum Bullets were indeed powerful and they were just civilian imitations. If they were official goods from the Administration Bureau, combined with the enhancement of a Spiritual Ability Pistol, they would undoubtedly be more formidable. Consider Parker''s .45 caliber M1911A1¡ªthe power was actually not much different from the large-caliber revolver Chen Ke used with the Magnum Bullets. If only there was a way to evade the Administration Bureau''s tracking of Spiritual Guns. The last monster''s mask fell off in the confusion, revealing a ghastly pale face and sinister eyes that sent shivers down the spine. Though Chen Ke, who had endured the initiation by a Human-faced Dog, felt a bit hairy under the gaze resembling that of Sadako, these monsters could not harm his rationality, and he was already familiar with the sensation of fighting these creatures. "Killing Intent Trigger!" Chen Ke infused his killing intent into the last monster attacking him, but it did not affect its movement in the slightest. These monsters had no emotions¡ªthey knew no fear! Even so, Chen Ke dodged the monster''s attack, found an opening, and with one sword swing, cut off the monster''s knife-wielding arm, followed by another that bisected the monster at the waist. "The third one," Chen Ke said. More like monsters than wild dogs, but much weaker than Human-faced Dogs, Chen Ke evaluated these gaunt beings. The fight didn''t last long, merely six or seven seconds. The female Diner hadn''t expected Chen Ke''s combat strength to be so astonishing and was momentarily at a loss for words. "Are you... from the Administration Bureau?" the voice of the female Diner revealed fear, but her cloudy and dim eyes betrayed no emotion. "Say whatever you like." Chen Ke played with the revolver''s hammer. Thinking that Chen Ke was about to shoot her, the female Diner turned and fled in panic. "Right, just like that, take me to your hideout." Chen Ke retracted the Bleeding Short Dagger, then noticed the diamond''s luster had dimmed. What''s happening? He looked closely, and a message box popped up from the diamond: [Executioner''s Bleeding Dagger] [Durability: On the verge of breaking] [Perpetual Wounds: Caused wounds never heal] [Bloodletting Groove: Piercing causes significant blood loss] The sword was already low on durability when it first came into his possession, and after slashing dogs all night, its condition had worsened considerably; the sword was now on the brink of disintegration. Although the sword was effective against monsters, he would need to use it sparingly from now on. He''d better consider using the Glock 17 and Colt Python in the future instead. Chapter 19 - 019 Tracking Chapter 19: Chapter 019 Tracking Chen Ke slid the gun back into its holster and turned to look at the bodies on the ground. The three bodies were torn and shattered, yet not a drop of blood flowed from them, as if they had none. On one of the bodies, a white light slowly formed. "Holy Relics?" Unlike the white sphere formed by the body of the human-faced dog, the light points condensed by these three monsters weren''t as large; they were literally just dots of light. Chen Ke reached out to grasp the light dot in the palm of his hand; then, several visual fragments suddenly flashed before his eyes... Chen Ke''s consciousness seemed to attach itself to another man. In front of Chen Ke, a 4-year-old boy wearing a tattered blue sweater was held by a middle-aged woman, sitting in a makeshift shelter made of corrugated boxes. The woman looked worn and haggard, her eyes lifeless, her hands like dry twigs. The child in her arms was very thin, yet still slightly stronger than his mother. "Daddy, I''m hungry..." The child was speaking to himself, his voice faint as if he lacked strength. "Daddy will find some food... You stay here with mommy and keep our sleeping spot..." The sky was overcast, and Chen Ke saw himself rubbing his hands together, his hands thin and bony. "I beg you... I beg you..." Squatting on the street corner, he extended his hands towards the empty street as if pleading with the divine. In Opportunity City, there were no opportunities. After the wave of factory closures, everyone in the Lower District was left to fend for themselves. ... In front of a bakery, the man stared at the bread in the display window, hesitating for a long time before mustering the courage to go inside. "Welcome... Sir, please leave." The female clerk, expecting a customer, instead showed a look of disgust upon seeing him and issued him to leave. "Give me a... no, half a loaf of bread... My child is very hungry," the man pleaded. "Please leave, sir... Or I''ll have to call the police," the female clerk said. "Please... Even the expired bread will do... My child hasn''t eaten in so long..." "Hey! You are so annoying!" The female clerk became impatient; at that moment, a tall Black person emerged from the door. "What''s going on?" "The manager, it''s a homeless man." The Black person took a large piece of bread from the display and handed it to the man. "Thank you! Thank you so much! I will definitely repay you..." the man took the bread, crying tears of joy, and then ran out of the bakery. ... The man clutched the bread tightly and kept running towards "home," his heart pounding fiercely. As he dashed through the alleyways between the buildings, gasping heavily, he suddenly fell to the ground. Too hungry... He hadn''t eaten for many days either, compounded by the intense running... "I can''t... I need to rest a bit..." His eyes slowly closed, and his hand dropped... ... "I overslept... I have to go back!" The man bolted upright, it was already night. He didn''t realize that the bread in his hand had already molded. He suddenly found himself walking briskly, as if he had an endless supply of energy. The feeling was exhilarating. "I''m not hungry, I''m not hungry!" the man exclaimed with surprise and awe. He dashed into the street, facing many pedestrians. Their expressions turned ghostly as they saw him. "Fuck! What is this thing! Oh my God!" a pedestrian screamed in horror and turned to run. Other pedestrians, attracted by the shout, looked his way. Suddenly, the street erupted into chaos as everyone screamed and ran in different directions. "What''s wrong with these people? Am I too filthy?" the man wondered. Regardless, he continued sprinting towards "home," dashing past vehicles and newsstands, running swiftly along walls, and leaping over roads effortlessly. He was fast, and his body felt light, as if the whole world was weightless. "George! Adela! I''m back!" The man raced back to where he slept rough, where his wife and son were huddled together in a cardboard box. "George, dad brought you some bread. Rona, you and the son split it." He joyfully approached his wife and child. "Don''t sleep now, Rona, George, wake up..." He nudged the two bodies, pulling out moldy, blackened bread and stuffing it into the boy''s mouth. "Eat quickly, eat and you''ll survive, eat quickly..." "Why are you sleeping so deeply..." "Who exactly are you..." ... Under the night sky, the man wandered alone in the dark, cold alley, continually asking himself one question. "Who am I... Who am I...?" ... A burst of white, glaring light snapped Chen Ke back to reality. Though it lasted only five or six seconds, Chen Ke felt as if a long time had passed, realizing that these monsters were transformed from people who had starved to death... It seemed that things were not simple, and those mutated Diners couldn''t possibly turn into such monsters. Through the memory flecks, Chen Ke also roughly understood some things. He guessed that the humanoid dogs and skeletal beings were two completely different kinds of monsters, and the Holy Relics could only be obtained from the creatures within the Spirit Explosion Space... He stood up, and there, a faint red outline stumbled and ran not more than sixty meters away from him; that female Diner hadn''t gotten far. Running over sixty meters in five or six seconds was pretty fast for a woman. Following her might reveal the truth. Chen Ke tracked her with the help of the Killing Aura Radar. He could move parallel to the female Diner, behind a building, and was almost impossible to lose sight of her. The female Diner deliberately zigzagged through various alleys, turning seven times and eight bends, glancing back once without noticing Chen Ke, letting her guard down, unaware that Chen Ke was just across one building, standing in line with her. Although she thought she had shaken off Chen Ke, the female Diner remained cautious. She intentionally took remote routes, avoiding crowds and main roads, eventually arriving at a dilapidated apartment building. The female Diner observed the surroundings for a while before opening the front door and going inside. Chen Ke emerged from a small store at the street corner, looked up at the apartment building the female Diner had entered¡ªa large, half-demolished six-story building. The decaying walls were cracked, with a large section on the right side torn down, but for some reason, the demolition had halted. It seemed this was also a piece of waste land bought by the Spiritual Ability Enterprise. There seemed to be some kind of understanding between the Enterprise and the Administration Bureau, with the enterprise''s actions directly squeezing the development space of other industries. Companies capable of providing many job opportunities were unable to buy land in the Lower District of Opportunity City, causing masses of local residents to be jobless. More and more abandoned buildings would also provide nests for mutated monsters influenced by Spiritual Energy. The Lower District of Opportunity City would become increasingly uninhabitable, and eventually, the entire Lower District might be filled with black boxes, turning into a hunting ground for investigators. Perhaps, this was what those with Spiritual Energy capital wanted and what the Administration Bureau tacitly allowed. The windows on the first and second floors were nailed shut with wooden boards, and the double apartment doors were tightly closed. Chen Ke pushed them; they were locked. It seemed he needed to find another way in. He circled the building and eventually found a less sturdy boarded-up window on the backside of the apartment building. Using his bloodletting dagger, he pried open the boards, leapt in with one bound, and crawled inside. Chapter 20 - 020 Deformity Chapter 20: Chapter 020 Deformity Even though it was daytime, this building was engulfed in darkness due to all the windows being boarded up, the light seeping through the cracks like white daggers stabbing into the body of the building. Chen Ke pulled out a Glock 17 from his triangular bag and fitted it with a silencer he had confiscated from a blond man. In the narrow hallway, a bloodletting dagger was impractical; a silenced pistol paired with Flame Bullet was the most sensible choice. Besides, this place was a den of monsters, and Chen Ke didn''t want to alert all the monsters in the building by making a move. He deftly moved to the side of the door, peeked out slightly through the crack, and listened. The building was quiet, occasionally punctuated by faint sighs and snores. Chen Ke slipped into the hallway, pushed open a door across slightly out of curiosity, and through the light filtered by the boarded-up windows, he saw a bare room where several raggedy homeless people were sleeping wrapped in tattered blankets against the wall. It seemed that the building not only housed monsters but was also home to many homeless people. They appeared to have formed a protective relationship with each other. Chen Ke didn''t further disturb them and gently closed the door. The silhouette of the female Diner had last stopped on the sixth floor; that must be her room. He proceeded down the hallway, searching for the staircase leading up. Since the building had been partially demolished before, many rooms along the corridor were inaccessible, and the staircases were blocked by rubble. Sometimes, Chen Ke had to detour through breached rooms to continue forward. Around a corner, a gaunt monster sauntered alone in the hallway. Chen Ke aimed at its head and fired twice. The 9mm bullets couldn''t compare to the Magnum in terms of kinetic energy, but the fiery effect was uncompromised; the monster''s head caught fire, and in just a few seconds, it burnt off from the neck and fell to the ground with a dull thud. The second floor had more intact rooms, where the deformation of the homeless people was similar to those in the noodle shop; some hadn''t even started mutating yet. Wrapped in blankets, they curled up in corners of the rooms and ignored Chen Ke as he entered. Chen Ke paid them no heed and briskly walked past. So far, things had been progressing smoothly. However, the building was like a three-dimensional maze; a close distance required navigating numerous obstacles to reach. Sometimes he had to descend from a collapsed room to a lower floor, then go up a staircase blocked by debris to reach the third floor. At other times, he had to weave through several rooms to avoid obstructions in the corridors. As he delved deeper, the mutations among the homeless grew more severe. At the fifth floor, there were many who were no longer recognizably human, their heads completely toad-like, with huge, lifeless eyes, tumorous skin, and grotesquely wide mouths intermittently sticking out black tongues. They sat with their bellies protruding in room corners, leftovers of noodles in front of them¡ªno doubt from Good Wheat House. Some, too severely mutated to leave, had to rely on companions to bring food back. "You don''t belong here, young man," suddenly spoke a frog-headed man leaning against the wall. Chen Ke jumped, turning and aiming his gun at the talking frog. "Hey... put that thing away, frog heads aren''t bulletproof," the frog-headed man seemed unafraid. "You can talk?" Chen Ke exclaimed. "Getting less nimble, might not be able to after tonight," the frog-headed man said self-deprecatingly. "Looks like you''re pretty accepting of turning into a frog," Chen Ke spread his hands. "What choice do we have? You think we''re enjoying this?" the frog-headed man replied. "It seems like you know there''s something wrong with those noodles?" Chen Ke squinted. "By the time we knew, it was too late, my friend. Not all bad, though, changing from a wandering homeless to a wandering frog isn''t much of a difference," the frog-headed man seemed to laugh, his eyes squinting into slits. "What happened here?" Chen Ke asked. "A little of this monster, a little of that monster, I call this the Freak Club. That woman said she found God, and that God would save us. Did you see the big hole in the courtyard center? God supposedly lives there, although I can''t understand why God would choose to live in a sewer," the frog-headed man explained. The building had a square-shaped structure with a courtyard in the center, neither too big nor too small. Chen Ke peered through the cracks in the wooden boards out of the window. The courtyard in the middle of the building had collapsed downwards, revealing a segment of a huge, broken sewer pipe sticking out as if it were a passage to the underworld. "Have you ever seen a god?" Chen Ke asked. "Do you think it''s convenient for me to meet a god?" Toad Head shifted his short, thin toad legs from beneath his large belly and placed them in front of Chen Ke, shaking them slightly. "I won''t disturb your noodle eating, I''m going down to take a look." Chen Ke waved his hand and turned to leave. "Hey, wait a minute, lad, do me a favor," Toad Head suddenly said. "What is it?" Chen Ke was curious. "If you meet a god down there, take a photo for me, I''d like to see as well," Toad Head said with squinted eyes and a smile. "My phone can''t take photos." Chen Ke turned and walked away. Chen Ke grew increasingly curious about what turned them into such creatures. What, exactly, was the god that Toad Head mentioned? He could only go deeper into this pit to find out. On his way down, avoiding debris and rubble, Chen Ke pushed open the inner courtyard gate and arrived at the open-air courtyard. The eerie sound of the wind echoed, like the wails of evil spirits, and in front of Chen Ke was the huge pit connecting to the sewer. At that moment, a murderous aura emerged from behind him. Chen Ke turned around and saw the female Diner standing about ten paces away. "By destroying these people''s chance to survive, is this what you wanted?" the female Diner asked. "This is not an opportunity; nobody wants to turn into a toad. Why didn''t you tell them in advance about the cost of receiving charity?" Chen Ke countered. "Deformity is much better than death, you haven''t experienced the pain of death!" the female Diner said. "You can''t convince me, look at you, you''re at least still a normal person," Chen Ke replied. No sooner had Chen Ke finished speaking than an unexpected event occurred. The female Diner forcefully pulled the zipper of her tracksuit open, revealing her shriveled, horrifying, skeletal body underneath her neck, which was merely bones wrapped in a layer of human skin. "You are... you too..." Chen Ke was somewhat shocked, recalling the memory of the creature he had absorbed earlier in the alley. "Death Church taught me one thing, no matter the form, being alive is better than being dead. I''m saving them! While you are killing them!" the female Diner bellowed. "Using lifespan to replace lost sanity." "-10 minutes" "-10 minutes" "-10 minutes" ... Her voice was filled with sorrow, sadness, and anger, like energy waves drilling from his ears into Chen Ke''s brain. His life continued to drain, helping him resist the damage to his sanity. Meanwhile, a torrent of murderous aura surged from the pit in the sewer, and six emaciated monsters instantly surrounded Chen Ke. It turned out they had always been hiding in the sewer, which explained why Chen Ke had only encountered one in the building. "I have to protect these poor people; no one can stop me!" the female Diner declared resolutely. Chapter 21 - 021 Unknown Chapter 21: Chapter 021 Unknown For a moment, Chen Ke felt like he was the bad guy. He had heard lines about justice from the mouths of monsters for the first time, yet regardless of their motives, their actions had already led to unacceptable consequences. As for the Diner''s behavior, Chen Ke could only deliver Flame Bullets. Dodging a flurry of fruit knife slashes, Chen Ke retreated while executing targeted shooting at the monsters, a signature technique of the C.A.R. system''s central weight lock technology. With nine consecutive pulls of the trigger, the bodies of these monsters erupted in fierce flames. Soon they were engulfed in red fire, the flames crawling over their bodies. Some monsters'' arms were directly burned off and fell to the ground. After burning the monsters to a crisp, the flames did not spread to other flammables, which was quite environmentally friendly. Whoever could create such bullets was truly a genius. Amidst the agile maneuvers, the Diner roared again, her resentful voice assaulting Chen Ke''s eardrums and sanity, making the countdown of his life tick away wildly. "You''re going to die here! You''re going to die here!" The Diner, knowing she was no match for Chen Ke, did not engage in combat but maintained a certain distance to inflict psychic pollution. It felt like thousands of steel needles non-stop jabbing at his brain, or a thousand three-year-olds screaming in his ears. Even while consuming his life, Chen Ke''s head was splitting in pain¡ªafter all, life could only block physical assaults on the mind, pain had to be endured where deemed necessary... These starved monsters had no emotions or memories, so they could act unaffected by any emotional or mental influence, but this Diner appeared much more emotionally rich. Perhaps the trigger of wrath could work on her. Chen Ke took a step back; behind him, a sense of murderous intent surged as he launched a swift attack at the Diner. The woman was surrounded by a pale red murderous intent and then squeezed tightly by it. She seemed to be bound by an invisible lasso, pausing for a second in surprise. But soon, she regained her senses and looked towards Chen Ke in horror. Although there was only a brief moment of vulnerability, the opening was wide enough. Chen Ke seized the opportunity, aimed his gun at the Diner''s head, and pulled the trigger. The Flame 9mm Bullet spun towards the Diner''s forehead, flying for 0.4 seconds before piercing her lifeless eye socket and exiting through the back of her head, blowing out a handful of brain matter. Before she could even wail, a violent flame burst from within her brain. Her neck seemed to be topped with a lantern, and with a crackling sound, her head was burned off and fell, rolling on the ground like a black ball. She lay on the ground, leaving behind a headless corpse, a speck of light congealing above the body. Chen Ke crouched next to the Diner''s corpse, grasping that tiny light, and before his eyes emerged fragments of the Diner''s memories... She was sitting in a scorched room, facing three skeletons that had been burned to a crisp. Two adults and one child. The woman muttered to herself with tones of bitterness and helplessness. "Do you know who killed you..." "They took away your job..." "This is the taste of vengeance..." "But what of it... You''re already dead..." A pair of shriveled hands came into view, reduced to mere bones. ... The night in the slums. Homeless people huddled around a burning barrel for warmth. The woman hid in the shadows, watching them. "Joe... Peter... and Bonnie..." She carved these three names into her left arm. She had already forgotten the people behind those names, but she vaguely remembered that during her toughest times, she had spent time with them. Just like that group of homeless people. "I am not just a name, I am an experience... I won''t forget myself." The woman clutched her head, struggling against the symptoms of memory deterioration. ... "I have companions now, they have lost themselves, but I can help them remember..." In a room, the woman used a black stone to carve a sentence into the wall. She turned to look at the room; the walls were filled with words and phrases. Emaciated figures stood by the door, shaking hands and embracing one another. "From today, we are family." ... The woman and her companion, holding candles, moved ahead through the sewage-ridden sewers that resembled a labyrinth. They arrived at a confluence and stopped at the entrance to a pitch-dark passage. "Kneel." In the darkness, an indifferent voice came through, sounding neither human nor inhuman, with an indistinguishable gender. The group knelt on one knee, sewage submerging their ankles and knees. "Hear my summons, become my servant, and your wish shall be granted," the voice wafted from the darkness. "We hear your summons and wish to become your servants," the woman bowed her head and whispered into the darkness before her. "State your wish," the voice commanded again. "I want... to shelter those who wander," the woman said. "A miracle shall be granted to you." After responding, the voice fell into a brief silence, followed by a noise like bubbling boiling water coming from the dark passage. From the darkness, a thick, wart-covered, purple tentacle slowly extended, bringing a colander to the woman''s side. ... The woman carved texts into the wall of her room. "They have undergone certain changes." "I don''t know if this counts as a miracle... if it continues, they will no longer be human..." "I should have told them... but what power do I have to protect them..." "If I can''t protect them, what is the meaning of my existence...?" "Maybe being deformed is a blessing..." "It''s certainly much better than starving to death..." ... A flash of white light, and Chen Ke came to his senses. The female diner''s body slowly disintegrated, turning into numerous black ashes with a gust of wind, leaving no trace of her in this world. The answer was now clear, the root of the sin was hidden within the darkness of the sewer! That wart-covered tentacle-like thing was likely just the tip of the iceberg of the unknown terror; only by delving deeper into the dark could he glimpse its true face. He analyzed his combat abilities simply, up till now, he seemed to have had things pretty easy as long as he had suitable weaponry, neither the human-faced dogs nor the deformed monsters posed much of a challenge to him. Reflecting on the past ten or so hours since his arrival, it was actually the assassin sent by Pankia who presented the greatest danger. If it were the investigators, what would they do? No, they generally wouldn''t engage directly with the unknown monsters; the investigators were more responsible for research and exploration, or for entering Black Box Spaces that had been marked and slaughtering monsters less powerful than themselves. In other words, investigators weren''t particularly combat-effective; they were more like hunters in a national hunting ground. What about the Administration Bureau? They were the first combat units to directly face unknown enemies. They were stronger than investigators, facing more dangerous foes. Perhaps that''s why the Administration Bureau collected Holy Relics. Could it be that facing these strange beasts, Holy Relics were indeed more useful than Spiritual Gun firearms? But Chen Ke believed that if the only advantage of Holy Relics was their ability to "slice through iron like mud," they might not necessarily be superior to firearms. After all, hand-to-hand combat was a rather primitive way to fight! Even without considering that modern warfare was racing towards long-range strikes, just the conflicts between humans: outnumbered, a blade would fear a bullet, the more people, the bigger the justice, possession of a gun was the key to power ¨C these were considered cardinal rules. Not to mention, the Administration Bureau had developed eighteen types of Spiritual Bullets in six categories, this alone indicated that firearms were to some extent more formidable than melee weapons. Unless, of course, Holy Relics possessed special abilities that he was currently unaware of... He reassessed the weapons he could wield: A short sword on the verge of falling apart. A Glock 17 that shot Flame Bullets. A Colt Python that fired Flame Magnum Bullets. A Spiritual Ability Pistol that discharged Punishment Bullets, although firing it would attract the attention of the Administration Bureau. And... four Holy Relic diamonds that were yet to be identified. Chapter 22 - 022 Special Effects Combination Chapter 22: Chapter 022 Special Effects Combination Chen Ke glanced at the countdown timer on his lifespan, which now stood at 4 hours and over 40 minutes after the recent battle. Identifying a single Holy Relic would take 20 minutes, totaling over an hour of his lifespan for all four. This did not account for the time it would take to summon them. Facing an unknown enemy, Chen Ke had to make thorough preparations. Yet, even so, he had to use his remaining time judiciously, aiming for each battle''s gains to far outweigh its costs¡ªthe ideal situation. Chen Ke placed the four Holy Relic diamonds in his left palm, which, despite the overcast weather, still sparkled with a faint white halo. With his right hand, he pinched one diamond, and in an instant, a coat shrouded in black, murky fog appeared in his grasp, which he then began to identify. "-20 minutes for relic identification" [The Doctor''s Old Coat] [Durability: Average] [Corrosion Protection: Acid damage reduction, immune to splash-type acid damage, soak-type acid damage halved.] As the text in the information box slowly emerged, the vague fog surrounding the coat gradually dissipated, revealing a brown coat styled in the Victorian era in Chen Ke''s hands. The coat was somewhat worn, with many patches at the cuffs, collars, and pockets. One of the buttons on the front had fallen off, there were mud spots on the tail of the coat, and the edges were frayed. It was unclear how long the previous owner may have worn this coat¡ªif there had been one. No matter how tattered, the coat still provided formidable protection against acid. Chen Ke frowned, remembering Pihom''s words about "six categories and eighteen attributes." It seemed corrosion was certainly one of the six categories, and acid was one of the three attributes under corrosion. He continued to identify another piece of equipment. Chen Ke pocketed the diamond of the coat and picked up another Holy Relic diamond; this time, it was a helmet. [Rusty Kingdom Elite Guard Helmet] [Durability: Poor] [Last Stand Protection: Uses all durability to protect against one fatal injury, after which the equipment will be completely destroyed.] This was a full-coverage helmet, in stark contrast to the Victorian style of the coat. It belonged entirely to the Medieval era. The silver faceplate had lost its luster, and the helmet, covered in rust and marked with numerous scratches and dents, likely belonged to a veteran of many battles. This was a Holy Relic meant for saving one''s life, capable of withstanding a deadly situation at least once. Whether to use it now or not, Chen Ke was uncertain. There were still two Holy Relic diamonds left. The small diamond in Chen Ke''s left hand instantly transformed into a blurry round shield. [Blood-soaked Battle Shield] [Durability: Average] [Shield Bash: Use the shield to attack opponents, the faster the running speed, the higher the damage.] [Spike: Dealing double damage to bleeding targets with the shield bash.] This shield was a coppery hue and not very large¡ªabout the size of a cushion¡ªbut significantly heavier. The shield''s surface featured eight protruding spikes, covered in blood-colored rust. The face of the shield bore the marks of countless slashes, chops, and blunt force hits, revealing its weathered history. The central part of the shield was likely about 4 centimeters thick, tapering to 2 centimeters at the edges. Chen Ke grasped the handle on the back of the shield to test it out and estimated that the shield weighed about 5 kilograms. For an ordinary person, not to mention using this chunk of a shield to block attacks nimbly, even just strapping it to one''s left arm for a long time would be quite the burden. Chen Ke himself was extremely unaccustomed to it, it was as if his left hand was tied down with a 10-pound bag of rice. In the past, he had seen many heroes adept at using shields in video games, movies, and animations. Not to mention their almost overpowered defensive abilities, they could also use the cumbersome shield to execute stunning offensive moves as weapons. However, once he actually put on a shield, he profoundly realized that it wasn''t so easy to use; it wasn''t as simple as just holding it horizontally in front of him. The cumbersome shield slowed down the movements of one side of his body, and he had to shift the shield''s center of gravity first even just to turn around. Keeping the shield in front of him for a long time was also very draining. "Captain America really is uniquely gifted..." Chen Ke couldn''t help but sigh, and then he looked towards another piece of the Holy Relics ¨C a diamond. These were a pair of boots. [Marching Boots] [Durability: Poor] [Vigorous: Halves stamina consumption for walking and running] [Sprinter: Increases running speed by 25%] The black high-top boots appeared to be products of the modern era, probably a bit more recent than that Victorian-era overcoat. At the earliest, they must be from the 1920s, with the surface of the shoes covered in specks of mud, some areas at the bends already cracking, and the soles showing splits. Chen Ke felt that if he wore them and walked another ten kilometers, they would likely fall apart. Chen Ke laid out the four diamonds before him and suddenly noticed something interesting. He took out the bleeding sword diamond again to check its attributes: [Executioner''s Bleeding Dagger] [Durability: On the verge of destruction] [Ripping Wounds: Causes wounds that never heal] [Bloodletting Groove: Piercing causes severe blood loss] This dagger could inflict bleeding wounds on monsters that would never heal, and the Blood-soaked Battle Shield could deal double shield strike damage to bleeding monsters. The Marching Boots could increase running speed by 25%, and this special effect was a perfect match for the Blood-soaked Battle Shield''s feature of "the faster you run, the higher the shield strike damage". These three Holy Relics were a perfect match. Chen Ke started to ponder, perhaps this was the reason why the Administration Bureau collected and regulated the Holy Relics comprehensively? Could it be that the "special effect combination" of the three Holy Relics in his possession was just the tip of the iceberg of the original power of the Holy Relics? The Administration Bureau must possess a vast number of Holy Relics; how powerful could the "special effect combinations" they could master be? Could a high-level Spiritual Ability User, equipped with these Holy Relics with "special effect combinations", turn the tables against heaven? The more Chen Ke thought about it, the more unrealistic it seemed. After all, in a world where individual power could crush armies, the concept of nation-states couldn''t possibly exist. If a situation of power hemorrhaging were to occur, the entire civilization would regress back to the age of social Darwinism, the savage era of "might makes right". Although he couldn''t yet assert that the world he was in allowed individual power to break through an astonishing limit, at the very least, the actions of the Administration Bureau seemed to be aimed at preventing such a scenario. Besides, who "created" these Holy Relics? They held transcendent powers but were undeniably human-made artifacts. This was what Chen Ke found most incomprehensible. As time ticked away, the countdown reminded Chen Ke not to waste any more time pondering questions he couldn''t possibly answer. The information in his possession was still too little; thinking about such matters was destined to lead nowhere. He pocketed the diamonds, drew out the Glock 17 and the Python, and gave one last check to the bullet situation. He also didn''t forget to pull out the M1911A1 from the triangular bag and slip it into the holster for any unexpected needs. After making all the necessary preparations, he followed the large pit on the ground step by step towards the sewer, entering the depths of darkness following the memories of the female Diner. Chapter 23 - 023: The God in the Sewers Chapter 23: Chapter 023: The God in the Sewers Walking into the dark sewer, Fei Huang was accosted by an indescribable foul smell, while sludgy water that barely covered his ankles reflected a green and purple sheen in the light at the entrance. Chen Ke lifted his foot and stepped into the filthy water, causing ripples and splashes to disturb the calm surface. The foul water flooded into Chen Ke''s shoes and socks, instantly chilling his feet to the bone. The drainage system in the Lower District of Opportunity City was part of the Upper City''s infrastructure. There was no dedicated sewage treatment in the Lower District; all of the city''s wastewater was processed, eventually flowing here, and finally spilling into the Carefree River from the harbor of the Lower District. The water, carrying who knows what filth''s essence, made Chen Ke''s toes greasy and uncomfortably slippery. He muttered under his breath and deliberately avoided the garbage floating on the surface while raising his Glock 17, treading deeper into the sewer with uneven steps. After about ten minutes trekking in the sewage, Chen Ke noticed an unnatural greenish glow coming from the water at a fork in the tunnel, as if there were unknown microorganisms lurking beneath the surface. This tunnel matched the description the Diner remembered and must have led her, using the green glow like road signs, to the creature with tentacles. Chen Ke stared at the water glowing green for a while, but no information about the mutated organism popped up in his vision. It seemed that the glow came from a colony of microorganisms. In a rotting, damp environment, microorganisms tend to flourish, mostly consisting of carrion-eating bacteria or small insects. The glowing carrion-eating insects, gathering in large numbers in one area, indicated a substantial presence of decaying matter. Chen Ke cautiously continued along the luminescent waterway, the air still permeated with the stench of decay, but different from the earlier fecal odor; the stench in this fork was more akin to the smell of a corpse. The water level rose steadily, now submerging his knees. Chen Ke felt his foot kick something; he slowly moved around it, and with a few bubbles popping, half a man''s face floated up from the glowing water. Chen Ke retreated a few steps. He wasn''t scared, just disgusted. A cool breeze from a distant passageway made the light intensify. "This is the place," he thought to himself. Chen Ke reached the doorway and found himself at a central sewage collection chamber. It was a circular plaza, about five or six hundred square meters in size, with eight passageways converging here. The glowing green water lit up the entire space like a lake, with human limbs floating on the surface; the green light stretched upwards into the darkness like an abyss. At the entrance of one tunnel, a totem made of various rubbish and limbs was placed on either side, both absurd and terrifying. Chen Ke avoided the human debris on the water surface and approached the dark passageway''s entrance. It was very quiet, no sound at all. Chen Ke curiously peered into the pitch-black tunnel, but it was too dark to see anything. "Kneel down." Suddenly, a voice that was neither male nor female echoed out from the dark tunnel, swirling up into the darkness after bouncing off the walls of the collection chamber. Chen Ke looked at the dark entrance, hesitating whether to go in for a closer look. "Kneel down," the voice repeated, conveying impatience and surprise. "Kneel your mother," Chen Ke cursed at the darkness. "Not as my servant, then you''re food," the voice said. The surroundings fell back to silence, but Chen Ke knew that thing was definitely angry and something dangerous was brewing in the tunnel. He slowly backed away, his right hand holding his Glock, aiming into the pitch-black tunnel, alert for whatever might rush out. "Gurgle..." Disturbing noises came from the darkness, like a person gargling water while clearing their throat. "+1 hour" "+1 hour" "Life limit reached!" "+1 hour" "Life limit reached!" It''s coming! As information flickered in the upper right corner of Chen Ke''s vision, a purplish tentacle covered in lumps, half a meter thick, suddenly shot out of the dark tunnel. Just as the tentacle was about to snatch Chen Ke, his left arm suddenly flashed with white light, and a round shield appeared! The tentacle slammed against the shield with tremendous force, flinging Chen Ke into the air while the shield flew out of his left hand, arcing through the air before turning back into a small diamond and plopping into the water with a splash. "Smack!" Fei Huang fell into the water, dirty water gushed down his neck through the collar, leaving a sour and rotten taste in his mouth. "Ptui ptui! Damn!" Fei Huang climbed out of the sewage, groped in the water for a while, and picked up the Glock 17 with a grey finger still hanging on the trigger guard. He looked around, his shield was nowhere to be found. "I knew it wouldn''t be that simple..." Fei Huang muttered to himself. Using a shield required a strong physique and sturdy arms, as well as professional training, otherwise one would end up like Fei Huang. His shield had fallen into the dirty water covering an area of several hundred square meters and had reverted to a tiny diamond, nearly impossible to find. Although it was a hasty and unsuccessful defense, the spikes on the shield had still played a role. The tips of the tentacles oozed purple fluid¡ª if that was blood¡ª before slowly retracting into the darkness. "Thou art strange, human," that voice said. "Speak normally," Fei Huang had had enough of this monster''s pretentious way of speaking and replied. A gurgling sound came again from the darkness, Fei Huang tensed up and slightly bent forward. Waves rippled out from the passage, a large webbed foot stepped out of the darkness first, followed by another, and then Fei Huang saw a massive belly, and finally, a toad''s head emerged from the darkness... This huge toad was at least the height of four adults, purple-gray in color, its skin covered with lumps, and its body wrapped in dirty water, microorganisms, and garbage; its two giant eyes narrowed into slits, and its cheeks kept inflating¡ªdeflating¡ªinflating¡ªdeflating... "I''ve only recently started practicing the ancient language of the Fei Huang People to seem more imposing in front of my servants," the giant toad said, sounding rather proud of itself. "You can learn the ancient language of the Fei Huang here underneath? How? By reading books?" Fei Huang asked in surprise. "No no... eat humans and learn... You seem to be one of the Fei Huang People as well, perhaps I''ll become more imposing after eating you," the giant toad said with a smirk that was almost a smile. As it slightly opened its mouth, a long, thick tongue shot out at Fei Huang like a bullet. Here it comes again! The tentacles were actually the toad''s tongue. Fei Huang had always thought the creature''s main body was something like an inkfish that liked to dive... Fei Huang swiftly dodged, plunging into the dirty water and gulping down a large mouthful. But how could a human''s reaction match that of a toad''s tongue? His ankle was still caught, and he was hoisted into the air, flying rapidly toward the toad''s mouth. Fei Huang raised his gun to shoot, 9mm Flame Bullets poured out, drilling into the toad''s mouth. The silencer on it meant the shots didn''t sound very loud. Perhaps sensing the threat, the toad that was about to swallow Fei Huang flung its tongue and tossed him far into the water. However, the bullets had already penetrated its flesh. Fei Huang crawled out of the dirty water, feeling as if his bones were about to fall apart. He propped himself up with his left hand on the ground but felt something let go. When he looked, it was a diamond. He looked up at the giant toad, which was surprisingly unscathed and staring back curiously. "The taste of this bullet is off. You''re not a genuine investigator. Are you out here on a private job?" the toad said. With that, the toad spit out the bullets. "You''re pretty knowledgeable," Fei Huang said as he pulled out his Python and fired six shots at the toad, the large-caliber Flame Magnum Bullets whistling toward it. Before hearing the gunshots, the toad had seen the revolver in Fei Huang''s hand and as the bullets flew out, it clamped its mouth shut, its belly suddenly swelling. When the Flame Magnum Bullets hit the toad''s belly, something unexpected happened to Fei Huang; the spark-emitting bullets were completely absorbed by the belly, leaving nothing behind. The toad spit out a few bullet heads, its tongue slipped out from the corner of its mouth as if it just tasted a delicacy. "Too bad, don''t think you can defeat me just because you have a gun that shoots flames and a shield. I''ve eaten many investigators, and although you''re different from them, your performance is great," said the toad approvingly. "Do all you toads like to talk big?" Fei Huang spun open the cylinder of the Colt Python and took out six Magnum bullets from his bag, loading them one by one. "I know this doesn''t make sense to you humans, how can a toad not be afraid of fire? How can a toad talk? Croak croak croak... But you should know, when you face a deity, all the nonsensical becomes part of the norm," the toad said while shaking its head, not bothering to stop Fei Huang from reloading, since the bullets couldn''t threaten it. "I know this doesn''t make sense to you toads, how can humans not be afraid of monsters? How can humans defy a god? Blah blah blah... But you should know, in my eyes, you''re just a slightly bigger... toad that talks big, and all toads can damn well be killed," Fei Huang said while he cocked the hammer. "Are you mocking the way I speak?" the toad asked, a bit annoyed. "Dare you try using your tongue to wrap me up again?" Fei Huang taunted. Here it comes! Chapter 24 - 024 Human Problem Chapter 24: Chapter 024 Human Problem Chen Ke neither dodged nor flinched, letting the toad''s tongue wrap around his waist and swiftly pull him toward its gaping mouth. "Fallen into the trap, huh!" Right then, a short sword suddenly appeared in Chen Ke''s right hand! The toad''s eyes, originally narrowed to slits, snapped open wide in fear, looking towards the short sword in Chen Ke''s hand. The tongue coiled around Chen Ke also suddenly loosened, attempting to fling Chen Ke aside. But due to momentum, Chen Ke still rapidly fell towards the toad. He switched the sword to his other hand, plunging the blade into the toad''s left eye. "Owwwww!!!" the toad screamed in agony. Chen Ke, holding onto the hilt and with the sharp blade and his body weight, not only stabbed the toad''s eye but also sliced a horrifying gash across its left cheek. Purple blood gushed out like a fountain, and at that moment, the sword finally crumbled under the strain, turning into diamond dust in Chen Ke''s hand. Chen Ke wasn''t sure whether the toad''s blood was poisonous, but judging from its filthy body covered in tumors, it was certainly vile even if not toxic. A flash of white light swept over him, and suddenly, an old coat appeared. This was the first time Chen Ke used a clothing-type Holy Relic. He had always wondered, if one was already wearing clothes, how would these relics appear? Clothes over clothes, shoes over shoes? That would be too uncomfortable! But as the coat appeared on him, he understood instantly. His own clothes changed in appearance to match the Holy Relic, but the feel of wearing them remained unchanged. That is, the clothing-type Holy Relics simply replaced the look of his existing clothes. The purple blood splashed onto Chen Ke''s body, but neither his face nor the old coat got wet. The blood droplets rolled off his clothes and skin like water off a hydrophobic material. Definitely poisonous. He fell back, sitting in the filthy water, having achieved his goal. The sword had inflicted a massive, bleeding wound on the toad, and now it was time for the shield to take the stage. Suddenly, a pair of worn boots appeared on Chen Ke''s feet. Even submerged up to his knees, the 25% speed boost from the combat boots was effective, significantly increasing Chen Ke''s pace through the water. He ran on the blind side of the toad, leaping and splashing like a deer, stirring up splashes of water. The toad, turning in circles trying to locate Chen Ke by sound, bore a continually bleeding wound on its left face, looking quite miserable. It yelled, "You think blinding me in one eye will defeat me? I have fought countless battles! You freelancers, don''t think having Holy Relics can do anything to me." Now! Chen Ke leaped towards the toad, a spiked round shield suddenly appearing on his right arm. He positioned the shield in front, charging towards the underbelly of the toad. The toad spotted Chen Ke, screeched, and its tongue shot out again. Chen Ke glared fiercely, a killing intent trigger! "Killing Intent -50" "Killing Intent: 0/50" A pale red aura of killing intent rose from Chen Ke, surging towards the toad with incredible speed. "Eh? What is this..." The toad was stunned for less than half a second. "I''m not like them!" Chen Ke shouted, crashing into the toad''s belly with his shield. A muffled thud sounded, like nails piercing flesh. Just a second had passed when Chen Ke suddenly felt a strong repulsion that bounced him right back. He sat up from the filthy water once again. The anticipated scene where a nail pierced through the toad''s stomach, causing a grotesque spill of organs, did not occur; however, the toad vomited a large amount of purple blood, mixed with partly digested human limbs. "I''ll kill you now!" the toad roared furiously, but it immediately vomited more mess, indicating that the attack had indeed damaged its viscera. Chen Ke stood up, ready to lift his shield for another strike, but he suddenly noticed something¡ªlifting his foot out of the water, he saw that his combat boots were broken, replaced now by ordinary shoes. "Damn it..." Chen Ke cursed under his breath as he shifted the shield to his left hand and drew his Colt Python, firing continuously at the toad. "Have you finished with your tricks? A nice attempt! But don''t think you can wear me out! I am not afraid of flames," the toad laughed boisterously. The large-caliber Flame Magnum Bullets, at that moment, were like little plastic pellets. Even striking the grievously injured toad, they were completely absorbed, simply wasting the ammunition. It made sense that the Administration Bureau developed eighteen types of bullets across six categories, it seemed that different monsters required specifically attributed bullets to inflict actual damage. "This time I''m definitely going to eat you!" the toad''s tongue swiftly lashed out and coiled around Chen Ke''s neck, pulling him into mid-air. At that instant, Chen Ke pulled out his M1911A1 and pulled the trigger at the toad''s gaping mouth. The bullets, imbued with the Punishment attribute, traced a holy white trajectory across the green-tinged underworld, burrowing into the toad''s mouth. Five .45acp Punishment rounds entered the toad''s mouth¡ªone after another¡ªall genuine products from the Administration Bureau! A burst of white light exploded within the toad''s mouth, giving off a sun''s heat, incinerating the toad from the inside out. Its tongue was the first to burn off at the root, causing Chen Ke to lose count of how many times he had fallen into the filthy water. Unlike the effect of the Flame Bullets, the searing effect of the Punishment bullets was not that of burning but more like "purification". The white flames slowly devoured the toad''s flesh and bones, causing them to vanish into thin air. The toad, continuously losing limbs, struggled futilely in the filthy water, helplessly watching its obese thighs and stomach slowly disappear, until finally, what remained of its half-body quieted down. Chen Ke approached the toad, its only intact eye blinking at him, its mouth opening slightly to gasp two words. "... Damn... why?" With that, it breathed its last. The toad''s fragmented corpse lay in the dirty water like a big blob of purple excrement, from which suddenly a purple mist began to rise and fly towards Chen Ke. "Even in death, you disgust me?!" Chen Ke was startled, thinking it was toxic gas, and turned to run. However, the mist entered his body quickly, and instantly, a white flash appeared before his eyes, revealing fragmented memories of the toad! He saw himself squeezed among a crowd of toads. Turning his head, he realized he was inside a netted bag. The toads were all silent, but Chen Ke sensed their anxiety¡ªbeing ingredients, being bought by customers meant death. People of the United Federation did not eat toads, but the Fei Huang people residing within the Federation relished them. It raised its toad head to look at the buyer, a Fei Huang... This Fei Huang person was a skilled chef. He was adept at killing fish and toads. He squatted inside the net, silently watching his companions being slaughtered. Their heads were nailed from the crown to the chin, and then the Fei Huang person yanked their legs to disembowel and skin them. Everything inside their bellies was thoroughly emptied and thrown beside the chopping board. As the number of comrades in the net dwindled, it was finally his turn... It was unclear whether it was divine favor or the Fei Huang person''s carelessness. He escaped, breaking free from the hands of the Fei Huang, leaping toward the bathroom. Along the filthy sewer pipes, in the dirty water filled with filth, he was flushed into the drainage system of Opportunity City. The toad hopped along in the pitch-dark underground world, surviving on decayed matter washed down from other pipes... He grew larger and larger, even bigger than the person who had once wanted to eat him. His skin developed toxic tumors that occasionally secreted poisonous fluids. However, because of this, he could no longer jump. In this narrow space, jumping was meaningless. He was satisfied, he was happy, he had gained freedom and power. A homeless man appeared in the sewer, Asian, the same skin color as the person who once wanted to eat him. They had once wanted to eat him, now, he wanted to eat them. The taste of humans was really good, and ever since eating a human, he could speak. The more people he ate, the more knowledge he acquired. His power grew day by day, and some new abilities gradually unlocked. He could turn the homeless into toads, and also cast magic on some objects. This ability did not come from nowhere, this was Divine Revelation... He began to believe that fate had chosen him, letting him wield Divine Power to defeat humans. And he, only lacked an army... "Kneel." "Listen to my call, become my servant, fulfill your desires." "Speak your wish." "I grant you a miracle." In the dark tunnel, he extended a ladle afflicted with a mutated curse and foul Magic into the woman''s hand. Everything was proceeding according to plan... Chen Ke came back to his senses, breathing heavily. He felt that this memory flashback was much longer than before. That purple mist turned out to be the soul of the toad! As the memory faded, the life countdown on the top-right corner of his vision changed, popping up a line of text: "Life Limit +5 hours" "Your lifespan now remains 9 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds..." Staring at this text, Chen Ke was too shocked to speak. When he looked again at the body of the toad, a pop-up appeared in his view: [Mutated Individual Level: Transcendent] [Status: Deceased] [Form: Biological] [Category: Corrosion] [Attributes: Acid, Magic] Chen Ke recalled the mutated ladle, realizing the aberrant curse originated from this toad. It all became crystal clear: a toad, lucky to escape from a human kitchen, had been infected with corrosive Spiritual Energy in the filthy underground drainage system and had become a monster possessing acid and Magic-related abilities. It could gain knowledge and power by consuming humans and unlock new abilities. After eating a considerable number of people, it harbored many thoughts. Coincidentally, female Diners and such starving individuals had also been infected with unknown attributes of Spiritual Energy and turned into monsters. Even after death, the female Diner could not let go of her resentment toward the world, setting fire to kill the employer who made her jobless and her family, and in a half-demolished apartment complex in the Lower District, she became companions with a group of likewise starved-to-death transformed homeless. The female Diner fought against post-mutative amnesia in various ways and strived to help other homeless. One day, she met the toad in the sewer. Compared to the female Diner, this toad was like the protagonist of a fantasy novel! Who knows what it could become if it kept eating people and leveling up? Chen Ke holstered his gun and pocketed the Holy Relics restored to diamonds. Although he lost a sword and a pair of boots in this great battle, he gained 5 hours of life, allowing him future actions with more ease, which was not bad. However, he had used Parker''s Spiritual Ability Pistol, firing five shots, essentially sending his location coordinates to the Administration Bureau five times. Now, he had to hurry away! Chapter 25 - 025: [Spiritual Energy Side Quest: Guardian Deity of the Poor] Completed Chapter 25: Chapter 025: [Spiritual Energy Side Quest: Guardian Deity of the Poor] Completed The clamor of police sirens rose and fell, with more than a dozen police cars parked in front of an apartment building in the Lower District that had been half demolished. County Police used bright yellow caution tape to completely barricade the building, and the scene was surprisingly orderly with no bloody clashes or monster attacks; a few potbellied county officers even ate their breakfast by the police cars. Several trucks from the Spiritual Ability Administration''s contamination unit were parked by the roadside, with a group of workers in blue contamination suits carrying disinfectant boxes and spray guns, disinfecting the corridors and rooms. In those rooms were hundreds of homeless people gathered, and since there was no place to temporarily shelter them, both the Administration Bureau and the County Police chose to ignore them. Also left in the rooms were numerous corpses that were half toad, half human, dead without a sign, with no wounds or signs of struggle. The Administration Bureau packed these bodies into black body bags and loaded them onto trucks one by one; they would be transported to the Bureau''s mysterious laboratory for autopsy and research. Diana and Bader stood by the road, watching colleagues from the contamination unit heaving large black body bags onto vehicles, one of which contained the carcass of a giant toad cut in half. Almost at the same time, both received a notification from the Spiritual Power Gun Management Department that Parker''s lost Spiritual Ability Pistol sent out five signals from the basement of this abandoned apartment at around 8:30 am. Even though the Administration Bureau had dispatched nearby county police to encircle the entire block before the two could get there, the gun thief had managed to escape. However, the Administration Bureau didn''t come away empty-handed. Bader once again arrived at the scene before Diana, but to his disappointment, the gun thief seemed not keen on making a big splash, rather preferring to be an unknown hero. Near a sewer rupture at the base of the apartment building, he found many civilian imitations of Flame Bullet casings, and on the ground remained some ash from monster limbs not entirely burned. The medical examiner had already preliminarily confirmed at the scene that the giant toads were ordinary spiritual energy-infected creatures, unrelated to the creatures from the Spirit Explosion Space. In other words, the Spirit Explosion Effect had not occurred here, and killing such infected creatures wouldn''t yield Holy Relics diamonds. Initially, he was quite certain that the thief was a villain who had illegally obtained spiritual energy and was attempting to use the stolen Spiritual Ability Pistol to hunt monsters for Holy Relics. Since humanity discovered the unimaginable strengthening effects spiritual energy had on the human body, an endless stream of people with the idea of "resisting heaven with force" emerged. They might know some basics about spiritual energy and Holy Relics, but they would never understand the price of such "enhancement." Bader pondered silently that if the gun thief also had such a nai?ve thought, it was impossible for him not to know that spiritual energy-infected creatures wouldn''t congeal Holy Relics diamonds. After all, he must have illicitly developed the most basic spiritual element in his body; otherwise, he wouldn''t have been able to use the Spiritual Ability Pistol. He couldn''t believe anyone would risk being chased to the ends of the earth by the Administration Bureau just to steal a Spiritual Ability Pistol for the quiet killing of monsters. If his morals and motives were so noble, why didn''t he just join the Administration Bureau directly? Bader''s suspicion about the gun thief''s motives began to waver. The only explanation he could accept was that the guy had serious mental issues. Diana didn''t know what Bader was thinking. She had visited Weber Spirit Production early in the morning to find out more about Parker, but things were not as simple as she thought. "Do you read comics, Diana?" Bader suddenly asked. "What?" Diana was taken aback. "Superhero comics. They depict stories of heroes with various nicknames, dressed in colorful uniforms, performing acts of chivalry in their respective cities," Bader explained. "No, never... I''m not interested in those children''s stories, I prefer myths from different countries," Diana said. "You actually call that a children''s story?! You really should search for your name on comic magazine websites; I thought you would be a die-hard fan of superhero comics," Bader said incredulously. "You could also search for your name on Wikipedia, Bader. Why such a weird question all of a sudden?" Diana was puzzled. "I can''t figure out the motives of this gun thief; all logical deductions have hit a dead end. But if you think of him as a superhero, it suddenly makes sense. Of course, I''m not saying he''s a superhero," Bader shrugged. "After the lab results for this toad creature come out and it''s categorized, no matter what hazard level it ultimately receives, we should be thankful that the gun thief killed it before it could cause real trouble. So to me, the guy is actually not so bad," Diana said noncommittally. "But he''s still a criminal; he killed an investigator, stole a gun, and those two charges alone are enough to put him behind bars for life," Bader reminded her. "... I agree," Diana said thoughtfully, nodding her head without divulging the information she knew to Bader. Time rewound to earlier. Diana pushed open the door to the CEO''s office of Weber Spirit Production, stating her purpose. She had assumed that Weber Spirit Production would be implicated in the incident of artificially creating Spirit Explosion Space, that this surprise investigation would throw them into chaos, or that they''d be completely unconnected but pushing to evade severance payments to employees to elude responsibilities. However, neither scenario she envisaged happened. Weber Spirit Production''s CEO, accompanied by the head of the HR department, had checked the files of all levels of investigators under their jurisdiction, and couldn''t find a D-class investigator named Parker. An investigator''s credentials could be forged, but each Spiritual Ability Enterprise''s electronic files for their investigators were networked with the Administration Bureau. Not to mention, every gun assigned to an investigator was tagged with the bearer''s registration information, making impersonation a difficult feat. Yet the most bizarre event was still to come. Diana subsequently went to the Spiritual Power Gun Management Department to retrieve the owner information of the lost firearm, and the result showed that the gun''s registration date was in the future, six months later... Before the County Police and Administration Bureau''s vehicles completely surrounded the dilapidated apartment complex, Chen Ke had already left the area. He was covered in dirty water and smelled like a walking piece of shit, fortunately, the triangular bag was waterproof, so his phone, bullets, and the little bit of cash he had were still clean and dry. He took a taxi to Li Bo''s noodle shop. When the driver drove off, he gave Chen Ke the finger. "Did you get it sorted? You look like you just took a bath in a public toilet!" In the empty noodle shop, Li Bo and Chen Ke sat in a corner spot. Li Bo, holding his nose, asked in surprise. "You can check this out. I think the same weird thing won''t happen to your noodle shop again if you still plan to keep it open..." Chen Ke pulled out a toad finger from his pocket, which he had specially cut off as proof that he had completed the mission. "Actually, quite a while after you left, the taste of those noodles disappeared, and all the homeless drifted away. They even threw up a lot... as if they''d just realized how disgusting the stuff they ate was," Li Bo commented. "It seems so. I encountered a giant toad in the sewer. All the strange events were caused by it. After I killed it, the weirdness associated with it slowly dissipated," Chen Ke analyzed. "Amazing... You truly are a demon hunter!" While Li Bo was expressing his admiration, Chen Ke stretched out his right hand, rubbing his thumb and forefinger against his middle finger. "Oh! How could I forget!" Li Bo slapped his forehead and pulled out a stack of banknotes from the inner pocket of his clothes. 50 brand-new 100-union-coin bills, which Li Bo had specially withdrawn from the bank nearby after Chen Ke left. The stack of bills wasn''t thick, but it felt substantial in hand. Chen Ke threw the money into the triangular bag and stood up to leave. "Well then, I guess this is goodbye, friend." "Wait! I don''t even know your name!" Li Bo called after Chen Ke. "We probably won''t meet again in the future, so knowing my name isn''t going to be very meaningful," Chen Ke said. "We are both Fei Huang people, drifting in foreign lands, there is a sense of mutual aid. Look, you can kill monsters, I can run a noodle shop. Today you helped me, and there might come a day when I can help you. If you don''t mind, leave a way to contact you!" Li Bo laughed heartily. "You... still intend to keep this noodle shop running?" Chen Ke asked, puzzled. Although he had resolved the issue at Li Bo''s shop, Chen Ke didn''t see Opportunity City''s Lower District as a suitable place for business any longer. "Why not? As long as no monsters or homeless people mess with me, I can get the business back on its feet! I''m still very confident in my own cooking skills," Li Bo said, patting his glasses with an air of certainty. "Speaking of the homeless..." Chen Ke crossed his arms, a rush of thoughts swirling through his mind. This incident couldn''t all be chalked up to spiritual contagion. Thanks to the Spiritual Ability Enterprises, finding a large abandoned ruin in the Lower District of Opportunity City was extremely easy, and these man-made wastelands had become breeding grounds for spiritually infected creatures. They were also crowding out the space for traditional businesses to develop, worsening the unemployment situation, and contributing to the decline of the Lower District. The incident at Li Bo''s noodle shop was just a flashpoint resulting from various man-made factors¡ªit couldn''t be resolved with just a gun or a stop-gap solution. The actions of the female diner and Chen Ke didn''t make much difference from a macro perspective; they simply chose to assist different parties. He could ask Li Bo to continue providing free noodles to the homeless. These pitiable people of the Lower District hadn''t done anything wrong; it was the times that had forced them into their current situation. Alternatively, he could suggest Li Bo offer job opportunities to the homeless. Although a small noodle shop couldn''t employ every vagrant, it was at least a good start. Of course, as an outsider, he could also choose not to worry about it any longer, deal with it, and then depart, keeping his contributions hidden. "About those homeless, do you have anything to say?" Li Bo asked, looking at the pensive Chen Ke. "You know, Li Bo, you know what I''m going to say. That''s right, my name is Chen Ke..." Chen Ke looked up and smiled. ... Leaving Li Bo''s noodle shop, Chen Ke took a car back to Pihom''s gun store. He showed Pihom the toad''s severed finger, and Pihom confirmed through a text message with Li Bo that Chen Ke had solved his problem. "Your 5,000 union coins, young man, it looks like you''ve got some skills. Now I think I can talk to you about my little group... but of course, after you''ve had a shower... Clean yourself up and then let''s have a good chat." Pihom handed over the money to Chen Ke readily and suggested that he take a good bath before they discussed serious business. Chen Ke''s life was still not guaranteed beyond a day, but it was much more secure than when he had just escaped from the building. With ten thousand union coins in hand, it was time for him to straighten himself out! Chapter 26 - 026: Thunder in Clear Skies Chapter 26: Chapter 026: Thunder in Clear Skies Opportunity City, Lower District outskirts. A straight highway extended into the deserted outskirts of the city, where a lone green sign stood by the roadside, reading, "Welcome to Opportunity City." A few kilometers behind this metal sign lay seven or eight low, interconnected two-story buildings¡ªthese were cheap motels in the suburbs. Before crossing over, Lin Mo''s living arrangements and equipment had been entirely managed by Si''s consortium with its powerful backing. Naturally, Lin Mo never had to worry about various logistic issues. But now Chen Ke could only rely on himself. To stay in the large hotels and inns in the city, you needed either a driver''s license or a passport. The United Federation was a nation built on wheels, and almost everyone over 18 had their own driver''s license. In a sense, a driver''s license was the identity card of the United Federation. Without a license, residents had to obtain an identity proof from the federal police system, but few did. Not to mention a passport, Chen Ke didn''t even have a driver''s license, nor could he boldly go to the federal police system for identity proof. Therefore, he couldn''t stay in the city''s hotels. Not only were motels cheap, but they were often dangerous too. Here, no formalities were needed for accommodation; as long as one could afford the room, no questions were asked. By the time Chen Ke arrived, he ran out of water and was reeking of sweat. The owner slightly frowned but said nothing. Staying a night here cost only 15 union coins, without long-term rental options. Chen Ke paid for seven days and chose a room on the edge of the second floor, pushing the door open as he entered. The door lock had been changed, the bed had been moved, and he glanced at the lampshade, which had two spots of blood on it. Chen Ke opened the blinds to let the sunlight penetrate the small room, which had seen some incidents but was relatively clean. He tossed his triangular pack on the bed, removed his jacket, and on a whim, lay down on the floor to peek under the bed. Nothing there. He moved to the bedside, meticulously inspecting the drawer and the walls, tapping and knocking everywhere, finding them solid. Then he went to the wall opposite the foot of the bed, examining it carefully for a long time. The ticking sound caught his attention; Chen Ke turned to look at a plastic alarm clock on a five-drawer chest nearby. It was an old white circular alarm clock with a cartoon face painted on the dial, and its eyes curiously stared at Chen Ke. He picked up the alarm clock and shook it, unscrewing the faceplate, and saw a tiny hole in the painted eyes of the cartoon sticker. He pulled out a switchblade and pried the casing of the alarm clock open, revealing a miniature camera inside. The camera was the size of a button, half a finger thick, with a 16GB memory card inserted. Chen Ke put the camera and clock back in place on the chest, leaving only the memory card behind. He went to the bathroom, which was fully equipped with toiletries. Chen Ke checked them all routinely and spotted a small hole at the top end of the wall facing the bathtub. He pulled a wad of toilet paper from the sink and plugged the hole. It seemed this motel had it all¡ªit had seen murders, and its owner was a pervert. He was actually curious about what was recorded on that 16GB memory card. Stripping off his stinking clothes, he let the hot water cleanse his body as Chen Ke began to ponder what to do next. Now, he was also a person who could only live for 10 hours, and his perspective had to be long-term. The lifespan countdown showed that he had 8 hours and 52 minutes remaining. Chen Ke had considered going directly to Si''s consortium branch in Opportunity City to try his luck, maybe he could actually find Pankia. But in the end, he dismissed the idea. He wasn''t sure how many people there were like him in the consortium, the number must be no small. Moreover, the most important point was that when Chen Ke had just awakened, a countdown timer of his lifespan had popped up with an impressive line: "Transcendent Skill: Lost" He once possessed transcendent skills, but now, he had none. Pankia was either the boss of the consortium or a high-level executive, definitely surrounded by numerous assassins with transcendent skills. If he just showed up there now, it would be no different from suicide. What exactly were transcendent skills like? Combining his experience with using the Holy Relics, Chen Ke couldn''t help but fantasize, maybe he could swing a hammer like Thunder God Thor and unleash electricity... Now, what Chen Ke needed to do was constantly fight; he could only live by fighting. During the intervals of combat, he constantly thought about how to find and approach Pankia, to make him tell how to remove the lifespan countdown in his head. Aside from that, he needed a place somewhat like a logistics base for recuperation. Chen Ke didn''t need to eat or sleep, although he would feel fatigue, just sitting for a bit would allow him to recover quickly. Chen Ke didn''t have the physiological needs of a normal person, but he desperately needed a safe warehouse to store necessities. Various kinds of bullets and firearms equipment needed a safe place, future potential large sums of cash also needed a safe to guard, Chen Ke''s wounds could be treated with lifespan, but his clothes couldn''t, he also needed a lot of clothes for changing. And then there were the Holy Relics, these little diamonds were his trump card, his strongest armed force, now he only had a few diamonds, but what if he had dozens, hundreds later? He couldn''t always carry all his belongings with him, that would be too much of a hassle. He also needed a mobile phone. Speaking of mobile phones, in the United Federation, mobile numbers and phones were generally bundled together; carriers would cover a part of the phone hardware costs for customers, who in turn had to sign contracts with the carriers for a certain number of years. Without an identity card and a driving license, Chen Ke couldn''t even buy a phone. He could not continue using the consortium''s phone. As soon as a battery was installed, that phone would be detected by the consortium. Even if he just placed the SIM card in another phone, the consortium could probably track his exact coordinates. He didn''t want to take the risk until he was ready. He thought of Pihom. He didn''t know what that stylish old man was all about, but he might be able to handle the phone situation. Although Chen Ke hadn''t decided whether he should join his "small group" yet. Chen Ke had a hunch; the old man''s organization was not engaged in anything decent. Just then, Chen Ke felt an inexplicable pinch in his chest; he instinctively looked down, the area below his left chest appeared no different from that of a normal person, but only he knew, that spot had once been pierced by a dagger. He had no heart, how could his heart hurt? That throbbing pain felt like there was a steel wedge inside him trying to chisel out, as if something was trying to break out of his body, his mind immediately raced to Alien and the G-virus... Chen Ke clutched his chest, unsure what the pain was all about, he tried to use lifespan to heal it, but the lifespan countdown did not react at all, just ticking away unhurriedly. The pain continued to spread, radiating from the heart to all internal organs, he felt as if a large iron bar was continuously stirring inside him, making it impossible to straighten his back. The pain grew even wilder, Chen Ke gasped heavily and collapsed into the bathtub, surprised to find many tiny things moving under the skin on his body; they converged towards his heart, forming a palm-sized mark on his left chest. It looked like a vortex, and also like the sun. Chen Ke watched as the mark slowly rotated on his skin, he reached out to touch it, feeling its uneven texture, just in that moment, the pain disappeared, and his body calmed down as if nothing had happened. Chen Ke sighed, pushed himself up by the edge of the bathtub, glanced at the dirty clothes on the floor, at that moment, the sky suddenly filled with peals of thunder. Chapter 27 - 027: Neighborhood Mutual Assistance Chapter 27: Chapter 027: Neighborhood Mutual Assistance Chen Ke had never heard such thunder before ¨C it was different from the rumbling that heralded a storm; this sound was like something in the sky was fracturing. He pulled off his towel to dry his body and tiptoed to the door, gently opening a crack to take a curious peek outside. In the gloomy sky, massive clouds were being whisked westward by the wind, with occasional flashes of purple stirring within them. A cool breeze flooded in through the gap, and Chen Ke shivered. "You see, that thunder is really strange, isn''t it? Sounds different than usual." "Mr. Christopher, don''t change the subject. If you can''t pay your rent today, I''ll have no choice but to kick you out." Chatter emanated from down the hallway to the right, indicating that Chen Ke wasn''t the only one attracted by the bizarre thunder. Chen Ke pushed the door open slightly more, curious to see what was happening. He was stark naked, worried as he had no clothes to change into. There stood the motel''s owner, a man in his fifties with a big belly, licking his lips, and wearing a flat red cap, in conversation with Chen Ke''s neighbor. With its low costs and simple procedures, the motel attracted a diverse clientele. Most were struggling financially, ranging from penniless addicts to runaway youths. With a bit of luck, you might even encounter someone on the lam looking for a temporary refuge. But Chen Ke noted that his neighbor didn''t seem to fit into any of those categories. The man the owner called Christopher was about the same height as Chen Ke, a common sight among the Black People of the United Federation, probably around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, dressed in a white shirt and brown suit pants, accompanying a 5-year-old child. "Bob, please, just give me one more week. The interview went really well, I''m determined to get this job! Once I''m employed, I''ll immediately get an advance on my first month''s salary to pay the rent!" Christopher pleaded. "Honestly, Christopher, if you can''t even cobble together the money for the motel rent, you might consider applying for aid at the Church in Opportunity City. If you''re early enough in line, you can get a bed for the night, and during the day, you can stroll through Opportunity City Central Park. In any case, I won''t be strung along any longer! Last week you told me you found a job, and now you''re telling me you just had the interview¡ªI can''t believe you anymore!" Bob, the motel owner, bellowed. "Please, Bob... Christopher is only 5 years old, and he can''t sleep if there are too many strangers around..." Christopher said. "Enough, Christopher, that''s your problem. If a bed at the Church isn''t suitable for you, you can still take him to the public restrooms in the park; it''s quiet there! And I guarantee it will be clean! Also, it''s free!" Bob''s voice was deafening, completely unyielding as Christopher looked at him awkwardly, while his child, Little Christopher, timidly hid behind him, clutching the faded corner of his blue shirt, sneaking a look at the irascible Bob. "Alright, Bob, I''ll pack up, and I''ll move out by this afternoon..." Christopher said helplessly. "Noon! Out by noon! I''m giving you one hour!" Bob wagged his stubby finger in the air as he spoke. In the middle of speaking, Bob noticed Chen Ke peeking through the next door''s ajar, and his demeanor did a complete one-eighty. "Oh, I''m terribly sorry, I was just addressing a business dispute, was I too noisy?" He said with a hat-tipping smile. Chen Ke widened the gap in the door slightly, showing just his head outside, his hair still dripping wet from the shower. "No problem, Christopher? That''s your name, right?" Chen Ke dealt with the owner first before calling out to Christopher and Little Christopher''s retreating backs. Christopher stopped in his tracks and turned back with a look of surprise. "Christopher, come here a moment. And you, too, Little Christopher," Chen Ke extended his left arm through the door gap, gesturing with a "come here, come here" motion. Father and son exchanged a hesitant glance, then walked towards Chen Ke. "Do we know each other, sir?" Christopher asked tentatively. "That''s not important, Christopher. What is important is that we''re both in big trouble right now, but we can help each other get through it," Chen Ke said with a smile. "You... would you really help me with the rent?" Christopher asked. Christopher peered curiously through the crack of the door, while Chen Ke unintentionally hid further behind it. "Of course, it''s for a fee, Chris," Chen Ke nodded. "Since that''s the case, you''ve got to help him cover all the overdue rent," Bob added from behind. "What did you used to do, Chris?" asked Chen Ke. "I was a technician at the Schofer Car Factory in Opportunity City, sir," Chris replied. "Haven''t found a new job?" Chen Ke looked at him. "No company wants to hire a middle-aged man who''s still handing out resumes at 30..." Chris murmured softly. Chen Ke suddenly remembered something. The time in this world was March 2009, and if he was not mistaken, the subprime mortgage crisis that started in the United Federation in 2008 and swept the entire Western world was still ongoing. Moreover, with a series of maneuvers by the giants of the Spiritual Power Industry, a wave of unemployment was sweeping across the United Federation. "A few days ago, I actually found a job, but they eventually retracted their offer because my commute was too long, and they thought I might not be able to meet the overtime requirements. Although I assured them I could," Chris said as if trying to prove something. "Your assurances don''t matter, Chris. They''re the ones picking on you, I understand these things very well," Chen Ke nodded. Before he crossed over to this world, he was just another nameless office drone, familiar with 996, layoffs before annual bonuses, and forced resignations of older employees. He had seen it all. But even as the subprime mortgage crisis ravaged the Western world, Spiritual Ability Enterprises were still throwing around big money and snapping up land. This showed just how prosperous the Spiritual Power Industry was in this world. Since it was an industry, there must be products and demand. Military equipment and Holy Relics were just one aspect; Chen Ke had yet to see how the Spiritual Power Industry performed in terms of consumer goods. Mainly because he had been too busy¡ªbusy trying to stay alive. "Why not try... becoming an investigator?" Chen Ke suddenly asked. "Ha! Why don''t you ask him why he doesn''t go work in the mines?" Bob laughed. Chris shook his head, saying, "Not everyone is willing to deal with those ghostly things, sir." Chen Ke uttered an "oh," realizing he had overestimated this world''s attitude towards and acceptance of the job of an investigator. He glanced at Christopher, then turned to Chris. "You just said we could help each other, right, sir? May I ask how I should address you?" Chris had been holding onto the hope that Chen Ke would help him through this difficult time, though Chen Ke had not explicitly said he would do so. "Right, right, we''re neighbors, and good neighbors should help each other out. How many sets of clothes did you bring?" Chen Ke winked at Chris. "Clothes?" Chris was taken aback. "Yes, underwear, trousers, jackets, socks, shoes, those," Chen Ke emphasized. "I do have a few sets of old clothes, but they may be a bit worn, I''ve worn them for several years..." Chris became uneasy. "500 union coins, Chris, give me a set of clothes, and I''ll give you 500 union coins," Chen Ke looked into Chris''s eyes. "Um... that''s quite a sum, sir. You could easily buy new ones..." Chris said, puzzled. "I want them now," Chen Ke interrupted Chris. "You could have bought from me," Bob chimed in from behind. "I could wear your pants as an overcoat," Chen Ke waved his hand dismissively. "I''ll pull my suitcase over right now, pick whatever clothes you want!" Chris said. "The underwear must be clean, definitely clean!" Chen Ke repeated earnestly. Chapter 28 - 028 What Can 9000 Union Coins Buy? Chapter 28: Chapter 028 What Can 9000 Union Coins Buy? The journey from the suburbs to the commercial street in the Lower District of Opportunity City was not short, and even by cab it took more than 30 minutes. Chen Ke sat in the back seat, silently watching the street scenes pass by. He was dressed in Chris''s clothes, wearing a faded light blue striped shirt on top, the cuffs and collar already turning somewhat white. His lower half was in brown suit pants, and since Chen Ke''s legs were longer than Chris''s, a bit of his ankles were exposed. The blue socks and worn brown leather shoes looked quite shabby. His underwear was blue. Wearing someone else''s clothes felt awkward no matter the position, so Chen Ke decided to first buy the things he needed on the commercial street before discussing joining the organization at Pihom''s gun store. He simply listed in his mind the items on his shopping list. First, he needed a set of clothes, well-fitting underwear, pants, and shoes suitable for exercise, and most importantly, a trench coat with pockets large enough. Chen Ke needed to carry at least three guns, plenty of spare magazines, and other items like daggers, and the coat had to cover these weapons. Moreover, it had to accommodate the potential future addition of weapons like shotguns. Not to mention full-sized shotguns like the Remington M870, at the very least, there had to be an inner pocket in the trench coat large enough to fit a shortened type like the Super Shorty. Next, he needed a waterproof bag with a large enough volume. The blonde Assassin''s triangle bag was too small. As someone who needed to carry all his belongings with him, Chen Ke required a sturdy tactical bag that was also waterproof. Chen Ke recalled a military brand called 5.11 Tactical. Now that he was in the United Federation, it wouldn''t be too difficult to acquire. After that, he needed a cellphone. He urgently required access to the internet and a way to keep in contact with potential allies, like Pihom. Chen Ke had initially hoped that Pihom would help him solve the problem of obtaining a SIM card. After all, he was essentially undocumented and thus unable to get one. But later, he learned from Chris that in addition to contract-based SIM cards, the United Federation also had prepaid cards that could be activated and used immediately upon purchase, with no formalities required. Of course, as for a bank account, he would have to think of a solution for that. As for holsters and various firearms and ammunition, Pihom''s gun store should be able to fulfil all his needs. Even in the depressed Lower District, one could spot the presence of Walmart, the biggest retail giant across the entire federation. Approaching 10 am, there was not much shopping activity in the store, and the vast sales area was quiet and empty, with employees in dark blue uniforms idly leaning against the shelves and whispering to one another. Chen Ke quickly searched through the store, and he had to admit, it was quite novel to browse a western department store for the first time because you would never believe that a department store would also sell these things: On the green shelves of electronic video games in the inner area of the first floor were stacks of GTA4 and FIFA09 discs, while the opposite blue shelves were piled with MGS4 and PES 2009. An employee was playing Gears of War 2 on the Xbox 360 in the display case. The unattended PS3 display unit was showing the opening animation of the recent new game "The Lord of the Rings: Conquest." Further on was the military area, where a green bin was filled to the brim with boxed 5.56mm caliber bullets, and the wall was hung with more than thirty civilian single-shot rifles in AR-15 style and various shotguns. It was the weapon discount season, and the previously priced 335 union coins AR-15 now sold for just 257. Chen Ke also specifically checked the prices of the Remington M870 and Winchester M70 rifles, both having 30% off discounts, which was very tempting. Chen Ke was very interested in many of the long guns, but considering the inconvenience of carrying them, he had to give up the idea; after all, he couldn''t walk the streets with a long gun on his back. If he had the chance later on, he might try compact submachine guns like the Charge. In a corner of the military goods area, he found the 5.11 Tactical counter, where an array of military equipment caught his eye. Chen Ke had never imagined that one day these items would become a necessity for him. Chen Ke immediately set his sights on the RUSH24 BACKPACK 37L Charge backpack. Its water-resistant and wear-resistant quality first-rate, greatly expanding his carrying capacity. Plus, it could switch between single and double-shoulder straps, could be worn slung or backpack style, without a second thought, he shelled out 169 union coins for it. At the same time, he spent 189 union coins to buy two pairs of black ABR Trainer sports shoes. For long runs and battles, such sneakers were far more comfortable than leather shoes. As for the various accompanying Charge jackets, baseball caps, cargo pants, and the like from 5.11 Tactical, he didn''t plan to buy any. Although it was easy to assemble a low-threat penetration outfit with 5.11 gear, Chen Ke preferred dressing in suits and trench coats. Just as he was about to go upstairs to pick out clothes, his gaze was drawn to an ARK tactical liner lock folding knife in the cabinet. The clerk saw him observing it for a while and simply took the knife out of the cabinet and handed it to him to play with. Chen Ke felt the knife, flipping out the blade, which was coated with a black oxidized layer. If not sharpened, the overall length was about 8cm, with a blade length of 6cm, and there were serrations near where the blade met the handle, very practical. "The handle of this knife is made of G10 material, and it can also be threaded with a cord to hang on the hand; it''s quite nice to hold. Although it''s unlikely you''ll use it to stab someone, the knife is also great as a tool for traveling and daily life," the clerk could tell Chen Ke really liked the knife and tempted him. Military goods are toys for men; Chen Ke''s thoughts shifted, and with 75 union coins spent, the knife went into his bag. He briskly went up to the second floor to the ready-to-wear area and firstly bought several sets of underwear; then, he started to select his own attire. At a glance, he liked a dark grey jacket trench coat, but upon checking the price tag which read "1,999.99$", he cursed in his mind and walked away. There was no need to buy something too expensive, he wouldn''t use it. Chen Ke turned to a brand area with not-so-exaggerated prices and bought three pairs of blue jeans, three dark red shirts, two gray trench coats, three belts, spending a total of 600 union coins. Chen Ke pushed his shopping cart up to the third floor, the electronics sales area, where the listless clerks huddled together to chat. He saw many brands familiar from past memories; Motorola, Nokia, and Sony Ericsson were still the mainstream mobile phone brands at the time, and the iPhone had just taken off but wasn''t yet the absolute market leader. Chen Ke, looking at the familiar models in the cabinet, couldn''t help but become nostalgic. In his world, these brands either vanished or were reduced to pale shadows of their former selves. He detested touch screen phones, so he didn''t consider the iPhone 3G series, and the Android system in ''09 was still crap, not worth buying. Chen Ke wandered over to other brand counters; at the Nokia counter, he saw a red full-keyboard bar phone, a model he didn''t recall ever hearing about. The price tag read: E63, and beside it was the classic E71. Chen Ke suddenly remembered, this was an era where technology primarily consisted of swapping out cases! This E63 was probably a cheaper, mass-market version of the E71. Unlike the E71''s full metal case, the E63 featured an ABS plastic case and a CPU with a lower clock speed, while its camera had been downgraded from 3.2 megapixels to 2 megapixels. But this machine had its advantages too. First off, the price was just 69 union coins, cheaper than the E71. And it used the same Symbian S60V3 system with a battery capacity of 1500mAh, on par with the E71. Most importantly, the E63 was available with colorful cases. Who doesn''t like colorful cases? Chen Ke decisively made the payment and scored a red E63. He picked up the phone''s box, tossed it into his cart, and randomly bought a 59 union coin prepaid phone card. All set, Chen Ke, laden with big and small bags, walked out of Walmart. In total, this trip cost him 1161 union coins. Fortunately, Chen Ke didn''t have expenses like food, so it didn''t hurt too much. He quickly hailed a cab and rushed back to the motel. Chapter 29 - 029: The First Generation Chapter 29: Chapter 029: The First Generation Chen Ke changed back into his own clothes at the motel and got ready to head to Pihom''s gun shop. The Python revolver and the M1911A1 would not be needed for the time being, so he stowed them away in his assault pack. A Glock 17, with its silencer removed, was tucked in his holster. The Holy Relics Diamond and spare Glock magazines were in the inside pockets of his trench coat, and an ARK folding knife was clipped to the pocket of his jeans. As for spare clothes, Chen Ke didn''t pack them, after all, he needed to leave space for ammunition. Pulling out a red E63 from his pocket, Chen Ke finally had the chance to go online and learn about this world. Before this, he had already learned that spiritual energy incidents had been occurring frequently in this world for a very long time, and in 1910, countries around the world had established their own Spiritual Ability Administration Bureaus in response. Just as the steam engine was to the industrial revolution, what was the milestone event of the Spiritual Era? In which year did it originate? There seemed to be no consensus on the internet. 1910 was a generally recognized year when the governments of the world began to formally acknowledge the existence of "monsters," "Holy Relics," and "mutated creatures." In this year, "Transcendent" phenomena were no longer secrets and urban legends passed among civilians but became a "new normal." Also, in this year, the nations of the world no longer hid or blocked information on spiritual energy and transcendent phenomena; instead, they began large-scale public education and propaganda regarding this new phenomenon in the world. Chen Ke also specifically looked up related historical information of this world, such as dates, key historical events, and historical figures. In fact, apart from the additional spiritual energy-related incidents, other events that had occurred were not much different from the world he knew. But that''s not to say there were no differences, such as this world having gone through three world wars. The causes and outcomes of World War I and World War II were largely the same, but between these two conflicts, there was another brief yet intense global conflict. In the year 1917, the then unaligned Allied Powers and the United Federation briefly fell into a fierce conflict. But within just a year, all parties ended the war. The units involved in the war were not military forces but investigators and first-generation Spiritual Ability Users from different countries'' Administration Bureaus. The cause of the war was not a scramble for colonies but a dispute over the ownership of Spirit Explosion Spaces. After World War I, the numerous battlefields turned into vast Spirit Explosion Spaces. The Administration Bureaus of various countries had just been established and lacked experience in dealing with Spirit Explosion Spaces. At that time, there was also no technology to make spiritual power bullets and firearms, so Spiritual Ability Users and investigators had to fight unknown enemies under extremely tough and dangerous conditions. After helping the Allied Powers deal with many Spirit Explosion Spaces, the United Federation''s Bureau believed that they should also have the right to utilize these resources. At that time, although the progress of spiritual energy research topics was limited, everyone was very clear about how great the potential was, moreover, these Spirit Explosion Spaces were on their own territory¡ªwho would willingly share with other countries? After negotiations and coordination had all failed, relations between the countries'' Bureaus became deadlocked. And the match that lit the fire of war occurred on a very ordinary afternoon. On April 12, 1927, during routine exploratory missions in Spirit Explosion Spaces carried out by several teams of investigators, an investigator from the United Federation accidentally discharged his firearm, injuring an investigator from an Allied country who was in front. Subsequently, colleagues of the injured investigator drew their guns and attacked all the United Federation investigators present, resulting in a terribly brutal casualty event. The escalation of the conflict was quicker and more intense than anyone expected. If the combat among investigators was another version of a feud, it was when Spiritual Ability Users entered the fray, tearing each other apart, that countries saw the broad prospects of spiritual power in the military field. The war ended with both sides suffering heavy losses; the combatants lost a significant number of Spiritual Ability Users and investigators. The Allied Powers from then on formed a stable multinational alliance, sharing resources in various fields. And the United Federation no longer entertained the idea of eyeing other countries'' Spirit Explosion Spaces. This war was known as the first Spiritual Energy War or the Spiritual Ability Users War; some also directly referred to it as the 1.5th World War. This brief, almost farcical war profoundly influenced the outcome of the next world war. Because in this world... there were no nuclear bombs. There was no so-called Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, but rather it had been replaced by the Spiritual Power Non-Proliferation Treaty. After the first Spiritual Energy War, countries began to value their Spiritual Ability Users greatly, as not everyone could become one. This involved an entire set of technologies related to infusing spiritual energy into the human body. In this world, there was no such thing as the "Observation Method" or "Cultivation Method," to obtain spiritual energy one had to resort to complex and unstable medical procedures that liquefied spiritual energy from the atmosphere and then injected it into the spines of ordinary people. Not everyone could withstand this power, and combined with the rudimentary injection techniques of the early days, many people became disabled. A person able to withstand larger doses of spiritual power would become a target for competition among countries. The grading for spiritual power injections was also stratified, similar to investigator licenses, but it was not distinguished by letters, rather simply by numbers. Energy Level 1 was the most basic level of spiritual energy, and Energy Level 5 was the highest. In fact, there was not much difference between investigators and Spiritual Ability Users in essence; the former could use spiritual power weapons, relying on the spiritual energy within their bodies, and Holy Relics were summoned through spiritual energy as well. But why couldn''t investigators use Holy Relics? Because the amount of spiritual energy in an investigator''s body had not reached the level to summon Holy Relics. Investigators were Spiritual Ability Users with less than 1 level of spiritual energy; correspondingly, their injection surgery was also relatively easier. When the Second World War in this world reached its most critical stage, the United Federation sent a Level 5 Spiritual Ability User codenamed "Superman" from the nation of Sunrise to end the war. Due to the performance of "Superman" in the war, all capable countries launched a "Spiritual Arms Race." After millions were sacrificed, hundreds of new "Supermen" emerged around the globe. In 1947, the Suluo Union and the United Federation began the Cold War, both sides continued to invest tirelessly into the nurturing of "Supermen," and the whole world lived in the shadow of "Supermen exterminating the world." It wasn''t until 1968 that countries, realizing the severity of the problem, began to sign the Spiritual Power Non-Proliferation Treaty in succession to limit and reduce the number of "Supermen" worldwide. The Cold War finally ended in 1991, after the Suluo Union went bankrupt and split into more than a dozen smaller nations. Chen Ke searched for the word "Superman" in the search bar and several entries came up. Entry 1: United Federation''s DC Comics launched this superhero series in 1938, the world''s best-selling superhero comic. Entry 2: Clark Kent, Superman. A character in the United Federation''s DC Comics series, the world''s most popular comic book hero NO.1. Entry 3: United Federation rock singer Damian Wayne released the lead song of his third solo album in 2001. Entry 4: Weber Spirit Production launched a spiritual fitness drug series in 1969. Entry 5: In 1948, Warner Brothers Entertainment Company of the United Federation adapted an action movie based on the World War II story. ... Entry 24: Kirk Meiling (1910-1967), a citizen of the United Federation, the hero who ended World War II. The first generation "Superman." After browsing through this information, Chen Ke was shocked. The existence of "Superman" allowed him to understand the immense power of Spiritual Ability Users in a direct way. It also clarified the relationship between investigators and Spiritual Ability Users. Combining the existence of Holy Relics and the powerful effects of multiple Holy Relics when used together, a "Superman" fully equipped with a complete set of strong effect Holy Relics and Transcendent skills indeed represented a truly terrifying humanoid war machine. With human intelligence, capable of following orders, and as long as nothing outrageous was done, they could infiltrate almost any area, much more practical than a nuclear bomb. No wonder this world did not invest resources into developing nuclear weaponry. "Superman" was the ultimate goal of national monopoly on Holy Relics and Spiritual Power Injection Skill. So what were Transcendent skills? Chen Ke moved his fingers, trying to find the answer. But no matter how much he searched, he couldn''t get any relevant information. The information about Holy Relics was also very uninformative. "A unique little stone from the Spirit Explosion Space, similar to a diamond, unworkable and unutilizable, a useless stone," is how Wikipedia described Holy Relics. In reality, the group of people who could come into contact with Holy Relics was very limited, and ordinary people had no chance to see the true form of Holy Relics, not even in their diamond form possibly not even once in their lifetime. And the content of spiritual energy in the bodies of investigators was simply not enough to summon Holy Relics, so even if they saw those little diamonds every day, they would not be able to learn more valuable information. Most spiritual ability users who knew the true power of Holy Relics were part of national institutions, and they had no reason, nor did they dare to disclose information casually. So, this explanation of Holy Relics on Wikipedia was indeed the common people''s existing perception: pretty but useless stones. Chen Ke turned off the screen. This was the end of the useful information the search engine could find. The more essential things were all blocked up, either a lie or pretending not to exist. And now, he had to reassess the strength of Si''s consortium. To be able to train professional Assassins with Transcendent skills on a large scale like himself and to have branches in every state of the Federation meant that they were indeed a spiritual energy giant! With his current state and resources, he could not directly confront them. And to tell the truth, Chen Ke still could not determine where exactly his strength fell. In his mind, he imagined a line with Parker at the far left and "Superman" at the far right. Starting with Parker, Rank: D investigators could be said to be almost indistinguishable from ordinary people. Ending with "Superman," though not as badass as the one in the comics, they might still be considered the strongest beings on Earth currently. Between them, there were Rank: C, B, A, S investigators and Energy Level 1, 2, 3, 4 spiritual energy users. In actuality, investigators were simply Spiritual Ability Users below Energy Level 1. Chen Ke tried to find his own place on this line, but he had no clues. He believed himself to be much stronger than Parker; at least he wasn''t bitten to death by a human-faced dog, and he could hold his own in a fight with that toad from the sewers, which could not be considered bad by any measure. But Chen Ke was not sure if Transcendent skills were exclusive to Spiritual Ability Users. D-level Parker likely had no skills; otherwise, he would have used them. So, would higher-level investigators have skills? He could only guess and hope to find another investigator later to ask clearly. He hoped the threshold for possessing Transcendent skills was as low as possible because then finding and dealing with Pankia would be much easier. Too many questions, too little information, Mad Fak. Chapter 30 - 030: The Postman Chapter 30: Chapter 030: The Postman The taxi stopped in front of the Six-Shooter Gun Shop, and Chen Ke paid the fare before stepping out and into the shop. The clock hanging on the wall of the gun shop chimed right then, ringing "duang duang duang" twelve times. Chen Ke realized that since he had arrived in this world, he had only been here for a little more than ten hours, yet he had experienced so much; it was incredibly fulfilling. The chubby man sprawled on the counter immediately stood up when he saw Chen Ke again and turned to knock on the Red Door behind him. Chen Ke, with his hands buried in his trench coat pockets, waited and swept his gaze across the many long guns hanging on the wall. Pihom emerged from the door, still holding a Medieval flintlock that he was carefully wiping. The gun''s flint had been replaced with a new one, and the gold inlay on the wooden body was somewhat faded. "Nice gun," commented Chen Ke, noticing that Pihom was a gun enthusiast. "This is my favorite gun," Pihom said proudly, looking at his collection as if it were a treasure. "I thought you preferred Colt revolvers; I didn''t expect you to be an antique gun lover," Chen Ke shrugged. "Do you know? The previous owner of this gun was Blackbeard," Pihom said with a mysterious smile. Blackbeard? The one from the Age of Navigation? "I''ve imagined more than once how many sailors this gun must have killed back in the day; it''s definitely a chilling weapon. Unfortunately, I only have one. I heard that Edward Teach, Blackbeard himself, had a total of four guns," Pihom lifted the gun above his head, clicking his tongue in admiration. "I think most of the sailors were probably killed by the cannons of the Queen Anne, with that ship around, Edward Teach... wouldn''t have had many chances to use his guns," Chen Ke spread his hands. "Don''t talk nonsense, young man, never underestimate the importance of a handgun at any time!" Pihom''s tone rose a bit, annoyed by Chen Ke''s comment, and he tucked the gun-cleaning cloth into his pocket. "Yes, yes... Let''s get down to business," Chen Ke waved his hand. "Don''t be impatient, young man. The more time you have, the longer you look, and the more you think, the clearer your path forward will become," Pihom said with a smile. "I''m only concerned with what happens within the next 10 hours; we''re not promised tomorrow, Pi," Chen Ke replied. Pihom''s smile faded, he tilted his head towards the Red Door behind the counter, gesturing for Chen Ke to follow him through it. The two of them, one after the other, proceeded down a small passage and descended the stairs. The staircase going down wasn''t very long. Chen Ke followed Pihom through a blue door into a very spacious underground space. Surrounded by pitch-black darkness without any lights to illuminate how vast the basement really was, Chen Ke could clearly see two red outlines in the darkness. "+1 hour" "+1 hour" ... The numbers of the life countdown were incessantly changing, flickering back and forth between 10:00 and 09:59. Chen Ke couldn''t help being somewhat surprised; regardless of his own ability to kill, he was now fully armed, yet these two people could still pose such a big threat to him. They either had powerful weapons, or they were higher-level investigators or Spiritual Ability Users! Within his visible range, a small laptop sat on a table, the only source of light in the room. Pihom leaned on the table with his hands, the blue glow of the screen casting a cold light on his aged face. The sound of the door locking behind them echoed; Chen Ke looked back to see there was no way out. "Take a seat, young man," Pihom said. Chen Ke pulled over a chair and sat down with composure. "I''ll tell you right now what my little group does. You''re out of options; either join us or die here. This is the choice you''ve made for yourself," Pihom declared. Pihom managed an underground organization that specialized in collecting Holy Relics called "Postmen." Its members were all ordinary people but were skilled in knowledge and weapons to deal with Spiritual Monsters. The team wasn''t large, but every member was an elite. The organization''s way of collecting Holy Relics was very crude and simple; they didn''t enter Black Box Spaces or venture into the wild Spirit Explosion Ruins, but rather carried out direct robberies! In fact, many of the big companies in the Spiritual Power Industry were somewhat engaged in illegal smuggling and hiding Holy Relics. If discovered by the Administration Bureau, the punishment would be severe. These companies'' private stashes of Holy Relics became prime targets for the Postmen. Even if robbed, they wouldn''t dare call the police. An idea crossed Chen Ke''s mind. He knew from the beginning that whatever Pihom''s organization was doing couldn''t be particularly noble, but he had never expected it to be so straightforward. Postal workers themselves didn''t need those Holy Relics; they were simply drawn into the shadowy conflicts between Spiritual Ability Enterprises, earning money through these dealings. These major corporations would hire organizations like postal workers to steal Holy Relics from their competitors to achieve their goals. For Chen Ke, this was a good opportunity to collect Holy Relics. If he secretly took a few, who would know? "Have you decided to join us now? Decide quickly!" Pihom asked. Chen Ke leaned back in his chair and thought for a bit. This organization would allow him to delve into the dark side of the Spiritual Power Industry, uncovering more useful intelligence and giving him access to a large number of ready-made Holy Relics to enhance his strength. The only hesitation for Chen Ke was that even though he now had a lifespan of 10 hours, which was rather comfortable, he still needed to ensure a fighting frequency of at least every 5 hours. It was impossible for the postal workers to have commissions every day, and not every commission would result in a shootout. Without a steady stream of killing intent, Chen Ke wouldn''t live long. The postal workers could provide him with information and Holy Relics, but when it came to life extension, he had to rely on himself. Before confronting Pankia, he had to continuously hunt things like sewer toads to extend his lifespan, to make himself more at ease. Since postal workers could grant him access to the underbelly of the Spiritual Power Industry, uncovering information about Spiritual Ability-infected monsters shouldn''t be too hard. As for whether he could solve the problem of his life countdown after finding Pankia... Chen Ke could only put all his chips on the belief that he could! "I''ll join," Chen Ke said. "First, tell me, what do you know about Holy Relics?" Pihom asked. "Online they say those things are just pretty stones. But surely you don''t think so," Chen Ke replied tentatively. "Have you seen them?" More than seen them, I''ve used them, are you scared? "Never seen them." "That Spiritual Ability Pistol you have on you, can you use it?" Pihom stared into his eyes as though he were a human lie detector, and Chen Ke had to admit Pihom''s gaze was very sharp, something most people couldn''t withstand the pressure of. "Can''t use it." "You''re lying!" Pihom drew an M1911A1 and aimed it at Chen Ke''s head. "I can''t use that gun; I''m not an investigator," Chen Ke said without changing his expression. "I''ve never used it." "I''ll count to three, you''d better tell the truth." "I''ve never used it." "One!" "Go to hell, Pihom." "Two!" "Is your brain stuffed with Flame Magnum Bullets?" "Three!" "Go kiss your damn gun, son of a beach." A red scanning light swept over Chen Ke''s body, and Pihom looked toward the dark side of the room, his expression a mix of anticipation and tension. "He''s clean, no Spiritual Energy response, not even a little bit," a man in the dark said. No sooner had the voice faded than several white daylight lamps suddenly turned on, bringing the entire room into view. Two men in suits, each holding a rifle and a shotgun, stood not far away; several monitors hung on the wall to the left, and this basement was, in fact, replete with many rooms and corridors, resembling an underground fortress. "Welcome to the postal workers, young man! This here is our safe house!" Pihom changed from his previous cold and ruthless demeanor to a smile like a jolly uncle from the United Federation, reaching out to shake Chen Ke''s hand. Chapter 31 - 031 We Have a Big Deal Chapter 31: Chapter 031 We Have a Big Deal "Don''t ever test me like that again..." Chen Ke grasped Pihom''s hand, and the atmosphere immediately relaxed. The three other guys nearby also slung their long guns over their shoulders, leaving a deep impression on Chen Ke. The first one he noticed was the white man holding a scanner, a sturdy figure dressed in a gray suit, with a buzz cut, and a full beard that formed a goatee. He stood a head taller than Chen Ke. Over his shoulder hung an AK74 outfitted with an underslung grenade launcher. The laser that had scanned him must have come from the device in that guy''s hand. Standing next to the white man was a man with nearly half his face covered in red scars, which was somewhat nauseating to look at. He was about the same height as Chen Ke, dressed in a brown suit, with a gray Saiga-12 shotgun resting on his shoulder, his eyes sharp like an eagle''s. "Gentlemen, let''s get cozy and familiar with each other," Pihom said with a smile, one hand on Chen Ke''s shoulder, the other gesturing for his two companions to come over. "Not bad, not bad, this young man''s got guts, I like that," said the man with the scarred face with a nod. "This here is Hall," Pihom introduced. "If Pihom trusts you, then I can trust you, little brother," the white man with the scanner agreed, his accent intriguing, his speech peppered with three rolled Rs. "This is Priskin, as you can probably tell from his accent. He''s from the former Suluo, our team''s engineer," Pihom said with a smile. An engineer for a robbery? Chen Ke was a bit puzzled, but considering the organization wasn''t stealing ordinary items, perhaps it was normal for their methods to be a bit different? "So, how should we address you?" asked Priskin. "You can call me Chen Ke." "Good, I''ll remember that name. Pihom says you''re good at dealing with monsters, though none of us have seen it..." Hall circled around the table, his opinion of Chen Ke reserved. "Can I ask a question first?" Chen Ke crossed his arms, scrutinizing the three men before him. From the moment he entered, he hadn''t felt the presence of anyone else, and including himself, there were only four people in this underground safehouse. This couldn''t help but pique his curiosity. "New guys always have a lot of questions, go ahead," Pihom said, grinning. "Is this room all there is to the Postman Organization?" Chen Ke asked with a raised eyebrow, puzzled. As if they had already seen through Chen Ke''s doubts, Priskin and Hall wore smirks of mockery, and Pihom, with a smirk, pulled out his wallet and handed two five-dollar bills to them¡ªapparently, they had made some sort of bet earlier. "It''s normal for you to wonder. Perhaps there aren''t many people in this little safehouse, but that doesn''t mean we''re weak or alone. Gathering everyone together just isn''t our style," Pihom explained. Priskin and Hall went off to take care of other things, and Pihom gave Chen Ke a brief tour of the safehouse. The room had five rooms and a hall, two of which were hung with violent, modified weapons that couldn''t be seen in any gun shop. A stockless rifle caught his eye¡ªoutfitted not only with a grenade launcher but also crammed with laser sights and flashlights on the Picatinny rails, with an ACOG 4x scope attached above. And yet, even with all the modifications, Chen Ke could tell from the gun''s unique wooden fore-end and steel-gray reinforced body that it was actually an AK47... "This is Babayaga, Priskin''s beloved personal modification. He''s our most outstanding engineering expert and gunsmith, with unique insights into modding guns. He''s been studying how to modify a shotgun to fire deer bullets..." Pihom spread his hands. Chen Ke couldn''t help but be amazed. In any world, Russians were a peculiar breed, and only one who had drunk shampoo would study how to convert a shotgun to a machine gun... The room also contained other heavily modified weapons, each not just altered in various ways but also having flashy paint jobs. For anyone who loved guns, this place was heaven. Underneath each gun was a little note with the owner''s name on it. Chen Ke glanced at them¡ªJimmy, Chains, Sydney... it seemed the Postman Organization had quite a few members, but none were in the safehouse at the moment. "... This room contains our most important things, the drilling machines," Pihom''s voice came from next door and Chen Ke hurried to follow. In this room, he saw all kinds of drilling machines, big and small, each fitted with a square, black iron frame that seemed capable of being mounted on various vertical surfaces as needed. The larger drill was about the size of a diesel generator, with a pile of smaller ones each about half the size of a computer case. "What are these for?" Chen Ke asked, pointing to the smaller drills. "They''re used to open locks that can''t be picked or pried," Pihom replied. "Why not just use C4 or a shotgun? Why go through all the trouble?" Chen Ke asked, puzzled. Ordinary locks could be destroyed with a handgun, and larger locks could be dealt with using a shotgun firing buckshot, so why bother with drills? "Locks aren''t always on doors, and sometimes we don''t want the person who locked it to know someone is trying to unlock it. Soon you''ll see how we use them," Pihom chuckled. The two continued forward to the next room, where they saw dozens of hockey masks hanging on three of the walls, each with a different style. These masks were not only painted fancifully, some were outright works of art. Chen Ke stared at a chicken-head-shaped mask for a long time. "Every postman has their own mask. When our designer gets back, she will help you design a unique one," Pihom said. "It''s definitely better than wearing a black hood." Chen Ke commented. He hadn''t expected that the postmen even managed their heists with such artistic flair. Moving on, they came to the lounge and the planning room where Hall and Priskin were discussing something in front of a white tactical board that had a blue architectural blueprint tacked onto it, with various marks and arrows drawn alongside it. Pihom and Chen Ke stopped at the door, not entering to disturb them. Chen Ke remembered the scanner Priskin had used on him earlier and mentioned it to Pihom. "That device is roughly similar to a handheld X-ray, but it isn''t for scanning your body; instead, it checks if there is Spiritual Energy inside you," Pihom explained. Spiritual Energy is colorless and odorless in the air, but it does have mass and is a detectable gas. In ancient times, this substance was referred to as "Ether." After undergoing a process of extraction and liquefaction by the Administration Bureau, this colorless and odorless gas turns into a luminescent blue liquid. No element on the known periodic table can synthesize Spiritual Energy. It is the 64th element discovered by humanity and cannot undergo a chemical reaction with any other element. Before being liquefied and injected into the spinal canal inside the human spine to merge with the spinal cord, Spiritual Energy cannot have any positive effects on humans. Note that I said positive effects. Only by merging the liquefied Spiritual Energy with the human spinal cord can humans gain the ability to control the Holy Relics. When a Spiritual Ability User dies, this liquefied Spiritual Energy seemingly evaporates into thin air. There is currently no definitive explanation for this phenomenon. The principle of the handheld scanner that Priskin had lies in scanning the human spine area to determine if there is any luminescent blue substance, thus assessing if the individual has Spiritual Energy. Of course, the Administration Bureau surely has more advanced and straightforward methods. "So, you''re saying that all the people in the Postman Organization are normal, with none possessing Spiritual Power? Since we''re going to rob the Holy Relics, why don''t we try to make ourselves stronger?" Chen Ke asked. "The reason is simple. If we are all normal people, then only the cops will come after us. But if we are illegal Spiritual Ability Users, then the Administration Bureau will be our enemy. You might think that investigators aren''t so tough after you kill one. But I assure you, if you''ve ever seen a Spiritual Ability User fight, even just once, you wouldn''t want to mess with them. Don''t lay hands on cops, civilians, or anyone from the Administration Bureau; that''s the bottom line. Avoid engaging investigators from Spiritual Ability Enterprises unless absolutely necessary," Pihom replied with a serious expression. Not going after cops or civilians meant that the Postman Organization still had lines it wouldn''t cross, although the main reason for this was because dealing with these two groups afterward was tricky. The wariness towards Spiritual Ability Users and investigators, apart from the pressure from the Administration Bureau, was likely more due to the fear of the powers of Spiritual Ability Users. Thinking about what could make the leader of an organization that specialized in robbing Spiritual Ability Enterprises so wary, and combining it with the deeds of "Transcendents" who ended World War II, made Chen Ke increasingly curious about the capacity of Spiritual Ability Users. Did he count as a Spiritual Ability User now? The ability from the Holy Relics came from his lifespan, not Spiritual Energy; what on earth did that mean? Chen Ke once more pondered wildly. Perhaps a complete set of Holy Relics that can enhance each other''s effects in combination with Transcendent Skills represents the full display of a Spiritual Ability User''s power? If that was the case, he must figure out a way to acquire Transcendent Skills quickly! That was the only way to match the Transcendent Assassins from Si''s consortium. And right now, with no clue about how to obtain Transcendent Skills, arming himself with a bunch of useful Holy Relics was a must. And what better way to achieve that goal quickly than by stealing from others? "So, Pihom, let''s talk business... When''s the next job?" Chen Ke said with a smile. "Soon, very soon... I have a big deal on my hands right now, and the target is Si''s consortium," Pihom said while lighting a cigarette. Chen Ke bowed his head, pretending to wipe his nose, to hide his wicked and excited smile. He had been wondering how to find out more about Si''s consortium, and the Postman Organization had delivered a golden opportunity right to him, which would also allow for collecting Holy Relics¡ªan opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. Just then, Hall suddenly ran out of the room, holding a device that resembled a handheld radio with a screen; he looked serious, seemingly bearing bad news. "What''s wrong, Hall? This doesn''t seem like you," Pihom asked in surprise. "Pi, it''s an emergency signal. Hainerd''s team seems to have run into trouble," Hall said gravely. Pihom''s brows furrowed as he rushed forward to take the handheld radio, checking it attentively. "Hainerd and I both know that the heist last night was supposed to be as easy as going out for a meal for his people..." Pihom muttered as he examined the device. "The signal is moving, they''re in a car, passing through the Lower District and heading towards the Upper City," Priskin said as he came out of the room. "First, let''s get our people back, then we can figure out what exactly happened," Pihom said. The three of them then turned to look at Chen Ke. "Rookie, get ready for your first heist!" Chapter 32 - 032: Switching Guns Chapter 32: Chapter 032: Switching Guns Chen Ke followed Hall and Priskin into the weapon room, but he didn¡¯t have a rifle of his own. Hall picked up his Saiga-12 shotgun and also grabbed a sawed-off grenade launcher. He slung a brown shoulder bag over himself, stuffing it with ten boxes of 12-gauge deer bullets and eight explosive grenades. Priskin, of course, took his ¡°Baba Yaga,¡± along with a SOCOM MK23 handgun fitted with an extended magazine. Unlike Hall, in addition to weapons, Priskin also brought a small handheld drill. ¡°You need a rifle, but we don¡¯t have time to customize one for you right now, so just pick any,¡± Pihom suggested. ¡°Chen Ke, my shotgun¡¯s most effective range is around 50 to 100 meters, Priskin¡¯s gun about 100 to 150 meters. You understand what I¡¯m getting at, right?¡± Hall said while checking his weapons. Chen Ke hummed in acknowledgment, his gaze searching the racks on the other wall, and he took an interest in a very classic rifle¡ªthe M16. ... Produced by Colt, just like the M1911. He took the gun off the rack, removed the magazine, and pulled the charging handle back several times, making sure there was nothing wrong with the gun. Hall smiled and bent down to organize his gear, stuffing two shock hand grenades into his bag. ¡°You¡¯ve picked a good rifle, but I have to remind you that this one is an M16A2, which doesn¡¯t have a full-auto firing mode, only semi-automatic single-shot or three-round burst,¡± Pihom reminded him. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Priskin¡¯s AK can provide mid-range fire suppression, and Hall¡¯s deer bullets can take care of all enemies closest to us. I just need to apply pressure by precisely targeting at a 300-meter range,¡± Chen Ke said, grabbing a handful of 5.56 mm rifle rounds from an ammunition box, one by one loading them into the empty magazine. Hall and Pihom exchanged a knowing smile, aware that they had found an expert. ¡°How¡¯s your aim?¡± Priskin interjected. ¡°This gun doesn¡¯t have a Picatinny rail, nor a 4x scope attached¡ªusing iron sights, I can¡¯t guarantee a hundred percent hit rate,¡± Chen Ke spoke at a measured pace. This was his first time handling a rifle since crossing over, but he had a strong feeling that he used to be a precise shooter! Maybe not as accurate as a dedicated sniper, but not far off. Holding that M16A2 felt great; even though it was no longer a very advanced weapon, its retro and rugged design coupled with the simple and direct handling would surely satisfy any marksman¡¯s desire for control. ¡°Once we finish this job, I¡¯ll come back and help you customize a super awesome precision rifle. You can start thinking of a name for it now!¡± Priskin, always straightforward, clapped Chen Ke on the shoulder. The three checked their equipment one last time. With Pihom¡¯s sponsorship, Chen Ke got a holster capable of holding two handguns. Since the mission might very likely involve a street shootout, all three wore plate carriers under their clothes. ¡°We¡¯re not going to encounter monsters this time out, so you won¡¯t need those two handguns that shoot flame bombs, unless you¡¯re willing to switch bullets in combat. Otherwise, I suggest you sort through your weapons and ammo,¡± Hall advised. Hall¡¯s words made a lot of sense, but changing weapons wasn¡¯t free. The mail carriers¡¯ weapons were all ¡°washed¡± military-grade goods, not in the same class as the discounted civilian weapons at Walmart, so even for internal organization members, swapping and upgrading arms would cost a fair amount of money. While loading bullets, Chen Ke thought over his current arsenal of three handguns: an M1911A1, a Colt Python, and a Glock 17. The M1911A1 from Parker was a bona fide Spiritual Gun, capable of firing official, regular Spiritual Bullets¡ªif not for a stroke of luck, it would have been impossible to get, so it was Chen Ke¡¯s most cherished weapon. It fired .45 caliber bullets. The Glock 17 Chen Ke got from the Black People was used to fire civilian Spiritual Bullets, paired with a silencer for luring enemies and testing the strength of monsters. It¡¯s a typical 9mm caliber handgun. Pihom generously gifted a Colt Python revolver that could be loaded with a variety of Spiritual or regular bullets at any time, making it a highly flexible and powerful weapon. Whether for killing monsters or people, it could easily handle it all, depending entirely on one¡¯s mood! Firing .357 Magnum bullets, it was truly like a hand cannon. Each of these three guns used totally different bullets, meaning Chen Ke had to carry three kinds of ammunition every time he left the house, which was extremely burdensome. Considering the six classes and eighteen types of attributes of Spiritual Energy, just carrying bullets could crush him in the future. Chen Ke decided to standardize the caliber of bullets he carried, so he could just carry one kind of ammunition. This would not only effectively increase his available round count but also reduce the number of guns he had to carry. The first to be discarded was the Colt Python. After his battle with the giant toad, he had a deep understanding of the difference between Holy Relics and guns, and also that the attributes of the bullets were more important than their caliber! Besides, stuffing bullets into the cylinder one by one was a terrible experience! The M1911A1 Spiritual Ability Pistol was an indispensable weapon that could not be given up. It was produced by the Administration Bureau specifically for all kinds of monsters. It was impossible to get one on the market, so he had to keep it with him no matter what. Chen Ke only wanted to carry two pistols and one type of pistol ammunition. Although the Spiritual Gun could only fire specialized bullets from the Administration Bureau, he also didn¡¯t like the idea of running around with different calibers of ammunition. The 9mm bullets were hardly satisfying in terms of power, the recoil of the Magnum was too strong, and its kinetic power seemed slightly embarrassing compared to the Holy Relics. Only the .45acp bullets were a reasonable compromise, so he decided to choose another pistol with a .45acp caliber. This gun, in addition to being used for killing people, would also be used to shoot some civilian spiritual bullets. It needed to have strong stopping power and penetration, capable of piercing soft body armor at close range, and have a sizable magazine capacity. In short, for Chen Ke, this would be a versatile firearm. With civilian Spiritual Bullets, it could assist Holy Relics for mid-range engagement, and with regular bullets, it could become a deadly weapon. Getting another M1911A1 was the best choice, but Chen Ke slightly frowned and dismissed the idea; he still hoped to get a new gun. The M1911A1 was a classic, but it was a very, very old gun. It was bulky and didn¡¯t have a high enough magazine capacity. Equipping an extended magazine was also inconvenient to carry. Chen Ke wanted a sufficiently modernized weapon, and at that moment, he thought of a pistol that fitted his needs perfectly: the Walther PPQ .45. ¡°Do you have a PPQ here? .45 caliber?¡± Chen Ke looked up and asked Pihom. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve already guessed you¡¯d want to build your weapon system around the .45acp. But I¡¯m puzzled why not 9mm or any other caliber; you have a lot of options,¡± Pihom said, not understanding. ¡°I value the penetration and stopping power of the .45acp, and the recoil is easier to manage compared to other larger calibers,¡± Chen Ke replied. Pihom nodded, left for a short while, and returned with a black carrying case in his hand. Chen Ke took the case, opened it, and saw a brand-new black Walther PPQ .45 inside. This gun had a 12+1 round capacity, and both the slide and barrel were treated with a salt bath nitriding process, coated with Cerakote for durability¡ªan excellent pistol. ¡°This gun is for 699 union coins, and the .45acp bullets are on me,¡± Pihom said. Chen Ke nodded, pulled out seven 100-coin bills to hand to Pihom, but Pihom blocked his hand. ¡°Deduct it from the cut of this mission,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°Alright, are we all ready? That car won¡¯t wait for us too long.¡± Hall stood up then; he was ready to go. The three checked their weapons once more, fully equipped and ready for action. ¡°Should we get Dom¡¯s driver?¡± Priskin asked. ¡°No, let¡¯s not involve them for now. We¡¯ll sort this out and then see what¡¯s really going on,¡± Pihom shook his head. ¡°Hainerd will tell us. Oh, and Chen Ke, you don¡¯t have a mask, just pick one to use for now,¡± Hall said while loading his weapon. Hearing this, Pihom laughed and said, ¡°Let him use mine for now.¡± Chapter 33 - 033 Wearing the Mask Chapter 33: Chapter 033 Wearing the Mask In the Postman Organization, each mask represented a unique member, with stories of legendary heists hidden behind them. Even though Pihom, well into his sixties, no longer took to the field personally, just the sight of his mask still reminded the members of his past ¡°exploits¡±. These masks were all fashioned from modified hockey masks, sculpted from various clays and plasters on a hard rubber base to create different shapes and appearances, both concealing identities and expressing individual character traits. Pihom¡¯s mask was a red devil¡¯s face, its mouth etched with sinister white fangs, its skull-like visage chilling to the bone. The mask bore signs of wear, with scuffs and scrapes, its edges faded, imbued with a sense of the times. Chen Ke wanted to try on the mask but was stopped by Hall. He shook a finger, making a ¡°no, no, no¡± gesture. Priskin saw this and let out a silly chuckle. ¡°For us, wearing a mask is a ritual, it signifies...¡± ... ¡°Time for a shootout!¡± Hall was explaining when Priskin cut in. ¡°Once the mask is on, you¡¯re no longer yourself. It becomes your second face, the devil in your heart. When we¡¯re not wearing masks, we wait; when we do, we run,¡± Pihom said with a laugh. It sounded quite spirited, but Chen Ke couldn¡¯t help thinking that wearing a mask simply meant, ¡°Damn, we¡¯re spotted, fire away!¡± ¡°Gentlemen, it¡¯s time we set out. There are many things awaiting our discovery,¡± Hall said as he loaded his shotgun. The three men were ready, coming out from another door in the underground safe house to the surface. Chen Ke looked around and saw they were in the back yard of a gun shop. The urban clamor was walled out by concrete, and a blue van was parked in the yard. The driver was a young fellow in a cap, leaning against the door waiting. When he saw the three men, he immediately opened the door and hopped into the driver¡¯s seat to start the vehicle, rather professionally. But Chen Ke noticed his unnatural movements, revealing a certain panic. He seemed to be a rookie, and Chen Ke had a premonition he might mess up. Hall pulled open the van¡¯s side door, and Chen Ke and Priskin filed inside. Once all three were seated, the van started. Priskin took out a laptop and connected it to the radio with a screen, integrating Google Maps and satellite tracking software to search for signals from their companions. Chen Ke watched curiously, pondering whether Si¡¯s consortium used similar technology to track the assassins¡¯ cell phones. ¡°They¡¯re now on White Street, moving towards the West Gold Building, not very fast. We¡¯ll cut them off from the east side of White Avenue,¡± Priskin said, eyes on the screen. The driver immediately turned the wheel, following Priskin¡¯s instructions to take White Avenue. Passing Hao Maiwu Noodle House, Chen Ke looked through the window to see a few customers entering and leaving. Li Bo¡¯s business could finally proceed smoothly after eliminating the toad god, but given the growing desolation of the Lower District, Chen Ke doubted whether the noodle house¡¯s business would pick up. The van turned a corner and drove down a familiar street, passing through several kilometers of dilapidated residential buildings that caught Chen Ke¡¯s attention. White Street at number 49, the hiding place of Chen Ke, or rather Lin Mo. After killing Si¡¯s consortium¡¯s informant and assassin last night without cleaning up the bodies, Chen Ke had made a swift escape. Yet a night had passed with no County Police cordoning off the area nor any TV reports of any homicides. It was as if nothing had happened, with the news endlessly repeating about the incident of Spiritual Energy eruption in an office building. Chen Ke surmised that either the bodies of the assassin and the woman had yet to be discovered, or Si¡¯s consortium, having failed their assassination, had sent another team to clean up. ¡°They¡¯ve sped up. Damn, they might¡¯ve discovered Hainerd¡¯s phone is sending out a location signal,¡± Priskin suddenly blurted out. ¡°Don¡¯t jump to conclusions. We just follow them and rescue the person. That¡¯s all we need to think about,¡± Hall said, exuding calmness. The driver, clearly influenced by Priskin, sped up. It¡¯s undeniable that although he seemed shaky, he was pretty familiar with the streets of the Lower District, bypassing many traffic lights as he weaved through alleys and saving us a good deal of travel time. The car turned out of an alley and headed onto the main road to the right where Chen Ke glimpsed the office building he had escaped from the night before. ¡°West Gold Building... now it should be called Black Box number 4679, we¡¯ve passed by here before. Keep going,¡± Priskin said. So, that building was called West Gold Building... That morning on the way to Li Bo¡¯s noodle house, he had passed by here in a taxi, sitting in the backseat as he loaded bullets into a Glock 17. This building had already been wrapped in various black shells by the Administration Bureau, and now it was passed by again, the outer shell now completely enveloping the structure. The massive white letters ¡°Black Rift: 4679¡± were imprinted on the front of the building, with a smaller line of letters below it stating ¡°Rank: D¡±. One couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the Administration Bureau¡¯s efficiency in constructing a Black Box. It hadn¡¯t been very long, and a dungeon ready for investigators to ¡®swipe swipe swipe¡¯ through was already prepared... Chen Ke found it strange that he had experienced so many inconceivable events in less than 20 hours since his arrival. The people or monsters he had directly or indirectly killed had also broken into the triple digits. The shocking events he had experienced in less than a day were unimaginable compared to his past twenty-something years of life. ¡°Now let me briefly explain the division of labor,¡± Hall said. ¡°When we find the car later, the driver will get close and force it to stop. Then we¡¯ll get out¡ªPriskin is in charge of controlling the driver, I will open the car to rescue the person, and Chen Ke, you¡¯ll be responsible for keeping watch.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the plan.¡± Chen Ke and Priskin echoed together. ¡°If they have associates, we¡¯ll need to clear the riffraff first. No matter what happens, don¡¯t shoot civilians, and aim for a quick battle,¡± Hall emphasized, turning to Chen Ke. ¡°You might have a knack for dealing with monsters, but always remember, never shoot the civilians or cops; the consequences would be very troublesome. If the cops show up, I have flashbangs ready. Toss one and run.¡± ¡°But if the other side is mercenaries or guards hired by a consortium, then it¡¯s a different story,¡± Priskin added. Spiritual Ability Enterprises, when smuggling Holy Relics or doing some dirty deeds, would cultivate a batch of illegal armed forces. Those people were either fugitives or wanted criminals or simply mercenaries. No one would care if these people died on the side of the road. Instead, the Administration Bureau and the County Police would conduct joint investigations, so all Spiritual Businesses were exceptionally low-profile in dealing with these underground conflicts. And this deliberate low-profile was precisely the backdrop that allowed the Postman Organization to safely carry out robberies. It was a case of ¡®dark eating dark,¡¯ and if you were robbed, you just had to bear it. ¡°Understood, I¡¯m not interested in senseless killing either,¡± Chen Ke nodded. The car drove on for a while when suddenly Priskin, observing his computer screen, exclaimed, ¡°The signal is nearby! They¡¯re only about ten meters away from us. Start looking.¡± Hall quickly squeezed into the co-driver¡¯s seat and started scanning the street for any approaching vehicles, while Chen Ke was still sitting in his seat, pondering his own matters. ¡°Right side, about six meters, a black armored car,¡± Hall tapped Priskin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Let me have a look.¡± Priskin picked up a handheld radio and aimed its lengthy antenna towards the black car, and the signal on the screen started to flash violently. ¡°That¡¯s the one!¡± ¡°Gentlemen, put on your masks!¡± Chapter 34 - 034 Street Gunfight Chapter 34: Chapter 034 Street Gunfight Chen Ke only glanced once and recognized it as a modified Ford Econoline 100 van, a classic vehicle produced in 1973. Back in the United Federation, this van was often the preferred choice for small shop logistics and delivery vehicles. No matter what forces were on the other side, their choice of this vehicle was certainly simple; it was its low-profile and traditional design. The two Econoline 100s in front of him were painted black, with the windows replaced with privacy glass, driving at a steady speed towards the Upper City. And alongside this van, there were two black sedans escorting it. With access to a mobile phone, Chen Ke had once seen a map of Opportunity City on Google Maps; it was located at the northern edge of the United Federation, facing the covenant nations across an inland sea. Opportunity City was composed of three large blocks and five districts in total. The first block, Upper City, had three parts: the Financial Center Raffi Road, the wealthy Beach Harbour Town Deep Anchor, and the affluent residential area Holy Oak. The second block was the Lower District, formerly known as Iron Rolling. The last was a national park district that occupied one-third of the city¡¯s area¡ªOpportunity City¡¯s Holy Angel National Park. Adjacent to the Lower District¡¯s Iron Rolling were only two places: Holy Angel Park and Raffi Road. Undoubtedly, the van was heading towards Raffi Road. Through the city¡¯s freeway, it would take just over an hour to return to its lair. ... And Raffi Road was almost entirely occupied by the Spiritual Ability Enterprise; to make a move there was truly unwise. ¡°Four vehicles, a conservative estimate of sixteen bodyguards, with the van¡¯s guards counted separately,¡± said Chen Ke. ¡°First, blow up the escort cars,¡± Hall said, donning his mask and picking up the grenade launcher from his waist before crawling to the back door of their own van. His mask was a clown¡¯s face in tears, smeared with black and blue paint, looking quite eerie. Their van approached the convoy at a relaxed pace, but the other side seemed to grow suspicious, as their speed slightly increased. The last sedan in their line broke away from the group, positioning itself between the black vans and lowering its window to wave at Chen Ke and his team, signalling them not to come any closer. Priskin had already put on his mask¡ªa ferocious grizzly bear, painted dark brown, fitting Chen Ke¡¯s impression of him perfectly. Priskin slid into the passenger seat and pulled out his SOCOM MK23, firing a wild barrage at the black sedan¡¯s driver¡¯s seat. The distinct sound of gunfire erupted in the middle of the street as passersby let out shouts, some dropping to the ground and others scattering in all directions. The black sedan¡¯s driver was hit in the head and shoulder, slumping over onto the passenger beside him. Soon, the vehicle lost control, taking a sharp turn to the left, drawing a semicircle across the road before crashing into a fire hydrant, sending water shooting skyward. The opposing convoy immediately reacted; the two leading cars decelerated quickly, flanking Chen Ke¡¯s van from the left and the right, and another car pushed from the front, trying to force them to a stop. Several bald men with sunglasses leaned out of the black sedans¡¯ windows and pulled out MP5Ks to open fire. The driver stomped on the brakes, pulling the van out of their flank, turning a corner and heading down another street. ¡°Let them chase us, then take them out on the road,¡± Hall shouted. Chen Ke grabbed the handle above his head to steady himself. Although he had disengaged the safety on his M16A2, the space in the van was too cramped to make use of his weapon; it was too long. The three black cars followed closely behind, matching their speed. Hall kicked open the backside doors of their own van and lobbed a grenade at the lead car. ¡°Boom!¡± The grenade hit the front grille of the black sedan, flashing brightly before exploding with a thunderous sound. With the combined effects of high-speed inertia and the blast of the grenade, the black sedan flipped in the air, its front hood erupting in flames and landing upside down in the middle of the street. The car following behind didn¡¯t have time to swerve away and crashed directly into it, the driver getting pushed forcefully by the inertia, smashing through the windshield and flying out, landing on the ground bloody-faced. ¡°Ha! That¡¯s what you get for not wearing a seat belt!¡± Hall laughed. One last vehicle remained in pursuit, but as Hall backed up to load another grenade, he saw a police car had joined the chase. ¡°All units, be advised, a car chase and shootout at the intersection of Lanxianghua Street No. 9. A blue van and four black sedans are exchanging fire along the street, nearby units respond immediately. CODE3.¡± ¡°10-4¡± ¡°10-4¡± ¡°10-4¡± Priskin intercepted the County Police radio, and it seemed the cops were also joining the fight. ¡°Fuck, just as we¡¯re getting started, the pigs show up!¡± cursed Priskin. ¡°Hurry, take care of that van.¡± Hall turned and closed the rear double doors; their black sedan was already entangled with the police cars and had no energy left to deal with Chen Ke and the others. The driver, visibly nervous, still accelerated towards the black van, now unprotected and an easy target. As they neared the black van, Priskin took his SOCOM MK23 and fired six shots at the driver¡¯s cabin glass, leaving only white marks on the bulletproof glass. ¡°It¡¯s bulletproof glass, knew it wouldn¡¯t be that easy!¡± Priskin cursed. He then fired a few shots at the van¡¯s tires. The left front tire exploded loudly, spinning a few times before the rubber flew off, leaving only the wheel rim behind. The van continued forward for a while before finally crashing into the flowerbed at the roadside, its front end caved in significantly, coolant spilling all over the ground. The three men jumped out of the car. The van¡¯s driver pushed the deformed door open and stumbled out of the cabin onto the ground, face covered in blood. Priskin shot him in the back of the head, his brains painting the pavement red and white. At that moment, three police cars arrived from both ends of the street to block off the road, issuing a warning to Chen Ke and his group through the car speakers. ¡°You are surrounded! Drop your weapons...¡± Before the County Police could finish, seven or eight grey SUVs suddenly charged out from another intersection about 100 meters away, with several men in black wearing sunglasses and wielding MP5Ks, spraying bullets towards Chen Ke¡¯s group. Several County Police officers drew their Glocks and fired back at the men in black. The tough guys used their vehicles for cover, returning fire at the County Police while trying to get closer to the black van. Hall lobbed a grenade towards their SUVs, which struck the gas tank area, instantly turning the vehicle into a giant fireball, two men in black sent flying by the blast. A bullet grazed Hall¡¯s ear, blood gushing out immediately. ¡°Quick, open the door and get the people on, we¡¯re leaving!¡± Hall yelled. Priskin went around to the back of the black van. After several unsuccessful attempts, he pulled out a portable drill, securing it near the door lock. ¡°This door¡¯s been reinforced. I need to drill a hole at the lock to get the door open. Give me 50 seconds!¡± Priskin called out. After a long silence, Chen Ke jumped out from the side door of the van. Wearing a red mask, he raised his M16A2 and fired bursts towards the direction of the County Police, about 100 meters away. The bullets accurately hit the tires and the lights of the police cars, causing the officers to quickly duck behind their vehicles. Hall took cover on one side of the black van, pulling out a shotgun to fire at the men in black trying to approach. The tough guy squad by the SUVs drew most of the fire as they were the first to shoot at the County Police, bearing the brunt of the hostility. The trio of Chen Ke took cover behind the black van, mostly exchanging fire with the squad of tough guys. Chen Ke took cover behind the tires of the black van, occasionally poking out half his body to fire a few shots. The County Police didn¡¯t convey a killing intent, as they only wanted to arrest the trio, and the men in black didn¡¯t seem too aggressive either. After all, the fully armed Chen Ke was overwhelmingly strong for most people, and only a very few assassins could exert pressure on him. ¡°Priskin, how long for that drill?¡± Chen Ke asked, looking back. ¡°I don¡¯t know, depends on how much they spent reinforcing that door,¡± Priskin replied helplessly. During their exchange, several bullets flew over, hitting the drill which emitted a ¡°duang duang duang¡± sound from a broken shaft. Chen Ke popped his head out, switched to three-round burst mode, and pulled the trigger towards a tough guy in sunglasses 200 meters away. All three shots hit, two tearing through the man¡¯s pectoral muscles, another piercing his throat. ¡°I need to change the drill bit, wait here,¡± said Priskin, quickly running to the door to remove the drill. ¡°Fuck, this is deadly. Feels like tower defense!¡± Chen Ke complained. ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it! Hahaha!¡± Hall laughed as he stuffed deer bullets into his shotgun, blood dripping from his ear onto his shirt collar and brown suit, looking scary but it was only a graze. ¡°The gunfire is too fierce, I¡¯m pulling out!¡± said the driver of the blue van and, with that, hit the gas and sped away. Chapter 35 - 035 Now, We Run Chapter 35: Chapter 035 Now, We Run The sunglass-clad hunks raised their guns and fired at the fleeing blue van, completely indifferent to whether their bullets would hit pedestrians on the sidewalk. The private cars and buses on the streets were stuck in a jam; many drivers had abandoned their cars to run for their lives, while some bystanders hid on the buses, taking out their phones to record videos. At this moment, a red sedan was trapped in the flow of traffic, unable to move. Inside were four white men with nondescript looks, watching everything indifferently. They were, of course, aware of the street gunfight happening two or three hundred meters ahead, but the contents in the car¡¯s trunk meant they couldn¡¯t just abandon their vehicle. ¡°Are they robbing a cash transport?¡± asked the crew-cut man in the driver¡¯s seat, wearing a brown jacket, impassively. ¡°Keep a low profile, the County Police will handle these matters,¡± the woman in the passenger seat chimed in. She was wearing a cap, her hair pulled back into a ponytail, and donned a set of blue tracksuits¡ªvery inconspicuous. The two men in the back seat, both dressed in sweatshirts and dress shirts, remained silent. Their faces were expressionless, not concerned about stray bullets hitting them. ... ¡°What if the County Police search the car? The bodies of the guardians for C095 and B124 are still in the trunk,¡± the jacketed man asked. ¡°If they come to search now, we¡¯ll take advantage of the chaos to kill them,¡± the woman said. ¡°Here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do: C134 and I will drive the car to Holy Angel Park to dispose of it. You two get out and go to the backup safe house to see if there¡¯s any trace of B124,¡± the jacketed man instructed the two in the back seat. ¡°No, Mr. Lan Mei wants no mistakes. It¡¯s safer to move together,¡± the woman countered. ¡°Are you looking down on us?¡± one of the men in the back laughed. The woman turned her head and glanced at the man who had spoken; a faint red halo flickered in her eyes. The smiling man¡¯s expression instantly froze. Chen Ke swapped out his 20-round rifle magazine and stuffed it into his pocket, pulling out a new one to insert. The shell casings at his feet had piled up like a mountain, and one could slip if they tread carelessly. Hall and Chen Ke continued to shoot at the sunglass-clad hunks while waiting for Priskin to fiddle with his drill. Finally, he changed to a new drill bit and went back to drilling the hole. ¡°It¡¯s almost through! I can hear it; we must have broken through!¡± Priskin yelled. This time, he operated the drill by hand. A few seconds later, a small round hole was drilled where the van¡¯s lock was, and the door started rattling as if freed from some constraint. Priskin yanked the door open, his voice changing mid-sentence. ¡°Hainerd, you son of a... damn...¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Chen Ke and Hall were puzzled. They fought while retreating, moving to the side of the rear door. Chen Ke expected to see a few big men battered and awkwardly lying inside the van, but that was not the case. The van was empty. A clamshell phone sat in the center of the van, firmly taped down with yellow tape as if specifically left for the person who would open the door. Hall yanked the phone off, and on its screen, written with the notepad, was a single word: ¡°BOOM!¡± A dreadful thought suddenly struck all three of them. ¡°We¡¯ve been set up! Run!¡± Almost simultaneously, Chen Ke, Priskin, and Hall, disregarding the gunfire and bullets, ran for their lives with all their might. They had only gotten a few dozen meters out when the black van behind them exploded. The scorching heatwave and shock wave blew the three men onto the main road. Chen Ke was the first to recover, grabbing Hall and Priskin by the arms and dashing behind a nearby bus for cover. ¡°Damn it, if they wanted to blow it up, why wait until we opened the door!¡± Chen Ke cursed bitterly. ¡°They were mocking us! Those bastards!¡± Hall scrambled up, grabbing Chen Ke¡¯s shoulder to stand. ¡°Who?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know! But I¡¯d bet it¡¯s related to the job Hainerd pulled last night!¡± Hall fumed. ¡°We should get going, listen!¡± Priskin pulled out a handheld radio. ¡°...all units be advised...S.W.A.T is en route to support...¡± The police radio frequency had been intercepted, and choppy voices played through, indicating that the cops were about to step up their game. ¡°Our car, where is it!?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°Forget about the getaway car, we have to run for it now!¡± Priskin roared. ¡°Over there! To the supermarket!¡± Hall grabbed his phone that had just been shaken loose and pointed to a small supermarket by the road. Without another word, the three of them vaulted over the hood of a private car and sprinted towards the small supermarket. Behind them, the sound of sirens blared; the County Police reinforcements had arrived. Several transport vehicles that Chen Ke couldn¡¯t identify, mixed with a formation of police cruisers, surged into the district. They were the special vehicles of Opportunity City¡¯s S.W.A.T., bulletproofed and bearing the police crest on their sides. Among them was also a Ford F550¡ªfour doors, six seats¡ªlikely the command vehicle. That car was impressive and authoritative, with a spacious interior and powerful engine. Chen Ke mused about getting one for himself after making some money. But now was not the time for such thoughts; those SWAT officers weren¡¯t here to spectate. They were fully armed and immediately split into two groups to encircle upon disembarking. Chen Ke had originally assumed the S.W.A.T. would be equipped with MP5 submachine guns firing 9mm pistol rounds, but discovered they were all holding compact automatic rifles, either the HK416 or the M4A1. While he didn¡¯t want to make enemies with the cops¡ªafter all, assaulting an officer was a very serious offense¡ªif they really posed a threat to him, Chen Ke would still fight back. With his life measured in hours, he wouldn¡¯t sit idle waiting to be shot on the spot by the police, nor would he allow himself to be imprisoned, because for Chen Ke, imprisonment equates to a death sentence. Chen Ke joined the courier group with very utilitarian intentions. At first, he just wanted a stable guide for monster-killing, so he wouldn¡¯t have to chance it blindly like a headless fly. The opportunity to snatch Holy Relics and indirectly investigate Si¡¯s consortium was pure serendipity; otherwise, he would not have joined an organization on a whim. Once the organization failed to serve his purpose, or if the group¡¯s modus operandi hindered his actions, Chen Ke would break those rules on the spot and act on his own. And now, Chen Ke was facing such a situation. ¡°Get down, everyone f*cking get down!¡± Priskin kicked open the glass door of the small supermarket, only to find it had already been deserted. Chen Ke and Hall leaped over the cashier¡¯s counter and found the supermarket¡¯s back door. ¡°Let¡¯s go out the back and circle through the alley to evade them.¡± Hall reached for the door, but a gunshot suddenly rang out from the other side. It sounded like a shotgun. ¡°Police! Put down your weapon!¡± Four S.W.A.T. officers burst in instantly, pinning Hall to the ground. Priskin, almost on instinct, pointed his gun at the S.W.A.T. officers, but before he could pull the trigger, he was pinned down by the firepower of two MP5s, forcing him to scurry for cover behind the shelves. ¡°Murderous aura: -40¡± ¡°Murderous aura: 10/50¡± ¡°on the ground now!¡± Chen Ke pulled out his PPQ.45 and shouted at the four S.W.A.T. officers. Behind him, a faint red murderous aura invisible to the average person began to rise. Murderous aura trigger! That faint red murderous aura surged towards the S.W.A.T., like a mist that could kill. Once it enveloped them, they inexplicably stopped shooting and slowly placed their guns on the ground, hands on their heads and kneeling. ¡°What the hell is this...¡± Hall who was pinned to the ground watched the scene before him in astonishment, not understanding why the four officers were intimidated by Chen Ke. But now he had no interest in understanding why¡ªhe was free and needed to keep running! Priskin peeked out and was also stunned by the sight before him. He couldn¡¯t quite believe it, hesitating to crawl out from behind the freezer. ¡°What are you waiting for! Let¡¯s go!¡± Chen Ke urged, knowing full well that the S.W.A.T. being fooled was only temporary¡ªwho knows when they would come to their senses? After battling the toad god and absorbing its mutated soul, not only had Chen Ke¡¯s lifespan limit increased, but the effectiveness of his murderous aura had also been enhanced. Previously, even for the Black People bodyguard at the gun shop, Chen Ke had to spend 40 points of murderous aura to intimidate him, but now, facing the fully-armed S.W.A.T., it only took 10 points of murderous aura per person. The murderous aura trigger would be Chen Ke¡¯s most powerful control Skill¡ªif only he could find a way to strengthen this ability alone! The three of them escaped through the back door of the small supermarket into the back alley, when suddenly Priskin¡¯s handheld radio started beeping. He pressed the talk button. ¡°Hey guys, I shook off those cops, I¡¯m in the alley across from Andrew House Jewelry Store. Can you make it?¡± It was the voice of the getaway vehicle¡¯s driver. Hearing this message, all three were elated and immediately made their way towards the destination. Chapter 36 - 036: Now, We Wait Chapter 36: Chapter 036: Now, We Wait Chen Ke and his companions darted through the alleys, occasionally hearing the sirens of police cars speeding down the main streets. The major shops and buildings along the streets of Opportunity City were spaced loosely enough to leave narrow passageways for shortcuts. A blue and white helicopter flew overhead¡ªit was the interview helicopter from the Opportunity Report. As the largest daily newspaper in Opportunity City, they spared no expense to capture breaking news, whether it was last night¡¯s Spirit Explosion incident at the West Gold Building or the urban gunfight happening now. ¡°Last night, the Administration Bureau just managed to control the blackout incident at the West Gold Building, and this morning an intense gunfight broke out on the city streets. It seems Opportunity City is facing an unprecedented crisis! Carlin, the chief reporter of the Opportunity Report, is broadcasting live from the scene, and the feeling from 400 meters in the air overlooking the entire battlefield is truly splendid¡ªI mean, very grave!¡± On the interview helicopter, a blond female reporter clad in a red coat vividly reported using provocative words and gestures. Next to her, the cameraman, with a survival rope strapped around his waist to prevent from being blown away, held the camera. ¡°We still don¡¯t know if this gunfight is related to last night¡¯s incident at the West Gold Building, but what¡¯s certain is that the brave County Police have taken control of the situation. Your beautiful and fearless lead reporter, Carlin from the Opportunity Report, continues to report from the frontlines!¡± ¡°Whoosh!¡± A bullet hit the side door of the helicopter, leaving a hole. ... ¡°Yikes!!!¡± Carlin¡¯s face drained of color as she screamed shrilly, dropping the microphone down below. After the explosion, the fog billowed from the van as the remnants of the tough men in sunglasses fired a few symbolic shots back, left several bodies of their comrades on the street, and retreated to an SUV to flee, leaving only the black van burning alone. Chen Ke and his group moved through streets and alleys until they finally caught their evacuation vehicle. They removed their masks, tossed their guns inside the car, and Hall briefly treated his ears with a medical kit they had along, finally catching a breath. ¡°What just happened? Who¡¯s playing us?¡± Chen Ke asked. The dirty deeds of stealing Holy Relics, if someone was doing them, then the delivery boy was certainly not the only player involved. It was normal to have occasional friction among peers. ¡°This is not that simple. Someone is targeting us ... and it¡¯s not just what you think; it¡¯s even more dangerous,¡± Hall said while bandaging his ears. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Chen Ke was perplexed. ¡°All our actions rely on intelligence. Who¡¯s got a bunch of illegal Holy Relics, who¡¯s dealing them where, this intel is the basis for our organization¡¯s existence. It¡¯s never been wrong before,¡± Hall explained as he tossed a bloody cotton ball and continued. ¡°Someone is playing us, feeding us false information. Hainerd¡¯s team was just the start, then we were the second.¡± ¡°Are you saying our source of intelligence has turned against us?¡± Priskin asked. ¡°I can¡¯t think of any other possibility. Maybe the intel dealer got fake intel intentionally spread by the other side, but no matter what, we absolutely need to let Pihom know. He has his ways of figuring out what¡¯s going on,¡± Hall explained. ¡°I need to confirm two things. First, our rescue mission this time failed, so no payment, right?¡± Chen Ke spread his hands. The two nodded. ¡°Okay ... Second, it seems the job hitting Si¡¯s consortium is off indefinitely, right?¡± Chen Ke asked again. ¡°No, not necessarily. In fact, we¡¯ve been watching them for a long time. The streets have been buzzing half a year ago that they¡¯ve been aggressively collecting Holy Relics, and it seems they¡¯ve even used extreme means to artificially create the Spirit Explosion Effect,¡± Hall shook his head. ¡°Some Holy Relics seem to have this capability, but I guess it¡¯s almost like those Medieval sacrificial rituals, just hearing about it makes one uncomfortable,¡± Priskin interjected. Chen Ke suddenly remembered what the Black man had told him when he first crossed through and fell silent. ¡°... Now the problem is all of us were acting according to the plan, and you, damn it, didn¡¯t die as planned, which confuses me, ouch! Man! Where¡¯s Miles? Quick, tell me...¡± That¡¯s what the Black man had said then. And that Blasphemous Dagger ... Chen Ke suddenly realized something and touched his chest. ¡°We can only get off here. Don¡¯t take the guns and masks, just walk away. No one will know we were ever involved in a gunfight,¡± Hall, ear bandaged and cheek bloodied, said confidently. The three men pulled open the van door, jumped out, and watched as the vehicle drove away. The midday sun cleared the morning¡¯s gloom, warming their bodies as it shone down. ¡°Si¡¯s consortium must have gotten their hands on some incredible stuff. No matter what they¡¯re planning to do, we need to get a piece of the action. But first, we need to figure out who¡¯s behind this. Most importantly, we need to rescue Hydena¡ªif he¡¯s still alive...¡± Hall said. ¡°Damn it, Hydena¡¯s definitely still alive, you still have his phone, right? Pihom must have a way!¡± Priskin slapped Hall on the back. ¡°Yeah, the phone. Pihom can definitely find something with this... Let¡¯s go!¡± Hall said. Chen Ke had joined the couriers less than two hours ago and felt no attachment to Hydena, so he just stood there expressionlessly. In the recent shootout, Chen Ke hadn¡¯t absorbed much murderous aura, but still, he hadn¡¯t consumed any of his lifespan. Now, the life countdown in the corner of his eye showed he had 9 and a half hours left, almost full. For a normal person, living only 10 more hours would be terrifying, but for Chen Ke now, it was quite generous. From initially panicking to now being calm as an old dog, he had gradually adapted to this fast-paced, intense way of survival. He felt he was living a much fuller life than before, putting everything he had into each hour. The three took a taxi back to the gun shop. Pihom looked at the phone Hall handed him, his facial expression revealing nothing about his current mood. Chen Ke sat on an ammunition box nearby, coldly observing as if he were detached from the situation. ¡°I¡¯ll have Bain handle this, and then we¡¯ll know where the problem is,¡± Pihom said. ¡°What about now? Just wait?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, Chen Ke. It¡¯s good to be eager, but you need to think long-term. Until we figure this situation out, whatever we do will be reactive. For now, all we can do is wait,¡± Pihom said. Chen Ke nodded. Pihom made a lot of sense. But he couldn¡¯t just sit around and wait. ¡°While this mission has failed, I have to say you guys did great. I¡¯m going to wire some money into your offshore accounts. Until I hear from Bain, take some time to rest,¡± Pihom clapped his hands. Offshore accounts? Chen Ke¡¯s eyes lit up. This was something very useful. Such accounts, located outside the resident country, weren¡¯t subject to domestic regulations. Chen Ke didn¡¯t want to be running around with piles of cash in the future¡ªhe had to figure out a way to get one. ¡°By the way, Chen Ke, I don¡¯t have your account details. You haven¡¯t even given me your phone number,¡± Pihom suddenly remembered. ¡°My phone number is... Oh, right, about that offshore account, can you help me set one up?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°Hmm... I get what you mean, but forging a set of legal documents costs money,¡± Pihom, the seasoned pro, could read a lot from just a few words. ¡°That¡¯s fine, as long as it solves the problem of where to store money,¡± Chen Ke said with a smile. ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll set one up for you first,¡± Pihom nodded. With nothing else to do, and staying there only watching his life countdown mercilessly tick away, Chen Ke decided to head towards the safe house¡¯s door. ¡°Hey? Where are you planning to go?¡± Priskin asked. ¡°I¡¯m going out to have some fun,¡± Chen Ke turned and responded. ¡°I told you I¡¯d help you adjust a gun to suit you, you haven¡¯t named it yet!¡± Priskin said with a laugh. Chen Ke stood at the door, thought for a moment, and soon came up with a name. ¡°Call it, ¡®Life Countdown.¡¯¡± Chapter 37 - 037 Drainage Chapter 37: Chapter 037 Drainage (The book has been renamed: ¡°This Spiritual Energy is Deadly.¡± Fellow readers, remember the old cover and don¡¯t delete it from your favorites! The cover will not change for the time being.) In Raffi Road District of Opportunity City, the noon sun swept away the morning¡¯s gloom, starkly contrasting with the desolation of Gun Tie District. Raffi Road District, the liveliest area in Opportunity City, is also home to the core business district. Here, skyscrapers abound, and large department stores and entertainment venues crowd the streets. Not only does it host the busiest Universal Square in the city, but also Walt Avenue, named after the movie giant Walt Brothers. When Walt Brothers release their latest film, the cinemas hosting the premieres invite the cast to watch, and after the movie ends, the entrance of the theaters is swarmed with reporters and fans. There is also a financial street in the entire Raffi Road District, a paradise for financial industry professionals. Extending across from Financial Street, the remainder is filled with skyscrapers owned by Spiritual Enterprises. These buildings are undoubtedly the scenic marvels of Opportunity City, as if competing in a contest of sorts. Tycoons of the Spiritual Enterprises Consortium spare no expense to customize their skyscrapers, clustering buildings from 300 to 400 meters high on the most expensive and bustling plots of land on Raffi Road. ... At this moment, it was just past 12:02 PM. At a roadside restaurant, Diana Prince was enjoying her lunch: two medium-rare steaks, a large glass of milk, a small bowl of spore kale, and two fried eggs. After separating from Bader, she had sequentially visited the Spiritual Power Gun Management Department and colleagues from the autopsy department. She confirmed that the firearm model used by the deceased investigator Parker was an M1911A1. Within the Administration Bureau, this gun model is designated as PA-1. It is the most basic issued firearm for class D members, capable of firing two types and three kinds of Spiritual Bullets: the discipline attribute Punishment and Justice bullets, and the element attribute Lightning bullets. These three types of bullets could handle most monsters in the Spirit Explosion Space. As long as one did not enter the Great Void, there were few cases of conflicting attributes. Additionally, the PA-1 was retrofitted from the classic old gun, the M1911A1, firing .45 ACP bullets, guaranteeing power and highly suitable for newcomers. This gun was also specifically equipped with a reader that could detect the presence of nearby monsters. Its principle involved using an internal detector to sense various spiritual energy fluctuations within a 50-meter range of the gun wielder, to judge the presence of living creatures and use a ratio of 1:10 to display values, giving the wielder a rough idea of dangerous distances. This gun had no issues; it was manufactured in 2002 and was directly modified into a Spiritual Gun before leaving the factory, and in those over six years, it had been issued to at least ten investigators. The firing report showed that this gun had fired over 1300 rounds without a single problem. However, its last issue date incredibly occurred in the future, half a year later; hence, she specifically sought colleagues from the Spiritual Power Gun Management Department to explore the reason, and they believed it was a case of manually erroneous input and temporarily corrected the data. If there could be a manual error in the firearm registration date, the autopsy department¡¯s report appeared even more bizarre. His body was changing at a normal rate on the exterior, but when various experimental devices were used for reading samples, the data was all normal... ¡°Are you saying that we see his body slowly withering, but under instrument monitoring, the values are like those of a normal person?¡± Diana had asked this, and the forensic pathologist awkwardly nodded. This situation was no longer explainable by simple medical terms; following the error in readings concerning Parker¡¯s body, it had been urgently transported to the United Federation Spiritual Ability Research Institute that same evening, elevating from an ¡°autopsy¡± to ¡°spiritual research.¡± Diana, not versed in medicine, found this situation hard to clearly explain even for top medical professors, but in Diana¡¯s straightforward logic, it could be simply summarized as ¡°like someone who shouldn¡¯t have died at this time, but did.¡± The condolence work for the family had already been handled by someone dispatched from the Administration Bureau, after all, Weber Spirit Production repeatedly stressed that Parker could not possibly be their investigator. She wiped her mouth with a napkin, secured the tip under the dish. Diana drove towards the Opportunity City branch of the Spiritual Ability Administration. She could feel faint prickling in her spine, a phenomenon of the liquefied spiritual energy undergoing rejection. Injecting spiritual liquid to gain power also came with a price. It¡¯s not something inherent to humans and cannot be forcefully possessed. Every Spiritual Ability User had to overcome numerous tests to qualify for the injection, and these tests were not designed to reduce their numbers but purely to save their lives. Not everyone could become a Spiritual Ability User. The moment the liquefied spiritual energy was injected into the spine, the process of rejection and accommodation began. After the Spiritual Ability Research Institute first discovered and mastered the technology of liquefaction extraction and injection, a series of experiments were conducted. Ultimately, it was proven that every species¡¯ tolerance was limited, and there were significant differences between individuals of the same species. Forced injection could kill a person. The dosage had to be increased bit by bit to determine the individual¡¯s maximum capacity for spiritual energy. Even at this stage, when someone successfully received the spiritual energy injection and became an investigator or Spiritual Ability User, it didn¡¯t mean they could keep this power forever. Depending on their physical condition, every one or two months, investigators and Spiritual Ability Users needed to go to the Administration Bureau¡¯s Spiritual Power Hospital for ¡°drainage.¡± Successful injection of spiritual energy did not mean that rejection phenomena were nonexistent; instead, it meant that the body¡¯s rejection cycle and reactions were not intense. How long it would take for rejection symptoms to appear depended on physical health. If ¡°drainage¡± was not performed for a long time, the liquefied spiritual energy could revert to a gaseous state within the spinal cord. The consequences of this could range from complications in the nervous system to permanent disability. Based on the amount of injection, the Administration Bureau categorized Spiritual Ability Users into levels 1-5, with ¡°Transcendent¡± being the fifth level. Most operatives of the CPA and FPI were around level 2. Each level represented a quantum leap in capacity enhancement. The difference between levels 1 and 2 wasn¡¯t just as significant as heaven and earth, but certainly comparable to that between plastic and steel. The higher the level, the greater the content of spiritual energy in the body, and the more powerful the Holy Relics and Transcendent skills they could use. Spiritual Ability Users of lower levels might not have enough spiritual energy to meet the minimum consumption requirements of many Transcendent skills. Diana was a level 2 Spiritual Ability User; she had to undergo ¡°drainage¡± every one and a half months and then receive a re-injection after half a month¡¯s recuperation. Although it didn¡¯t take long, it was quite bothersome. Was there anyone who didn¡¯t find this process bothersome? Entering the Spiritual Power Hospital for identity verification, there were quite a few colleagues who had come for drainage today. ¡°Miss Prince, hello,¡± a Caucasian who had just come out of the extraction room greeted Diana. ¡°Hey, Peter... Are you done? Why do you look a bit pale?¡± Diana smiled awkwardly. ¡°Today they changed to a female doctor. It feels like my body is being hollowed out... Good luck to you,¡± Peter shook his hand and passed by Diana. The waiting process wasn¡¯t long; Diana walked into the extraction room and saw a familiar figure. A woman with black short hair, dressed in a white coat, was looking at the readings by the extraction needle monitor. It was Wang Ailin, Diana¡¯s college roommate. They had lived together in a dormitory, and unlike Diana¡¯s rough exterior, Wang Ailin had exhibited intelligence far beyond her peers during college. Wang Ailin had achieved remarkable results in the field of spiritual energy research and was personally taken away by the dean of the Spiritual Ability Research Institute after only two years of college. ¡°Ailin? What brings you here? I never thought you would...¡± Diana said incredulously, but before she could finish her sentence, Wang Ailin pushed her onto a seat. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because of you. Why else would I run out of the research institute?¡± Wang Ailin said with a slight smile, skillfully changing the injection probe. It was a special kind of long, thin, soft needle head that was inserted from the back of the neck and controlled externally by a machine to extract and inject the liquefied spiritual energy. ¡°Me?¡± Diana said, surprised. Chapter 38 - 038: Life Transfer Gate Chapter 38: Chapter 038: Life Transfer Gate Wang Ailin activated the machine and took the probe handle off the mechanical arm, twisting a knob at the side. ¡°That corpse caused quite a stir at the Research Institute; the professors all think it¡¯s a new breakthrough in the study of spiritual abilities, so they wanted to know more about the detailed circumstances of last night¡¯s Spirit Explosion. And so, I came,¡± Wang Ailin explained at a leisurely pace. ¡°Just for that? You could easily have pulled the CPA and FPI reports; those are detailed enough,¡± Diana sighed. ¡°Those reports might fool others, but not the Research Institute. The CPA and FPI tend to omit important details in the reports they submit to other departments. I¡¯m very clear on that~¡± Wang Ailin turned, dipping the newly fitted probe into a blue solution for sterilization. ¡°Whatever you say,¡± Diana responded noncommittally. ¡°So, since I have a classmate at the CPA and she happened to have entered the scene, why wouldn¡¯t I ask her~?¡± Wang Ailin pulled out the probe and checked it against the daylight lamp. ... ¡°Oh? And why should I tell her anything?¡± Diana asked with a look of disdain. ¡°Shirley Xiu¡¯s chocolate shop at dusk... a steaming cup of chocolate... and... a little secret between two girls. Don¡¯t you want to catch up?¡± Wang Ailin sat beside Diana and spoke softly. Unable to resist, Diana licked her lips and said, ¡°Alright... but this time, you¡¯re buying.¡± ¡°Let me help you with the drainage first,¡± Wang Ailin said with a smile. Diana had three faint needle marks two finger widths below her neck, traces of the inserted needles. Diana maintained her fitness year-round, taking any spare moment to engage in high-intensity outdoor sports, giving her a tanned complexion and streamlined muscles. Her six-pack abs looked like a seamless bar of Dove milk coffee chocolate, irresistibly appealing. Observing with interest, Wang Ailin couldn¡¯t resist reaching out to poke. ¡°Hurry up with the drainage; my back is a bit uncomfortable,¡± Diana urged. Wang Ailin touched the back of her neck, gently inserting the probe into Diana¡¯s skin. The soft and long probe quickly penetrated beneath Diana¡¯s skin, and Wang Ailin carefully guided it deeper, aiming for the spine. Diana squinted, feeling a sharp object penetrating her nerves, sending a chill through her. No matter how many times she experienced it, she could never get used to it. In the tube at the other end of the probe, blue liquid mixed with a tinge of red blood slowly flowed into a sealed capsule the size of a Coke can beside it. The injection amount for Energy Level 1 wasn¡¯t much, just enough to fill a capsule. But Diana, being an Energy Level 2 Spiritual Ability User, required eleven and a half capsules per extraction. ¡°I might as well deal with some paperwork over these two weeks... oh... paperwork...¡± Diana sighed, finding report documentation far less appealing than dealing with sudden Spirit Explosion events. Spiritual Ability Users had to undergo routine maintenance every two weeks after drainage, and fieldwork would be covered by colleagues who had drained previously. It was a kind of paid leave, in a sense. ¡°You still can¡¯t sit still, just like before, Diana. Are you still single? You really should use these two weeks off to go to the beach and get some sun, maybe reel in a few hunks from the gym with those muscles of yours,¡± Wang Ailin said. ¡°Come off it, Ailin, aren¡¯t you single too?¡± Diana laughed. ¡°No, I¡¯m in a relationship,¡± Wang Ailin said calmly. Diana turned around, surprised. ¡°Knowledge, knowledge is my lover,¡± Wang Ailin said. ¡°Screw you, Ailin. Go have divine intercourse with Cthulhu,¡± Diana rolled her eyes. ¡°If there¡¯s a chance, Diana... I would...¡± Wang Ailin smiled faintly. ... Meanwhile, Chen Ke sat in Black Box Space number 4679, at the coffee shop opposite the former West Gold Building. That was precisely where he had escaped from last night. He took a sip of coffee, feeling it disappear just as it slid past his throat, yet the taste of coffee lingered on his palate. ¡°That¡¯s not so bad,¡± he said, tilting his head back and downing his coffee. Chen Ke had once wondered what would happen if he ate anything given that he was like an eternal machine, without the need for any nutritional intake or sleep. If he ate too much, would he digest and excrete it? And now, he was increasingly convinced that his current state defied all logic. Living without a heart was puzzling enough, but swallowing food without feeling it go down or the satisfaction of it filling his intestines was just too abnormal. What exactly was inside him? A black hole? Chen Ke had only 8 hours left to live, and he had already been observing the place for more than half an hour. He had come here because of the strange vortex-shaped mark on his chest... After leaving Pihom¡¯s gun shop, the vortex-shaped mark had started to spin again. It was an odd sensation, as though something was crawling in circles under his skin, yet it wasn¡¯t as painfully uncomfortable as it had been in the rented room before. Chen Ke had just secretly unbuttoned his shirt to check the mark on his chest. It had turned black, almost as if there were a tiny black hole on his body. When the mark began to spin, his field of vision suddenly changed, allowing him to clearly see a white pillar of light engulfing the West Gold Building opposite him. The light wasn¡¯t blinding, simply flickering as though it were a beacon shooting straight up into the sky. Chen Ke knew only he could see this light pillar because no one else, including the investigators queuing at the Black Box entrance of the building, seemed to sense anything unusual. In fact, it was the sight of this light pillar that had led him here. It turned out that the source of the light pillar was precisely where he had escaped from before. What did this mean? Did the mark want him to go inside? Although Chen Ke was curious to enter the Black Box Space and grab some Holy Relics, he wasn¡¯t an official investigator and lacked the credentials to legally enter any Black River Space. Forcing his way in would be pointless; he wasn¡¯t ready to directly clash with the authorities yet. Unless they posed a threat to him. ¡°Go over and take a look, there might be a way,¡± thought Chen Ke, paying his bill and leaving. He pushed open the glass door of the cafe? and walked toward the building. He crossed the street and retraced his escape route from the night before, walking a few hundred meters to the small alley where he had hidden after jumping out of the light crevice. Although it had only been eight or nine hours, there was a peculiar nostalgia. The closer he got to the light pillar, the faster the mark spun, and the more intense the sensation in his chest became. It was an inappropriate analogy, but it felt akin to the excitement of approaching the girl he loved. The halo was now within arm¡¯s reach, and standing in the alley beside the building, Chen Ke couldn¡¯t help but want to touch the strange glow. The halo seemed like a thin layer of gauze, expanding and contracting rhythmically. His fingers passed through the glow without any sensation, nor did they interrupt the light. Chen Ke looked up, following the pillar of light toward the roof and the sky. It wasn¡¯t coming down from above but shooting up from the ground. The mark on his chest continued to spin, now at a rate reminiscent of a turbo engine, evoking a forceful pulling sensation as if something sought to burst out from the vortex¡¯s center. He instinctively covered his chest, worrying that he might explode if this continued. ¡°How do I get in...?¡± he pondered. ¡°Spend 1 hour of life to open a Teleportation Gate.¡± ¡°You have 7 hours 29 minutes and 47 seconds of life remaining...¡± A line of orange text suddenly appeared in his peripheral vision. A drop of sweat trickled down Chen Ke¡¯s forehead. The spinning speed of the vortex mark on his chest accelerated exponentially, and Chen Ke felt as though something from within was about to gush out of the mark¡¯s center. His whole body was pulled by this force, involuntarily rising on tiptoe and puffing up his chest. ¡°Holy shit! Holy shit!¡± The gushing sensation grew stronger, and something was indeed about to come out! Chen Ke breathed rapidly with a look of unease, all the while glancing around anxiously to make sure passers-by didn¡¯t notice his abnormality. ¡°Whoosh!¡± A white ball of light erupted from his chest, stopping a couple of steps away, and kept spinning in mid-air, spreading out from the center to form a 2 meter-tall, half-meter-wide oval-shaped Teleportation Gate. The Teleportation Gate radiated a white glow, continuously rotating, while the scene inside was entirely different. Chen Ke almost immediately recognized it as the place where he lay just after he had crossed over... Chapter 39 - 039 The Place Where Dreams Begin Chapter 39: Chapter 039 The Place Where Dreams Begin The teleportation gate suddenly appeared in front of Chen Ke, emitting a white halo as if it were a man-made wormhole. At noon, there weren¡¯t many pedestrians on the street. Plus, Chen Ke was deep in an alley, some distance from the main road at the entrance to the alley, so naturally, nobody saw this strange teleportation gate. Chen Ke looked at the scene inside the door and thoughts surged in his mind. He wanted to walk around to the back of the teleportation gate but discovered that no matter where he went, the gate was always facing him. There was no distinction between front, back, left, or right, as if the space before him had been torn open with a mouth that forever faced him. He cautiously extended his right hand and slowly inserted his index finger into the teleportation gate, feeling nothing out of the ordinary. Chen Ke took a deep breath, pulled out his Walther PPQ.45, removed the magazine loaded with regular bullets, and slid back the action to eject the bullet from the chamber. Then he shoved the magazine filled with Flame .45acp civilian spiritual bullets into the handle and re-chambered it. ... If the information he received was correct, then there shouldn¡¯t be much opportunity to engage with others in the Black Box Space. And a Class-D Black Box Space shouldn¡¯t cause him too much trouble. As long as he carefully avoided other investigators and fitted the silencer to hide the gunshot sound, nobody would know that a mysterious person had sneaked in, quietly killed a few monsters, and then left with Holy Relics. Chen Ke, holding the gun, quickly leaped into the teleportation gate. As his body completely entered, the gate rapidly spun with a ¡°swish,¡± the halo whirled like a vortex, the door became smaller and smaller, and when he looked back, it had completely vanished into the air. ¡°The teleportation gate is closed, cooldown countdown: 3 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds...¡± What? A bead of cold sweat crossed Chen Ke¡¯s forehead. He had planned to just stroll around for ten to twenty minutes, get the Holy Relics and get out while the going was good, but he didn¡¯t expect that opening this teleportation gate would require waiting 4 hours. Moreover, there was absolutely no warning before opening it. Although he didn¡¯t know whether the door was activated passively or if he could control it himself in the future, for now, he might as well give it a name. Now, Chen Ke had quite a few abilities at his disposal, and after pondering for a while, he decided to categorize his abilities into two series based on life expenditure and actual effect. The Killing Aura series, which includes the enemy-seeking Killing Aura Radar, the crowd-controlling Killing Aura Trigger, and the core life-preserving skill Killing Aura Vacuum, absorbing killing aura to extend life. The second series was now the Life series, Life Transfer Gate! It could mark Black Box Spaces within a certain range from himself with a beam of light and open teleportation gates upon approach by consuming life. The advantage was that he could bypass the oversight of the Administration Bureau, allowing him free access in and out of the Black Box Spaces to scavenge Holy Relics or urgently absorb killing aura. The downside was also very clear, a 4 hours cooldown period, which was quite annoying. Chen Ke sighed, knelt on one knee, and hid behind a row of computer desks, ears pricked up listening for any movement around him. Since he was here, might as well hunt in peace. 4 hours could be deadly on the outside, but here in the Spirit Explosion Space, it¡¯s profitable, not a problem. Chen Ke¡¯s core objective was to obtain Holy Relics. He currently only had three Holy Relics on him: a coat resistant to poison and acid, a helmet that would trade all its durability for a second chance at life, and a shield that enhanced damage with increased speed. He was missing a handy weapon, preferably a sword. A hammer would do as well. After the battle with the toad, Chen Ke deeply realized that while the power of weapons was important when facing monsters, having the right attribute bonuses was even more crucial! If the bullet¡¯s attributes were exactly what the monster was resistant to, then its kinetic energy damage would be greatly diminished, or even rendered completely useless. The power of .357 Magnum bullets was not to be underestimated, yet against a fire-resistant toad, they were like sugar pills. But Holy Relics didn¡¯t have this problem. A Blood Sword, without any additional attributes, could still make the toad cry and scream. Chen Ke guessed that the base damage that Holy Relics inflicted on monsters wasn¡¯t like the physical kinetic energy of bullets but rather some other kind of force. And surely, the Administration Bureau could not replicate Holy Relics, nor even produce similar weapons. Otherwise, missiles and firearms with many special effects would have been equipped in the military long ago, and there wouldn¡¯t be any effort to train ¡°superhumans¡± or collect Holy Relics. Chen Ke held his gun and slowly moved toward the glass door that led to the corridor outside; this was his second time here. The bloodstains on the ground had been cleaned up, the body of the Black People was also dealt with, and the Holy Relic Dagger he left here before must have been taken by the Administration Bureau, right? Although only a little more than 10 hours had passed, Chen Ke no longer felt as panicked as when he had first crossed over. Now, he was steady as an old dog, eager to encounter a pack of human-faced hounds to get some Holy Relics. ¡°Miles, is that you?¡± A familiar line drifted from the hallway, entering Chen Ke¡¯s ears. How could it be so familiar? Suddenly, Chen Ke thought of something, his pupils dilated several times over as he ground his teeth together. Impossible... How could it be... Fuck... Unable to stay calm, Chen Ke quickly ran to the glass door, pressing himself against the wall to wait for the approaching person. The sound of footsteps drew nearer, sounding like a pair of sneakers or skate shoes. The steps were brisk, as if the newcomer felt no danger in this Black Box Space, as casual as if he were shopping. ¡°Miles? Where are you?¡± The voice was different from what Chen Ke remembered; the accent wasn¡¯t hip-hop but sounded more Asian. A slightly chubby hand pushed open the glass door, and a man about 1.75 meters tall came in, with black hair, Asian skin, wearing a beige hoodie and blue jeans, holding a black pistol in his left hand... ¡°Come on, man! Let¡¯s...¡± Before the man could finish, Chen Ke kicked forcefully at his right knee from the side, then flashed behind him, grasping the gun handle tightly and delivering a fierce blow to the back of the man¡¯s neck. The man let out a yelp and fell face-first to the ground. Chen Ke quickly pressed his knee against the man¡¯s left arm and back, pointing the gun at the back of his head. ¡°Don¡¯t shoot! I¡¯ll tell you everything! I¡¯m a Class D investigator from Lescott Spirit Production! My bank card number is 2183-7581-2132-2938! The password is 772634! Social security account...¡± the man yelled while lying on the ground. ¡°Shut up! Shut up!¡± Chen Ke also shouted. ¡°I don¡¯t have a girlfriend yet, I don¡¯t want to die! I didn¡¯t see your face, please don¡¯t shoot!¡± The man¡¯s voice was tearful; Chen Ke could feel his body trembling under the knee pressing on his back. ¡°Where is Miles?!¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°You¡¯re looking for that woman?! I¡¯ll show you the way!¡± The man¡¯s crying abruptly stopped. ¡°Huh? Woman...?¡± Chen Ke¡¯s brain suddenly short-circuited. ¡°Sleery Mers, I knew that bitch wasn¡¯t simple... You¡¯re part of the Sleery boyfriend revenge group, right? I¡¯ll definitely help you find her!¡± the man snickered. ¡°What boyfriend revenge group... Are you from Si¡¯s consortium?¡± Chen Ke was becoming more and more confused. ¡°Of course I¡¯m not from Si¡¯s consortium, buddy, I¡¯m from the same company as that little bitch, Lescott Spirit Production, haven¡¯t you heard of it? Oh my god, she really fooled you...¡± the man said. Chen Ke, with a gun in his left hand pressed against the back of the man¡¯s head, searched with his right hand in the man¡¯s pockets and pulled out a wallet. Inside, he found an investigator¡¯s badge similar to Parker¡¯s. ¡°Yang Xiao¡± ¡°Psychic Investigator¡± ¡°Class: D¡± ¡°Affiliation: Lescott Spirit Production¡± ¡°Certification Issued: United Federation Spiritual Energy Administration Bureau¡± Chen Ke realized he had made a mistake. He stuffed the wallet back into Yang Xiao¡¯s pocket, withdrew the gun, and slowly stood up. ¡°Friend, who are you?¡± Yang Xiao felt the aggressor¡¯s hostility wane and plucked up the courage to ask. He didn¡¯t dare to move his body, still lying on the floor. ¡°My name is... Lin Ke. Class D investigator, Weber Spirit Production,¡± Chen Ke considered for a moment before giving a fake name. In this Black Box Space, there were certainly many other company¡¯s investigators, giving his real name might bring trouble to himself. ¡°Then, you can get up now...¡± Chen Ke kicked Yang Xiao¡¯s foot. Yang Xiao sprang up from the ground swiftly, patting the dust off himself, not seeming angry, and gave Chen Ke a silly smile. Only now did Chen Ke have the chance to properly look him over. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, this guy was also one of the Fei Huang People, slightly shorter than himself, plump and jolly looking... He didn¡¯t look like an investigator at all, more like a delivery guy. ¡°Sorry about just now, I got a little carried away,¡± said Chen Ke in Chinese. He felt remorseful for pinning an innocent man to the ground and didn¡¯t know how to apologize, so he simply gave Yang Xiao a fist salute. ¡°Understood, understood, that little whore is very alluring with her seductive looks, it¡¯s indeed hard to control oneself if you don¡¯t know the situation. Bro, tell me, how much money did you spend on her?¡± Yang Xiao chuckled. Chapter 40 - 040 Rank: D Chapter 40: Chapter 040 Rank: D ¡°No, no... I don¡¯t know her, I just confused her with someone else,¡± Chen Ke waved his hand dismissively. He had truly thought he had traveled through time and space, facing the ordeal of reliving the events of the last ten-plus hours. If that were the case, it would have been a bit painful. Fortunately, it was just a false alarm, and the universe hadn¡¯t made things too difficult for him. Chen Ke didn¡¯t want to have too much contact with other investigators, since he lacked an official status. In the Black Box Space, it was best to avoid trouble whenever possible. He pulled out his gun, pushed open the glass door, and poked his head into the pitch-black hallway. ¡°Hey, hey buddy, you looked so fierce and competent just now, turns out you¡¯re a noob too?¡± Yang Xiao¡¯s voice came from behind. ... Chen Ke ignored Yang Xiao, still alert and hugging the wall, slowly inching forward. During his first trip here, the dog that could call an elevator had given him quite a psychological shock. He wondered if he would encounter a similar situation this time. ¡°Bro, this is the Campfire area, stop pretending,¡± Yang Xiao¡¯s laughter grew even more exaggerated, followed by hearty laughter. ¡°Campfire area?¡± Chen Ke turned around, looked at Yang Xiao quizzically. At the moment, Yang Xiao was standing with hands on his hips, looking utterly carefree and unguarded. Thinking back to his sprightly footsteps earlier... Chen Ke put his gun away¡ªdamn, what a waste of an expression. He was in unfamiliar territory. ¡°Is it your first time here? It¡¯s my second time. I think you¡¯re more skilled than I am, but I can still be your senior,¡± Yang Xiao slapped his stomach, which was not exactly fat but a bit chubby, making him look quite rotund. Chen Ke pursed his lips, shook his head, and headed straight for the elevator, planning to go down and take a look. ¡°Hey, wait up~ buddy, I think we could form a team,¡± Yang Xiao chased after him. ¡°Give me the rundown; what¡¯s the deal with this Black Box Space?¡± Chen Ke stopped and asked. ¡°Hehe, you clearly didn¡¯t read the investigator¡¯s handbook properly. Look at you... What did you do before, buddy?¡± Yang Xiao curiously sized up Chen Ke. ¡°I was a professional killer!¡± Chen Ke was getting fed up with this guy. ¡°Hey! It¡¯s just the two of us here, what¡¯s there to hide? I bet you¡¯re from the underworld! With your killer look and those smooth moves just now... Hmm... Did you get into trouble with the gangsters? Used connections to become an investigator and lay low, huh?¡± Yang Xiao stroked his chin, analyzing away. ¡°Fuck, are you insane? Stop fucking bothering me!¡± Chen Ke frowned. He hated fat guys who babbled on about nothing; interacting with them was a complete waste of time. Yang Xiao reminded Chen Ke of a fat classmate from his school days who was all talk and no substance, never able to stay on a serious topic, drifting from one thing to the next, from prehistory to the future. Chen Ke turned to leave. ¡°Hey, wait, wait!¡± Yang Xiao stuck to him again, grabbing Chen Ke¡¯s left hand. But before he could react, Chen Ke had already twisted his wrist, forcing him to kneel on one knee from the joint lock. ¡°Ow! Ow! It hurts! It¡¯s going to break!¡± Yang Xiao yelped in pain. ¡°Keep spouting nonsense and I will break it,¡± Chen Ke said, loosening his grip. ¡°Dude, you¡¯re badass, good moves...¡± Yang Xiao said while rubbing his wrist, but upon seeing Chen Ke¡¯s expression, he changed the subject to explain about the Black Box Space. The Black Box Space, being a controlled Spirit Explosion Space, was largely devoid of danger due to the Administration Bureau¡¯s use of a ¡°zoning¡± technology, which tricked the monsters¡¯ senses and made them overlook certain areas within the space. These areas were called ¡°Campfires.¡± No matter how many monsters are chasing you, as long as you run back to the Campfire, you can escape danger. Moreover, there are specialized ammunition supply stations and communication devices for external contact at the Campfire. Investigators just need to swipe their licenses to deduct investigation points and exchange for various supplies. The floor where Chen Ke and Yang Xiao were actually fell within the range of the Campfire. Of course, this didn¡¯t mean you could set up a Campfire wherever you liked; the areas where this technology could be utilized were limited in different Spirit Explosion Spaces, so each Black Box Space¡¯s distribution and number of Campfires varied. Chen Ke, lacking an investigator¡¯s license, naturally couldn¡¯t use the supply station, but the special nature of the campfire was still somewhat helpful to him. ¡°Then can I lure the monsters to the edge of the campfire and shoot them from inside?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much, buddy! That ghostly technique is actually quite forced, after all, it¡¯s an eye-blocking skill. If you attack from inside the campfire, then the whole campfire will temporarily fail and let the monsters in,¡± Yang Xiao said. The Administration Bureau feared that the monsters would learn the campfire technique and cause Black Box Spaces to become uncontrollable. So they would rather sacrifice the safety of the investigators than allow the campfire system to be shut down when an investigator breaks the rules. ¡°I get it, our lives aren¡¯t as valuable as that crappy technique,¡± Chen Ke shook his head. ¡°Easy to say, but actually speaking, it¡¯s very safe overall. A D-ranked Black Box Space, it¡¯s practically like child¡¯s play~¡± Yang Xiao laughed. Chen Ke suddenly remembered something Parker had said. ¡°...The human-faced dog isn¡¯t a very powerful monster, but it belongs to the C-ranked monsters that can affect the minds of normal people...¡± Parker had said that the human-faced dog was a C-ranked monster... Why was this Black Box Space only rated as D? ¡°I heard there are human-faced dogs here, aren¡¯t those C-ranked monsters?¡± Chen Ke asked. Yang Xiao looked at Chen Ke with an incredulous expression and said, ¡°One look at you, buddy, and it¡¯s clear you either didn¡¯t study English well or you got through investigator training by pulling some strings...¡± ¡°Cut the crap...¡± Chen Ke said impatiently. Yang Xiao pulled out a booklet from his back pocket that was quite creased and waved it in front of Chen Ke. Chen Ke grabbed the booklet to see a cover with an attractive Black Person holding a modified handgun, facing off against an exaggerated cartoon monster. The book was titled ¡°Jack Meyer¡¯s Investigator Guide: The Path of Promotion from D to S!¡± The booklet was somewhat thick, possibly over a hundred pages. He flipped through it casually, finding detailed illustrations and large blocks of text. ¡°Page 19, take a look,¡± Yang Xiao prompted. Chen Ke flipped to page 19, where the title read ¡°100 Questions for Rookie Investigators.¡± Yang Xiao¡¯s meaty finger pointed to a boxed section on the page called ¡°Classification of Monsters and Black Box Spaces.¡± ¡°In general terms, we have conducted a detailed classification of monsters and Black Box Spaces¡ªyour workplace. But because the Administration Bureau¡¯s almighty didn¡¯t stress precision in the classification, it¡¯s tough to differentiate between the two ratings, leading many newbie investigators to fail to properly distinguish between monster ranks and Black Box Space ranks.¡± Chen Ke nodded, continuing to read. ¡°The Administration Bureau has meticulously classified all monsters that appeared in the Spirit Explosion Spaces, based on PWAT and Administration Bureau agent combat data, into six levels from E to S. But when looking at the classification information, newbies must first understand that in fact, the Administration Bureau has three sets of classification information.¡± Three sets? ¡°Among them, Black Box Space has a unique level notation, which is the well-known Rank series. This level indication means a D-ranked Black Box Space where monster power levels fall within the D range. It must be clear that it¡¯s within that range, not absolutely D-ranked. That¡¯s something the Administration Bureau has never emphasized.¡± This means that a D-ranked Black Box could have monsters of both lower and higher ranks, Chen Ke pondered. ¡°Next, there are two more levels that the Administration Bureau uses to classify monsters. A skilled investigator would know this, and if you don¡¯t, then learn it now!¡± Chen Ke focused on reading further. ¡°The monster ranks are divided into the Level series and Type series. Level D means the monster is of D-level danger, but this is only a general category of threat level. The most important is the Type classification, which uses nearly all 26 letters of the alphabet and differs from Rank and Level in that each Type letter is usually followed by numeric suffixes, like D1, D2, D3, depicting which markings under category D the monster possesses...¡± This is fucking complicated... ¡°Because Type itself doesn¡¯t mark the danger level of a monster but indicates which special attributes this kind of monster carries. Take a tea cup worth 5 union coins, for example. If it¡¯s sold in a standard supermarket, that¡¯s the equivalent of different Rank levels of Black Box Spaces. And 5 union coins represents the Level of danger of the cup. Whether the cup is made of stainless steel or glass, whether it¡¯s retro styled or industrially carved, whether it¡¯s heat-resistant or handmade by a renowned craftsman entirely depends on what Type attributes it has. Isn¡¯t it a very simple example?¡± ¡°So, before you officially become an investigator, you need to understand the differences between Rank, Level, and Type, as well as memorize the appendix of Type table in this book to grasp the various monster classification indicators and Administration Bureau numbering rules. Because all the names the Administration Bureau has for monsters are made up of various codes. For example, the well-known human-faced dog, officially coded as DD3Z20059. D for Level rank, D3 and Z2 are the Type, and 0059 is the specific number in the Administration Bureau¡¯s C category of monsters. Yes, a monster may have many Types...¡± Chen Ke¡¯s head throbbed. He flipped to the last few pages of the booklet and found that the last thirty or so pages were all Administration Bureau¡¯s Type code tables, listed densely in a tiny no. 6.5 font, bringing to mind his fear when dominated by the periodic table of the elements. And this monster Type code table was even more complicated than the periodic table, probably designed without any consideration for the difficulty of memorization because, after all, they weren¡¯t the ones who had to memorize it. Chapter 41 - 041 Love Comes Too Fast Just Like... Chapter 41: Chapter 041 Love Comes Too Fast Just Like... Chen Ke studied it carefully. The Type code was actually a set of affixes representing different effects. For example, Category A stands for physical enhancement, while A1, A2, etc., are more specific enhancements under physical enhancement: epidermal hardening, spines, thick outer shells... He flipped briefly through these thirty-plus pages of the catalog, and the various perverse effects listed made Chen Ke¡¯s scalp tingle. Some special effects were simply unreasonable, like X12: Spiritual Body. Monsters with this affix have no physical form! It¡¯s not just about Spiritual Bullets, even Holy Relics would require an opposing affix to deal substantial damage to them. Then there¡¯s T9: Flame Invalid, all Holy Relics and Spiritual Bullets with a Flame attribute are completely useless, it¡¯s simply defying the heavens. It¡¯s hard to imagine how strong a monster decked out in affixes could be; no wonder the Administration Bureau and military are collecting Holy Relics on such a large scale. Relying solely on Spiritual Bullets really falls short, and without an extremely complete and vast store of Holy Relics, the idea of facing all monsters is utter fantasy. ... Fortunately, the Black Box Space opened by Spiritual Ability Enterprises wouldn¡¯t have such perverse monsters, after all, an investigator is a profession that shouldn¡¯t make its practitioners risk their necks. Chen Ke wasn¡¯t clear about the details of Spiritual Energy security, but at least within the Black Box Space, these investigators were provided with equipment that exceeded the level of the Black Box. This was why this somewhat chubby guy named Yang Xiao acted like he was out for a stroll. ¡°Do you have more copies of this booklet?¡± Chen Ke handed back ¡°Jack Meyer¡¯s Guide for Investigators: The Path from D to S!¡± to Yang Xiao. The book contained very detailed information about the industry. Chen Ke didn¡¯t think it could be bought online or in a bookstore. ¡°Weren¡¯t you given one when you joined? Every investigator gets one. The catalog in the back is essential for the exam!¡± Yang Xiao said, puzzled. ¡°I left it at home,¡± Chen Ke replied vaguely, thinking that he was right, this material was indeed internal corporate material. It seemed getting his hands on it would require a bit of effort. The catalog was very useful. Chen Ke pondered whether he could find an opportunity to borrow the book from Yang Xiao and take a few photos of the catalog with his phone... ¡°In fact, it¡¯s not just this catalog, there¡¯s also an investigator¡¯s illustrated book. You need to look at both to recognize the monsters you¡¯re facing on time. Anyway, there¡¯s a lot to memorize,¡± Yang Xiao said, rolling up the booklet and tucking it into his back pocket. ¡°Do you have the illustrated book with you?¡± Chen Ke asked, curious. ¡°Of course, but it¡¯s not with me, it¡¯s with Sleery. I¡¯m on a team with her. She¡¯s the expert for memorizing these charts, but when it comes to shooting monsters, she¡¯s a rookie,¡± Yang Xiao laughed. ¡°Sleery... huh, you mean that Miles... These names are really hard to remember,¡± Chen Ke shook his head and slowly walked towards the elevator door. There was no need to entangle himself further with Yang Xiao. Sneaking out a few Holy Relic diamonds was the real task at hand. ¡°Hey, wait up! Didn¡¯t we agree to team up?¡± Yang Xiao ran over and said. ¡°When did I agree to that?¡± Chen pressed the elevator button; the numbers on the elevator indicator began to flash, slowly ascending from 1. ¡°Going solo in monster hunting is exhausting, and it¡¯s not completely without danger. Usually, investigators in the Black Box team up upon encountering one another, and besides, you don¡¯t seem to have dealt with monsters before. You might be great with people, but handling monsters is a different story; I can look out for you in a critical moment,¡± Yang Xiao laughed, leaning against the wall with one hand. ¡°I think you¡¯re the one who needs looking after... Are you scared? Now you¡¯re desperately looking for people to stick with?¡± Chen Ke frowned. ¡°I...¡± Yang Xiao had just begun to speak when the elevator door opened, and a white light flooded the dark hallway. Chen Ke was about to enter but realized someone was already inside, a Caucasian woman with light purple short hair who gracefully stepped out of the elevator. She stood at the doorway, looking at Chen Ke with interest. ¡°Sleery?! Where did you go? I¡¯ve been looking...¡± Yang Xiao¡¯s words were cut off mid-sentence as Sleery placed her right index finger on his lips to silence him. Sleery was indeed striking in appearance, as exquisite as a 1000 union coin inflatable doll on eBay. She was a head shorter than Chen Ke, wearing a light yellow short jacket and a purple crop top with black tight leather pencil skirt and over-the-knee boots. Green nylon tactical gun straps were wrapped around her attractive abdominal muscles, forming an ¡°11¡± shape, with a handgun tucked into the holster ¨C judging from the exposed grip, it should also be an M1911A1. ¡°Is this the new teammate you found for us, Yang?¡± Sleery stretched out her left hand, aiming to touch Chen Ke¡¯s chest. Chen Ke grasped her extended wrist and said, ¡°Ms. Miles, that outfit of yours won¡¯t do much good in this kind of place.¡± Sleery withdrew her hand, smiling, ¡°Don¡¯t you think it looks good?¡± ¡°You should ask those monsters that,¡± Chen Ke said. Sleery smiled, hugged her chest, and took another close look at Chen Ke, then suddenly changed the subject, ¡°This guy, doesn¡¯t seem like an investigator.¡± Chen Ke¡¯s eyebrows shot up. Yang Xiao, who was beside him, also got nervous and immediately said, ¡°Sleery... men can be messed with, but words can¡¯t be spoken recklessly!¡± Chen Ke ignored the woman, sidestepped his body past Sleery, and pressed the elevator button. Sleery snorted, actually pulled an M1911A1 from her holster, and pointed it at the back of Chen Ke¡¯s head. ¡°Fuck, what are you doing! Sleery, put the gun down!¡± Yang Xiao exclaimed. He reached out to try to snatch the gun, but Sleery turned her head, gave him a look, and made him retract his hand. Chen Ke didn¡¯t feel even a hint of killing intent. It seemed this girl took the whole pointing-a-gun-at-someone¡¯s-head thing as child¡¯s play; she must have done it quite often before. With her attractive appearance and enticing attire, she probably often received comments from those men who go weak at the knees upon seeing a woman, saying she has ¡°character¡± and is ¡°fierce.¡± Chen Ke turned around, looked into Sleery¡¯s eyes, originally wanting to use the Killing Intent Trigger to scare her off, but then thought it was somewhat wasteful. ¡°Your eyes are really captivating, I can see fear and hesitation in them...¡± Sleery said with a smile. ¡°Your gun¡¯s safety isn¡¯t off,¡± Chen Ke said coldly. ¡°Hm?¡± Sleery was taken aback and glanced at the gun in her hand. Suddenly, she felt the ground rushing toward her face. ¡°Bang!¡± Sleery lay flat on the ground, eyes wide with an incredulous expression. Yang Xiao covered his eyes, unable to believe what had just happened. ¡°This is a good gun, really shouldn¡¯t be in your hands,¡± Chen Ke said, holding Sleery¡¯s M1911A1. Different from Parker¡¯s model, this modified version had reinforced the barrel, the grip was engraved, not only equipped with a reader but also with infrared aiming and lighting, and the counterweight had also been readjusted. Chen Ke ejected the magazine, pulled back the slide, and extracted the bullet from the chamber, which was not a primerless one, but instead had a golden exterior unlike the full silver ones. Who knew what attribute that Spiritual Bullet was. Holding the empty gun, he pulled the trigger several times, realizing that this model¡¯s trigger had been modified to a modern double-action safety trigger. This foolish woman clearly hadn¡¯t trained properly in shooting, not even knowing her gun had double-action safety. As the elevator doors opened again, Chen Ke slipped the magazine back into the gun, chambered a round, and tossed it to Yang Xiao. ¡°I suggest you find a new line of work, being an investigator isn¡¯t like popping balloons in the park, nor is it starring in action movies,¡± Chen Ke said before walking into the elevator. The elevator doors closed, and through the crack, the white light slowly ascended. Sleery still lay on the ground while Yang Xiao suddenly burst into laughter. ¡°Damn it, why! Hahaha! I didn¡¯t expect you¡¯d have this day! Your trick of picking up men has finally failed!¡± Yang Xiao laughed heartily. Sleery looked at the elevator doors, her expression changing continuously, from anger slowly turning to doubt, then to embarrassment and awkwardness, and finally, she fell into fantasy and intoxication. ¡°That guy dared to touch me!... My God... he is really strong... and both precise and swift...¡± Sleery lay on the ground, propping her chin with her left hand while closely examining her right wrist, reminiscing about the moment she had been instantly overpowered by Chen Ke. And she fantasized about other things. Yang Xiao¡¯s smile vanished. He had never seen Sleery with that expression before, and he felt he was in trouble. ¡°I think, I¡¯ve fallen in love...¡± Sleery lifted her head, her face adorned with a blissful smile. Chapter 42 - 042: The Disappearing Door Chapter 42: Chapter 042: The Disappearing Door ¡°Ding-dong¡± The elevator door slowly opened, casting white light into the dark corridor, which wasn¡¯t much different from the lower level. Chen Ke looked at the elevator indicator with suspicion, as the orange LED numbers flickered, showing that it was currently on the first floor. Damn it... Chen Ke intended to go down to the first-floor lobby to see if he could encounter more dogs, and he did press the button for the first floor. When the elevator started, he felt surprised. Although it was supposed to go down, it felt like it was ascending. He slowly walked out of the elevator, took out his PPK.45, slowly attached the silencer, then scanned the entire corridor. There was no one, and no sounds either. ... On both sides of the corridor, there were four sets of double glass doors. Chen Ke mumbled to himself, guessing they were similar to the office rooms on the eighth floor. Through the glass, he could see rows of computer workstations. He reached out to try one of the glass doors by his side and, unexpectedly, it was unlocked. He opened the door just a crack and peered through the gap, where a scene defying logic presented itself. Through the crack, he saw another corridor, with four sets of double doors on each side, leading to an elevator at the far end. Chen Ke moved his gaze away from the crack and looked through the glass door again. It was a normal office room, rows of computer workstations, unlike what he had just seen. Unwilling to give up, he opened the door wider to look from the inside out, and it was pitch black. Chen Ke now realized that within the Black Box Space, physical distances and spaces were a chaotic tangle. Although he wasn¡¯t sure if this was the norm. The silence around him was unnaturally still; not even gunshots could be heard. He hesitated whether to enter the corridor behind the glass door, fearing that he might get trapped. Better check the other doors first! Chen Ke closed this glass door and pulled open the other three, only to see his uneasy expression reflected on his face each time¡ªbehind every door was a corridor that looked identical. For some reason, he had a bad feeling and retreated to the elevator to press the button. Huh? The button¡¯s light wouldn¡¯t light up. He furrowed his brows, repeatedly pressing the button to no effect. He picked up his gun, surveying the surroundings. The quiet, empty corridor seemed dangerous to him now. He didn¡¯t sense any killing intent, nor could he hear any movement, as though he had fallen into a paradoxical trap. Chen Ke saw the emergency exit next to the elevator, its yellow wooden doors slightly ajar. The first time he had come here, he had used the emergency exit to go down to the first-floor lobby. He quietly walked over to open the doors, only to find a wall behind them... The bolts from the double doors jutted out from between the wall¡¯s cracks, pressing down on Chen Ke¡¯s shoulder, and the other door fell to the ground with a loud ¡°clang,¡± the sudden noise echoing through the corridor. He propped the other door against the wall and examined the wall closely. It was made of red bricks, which seemed old by the look of them. They sprouted abruptly from where the door frame should have been, taking up the space meant for the door, causing the bolts to break out of the frame and the door to fall. So under normal circumstances, this door could not possibly fit into this frame. A cold sweat trickled down Chen Ke¡¯s forehead; these bricks had formed in the instant he had opened the door. Something was toying with him. The current situation might have gone beyond the scope of the Black Box Space. The Administration Bureau wouldn¡¯t play such a trick on the investigators, there was no reason for this. Most likely, the corridor behind the glass door had also formed in the instant he had pushed the door open, something wanted to trap him here. Damn it, why? Could it be that it was some kind of protective mechanism set up by the Administration Bureau within the Black Box Space? Detecting an unauthorized entry, it used this trap to catch the intruder? Thinking of this possibility made Chen Ke¡¯s hair stand on end. If that were the case, he feared it might be over for him. He wouldn¡¯t be able to fend off an assault by the Administration Bureau, at least not the him in his current state. Moreover, in a world with a sound legal system, even if Chen Ke managed to kill people from the Administration Bureau, the entire country wouldn¡¯t let it slide; they might even send ¡°superhumans¡± to deal with him. Attacking others at sight wasn¡¯t wise; unless someone got in his face, Chen Ke wouldn¡¯t kill indiscriminately. With no other options, Chen Ke had to turn back into the corridor. With the elevator unresponsive and the emergency exit blocked, his only remaining paths were through the four sets of double glass doors. He pushed a door to look inside; the passageway was eerily silent, no different from the corridor he was in. Yet, the elevator at the end had its floor indicator blinking. Was the elevator working? Chen Ke looked back at the elevator at the end of his corridor, where the indicator light was unlit. Looking towards the door, Chen Ke hesitated¡ªshould he go in? ¡°Snap.¡± Just as he was standing still, someone seemed to push him from behind, and he stumbled into the corridor through the glass door. Chen Ke¡¯s mind exploded with tension, his hair standing on end. He immediately turned around to aim his gun, but there was nothing behind him. Not even the glass door. Chen Ke looked again; he was now in the middle of the corridor, behind him was the elevator with lights indicating the floor. This made no sense! He reached the elevator door, pressed the button to go down, and looked up at the floor indicator. The number was stuck at 99999. Chen Ke glanced at the emergency exit next to him, the yellow wooden double door still slightly open... It was pitch black behind that slit. He walked over and gently closed the door. ¡°Clang.¡± He was abruptly ¡°expelled¡± through the door, falling stiffly onto the floor, with a concrete wall now facing him from inside the doorframe. Chen Ke kicked the wall, then turned and walked toward the nearby glass double doors, which reflected only his own image. Behind the door, there still appeared to be the normal office space, but he knew that as soon as he pulled open the door, it would change into a hallway. What if he didn¡¯t touch the door? Chen Ke took a few steps back and raised his pistol, firing repeatedly at the glass door. A bizarre thing happened: the Flame .45 ACP bullets passed through the glass door, shredding the computers, office chairs, and cubicles behind it to pieces, and ignited the A4 paper on the copier, creating a blazing fire. However, the glass door remained perfectly intact, without a single bullet hole. Chen Ke stroked his chin and theorized two conclusions: either the door ignored the existence of the bullets, or the bullets ignored the existence of the door. Although the two sounded similar, in reality, they were vastly different. If the door ignored the bullets, it meant the door had sentience, able to decide who to let into the true space ¡°behind¡± the door. If the bullets ignored the door, it meant the goddamn door didn¡¯t exist at all. If the door had sentience, then it was either a mutated object or simply a monster. But Chen Ke saw no informational frames in his field of vision, nor did he sense any killing intent. So he concluded that the ¡°door¡± didn¡¯t exist. Something wanted to play a ¡°game¡± with him. That thing had just pushed him, sending him deeper into the trap, and now, Chen Ke intended to draw it out. Chen Ke stood and slowly opened the door again, all the while staying alert to any movement behind him. Whatever appeared behind him at that moment, he would fire the entire magazine of Flame Bullets into its body. However, the moment Chen Ke opened the glass door, the life-span countdown on the corner of his eye began to jump wildly. ¡°+1 hour¡± ¡°+1 hour¡± ¡°+1 hour¡± ¡°Life-span has reached the maximum...¡± ¡°...¡± In the corridor behind the door, a large dog about 1 meter tall sat crouched on the ground, glaring angrily at Chen Ke, seemingly enraged that he tried to step into its territory. Its lower jaw split into two halves, and a viscous red liquid¡ªeither blood or saliva¡ªdripped onto the floor from the split. Its muscular, hairless, pitch-black body was covered with scar-like cracks, exuding a purple liquid from within. Chen Ke felt instinctively that it was best to avoid those liquids. A blue outline enveloped the bizarre dog in Chen Ke¡¯s vision, with five blue and two red phrases arrayed around it: [Administration Bureau Monster Rating: ??] [Poison Spray] [Strength Enhancement] [Dark Energy Damage Increase] [Corrosion Immunity] ================== [Discipline Weakening] [Flame Weakening] Chen Ke surmised that the blue phrases represented the monster¡¯s buffs, while the red phrases were its weakness attributes. This was a new ability he acquired after hastily browsing through the appendix of ¡°Jack Meyer¡¯s Investigator¡¯s Guide: The Path from D to S Rank!¡±¡ªthe automatic labeling of attributes compiled by the Administration Bureau next to the monsters. The labeled attributes were likely limited to those listed in that booklet, perhaps those were all of them. The two types of monsters Chen Ke had encountered during this period, mutated beings and creatures from the Spirit Explosion Space, had no names. This was also because he hadn¡¯t looked at anything like a Monster Manual, and the Administration Bureau¡¯s monster rating displayed question marks because he hadn¡¯t browsed through any Monster Manual. He decided to call this ability the ¡°Life Archive.¡± Since he didn¡¯t know the names of the monsters due to never having seen a Monster Manual, then why could he see the names of the Holy Relics? Now wasn¡¯t the time to think about this. Although Chen Ke knew that the mutant dog was weak to Flame and Discipline, and he happened to possess weapons of both types, this still wasn¡¯t a game where he could see his own DPS or the monster¡¯s health bar. He wasn¡¯t sure how many Flame Bullets it would take to kill the dog. There were only six Discipline bullets remaining, and he was in the Black Box Space, risking alarming the Administration Bureau by randomly using the Spiritual Ability Pistol, with nowhere to run. The dog was quite challenging. Judging from the life-span increase after absorbing its killing intent, this dog and the toad god in the sewer were somehow of the same tier... And as an indigenous creature of the Black Box Space, it was possibly even more formidable than a mutated individual. Chen Ke decided to quietly close the door, not provoking the dog, while also constantly monitoring any movement behind him to prevent being shoved into the corridor. ¡°Let¡¯s pretend you saw nothing,¡± Chen Ke muttered to himself, slowly closing the glass door. Just as the door was about to be closed, Chen Ke felt it slip from his hand. Suddenly, his face was overtaken by surprise and confusion. His hand was empty. ¡°The fuck... Where¡¯s my door?¡± ¡°Huoh... gurgle gurgle gurgle...¡± The black dog stood up on all fours, growling low at Chen Ke. The sound was like an old man sighing. Chen Ke crouched and aimed his gun; almost simultaneously, the beast lunged at him with an unbelievable speed. Chapter 43 - 043 Out of Control Chapter 43: Chapter 043 Out of Control Chen Ke had no choice but to lift his hand and shoot at the dog, the Flame Bullets trailing a red trajectory through the air toward the beast. Ordinarily, bullets wouldn¡¯t leave a colored trail through the air unless they were tracer rounds, but almost all official Spiritual Bullets with an attribute and civilian-made flame bombs would leave behind a colored trail after being fired. The dog moved swiftly and nimbly through the hallway, darting left and right, causing Chen Ke to waste several shots. Hitting a fast-moving target was extremely difficult, even for Chen Ke. Within a mere two seconds, the dog had charged up to Chen Ke, pouncing fiercely with its trifurcated mouth open like a three-pronged hook, aiming for Chen Ke¡¯s neck and head. Chen Ke¡¯s left hand burst forth with white light, and in an instant, a circular shield with spikes appeared in his hand. The Blood-soaked Shield! ... He swung the shield upwards in a shield bash to the dog¡¯s head. A dull thud was heard as the side of the dog¡¯s face was pierced with three bloody holes. However, due to its large size and Chen Ke¡¯s limited arm strength, he was unable to send it flying very far. The dog rolled on the ground, immediately got up, and took a step back to put a slight distance between itself and Chen Ke, roughly three steps away. It showed wariness toward the shield in Chen Ke¡¯s hand and the Flame Bullets, with blood still oozing from the three holes in its face, and one side of its jaw appeared to be dislocated. The strange dog slightly lowered its head, its body slightly curved as it paced back and forth, growling low in its throat. Its two blood-red eyes were fixated on Chen Ke. Only then did Chen Ke notice that its eyes had no pupils. ¡°You sure are ugly,¡± Chen Ke said with a deep voice. He braced the shield with his left hand and aimed his PPQ.45 at the dog with his right, but he didn¡¯t shoot rashly. Given the dog¡¯s speed, Chen Ke figured he wouldn¡¯t have time for a magazine change; he reckoned there should still be seven or eight bullets left in the chamber. As he faced off with the dog, he suddenly felt his left wrist lose sensation. Glancing down instinctively, he was utterly shocked. His left sleeve¡¯s fabric was rotting away as if it were decaying, turning moldy black and wrinkling into tatters. His entire left hand had turned purple-black, the veins bulging underneath the skin and starting to slowly shrivel and wither! The shield bash from earlier had caused the dog¡¯s purple venom to splash onto his own shield and left wrist, and he hadn¡¯t expected to be poisoned like this. It wasn¡¯t just his left hand¡ªthe withering sensation was slowly spreading to his entire left arm. It was a forceful neurotoxic withering poison! ¡°Consume 30% lifespan to eliminate the Corrosion Element¡¯s effect.¡± The message flickered at the corner of his eye, and his left hand visibly reversed the withering condition, returning to its normal state, but the damaged clothing was beyond repair. This time, the consumption of his lifespan wasn¡¯t 30 minutes but 30% of his overall lifespan! It seemed the venom he had just encountered was lethal... The dog wasn¡¯t attacking him again; it was trying to exhaust him to death. Moreover, as the upper limit of his lifespan increased, the lifespan consumed to heal fatal injuries also increased, changing from a fixed time to a percentage... Chen Ke instinctively thought of something. Could he keep reviving as long as his life countdown didn¡¯t reach 0? ¡°Minimum Fatal Injury Consumption: 30% of Lifespan Limit¡± As soon as he thought this, another message appeared in the corner of his eye. Chen Ke sighed. It seemed that as his lifespan limit increased, the consumption needed to heal fatal injuries would indeed increase proportionally. Now he had a 10-hour lifespan limit; healing once would cost 3 hours. If left with only 2 hours when struck by a soul-penetrating shot, then death would be inevitable... ¡°Consume 20 minutes to summon Holy Relics.¡± A tattered coat replaced the clothes on Chen Ke¡¯s body. [Old Doctor¡¯s Coat] [Durability: Standard] [Corrosion Protection: Acid Damage Mitigation, Immunity to Splashed Acid Damage, Halved Damage in Drenched Acid] This coat only protected against acid attribute damage. Although uncertain whether it would offer some resistance to the dog¡¯s venom, it should at least not be corroded away, a small victory. In battles with these monsters, balancing attributes was more important than killing power. If one could restrain the monsters¡¯ attributes, physical kinetic damage would matter; otherwise, it would be like with the toad creature that treated bullets like candy. Chen Ke also noticed something else¡ªno matter the type of Holy Relics, none were labeled with physical damage terms; all had special effects phrases. Perhaps it was because he had seen too few Holy Relics; maybe armor-class Holy Relics might offer exceptionally high physical defense. The dog had been patiently waiting, but after seeing Chen Ke still standing perfectly fine in front of it several dozen seconds later, it began to feel puzzled as this contradicted its experience. The dog tensed its body in preparation, its muscles coiled and its sharp teeth bared from its mouth. Chen Ke realized it was gearing up to pounce. He didn¡¯t wait for it to make its next move. Lifting his hand, he fired. The silenced pistol made a muffled mechanical sound as bullets with red tails flew towards the dog. The dog tried to dodge with a leap, but its speed couldn¡¯t match that of the bullets; at least three rounds penetrated the thick muscles on its back, each leaving a small bloody hole. ¡°Arrooo...¡± The dog yelped in pain, red flames emanating from the bullet holes as the bullets scorched its internal tissues. Chen Ke pulled the trigger again, only to find that the PPQ.45 had run empty. He cursed under his breath, his thumb pressing the release on the left side of the gun handle, flicking his wrist to eject the empty magazine. The shield in his left hand disappeared as he reached inside his coat for a spare magazine. At that moment, the monstrous dog lunged at him, clamping its jaws around Chen Ke¡¯s left wrist. ¡°Crack crack...¡± ¡°Fuck, fuck!¡± Chen Ke sharply inhaled from the pain as the dog¡¯s sharp teeth pierced his flesh and even snapped the bone. His left wrist first felt a stabbing pain, then lost all sensation completely. Dropping the pistol, a flash of white light materialized a shield on his right wrist, and he struck the dog¡¯s head with gritted teeth. ¡°Smack...¡± The dog stubbornly clung to Chen Ke¡¯s left wrist, its poisonous saliva splashing onto his left arm, the purple toxin running down his coat, hissing as it burned through. A dialogue box appeared in front of Chen Ke: [The Doctor¡¯s Old Coat] [Durability: Poor] The dog¡¯s venom was fierce, capable of corroding even Holy Relic garments, and Chen Ke¡¯s left arm turned an even deeper shade of purple. His five fingers contorted like chicken claws, the withering effect spreading from the fingertips up towards the forearm and upper arm. Chen Ke continuously bashed the dog¡¯s head with the shield, but the tough creature refused to let go. He felt the left side of his body begin to wither, the purple symptoms of atrophy even creeping up to his neck... ¡°Son of a bitch.¡± The shield disappeared, and Chen Ke pulled out an M1911A1, aiming it at the top of the dog¡¯s head and pulled the trigger. ¡°Bang!¡± With a resounding shot, the Punishment attribute bullet drilled through the dog¡¯s head at point-blank range. A stream of white light entered the left side of the brain and exited the right, pulling out a long streak of black, white, and red splatter against the wall. Except for the jaw, nothing else of the dog¡¯s head remained¡ªit resembled a smashed egg. Unspeakable fluids splattered all over Chen Ke¡¯s face, the dog¡¯s carcass abruptly collapsed onto the ground, its teeth still embedded in Chen Ke¡¯s left wrist. ¡°Your life expectancy is now 4 hours, 10 minutes, 59 seconds...¡± Once his body returned to normal, Chen Ke shook off the dog¡¯s teeth from his sleeve, bent down to pick up the PPQ.45, and inserted a new magazine; he then turned around to collect the empty magazine he had dropped earlier. The Administration Bureau¡¯s bullets were indeed powerful; civilian counterfeits were simply inferior. In the heat of the moment, Chen Ke had no choice but to resort to Parker¡¯s Spiritual Ability Pistol, which surely had given away his coordinates to the Administration Bureau. But he no longer had the luxury to worry about that. He squatted next to the dog¡¯s body, cautiously observing. Even without a head, the dog¡¯s body still made kicking motions and puffed up as if it were breathing, though at a diminishing rate. No Holy Relics dropped. ¡°Shit!¡± Disappointed, Chen Ke stood up, feeling like he had suffered great losses, when a white streak in his peripheral vision caught his attention. The Punishment bullet had burned a hole in the glass door nearby after passing through the dog¡¯s brain, leaving behind an unexpected white streak in the air. This meant that the door was some sort of monster-generated illusion, and Punishment attribute bullets could penetrate such illusions! But now he had only five bullets left, and whether he would have a chance to restock them in the future was uncertain. He pushed open the glass door and saw a black-haired, white-clad humanoid creature standing, no, floating in mid-air in the hallway. Its hair dropped to the floor, obscuring its face. The long white robe trailed on the ground, feet unseen. Though there was no breeze, the hem of the robe fluttered gently. [Administration Bureau Monster Rating: ??] [Spiritual Body: Incorporeal] [Mysterious Attribute Immunity] [Physical Attack Immunity] [Broad-area Illusion Technique] ================== [Light Energy Weakening] [Justice Weakening] Chen Ke¡¯s forehead was drenched in cold sweat. What happened to the promised D-level Black Box Space? That dog from earlier was certainly beyond the scope of D-level, and now a Spiritual Body!? Chapter 44 - 044 +1 Year Chapter 44: Chapter 044 +1 Year The eerie white-clothed monster moved, slowly drifting towards Chen Ke. The entire corridor also began to change gradually. The four sets of glass double doors and the surrounding walls melted away like a faded crayon drawing on a canvas. The space returned to its original state, and Chen Ke realized he had been standing in an office all along. When he had first stepped out of the elevator, the corridor he was in was indeed real, but that shove had pushed him into an illusion. The stone walls within the doorframe were nothing more than an illusion technique. It¡¯s just that the illusion was so lifelike, it had tricked his brain and made his body feel physical sensations. Now, the white-clothed monster was standing by the glass door of the office, leisurely drifting towards him. Strangely enough, Chen Ke couldn¡¯t feel any killing aura from it. The monster¡¯s body slowly became thin and transparent as if it was about to dissolve into the air, followed by the surrounding scenery once again slowly morphing into the appearance of the illusory corridor. ... The grey-black corridor illusion spread from beneath the white-clothed monster¡¯s feet, slowly covering the office floor and walls. As the monster became more transparent, the scope of the illusion¡¯s cover grew larger and more realistic. Chen Ke understood, this monster had no means of attack¡ªitself was the illusion. His prior accidental shot with the Punishment bullets had temporarily shattered the illusion, but now, it was unfolding the illusion once more. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it all before.¡± Chen Ke raised his M1911A1 and pulled the trigger at the white-clothed monster that was about to vanish, the bullet accurately hitting the monster¡¯s head. Even though the monster was physically immune, the Punishment attribute of the bullets could still inflict damage. As the bullet passed through the monster, it emitted a burst of white light resembling Holy Light, before burrowing into the wall behind the creature. The burst of light instantly sheared off half of the monster¡¯s head. There was no blood, no other fluids, or tissues flew out, just the monster¡¯s form trembling violently in mid-air, then slowly disintegrating into white light dust, scattering on the floor. The partially mutated surroundings instantly reverted back to normal. The corpse of the dog at Chen Ke¡¯s feet ceased its twitching, and a few steps away on the floor, the white-clothed monster had turned into a pile of powder, resembling cigarette ash. He looked doubtfully at the pistol in his hand. Even with attribute dominance, surely the Punishment bullets shouldn¡¯t be this powerful? Since the Administration Bureau had rated this monster as an A-level threat, it should mean this type of monster is difficult to handle. If one could easily exterminate all monsters with specifically targeted bullets, why would investigators even need to bother with classifications? Is it just to artificially lower their salaries? That wasn¡¯t logical. Chen Ke holstered his gun, thinking that the Flame Bullet he had used to shoot the dog should have been the normal power level. Even with attribute dominance, it shouldn¡¯t be possible to end the fight with just one shot... This was no longer an issue of bullet performance. For some reason, Chen Ke felt it was abnormal. At that moment, he felt the mark over his heart start to spin again. Could he open the gate and leave now? Chen Ke glanced at the Teleportation Gate¡¯s cooldown time; there were still 3 hours and 42 minutes left... No, this time the spinning of the mark brought a different sensation. Chen Ke unbuttoned his shirt and looked at his chest. The eerie vortex mark was moving counter-clockwise! He even felt an inexplicable pulling sensation, as if something from somewhere was grabbing him and dragging him back. ¡°What the hell...¡± Chen Ke buttoned up his shirt and stepped out of the office. The scattered A4 papers still bore the marks of burning and some black ash remained on the floor. The elevator¡¯s floor indicator was stuck on the 9th, indicating that as soon as he had entered the elevator, he had fallen for an Illusion Technique, mistaking the button for the 9th floor as the 1st. He wanted to take the elevator down, but Chen Ke hesitated for a moment and instead decided to take the safety passage. He fired two shots with the Spiritual Ability Pistol, not surprising that the Administration Bureau was already on the way, perhaps they had already arrived. He would have to play hide and seek with them in this building and wait four hours before opening the Teleportation Gate to leave. As he was thinking this, heavy breathing and hurried footsteps came from the safety passage. He stowed away his M1911A1 and gripped the PPQ.45 in his hand, hiding behind a wall to observe. The yellow double doors ¡°bang¡± open, and two disheveled figures tumbled in¡ªit was Yang Xiao and Sleery. As soon as Yang Xiao entered, he immediately turned back to bolt the double doors shut, apparently to evade something. ¡°Hey, you two?¡± Chen Ke came out from the corner, calling out in greeting. The two of them jumped in shock, almost simultaneously drawing their guns on Chen Ke. ¡°+1 minute¡± ¡°+1 minute¡± ¡°+1 minute¡± ¡°+1 minute¡± ... ¡°Holy shit, it¡¯s Lin Ke!¡± Yang Xiao exclaimed with surprise, then quickly grew tense again, looking back at the door behind him. Sleery also lowered her gun, leaning against the wall to rest. ¡°What are you guys hiding from?¡± Chen Ke asked, puzzled. Yang Xiao¡¯s hair was disheveled, his face and clothes were splattered with blood, but it definitely wasn¡¯t his own. He looked panicked, as if he had just seen something he shouldn¡¯t have. Sleery was far worse off than Yang Xiao¡ªa nasty cut on her thigh was so deep that the bone was almost visible, the wound flesh turned inside out, filling her boot with blood. It was a pitiful sight. Three slashes extended from her belly button to her waist on her toned abdomen. Her face was pale, pressing her hand against the wound at her midsection while she gasped for air against the wall. Considering his own recent experience, Chen Ke deduced that there was some problem with the Black Box Space. These two people had also encountered a creature far beyond a D-level threat, but unlike himself, who had managed a double kill, they were not as lucky. Moreover, judging by the two people¡¯s condition, Chen Ke couldn¡¯t help but look down on Yang Xiao. If Sleery lacked strength, then Yang Xiao was just a coward. As a man, he actually let a woman get so severely injured¡ªit was obvious that during the monster encounter, it was Sleery who had fought the creature alone, while this son of a bitch Yang Xiao must have been hiding somewhere. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but the monsters in this Black Box Space have exceeded the D-level category. They¡¯re not something that investigators of our level can handle,¡± Sleery leaned against the wall and said. ¡°Does this happen often?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°This sort of thing should never happen¡ªyou should go ask the Administration Bureau,¡± Yang Xiao shook his head. ¡°What about the other investigators? I haven¡¯t run into any thus far,¡± Chen Ke asked further. ¡°I don¡¯t know, the internal communication device is down; it seems like something is interfering,¡± Sleery pulled out a device resembling a mobile phone, pressed a few buttons, and the device emitted static noise. ¡°Are you... okay? That¡¯s a lot of blood...¡± Chen Ke looked at Sleery with concern. ¡°Won¡¯t die, but my attractiveness must have plummeted,¡± Sleery said with a bitter smile. She could still make jokes, which meant she wasn¡¯t in grave danger. Chen Ke then stopped fussing over Sleery, and looking towards the emergency exit¡¯s opposite door, he asked, ¡°What kind of creature were you guys hiding from just now? One that floats? Or a dog?¡± Yang Xiao¡¯s face turned pale at once, asking Chen Ke, ¡°You¡¯ve also encountered that kind of dog?¡± Chen Ke pinched his chin, without telling them that there was a dog¡¯s corpse in the next office. ¡°Yes, it had venom on its body, and its mouth was slit into three parts...¡± Chen Ke briefly described. ¡°It seems we haven¡¯t encountered the same thing...¡± Sleery said with a smile. Chen Ke glanced at Sleery. ¡°That thing had no lower jaw, but you need to be careful of its claws, otherwise, you¡¯ll end up like me... Ow... It¡¯s kind of painful...¡± Sleery winced. Okay, a new species, a dog that fights with claws... What other strange things could there be? Bring it on, let me have a look, Chen Ke thought to himself. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, has there been any activity from the Administration Bureau¡¯s end?¡± Chen Ke probed further. ¡°Didn¡¯t you get the emergency evacuation signal?¡± Yang Xiao asked Chen Ke, taking out a brick-style communication device with an extendable Y-shaped antenna. ¡°A few minutes ago, the Administration Bureau notified all investigators to head to the campfire area and standby, saying something strange had happened here... The door leading outside has disappeared...¡± Yang Xiao said. ¡°That happened after you entered the elevator...¡± Sleery added. Chen Ke looked at Yang Xiao, then at Sleery, unsure of what to say. He knew the situation was very strange, but in four hours, he would be able to open the Life Transfer Gate. He wasn¡¯t worried about being trapped inside with no way out and no way in for others, which meant that it wouldn¡¯t be so easy for someone from the Administration Bureau to come in looking for him. For now, he was as calm as an old dog. On the other hand, Yang Xiao and Sleery, being D-level rookies, were freaking out. Sleery especially looked like she couldn¡¯t hold on much longer¡ªwith bloodless lips and a ghastly pale face, she was clearly suffering from severe blood loss. After thinking it over, he decided to first take the two of them to the campfire area, which was comparatively safer. ¡°Let¡¯s head... Ow!¡± Just as Chen Ke began to speak, he suddenly felt a stabbing pain in his chest. He braced himself against the wall, clutching his chest through his clothing, he could feel the mark spinning rapidly. Suddenly, a string of characters appeared in the corner of his eye, astonishing him. ¡°+1 year¡± ¡°Lifespan has reached the limit¡± ¡°+1 year¡± ¡°Lifespan has reached the limit¡± ¡°+1 year¡± ¡°Lifespan has reached the limit¡± ¡°+1 year¡± ¡°Lifespan has reached the limit¡± ... Chen Ke had never seen a monster¡¯s murderous aura extend his life for a year! He looked around; there were no monsters to be found, nothing at all¡ªwhat was happening... ¡°Lin Ke? What¡¯s going on? Don¡¯t scare me...¡± Yang Xiao, seeing Chen Ke looking alarmed, also became tense. ¡°Shh! Don¡¯t talk!¡± Chen Ke shouted. The Killing Aura Vacuum on Chen Ke was passive; it could absorb killing intent, which meant the monster could find him and was coming for him. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have sensed the killing aura. But now, he saw no creature. And he couldn¡¯t believe that a creature that could extend his life by one year was the same one Yang Xiao and Sleery were avoiding. How terrifying would such a creature have to be? If Sleery had even been touched by it, she would probably have been torn in half, not just injured to this extent! Chapter 45 - 045: All Turned into S Chapter 45: Chapter 045: All Turned into S ¡°How fierce and how big were the monsters you encountered before?¡± For safety, Chen Ke couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°I don¡¯t know, the manual doesn¡¯t have this monster, definitely it¡¯s not possible for a D-level investigator to handle them!¡± Yang Xiao said nervously. Not in the manual? Chen Ke didn¡¯t quite understand. ¡°You must have never flipped through the Monster Manual issued by the Administration Bureau... ss...¡± Sleery sighed and pulled out a rolled-up booklet from the fanny pack behind her and handed it to Chen Ke. Taking the booklet, Chen Ke saw the cover labeled ¡°Investigator Monster Manual¡ªD Series,¡± thin and light in his hand, probably about twenty to thirty pages. ¡°This records all the D-level monsters, if it¡¯s not here, then the monster surpasses the D-level,¡± Sleery explained, her wound seemed to be festering, and she squinted from the pain. ... While Chen Ke was flipping through the manual, he marvelled at the reliability of the Administration Bureau. The Administration Bureau didn¡¯t create a super-thick manual with all monsters listed, but instead made manuals based on the investigator level, so people didn¡¯t have to memorize unnecessary information. It was much more generous than the horrifying Type catalog. The quality of the paper in the manual wasn¡¯t good; it felt like the cheap picture books sold at street booths. On average, each page listed two to three monsters in black and white prints with the Type catalog and Administration Bureau codes on the side. Not all monsters had names, most were labeled with codes like ¡°DA3X7C122291,¡± only a few ¡°celebrity monsters¡± had a cool English name tagged alongside the code. For instance, the ¡°Human-faced Dog¡± that Chen Ke first encountered when he crossed over belonged to C-level monsters and wasn¡¯t in this booklet, but there were other sinister creatures in this booklet with cool names. Do monsters outside the Spirit Explosion Space also have files in the Administration Bureau? How does the Administration Bureau handle those entities infected by Spiritual Energy in the real world? Would they kill them like he did, or capture them for research? Anything was possible. Never underestimate the power of a nation. Chen Ke roughly flipped through the booklet, feeling that he could obtain more information when encountering monsters next time, and then returned the booklet to Sleery. ¡°This booklet doesn¡¯t have it, but that doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t handle them. What kind of Spiritual Bullets do you all have?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°I have Punishment and Justice attributes, and Sleery brought Ice and Lightning... but dude, if these bullets were useful, we wouldn¡¯t be in such a plight... These four types of bullets can harm them, but they can¡¯t kill them quickly... Those things have too high resistance, just using a Spiritual Ability Pistol won¡¯t do the trick,¡± Yang Xiao said. ¡°Is there a difference in the efficacy of the bullets? Isn¡¯t it that attribute suppression can quickly kill them?¡± Chen Ke asked doubtfully. Based on his experience of shooting monsters with Punishment bullets at least three times, Chen Ke concluded that if the attribute suppressed, it could instant-kill the monster. Sleery shook her head while pressing on her wound and sighed deeply. Yang Xiao looked at Chen Ke with an incredulous expression. ¡°Are you living in a dream? It would be great if Spiritual Bullets were really so powerful! If attribute suppression could instant-kill, the Administration Bureau wouldn¡¯t need to categorize investigators, big bro!¡± Yang Xiao said. Chen Ke¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly; he suppressed his emotions and didn¡¯t tell them about the corpse of the dog in the next office. Yang Xiao¡¯s sarcastic comment had unveiled a crucial piece of information concerning the Administration Bureau¡¯s standards for categorizing investigators. He made a valid point; if the efficacy of attribute bullets were so potent, would the classification of investigators merely denote a difference in experience and salary? It seemed there was more to it. ¡°Sleery, you make it hard for me to comment... You seem formidable, but it looks like you don¡¯t even understand the most basic knowledge of an investigator...¡± Sleery said helplessly. ¡°The higher the level, the better the firearms that can be used. D-level can only use modified pistols, C-level can use newly manufactured light spiritual power weapons, such as SMGs or shotguns, B-level can use spiritual energy assault rifles and bolt-action rifles, A-level can use grenade launchers and heavy machine guns, S-level can use spiritual energy rockets, and so on... Some S-level investigators are even exceptionally granted permission to use Holy Relics, but essentially, aside from the Holy Relics, Spiritual Bullets have limited efficacy and can¡¯t instantly kill those scraps, either you¡¯re not an investigator, or... I don¡¯t know... Lin Ke, where in the world are you from...?¡± Sleery shook her head, looking at Chen Ke. ¡°Now is not the time to talk about this, we must go down, otherwise there will be big trouble,¡± Chen Ke responded, speechless, but gaining critical information. He changed the subject. The Punishment attribute Spiritual Bullets he held were so powerful, there might be a problem. Parker was dead, he couldn¡¯t tell Chen Ke where these bullets came from anymore, possibly Chen Ke would never know the origin of these bullets. The killing intent in the corner of his eye was growing at a rate of one second per year, unfortunately, his limit was only 10 hours, otherwise, it would have been thrilling. Of course, now was not the time for thrills, he didn¡¯t know where this unknown threat was, and if he were instantly killed at their first encounter, it would be a complete loss. Chen Ke walked towards the double doors of the safety passage, trying to open them. ¡°Stop, stop! Don¡¯t make things worse, we just encounteredÁ½¸ö those dogs earlier, and they got us like this, what if you provoke more, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll all be done for here!¡± Yang Xiao hurriedly came forward to stop him. ¡°If we don¡¯t move, I guarantee we will run into bigger trouble,¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe that, Lin Ke... At least it¡¯s safe here for now, isn¡¯t it?¡± Sleery said. ¡°It¡¯s only temporary...¡± Chen Ke said, and suddenly the whole building began to shake... Sleery slid down and sat against the wall, while Yang Xiao knelt against the wall like a young girl, and Chen Ke slightly bent over, cautiously surveying the surroundings. The mysterious shaking lasted for several seconds, followed by dull explosive sounds from other floors, and then a heart-palpitating roar that shook one to the core, as if a steel nail had been hammered into the chest. ¡°Oh my God... what is that...¡± As soon as Yang Xiao spoke, his eyes rolled back, his voice trembled, and he curled up on the ground. Sleery was terrified and hugged her knees, shaking uncontrollably. ¡°Using lifespan in place of the lost sanity.¡± ¡°-30 minutes¡± ¡°-30 minutes¡± ¡°-30 minutes¡± Chen Ke covered his head, that strange roar had almost torn his brain apart just now. In a daze, Chen Ke saw a distorted, huge, red humanoid silhouette wandering aimlessly below his feet. That strange, soul-piercing scream came from this thing! And the killing intent that had been increasing its lifespan over the years also originated from it. Judging by the size of the outline, Chen Ke guessed it was about three floors away from him right now. If it discovered him, the consequences would be unimaginable. ¡°Hey, we need to go... We can¡¯t stay here any longer!¡± Chen Ke turned back to try to pull the two up. But at this moment, Sleery seemed to be in some kind of trance, staring straight at the ground, hugging her knees, her gun lying beside her on the ground. She seemed to be on the verge of losing her sanity. Yang Xiao curled up on the ground like a baby, his eyes unconsciously staring at the wall opposite. Damn, they¡¯re all incapacitated... It seems that the mental attack contained in the monster¡¯s roar is too strong for ordinary people to withstand... ¡°Hey! Wake up! We need to go!¡± Chen Ke kicked Yang Xiao and then squatted down by Sleery, shaking her shoulders, but both only stared blankly at him, not speaking. ¡°Get up...¡± Chen Ke said, but suddenly heard a voice by his ear. ¡°You owe me a soul!¡± The voice was so close, he looked back in panic but saw nothing. Through the floor, the red silhouette seemed to be fighting something, no, it was a one-sided slaughter... ¡°You owe me a soul!¡± The voice kept repeating, and at the same time, the vortex mark on his chest also kept spinning. ¡°This is Patrick, are there any alive investigators? Please respond.¡± The communication device carried by Sleery transmitted this message, and Chen Ke reached down and took it from her waist. ¡°This is Patrick, are there any alive investigators? Please respond...¡± ¡°This is Yang Xiao, what happened in the Black Box Space?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°Thank God, don¡¯t go to the 6th floor, remember, do not go to the 6th floor, the Administration Bureau has already sealed the building, they will send someone soon!¡± Patrick said. ¡°What¡¯s on the 6th floor? What exactly happened here?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°Never mind that, a Permian Effect just occurred in the Black Box Space, a Spirit Explosion occurred again in the Spirit Explosion Space... All the monsters have turned into S-rank... Do not come to the 6th floor!¡± Patrick yelled. ¡°Are you on the 6th floor? How do we get out?¡± Chen Ke pressed. ¡°Don¡¯t come! Ah!! Do not come to the 6th floor!!! Ahhh!!!¡± Patrick screamed. ¡°Damn it, what¡¯s going on, how do we get out? Patrick!¡± Chen Ke shouted into the communicator. ¡°...¡± Silence on the other end. ¡°Patrick, are you still alive?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°You owe me a soul...¡± From the other end of the communicator, a chilling whisper permeated. Chapter 46 - 046 Joint Action Chapter 46: Chapter 046 Joint Action West Gold Building, or rather the area outside Black Box #4679, had been encircled several times by County Police and Administration Bureau vehicles. Helicopters hovered in the sky. The streets nearby the building were all blocked off, surrounding shops had closed down, and all civilians had been evacuated. In a Spirit Explosion incident within a Black Box Space, the County Police could hardly lend a hand; therefore, their work mainly focused on maintaining order and cordoning off areas, with their vehicles staying hundreds of meters away from West Gold Building. Twenty P.W.A.T armored charge vehicles and 500 Spiritual Riot Police formed the first line of defense within a 200-meter radius. Dressed in black polymer armor and armed with MP5s, HK416s, and PSG-1s¡ªspecially modified to fire various attribute Spiritual Bullets¡ªthey were poised for action behind artificial cover. P.W.A.T members were elite Spiritual Soldiers. Their inner Spiritual Energy was one tier below that of CPA and FPI but far surpassed that of S-class investigators, on par with the strength of the United Federation Marine Corps, acting as the main force in handling domestic, urban Spiritual incidents. ... After a region experienced a Spirit Explosion Effect, P.W.A.T would take the lead in the cleanup. They were equipped with a device known as the ¡°RIFT Maker,¡± a Spiritual Space Splitter that could forcibly open a breach outside the Spirit Explosion Space, permitting the team to enter. They nicknamed this machine the ¡°Puncher.¡± According to the Administration Bureau¡¯s internal ¡°Spirit Explosion Space Clearing Tactics,¡± the team would search the Spirit Explosion Space for any cracks leading to the Great Void. If a fissure was too large and uncontrollable, the incident would be escalated and handed over to FPI and CPA within the Administration Bureau. When everything was within controllable limits, P.W.A.T would handle all issues themselves. Once the fight was over and the cleanup was complete, they would stabilize the link between the Spirit Explosion Space and the Great Void using a ¡°Spiritual Energy Convergence Device.¡± The fissure couldn¡¯t be closed but could be artificially ¡°door-ed.¡± This is why monsters from the Spirit Explosion Space never ceased to surge forth, like in a house deliberately left with holes through which creatures could consistently crawl. But even this ¡°door¡± was not very stable, which was why Black Box Spaces needed to be shut down and go through routine ¡°cleaning operations¡± periodically. At the end of the incident, the Administration Bureau would grade the Spirit Explosion Space based on P.W.A.T¡¯s written reports and combat footage, then dispatch related work units to produce the Black Box. Then, the Black Box Space would be auctioned off; the higher its grade, the more expensive and sought after it would be. A Spirit Explosion Space without a buyer would be owned and operated by the Administration Bureau, such as the current state of the West Gold Building. Morgan, his left hand cradling his helmet and right hand clutching the handle of the M4A1, stood next to the command vehicle, watching the dark building in front of him with mixed feelings. If he remembered correctly, he had just arranged for the building to be dealt with last night. He didn¡¯t expect that in just over ten hours, such a severe second-tier effect would occur. In very rare cases, a low-level Black Box Space would experience a second-tier effect. That is, the crack in the Spirit Explosion Space connected to the Great Void would undergo a Spirit Explosion Effect on the Great Void¡¯s side, creating a larger gateway at the original location, rendering the artificially created door useless. Such instances were extremely uncommon; since the advent of Black Box technology, there had only been sixteen incidents worldwide. To quote Morgan, the odds of encountering a second-tier effect might even be lower than the chance of winning the Powerball jackpot, but he never imagined that he too would face such an incident. ¡°Alpha and Bravo Teams are on standby. The air surveillance has scouted the building from above; we¡¯ve sealed all the entrances,¡± announced an armored commander, saluting Morgan. ¡°I¡¯m definitely buying a few Powerball tickets tomorrow, damn it! Have Rast and Jenny lead a team to rappel down from the roof. I want two squads to enter from the 12th floor! Set up the Puncher, I¡¯ll lead Alpha Team in through the front door on the first floor, and Bravo Team will enter through the back door,¡± Morgan commanded. ¡°Understood, Lieutenant. I will position twelve snipers to aim at the entrances. Not a single bastard will be let out,¡± the commander said, pointing to three buildings marked on the map where snipers were positioned. ¡°Keep the communication clear until I say it¡¯s good to go; don¡¯t let anything in or out. No matter what it is!¡± Morgan said. The commander saluted. ¡°A4! A4! 12! GO! GO!¡± The standby team began moving toward the building, with the squad leader swinging a clenched fist in the lead. Morgan checked his M4A1¡ªthis old rifle had come through the Gulf War with him, and later, through job convenience and internal connections, he had managed to transform it from a human-killing gun into one that could slay monsters. This gun had been custom modified, equipped with a shorter barrel, a lightweight polymer handguard, a laser flashlight, and a red triangle grip mounted on the Picatinny rail. The stock had been switched to a folding style, and the grip was also replaced to better suit close-quarters combat. A 30-round STANAG magazine, compatible with 5.56-caliber spiritual bullets imbued with various attributes, the only part retained of the rifle is the carrying handle on top of the receiver, on which a spiritual power reader and a wide-angle sight are mounted. Inside the West Gold Building, most monsters had a weak discipline attribute, so he clipped three Punishment magazines to his waist and inserted three Justice magazines into the pouch on his chest. To prepare for any sudden occurrences, he also stuffed three Element attribute Lightning magazines into the pouch on his left leg. ¡°This is Lieutenant Morgan, get the Spiritual Space Splitter ready, we¡¯re going in.¡± Morgan loaded his weapon and picked up the helmet from the table. A squad of P.W.A.T fell in line beside the vehicle. ¡°Wait.¡± At this moment, a female voice came from behind. Morgan turned around and saw a Black woman bending under the yellow caution tape. This Black woman had a tall and strong physique, about 30-something, with impressively thick lips; she had long black hair, smoky makeup, wore a black jacket and tight-fitting jeans, with a silver Desert Eagle strapped to her thigh. The woman produced her Administration Bureau license, confirming her identity as a CPA operative. ¡°Lieutenant Morgan, I¡¯m CPA investigator Violet. My colleagues and I have been informed that you will be assisting us with this situation.¡± Violet took back her credentials. ¡°What? Assisting? I think you¡¯re not quite clear, ma¡¯am. I¡¯ve got this situation under control, and soon, whatever¡¯s causing a ruckus in here will be a corpse.¡± Morgan laughed. ¡°It¡¯s not that simple, Lieutenant. Perhaps you can handle an S-class monster, but there¡¯s something even more dangerous inside now,¡± Violet said gravely. Behind her, five more Administration Bureau agents ducked under the yellow caution line. They were both men and women, all with serious expressions. Morgan didn¡¯t see Diana among them. ¡°I recognize some of you. You always make things sound very scary,¡± Morgan said noncommittally. ¡°We never joke around. We¡¯re about to face a huge danger, so after we go in, you need to follow our commands...¡± Violet instructed. ¡°Did you hear that? Did you hear that? This woman is telling us to listen to her,¡± Morgan said with a laugh to his troops, and the soldiers erupted into laughter. ¡°Where¡¯s Diana? She was here just last night. I haven¡¯t seen her,¡± Morgan asked, turning his head. ¡°She just finished dealing with a flood and will be out of the field for the next two weeks. I¡¯m filling in for her,¡± Violet replied, her tone conveying some discontent. ¡°That girl sure knows how to pick her moments, doesn¡¯t she? She¡¯s missing out on the action now,¡± Morgan said. Violet¡¯s brow furrowed, and her expression showed displeasure. ¡°Don¡¯t question her courage, Lieutenant.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get to business. I have to take my daughter to the movies this afternoon to see the Wonder Woman animated movie; I don¡¯t want to be late. And make sure your people don¡¯t get in our way. Bullets don¡¯t have eyes,¡± Morgan said, pulled the charging handle on his rifle, and set off with his team. ¡°Keep up,¡± Violet ordered, looking back. The five men and women nodded and followed behind Morgan¡¯s squad. The massive ¡°RIFT Maker¡± raised its tall antenna, emitting spiritual energy pulses at various frequencies. Soon, the space at the front door on the first floor of the building twisted violently, ripping open a white slit of light. It wasn¡¯t just the main entrance on the first floor; at the 12th-floor window and at the rear of the building, slits of light two people wide and one person tall opened as well. Twelve PSG-1s aimed their crosshairs at the slits. ¡°GO! GO! GO!¡± Morgan led his people into the slit of light first, while at the same time, teams from the roof and the back door also sprang into action. Violet frowned, cursed quietly to herself, and led her people through the main entrance as well. Chapter 47 - 47 P.W.A.T Chapter 47: Chapter 47 P.W.A.T Entering the familiar hall again, Morgan led his team to quickly occupy advantageous positions and checked every dead angle. The hall flickered with an unnatural green light, a result of the ¡°Driller¡¯s¡± effect causing a ¡°Light Bias Phenomenon.¡± The 24 P.W.A.T. team members spread out, checking every column and every corner where someone might hide. After completing their search, they gave a thumbs-up to Morgan who was positioned at the entrance. Morgan circled his fist, signaling the team to slowly retreat, regrouping into two vertical lines. At this time, another team that had entered from the back door arrived at the hall from the other side, positioned by the elevator shaft, and gave a thumbs-up to Morgan when they saw him. Morgan looked up at the two elevators in the side corridor of the hall and then glanced at the emergency exit on the right side of the wall. He pointed towards the elevator shaft with his left hand, then to the ground, making a grasping gesture. The back door team immediately dispersed, guarding every corner and passage leading upstairs. Morgan raised his right hand, pointing towards the emergency exit, and the team followed him forward slowly. ... Violet and five agents were not so cautious. She took out a handheld device with a screen, staring at the scan-like interface that showed a large blue light spot at the center. ¡°The door is on the 6th floor, the anomaly is moving upwards. Catch up to it,¡± Violet said. ¡°How about the surviving investigators?¡± a female agent asked. ¡°Leave the evacuation to P.W.A.T.,¡± Violet said, then led her people towards the elevator. Morgan planned to handle the monsters floor by floor, their work divided into three steps. The first step was a thorough sweep to clear all the floors. The second step was to evacuate the wounded and establish a foothold. The third step was to control the doors and use a collector to create a larger gate. If successful, everything could be done within 5 minutes. Of course, if they encountered any tricky entities, that would be another story. In the pitch-black corridor, something seemed to be crawling on the ceiling and walls, climbing up between the gaps in the stairs, and clinging to the railings. It was a kind of thick, gel-like monster, mindless as individuals, but capable of gathering together to form a simple intelligence. ¡°Enemy spotted.¡± ¡°DD1S40017.¡± ¡°Tango, 12 o¡¯clock.¡± ¡°Weapon free.¡± The suppressed MP5¡¯s muffled sound echoed in the corridor. A few Flame Bullets tentatively knocked the monster off the wall. As it fell to the ground, a dozen more bullets pierced into its gel-like body. The metal bullets were wrapped in the thick gel, not deformed at all. But soon, the bullets began to glow red and burst into a Flame Burst. The special power of the Flame Spiritual Bullet caused it to ignite upon hitting the enemy. The gel creature emitted a ¡°squeak¡± sound and burned from within, a nauseating odor spreading as if overheated, expired jelly. ¡°Tango down.¡± ¡°More coming.¡± More gels converged from all over the corridor, some directly falling from above, crashing to the ground, others flowing down from gaps above the railings and staircases, and gathering towards one spot. They wanted to amalgamate. ¡°Engaged.¡± The team members began to fire indiscriminately. These thick substances were not difficult to deal with individually and were even considered quite weak. But once they merged, they became troublesome. There was a large amount of viscous substance in the corridor. After being attacked, all of it crazily flowed towards one point. The unconscious monster¡¯s every action stemmed from survival instincts. When an individual was attacked, the others would seek to amalgamate to withstand the threat. The team fired rhythmically, ensuring sustained firepower, and mastered the rhythm of reloading impeccably; the bullet storm never ceased. The entire corridor turned red from the Flame Bullets¡¯ shooting and the burning of the gel monsters. The disgusting smell did not distract the team members, their helmets equipped with air filters, able to fend off various poisonous and irritating odors. Before they could fully amalgamate, the gel creatures were eliminated by the team, leaving only seven or eight that had successfully gathered together, but even in unison, they no longer posed a significant threat. The team members reloaded, firing in unison, taking down the last of the gel monsters. The ground was covered in white light spots. ¡°Holy Relics.¡± ¡°Stay put, notify other teams to recover.¡± Morgan and his team continued toward the second floor exit. Two team members inserted an inspection mirror under the door crack to observe the situation behind the door. They gave a thumbs-up to Morgan. Morgan and another team member stood on either side, gently pushed open the door, and dozens of team members quickly poured in, rapidly occupying the corridor. Morgan was the last to enter, the white light in the corridor was blindingly bright, giving him an eerie feeling from the glass double doors on both sides of the corridor. He sensed something was amiss and turned back to look at the security passage double doors that had not been closed. Inside the door frame was a wall built of red bricks. Morgan, rifle in hand, moved into the corridor, hugging the wall, and gestured for his team members to check the four glass double doors. Several team members hid by the doors, inserting a probe into the door gaps, but the screens showed only darkness. ¡°Illusion,¡± the team member reported. Morgan nodded and motioned for a teammate armed with an HK416 to get behind him, as he stealthily pulled open a crack in the glass door. Attached beneath that team member¡¯s HK416 was a scanner; he slightly extended the barrel into the door, and immediately images transmitted to the retinal projector on his helmet. A black humanoid creature stood at the end of the illusory corridor, approximately 3 meters tall, with an overall crimson hue, a raven¡¯s head, and claws like six daggers, emaciated yet seemingly full of power. ¡°AB2C9T70219,¡± the team member murmured. Morgan then signaled the team members by the other three doors to conduct surveillance, and the images projected onto their helmets were transmitted to Morgan¡¯s helmet via a local area network. Behind every door, except the one he had opened, there were also S-level monsters. A 1-meter-tall dog, whose back split into six tentacle-like flesh vines, each tip bearing a sharp Bone Knife. A milky humanoid creature, 2 meters tall, wearing a white silk robe, each of its four arms holding a steel knife, its face concealed behind a white ceramic mourning mask. A centipede coiled up on the ceiling, about the thickness of a grown man¡¯s arm, dripping green liquid from its mouthparts. ¡°Five,¡± Morgan signaled. The team members nodded. Morgan took two small black boxes from his belt, attaching one to the wall next to the glass double doors and tossing the other to a companion by the door, who also stuck the black box on the wall on his side. Morgan then took out a white Spiritual Energy disruption grenade from behind his waist, pulled the pin, and rolled it down to the end of the corridor. Almost simultaneously, the visors on all team members¡¯ helmets turned black, the next second was filled with white flash throughout the corridor, followed by a thunderous boom. ¡°Ah ah ah ah ah!!!!¡± A strange scream came from a corner, the illusion-creating monster in agony, writhing and floating in the air. ¡°Open fire!¡± At the same time, the P.W.A.T units, having switched to Punishment bullets, began firing at the five unprotected monsters, shattering the glass double doors with a loud crash, the glass broken into round, small granular pieces, accompanying the silver metallic shell casings falling to the ground. The illusion monster in the air was torn to shreds by the barrage of gunfire, dissipating into white dust in the air and falling to the ground. The Clawed Raven-headed monster ran towards the door, and as it crossed the threshold, a white wire suddenly formed between the two small black boxes. It tripped and was flung out. Almost at the same time, several HK416s poured Spiritual Punishment bullets into its crimson body, skin and flesh flying everywhere. Morgan stepped forward, placing his foot on its spine, and pulled the trigger toward its grotesque face. The head of the Clawed Raven-headed monster burst open like a squashed tomato, scattering on the ground. The centipede monster climbed along the ceiling and walls; it too was quickly covered in a hail of bullets, its body segmented into five or six pieces scattered on the floor, green fluid spilling everywhere. The mask creature wielding four steel knives charged out of the door but was met with a number 12 Flame attribute deer bullet, its mask shattered, revealing a face without features. Before it could bring down its knives on the enemy, a barrage of fire from three Spiritual Calves shotguns turned it into a sieve, three of its arms severed, the steel knives falling to the ground and emitting a white flash before vanishing into thin air, its body still burning until it died. Lastly, the dog curled up in a corner of the room, whimpering pitifully, its flesh-vines wrapped motionlessly around it; a number 12 Punishment attribute deer bullet entered through the side of its face, the bullet exploded, sending white beams scattering forward, blowing the dog¡¯s entire head into a bloody mess, smeared across the wall. ¡°All clean.¡± All five monsters were confirmed killed, and all 24 team members were unharmed. Morgan made a gesture, and the team regrouped in the corridor, piling the Monster Corpses in the middle of the corridor. They would clear out each floor this way, until all the floors were clean. Morgan looked back at the Monsters¡¯ Corpses on the ground, blue lights flickering over them; he knew those were even rarer Holy Relics, but as non-Spiritual Ability Users, the team members, including himself, were unable to extract the Holy Relics from the lights. He pushed open the security passage double doors, leading his team into the dark stairway, leaving the Holy Relics behind. As for the Holy Relics, the CPA women could worry about that. Chapter 48 - 048: The Widening Gate Chapter 48: Chapter 048: The Widening Gate Violet and the other five CPA agents squeezed into the elevator, silently staring at the floor indicator. West Gold Building was a 15-year-old office building, so many of its facilities seemed outdated, lacking the conveniences of the newer office buildings. The elevator, with a load capacity of 450 kilograms, was extremely cramped, and the six agents awkwardly huddled together. As the elevator slowly ascended, they heard the battle happening on the second floor. ¡°P.W.A.T engaged in the fight? How many monsters are there in this building?¡± an agent couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°There must be more than we anticipated. Leave the sweeping and rescuing to P.W.A.T. Our main mission is to locate the source of the abnormal energy fluctuations,¡± Violet emphasized. On the screen of her handheld spiritual energy fluctuation detection device, a tremendously large light spot was flashing non-stop, indicating that something from the Great Void had crossed through the door and entered the Black Box Space. ... Although all the monsters classified by the Administration Bureau originated from the Great Void, the size of that light spot far exceeded historical records and was of a scale never detected by the Administration Bureau before. Either the quantity of what had crossed over was enormous, or its strength was astonishing. ¡°Capture it alive or kill it?¡± a female agent asked. ¡°We¡¯re not yet clear on what that thing is; let¡¯s follow the instructions from the Great Void Contact Manual. Prioritize control and containment if possible; if not, then consider killing. Check your equipment one last time,¡± Violet ordered. Upon hearing Violet¡¯s instructions, the five agents each began to check the Holy Relics Diamonds they carried. Like Diana, they were all Spiritual Ability Users of the second energy level of the Administration Bureau, equipped with a complete set of Holy Relics issued according to the situation of the mission. As CPA agents, whose primary duty in their department was the containment and management of Holy Relics, they naturally received the best quality Holy Relics with the most effective attributes. A bald male agent extended his left hand, clad in a black leather glove, and gently twisted it at the fingertips, sliding off the glove to reveal five rings on his fingers. The rings were made from a special material, and each ring was inlaid with a Holy Relics Diamond¡ªthree white and two blue. A long-haired brunette female agent rolled up her right sleeve, revealing a long silver bracelet wrapped several times around her lower arm, adorned with four white and one blue Holy Relics Diamonds. A robust black male agent pulled out a necklace from his collar, a round-shaped chain inlaid with four blue and one white Holy Relics Diamond at his chest. A punk female agent with a ponytail, a lip ring, and smoky makeup had a chain hanging from her denim jeans, embellished with five white Holy Relics Diamonds. The male agent with parted hair next to her stuffed his wallet with two blue and three white Holy Relics Diamonds. These Holy Relics were meticulously cataloged by the CPA. Each issuance and use required the user to write a report, and agents were required to return them before decommissioning. Since there was no way to manufacture or repair Holy Relics Diamonds, each one was extremely precious. When the floor indicator lit up with a ¡°6,¡± the elevator came to a gentle stop, and as soon as the doors opened, the six agents surged out, ready for combat. The deserted corridor was eerily quiet. Violet took out her handheld spiritual energy fluctuation detection device and began to search for the location of the door. ¡°There was a Spirit Explosion Effect here last night. Based on Diana¡¯s report, it¡¯s very likely that it was artificially created using the Blasphemous Dagger. If you notice anything unusual, remember to record it,¡± Violet instructed. The agents nodded. They were informed by the Administration Bureau about the Black Box Space incident and knew that Diana was tracking this case. ¡°Maybe we can help her figure out what exactly happened here last night,¡± the punk female agent said with a smile. ¡°That would be great; then she would only have to do some paperwork,¡± the parted-hair agent picked up the conversation. ¡°Focus,¡± Violet frowned. She glanced at the four sets of glass double doors in the hallway and then looked towards the end of the corridor. ¡°The door is there?¡± the female agent with the ponytail asked. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Violet strode forward, placing her hand on the wall, and her spiritual element surged through her nervous system from her palm, seeping into the wall. From the center of her palm, the wall cracked with blue light fissures, growing larger and more numerous until the entire wall shattered into irregularly-sized stone fragments that did not fall to the ground but remained suspended in mid-air. Behind the demolished wall was a white, vortex-shaped gateway, about half a meter tall. But on the periphery of the vortex, a massive red swirl encompassed it, about three meters in height. The two overlapped, appearing as if a smaller doorframe was stuffed into a larger one. This was the duplex effect, when at the same position in the Black Box Space, a Spirit Explosion Effect erupted once again from the Great Void side, causing the channel to expand and rendering the door created by P.W.A.T¡¯s converger useless. The size of the Spiritual Energy Channel isn¡¯t just about area. It¡¯s also related to the flow of spiritual energy¡ªbigger channels allow for greater flows. A small channel would limit monsters of large volume and high energy from flooding into the Black Box Space. This is why the Administration Bureau could assess and rate the Black Box Space. No matter how much the Black Box Space gets sealed off, the various attributes of spiritual energy from the Great Void would seep through the Spiritual Energy Channel into the Black Box and gradually diffuse into this world. There was no physical means to stop it. Now, the large red vortex Teleportation Gate in front of Violet was large enough to allow any known monster to enter and exit freely¡ªat least, it was the biggest gate she had ever encountered in her career. If not controlled, it would undoubtedly lead to disaster. ¡°This gate is really big...¡± the agents exclaimed in surprise, having never seen such a gigantic gate before. Inside the double vortex, or rather on the opposite side, was a white world. From distance, one could see a vast expanse of dilapidated Medieval classic-style architecture and a grand white cathedral. ¡°Halt, team... We need to do an assessment of the mission,¡± Violet said. The gate was astonishingly large; she had to assume that the monsters entering the Black Box from the Great Void were as tall as the gate itself. Three meters tall, with massive energy fluctuations. To avoid unnecessary sacrifices, the Administration Bureau would deliberate long for each operation. ¡°So, what¡¯s on the other side of this Black Box?¡± some agents curiously peered out beyond the gate. Each Spirit Explosion Space connects to a different part of the Great Void, but what¡¯s certain is, if multiple gates were produced inside a Black Box, these gates definitely all lead to the same Great Void, only dropping to different points. Violet took a communicator from her waist pouch and connected with the Administration Bureau¡¯s special operations command center. ¡°This is Violet, a gate has been found. It¡¯s beyond our prior estimations, astoundingly large.¡± ¡°Yes, I will handle it.¡± ¡°Roger, I will do so. I request Black Box 4679 to be immediately upgraded to Rank: S, and to halt opening to Spiritual Businesses until Diana¡¯s investigation is concluded.¡± ¡°Okay, got it, understood.¡± ¡°Violet, out.¡± Violet ended the communication and turned to her team members, ¡°The mission continues, but if the monster that caused the gate to expand exceeds our ability to cope after contact, we will immediately evacuate,¡± said Violet. ¡°So, it¡¯ll be their turn to step in at that time?¡± someone said with a laugh. ¡°Keep moving forward; we have to meet that thing first and see what it actually is,¡± Violet commanded. At that moment, faint footsteps echoed through the quiet channel. ¡°Tap tap tap... tap tap tap...¡± Listening closely, there was also the sound of a knife¡¯s edge scraping the ground. ¡°It seems something doesn¡¯t want us to leave,¡± the Black agent said. The agents exchanged glances and slightly repositioned themselves. The doors of the elevator at the far end bulged as if something intended to come out from within. The doors on both sides were slowly pushed open, and the ceiling¡¯s fluorescent lights also dimmed gradually. Clusters of octopus tentacle-like plants burst through the concrete walls, sprouting from cracks and corners, and slowly moved towards the six agents along any climbable surface. The elevator doors bulged entirely, and from the middle crevice, a thick tentacle forced its way out. Following that, the door was completely destroyed, and a humanoid creature wearing a yellow hooded robe and bare feet emerged from the elevator. Its feet and lower legs were pitch-black; beneath the hood was a deep darkness. From the wide sleeves, several octopus tentacles extended, each suction cup oozing with purple fluid. From the four glass double doors, humanoid creatures wearing masks and white robes also emerged, each with four arms holding a steel blade, and every mask bearing a different expression. ¡°Maybe they just want to go home. Should we just step aside?¡± an agent suggested. The six agents shared a laugh as white and blue halos simultaneously flashed around them. Chapter 49 - 049: Strange Attire Chapter 49: Chapter 049: Strange Attire The yellow-robed monster lifted its arms, its tendrils slowly retracting back into its wide sleeves. Suddenly, the yellow sleeves swelled, and a stream of purple, poisonous fluid continuously poured from the cuffs onto the ground. The flow quickened, and within moments, a small river had formed in the corridor. The purple liquid didn¡¯t reach their ankles, wetting the socks of the six special agents, but they paid it no heed. The level of the little purple river rose slowly, threatening to fill the entire corridor in another minute or two. ¡°Use that,¡± Violet ordered, turning her head back. The brown-haired female agent extended her left arm. Her five fingers glowed with a faint blue light, and starting from her fingertips, her hand began to turn translucent. A pale blue orb, the size of a ping-pong ball, rose in her palm. Her thumb, index finger, and middle finger delved into this orb, and with a ¡°snap¡± of her fingers, The orb instantly ruptured, creating a burst of bright white light at the agent¡¯s fingertips, flashing like the flashbulb of a camera¡ªcapturing a snapshot of the entire corridor in an instant. After the flash, the purple poisonous river and the tentacle-like, eerie plants clinging to the walls all vanished into thin air, and a floating white-robed resentful spirit appeared behind the yellow-robed monster. ... Four white-robed monsters charged at the agents, wielding steel knives. They spun their upper bodies, turning the knives like a meat grinder, but their masks never followed the rotation, staring straight ahead instead. The Black special agent stepped forward to meet them. A flash of white light in his right hand, and he had a lumberjack¡¯s axe, its wooden handle splintered, as if crudely chopped, leaving the end frayed with jagged wood. The blade gleamed coldly, looking extremely sharp. Then, a blue glow flowed over him, and four Holy Relics replaced his attire. On his head sat a Medieval knight¡¯s helmet, his hands now wore a pair of ivory, engraved long gloves, and his jacket was substituted by an unnamed, ancient Eastern-styled bright red robe, while on his feet were a pair of somewhat worn straw sandals. Next to him, the split-haired agent followed suit, his right hand glowing blue and suddenly holding a silver cane from the Victorian era, its head inset with a crimson gemstone. His left hand flashed white, and a carved silver antique revolver appeared out of nowhere. The Black agent crouched down in place, clasped the axe in both hands, and let out a roar. A burst of intrinsic strength surged from his body, red cyclones twirling around him. With a step, he charged at a white-robed monster, disregarding the four steel knives slicing into his body. With a powerful chop, he felled the monster to the ground with a single stroke of the axe, then dealt another blow to its masked head, cleaving it in two. The split-haired agent weaved in front of a white-robed monster, and as its steel knife swung down, he pulled the trigger. The antique revolver thundered, and an orange-yellow surge of Spiritual Energy blasted through the monster¡¯s chest just as its steel knife was about to strike, causing it to stagger and kneel single-legged in front of the agent. The split-haired agent slid closer to the monster, his right hand flashing white once more. The revolver disappeared, replaced this time by a blood-rusted iron hook. In a swift motion, he plunged the hook into the monster¡¯s abdomen, then yanked it back with force, dragging out intestines of mingling red and yellow from the creature¡¯s belly, bursting forth into a vivid crimson bloom. The white-robed monster didn¡¯t even have a chance to cry out before it was gutted alive and died. The ponytail punk female agent conjured two small Japanese swords in her hands, her upper body clothed in a tattered Sunrise-style kimono, revealing a skull tattoo on her exposed right shoulder, with a white headband now on her head. ¡°Wild Wind!¡± She called out loudly, rushing toward the remaining two white-robed monsters. Her twin swords swung alternately by her sides, her body rotating and bringing up a whirlwind around her. The wind, like the embodiment of blades, tore the two monsters caught in it into three pieces, leaving deep grooves in the walls on both sides of the corridor. The yellow-robed monster reached out with its tendrils toward the ponytail punk female agent, grabbing her swords. The next second, a ball of Flame flew over the agent¡¯s head, landing on the tendrils. The flame burned fiercely, swiftly severing the yellow-robed monster¡¯s tendrils and incidentally burning the illusion-creating white-robed resentful spirit to ashes. At a distance, the bald special agent had just finished covering his ring-studded left hand with a glove, and his right hand¡¯s leather glove turned into a worn cloth fingerless glove, with an eternal flame burning in his palm. ¡°Tie it up,¡± Violet ordered. The five agents slowly closed in on the yellow-robed monster, and at that moment, noises came from the safe passage entrance. Several P.W.A.T members kicked in the door, and numerous HK416 rifles unloaded their fury on the yellow-robed monster, raining bullets on it like a downpour, forcing it to continually retreat. Purple liquid splattered from the bullet holes in its robes, and soon, it lay on the ground in a large pool of its own purple fluids. The illusion shattered instantly, and the surrounding walls were starkly exposed, covered in large patches of bloodstains. The floor too bore many investigators¡¯ corpses, some headless, some cleaved in two¡ªa truly horrific scene. Morgan met up with Violet in the hallway, and some P.W.A.T members couldn¡¯t help but shake their heads upon seeing the bloody scene. ¡°God, these investigators died a truly horrific death...¡± some of them murmured under their breath. ¡°They weren¡¯t lucky enough. The Permian effect happened on this floor, take a look at the door behind us,¡± Violet said, hands on her hips, pointing to the massive crack behind her. ¡°Damn, looks like this time¡¯s report is going to be complicated...¡± Morgan said, looking at the giant door, his expression deeply complex. ¡°Did you find any survivors?¡± Violet asked. Morgan shook his head and then turned to look at the corpse of the yellow-robed monster on the ground. ¡°Is this thing what you were looking for?¡± he asked, kicking the body of the creature. ¡°Of course not, the target has moved. It¡¯s heading upward... as if chasing after something...¡± Violet took out a handheld device, as if responding to Morgan, yet also as if talking to herself. ¡°No matter where that bastard goes, it¡¯s as good as dead. I¡¯ve got another team rappelling to the top floor; they¡¯re on alert on level 11,¡± Morgan said with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you, Lieutenant. The size of this door has exceeded my expectations. We now have to assume that this threat is something we are going to have a hard time dealing with...¡± Violet warned. ¡°I never assume, seeing is believing,¡± Morgan interrupted Violet. ¡°By the way... I suggest that in the future, you don¡¯t just focus on the effects combinations of Holy Relics. Try to pick some that don¡¯t look so bizarre...¡± Morgan added, glancing at the Black People agent. The P.W.A.T team members chuckled quietly at Morgan¡¯s words. The Black People agent, adorned with a Medieval helmet and wearing a massive red robe in an Eastern style, with straw sandals on his feet, also felt somewhat embarrassed and quickly stowed the Holy Relics. Holy Relics, originating from an unknown ancient era, appeared to be similar to various periods such as the Medieval or Victorian ages, so each piece had a characteristic appearance of a different era, but they actually had no connection with known human history. Sometimes, in order to utilize certain useful effect combinations and pair them with specific Transcendent Skills, it resulted in scenarios like the Black People agent¡¯s, where despite being clad in powerful Holy Relics, one might look completely ridiculous. Effectiveness and aesthetics didn¡¯t go hand in hand. ¡°We¡¯ll be more mindful in the future. Perhaps the Holy Relics Management Department of the Administration Bureau will eventually find a way to help agents customize the appearance of Relics according to VOGUE magazine or superhero comics,¡± said the ponytailed punk female agent sarcastically, as she also put away her Relics. ¡°Enough, enough. It¡¯s time to talk business. Can you handle this door right now?¡± Violet steered the conversation back. ¡°We won¡¯t bring in the construction team until after Black Box Space is cleared. But... what¡¯s on the other side this time?¡± Morgan shrugged, curiously peering into the door¡¯s interior. ¡°Given the size of this door... Lieutenant, I suggest you have men guard this place and set up the necessary barriers,¡± Violet advised. ¡°Delta Team, this is Lieutenant Morgan. I need you to defend the door on the sixth-level of the building. Over,¡± Morgan communicated via radio with the team standing by downstairs. ¡°Alright, we continue upstairs. That thing won¡¯t get far,¡± Violet said, turning back to the agents. ¡°My men will be up shortly, you go directly after what you¡¯re looking for, and we will still clean up floor by floor. That¡¯s settled then,¡± Morgan said. ¡°I agree,¡± Violet did not object. Among the corpses on the ground, a few points of light twinkled: the glow from the orbs of Holy Relics, two blue, one white. Now was not the time to collect Holy Relics, and, besides, she didn¡¯t have a Relic identifier to check their effects. It was better to deal with them after everything was over. Violet led the agents, following Morgan¡¯s team into the safe passage. Chapter 50 - 050 Love moves too fast like... Chapter 50: Chapter 050 Love moves too fast like... ¡°Hey, wake up!¡± Chen Ke shook Sleery, who was still dazed, looking as if she was bewitched, staring blankly at her own knees. Even just by holding onto Sleery¡¯s shoulders, Chen Ke could feel her heartbeat through her trembling body; it was so frantic he wished it could beat four times every second. Yang Xiao was even more exaggerated, with bloodshot eyes, curling up on the ground and shivering, almost sucking on his thumb. This was the situation Chen Ke feared most. Since they had met, he couldn¡¯t just walk away without helping, but he couldn¡¯t let them drag him down either. He decided to try one last time in the most intense way. If they really lost their sanity because of this, Chen Ke would have to bail. ... ¡°Slap!¡± ¡°If you wake up later, don¡¯t blame me.¡± As Chen Ke spoke, he pressed his left hand on Sleery¡¯s shoulder and swung his palm towards her beautiful face. ¡°Slap!¡± A crisp sound echoed as Sleery¡¯s head was jerked to the right by the impact of the palm, her left cheek slightly swollen, showing a palm print. Her expression shifted from dazed to surprised, then from surprised to confused, tears swirling in her eyes and a trace of blood on her lips. ¡°Fu...ck... why the hell did you hit me?¡± Sleery, as if waking from a nightmare, asked tearfully. ¡°You¡¯re finally back to normal,¡± Chen Ke stood up without explaining. Sleery covered her face, glanced at Chen Ke with a slight frown, then saw Yang Xiao on the ground opposite her, his face filled with horror. ¡°Is he...?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be fine soon, maybe...¡± Chen Ke kicked Yang Xiao in the abdomen violently. ¡°Ouch!!¡± Yang Xiao¡¯s eyes almost popped out, his mouth forming an ¡®O¡¯ as he spat saliva onto the floor; the blood vessels in his eyes slowly receded and his expression returned to normal. They were just frightened; their sanity hadn¡¯t been stripped away. If someone truly lost their sanity, they couldn¡¯t be saved. ¡°Holy shit... I kind of feel like taking a dump...¡± Yang Xiao knelt on the ground, clutching his stomach and writhing in pain, unable to make a sound. ¡°We need to leave, upstairs, it¡¯s not safe to stay here,¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°What happened to us just now?¡± Sleery leaned against the wall and asked. ¡°Stop asking if you don¡¯t want to be killed by a monster. Get up quickly,¡± Chen Ke ordered, gripping a PPQ.45 as he approached the safety passageway door. He pushed the door open a crack, a cold, putrid breeze blowing on his face, mixed with the stench of something burning. Gunshots and footsteps along with a strange hissing sound came from the staircase below. He recognized that sound; it was the noise Holy Relics made when they transformed from diamonds into tangible objects. Someone was summoning Holy Relics. It looked like the Administration Bureau had entered; he did not want to make contact with them. They needed to hurry. Yang Xiao bent over, supporting himself against the wall as he followed Chen Ke, lamenting over Chen Ke¡¯s harsh kick; if he hadn¡¯t had some training, he might have been knocked unconscious. Chen Ke looked back at Sleery; she was sitting in a small pool of blood, her complexion pale, struggling to stand up while leaning against the wall. Chen Ke walked over, lifted Sleery¡¯s right arm with his left hand, helping her drap it over his shoulder, then grabbed Sleery¡¯s waist with his right hand, helping her to stand. ¡°You¡¯re more of a gentleman than Yang Xiao,¡± Sleery smiled, her breathing heavy. ¡°You might not be as tired if you¡¯d stop talking,¡± Chen Ke replied. He looked at Yang Xiao, nodding towards the safety passageway. ¡°What?¡± Yang Xiao was perplexed. ¡°Lead the way,¡± Chen Ke said with a frown. ¡°I...¡± Yang Xiao hesitated. ¡°How about we switch?¡± Chen Ke suggested, shaking his left hand that was holding Sleery. Sleery looked at the ceiling, feeling uncomfortable. ¡°I hate blood... I¡¯ll lead the way...¡± Chen Ke had expected Yang Xiao would gladly agree, but his response left Chen Ke in disbelief! Yang Xiao hesitated at the doorway with a gun in hand, unsure where to point it. Chen Ke walked up behind him, pushed the door open forcefully, and gave him a contemptuous glance. Yang Xiao chuckled and followed closely behind Chen Ke. The combat downstairs seemed to have ended, but the sound of footsteps indicated that there were probably dozens of people gathered, and it was clear they were well-equipped and well-trained. Throughout, there were no human screams heard; the gunfire was rhythmic, not the frantic gunfire of chaos, but rather gave the impression of targeted elimination, picking off targets one by one. Chen Ke did not know who those people downstairs were, but if they were as he suspected, from the Administration Bureau, he would have to reevaluate the power this world wielded in handling abnormal events. In many Hollywood films featuring horror or supernatural elements, equipped forces like S.W.A.T, police, military, and others are simply slaughtered by monsters. However, if a world really suffered frequent supernatural occurrences and the specialized departments to handle them were so inadequate, it would be clear that world order could never be maintained. Though Chen Ke hadn¡¯t been here long, from the few hours¡¯ experiences, it was apparent that the Administration Bureau indeed could handle anything. This only made him more determined never to oppose the Administration Bureau or delude himself into thinking he could cooperate with them. Chen Ke just needed to figure out his own issues, and plan for everything else later. The three kept climbing upstairs. The red outline of the monster was still visible in Chen Ke¡¯s vision; it was only one floor away from him, but the monster didn¡¯t ascend the stairs. It seemed to teleport, appearing randomly on one floor. Luckily for Chen Ke, its random teleportation gave him time to escape. It seemed the monster didn¡¯t grasp the concept of floors as it appeared multiple times on one floor, aimlessly wasting time. ¡°Listen, there might be a very dangerous monster below us, but I bet the people from the Administration Bureau aren¡¯t far from us either. You guys can wait here...¡± Chen Ke suddenly stopped, saying. Before him was the corridor door to the twelfth floor. If these two didn¡¯t follow him, their chances of surviving might be better. If he could just hide in this building for three hours, he could open the door and get out. Chen Ke bet that the monster couldn¡¯t leave the Black Box, and if it could, the Administration Bureau would send someone to deal with it. ¡°Why are you trying to ditch us?¡± Sleery looked at Chen Ke. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it, Sleery. I¡¯m just not very good with teamwork. I¡¯ve always been a lone wolf,¡± Chen Ke replied. ¡°I¡¯ve met more men than you¡¯ve met women, Lin Ke. You can¡¯t fool me,¡± Sleery said. ¡°I¡¯m dangerous, Sleery, and you can¡¯t handle it. I suggest you let it go and keep your life, hoping for the next one,¡± Chen Ke said sternly. He left Sleery at the stairwell and then turned to Yang Xiao, saying, ¡°If the monster comes, just shoot; there¡¯s nothing to be afraid of.¡± Having said that, he sprinted up the stairs, disappearing into the dark corridor. ¡°He¡¯s gone...? Just like that?¡± Yang Xiao sighed. ¡°He can¡¯t leave...¡± Sleery leaned against the wall, eyes closed. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve finally met a man who won¡¯t fall for your tricks,¡± Yang Xiao said with a bitter smile. ¡°He can refuse, but I won¡¯t give up. Hmph... One day I¡¯ll capture his heart...¡± Sleery whispered softly. Chen Ke reached the twelfth floor in one breath; that was the top floor of the building. The stairs leading to the rooftop were blocked by a large iron door. Chen Ke tried pushing it, but it wouldn¡¯t budge. He stepped back a few paces and saw white letters on the iron door: ¡°Black Box Airlock No. 2.¡± The Black Box was another world to the outside, sealed by such gates. No matter what technology the Administration Bureau used, it seemed impossible to open it. Below him, the monster was just one floor away from Chen Ke. He didn¡¯t know if Sleery and Yang Xiao had been killed by the monster, but since he hadn¡¯t heard any screams, they were probably okay. He looked at the doors across the twelfth-floor hallway. That was the only way forward, so he gripped his gun and barged through the door. ¡°Drop your weapon!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± ¡°Put the gun down!¡± ¡°Freeze, don¡¯t move!¡± As soon as he entered, Chen Ke¡¯s chest was targeted by numerous laser points, and several voices shouted at him. ¡°+30 minutes¡± ¡°+30 minutes¡± ¡°+30 minutes¡± ... Chen Ke looked closely; it was a group of more than ten S.W.A.T members aiming HK416s and MP5s at him. No, not S.W.A.T... Their combat uniforms said P.W.A.T, probably a special force tasked specifically with fighting monsters... Chapter 51 - 051 Found You, Little Brother Chapter 51: Chapter 051 Found You, Little Brother He knew that any slight excessive movement would get him riddled with bullets from over a dozen automatic rifles, so he slowly placed the PPQ.45 on the ground and then raised his hands, kicking the gun towards them. ¡°Investigator, state your code number,¡± a P.W.A.T team member yelled at him. ¡°I am... an investigator from Weber Spirit Production...¡± Chen Ke prevaricated. ¡°Your code number, investigator,¡± the P.W.A.T member demanded. ¡°I am from Weber Spirit Production...¡± Chen Ke repeated, not knowing what code number the team member was asking for. Was it the one on the investigator¡¯s license? ¡°I want the code number! The code number!¡± the P.W.A.T member was growing impatient. ... Chen Ke did not respond, as he had prepared to summon his shield if necessary, and it looked like the other party was about to pull the trigger. A scanning light moved from top to bottom over Chen Ke¡¯s body, while a P.W.A.T team member at the back of the group held a strange device, scanning him. This device was probably similar to the one used by the mailman, Priskin, only theirs might be more advanced. Chen Ke guessed it could also scan for liquefied Spiritual Energy inside the body. ¡°There¡¯s no Spiritual Energy reaction in his body, he¡¯s not an investigator,¡± the team member put away the device. ¡°Damn, so he¡¯s just an ordinary person?¡± ¡°Maybe a mimic.¡± ¡°SA16C2X270397? No, a monster¡¯s Spiritual Energy would pervade its entire body, not just a bit in the spine...¡± ¡°What do we do now?!¡± ... It seemed the P.W.A.T had fallen into some internal disagreement; Chen Ke remained standing on the spot, anxiously thinking of a strategy. Even with a shield, he wouldn¡¯t be able to block a volley from over a dozen automatic rifles and submachine guns, and he had no effective means of counterattacking. He didn¡¯t know if the Sin trigger could stun all the fully armed P.W.A.T members at once, fearing he might be shot to pieces. And at this moment, an even more critical thing happened¡ªChen Ke could no longer see the outline of the monster in his field of vision... He looked around, everywhere around him, either on the ground or above his head, in front and behind, he couldn¡¯t find the monster¡¯s trace, but the prompts of gaining one year of life per second and having reached the life limit still kept appearing nonstop. ¡°What are you looking at? How exactly did you get in here?!¡± A P.W.A.T team member saw Chen Ke looking around purposefully, appearing very alert. ¡°Hope you all,¡± Chen Ke said, ¡°are prepared.¡± He felt the mark at his heart start spinning again, the rotation palpable through his clothes on his chest, like the fan on a graphics card... ¡°Prepared for what? Explain clearly!¡± The P.W.A.T team member stepped forward. Since he could no longer see the monster, but the increase in life hadn¡¯t stopped, that could only mean one thing: the monster¡¯s position had overlapped with his own. At that moment, a burst of white light suddenly erupted between the P.W.A.T and Chen Ke, blinding like the fierce sun of midday, making it hard to keep one¡¯s eyes open. From that ball of light, a thin, emaciated arm stretched out; the light seemed like a doorway, with a chillingly cold breeze blowing from within, but undeniably, the air quality was much better than inside the building. A second arm followed the first, like someone being swallowed by a swamp, straining to pull themselves out. Finally, the monster¡¯s head also emerged from the light. What a face it was! It resembled a corporeal version of the character ¡°‡å¡±, but it was definitely not as comical as the literal meaning suggested; it rather made Chen Ke feel a chill down his spine. The hollow eyes had no whites, just pitch black, yet you felt it was staring right at you. And its forever open mouth maintained a grievous, mournful expression. The monster¡¯s body was elongated and sickly pale, draped in a red scarf adorned with small flames, appearing as if it grew right out of its flesh, not falling off no matter how it twisted. The monster struggled from the ball of light onto the ground, then the light swiftly shrank to the size of a ping pong ball and slowly faded away, leaving only the over two-meter-tall creature. ¡°I¡¯ve found you! I¡¯ve found you!¡± the monster actually said, facing Chen Ke. ¡°Fire! Fire!¡± shouted the P.W.A.T members. A dozen HK416s erupted in white flashes as Chen Ke, in an instant, lunged, smashing through the nearby glass door and taking cover in the office, hearing the continuous gunfire in the hallway. Chen Ke pulled out his M1911A1; though only four bullets were left, the power they exhibited before still gave him some hope. ¡°Boom!¡± Just as he was getting ready to stand, a loud sound rang out¡ªthe monster had smashed through the entire wall! He saw it gripping half a P.W.A.T team member¡¯s body in each hand, turning its face toward him at a strange angle. ¡°You owe me a soul!¡± The monster¡¯s voice was mournful and filled with indignation, sounding neither male nor female, and Chen Ke noticed that even though the P.W.A.T team members kept shooting at it, the bullets couldn¡¯t inflict any real damage. Those were Administration Bureau¡¯s Spiritual Bullets! They couldn¡¯t penetrate the monster¡¯s flesh at all, as if they had hit incredibly tough rubber, with the bullet heads bouncing off and falling to the ground. ¡°Try this!¡± A P.W.A.T team member shoved a Spiritual Gun Grenade into the under-barrel launcher and fired at the monster. The grenade hit the monster¡¯s waist, bounced off to the side, and fell by the monster¡¯s feet¡ªit was a dud grenade. Chen Ke shook his head; that probably wasn¡¯t a dud grenade... This monster seemed to have a Punishment attribute, making all Punishment attribute ammunition ineffective against it. After all, you can¡¯t ignite fire with fire or extinguish water with water... As the monster advanced through the broken wall toward him, fully coming into Chen Ke¡¯s view, seven tags appeared beside it: [Administration Bureau Monster Rating: ???] [Blasphemous Contract] [Flash] [Discipline Immunity] [Strength Enhancement] [Psychic Attack] ================== [Sin Weakening] [Mystery Weakening] Chen Ke gasped, he had guessed right! Discipline must be a general term for a category of attributes, and under Discipline were Punishment attributes; this monster was immune to at least three attributes! Chen Ke still didn¡¯t know what the six categories and eighteen types of attributes specifically entailed, but he believed he could piece them together one day. What shocked him more was that this creature, like the Man-Faced Dog, could also perform psychic attacks, but with incomparable range and power. Flash probably referred to the monster¡¯s ability to teleport through doors, but what did the blasphemous contract mean? Blasphemous... It sounded familiar... Blasphemous Dagger! Lin Mo, Chen Ke¡¯s predecessor, had been killed by that dagger! This monster claimed he owed it a soul¡ªwhat did that mean exactly? Chen Ke also remembered the Black People he met for the first time speaking of a plan... Though still clueless, Chen Ke felt he was close to grasping everything. He just needed to survive this crisis! The monster¡¯s rating remained unseen; Chen Ke had read two essential books for investigators, which should have records of monsters from D to S grade. This could only mean that this monster was beyond S grade, and such creatures were possibly only accessible to people within the Administration Bureau. To obtain the most comprehensive and detailed information about monsters¡ªto supplement his own life file¡ªhe saw that his only chance might be to access the Administration Bureau¡¯s internal system database. Chen Ke sprang from the ground, leaping over the desk, thinking to escape through another glass door. He felt a gust of wind from behind and, without thinking, a flash of white light appeared on his left hand¡ªa shield immediately flashed and protected his chest just as the monster¡¯s claw followed and struck, sending him flying. The moment the claw collided with the shield, the shield shattered into countless white luminescent fragments. In midair, Chen Ke didn¡¯t even have time to check the shield¡¯s durability data before it turned into powder. He was flung through the broken wall into the corridor, violently hitting the wall, with a crack, several ribs broke, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood. ¡°-30 minutes of life to heal the wounds¡± Chen Ke rose from the ground and saw a P.W.A.T team member throwing a grenade into the hole in the wall. He spotted his own PPQ.45 in the corner, rolled over to pick it up, and hid at the other end of the corridor. ¡°You owe me a soul!¡± The monster roared furiously in the office as the hand grenade exploded promptly, filling the air with smoke. Chapter 52 - 052 Exposed Chapter 52: Chapter 052 Exposed The diffusing gun smoke cleared, and that monster emerged completely unscathed, casually batting the nearest P.W.A.T member away, sending him flying. Chen Ke could see the creature¡¯s claws clearly¡ªthey had five fingers like a human, but with an extra joint, and the nails were absurdly long. The P.W.A.T member¡¯s body split in two in midair, slamming into the corridor wall and smearing a large blood stain before falling to the ground in a bloody, indistinct heap. ¡°Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!!!!!!!¡± The monster began to howl madly again, a sound like a woman wailing tragically mixed with the angry cries of a child. The screams penetrated the soul, and one could hear them even with their ears covered. Nearby P.W.A.T members clutched their helmets, blood oozing from all orifices, instantly losing their ability to fight. Some met even worse fates, their heads just exploded... ... ¡°Currently substituting lifespan for lost sanity.¡± ¡°-1 hour¡± ¡°-1 hour¡± ¡°-1 hour¡± ¡°-1 hour¡± ¡°-1 hour¡± ... Those horrific screams from the monster were unbearable for Chen Ke too, his head splitting in agony, as if invisible hands wanted to rip his brain in half. His lifespan plummeted, leaving him just 1 hour. His undershirt was soaked with cold sweat, while his limbs felt chilly and his movements lagged. This was a mental attack by the monster causing a neurological short circuit in the brain; Chen Ke, who originally had 10 hours of life left, now didn¡¯t even have enough time to be revived. The monster burst through the wall hole, charging forward, and its claws, like merciless blades, cut wildly through the air, instantly dismembering six P.W.A.T members. The dead were cut into pieces, some with only half a torso left, still firing their automatic rifles at the monster from the ground. Amidst the ongoing barrage, the surviving P.W.A.Ts scattered and attempted to evacuate towards the top floor. But they couldn¡¯t possibly escape the monster¡¯s hunt; the corridor was littered with the intestines and blood of the dead, utterly disgusting. Chen Ke forced himself to rise, rolling into an office and slowly standing up, leaning against the door frame. That creature was not something he, in his current state, could handle¡ªnor could the P.W.A.T. He had to find an opportunity to slip away, or he really would meet his end here. He glanced at the emergency exit and then peered towards the monster, unsure if he could outrun it. Without the protection of a shield, the monster could kill him instantly. Chen Ke tucked his gun back into its holster. Given the current situation, it was quite clear that his two pistols were useless. Not to mention civilian Spiritual Bullets, the remaining four Punishment Bullets would be a real waste if ineffective, not to mention they¡¯d attract unnecessary hatred. He clung to the wall, secretly observing as the monster continued its slaughter of the resisting P.W.A.T members. The last member had his neck and spine brutally ripped out by the creature, blood mingling with some blue liquid, while the headless corpse still followed muscle memory to pull the trigger. Now! Chen Ke, like a husky freed from its leash, leapt out from the glass doors of the office and sprinted towards the emergency exit! However, Chen Ke had only taken three or four steps when the double doors of the safety passage were suddenly flung open by a group of people. They didn¡¯t look like surviving investigators and seemed very adept at handling these kinds of situations. An efficient and robust Black woman burst onto the 12th floor corridor with several people in tow. Both Chen Ke and the Black woman were very surprised and puzzled, exchanging glances as they briefly lost the ability to speak, and Chen Ke subconsciously stopped in his tracks. ¡°Fuck.¡± He glanced to the right, the monster was already charging at him! ¡°Murderous Trigger!¡± Chen Ke had almost exhausted all his murderous intent, pouring it all on the monster, but it had no effect whatsoever. The monster¡¯s sharp claws, like five steel knives, carved long fissures into the ground and, with a vicious flick upwards, tore through Chen Ke¡¯s lower abdomen, shredding his clothes and muscles. The sharp claws sliced through Chen Ke¡¯s body, continuing upward to his chest, as hot, red blood sprayed out from the terrifying wounds that reached deep into his entrails, along with his intestines. Chen Ke was flung into the air by the monster, flipped in a circle, then crashed against the elevator doors at the end of the corridor before dropping to the ground like a blood-soaked rag. The Black woman watched the scene in front of her in astonishment; her expression went from sorrow to surprise, and from surprise to confusion. Chen Ke knelt on one knee, the floor around him stained with his own blood, but apart from a torn suit, there were no wounds whatsoever on his body. A cracking sound came from Chen Ke¡¯s head as a helmet split into four pieces and slid off. Before hitting the ground, the remnants of the helmet turned into white dust and dissipated. Chen Ke looked at the Black woman, who had a dangerous and complex expression on her face, and the several people behind her were also looking at him with serious expressions. Neither Chen Ke nor the Black woman spoke, and the monster¡¯s strange cry broke their brief eye contact. They both looked at the monster, remembering what the most important thing was now. ¡°This is the target!¡± said the Black woman, her hands and body sparking with white and blue flashes. In her left hand, she held a broadsword that emitted a white halo, its shape ancient and solid, very much like the bloodletting dagger Chen Ke had previously owned. Her forearms were wrapped with binding straps, stained with mottled blood. The jacket on the woman¡¯s body flickered with blue light, transforming into an Ancient Roman Gladiator-style top with shoulder guards to showcase her chocolate-colored muscular body. Her lower body glimmered with two flashes of white light; the tight jeans she had been wearing were replaced with a thigh-revealing, slit cheongsam skirt, and her feet were now in black leather boots. This attire was very eye-catching, but at this critical juncture, Chen Ke had no interest in admiring this Black beauty. The strapping Black man behind her also switched his attire in an instant, donning a helm and draped in a red robe, wielding a lumberjack¡¯s axe. They charged past Chen Ke, heading straight for the monster. Chen Ke wanted to take this opportunity to go down through the safety passage, but the remaining four people were at the door, and their unfriendly looks suggested they had no intention of making way. The Black strapping man bellowed loudly, emitting a stream of red energy from his body, and Chen Ke could guess that the energy gave the man some kind of advantage. Indeed, as the Black strapping man powerfully chopped at the monster¡¯s right shoulder, the monster subconsciously used its slender arm to block, and the axe actually embedded slightly into the flesh, but drew no blood. The Black woman¡¯s sword glowed slightly red, then burst into flames, like a torch. As the strapping Black man pinned the monster down, she thrust her fiery sword toward its abdomen. The density of the monster¡¯s muscles was indescribable, such that even two Administration Bureau agents equipped with full sets of Holy Relics were unable to damage it in the slightest. The monster struggled briefly and flung the Black strapping man away, then reached for the Black woman¡¯s shoulder. The woman ducked beneath the claws, rolled backward to gain distance. Beside Chen Ke, a woman with five Holy Relic gems wrapped around her hand and a man with parted hair also joined the fray, each summoning their own Holy Relics. Chapter 53 - 053: It Will Only Get Worse Chapter 53: Chapter 053: It Will Only Get Worse Splitting up, with a staff in his left hand and a revolver in his right, Chen Ke found this particularly noteworthy. He had thought that Holy Relics consisted only of melee weapons. He hadn¡¯t expected guns to be included. What exactly were these things? The woman¡¯s Holy Relic was a tree branch, and she was dressed in a loosely fitting blue hooded robe. She stretched out her right hand and snapped her fingers. A blue gas quickly condensed in mid-air and slowly formed into a conical crystal. Was that a Skill? This was Chen Ke¡¯s first encounter with what was referred to as a Transcendent Skill. The cone-shaped crystals continuously formed in the air and rapidly flew towards the monster. However, even though numerous crystal cones struck the monster, they couldn¡¯t injure it in the slightest. The monster charged towards the woman, intent on ripping her in two with its claws. Just then, a gunshot rang out. The split-haired young man actually made the monster kneel on the ground with a single shot. Chen Ke was startled. Was the power of this gun that great? No, the monster was still unharmed! The gun in the split-haired young man¡¯s hand vanished in a flash, replaced by a hook in a blink of white light. ... He leapt in front of the monster, attempting to hook into its waist and abdomen, only to find that the hook couldn¡¯t penetrate the monster¡¯s skin. ¡°This won¡¯t do, this won¡¯t do! This monster isn¡¯t something we should handle!¡± the split-haired young man cried out anxiously, while his companion continued to launch crystal cones at the monster relentlessly. Before he could finish, the monster slapped at his face, and with a ¡°hiss,¡± his shoulder was left without a head. ¡°Raymond!¡± a Black man bellowed, clutching his lumberjack axe and leaping at the monster, but the monster¡¯s claws caught him mid-air, seizing his upper body. ¡°What do you want! What will you do! You beast!¡± the Black man cursed loudly. The monster¡¯s other claw pierced directly through his torso and ripped him in half before everyone¡¯s eyes. Two Administration Bureau agents, both equipped with complete sets of Holy Relics, were effortlessly killed by the monster in a matter of seconds. The monster¡¯s overwhelming combat strength left Chen Ke without any desire to fight it. He moved toward the emergency exit but was blocked by a bald agent. ¡°If we don¡¯t run now, we¡¯ll all die here,¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°I know, but you need to come with us,¡± the bald agent replied. The bald agent gestured for the ponytailed woman to guard the door while he took off his leather gloves, revealing five rings set with Holy Relic diamonds, and joined the fray. ¡°This is Violet at 4679 Black Box, discovering a contract demon and requesting evacuation.¡± The woman identifying herself as Violet spoke into her handheld radio, standing with the bald and blue-robed woman, blocking the monster¡¯s path. Simultaneously, over twenty P.W.A.T team members poured out of the security door, led by a muscular white man in his fifties with graying temples. ¡°My Lord, what is this?¡± The white man was astounded upon seeing the bodies of the two investigators and the monster that stood over two meters tall. ¡°Morgan! Try to hold him off. It¡¯s not a monster we can handle. Call in the Spiritual Ability Special Forces!¡± Violet shouted back at the white man. Chen Ke looked back at the man identified as Morgan, taking note of ¡°Spiritual Ability Special Forces¡± and ¡°contract demon.¡± If this monster was called a contract demon... blasphemous contract... Blasphemous Dagger... contract demon... Hmm... Chen Ke fell deep into thought, an idea forming in his mind. Was he being sacrificed? Gunfire erupted around him. A white Spirit Barrier Hand Grenade flew past Chen Ke. ¡°Spirit Barrier Hand Grenade! Everyone find cover!¡± Morgan shouted, darting into the emergency exit. The others also scrambled behind nearby doors and barriers. Chen Ke, lost in thought, hadn¡¯t heard the warning. When he snapped out of it, the grenade had already exploded... A strong white halo burst open, the piercing squeal deafened Chen Ke for a while, rendering him unable to hear anything. However, there was no blast wave, no explosion shock wave, nor any debris. Chen Ke remained standing in his original position, unaffected by the surroundings. What was the purpose of that grenade? The monster suddenly opened its mouth and roared loudly, the penetrating sound assaulting once more, making Chen Ke a bit panicked. He only had one hour left to live; he couldn¡¯t withstand another round of the monster¡¯s haunting cries. However, his life did not decrease. Neither did the others cradle their heads due to the noise. Had the monster¡¯s psychic attack failed? Moreover, the monster seemed to have lost its sight, flailing its claws aimlessly and circling on the spot. ¡°Quick, retreat, quick, retreat!¡± Morgan pulled the pin, holding a second Spirit Barrier Hand Grenade in his hand. The woman with a ponytail next to him grabbed Chen Ke and dragged him towards the safety passage. Behind them, Violet and the surviving agents had already retrieved the Holy Relics. They followed the P.W.A.T downstairs in retreat. Morgan was the last to leave; he threw another Spirit Barrier Hand Grenade down the corridor, then shut the double doors and quickly caught up with the evacuation team. In the team, Chen Ke saw Sleery and Yang Xiao; Sleery¡¯s wounds had been briefly bandaged, and she looked a bit better. ¡°Head to the first floor lobby and exit from the opening there. Then we will call the Spiritual Ability Special Forces to clean up this mess,¡± Morgan directed. ¡°Lieutenant... this person does not exhibit any Spiritual Energy reactions,¡± a P.W.A.T team member reported. ¡°That¡¯s impossible; he was able to use the Holy Relics,¡± Violet approached next to Chen Ke, grabbing his arm. ¡°He was just exposed to the Spirit Barrier Hand Grenade; it will take a while before any Spiritual Energy reactions become apparent. Take him back; we have ways to find out what he really is,¡± Morgan bumped Chen Ke¡¯s shoulder disdainfully. ¡°Confiscate his weapons and his shiny diamond,¡± the woman with the ponytail suggested. ¡°No hurry now; he won¡¯t be able to use Spiritual Energy for at least two hours. It¡¯s fine to leave them on him,¡± Morgan chuckled. Chen Ke furrowed his eyebrows, looking at the white man in front of him. ¡°I like the look in your eyes, clearly that of an Asian misfit who specializes in wrongdoing. I have special methods for dealing with troublemakers like you. Let¡¯s see how tough you really are at that time,¡± Morgan taunted, then turned and walked to the front of the team. Violet and the ponytailed woman flanked Chen Ke; several P.W.A.T members surrounded him front and back. The team quickly moved downstairs. Outside the building. Four black SUVs were parked outside the cordon. Bader and nine FPI agents arrived on the scene, finding the incident in the building much more complicated than expected. In just one night and a morning, it had become the most dangerous place in Opportunity City. ¡°P.W.A.T has already been in for more than ten minutes, and the operation is not yet over,¡± the P.W.A.T deputy commander briefed Bader on the current situation. ¡°I have a bad feeling. Has the CPA already sent someone in? Should it be Violet leading the team?¡± Bader asked. ¡°The CPA did go in, along with Lieutenant Morgan, but I¡¯m not sure if the robust lady is Violet; they seem to be having a hard time. They just called for the Spiritual Ability Special Forces, and the Administration Bureau should be sending R6,¡± the deputy commander said. ¡°That must be Violet then. Are things that bad?¡± Bader was noncommittal. ¡°It might only get worse,¡± the deputy commander shrugged. Chapter 54 - 054 Exploded :i>Dsipgex /21<[hapter 054 Exploded At that moment, a red muscle car pulled over at the roadside, and Diana Prince got out, crossing the yellow police tape towards the building. ¡°Diana?¡± Bader was momentarily stunned then quickly ran over. Seeing Bader running towards her, Diana placed her hands on her hips and frowned. ¡°Diana, I heard you went to the drainage at noon?¡± Bader asked as he reached her side. ¡°Let¡¯s cut the crap. That gun was fired twice in this building, you¡¯re here for that as well, aren¡¯t you?¡± Diana got straight to the point. ¡°Right... It¡¯s been a while, I hope he¡¯s still inside. You¡¯re not planning to just go in there, are you?¡± Bader shook his head and asked. ... ¡°Of course not, I¡¯m not stupid, unless it¡¯s safe inside... What exactly happened to this building? It just black boxed not long ago, how could it suddenly experience a second-order effect...¡± Diana said. ¡°Maybe the gun thief and the sacrifice are both in this building, did you get any new intel?¡± Bader probed. ¡°No... No, I actually came here for more clues,¡± Diana replied, not telling Bader about Parker¡¯s body and the registration time of the Spiritual Ability Pistol. ¡°Anyway, they won¡¯t escape now, Violet has already led people inside, and I¡¯m about to take my team in too, you can just watch from outside,¡± Bader said with a smile. ¡°Good luck, Bader, and stay safe,¡± Diana said. Inside the building. A team made their way down a narrow safe passage, with Morgan kicking down a door to finally reach the ground floor lobby. At this moment, the vortex mark on Chen Ke¡¯s heart began to move again. The sensation was more exaggerated than before, as if something was tearing open inside him. Chen Ke felt a tightness in his chest, knelt down, and began gasping for air. ¡°Stop playing tricks!¡± Violet said, pulling Chen Ke up. However, Chen Ke¡¯s body suddenly floated out of control! His feet were about six or seven centimeters off the ground, his chest facing upward, and a white light shot out from the mark on his heart! A blinding flash of white light, and a hand incredibly extended out from the mark on Chen Ke¡¯s chest! ¡°Damn it, he¡¯s the sacrifice? Impossible! A sacrifice couldn¡¯t have survived till now!¡± Violet exclaimed. ¡°Soul! Soul!¡± The contract demon howled, emerging from the slit of light on Chen Ke¡¯s chest, and it had grown an additional tail since last time! Chen Ke collapsed to the ground, as if his body had been hollowed out... Almost simultaneously with the appearance of the contract demon, Morgan and his P.W.A.T opened fire on Chen Ke, but during the whole process, Chen Ke and the contract demon seemed to be fused, and he was not harmed by the barrage of bullets. Violet summoned her full set of Holy Relics and leapt at the monster, aiming to strike it from behind, but the contract demon flicked its tail, its spike-like end piercing through Violet¡¯s solid abdominals and out her back! ¡°Ugh!!!¡± Violet spat out blood, impaled on the tail of the contract demon. A fireball smashed into the contract demon, but it had no effect; the bald agent didn¡¯t give up and again gathered flame in the palm of his hand. The contract demon flicked its tail, flinging Violet aside, and leapt three meters high, grabbing the bald agent¡¯s head and spine and pulling them out of his body altogether, tossing them aside. The two female agents next to the bald agent were almost simultaneously pierced through by claws, blood splattering five steps away. Startled, Sleery and Yang Xiao hid behind the service counter and covered their ears, while Morgan pulled out the last Spirit Barrier Hand Grenade, ready to throw it. However, just as he was about to draw the bow, his left hand fell off, leaving only a neat cut at his left wrist, and blood gushed out like a red waterfall. The contract demon moved almost a second at a time, leaving a river of blood wherever it went. ¡°You monster... monster...¡± Morgan pulled out his pistol, unwillingly shooting at the contract demon. The demon instantly teleported beside him and slashed his abdomen open with its claw, spilling everything inside. ¡°Ah...¡± Morgan collapsed to the ground, trying to pull the trigger before dying. Having caught his breath, Chen Ke, with all his strength, crawled next to Violet, who had a gaping hole in her stomach and was beyond saving. Her eyes rolled back as she spat out fresh blood, and a large pool of blood had already formed beneath her. Chen Ke pried open her right hand and picked up the white diamond. Fire-igniting Broadsword Durability: Moderate Flame: Turns damage into Elemental when igniting flame. Ignition: The flame effect can sustain with combustible materials. While Chen Ke was looking for other diamonds belonging to Violet, the contract demon instantly teleported beside him, grabbing his head and lifting it. Chen Ke summoned the fire-igniting broadsword to resist but was caught by another claw of the contract demon. The contract demon¡¯s face drew close to Chen Ke¡¯s chest, as if sniffing something, though it appeared to have no nose. ¡°You owe me a soul,¡± the contract demon said ominously. ¡°I don¡¯t think I owe you anything.¡± Chen Ke grabbed the demon¡¯s claw, trying to break free. ¡°I opened the door! I opened the door!¡± the contract demon suddenly yelled out, as if trying to prove that Chen Ke indeed owed it something. At that moment, the mark on his chest spun, and a small orb of light emerged from the vortex mark, growing larger and completely enveloping both Chen Ke and the monster. ¡°You owe me a soul! I will find you! I will find you!¡± the contract demon screamed, attempting to attack Chen Ke. But within the orb, Chen Ke and the contract demon seemed invincible... neither could harm the other. Meanwhile, on the sixth floor, the over three-meter-high door suddenly vibrated slightly, the door¡¯s area gradually compressed, with a red vortex-like halo spinning rapidly, eventually compressing the door down to the size of a ping-pong ball. The singularity suddenly burst open, releasing a potent force that blasted the upper floors of the building into pieces. Outside the building, Bader and Diana heard a loud bang as the building suddenly exploded starting from the sixth floor, like setting off firecrackers, an unknown force erupted upwards starting from the sixth floor, and a white halo burst through the walls, crashing the black box cover into pieces, with office supplies, tables, chairs, paper, bodies of people and monsters, chunks of debris falling like hail onto the ground and nearby shops, shattering several store windows and doors located street-side, with rooftop TV antennas and solar water heaters smashed beyond recognition. On the ground, surrounding county police and Administration Bureau personnel hurriedly ran for cover. Fortunately, civilians had already been evacuated by the Administration Bureau, and only law enforcement officers were present, so the situation was not too chaotic. As the explosion occurred, the orb enveloping Chen Ke and the contract demon also vanished without a trace, as if they had never appeared in the building. Yang Xiao and Sleery looked on in surprise as Chen Ke disappeared, still in shock, surveying the surroundings filled with bloody corpses. Diana and Bader looked at the bodies of P.W.A.T and CPA agents scattered on the ground, their faces filled with confusion and surprise as they stared at the half-destroyed building and the chaotic scene. After an unknown amount of time, Chen Ke suddenly opened his eyes, immediately sat up, and found he was still holding the fire-igniting broadsword. The contract demon was gone, but in its last moment, it provided Chen Ke with a vast amount of murderous energy, his lifespan now fully restored to 10 hours. He stood up, his mouth agape at the sight before him; he was now on top of a cliff, and below, incredibly, lay an ancient kingdom styled from the medieval period! Chapter 55 - 055 [An Helei鈥檚 Ash: White Peak Church] :i>Dsipgex /31<[hapter 055 [An Helei¡¯s Ash: White Peak Church] Chen Ke pulled out his Nokia E63, and unsurprisingly, there was no signal. He used the 2-megapixel camera to snap a panoramic shot of the kingdom below the cliff. The cliff was considerably high; he estimated that heading down to the city would be about 300 meters. The entire kingdom wasn¡¯t all that large. Chen Ke looked around, noting two city walls that divided the urban area, with buildings linked one after another almost without gaps. Most buildings outside the walls had tiled roofs with chimneys, while those inside were adorned with spires and flying buttresses. The building cluster extended from the distant King¡¯s City right to the cliff beneath Chen Ke¡¯s feet. As he lay on the edge and peered down, he saw a large white steepled cathedral built against the cliff. A road ran, broken and winding, through the middle of these dilapidated structures, leading to the most splendid King¡¯s City within the walls. Chen Ke could not spot any living soul, and the sky was a dismal white, the sun obscured by thick clouds, with only a few shafts of light piercing through the gaps. Floating in the sky were white particles that, upon reaching for them, Chen Ke discovered were not snow but ashes. He cleaned out his backpack. In fact, in the Black Box Space, he hadn¡¯t used much ammunition. Thus, he still had several boxes of standard bullets and .45 Flame Bullet, but only four precious Punishment attribute bullets remained. ... Chen Ke holstered his gun and noticed a white Holy Relic diamond by his foot... It was Violet¡¯s sword. He picked up the diamond and caressed it, thought for a moment, and with a swish, summoned the sword. ¡°Summoning Holy Relics...¡± The sword¡¯s design was somewhat similar to a bloodletting dagger, with a black handle and a blade sharpened on both sides. Depending on the angle one viewed it from, a faint red halo could be seen along the blade. This was the sword¡¯s special effect: Flame. Holding the sword, Chen Ke knocked it against the cliffside, producing crisp clinks and small sparks. Even unlit, the sword was imbued with the power of fire. Once ignited, it would turn into a flame that could be wielded. Chen Ke was pleased and wanted to revert the sword back into a diamond. ¡°Huh?¡± No matter how much he concentrated, the sword remained unflinchingly in its blade form. At that moment, he suddenly realized something. When he summoned the sword just now, it seemed not to consume any lifespan... The life countdown displayed 9 hours and 57 minutes remaining. Correct, there was certainly no consumption... What was going on? Was his ability malfunctioning, Chen Ke wondered in confusion? No, the countdown of his lifespan was still ticking down by the second. He tried the Intimidation Trigger again, and a red aura surged from behind, retracted back into him after finding no target. Summoning Holy Relics here indeed didn¡¯t consume lifespan! But the Relic couldn¡¯t be reverted back into a diamond either... Confused, he gazed towards the Medieval King¡¯s City below the cliff, his mind filled with countless questions. Initially, he thought he had just been transported by a monster to some remote area, but on closer reflection, everything here seemed highly abnormal. It was too quiet. The whole city felt lifelessly silent, and it didn¡¯t resemble an ancient ruin... Although these buildings were dilapidated, they gave Chen Ke the impression: indeed, hundreds of thousands of people were living here. Chen Ke decided to find a path and go down for a look. Just as he was about to move, he noticed that the coat and shirt on him were torn into strips by the monster¡¯s claws, revealing his six-pack abs, which felt quite cool. Chen Ke simply took off his coat and shirt, organized his things, and put them into his backpack, then summoned the doctor¡¯s worn coat. With a swish, the upper half of Chen Ke¡¯s body was covered by an old coat from the Victorian Era. Since it didn¡¯t consume lifespan, he might as well move about wearing this. This Holy Relic clothing only swapped appearances and provided special effects, so even while wearing it, Chen Ke still felt as if he was shirtless, a truly odd sensation... Chen Ke wandered around and found himself on a small platform jutting out from the cliffside. At one corner of the platform, there was a narrow path clinging to the cliffside. The path could only accommodate one person, with a steep cliff on the other side. Gazing toward the end of it, he estimated that not far ahead there might be a cave he could enter. He steadied himself against the cliffside, and cautiously proceeded downhill along the narrow path. As it was sloping downwards, he didn¡¯t dare to move too quickly, fearing the gravel was too slippery and a careless step could send him tumbling down the cliff, a loss too great to recover from. Chen Ke tried his best not to look down and focused his attention on the end of the trail before him, shuffling downwards. ¡°Owwooooo!!¡± Suddenly, a wolf¡¯s howl came from around the corner at the end of the trail, and Chen Ke¡¯s pupils dilated; his left hand quickly drew out the PPQ .45 aimed at the end of the trail. A black wolf sauntered out from around the corner, tilting its head as it gazed at Chen Ke. This was seriously bad luck. Even in such a place, a monster appeared! Chen Ke cursed silently. The wolf sniffed at Chen Ke, then growled lowly, its saliva dripping down through its teeth. It seemed it had been hungry for a long time. ¡°+30 minutes¡± ¡°+30 minutes¡± ¡°+30 minutes¡± ¡°+30 minutes¡± ... A torrent of murderous intent surged towards Chen Ke, and he raised an eyebrow. He could handle this intensity. The wolf had no attribute tags displayed around it, indicating it was merely a purebred wolf, not a monster. In a narrow encounter, the first to act wins! Chen Ke pulled the trigger; the gunshot echoed through the heavens, bringing discordant noise to the silent world. The wolf clearly had never seen a gun. It didn¡¯t understand how its opponent could harm it without moving. Its head and body were pierced and scorched by the Flame Bullet. The powerful .45 caliber bullets tore its bones and muscles to shreds, and the bursting flames turned the mangled tissue into black ash. The wolf collapsed toward the edge of the cliff, and Chen Ke watched the body fall onto the rooftops below with a dull noise. Perhaps using so many bullets had been overkill, after all, as the Flame Bullet was somewhat excessive against a mere wild animal. The existence of wolves here meant there was an ecosystem, and perhaps humans could be encountered too. Chen Ke glanced down again toward King¡¯s City, refocused, and quickened his pace. ¡°OWWOOO!!!!!¡± Another wolf howl sounded, but this time it was different¡ªit made Chen Ke lose 5 minutes of life every second to resist the mental attack. Chen Ke stopped in his tracks and saw several black wolves poke their heads around the corner, one of which was slightly larger and had attributes displayed! [Administration Bureau Rating: C] [Strength Enhancement] [Mental Attack] ================== [Flame Weakening] ¡°I get it, did I just kill your pup?¡± Chen Ke said. This creature was a wolf with the ability to launch mental attacks, similar enough to a mythical Mann-faced dog. It wasn¡¯t too difficult for Chen Ke to handle in his current state, but the narrow trail was problematic... However, these beasts didn¡¯t care about that; one after another, they ran toward Chen Ke. He cursed under his breath and continuously pulled the trigger, knocking one wolf after another off the cliff. Perhaps there was a wolf den just around the corner of the trail. Chen Ke had killed four wolves in rapid succession. Their bodies burned and fell toward the city below, while his 13 bullets were quickly depleted, yet many more wolves were still swarming towards him. Chapter 56 - 056 Attribute :i>Dsipgex /01<[hapter 056 Attribute Chen Ke couldn¡¯t reload his magazine, so he had to stuff his gun back into its holster; he could only rely on his right hand wielding the Fire-igniting Broadsword to slash at the approaching pack of wolves. As he swung the broadsword, he retreated, hoping to make his way back to the platform above to devise a new plan, but the wolves gave him no chance. Some wolves even slipped and fell off the cliff, but more surged out from their dens along the cliff edges. Chen Ke guessed that around the corner of the cliff there must be a large cave connected by various passages; otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have been possible for the wolves to establish a den here. ¡°Howl!!!¡± The alpha wolf, seeing too many of its young killed by Chen Ke, finally erupted in anger and lunged at him personally. ... Before Chen Ke could curse, the monstrous wolf pounced on him, but at the same time, the Fire-igniting Broadsword pierced through its body. Even without igniting the Sword God, the temperature that automatically rose from the blade upon striking the target was enough to ignite the creatures. Chen Ke lost his balance, and he and the wolf tumbled down the cliff, locked together. For a moment, Chen Ke thought this was how he would die. However, only after he hit the ground with a thud did he realize he had landed luckily. He pushed away the scorched corpse of the monstrous wolf and found himself on a lower ledge of the cliff, a spot only two or three meters wide. Just three or four meters above was the cliff path. He hadn¡¯t noticed this protruding part when he was above, as it had been obscured by the path. He glanced at the wolf¡¯s corpse, its fur fluttering slightly in the wind, shimmering with a blue little orb. ¡°Hey! Blue?¡± Chen Ke, excited, knelt on one knee beside the corpse of the monstrous wolf and reached his hand into the blue orb, groping around until he touched a wooden handle. He grabbed the handle and pulled the object out. The blue glow flashed, and the orb transformed into a dagger about 20 centimeters in length in Chen Ke¡¯s hand. ¡°Consume 20 minutes of lifespan to identify Holy Relics!¡± [Glimmering Black Ring Candle Holder] [Durability: Complete] [Mysterious Attribute Enhancement: Arcane power increases by 20%, Illusion Technique range by 20%, Magic duration by 20%] [Mental Resistance: Holder gains 70% resistance to sanity attacks](Unable to trigger: Intelligence deficiency) [Illusion Dispel: Lighting it dispels low-class illusions within the range of the candlelight](Unable to trigger: Intelligence deficiency) After identification, the vague object in Chen Ke¡¯s hands emitted a dazzling blue brilliance, materializing into a silver, ornately carved candle holder fitted with three white candles! Chen Ke scrutinized the candle holder in his hand. Its trident handle felt slightly cold to the touch, and the overly elaborate carvings on the handle seemed somewhat fanciful without substance. On the silver frame, the three white candles were carved with spiral patterns. Chen Ke tried to separate the candles from the candle holder but found that no matter how much force he used, he couldn¡¯t pull them out or break them. He brought his Fire-igniting Broadsword close to the candle holder, trying to light the candles to see what would happen. Before the sword could ignite, the three candles lit up on their own. The blue flame was like a ghostly fire from the underworld; even under the sunlight, Chen Ke could see the faint blue candlelight cast on the ground. He shook the candlestick and then blew fiercely at the candle flame. The flame remained unaffected and continued burning quietly. At the same time, the candle began to melt, with tears of wax slowly trailing down its spiraled pattern. How to extinguish it? Just as Chen Ke thought this, the flame extinguished itself. It seemed that these Holy Relics with state-switching capabilities functioned under the same principle as those summoned by Holy Relics diamonds. The holder merely needed to think, and they could switch states without being destroyed by others. This candlestick was of blue quality, slightly different from the white Holy Relics he had previously possessed. From the item description on the candlestick, he gathered at least four key pieces of information. Firstly, Pihom had once mentioned that Spiritual Attributes included six classes and eighteen types. Chen Ke was not sure how many types each class had, but from the entry ¡°Mysterious Attribute enhancement: Arcane power increased by 20%, Illusion range expanded by 20%, Magic duration extended by 20%¡±, it appeared that if each class had three sub-attributes, wouldn¡¯t it precisely match the six times three equating to eighteen? The three attributes under Mysterious Attribute: Arcane, Illusion, and Magic. He had already seen how powerful illusions could be through encounters with monsters; they were not merely eye-blocking skills but could physically materialize. Secondly, the candlestick¡¯s special effects enhanced the three major Mysterious Attributes, though each in a different way. Arcane increased in power, Illusion in range, and Magic in duration¡ªdid this indirectly suggest that the focal points of these attributes were fixed? For example, were all Arcane used for offensive casting, all Illusion for illusion and control, and all Magic solely for adding buffs? Thinking deeper, could the so-called Transcendent Skills also fall into six classes and eighteen types? Along with various Holy Relics, could this not lead to a myriad of battle styles? Thirdly, the Class of the Holy Relics. This was the first time Chen Ke possessed a Holy Relic that emitted a blue glow. In the Black Box Space, operators from the Administration Bureau also used white and blue Holy Relics in conjunction. Looking at the combination of effects, blue indeed seemed more powerful than white, but both appeared to primarily serve a supportive role. The candlestick itself had no effects applicable in direct combat, and its form was not that of a weapon. Was blue necessarily better than white? Or was blue only for supportive use while white was for offensive? Might there be other colors? Fourth, Holy Relics required certain attributes from their holders! This black ring candlestick possessed two extremely potent effects; a 70% immunity to psychic attacks, which was simply astonishing! For monsters Chen Ke could handle, he could almost completely negate their mental damage, and for much stronger monsters, he would at least not waste too much of his lifespan in resisting psychic attacks. Another effect was even more incredible. As long as the candle was lit, any lower-grade illusions within the range of the candlelight became ineffective... Not only that, but it could also indirectly detect the Class of entities capable of casting illusions, unknown if the Administration Bureau had similar equipment. However, impressive and useful as these two effects were, they required the holder¡¯s intelligence attribute! And clearly, Chen Ke¡¯s intelligence wasn¡¯t sufficient... The difference between intelligence and wisdom was significant; intelligence was a person¡¯s innate limit, while wisdom was the experience learned later... A person could become an expert in a certain field through continuous learning and trying, but they couldn¡¯t surpass Einstein in this way. Whether it was the Administration Bureau or any other organization, if they had the capability to boost a person¡¯s intelligence, that would be truly miraculous... Besides intelligence, there must be other attributes... Chen Ke guessed, probably also including strength, agility, and so on... But reality was not a game; one couldn¡¯t just add a point to transform a thin man into a muscular one or a simpleton into a genius. It definitely wasn¡¯t that simple... Since he couldn¡¯t use the candlestick now and couldn¡¯t turn it into diamonds, Chen Ke could only stuff it into his bag; there was no worry about the candles breaking inside the bag anyway. Chapter 57: 057: Encountering an Old Friend in a Foreign Place Chapter 57: Chapter 057: Encountering an Old Friend in a Foreign Place Chen Ke was on a plateau that also had a path leading downwards, albeit significantly narrower than the one overhead¡ªso much so that it wasn¡¯t actually a path. One had to sidle along, pressing against the wall with great care to barely squeeze through. Holding a sword made it even more inconvenient as he could only use one hand to cling to the mountain¡¯s face. Fortunately, this time he wasn¡¯t harassed by a pack of wolves, so he managed to reach the end of the narrow path where he found a cave big enough for an adult to crawl through. Taking advantage of the daylight, Chen Ke peered into the pitch-dark cavern. After igniting the Fire-igniting Broadsword and throwing it into the cave like a torch, the illumination revealed a whole other world within¡ªa labyrinth of stone pathways. Feeling no danger, he tossed the sword inside first, then crawled in himself, using his hands and feet. He picked up the burning broadsword and carefully began to explore the stone paths. The flame on the broadsword¡¯s blade didn¡¯t crackle like a torch would, as it wasn¡¯t actually burning anything; the flame was simply a manifestation of expelled energy. Since using Holy Relics in this place did not consume one¡¯s lifespan, he could afford to be liberal with it. The Teleportation Gate¡¯s cooldown was still two and a half hours away. But at that moment, he was indecisive. ... That was because Chen Ke was unclear about where the Teleportation Gate would lead once it opened. The first time he used it, he was standing outside the Black Box Space; that time the gate opened passively. Logically, if he were inside the Black Box Space and opened a gate, he should be able to go outside. But after meeting the contract demon, Chen Ke had somehow managed to open another gate to this place before the Teleportation Gate¡¯s cooldown had expired. This was the most baffling occurrence to him. What exactly was this location? And if Chen Ke opened a Teleportation Gate here, where would it take him? And, why was that contract demon able to create a gate from within him and emerge from his body? Now, Chen Ke had grown wary of the Life Transfer Gate; after all, he couldn¡¯t predict what was on the other side. Moreover, perhaps the demon was able to find him because of the Teleportation Gate; he certainly didn¡¯t want to open a gate only to find that demon standing on the other side. He decided to find a relatively safe place to rest first, and then quietly wait for the Teleportation Gate¡¯s cooldown to end before considering how to return. ¡°Once I get back, I must find Pihom and get clear on what exactly the six categories and eighteen attributes are...¡± Chen Ke mused silently. Illuminated by the sword¡¯s fire, Chen Ke followed the stone path to a more open area¡ªan inner valley within the mountain cliff. A crevice split open above, allowing daylight to spill into the valley, draping a layer of white frost on the winding mountain road. Supporting himself on the icy stone wall as he descended, the sand and gravel beneath his feet felt fine and slippery. Bending down, Chen Ke saw his footwear covered in white dust. He extinguished the sword¡¯s flame and continued into the depths of the valley. Wherever he went, the white dust beneath his feet rustled eerily. Chen Ke stopped to listen quietly and observed closely. The white dust was slowly spreading along the stone walls toward him. There was no wind, yet the white dust swirled around on the ground by itself before coalescing into larger forms. ¡°+50 minutes¡± ¡°+50 minutes¡± ¡°+50 minutes¡± ¡°+50 minutes¡± ... Chen Ke¡¯s brows furrowed as he felt a wave of killing intent wash over him from behind. He dodged to the left, and the spot where he¡¯d been standing resounded with the clash of steel and stone. Turning back, he saw a man in tattered soldier¡¯s chainmail, wielding a rusty sword, making his way toward him. The man¡¯s armor was corroded and falling apart but still offered some measure of protection. No, calling him a man wasn¡¯t quite accurate. Precisely speaking, it was more like an armored corpse¡ªalthough the figure wore a helmet, his head lolled as if unable to bear the weight of the iron helmet, and his entire face resembled a skull with skin stretched over it. The figure¡¯s missing left hand was slowly forming from the white dust on the ground... Chen Ke heard more rustling and turned his head to see that the white dust on the ground had all gathered into undead soldiers. [Administration Bureau Monster Rating: ??] [Resurrection] [Flame Immunity] ¡°Power Enhancement¡± ================== ¡°Light Energy Weakening¡± ¡°Ice Weakening¡± Chen Ke frowned; both weapons in his hands were of the Flame attribute, which were completely countered by this monster. And they could even resurrect? What were these monsters made of? A jumble of random attributes! Thankfully, their movements were extremely sluggish, presenting themselves as brainless, Chen Ke drew his PPQ .45 with his left hand and tentatively fired a shot at the closest zombie soldier. Even well-made Medieval chainmail couldn¡¯t withstand the impact of a .45 ACP bullet, much less the rotten chainmail that the zombie soldiers were wearing, which had holes all over it. The bullet easily penetrated the body of the zombie soldier, who let out a pained cry and was knocked down by the powerful recoil. The Flame attribute of the bullet began to take effect within the body of the zombie soldier, as it unleashed the power of flame. Of course, as creatures immune to flame, the zombie soldiers were different from the monsters Chen Ke had faced in Opportunity City. The bullet didn¡¯t burn it to death but instead caused sparks of fire to seep from its body from the inside out. The zombie soldier opened its mouth slightly, revealing a faint glow of fire, and a fireball rose from its dark, hollow eye sockets, resembling pupils. It suddenly let out a strange scream at Chen Ke, which seemed to serve as a threat. The sparks on its body grew brighter, dancing around it and casting an orange halo of light, giving it an invigorated appearance. Although he didn¡¯t know what this meant, Chen Ke guessed that his Flame attribute attack must have given the monster a BUFF... No good, he couldn¡¯t use these weapons against them. It was simply counterproductive. Behind Chen Ke, five or six zombie soldiers were gathering and running toward him, wielding spears, axes, and short swords. If not for their twisted movements and ghostly howls, they might even pass for living people at first glance. ¡°Hey, close your eyes!¡± A human shout came from the distance. Chen Ke instinctively closed his eyes, only to hear a loud explosion resembling a grenade beside him, reminiscent of the ones Morgan had tossed in the hallway. A scent similar to that of disinfectant immediately filled the air. Before he could open his eyes, he felt his right hand being grabbed by someone, pulling him to run incessantly in a certain direction. Chen Ke opened his eyes and saw a familiar back. Parker?! ¡°You...¡± Chen Ke watched incredulously at the person in front of him. Brown short hair, roughly 180 centimeters tall, dressed in a blue jacket and brown trousers... And more importantly, he was holding a steel-grey pistol, that same Spiritual Energy M1911A1... Chen Ke looked down at the M1911A1 in his own holster, wondering if he was mistaken about something. If that¡¯s my gun in his hand, then where did mine come from? Chen Ke was utterly confused. He could feel the warmth of Parker¡¯s hand on his and even saw the sweat stains on the blue shirt on Parker¡¯s back. The Parker in front of him was indeed a living person. This world is really f*cking crazy... Looking back, after the grenade exploded, it seemed as though the zombie soldiers were greatly agitated and convulsed ceaselessly on the spot. The two ran for a few minutes, with Parker expertly leading Chen Ke through the maze-like paths at the bottom of the valley until they arrived at a small, open space surrounded by three broken stone walls. Parker watched behind for a long while by the wall until he finally confirmed they were safe, and then sat down on a large stone to catch his breath. Chen Ke didn¡¯t feel tired and sat down across from Parker on a fallen stone column, leaning his sword to one side. He observed Parker, skin, hair, demeanor, and clothes... nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and he wasn¡¯t a monster, otherwise many attributes would have appeared around Parker by now. ¡°Where did you go? I¡¯ve been looking for you the whole time.¡± Parker lifted his head and asked. ¡°You looking for me? Parker... If you really are Parker... Do you remember that you¡¯re already dead?¡± Chen Ke cautiously responded. Chapter 58: 058 Paradox Chapter 58: Chapter 058 Paradox ¡°What?¡± Parker was taken aback, frowning as he looked toward Chen Ke. Chen Ke didn¡¯t speak; instead, he carefully examined Parker, seeking any detail that might be inconsistent with his memory, hoping to find an explanation for himself. The Parker in front of him was wearing the exact same clothes as when they had met in the West Gold Building, the only difference being that they were slightly dirtier, with his pant legs and shoes covered in white dust, and his blue shirt sticky with mud and sweat stains. Even the M1911A1 in his hand had some paint chipped off. Chen Ke and Parker had only met once before, and Parker¡¯s first impression on him at the West Gold Building hadn¡¯t been memorable, so even now, Chen Ke couldn¡¯t pinpoint what was different. Demeanor? Tone? Small gestures? Chen Ke didn¡¯t know Parker enough to discern what might be off through these details. The simplest method would, of course, be his own ability to automatically recognize strange things in his field of vision, but so far, there were no labels or pop-up information around Parker, who seemed just like an ordinary person. ... However, Chen Ke, who always believed seeing is believing, couldn¡¯t convince himself logically or from common sense that this man before him was the same Parker who had been mauled by a pack of dogs. ¡°Where have you been? And you changed into a new set of clothes...?¡± Parker countered. ¡°You¡¯ve got me confused, Parker, I don¡¯t even know how to answer you,¡± Chen Ke said, crossing his arms and cocking his leg. ¡°You¡¯ve confused me too, buddy; I don¡¯t even know your name,¡± Parker said. ¡°My name is Chen Ke, and I am a special agent from the Spiritual Ability Administration,¡± Chen Ke responded. ¡°Oh... oh... the Administration Bureau... but when we first met, you didn¡¯t seem like...¡± Parker sounded skeptical. Chen Ke picked up the Fire-igniting Broadsword beside him, and with a thought, the cold blade burst into flames, resembling a torch. Although Parker was an investigator and had read about Holy Relics in books, he had never witnessed one in person, so his expression looked like he was watching a contemporary magic trick. ¡°Did it just... light up like that? Is this the power of a Spiritual Ability User?¡± Parker said thoughtfully, as he watched the broadsword burning fiercely. ¡°Alright, enough of the show; tell me, what exactly happened when those man-faced dogs were surrounding you?¡± Chen Ke extinguished the sword, returning the blade to its cold steel form without any traces of being scorched. Parker began to recount his own experience, but the story he told diverged greatly from what Chen Ke had witnessed. After he had been dragged down from the first-floor lobby¡¯s reception desk by the man-faced dogs, what happened next contradicted Chen Ke¡¯s own experience. ¡°...I yelled at you, saying I need to reload, and right after I said that, I got dragged away by the man-faced dogs. But you didn¡¯t even try to save me!¡± Parker said, gesturing with his hands. The story then took a turn. Parker hadn¡¯t been bitten by the man-faced dogs; rather, upon hitting the ground, he immediately rolled away, evading the attack, and not only that, he reloaded his magazine and single-handedly fought off the pack of man-faced dogs. ¡°Where... where was I then?¡± Chen Ke asked in surprise. ¡°Damn I¡¯d like to ask you that¡ªwhere did you go? If you¡¯re a special agent from the Administration Bureau, why didn¡¯t you just whip out that fancy sword of yours in the first place?¡± Parker¡¯s tone carried some blame. ¡°I swear to you, what I experienced was nothing like what you are telling me...¡± Chen Ke said, eyeing the gun in Parker¡¯s hands. There were indeed no bite marks on Parker¡¯s body, whereas in Chen Ke¡¯s experience, Parker had been severely mauled... ¡°Whatever you say, you better have a good reason. And I saved you again, so now you owe me twice,¡± Parker declared. ¡°How did you even get here anyway? This place is quite far from Opportunity City,¡± Chen Ke asked, arms crossed. Without a Teleportation Gate, who would even know that such a place existed in the world? Parker shrugged his shoulders, revealing an elusive smile, and said, ¡°You¡¯ve asked the right person... I entered Opportunity City building from this side...¡± After he finished speaking, he revealed a sinister smile. Chen Ke¡¯s pupils dilated instantly, and his hand unconsciously touched the hilt of his sword. What exactly was Parker? It seemed that seeing Chen Ke¡¯s reaction, Parker realized he hadn¡¯t made himself clear and quickly raised both hands in a ¡°calm down¡± gesture. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think, Chen Ke! Let me finish!¡± Parker hurriedly said. ¡°Don¡¯t scare me; when I get agitated, I might kill anything...¡± Chen Ke¡¯s hand didn¡¯t leave the hilt of his sword, and he even thought about drawing his gun. Parker hurriedly began to explain that he was initially carrying out a routine D-level Black Box Space sweep, a routine task for investigators. ¡°That was another D-level Black Box Space, which had been open for many years, belonging to Si¡¯s consortium,¡± Parker said. ¡°Go on...¡± Chen Ke¡¯s ears perked up at the mention of Si¡¯s consortium. It was supposed to be a routine D-level investigator¡¯s day, but that day, something happened in that D-level space, causing a cascade effect... Similar to Chen Ke¡¯s experience, the monsters inside the Black Box Space quickly breached the confines of D-level, and although it wasn¡¯t as exaggerated as the West Gold Building, it was still perilous for a D-level investigator like Parker. ¡°A B-level monster latched onto me, and I kept running. And guess what? Just right in front of me, a rift of light opened!¡± Parker gestured vividly. ¡°Sounds really unfortunate, huh?¡± Chen Ke echoed while pondering what this rift of light was. It seemed like the first time he fled the West Gold Building, he had also jumped into a rift of light to reach the alley outside... ¡°That unstable, random passage, who knows where it might take you. But with a B-level monster chasing me from behind, I had no choice but to jump in...¡± Parker said. Chen Ke nodded, and then Parker came here through the rift of light. It seemed the cascade effect not only reopened a door on the other side but also randomly opened several temporary small doors during the process... ¡°Yeah, you know, I got stuck here... Until one day, another rift of light appeared in front of me...¡± Parker spread his hands. ¡°Wait, wait... One day? Parker, how long have you been here?¡± Chen Ke asked in surprise. ¡°The first time I entered, it was fifteen days ago... Then through the rift of light into your building, then separated from you and came back, it¡¯s also been about twelve days...¡± Parker shrugged. So, Parker had been here almost a month? Chen Ke felt a sweat drop slide down his forehead. He hadn¡¯t found any signs of fire-making or cooking nearby; how had Parker survived this month...? ¡°How did you get back here from the building?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°At that time, in order to find you, I searched floor by floor and saw the Teleportation Gate on the sixth floor...¡± Parker explained. ¡°Then you just went in? You knew that gate wouldn¡¯t take you out of the building.¡± Chen Ke spread his hands. ¡°Of course I knew, but in the whole building, other than that Teleportation Gate, there were no other doors, and I heard a very terrifying sound. I definitely didn¡¯t want to stay with whatever made that sound,¡± Parker said. A terrifying sound? ¡°What sort of thing?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know; I feel if I had seen it, I would have been doomed. Its voice could be heard even through the headphones, constantly repeating something about owing it a soul... If I hadn¡¯t jumped into the gate then, I would have definitely lost my mind. And I thought you might have jumped in too, possibly even been taken by that thing,¡± Parker said. Chen Ke knew what that thing was. Chapter 59: 059: From the Future Chapter 59: Chapter 059: From the Future ¡°Well, Parker, tell me about this place. Where do you think we are?¡± Chen Ke pointed to the area they were in. This was a rift basin inside a mountain cliff, with a few walls resembling ancient building ruins and a pile of ash soldiers who could be resurrected, dressed in medieval chainmail. But Chen Ke, ignorant of history, couldn¡¯t tell which period the equipment was from. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I thought you would. Doesn¡¯t the Administration Bureau have records of this place? Haven¡¯t you guys always been exploring the Great Void?¡± Parker shook his head. ¡°This is the Great Void?!¡± Chen Ke was stunned. ¡°You didn¡¯t notice this whole time?¡± Parker could hardly believe it. Chen Ke excitedly looked around; what had once seemed ordinary to him now appeared rather extraordinary. ... Just a second ago, he had thought the Teleportation Gate had simply sent him to some remote corner of Earth, and he¡¯d seen the mysterious kingdom below the cliff as an ancient site yet to be discovered by modern society. He had never considered that he might have actually arrived in the Great Void. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be used to places like this; turns out you¡¯re just like me... For the first few days, I was also surprised, curious, and scared,¡± Parker said. ¡°Not every secret agent has the clearance to investigate the Great Void; it¡¯s a state secret,¡± Chen Ke bluffed. Parker found Chen Ke¡¯s explanation reasonable and nodded. Chen Ke then asked Parker about his past few days and the weapon in his hand... The grenade Parker had thrown earlier was supposed to be a flashbang for use against monsters, almost identical in design to the ones Morgan threw, but clearly more effective. The difference in effect could partly be due to the monsters¡¯ levels. It was certain that zombie soldiers were not as formidable as contract demons. But the question was, when Chen Ke first met Parker, if he had had this weapon, he would have used it already. ¡°Where did you get that grenade?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°Inside the tent nearby...¡± Parker pointed to a crumbling wall. Someone had been here? Chen Ke didn¡¯t say anything and immediately stood up, heading toward the crumbling wall. When he got to the other side, he discovered a small triangular tent. The tent was not large, barely enough to accommodate three people resting inside. The zippered door was open, and Chen Ke bent down to look inside, only to see three weapon boxes laid out with a gray sleeping bag beside them. All the weapon boxes were empty. By the shape of the empty spaces, the three boxes had each contained a very stylish-looking assault rifle, eight grenades, and twelve boxes of ammunition. On the box lid, there were three large white letters: H.C.P. The letters were separated by dots, suggesting the abbreviation of three words. Which three words might they be? Could it be Si¡¯s consortium? Or could it be a code name for a team from the Administration Bureau specifically for exploring the Great Void? ¡°Did you take all the weapons?¡± Chen Ke turned back and asked. ¡°There weren¡¯t many actually; I only found a little over thirty .45 caliber bullets and three grenades. I never saw the rifles when I arrived,¡± replied Parker. ¡°So, you could have thrown a grenade at the building; why didn¡¯t you?¡± Chen Ke asked back. ¡°I didn¡¯t have a rig for carrying grenades on me, and I didn¡¯t bring any grenades with me when I first got here, only bullets,¡± Parker said. Chen Ke sighed but was at least able to confirm that the Punishment attribute Spiritual Energy .45 bullets that Parker used were taken from there, and they seemed even more powerful. The only regret was that the automatic rifle was nowhere to be found, taken by someone else. Chen Ke searched the tent again but found nothing useful; perhaps the tent had originally contained some food, which could be how Parker had survived. Chen Ke left the tent disappointed, having hoped to find some clues, but the results were unsatisfactory. He felt as though he was falling into one inexplicable mystery after another, not just conspiracies and trajectories¡ªnow a time paradox was also working against him. Near the tent, a small stone well caught Chen Ke¡¯s attention. He walked to the edge of the well and looked down into the dark abyss, a gust of air rushed toward his face, carrying a putrid smell of decay. It was unclear how deep the well actually was. ¡°Have you walked around much? After all, there¡¯s an ancient city below us. Maybe you could find some food,¡± Chen Ke ventured. ¡°No, no, running around in the Great Void without caution is not a good idea. I¡¯ve been staying around here, except for the first two days when I was searching for you. I haven¡¯t left since,¡± Parker shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re an investigator, after all. Don¡¯t you have even the slightest bit of curiosity?¡± Chen Ke said with a hint of resignation. ¡°Curiosity can sometimes kill you. I¡¯d rather sit here and wait for the next Teleportation Gate to open,¡± Parker said noncommittally. ¡°What if no other gates open? Are you just going to sit here and starve to death?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°You might not believe this... but I¡¯ve been here so long without ever feeling hungry or thirsty,¡± Parker said. Chen Ke was startled. ¡°It seems like time is at a standstill here. It never gets dark... and there¡¯s no feeling of thirst or hunger, but I do get tired and exhausted. In any case, as long as we don¡¯t court death, we have infinite time to wait for rescue...¡± Parker explained. Parker¡¯s reasoning made sense, especially since Chen Ke could open a Teleportation Gate himself. When the time came, he could just find a spot, open a gate, and take Parker out with him. That would be delightful. ¡°But you need to be careful about these ashes on the ground. They seem to be alive. At any moment, any pile of ashes could turn into undead soldiers. I¡¯ve been switching resting spots these past days, sleeping in shifts...¡± Parker warned. ¡°These ashes on the ground... I don¡¯t think they¡¯re ordinary dust...¡± Chen Ke muttered as he shuffled the ashes with his foot. It felt like cremation ashes. Combined with the dust flying through the air, Chen Ke got the impression that a great fire had once raged here, reducing all living beings to ashes. ¡°Nothing is normal here, Chen Ke. I¡¯ve gotten used to it. By the way, what¡¯s the date? Do you have a phone? Mine¡¯s run out of battery,¡± Parker said. Chen Ke took out his Nokia E63 and checked the time¡ªMarch 23, 2009, 2:27 PM. Regardless of this world, even if there was some issue with time itself, an electronic counter wouldn¡¯t be affected. Indeed, Chen Ke had been in this world for less than 24 hours, to be precise, around fifteen hours. Talk about a full day... ¡°March 23, around 2:30 PM,¡± Chen Ke said as he stuffed the phone back into his trouser pocket. ¡°So long... it¡¯s already the 23rd...¡± Parker muttered to himself, but then he revealed a perplexed expression. ¡°That¡¯s not right, let me see your phone.¡± As if to confirm something crucial, Chen Ke handed over the phone. Parker fiddled with the keys, entering the calendar and looking at it for a long time, his eyebrows knotted together. ¡°March? How is that possible... Is your phone broken?¡± he handed the phone back to Chen Ke. ¡°How could it be? I bought it brand new from Walmart! I¡¯ve had it for less than a day!¡± Chen Ke looked at Parker in surprise, noting Parker¡¯s strange expression¡ªa mix of dismay and something incomprehensible. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Parker? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Chen Ke asked cautiously. ¡°Listen to me, Chen Ke. I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s something wrong with me or this place, dammit, but please believe me, I didn¡¯t become an investigator until July this year... started my first mission in September... entered the Black Box Space on October 4th, encountered the Permian effect, and then arrived here... Dammit, Chen Ke, what the hell is going on? Tell me, your phone must be broken!¡± Parker¡¯s voice was trembling, his eyes filled with helplessness and confusion. He fidgeted, interlocking his fingers at times, then placing his hands on his thighs, at a loss for what to do. ¡°Calm down... just calm down... Parker, listen, maybe you remembered wrong...¡± Chen Ke was also astonished by Parker¡¯s words. If Parker was not joking, it meant Chen Ke was conversing with a man from half a year in the future... Chapter 60: 060 The Second Random Analysis Chapter 60: Chapter 060 The Second Random Analysis ¡°Maybe you¡¯ve been here too long and mixed up the months?¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand, I could never mistake the date... because October 6th is my seventh wedding anniversary. I wouldn¡¯t forget that. I was thinking about what gift to give her while in the Black Box Space that night...¡± Parker shook his head. ¡°Can I see your phone...?¡± Chen Ke asked, not knowing why, but wanting to confirm if this Parker was the same one he had been with last night. ¡°What do you want to do with it?¡± Parker asked, puzzled. ¡°Just give it to me,¡± Chen Ke reached out his hand. Parker took out an iPhone 3G from a small waist pouch and handed it over to Chen Ke. ... Although it might sound exaggerated, the moment Chen Ke touched the phone, he was absolutely certain it was the one he hadn¡¯t taken with him that night. Too bad it was out of power, otherwise he really could have turned it on to check the time. No issue with the phone, then what about the gun...? ¡°Parker... can I see your gun?¡± Chen Ke handed the phone back to Parker. Parker took the phone, paused for a moment, then furrowed his brows, suddenly understanding Chen Ke¡¯s intentions and said somewhat angrily, ¡°Wait... wait! Do you suspect I¡¯m fake?¡± Chen Ke crossed his arms, not expecting Parker to see through his thoughts. ¡°This is important for both of us. Because the situation you described that night doesn¡¯t match what I saw,¡± Chen Ke explained. ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t you show me your Glock 17 as well, so I can also confirm whether you are really you? Your clothes, your backpack, your sword, you look very different from when I first met you...¡± Parker said irritably. Chen Ke was actually at a loss for words. The fact was indeed so; he had completely changed from the coward chased by dogs last night, his equipment completely renewed. However, this was all because he had safely jumped out of the Spirit Explosion Space and undergone a series of events in Opportunity City. But obviously, Parker couldn¡¯t understand that. Because in Parker¡¯s eyes, Chen Ke had disappeared just when he was surrounded by the dog pack. Normally, without external force opening a new portal, one cannot leave the Spirit Explosion Space. It was quite apparent in the timeline Parker experienced, P.W.A.T had not managed to open the door in time before he, frightened by the contract demon¡¯s howling, jumped through the door and returned here. ¡°You must know something...¡± Parker looked at Chen Ke, his eyes revealing complex emotions. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should tell you, Parker. I think you might not be psychologically prepared. And, I¡¯m not even sure if I¡¯m right... Give me some time to think it through,¡± Chen Ke said. Who would believe they were already dead? Moreover, Chen Ke couldn¡¯t even be sure if Parker was truly dead. His perception of time and worldview were being greatly challenged at this moment. Chen Ke had lived 24 years on Earth, and the past dozen or so hours since time traveling had been enough to overturn all his established notions of time, space, world, science, history... In his home world, there were hypotheses of ¡°parallel universes¡± and ¡°time travel,¡± but those were merely hypotheses. No known experiments or phenomena could prove that these two hypotheses were ¡°100% no problem OJ8K.¡± But the Parker in front of Chen Ke was simply a goddamn destroyer of cosmic truths! Of course, he was too... Why did a simple nap in his bedroom transport him to a completely different historical world? Why could Parker, who had died before his eyes, now sit here and converse with him? Chen Ke had not yet come to terms with the existence of ¡°Spiritual Energy¡± and ¡°monsters,¡± and he was suddenly faced with a combination of ¡°Time Paradox¡± and ¡°Parallel Universes,¡± which bafflingly slapped him in the face. This world had truly gone mad. ¡°Alright, once you figure it out, you must tell me,¡± Parker shook his head. Parker sat there with a look of dejection, not uttering a word; Chen Ke had no idea what to say and could only sit back down in his place. It was as if they were two people scattered in the torrent of time, each beginning to doubt their own past. He followed his thoughts on ¡°Time Paradox¡± and ¡°Parallel Universes¡± further. In Chen Ke¡¯s world, numerous sci-fi novels and science popularization programs speculated about ¡°time travel.¡± If time could be traversed, and a young man traveled back to kill his grandfather, would he still exist? This is the famous ¡°Grandfather Paradox.¡± The scientific community¡¯s answer to this paradox was that no one could return to the past. Sci-fi novels handled it more romantically: if you committed an act contrary to causality in the torrent of practice, the universe would either intervene aggressively or you would create a new parallel universe... However, neither Parker nor Chen Ke seemed to have committed an act contrary to the temporal cause-and-effect, yet differences still occurred. Why was this? Considering the current situation, this world seemed more like what was described in sci-fi novels, having created a parallel universe. When Parker¡¯s death became imminent, the timeline silently split into two paths, each heading in a different direction. The theory of parallel universes first emerged in the 1950s when physicists discovered that each observation of a quantum state was different. Since all matter in the universe is composed of quanta, these scientists speculated that the universe might not be singular but rather consist of multiple similar universes. The famous ¡°single electron double-slit interference¡± experiment led physicist Bohr to propose the equally famous ¡°Copenhagen Interpretation;¡± the state of the same electron can change depending on whether or not an observer observes it¡ªthis change is referred to as ¡°collapse.¡± In Chen Ke¡¯s eyes, Parker¡¯s throat had been bitten open, blood pooled on the ground, and not only had he taken Parker¡¯s gun and money, but he had also safely escaped from there. However, in Parker¡¯s eyes, he had escaped from danger on his own while Chen Ke fled amid the chaos. Could the timeline, like a seed, split into two, then three, then an infinite number of parallel universes, with countless Chen Kes experiencing identical events yet with completely different details? Thinking this, a sense of panic lingered in Chen Ke¡¯s mind. The oldest human emotion is fear, and the oldest fear is that of the unknown. In his original world, might there be someone exactly like him waking up in the morning as usual, having breakfast with his family, and then heading to work at the company... If that world¡¯s Chen Ke had not become a vegetative state but was just like the original him, then what was he now...? The more he thought, the more outrageous it seemed... Chen Ke pulled his vague thoughts back and refocused on the immediate issues. Fantasizing and random guessing were pointless. If he didn¡¯t know something, he shouldn¡¯t obsess over it; if he wanted to know, he should go see for himself! Chen Ke shook his head, putting on a tough philosophical expression, ¡°I am who I am; my consciousness and experiences are continuous. I came from my world, and if I can find a way, I will return to my world. If I encounter other Chen Kes, I¡¯ll treat them as Heretic monsters and burn them on sight. Survival of the fittest!¡± Chapter 61: 061: Miles, is that you? Chapter 61: Chapter 061: Miles, is that you? Chen Ke carefully recalled the events of last night, awakened by the excruciating pain of having his heart gouged out, then crawling out of a pool of blood before meeting the first person who wanted to kill him. He reflected on his experiences over the past dozen hours, trying to pinpoint the moment when time started to go awry. Chen Ke believed that Parker was the key to understanding the time anomaly, much like Schrodinger¡¯s cat. On October 4th, Parker entered the Black Box Space and encountered a duplication effect before jumping into the Great Void. When he entered the Spirit Explosion Space where Chen Ke was located, through a door on one side of the Great Void, that was when the disorder in time started. Perhaps he arrived earlier than Chen Ke, perhaps later, but anyhow, Chen Ke and Parker met. ... Their timelines became intertwined, and after encountering a pack of dogs in the lobby, it was unclear which one of them triggered the condition that split time. Who was it? And what did they do to cause the problem with time? Was it because of his own traversal? If that was the case, then the difference couldn¡¯t simply be Parker¡¯s life or death alone. He looked up at Parker, combining what he had said earlier, Chen Ke ventured a bold speculation. Perhaps, this Parker was originally from another parallel universe. He came to this universe through the Great Void, replaced the Parker of this universe, and then died before Chen Ke¡¯s eyes. But could his own world¡¯s Parker have mistakenly hopped into the Great Void and now be sitting here sighing in regret? That doesn¡¯t add up... The timing wasn¡¯t right; Parker had only become an investigator in September and wouldn¡¯t have met his March self... Moreover, if it was a parallel universe, why was there only one Parker? Chen Ke grasped his hair, staring at the tips of his shoes, unable to come up with any credible deductions. If last night¡¯s building was a large-scale single-electron double-slit interference experiment, then who made the ¡°observation¡± that led to Parker¡¯s death? And what exactly determined that Chen Ke would enter a parallel timeline where ¡°Parker died¡±? That night, besides himself and Parker, how many others were in that building? Chen Ke took out his Nokia E63, opened the notepad, and recorded the related suspicions. When he first crossed over, Chen Ke had killed a Black Person who had pointed a gun at him; that Black Person had actually come to the office looking for ¡°Miles¡± mentioned by him. That made two people. And there was the ¡°plan¡± mentioned by the Black Person. It must be the plan of Si¡¯s consortium. They planned to do something in that building. Whatever they sought to achieve, it certainly wasn¡¯t good, and the plan involved his death. Why? The Black Person Chen Ke had killed probably didn¡¯t know how to use the Holy Relic, which is why he was caught off guard and killed by the Blasphemous Dagger through the throat. What did that imply? It was unlikely that assignees of Si¡¯s consortium wouldn¡¯t know about the Holy Relics; thus, that Black Person mustn¡¯t have belonged to Si¡¯s consortium, at least not as one of the core executors of the plan. And then there was that Blasphemous Dagger. By now, Chen Ke had become familiar with the use of Holy Relics. Holy Relics, as cold weapons, could have such a powerful effect on monsters mainly because of the various attributes attached. Moreover, it was clear that Holy Relics had color classifications; what he had seen so far were white and blue. The Blasphemous Dagger that killed Chen Ke was orange, did that mean it was a superior Holy Relic? Chen Ke still remembered its attributes were two ¡°extracted¡± and one ¡°used.¡± Did ¡°used¡± mean it was ¡°used to open a door¡±? With his own heart... No, with his life as the price, he unleashed the power of the dagger to open the door to the Great Void? Chen Ke seemed to have grasped the key point, subconsciously touching his chest. There was no response, for there was no heart. Only an occasionally swirling vortex mark remained. He thought of the contract demon and its constant refrain, ¡°You owe me a soul...¡± Chen Ke took a deep breath and stood up, cursing Si¡¯s consortium under his breath. It was just like a damn cult! He might very well have been intended as a sacrifice to the contract demon, to open the door to the Great Void! As for Lin Mo, the body¡¯s former owner, he had indeed died. Chen Ke seized the moment of Lin Mo¡¯s death to cross into Lin Mo¡¯s body, creating a paradox! That was also why the contract demon had completed the contract, yet it had not received a sacrificed soul, which was why the demon had set its sights on him. Chen Ke couldn¡¯t calm himself for a long time. He had to find a functioning Blasphemous Dagger to see what those three attributes were, to confirm his suspicions. ¡°Have you thought of something, Chen Ke?¡± Parker asked, seeing Chen Ke stand up. Chen Ke shook his head, the timing was not right yet, and he couldn¡¯t be sure if his guesses were correct. ¡°I think we should go down and see what¡¯s here. Maybe we can find some new clues in this place,¡± Chen Ke suggested. He knew that Si¡¯s consortium¡¯s people had also been here, maybe he could find some traces and see what they had gotten out of this place. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea. It¡¯s safe here. Those zombies made from ashes won¡¯t revive here, and who knows, there might be more monsters down there. I¡¯m running low on ammo, I don¡¯t want to go down there and get killed,¡± Parker didn¡¯t respond to Chen Ke¡¯s call, deciding to just squat there and wait for rescue. Chen Ke sighed, he ejected the magazine from his PPQ.45 and loaded it with regular bullets. The monsters in this place weren¡¯t affected by Flame attribute, so there was no need to waste Flame Bullets. That being so, he would have to go alone. With his left hand holding the pistol and his right grasping the Fire-igniting Broadsword, he made his way down the only path in this ravine. Although this place was at a naturally secluded valley bottom, the smooth road and the orderly arrangement of wall-like debris made Chen Ke think it had once been a village. Scraping away the soil with his foot, he could see the remains of a stone-paved road buried underneath. About a hundred meters ahead, the road had sunk by a hundred meters in a broken descent, and below, he could see more fragments of houses in what seemed like an abyss. Far away, sunlight streamed through the cracks in the ravine, casting light over the basin and shaping a scene of desolation. Chen Ke looked down from the side¡¯s earthen stone platform, on the left side of the road there was a dirt platform about five or six meters high. Next to the mud on the ground, there was a rocky fissure that appeared to be just wide enough to squeeze through. Next to the fissure, there was a weapon box just like the ones in the tent, covered in mud and dust, as if it had been abandoned for a long time, with H.C.P. marked on it. Chen Ke looked around, debating sliding down the slope from here, a journey from which he might not easily return. If that fissure turned out to be a dead end, it would be frustrating. Chen Ke turned around and called out to Parker¡¯s location, ¡°Hey! Parker!¡± Parker¡¯s figure emerged from a pile of debris and looked towards Chen Ke. Chen Ke waved, and Parker waved back, then went back to where he was sitting. Parker would hear if he couldn¡¯t get back up and call for help. Thinking this, Chen Ke braced himself on the edge of the mud platform and slid down the slope. Slap. Upon landing, Chen Ke walked straight toward the weapon box. It was an intact weapon box that hadn¡¯t been opened yet, the whole box about a meter long and, judging by its thickness, it could probably hold a long rifle. He peered at the crack, feeling bursts of cold air, indicating that there was an exit on the other side. Whoever had brought this weapon box clearly couldn¡¯t move it through to the other side of the fissure, so they had to leave it here. Chen Ke tried to open the box but couldn¡¯t find a way to begin. There was no visible locking mechanism, nor any gaps. If he hadn¡¯t seen what it looked like opened in the tent, he might have doubted whether it could even be opened. He lifted and shook the box, unable to hear anything inside, though its weight didn¡¯t feel empty, suggesting that the contents were very well secured inside. He used the Fire-igniting Broadsword to probe various parts of the box to see if he could wedge it open but to no avail. He fired two shots at the box, and the bullets ricocheted off without even leaving a mark on the surface. He sighed, giving up, stood up and walked towards the fissure. The fissure was just wide enough for a person to squeeze through sideways, and with Chen Ke¡¯s build, the space was relatively spacious. However, the fissure wasn¡¯t straight but twisted and turned, which was why the weapon box couldn¡¯t fit through. The chilly air from the fissure brushed Chen Ke¡¯s face, suggesting that it was very cold on the other side. His eyes scanned the cliff beside the fissure, and suddenly he spotted a row of English carved with a dagger: ¡°Miles, we went in here.¡± Chen Ke¡¯s eyes lit up, he switched his gun to his right hand, and squeezed sideways into the fissure. Chapter 62: 062 Unnamed Corpse Chapter 62: Chapter 062 Unnamed Corpse Bracing against the cold wind that blew from the end of the crevice, Chen Ke slowly adapted to the fissures that varied in size, ceaselessly inching forward as if squirming. The rock walls were damp; water formed by the tundra and the thin ice at the summit all flowed down through the cracks, but since Chen Ke was wearing a coat made from Holy Relics, only his trousers and shoes got wet. It seemed that Holy Relics could not be affected by phenomena in the real world, and this also indirectly proved that the Great Void retained some elements of reality to a certain extent. Who was it that first thought to refer to these small, diamond-transformed pieces of equipment as ¡°Holy Relics¡±? Wouldn¡¯t it be simpler to just call them ¡°equipment¡±? In the outside world, Holy Relics could only be used briefly before turning back into small diamonds, whereas in the Great Void, once Holy Relics were summoned from their diamond state, they couldn¡¯t change back, and summoning them consumed nothing. This inevitably led Chen Ke to speculate about the relationship between the Great Void and Holy Relics. ... He had come to understand that Black Box Space was the connection point between the Great Void and the real world; the monsters that appeared in the Black Box Space were actually native species that entered through Teleportation Gates from the Great Void. Killing monsters sometimes resulted in Holy Relics dropping, which suggested that these Holy Relics were originally products of the Great Void. If Holy Relics originally were tangible products of the Great Void, then how were they connected to the monsters and turned into small diamonds? No matter how he pondered, he couldn¡¯t make sense of it. Kill a dog and out pops a sword¡ªwhat kind of logic was that? However, that was the reality, and Chen Ke didn¡¯t dwell on it. If the world provided him with this outcome, he didn¡¯t need to figure out the reasoning behind it. He only needed to know that ¡°kill more for more loot, and with loot comes strength¡±¡ªthose two points were all that mattered. After his trousers and socks were completely soaked from shifting around in the crevice, Chen Ke finally felt the exit. Eager, he squeezed out and straightened his twisted, soggy pant legs. Outside the fissure lay a small space, no more than three meters in length and width. A tiny crack above let down a spill of white light, and in front, there stood a wall. Yes, a wall. The wall was built of dark greenish-black bricks. Unpainted because it was enclosed within the mountain, it bore the marks of man-made destruction, with remnants of bricks on the ground. Darkness filled the space behind the wall, the source of the chilling air. Chen Ke had initially intended to light the Fire-igniting Broadsword for illumination, to check the power situation. But before he could ignite the broadsword, he stopped. No, that wouldn¡¯t do. Based on his years of reading novels, a structure buried in the valley could very well be a tomb, and the Flame from the Fire-igniting Broadsword was too fierce. He feared that entering might set other flammable materials ablaze, possibly even obliterating any vestiges left by Si¡¯s consortium¡¯s team. He needed a more genteel source of light. He reholstered his PPQ.45 and took out a luminescent black ring candle holder from his backpack. The eerie blue Flame flickered to life, and Chen Ke extended the candle holder into the darkness behind the wall. The candlelight¡¯s range was limited, yet for Chen Ke, it was sufficiently broad, giving him a visual range of at least four steps. Within his line of sight, the scenery inside vastly exceeded Chen Ke¡¯s expectations. He saw massive, heavy bookshelves surrounding him, their tops reachable only by a wooden retractable ladder propped beside them. Even though just a corner was revealed in the darkness, it brought Chen Ke an immense shock. Looking up, at the broken parts of the domed ceiling, there were glimpses like stars in the dark sky, the cool air filled with the peculiar smell of moldy scrolls, silence reigned all around as if it had been forgotten for a thousand years. This place was not a tomb, rather, it resembled a library. Chen Ke scanned the surroundings, feeling no danger, he stepped over the wall, accidentally scraping off a brick that fell to the ground, breaking the eternal silence. Chen Ke halted, holding a candlestick in his left hand, a sword in his right, one foot still suspended mid-air, he stayed still for twelve seconds, eyes rolling vigilantly, watching. Nothing happened. He took a deep breath, stepped into the dark library, moving cautiously and yet filled with immense curiosity among the rows of bookshelves. All the books on the shelves were large volumes, Chen Ke brought the candlestick closer, carefully examining the text on the books, but couldn¡¯t understand it. The letters were not English but looked like some variant of Greek. He reached out to take a book down to study carefully later, but the moment his fingers touched the book, what appeared to be a perfectly intact hardcover book, quietly turned to ash. He touched several other books with the same result. He tentatively touched the shelves, and the place where he touched started to change color slowly, from orange-yellow to the charred black of something burnt. Chen Ke decided not to bother with the shelves and books any longer, since this was a library, there must be an exit leading elsewhere. He walked around the bookshelves and found that the library seemed to be a circular structure; in the middle was a relatively open aisle, on both sides along the walls were stairs leading to the second floor, which also had many shelves. The hole in the wall Chen Ke had come through was directly under the stairs, and on the left side of the aisle was a set of double wooden doors, this seemed to be the way out of the library. Out of curiosity, he lifted his candlestick towards the right end of the corridor; without shining the light, he wouldn¡¯t have known, but upon illuminating, he got a shock. In the dark corner of the right side of the library, there were several long tables with people seemingly slumped over them. Were there ashen zombie soldiers here, too? Instinctively Chen Ke didn¡¯t want to provoke them. Not to say they were hard to deal with, in fact, they weren¡¯t, but he didn¡¯t have a suitable weapon on hand to easily inflict damage on them given the attribute mismatch. The Fire-igniting Broadsword shared the same attribute as theirs, which meant the associated physical damage would also be weakened. Unless he switched to a purely physical Holy Relic, it would be easier to deal with them. Based on this characteristic, Chen Ke figured out some insights; it appeared that Holy Relics were not necessarily better simply for having various Elemental attributes. Like the previous Bloodletting Sword, it turned out to be more practical. Of course, if the attributes opposed each other, the power was indeed more astonishing. It seemed that having a variety of Holy Relics with different attributes at hand would allow for flexible responses to different situations. Chen Ke glanced at the floor beneath his feet; the wooden floor was very clean, with only some scattered papers and unknown black charred objects, there was no ash¡ªthose slumped shapes on the tables might not be ashen zombies. Driven by curiosity, he mustered up the courage and walked towards them. As the distance closed, the pile of shapes on the tables grew clearer. They had turned into skeletons, dressed in wide blue hooded robes embroidered with mysterious symbols. From their postures, it appeared that they had been copying something here before they died. On the tables, there were still papers and feather pens; without even thinking, one knew that just a touch would turn these items into ash. There were eight skeletons; one of them wore a robe of a darker color, and oddly enough, its skull still bore a beard. Chapter 63: 063: Inhuman Knowledge Chapter 63: Chapter 063: Inhuman Knowledge He wasn¡¯t sure if it was an illusion, but the corpse with the mustache seemed to emit a faint blue glow. Chen Ke had initially thought it was the reflection from the candlestick in his hand, but when he extinguished the candlestick, he found that the glow on the corpse had not dissipated. ¡°Holy Relics?¡± Thinking so, Chen Ke gently circled around the long table, approached Hu Changzi¡¯s remains, and hesitated for a moment. Still, he couldn¡¯t help extending his hand to touch the faint glow on the body. ... ¡°Giles, Master... today is the day I bid you farewell...¡± The orange flame of the candle illuminated a corner of the parchment, and the quill that had been writing suddenly halted. ... Giles looked up at his most prized student without speaking. ¡°I know... I know... this is no longer a hall of knowledge...¡± Giles nodded and continued to bury himself in his writing, the quill making a scratching sound on the parchment. ¡°We should not become the covert operatives for the Pope¡¯s manipulation of history.¡± The young man turned and left, leaving behind these words before exiting. The door slammed shut, causing the candle to flicker. Giles stopped writing, crumpled the mostly-written parchment, and threw it into the corner. ¡°Your Majesty, oh, Your Majesty... please awaken...¡± He murmured to himself, turned to a new page, and began to write again... ... ¡°Using lifespan to replace lost sanity.¡± ¡°-5 hours¡± Chen Ke snapped back to reality, feeling a rush of madness enter his mind, as if a person¡¯s knowledge of nearly a century had been poured into his brain all at once. The lifespan countdown was dropping rapidly; he stumbled backward a few steps, leaned against the bookshelf, and saw rows of small text jumping rapidly in his peripheral vision. ¡°Acquired: Scholarly knowledge of Giles, the Great Tutor¡± ¡°List of Scholarship:¡± ¡°Fan Hede Kingdom¡± ¡°Bestowed by: Giles, Great Librarian of the Royal Archives¡± ¡°Adding related Holy Relics memory association information¡± Chen Ke steadied his breathing; after closing his eyes and brooding for a long time, he managed to suppress a wave of inexplicable panic and tension. His eyes scanned over the candlestick in his left hand, and the information box surprisingly expanded with additional content. [Glowing Black Ring Candlestick] [Durability: Intact] [Mysterious Attribute Amplification: Arcane power increased by 20%, Illusion Technique range increased by 20%, Magic duration extended by 20%] [Mental Resistance: 70% increase in resistance to mental attacks for the holder](Cannot be triggered: Intelligence deficiency) [Illusion Dispelling: After lighting, dispels low-level illusions within the range of the candlelight](Cannot be triggered: Intelligence deficiency) The priests of the Black Ring Sect used candelabra, holding the teachings of the Black Ring Sect close to their hearts, to disperse the flames of darkness. The Fan Hede Kingdom was afflicted with an incurable Dark Plague. The wandering priest Mazville used a magic never seen before to alleviate the symptoms of the old King Fan Hede, earning his trust, and established the Black Ring Sect in the Fan Hede Kingdom. He then glanced at the Fire-igniting Broadsword in his right hand. [Fire-igniting Broadsword] [Durability: Normal] [Flame: When ignited, damage converts to elemental] [Ignition: When there is combustible material, flame effect can last indefinitely] [No matching knowledge] It seemed that the memories, and with them the knowledge of the skeletal remnant he had absorbed just now, had expanded the usable information in his life archives. Not only could he derive information from the prefixes of monsters, but now he could even extract the memories of the Inheritors based on the Holy Relics. But the cost was staggering; nearly half of his lifespan was used to counteract the loss of sanity from the process of knowledge absorption. The candelabrum had been looted from the beasts he had slain in the Great Void, so he could access related information. But this Fire-igniting Broadsword belonged to Violet, an agent of the Administration Bureau, evidently from another Great Void. So there are differences between Great Voids? It appeared that Chen Ke¡¯s understanding of this world was still not comprehensive; he had presumed too much. He naturally thought that the Great Void was just another world. But when faced with ¡°chronological anomalies¡± and ¡°parallel universes¡± one after the other, he dared not use his previous knowledge to ponder this world. He took out his Nokia E63 again, opened the notepad, and jotted down his insights and discoveries about the Great Void. ¡°Through the knowledge gained and analysis of Holy Relics¡¯ information, it can be determined that there are multiple Great Voids, each one a separate world.¡± ¡°The Great Void seems to have some sort of time distortion and stasis effect. What appear to be intact shelves and books turn to ashes upon touch. Intruders seem to be able to break the time stasis here, which requires further observation.¡± He stuffed the Nokia E63 back into his backpack. Chen Ke¡¯s pants were also about dried, and he looked towards the pair of double doors on the other side, striding over. If what the message carved on the cliff face said was true, then Si¡¯s consortium¡¯s team should also have arrived at this library; it¡¯s impossible that they wouldn¡¯t have touched anything here. Yet, it seemed no changes had occurred here, either they truly hadn¡¯t touched anything... or they had, but soon after, everything was restored to its original state. But none of these were the main points. Chen Ke knew that since they had been here, they must have passed through the door, and gone deeper into the building. He tried turning the wooden door handle and suddenly laughed at himself. Given the era this place represented, it was impossible for there to be door locks, so he tried pushing the door instead. The wooden door creaked and groaned oddly, and fine dust fell through the gap. Then, Chen Ke pushed hard and flung the door wide open. A biting wind hit him head-on, and a circular staircase exposed on the cliffside appeared before Chen Ke¡¯s eyes. Below the cliff, the Fan Hede Kingdom was in full view¡ªthe library was actually built into the cliffside. Chen Ke didn¡¯t dare get too close to the spiral staircase¡¯s handrail for fear that the wooden, white carved railing would turn to ash at his touch, causing him to fall off the cliff. Therefore, he carefully descended on the inner side. Halfway down the staircase, he noticed an ancient bell exposed on another part of the cliffside. He then looked back at the mountain wall behind him and was surprised to find the platform path where he had previously exploded the monstrous wolf, over a hundred meters away. It seemed this was the church embedded in the cliffside he had seen before, and the library was just a part of the church. Chen Ke followed the winding stairs down and quickly reentered the embrace of the cliff. The pillars of the staircase had carved candelabra as lighting devices, but now they were all empty. He couldn¡¯t help but imagine the scene when the priests, in the faint light of candles, made their way to the library. The staircase was somewhat lengthy; looking at the countdown of his lifespan, Chen Ke took at least one minute to finish. The second half was completely surrounded by the dark cliff¡ªif it weren¡¯t for illumination means, it would be quite easy for a person to develop claustrophobia... Chen Ke had originally used the Black Ring candelabrum for lighting, but in this environment, the blue light was too unnerving. In the end, he ignited the Fire-igniting Broadsword, as its orange glow was more comforting. Finally, he reached the end of the staircase where stone steps continued downward. The surroundings were no longer the cliffside, but walls made of brick and stone; Chen Ke had walked back into the building. He extinguished the Fire-igniting Broadsword and, at the end of the corridor, rushed towards the orange glow. He found it led to a spacious central hall of the church. Chapter 64: 064 The Person Who Has Lost Hope and Interest Chapter 64: Chapter 064 The Person Who Has Lost Hope and Interest The church hall is the heart of every cathedral, the place where believers gather during worship services. The rectangular hall is flanked by benches, with pathways on the left, center, and right for the priests to walk through. A semi-circular apse housed a statue of a goddess, a figure of a lady draped in a loose robe, holding a lantern, her face half-covered with a silk scarf. Even with the knowledge he acquired from Giles, Chen Ke was unable to glean any additional information while observing the statue. He had no expertise in theology, let alone in the Great Void, so he had no way of ascertaining which faith this goddess belonged to. Therefore, Chen Ke shifted his gaze to the rows upon rows of benches, estimating that if three people were to sit on one bench, with four benches in a row and eight rows in total, this place could seat 96 priests, not counting those who could be accommodated in the surrounding pathways. Chen Ke couldn¡¯t help but imagine that in this lost era, before the people here turned into charred undead, every Sunday, hundreds of priests, all somberly dressed and silent, would come to the church to offer solemn prayers to the nameless goddess, led by the Pope. The scene must have been both sacred and eerie. People are driven by herd mentality; when individuals become part of the group, their personal consciousness is submerged by the collective consciousness. This is what is called assimilation. ... Chen Ke was an atheist, but after witnessing monsters and Holy Relics, his old views started to waver slightly. Perhaps, in the mysterious darkness of the universe, there truly lurked many indescribable things, always peering at this small blue orb. No, maybe he had just struck it big, having crossed over into a universe filled with mystery and magic, witnessing miracles that once only existed in movies and novels. The small passage from which Chen Ke emerged was located to the right of the goddess statue, leading exclusively to the library. It seemed that the library was not open to everyone, otherwise, the entrance would not have been built in such a secluded spot. Combining memories from Giles, Chen Ke surmised that the library likely stored historical records and various codes of law from the Fan Hede Kingdom, and it might also conceal many dangerous ideas. Giles, as the grand instructor of the kingdom¡¯s library, held knowledge that was surely unparalleled in the kingdom. He descended the steps and strolled down the aisle lined with a red carpet trimmed with gold. The church ceiling featured elaborate frescoes, depicting a majestic king leading his brave Knight Order into battle. Their enemy defied description, like a mass of black sludge. As he had surmised, the historical period of this place was similar to the Medieval era, yet the Medieval spanned a thousand years. In which specific time did the Fan Hede Kingdom exist? From the 5th to the 15th century AD, many notable historical events occurred over these thousand years, such as the Black Death and the Crusades. According to descriptions from later historians, this was a dark millennium where human development nearly stagnated, with endless noble and religious wars and the average lifespan of a commoner not exceeding 35 years. It was not until the mid-14th century that the European Renaissance liberated human thought from religion, and at the end of the 15th century, the Age of Navigation began, propelling humanity¡¯s historical journey forward once more. Even in this world, the overarching direction of history and the divisions of eras remained unchanged. Where did the Fan Hede Kingdom in this Great Void come from? And what was the black sludge that the Knight Orders battled against? Only after seeing the fresco on the dome did Chen Ke suddenly realize that the chandeliers hanging from the church ceiling were actually illuminated! The orange glow of the candles brightly lit up the windowless church, leaving only a few corners shrouded in dark shadows. Following the orange candlelight, Chen Ke looked towards the church door, and on the steps near the corner, someone was actually sitting there. Even Chen Ke could tell at a glance that this person, like himself, had crossed over from the outside world, because his clothing was even more modern than Chen Ke¡¯s. He was a Caucasian with orange hair, wearing something similar to a P.W.A.T combat suit, but no matter how you looked at it, it seemed more advanced, likely a gelatinous one-piece combat suit, with armor-like plates on the chest and individual soldier equipment on his body. A very science fiction-style sniper rifle leaned against the wall by his side. Chen Ke guessed that the rifle probably came from those weapon boxes with ¡°HCP¡± letters on them. Because the man was sitting in the shadows, and he didn¡¯t say a word, Chen Ke didn¡¯t notice him right away. ¡°Hey!¡± Chen Ke greeted the man. The man lifted his head to look at Chen Ke, then lowered it again, staring blankly at the ground. Meeting a living person in the Great Void should have been exciting, but he seemed to be unsurprised by Chen Ke¡¯s arrival. Chen Ke approached him and greeted him again, ¡°Are you from the Administration Bureau? It looks like neither of us has very good luck.¡± When he got closer, he was able to take a good look at the man. The armor he wore didn¡¯t look like something the United Federation could produce in 2009. It was like a skintight battle suit with enhanced artificial muscles as seen in video games and also had a passive camouflage function. The color of the suit where the man was leaning against the wall and sitting adjusted itself from navy blue to blend with the floor and wall colors. This man wore a wrist-guard device on his right wrist in a grey-black color with a small groove, beyond that, it was bare, and Chen Ce guessed it must have some special function. The man had his arms braced on his knees, fingers intertwined in front of him, and he only looked up and assessed Chen Ke when he approached to say hello. ¡°Are you from the Administration Bureau?¡± Chen Ke asked. The man did not answer, just glanced at the candlestick and broadsword in Chen Ke¡¯s hands, sized him up, and then slowly said, ¡°Oh... another person who has strayed off the path. Did you also come to this place to complete the cycle from your world? You¡¯ll probably return without success like those before you. After all, those people were great heroes of their eras, and it¡¯s only with the things they left behind that we are able to challenge the strange items here. How could we be their match? Hahaha...¡± The man¡¯s tone was very much like he was mocking Chen Ke but also like he was mocking himself, and his words left Chen Ke baffled. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, buddy...¡± Chen Ke shrugged. ¡°Ah, it looks like you really don¡¯t know anything... Let me tell you some basic knowledge. This place is a fragment of time from the Fan Hede Kingdom. To end the cycle here, you must first unlock the secrets of this church,¡± the man explained slowly. ¡°You mean to say, the time here is different from the time below?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°No one can leave this church before the cycle of the church is unlocked. And I have to tell you some bad news; you can¡¯t go back now. Anyone wanting to solve the mystery must be prepared to die in its midst. Do you have that readiness? Hahaha...¡± After saying this, the man began to laugh. Chen Ke looked up around the church and, not believing in curses, ran to the door and tried to push it. Sure enough, the door didn¡¯t budge an inch, and when Chen Ke¡¯s hands touched the door, he didn¡¯t feel the sensation of wood but felt like he was touching a wall of air. Chapter 65: 065: Van Hede Straight Sword Chapter 65: Chapter 065: Van Hede Straight Sword Chen Ke tried using the Fire-igniting Broadsword and the candlestick to reach the door, but even the Holy Relics could not truly touch the door, always stopping about 1 centimeter away, blocked by an invisible wall of air. This air wall was like some kind of Barrier, preventing Chen Ke from touching the actual door. He realized that this was an obstruction like a law of cause and effect, which could not be removed or bypassed by any means. It seemed that, as the mysterious guy had said, one must satisfy a certain condition of the region to unlock the door and enter the next area. Chen Ke couldn¡¯t help but have a wild thought while on the cliff¡ªthere was no air wall there. If the Administration Bureau¡¯s people could transport a helicopter disassembled into parts into the Great Void and then reassemble it, wouldn¡¯t they be able to ignore all air walls and fly directly to the kingdom below the cliff? Putting aside the baseless reveries, Chen Ke looked to both sides of the door and noticed there was a hidden small passageway to the right side of the door, and at the end, there was a wooden door that was not completely closed. ¡°Have you gone down that door?¡± Chen Ke turned and asked the man sitting on the stairs. ... ¡°I¡¯m not interested in solving puzzles,¡± the man said with a smile. Chen Ke shook his head; the man had an attitude of resigned acceptance as though he had given up on finding a way back. In reality, Chen Ke wasn¡¯t too eager to break the loop here either, but he remained calm as an old dog because in an hour and a half, he would be able to open a Teleportation Gate and leave this place himself. ¡°How come you look so lackluster? Hard to believe you¡¯re from the Administration Bureau,¡± Chen Ke spread his hands. ¡°Say whatever you like, but sometimes enthusiasm can¡¯t cover the lack of strength. How could people like us possibly defeat those great heroes? Better to sit here and live day by day than to go out and get killed¡ªafter all, we won¡¯t starve or go thirsty,¡± the man laughed. ¡°If that¡¯s how you feel, it looks like you don¡¯t need that gun. If you don¡¯t mind, may I take it?¡± Chen Ke pointed at the long spear beside the man. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. If you die down there, I¡¯m not going to bother finding your corpse to retrieve the gun. Of course, don¡¯t try to take it by force from me, or I will let you know what you¡¯re facing... ho-ho-ho-ho-ho...¡± the man laughed. Chen Ke sighed, feeling that he couldn¡¯t communicate with this man anymore. He should know a lot, but the way he spoke was too abnormal. Chen Ke sighed again. His gaze suddenly caught sight of something; his attention was completely drawn to it¡ªit was a line of English written on the ground near the door with a paint pen: ¡°Miles, don¡¯t mess with the man, he is not someone you can handle, hurry up and follow.¡± Chen Ke squatted down and wiped his hand over the mark on the ground, easily smudging away one of the letters written with a red marker. The ground was too cold, which affected the ink¡¯s adherence, making it easy to rub off when not on paper. It seemed that this Miles had lagged behind. His teammates had moved forward, leaving marks to guide the way, and even thoughtfully left many instructions... Chen Ke didn¡¯t expect to find them right away in the Great Void, but he believed that if he followed the messages, he would find out where this group had gone, what they had done, and understand the dangers he would have to face against them in the future. Perhaps, with good luck, they might have died in here, and, at that time, whatever they had done, he would claim all their belongings for himself. The disheartened guy in front of him didn¡¯t seem as weak as he appeared, and his background was very mysterious. Chen Ke couldn¡¯t be sure who he really was; it was better to have as little to do with him as possible. Chen Ke shook his head and walked towards the small door at the end of the passage. ¡°I forgot to caution you, my teammates are just like you¡ªcurious and full of enthusiasm¡ªbut they haven¡¯t come back for a long time. If you run into them, I suggest you keep your distance and don¡¯t try to engage them in combat, otherwise, don¡¯t blame me for not warning you... ho-ho-ho-ho-ho...¡± Chen Ke no longer paid attention to the man. He lit the black ring candlestick he held and proceeded down the dark passageway stairs, guided by the glow of the blue candle flame, arriving at the basement level of the church. This was a long stone corridor, with piercing cold wind blowing through the arched stone windows into the corridor, and the white light from outside casting its luminosity, making the whole corridor translucent. On the right side of the corridor, there were two small doors. Chen Ke cautiously pushed open the wooden door, letting light squeeze into the dark room, only to find it crammed with tubs. Whatever the tubs had once contained, they were now long dried up. Behind a workbench, Chen Ke saw a fragmented corpse, like the skeletal remains in the library, reduced to just a skeleton, clad in the chainmail of an ashen undead soldier, with a somewhat rusty straight sword placed beside it. Upon seeing that sword, Chen Ke¡¯s eyes lit up¡ªit might be one of the Holy Relics. He tiptoed carefully to the skeleton¡¯s side, propped the Fire-igniting Broadsword against the wall, and slowly stretched his hand towards the straight sword. The moment his fingertips touched the hilt, Chen Ke snatched up the straight sword with lightning speed, assuming a ready stance for battle. The skeleton did not move at all. Chen Ke relaxed, looking down at the straight sword in his hand. Without draining any lifespan to identify it, an information box popped up instantly. [Van Hede straight sword] [Durability: Ordinary] [Courage: Consecutive attacks increase damage] [A common straight sword used by soldiers of the Fan Hede Kingdom, it is cost-effective and easy to mass-produce. The old King Fan Hede, having fought countless battles, had already become a legend among sword bearers, and his unique swordsmanship taught to his soldiers made the Fan Hede Sword Control Team invincible.] Chen Ke waved the straight sword a few times, satisfied. Although it was somewhat worn, it still had its lethality, and its balance was very comfortable, with a suitable weight; it was evident that, despite being budget-friendly, it was still a sword made with great care. The old king of this nation named Fan Hede truly seemed to be someone who knew swords well, for even the swords provided to the lower-rank soldiers could be considered fine products. This sword didn¡¯t carry any attribute effects, which meant it couldn¡¯t counter any monsters with specific attributes, but conversely, this also implied that it wouldn¡¯t be at the disadvantage of being countered. Moreover, the attached effect was that sustained attacks increased damage¡ªit might not reach the abnormality of a bleeding short sword, but it was still a decent weapon. Chen Ke stored the gloomy candlestick in his bag, holding the Fire-igniting Broadsword in his left hand to serve as a torch, and the Van Hede straight sword in his right hand for primary attacks. It seemed these Holy Relics wouldn¡¯t come with anything like a scabbard for storage. While they could turn into diamonds for easy transport in the real world, it wasn¡¯t so simple to carry them around in the Great Void. He didn¡¯t want to give up any of the three relics. The size of the candlestick was small enough to fit in his backpack, so he chose to carry the less convenient Fire-igniting Broadsword in his hand instead. Chen Ke also noticed that, in the Great Void, Holy Relics would manifest in two forms: as diamonds or as physical items. Killing monsters would drop living diamonds, which, if not summoned, would be fine, but once summoned into a physical form, they could no longer be reverted. Alternatively, the Holy Relics might be placed somewhere as physical items, ready to use without identification or summoning, and also irrevocable to diamond form. Chen Ke couldn¡¯t help but secretly plan; if he had the chance to enter the Great Void again in the future, he would save the living diamonds collected for summoning and identifying outside, and for the physically presented Holy Relics, he would only bring what was feasible given the situation. Moreover, ever since absorbing Giles¡¯s knowledge, the information below the relics expanded substantially, and Chen Ke found that this information seemed to hint at the history of this place. If he saw enough Holy Relics, could he uncover what exactly had happened to this kingdom? Why had it become ruins as it was now? And even discover the secrets of this world, of this era? For some reason, he suddenly became very curious, very concerned about this old king named Fan Hede¡ªwhere exactly was he now in this kingdom? What had he gone through that turned his nation into ruins? Was he too, transformed into an undead, entering an endless cycle of reincarnated time? Chapter 68: 068: The Hole Chapter 68: Chapter 068: The Hole Chen Ke moved the knight¡¯s corpse aside, picked up the Fire-igniting Broadsword that had been beneath him, and pulled out the Van Hede straight sword that was embedded in the knight¡¯s body, wiping it on the dark corpse oil. The recent battle had greatly boosted his confidence, for the reanimated knight had lost all the skills he possessed in life. Even without any knowledge of swordsmanship, Chen Ke could face these Medieval sword handlers head-on. This knight must have been defeated by a squad from Si¡¯s consortium before, but had resurrected after an unknown period. This time, it was Chen Ke¡¯s turn to encounter him. Chen Ke didn¡¯t find any bullet holes on the knight¡¯s shield or armor, so it was quite possible that the squad from Si¡¯s consortium and Chen Ke had encountered different knights. Or perhaps, knights restored any traces from their previous battles when they resurrected? Chen Ke couldn¡¯t know. Chen Ke wondered if Brother Discouraged in the church hall had ever faced this knight, but from his observations, there were no shells or signs of combat in the church, suggesting that the knight¡¯s patrol route probably didn¡¯t include the church hall, only this stone corridor. Chen Ke stood up, thinking of exploring other areas first, deciding he would kill the knight again if he resurrected by the time he retraced his steps, to see if he could score a shield. ... At that moment, Chen Ke felt a strange sensation on his back, as if something was staring at him, causing him to feel a bit creeped out. He turned to look towards the direction of the door through which the knight had entered the stone corridor. Through the door was a large indoor hall, and in its shadow stood a ragged reanimated corpse. [Administration Bureau monster rating: ??] [Resurrection] [Flame Immunity] ================== [Light Energy Weakening] [Ice Weakening] The reanimated corpse held a broken sword, facing Chen Ke with empty eye sockets¡ªit was unclear if it could still see. It was as skinny as a stick; Chen Ke felt that even a middle school girl could easily break its arm. Chen Ke and the reanimated corpse stared at each other for a few seconds, both blankly looking at one another. ¡°AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!¡± The reanimated corpse suddenly screamed wildly and ran deep into the hall, turning its back on Chen Ke. ¡°Running?¡± Chen Ke was stunned, encountering a fleeing reanimated corpse for the first time. He quickly grabbed both swords and followed, as the reanimated corpse¡¯s screams might attract all sorts of monsters, potentially even leading a few knights to him, making it a priority to eliminate it. He took a few strides into the hall; the reanimated corpse ran clumsily and seemed likely to fall, so how could it outrun Chen Ke? Gripping the Van Hede straight sword tightly, Chen Ke executed a jumping slash, cleaving the blade from the corpse¡¯s head into its waist, splitting it in two. ¡°+10 minutes¡± ¡°+10 minutes¡± ¡°+10 minutes¡± ¡°+10 minutes¡± ¡°+10 minutes¡± ¡°+10 minutes¡± ¡°+10 minutes¡± ¡°+10 minutes¡± ¡°+10 minutes¡± ... What¡¯s happening? Chen Ke pulled the sword out of the living corpse¡¯s body, his eye twitching as a bunch of lifespan increase alerts popped up. He looked around, seeing eight living corpses crawling into the hall from a stone balcony exposed on the left side of the mountain. On the right, the three wooden doors were knocked open, unleashing six more living corpses. These living corpses were weaponless, some even naked, and Chen Ke couldn¡¯t understand how those clinging to the exterior balcony had lasted so long. Suddenly, a pair of bony arms hugged him around the waist. He turned to see four more living corpses suddenly emerging behind him, each holding a rusty sword. Chen Ke instantly understood, they were setting a trap. The unarmed living corpses were meant to hold him while the armed ones attempted to slay him. ¡°Dream on.¡± Chen Ke grabbed his sword with a backhand grip and plunged it forcefully into the head of the living corpse in front of him, from the crown to the base, then jerked it out. He quickly ran toward the staircase at the front of the hall. There were a dozen or so living corpses, and although they were weak fighters, being surrounded was quite troublesome. Yet, finding advantageous terrain could change that. The first thing Chen Ke saw was three small rooms on the right. He circled around a few corpses, ran past one, and casually slashed its dry neck, severing its head which flew against the wall with a crack of splintering bones. Chen Ke leaped into one of the rooms, discovering to his surprise a sizeable kitchen. Of course, he didn¡¯t expect to find any delicacies waiting; the stove had not been lit for a long time, and the pots were filled with indescribable black, pasty residues. Chen Ke stood guard at the kitchen doorway, cutting down any living corpse entering, and soon, five or six bodies accumulated at his feet. ¡°Ah!!!!!¡± Shrieks from living corpses also came from the neighboring room, a few armed with shortswords emerged from a corridor deep inside the kitchen. Chen Ke realized then that the three rooms were interconnected. He adjusted his position, crossed over the stove, and getting behind the attacking corpses, swiftly launched his attacks, chopping them down like vegetables. The hall grew still again. Chen Ke counted the corpses on the floor, went out to check, and everything was finally clean. White sparks floated above the bodies. His eyes lit up, happy that killing so many living corpses finally paid off. Upon closer inspection, there were three sparks. Chen Ke eagerly ran over, squatted next to the bodies, reached into the sparks and then, as if remembering something, withdrew his hand. The Holy Relics from the Great Void couldn¡¯t be converted into diamonds; how would he take them back if he extracted them now? Can the burst Holy Relics first take diamond form? With this question in mind, Chen Ke brought his hand closer to the small sparkling lights. Swish! Like the sound of the wind, or a ripple of water sweeping by, the small light quickly condensed into a white little diamond in his hand. Pleased, he processed the other two lights into diamonds and tucked them into his backpack. Now, he didn¡¯t know what these three Holy Relics were, but Chen Ke felt he could anticipate a bit. He wanted a new shield and some armor. Weapons, at least for now, he didn¡¯t lack; the two swords in his hands were sufficient. He stood up, looked around the kitchen, surveyed the area, but found nothing of value. He walked through the kitchen corridor, and just separated by one wall was another room. There, a large wooden cupboard caught Chen Ke¡¯s attention, as he felt a faint breeze coming from its direction. Chen Ke approached the cupboard, knocked on the door, and then carefully pulled it open. Inside, unlike Chen Ke¡¯s anticipation of a living corpse bursting out as he opened it, there were just normal kitchen utensils hanging, and rusty pots and pans below. However, it was clear from the decayed wood at the back from where gusts of cold air were blowing, making the spoons gently sway. There was a hole behind this cabinet. Chen Ke closed the cupboard door, stood to the side, tested its weight slightly, and then pushed the cupboard bit by bit with his shoulder. As expected, once Chen Ke moved the cupboard away, a hole appeared in the wall, large enough for an adult to enter if they bent down. Chapter 69: 069: Life Engine Chapter 69: Chapter 069: Life Engine ¡°` This tunnel was clearly secretly carved out, with mud walls on both sides and obstructed by cabinets, could it be that the head chef of this place had, for some reason, wanted to escape? Chen Ke peered into the passage and discerned that it gradually ascended. Chen Ke lit the Fire-igniting Broadsword and slowly bent over to enter the breach, wondering where it might lead. It really did pique one¡¯s curiosity. The Fire-igniting Broadsword, when used as a torch, did not burn indefinitely; without viable kindling, it would extinguish after some time, but then it could be relit. With the help of the firelight, Chen Ke walked in this tunnel for about 10 minutes, estimating a distance of about 1 kilometer, leaving the entrance far behind. The tunnel steadily ascended and took a distinct right turn, seemingly directed with certainty where to dig, indicating the digger had conducted extensive terrain measurements and exploration. ... As he rounded a corner, Chen Ke suddenly heard the sound of flowing water and even felt a hint of mist in the cool breeze. Looking up, he found himself at the exit of the tunnel. The cave mouth was pitch-black, but the echo suggested that there should be a considerably large space outside. Chen Ke rushed to the mouth of the cave in three strides and saw a subterranean river gently flowing within a small cavern about ten meters square. A round beam of light shone down through a break in the center of the cave ceiling; it was the only source of light in the cavern. Chen Ke stepped out of the cave, holding the Fire-igniting Broadsword aloft, scanning his surroundings to ensure there was no danger before he began to explore the area. This subterranean river most likely originated from the perennial snow on the mountaintop, seeping into the rock layers to form this modest water source. He knelt on one knee at the riverside, tentatively touched the water with his hand¡ªthe river water was chilling, but Chen Ke did not dare to drink it. Within the range of the firelight, the hand of a living corpse appeared in Chen Ke¡¯s sight, and he abruptly stood up, assuming a combat stance. But soon he realized that this living corpse, like the skeletons in the library, was dead and motionless; and astonishingly, this corpse was also clad in the same broad blue hooded robes as those in the library. The one who dug this tunnel was likely him... As a compiler in the library, why had he come here? It seemed that some very complex events had taken place in this kingdom. Chen Ke carefully examined the corpse, which appeared to be clutching something in its withered palm. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Chen Ke curiously inspected the item. Under the light of the fire, he saw that the corpse¡¯s hand was holding an irregularly shaped oval stone slab. The stone slab was approximately the size of his Nokia E63 in length, width, and thickness, with a grey-brown color and covered in dense inscriptions. Chen Ke pried the stone slab from the living corpse¡¯s hand and examined it closely; the slab itself was very old and worn, but the strange carvings on it seemed quite fresh, emitting a faint blue glow. He brushed his thumb over the inscriptions, the regular feel told him that such regular and refined patterns could not be carved by human hands. At that moment, an inexplicable impulse surged from the mark on his chest, and then in Chen Ke¡¯s field of vision, a pop-up window emerged next to the stone slab: [Skill Tome: Spiritual Energy Eruption] [Inheritance: Black Ring Sect of Fan Hede] [Type: Magic] [Requirement: Intelligence (satisfied)] [Effect: Concentrates Spiritual Energy at the fingertips and releases it instantly, producing a slight thrust.] [A basic defensive magic used by priests of the Black Ring Sect, able to produce only a slight thrust. Beneath its harmless appearance lies the potential to cause fatal harm. The danger of the magic depends not on the magic itself but on the will of the user.] This was... This was a skill! Chen Ke¡¯s eyes widened; he could hardly believe he had acquired his first skill here! He held the stone slab in his hand, scrutinizing it to figure out how to learn from it. The mark on his chest began to spin, the slab in his hand faintly glowed, then suddenly something happened¡ªthe slab became scorching hot! He let go, and the stone slab fell to the muddy ground, its surface bubbling and disintegrating like cotton candy, the inscriptions on the stone slab also flashing with a dazzling light. The characters¡¯ light suddenly came alive, flowing out, and darted into Chen Ke¡¯s chest. Chen Ke felt something mark the depths of his soul, and then a series of messages popped up in the corner of his eye: ¡°Recovering Transcendent Skill...¡± ¡°Magic: 1 item¡± ¡°Creating Magic Directory¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Transcendent Skill: 1¡± ¡°` ¡°Magic: Spiritual Energy Burst¡± ¡°Inheritance: Fan Hede¡¯s Black Ring Sect¡± ¡°Related Information Inspection (Knowledge Source: Fan Hede Kingdom)¡± ¡°Minimum Consumption: 30 minutes¡± ¡°Effect enhancement based on life span investment¡± The information font slowly faded away, and with a thought, Chen Ke brought up the magic catalog again. A large orange panel appeared on the left side of his vision, with a new subcategory page: Magic. At the top of the magic subsection was the new skill he now possessed, Spiritual Energy Burst. ¡°If I manage to learn new skills in the future, they should automatically create subcategory pages according to type, and associate information based on the knowledge obtained... Damn, that¡¯s awesome!¡± The skill tome on the ground had already turned to ashes. Chen Ke stepped on it, grinding it to dust. This belongs to me now; nobody else who comes in here can get it. Chen Ke was not sure if an Administration Bureau agent learning a skill would also destroy the skill tome, but he believed it probably wasn¡¯t the case¡ªafter all, making it easy for his subordinates to learn wouldn¡¯t work if it was a one-time thing. Perhaps it was a unique case for him. He couldn¡¯t wait to test out his Transcendent skill; after all, this was a completely new experience for Chen Ke, and just the thought of it excited him. According to the skill tome¡¯s description, Spiritual Energy Burst was triggered from the fingertips. He prepared himself, planted the Van Hede straight sword in the ground, stretched out his right arm, and carefully snapped his fingers. ¡°Snap.¡± The crisp snap was quickly drowned out by the sound of flowing water. That¡¯s not right, no effect. Chen Ke frowned. He didn¡¯t have Spiritual Energy; could he use his life span as a substitute? Let¡¯s try again! ¡°-30 minutes¡± ¡°Snap!!!!¡± A small white screen of light appeared and vanished in an instant in front of Chen Ke. The blast kicked up a flurry of dust and sand and even tipped the Van Hede straight sword planted in the ground. The skeleton was propelled several meters forward by this force. This power was enough to throw a fully armed man off balance for a while. This is the vulnerability I was looking for, Chen Ke nodded in satisfaction. But at the same time, he was curious what effect would it have if he invested more life span to use this skill? ¡°-1 hour¡± ¡°Boom!!¡± The white light screen grew larger. The Van Hede straight sword planted in the ground flew out of the mud, landing six or seven meters ahead, and the skeleton was blown half a meter off the ground, flying two meters through the air before falling into the river. This power was enough to send a person flying. Combined with the killing intent trigger, it could serve as part of a non-lethal combination of moves for Chen Ke. The only issue was that each increase in the skill required more life span, indicating the need to carefully pick the right moment for its use. But... was there something even more powerful? Looking at the life span countdown in the corner of his eye, Chen Ke felt that his life span was still fairly sufficient. Including the time wasted experimenting with the skill, there were still 8 hours and a bit more than 10 minutes; why not increase the stake to see what happens? ¡°-3 hours¡± ¡°BOOM!!!!¡± In front of Chen Ke, a force like a gale burst forth, as if an invisible gigantic hand emerged from his fingertips and pushed forward fiercely. Surrounding him was a whirlwind of flying sand and stones, and the waters of the subterranean river surged into white waves, creating a small tidal wave about one meter high. Not only had the pushing force increased, but the area affected had also expanded slightly. This force was enough, Chen Ke guessed, to overturn a sedan. Chen Ke couldn¡¯t help but engage in wild flights of fancy: if his life span reached a certain level that allowed him to spend more, could even the most ordinary skill unleash the power of a nuclear bomb...? Let¡¯s call this ability Life Engine! Chapter 70: 070 Shortcut Chapter 70: Chapter 070 Shortcut The joy of acquiring new abilities did not last long, for Chen Ke immediately realized that if other assassins also had this life countdown, they were likely to possess the same ability as him. Although he was still unsure whether this bizarre ability was instilled by Si¡¯s consortium, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to be cautious. The true meaning behind this life-limiting shackle still needed clarification from Pankia. He took out his phone, intending to record his current abilities in the notepad for future reference and research, but hesitated and turned off the notepad instead. In the era of the internet, any information you leave online can be easily obtained by service providers. Your shopping and payment records reveal your income and interests, while your travel logs and social activity expose your social network and living environment. Large corporations decide what ads to push to you and what level of service to provide based on these data. Based on your income, social status, age, hospitals might even decide whether your cancer is worth treating or how long you have to wait for an organ transplant. The data you leave behind is worth more than you as a person, such is the essence of the internet age. ... Even when your phone is connected to the internet, the front camera could be eerily activated, allowing the big consortia to gather your iris and facial data. Chen Ke still remembered in the world he lived in, some manufacturers, in pursuit of screen-to-body ratio, had launched phones with pop-up front cameras. When some apps secretly activated the front camera, users would notice their cameras popping up by themselves, revealing for the first time that companies could start recording information without permission. Not just cameras, but also microphones, speakers... any sensor on the phone that could collect external information could be used for no reason. Perhaps you joked about switching phones with a friend, and the next time you opened a webpage, there would be ads for new phones. Or if your daughter complained about a toothache, you would then frequently see ads for dental extractions. This is capitalism¡¯s approach to making money, shamelessly invading your privacy. This world was still in 2009, not 2019, and mobile networks weren¡¯t so advanced, but better safe than sorry, especially since the things he needed to record were too bizarre. He didn¡¯t want anyone to know, so it seemed better to carry a small notebook and ballpoint pen. Now, at least, he owned a Transcendent Skill, and in combination with the Life Engine, he could make a seemingly weak skill have a tremendous effect. If he encountered other Spiritual Ability Users, he would be confident enough for a confrontation. The only unclear thing was: what determined the power of a Spiritual Ability User¡¯s skill when activated? Was it merely through Holy Relics like that black candelabrum? Or did they have other ways to enhance their skills? He didn¡¯t know yet, but Chen Ke believed he would eventually find the answers. He picked up the Fire-igniting Broadsword that was blown away and was about to return through the small passage when something strange in the corner of his eye caught his attention. A column of light pouring from a round hole above in the cave flashed a black shadow, as if something was peering down from above. What was above that round hole? Chen Ke was curious, and looked up. There, peering curiously down from the hole, was a silhouette. However, the hole was too high from the cave floor, probably leaving the person above to see only darkness below. Chen Ke suddenly thought of something and shouted upwards, ¡°Parker?¡± ¡°Huh? Who?!¡± The person above was taken aback but replied. ¡°Parker, is that you?¡± Chen Ke raised his voice and called out. ¡°Chen Ke?! What are you doing down there in the well?¡± It was indeed Parker, and his tone was full of surprise. ¡°It¡¯s a long story, but I¡¯ve found a safe place. Can you come here?¡± Chen Ke called loudly. ¡°Sure, I just noticed those ash zombies are roaming further out, and I was looking for you! The safe place you¡¯re talking about, it isn¡¯t inside this well, is it?¡± Parker sounded both excited and puzzled. ¡°Of course not. I found a church. I came here through a small passage from the church¡¯s kitchen. If you follow that path all the way, you¡¯ll find a slope you can go down...¡± Chen Ke told Parker the way to the church. ¡°That sounds like a long way. Are you sure it¡¯s safe?¡± Parker asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t run into anything strange, just a bit dark. It should take about half an hour to get to the church,¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°How deep is this well? I can¡¯t see you; it¡¯s too dark. If it¡¯s not too deep, I could jump down,¡± Parker, in his impatience, didn¡¯t seem to want to take the long route. ¡°Don¡¯t! I¡¯d say it¡¯s about the height of a six-story building... You¡¯d fall to your death...¡± Chen Ke quickly intercepted. ¡°Is there a ladder or anything?¡± Parker was somewhat reluctant to give up. ¡°Stop joking, there¡¯s only an underground river below and the depth isn¡¯t sufficient; you¡¯d still fall to your death in the river. Just run for it, man!¡± Chen Ke insisted. ¡°Alright...alright... Wait for me, Chen Ke. I¡¯ll head to the church right away,¡± Parker said and left the well. So, that hole was the same abandoned well Chen Ke had seen earlier in the village ruins. If there was a rope or something, it could indeed be used as a shortcut to the church¡¯s main hall. Chen Ke returned to the kitchen from the passage, then entered the church¡¯s main hall. At the end of the hall, staircases on both sides led downward; one was a stone corridor going down the outside of the mountain wall, the other inside the church building to the lower floors. Chen Ke chose not to continue exploring. He decided to first meet up with Parker in the church¡¯s main hall to explain things. Parker hadn¡¯t yet seen Brother Discouraged. Backtrack to the church main hall. Parker sat in a pew in the first row, near the statue of the goddess, aimlessly staring at the ceiling, sighing with boredom. Brother Discouraged also maintained the same pose as if he had seen through everything, sitting at the entrance of the passage. Seeing Chen Ke walk in, Parker lit up with excitement at the sight of the only familiar person in this Great Void. Chen Ke sat next to Parker, placing the two swords on the bench beside them. Parker glanced at Brother Discouraged, then asked in a low voice, ¡°Chen Ke, what¡¯s with the guy at the entrance...?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know, just leave him be,¡± Chen Ke shook his head. ¡°What did he mean by ¡®the cycle¡¯? Is he from the Administration Bureau?¡± Parker was still curious. Chen Ke was taken aback; it seemed that Brother Discouraged was like a broken record, repeating similar things to anyone. Moreover, for some reason, Chen Ke felt contradictions within Brother Discouraged but couldn¡¯t pinpoint where exactly the contradiction lay. Chapter 71: 071: Message in Front of the Door Chapter 71: Chapter 071: Message in Front of the Door ¡°I don¡¯t know him, he might be from a different department,¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°Do they have an HCP department at the Administration Bureau? What does that do?¡± Parker, now fully convinced that Chen Ke was an agent of the Administration Bureau, shifted from the experienced demeanor he had initially presented in the building to more of a younger brother role. ¡°HCP... uh... yes... they are special... external combat... and intelligence search troops...¡± Chen Ke bluffed. ¡°Ah... Oh...¡± Parker frowned, cautiously looking towards Brother Discouraged. ¡°This church is big. I just went downstairs for a look. Those monsters are not easy to handle without the Holy Relics, so you¡¯d better stay here until I find a way out, then I¡¯ll come back for you immediately,¡± Chen Ke explained. The cooling time for the teleportation gate in the corner still had 1 hour and several more minutes left. He decided to go check around the outer areas of the church to see if he could find any more information about Si¡¯s consortium¡¯s squad and then, when the time came, open a gate and take Parker out with him. ... As for Brother Discouraged, he would ask him later, and if he wasn¡¯t normal, he wouldn¡¯t take him. ¡°Okay, but these swords... are they Holy Relics? Why don¡¯t they turn into diamonds?¡± Parker curiously looked at the two swords on the chair. Chen Ke suddenly became curious too. An investigator was unable to use Holy Relics because they lacked enough Spiritual Energy to summon the relics, which are in diamond form, but in the Great Void, the relics didn¡¯t need summoning! The swords were tangible. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try picking them up?¡± Chen Ke suggested. Parker was curious too. He tried to grasp the handle of the Fan Hede straight sword, but something strange happened¡ªwhen his fingers touched the handle, they went right through as if the sword didn¡¯t exist for Parker. Parker tried a few more times, but his hand just kept passing through the two swords, landing on the bench. ¡°It seems the physical state of the Holy Relics is relative...¡± Chen Ke mused silently. Investigators can¡¯t use Holy Relics; we both know that clearly,¡± Parker said with a smile. He nodded, picked up the Fan Hede straight sword, and left the Fire-igniting Broadsword; it wasn¡¯t needed for now. ¡°Chen Ke, do you not feel it¡¯s a bit cold here?¡± Parker suddenly asked. ¡°Cold?¡± Chen Ke was startled, and indeed it was somewhat chilly, but he was not particularly sensitive to cold or heat; in other words, the current Chen Ke wasn¡¯t bothered by states of ¡°cold¡± or ¡°heat.¡± ¡°It does feel unusually cold here,¡± Chen Ke admitted, picking up the Fire-igniting Broadsword. He found a crack in the ground, inserted the sword, and then lit the blade, making it like a bonfire. ¡°Ah! Much warmer,¡± Parker approached and his face baked red from the glow of the fire. Was the temperature of the sword really that high? Chen Ke wondered why he hadn¡¯t noticed before... ¡°It can only burn for so long; I don¡¯t know for how long. Try to find something else to burn, I¡¯m going to go out again and will be back soon,¡± Chen Ke said, taking the Fan Hede straight sword with him. This time, he decided to first check under the staircase on the left side of the hall. Returning to the hall. The zombies and knights he had previously killed had turned into ash. It seemed like it would not be long before these creatures would return in some way. Would they resurrect if he completed the cycle in this area? Chen Ke was unsure. He was now standing at the top of the staircase on the left side of the hall near the mountain wall. It led to a corridor hanging on the external side of the mountain, and a chill breeze blew straight at him from the staircase entrance. I don¡¯t know how these people managed to construct such a corridor on the side of a cliff hundreds of meters high, in fact, the act of carving a church into the cliff face is astounding in itself. Chen Ke carefully stepped on the stone steps as he descended slowly, and although they looked sturdy, who knows how old this church was? Chen Ke didn¡¯t want to die from a fall. Fortunately, the thing he worried about didn¡¯t happen; the somewhat scorched stone corridor under his feet was still very firm, it seems the great fire that happened here was fierce, sparing even the top of the church, hundreds of meters above. Looking over the stone railing down below, the kingdom¡¯s streetscape became clearer, and now Chen Ke was close enough to the sharp tops of the ground buildings, their surfaces also charred. What had caused this historic great fire? Chen Ke couldn¡¯t help but think of the famous Great Fire of London. In the mid-16th century, Europe was struck by the plague, and London was one of the hardest-hit areas. Within just a few months, the city¡¯s population was reduced by one-tenth. Royalty, politicians, merchants, and intellectuals all evacuated from London, leaving behind the more vulnerable middle class and poor people. Then, in the early morning of 1666, a bakery in the city caught fire. The flames rapidly spread, using the wooden structures and corpses of plague victims. Soon, London was engulfed in flames; the fire burned for three days and nights, destroying at least half of London and 300 hectares of land were reduced to ashes. However, this accidental fire also indirectly cleansed the city of the plague, as millions of rats and diseased poor people were burnt alive in their homes and nests, turning the plague victims¡¯ bodies into ashes. Chen Ke couldn¡¯t help but connect the Great Fire of London with the Fan Hede Kingdom. Had there once been an epidemic known as the ¡°Dark Absolute Disease¡± here? Perhaps the priests from the Black Ring Sect had also attempted to use a great fire to thoroughly cleanse the disease? It made sense, for at the top of the church situated on a towering cliff, there were traces of the inferno. If it had been just a wildfire, it would have been very difficult for the flames to spread to this height. But if the fire had been set deliberately, it made sense. But Chen Ke hadn¡¯t come to a conclusion yet, because because obviously, this fire had engulfed everyone in the kingdom along with it. People were turned to ashes; only a few survivors were left whole, dead over the long years, the kingdom¡¯s skies filled with white ashes, like the silent wails of the dead. Had the old King Fan Hede also been turned to ashes? Chen Ke continued forward and at the end of the corridor, he found a tightly shut large door, carved with the image of a veiled goddess holding a lamp, and just below, there was a keyhole. Did the medieval period have locks and keys? Chen Ke frowned in confusion; he didn¡¯t have a thorough understanding of this historical detail. In his impression, during the early European medieval Knight Era, doors were generally secured with bolts, and locks with metal keys appeared during the Renaissance. He touched the door, which was surprisingly made of stone. This allowed him to feel the material, meaning this area wasn¡¯t separated by an air wall and the scene behind the door was also part of the loop; clearly, a specific key was needed to open it. This path was temporarily inaccessible; it seemed he needed to backtrack to the main hall and continue exploring by taking the stairs on the right. As Chen Ke turned to leave, he saw another note left with a marker on the wall beside him. ¡°Miles, this way isn¡¯t through. We¡¯ll meet at the other end, you need to hurry.¡± But this time, the note was somewhat unusual, because beneath the original text, there was another line of small words. ¡°Be careful, Miles.¡± Judging by the shades, it was clear that these two lines of text were written at different times. The longer message was written first, and the shorter one later. Chen Ke stroked his chin, his brow slightly furrowed, deriving some useful information from these two lines of text. Chapter 72: 072 New Questions Chapter 72: Chapter 072 New Questions Chen Ke wasn¡¯t sure how many people were in the Si¡¯s consortium squad, but he knew that the group must have gotten separated when they entered the Great Void. It had taken them some time to regroup. If, as Chen Ke guessed, the consortium squad had sacrificed themselves with the Blasphemous Dagger to open the door to the Great Void, then the door would definitely be very unstable. Members of the squad entering the same Teleportation Gate ended up in different places. Chen Ke had yet to verify whether the Teleportation Gate he used was the same as the one they had used. But this led to a question. If one person could open a door by sacrificing themselves with a dagger, how would the squad exit after entering? Was there someone on the outside who would use another dagger to sacrifice another person and then open a door to let them out? Chen Ke wasn¡¯t very familiar with the principle behind it, but he thought that doing so seemed unreliable based on the most straightforward reasoning. ... How could you be sure that the Great Void opened by the second dagger would be exactly the same as that opened by the previous one? Could some connection be formed by using the daggers consecutively at the same time? It shouldn¡¯t be the case because if many people were to use the Blasphemous Dagger simultaneously at any given moment, wouldn¡¯t they all enter the same Great Void? Chen Ke rejected this hypothesis because it raised too many new questions, such as whether the connection of the dagger had anything to do with the timing and spatial scope of its use? Were there multiple Great Voids, and so on, and so forth ... Occam¡¯s razor principle, Entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily, hence this hypothesis was invalid. Perhaps there was a unique ritual that could link two daggers? It could be possible, in a world of Holy Relics, mutated beings, and Transcendent skills, it wouldn¡¯t be hard to understand if there existed a complete set of Evil God rituals. Chen Ke pushed his speculation about the Blasphemous Dagger to the back of his mind, reasoning that everything would be clear once he got another Blasphemous Dagger and took a closer look at its affixes. Whether or not the consortium squad had left the place wasn¡¯t something Chen Ke could determine yet, but through the content of the three messages, Chen Ke guessed the situation of the squad in the Great Void. After using the dagger and their own lives to open the door, the consortium squad had successfully entered the Great Void, and due to the multiple fissures that randomly appeared in various parts of the Great Void as a result of opening the door with the dagger, the trapped Parker was able to escape and arrive at the West Gold Building, perfectly missing the squad. For some reason, a squad member named Miles became separated from the rest, and the other squad members did not wait for him but marked their trail with a marker pen to guide him. This should have been an easy task for them. Given their level of equipment, even a squad member who was alone should have been able to deal with the monsters here, and this was why they confidently left marks instead of waiting for a full assembly before setting off. This meant that Si¡¯s consortium was very familiar with the Great Void and had come here with a clear purpose. This Miles was probably entering for the first time and wasn¡¯t as familiar as the other members, which is why they left various hints to caution him not to provoke Brother Discouraged ... Wait a second ... just how long had Brother Discouraged been here? With the near-future style equipment used by Brother Discouraged and the various boxes marked with ¡°HCP¡± here, was it true, as he had previously guessed, that these were things from the Administration Bureau? Then came the message by the stone door, the first message was definitely written before the squad members had opened the stone door, telling Miles this was a dead end. The consortium squad members probably thought that Miles wouldn¡¯t catch up before they found a way to open the stone door, so they deliberately left a message near the dead end to prevent Miles from mistakenly thinking his teammates had gone through. The second message looked like a warning, alerting Miles that behind this stone door, there was something so dangerous that even with their equipment, it was still risky. It seems that even until they opened the stone door, the squad members had not regrouped with Miles, so they could only leave a new message by the door. When Miles got here, the door must have already been open. And now, the door in front of Chen Ke was tightly closed, and even pressing his face against it, he couldn¡¯t hear any sound from inside. He had no idea whether the Si¡¯s consortium squad was still there. It seemed the squad had definitely gone down another staircase from the hall to find the key to open the stone door. Chen Ke wanted to follow suit, since they could open this stone door, he should be able to as well. Since the entire Great Void was in a loop, obviously everything here had reset to its original state since he entered. Suddenly, an unusual emotion flashed through Chen Ke¡¯s mind ¨C it was like finding discrepancies within two identical pictures. He turned back and took another careful look at the message left for the second time, and couldn¡¯t help but read it out loud. ¡°Be careful... Miles.¡± ¡°Be careful, Miles.¡± ¡°Watch out for Miles.¡± He switched through different tones and pauses, meticulously chewing over the true intent of this phrase, and another entirely opposite conjecture emerged in his mind. The message wasn¡¯t warning Miles... Instead, it seemed to be advising other team members to be wary of Miles... Chen Ke¡¯s brows furrowed, sniffing a hint of conspiracy. If his guess was correct, it would explain why the squad had run into trouble after entering the stone gate, which led to further separation among members and having to fend for themselves. One of the team members encountered Miles and noticed something amiss. After exiting the gate, they left the message beside the gate, cautioning the rest. Chen Ke suddenly recalled the first time he crossed over. The Black Brother also seemed to be searching for Miles in the building. Moreover, when the Black Brother saw Chen Ke, he also immediately questioned where Miles was, as though it was Chen Ke who had lost him. Chen Ke placed his hands on the stone railing, gazing down at the grand kingdom below the cliff, attempting to untangle the relationships between these people. The Black Brother had been killed by the Holy Relic Diamond, he might have known the value of the Holy Relic, but he certainly didn¡¯t know how it was summoned, or else he wouldn¡¯t have been killed covertly by Chen Ke in the beginning. To put it simply, the Black Brother was involved in Si Consortium¡¯s plan that night but wasn¡¯t a core member, and possibly not even from the Consortium. The weapon he used was just an ordinary gun without spare bullets. This meant he wasn¡¯t meant to fight; his role that night was very limited. The consortium squad was the core of the whole operation, without them, there would be no plan to execute. They were well-equipped, possessing weapons powerful enough to slaughter creatures of the Great Void and were probably Spiritual Ability Users themselves. Miles was also a member of the squad, but not any core member, rather like a rookie new to the team. However, this rookie was not to be underestimated. Lin Mo, his only apparent role was to open the gate. Pankia was the mastermind behind everything. The puzzle was not yet fully assembled, but Chen Ke had already made a rough judgment about the events that had occurred the night before at West Gold Building. That evening, Lin Mo followed the Black Brother, Miles, and Pankia to the West Gold Building. Chen Ke sacrificed himself to open the Teleportation Gate to Fan Hede Kingdom; either before or after that, Miles and the other squad members had already separated. The Black Brother sought Miles, thinking he might be with Chen Ke, so he came looking. It was then Chen Ke crossed over into what should have been Lin Mo¡¯s dead body. The Black Brother thought Lin Mo hadn¡¯t acted according to the plan and took the blood on the ground as Miles¡¯s. He might¡¯ve assumed Lin Mo refused to make a sacrifice at the crucial moment and killed Miles. But the gate had indeed been opened, West Gold Building turned into the Black Box Space, and in Fan Hede Kingdom, the opened gate caused random seams of light, trapping Parker inside, who then arrived at West Gold Building. What followed was the series of events Chen Ke experienced upon waking up. What exactly did Miles want to do? What was Si¡¯s consortium trying to find in Fan Hede Kingdom? In the midst of it all, everything seemed interwoven by Chen Ke¡¯s own actions. Chapter 73: 073 Im Getting Serious Now Chapter 73: Chapter 073 I¡¯m Getting Serious Now The piercing wind pulled Chen Ke back to reality; whatever the stone gate concealed, if Si¡¯s consortium had gone there in person, it must have held value. Furthermore, Brother Discouraged had said that in order to access the next area, they must ¡°repeat the cycle¡± to open the gate. Could the team from the consortium be searching for a crucial item needed to repeat this cycle? Standing here musing was useless, so he turned back, retracing his steps along the stone corridor to the hall, and headed down another staircase they hadn¡¯t taken before. This staircase led down to an even larger hall. This hall, likely built into the deeper part of the mountain, was much more spacious than the one above, extending into the mountain with a long corridor ending in a vast door. There were no other paths from the hall; it seemed the only way to get to lower levels of the cathedral was through the door in the central hall, blocked by an air wall. ... On the outer walls were rows of windows that should have contained colorful stained glass, but now only the hollow frames remained, through which cold wind howled, filling the room with ash-laden air. The floor of the hall was covered in charred debris, with the remains of a chandelier piled in the middle of the corridor. The two rows of ornamental silver knight armor placed along the walls were also scorched black. It was difficult to discern what this hall¡¯s prior purpose had been. Black streaks, likely remnants of a carpet, stretched from the corner of the wall to the door deep in the hall; undoubtedly, the priests had once walked down a splendid carpet towards that very door. Chen Ke wandered the corridor attentively, eyeing the charred knight armor on either side¡ªin many horror films, these weren¡¯t just decorations. Suddenly, the hollow armor began to move, chasing after the female lead with a flurry of slashes¡ªa cliche?d scene, perhaps, but it easily stirred up the audience¡¯s emotions. This cliche?d scene did not unfold before Chen Ke; as he approached the tall door, the armors remained silent. He looked back, feeling he had been overly cautious. He examined the door in front of him, a set of wooden double doors painted in an orange-yellow hue, standing about 2 meters tall with immaculate brass floral handles that appeared untouched, even fingerprint-free, like an unpeeled new smartphone. The door before him gave Chen Ke a very eerie feeling, he sensed something immensely abnormal about it, but couldn¡¯t pinpoint why he felt so. Only when he looked around did he notice where this odd sense of disparity came from. The door was too new! Within Chen Ke¡¯s view, everything appeared ancient and fire-scorched, except for the door which looked as if it had just been bought from IKEA and not yet installed. Chen Ke placed his hands on the door handle, the icy touch transferring to his palms. ¡°+2 hours¡± ¡°+2 hours¡± ¡°Lifespan has reached its limit¡± ... ¡°Damn it...¡± Chen Ke¡¯s muscles tensed, and in an instant, he loosened his grip on the handle and executed two consecutive rolls backward. Just as he moved away from the door, a loud ¡°duang¡± sounded as a hefty double-bladed axe tore through the door, sending splinters flying. Chen Ke turned around to see a heavy knight stepping through the broken door with slow, deliberate steps. The knight was roughly 2 meters tall, clad in heavy brass-colored infantry armor, which from a distance, looked like a ball. In his left hand, he held an exaggeratedly large gray square tower shield, which was so large that it completely covered him, even though the knight himself was very large. A blue badge was painted on the shield¡ªChen Ke guessed it was the emblem of the Fan Hede Kingdom¡¯s Knight Order. And the double-edged axe in the knight¡¯s right hand also seemed unreal, the size of its blades almost comparable to a table... Chen Ke absolutely did not want to be hit by such a thing. Glancing at the Fan Hede longsword in his hands, Chen Ke couldn¡¯t help but think about retreating, but he clearly knew that he was not incapable of defeating this knight. In past battles, Chen Ke had developed a method to judge the strength of enemies based on the lifespan added or subtracted from his life countdown. Using his own lifespan as a unit, if a monster added about one-tenth of the unit time to his lifespan, then it meant that he could handle it... For example, if he currently had 10 hours of lifespan, then he could handle a monster that added about 1 hour of life to him. Moreover, Chen Ke had also noticed that this added lifespan value was variable, supposedly determined by the equipment, Holy Relics, and various skills he currently possessed. Of course, it had a minimum limit, which represented the basic threat level of the enemy. This seemingly invincible knight had only added 2 hours to his lifespan, possibly because Chen Ke had just learned the Transcendent Skill of ¡°Spiritual Energy Burst,¡± allowing him to fight against it. Chen Ke gripped the Van Hede straight sword in his hand and carefully observed the heavy knight¡¯s movements. Having used a shield before, Chen Ke knew well that a shield protected its bearer, but it was also cumbersome for the bearer. If the force hitting the shield was strong enough, it could make them lose balance¡ªand that was precisely the opening Chen Ke needed. He had a way to make the knight lose his balance. Chen Ke cautiously moved toward the heavy knight, preparing to dodge the glaringly bright axe. He needed to get as close as possible to make Spiritual Energy Burst more effective. Spending 3 hours of his lifespan to use this skill should be enough to break open the shield. The heavy knight, with heavy footsteps, advanced towards Chen Ke, most of his body hidden behind the shield, but his right hand wielding the axe made Chen Ke hesitant to act rashly. Chen Ke understood very well that a single strike from the opponent could kill him. It was like a psychological wrestling match, a test of who had more patience. Both maintained a delicate distance, circling each other, just waiting for the other to make a move. Finally, the knight made the first move, letting the axe thud to the ground and dragging the blade towards Chen Ke with an upward swipe. Sparks flew as the blade grazed the stone floor and assaulted Chen Ke. Chen Ke read the attack, slid to the right, a schadenfreude expression on his face, his left hand reaching for the knight¡¯s shield, mimicking a snapping gesture. ¡°Bang!¡± A muffled sound rang out, Chen Ke¡¯s vision went dark as if he had run into a wall at high speed. A powerful inertia threw him several steps backwards, a warm flow gushing from his nose. It was blood. The heavy knight stepped back slightly, pulling the shield close again. After dodging the axe attack, Chen Ke had been hit by a shield strike. The nosebleed soon stopped, and Chen Ke wiped the blood on his fingers onto his clothes, only to feel a chill in his stomach. He remembered he was wearing a Holy Relic... ¡°I¡¯m getting serious now, buddy,¡± Chen Ke said to himself, assuming a combat stance. It seemed in the Great Void, even if the opponents were revenants, one couldn¡¯t truly treat them just like the zombies in zombie movies. Chapter 74: 074: The Forbidden Demon Seed Chapter 74: Chapter 074: The Forbidden Demon Seed The Knight, clad in heavy armor, continued his relentless approach, determined not to cease until Chen Ke lay dead. Chen Ke was acutely aware of this and cautiously circled the Knight, intent on spending some time to discern what kind of attack the Knight would launch. The Knight wielded his sharp double-edged axe with a slow and heavy hand, launching attacks in various trajectories toward Chen Ke. Through his observations, Chen Ke could tell that this Knight was not like the swordsmen upstairs. If the swordsmen¡¯s every move felt somewhat disjointed, then this axe-wielding Knight could be described as flowing like water. After each strike, he seamlessly transitioned into another technique and smoothly retrieved his weapon. Combined with his massive tower shield, Chen Ke found hardly any opportunity to land a blow. It wasn¡¯t that there were no chances at all, but the overwhelming sense of oppression made Chen Ke too wary to act rashly, fearing that a single misstep would result in being cleaved in two by the axe. ... Because he didn¡¯t know what the Knight would do next after retracting his weapon, likely leaving Chen Ke in a dire situation. Chen Ke realized he was completely caught in the Knight¡¯s rhythm, forced to keep dodging and maneuvering to avoid cornering himself against a wall. Opportunities had to be created! To defend passively would only lead to being dragged to death, Chen Ke clenched his teeth, a dangerous idea forming in his mind. As the Knight slammed his axe down once more, Chen Ke sidestepped to avoid it, then quickly advanced a step and snapped his fingers at the Knight¡¯s hand gripping the axe. ¡°Boom!¡± Three hours¡¯ worth of Spiritual Energy burst forth! Invisible, powerful force erupted before Chen Ke, so immense that even the fully armored Knight was pushed back, half toppling over, staggering a step before barely regaining his footing. Seizing the moment, Chen Ke raised the Van Hede straight sword, just one second, just this one second, and you¡¯re dead! But as he prepared to attack, he suddenly found he had nowhere to strike. The Knight¡¯s armor was too formidable, with no gaps at the joints or seams where Chen Ke could thrust his sword. The chance passed in a flash, and the Knight quickly regained his stance. Chen Ke took several steps back to widen the gap, forced to seek another opening. Now aware of Chen Ke¡¯s tactics, the Knight changed his strategy, no longer focusing on heavy chops but instead on wide, sweeping attacks. The massive axe blade shattered the decorative knight armors lining the corridor walls, while the Knight continued to sweep, pushing Chen Ke toward a corner. Chen Ke kept looking for weaknesses in the Knight¡¯s armor, finally setting his sight on the helmet. On the full-face helmet¡¯s visor, there was a slit just large enough to fit a sword through. That settled it. Waiting for the right moment, when the axe swung again, Chen Ke leaped and landed in front of the Knight, snapping his fingers against the Knight¡¯s shield. This time, it was five hours¡¯ worth of Spiritual Energy unleashed! With a clang, the Knight¡¯s shield flew out of his hand, crashing into the wall beside them, and the Knight himself was sent tumbling to the ground by the sheer force. Chen Ke stepped onto the Knight¡¯s shoulder, left hand on the hilt, right hand outstretched against the pommel, driving the blade into the slit of the Knight¡¯s helmet visor. ¡°Hiss!¡± The sound of metal piercing flesh and the resistance felt through the hilt arrived simultaneously, as black blood gushed from the visor¡¯s slit. The continuous murderous aura from the battle restored Chen Ke¡¯s life force to a full value of 10 hours. He pressed his palm harder, angling the blade toward the Knight¡¯s neck, pushing until the Knight moved no more. ¡°Hisss...¡± Chen Ke pulled out his longsword and kicked the knight¡¯s corpse to the ground before staring at it for a while. Blue light points began to form on the body of the knight. It burst! Chen Ke¡¯s lips curled slightly upward; his desperate battle had paid off. He immediately converted the light points into Holy Relics diamonds, then tucked them into his backpack. It was time to see what lay behind in the room guarded by the knight. Chen Ke stepped over the remains of the wooden door and into the room, only to discover it resembled a classroom of sorts. Of course, this was no ordinary classroom but appeared to be a special room designed for secret gatherings. The interior was exquisitely decorated, with dozens of high-end orange-yellow seats arranged in a fan shape along the aisles, facing a small lectern. On the seats sat a dozen or so charred skeletons, while the skeleton on the lectern emitted a faint blue glow. Hmm... It was quite similar to the situation with Giles in the library; it might provide knowledge again. Chen Ke walked over and slowly reached out towards the skeleton radiating blue light when a sudden influx of memories flooded his brain! ... ¡°The Seal of Binding is now on the verge of breaking, and we need to forge a new prison to detain the Demon Seed,¡± the voice dropped off, and Nylonde looked at the priests sitting upright below, some whispering to each other, some remaining silent. ¡°We are still investigating the connection between the dark plague and Faralis, with no evidence or signs yet to show...¡± came a voice of a priest from a corner. ¡°Enough! The dark plague erodes our homeland, and the Demon Seed is the origin of the disease. This is the will of the Pope and has also been approved by His Majesty Van Hede,¡± Nylonde reiterated. No one spoke again. ¡°The Pope has bestowed upon us the mission to seal the Demon Seed, and we will fulfill this duty. A Demon Seed is a Demon Seed, no matter what her previous identity was; from the moment of being sealed, she becomes a burden to the entire kingdom,¡± Nylonde declared and then took out a gem-encrusted key. ¡°I will personally supervise today¡¯s sealing ceremony. Black Ring, forever endure!¡± Nylonde crossed his arms over his chest and bowed his head slightly. ¡°Black Ring, forever endure,¡± the priests also bowed their heads, but their voices carried a hint of reluctance. ... Chen Ke suddenly exhaled a breath, pulling himself out of the eerie memories, and looked at the skeleton¡¯s right hand, which was clutching a key tightly. He took the key and examined it closely; apart from the large black gem set at the end, it looked no different from an ordinary copper key¡ªit was the pass for the stone door. However, after so much time had passed, it was unknown if the key would still function. Chen Ke hastened out of the mysterious room in two strides and headed back to the stone door. He inserted the key into the hole in the stone door, felt something latch onto the key, and gently turned it, tensing in case the key would break inside the hole. A rumbling sound came from within, and the stone door began to slowly retract. Chen Ke could not imagine what kind of mechanism the stone door was made of; he could only watch as it sunk back into the frame, then slid into a stone slot on the inside, opening a path leading further into the depths. According to what Nylonde had said, this should be the place where the Demon Seed sealing ritual was performed. But judging from his and the other priests¡¯ conversation, this Demon Seed seemed to be a person called Faralis. What was really going on? Chen Ke took out a Black Ring candlestick for light, held the Van Hede straight sword, and cautiously entered the stony passage. Chapter 75: 075: The Interrupted Ceremony Chapter 75: Chapter 075: The Interrupted Ceremony The dim blue candlelight illuminated the pitch-black corridor, with small platforms on both sides of the stony path that would normally hold candles. The corridor was just wide enough for two people to walk side by side, and in the past, the priests likely proceeded in a silent and orderly formation toward the space deeper within. Chen Ke was particularly concerned about the Demon Seed that Nylonde had mentioned; if Faralis was involved in the great fire of the kingdom, it meant that the fire was caused by some sort of magic, not a natural phenomenon. Of course, he hoped not to encounter Faralis here, as he had no means to counteract magic and would be burned alive if they met. But then Chen Ke thought about it and realized that the timing of the great fire conflicted with the two sets of memories he had obtained. Since the fire had reduced everyone to ashes, Nylonde¡¯s corpse should not have been left on the small podium. Hmm... ... Either there had been many magical fires in the kingdom, with the last one incinerating everyone, or there was another hidden matter. Chen Ke had no interest in guessing; if he could obtain enough scholarly memories in the Great Void, perhaps he could understand what exactly happened with the fire. However, Chen Ke certainly wouldn¡¯t actively seek out such explorations. After all, his main goal was to trace Si¡¯s consortium team and gather more information about Si¡¯s consortium, so that he could be fully prepared when he faced Pankia. Until the life countdown was removed, other matters were unimportant. He would take a look if it was convenient, but would decisively give up if it took too much time. After walking for at least a few minutes, Chen Ke arrived at a circular hall, which was clearly a room specially designed for various rituals. Holding the candelabra, Chen Ke looked around the spacious hall, which astonishingly contained traces of black mist. ¡°Expend life to resist the invasion of the dark plague...¡± ¡°-10 seconds¡± ¡°-10 seconds¡± ¡°-10 seconds¡± ¡°-10 seconds¡± ¡°-10 seconds¡± ... The Dark Plague! Chen Ke frowned. Wasn¡¯t this the plague that ravaged the Fan Hede Kingdom?! He hadn¡¯t expected this disease to physically manifest as a black fog floating in this hall. Regardless of whether the disease was curable or what consequences it might have after infection, at least Chen Ke didn¡¯t need to worry about contracting the Dark Plague himself. In other words, any similar curses, mental attacks, plague viruses, or other long-lasting debuffs that couldn¡¯t be removed, would not have a substantial effect on Chen Ke, as all these effects would be offset by his lifespan. Looking on the bright side, Chen Ke was immune to all controls and DeBuffs; on the downside, even the weakest curse could have a direct impact on his life. It was like a double-edged sword. A bead of cold sweat slid down Chen Ke¡¯s forehead. He couldn¡¯t leave yet; he had to at least examine the furnishings in the hall first. After all, whether the ritual was completed or not affected the recurring cycle of this area. Only by following in the footsteps of Si¡¯s consortium team could he discover what they had obtained. But did this also indirectly imply that the team members had contracted the Dark Plague...? Chen Ke looked toward the center of the hall, where under the illumination of the candlelight, there was a large circular Magic Array on the floor. Unlike the Hexagram Magic Array in the movies, this Magic Array appeared far more complex. It was based on a circle and had dozens of circular rings nested within each other, each ring¡¯s empty spaces filled with unreadable ancient runes. Chen Ke reached out to touch the Magic Array. Each pattern in it was made up of grooves; it seemed that once some liquid flowed through these grooves, the Magic Array would activate as intended. Chen Ke guessed the liquid must be blood. Radiating from the center of the circular Magic Array were a dozen lines. At the end of each line was a circular frame big enough for one person to stand in. These frames, irregularly scattered around the Array, likely each held a Priest. Another groove-lined path connected to a small altar in the hall. ¡°I need a dozen people to conduct this ritual, and who knows if they used some strange magic. How can I possibly...¡± Doubts flickered through Chen Ke¡¯s mind. But when he saw what was on the small altar, he finally understood what he had to do. There was a circular silver tray on the altar, bizarrely holding a perfectly intact woman¡¯s head... The woman had golden hair, decapitated cleanly at the neck, with the wound very tidy. The silver tray beneath was cushioned with silk, showing no signs of blood. The woman looked as if she were merely sleeping. Under the candlestick¡¯s roving light, it made the hair on the back of Chen Ke¡¯s neck stand. Damn, truly twisted... To be fair, the woman was quite beautiful... It¡¯s just a pity she only had a head left. From her appearance, this woman looked only seventeen or eighteen years old, an age for discussing marriage in medieval times. She must have had beautiful large eyes, her pink lips slightly downturned as if lamenting her fate. No, this woman did not seem to be mourning for herself. In her expression, Chen Ke saw no self-pity or fear of death. Was she the so-called Demon Seed Faralis? Chen Ke regained his senses. The fact that her beauty remained even after decapitation was quite telling. Perhaps, just before the last sealing ritual, Demon Seed Faralis had unleashed a terrible magic fire to exact revenge on the Black Ring Sect and the kingdom that sought to seal her. But Chen Ke still thought there was more to it. He inspected the silver tray, which seemed immovable, and there was also a mechanism beneath it, resembling a lever scale. Chen Ke speculated that taking away the head would cause the tray to rise. Beside the tray lay an ordinary rusty iron dagger, but he could still see the red bloodstains on the blade. Clearly, the woman¡¯s blood was key to the sealing ritual. Her eternally youthful head could continuously release blood to fill the Magic Array on the ground, using her own blood¡¯s power to seal herself. Chen Ke picked up the dagger with his left hand, brewing a storm of emotion for a long time before gently touching the woman¡¯s head with his right hand. ¡°If it has to be this way, don¡¯t blame me...¡± he muttered while slowly lifting the woman¡¯s head by her hair. As he brought the dagger close to the neck of the woman¡¯s head, he suddenly hesitated. So-called completing the cycle shouldn¡¯t just be repeating past events. Clearly, the current state of the kingdom, everyone turned to ashes, should not have happened if the priests had completed the ritual before. No, the cycle shouldn¡¯t be like this. Back then, someone must have interrupted the ritual, causing the great fire. Otherwise, the church¡¯s main doors would have opened long ago... Chen Ke slowly put down the dagger, looked at the woman¡¯s head in his hands, then took the silk from the tray and wrapped the head. ¡°I¡¯ll inconvenience you for a while.¡± Chen Ke glanced at the silver tray again, now slowly rising without the weight of the head. Without saying more, he left the circular hall, carrying the head on his back. Chapter 76: 076 Resurrection Chapter 76: Chapter 076 Resurrection No more nonsense. Chen Ke retraced his steps back to the main hall of the church. His exploration had taken him nearly an hour, and the cooldown for the Teleportation Gate was drawing closer. A cluster of bonfires beside the statue of the church goddess caught his attention. It was the Fire-igniting Broadsword¡¯s flame, lit for emergency warmth for Parker in the absence of continuous input of Spiritual Energy, it shouldn¡¯t have been able to burn for so long. But when Chen Ke saw the long bench next to Parker, he understood. Who knows what method Parker had used; he had dismantled a long bench to use as firewood. The Fire-igniting Broadsword itself had an affix that allowed it to burn continuously when there was combustible material. However, the fire was slightly more intense than expected. Even standing at Chen Ke¡¯s position, he could feel a slight warmth. ... Parker was still adding firewood to the bonfire, deftly breaking off a piece of wood from the chair and tossing it into the flames. When he saw Chen Ke, he immediately ran over. ¡°Is it really that cold here?¡± Chen Ke asked, puzzled. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s freezing me to death. Do you have any extra clothes?¡± Parker rubbed his shoulders. ¡°No,¡± Chen Ke spread his hands. His own clothes were torn, where would he have extras for Parker? ¡°That¡¯s really unlucky. I thought you¡¯d have some useful stuff in your pack.¡± Parker looked disappointed. ¡°Did something happen here?¡± Chen Ke asked, noticing Parker¡¯s odd expression. ¡°Seems like there¡¯s some issue by the statue of the goddess. Just a few minutes ago. Go take a look,¡± Parker said urgently, apparently having seen something incredible. ¡°The statue of the goddess?¡± Chen Ke asked. Parker nodded. Chen Ke turned towards the statue of the goddess. It looked intact, only slightly different from what he remembered, but he couldn¡¯t quite pinpoint the change. ¡°What¡¯s up with it? I don¡¯t see any difference,¡± Chen Ke shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not the statue itself, but underneath it,¡± Parker said. Hmm? Chen Ke grew curious, took a few steps forward to get a closer look at the statue, and then noticed it had shifted backwards a few meters, revealing a staircase leading downward. This was a hidden passage! Hidden so deeply, there surely must be something inside. Chen Ke recalled when he had taken the skull, the small altar¡¯s silver tray slowly rose, perhaps triggering some linked mechanism. He dared not go down rashly and turned back to look at Brother Discouraged, who still sat squatting pensive, as if he was used to the moving statue and paid it no mind. Chen Ke stepped forward to strike up a conversation, hoping to gain some useful information. ¡°Hey, have you seen that? What¡¯s down there?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°This is just the beginning, friend. You¡¯ve got the skull too, right?¡± Brother Discouraged looked up and counter-questioned. Chen Ke cocked his head; this guy sure knew a lot! ¡°Do you know who it belongs to?¡± Chen Ke responded with another question. ¡°Do you know the consequences of returning the skull?¡± Brother Discouraged replied casually. ¡°Is this the recurrence of the cycle?¡± A bead of sweat dripped down Chen Ke¡¯s forehead. ¡°` ¡°...¡± Brother Discouraged looked at Chen Ke, his blue eyes showing an emotion that was hard to decipher. He stared at Chen Ke¡¯s face for a few seconds. ¡°It seems you have tried hard, but this method is pointless,¡± he finally spoke. Pointless? Chen Ke was confused. ¡°How did you do it before?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°We were all wrong, returning the head is meaningless, the dead remain dead, how could chopping a head revive someone... hehehehe...¡± Brother Discouraged laughed to himself, ignoring Chen Ke and sinking back into his solitary pondering. Chen Ke sighed. This guy had some issues, speaking always like he was guessing a riddle, but he was certain that Brother Discouraged knew quite a bit. Unable to get any more information from Brother Discouraged, Chen Ke decided to go down and see for himself. ¡°I¡¯m going down to take a look, don¡¯t move from here,¡± Chen Ke said as he approached Parker. ¡°Also, stop burning the chairs, I¡¯m not sure if touching things here will trigger anything strange,¡± he added. ¡°Alright, alright, you go check out what¡¯s down there, I¡¯m really scared something might pop out,¡± Parker said as he squatted at the entrance to the passage, curiously peering inside. He didn¡¯t tell Parker about the head matter, mainly because it wasn¡¯t necessary and carrying a head around was just too bizarre; Chen Ke didn¡¯t want to have to explain. Chen Ke descended slowly down the steps into a long corridor. He intended to pull out the black candle holder to light his way, but realized the corridor was illuminated by an intermittently flickering white light. The light came from a fog at the end of the corridor, resembling a door. Although the fog door looked too strange, no information box popped up in Chen Ke¡¯s view, so he walked briskly towards it, observing the unusual mist. The grey-white fog churned. Chen Ke reached out to touch it, unlike an air wall, the fog door had no texture, feeling just like air. Leveraging the life countdown he had, he boldly took a deep breath... There was no taste. Without thinking further, Chen Ke walked straight into the fog, and like finding sunlight after parting the clouds, he emerged on the other side to find himself inside a vast cliff within a mountain. He followed a several meters wide mountain path straight forward, arriving at a circular plateau surrounded by an unseen abyss. Chen Ke looked to the left, the light source in this space came from a crack in the distant mountain, and the cold wind also poured in through the cracks. In the center of the round plateau were two white stone pillars, wrapped with thick black iron chains, and in the middle of the pillars, a headless corpse was bound. It was a female corpse, and like the head, showed no signs of decay even after a long time, dressed in a tattered white off-shoulder dress, her pale and smooth skin resembled a plaster statue. The female corpse¡¯s neck wound was very neat, a line of dried blood traced from her neck to the middle of her collarbone in a straight line. On the left side of her chest, an odd symbol was branded into her flesh, seemingly some kind of religious mark. The corpse¡¯s arms were wrapped in thick iron chains, the chains had embedded into the flesh and become part of the arms, her feet bare, kneeling on the spot. Chen Ke took out the head from his bag, sorted the hair wrapped around the candle holder, hesitating whether to place the head back on the neck. Brother Discouraged¡¯s words still echoed in his ears, but Chen Ke felt that only by returning the head, could the world move forward again. He held the head in both hands, hesitated for a long time, and finally slowly put it back on the corpse¡¯s neck. Nothing happened. Brother Discouraged had tried this before, so he said it was useless, yet Chen Ke still felt, could he have missed some detail? ¡°-3 hours¡± A flash of information suddenly flickered in the corner of his eye; Chen Ke blinked in surprise, what¡¯s going on? He looked again at the female corpse, only to see the circle of red cutting scars between the head and the neck was slowly vanishing. ¡°` Chapter 77: 077 No Regrets Chapter 77: Chapter 077 No Regrets Had this female corpse absorbed his life force to resurrect herself? Chen Ke was shocked. He slowly backed away, gripping the straight sword in his hand, although direct intuition told him that the sword was utterly useless against this female corpse. The red line around her neck vanished without a trace as if time had reversed. When the scar completely disappeared, the chains wrapped around her arms shockingly all slid to the ground. Her arms hung by her sides, starting to tremble slightly. The air around became hot and dry, and Chen Ke was sure that the temperature was coming from the female figure before him¡ªwho could no longer be simply described as a ¡°corpse,¡± as Chen Ke watched her slowly stand up. She stretched out her right arm, conjuring an orange orb out of thin air, then reached into it and pulled out a two-handed sword! The blade of the sword was not wide but incredibly thin, yet its length was astonishing¡ªit was clearly meant to be wielded with two hands. The blade was adorned with gorgeous patterns, and the hilt was wrapped with a red ribbon, with a guard that resembled a cross. Chen Ke was in a panic. Was the woman in front of him intending to fight him to the bitter end? ... While Chen Ke was pondering how to escape, the woman opened her eyes. Her pupils were blood-red, looking at Chen Ke with hesitation, sorrow, and a resolute expression. The woman, holding the longsword with one hand, took measured steps towards Chen Ke, barefoot. Her white off-shoulder dress billowed with the hot air swirling around her, and strands of flames emanated from nowhere, twining around her arms, thighs, and waist, yet without scorching her clothes. At this moment, in Chen Ke¡¯s vision appeared a line of text beneath the woman¡¯s feet: Phoenix Princess Faralis This information was as good as none, merely revealing to Chen Ke the woman¡¯s name without any associated descriptors. However, it confirmed Chen Ke¡¯s guess¡ªthis woman was indeed Faralis, referred to as a Demon Seed by Nylonde, but he hadn¡¯t expected Faralis to be a royal, a princess of the Fan Hede Kingdom! Furthermore, she wasn¡¯t identified as a monster by his countdown perception, which indicated she was an extremely special individual¡ªthis was the first time Chen Ke had encountered such a case. Looking at the current situation, the old King of Fan Hede had granted immense power to Mazville, the Pope of the Black Ring Sect, in an attempt to dispel the dark plague, so much so that not even members of the royal family were spared. Faralis extended her left arm towards Chen Ke as if trying to grab him. Sparks suddenly erupted from her feet. Chen Ke inwardly cursed, turned, and tried to dodge like a flash of red light. In the blink of an eye, Faralis had closed the distance, only lightly pinching Chen Ke¡¯s right shoulder. The sound of breaking bones and a wave of pain made Chen Ke believe his shoulder bone had been crushed. Faralis¡¯s strength was utterly belied by her delicate appearance... Her face came close to Chen Ke¡¯s, and he felt his cheeks scalding from the flames on her body. At such a close distance, he could clearly see the teeth in Faralis¡¯s mouth. ¡°Traveler through time... please extinguish the flame of Fan Hede...¡± Faralis said softly, her voice crisp, like that of a sylvan sprite. ¡°Extinguish the flame... What does that mean?¡± Chen Ke asked confusedly. Faralis did not say more. She swung the two-handed sword behind her, its blade now glimmered with blue light. Then, she thrust it violently towards Chen Ke¡¯s heart! ¡°Damn it!¡± Chen Ke cursed but could only watch as the long blade penetrated his body, stabbing deeply until only the hilt remained outside. Chen Ke glanced down at the longsword embedded in his chest, yet he felt no pain. No, his life force wasn¡¯t being drained... he felt no killing intent from Faralis at all. The vortex mark on his chest seemed to have been stimulated, spinning wildly. The flames from Faralis poured into his body through the sword, reducing the Holy Relics coat he was wearing to ashes. As the mark spun faster and his coat was burned away, Chen Ke realized that the sword hadn¡¯t pierced his flesh at all. Logically, such a long sword, stabbed so deeply, should have protruded from his back, but it hadn¡¯t. Because the vortex mark on his chest had opened a palm-sized beam of light. Faralis¡¯s sword was not embedded in Chen Ke¡¯s body but deeply inside this beam of light. A familiar howling came from the beam of light in Chen Ke¡¯s chest, his memory yanked back inside Black Box Space... As the howls grew louder, seemingly pained, Chen Ke felt his body beginning to move beyond his control. Faralis pushed hard against Chen Ke¡¯s chest. As he was flung backwards, the beam of light flowed out from the vortex mark on Chen Ke¡¯s chest, forming a three-meter high Teleportation Gate, which appeared for an instant then quickly closed. Chen Ke saw a burst of Flame Burst before him and fell to the ground. His shoulder injury was immediately healed by his life force. When he looked at Faralis again, he was astonished to find that the longsword had impaled a contract demon! ¡°That thing was inside me? You¡¯ve got to be kidding!¡± Terrified, Chen Ke hurriedly scrambled up from the ground. The contract demon¡¯s longsword pierced through the heart, and as it wailed in agony, Faralis was engulfed in flames, which together with the longsword, turned into countless flying ashes, pouring into the body of the contract demon. The contract demon let out agonizing howls. ¡°+1 year¡± ¡°Lifespan has reached its limit...¡± ... Damn it, to encounter it here of all places! Chen Ke instinctively clutched his chest but couldn¡¯t feel the mark¡¯s presence. Looking down, he saw the vortex-like mark on his chest had changed from black to red, no longer tactile with unevenness, no longer like a vortex. It was now a sun, ablaze and glowing with firelight. The cooldown timer for the corner-of-the-eye Teleportation Gate was still ticking; he hadn¡¯t lost the ability to open it, and there were only 3 minutes left until the cooldown ended. To the current Chen Ke, the contract demon was still an unbeatable foe; however, influenced by Faralis, it had become somewhat abnormal. Spotty flames ignited on the contract demon¡¯s emaciated body, as if burning through from the inside, pain that was unbearable even for it. Its chest still had a through-and-through bloody hole, the edges of which burned with residual flames, causing the contract demon¡¯s movements to become extremely sluggish. Spitting fresh blood, it no longer had the imposing air it used to have in the Black Box Space. Even so, the craving for a soul drove it to pounce fiercely toward Chen Ke. Chen Ke spun and dodged with difficulty, evading its sharp claw, but his back was still raked with four bloody gashes, flesh scattering. Chen Ke fell to the ground in pain. The contract demon swung its claws wildly, screeching as it closed in on Chen Ke. Turning toward it, Chen Ke snapped his fingers, releasing 9 hours¡¯ worth of Spiritual Energy in a burst! Even the contract demon was thrown back by this sudden burst of power. It flew through the air for nearly one meter before falling on the edge of the stone path, almost dropping into the Abyss. ¡°I get it... This time for sure, I¡¯m taking your life!¡± Chen Ke stood up, supported by the continuous murderous intent of the contract demon, and snapped his fingers at it again. ¡°Bang!¡± The contract demon was blown off the path before it could rise from the ground. Chen Ke breathed a sigh of relief and used his lifespan to heal the wounds on his back, then walked to the edge of the path and looked down. Even a contract demon should be done for after falling from such a height... Just as he was about to turn away, the life countdown suddenly began to palpitate violently again. Chen Ke raised his eyebrows, turned around, and the contract demon¡¯s claw grabbed him in an instant. It clung to the edge of the stone path with its other claw, trying to climb back up, but Chen Ke didn¡¯t want to give it that chance. ¡°You owe me a soul!¡± The contract demon continued to roar angrily at Chen Ke. Just then, in the upper right-hand corner of Chen Ke¡¯s vision, it showed that the cooldown time for the Teleportation Gate was over! A bold idea flashed through his mind. ¡°I don¡¯t owe you anything, freak,¡± Chen Ke said and snapped his fingers at the contract demon¡¯s face. With a ¡°bang,¡± holding onto Chen Ke, the contract demon flew into the air and plummeted toward the Abyss. The Van Hede straight sword in Chen Ke¡¯s hand also slipped and fell. A demon and a man fell through the dark void, the wind howling past their ears. Chen Ke clutched the demon¡¯s claw, adjusted his position, and managed to turn so that his back faced downward. After falling for over 12 seconds, there was no light around them; Chen Ke felt as if he had truly descended into the Abyss. Just then, the Sun Mark on his chest let off spark-like embers, and an orange-red door emerged behind him, just large enough for him to pass through. ¡°Bang!¡± With a loud crash, Chen Ke unexpectedly landed on a wooden floor, and the contract demon¡¯s claw also reached through the Teleportation Gate. ¡°Close!¡± With a clench of his fist, the gate immediately shrank from its door-sized form to a pinpoint, twisting and severing the contract demon¡¯s claw, splashing red blood across his abs and pectorals. The orange Teleportation Gate pinpoint floated in front of Chen Ke for a moment before it zipped into the Sun Mark on his chest, and the previously flickering mark returned to calm. Chapter 78: 078 [An Heleis Ash: White Summit Church] Completed Chapter 78: Chapter 078 [An Helei¡¯s Ash: White Summit Church] Completed Chen Ke gasped deeply, the sensation of falling abruptly broken by the wooden floor. He lay there gazing at the somewhat yellowed ceiling before he slowly recovered. He gradually sat up, realizing that the Teleportation Gate had sent him back to his rented room in a cheap motel... Why had it defaulted to sending him here... When Chen Ke had opened the Teleportation Gate, he had only one thought, ¡°return,¡± and it seemed the Teleportation Gate treated this tiny room as home. He got up and pulled a shopping bag from under the bed; it was the clothing Chen Ke had bought at Walmart, where he had bought two of each item as spares. They truly came in handy now... Perhaps it was because the room held Chen Ke¡¯s belongings that the Teleportation Gate treated it as home. At that moment, two orbs of light drifted toward Chen Ke from the void, one black and one orange-red. Both were absorbed by the Sun Mark on Chen Ke¡¯s chest. ... An information frame popped up before Chen Ke. ¡°Acquired soul: A large deformed soul¡± ¡°Acquired soul: The great soul of Faralis¡± The information frame was very large, filling his entire field of vision with a semi-transparent white menu, displaying the two newly obtained souls, making a total of three that quietly stayed in the first row. Before he could properly examine the soul menu, another information frame quickly popped up. ¡°Teleportation Gate List:¡± ¡°Fan Hede Kingdom¡± ¡°White Summit Church¡± The Teleportation Gate¡¯s information frame was neatly categorized, and within the sub-menu for Fan Hede Kingdom, a shortcut to the White Summit Church had been unlocked. His gaze shifted to ¡°White Summit Church,¡± then another frame popped up: ¡°Use the large deformed soul to open a Teleportation Gate?¡± No, no, no... Chen Ke shook his head, and the information frame disappeared with a swoosh. With a thought, he brought back the soul menu, getting ready to carefully examine the three souls he held. ¡°Large deformed soul¡± ¡°Utility: Adds 10 hours to life expectancy or opens a Teleportation Gate once¡± ¡°From a deformed creature that feeds on souls, it transcends time relying on something, making contact with people from different eras to make contracts.¡± ¡°A beast that craves souls will eventually lose its own, which is why soulless monsters are attracted to souls...¡± Chen Ke concluded it was the soul of a contract demon. It could use souls as a currency to help people from different eras open doors to the Great Void... Moreover, by consuming such powerful souls, Chen Ke could increase his life expectancy. The only annoyance was that the Life Transfer Gate also required these souls to open, which meant he had to be cautious about how to use these resources in the future... Extending life was a critical need, but collecting various Holy Relics to enhance his combat abilities was also important... He would decide how to use them based on specific situations in the future... He decided not to rush into using the souls. Based on previous experiences when he had increased his life limit by killing toads, his life would be fully replenished each time he extended his life expectancy. He also had four Holy Relics diamonds from Fan Hede Kingdom that he hadn¡¯t appraised yet. Three white, one blue. No hurry. Chen Ke then turned to look at the second soul, the orange one. ¡°Faralis¡¯s great soul¡± ¡°Utility: Adds 10 hours to life expectancy, opens a Teleportation Gate once, refines Faralis¡¯s weapon¡± ¡°The princess of Fan Hede, Faralis¡¯s great soul. Only those with mighty power possess such a soul, harboring the great powers of its holder¡¯s life.¡± ¡°The witch¡¯s child was born with the ability to control Flame, and after her mother was deemed a heretic, Faralis resolved to use her power to save her homeland.¡± Chen Ke carefully examined this soul and discovered it had an additional function: weapon refinement! This reminded him of the two-handed sword with which Faralis had stabbed at him! Adding another 10 hours to his life wasn¡¯t a bad choice, but getting his hands on that sword... The Van Hede straight sword was lost, the Fire-igniting Broadsword was still stuck in the ground of the Fan Hede Church, serving as a campfire... Now Chen Ke needed a Holy Relic weapon. Although he wasn¡¯t sure if the weapon refined from this soul would be that sword, he was willing to take a gamble. He decided to see what those four Holy Relics diamonds were all about; if there were no weapons, he would use Faralis¡¯s soul to refine one. Chen Ke pulled out four Holy Relics diamonds from the bag, appraising all three white ones in one go. ¡°Consumed 60 minutes identifying Holy Relics...¡± [Priest¡¯s Battle Robe] [Durability: Average] [Mystical Protection: Magic Damage Reduction 20%] [Mystical Enhancement: Magic Enhancement 20%] [Priests of the Black Ring Sect seldom participate in frontal combat, but a group of them was secretly trained as Magic Swordsmen and hidden within the Order, becoming the Pope¡¯s covert agents.] A blue hooded robe almost like a corpse from the great library, but with narrowed sleeves likely designed for easier ice-blade wielding. ... [Hard Leather Legguards] [Durability: Poor] [Standard Protection Effect] [Thick canvas pants paired with leather guards provide great protection to the lower body¡¯s vital areas and are standard equipment for low-ranking soldiers of the Fan Hede Kingdom.] Brown pants, with leather protectors at the crotch and knees, appear to have a tactical effect similar to S.W.A.T. pants. ... [Priest¡¯s Mask] [Durability: Brand New] [Mental Protection: Sanity attack effect reduced by 15%] [A mask worn by high-level Great Master of the Black Ring Sect, an important accessory signifying status within the Order.] [Nylonde is the youngest and fastest-rising High-level Great Master within the Black Ring Sect. However, he is not skilled in any form of magic, and is far more adept at manipulating others and gaining their favor than performing magical feats.] This mask resembled an accessory carried during masquerade balls by the upper class, white, covering only the eyes, shaped like a pair of hands over the eyes. ... Chen Ke shook his head slightly; it wasn¡¯t that these three Holy Relics were useless, but they weren¡¯t great either. Fortunately, these three weren¡¯t in conflict, so they could at least be worn together. What¡¯s this blue diamond about? ¡°Consumed 20 minutes of life identifying Holy Relics...¡± A large iron grey shield stood in front of Chen Ke. [Automatic Standing Crossbowman¡¯s Shield] [Durability: Average] [Unbreakable: Greatly reduced durability consumption rate] [Inertia Absorption: All impact forces nullified by 80%] [Standing: The shield can stand on any ground.] [A large shield carried by crossbowmen, can be used as a defensive fortification once planted in the ground.] [The Fan Hede Kingdom is known for its powerful sword control team, but its pervasive arrow rain should also not be underestimated.] The shield was over a meter tall; Chen Ke, squatting, could completely hide behind it. He picked up the shield to test it¡ªit was heavy, but not too heavy to carry away. However, it was not suitable for prolonged use by hand. Its four affixes were simply perfect. Unbreakable, which would greatly extend the shield¡¯s usage time; Inertia Absorption, allowing him to defend confidently against any brute force attacks. Standing meant that Chen Ke didn¡¯t need to find a way to plant the shield in the ground; he just had to place it down, and it would automatically stand there. The four Holy Relics diamonds indeed had no weapon, but this was within Chen Ke¡¯s expectations. Chen Ke extended his hand, a ball of soul fire, white on the outside and black in the middle, twisted into appearance in his palm¡ªthe soul of a contract demon. He did not hesitate, crushing it immediately. ¡°Life Limit +10 hours...¡± Duang! A strange echo resounded in his mind, Chen Ke could now live for 20 hours! ¡°Just one more push and I can make it through a whole day,¡± Chen Ke thought to himself, ¡°Let¡¯s refine a weapon!¡± In Chen Ke¡¯s hand, another large ball of orange soul fire appeared, burning intensely like a great flame¡ªthat was Faralis¡¯ mighty soul. Chapter 79: 079 Pihom Calls Chapter 79: Chapter 079 Pihom Calls ¡°Let¡¯s see what weapon it actually is.¡± Chen Ke thought to himself as he crushed the soul fire in his hand. This time, the soul didn¡¯t scatter but grew increasingly bright in his palm, eventually forming a golden orb enveloping his right hand. Golden! He felt he had grabbed something¡ªa sword hilt. Chen Ke slowly pulled the weapon out of the orb. A sword hilt wrapped in red ribbon came into view, followed by a cross-like handguard and then a slender blade etched with patterns, identical to the one used by Faralis. The sword completely emerged from the orb, measuring at least 2 meters. The orb turned into orange specks of light that flickered twice in the air and then vanished without a trace. ... At that moment, the weight of the sword suddenly increased manifold. Chen Ke hurriedly used his left hand to assist, but even with both hands tightly gripping the hilt, the sword still clanged to the floor, carving a deep gash. Why was this sword so heavy? Although Chen Ke wasn¡¯t a muscular hunk, as an assassin, his physical condition far exceeded that of an average adult. Even so, the weight of the sword felt unreal, like a steel bar. His face turned red, and his arm muscles tensed up tightly. He had to exert all his strength just to barely lift the sword. If it took this much effort just to pick it up with both hands, using it was out of the question... Chen Ke looked at the sword, and an information box appeared before his eyes: [Faralis¡¯s Unyielding Fury] [Durability: General] [Justice: Adds Justice attribute to damage] [Charge: Increases charge speed by 50%, distance by 150%, and damage by 200%] (Skill missing) [Indestructible Blade: This weapon cannot be damaged] [Spirit Killer: This sword can harm Spiritual Bodies] [Beloved sword of Phoenix Princess Faralis, personally forged by King Fan Hede. This resolute sword reflects the princess¡¯s disdain for evil.] [Faralis used this sword to behead the Pope Mazville. However, her soul was offered to the dark ones, rendering her immune to death by sword...] The sword trembled and, with a ¡°whoosh¡±, transformed into a golden Holy Relics diamond in Chen Ke¡¯s hand. Apart from the orange Blasphemous Dagger, this two-handed sword was probably the first golden Holy Relic that Chen Ke had obtained. He had now seen white, blue, golden, and orange Holy Relics. Just from the affixes, one could see the tremendous differences among these Holy Relics. The affixes of this sword were even capable of enhancing a suspected Transcendent Skill! First, it inherently added the Justice attribute to the damage, an attribute Chen Ke had never encountered before, and it seemed incredibly potent. Next, it enhanced a skill called ¡°Charge¡± in terms of speed, distance, and power, unfortunately, Chen Ke didn¡¯t possess the manual for this skill. The affixes Indestructible Blade and Spirit Killer were astonishing; no matter whether the monsters had a physical form or not, Chen Ke could slay them with this sword without worrying about durability issues. Was this the power of a golden Holy Relic? The Holy Relics¡¯ affixes he had seen so far covered special effects, attribute enhancement, and skill enhancement... An idea lingered in his mind. Could one possibly center around one or several skills, using a golden Holy Relic and a few blue Holy Relics together for enhancement and transformation, to achieve a special kind of combat power enhancement? Perhaps that¡¯s exactly what the Administration Bureau and ¡°Superhumans¡± were doing. Chen Ke had intended to pull out the black ring candleholder from his bag, but it had already transformed into a blue Holy Relics diamond, likely during the moment he passed through the Teleportation Gate. The red indicator light on his Nokia E63 was blinking; Chen Ke hadn¡¯t turned on the vibration mode, so he was surprised to find someone was looking for him. He lit up his phone and discovered that there had been a missed call from Pihom at the exact same second. What was going on? The call time was all on March 23, 2009, at 5:22 PM. By his calculations, he had entered the Black Box Space at 1 PM and then was pulled into Fan Hede Kingdom... Considering the four-hour cooldown of the Teleportation Gate, only about five hours had passed since the street robbery... What urgent matter did Pihom have? Just as Chen Ke was about to stuff his phone back into his backpack, the phone¡¯s interface displayed the incoming call screen. Ah, it was Pihom. Chen Ke answered the call. ¡°Chen Ke? Is that you?¡± It was Pihom¡¯s voice on the other end. ¡°Pihom?¡± Chen Ke replied. ¡°Can you spare some time to come to the gun shop? I¡¯ve gotten things sorted with the offshore accounts and documents. Priskin also has something to show you,¡± Pihom said. ¡°That was fast,¡± Chen Ke responded with satisfaction, surprised that Pihom had managed it in just five hours, which would facilitate many things for Chen Ke. ¡°I have some connections over there, so it only took five days to handle, but it cost a bit more money.¡± Five days? ¡°Uh... What¡¯s the date today?¡± something dawned on Chen Ke. Time in the Great Void stands still... ¡°...It¡¯s March 29 today. What have you been up to these days?¡± Pihom was puzzled. ¡°Oh... It¡¯s nothing, my phone¡¯s timer is broken,¡± Chen Ke gave a perfunctory reply. Had six days really passed outside while he spent only five hours inside? ¡°You called me earlier, I missed it,¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°It was nothing, just wanted to inform you about the specific expenses, but I thought you wouldn¡¯t mind much,¡± Pihom chuckled. ¡°...¡± Chen Ke remained silent. ¡°Also, there¡¯s new progress with Bain, and we¡¯ll soon find out what exactly went wrong. Once this issue is settled, we can check out what Si¡¯s consortium has gotten their hands on,¡± Pihom¡¯s voice became sinister. After Si¡¯s consortium¡¯s team entered the Great Void, they likely opted to complete the ritual since they didn¡¯t have Chen Ke¡¯s ability to read soul memories. What exactly had they obtained? ¡°It¡¯s been six days; they must have moved the item to the safest place already,¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°I¡¯m familiar with these spiritual products. To evade the Administration Bureau¡¯s investigation, many smuggled Holy Relics are constantly moved from place to place, a process that can last for months. They mainly wait to see the Administration Bureau¡¯s response and whether they detect the smuggling activity before moving the smuggled Holy Relics to their company¡¯s territory, considering it absolutely safe,¡± Pihom confidently explained. ¡°It sounds like they wouldn¡¯t have had a chance to do so now,¡± Chen Ke nodded, well aware of what had happened six days ago. ¡°The West Gold Building just had a serious accident, lots of Administration Bureau personnel died, and this whole week has been full of intensive Holy Relics search operations. Si¡¯s consortium won¡¯t make a move hastily. We have plenty of time and opportunity,¡± Pihom said. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get ready and meet you at the gun shop in a bit,¡± Chen Ke finished speaking and hung up the phone. Chapter 80: 080 No 3 Chapter 80: Chapter 080 No 3 Chen Ke changed into his spare clothes and rearranged his backpack, when suddenly he got the idea to change his living quarters. Pihom had already helped him sort out some fake documents and a ghost registration, meaning that he could now shop and use services normally within the United Federation. The first thing he wanted to do was find a decent apartment to rent long term. Hotels and motels usually have a maximum stay period, and constantly moving between them was a highly inconvenient matter. Moreover, Chen Ke didn¡¯t want to carry all his belongings with him anymore; he needed a fixed base that could serve as a storage facility for his guns, ammunition, extra Holy Relics, and various supplies... With this in mind, Chen Ke hurriedly left the motor inn. ... His cellphone, after following Chen Ke into the Great Void, continued to operate on the date of March 23, 2009, resulting in a complete disjunction from the current time. However, once it connected to the network, the time immediately corrected itself. The current time was 9:42 AM, March 29th. It had just rained, leaving the ground wet. A large mass of rain clouds was moving southward, and the sunlight, shining down on him, brought a sense of warmth. At the motor inn¡¯s sign, Chris and his son Christopher were waiting for the bus, laden with bags big and small. ¡°Chris, and Christopher!¡± Chen Ke called out to greet them. ¡°Oh! Uh... sir.¡± Chris still didn¡¯t know Chen Ke¡¯s name. ¡°Call me Chen Ke. It looks like you guys are moving out?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°Yes, and I¡¯ve got good news, Mr. Chen. I found a new job,¡± Chris replied cheerfully. ¡°Oh? What kind of job?¡± Chen Ke asked with a smile. ¡°An internet video media editor¡ªthey promised to give me an advance on my first month¡¯s salary,¡± Chris said. ¡°That sounds pretty good, Chris. Maybe starting today, your luck will begin to turn around,¡± Chen Ke said, patting him on the shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I believe that as long as I persevere, happiness will eventually knock on my door,¡± Chris laughed, hehehe. ¡°Then give yourself a round of applause,¡± Chen Ke responded with a smile. After saying goodbye to Chris and his son, Chen Ke hailed a cab and headed over to Pihom¡¯s six-shooter gun shop. In the taxi, he pulled up the Soul Menu again, curious to see what exactly that third soul in his possession was. ¡°Let¡¯s just call this ability a ¡®Soul Vessel,''¡± he thought to himself, as if he had just thought of something. The interface for the Soul Vessel appeared, with only one white soul remaining on the screen. Chen Ke focused his attention on this cluster of soul: [Lin Mo sealed soul] [Function: ????] [A dissipated soul tightly bound by an invisible force.] [Even a deeply sinful assassin has memories he wants to protect.] Chen Ke¡¯s eyes widened in shock¡ªLin Mo... The original owner¡¯s soul was actually in his hands! No wonder the contract demon had been chasing after him for this soul... But this raised another question: How did Si¡¯s consortium squad get out? Looking at the white soul, thoughts churned in Chen Ke¡¯s mind. Could he be replaced by the original owner¡¯s soul? However, looking at the information about the soul, it was marked ¡°dissipated.¡± Could bursting this soul extend his own life? The function column was all question marks, so he had no idea what it really was. He must be vigilant and nip any potential problems in the bud. Although Chen Ke didn¡¯t know if this soul would backlash against him, he disliked taking risks. I crossed over on my own merit, and now this life and body are mine! Pinch! Chen Ke glanced at the taxi driver, who was focused on driving. He lowered his hand to let the back of the chair block him, and then tried to conjure Lin Mo¡¯s soul in the palm of his hand. He failed. Chen Ke narrowed his eyes, somewhat puzzled. He tried several more times but still couldn¡¯t extract Lin Mo¡¯s soul from the soul vessel, it seemed that he didn¡¯t need to worry about this thing for now, let it quietly stay inside for the time being. The taxi passed the West Gold Building Black Box Space, and Chen Ke glanced at it, surprised to find that the building was surrounded by construction equipment and the part above the fifth floor had vanished into thin air. Even the Black Box cover had been cracked open by the explosion, it looked like the authorities were preparing to demolish the building. After Chen Ke was sucked into the Fan Hede Kingdom, he naturally didn¡¯t know that the singularity of the door had caused a massive explosion, he suspected whether it was the Administration Bureau who had chosen to bomb the building with missiles to deal with the contract demon... He didn¡¯t know whether Yang Xiao and Sleery survived... Chen Ke shook his head. This incident started because of him, but he couldn¡¯t be blamed either, if it weren¡¯t for Si¡¯s consortium¡¯s actions, this building wouldn¡¯t have turned into the Black Box. They should go to Si¡¯s consortium to claim their lives. The ride was quiet, and the car stopped outside the Six-Shooter Gun Shop. Chen Ke met with Pihom and got his forged documents and offshore account, which Pihom had paid specially for as a reward for the last operation. ¡°Your account has received 50,000.00 union coins.¡± Chen Ke¡¯s phone vibrated, receiving a message. ¡°This is your payment for last time, although we failed, I think I should still give you a small amount,¡± Pihom said with a smile. Chen Ke examined his fake documents again, all kinds of documents like driver¡¯s licenses and passports were placed in a leather envelope, even though he hadn¡¯t provided a photo, there was still the face of a man who looked almost the same as him. ¡°Freaking amazing, how did you do this?¡± Chen Ke could hardly believe it. ¡°As long as you¡¯re willing to spend money, anything is possible,¡± Pihom chuckled creepily. Chen Ke gave Pihom a strange look and didn¡¯t ask further about how he did it; after all, the underworld has its own ways of doing things. ¡°These documents cost a total of 50,000 union coins, so there¡¯s only 50,000 left in your offline account, the bulk was spent on forging the photo. The money in this offline account can be used without issues because we have transferred it through a domestic capital account, the cost being that every expenditure has a 0.2% commission deducted,¡± Pihom reminded. Chen Ke nodded. Although he needed to spend a bit more, considering the money he would earn in the future wouldn¡¯t likely be clean, the extra fee was worth it. ¡°Any news from Bain?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°There¡¯s some difficulty in making progress, but we¡¯re not completely clueless, give him some time. You really remind me of my younger days, Chen! Always focused on the goal, never slacking!¡± Pihom expressed his admiration. ¡°Yeah, how can we afford to be idle when time is limited, a new storm has emerged, how can we stand still?¡± Chen Ke laughed. ¡°Come on, Priskin has something to show you, and I want you to meet our mask artist,¡± Pihom gestured with a tilt of his head, leading Chen Ke through the Red Door. The safehouse was noisy with the sounds of TV speakers, electric drills, and constant hammering, a lively scene indeed. Hall¡¯s ears had healed, and he was sitting in his corner wearing a blue shirt, playing PS3. To his surprise, the game on the TV was ¡°The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion¡±... Next to it, on the small coffee table, there was a pile of PS3 game cases. Chen Ke recognized ¡°Splinter Cell 4: Double Agent,¡± ¡°Uncharted 2: Among Thieves,¡± ¡°Assassin¡¯s Creed,¡± ¡°Half-Life 2: The Orange Box,¡± ¡°Fallout 3¡ä¡ä... Chen Ke couldn¡¯t help but walk over and pat Hall on the shoulder. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re here? What have you been up to these days?¡± Hall greeted with a smile. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect you to be such a hardcore gamer?¡± Chen Ke exclaimed. ¡°Damn, I love gaming, I rob just so I can have money to buy games!¡± Hall said earnestly. Chen Ke was dumbfounded. ¡°Just joking, man! If you had as many enemies as I do, always risking being killed the moment you step outside, you¡¯d know why I can only play games,¡± Hall shook his head. ¡°Alright...¡± Chen Ke shrugged. ¡°Speaking of which, you play games?¡± Hall asked. ¡°Occasionally...¡± replied Chen Ke. ¡°I love Half-Life, I wonder when they will come up with their next game... Seems I¡¯ve talked too much, Priskin is looking for you, you should go see him,¡± Hall said with a laugh. Chen Ke nodded with a smile, always holding back on telling Hall that ¡°Half-Life¡± didn¡¯t have a third installment. Chapter 81: 081 Chen, Madhava, Leibniz Chapter 81: Chapter 081 Chen, Madhava, Leibniz Priskin was in his workshop, figuring out how to convert a shotgun into a Gatling. His work had already started to show some results; he had disassembled at least eight shotguns and was trying to feed twelve gauge deer bullets into eight barrels at once with a pump-action loading mechanism... ¡°Pihom knocked on the door of Priskin¡¯s workshop. ¡°Priskin, how is your ultimate weapon coming along?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not going smoothly, but the weapon I modified for Chen Ke is finished, and you¡¯re going to love it!¡± Priskin put down his work and said with a smile. Chen Ke leaned against the door frame, smiling amicably. Priskin turned around and took out a modified M16A2 from a gun case, pulled the charging handle a few times, then handed it to Chen Ke. Chen Ke¡¯s eyes lit up. The M16A2 no longer resembled the original weapon from the outside appearance; it had a longer barrel and a stabilizing stock, the original factory handle on top was removed and replaced with an Aimpoint M2 scope. ... The stock handguard was replaced with one equipped with a Picatinny rail, complete with a bipod and an angled foregrip, and a suppressor was added as well. ¡°This is yours, ¡®Countdown to Life¡¯. You should really take it to the range for a try, get a feel for it,¡± Priskin said proudly. ¡°Praise him, Chen Ke, Priskin treats every modified gun as a work of art. He¡¯s showing off his masterpiece to you,¡± Pihom said, laughing. ¡°This gun doesn¡¯t need my praise; just looking at it, I know it won¡¯t disappoint me,¡± Chen Ke said as he took the gun and examined it. It felt really cool to the touch, way more impressive than the Fire Kirin I bought in CF. ¡°This is a nice long-range suppression weapon, but I still have to remind you, Chen Ke, the postman¡¯s operations are diverse, you need to prepare the most suitable weapons for different kinds of operations. At least, this gun is usually hard to carry around because it¡¯s too long,¡± Pihom commented. ¡°Besides hijacking vehicles, what else will we do, Pihom? Why not take this time to explain?¡± Chen Ke asked, leaning against the door. ¡°In fact, last time¡¯s hijacking operation is not our usual way of doing things. As a rule, we don¡¯t use our guns unless necessary,¡± Pihom said with a smile. ¡°So, you mean covert operations? Those where you wear tight suits and pick locks in the night?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°That¡¯s part of it, but not all, and you don¡¯t need to wear tight suits... unless you want to... Theoretically, the definition of a covert operation is very broad here. Aside from not being discovered, making everyone shut up and comply counts too,¡± Pihom explained. ¡°Oh...¡± Chen Ke roughly understood. Bursting in, making everyone get down, grabbing the stuff, and running away, that also counts as a covert operation; after all, by the time security forces arrived, one would be far away... ¡°Last operation, Priskin and Hall rated your performance very highly. Did you really make four S.W.A.T. officers surrender just with a word from you?¡± Pihom asked with narrowed eyes. A chill went down the back of Chen Ke¡¯s neck. ¡°More or less,¡± he replied evasively. ¡°It was fucking urgent at that time. I saw Hall pinned to the ground with four MP5s at his head. I didn¡¯t think, I just felt that Hall was either going to get killed or definitely be taken away, but when Chen Ke went up and shouted, the four S.W.A.T. members just obediently put their guns down on the ground. Fuck, if you were there, you would have been as surprised as I was,¡± Priskin added with excitement. ¡°How did you do it?¡± Pihom seemed intent on getting to the bottom of it. ¡°I¡¯m not really sure, maybe they just subconsciously...¡± Chen Ke racked his brain for various reasons, trying to come up with a lie that would convince Pihom. He couldn¡¯t very well say it was all thanks to his killing intent, right? The three fell silent for a while. ¡°Hahaha! I don¡¯t give a damn how you did it, I just hope you can keep doing it!¡± Pihom and Priskin suddenly burst out laughing. ¡°Alright... I¡¯ll do my best,¡± Chen Ke said, chuckling along and wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. After leaving Priskin, Pihom took Chen Ke to the next room, where a woman was sitting at a work table, painting a blank mask with her back to the door. Noticing someone standing behind her, the woman turned around with an annoyed look on her face. ¡°Old Man Pi, you know I don¡¯t like being disturbed while I¡¯m creating,¡± the woman said, her voice deep and magnetic, with a distinct rolled accent. Chen Ke took a good look at the woman, she was very sturdy, with skin like Dove chocolate, long brownish-black hair tied into a ponytail, wearing a dark purple crop-top tank and a black sleeveless leather jacket, black leggings and short boots, with a gun holster tied to her thigh, holding a black Glock pistol inside. Her features were tough, lips painted with purple lipstick, and Chen Ke guessed she was of Latin American descent. The woman glanced at Pihom, then looked over at Chen Ke, her gaze lingering on him as she sized him up. ¡°Just introducing you to a new member, we won¡¯t bother you too long,¡± Pihom said with a smile. ¡°Is this the new guy who made four S.W.A.T. members drop to their knees just by opening his mouth?¡± the woman asked, looking at Chen Ke. ¡°She is Lucina, our mask artist here and...¡± Pihom stopped midway through his introduction. ¡°And arm-wrestling champion, best assault specialist, master of locks, fight expert... Just because you bluffed four S.W.A.T members doesn¡¯t mean you can bluff me... Your name is Chen Ke, right?¡± Lucina said with contempt. ¡°Sounds like you¡¯re not easy to mess with,¡± shrugged Chen Ke. ¡°When Lucina has her sights on you, you¡¯re as good as dead; I¡¯m not joking.¡± At this moment, Hall passed by the doorway and added a comment. ¡°Go screw yourself, noob Hall,¡± Lucina flipped him off. ¡°Tonight, I will conquer you! Last time was just your luck! Another three hundred rounds tonight!¡± Hall stuck his head in again to add his comment before quickly scurrying off. Chen Ke looked at Lucina with a strange gleam in his eyes. ¡°He means Tekken 5 on the PS3, that noob has never won against me,¡± shrugged Lucina. ¡°Excuse me for being blunt... but we have a teammate in the hands of others... and it looks like you all are not in the slightest hurry...¡± said Chen Ke. ¡°Don¡¯t doubt our unity, little brother, we¡¯re like... like a big colorful clump of Play-Doh! Even though we all have our own colors, we¡¯ve long since become one. It¡¯s not that we aren¡¯t worried; it¡¯s just no use worrying now, so, don¡¯t force yourself, understand?¡± Lucina explained. ¡°I like that analogy,¡± chuckled Pihom, crossing his arms. Chen Ke sighed and looked past Lucina to the unfinished mask on the workbench behind her. The mask¡¯s design was that of a ferocious ghostface, as if it was baring its teeth and sneering at everyone, only missing a line saying ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a nice mask.¡± Noticing Lucina watching him, Chen Ke offered his comment. ¡°That¡¯s the mask I¡¯m preparing for you,¡± said Lucina. ¡°Oh? For me? Why such a ferocious face?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°Every mask represents a unique courier, and this face represents your way of doing things, inspired by your deed of holding steady four S.W.A.T. members with just a shout,¡± Lucina clapped her hands as if sharing her creative epiphany. ¡°Sounds reasonable,¡± Chen Ke was noncommittal. ¡°So, Chen Ke, do you have a nickname?¡± Lucina inquired. ¡°Huh?¡± Chen Ke was taken aback. ¡°Lucina likes to address acquaintances in her own way...¡± Pihom shook his head. That just means she likes giving people nicknames... ¡°Looks like you don¡¯t have one, so I¡¯ll give you one. How about Chen, Mad Fak, Ke for short? Mad Fak,¡± Lucina said with a laugh. ¡°That¡¯s not funny, Lucina, I don¡¯t like you calling me that,¡± Chen Ke shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not up to you; let¡¯s arm-wrestle. If I win, that¡¯s what I¡¯ll call you, if I lose, you can call me whatever you want...¡± Lucina proposed with a smile. ¡°Bring it on, am I afraid of you?¡± Chen Ke laughed and walked over. Chapter 82: 082: Wonder Woman Chapter 82: Chapter 082: Wonder Woman March 25, at 7:30 a.m. Opportunity City Memorial Cemetery. Dark clouds swirled overhead, and the sky was somber. A fine drizzle ran down the car window, leaving tear streaks as if the entire city were weeping. This was the largest cemetery in Opportunity City, not open to the public, and those buried here were retired or had died in the line of duty from the military and the Administration Bureau. Countless soldiers considered it an honor to be buried in this cemetery after death, but most civil servants of the new era tried to avoid this issue as much as possible. More than ten black Mercedes were parked along the roadside of the cemetery, and dozens of men and women dressed in black suits stood on an empty patch of ground, their expressions somber and the atmosphere oppressively heavy. ¡°All that silently passes by, this world will not end. Rest in peace, my love, your soul will continue. Your birth and your existence were only to pass on the verses of hope, forever. I dedicate these tears to you, a new language of love. We will be grateful for the days of dreams and happiness you have given us. Here, where I first met you, until eternity. I walked across that dimly lit lawn... I will not be afraid, for your soul is with me...¡± ... The Priest, holding the Bible, stood in front of the grave, reading the eulogy, while workers carefully lowered a black lacquered coffin into the pit and covered it with the flag of the United Federation. Diana, in all black, was silent as she dropped a white flower on the coffin lid, silently watching the workers fill the grave with soil. That was Violet¡¯s coffin. When the building began to collapse and boulders fell from the sky, the P.W.A.T stationed on the 6th floor to guard the gate were evaporated in an instant by the intense Spiritual Energy explosion, and the members on the higher floors were killed on the spot. In the lobby on the first floor, only two investigators survived; all other personnel perished, their deaths horrific. Violet had her abdomen pierced by an unknown monster. Diana didn¡¯t know how long she suffered before she died, but later learned from the mission report that Violet and her team had encountered a contract demon. This incident was indeed related to the Blasphemous Dagger. Diana already knew the cause of the entire incident just by guessing: someone used the Blasphemous Dagger to actively open the gateway to the Great Void, but something unforeseen happened, preventing the contract from being completed... Logically, this shouldn¡¯t have happened. If the gate was opened, it meant that the contract had been carried out. Could there be another possibility? The contract was halfway executed when the soul meant to be sacrificed was taken back... Diana shook her head. If there really was such a way, contract demons would be found all over the world by now, and the Administration Bureau was well aware of the Spiritual Businesses overstepping their boundaries. Under a nearby tree, a middle-aged woman stood with a young girl, quietly looking at another coffin waiting to be buried. That was Mrs. Morgan and her daughter. Diana approached, trying to offer some comfort to the mother and daughter. ¡°Mrs. Morgan?¡± Diana said softly. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m sorry, but I am not quite in the state to talk right now,¡± Mrs. Morgan replied. Diana could see she was a strong-willed woman, but no matter how composed she appeared, she couldn¡¯t hide her slightly swollen eyes and the tear streaks on her face. ¡°I¡¯m Diana, from the CPA, not in the same department as Morgan, but still comrade-in-arms. We are all very sorry about what happened to him,¡± Diana said. ¡°Morgan wasn¡¯t easy to get along with, but he was a good man...¡± Mrs. Morgan sighed. ¡°Yes... we know, God will watch over him...¡± Diana agreed. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you save him?¡± Suddenly, Morgan¡¯s young daughter interjected. ¡°Oona... I¡¯m sorry, she¡¯s still young,¡± Mrs. Morgan said, pressing Oona¡¯s shoulders apologetically, looking at Diana. ¡°It¡¯s okay... I understand how she feels right now,¡± Diana smiled, squatting down to Oona¡¯s level. The little girl¡¯s eyes were as stubborn and unyielding as Morgan¡¯s, her cherubic face flushed red, choking back a sentiment of dissatisfaction and resentment as she stared at Diana. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you save him?¡± Oona asked again. ¡°I couldn¡¯t save him at the time... I¡¯m sorry,¡± Diana apologized. ¡°You¡¯re Wonder Woman, you must have had a way! Why didn¡¯t you save my dad?¡± Oona said, tears rolling uncontrollably in her eyes, still clutching a Wonder Woman doll in her hand. ¡°There¡¯s no Wonder Woman in this world... Oona. We¡¯re very sorry about your dad...¡± Diana said gently, who was just a comic book character, whereas she was just an ordinary person who had to inject and withdraw Spiritual Energy every month. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Diana... Oona is just too upset,¡± Mrs. Morgan said as she hugged Oona, her mood somewhat downcast. ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize, Mrs. Morgan... It¡¯s no one¡¯s fault...¡± Diana shook her head. ¡°Dad lied to me... He said he knew Wonder Woman... He was always lying to me,¡± Oona said as she threw the Wonder Woman doll on the ground and embraced her mother. Mrs. Morgan helplessly shook her head, wrapping her arms around Oona and slowly walking away. Diana squatted on the ground, picking up the Wonder Woman doll that Oona had dropped. ¡°Peace and freedom are not achievements but responsibilities. They come at a great cost, but I am willing to pay that price, even if I¡¯m the only one, that¡¯s still better than nobody.¡± After the coffins were all buried, CPA Director Steve Rogers stood at the temporary podium on behalf of the Administration Bureau and delivered a speech, with the authorities from CPA and the families of the deceased gathered solemnly in front of the podium, listening intently. ¡°However, fortunately, even in this age where incomprehensible things are becoming rampant, we are not alone. Countless heroes have succeeded one another, wielding powers far beyond ordinary people, fighting selflessly for the well-being of everyone else in this world.¡± ¡°Our sacrifices will yield peace for everyone in the world so that they won¡¯t need to sit around a small campfire, afraid of what they do not understand.¡± ¡°No one wants to live in the fear of the unknown, but those unexplainable things have never truly left our sight. If God does not heed our calls, then it is up to us to stand up.¡± ¡°Letting others live ordinary and normal lives is our duty, even if such life requires the exchange of our own lives, which we are willing to do.¡± ¡°They will not have sacrificed in vain; we will not forget them, for they are the guardians of human history. Rest in peace, may you have a smooth journey.¡± Steve Rogers concluded and looked up. ¡°May you have a smooth journey,¡± the agents of the CPA also said. After the ceremony was over, people began to leave in groups. Steve Rogers and Diana met at the entrance to the cemetery. ¡°I can tell you¡¯re under a lot of pressure,¡± Steve Rogers asked with concern. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t gone to drain it the day before yesterday, it should have been me who died...¡± Diana said softly. ¡°Don¡¯t think like that; it¡¯s no one¡¯s fault. We all know the risks we take facing these things,¡± Steve Rogers said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry... but I feel like I haven¡¯t done enough,¡± Diana shook her head. ¡°Then don¡¯t apologize, just strive to do better, but don¡¯t be too hard on yourself,¡± Steve Rogers said. ¡°Thank you, Rogers, I feel much better,¡± Diana smiled and nodded. ¡°Can I take you home?¡± Steve Rogers asked. ¡°No thanks, I drove,¡± Diana said. After bidding each other farewell, Diana got into her red muscle car. She pulled out the Wonder Woman toy, looked at it for a long time, twisted it into a sitting position, and placed it in front of the windshield. Chapter 83: 083 Bader is Busy Chapter 83: Chapter 083 Bader is Busy The casualties from the West Gold Building operation were all from the P.W.A.T. department and the CPA department, so FPI didn¡¯t send anyone; they just issued a condolence email internally. FPI Special Operations Office. Bader moved the email to the trash and opened the mission briefing for the West Gold Building operation, reading it carefully. The camera of the operation team captured blurry images, but the contract demon and the expanded doorway were indeed filmed, and there were other surviving investigators on site... The thief who stole the Spiritual Ability Pistol was also in the building at that time, however, none of the bodies matched... Where the hell is he? ... After quickly reading it a few times, he looked around and plugged his USB drive into the USB port, downloading and saving the content of the emails. ¡°Bader, are you still on that case with the lost pistol? I heard it was indefinitely shelved?¡± a female colleague asked as she passed by. ¡°Yes, after the building exploded no one survived, but we still haven¡¯t found that pistol, all clues have ended, we can only shelve it temporarily,¡± Bader responded as he pressed the Win+D keys, hiding the copying progress bar. ¡°Congratulations, Bader, one less headache for you,¡± the female colleague said. ¡°Don¡¯t let the boss hear you,¡± Bader replied with a smile. The funeral took place at 4 p.m. on the day. Bader left the FPI headquarters, took the bus for seven stops, alighted, looked around, and hailed a taxi to the suburbs, paid the fare, waited ten minutes, and then a black sedan arrived. He got in the car, checking that no one was around, and the car took him towards the Raffi Road District in Opportunity City. Si¡¯s Consortium Headquarters Building. This building, entirely black like a tombstone, stood quietly at the center of the Raffi Road commercial district. Each time Bader entered Si¡¯s Consortium building, he found it unbelievable. Black Crystal Stone-like glass columns supported the first-floor lobby, which was extremely mesmerizing and grand. The floor was made entirely of high-strength glass under which large screens displayed videos of canyon skies and deep seas, dreamlike as if walking above the Abyss. This was only a branch building of Si¡¯s Consortium; Bader couldn¡¯t imagine what the headquarters would look like... Bader took the elevator to the forty-first floor, where several burly men in sunglasses stared fiercely at him and pulled out specially-made electrical induction pistols to point at him while another bodyguard searched him. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, man, it¡¯s not my first time here,¡± Bader said helplessly. His Spiritual Ability USP pistol and a small bag containing the Holy Relic diamonds were taken from him. ¡°You¡¯ll get your stuff back when you leave, not a thing less, follow me,¡± the bodyguard said. Bader followed him to another elevator and went to the top floor of the building. The bodyguard led him to a spacious reception room and then quietly exited, closing the door. Now alone, Bader stood next to the floor-to-ceiling windows; on the luxurious reception table, there was a bottle of red wine and a wine glass; he poured himself a glass, the wine red as if it were fresh blood. Outside the window, from the height of the building, one could overlook half of Opportunity City, a large river bisected the city, and on the other side of the river, the remnants of the West Gold Building in Gun Tie District were faintly visible. ¡°Clang...¡± The door to the reception room was pushed open, followed by a series of clanging footsteps. Bader turned his head and looked at the newcomer, slightly bowing. The newcomer was a stout but dignified middle-aged man in a black business suit, walking with a calm demeanor. He walked briskly, but Bader could tell he was somewhat jittery and uneasy, fearing someone or something? The middle-aged man was Pankia, Bader¡¯s employer, the chairman of Si¡¯s Consortium. ¡°The West Gold Building exploded the day before yesterday, I could see the flash from here, even felt the vibration! And I heard, the sacrificial offerings were inside...¡± Bader nodded slightly, also somewhat shocked; Pankia could know so much information, it seemed he placed great importance on that matter. ¡°No one survived, the P.W.A.T.¡¯s combat cameras were also damaged, not much was captured. But we still confirmed the presence of the contract demon,¡± Bader said. He saw a flash of surprise cross Pankia¡¯s face. Actually, even Bader was very surprised. The Blasphemous Dagger and contract demon were bound together, and it wouldn¡¯t appear unless the ritual¡¯s taboo was broken. ¡°Contract demon... you better be fucking sure that it is the contract demon. You didn¡¯t see it wrong, did you?¡± Pankia asked in a domineering tone. ¡°I am definitely sure it was. In other words, that night you used the Blasphemous Dagger to open the door, and it was successful?¡± Bader countered. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business,¡± Pankia said, turning his head and starting to think. The ritual itself was not at fault. The beast hunters had all already returned... Why... ¡°With your FPI agent¡¯s intuition, why do you think the sacrifice did not die?¡± Pankia changed the topic. Bader fell into thought, not contemplating the cause of the sacrifice¡¯s death but feeling he had probably disappointed Pankia this time. Pankia seemed to care a lot about the sacrifice that hadn¡¯t died, an obsession that had manifested into various actions, such as spies and drones. If Si¡¯s consortium had a satellite, Bader was absolutely convinced he would use it to conduct a thorough search of the West Gold Building. ¡°Logically speaking, since the door was opened, the ritual wasn¡¯t problematic.¡± Bader spoke after a long contemplation. ¡°You should be aware of the condition in which the door opened...¡± ¡°Of course... of course... But he didn¡¯t die, he is still alive. Weren¡¯t you present at the time?¡± Pankia leaned forward slightly, arms crossed, his face full of distrust. ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t there, and I can¡¯t speculate why the sacrifice didn¡¯t die; perhaps he has already died in an explosion,¡± Bader answered. Pankia walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and gazed toward the West Gold Building, asking, ¡°Have you found the body?¡± ¡°No,¡± Bader answered truthfully. ¡°Then he definitely didn¡¯t die,¡± Pankia turned around and looked into Bader¡¯s eyes. Bader avoided his gaze. Though Pankia was not a Spiritual Ability User, as one of the wealthiest 10% of his generation, his arrogance was enough to crush the fragile self-confidence of any Spiritual Ability User who had to inject themselves monthly. ¡°You are so sure? Maybe his last survival was just pure luck. We don¡¯t understand enough about the principles behind the Blasphemous Dagger,¡± Bader said. Pankia didn¡¯t speak further, his gaze returning toward the direction of the West Gold Building and waved his hand dismissively. Bader knew Pankia was dismissing him and, watching his back, helplessly shook his head and quietly left the drawing-room. When closing the door, he heard the sound of a glass shattering. 10 PM. Opportunity City, Gun Tie District, Fallen Angel Bar. Bader sat down at the bar and knocked on the table three times. ¡°Ding, ding, ding...¡± The handsome bartender put down his cocktail shaker, smiled, and came over to Bader. ¡°What would you like, sir?¡± ¡°Happy fatso water.¡± Hearing this, the bartender glanced at the nearby bodyguard, who got the hint and slowly approached. ¡°Ordering happy fatso water in a bar, are you looking for trouble?¡± ¡°Come make me uncomfortable then.¡± The bodyguard patted Bader¡¯s shoulder, and Bader turned around, tactfully stood up. ¡°Take him upstairs,¡± the bartender instructed. Chapter 84: 084 Secret Meeting Chapter 84: Chapter 084 Secret Meeting The aggressive and crude electronic music was unbearably loud as the bodyguard led Bader through the dance floor to a door marked ¡°Staff Only.¡± Bader pushed open the door and followed the staircase upward, where the blaring music slowly faded away. A red light split the staircase in two, where he stood was still the narrow, cramped bar staircase, but the area covered by the red light turned into a lavish staircase laid with purple sandalwood. Bader knew it was an illusion. He composed himself and stepped into the red halo, his leather shoes creaking on the wooden stairs. At the top of the staircase, a carved wooden door was ajar. Bader gently pushed it open to see a small room, less than twenty square meters, decorated with an ancient courtly flair of the Fei Huang Republic. Three women in sleeveless cheongsams sat at a square table. These three women looked identical, distinguishable only by their red, blue, and black cheongsams. Their heads were covered with semi-transparent black veils, and each had a mole at the corner of her mouth. The cheongsams had enticing cutouts at the chest, and their three pairs of long, white, elegant legs were gracefully positioned together, each wearing high heels that matched the color of her cheongsam. Bader quietly closed the door, stood silently in front of the square table, and bowed three times to the three women before pulling out a deck of playing cards from his coat. ... He threw an ace onto the table, which slid for a moment and stopped in the center. The image on the card gradually vanished, transforming into a moving picture of a man rising from a pool of blood and killing an intruder with a dagger. The corners of the women¡¯s mouths slightly curled upwards. Bader then tossed out a queen. The card showed an ancient Medieval kingdom on a cliff with a white cathedral. As the viewpoint zoomed in, a group of armed men cautiously advanced along the cliffside corridor. The woman in the red cheongsam stretched out her pale arm and delicately applauded. A jack slid onto the table, displaying a contract demon tearing open a portal to the West Gold Building, slaughtering members of the P.W.A.T. squad and CPA agents. Simultaneously, the figure of an Asian man flashed by... One card after another was thrown, one image after another unveiled events that had occurred inside the West Gold Building and the Great Void opened by Si¡¯s consortium¡ªall within view. Bader threw the last card, showing an image of an Asian woman with long hair, wearing sunglasses and riding a motorcycle across the interstate highway in the night. ¡°The actions of Si¡¯s consortium are getting more aggressive,¡± the woman in the black cheongsam said coldly, her voice ethereal, like a long-dead demon. ¡°The ritual had some problems. The sacrifice didn¡¯t die and looks rather delicious... heeheehee,¡± the woman in the red cheongsam covered her mouth with a giggling, her smile stretching to her ears, revealing a row of pearly white teeth. ¡°The woman is here too, I hope she doesn¡¯t die before we find her,¡± the woman in the blue cheongsam extended a black tongue like a snake¡¯s flicking her lips. ¡°You¡¯ve done well, Yasla will reward you.¡± The woman in black waved her hand, and Bader felt something heavy in his shirt pocket. He quickly felt for it and pulled out a dark jade pendant. ¡°Keep it in a safe place. You can resurrect from where it is placed when you¡¯re killed, but only once,¡± the woman in black said calmly. Bader¡¯s skin twitched... another curious artifact. If Holy Relics were weapons and equipment, then curious artifacts were miracles with indescribable powers! Even with his clearance at FPI, Bader couldn¡¯t access even one artifact which were highly treasured by nations. The deck of cards in Bader¡¯s hand was also a curious artifact, its purpose was to receive retinal images and memories transmitted from somewhere, but Bader did not know who sent these items. He quickly bowed deeply. ¡°Are you still looking for the whereabouts of the sacrifice?¡± the woman in the red cheongsam asked. Bader nodded, and she seemed particularly fond of the sacrifice. ¡°I quite like him. I want to make him my pet, then play every night... Oh my, how shy... heehee,¡± the woman in red giggled behind her hand. ¡°As a human, you¡¯re quite useful. Yasla will need your assistance in the future. But remember, don¡¯t betray us, don¡¯t deceive us, don¡¯t expose us. Or else, death, death, death,¡± the woman in black waved her hand. Bader bowed three times again and slowly backed out of the room with his waist bent and his face toward the ground. When he looked up, there was no room¡ªjust a wall. At 11 PM on Raffi Road residential area, rows of two-story standalone houses lined up along the road, under the moonlight, the white rooftops were particularly glaring. Bader drove his Ford Mustang toward his home. Midway, he stopped the car, thought for a moment, threw the jade pendant given by the woman in the black cheongsam onto the car, and pulled out his issued gun from its holster, checked the bullets, loaded, switched off the safety, and put it back in the holster. He was about 500 meters from his home. Bader didn¡¯t take the car keys, threw the Holy Relics diamond kept with him into the car¡¯s storage locker, and walked toward his home. His front door was ajar; someone had been there. He knew who. Bader entered the room calmly, the interior pitch black and devoid of people. He smiled without turning on the light and slowly walked into the bedroom. As soon as he entered the bedroom, the door slowly closed behind him, and three figures appeared behind him. A skinny, blind old man in yellow Hanfu sat by the door. His body was as thin as a bamboo stick, but his stomach was disproportionately large. His eyes were placed at an awkward angle, making him look very strange. A young girl from Sunrise Country, clad in a white kimono and with long black straight hair, floated silently in mid-air. She was as beautiful as a porcelain doll, but her expression was dull. She had two small black dots protruding from her forehead, her eyes were pupil-less and pitch-black, and her head trembled slightly at a constant frequency. A muscular man with only one eye stood next to the television. His muscles were knotted into lumps, his bare arms as thick as an adult¡¯s torso. The muscles on his back formed a demonic face, his expression cold. ¡°Do you know the consequences of betraying us?¡± the old man asked. Bader sighed. He had already felt something in the air interfering with the functioning of the Spiritual Energy in his spine. This was why he hadn¡¯t brought any Holy Relics. The blind old man seemed to have the ability to disrupt the use of Spiritual Energy by humans. He reached inside his coat. ¡°Before you- pull out- the gun- you- will- die,¡± the girl said haltingly, accompanied by a strange buzzing sound. ¡°You disclosed our whereabouts to Yasla, causing us heavy losses. We cannot let you live,¡± the one-eyed muscular man said in a dull voice, like that of a cow. Bader remained silent, knowing there was no room for negotiation. Without the jade pendant, he feared tonight might be his undoing. But he also had his doubts¡ªwas that jade pendant truly that miraculous? ¡°My daughter- also died- just last- night- by- Yasla- such a pity, I want- to use your- guts to- console my- daughter,¡± the girl in white buzzed. ¡°You should have known not to trust humans. This matter didn¡¯t concern you. If you had just stayed our spy, you could have lived in peace,¡± the blind old man rubbed his eyes. ¡°This is the United Federation. I do what I want,¡± Bader sneered, unlocking his gun holster. An invisible thread immediately flew in, entangling his wrist. ¡°I told you- before you draw- you will die,¡± the girl in white laughed hoarsely, shooting out more threads to wrap Bader. ¡°You misunderstood; I wasn¡¯t going to draw my gun.¡± Bader smiled, aiming the gun at his own heart and pulling the trigger. ¡°Bang!¡± A gunshot sounded. The bullet spiraled into Bader¡¯s body, piercing his heart. His face contorted, and as everything went dark, he suddenly found himself in the driver¡¯s seat of a Mustang. ¡°Darn, that¡¯s fucking awesome!¡± Bader gasped for air, exclaiming in surprise. He was still wearing the same clothes from before his death, and the gun was still in its holster. It seemed the jade pendant had backed up his entire being... Looking at a house 500 meters away, he turned the key to start the car, immediately reversed, and then floored the gas pedal, heading north without ever looking back. Now was not the time to hesitate! While driving, Bader pondered over this bizarre era, where whoever could reach the extraordinary had the power to reshape history. Whether it was Si¡¯s consortium or Yasla, their desires ultimately converged. Pankia, as the nominal chairman and supreme leader of the consortium, was actually controlled by someone behind the scenes. But their exploration of the Great Void was relentless and beginning to show results. Yasla was all non-human... Would he become like them if he cooperated? His thoughts churned relentlessly. Back in Bader¡¯s apartment, looking at threads all over the floor, the girl in white, the blind old man, and the muscular one-eyed man wore expressions of resentment. After Bader¡¯s suicide, he had turned into black smoke and disappeared right before their eyes. ¡°This human- has found- a new support!¡± the girl in white said. ¡°He¡¯s smart, but he won¡¯t run for long. We¡¯ll take care of him along with that woman,¡± the blind old man nodded. The muscular one-eyed man said nothing, simply smashing the television into a hole. The three transformed into black mist and dispersed. Chapter 85: 085: Wheres the Sun? Chapter 85: Chapter 085: Where¡¯s the Sun? ¡°` March 29, noon. The life countdown timer at the corner of his eye kept ticking away, with 17 hours and 57 minutes of life remaining. But at this moment, Chen Ke lay in the bathtub, stark naked, enjoying a bubble bath and sipping champagne. Finding a comfortable and cheap rental apartment in Opportunity City wasn¡¯t actually that hard, and with Hall¡¯s recommendation, Chen Ke quickly found a satisfactory place. It wasn¡¯t far from Pihom¡¯s gun shop and was situated away from the city center, surrounded by quiet and pleasant environs, though lacking a bit in popularity. ... Almost half of the floors in this 16-story apartment building were empty, but Chen Ke didn¡¯t care about these details. He didn¡¯t need neighbors, so without a second thought, he moved into the top floor of the building. The room had everything, two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom, complete with air conditioning, a washing machine, a television, an electric water heater, and even a computer with Windows XP already connected to the internet. The monthly rent was just 400 union coins, unimaginably cheap, so Chen Ke paid six months of rent in advance. After all, with more than 50,000 union coins in hand and no need for food, drink, or other essentials, he was quite content with his lot. Except for that pitiable lifespan. ¡°Don¡¯t panic, I¡¯m not panicking,¡± he comforted himself. Just after crossing over, he could only live for 2 hours, but now, that time had increased tenfold! Chen Ke¡¯s feeling at the moment could be described in one sentence, ¡°What doesn¡¯t kill you just makes you stranger.¡± After bathing and getting dressed, Chen Ke wrapped himself in a newly bought bathrobe and quickly rolled into bed. In the United Federation, cable TV channels required a subscription, and Chen Ke certainly didn¡¯t have the luxury to watch TV anymore. With a computer available for surfing the internet, who would still watch TV? Driven by curiosity, he booted up the Google browser, typed in www.baidu.com, and pressed enter. Damn, it actually existed! But the domain was not directed to a page within the Fei Huang Republic, it instead pointed to a version for overseas regions. Chen Ke tried to change the domain to .cn without success and could only see search content provided by Baidu for overseas users. It seemed to be determined by the accessing IP. Who the hell would use Baidu abroad? Chen Ke chuckled, opened up google.com, and found it blazingly fast, with no need for VPNs. Time to check out YouTube for some good stuff. All sorts of dumbass netizens¡¯ videos. This foreigner is eating hot pepper powder from the Fei Huang Republic. Dumbass... Holy shit, he just jumped off a bridge... 2156 people liked it. Did he die...? Chen Ke dragged the progress bar, and the guy didn¡¯t die. Really damn pity. Yo, yo, yo!! This chick¡¯s got a nice figure! Damn... my left hand! Control yourself! Like it, like it... Close the tab! Chen Ke took a deep breath and suddenly remembered something, then typed ¡°HEMA teaching¡± into the YouTube search bar. HEMA, short for Historical European Martial Arts, is a modern reconstruction of historical European martial arts systems based on historical texts and records, which covers hand-to-hand combat, daggers, rapiers, longswords, hacking swords, sword and shield, and other cold weapons. Simply put, these are the moves used by knights in Medieval times. Chen Ke had seen CPA agents use Holy Relics akin to revolvers, but most Holy Relics were still primarily cold weapons. In terms of fighting with cold weapons during the Medieval era, Chen Ke was completely clueless. So, he decided to cram and learn about the fighting techniques of swords, shields, and other Medieval weapons. Of course, it¡¯s 2009 now, and the combat techniques from Medieval Europe had long been lost. HEMA was merely a modern reconstruction based on historical records and imagination, existing more as a sport than as lethal techniques. However, Chen Ke didn¡¯t have many choices. The page immediately displayed many HEMA tutorial videos, and even the video loading ads changed to information on ¡°HEMA clubs.¡± He randomly clicked on a video, where a muscular white man was expertly swinging a two-handed longsword, making it look as graceful as a dance. Chen Ke observed carefully and noticed that this swordsmanship was based on large rotational swings. It was hard to get the gist, so Chen Ke decided to start from the most basic stuff. He opened the official website of a HEMA alliance, seeking information up and down. After about fifteen minutes, he got the gist of it. Turns out it was split between Unarmored Swordsmanship and Full Armor Swordsmanship! And depending on the weapons, they varied widely... Lightning sword... Armed sword... Longsword... Greatsword... He thought it was going to be very complicated, but as Chen Ke delved deeper, he realized that the classifications made by HEMA clubs were barely more than a consideration of financial investment... Full armor Greatsword participants needed to invest a lot of money in buying all kinds of simulated armors and greatswords, which usually became dented after one bout and needed replacement and repair. Unarmored, on the other hand, meant wearing protective gear and using safe swords, so it was more like playing... Chen Ke skipped these as his situation was very different... He would be fighting in close combat with real monsters! Besides, he conveniently had a golden Holy Relic Longsword at hand, but right now, he wasn¡¯t strong enough to wield it freely... But that was only temporary. Chen Ke decided to work out when he had time, to see if he could get stronger, even though he wasn¡¯t sure if physical growth was still possible in his current state. Chen Ke continued to search for HEMA swordsmanship tutorials and discovered a swordsmanship system called ¡°Meyer Swordsmanship.¡± It was a very extensive and scientific swordsmanship system, utilizing four basic stances: Roof Style, Bull Style, Plow Style, and Fool¡¯s Guard, along with eight secondary stances: Wrath Guard, Long Point, Tail Guard, Change Through, Key, Unicorn, Hanging, and Iron Door, connecting all other attack routines together. While these stances sounded complex, they were actually quite easy to understand after watching the video once. The instructor in the video demonstrated these twelve stances in a series of fluid and impressive moves. ¡°` Chen Ke stood up, grabbed the clothes hanger leaning against the window, and practiced with it against the video, gradually getting the hang of it. Between one guard position and the next, various sword strikes could be incorporated, making these twelve positions like a high overpass with many branching paths, with the sword techniques being the multitude of vehicles traveling on the bridge. When to send which ¡°car¡± through which exit was entirely up to him. In theory, Chen Ke understood this, but he would still need time to practice and master it. Before he knew it, the idea of getting a membership at the HEMA club had sprouted in his mind... Learning and practicing skills at the club and then going to the Great Void to hack away at monsters... He also downloaded a bunch of ¡°Meyer Swordsmanship¡± video tutorials and various two-handed sword, longsword, and sword and shield basic moves from YouTube, ready to load them onto his smartphone for viewing anytime. When it came time to organize them, he found the phone¡¯s memory was insufficient... The Nokia E63 came with a mere 512MB memory card as standard, while the videos Chen Ke wanted to save amounted to a full 3GB. He remembered something, back at the motel, he had confiscated a 16GB memory card from the landlord¡¯s voyeuristic camera... It seems he hadn¡¯t looked at it yet... Chen Ke squinted his eyes and fished the tiny memory card from his backpack, inserting it into his phone. Before formatting it, he wanted to see what had been recorded... File manager launched! Gallery launched! Wow! Wow, wow, wow! So many videos! Chen Ke¡¯s fingers trembled slightly. Just by looking at the thumbnail previews, he knew that they captured the illicit acts of men and women. Too sinful! I must give this a thorough denouncement! He picked one with a particularly enticing thumbnail, swish, played it on full screen! This filming angle is no good... you can¡¯t see anything during the act. Chen Ke was disappointed and switched to another video. Yo, yo, yo, yo!! Yo, yo! Yo, yo, yo, yo, yo!!! Yo! Yo, yo! Fully satisfied. Next one, let¡¯s see... Hee hee... No good, no good, I need to rise above such base interests... Chen Ke pulled himself together, deciding to watch one last video before formatting this sinful memory card! Launched! The screen is very dark. Nothing but sound. ¡°Hee hee... so hot... hee hee hee...¡± ¡°What... oh... what is this?...¡± A woman¡¯s voice, sounding quite young. ¡°Ah... uh... ah ah... so hot...¡± ¡°So hot, ow... hee hee... like the sun...¡± The sun? Chen Ke was puzzled, hurry up, let¡¯s see what you look like? ¡°So hot... ah... ah... ah...¡± ¡°The sun... ah ah ah!!!!!! Ah ah ah ah ah!!!!!!¡± ¡°Ah ah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± ¡°Ah ah ah ah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± ¡°Ah ah ah ah ah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± ¡°Ah ah ah ah ah ah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± Fuck! Chen Ke quickly turned the volume down. The woman¡¯s voice in the video suddenly let out a harrowing scream, like a spike, jabbing non-stop into Chen Ke¡¯s eardrums. Chen Ke¡¯s breathing was rapid, feeling a burning heat in his chest, with the Sun Mark even sparking a little. In the video, the darkness slowly lightened, a disheveled, pale-faced Asian woman with eyes black as pitch gradually moved away from the camera. The initial darkness of the video was the woman¡¯s eyes... ¡°The sun... hee hee hee...¡± The woman chuckled stupidly at the camera, her teeth sharp, green mucus flowing from her nostrils. She extended her four-fingered claw, touching her nose. ¡°I¡¯ll come for you in seven days... hee hee hee... the sun...¡± the woman giggled again. Chen Ke closed the video. ¡°Damn Mad Fak! Who the hell loaded a ghost movie in here?!¡± Chen Ke cursed, promptly formatting the memory card. Chapter 86: 086: Introduction to Meyer Swordsmanship Chapter 86: Chapter 086: Introduction to Meyer Swordsmanship All HEMA tutorial videos were being transferred into his phone via the data cable, and the slow-moving progress bar indicated at least a 20-minute wait. Chen Ke was at his wit¡¯s end. The memory card must have been one of the worst kind, with capacity but no speed, and the transmission through the data cable made the writing speed even slower. While waiting for the data transfer, Chen Ke switched back to the video page and watched the foundational tutorials of the twelve stances of Meyer Swordsmanship a few more times. Feeling he could roughly remember the movements, he got up and took a clothes hanger fork to practice. Stepping forward with the left foot, strike with the sword from the left; with the right foot, from the right... Chen Ke nodded with a semi-understanding. No matter whether striking or retracting the sword, one must begin with a stance and end with a stance, while the sword follows the footsteps. Of course, these were just the very basics. After all, if in every combat you struck according to which foot moved forward, wouldn¡¯t that be too easily anticipated? ... Thus, the subsequent video tutorials included techniques for changing the stroke of the sword through continuously switching between the twelve stances and changing hands... According to the HEMA club¡¯s website, once practitioners could freely switch between the twelve stances in combat, they were already qualified to compete in tournaments... ¡°Not bad, not bad... This method is really scientific,¡± Chen Ke murmured in approval as he mimicked the movements from the video. Many movies and novels depicted swordsmanship as something trivial, as if mastering simple moves like thrusting, slashing, and chopping, combined with some kind of mental technique, would make one a master swordsman. What nonsense. In reality, there was no such thing. Whether in sports or assassination techniques, it was all a systematic whole, part of kinesiology, involving human movement, psychology, and equipment management among others. Take the Central Axis Relocking System, which Chen Ke was proficient in; this close-quarter rapid response shooting skill was not merely about a few designed movements. It also included knowledge on maintaining firearms under various conditions and methods to handle different environments and situations. The video transfer finally completed, and it hadn¡¯t taken more than 20 minutes, but a quarter-hour was necessary. Chen Ke tossed the clothes hanger fork aside, ready to unplug the data cable, when a line of small text caught his eye: ¡°Mundane Skill: Checking...¡± ¡°Introductory Meyer Swordsmanship: 1%¡± Heh heh~ Little had he expected that by just watching a few videos and swinging a clothes hanger fork, he¡¯d acquire Meyer Swordsmanship. Chen Ke was quite satisfied, though the progress bar meant that he was 99% away from true proficiency... However, many people¡¯s reason for quitting halfway through learning something new was precisely because they were unaware of their progress, lacking positive feedback, and seeing no hope. This progress reminder was very useful for Chen Ke. Find an opportunity to enroll in a class, and spar in his free time... Chen Ke¡¯s intention to join the HEMA club grew stronger. It would be great to practice and communicate with the students... Although Chen Ke didn¡¯t currently feel lonely or isolated¡ªafter all, he was gradually getting acquainted with the delivery people¡ªbut still, the delivery personnel were part of an almost abnormal organization, far too hardcore. Being able to communicate with ordinary people living in this world, getting a taste of life¡¯s flair, immersing oneself in sports, and enjoying club activities, was still very appealing to him now. After all, he now had a 20-hour lifespan and by continually hunting those powerful creatures, whether in the Great Void or in reality, he could increase his own lifespan. And the conditions to increase the lifespan limit weren¡¯t too difficult... He immediately sat down in front of the computer and began searching for information about the HEMA club. This type of club was similar to the Sunrise Sword Dojo and Taekwondo gyms, where one could become a member by paying a fee and then splurge on a set of beginner¡¯s equipment to train alongside other players. Chen Ke searched for HEMA clubs in Opportunity City, focusing on the economically depressed Gun Tie District where he was primarily active. Searching high and low, he found only one club. Without a doubt, it was probably because business was tough that the others had relocated... He decided to check it out. As Chen Ke stood up, he suddenly remembered something and looked back at his backpack. Now that he had a place to stay, there was no need to carry everything with him, bullets included. He emptied his backpack and the contents of his pockets onto the bed... First were three guns, PPQ45, Spiritual Energy M1911A1, Colt Python, and Glock 17. The PPQ was Chen Ke¡¯s primary firearm, which he definitely needed to carry with him. The Spiritual Energy M1911A1 was somewhat useless to Chen Ke¡ªit wasn¡¯t that it had no utility, but it was restricted by the Administration Bureau, and Chen Ke had no other spiritual bullets, making it something he couldn¡¯t freely use. Especially after encountering Parker in Fan Hede Kingdom, he had been thrown into disarray. If Parker saw that gun, Chen Ke didn¡¯t know what serious paradox might arise. The Colt Python was practically useless. The PPQ was enough for dealing with people, and for monsters, attributes were more important than calibers. Besides, he now had Holy Relics, which would be his primary weapon against monsters going forward. As for the Glock 17, it could serve as a memento... Next were six boxes of .45acp Flame Bullets and four boxes of regular bullets, along with three quick-release magazines and one black silencer. All were for the PPQ. The Flame Bullets had their limitations. In Fan Hede¡¯s nationwide ban on fire, Chen Ke¡¯s PPQ was utterly useless. The greatest advantage of spiritual firearms should be the complete range of attribute bullets, because the attributes of Holy Relics... Chen Ke guessed were fixed, whereas a gun could switch bullets, offering much greater flexibility. Remembering, he already had a Fire-igniting Broadsword, which had better effects with the Fire Attribute and thus, he didn¡¯t need to use the gun to fire Flame Bullets. Although that sword was still stuck in the floor of the white-top church in Fan Hede... Chen Ke removed the Flame Bullets from the magazines, loaded them with regular bullets, and slid the PPQ45 into his gun holster. In the bag were also two stacks of small 8k union coins and some quarter union coins, along with a Black man¡¯s wallet... Chen Ke stuffed all the change into the wallet, filling it bulging. The United Federation¡¯s banks were aggressively promoting their credit card services, severely undermining cashless payments, so it was still inconvenient not to carry cash, and naturally, Chen Ke had no intentions of getting a credit card... Finally, he poured out five Holy Relic diamonds and two small Nokia phones with the batteries removed from his bag. The Holy Relic diamonds obviously had to be carried with him. As for the two small phones... one had been with Lin Mo, and the other was from the blonde Assassin he met in Li Mo¡¯s hideout... Removing the batteries was to prevent tracking, but just by connecting the batteries and making a call, it could lead the Pankia assassins right to him... It was dangerous, but it could always be useful... Outside the window, the sunlight was bright. Chen Ke pocketed the Holy Relic diamonds, PPQ with three magazines, and the wallet, then put on his trench coat. Since the rental was a bit rushed previously, he had only managed to buy a temporary bathrobe. This time when going out, Chen Ke decided to get a proper set of clothes and take the opportunity to visit the HEMA club. Chapter 87: 087 Golden Arthur Chapter 87: Chapter 087 Golden Arthur A green taxi stopped on the slightly busier shopping street of Gun Tie District, where Chen Ke had previously gone on a shopping spree at Walmart, but this time he wasn¡¯t here to shop. He pulled out his phone, opened Google Maps for navigation, and found the HEMA club located on the fourth floor of a shopping mall next to Walmart, with a somewhat worn-out sign boldly stating: Golden Arthur HEMA Club, Opportunity City Branch. There was an old small elevator on the side of the mall that could go directly to the fourth floor. Chen Ke pressed the upward button but the elevator did not respond. He pressed it again, still no response. It must be broken. Chen Ke scratched the back of his head and decided to just take the stairs in the mall. The mall was very noisy, yet very clean, with numerous small cubicle counters neatly dividing the entire ground floor. The first floor turned out to be a place similar to a computer city, but Chen Ke observed that they were mostly second-hand dealers, selling used laptops and desktops at the counters. ... In the United Federation, most ordinary people buy prefab computers rather than assembling the parts themselves, partly because individual computer components are very expensive in the United Federation, much more expensive than buying whole computers, and partly because most people have limited computer knowledge, many even unable to distinguish between a graphics card and a memory stick... Each small cubicle counter was like an independent shop front, with owners sitting inside waiting for business. However, in the Gun Tie District of Opportunity City, it¡¯s hard to do business, so many shop owners stepped out of their cubicles to chat with each other. Wading through the maze-like cubicles, Chen Ke finally found the stairs going up at a corner. Climbing his way up, he finally reached the Golden Arthur HEMA Club on the fourth floor, but it was nearly 2 p.m., and looking through the glass door, it seemed like there were hardly any people inside. ¡°Buddy, you here to learn HEMA?¡± Suddenly a voice came from behind. Chen Ke got startled, turned around, and saw a chubby white guy wearing a dark blue cap and dressed in a dark blue janitorial outfit. ¡°Right, but I¡¯m looking inside, and there¡¯s no one? Are they off today?¡± Chen Ke asked, puzzled. ¡°You¡¯ve come at a bad time, buddy. They closed down a week ago,¡± the chubby guy said with a smile. ¡°Ah?¡± Chen Ke gave an awkward smile. It seemed this trip was a waste. ¡°HEMA is an expensive sport, and people here in Gun Tie don¡¯t have that kind of spare money to spend on it. But you don¡¯t look like someone short on cash, otherwise you wouldn¡¯t have come here,¡± the chubby guy said. ¡°Golden Arthur... How¡¯s this club? Have you heard anything about it?¡± Chen Ke made conversation. ¡°Oh... you actually don¡¯t know about Golden Arthur? I thought you¡¯d done your homework before coming here!¡± the chubby guy exclaimed, surprised. ¡°Is this club that impressive? Tell me more?¡± Chen Ke became interested. ¡°Golden Arthur HEMA Club! They have dozens of branches across the entire United Federation, can be said to gather all the swordsmanship masters. They have tens of thousands of members and have won most of the championships in HEMA competitions,¡± the chubby guy said with an impressed expression. ¡°That impressive? Then their coaches must be exceptional. Sounds like you could really learn something valuable,¡± Chen Ke pinched his chin, quite satisfied with the capabilities of this HEMA club. ¡°Coaches and managers at the Golden Arthur Club are all legendary figures in the circle, all well-versed in various forms of swordsmanship, like Shijie Lian who specializes in small shields, Ma Lewei the longsword expert, and Betty the Queen of dual swords... there¡¯s too many to mention, and they all very much welcome students to come and challenge them. It¡¯s said that defeating one of the Golden Arthur managers will earn you a badge...¡± the chubby guy explained. ¡°Is it that interesting? So, what happens if someone collects all the badges?¡± Chen Ke asked curiously. ¡°No one has ever managed it, dude, but I¡¯ve heard that if you can gather all the branch badges, you could challenge the founder of Golden Arthur,¡± the chubby guy said with a secretive smile. ¡°I bet the founder must be quite confident in believing that no one can gather all those badges,¡± Chen Ke spread his hands. ¡°Maybe, but don¡¯t underestimate him, the boss of Golden Arthur, even though he¡¯s this white-haired old man over sixty, no one questions his mastery in swordsmanship,¡± the chubby guy chuckled. ¡°If possible, I¡¯d quite like to meet him,¡± Chen Ke laughed, thinking that with strong coaches at this HEMA club, mastering this sport wouldn¡¯t be hard given his circumstances. ¡°Yeah, me too, I might just need a couple of weeks¡¯ practice to beat him, hahahaha!¡± the chubby guy laughed, clearly thinking that Chen Ke was joking. ¡°Um... do they have other clubs in Opportunity City?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°There¡¯s one on Raffi Road, where there are a lot of wealthy folks, but relatively speaking, after all, Opportunity City has run out of opportunities,¡± the chubby guy said. Opportunity City has run out of opportunities; this was the second time Chen Ke heard this phrase, the previous time it was from a taxi driver. ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll go check it out... and... who is their founder?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°Jelotte.¡± The chubby guy replied. ¡°I thought it would be Arthur...¡± Chen Ke crossed his arms. ¡°This is one of their flyers, I picked it up while sweeping. The Gun Tie District branch has been open for less than two years, business was bleak, so they decided to close up. They left in a hurry a few days ago, lots of flyers were discarded, you can have a look,¡± the chubby guy handed Chen Ke a somewhat crumpled flyer from the trash. ¡°I¡¯ll take a look when I get back... Ah, it even has a phone number... Thanks a lot, this is really helpful,¡± Chen Ke took the flyer. Chen Ke walked out of the mall, and although he came out empty-handed, the trip wasn¡¯t wasted. If the Golden Arthur Club is as formidable as that janitor suggested, it would definitely be excellent. Though HEMA is just a sport in the modern era, those sword moves are still lethal, and could be adapted as pure cold weapon combat techniques with some ingenuity in battle. It is at least a hundred times better than using a dual sword as a fire poker. Chen Ke carefully considered the travel distance from Gun Tie District to Raffi Road District. Uber had only just been founded in 2009, and it would not launch its ride-hailing app until October 2010, so Chen Ke had no way of knowing the cab fare from Gun Tie to Raffi Road. He could only estimate the drive time through Google Maps¡¯ driving navigation mode; excluding traffic jams and the like, it would only take an hour to make a round trip by car from his rental place to the Golden Arthur Club. ¡°Maybe I should buy a car...¡± Chen Ke pondered. The United Federation is a nation on wheels; buying a car for transportation isn¡¯t expensive, and now he had a complete set of fake documents and could even trade directly through an offshore account, which was convenient. There¡¯s no rush for the car; Chen Ke shook his head, deciding to first enquire with some courier personnel to see if he could get a car through the black market. At least that way, he wouldn¡¯t be tracked by the authorities. Chapter 88: 088: The Legendary Suit Chapter 88: Chapter 088: The Legendary Suit Chen Ke briskly walked across the street towards his second destination of the trip, the suit store on the opposite side. Indeed, he wanted to get himself a suit. Now that he didn¡¯t need to carry all his belongings on him and didn¡¯t have to consider bringing along a sawed-off shotgun, there was no reason for Chen Ke to be running around in a trench coat. A simple suit was more to his liking. Coincidentally, on the street corner, there was a small suit specialty store named ¡°Zio,¡± a brand Chen Ke had never heard of. Pushing open the glass door, he was greeted with the scent of linen. Mannequins dressed in the store¡¯s signature suits stood solitary in the window and on display tables, and there were no sales assistants in sight¡ªjust a short, middle-aged man engrossed in his laptop. The shop was deserted but clean. Upon Chen Ke¡¯s entry, the middle-aged man, who appeared to be the owner, casually remarked, ¡°Feel free to look around,¡± without ever taking his eyes off his computer. ... The prices on the display items ranged from four to five digits which, considering their steepness, would hardly attract customers in Gun Tie District. ¡°It seems you aren¡¯t eager to do business,¡± Chen Ke commented. ¡°Well, I would need business to do that. You probably aren¡¯t aware of the situation here. I can tell you¡¯re new,¡± the middle-aged man responded without turning his head. Chen Ke leisurely strolled towards the corner of the right side rack, twisting out a black suit jacket from a pile of readymade garments. The black fabric felt very smooth to the touch and, under the glow of the orange-yellow cabinet lights, it reflected a soft sheen. Suddenly, an information box popped up in his vision: [Mutated Item: The Legendary Assassin¡¯s Suit] [Mutation Level: Ordinary] [Mutation Effect: The wearer becomes harder to notice in dark environments and makes no sound when crouching and moving.] Chen Ke¡¯s pupils shrank abruptly¡ªit was a mutated item! This was the second time Chen Ke had encountered a mutated item; the first time was a few days ago with a strainer imbued with magic power by a sewer toad. Chen Ke now more clearly understood the distinction between Holy Relics and mutated items. Holy Relics came from the Great Void¡¯s Otherworld, confirmed to have been weapons actually used with Magic Power. Mutated items, however, were real-world objects that had been deformed due to the influence of various attributes of Spiritual Energy. Aside from objects, those that could undergo mutation from Spiritual Energy included people and animals. The sewer toad and monsters transformed from starved humans were considered mutated individuals. Chen Ke also noticed that information boxes popped up unconditionally for mutated items, but unless it was a particularly powerful mutated individual, there would be no information box. Furthermore, the power of mutated items often originated from their former owners... like the strainer of the toad, or the mutated human-like toads influenced by the toad. When the source of the power died, related objects would lose their power. ¡°The owner of this suit is still alive; if he died, this suit would become an ordinary one. I wonder why this store has it... I need to find a way to get my hands on it,¡± Chen Ke thought to himself. The shopkeeper, a middle-aged man, seemed to notice Chen Ke¡¯s extended pause in front of the suit and couldn¡¯t help but start a conversation: ¡°It seems you have a good eye. That suit is made of pure, finely spun merino wool, meticulously crafted at every step, a true masterpiece.¡± ¡°The color and sheen are also just right, not too dark or too bright. The only question is how resistant it is to pilling,¡± Chen Ke commented. He was unsure if the other party was aware that this suit was a mutated item. ¡°It looks like you are quite fond of this suit. My name is Lester, the owner of Zio,¡± said the man who introduced himself as Lester, stepping out from behind the counter. Lester had a limp and had to rely on a cane to walk. He was not very tall and was somewhat balding; his sparse yellow hair resembled the tenacious weeds that manage to thrive on barren lands. He wore a pair of glasses and looked very shrewd. ¡°My name is Chen Ke, this suit is really nice, but I didn¡¯t see a price tag,¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°There¡¯s no price tag because it¡¯s a non-sale item. I¡¯m sorry, Chen, I don¡¯t plan to sell it,¡± Lester smiled. A flicker of disappointment crossed Chen Ke¡¯s face. ¡°Everything has its price, it just depends on how much you¡¯re willing to pay. Name your price,¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°Some things can¡¯t be priced, Chen. This suit is more than just an article of clothing to me. Choose something else, and I¡¯ll give you a 30% discount,¡± Lester shook his head and slowly walked towards the counter. Chen Ke looked reluctantly at the black suit again, the information box in his eyes making him unwilling to give up, so he followed. ¡°Does this suit have a story?¡± Chen Ke inquired. ¡°It¡¯s not just one piece, Chen, it¡¯s a suit,¡± Lester turned and said. ¡°A suit?¡± Chen Ke was momentarily taken aback. ¡°Suits are custom-made by the set, trousers, coat, and tie,¡± Lester¡¯s tone implied. ¡°Where did this suit come from?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°That was a custom job for a friend twenty years ago. In some ways, it¡¯s his personal item. But he hasn¡¯t worn it in a long time,¡± Lester said with a smile. This guy¡¯s friend, an assassin... and not just any assassin... Judging from the special effects given by the mutated subject, he might have mastered stealth and infiltration. ¡°So where is he now? Why leave the clothes with you?¡± Chen Ke asked again. ¡°With the current state of our acquaintance, Chen, you¡¯re asking too much,¡± Lester said, sitting back down with an inscrutable smile on his face. ¡°He¡¯s retired, Chen. He retired three years ago, and this suit was his work attire,¡± Lester added. Chen Ke nodded in understanding. Lester¡¯s friend was truly exceptional, a legendary figure in the assassin community. The suit had accompanied him for 17 years without a single sign of wear or bullet holes, and he had even worn it to gain extraordinary abilities... God knows how many people that guy had silently killed while wearing that suit... ¡°That suit... I really like that suit. Since your friend no longer needs it, why not sell it to me?¡± Chen Ke didn¡¯t want to give up. ¡°I¡¯m sentimental, Chen. In some respects, the suit is like the man himself¡ªI don¡¯t want to sell it to just anyone. It¡¯s not just any suit, Chen,¡± Lester said, still smiling. Chen Ke furrowed his brow. Did Lester know about the suit¡¯s mutation? ¡°You mean...¡± He carefully considered his words. ¡°Why are you so insistent on that particular one? Its size was custom-made for my friend. You¡¯re unlikely to fit into it. I can help you tailor a suit exactly like it,¡± Lester offered. Chen Ke shook his head. Lester didn¡¯t know about the particular qualities of the suit; what Chen Ke wanted was its transcendent effects, not the suit itself. ¡°You could adjust the size for me,¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°I haven¡¯t met anyone as persistent as you, but this suit is not meant for the weak. Do you plan to wear it to an office building for work? Or to Walmart to buy groceries? Or just to stack it in your wardrobe to rotate with your other suits? Come on, Chen, prove you¡¯re a tough character, and I¡¯ll give it to you,¡± Lester said with scorn. Chapter 89: 89 Bad News Chapter 89: Chapter 89 Bad News ¡°How am I supposed to prove it? Tell me,¡± Chen Ke pressed his hands on the counter and leaned his face close to Lester, demanding an answer. ¡°Your gaze, Chen Ke, my friend had a gaze sharp as a knife. With a single glare, he could make those who overestimated themselves shrink back obediently. And you, Chen? Let¡¯s see if your eyes are as sharp as his,¡± Lester said. This was what you asked for. A red aura of killing intent rose from behind Chen Ke. He noticed that the color of the aura was more intense than before. With a fierce glare, the aura surged towards Lester, and to avoid being too harsh, Chen Ke deliberately held back quite a bit. Even so, the aura still hit Lester hard. His expression changed abruptly, his cane slipped, and he tumbled to the ground. Chen Ke hurried around the counter and helped him up. ... A few minutes later. Regaining his composure, Lester sat behind his counter, sipping coffee and resting with his eyes closed, his mind still unsettled. ¡°Chen Ke, what¡¯s your background?¡± Lester¡¯s voice trembled slightly. ¡°People who play tough usually keep that a secret,¡± Chen Ke said with a smile as he sat aside. ¡°You make a good point, Chen. That suit has finally found its next owner after three years. Come, let me take your measurements,¡± Lester put down his coffee cup, picked up his cane, and with Chen Ke, walked into the fitting room behind the shop. Chen Ke took off his jacket, revealing the gun holster underneath his clothes. Lester wasn¡¯t surprised by the sight of firearms; carrying guns was quite common in the United Federation, provided you had a gun license. Of course, Lester wouldn¡¯t inquire about the gun license. He took a tape measure and quickly and efficiently measured Chen Ke¡¯s chest, shoulders, height, and legs. ¡°My friend was taller than you, so I¡¯ll need to alter the suit size. You won¡¯t be able to take it today,¡± Lester explained. ¡°No problem, here¡¯s my phone number. Call me when it¡¯s ready, and I¡¯ll come to pick it up,¡± Chen Ke responded. ¡°No problem, Chen Ke. Off the record, we could become friends. You know, from time to time, I have some business that might be fitting for a tough character like you...¡± Lester suggested, with a hint of underhanded dealings. ¡°Oh...¡± Chen Ke roughly guessed what he meant. ¡°Here¡¯s my phone number; you¡¯ll find it useful. If you ever need a new suit or anything of that sort, feel free to contact me,¡± Lester called Chen Ke and left his number on Chen Ke¡¯s phone. Chen Ke said goodbye to Lester and stepped out of the store. Unexpectedly, buying a suit had led to such an unusual encounter. He wondered what Lester was all about, but it was certain that the ¡°business¡± he mentioned was more or less on par with being a postman... Chen Ke¡¯s Nokia E63 vibrated cheerfully in his pocket. Pulling it out, he saw it was a call from Pihom. ¡°Chen Ke, come to the gun shop, it¡¯s Bain,¡± Pihom said succinctly before hanging up. After receiving Hainerd¡¯s phone, Pihom had handed it to the postal service¡¯s intelligence expert, Bain. It seemed Bain had found something. Chen Ke took a cab to the gun shop, arriving at 3:30 in the afternoon. A group of people were gathered in the safe house¡¯s planning room, a building blueprint held up by magnets on a small blackboard. Pihom, Priskin, Hall, and Lucina were discussing something. ¡°Where¡¯s Bain?¡± Chen Ke approached the door but didn¡¯t see any unfamiliar faces. ¡°Bain usually doesn¡¯t show up in person, but he¡¯ll communicate with us via radio,¡± Pihom answered. Chen Ke found a spot to sit and waited for someone to fill him in. ¡°Bain cracked Hainerd¡¯s phone. He discovered that the phone had been connected to a USB at some location,¡± Hall came over and handed Chen Ke a can of beer. You can tell just from a USB connection? Chen Ke was surprised. ¡°And the connection time was before Hainerd¡¯s team went on their mission... which concerns us,¡± Pihom said. Chen Ke pulled the tab on the can, took a gulp of beer, and checked the underside of the tab¡ªno prize. ¡°What are you suggesting...?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°It¡¯s too early to jump to conclusions. There¡¯s definitely something fishy going on,¡± Hall replied. Chen Ke looked at them, their expressions all very complex. Maybe Hainerd had defected. Chen Ke didn¡¯t say it out loud, he knew that was what everyone was thinking. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go have a look? Where was that phone connected?¡± Chen Ke asked. Priskin knocked on the blackboard, they knew not only where it had been connected, but also had gotten their hands on the building¡¯s blueprints. Lucina toyed with her large dagger, looking as if deep in thought. ¡°When do we set off?¡± Chen Ke asked straightforwardly. ¡°I¡¯m thinking tonight...¡± Pihom suggested. ¡°Let¡¯s go now, don¡¯t try to stop me.¡± Lucina thrust her dagger into its sheath and pushed past everyone out of the planning room. Chen Ke was bewildered, unable to understand why Lucina was acting so out of character. Hall rushed out after her, and Priskin shrugged his shoulders and followed as well. ¡°Hainerd and Lucina, you¡¯ve heard her analogy about teammates before, Chen Ke,¡± Pihom shook his head. ¡°Like a lump of differently colored clay... Fuck... Was her calmness earlier all an act?¡± Chen Ke suddenly understood. ¡°Keep an eye on her for me, she¡¯s not one to be impulsive, but this time it¡¯s different, consider it a favor for me,¡± Pihom said. ¡°I promise you, Pihom,¡± Chen Ke got up and also left the planning room. In the armory, the four of them were checking their weapons, this operation was merely for reconnaissance, so they needed to avoid gunfire at all costs, thus everyone only carried silenced pistols. Hall additionally strapped on four portable body bags, just in case they were forced to kill anyone, they could stuff the bodies into the bags, put them in the car, and burn them at an appropriate place. ¡°If Hainerd has really turned, I¡¯ll personally chop off his dick,¡± Lucina said, while loading bullets into the magazine. ¡°What do you say, Mad Fak?¡± she suddenly looked up, asking Chen Ke. ¡°Uh?¡± Chen Ke was taken aback, not knowing how to respond. Chen Ke looked towards Hall and Priskin, both of whom were busy loading bullets to avoid Chen Ke¡¯s gaze. ¡°Promise me, Mad Fak, you will never betray us! Never!¡± Lucina demanded, staring hard. ¡°As long as you stop giving people nicknames... Lucina, and also, chopping off dicks isn¡¯t a good habit... I¡¯ll wait for you guys outside,¡± Chen Ke did not wish to argue with Lucina at that moment and slowly exited the armory. The van was still parked in the yard, though today it was a white one, probably to avoid the attention of the County Police, and the driver was no longer that panicky young man, but a very calm and collected old master. The four got into the van, and it slowly started up. This time¡¯s operation was in Opportunity City¡¯s Deep Anchor District by the port, where there were beautiful beaches and rich sea-view villas. Hainerd¡¯s phone had been connected to a computer in a dockside house before, even if the other side might have deleted everything from the computer, the postal workers wouldn¡¯t rest until they had seen it with their own eyes. In the van, Priskin spread out the map, reconfirming the target and the plan of action. This dock usually wasn¡¯t too busy, as Opportunity City wasn¡¯t a port trading city, so most of the docks were unoccupied, even during the day, there shouldn¡¯t be too many security personnel. This mission required stealth, since the time was during the day and the dock was close to a residential district, any gunfight could easily draw the attention of the County Police and alarm any potential enemies. ¡°It¡¯s not just about Hainerd, it¡¯s most important to figure out who exactly wants to screw us over,¡± said Hall firmly. ¡°No problem, we split up and enter from different directions, use the radio if anything comes up,¡± Chen Ke said. Priskin distributed handheld radios with earpieces to everyone. ¡°Keep your emotions in check, Lucina, even if that thing really happened...¡± Hall said. ¡°I know, Hall, if it really happened, that guy is dead meat,¡± Lucina said angrily. Chapter 90: 090 The Suffering Person Chapter 90: Chapter 090 The Suffering Person Throughout the journey, the four people said nothing as the car made its way to the Deep Anchor District. Chen Ke had never seen any part of Opportunity City outside of the Gun Tie District, so he curiously peered out the window. If the Lower District of Opportunity City was known for its signature gloomy weather, then the Deep Anchor District was its complete opposite, offering a liberating feeling that lifted one¡¯s spirits. The road built along the coastline extended straight ahead, with rows of white high-end villas scattered neatly along the shore, and the sails of private yachts faintly visible on the waterfront. Chen Ke gently rolled down the car window, letting the cool breeze fill the car, carrying with it the salty scent of sea air. ¡°Speaking of which, what sea is this?¡± Chen Ke suddenly asked. ¡°The United Federation¡¯s inland sea, where many smugglers transport drugs, Holy Relics, and firearms to other regions across these waters. The southwestern current leads directly into the North Atlantic,¡± Lucina replied. ... ¡°Didn¡¯t expect you to be so knowledgeable about geography...¡± Chen Ke said with a smile. ¡°Before joining the ranks of the couriers, Hainerd and Lucina specialized in maritime smuggling. No one knows better than her how to sneak things out of the United Federation,¡± Priskin said. When Hainerd was mentioned, everyone fell silent once more. Chen Ke shook his head; having a traitor in the team was the most disheartening thing. If the betrayer had a personal relationship with you, the pain could be even more piercing than that felt by the team leader. The Gun Tie District wasn¡¯t far from the Deep Anchor, and once the car came to a stop at the curb, Chen Ke, Hall, Priskin, and Lucina opened the doors and jumped out. They wore no masks and carried only a handgun each. Around 4 p.m., the docks were as peaceful as ever, with the wire mesh gate unlocked and an expanse of red and blue shipping containers, most of them empty, scattered across the vacant lot. ¡°Are we sure it¡¯s this dock?¡± Chen Ke asked as he crouched by the side of the road. ¡°Yes, although there are several docks nearby and they all look damn similar, I¡¯m certain it¡¯s this one,¡± Hall replied, lighting a cigarette and leaning against a nearby wall. ¡°Let¡¯s get started then,¡± Chen Ke stood up. The four crossed the street, casually passing by the main gate of the dock with a quick glance inside. In the distance, a sparse number of workers were moving in and out of the buildings, and a forklift was carrying barrels in the direction of the deeper parts of the dock. It looked like it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to slip in undetected. ¡°I¡¯ll circle around to the side to see if there¡¯s a way in. Who wants to try their luck at the main entrance?¡± Hall asked. ¡°I¡¯ll go. Where do you think the computer might be?¡± Chen Ke replied. ¡°There aren¡¯t many places with power outlets here. I¡¯ll check in the ship maintenance workshop, and you check the crew office. If we don¡¯t find anything, we pull out,¡± Hall said. ¡°Lucina and I will keep watch outside for you guys,¡± Priskin said. With their tasks assigned, they commenced their operation. Hall sprinted alongside the cement wall towards the side, while Chen Ke rubbed his hands together and moved towards the main entrance. There was no one in the dock¡¯s guardhouse, and slipping through the gate wasn¡¯t difficult, but the space from the gate to the crew office was very open. Chen Ke used the shipping containers for cover as he advanced and pulled out his PPQ45 pistol, attaching a silencer. In truth, these workers were civilians, and if it wasn¡¯t necessary, he didn¡¯t want to shoot any of them. The purpose of the kill switch was merely to intimidate someone for a while; if he were discovered, getting rid of the witness without causing harm was the ideal solution. Staying close to a red container, Chen Ke peeked ahead; the crew office was just before him, a two-story building with a metal stairway on the outside that would allow him to reach the second floor directly. But at the top of the stairs, a security guard stood smoking; he wore a blue uniform and had a handgun at his waist. Chen Ke pulled his head back and took out his walkie-talkie, pressing the button. ¡°Guys, I¡¯m almost at the destination, but there¡¯s a guard blocking the way,¡± Chen Ke whispered. The other three received Chen Ke¡¯s message through their Bluetooth earpieces. ¡°A guard? There are no guards at this dock. We only need to avoid the workers,¡± Hall said. ¡°Are you sure? Then what am I seeing in front of me? And he¡¯s armed,¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°It looks like we¡¯ve hit the jackpot; there¡¯s definitely something off about this dock,¡± Lucina¡¯s voice came through the earpiece. ¡°Chen Ke, this dock shouldn¡¯t have gun-equipped security guards, they must be some sort of temporary hired security personnel,¡± Priskin said. ¡°Let me see... let me see...¡± Chen Ke cautiously peeked out again to take another look at the gun-equipped guard. An unmarked Glock pistol, there should be an abbreviation of the company name on the badge on his chest, but it wasn¡¯t clear, and he also had a walkie-talkie on his belt, not sure where his partner was. ¡°I don¡¯t know if this guy could kill. From the looks of his equipment, he¡¯s probably just a regular security company employee,¡± Chen Ke slid back behind the container and responded. ¡°Better not to kill if we can avoid it. If they¡¯re hired temporarily, it proves that something is indeed hidden here, and it might be related to Hainerd,¡± Hall suggested. ¡°I see they also have walkie-talkies; they might have to report in periodically. Touch one, and the rest will know,¡± Chen Ke said. Usually, for mobile sentries like this, to prevent a stealth attack, there would be a radio communication system so that if a post didn¡¯t respond for too long, all personnel would go on high alert. Chen Ke could only wait for the guard to finish his cigarette, and at that moment, a cry of pain came from the door behind the guard; the guard threw away his cigarette, which was still quite long, and turned to go back inside. ¡°What the hell?¡± Chen Ke looked at the iron door in confusion. The sound from inside the door just now had caught his attention. Someone was suffering inside. ¡°I¡¯m going in, Hall, I have a bad feeling about this. You¡¯d better be careful,¡± Chen Ke said and quickly scuttled to the bottom of the metal staircase. Sticking close to the wall, he carefully went upstairs, then squatted by the iron door to listen to the sounds inside. ¡°Gurgle gurgle...¡± ¡°Urgh! Ahhh...!!¡± ¡°Mmm-hmm... Mmm... Cough cough...¡± ¡°Has he talked yet?¡± ¡°Yeah, quite the tough guy.¡± ¡°Damn it, talk already, you bastard! Talk!¡± ¡°Zzt zzt... zzt zzt...¡± ¡°The Director will be here soon.¡± ¡°Keep going, keep going.¡± ¡°Ahh ahh ahhh!!!!!¡± ¡°Ugh ahh ahh aah aah aah aah...¡± Listening quietly, it sounded like someone inside was undergoing electroshock therapy... ¡°I¡¯ve got nothing over here, Chen Ke. Seems like you¡¯re definitely onto something,¡± Hall¡¯s voice came through the earpiece. ¡°Shh...¡± Chen Ke couldn¡¯t speak right now. Whoever was inside the door, he had clearly gotten on the wrong side of some big shot. Chen Ke felt no need nor intention to rescue him, only waiting quietly for the interrogation in the room to end. A few minutes later, the room fell silent, and Chen Ke quietly opened a crack in the door to take a look inside. In the center of the room hung a person wearing blue jeans, hands tied up high, his upper body stripped bare, feet soaked in a basin of water, his body covered in wounds. On a trolley next to him sat an electric shock machine with two electrified rods inserted into sheaths on one side of the device. Chen Ke slipped into the small room, closed the door, drew the blinds shut, and then began carefully searching the room. Chapter 91: 091: Man-Made God Chapter 91: Chapter 091: Man-Made God The room was about a hundred square meters and had two computers set up, with a blackboard hanging on the wall and a row of time clock machines for the employees next to it. Aside from the man hanging in the middle of the room, the place looked relatively normal, where dockworkers would punch in for work. The man being interrogated had already passed out. He had a crew cut and looked to be in his thirties, not particularly tall, but very sturdy. ¡°Hey... hey...¡± Chen Ke shook the man, hoping to pry some useful information from his mouth. However, the man showed no sign of life. Chen Ke placed his finger under the man¡¯s nose but couldn¡¯t feel a trace of breath. Could he have been beaten to death? He then covered the man¡¯s chest, and the heartbeat was very faint; even if he was still alive now, he wouldn¡¯t last long under these circumstances. ... Chen Ke decided it was a waste of time to linger on the man and turned his attention to the two computers on the desk. He jiggled the mouse, hit the enter key, and found that the computers weren¡¯t turned on, so he pressed the power button, glancing back at the iron door from time to time. It felt like being a kid again, sneaking out of bed in the middle of the night to play with the computer without the family knowing... The old computer made a grunting noise, the fan in the case obviously hadn¡¯t been cleaned for a long time. After about a minute, the screen finally displayed the desktop. Chen Ke moved the mouse, searching through various folders. He didn¡¯t even know what he was looking for. Office computers generally don¡¯t store much. The desktop was filled with scheduling tables and various forms, recording names and shift times. The import and export schedule for the port was a blank slate; it must be very idle work here. ¡°Hall, I¡¯ve entered already. There doesn¡¯t seem to be anything useful in the computers,¡± Chen Ke spoke into the radio. ¡°Is that so? But there¡¯s nothing ordinary here. I also saw the patrolling security just now; they¡¯re not from this place,¡± Hall said. Chen Ke turned on the other computer, which, besides the scheduling tables, was empty. ¡°Did you bring a USB drive? I suggest copying whatever¡¯s in the computers, useless or not. Maybe Bain can study it,¡± Lucina¡¯s voice came through the headset. ¡°I don¡¯t have one. Hall, do you? I¡¯m in the building with the iron ladder staircase outside the wall,¡± Chen Ke inquired. ¡°Wait for me,¡± Hall replied. Chen Ke left the computers, grabbed a chair, and went over to another door, propping the chair at an angle against the door handle, before checking the interior staircase of the room. It led to the first floor of the building, now very quiet. ¡°Uhm... ah...¡± Chen Ke spun around abruptly, pointing his gun towards the source of the noise. It turned out that the guy who was hanging had woken up. Chen Ke approached the man and saw his face was full of pain, his arms discolored from hanging too long. As the man slowly regained consciousness, he looked at Chen Ke with a mix of surprise and unease. ¡°Oh... Who are you...¡± the man had never seen Chen Ke before and asked. ¡°Who I am depends on what you¡¯re willing to tell me,¡± Chen Ke stated, waving the gun in his hand in front of him. The man seemed to ponder, a flicker of hopeful surprise crossing his eyes, as if he¡¯d found a way to escape his predicament. ¡°How do I know you¡¯re not one of them sent to test me?¡± the man asked cautiously. ¡°For someone who¡¯s just come out of unconsciousness, you¡¯re quite clear-headed,¡± Chen Ke appraised. ¡°You weren¡¯t here just now,¡± the man said, and Chen Ke could tell he was leaning towards trust. ¡°Tell me, who are ¡®they¡¯ that you¡¯re talking about?¡± Chen Ke inquired. ¡°They¡¯re all from the company, but you don¡¯t look like one of them,¡± the man replied. ¡°The company... Ever heard of Si¡¯s consortium?¡± Chen Ke¡¯s eyes shifted as he asked. ¡°Of course I have, it¡¯s deafening,¡± the man said. Chen Ke was taken aback, he hadn¡¯t expected there to be a connection to them here?! ¡°You¡¯re doing work for Si¡¯s consortium? What are they doing here?¡± Chen Ke asked seriously. ¡°No, no... you might have misunderstood... The company is a collective, and Si¡¯s consortium might be part of it, but they¡¯re definitely not the only one. The company is always discreet in its dealings. Even their own people don¡¯t know exactly who they¡¯re working for... Ow...¡± the man said, a sharp pain from his wound making him wail. Chen Ke pulled out the ARK Tactical Arc Fold Knife and waved it in front of the man. ¡°Tell me everything you know, and maybe I¡¯ll be merciful enough to take you with me.¡± ¡°The company... They¡¯re all bonafide Spiritual Ability Enterprises with legal business dealings, but when they come together, they use the company as a cover to do some unsavory things...¡± the man said. ¡°What kind of things? Smuggling Holy Relics?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°It¡¯s not just smuggling Holy Relics, buddy... what I could tell you would definitely send chills down your spine,¡± the man said. The Spiritual Businesses¡¯ above-board dealings were nothing more than pharmaceuticals and processing of Spiritual Energy products. What else could their under-the-table activities entail if not smuggling Holy Relics? ¡°Enlighten me. What is their purpose?¡± he asked, arms crossed. ¡°They¡¯re after more than just the Holy Relics. Haven¡¯t you ever wondered... who are the Holy Relics for?¡± the man countered. ¡°Spiritual Ability Users? I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a secret. If they simply wanted to nurture their own Spiritual Ability Users, it wouldn¡¯t be completely impossible,¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°No, what they want is something beyond Spiritual Ability Users... Ah...¡± the man said with an agonized expression. ¡°Something beyond Spiritual Ability Users...?¡± Chen Ke murmured to himself. ¡°They¡¯re conducting human experiments... trying to mass-produce beings akin to Spiritual Monsters... Mm...¡± the man said. ¡°Buddy, what did you do for them before? And why would they do this to you?¡± Chen Ke asked. In his eyes, an information box suddenly popped up next to the man: [Mutated Individual Level: Ordinary] [Status: In Transformation] [Form: Biological] [Category: Sin] [Attribute: Witchcraft] The man¡¯s eyes suddenly began to weep blood, veins bulging and turning black as they spread under his skin. He was gasping for air, and black blood also flowed from his ears and nostrils. ¡°My name... is Robert... They want to... create... gods... beyond superhumans... Ah...¡± The man¡¯s face contorted in extreme pain as he managed to utter his last sentence. Then, his heart area suddenly bulged out to the size of a fist. Chen Ke slowly stepped back, raising his gun and aiming at the man. ¡°Wuwu... woo... oh wu...¡± the man struggled in agony, his body turning completely black. His eye whites glared menacingly at Chen Ke, his body unnaturally twisting from side to side, the sounds from his mouth becoming indistinguishable. Suddenly, the fist-sized bulge on his chest burst with a ¡°puar¡± sound, and black blood and sticky flesh burst out of his body, splattering everywhere. Chen Ke was luckily shielding his face with his hand, but his body still got smeared with a big lump of it, which was utterly disgusting. ¡°Holy shit...¡± Chen Ke was shocked at everything unfolding before him, unable to speak. The man was unrecognizable as a normal human, his body pitch-black, with a blood-red hole in his chest, undoubtedly dead. ¡°The company... wants to create gods?¡± Chen Ke wondered. Just then, the sound of a door pushing open came from behind. Chapter 92: 092 Secret Port Chapter 92: Chapter 092 Secret Port I had thought it was Hall, but the person who pushed the door open was a security guard. He was looking down, fishing a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, and as he put one between his lips and was about to light it, he looked up to see the pitch-dark, terrifying corpse in the room, and the silent Chen Ke staring right at him. The two locked gazes for a few seconds, thoughts racing through both their minds. The cigarette fell to the ground, and the guard immediately reached for the gun on his belt. However, Chen Ke wasn¡¯t about to give him the chance. He raised his hand and fired two shots into the guard¡¯s chest, the .45 ACP bullets tearing through his flesh, tumbling inside and creating a horrific cavity effect. The guard clutched his chest, staggering backward as Chen Ke stepped forward and fired another round into his forehead, blowing off half of his skullcap. ... He grabbed the guard¡¯s right arm and gently laid him down on the ground. The bullets did not exit the body; aside from the mechanical cycling of the firearm¡¯s slide and the noise of the suppressor, there was no other sound. But Chen Ke still ran to the blinds, pried them slightly apart, and anxiously looked outside. Most Hollywood movies mythologize the function of gun suppressors, as if attaching this magical accessory silences a gun completely. That¡¯s simply not possible. The main purpose of a suppressor is not to completely eliminate sound but to prevent the muzzle flash from obstructing the shooter¡¯s view and reduce the noise to protect the shooter¡¯s hearing. The mechanical noise of the slide cycling after firing a weapon cannot be silenced by a suppressor, and depending on the caliber of the firearm and the amount of powder in the cartridge, the reduction of sound is quite limited. The three shots Chen Ke had just fired were about as loud as an adult sneezing three times, perhaps even louder. It was just his good luck that the dock was deserted and there was no one else around the building. All was as quiet as usual, and Chen Ke breathed a sigh of relief. Now, he had time to take a good look at the man¡¯s corpse. The man had turned into a ¡°Black Person¡± at a speed like that of a virus outbreak, which was of great concern to Chen Ke. The information box showed that the man had undergone a mutation just before dying. Was that the instant of Spiritual Energy infection? No time to catch his breath? It happened in the blink of an eye? Furthermore, from the attribute type, it appeared the man was infected with Sin witchcraft-type Spiritual Energy... Something was not right. Chen Ke didn¡¯t believe the man¡¯s transformation was a coincidence; it was more like some sort of triggerable condition... Chen Ke stroked his chin, feeling that although this inference had no basis, it wasn¡¯t too far-fetched. Spiritual Energy was divided into six categories with eighteen attributes, the kind of intelligence that one couldn¡¯t Google. As it stands, each category of Spiritual Energy should have three attributes. Chen Ke had limited knowledge of the attributes and categories, but he had learned quite a few already: Punishment, Flame, acid, toxin, Magic, Illusion Technique... and Justice... some kind of If he remembered correctly, this was the first time Chen Ke had encountered an attribute of the Sin category. Witchcraft! That certainly sounded sinful enough. Could the man have been struck with some kind of Secret Keeping Witchcraft that, upon disclosing what should not be disclosed, would trigger the witchcraft¡¯s effect... It wasn¡¯t an impossibility. If witchcraft exists, maybe there are wizards in this world too... ¡°A127, what¡¯s happened? Please respond.¡± Just as Chen Ke stood observing the corpse and pondering, the guard¡¯s walkie-talkie suddenly chirped to life. Chen Ke looked at the walkie-talkie with a complacent expression, momentarily unsure of what to say. ¡°A127, what¡¯s happened? Do we need to send someone to your position?¡± The voice from the walkie-talkie grew anxious. Then the door was pushed open again, and a man rushed in. Chen Ke instantly pointed his gun at the man, only to recognize that it was Hall. ¡°A127! A127, please report your situation immediately.¡± The urgent voice came from the walkie-talkie on the ground. Hall sprinted over to the security guard¡¯s body and grabbed the walkie-talkie. ¡°This is A127, uh... no situation here, just dropped my cigarette,¡± said Hall, pinching his nose. ¡°Alright, remember to report on time,¡± the response came through the walkie-talkie. Hall turned off the walkie-talkie and looked at Chen Ke with a sigh of relief. ¡°Holy shit, there¡¯s a way to do that?!¡± Chen Ke exclaimed. ¡°Do not kill security unless absolutely necessary. If you kill too many, they¡¯ll get suspicious. If you must kill, you need to respond to their radio checks quickly,¡± Hall instructed. ¡°Got it...¡± Chen Ke nodded. ¡°But speaking of which, did you find anything¡ªweird... Holy fuck!¡± Hall was interrupted mid-sentence when he saw the dark corpse behind Chen Ke, startling him into yelling. ¡°Keep it down!¡± Chen Ke gestured for silence. ¡°Damn it, what is that, Chen Ke? Did you do that?¡± Hall asked in a lowered voice. ¡°I can¡¯t explain it either; he was alive just a moment ago...¡± Chen Ke said. Hall kept a certain distance from the corpse, observing it carefully from afar. Had it not been for Chen Ke¡¯s own eyes, he would have been just as surprised as Hall. ¡°Did you find anything useful on him?¡± Hall asked while inspecting the body. ¡°Corporation,¡± replied Chen Ke. Hall turned back to look at Chen Ke. ¡°Corporation?¡± ¡°Yes, a corporation. It seems like a secret society formed by a bunch of Spiritual Businesses, an underground interest group. I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re after, but it¡¯s definitely nothing good,¡± said Chen Ke. ¡°We never knew these Spiritual Businesses had such a society... Looks like we need to update our own intelligence network,¡± Lucina¡¯s voice came through the earpiece. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what they want to do; it¡¯s none of our business,¡± declared Priskin. ¡°No, Pihom should know about this; he will make a judgment. If the corporation is targeting relic thieves like us...¡± Hall shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m only concerned with how many Spiritual Businesses have joined this ¡®corporation¡¯...¡± said Chen Ke. He was particularly interested in whether Si¡¯s consortium was part of this ¡°corporation.¡± ¡°Rich people always like to band together. Trust me, Chen Ke, there definitely won¡¯t be a few,¡± Hall said. Chen Ke nodded, not yet revealing the ¡®corporation¡¯s¡¯ goal to create gods, as he himself hadn¡¯t fully understood what that man had meant. ¡°Check the computer data; if you find anything useful, copy it to a USB drive...¡± Chen Ke said. Hall pulled out a small USB drive from his pocket and quickly went to the computer to start working. At this critical moment, Chen Ke took out his phone and snapped several photos of the dark corpse. He was very concerned about the man¡¯s changes before death, the bulging veins, the blackening blood, the bleeding from every orifice... Such cruel witchcraft... After Hall was busy for a while, Chen Ke didn¡¯t know what exactly he had copied, but anyway, everything seemed to be done. ¡°Lucina, we¡¯re pulling out,¡± Hall said. ¡°Okay, the van is across the street, you guys exit the same way you... wait!¡± Lucina was halfway through when she suddenly changed her mind. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Lucina?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but six cars are moving into the harbor... one stretch limousine and the rest are heavy-duty SUVs...¡± Lucina informed. Chen Ke leaned against the window, pried open the blinds and looked into the square, seeing several black cars slowly entering the harbor gate. ¡°It seems that there are more secrets hidden here than expected...¡± Chen Ke mused. Chapter 93: 093 Below the Deep Sea Chapter 93: Chapter 093 Below the Deep Sea The motorcade slowly approached the docks, as several elite bodyguards in black suits emerged from the five SUVs, each holding MP5SD submachine guns. They all sported buzz cuts, wore sunglasses, and had tall, burly statures. An imposing limousine was particularly striking. A bodyguard opened the door, and from inside the limo, a fat, middle-aged man in a black suit stepped out. The man was not short, and he was also very sturdy, but Chen Ke was too far away to see his face clearly. ¡°Guys, I think it¡¯s time we took off,¡± Hall said. ¡°Why not wait? Don¡¯t you want to see what¡¯s actually going on here?¡± Chen Ke turned to ask. ¡°Look, there are twenty bodyguards equipped with MP5s down there, and there¡¯s only four of us. If we¡¯re discovered, it won¡¯t end well,¡± Hall shook his head. ... ¡°Then we just won¡¯t get caught. I have a feeling this little port is hiding a big secret,¡± Chen Ke insisted. ¡°You really have a death wish, Chen Ke... But I like that about you. Let¡¯s go down there and see if we can get a bit closer. However, the moment something feels off, we leave immediately,¡± Hall said with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s settled, then. Let¡¯s get moving,¡± Chen Ke replied. The two of them quietly descended the stairways inside the building and sneaked down to the first floor. The man in the suit, protected by his bodyguards, made his way to the dock as if he was on familiar territory, obviously not his first time there. Chen Ke and his partner also exited through the building¡¯s back door, following along the base of the walls towards the depths of the dock. They avoided security along the way. At the docks, there were even more containers for hiding, some of which were empty and had been sitting for a while, showing rust. The two slipped into a red empty container. Not far away, the man in the black suit and his bodyguards were waiting for something by the dockside. After a few minutes, a large luxury yacht chugged from a distance, heading towards the harbor. The ship docked at the pier and looked to have the capacity for ocean voyages. Some strange, large equipment was on the bow of the ship, now covered with a white tarpaulin. Chen Ke guessed it was whale hunting equipment. When the ship finally docked securely, a group of sailors in red life jackets set up a gangway from the side of the ship to the dock. Looking towards the red hull of the ship, Chen Ke saw an English inscription catch his eye: ¡°Horror Whip Mark.¡± ¡°Look at that big ship. What are they smuggling?¡± Hall couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°It¡¯s definitely not just the Holy Relics... and it¡¯s not their first time,¡± Chen Ke analyzed. They continued to watch. Several injured crew were then carried out from the ship¡¯s hold on stretchers, all covered in blood. Some were bandaged all over. Even from a distance, Chen Ke could tell that at least half of them were already dead... Damn, what happened? What did they encounter out at sea? Pirates? The man in the suit paid no attention to the injured. He exchanged a few words with someone who looked like the captain, then suddenly flew into a rage. It seemed that despite the crew¡¯s heavy sacrifices, they had failed to fulfill the task the man in the suit had given them. ¡°This has nothing to do with us now, Chen Ke. Let¡¯s go,¡± Hall shook his head, utterly clueless about the situation before them. Chen Ke was also at a loss. Mystery after mystery left him with no time to think. Yet he had a strong urge to fire off a few shots at that man in the suit... ¡°We should leave now, Chen Ke,¡± Hall whispered. ¡°Wait, wait...¡± Chen Ke couldn¡¯t let it go. On the dock, the captain was gesturing with his hands as if trying to convey to the man in the suit that there was something incredibly huge. He exaggeratedly spread his arms wide, gesturing, and kept talking incessantly. But the man in the suit clearly didn¡¯t care. Just then, a security guard suddenly ran over, said something to the bodyguards. ¡°I guess they¡¯ve found the body...¡± Hall said. Chen Ke felt it was pointless to stay here, so he and Hall sneaked back towards the dock gates the way they had come. As they circled around to the other side of the dock, Chen Ke looked back at the ship moored at the pier and could see the other side from here. He saw three terrifying scratch marks on the left side of the ship¡¯s hull near the bow. These scratch marks ran from bottom to top, tearing three black gashes in the steel hull as if something from the depths of the ocean had reached its claws above the surface and scratched the ship... The four returned to the van where the driver immediately floored the gas pedal and left the port, driving back to the gun shop in silence. Hall handed over the USB drive to Pihom, who immediately contacted Bain to analyze whether there was any usable intelligence. Regarding information about ¡°the company¡± and the subsequent affair with the docked ships, Hall also gave Pihom a brief account. Pihom looked serious, as if he knew something but didn¡¯t want to say it. ¡°The company isn¡¯t targeting us; at most, we¡¯re just fleas in their eyes,¡± Pihom said. Lucina was downcast, anxiously waiting for Bain¡¯s response, while Priskin went back to work on his shotgun Gatling. Pihom approached Chen Ke, patted his shoulder, and said, ¡°Don¡¯t let these irrelevant matters trouble you, what we need to do now is figure out who the real enemy is.¡± ¡°I know, Pihom, I know,¡± Chen Ke nodded. All he wanted now was to hit Si¡¯s consortium quickly to see what they were really up to and now, one mystery and problem after another seemed to be delaying his goal. ¡°You¡¯re full of energy; you¡¯ll get what you want, Chen Ke, but don¡¯t be impatient,¡± Pihom said. Chen Ke smiled, the countdown clock on the corner of his eye showed fifteen hours of life remaining. His cellphone vibrated; he took it out to see it was Lester. ¡°The suit is ready,¡± read the simple message. That quick? Really efficient! Chen Ke perked up. After saying goodbye to Pihom, Chen Ke took a taxi to the Zio suit shop, where Lester emerged from the back room behind the counter to greet him. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it so soon,¡± Chen Ke said with a smile. ¡°No, no... it wasn¡¯t us, I have my own ready-to-wear factory...¡± Lester replied. ¡°Oh?!¡± Chen Ke was taken aback, not expecting the man before him to be so wealthy. ¡°Come in and try it on,¡± Lester gestured. The suit hanging on the rack had been altered but hadn¡¯t lost its mutated attribute. Beneath the suit jacket was a white shirt paired with a strikingly bright red tie. ¡°A red tie?¡± Chen Ke asked with interest. ¡°If you feel it doesn¡¯t match your style, you can change it for another color. But then it wouldn¡¯t be a complete set,¡± Lester said. ¡°No, no, it¡¯s pretty nice as it is,¡± Chen Ke replied, and, removing his somewhat dirty trench coat, he took the suit into the fitting room. When he came out again, he was dressed in a whole new outfit, a handsome all-black suit that fit him perfectly after being tailored, almost like a second skin for Chen Ke. The only thing missing was a pair of black leather shoes. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind giving you a discount on a pair. You know, a suit always has to go with leather shoes,¡± Lester said with a smile. Chapter 94: 094 HEMA Apprentice Chapter 94: Chapter 094 HEMA Apprentice Chen Ke was in high spirits, having bought a pair of black leather shoes from Lester for a friendly price of 150 union coins, as it was his first time wearing a suit, he also learned how to tie a tie. Like a secret agent in a Hollywood movie, he wore the gun holster over his shirt before putting on the suit jacket, with the PPQ45 tucked under his arm. The feeling of the suit and holster taut against his body gave him an adrenaline rush, ready to spring into action at any moment. Of course, although Lester knew Chen Ke was no ordinary man, he didn¡¯t know Chen Ke could use Holy Relics. While changing clothes, Chen Ke secretly tucked the Holy Relic diamond into the suit¡¯s inner pocket without letting Lester see. This was because, in this world, most Spiritual Ability Users who could use Holy Relics had an official background, and illegal Spiritual Ability Users were rare. Lester was probably not just a legitimate clothing merchant, and it seemed he could also provide some ¡°under-the-table jobs.¡± ... Chen Ke didn¡¯t want Lester to think he was from the Administration Bureau and didn¡¯t feel like explaining the origin of his relic, so he opted for less trouble rather than more. ¡°I see you¡¯re not used to tying a tie, don¡¯t all officers dress like this?¡± Lester asked with a smile. Chen Ke picked up on Lester¡¯s implication; he was probing whether Chen Ke was with the County Police or the Administration Bureau. ¡°Officers don¡¯t have my kind of look,¡± Chen Ke joked. He neither denied nor admitted because he wasn¡¯t sure about Lester¡¯s background. ¡°You¡¯re right, your gaze reminds me of a friend. If he is as cold as an iceberg, then you¡¯re like a volcano... I hope that gun in your holster isn¡¯t just for show,¡± Lester said with a satisfied smile. ¡°I will pull the trigger when necessary, no matter who is in front of me,¡± Chen Ke replied. ¡°Does your trigger-pulling finger have a price?¡± Lester asked, cutting to the chase. ¡°Everything has a price,¡± Chen Ke replied with a smile. Lester didn¡¯t continue; he had gotten the answer he wanted. Chen Ke didn¡¯t know what else Lester did besides running a clothing store, but he knew he had become Lester¡¯s potential ¡°contact.¡± Leaving Zio suit store, it was almost 5:00 PM. Lester thoughtfully gave Chen Ke a large shopping bag to hold his changed clothes. While stuffing the clothes, Chen Ke spotted a flyer for the Golden Arthur. He was idle anyway ... There was no news from Pihom yet, so why not take a ride and check it out? To avoid a wasted trip, Chen Ke decided to call first to ask about the specifics. He dialed the first phone number on the flyer, and the person on the other end picked up quickly. ¡°Hello, this is Golden Arthur HEMA club,¡± a female voice answered. ¡°Hello, do you have a coach teaching Meyer Swordsmanship?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°Ah, of course, how much do you know about Meyer Swordsmanship?¡± the person on the other end asked. ¡°Just a bit, Google level. I want to receive professional training, ideally spar with high-level members and potentially compete one day...¡± Chen Ke almost laughed while speaking. ¡°You¡¯ve really picked the right place. We suggest you come over when you can to have an in-depth discussion with a professional coach. Could you schedule a time?¡± the person on the other end said excitedly. ¡°No problem, no problem, I¡¯m coming now. I¡¯ll catch a ride and be there shortly. The address on your flyer is correct, right?¡± Chen Ke replied. ¡°The Gun Tie District club is closed now; I suggest you come to the Raffi Road club,¡± the person responded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m on my way.¡± After checking the address on the flyer, Chen Ke hung up and then stood by the roadside to hail a car. Without a word, the cab carried Chen Ke toward Raffi Road, a place he had never visited before. The car sped quickly, soon ascending an overpass. Chen Ke couldn¡¯t tell if it was psychological or geographical, but after leaving Gun Tie District, the sky seemed a bit clearer. Raffi Road was the commercial district of Opportunity City, where many Spiritual Businesses clustered to construct buildings, but compared to other cities in the United Federation, it still fell slightly short. During the ride, Chen Ke didn¡¯t forget to open his phone to watch videos, firmly memorizing the four main stances of Meyer Swordsmanship: Rooftop Style, Bull Style, Plow Style, and Fool Style. If mastered, these stances, integrated with many basic chopping and spinning movements, could provide significant destructive power. However, the mastery of any skill depended on the time invested in practice. And, of course, the most efficient practice was sparring with people. That was why Chen Ke wanted to join the HEMA club. Watching the instructional videos, Chen Ke rotated his wrist, trying to mimic their sword techniques and continually memorizing the connection between various movements and stances. Just then, a line of small text appeared in the corner of his eye: ¡°Introduction to Meyer Swordsmanship: 15%¡± Chen Ke knew his approach was correct ¨C learning starts with imitation, and just by watching and mimicking, he had increased from 1% to 15%. He then continued to watch a few more videos, but the percentage no longer increased. It seemed that watching videos could only enhance experience to a certain extent; to truly master a skill, action was required. Success in anything required the investment of time and effort; the idea that one could level up through mere meditation was nothing but a fantasy. He believed that after joining the club and sparring with the members a few times, he would quickly achieve a basic level of proficiency in swordsmanship. The car entered Raffi Road District, the scene vastly different from Gun Tie District. The tall buildings lining the streets and the expansive roads made him feel this was more indicative of the United Federation. However, being a depressed city, such extravagant elements in Opportunity City did not extend beyond a few blocks. Across the entire city, possibly all the resources were monopolized by those dozen-or-so Spiritual Businesses buildings, leaving traditional industries with bare remnants; prosperity lasted merely for a few steps before plummeting into decay. The car stopped next to a bustling avenue. Chen Ke paid the fare, got out, and watched the bustling crowd on the streets. As the place with the most job opportunities in the city, the streets of Raffi Road District were much livelier than those in Gun Tie, though Chen Ke did not consider these people wealthy, just luckily employed workers. Store after store lined the streets, including several large department stores. At the intersection, a large LED screen on the front of a building scrolled through various advertisements. The intense pop music came from the streets, people laughing and talking as they walked past Chen Ke, as if the depression a few blocks away had nothing to do with them. Following the address on a flyer, Chen Ke headed toward the Golden Arthur Raffi Road Branch. Like the branch in Gun Tie District, it was located on the top floor of a large department store: the fifth floor. Before taking the elevator up, Chen Ke, still keenly interested, checked out the price level of the items in the mall; indeed, it wasn¡¯t as exaggerated as he had imagined¡ª100 union coins could buy a lot here. As the elevator doors opened, a fully equipped guy, waiting for the elevator, held a training sword wrapped in black cloth in his right hand and carried a helmet in his left. Knowing he was in the right place, Chen Ke walked through the corridor, pushed open the glass door, and was immediately greeted by a robust man standing nearly 6¡¯3¡ä¡ä tall. ¡°Hello, buddy! Are you here to...uh?¡± the man asked with a smile. ¡°I... am here to learn Meyer Swordsmanship,¡± Chen Ke scratched the back of his head, expecting to be greeted by a girl, not a hulky guy. ¡°Ha! Then you¡¯ve come to the right place, my friend! I¡¯m the coach here. My colleague told me half an hour ago that a newcomer would be coming to inquire¡ªcould it be such a coincidence that it¡¯s you?¡± the man clapped his hands. ¡°I guess that must be me,¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°They really should have asked you to leave a phone number... Oh, come in, let me show you around our place. By the way, my name is Brig, but you can call me Ah Bu,¡± Brig said, leading Chen Ke into the club. With Brig guiding him, Chen Ke walked through the club, listening to him explain HEMA along the way. Chapter 95: 095: Masters Strike Chapter 95: Chapter 095: Master¡¯s Strike The venue was large, after all, it occupied an entire floor of a large department store, estimated to be enough to accommodate dozens of people swinging two-handed greatswords for practice at the same time. On the training ground, more than a dozen members were sparring with knives. Since they were using safety swords, there was no ¡°clang clang¡± sound of iron striking. Chen Ke also noticed that, regardless of gender, those practicing HEMA had very strong upper arms, likely because they needed to wield large swords with vigorous arms. Although Chen Ke was also robust, his muscle thickness wasn¡¯t quite sufficient. With the assassin skills Chen Ke currently possessed, his role in the assassin team should be infiltration assault and medium-range precise shooting for suppression, requiring agility and quickness. Pure strength was not Chen Ke¡¯s forte. However, when fighting monsters in hand-to-hand combat with cold weapons, strength was very important. ... He could barely lift the golden Holy Relic two-handed sword in his hand, let alone swing it freely. That sword, Faralis could handle with one hand with ease, Chen Ke didn¡¯t even dare to imagine. Chen Ke guessed that the ¡°strength¡± required by the Holy Relics referred to not just muscle strength. Faralis¡¯s arm strength might not be as good as Chen Ke¡¯s, but she clearly possessed some kind of ¡°mighty power¡±. ¡°HEMA was the skill of killing used by armies in ancient times, even now it has a very strong lethality, so before you learn HEMA, I have to warn you, it is not intended for provoking trouble but represents a hobby, a pure spirit,¡± Brig said. ¡°I searched on Google, which says HEMA has long been lost, and the current techniques are restored from literature and illustrations by later generations as a sport?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°I know what the internet says, but forget that. In this gym, I mean all apprentices, give them a sword, and you¡¯ll understand what HEMA really means,¡± Brig said with some pride. ¡°HEMA and Meyer Swordsmanship... which of these two is more powerful?¡± Chen Ke asked with crossed arms. ¡°It mainly depends on the practitioner. HEMA has a lot of techniques, and so does Meyer Swordsmanship, but they are opposing styles of swordsmanship. Which one you learn depends on you,¡± Brig replied. ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± Chen Ke wondered. ¡°HEMA is a collection of techniques frequently used by Medieval swordsmen, whereas Meyer Swordsmanship is a counter swordsmanship developed specifically against HEMA. Of course, no matter which sword art you study, you have to start with the very basics and gradually master the master strike!¡± Brig¡¯s tone was somewhat excited. ¡°Master strike?¡± Chen Ke¡¯s eyes lit up. Could it be some domineering technique? ¡°Yes, commonly called lethal strike. HEMA is a killing technique that requires concise movements for swiftly defeating your enemy fatally. Although it has countless fancy moves, in combat, you must always maintain the mentality of defeating your opponent with a single strike. Come over here and take a look at this,¡± Brig said, leading Chen Ke to the edge of a training area. A woman wearing protective gear, her chestnut curly hair peeping out from under her headgear, was very adept with her movements, her two-handed sword dancing smoothly, with very fluid transitions between stances. Each slash was accompanied by a terrifying sound of cutting through the air. She was sparring with another male apprentice, who had tried looking for her openings, but she defected each one by switching between various defensive stances. The two sparred with well-timed attacks and defenses, advancing and retreating methodically, not with flashy spinning sword flourishes, but with measured observation and sudden strikes, and if they did not hit, they stepped back to create distance and continued the exchange. This was entirely different from what Chen Ke had imagined. He thought HEMA combat would be about high-speed spinning sword flourishes. Of course, the feeling now was also quite impressive, the woman¡¯s attack moves were powerfully explosive, and paired with her figure, it was a sight for sore eyes. He didn¡¯t doubt the lethality and efficiency of these moves at all. With a real steel sword, her rapid and powerful strikes would surely decapitate the man opposite her, causing him to cry out in a RUA of agony. Watching the sparring between the two, Chen Ke also observed that their attacks were not broad and sweeping moves, rarely using thrusts which exposed big openings. Even with slashing, they only did half-cuts, not swinging the sword fully towards the ground, but keeping the tip pointed at the opponent¡¯s face and upper body, consistently exerting pressure. The benefits of doing so are self-evident, the sword always remains under control, and the retraction is also very fast, making even a two-handed longsword quite flexible and speedy. While thinking this, another line of small text popped into the corner of his eye: ¡°Introductory Meyer Swordsmanship: 35%¡± The correct approach greatly enhances the learning effect, and Chen Ke was on the right path. Moreover, since the life countdown timer had defaulted to adding ¡°Meyer Swordsmanship¡± to Chen Ke¡¯s skill bar, it must indeed be a lethal killing technique. ¡°Watch closely, it¡¯s about to happen,¡± Brig reminded from the side. On the training platform, the man slowly gained the upper hand, his swordplay incredibly fast, with the swordplay close to his body, so much so that Chen Ke couldn¡¯t clearly see his wrist movements. ¡°He¡¯s going to win,¡± Chen Ke assessed. ¡°Just keep watching,¡± Brig said with a smile. The man became more and more excited as he fought, constantly switching stances and letting the sword spin rapidly, pressing down on the woman. But even Chen Ke could see that while the woman was on the defensive, she was more composed than the man. In contrast, the man in his frenzied attack seemed rather impatient. Just as the man prepared to execute a spinning turn to deliver a heavy blow, the woman suddenly stepped forward, assumed a roof-like guard, and struck hard at the man¡¯s head! ¡°Duang!¡± The man¡¯s spin was cut short, his right side of the head violently struck, causing him to stagger backward and be chopped down to the ground, his sword flying out far away. Chen Ke couldn¡¯t help but applaud. ¡°That was a master¡¯s strike!¡± Brig laughed. ¡°Ah!! Fuck... oh...¡± The man wailed on the ground, removed his headgear, and frantically rubbed his head. ¡°Your flashy moves are too numerous, Pan, if you were on a battlefield, you¡¯d be dead by now,¡± the woman said mercilessly. With that, she too removed her headgear and shook her chestnut-brown curly hair. ¡°You¡¯re right, Diana; you really should have been born in medieval times, you might even have beaten Joan of Arc,¡± the man said with a laugh. The woman extended her hand to pull the man up from the ground and continued onto the second round of sparring. This woman made a deep impression on Chen Ke. ¡°This is HEMA, you understand now, right? So, do you want to join us?¡± Brig asked, spreading his hands. ¡°Let¡¯s start our first lesson,¡± Chen Ke said with a smile. The cost of joining the HEMA club wasn¡¯t as high as Chen Ke had imagined. A membership fee of a hundred union coins a month allowed him to spar with members and receive guidance from professional coaches. Brig took Chen Ke to the front desk to register as a member, where a blonde girl with a beaming smile typed quickly on the keyboard, rapidly entering Chen Ke¡¯s name. Chapter 96: 096: Your Name Is... Diana? Chapter 96: Chapter 096: Your Name Is... Diana? ¡°I¡¯m really excited to welcome a new member,¡± the blonde girl said. ¡°If you sign up for a 1-year membership at once, there¡¯s a promotion where you get an additional 3 months of membership. I highly recommend the 1-year membership¡ªit¡¯s what most newbies go for.¡± A 1-year membership? Bro, I¡¯ve got like 20 hours left to live; who knows where I¡¯ll even be this time tomorrow, let alone next year. After hesitating for a moment, Chen Ke calculated the cost. Alright, a year it is¡ªit¡¯s just 1000 union coins. ¡°Then let¡¯s do a one-year membership,¡± Chen Ke said with a smile. Brig, standing to the side, was also quite pleased. Chen Ke wasn¡¯t sure if HEMA club instructors earned commissions by getting students to buy courses like gym instructors do. ... Speaking of gyms, Chen Ke had also signed up for a membership at a fitness center near his home before crossing over. The idea was to bulk up, trim down, and take the opportunity to admire the athletic beauties. But reality always seems to run counter to one¡¯s desires. Forget meeting beauties¡ªunless you¡¯re in a super high-end gym, it¡¯s hard to even encounter the opposite sex. Most places are filled with either skinny 90-pound weaklings or rotund uncles. Of course, there are also the genial big-chested bosses who check in to the gym every day. And the trainers? They¡¯re like salespeople, constantly nagging you to buy courses, endlessly pushing you to purchase a full set of private lessons with all sorts of nonsense like ¡°body fat,¡± ¡°red and white muscles,¡± and ¡°your figure is actually not bad¡± to bamboozle you. Once they realize they can¡¯t persuade you to buy, the gym might as well not have trainers as far as you¡¯re concerned. Have fun playing by yourself, lad! Chen Ke examined his Golden Arthur membership card closely. Was he a bit impulsive just now? But with his rate of making money in this world, it wouldn¡¯t take but a moment to earn not just 1000, but 10,000 union coins. After all, he used to be working a job, but over here, it¡¯s more like... robbery. ¡°Alright, do you guys have courses? Like the most basic introductory ones,¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°Of course, Golden Arthur has the best HEMA instructors. We not only have the basic guards and footwork but advanced moves too...¡± Brig went on and on. ¡°Uh... is there an extra charge for that?¡± Chen Ke interjected. ¡°Of course not, it¡¯s free. It¡¯s open to all students, anyone who wants to can come. We also organize internal competitions, sword-friends meetups, and such...¡± Brig said, smiling. ¡°Sounds good,¡± Chen Ke replied with a grin. ¡°It¡¯s still early; don¡¯t you want to get into shape quickly?¡± Brig said. ¡°I don¡¯t even have my own gear yet. This outfit isn¡¯t suitable for working out,¡± Chen Ke said, spreading his hands. ¡°We have gear ready to use. In the beginning, you can use ours. Once you decide which sword style you want to focus on, it¡¯s not too late to buy your own equipment,¡± Brig said, arms crossed, as if tempting Chen Ke. ¡°Since you put it that way... let¡¯s do it...¡± Chen Ke glanced at his skill panel. He was still a bit short of the entrance threshold for Meyer Swordsmanship, but judging from the 35% increase just from watching a bit earlier, he could probably pick it up even faster. Following Brig, Chen Ke went to the club¡¯s storeroom, which was filled with beginner-level protective gear and practice swords, and even had small shields. After looking around the storeroom, Brig picked out a full set of protective gear for him. It was a complete set of dark blue full body protection, including a swordsmanship mask, mask reinforcement overlay, fencing jacket, ¡®lobster¡¯ heavy gauntlets, leg guard pants, long stockings, and sports shoes. Chen Ke could tell just by looking that wearing the whole set was going to be hot, but luckily it was still cool in March in the United Federation, and the mall had air conditioning. Now, only the choice of sword remained. He picked up a two-handed longsword laying on a stand near the wall. As a training sword, it was also made of steel, very slim, unsharpened, with a round tip. Next to it, on a rack, he saw a row of rapier-like swift swords, with a semi-circular guard, which Brig said were generally used for dueling. Among the Holy Relics Chen Ke currently possessed was a huge tower shield, a one-handed broadsword, and a two-handed greatsword. Considering the Golden quality of Faralis¡¯ Unyielding Fury was far more powerful than the Fire-igniting Broadsword, Chen Ke decided it was more reliable to learn the two-handed greatsword. Chen Ke, with Brig¡¯s help, put on protective gear, hugged the mask, and carried the sword to the training ground, attracting the gaze of some new recruits. Brig gave a simple introduction of Chen Ke, who awkwardly waved his hand. ¡°So, now I¡¯m going to teach you the most basic stuff...¡± Brig started his talk by beginning with the four principal stances of HEMA and pointing out the key points of each stance. Having already seen it several times in videos, Chen Ke picked it up very quickly, although he still needed more practice with the wrist-twisting motion to flip the blade. Smooth transitions between the four stances were not an easy task. According to Brig¡¯s requirements, Chen Ke had to transition unconsciously between these stances, rather than consciously posing them stiffly. ¡°You¡¯re learning fast. Pay attention to your footing. Don¡¯t get messy with your steps. If your weight is on your left foot, then grip the front of the sword handle with your right hand, and vice versa,¡± Brig instructed. ¡°How do you manage to spin such a long thing around your body...¡± Chen Ke wondered as he practiced. ¡°Focus, Chen Ke. When changing stances, imagine there¡¯s a real enemy in front of you, and you¡¯re attacking from every direction...¡± Brig was midway through his sentence when he pulled out his phone. ¡°Does this look correct?¡± Chen Ke performed a few stance cuts and asked. ¡°Sorry, Chen Ke, I suddenly have some things to attend to... I need to step out right away...¡± Brig said, looking at his phone apologetically. ¡°Oh! What a coincidence!¡± Chen Ke said, a bit disappointed. ¡°I know it¡¯s hard to forgive me, but trust me, I¡¯ll make it up doubly to you next time. But I have to go now, I¡¯ll call an old member to accompany you for practice,¡± Brig said, clapping his hands, and gestured toward the woman he had noticed before. ¡°Diana! Diana! Help me out.¡± The woman named Diana was drinking water at the edge of the field, her sword leaning against the wall, and her mask resting on a stool. Hearing Brig¡¯s voice, she looked toward Chen Ke¡¯s direction. ¡°What¡¯s up, Brig?¡± Diana asked. ¡°Look, we have a newbie here. Can you teach him?¡± Brig said. ¡°That¡¯s your job, Brig. You handle it,¡± Diana said, wiggling a finger. ¡°I can¡¯t argue with that logic!¡± Chen Ke threw up his hands. ¡°I¡¯m begging you, Diana, I need to step out for a bit,¡± Brig said. ¡°Alright, but this the last time, Brig. I¡¯m serious, it¡¯s the last time,¡± Diana sighed, picked up her sword, and walked onto the training field. ¡°This is Chen Ke. He just joined us today. Be, uh, gentle,¡± Brig introduced the newcomer to Diana. ¡°This is Diana. She¡¯s probably the strongest female member here. You¡¯ll definitely learn a lot from her!¡± Brig said to Chen Ke. After the introduction, Brig hurried out the door at a run. Both of them watched Brig¡¯s retreating back and sighed at the same time. ¡°It seems he really has an emergency,¡± Diana said. ¡°You didn¡¯t bring your helmet,¡± Chen Ke reminded. ¡°I don¡¯t need that. How far did you get?¡± Diana asked bluntly. ¡°I¡¯ve just managed to assume the four stances,¡± Chen Ke shrugged. ¡°Hmm... Enough to take a beating, then. Start, newbie!¡± Diana sneered, clenching the longsword with both hands, pointing it at Chen Ke. ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa! I think you just want to hit me,¡± Chen Ke backpedaled. ¡°If you want to learn to hit someone, you must first learn to take a hit. It makes you learn faster. Come at me, newbie!¡± Diana finished, took a quick step forward, and raised her sword high, cleaving down toward Chen Ke. Chen Ke recognized that as an overhead cleave and hastily retreated, raising his sword horizontally above his head, trying to block Diana¡¯s downward attack. ¡°Don¡¯t assume,¡± Diana taunted, as the cleaving sword motion suddenly changed; she grabbed the blade and thrust the sword hilt hard toward Chen Ke¡¯s chest. Chapter 97: 097: Eat a Burger Together Chapter 97: Chapter 097: Eat a Burger Together As soon as the words were spoken, action followed. Chen Ke¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he let go of the hilt with his right hand, swiftly grabbing Diana¡¯s wrist. Following the joint, he pressed downward and threw her toward the floor. Diana¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, not expecting Chen Ke to have such a move up his sleeve. But immediately after, she performed a side somersault, unloading the force from Chen Ke twisting her joint. Chen Ke quickly released her, the move just now being a killer instinct, a type of muscle memory. In that critical moment, for Chen Ke, who was not familiar with swords, it was a better choice to counterattack with his bare hands. Diana shook her chestnut-colored long hair and looked at Chen Ke, revealing an indescribable smile. ... ¡°That was a nice move just now, who taught you that?¡± Diana asked with a smile. ¡°Google,¡± Chen Ke replied with a laugh. ¡°Google can¡¯t teach you that well unless you often throw people around like that...¡± Diana¡¯s smile gradually faded. Chen Ke felt Diana¡¯s smile was dangerous, giving him the sensation of a teacher seeing right through a student¡¯s lies. What does this woman do...? ¡°Focus!¡± Chen Ke barked, lunging straight for Diana¡¯s chest. Diana slightly dropped her stance, gripping the sword hilt with both hands, and just as the tip was about to touch her body, she incredibly used the base of the sword to deflect Chen Ke¡¯s thrust. Damn! His attack was seen through! Chen Ke had put his full strength into the thrust and Diana had dissipated much of it, causing him to lose balance and fall toward the ground. He released the sword and planted his hands on the floor, ending up in an orz pose. Diana gently dragged her sword symbolically across Chen Ke¡¯s midsection with the point, sporting a triumphant smile and even making a ¡°hiss¡± sound effect. Chen Ke sighed, picked up his sword, and faced Diana again, ready for another round. ¡°If this were the Medieval times, you would have been sliced in half by me just now,¡± Diana said, spreading her hands. ¡°That was a really good move just now, did you learn that from Google too?¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°It was something I learned after being stabbed at least a hundred times,¡± Diana replied, running her sword through a few flourishes and taking up a standard guard position. Chen Ke mimicked Diana¡¯s stance and charged at her once more. Just as he positioned the sword to his left side, his forward advance was forced to a halt. Because Diana¡¯s sword point was directly targeting him, blocking his line of attack. ¡°Your footsteps betrayed you. I could tell which way you were going to strike just by looking at your feet,¡± Diana said with a laugh. Chen Ke paused, looked down at his feet, and noticed his right foot in front, his sword indeed to the left side of his body. He had just been thinking about putting power into his left arm for a horizontal sweep. ¡°Duang!¡± Chen Ke¡¯s face mask was knocked. ¡°Hesitation leads to defeat,¡± Diana said. ¡°Beginner Meyer Swordsmanship: 55%¡± A line of small text appeared at the corner of Chen Ke¡¯s eye, and the corner of his mouth lifted slightly. ¡°Again.¡± Chen Ke stepped back a few paces, squared his stance, and at that moment, he felt this woman was even more difficult to deal with than the undead knights in the Fan Hede Kingdom. He watched Diana, observing every move she made, guessing her intentions for the next second, using his assassin¡¯s intuition to make judgments... Chen Ke attempted another attack, slashing four times in quick succession at Diana, but she parried each one. Suddenly, Diana stepped forward, slipping a leg between Chen Ke¡¯s feet and tripping him with her heel. Chen Ke stumbled and fell to the ground, and Diana pointed her sword tip at his throat. ¡°Your attack was all wrong, don¡¯t slash with the sword from top to bottom all at once. Keep the tip pointed up,¡± Diana said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve got the hang of some tricks,¡± Chen Ke said as he stood up, regrouping. Chen Ke¡¯s attacks kept coming, and Diana kept knocking him down, but his skill in the basics increased with each attempt. Diana was undoubtedly a very good sparring partner. He had grasped the basics of HEMA, and with each attack, he neither exerted full force nor delivered a complete strike with his sword. Instead, he frequently used half-cuts to continuously pressure his opponent¡¯s attack route. At the same time, Chen Ke was becoming more proficient in transitioning between the four guards, and his sword movements were also becoming more refined. Seizing the right opportunity, he would unleash a flurry of blade work, striving to suppress the impulse for pointless actions like spinning around and hacking forcefully. ¡°Acquired mortal skill.¡± ¡°Meyer Swordsmanship: Beginner¡± Finally, after Chen Ke launched a dangerously aggressive attack against Diana, Meyer Swordsmanship appeared beneath kali, officially becoming one of his usual skills. Of course, compared to his mastery of Calisthenics, Maga Skill, and the Central Axis Relocking Shooting System, Meyer Swordsmanship was just at the beginner level. But this also meant that this form of swordsmanship was indeed a killing technique, otherwise it wouldn¡¯t have been recognized by the life countdown. Diana, sword leaning against her, clapped her hands and said, ¡°I have to say, you¡¯ve improved quickly.¡± ¡°The sparring with you is extraordinarily effective. If there¡¯s a chance in the future, can I still find you?¡± Chen Ke felt there was still much to learn, but it was time to call it a day. ¡°I don¡¯t come often, because I¡¯m quite busy with work, but I should be here on Sundays. If I¡¯m in a bad mood, I might come find you spontaneously,¡± Diana said with a smile. ¡°Maybe after a few more sessions, I might become better than you,¡± Chen Ke joked. He had the confidence; after all, he would later put these skills to the test in battles against monsters. That was risking life and limb, far surpassing the intensity of club sparring. ¡°Then I¡¯ll look forward to it. Hmm... your name is Chen Ke... right?¡± Diana inquired. ¡°Yes, Chen Ke, C-H-E-N, K-E,¡± Chen Ke spelled out his name. ¡°All right... I¡¯ve got you in mind now. That grappling move of yours was memorable. I have a feeling you¡¯re definitely more formidable bare-handed than with a sword,¡± Diana declared. Chen Ke found himself at a loss for words. ¡°Don¡¯t be so serious, Chen Ke. My name is Diana Prince. Just call me Diana. Starting today, we¡¯re sword pals. So, how about we go have dinner together? My treat.¡± Chen Ke was surprised; this woman seemed to have quite the personality, offering to buy dinner after such a short acquaintance? He didn¡¯t decline, and after they both changed out of their protective gear, he followed Diana out of Golden Arthur and took the elevator down. In the elevator, Chen Ke pondered over what to talk about at dinner to avoid exposing himself. For some reason, he always felt that Diana¡¯s profession had an official background. His instinctive counter-grapple had left an impression on her. Could she be with the County Police? Or... the Administration Bureau? Or even... like himself, an assassin hidden within society...? The more he thought about it, the more absurd it seemed... Chen Ke swept these unrealistic thoughts from his mind, but regardless, he knew he must always be mindful of his behavior in front of Diana, lest she discover something more. Stepping out of the department store, Chen Ke had expected at least to have steak for dinner. Instead, Diana led him across the street to a Burger King fast-food window. To the right of the window, a poster advertised, ¡°Buy 6, 50% off!¡± A burger cost 2 union coins, so six at regular price would be 12 union coins, but at half-price, it would only be 6 union coins. If you were poor and had many people to feed at home, this was undoubtedly a very economical dinner option. Chen Ke looked at Diana, who was buying burgers with a look of surprise. This girl... was she poor? Playing HEMA while poor? It didn¡¯t seem real... ¡°Six, hold the ketchup,¡± Diana ordered with ease. Soon, the server at the window handed her a paper bag filled with six burgers. Diana pulled out a burger from the bag and handed it to Chen Ke, saying, ¡°Eat it while it¡¯s hot.¡± ¡°I... um...¡± Chen Ke took the burger; it was still warm. This was his first time seeing a burger in the United Federation, and indeed it was different from those he had at McDonald¡¯s back home. It was big and filling, with generous ingredients¡ªhis first impression of the burger. Unsightly chunks of meat and vegetables were sandwiched between two thick, heavy pieces of bread; one burger here probably equaled three from a McDonald¡¯s back home... Diana had already started eating. Watching her eat was quite... something. ¡°This is your dinner...?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°I can only manage five. Next time we meet, the loser buys dinner. I¡¯m off, bye,¡± Diana said, wiping a piece of meat from the corner of her mouth and smiling before heading toward the underground parking lot nearby. Leaving Chen Ke alone with his burger, standing amidst the cluttered street. Chapter 98: 098 Assassin Chapter 98: Chapter 098 Assassin The phone in Chen Ke¡¯s pocket suddenly vibrated, and when he took it out, it was Pihom. It was already 7 pm, the evening sky growing darker as the last flames of the setting sun scorched the clouds on the horizon, leaving a final blood-red before darkness devoured the sky. Chen Ke hadn¡¯t expected to have stayed at Golden Arthur for so long; he hastily answered the call. ¡°Chen Ke, good news, we¡¯ve found some clues in those schedules you guys obtained,¡± Pihom said, sounding very satisfied on the other end of the line. ¡°What about those schedules? What¡¯s hidden inside?¡± Chen Ke asked, puzzled. ¡°Those aren¡¯t schedules at all but operation records disguised as schedules. The names on them are actually code names for each operation! Chen Ke, whatever these people are doing, they haven¡¯t rested for a moment,¡± Pihom explained. ... Chen Ke was stunned; he had seen those scheduling plans¡ªan Excel spreadsheet with thousands of entries. If each one represented an operation... ¡°No matter who these people are or what they¡¯re up to, Hainerd had definitely been in persistent contact with them. I don¡¯t know how to say this, Chen Ke, but Hainerd has indeed betrayed us,¡± Pihom said with a note of regret in his voice. ¡°Alright, whatever the case, they¡¯re targeting us now, and it¡¯s very likely they¡¯re from the corporation! Do you think Hainerd has been in touch with the corporate people?¡± Chen Ke inquired. ¡°It¡¯s still unclear for the moment, but we have a way to find out some things tonight... Bain told me that our intelligence spy who had contact with Hainerd last time seems to be a ¡¯25er,¡¯ not clear if he has betrayed Hainerd, but what¡¯s certain is, he¡¯s decided not to work as a courier anymore,¡± Pihom said grimly. ¡°Where is he now?¡± Chen Ke understood Pihom¡¯s implication. ¡°My spy tells me that he will be going to enjoy himself at Holy Angel Nightclub tonight. His new employer seems to have given him a sizable sum...¡± Pihom said with a laugh. ¡°Then we¡¯ll go meet him and ask him some questions,¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinking. 9 o¡¯clock, Hall will meet you at the nightclub. I¡¯ll send you the address; it¡¯s in the Deep Anchor District. Remember, don¡¯t cause a big commotion,¡± Pihom instructed. Chen Ke hung up the phone and soon received a text message with the nightclub¡¯s address from Pihom. He pocketed his phone, Took a look at the still hot burger in his hand, and felt it a shame to toss it; he couldn¡¯t help but take a bite. Instantly, his tongue was enveloped in greasy juice, the taste of chicken flooding his mouth. He managed to swallow down half, but ultimately couldn¡¯t help but spit the rest into a trash bin by the street. ¡°Disgustingly salty...¡± Chen Ke muttered, ready to toss the burger into the bin. ¡°Aw...¡± Out of nowhere, a stray dog squatted behind Chen Ke, matted with dirt-infused brown fur clumped together, revealing a pair of watery, pitiful eyes through the filthy fur, looking longingly at the burger in Chen Ke¡¯s hand. ¡°You¡¯re pretty lucky, running into me,¡± Chen Ke said with a smile, squatting down to throw the burger in front of the dog. Chen Ke wanted to pet the dog, but it was too dirty, obviously having been a stray for a long time, with a dirty collar around its neck¡ªit seemed like it had once had an owner but was either lost or abandoned. The stray dog sniffed the burger on the ground, then looked up at Chen Ke as if to smile, then grabbed the burger and hobbled into the crowd. [Mutation Level: Common] Watching the stray dog leave, an information box appeared beside the dog in Chen Ke¡¯s view. Chen Ke raised his eyebrows, took a deep breath, and thought, what the hell, this dog is a mutated being! The world had gone mad indeed; anything seemed possible... With more pressing matters to attend to, Chen Ke stood up and looked around for an available taxi. Chen Ke didn¡¯t dwell on Hainerd¡¯s betrayal of the couriers, as he felt no sense of belonging with them. What truly concerned him were the corporation¡¯s thousands of operations. The ¡°corporation¡± was a secret society formed by numerous Spiritual Ability Enterprises. According to what the tortured man had revealed before his death, this organization was attempting to create gods... It sounded utterly fantastical, but if Si¡¯s Consortium was involved... That is to say, they obtained the Holy Relics in secret, not to smuggle them for money... but to arm their own team for the exploration of the Great Void. Combining what Chen Ke had seen and heard in the world of the Fan Hede Kingdom within the Great Void, in that kind of place, to enter the next area one must first replicate the ¡°cycle¡± of the current area... Hmm... What is the most valuable thing in the Great Void, after all? Whatever it is, it is definitely something indispensable for ¡°creating gods¡±! Chen Ke still remembered the deep claw marks on the left side of the ¡°Horror Whip Mark¡± vessel. Could it be that some doors to the Great Void are opened under the deep sea? Or is there something else in the sea... Was Si¡¯s consortium¡¯s action to explore the Fan Hede Kingdom also one of the ¡°company¡¯s¡± thousands of missions? Things were starting to get interesting. Originally, Chen Ke thought that the Spiritual Ability Enterprise¡¯s hoarding of Holy Relics and stockpiling land for the Spirit Explosion Effect were purely due to capitalist will, but now it seemed their thinking was really dangerous... ¡°+40 minutes¡± ¡°+40 minutes¡± ¡°+40 minutes¡± ¡°+40 minutes¡± ... Hmm??! While Chen Ke was waiting for a taxi and pondering, the life countdown timer at the corner of his eye suddenly started to jump. Chen Ke frowned. Why was his life increasing?? Was someone trying to kill me?! Where?! His entire body tensed, and he looked around nervously. The bustling crowd on the streets passed by with unfamiliar faces, their expressions indifferent as they moved by Chen Ke. The Killing Aura Radar could tag enemies with a murderous intent in red, but throughout the entire street, Chen Ke saw no red outlines. There was no need to think about it, it had to be an assassin from Si¡¯s consortium! It seemed they had finally found him, and it wasn¡¯t easy. Chen Ke started to move, looking around while trying to blend into the crowd. It seemed that his opponents had come prepared, and this time he was at a disadvantage. But Chen Ke still had some advantages. The assassins probably didn¡¯t know he was aware, let alone that he had a Killing Aura Detector that could quickly locate them in the vast sea of people... The assassin was definitely outside the range of the Killing Aura Radar. When dealing with the incident at Li Bo Restaurant, Chen Ke had used this ability to tag a mutated diner in red, which showed that the maximum marking range of the Killing Aura Radar was only about fifty or sixty meters... Unfortunately, the Killing Aura Radar wouldn¡¯t tell Chen Ke the direction of the assassins; now he could only rely on his instincts and move forward with the flow of people, hoping he might bump into the assassin by luck. They dared to make a move on this busy street; they really had guts. It seemed Pankia truly wanted him dead. The killing intent continued to increase, and soon Chen Ke¡¯s life had returned to full value, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth. He was never short on killing intent, and sometimes, having a few more enemies wasn¡¯t such a bad thing. As evening approached, the lights from shops and billboards turned the entire avenue as bright as daylight. Pop music filled the streets, and Chen Ke followed the crowd across the road, where, in a music store, he spotted the tagged figure of a white man wearing a baseball cap and loose sports attire. ¡°Found you,¡± Chen Ke said with a smile. Chapter 99: 099: Hunting Chapter 99: Chapter 099: Hunting Chen Ke tossed the change of clothes in his hand into the trash can, with the Holy Relics diamond and the HEMA club membership card tucked in the inner pocket of his suit. His old clothes had nothing in them. Then he pushed open the door and entered the audio store, where some customers were queuing up to pay with their disc cases in hand. The store was playing soothing music, Taylor Swift¡¯s ¡°Love Story,¡± released in September 2008. Chen Ke hummed along with the rhythm as he approached the assassin. In a corner at the very back, the assassin was pretending to sample the discs. Chen Ke took off the Gonggong clip-on earphones he was wearing and smiled at him. ¡°...¡± The assassin was caught off guard and seemed to be at a loss, not expecting Chen Ke to discover him. ... But the assassin¡¯s instincts still took over. A folding knife slid out from his right sleeve, flicking open its blade towards Chen Ke. Chen Ke grabbed the assassin¡¯s wrist and twisted it along the joint, forcing the assassin to stab the pick knife under his own armpit. ¡°Mmmhhmmm......¡± The assassin, in pain, stood on tiptoe, hissing through gritted teeth. Holding the assassin¡¯s wrist and upper arm, Chen Ke smiled and said, ¡°Like this song? Listen, I bet it¡¯ll win the Federal Gold Record of the Year.¡± The assassin glared at Chen Ke without speaking, but Chen Ke could feel a continuous surge of murderous intent emerging. ¡°It¡¯s a love story ~ Baby just say yes!¡± Chen Ke hummed along with the song. ¡°You¡¯re digging your own grave,¡± the assassin hissed through the pain, coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t like country folk songs? How about Black R&B? Or jazz?¡± Chen Ke asked with a sneer. ¡°You¡¯re going to die a horrible death, Lin Mo. Not only that, but I will also desecrate your corpse, destroy every inch of your unblemished skin, and then chop you up to feed to the dogs,¡± the assassin growled darkly. ¡°Seems like you prefer electronic music,¡± Chen Ke said coldly, pulling the pick knife from under the assassin¡¯s armpit and swiftly plunging it into his abdomen. ¡°Oh... ah...¡± The assassin let out a cold grunt. Blood flowed down his sleeve and clothes, dropping onto the floor. Chen Ke dragged the assassin out of the audio store and once again blended into the crowd. ¡°Where are they?¡± Chen Ke asked suddenly. ¡°You think I would tell you?¡± The assassin was sweating profusely. ¡°Thank you,¡± Chen Ke said with a smile. The assassin was taken aback, then realized what was happening and ground his teeth with hatred. What Chen Ke really wanted to figure out was whether there were multiple people lying in ambush, and the assassin¡¯s response clearly told him that there were. He did not want to kill in the street, nor did he have the time to interrogate the entire assassin. According to his understanding, this kind of assassin, who appeared to be brainwashed, wouldn¡¯t tell him anything. The two moved into the alley between the malls, where Chen Ke removed the pick knife from the assassin¡¯s abdomen and with a swift and precise stab, targeted his throat. ¡°Sizz...¡± The assassin held his throat, blood spurting between his fingers. Chen Ke pushed the assassin into a pile of trash, watching him wriggle in the filth for several dozen seconds before he slowly stopped moving. However, his lifespan continued to increase. ¡°Where¡¯s the next one?¡± Chen Ke walked out of the alley and merged with the crowd again. He checked his phone; it was nearly 8 o¡¯clock, and it had gotten completely dark. Suddenly, a line of small text appeared in the lower left corner of Chen Ke¡¯s eye, and it didn¡¯t fade away slowly. ¡°Dark Concealment: 20%¡± Chen Ke immediately understood that this was a stealth effect granted by the suit, making him less likely to be noticed in darker places. In fact, this effect might seem trivial, but it¡¯s not just literally what it appears to be. Because no matter how dark it gets, enemies would still notice you when they get close. But the mutated effect of this suit was: The wearer, in dark environments, is more easily overlooked, and moving in a crouch produces no sound. It is being overlooked! Chen Ke tested this by crouching down as if to polish his shoes, and noticed another line of text appearing in the lower left corner of his vision. ¡°Silence.¡± He pretended to change wiping feet and deliberately scraped the sole of his shoe on the ground, but he didn¡¯t hear a sound! ¡°Awesome!¡± Chen Ke thought to himself. The effects of Dark Concealment still needed to be tested, but squatting down and moving in silence was truly unstoppable. This was indeed the perfect outfit for an assassin! The streetlights on the side of the road had come on, with one particularly bright. Chen Ke felt that the light source of the particularly bright streetlight seemed to be growing, as if the light was about to shoot toward him, while the other streetlights suddenly dimmed a lot. He thought of something and pretended to bend down to tie his shoelace. Just as he bent down, he felt something brush against his hair, and the glass window to his left suddenly shattered. There was a commotion among the pedestrians on the street, who crowded around the suddenly broken shop window, discussing. Chen Ke stood up and walked away as if nothing had happened, his eyes rapidly scanning his surroundings. There was an assassin nearby who could kill with light. It seemed that the Si¡¯s consortium had sent a Spiritual Ability Killer with skills equal to his own to assassinate him. However, Chen Ke had skills and Holy Relics! Therefore, the murderous intent of these assassins could only add 40 minutes to his lifespan every second. He carefully observed the light sources on the street, guarding against a sneak attack from his opponent. The light was not emitted by the assassin himself but gathered from the surrounding light and shot out, so as long as the surroundings darkened, there definitely would be a bright spot. And such a move always had a casting distance; the assassin should not be far away. ¡°I see you.¡± Chen Ke looked up and saw a person in a blue hoodie standing on the second floor of a mall, looking at him through a glass curtain wall. Even though Chen Ke had spotted him, he still stood there, smiling and snapping his fingers at Chen Ke. Chen Ke immediately looked around for shiny light sources. Suddenly, a flash of white light flashed above his head, and he instinctively took a sliding step forward, just as the spot where he had been standing turned black. The man smiled smugly, continuing to snap his fingers at Chen Ke. Killer¡¯s trigger! A red murderous aura burst out from Chen Ke, rushing towards the assassin. Even across more than 20 meters and a glass barrier, the murderous intent still poured into the assassin¡¯s brain. He was stunned, his hands pressed against the glass, gasping violently in shock and fear. Chen Ke quickly ran into a phone booth on the street corner, pulled out a PPQ45, attached a silencer, placed the gun against his abdomen, and slightly covered it with his suit jacket, aiming at the assassin on the mall¡¯s second floor and pulling the trigger four times in succession. The noise on the street masked the sound of the gunshots, and four .45 ACP bullets shattered the mall glass, striking the assassin¡¯s body, two hitting the chest and two in the abdomen. Shattered glass fell into the street, causing a stir among the crowd, and the assassin was flung backward into the mall by the inertia of the bullets, letting out a shrill scream. Without rescue within half an hour, he was as good as dead, good luck to him. Chen Ke removed the silencer and tucked the gun back into the holster. Two down. How many more? His lifespan was still increasing; this time, the consortium had invested heavily. It seemed that Pankia took him quite seriously. Chen Ke took advantage of the green light, blending into the crowd to cross the street. His gaze swept over the crowd and the surrounding buildings like a human radar, continuously searching. ¡°I see you.¡± The seated silhouette of a red outline appeared in Chen Ke¡¯s field of vision. The assassin was sitting inside a Burger King fast-food restaurant. If the assassins could communicate with each other, then they should have known about the first assassin¡¯s death by now. ¡°What tricks can you do?¡± Chen Ke wondered as he walked toward the Burger King restaurant, where the owner of the red silhouette was a woman dressed in a brown short-sleeved shirt and wearing a baseball cap. Without a word, Chen Ke took a seat opposite her. Chapter 100: 100: Bewitching Black Fog Chapter 100: Chapter 100: Bewitching Black Fog The woman in front of her had a cup of juice that apparently remained untouched. Her jujube-red tight short sleeve clung to her body, outlining her exquisite figure. The duckbill cap pressed low on her head; from Chen Ke¡¯s angle, he could only make out her lips painted with red lipstick. Even without seeing her face, Chen Ke felt that she must be an enchanting beauty with fair skin, slender fingers, and purple nail polish. On her wrist, she wore a beautiful bracelet adorned with five Holy Relics diamonds, one blue and four white... The corners of the woman¡¯s mouth curved slightly upward, her fingers rhythmically tapping on the table surface as if she had anticipated Chen Ke¡¯s arrival. ¡°They all failed,¡± the woman said. ... ¡°It¡¯s not too late to give up now, answer a few questions for me, and then you can leave,¡± Chen Ke warned. ¡°You sound very confident, Lin Mo,¡± the woman¡¯s voice was rich with seduction. ¡°No room for negotiation?¡± Chen Ke scoffed. ¡°We never negotiate,¡± the woman chuckled. All of a sudden, Chen Ke felt as if the surrounding air had solidified, the external noises muffled as if he and the woman were alone in an enclosed space. ¡°We only slaughter!¡± The woman abruptly raised her head, her eyes emitting a peculiar red halo. Chen Ke locked eyes with her for just a second, merely a second, and suddenly felt his body become light. What ability was this? Creating an enclosed space? Or mental control? Or perhaps it was an illusion? Chen Ke tried to stabilize his emotions; in fact, his thought process hadn¡¯t been affected. That floating sensation wasn¡¯t an illusion but a genuine firsthand experience¡ªthis was real! The scene of the hamburger shop around him vanished into smoke, and a red light enveloped the two of them. Merely a second had passed when Chen Ke and the woman found themselves on the top floor of a department store! Chen Ke instinctively grabbed the woman¡¯s wrist, where the Holy Relics bracelet was, with his left hand, and pulled out a PPQ45 with his right. The woman smirked, a gust of wind knocked off her duckbill cap and hair tie, revealing her auburn hair fluttering in the wind, looking exceptionally captivating. Her body suddenly darkened at high speed; her features slowly blurred into obscurity. Chen Ke felt his hand grasp at nothing as the woman in front of him transformed into a gray-black mist and swiftly floated behind him, while her clothes remained scattered in place. Chen Ke quickly turned around, aiming his gun at the black mist that the woman had become. The mist halted atop an external unit of a central air conditioner, recondensing into a human shape. The naked woman stood there without a hint of shame, displaying her well-proportioned figure, her red hair dancing behind her head¡ªthe scene suddenly became quite harmonious. This woman¡¯s skills were indeed numerous... the red eyes capable of carrying someone through instant teleportation and the ability to transform into a moving mist... As for the transforming into mist... that was quite the perk... it seemed that while she could turn into a mist, her clothes couldn¡¯t be taken along... but the Holy Relics diamond bracelet was still on her body. ¡°Lin Mo, if you behave, I don¡¯t mind giving you a treat before I finish you off,¡± the woman laughed. ¡°Sorry, you¡¯re not my type,¡± Chen Ke waved dismissively. The woman snorted coldly. The Holy Relics bracelet emitted a blue and white glow, and a short sword with a strange green light appeared in the woman¡¯s right hand while a black tight-fitting outfit materialized on her originally naked body. The woman bit down on a red ball gag, her body wrapped in an exposed and indescribable black lingerie, with boots and gloves reaching up her knees and elbows. ¡°Alright, you freak,¡± Chen Ke shook his head and pulled the trigger, shooting at the woman. ¡°Huh huh...¡± The woman turned into mist again, rising from the air conditioning unit and drifting toward Chen Ke. Chen Ke kept firing, but the bullets simply passed through the mist, unable to do any tangible damage. ¡°Woo woo woo woo woo~~~¡± The woman moaned, floating above Chen Ke, and suddenly reformed into a human shape, gripping her short sword in a reverse hold and lunging at Chen Ke. Chen Ke rolled to the side to dodge, and shot three bullets back at the woman, but she transformed into a mist again and scattered to another spot. ¡°What kind of skill is this... so twisted,¡± Chen Ke frowned. That¡¯s when he suddenly got goosebumps. The feeling was strange, as if someone was aiming a gun at him. Chen Ke glanced at the life countdown timer at the corner of his eye... ¡°+40 minutes¡± ¡°+40 minutes¡± ¡°Life span has reached the limit¡± ¡°+40 minutes¡± ¡°+40 minutes¡± ¡°Life span has reached the limit¡± ... His life span had long reached the limit, but the speed of increase was a bit off. It was adding twice every second... There was another assassin here! Chen Ke took a deep breath, and at the same time, a red dot suddenly flashed across his field of vision. He instantly understood something and immediately lunged, taking cover behind an external unit of a central air conditioner. At the same time, where he had been standing, a rifle bullet sped past, hitting the frame of a neon signboard nearby, making a ¡°bang¡± noise. ¡°Sniper!¡± Chen Ke¡¯s forehead dripped with a bead of cold sweat; so that was it! From the beginning, on the street, it was this sniper who had initially locked onto Chen Ke! He had been aiming from a high position but had not found the right opportunity to take the shot because Chen Ke consciously mingled in the crowd. This behavior stemmed from the assassin¡¯s instinct, but it fortuitously saved Chen Ke¡¯s life. The bullet probed; looking towards the direction from which the bullet had come, he saw a red light flash in his pupil, and he immediately crouched down; the upper part of the external air conditioning unit got pierced by a hole. Not a semi-automatic rifle¡ªthe power wasn¡¯t from a 5.56mm caliber bullet; the opponent must have been using a real sniper rifle. Black fog attacked from Chen Ke¡¯s side; the woman wanted to force him out of cover. A green dagger extended out of the black fog, whooshing once, as the fog once again took human form. Chen Ke snapped his fingers at the woman. An hour¡¯s worth of Spiritual Energy burst forth! From Chen Ke¡¯s fingertips, a faint white halo emitted, followed by a massive force that pushed the woman violently away. The woman seemed to be blown into the air by Gale, then once again turned into black fog, drifting to the top of the neon sign. Chen Ke dashed to another piece of cover below, all the while searching for the sniper¡¯s location, and then in a corner in the distance, a red humanoid silhouette emerged. ¡°Found you,¡± said Chen Ke as he slid into a dark corner and crouched down. ¡°Dark Concealment 60%¡± ¡°Silence¡± The woman jumped down from the neon signboard, looking around, beginning to search for Chen Ke¡¯s whereabouts. The sniper from a distance also peeked out from behind his cover in confusion. The woman walked close to the dark corner where Chen Ke was; she was only a mere six or seven meters away from Chen Ke, with no obstacles in the way. However, thanks to the effect of the suit, even as her gaze swept over Chen Ke, she automatically ignored his presence, as if Chen Ke was just a pebble. She had her back to Chen Ke and began to search elsewhere. ¡°Opportunity.¡± Chen Ke raised his gun, aiming at the back of the woman¡¯s head, but to be sure, he lowered the muzzle a bit, targeting her back. ¡°Thud, thud, thud...¡± The muffled sound of gas explosions erupted as the PPQ45 equipped with a silencer fired three rounds in rapid succession; as soon as the gunshots sounded, the woman suddenly turned into a cloud of black fog and drifted into the air. Chapter 101: 101: The Assassins End Chapter 101: Chapter 101: The Assassin¡¯s End But she only flew a short distance before she morphed back into human form and landed on the ground, all the while issuing heart-wrenching howls. ¡°Ooooooo~~~~~...¡± The woman, with a gag in her mouth, emitted muffled noises as she walked toward Chen Ke. Although the woman had turned into black mist, she was still hit by a bullet, which left a bloody hole in her back. The bullet had pierced through her, exploding into a palm-sized wound on her right breast. ¡°Ooo...mmm...mmm~¡± It was indecipherable whether the woman¡¯s voice was one of pain or pleasure. She clutched a green dagger in her reverse grip and drew a bloody line below her collarbone. ¡°Ummmm~~~~~¡± The woman closed her eyes as if savoring the sensation; when she opened them again, her pupils had turned green. ... The green dagger, stained with her blood, began to show regular cracks, making a snapping sound as it unexpectedly shattered into a chain-blade whip! Chen Ke swallowed hard, not expecting the woman to have a second phase! Chen Ke remained motionless in the shadows, but it seemed like the woman had already seen through his Dark Concealment; her dagger must have some kind of special effect... Chen Ke continued to shoot at the woman, who dodged left and right as black mist, moving much faster than before. When the distance between them was reduced to merely ten steps, the woman brandished her green chain-blade and lashed out at Chen Ke. Gritting his teeth, Chen Ke dropped his gun and made a motion as if lifting a heavy object, golden light flashing in his hands as Faralis¡¯ Unyielding Fury materialized! The chain-blade wrapped around Chen Ke¡¯s longsword, and with a smile, he threw the sword to the ground. ¡°Clang!¡± The sword made a solid sound upon striking the ground, as if a steel rod had been slammed down. The woman attempted to pull her chain-blade back but found it too heavy to move. Chen Ke turned his head to look at the sniper in the distance, now exposed under the gun¡¯s muzzle. A red light passed through Chen Ke¡¯s vision¡ªthe assassin¡¯s laser had locked onto his head. But in that instant, he created a wall right in front of himself! Automatic standing! Crossbowman¡¯s great shield! ¡°Ting¡± The sniper bullet struck the shield, which didn¡¯t budge an inch. First to deal with this impudent show-off, Chen Ke turned back to the woman. She turned into black mist before his eyes, along with the green chain-blade, then reappeared elsewhere. Chen Ke grabbed the sword from the ground, struggling to wield it in his grasp. Indeed, swinging this sword was too much of a strain... Chen Ke could barely lift it using all his strength, and in this state, it was impossible to fight effortlessly. He leaned against the shield, sword pointed at the woman, trying to recall the stance of Meyer Swordsmanship from his practice sessions with Diana. This sword was meant for exactly this purpose¡ªfor killing, whether it be men or monsters. The only issue was its weight... The woman seemed to notice Chen Ke¡¯s struggle; she flicked her green chain-blade and once again turned into black mist, charging at him. The black mist stopped a few steps away from Chen Ke, then abruptly returned to human form, and the woman raised her hand, sending a green whip shadow hurtling toward Chen Ke. Seeing an opening, Chen Ke dodged with a quick step, then swung his sword at the woman. But his action was heavy and grossly distorted due to the sword¡¯s weight, and the woman simply turned to black mist and darted past. This wouldn¡¯t do; he couldn¡¯t threaten her at all... Chen Ke saw her flaws clearly. Even though she could transform into mist, she had to become human again to strike. And Chen Ke also noticed that every time the woman morphed from mist to human, her body materialized first, followed by her equipment reattaching to her... In other words, whether changing from human to mist or mist to human, there was a gap in reincarnating the Holy Relics... Something else occurred to him; when his sword had previously pinned the woman¡¯s chain-blade, she had retrieved her Holy Relic by turning into mist... An idea suddenly struck Chen Ke. The woman once again transformed into black mist and attacked, but this time, Chen Ke¡¯s hands were empty. However, he posed in the high rooftop position of Meyer Swordsmanship, with his hands in a sword grip, raised high above his head. While charging, the woman changed direction once, circling Chen Ke¡¯s right side in a curve of black mist, then she morphed back into human form. This time, the woman didn¡¯t swing her whip blade but instead reverted it back into a short sword, thrusting fiercely toward Chen Ke¡¯s waist and abdomen. Chen Ke¡¯s muscles tensed up, and he quickly stepped back. With an empty hand, he swung downward, aiming for the woman¡¯s left wrist that held the short sword! In the instant his arms came down, Chen Ke summoned Faralis¡¯s Unyielding Fury again. Accompanying the half-completed slashing motion, the descent barely required Chen Ke to bear the weight of the sword! ¡°Swish!¡± ¡°Ah!!!!¡± The longsword sliced off the woman¡¯s left wrist in an instant. The green short sword fell to the ground, bounced a few times, and reverted back to the blue diamond of the Holy Relics, along with the woman¡¯s bracelet of Holy Relics! The woman¡¯s attire dissipated as well, leaving her once again completely nude. Chen Ke pinched the woman¡¯s right shoulder with his left hand, and with a sword-wielding gesture in his right, he thrust violently toward the woman¡¯s abdomen. Mid-action, Faralis¡¯s Unyielding Fury suddenly appeared, and the sword tip pierced into the woman¡¯s navel and out her back, impaling her completely! ¡°Ugh!!! Oh...ugh...¡± Bent over, the woman vomited red-black blood. Chen Ke held the sword hilt with both hands, gave it a shake, and planted the woman on the ground. Then he stood on her stomach and pulled the sword from her flesh, watching her convulse and vomit as she lay on the ground. ¡°My name...my name is...I...¡± The woman desperately grabbed at Chen Ke¡¯s pant leg, uttering unclear words. Then she fell completely still. Chen Ke collected the Holy Relics, picking up the PPQ45 and the five Holy Relic diamonds the woman had dropped. He still had one sniper to deal with. Chen Ke crouched down and slipped into the shadows, advancing stealthily, and soon located the sniper. He suddenly appeared, firing three shots at the sniper¡¯s head, but the bullets hit nothing, flying into the night sky. ¡°Phantom?¡± Chen Ke looked at the afterimage of the sniper in front of him, the lifespan in the corner of his eye had stopped increasing. The sniper had run away... That woman might have been the leader of the assassins. Seeing Chen Ke kill her, the sniper must have felt outmatched and, leaving behind a phantom, he¡¯d slipped away... Chen Ke smirked in contempt. It was not bad to let one go back and report to Pankia. In this encounter, Chen Ke had killed three assassins and had seen at least four new skills. Concentrating light for shooting. The red eyes that physically transferred both oneself and the opponent. The black mist that became physically immune and could briefly fly. Leaving behind one¡¯s own phantom... These were all first-rate transcendent skills... Compared to the Spiritual Energy burst in Chen Ke¡¯s possession, they still seemed quite useful. Wouldn¡¯t there be an opportunity to grab their skills? Chen Ke slipped the gun back into its holster, patted the five Holy Relic diamonds in his hand, and returned to the woman¡¯s corpse. The woman¡¯s eyes were half-open, with an expression as if she died unwilling, he crouched down, gently touched her eyes, and helped close them. Judging by the woman¡¯s looks, she was probably about the same age as Diana, but the two women had taken different paths. ¡°You chose this path, girl, so you should have anticipated this kind of end,¡± Chen Ke said indifferently. Assassin, it sounds like a very cool identity, but in reality, it¡¯s not something to be envied or admired. Just like dogs bred by their masters for fighting, no matter how many people you¡¯ve killed, getting killed by a fellow assassin is the only outcome. ¡°But I won¡¯t allow myself to end up like that,¡± Chen Ke said resolutely. Suddenly remembering something, he took out his phone and saw it was already 8:30 p.m. He still had to meet with Hall at the nightclub... Chen Ke hurried away, leaving behind only a corpse on this unknown rooftop. Chapter 102: 102 Night Club Chapter 102: Chapter 102 Night Club The cab stopped at the curb, a street away from the Holy Angel Nightclub. Chen Ke got out of the car and only had to look ahead to see a small two-story nightclub in the distance. An exaggerated angel neon sign flickered with a pale purple light, and even from a street away, the boisterous music inside the building could be heard. Chen Ke tightened his tie and straightened his suit a bit as he walked along the street, looking for Hall. He took out his phone to check the time¡ª9:12 PM; Hall should have already been there. At a bus stop by the road, Chen Ke found Hall, who was leaning under the shelter engrossed in playing his PSP. Chen Ke approached Hall and tapped his shoulder. ... Clearly, Hall was quite absorbed in his game, and he started, looking up at Chen Ke. ¡°You¡¯re late... nice suit though,¡± Hall said, putting the PSP in his pocket. ¡°Let¡¯s get down to business... do you know the agent?¡± Chen Ke asked. Hall pulled out his phone, opened a photo, and handed it to Chen Ke. Chen Ke took the phone; the picture showed a Latin male with a buzz cut, wearing sunglasses, a sharp nose, and a cunning¡ªno, a swindler¡¯s face. ¡°His name¡¯s Parchi, one of our agents, a clever fellow. The information for Hainerd¡¯s previous operation was provided by him,¡± Hall said. ¡°Tell me about the heist Hainerd pulled off, there might be some useful information,¡± Chen Ke asked. Hall looked down and thought for a while, and Chen Ke felt as if there were some things that Hall found inconvenient to share. After Hall organized what he could and couldn¡¯t divulge, he finally opened up to Chen Ke about some things. Hainerd was one of the older members among the couriers, and the missions he was involved in were generally more significant and of higher value. Before joining the couriers, Hainerd had been involved in smuggling at sea, and although he wasn¡¯t a Spiritual Ability User, he often dealt with illegal Spiritual Ability Users and was very familiar with Holy Relics diamonds. He could judge the value of Holy Relics diamonds by their color, and knew what buyers wanted. Smugglers had established a vast network that floated outside of the safe waters, known as the ¡°black net.¡± Even though Hainerd no longer dealt in smuggling, he had a thorough understanding of this black net. It¡¯s hard to trust a smuggler, even if he has retired and joined you; betrayal is just a matter of time and the right amount of temptation. The information on Hainerd¡¯s last assignment indicated that a batch of fresh ¡°merchandise,¡± brought out from the ¡°Great Void,¡± was ready to be shipped out of Opportunity City. It didn¡¯t matter which unfortunate Spiritual Business had gone through great trouble to acquire these gems, the couriers weren¡¯t going to just stand by. With information from Parchi¡¯s network, Hainerd collected intelligence from multiple sources and eventually located the temporary hiding spot for the goods, so he set out with three companions to pay a visit. ¡°That¡¯s all there was to it, before you came to our gun shop, he had left. Then what followed, followed,¡± Hall said. ¡°Do you know which Spiritual Business pulled the goods out of the Great Void?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°It¡¯s said to be a joint endeavor by Lescott Spirit Production and Weber Spirit Production...¡± Hall listed. Hmm... Chen Ke frowned, those two... Sleery and Parker were investigators for them, but he didn¡¯t need to think to know that those two novices couldn¡¯t possibly be involved in such underground operations. ¡°Have you ever heard of HCP?¡± Chen Ke suddenly asked. In the Great Void lay their equipment boxes, their abandoned camp, and there was also Brother Discouraged, who appeared unable to leave the Great Void and was also a member of their team. Up to now, he wasn¡¯t sure if HCP was the acronym for some Spiritual Business corporation or a specialized department of the Administration Bureau for exploring the Great Void. ¡°HCP...?¡± Hall frowned, seemingly deep in thought. Chen Ke waited expectantly, looking at Hall. ¡°No impression, don¡¯t know, maybe Pihom would know something. Bain always manages to gather some weird intelligence.¡± Hall shook his head. Chen Ke felt like he was holding a tangled ball of yarn, with many dead knots inside. He didn¡¯t know which thread to follow to unravel the mystery at hand. The life countdown, was it a natural gift or a curse brought about by human intervention? Chen Ke now found himself wavering. If he had believed that finding Pankia would solve the mystery of the life countdown plaguing him because he had too few clues when he first crossed over, now, looking at the handful of fragmented information in his possession, he wasn¡¯t sure what to believe anymore. ¡°No matter how those companies enter the Great Void, Chen Ke, I¡¯ll bet anything that they come out with piles upon piles of Holy Relics diamonds,¡± Hall said. For couriers, Holy Relics diamonds simply meant money. They were ordinary people engaged in banditry, neither possessing nor wanting to deal with Transcendent affairs. Now, however, Chen Ke was far from the green rookie he once was. It wasn¡¯t hard to understand that most Spiritual Businesses sneakily hoarded Holy Relics diamonds for smuggling trades¡ªafter all, every industry has its grey and black market chains. But those Spiritual Businesses that actively opened the doors to the Great Void... As far as Chen Ke¡¯s knowledge was concerned, the only known human method of opening the doors was the deadly Blasphemous Dagger... If this was just a tangible example of ¡°capital devouring people,¡± he had no more to say. But subconsciously, Chen Ke felt that the motives of these aggressive conglomerates were not simple. The two arrived at the entrance of the nightclub, sizing up the modest-sized establishment from across the street. Chen Ke noticed a robust security guard standing by the door, his hands positioned in front of his stomach in the typical ¡°ready-guard¡± posture¡ªclearly armed. The dark alley on the side was unguarded; if they wanted to infiltrate secretly, it seemed like a good choice. However, without professional tools, they couldn¡¯t pry open a window¡ªthey could only break the glass. Chen Ke then glanced at the open-air bar on the second floor¡ªsome patrons were sitting there. He didn¡¯t know the layout inside. If a disturbance arose, the bar¡¯s customers could pose a big problem because they wouldn¡¯t be easy to control... ¡°How are we going to get in? Just through the main entrance, all brazen like?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°We just go straight in, find that bastard inside, and ask him straight up. He went in just for a good time, so if we pull him out, the nightclub¡¯s people probably won¡¯t do much to us,¡± Hall rubbed his hands. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do that.¡± Chen Ke didn¡¯t have a better plan, and it wasn¡¯t too late to figure out something else once they were inside. The two strode boldly towards the doors of the Holy Angel Nightclub, attracting the attention of the bouncer. ¡°Excuse me, gentlemen... do you have VIP cards?¡± the bouncer stepped forward to stop them. Chen Ke was taken aback, turning to Hall, hoping he was prepared. However, Hall also seemed oblivious to this twist, and both exchanged a look of uncertainty about what to do. ¡°Ah... forget it, go on in, you¡¯ll be leaving soon anyway...¡± the bouncer scratched the back of his head, seemingly not too committed to his job. While speaking, he stepped aside from the door. Both of them just walked into the Holy Angel Nightclub, utterly baffled. Chapter 103: 103 Concealment Chapter 103: Chapter 103 Concealment As soon as he entered the nightclub, the noisy and vulgar music flooded his ears, stimulating Chen Ke¡¯s eardrums with a brainwashing melody that looped incessantly, causing him to frown involuntarily. Chen Ke didn¡¯t like places like this. The modest nightclub had two dance floors, and in the DJ booth next to them, a Black DJ was scratching records¡ªthat was the source of the noise. A bunch of men and women, dressed in counterfeit trendy clothes bought from second-hand shops, writhed on the dance floors. In the pitch-black environment, colorful beams of blue, purple, yellow, and red weaved through each other like swords ripping through the black abyss, ceaselessly sweeping across the crowd. The scene reminded Chen Ke of a country outhouse at night, where the toilet pit teemed with a pulsing mass of shit-yellow maggots. ... ¡°Chen?! Where the hell did you go??¡± Pihom suddenly looked around. Chen Ke glanced at the corner of his eye at the ¡°Dark Concealment 90%¡± prompt and laughed. ¡°Keep up!¡± Chen Ke grabbed Hall, yelling into his ear. It was only then that Hall realized Chen Ke was right beside him, his face a portrait of confusion. Spying on Hall¡¯s awareness of him, Chen Ke noticed that the effect of Dark Concealment would disappear if he touched him and wouldn¡¯t reactivate for some time. This meant that if he were discovered, unless he completely escaped the observer¡¯s line of sight, he wouldn¡¯t be able to re-enter Dark Concealment. The suit¡¯s enhanced stealth effect wasn¡¯t as overpowered as Chen Ke had imagined; it wasn¡¯t close to the level of invisibility in darkness where one could act with impunity. ¡°Where do you think he¡¯ll be?¡± the two squeezed past the dance floor, Chen Ke asked. ¡°Not sure, let¡¯s check the booths,¡± Hall suggested. They walked out of the dance floor and looked toward the rows of semi-enclosed seats in a dark corner, separated by curtains. These seats could accommodate five to six people, where clients interacted harmoniously with call girls and sampled drinks that were at least 80% cheaper than outside. Hall checked the faces of the customers seated there; some were too dark to make out clearly. Chen Ke, however, bathed in darkness, was invisible to them. He looked up to check out the second floor¡ªit was an extension of the balcony bar within the nightclub. In corners untouched by the light, several guards were patrolling, and a few customers held drinks, leaning on the railing and watching the dancers below. At that moment, he saw a gaunt man wearing sunglasses, with a bodyguard at his side. Chen Ke squinted and scrutinized the man, noticing he pointed at Hall, said something to the bodyguard, and then turned to walk through a door. Chen Ke sensed something was off. Although he couldn¡¯t be certain, if that man was actually Parchi... He turned to glance at Hall, intending to warn him, but on second thought, he was in a state of concealment and Parchi didn¡¯t know him. Why expose himself? He decided to let Hall draw the attention of the bodyguards while he sneaked upstairs. Pressing himself against the wall, Chen Ke quietly ascended the stairs, watching as three or four bodyguards walked past him head-on without noticing his presence. With a 95% concealment effect, Chen Ke¡¯s existence could be ignored by most people as long as he didn¡¯t do anything too outlandish. He saw the bodyguards pat Hall on the shoulder and then punch him in the face. Subsequently, Hall began to resist, but outnumbered, he was lifted out of the nightclub by three guards. Hall would probably only endure a beating; those bodyguards weren¡¯t likely to be killers. Chen Ke approached the door the man had entered, trying the door handle¡ªit was, unsurprisingly, locked. Next to the door was a card reader. He had no lock-picking tools, no drill, and he certainly couldn¡¯t shoot the lock off. Besides, since there was a card reader, there was undoubtedly an alarm system. It seemed necessary to find another way in. Just then, after dealing with Hall, three bodyguards started heading upstairs. Chen Ke suddenly had a bold idea. Chen Ke stood on one side of the potted plants, maintaining his invisibility around 80%. The three bodyguards went upstairs, the lead one pulling out a magnetic card, inserting it into the card reader next to the door, and swiping it. The door clacked, the bodyguard twisting the doorknob and walking in. Chen Ke held his breath and followed behind the third man into the room, where the lights were much brighter, and his invisibility instantly dropped from 80% to 40%. As soon as Chen Ke stepped inside, he immediately crouched down, quickly scuttling forward, and hid in a dark corner of the room. ¡°Wait! Did you just see someone follow us in?¡± the lead bodyguard asked, puzzled. The other two bodyguards glanced around the room and peeked outside the door, both looking perplexed. ¡°Nothing, you probably need to lay off the drugs.¡± The bodyguard closed the door, and the three of them sat on the small sofa, playing poker. Chen Ke moved slowly along the wall, carefully maintaining his invisibility above 50%, avoiding all the overly bright areas. This room was just a passageway, with a one-way glass wall that allowed a view of the dance floor, but from the outside, it was just a dark layer of glass. At the end of the room, there was a door ajar, leaking a bit of light. Chen Ke peeked inside quietly and saw the man who had directed the bodyguards earlier in that room, and at the same time, on the office chair inside, there sat a bald fat man who looked quite imposing. The two seemed to be discussing some secret matter. Chen Ke leaned against the door, observing through the crack. ¡°...the courier¡¯s people, I saw them just now, they must be coming for me!¡± the man said, panicked. ¡°Don¡¯t panic, Parchi, you are safe here,¡± the fat man said with a smile. ¡°I hope so... So, let¡¯s talk business. When will I get my share?¡± Parchi asked. ¡°Easy, little brother, they haven¡¯t inspected the goods on the other side yet; they¡¯re waiting for things to cool down... since that incident at West Gold Building, the Administration Bureau has tightened the search on Holy Relics smuggling...¡± the fat man shook his head. ¡°Damn, damn, damn!¡± Parchi rubbed the back of his head, frustrated. ¡°You have to trust the consortium¡¯s reputation; they only care about the batch of goods, money is not the issue. You just have to wait...¡± the fat man chuckled. ¡°I hope Si¡¯s consortium can really keep their promise...¡± Parchi said. Si¡¯s consortium?! Chen Ke¡¯s pupils suddenly narrowed; he pulled out his PPQ45, fitted it with a suppressor, and turned back towards the three bodyguards. ¡°Hey, hey? This... where did you...¡± ¡°Pop, pop, pop...¡± Three bullets pierced three heads; Chen Ke didn¡¯t give them any chance, blood and brain matter splattering on the poker cards. ¡°What was that noise outside?¡± the fat man asked. Parchi opened the door and saw Chen Ke¡¯s face. Chen Ke kicked him in the abdomen, causing Parchi to fall to the ground, clutching his stomach, unable to get up. The fat man pulled a silver revolver from his waist, but before he could raise it, Chen Ke shot his hand into a bloody mess. ¡°Fuck! Fuck! Where the hell did you come from?? What do you want?¡± the fat man cursed, clutching his wounded right hand. Chen Ke walked over, stepping on Parchi¡¯s neck. Parchi¡¯s eyes bulged out, his tongue slightly protruding with a spurt of saliva, then he passed out. Then, Chen grabbed the fat man¡¯s tie, dragging him over the table to the ground, and pressed the gun against his forehead. ¡°I ask, you answer,¡± Chen Ke said in a lowered voice. Chapter 104: 104: Silence Chapter 104: Chapter 104: Silence Even with Chen Ke¡¯s gun pressed against his forehead, the fat man didn¡¯t seem overly panicked¡ªit was clear he was an experienced figure in the underworld. Chen Ke¡¯s bullet shattered two of his fingers; he clutched at the severed stubs, teeth clenched, his eyes filled with hatred as he looked at Chen Ke. ¡°Do I know you?¡± the man asked. ¡°That¡¯s not important. Do you work for Si¡¯s consortium?¡± Chen Ke inquired. ¡°Hahaha... A lot of people work for Si¡¯s consortium. Why don¡¯t you join them...¡± The man burst into laughter. Chen Ke¡¯s face darkened as he struck the fat man¡¯s forehead hard with the pistol butt, causing blood to splatter and a gash to form. ... ¡°Ah!!! You son of a bitch!¡± the man cursed. ¡°Cut the crap. Tell me, what did Si¡¯s consortium get from the West Gold Building?¡± Chen Ke demanded coldly. ¡°You seem to know quite a bit... If it were anything else, I might tell you, but this matter...¡± The man¡¯s previously arrogant expression faded, showing his deep fear of Si¡¯s consortium. ¡°Speak, or I¡¯ll pump lead into your skull.¡± Chen Ke pressed the gun barrel to the man¡¯s temple. ¡°The question you¡¯re asking is dangerous. I don¡¯t know where you came from, but if you want to oppose Si¡¯s consortium... friend, this is my advice to you... dig a hole and bury yourself. It¡¯s better than being caught and used as a sacrifice by them...¡± the man said seriously. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Chen Ke was puzzled. ¡°It¡¯s a non-human domain... Si¡¯s consortium has gone too far... That old man... wait...¡± The fat man said breathlessly, suddenly looking at his right hand. His right hand slowly turned black, veins bulging as if black centipedes were crawling under his skin. ¡°What have you done to me? You...¡± the fat man cried out in horror, his neck also turning black. His condition was exactly the same as the man Chen Ke had encountered on the docks. Chen Ke let go of the man and slowly stepped back, watching him writhe in agony on the ground. The fat man frantically tore at his suit, trying to check if anything abnormal was happening to his body, but his movements slowed, and blackish-red blood began oozing from his eyes, ears, and nostrils. ¡°Ah... you devil... you... ugh...¡± He collapsed to the ground, vomiting a mix of blood and undigested matter onto the street, and finally buried his face in the vomit, breathless. [Mutated Individual Level: Ordinary] [Status: Deceased] [Form: Biological] [Category: Sin] [Attribute: Witchcraft] An information box popped up next to the man¡¯s body, indicating death by Sinful Witchcraft. The vomit spread a foul smell. Chen Ke covered his nose, his pant leg was grabbed by a hand. He looked down to find Parchi. Parchi was also slowly turning black, tears of blood streaming from his eyes. He reached out his hand and dropped a small key on the ground. ¡°Pulito Bank... locker 209...¡± he said with difficulty, then spit out a mouthful of black blood and breathed his last. Chen Ke sighed. He had hoped to learn some useful information from these two, but they both had died from a witchcraft curse. It seemed that the risks of collaborating with Si¡¯s consortium were too high, and all who knew too much were cursed by witchcraft to ensure secrets didn¡¯t leak... However, Parchi had said nothing to trigger the curse, leaving Chen Ke to wonder about the mechanism of this curse. Chen Ke picked up the key, put away his gun, and made his way back to the entrance, peering outside to make sure the coast was clear before nonchalantly shutting the door and leaving the nightclub through the main entrance. Hall had been waiting on the street opposite the nightclub, having been roughed up by bodyguards, with bruises on his face. He was surprised to see Chen Ke come out of the main entrance unharmed. ¡°Where did you go just now? Why didn¡¯t you help me?!¡± he complained. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Hall, but just now you did indeed draw a lot of attention, allowing me to have some alone time with Parchi,¡± Chen Ke said with a smile. ¡°Wait! You found Parchi?! Did you get anything out of him? What the hell is Hainerd up to? What did they steal in the last operation?¡± Hall, who had been full of complaints, immediately calmed down and began to barrage with questions. Chen Ke handed the small key to Hall. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± he asked, looking at the small key in his palm with confusion. ¡°It¡¯s a clue, a safe deposit box key for Pulito Bank. Parchi gave it to me. If we can retrieve the contents, we should be able to understand what¡¯s going on,¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°He gave this to you?¡± Hall asked. Chen Ke nodded. ¡°You are too easily swayed! What if he¡¯s tricking you? I think we should bust in, drag him out and take him away,¡± Hall said, somewhat agitated. ¡°Listen, listen... Hall, Parchi wouldn¡¯t lie to me, he wouldn¡¯t,¡± Chen Ke intercepted Hall, signaling him to stay calm. ¡°How do you know? You haven¡¯t dealt with him before...¡± Hall shook his head. ¡°He¡¯s already dead, Hall, he¡¯s dead,¡± Chen Ke explained. Hall looked at Chen Ke in surprise. ¡°I didn¡¯t kill him. He died of some curse, just like that guy in the docker¡¯s workshop. He gave me this key just before he died,¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°Then we¡¯d better go back and show it to Pihom,¡± Hall said. Chen Ke agreed, and the two hailed a taxi and immediately went to Pihom¡¯s Six Shooter Shop. Safe House. Everyone gathered around the long table in the hall, looking at the small key on the table. Chen Ke described Parchi¡¯s final death and subtly suggested that his condition was like witchcraft from a movie. ¡°I know this inhuman magic, back when I was smuggling at sea with Hainerd... many sailors suffered similar curses,¡± Lucina suddenly spoke. Chen Ke looked at Lucina, hoping she would continue. ¡°There are women who can curse others. They are like witches. Among smugglers, this type of spell is called the Silence Spell... It¡¯s a type of oath-binding spell.¡± ¡°So you mean, they were forced to make an oath, and if they broke it, they¡¯d die?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°Theoretically, yes, but Mad Fak... the process of swearing this spell doesn¡¯t need to be very strict. The caster just has to entice and lead the subject into saying and doing something similar to making an oath, and that¡¯s enough to bind them to their word...¡± Lucina said. ¡°Like...¡± Chen Ke frowned. ¡°Like nodding, saying ¡®OK¡¯, smiling to give implicit consent. No matter what you¡¯re thinking, the oath takes hold...¡± Lucina said. Chen Ke inhaled sharply. This Silence Spell looked like a skill specifically designed to deal with sly old dogs in society! Once you fall for it, there¡¯s no going back, any attempt to trick the system means death... ¡°But you don¡¯t have to worry about falling for it so easily because every woman who knows the Silence Spell is bald, and they have a purple patterned symbol on their forehead. I¡¯m not entirely sure why they look like that, perhaps it¡¯s caused by the witchcraft...¡± Lucina spread her hands. ¡°So you¡¯ve seen those witches?¡± Priskin asked. ¡°Hainerd dealt with them. He knows how to handle these women. He told me,¡± Lucina said. ¡°Let¡¯s put a pin in the witchcraft lesson, everyone. It¡¯s time to discuss serious matters,¡± Pihom, who hadn¡¯t spoken for a while, interrupted the conversation. He leaned both hands on the table, his eyes sweeping over every person present. ¡°Pulito Bank is located in Holy Oak District, it¡¯s a small bank. Whatever we¡¯re looking for is inside, it might be a trap. But right now, this is all we have, our only chance to uncover the truth,¡± Pihom said solemnly. ¡°We have only one key, but no account number or password, and no proof, so the bank won¡¯t just let us walk in and unlock it,¡± Hall said. Pihom nodded. ¡°Hainerd might be working with Si¡¯s consortium, or some other organization, but one way or another, we need to figure out who the enemy is,¡± Chen Ke added. ¡°Wait... what you¡¯re saying... you mean we¡¯re going to rob the bank?¡± Priskin said. Chen Ke, Hall, Lucina, and Pihom nodded. Chapter 105: 105: [Three-Day Ordeal: Pulito Bank] Chapter 105: Chapter 105: [Three-Day Ordeal: Pulito Bank] Priskin drew a sharp breath, but his expression showed particular excitement and eagerness, as if this were something he had long been looking forward to. Chen Ke noticed that everyone seemed to share this sentiment, treating a bank robbery like a high-difficulty challenge rather than a malicious crime. ¡°Bank robbery isn¡¯t something fun. I thought everyone would be a bit more serious...¡± Chen Ke spread his hands. Chen Ke¡¯s entire understanding of bank robbery could be summed up in four words: shot dead on the spot. Running into the bank with a gun and a ski mask, shouting and yelling, and then forcing the managers to open the vault door... He shook his head. Let¡¯s not kid ourselves; even Chen Ke knew that most banks in the real world didn¡¯t hold much cash, and some smaller branches didn¡¯t even have a vault. ... However, fortunately for Chen Ke and his crew, their target wasn¡¯t money, and they already had the key to the corresponding deposit box, which should make the operation easier. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right, robbing a bank isn¡¯t simple; there are many things we need to consider,¡± Pihom nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s hear your thoughts,¡± Chen Ke gestured for Pihom to proceed. Pihom cleared his throat for effect, took an A2-sized piece of paper from the cabinet under the table, and drew a blue dot with a blue marker. Representing Pulito Bank with the blue dot, Pihom began to outline his preliminary analysis and plan. Pulito Bank was a small village-scale bank situated in the Holy Oak District, a neighborhood crowded with the wealthy. The specific building structure and geographic location were still unclear. The entire Holy Oak District might have the best security system in Opportunity City, with two medium-sized County Police stations, and also, the medical department belonging to the Spiritual Ability Administration Bureau was there. ¡°This is tricky. The Administration Bureau theoretically wouldn¡¯t meddle with a typical bank robbery case, but if we slip up that day and there happens to be a Spiritual Agent nearby...¡± Lucina shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s just a medical department. I doubt they would concern themselves with this matter,¡± Chen Ke analyzed. ¡°In this era, there is never a shortage of heroes, especially after superheroes ended World War II. These days, superhero movies are all the rage, after all, with Spiritual Energy, any Extraordinary Ability becomes possible...¡± Pihom also expressed a hint of worry. Yes, with Spiritual Energy, and along with Holy Relics and Skill manuals, it truly was possible for one person to become a superhero... with great power comes great responsibility, indeed... Chen Ke felt that with his current abilities, he stood a chance of protecting himself if he encountered an agent from the Administration Bureau, but he didn¡¯t wish to display his abilities in front of postal workers and Special Agents. After all, he didn¡¯t possess any Spiritual Energy! He relied on burning his life span to use Skills and Holy Relics, and he wasn¡¯t even clear on how this life countdown worked! ¡°Can we not go at night and steal the items from the bank?¡± Chen Ke suggested, as robbing a bank in broad daylight was far too dangerous. ¡°You think the night would be safer and more covert, but it¡¯s actually the opposite,¡± Pihom shook his head. ¡°Why?¡± Chen Ke asked. Hall began to explain: Apparently, the alarm systems of all banks in the United Federation were directly connected to the local County Police stations; these alarms operated in two modes: manual and triggered. During the day, when bank employees and customers were frequently operating bank equipment and moving in and out of restricted areas, the alarm would be set to manual trigger mode; but at night, these alarms would automatically switch to auto-trigger... ¡°No one knows what action in which spot will trigger the alarm, and once the alarm is triggered, you¡¯ll immediately be surrounded by cops, with absolutely no time to drill open the vault door, so you have no way to sneak into the bank,¡± Priskin added, having a clear understanding of how long it would take to drill through a door. ¡°We could sabotage the lines near the bank first...¡± Chen Ke suggested. ¡°That¡¯s even more unrealistic... If the bank¡¯s alarm system goes offline, the County Police station would immediately send people over,¡± Pihom shook his head. ¡°We need at least, umm... ten minutes to drill open the door. Then we need at least another ten minutes to get away,¡± Priskin said. ¡°Ten minutes... that¡¯s kind of long, is there a faster way to open the vault door?¡± Chen Ke shook his head. Drilling for ten minutes, if the County Police surrounded them by then, wouldn¡¯t it feel like being wrapped up like dumplings, playing tower defense? ¡°The managers in the bank don¡¯t have the authority to open it, all the bank vaults are controlled by the head office¡¯s online system, opening the vault requires the branch manager to apply through the system,¡± Pihom said. ¡°That complicated?!¡± Chen Ke wiped his forehead, realizing he had underestimated the complexity. ¡°That¡¯s also why they hide their secrets in the banks. Moreover, this matter involves the Silence Spell... We still have no idea what Hainerd managed to steal, nor what kind of deal he struck with Si¡¯s consortium. So, I¡¯ll assume the things hidden there carry a certain level of danger...¡± Pihom spoke slowly. Everyone nodded silently, indeed, if they ended up cursed by opening the box, that wouldn¡¯t be fun... ¡°We need to prepare three fast cars, plan two escape routes. During the escape, we¡¯ll split in two directions, one team serves as a decoy to draw away the County Police, and we¡¯ll switch cars en route. So, we can¡¯t use the current vans, we need sturdy, powerful muscle cars. We also need to get a clear understanding of the bank¡¯s surroundings and prepare the supplies we¡¯re going to use...¡± Pihom looked at everyone. ¡°This sounds like it can¡¯t be done in a day...¡± Chen Ke assessed. He glanced at the countdown display in the corner of his eye, with only 18 hours of life left. There should be no problems surviving tonight, but tomorrow was uncertain. ¡°We might need three days to do this, two days to prepare, one day to implement the plan, and then wait out a period of time afterwards to avoid detection,¡± Pihom said. Chen Ke blinked, not sure what to say. Surviving three days might be normal to others, but for Chen Ke, it was a challenge... ¡°The main target of this operation is the contents of storage box number 209, but we also need to snag some money on the side to mask our actual objective. The getaway vehicles would be best stolen, so we can avoid tracking and save a considerable amount of money. The guideline for the operation is still to avoid conflict as much as possible, don¡¯t kill civilians, and try not to exchange fire with the cops needlessly,¡± Pihom concluded. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the cars, but I need a helper; one person can¡¯t bring back three cars on their own. Mad Fak, can you drive?¡± Lucina said. ¡°Are you joking me?¡± Chen Ke replied. Lin Mo certainly could drive, Chen Ke had no doubts about that, it was just unclear how well. As for himself, he did have a driver¡¯s license, but his grocery-shopping skills were hardly up to the demands of a car chase. ¡°I¡¯ll organize the escape routes,¡± Hall said. Priskin indicated that he would arrange for the required weapons and drilling equipment. ¡°I¡¯ll get Bain to get the blueprints of the bank, and I¡¯ll go with Chen Ke tomorrow for an on-site reconnaissance,¡± Pihom smiled. ¡°You¡¯re personally going into the field?¡± Hall was surprised. ¡°I haven¡¯t been out for a while, I miss the crazy days of 30 years ago,¡± Pihom said with crossed arms. Chen Ke said nothing. In his mind, he was planning where to find a mutated monster to kill tonight, to recharge himself. ¡°Chen Ke, you seem preoccupied, that worries me,¡± Pihom said to Chen Ke beside him. Chen Ke knew what Pihom was worried about; Pihom was concerned Chen Ke might back out when it came down to it. After all, robbing a bank was no small feat. ¡°I really want to take action now, Pihom, really, time waits for no one,¡± Chen Ke forced a smile. ¡°That¡¯s good... it seems I was overthinking it, you still have as much drive as ever. But many things need to be planned for the long term, you need to get used to looking at things over a longer period...¡± Pihom lectured. ¡°I never consider what might happen after 20 hours... people need to live in the moment,¡± Chen Ke said with a wry smile. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you need to sleep or eat?¡± Lucina asked with a laugh. ¡°To me, those are just entertainment...¡± Chen Ke spread his hands. ¡°People grow, and you¡¯ll understand the benefits of long-term thinking in the future,¡± Pihom laughed heartily. Chen Ke also laughed. He had indeed grown a lot, just a day before, Chen Ke only thought about things within a five-hour timeframe. Chapter 106: All 106 s Launch New Business Chapter 106: All 106 Chapters Launch New Business Hall decided to spend the night at the gun shop, while Lucina and Priskin were heading back to their own residences. Chen Ke followed the two out of the gun shop. The sky had darkened, and the air carried a hint of coolness. The three said a simple goodbye and then went their separate ways at the crossroads. Chen Ke hailed a taxi to return to his rented apartment. He would rest for the night ¡ª after all, now that he had enough life span, staying one night wouldn¡¯t kill him. He planned to first look at the basics of Meyer Swordsmanship instruction, and then practice with a clothes hanger, using it as a fork. Now that he had beginner-level Meyer Swordsmanship skills, Chen Ke hoped he could quickly advance his skills to mastery. He took out five Holy Relics diamonds from his suit¡¯s inner pocket, trophies he¡¯d gained from killing the female assassin ¡ª four white ones and one blue... Even without appraisal, Chen Ke knew exactly what the four diamonds were: a green short sword that could transform into a chained blade, and four embarrassingly tight female lingerie that were fetish in nature... ... He would never consider wearing those four Holy Relics in this lifetime, but he might take a look at the green short sword. However, now was not the time. He needed to save his life span to make it through the long night. Chen Ke leaned back into the taxi¡¯s seat, closing his eyes slightly, pretending to rest his eyes. However, when he closed his eyes, that countdown notification became even clearer and more conspicuous, unknowingly making Chen Ke feel somewhat anxious. ¡°Damn it.¡± He sighed, resettled himself properly, and thought that he shouldn¡¯t rush to squeeze souls in the future. Though squeezing a soul could increase one¡¯s life span limit, it also fully replenished one¡¯s life span. He had become accustomed to living on a low life span limit. It was better to keep the soul for critical moments, such as when his life span was about to run out and there was no killing intent to sustain it. Chen Ke put the diamonds back in his pocket, then took out his phone to browse the internet. In this rare moment of leisure, he prepared to learn about the world¡¯s situation ¡ª state affairs, news information, entertainment gossip... Just as he opened the browser, his phone began to vibrate aggressively. Chen Ke muttered a curse and answered the call. ¡°Chen Ke?¡± The voice on the other end sounded strange, not like a human¡¯s voice. ¡°Uh? Who¡¯s this?¡± Chen Ke didn¡¯t recognize the caller. ¡°It¡¯s Lester.¡± The car passed rows of dim, low-rise apartment buildings, several wild birds taking flight from tree tops. ¡°That¡¯s not your number... Lester, I have yours stored...¡± Chen Ke said, puzzled. ¡°Be cautious of Prism, Chen Ke. This era is not safe. I¡¯m not even using a phone to call you anymore,¡± Lester said with a laugh. ¡°You¡¯re too cautious, Lester.¡± Chen Ke shook his head. Lester must be using a voice changer. ¡°You take personal privacy too lightly. One day you will regret it,¡± Lester said. ¡°You didn¡¯t call this late just to tell me that, did you?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°Hmm... Of course not. I want to discuss a mutually beneficial business with you, but it¡¯s not convenient to talk over the phone. Can you come to my Zio suit shop now?¡± Lester said. Now, huh... Chen Ke furrowed his brows, knowing Lester was not someone who played by the rules. Strangely enough, it seemed like all the irregulars of Opportunity City had crossed his path, as if an unseen hand was always pushing him into bizarre situations. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll come over, but it had better be worth it,¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°You won¡¯t regret it,¡± Lester replied, and hung up. Chen Ke sighed, patted the back of the driver¡¯s seat, ¡°Buddy, turn around, I need to go to the Raffi Road District.¡± The taxi entered the Raffi Road District and stopped in front of Zio suit shop. Chen Ke got out of the car, the fare for this trip totaling 40 union coins. At 10 p.m., the bustling commercial street of Raffi Road was still lively, with people bustling from one store to another, and the plaza echoing with pop music. A few hours earlier, on this street, Chen Ke had clashed with two assassins ¡ª one he had killed and left in a pile of garbage in an alley, and the other he had killed on the second floor of a shopping mall. But there were no police cars blocking off sections of the street. The crowd surged on, everyone pursuing their pleasures. A clown balloon drifted across the sky, as if mocking Chen Ke¡¯s actions in the real world. ¡°You can only say that Si¡¯s consortium has done their aftermath and wrap-up work too well, their influence in Opportunity City has actually reached such an extent.¡± Chen Ke didn¡¯t know if the female assassin¡¯s body on top of the department store had been found, but considering the last sniper had escaped from his hands, he believed they certainly brought people to claim the woman¡¯s body. It¡¯s just that the Holy Relics diamond vanished without a trace, Si¡¯s consortium must be very angry about it. The Zio suit shop was already closed, he looked through the glass windows into the shop door inside, a pitch-black sight, not looking like there was anyone inside. He went up and knocked on the door, waited for a long while without any response. ¡°Anyone there? Lester?¡± Chen Ke pressed his hands against the glass on the door, shouting inside. Chen Ke suddenly felt a numbness in his hips, he took out his cell phone, it was a text from Lester. ¡°Come to the back door.¡± Is there really a need to be this secretive... He followed the alley beside the shop door to a position closer to the inside, a door suddenly opened, dim yellow light spilled into the dark alleyway, Lester, leaning on a crutch, stood at the door and made a ¡°follow me¡± gesture. Chen Ke followed him through the door and found himself in a room behind the suit shop, Lester smiled, asked Chen Ke to sit down, and inquired if he preferred juice or coffee. ¡°Let¡¯s hear it, what kind of win-win business is it?¡± Chen Ke took the red mug, the thick black coffee steaming hot, smelling rich and fragrant, but he knew it must be very bitter. ¡°If you still remember, Chen Ke, you said your trigger has its price,¡± Lester poured himself a cup of coffee too, smiling as he sat opposite Chen Ke. ¡°That¡¯s right, everything has a price, only the difference lies in the amount,¡± Chen Ke said. There¡¯s no inherent meaning in the world, the rules of human society are all set by people, statements such as irreplaceable, priceless, and cannot be measured in money¡ªthey all boil down to: the stakes weren¡¯t enticing enough. ¡°Then I¡¯ll just get straight to the point, Chen Ke, help me, take out a few people,¡± Lester said, pushing his glasses up. Chen Ke¡¯s hand holding the coffee cup trembled slightly. He was a bit panicked, not because he dared not kill, nor because he was afraid he couldn¡¯t handle the business, but because he didn¡¯t know how an assassin was supposed to set a price. If there was a chance right now, Chen Ke really wanted to pull out his phone and google the charging details for an assassin. Besides, he was busy with a big job for the next three days, and it would be problematic if there was a clash in business schedules. ¡°I don¡¯t know you, Lester. I don¡¯t like to cooperate with people I¡¯m not familiar with,¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°But I know you very well, you killed two people under my watch today, and they even had Spiritual Energy,¡± Lester said with a smile. Chen Ke¡¯s gaze turned sharp¡ªthis guy saw the fight with the Spiritual Ability User? He looked at Lester with killing intent in his eyes. The secret that he possessed Spiritual Energy himself could not be let out; anyone who saw it must die! ¡°Don¡¯t be tense, Chen Ke, I mean no harm. I was very impressed with your fight; you took out a Spiritual Ability User with just a gun and you know how to take out targets in a crowd. I think you¡¯re a professional assassin, and you suit that suit well. So why not enter a more intimate partnership?¡± Lester waved his hand, sensing the killing intent in Chen Ke¡¯s eyes and hastily explained. ¡°How did you see it? What else did you see?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°I can hack into most of the surveillance cameras on this street, it¡¯s one of my guilty pleasures... That¡¯s all I saw, unless your targets were more than those two,¡± Lester said. ¡°Did you see the County Police clearing the bodies?¡± Chen Ke asked in a deep voice. ¡°No, the cameras in those two areas suddenly went dark for half an hour. I guess someone didn¡¯t want anyone to see them cleaning up the bodies...¡± Lester shook his head. It must be Si¡¯s consortium, Chen Ke thought to himself, there were no cameras on top of the department store, Lester shouldn¡¯t have seen him using the Holy Relics in battle. ¡°You¡¯re very professional, Chen Ke, and I need someone like you. I assure you, this will be a good partnership experience for both of us, and certainly, there will be great rewards,¡± Lester persuaded. Chen Ke thought about it, though he might not necessarily have the time to deal with it, he could still listen. ¡°Then talk, Lester, try to keep it brief.¡± Chapter 107: 107: Shadows Passing Twice Chapter 107: Chapter 107: Shadow¡¯s Passing Twice Lester smiled and pulled out three photographs from his inside pocket, laying them on the table facing Chen Ke. They slid across. Chen Ke looked at the photographs on the table of three middle-aged men. These three men, just by looking at their faces, one could tell they were wealthy and held extraordinary social status. Wealthy people unintentionally reveal an aura; an aura that is unrelated to ¡°confidence¡± or ¡°power¡± yet, to some extent, can counteract others¡¯ ¡°confidence¡± and ¡°power.¡± That is ¡°opulence,¡± an aura that can suppress all other presences, also casting a permanent debuff on those beaten by it and the weak-willed¡ªthe effect, ¡°inferiority.¡± ¡°These three are quite wealthy, aren¡¯t they?¡± Chen Ke asked. ... ¡°They have money, but are not extremely wealthy. Of course, it depends on how you define wealth,¡± Lester replied. ¡°Who are these three?¡± Chen Ke inquired. ¡°That¡¯s not important. A butcher doesn¡¯t need to know the names of his pigs. Just bleed them, kill them, that is everything,¡± Lester said with a smile. Chen Ke looked over the three photographs; three targets all at once, not sure if they had Spiritual Ability Users protecting them, what their background was, where they were located, what their names were; his face showed hesitation. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Chen Ke, I can tell you hate wasting time, but I promise this will be a simple job for you. I have all their information, just follow my instructions, kill them at the specified times and locations,¡± Lester said, noticing Chen Ke¡¯s confusion, earnestly. ¡°You know where they are? And when they will be there?¡± Chen Ke asked, puzzled. ¡°Yes, three nights, just handle them tomorrow night, the day after tomorrow, and the day after that. The world will thank you,¡± Lester assured him. What perfect timing, flawlessly staggered from the mugging sequence... ¡°It¡¯s that simple? Are you sure your information is accurate?¡± Chen Ke questioned. ¡°There won¡¯t be a single mistake, but they might have many bodyguards. You need to sneak in, quickly take them out, and quietly leave. If their deaths look like a series of accidents, even better,¡± Lester said. ¡°Accidents?¡± Chen Ke wondered. ¡°For instance, accidentally falling down a staircase or a chandelier conveniently coming loose... Chen Ke, use your imagination. A friend of mine rarely uses guns, the whole world is his weapon, you can try that as well,¡± Lester suggested. After a moment of reflection, Chen Ke nodded and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll try.¡± ¡°Good, after the job is done, I¡¯ll give you 100,000 union coins as a reward, and then a 20% bonus,¡± Lester generously offered. Chen Ke¡¯s eyebrows raised, the payment was unbelievably high... ¡°But remember, Chen Ke, each person only gets one chance, they¡¯re shrewd and know they¡¯re on an assassination list, so... be sure to act without a trace,¡± Lester cautioned. ¡°I¡¯ve got it, Lester, consider them dead.¡± Chen Ke picked up the three photographs. He flipped the photographs over and found the addresses of the three men written on the back, along with the corresponding times. It seemed visiting at the specified times was the only way to encounter the targets. After finalizing the agreement and providing an offline account, Chen Ke left Zio Suit Shop from the side door, stepping back into the bustling streets. The hustle and bustle of the streets were irrelevant to him. Chen Ke hailed a taxi and headed to his rented apartment. Along the way, Chen Ke studied the photographs intently, memorizing their faces. In this era, there was no technology to recognize faces, at least Google didn¡¯t have a search by image option, otherwise, he might have learned more about these men. One man would appear at 11 PM tomorrow night in an office building in Raffi Road District. The next, the night after, would show up at 9 PM at a wealthy mansion, number 118 in Holy Oak. The last, in two nights, at 8:30 PM, would be at a budget hotel, room 98, in Gun Tie District. The locations of these three were vastly different, sharing no apparent links, potentially just three unrelated targets. Chen Ke put away their pictures and stopped focusing on them. The next three days were bound to be particularly fulfilling. The taxi traveled along the boundary of Gun Tie and Raffi Road, with only the sparse wilderness and woodland lining the roadsides and the occasional streetlight illuminating the circumurban highway. ¡°Hey buddy, can I smoke?¡± the driver suddenly asked. Chen Ke disliked the smell of cigarettes and never indulged, but not being particularly fussy right now, he responded, ¡°Alright.¡± The driver chuckled, pulling out a pack of cigarettes, squeezing one between his lips, then getting out a lighter and flicking it. The lighter was probably out of fuel, failing to light after several tries. Chen Ke watched the tiny sparks flying from the lighter¡¯s flint wheel, strangely mesmerized. ¡°Damn it, really messed up, bought cigarettes but forgot to get a lighter...¡± the driver cursed, shaking the lighter, trying a few more times. ¡°Crack!¡± Chen Ke gave a wry smile as the driver finally managed to light his cigarette. He immediately felt bored, and to a bored mind, everything seems interesting. But then things became interesting. Without warning, the driver¡¯s head burst open with a ¡°pop,¡± splattering the windshield with blood and brains. ¡°Damn it all to hell!¡± Chen Ke couldn¡¯t help but curse, covering his head in disbelief. The driver¡¯s body still maintained its pre-death posture, one hand holding the steering wheel and the other holding a lighter, but the body slumped towards the passenger seat. As his hand moved, the vehicle violently swerved to the right at 80 miles per hour. Then, it flipped. The car first shattered the roadside barrier, then plunged into the mud, where it rolled sideways six or seven times. The front door and the left tire were flung from the body, and the dead driver¡¯s body was ejected through the broken windshield. Finally, the car lay silently upside down in the mud. After a few minutes, a powerful force flung the rear car door off, and Chen Ke, bloodied, crawled out. His injuries had been healed by ¡°healing,¡± but the blood remained on his body. ¡°+40 minutes¡± ¡°+40 minutes¡± ¡°+40 minutes¡± ¡°+40 minutes¡± ¡°+40 minutes¡± ¡°+40 minutes¡± ... The sniper... that sniper! Chen Ke drew out his PPQ.45 looking towards the dark countryside; he knew, however, that the opponent was far beyond the reach of his Killing Aura Radar. Breathing heavily, he glanced back at the taxi. The gasoline was leaking, but the car had not caught fire. For now, his priority was escaping from this open location; it offered no cover, and a sniper who could hit a driver in a speeding vehicle was not ordinary. ¡°You¡¯re well hidden, you bastard... if I find you... I¡¯ll make you pay...¡± Chen Ke muttered to himself, crouching and moving towards the pitch-black woods to his right. A bullet sliced through the night sky, coming toward Chen Ke. He heard it cutting through the air, turned his head to the left, and could even see the coppery glow of the bullet as it streaked through the night with a dark red heat. Chen Ke suddenly had a bad feeling. The bullet missed Chen Ke, but it passed exceedingly close to his neck. The intense heat from the passing bullet tore through his throat; he could no longer draw breath. Chen Ke clutched his neck, feeling like a human fountain gushing blood upward. His body felt emptied, strength drained, and his left hand, holding the gun, trembled uncontrollably and dropped the weapon. Chen Ke forced himself forward a few steps but eventually knelt down, his vision darkened, and he collapsed face down. ¡°Your remaining lifespan is 19 hours, 57 minutes, and 39 seconds...¡± Even with his eyes closed, Chen Ke could see this line of text in the top right corner of his vision. Dreams have everything... Even the fragrance of the soil... ¡°Mission accomplished, Mr. Lan Mei. The target has been eliminated.¡± ¡°Yes, I found many Holy Relics diamonds on him, including Laven¡¯s.¡± ¡°Alright, Mr. Lan Mei, I¡¯ll be returning now.¡± ¡°¡®Resurrection¡¯ consuming 30% of maximum lifespan.¡± ¡°Your remaining lifespan is 13 hours, 57 minutes, and 39 seconds...¡± Chen Ke opened his eyes, a faint red aura of killing intent emanating from him. He instinctively touched his neck; there was no wound. Not far ahead, the sniper, who had previously escaped, was slowly walking forward, utterly unaware that his target had just risen from the dead. Chapter 108 108: 108: Forest Sniper Chapter 108: Chapter 108: Forest Sniper Chen Ke reached inside his suit, only to find his holster empty, the Holy Diamond gone, and even the folding knife hidden in his sleeve had been taken. The enemy now had his back to him, but fortunately was armed. A barehanded stealth attack could backfire if countered, creating an extremely dangerous situation. He crouched and followed quietly, trying to get close enough for a sudden attack to subdue the enemy. The sniper was taller than Chen Ke, holding a black M24 sniper rifle with a custom stock, fitted with a silencer and a high-magnification scope. He drew closer to the sniper, at this moment his stealth level had reached 80%. Coupled with crouching to silence his movements, the sniper would not be able to detect him. ¡°It¡¯s not an illusion, you¡¯re dead,¡± Chen Ke whispered to himself. ... He suddenly stood up, fiercely choked the sniper¡¯s neck, and kicked out at his right calf. The sniper stumbled and half-crouched, falling to the ground. Even at the end, the sniper didn¡¯t let go of his rifle, instead pushing it into Chen Ke¡¯s abdomen, attempting to shoot. Chen Ke was startled; he exerted force with both arms, flipping the sniper over, his knee pressing into the opponent¡¯s back as he reached for the sniper¡¯s weapon. The sniper yelled fiercely and, carrying Chen Ke, stood up, throwing him to the ground with a brutish back slam. He quickly turned the rifle around, aiming it at Chen Ke¡¯s head. ¡°+90 minutes¡± ¡°+90 minutes¡± ¡°+90 minutes¡± ... The enemy was sporting a pile of Holy Diamonds and a sniper rifle, possibly even a few handguns, and being a Spiritual Ability User on par with Chen Ke, he posed a tremendous threat to the unarmed Chen Ke. Chen Ke grabbed a handful of dirt with his right hand, rolled aside quickly, as the sniper rifle made a muted bang, and the 7.62x51mm bullet bored into the soil with a thud. Chen Ke quickly got up, threw the dirt at the sniper¡¯s face, and then immediately rushed forward, seizing the sniper¡¯s rifle. The sniper rifle was an impractical weapon at close range, because the long-range scope it was equipped with couldn¡¯t allow for aiming at nearby objects. Even with adjusted magnification, close-range targets still appeared too large in the scope¡¯s frame, which is why sniper teams usually consisted of a spotter and shooter, and also required a stable rifle stand. But at close range, firing the rifle with the barrel pushed against someone could be catastrophic, while holding it at waist level and aiming by chance could work like a blunderbuss. He grabbed the rifle with one hand and with the other snapped his fingers at the sniper¡¯s chest. An hour¡¯s worth of Spiritual Energy burst forth! The man¡¯s expression faltered, and with a ¡°buzz,¡± his hand slipped, releasing the sniper rifle that was blown far away by the immense force. But as he was about to hit the ground, a white light sprouted from his body, and his clothes transformed by the Holy Relics. The sniper¡¯s upper body was now clothed in a loose, teal hooded robe, his face covered by a mask, and his legs were clad in Medieval-style hardened leather pants. The man fell into the mud, rolled a few times, and quickly got up, a smile on his face. Chen Ke frowned, the three Holy Relics from the Fan Hede Kingdom were the Teacher¡¯s Mask, Battle Robe, and Hardened Leather Greaves! If he wasn¡¯t wrong, the opponent also had his Crossbowman¡¯s Tower Shield, Faralis¡¯s Unyielding Fury... as well as a PPQ.45. Chen Ke raised the rifle and shot at the man based on instinct. The man summoned the Crossbowman¡¯s Tower Shield to protect himself, akin to a section of a city wall. ¡°HAHAHAHA! Even you have days like this!¡± the sniper laughed, pulling out a PPQ.45 from behind the shield and shooting at Chen Ke. Chen Ke cursed and rapidly retreated, raising his rifle. He had flung his enemy at least 60 meters away with a burst of Spiritual Energy, making him difficult to hit from that distance with wild firing. The enemy now possessed a full set of Holy Relics, and getting close to him would be suicidal. Chen Ke had to find an opportunity to widen the gap, ideally around 100 meters, to exploit the advantage of his sniper rifle and Killing Aura Radar to snipe the opponent. The sniper folded his shield and chased after Chen Ke, but as he moved, he split into three, one running left, another running right, and one sprinting straight ahead. That was the sniper¡¯s Transcendent Skill. Chen Ke glanced back and realized that even the Killing Aura Radar couldn¡¯t distinguish which of the three figures was the true sniper; all were covered in red outlines. It seemed that the Killing Aura Radar could be deceived by Illusion Techniques. But, it appeared that this guy could summon at most three Phantoms. Chen Ke darted into the dark woods and immediately crouched down; his Dark Concealment was at 100%! He raised his sniper rifle and aimed at the three red outlines. Without a sniper rifle, the shooter was reluctant to recklessly enter the edge of the woods. His every move was within Chen Ke¡¯s grasp, with the only challenge remaining to distinguish between the illusion and the true body. In the scope, the three snipers in different directions seemed indistinguishable, each assuming a different form, as if they were three separate people. There had to be slight surprises; the true body and the illusion couldn¡¯t synchronize perfectly. Although he didn¡¯t know which one was the real body, it didn¡¯t matter to Chen Ke. If there were three, he would take down all three. Chen Ke aimed at the sniper on the left and pulled the trigger. In the quiet woods, even though the M24 had a silencer, a muffled shot sounded, more like a quiet fart, though the muzzle flash was indeed suppressed. Within just over 100 meters, there was no need to calculate wind direction and trajectory like a sniper would. Even Chen Ke could hit the target. Though Lin Mo was a precise shooter, the training of a precise shooter was quite different from that of a sniper, leading to a sense of unfamiliarity for Chen Ke when using a sniper rifle. The long-range scope mounted on the M24 was prepared for engagements at distances up to 500 meters, as the assassin¡¯s mission was to kill targets from beyond the visual range of Chen Ke. The woman¡¯s duty was to engage in close combat, sneak up on Chen Ke in close quarters, and instantly kill him. The assassin who killed with light was to hide among the crowd, create accidental deaths, and deliver preemptive strikes early on. At the record store, Chen Ke hadn¡¯t figured out what the latter was supposed to do, since he had killed him before he could make a move. He couldn¡¯t help but admire the professionalism of Si¡¯s consortium¡¯s assassins. The bullet passed through the sniper¡¯s body and hit the wood behind him, splintering off wood chips. That was an illusion. Among the remaining two Phantoms, one still maintained a searching posture, but the other, looking anxious, glanced around nervously. Got you... Chen Ke changed his position and took cover behind a tree, aiming at the anxious figure. Then, the red outline on the target suddenly disappeared... ¡°Huh?¡± Chen Ke wondered. That¡¯s not right. The sniper had dispelled the illusion! He knew he had been spotted and had summoned new Phantoms... That inadvertent action had also released the mark from Chen Ke¡¯s Killing Aura Radar! Now the enemy couldn¡¯t find him, naturally unable to absorb his killing intent... ¡°Damn it, why...¡± Chen Ke silently cursed. Nevertheless, the sniper was likely to have dispelled the illusion on the spot; he wouldn¡¯t have moved too far away. Chen Ke followed his last recollection, scanning ahead. When the enemy had a red outline, it was like giving the sniper rifle¡¯s scope thermal imaging capabilities in the dark. But now, the scope revealed nothing but pitch-black, blinded to any sight. The assassins had set out in the afternoon when it was still daylight, which is why the rifle wasn¡¯t equipped with a night vision scope... Chen Ke cycled the bolt of his gun. The M24 could hold ten bullets in total. Counting the shots he had just fired, seven rounds remained in the chamber. Chapter 109 109: 109 Memory Sequence Chapter 109: Chapter 109 Memory Sequence Chen Ke racked the bolt of his rifle and emerged from behind the tree. In this moonlight-free patch of woodland, visibility stretched barely more than 30 meters. Beyond, the darkness was a thick, murky void, void of even the sound of birds. Crouching low, Chen Ke advanced, nearly invisible thanks to the Dark Concealment feature of his suit. Suddenly, an explosion rang out from the muddy ground afar as the leaked gasoline was ignited by a spark from some wire in the vehicle. The delayed combustion brought a brief, intense flash of orange-red to the night, followed by the burning wreckage lighting up a large patch of the ground in red. Faint orange shadows were cast into the woods, illuminating distances previously hidden in darkness. This commotion was enough to draw the fire department and the County Police for an investigation¡ªit was time to deal with the sniper, fast! ... Following the flicker of flames, Chen Ke¡¯s concealment dropped to 80%, but it also allowed him to spot the presence of three Assassin Phantoms. His cyan robe stood out remarkably under the light, like a walking wad of cotton in the pitch-black forest. The sniper was keenly aware of the problem presented by his cyan robe but dared not remove the Holy Relics, as summoning and retrieving them would create a bright halo of light, and taking them off now would only expose his position. Killing any of the Phantoms would alert the true body to his location, but in the brief moment of the vehicle¡¯s explosion, Chen Ke had already determined who the real body was. During the explosion, only the real body stopped to watch for a while, while the other two Phantoms continued their search. Chen Ke smirked, raised his rifle, and aimed for the true body¡¯s neck; he didn¡¯t want to damage the robe and mask¡ªafter all, they were his property. Using the long-range scope at a distance of 100 meters felt uncomfortable for Chen Ke, so he simply detached the scope and used the mechanical sight to aim. ¡°Pop,¡± The M24 let out a muffled discharge, ejecting a brass-orange casing, the bullet hitting its target even before the sound of the gunshot¡ªdead center. The sniper wasn¡¯t as lucky as Chen Ke; the bullet tore through his throat, severing the connection between his head and body, which rolled onto the ground. The moment after the sniper died, even before his body hit the floor, the Holy Relics on him reverted to the Holy Diamond; with a flash of white light, the other two Phantoms vanished as well. Chen Ke breathed a sigh of relief, set down his rifle, and went over to the sniper¡¯s corpse to retrieve his belongings. He also acquired another assassin¡¯s cell phone. As usual, he removed the battery, then pocketed it. Now he had three assassin¡¯s cell phones: two confiscated, and one his own... Though they might not be immediately useful, they could come in handy later on. Chen Ke looked at the M24 in his hand. It was better to discard it¡ªif he needed a gun, Pihom could provide him with something far superior. He checked the sniper¡¯s body once again; it held nothing else, no Holy Diamond, not even spare ammunition for the sniper rifle, a sign of overconfidence... As a long-distance assassin, he already possessed the highly practical Phantom Skill and had support from companions; indeed, there was no need for additional Holy Relics... At that moment, a burning sensation suddenly emanated from the Sun Mark on his chest. Chen Ke hurriedly unbuttoned his shirt, worried the Flame would catch it ablaze. The emblem on his left chest produced tiny sparks, as if hinting at something. Chen Ke¡¯s thoughts shifted, and the soul interface appeared before his eyes, revealing a white soul emitting a soft glow. It was Lin Mo¡¯s soul, the previous owner of this body¡ªsupposed to have been sacrificed to the contract demon to open the door, but now merely restricted by a life countdown after Chen Ke¡¯s transmigration. Different from the information seen in the taxi, Lin Mo¡¯s soul information had changed. [Lin Mo, Assassin¡¯s Soul] [Effect: ???] [A dissipated soul, yet bound tightly by an invisible force.] [The soul of Lin Mo, an assassin from Si¡¯s consortium, who walked down the wrong path with no way out and ultimately paid the price for his choices.] [Memory Sequence 0: ???] Curious, Chen Ke focused his attention on ¡°Memory Sequence 0¡±. Suddenly, it was as if he was seated on a high-speed roller coaster plummeting downwards, feeling the surrounding scenery and sounds rapidly receding from him, his senses escaping into a void of darkness, while his body continued to fall. ... Chen Ke could no longer feel his body, as though he was just an intangible soul. After not knowing how long he had been falling into the darkness, it felt as though he had suddenly crashed to the ground, and he sensed that he had entered another body. Pitch darkness lay before his eyes. He could no longer see the life countdown. Sounds, gradually, began to enter his ears. ¡°Swish!¡± Chen Ke abruptly opened his eyes and found he was crouching at the wall of a low-slung bungalow, holding an M1911A1 in both hands, with a woman at his side. The sky was overcast, with a fine drizzle descending. A concrete staircase stretched downward in front of him, leading to a dried-up drainage ditch hundreds of steps away. He glanced at the woman beside him, her silhouette seeming strikingly familiar. Suddenly, he remembered¡ªwasn¡¯t this the woman he had fought with on the rooftop of the shopping mall... He excitedly raised his gun but was stopped as another person beside him grabbed the muzzle. Chen Ke turned to look left and saw an unfamiliar man, a scar-faced, bald Caucasian. ¡°Don¡¯t rush, Lin Mo, don¡¯t rush, keep your cool,¡± the man¡¯s voice was hoarse, sounding very reliable. He was muscular, with a shotgun slung across his back. ¡°He¡¯s always impulsive, Miles, no matter where he is,¡± the woman turned her head and gave Chen Ke a smile with a teasing intent. This bald man is Miles?! Chen Ke looked at the bald man in surprise, trying hard to memorize his face. ¡°Laven, the deal is about to close; it seems nothing will go wrong this time,¡± Miles said in a low voice. ¡°That would be for the best. Those Holy Relics are worth a fortune. Pankia wouldn¡¯t want any slip-ups,¡± Laven responded. So, this woman that Chen Ke had killed was named Laven... Chen Ke understood; he was now in a memory of Lin Mo, experiencing an event from his past... ¡°This Hainerd, I don¡¯t trust him. He¡¯s just a smuggler. I don¡¯t like dealing with that sort of person,¡± Miles spoke. Chen Ke¡¯s eyes widened. This Hainerd had dealings with Si¡¯s consortium so long ago...? ¡°What year, month, and date is it now?¡± Chen Ke suddenly asked. ¡°Huh? Why are you suddenly asking about that?¡± Laven¡¯s voice sounded languid and somewhat mocking. ¡°April 12, 2007,¡± Miles replied straightforwardly, as if he were a man of direct action. Chen Ke remained silent, observing the two of them. At this moment, as Lin Mo, he was still their comrade. ¡°Can I... can I just kill them now...?¡± Miles looked particularly threatening, and this Laven would later be sent to kill him... As Chen Ke thought this, his hand gripping the gun began to grow restless. He felt the pockets on his body and even found a switchblade... He took a deep breath, suddenly raised his gun, and continuously pulled the trigger at the back of Miles¡¯s head. The .45 bullets were powerful, and six shots turned Miles¡¯s head into a ball of bloody flesh, with brain tissue and pulp smeared on the ground as the sturdy body fell with a loud thud. Before Laven could turn around in surprise, Chen Ke slammed his elbow under her chin, then pressed his forearm against her throat and pinned her against the wall. Chen Ke drew the switchblade with his left hand and thrust the blade into the exposed belly beneath her flashy cropped jacket. Then he viciously stirred and horizontally sliced it open, letting red entrails spill out from the incision. Laven¡¯s eyes rolled back as her body sank down. Chen Ke¡¯s vision began to blur, his body was becoming uncontrollable, and a large notification appeared in front of him: Loss of Synchronization... In a blink of an eye, Chen Ke was back in reality, seated in a clearing in the woods. The sky was already dimly lit; dawn had arrived... Despite the brief instant in the memory, several hours had passed by in the outside world. At this time, the life countdown showed a lifespan of 19 hours and 48 minutes. Chapter 110 110: 110 Get to Serious Business Chapter 110: Chapter 110 Get to Serious Business Chen Ke let out a long sigh, feeling cold sweat all over his body. Synchronizing memories within the soul had brought him an immense mental strain. Especially when the synchronization failed and the Divine Soul was ripped away, Chen Ke felt as though he was being torn in two. He propped himself up with his hands on the ground, sweat dripping from his cheeks into the soil, and the screen before his eyes still displayed the spirit emitting a faint white halo. Chen Ke tried to enter the memory again, the things around him had just begun to fade away when suddenly everything reverted back to normal. A line of small text appeared in the corner of his eye, ¡°Insufficient Assassin experience required for memory synchronization.¡± ... Chen Ke sighed. Was the so-called Assassin experience really about engaging in assassinations and confrontations with other assassins? It seemed that one couldn¡¯t do something out of line in the soul¡¯s memory, or the synchronization would be disconnected, wasting an opportunity to explore the truth. Back in 2007, Hainerd had various dealings with Si¡¯s consortium, and Chen Ke could have learned something from this. He was annoyed with himself for acting recklessly in the memory sequence, but it was of no help now, although there would still be chances to continue exploring in the future. Dawn was approaching, the sky slightly brightened, and on a distant clearing, the wreckage of a taxi had burnt down to its frame. Since there wasn¡¯t much grass on the muddy ground, the fire hadn¡¯t been very intense, leaving only blackened scars on the ground. Luckily, this road was too remote, and it wasn¡¯t the only route from Raffi Road to Gun Tie District, so surprisingly, no cars passed by, and no one called the police. Chen Ke got up, patted the mud off himself. His suit and shirt collar were stained red with blood, his neck and collarbone looked as if they had been washed in blood. Although the Assassin had reported his own death to Si¡¯s consortium, if he did not return to the team for a long time, Si¡¯s consortium would still have doubts. But at least, for now, they wouldn¡¯t send another Assassin. Chen Ke wiped his fingerprints off the sniper rifle, then stuffed the gun into the hands of the headless Assassin¡¯s corpse, though he couldn¡¯t cover his footprints. There were many things in this world that couldn¡¯t be understood by common sense, perhaps these strange things constituted some sort of normalcy in this world. Chen Ke had slowly become accustomed to a life watching the countdown. He felt like the second hand in a watch face, constantly running clockwise, ceaselessly chasing the hour and minute hands. After some setbacks, Chen Ke hitched a ride in a private car after traveling a long distance and finally returned to his rented apartment at 7 a.m. He tossed the handgun into the washbasin, turned on the faucet, and took off his blood-stained suit, tie, and shirt. He wanted to wash off the blood stains and mud from his clothes and carefully check his neck. Hmm... as good as new, Chen Ke touched his Adam¡¯s apple, satisfied. Recalling the ripping sensation brought on by the bullet grazing him, he still felt a lingering fear. When he had revived a second time, he saw a prompt about the consumption of life. Each revival required the consumption of life equivalent to 30% of Chen Ke¡¯s current life limit. That is, if his remaining life was not up to 30% of the limit, he truly wouldn¡¯t have survived... ¡°Even with the ability to revive a second time, I can¡¯t treat this ability as my trump card... Relying on it might lead to dying even faster...¡± Chen Ke thought with a shiver. One can have a backup plan, but should not pin all hopes on it. It was essential to always have a margin of safety, that was the real security ¨C backup plans were the last resort to be used only when all else had failed. Chen Ke looked at the bloodstains on his body, all from the sniper bullet that had grazed him, spraying blood from his neck down to his chest and abdomen. Chen Ke frowned, it was really troublesome. Every fight meant ruining a set of clothes... After all, reality wasn¡¯t like playing a game where you remain clean after a fight. He took out his cell phone and dialed Lester, hesitating a bit before dialing. Who knew if the number Lester gave him was even real? ¡°Doot doot doot...¡± ¡°Doot doot doot...¡± ¡°Doot doot doot...¡± Chen Ke impatiently tapped the edge of the washbasin with his fingers, looking at his bloodied self in the mirror. ¡°Chen Ke, I didn¡¯t expect you to call,¡± Lester¡¯s awkward voice modulator came through the receiver. ¡°I thought you would give me a fake number... Lester, does your suit store offer home service?¡± asked Chen Ke. ¡°Did you dirty that suit?¡± Lester countered. ¡°It¡¯s got quite a bit of someone else¡¯s blood on it. I don¡¯t know how to wash suits. Can you get it cleaned by tonight?¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°Give me your address,¡± Lester responded briskly. ¡°And then, Lester, bring me a whole new set too, including shoes...¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°Um... I¡¯ll get you a new set in the same size as last time, but it won¡¯t be for free,¡± Lester chuckled. ¡°How much?¡± asked Chen Ke. ¡°Four thousand five hundred union coins, including the socks and shoes,¡± Lester replied. ¡°I¡¯ll pay in cash when your guy arrives. My address is...¡± Chen Ke pinched his nose. ¡°Understood. Don¡¯t get held up tonight, Chen Ke,¡± Lester said, ending the call with a laugh. Around 8 p.m., Lester¡¯s associate arrived at Chen Ke¡¯s apartment, a young man in a blue uniform with a blue cap. Seeing the blood-soaked clothes, the young man looked a bit nervous. He collected the clothes, placed the new suit on the table, and then hastily ran off without saying a word. Chen Ke shook his head, took off his robe, neatly dressed in the new suit, and pocketed a gun, wallet, Holy Diamond, and phone. Just then, Pihom called. ¡°It¡¯s time, Chen Ke. We¡¯re going to scope out Pulito Bank today. Can you make it to the gun store by 9?¡± Pihom said. Chen Ke had no reason to refuse, as this was the real deal. After hanging up, he sprinted downstairs, and fifteen minutes later, Chen Ke was in the safe house. Lucina and Hall were asleep on the sofa, with the TV screen displaying the PS3 fighting game ¡°Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection.¡± ¡°They¡¯ve been playing Tekken all night. Hall hardly won a game,¡± Pihom said with a resigned shrug. ¡°I heard they¡¯re going to set up the getaway vehicle and route,¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°Lucina will scout for cars tonight. Hall is familiar with Opportunity City; he¡¯ll figure something out himself,¡± Pihom said. The two exited the gun store. Pihom wore a jacket and a cowboy hat today, looking like an old western cowboy, and drove his beloved red Ford pickup out of the garage. ¡°Come on, Chen. Let me take you for a ride. Seriously, you should really consider getting a car,¡± Pihom said as he opened the passenger door, inviting Chen Ke to get in. ¡°If it becomes necessary, I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Chen Ke said, buckling his seatbelt as he took his seat. The two headed towards Pulito Bank in the Holy Oak District. Chapter 111 111: 111 Pulito Bank Chapter 111: Chapter 111 Pulito Bank From Gun Tie District to Holy Oak, even taking the ring road takes an hour by car. Pihom could tell Chen Ke was completely unfamiliar with Opportunity City, so he always tried to extricate some past from him, although he had never seen Chen Ke take action, but Hall and Priskin had. The pair exaggerated Chen Ke¡¯s performance, and by the time it reached Pihom¡¯s ears, it became even more sensational, which made Pihom very curious, which is why this time for the stakeout, he wanted to go with Chen Ke personally. Chen Ke didn¡¯t want to talk too much about his origin and past because he himself was not clear about it, and Lin Mo, being an assassin for Si¡¯s consortium, definitely had a complicated history. Moreover, from his memory, he saw what Miles looked like¡ªa man who looked very dangerous. It¡¯s not that he looked particularly fierce, but rather... the feeling he gave was like that of a calm and competent heroic figure... ... That was truly the most terrifying... In Fan Hede Kingdom, his teammates had also left messages on the wall, warning everyone to be cautious of this man... If not necessary, Chen Ke did not want to have any direct confrontation with him, unless he was absolutely sure he could take him down. Chen Ke, combining his previous life experiences with what he saw and heard in this world, fabricated some lies about his life in Fei Huang Republic before coming to the United Federation, and muddled through Pihom¡¯s inquiries about his past. Throughout the journey, under the mellow jazz music from the radio, they finally arrived at one of the most secluded high-end apartment areas in Holy Oak around 9 AM. Looking out through the car window, unbeknownst to him, they had already entered a row of luxurious villas, and in the distance, up on the hills, were also filled with lavish white houses featuring outdoor swimming pools. Opportunity City really is a paradoxical and wonderful place. It seemed like every district had its own thematic ambiance, like a huge theme park. Gun Tie District¡¯s streets were always empty, abandoned factories and desolate shops made the entire area look incredibly bleak, even the sunlight there seemed cold. Raffi Road¡¯s limited bustling section was filled with a lively and carefree atmosphere, vibrant neon lights and bustling crowds made Chen Ke feel that the city still had vitality. Deep Anchor District didn¡¯t leave much of an impression on Chen Ke, but whenever he recalled it, the sight of fragments of fishermen¡¯s bodies and terrifying claw marks on the whale ships docked at the port during dusk filled him with inexplicable panic and confusion. By the time they reached Holy Oak District, the sky was clear, and even the wind seemed sweet. On the sidewalks, sexy women in crop top workout gear occasionally ran past, and the private cars parked along the street were also visibly upscale. ¡°The places where rich people live really are different,¡± Chen Ke shook his head and remarked. By 9 o¡¯clock, most people had already started their day¡¯s work, only those from wealthy, worry-free homes were just getting up to start their morning exercises. While most had no choice but work for their livelihood, a small portion could easily make money by exploiting others¡¯ labor and live a leisurely and affluent life. They blatantly used media power to guide public opinion, ignite meaningless internal conflicts, and secure their interests forever. ¡°Look.¡± Pihom gestured. Chen Ke looked in the direction Pihom was pointing and saw a standalone bank on the street corner with its own parking lot, backed by a gas station, next to a high-end residential apartment area, and further ahead was the avenue of villa areas. That was Pulito Bank, their target. ¡°Let¡¯s drive around it first to see how many entrances and exits it has.¡± Chen Ke suggested. Pihom agreed, driving past the bank slowly while Chen Ke was in charge of observing the bank building¡¯s structure. Four glass doors at the front, which probably also had rolling shutter doors if one were to predict. On the side wall, there were six windows that could be smashed for entrance and exit. One side of the gas station was blocked, but from what Chen Ke saw earlier at the front, there seemed to be a small alley that led to the back. The parking lot had a wire mesh gate, but it was likely open during the day. It looked like a semi-public parking lot where both bank employees and public vehicles could park. On the back side, there was a green door with a surveillance camera above it. From this angle, one could see that there was an access to the bank¡¯s roof from the inside. Although the roof was not visible from this perspective, Chen Ke guessed that the bank¡¯s electrical distribution box was probably on top. The electric line likely was separate from the police, which meant it could create a temporary power outage without alarming the County Police. ¡°Three exits, one at the front, one at the back, and probably one on the roof. The windows need to be sealed,¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°There are too few covers inside, too many windows, and only three streets to escape from the bank¡ªtoo easy to block off,¡± Pihom shook his head. ¡°Yes, the route we took is not suitable for escape. We can¡¯t shake off the County Police helicopters and convoys on the ring road,¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°As for the escape route, let¡¯s see if Hall has another strategy. Let¡¯s first check the response time of this small bank...¡± Pihom said, picking up a strange handheld device. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Chen Ke asked, puzzled. ¡°It¡¯s a directional EMP jammer, given to me by Bain. I just need to press this button towards them...¡± Pihom grinned. Pihom pressed the button, and the device was very quiet, but Chen Ke sensed something happening inside the bank. ¡°Power outage?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°No, it¡¯s that all their online systems were forcibly disrupted and disconnected for a short moment¡ªjust like triggering the alarm system,¡± Pihom explained. The two sat quietly in the car and observed. Just 3 minutes later, four S.W.A.T. troop carriers and five police cars hurried to the scene. Over forty fully armed special police officers jumped out, equipped with HK416s and heavy bulletproof vests. Even the plainclothes County Police were holding Remington shotguns and MP5s. The police team rushed into the bank, unceremoniously controlling the customers inside and even arrested two suspects on the spot. ¡°Something¡¯s off, Chen Ke. For a small bank, this level of response and intensity is too abnormal,¡± Pihom expressed doubtfully. ¡°Look at their equipment, Pi¡ªit¡¯s meant for assault and damage, a bit excessive for robbers,¡± Chen Ke pointed out. In addition to automatic rifles, hand grenades, and tear gas, the SWAT team was also equipped with grenade launchers, PSG-1 sniper rifles, and shields... ¡°They came prepared, specifically to fight a tough battle,¡± Pihom nodded. ¡°The good news is, there¡¯s something incredibly important hidden in this bank. We definitely won¡¯t go back empty-handed,¡± Chen Ke smiled. ¡°We will definitely find a way to control their alarm system, but if we must engage them in a shootout, we need heavy-duty guns and tough cars,¡± Chen Ke added. ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem; my only fear is you guys backing out,¡± Pihom said. ¡°What are you joking about?¡± Chen Ke laughed. ¡°Heh, that¡¯s the response I wanted to hear,¡± Pihom laughed, carefully driving away. Chapter 112 112: 112 Big Trouble Chapter 112: Chapter 112 Big Trouble Chen Ke and Pihom wandered around in the Holy Oak District for a while, observing the traffic around and staying as close as possible to Pulito Bank to observe the S.W.A.T. situation. After confirming it was just a false alarm, S.W.A.T. and County Police gradually left, but at the same time, a black SUV that followed the S.W.A.T. convoy didn¡¯t leave; it stopped opposite the bank and a man and a woman got out. Far down two streets, Pihom parked the car on a parking spot outside a Western restaurant, then pulled out a small telescope and handed it to Chen Ke, who took it and looked toward the man and woman. Just one glance at them gave Chen Ke an extremely strange and eerie feeling. Both were wearing black hooded coats, black pants, and black leather ankle boots with leather gloves, completely covered from head to toe, except for their necks and faces. The man was pale with sunglasses, looked emaciated, had long, thin, sunken cheeks, and his long black hair was slightly curled, feeling damp. ... Even from such a distance, Chen Ke could feel the man¡¯s height was beyond average, probably over 2 meters tall; it was hard to imagine him fitting in the driver¡¯s seat of the SUV. Compared to his height, the man¡¯s physique also gave Chen Ke a strange feeling which he figured out after scrutinizing a bit more. The man¡¯s body proportions were off! Despite standing very straight, he still gave off a hunched look due to his neck being twice as long as an average person¡¯s, causing him to lean his head forward to mask his bizarre body structure. Moreover, his arms were noticeably long, with fingertips extending beyond his knees when naturally hanging; it was hard to imagine how long his reach might be... The woman dressed in the same clothes as the man; her body proportions were normal, her face pretty, but failed to evoke a desire to approach her from the opposite sex because her skin was a sickly pale purple. Even with a hood on, Chen Ke could guess from her shiny forehead that the woman was bald, and on her forehead, there was a dark purple rune tattoo... Silent Witch! She was a Silent Witch! Exactly as Lucina had described! It seemed that this small bank held something more valuable than money; they had even employed a Spiritual Ability User for protection. Chen Ke adjusted the magnification of the telescope, keeping a close watch on the man and woman. They had no plans to enter the bank, just observing from the street opposite. The man appeared to be sniffing something in the air, while the woman had a smile that wasn¡¯t quite a smile, seemingly disturbed. Suddenly, the woman glanced in Chen Ke¡¯s direction and smiled at him. Chen Ke, frightened, immediately packed up the telescope, and when he looked again from a distance, the man and woman had returned to their vehicle. ¡°How is it?¡± Pihom asked. ¡°It¡¯s more complicated than I imagined; if we are going to make a move, we must ensure we have enough time to escape,¡± Chen Ke returned the telescope to Pihom. ¡°Yes, if we set off the alarm right at the beginning, our people won¡¯t last long under that kind of firepower,¡± Pihom nodded. ¡°We need a detailed plan, more specific than the one we made in the safe house,¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°Bain should be able to manage that; I¡¯ll take you to meet him,¡± Pihom replied. He started the car and slowly drove away, turning at the next street corner. Just as Chen Ke and Pihom were leaving, the man and woman in the black SUV were watching them. The man¡¯s thin lips extended a black, snake-like tongue, while the woman¡¯s purple rune tattoo on her forehead faintly emitted light. Pihom drove Chen Ke out of Holy Oak to Raffi Road District. They drove through a bustling commercial street and into a posh apartment complex. These apartments were much nicer than ordinary tin houses, clearly a place where white-collar workers lived. Chen Ke thought Bain might live there, but Pihom didn¡¯t stop, instead continuing to drive further. The scenery changed abruptly beyond the apartment area; the car drove through a concrete gap, over a low brick wall to the other side, which consisted of a community with numerous white trailer homes and wooden structures for residences. ¡°Bain is our intelligence expert, he crushes opponents in many ways; we use guns, he uses a keyboard,¡± Pihom said. He parked the car on an empty lot, then led Chen Ke toward a white trailer home. This particular trailer was cleaner than the others, with many flower pots placed at the door, various unknown flowers blossoming, the petals and leaves still holding dewdrops ¨C a sign that the person living here was meticulous. ¡°Knock, knock, knock,¡± Pihom knocked on the door. After a pause, nobody answered. ¡°Are you sure this is the place?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°This is it, no doubt about it,¡± Pihom replied and knocked three more times. Still, there was no response at the door. ¡°It looks like he¡¯s not here,¡± Chen Ke shrugged. ¡°You better tell me who that Asian guy beside you is, Pi.¡± Suddenly, a raspy male voice came from the door¡¯s speaker. Chen Ke looked up and around, spotting a camera mounted on a nearby utility pole. ¡°He¡¯s our new blood,¡± Pihom spoke towards the speaker. With a click, the door unlocked, and Pihom twisted the handle, opening the door and gesturing for Chen Ke to follow. The two entered a white RV and closed the door behind them. The inside was dark, with windows covered by curtains blocking the light, making the RV much hotter than outside as it was packed with servers and cables. In the back, a man sat on a couch, holding a laptop. Next to him, a table held several monitors displaying orange text on a black background which Chen Ke couldn¡¯t understand. Feeling hot, he thought about taking off his suit jacket, but when he reached out, he accidentally hit something, and suddenly, a cat meowed from a corner. ¡°Meow...¡± An orange cat squeezed itself out from the gaps between several cases, lazily rubbed against Chen Ke¡¯s legs, then jumped onto the couch and curled up. ¡°Purr, go play somewhere else. We have guests. Make some room,¡± Bain said without looking up from his laptop, speaking to the cat. The orange cat made a reluctant purring sound as it jumped off the couch and retreated into a dark corner behind the servers. Chen Ke used the light from the screens to study Bain who had a beard long enough to whip someone with, wore a cap, a plaid shirt, jeans, and rimless glasses. ¡°Hainerd and his guys have disappeared, I can¡¯t find them. We¡¯ve run into trouble, real trouble, Pi,¡± Bain lifted his head and looked at Pihom. Pihom didn¡¯t respond, just frowned and slowly sat down on the couch. ¡°I went through the intel from that last operation but found nothing off. Do you realize what this means for us?¡± Bain glanced at Pihom and then at Chen Ke. ¡°Of course I know; the whole damn thing was fake¡ªrigged even... Hainerd¡¯s hit targeted goods from Lescott Spirit Production and Weber Spirit Production, but now it seems Si¡¯s consortium was behind it too,¡± Pihom said. ¡°Si¡¯s consortium had their own moves that night, probably causing the Spiritual Energy burst at the West Gold Building. Don¡¯t you think there¡¯s a connection?¡± Bain asked. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Pihom asked, puzzled. ¡°Are you suggesting that Hainerd was with Si¡¯s consortium that night?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°Yes, smart kid. That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m saying. Maybe the intel was real, someone leaked Si¡¯s consortium¡¯s plan but tweaked some details, swapping Si¡¯s consortium for Lescott and Weber...¡± Bain explained. ¡°Someone is using us? Using us to rob Si¡¯s consortium...¡± Pihom pondered. Chen Ke remained silent, formulating his own theories. The whole affair originated from Si¡¯s consortium¡¯s actions at the West Gold Building, but now, the forces involved had become vastly complex... Si¡¯s consortium¡¯s squad, Black Guys, Deliverer Hainerd¡¯s team¡ªthey were all directly linked to the case. Whether the nightclub fatso was involved, Chen Ke couldn¡¯t tell. What was fatal was that there were at least three double-crossers involved... Miles who mysteriously disappeared in Fan Hede Kingdom, Hainerd who vanished during the operation, and the deliverer informant Parchi... Chen Ke speculated that a third-party power was using the deliverers to steal stuff Si¡¯s consortium obtained from the Great Void. If that was indeed the case, the troubles deliverers faced were not merely about robbery. It was a matter that involved the Transcendent level. Could this mortal organization, the deliverers, really handle it? Chapter 113 113: 113: Only 5 Minutes Chapter 113: Chapter 113: Only 5 Minutes ¡°On the day after the operation in Hainerd, they used Hainerd¡¯s cell phone to send out a distress signal, but now we know it was a trap,¡± Pihom said. ¡°Yes, that was a warning. They wanted to create a bloody death, threatening us to back off. To get us to abandon the search for Hainerd and the spoils of that operation,¡± Bain said. Pihom shook his head, stood up, and took out several cans of beer from the small fridge beside him, tossing one to Chen Ke. ¡°Pop!¡± Chen Ke pulled the tab, took a sip, mmm, not bad. At that moment, he felt something scurrying between his calves and looked down to find Bain¡¯s orange cat. It sat beside Chen Ke, as if it too was listening intently. ... ¡°So you¡¯re implying that Hainerd had already betrayed us before this operation,¡± he said. ¡°Before this operation, he¡¯d been working for Si¡¯s consortium. Only this time, he finally found the permanent excuse to escape the postman¡¯s life. Before the West Gold Building incident, he must have already known about Si¡¯s consortium¡¯s operation. The shift schedules you found at Deep Anchor Port prove that,¡± Bain said. ¡°I still can¡¯t accept that, I know Hainerd well, and besides, Lucina is still in the postman¡¯s crew, he wouldn¡¯t just leave Lucina and take off,¡± Pihom objected. ¡°Love isn¡¯t unbreakable, Pi,¡± Chen Ke shook his head. ¡°...¡± Pihom and Bain looked at Chen Ke with expressions of unspeakable awkwardness and confusion. ¡°Um... why are you looking at me like that?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°Lucina is Hainerd¡¯s daughter...¡± Bain suddenly said. ¡°Pfft!!¡± Chen Ke had just taken a sip of beer, and upon hearing what Bain said, he spat out all the beer in surprise onto the back of the orange cat. ¡°Meow!!!¡± The cat, startled, jumped up, its back arched high and tail erect. It looked back at Chen Ke and then darted into the gaps around the computer case. Chen Ke had always thought they were a couple. It seems Hainerd should be about the same age as Pi... ¡°He must have his reasons. Now all the clues are in that bank. Hainerd¡¯s informant Parchi seems to have been cooperating with another Holy Relics smuggler prior to this, but they both fell victim to the Silence Curse...¡± Pihom said. ¡°Yes, Parchi and that smuggler died right in front of me, and he gave me the keys to Pulito Bank right before he died, surely there¡¯s something inside,¡± Chen Ke nodded, wiping the beer foam from his mouth. ¡°Bain, do you know anything about that smuggler¡¯s background?¡± Pihom asked. ¡°I looked into his background, which wasn¡¯t difficult. He¡¯s just an ordinary Holy Relics smuggler, not a big fish in the circle. His most common business was smuggling Holy Relics from the United Federation to the Fei Huang Republic... He may have only played the role of a courier in this case...¡± Bain answered. ¡°Maybe he just thought he was helping Si¡¯s consortium...¡± Chen Ke suddenly said. Pihom and Bain turned to look at Chen Ke. ¡°Is the Silence Spell a common trick by Si¡¯s consortium?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°That¡¯s hard to say, we don¡¯t deal with Transcendent matters often,¡± Bain said. Chen Ke didn¡¯t say anything more. His thought was, if Si¡¯s consortium had such powerful magic, why send an assassin after himself? Wouldn¡¯t it be easier and more efficient to just curse everyone in advance? And at Deep Anchor Port... that tortured man, he died of magic too... Although not certain, Chen Ke had a vague feeling that the use of the Silence Spell was the work of another force lurking in the shadows, peering into something... ¡°The only way to find out the truth is to get the stuff hidden in the bank out and have a look. Pi, you¡¯ve always been cautious, but this time it¡¯s different, no wonder you insist on robbing that bank,¡± Bain pushed up his glasses, as though he had once persuaded Pihom. ¡°For our little group, and for Lucina and Hainerd, Bain, we have no choice but to go through with this job,¡± Pihom said. Bain nodded, tossed the laptop aside, and drew out a blueprint from the darkness beside the sofa¡ªit was the floor plan of Pulito Bank. ¡°You¡¯ve already scoped out the defense capability of this bank, haven¡¯t you? Plus, you¡¯ve told me about your three-day plan, but I think we can still add some details,¡± Bain said, spreading the blueprint on the floor, pulling down the gooseneck lamp from the table, and turning it on. The three of them surrounded the blueprint to examine it, as an orange cat elegantly stepped over, leaving a trail of pitch-black paw prints. ¡°This bank¡¯s security force is even stronger than that of an intercontinental bank. As soon as the alarm is triggered, you¡¯ll be facing Special Forces-level assault, and they can get there in less than 5 minutes,¡± Bain explained. ¡°But don¡¯t think you can prevent all alarms by controlling everyone inside the bank. These triggered alarms have a rebound mechanism that sends a signal back at set intervals. The signal is semi-automatic. If headquarters doesn¡¯t receive a response signal, it will trigger an alarm,¡± Bain pointed toward the bank manager¡¯s office. ¡°Can¡¯t we just force them to send the signal?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. I told you it¡¯s semi-automatic. If you analogize this bank to a living organism, then this signal is its heartbeat. When something abnormal happens to the bank, like surveillance failure, business disruption, power outage, etc., the signal is interrupted. Of course, it can also be manually interrupted, but I don¡¯t think you would do that intentionally,¡± Bain elaborated. ¡°It sounds like we don¡¯t have much time, ideally only about 5 minutes...¡± Pihom shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s right, so even in the best-case scenario, the alarm will sound, unless you can open the vault and escape with the goods within 5 minutes,¡± Bain stated. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. It takes 5 minutes just to drill the door,¡± Pihom replied. ¡°So we¡¯ll have to be ready for a firefight and make sure we can get away cleanly. Hopefully, Hall can find an escape route that¡¯ll throw off both the cops and the trackers...¡± Chen Ke sighed. ¡°To save time, you¡¯d better bribe the surrounding shops first to create some advantageous conditions, like ziplines that go directly to the bank¡¯s rooftop, which can also be used to quickly transport the loot to the getaway car¡¯s hiding spot,¡± Bain suggested, drawing a circle on the rooftop of the bank on the blueprint and then connecting it with a line to a nearby building. ¡°The weapons and the drilling machine should be hidden nearby in advance, so you can go in light to spot the location, get a good feel for the interior, and then take action, without having to go back to the hideout car to get your weapons.¡± He circled an area in the bank¡¯s parking lot. ¡°Remember, do not cut off power to the cameras and surveillance equipment. That¡¯s directly linked to the alarm system. Before you leave, you must take and destroy the surveillance tapes, so the first thing you do when you enter the bank is find the surveillance room. It¡¯s right here,¡± Bain circled the surveillance room. ¡°Lastly, the escape plan Pihom designed is perfect. Just don¡¯t use a van; that¡¯s my only piece of advice,¡± Bain said. ¡°It¡¯s not so simple to deal with the shops around the bank. I¡¯ll take care of this myself and have Priskin set it up when the time comes. Lucina and Hall will take care of the vehicles and routes. Chen Ke, if they need your help, you go with them,¡± Pihom instructed. ¡°No problem,¡± Chen Ke nodded. The plan was set, and the ins and outs of the bank were laid bare. Though the task was difficult, it was a job the couriers simply had to do. ¡°Speaking of the escape, I know a great hacker who can provide some assistance while you¡¯re on the run,¡± Bain suddenly mentioned. ¡°A hacker...? When escaping, a good driver is more useful than a hacker...¡± Pihom remarked. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate him; he¡¯s very good at creating some...well...chaos, which can be very helpful during an escape,¡± Bain said with a smile. Pihom nodded in agreement. ¡°How do we contact him?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°You won¡¯t need to contact him. I¡¯ll arrange it with him. When you need his help, he¡¯ll show up,¡± Bain replied. ¡°Great, what¡¯s his name?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°No hacker tells their real name to anyone, but he goes by a nickname,¡± Bain said. ¡°I like professionals. What¡¯s his nickname?¡± Pihom inquired. ¡°Vigilante,¡± Bain answered. Chapter 114: 114 Enough Time to Squander Chapter 114: Chapter 114 Enough Time to Squander After saying goodbye to Bain, Chen Ke and Pihom returned to the gun shop at noon. Pihom slowly parked the car in the garage and then headed to the safe house with Chen Ke. Hall and Lucina were not around, probably out preparing for the robbery. Only Priskin was huffing and puffing while repairing a large drill. The drill was about the size of a small table, equipped with pumps, a battery, and a small fuel tank. A large drill bit was securely fixed in the middle by a square metal frame, with an attached monitor displaying the rotation speed of the bit and the remaining fuel. If everything went as planned, this beast would be the sole tool for breaking through the bank vault door. ¡°This thing looks massive, Priskin, are you sure we can get it out?¡± Chen Ke asked, puzzled. ¡°This thing can be disassembled into loose pipes and components, a travel bag is enough to carry it. But there¡¯s one problem I can¡¯t solve¡ªit might be very noisy...¡± Puliski tightened the last section of the gas conduit. ¡°How noisy will it be?¡± Pihom inquired. ¡°It could be comparable to a gasoline generator,¡± Priskin said with a shrug. ¡°So you¡¯re telling me... when we¡¯re drilling through that door in the bank, the donut shop across the street could hear it?¡± Chen Ke said with a smile. ¡°Exactly, but we have no choice. We can¡¯t drill open the vault door with handheld drills; we have to use this one. And I don¡¯t know any ¡®Magic¡¯ to silence this big guy,¡± Priskin said, shaking his head helplessly. Pihom, rubbing his temples with a bit of a headache, knew they only had a 5-minute window of opportunity for the operation. Once the people inside the bank were under control, the security system would detect anomalies and start a 5-minute countdown... They had to get the door open within those 5 minutes and escape with the goods. But now, the noise from the drill posed a new problem. If the noise attracted attention outside and someone called the police, what were they going to do? ¡°Is there another way we can get through the door?¡± Chen Ke asked. Source: , updated on ?0¦Í??.§ã¦Ï ¡°There¡¯s no other way. Bain might remotely hack the vault door¡¯s system, but that¡¯s like sounding the alarm ahead of time,¡± Pihom said. ¡°Priskin... you said this thing is about as loud as a gasoline generator?¡± Chen Ke had an idea. ¡°Yes, what¡¯s on your mind?¡± Priskin asked. ¡°It¡¯s simple. We could bribe a shop to use a gasoline generator for their store¡¯s power supply on that day. That might get people used to the noise,¡± Chen Ke suggested. ¡°You¡¯re a fucking genius, Chen Ke!¡± Priskin said, laughing as he scratched his head. Pihom too clapped his hands, his brow relaxing. Pihom opened his laptop. Bain had already sent over the bank blueprints through a secure network, marked with various symbols and potential advantages. Pihom¡¯s next task was to turn those potential advantages into reality. Chen Ke took this time to check his customized rifle, the one named ¡°Countdown to Life,¡± an M16A2 modified for precision shooting. He fired a few shots at the safe house shooting range and found that Priskin had already calibrated it for him. Compared to a sniper rifle designed for a 500 to 1000-meter engagement range, Chen Ke found the precision rifle tuned for a 200 to 400-meter engagement range far more to his liking. He put the rifle back on the rack, satisfied, next to which there was even a label with his name on it. On a nearby table lay a mask, its paint still not fully dry. Lucina had made it for him, a skull face with an hourglass and crosshair on the forehead, and exaggerated dark glasses for the eyes. The mask was primarily white with the skull¡¯s teeth painted black, which looked quite menacing. With dark glasses over the white skull face, the hourglass, and crosshair designs inspired by thick blood, these elements added a ferocious touch to the mask¡¯s predominantly somber and dark visual theme. ¡°The Angel of Death,¡± Lucina noted down the name of the mask on the nearby notebook. ¡°Really nice, she¡¯s quite talented,¡± Chen Ke bent over, admiring the mask up close, hardly believing that one day he would actually receive such a gift. It was not yet 1 o¡¯clock, still at least 5 hours until dusk. 5 hours... Chen Ke glanced at the countdown timer by his eye, in 5 hours, that would be his entire remaining lifespan. With nothing better to do, he turned on Hall¡¯s PS3 and inserted the disc for ¡°Assassin¡¯s Creed.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to eat something?¡± Pihom walked over with a box of pizza. ¡°Thank you,¡± Chen Ke nodded, although he didn¡¯t need to eat, it was still better not to appear too strange. Pihom tossed the pizza box onto the PS3, then busied himself with other things, probably going out to prepare for the plan. The pizza was just ordinary ¨C fast food style; sweet and greasy, with chunks of meat and vegetables unappealingly stacked together, adorned with white salad cream and red tomato sauce. Chen Ke took a bite and didn¡¯t feel like taking another. The title background music of Assassin¡¯s Creed sounded from the television, and because it was the first installment from 2007, the title music wasn¡¯t yet the classic ¡°Ezio¡¯s Family.¡± He played until 6:30 in the afternoon. Seeing that he had less than 10 hours left to live, Chen Ke wasn¡¯t particularly panicked; he was used to it... At that moment, Lester sent a text message. ¡°Suit¡¯s ready, come and pick it up or should I deliver it?¡± Chen Ke put down the controller, looked around, and the only sound in the safe house was Priskin huffing and puffing while fixing the drill. ¡°I¡¯ll come over,¡± Chen Ke quickly replied. Without further ado, he stepped out and hailed a cab. Half an hour later, Chen Ke appeared at Zio suit shop. ¡°All set for tonight¡¯s assassination?¡± Lester asked with a smile as Chen Ke put the clean suit back on. ¡°He¡¯s as good as dead, Lester, don¡¯t worry,¡± Chen Ke replied. He didn¡¯t know why Lester wanted these three men dead, he didn¡¯t even know the specifics of their identities. However, as long as Lester was willing to pay, Chen Ke wouldn¡¯t inquire further. A professional killer doesn¡¯t ask unnecessary questions and doesn¡¯t kill unnecessary people; the target is the target, and once the job is accepted, it must be seen to the end, regardless of innocence or grudges. ¡°Quietly go in, kill the target, and quietly leave. No expression, yeah!¡± Chen Ke mused while looking in the mirror and tying his tie, his movements still not quite adept. ¡°I do want to remind you,¡± Lester said, rubbing his hands. ¡°Try to make the target¡¯s death look like an accident, and don¡¯t screw up too badly. If you get wanted by the entire city, I won¡¯t be contacting you anymore.¡± ¡°Alright, Lester. You¡¯ll have to prepare a few more suits for me, though, and provide free cleaning services as a little extra perk for our cooperation,¡± Chen Ke suggested. He needed a lot of clothes as after a good fight with people or monsters, the least he could expect were splatters of blood and vomit all over him, and at worst, his clothes would be ripped to shreds. ¡°That¡¯s no problem, of course. I¡¯ll give you a discount for the bespoke suits... heh heh...¡± Lester pushed up his glasses. Chen Ke and Lester didn¡¯t know much about each other¡¯s backgrounds, but if this cooperation went well, Lester could certainly become a potential long-term ally. Chapter 115: 115: The Ghost in the Office Building Chapter 115: Chapter 115: The Ghost in the Office Building 11 p.m. On Raffi Road District¡¯s commercial street, in front of a high-end office building. The skyscraper resembled an emperor¡¯s abode, indifferent to the worldly hustle, its top forty-plus floors piercing straight into the pitch-dark sky, leaving the clamor of the street and the pollution of light from colorful advertising signs to linger on the ground. A few rows of windows near the top still glowed with light. Chen Ke took out the photo of his target and reexamined the address written on the back. If Lester¡¯s information was correct, that mean-faced man should be right there. Chen Ke stuffed the photo into his suit¡¯s inner pocket and donned black leather gloves; he did not want to leave any fingerprints in the building. Without a blueprint of the building, he was unclear on its specific layout, and to avoid raising suspicions among the building¡¯s occupants, Chen Ke had not entered to scout beforehand. Tonight, was his first time setting foot here. However, as a modern office complex, the building required all entrants to sign in, and without an employee badge, one could not casually enter. It was already night, and the security guard Paul, over fifty years old, sat lazily at the reception desk, his patrol flashlight and baton placed on the surface as he fiddled intently with his portable TV. Tonight, there was a football match between Opportunity City¡¯s Go-Getters and Carefree City¡¯s Winners. In order to catch this game, Paul had convinced his night shift colleague Jack to do rounds by bribing him with a pack of cigarettes. Being a security guard in the building was a very tedious job, especially in such a tall office tower where, aside from programmers working overtime late into the night, you would hardly see anyone. Without the TV, Paul feared his imagination would scare him out of his wits. Right outside the double glass doors was the bustling commercial street. No thief would think to steal from this building, where every elevator was fitted with a surveillance camera. The stairwell was pitch-black, and the motion-sensor lights would automatically turn off at night ¨C no one would willingly spend a second in such a place. Paul finally managed to get a clear image on his small TV. The Opportunity City Go-Getters had kicked off, and Macy, the quarterback, clutching the football, sprinted rapidly, expertly dodging the opponents who lunged at him. Paul felt a breeze brush against his cheek, adjusted his cap, and looked up towards the door ¨C it seemed to have just moved... Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.?0 Paul looked around the lobby. There was not a soul in sight, the area near the elevators was eerily silent, and the gap under the door of the stairwell looked a bit larger than he remembered... Paul picked up the flashlight and stood up, but a nameless fear welled up inside him. He hesitated for a moment and then, in the end, placed the flashlight back down and resettled into his seat. ¡°It¡¯s just the wind, just the wind...¡± Paul muttered to himself as he continued to watch the game, where on the TV, Macy clutching the ball leaped forward, crossing the opposing team¡¯s goal line. The elevator indicator light displayed 27, and Jack walked out of the elevator into the dark corridors of the office building. During the day, the place was brightly lit, and the oversized office space could accommodate over 500 office workers. But at night, it was as quiet as a tomb. Jack had once heard a terrifying story about office buildings. It was said that some overworked employees, who had died due to overwork, would turn into resentful spirits, wandering in the office building late at night, attempting to make any late-working individual their companion... But Jack wasn¡¯t sure if these resentful spirits included night shift workers in their social circle. The corridor was lit only by floor lamps close to the ground, casting a faint glow sufficient to guide the night patrol but insufficient to dispel the fear lurking in the hearts of those engulfed by darkness. Jack wasn¡¯t sure if his eyes were deceiving him or it was merely an illusion, but he could shake the feeling that he wasn¡¯t alone in this passageway. In the shadows of the corridor, there seemed to be a man in a black suit moving slowly. He swept his flashlight forward, where the beam briefly revealed the outline of a man¡¯s back, but as soon as the beam moved away, the man vanished... ¡°Oh, fuck...¡± Jack¡¯s heartbeat accelerated and his legs began to tremble. Almost involuntarily, he pressed the elevator button. The corridor before him was empty, with nothing in sight. Chen Ke was crawling on the ground, using both hands and feet. Just moments ago, a guard¡¯s flashlight had illuminated him, reducing his Dark Concealment from 80% to zero in an instant, scaring him so much that he quickly lay flat on the ground. Fortunately, the guard seemed to have seen nothing, hastily pressing the elevator button to descend. That was a stroke of extreme luck! Chen Ke wiped the cold sweat from his forehead¡ªthat was a close call. The dark suit¡¯s Dark Concealment effect did not render him invisible but rather ¡°passively ignored¡±. It was as if your desk was cluttered with many items¡ªyou would surely see every one of them, but at a glance, you only remember the one you use most frequently. The others, the ones you use less often, you ignore. In darkness, Chen Ke became the one who was ignored. This was a form of perception deception. The 27th floor was not the top level of the building, but the staff elevator went no further. To continue upward, one either had to take a private elevator or keep climbing the stairs. Not wanting to be captured by the cameras in the elevator lobby, Chen Ke chose to continue upwards by stair. As he ascended, Chen Ke couldn¡¯t help but stealthily peek through the cracks in the stairwell doors at the corridor. To his surprise, there were still people working overtime on these floors. Through the frosted glass walls, he could vaguely see several silhouettes seated in the office, the sound of keyboards clacking away. He moved along the dark edge of the corridor, observing those working inside. Their complexion was sallow, their expressions weary, a mix of skin tones among them. They all wore plaid shirts, thick glasses, either already bald or with receding hairlines nearing the crowns of their heads. Chen Ke shook his head, not finding his target, but he thought to himself that of course the boss wouldn¡¯t be typing code... Finally reaching the top floor, there was only a simple corridor, and beside a desk designated for secretary work stood a luxurious set of wooden double doors. This reminded him of scenes from many Western movies, where the boss just had to press a button in their grand office and the secretary¡¯s phone would ring¡ªa signal for not only routine office matters but also the beginning of matters left to wild speculation. At that moment, a man¡¯s voice could be heard from inside the room, his tone hysterical, as if he was complaining and pleading with someone. Chen Ke pressed his ear against the door but it was too thick. Even in the silent environment, he struggled to make out the words clearly. He carefully grabbed the doorknob, tensing his entire body, and quietly twisted it open just a crack. ¡°I¡¯ve done everything I could, and you got what you wanted! Why won¡¯t you give her back to me?! Why! I don¡¯t want to pay for you anymore, you monster! You¡¯re too greedy! You¡¯re like a vampire! Why don¡¯t you just kill me?! You could do it so easily... but you refuse to face me again... you took her away, you took her away forever...¡± The man¡¯s voice seeped through the slit in the door; it sounded as though he had made a deal with some woman, and the stakes were hefty. Chen Ke peered through the crack into the room; it was a luxurious office with indoor golf, and a helicopter landing pad visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows. A man in a white shirt was reclining by his desk with a bottle of alcohol in his hand. Chapter 116: 116: The Pale Moon Chapter 116: Chapter 116: The Pale Moon Even from a distance of over ten meters, Chen Ke could see the large ¡°XO¡± on the bottle, a top-tier white brandy. Lester had mentioned that these targets always had many bodyguards, but from the current situation, Chen Ke hadn¡¯t encountered any bodyguards or felt any killing intent. He could only guess that the man had faced some tremendous setback and, bolstered by the strength of XO, had come alone to the office to rage powerlessly at the air. Chen Ke cautiously pushed the door slightly open to check for any ambushes; the empty office confirmed his guess, he truly was the only one here. Expensive oil paintings hung on the walls of the office¡ªrich folks love to do that, throwing money at things they don¡¯t understand just to hang them up and elevate their taste. One painting in particular captured Chen Ke¡¯s attention. It was quite large, roughly estimated to be over three meters high and nearly a meter wide, hanging in the center of the left wall, taking up most of the wall space. The painting depicted a beautiful woman in a blue sleeveless cheongsam, with a sheer black scarf draped over her head, revealing only half of her face. She looked sorrowful and had a mole on her mouth corner; the cheongsam was temptingly open at the chest, revealing long, elegant white legs gracefully closed together, paired with high heels of the same color as the cheongsam. The cheongsam-clad woman sat on a small stool, facing away from the painting, with her lips slightly downturned as if sighing at someone outside the frame. Although the painting seemed exquisitely expensive, it somehow sent shivers down the spine. Unexpectedly, this guy seemed to appreciate Fei Huang style¡ªno doubt that painting wasn¡¯t cheap. Chen Ke didn¡¯t bother hiding and walked boldly through the door before closing it behind him. The other man, drunk and sitting on the ground, showed no surprise at Chen Ke¡¯s approach. ¡°Would you like a drink, my friend?¡± the man lifted the bottle. ¡°This is your last night on earth, and that¡¯s all you have to say?¡± asked Chen Ke. ¡°Ah... my last night, why not? I have everything, yet I have nothing. I should have died long ago,¡± the man said, lifting the bottle and gulping down the contents. Chen Ke suppressed the strong curiosity he felt. He desperately wanted to ask the man what was wrong, but he also knew that the man¡¯s issues were none of his concern. ¡°Would you join me to look at the moon, friend?¡± the man struggled to stand up, leaning on the table and tossing the empty bottle on the floor. Source: , updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?¦Ï Chen Ke instinctively took a step back, reaching for his gun but held back. ¡°Ah... the moon... only the moon doesn¡¯t deceive...,¡± the man said, staggering toward the helipad, mumbling words Chen Ke couldn¡¯t understand. Chen Ke followed, offering no resistance. The wind was strong on the rooftop, and a small helicopter was parked on the pad. ¡°This world... is full of madmen... only the moon, it does not deceive. Only... ugh!¡± Halfway through his words, the man vomited a mix of black substances as thick as thumbs, along with bloodstained, undigested fluids from his stomach, which wriggled slightly on the ground as if they were alive... The ensuing smell was nauseating, a mix of alcohol and indescribable odors. Chen Ke covered his nose, looking astonishingly at the man¡¯s vomit, finding it hard to imagine what he must have eaten... ¡°The moon... the moon... pale blood...¡± the man mumbled deliriously, walking toward the edge of the rooftop with strange and eerie steps. Chen Ke also looked up at the moon out of impulse, unsure if it was because he was standing on a rooftop thirty stories high, but the moon appeared much larger than usual against the abyss-like dark sky. Coming to his senses, Chen Ke realized the man was no longer in sight on the rooftop. Frowning, he skirted around the vomit and ran to the edge of the building to look down. From a hundred meters up, the traffic and pedestrians on the street below looked like ants. At this moment, a large crowd had gathered at the steps of the building... Chen Ke sighed. He didn¡¯t know what kind of witchcraft had befallen the man. Although he hadn¡¯t laid a hand on him, the target had indeed ¡°died in an accident.¡± Chen Ke took out his cell phone and dialed Lester¡¯s number. ¡°Lester, the target has jumped off the building,¡± he said indifferently. ¡°Good job. Don¡¯t tell me the details. I know you always find a way,¡± Lester responded with satisfaction. ¡°Mm... wait and see,¡± Chen Ke said. After hanging up, his curiosity about the man¡¯s strange condition got the better of him, so he walked over to the vomit next to the man, forcefully suppressing his disgust and aversion, and examined the black strip-like matter. Initially, Chen Ke thought it might be some kind of worm, but upon closer inspection, it wasn¡¯t. It seemed more like a section of intestines... Could it be that the guy had vomited out a part of his own intestines just now? He was convinced that the man¡¯s vomiting had not been caused by excessive drinking. It seemed more like some kind of physiological rejection... When he looked back at the enormous moon, the tranquil moonlight cast a vastly different hue on the top floor of the building compared to the bustling commercial street below. If the world below the 20th floor was a lively human world of orange and red, the rooftop was a cold, blue realm of the dead¡ªa place that felt like a completely different world. Chen Ke shuddered involuntarily. He didn¡¯t know if it was an illusion, but under the moon¡¯s embrace, unnamed white frost began to rise around him, like a fog that would never dissipate, casting the entire rooftop in haze. He exhaled a breath of warm air. The temperature here had started to drop slowly from just a moment ago. There was a feeling of stepping into a non-human domain. Staying here was pointless, and Chen Ke turned to enter the office. ¡°+10 hours¡± ¡°Life span has reached its limit...¡± ¡°+10 hours¡± ¡°Life span has reached its limit...¡± ¡°+10 hours¡± ¡°Life span has reached its limit...¡± ... Just as his hands grasped the doorknob, ready to leave, Chen Ke suddenly felt an overwhelming surge of murderous intent and realized that it was increasing his life span by 10 hours every second! He whirled around abruptly, drawing his PPQ45 and searching for the source of the murderous intent in the empty office. However, at that moment, the murderous intent vanished. The office was very quiet. An XO liquor bottle lay on the floor, as if touched by the wind, had rolled half a turn. Moonlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The cheongsam-clad beauty in the oil painting on the wall had lost her brilliant color under the moonlight, looking somewhat pale. The black cheongsam framed her fair skin while the veiled face was half-smiling, with lips slightly upturned. This painting must be worth a lot. Regardless of what had been there before, now it either had lost interest in Chen Ke or had left. Chen Ke glanced through the window at the eerie moon one more time, shook his head, put away his gun, and left the place. When he returned to the bustling streets and looked up at the top of the building, the floors that had still been occupied by overtime workers had their lights turned off. Hmm... when had they left? Chen Ke looked up, searching through the light pollution of neon signs, billboards, and big screens for the moon. However, all he could see was a faint crescent hanging in the night sky as dark as ink. Chapter 117: 117: Non-Human Society Chapter 117: Chapter 117: Non-Human Society The crowd downstairs had completely surrounded the building¡¯s first floor, each person eagerly whipping out their cellphones to snap photos of the jumper¡¯s corpse and share them on Twitter and Facebook without delay. Falling from over thirty floors high, the man¡¯s body was no longer recognizably human, resembling a clump of bloody mud wrapped in clothes. Upon hitting the ground, the body had bounced and then struck the side of a nearby van, shattering its windshield. Chen Ke also took a photo and sent it to Lester, who responded with a satisfied thumbs-up emoji. The sudden surge and then fading of murderous intent inside the office had greatly intrigued Chen Ke, but what interested him the most was Lin Mo¡¯s soul. In his field of vision, Lin Mo¡¯s soul, flickering like a lonely flame in the wind, emitted a faint white halo. Beside it, the information box displayed ¡°Memory Sequence 0,¡± indicating it was ready for entry again. Just as the soul had previously tested, syncing with Lin Mo¡¯s past memories required the consumption of ¡°Assassin Experiences.¡± Once Chen Ke¡¯s spirit had achieved a certain resonance with Lin Mo¡¯s body through an assassination task, he could enter Lin Mo¡¯s memories. After deleting the message, he squeezed through the crowded gathering, hailed a taxi, and returned to the apartment he rented. Once home, Chen Ke took a quick shower, changed into a bathrobe, sat on the bed, and took a deep breath as the interface of the soul appeared before his eyes. Lin Mo¡¯s soul was right in front of him, with the text ¡°Sequence 0¡± on the list next to it flickering with a white glow. He closed his eyes, feeling everything around him moving away at high speed. That familiar sensation of falling hit him again, and with a ¡®duang,¡¯ his whole body jolted, similar to the shock of waking up suddenly when falling out of bed in one¡¯s sleep. Opening his eyes, Chen Ke found himself back in 2007, in the midst of one of Lin Mo¡¯s operations... He was still crouching by the low wall of a bungalow, his M1911A1 in hand¡ªno silencer fitted, but with a competition trigger and an extended magazine. Laven was still by his side, her upper body clad in a sleeveless leather jacket and a black crop top, her legs decked in black camouflage pants and military boots. Unlike Chen Ke, Laven was armed with a Mac10 submachine gun. The sky was overcast, a light rain drizzling down. This scene did not exist in Chen Ke¡¯s memory; he hadn¡¯t been here before and couldn¡¯t tell if it was still Opportunity City. Chen Ke groped on himself to check what equipment he had. Under his leather jacket was a light bulletproof vest, three pistol magazines attached to the holster, a spring knife hidden up his left sleeve, and in the inner pocket, three Holy Diamonds... Chen Ke was pleased; he took out the Holy Diamonds, wanting to see what they were, but as he focused on the diamonds in his palm, he realized no matter how hard he concentrated, the attribute interface for the Holy Relics wouldn¡¯t pop up. ¡°Right... At this time, I am still Lin Mo... Lin Mo has Spiritual Energy, but no life countdown...¡± Chen Ke thought, noting that the countdown at the corner of his eye didn¡¯t appear even after entering the memory. Chen Ke didn¡¯t know how the people from the Administration Bureau identified Holy Relics. Without the life countdown, Chen Ke himself couldn¡¯t obtain detailed information about them. For the first time, he found himself somewhat missing that life-threatening contraption. ¡°Don¡¯t rush it, Lin Mo, take it easy. Put your Holy Relics away; it¡¯s not time to use them yet.¡± Miles¡¯s hoarse voice came, and at the same time, Chen Ke felt a pair of strong hands pat his shoulder. ¡°He¡¯s always impatient, Miles, no matter where he is.¡± Laven turned and smiled at Chen Ke. Chen Ke pocketed the Holy Diamonds, ejected the magazine from his handgun, and checked the ammo. With a scale and see-through holes on the side, it held a total of thirteen rounds. ¡°Who are we making the deal with?¡± Chen Ke asked. Miles, who had intended to speak with Laven, was interrupted by Chen Ke¡¯s question. ¡°People from Yasla, but don¡¯t tell anyone else that I told you,¡± Miles whispered. ¡°Those Holy Diamonds are very valuable. There aren¡¯t many white ones, mostly blue, but I also saw some gold...¡± Laven licked her lips as she spoke. Yasla... Chen Ke noted the name of this organization. ¡°Does any of you know that smuggler, Hainerd... I¡¯ve heard he¡¯s one of them,¡± Chen Ke tried to extract as much information as he could. ¡°I don¡¯t trust him, but he definitely wouldn¡¯t dare to play smart with Si¡¯s consortium. However, Yasla might be a different story...¡± Miles said. ¡°Shh, the transaction is starting,¡± Laven suddenly announced. Chen Ke looked towards the dry drainage below the steps, where several agents from the consortium, in sharp suits, carried four black briefcases, negotiating with several individuals in black hooded trench coats. Those in black hooded trench coats looked familiar to Chen Ke; he felt as if he had seen them somewhere before... That¡¯s right! With Pihom, investigating the Pulito Bank, creating a false alarm, and following the S.W.A.T team¡¯s arrival... a man and a woman... Upon closer inspection, Chen Ke confirmed his guess: these odd figures were not from Si¡¯s consortium but a power unto themselves. Yasla! What kind of organization was this? Miles patted Chen Ke on the shoulder, saying, ¡°Come with me.¡± Chen Ke looked at Laven. ¡°You go with Miles to the entrance, and I¡¯ll continue to monitor the transaction. I have a bad feeling; Yasla won¡¯t be so honest,¡± Laven said with a smile. Chen Ke remained silent, gripping his pistol as he followed behind Miles, moving toward the other end of the dried-up canal. Along the way, they kept their bodies low, as if Miles had already detected the enemy¡¯s ambush. ¡°This is a test, Lin Mo. They want to see what we¡¯re capable of. If we lose, they won¡¯t play by the rules,¡± Miles said, taking the shotgun off his back and checking the extra rounds. ¡°So... are we going to throw down?¡± Chen Ke asked, surprised. ¡°The premise is, you have to find them first; otherwise, it¡¯ll turn into a sneak attack,¡± Miles said with a smile. At the canal outlet far from the trading spot, Chen Ke could see the river at the end. It was spring, and the water level had not yet risen to the warning line, so it just reached the entrance of the canal. If it were summer, with increased rainfall, this canal would be filled... ¡°Lin Mo, see where they are,¡± Miles said. ¡°Huh?¡± Chen Ke was startled. ¡°Use that, your little trick,¡± Miles said, raising his eyebrows by way of reminder. Chen Ke felt somewhat embarrassed; he didn¡¯t know what Transcendent Skill Lin Mo possessed, and he couldn¡¯t use Spiritual Energy either... Even if Spiritual Energy were injected into the spine, it requires professional training to control as desired, and a Transcendent Skill also requires practice to master its use... Chen Ke¡¯s life countdown omitted many of the troublesome steps needed to use Spiritual Energy and eliminated the side effects on the body, but at the cost of his lifespan... ¡°Quick, Lin Mo, what are you waiting for?¡± Miles urged. Chen Ke holstered his gun; a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead. From what Miles said, he guessed that Lin Mo¡¯s Transcendent Skill might have a radar-like effect. But without a clear memory of its use, even if his current body possessed Spiritual Energy and Skill, he couldn¡¯t utilize it. The inheritance of a mortal¡¯s abilities relies on muscle memory and instinctual reaction, unlike Spiritual Energy, which is otherworldly; without memory, it can¡¯t be passed on. ¡°Lin Mo, it¡¯s too late; they¡¯ve spotted us. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with you, but I hope you still remember how to fight,¡± Miles said, readying his shotgun and keeping a wary eye on the emptiness around them. Chen Ke also pulled out his gun, still feeling the awkwardness from before. He could hear footsteps, yet saw no one; it sounded like a woman walking past in high heels, with an arrogant step. Suddenly, Miles forcefully pushed Chen Ke, causing him to stumble and kneel on the ground. Turning back, he saw Miles firing at the spot where he had been standing. The shotgun was loaded with regular bullets, and Chen Ke saw the pellets pass through a semi-transparent humanoid figure without causing any harm. ¡°Damn it, it¡¯s a Spiritual Body from Yasla. Use the Holy Relics,¡± Miles said urgently, backing away. He slung the shotgun over his back and clenched his fists in a powerful stance. A pair of gauntlets, shimmering with blue light, materialized on Miles¡¯s fists, as large and exaggerated as the heads of monsters, with their ferocious maws full of sharp teeth radiating red flame. Chen Ke couldn¡¯t clearly see the transparent figure¡¯s position and could only guess where it was by Miles¡¯s movements. Miles leaped toward the semi-transparent humanoid figure and punched rapidly at the air in front, igniting it like fuel on fire, flames bursting out in a human-shaped area before him. Miles retracted his gauntlets, looking disappointed at Chen Ke¡¯s earlier performance, but he didn¡¯t voice it. Instead, he frowned as if something occurred to him. ¡°Lin Mo, we¡¯ve been had. Let¡¯s hurry back to Laven,¡± Miles said, then without waiting for Chen Ke, he strode back the way they came. Chen Ke sighed and, keeping his gun in hand, quickly followed suit. When they returned to their previous location, they faced a gruesome scene. Laven lay on the ground, only her upper torso remaining, with a piece of her spinal column exposed, blood and viscera spilled all over. Her eyes had been gouged into bloody sockets, her nose was shorn off, and her lips and cheeks had been viciously slashed several times. Miles shook his head and looked toward the canal below¡ªcorpses of men in Si¡¯s consortium suits and Yasla¡¯s traders littered the ground... ¡°This wasn¡¯t done by Yasla¡¯s people,¡± Chen Ke thought to himself. Suddenly, he felt his arms weren¡¯t responding... as if they were entangled by something. Chen Ke looked at Miles, only to realize his head was already gone... leaving only a headless body. ¡°Si¡¯s consortium vermin, and Yasla¡¯s aberrations, all must be eradicated.¡± A ethereal voice came from the sky, and Chen Ke looked up to see a woman dressed in white. ¡°Pop!¡± Chen Ke¡¯s head and spine were violently ripped from his body, the world around him retracting rapidly, and the words ¡°Synchronization Failed¡± flashed before his eyes once more before he plunged into complete darkness. When his vision returned to normal, the morning sunlight was scattered on the bed sheets, and Chen Ke breathed heavily, his mind still recovering from the shock of decapitation. ¡°Yasla... The consortium... And a third party... They don¡¯t look like humans!¡± Chen Ke thought to himself! Chapter 118: 118 The Third Sloppy Analysis Chapter 118: Chapter 118 The Third Sloppy Analysis Chen Ke sat cross-legged on the bed, trying to make sense of the information obtained from the memory sequence. He thought for a moment, rolled out of bed, took out paper and pen from the drawer, and then sat down neatly at the computer desk. He now wrote down ¡°Si¡¯s consortium,¡± ¡°Yasla,¡± and ¡°postman,¡± and then under them, he continued to write down ¡°Pulito Bank contraband¡± and ¡°Fan Hede.¡± Finally, he drew a circle and wrote three question marks inside it. Chen Ke first connected the words ¡°Si¡¯s consortium¡± and ¡°Fan Hede¡± with a line, then drew a curve in the middle of the segment, linking to ¡°postman.¡± Next, Chen Ke drew a line from ¡°Fan Hede¡± to ¡°Pulito Bank contraband,¡± and put a question mark. This was the core conflict of the entire incident. Based on this foundation, the sacrifice of Lin Mo, the betrayal of Hainerd, the involvement of other organizations... Now, based on the two points of ¡°Si¡¯s consortium¡± and ¡°postman,¡± Chen Ke could finally categorize each mystery. He wrote down ¡°Lin Mo¡¯s memory¡± and circled it with ¡°bank¡¯s contraband,¡± drawing a thick black arrow pointing to ¡°Si¡¯s consortium.¡± Then, he wrote down ¡°Hainerd¡± and framed it with ¡°Yasla,¡± connecting it to ¡°postman.¡± Looking at it this way, it became clear. This matter was becoming more and more complex, but also clearer, and it even involved the supernatural realm, not just smuggling of spiritual energy... Lin Mo¡¯s memory from ¡¯07 showed that Si¡¯s consortium had made a transaction with Yasla, and from the conversation between Miles and Laven, it was known that this transaction was led by Hainerd. Chen Ke was not clear what kind of organization Yasla was, but he was certain that it could not simply be a consortium or a company; judging from the attire and strange forms of its members, it looked more like a distorted cult... Hmm... Wealthy individuals mingling with cultists, definitely not a good sign, he suddenly remembered the hooded man¡¯s mention of ¡°company¡± and ¡°creating gods,¡± and quickly added those two phrases to the mix. What could now be confirmed was that the Silent Witch was from Yasla, and Chen Ke made a bold guess that Yasla intended to create gods, but they would need the ¡°company,¡± this consortium, to provide the necessary materials and Holy Relics, while the consortium simply wanted money. Thus, as a member of the ¡°company,¡± Si¡¯s consortium would have contacted Yasla... Chen Ke bit on the cap of his pen, furrowing his brow slightly. How exactly did Hainerd fit into this? As a former smuggler and member of the postmen, what qualifications did he have to lead a transaction between two major organizations? And what was his purpose? Chen Ke drew a thick question mark next to ¡°Hainerd¡± and replayed the deduction of the whole incident in his mind. Yasla wanted to create gods... requiring large amounts of material and Holy Relics to consume, in ¡¯07, Si¡¯s consortium established a cooperative relationship with Yasla under the lead of Hainerd and began entering the Great Void to search for the materials they needed. To enter the Great Void, the consortium needed the Blasphemous Dagger to open the door, and Lin Mo became the sacrifice on a certain evening in ¡¯08... Then, on the same evening, Hainerd betrayed the postmen and disappeared during the operation, and is now nowhere to be found... Chen Ke wrote down his speculations, organizing them into a brief note. That was basically it... But now there were two things that couldn¡¯t be integrated based on the current deduction: Who did the tortured man at the harbor work for? Did Hainerd have any relation with him? Who was the woman in white who attacked at the transaction scene in ¡¯07... Chen Ke looked at the paper filled with Chinese characters, and began to realize his own position, nothing more than expendable... What those organizations wanted to do was not important to Chen Ke. His purpose was merely to become normal and then leave the United Federation to go to Fei Huang Republic. Although he didn¡¯t know how much difference there was between Fei Huang Republic and his homeland, at least, the living environment there should feel more familiar to him. Someday he would find a way to return. ¡°Beep beep beep... beep beep beep...¡± The phone on the bed vibrated monotonously along with its ringing. Chen Ke got up to pick up the phone, seeing an unknown number. Who else would know his number? ¡°Hello?¡± Chen Ke answered the call. ¡°Mad Fak, are you free?¡± A familiar female voice came from the other end. ¡°Ah... is that Lucina? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be getting the car ready?¡± Chen Ke pinched the bridge of his nose. Only Lucina would call him that. That woman had incredible strength... ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s actually why I¡¯m calling you. I...¡± Lucina began, but suddenly, the call dropped. ¡°Hmm? Hello! Hello!¡± Chen Ke frowned. Could something have happened? He looked at his phone screen, which was black and unresponsive no matter what he pressed. He sighed heavily; it turned out to be out of battery... Ever since he bought the phone, he had never charged it, except when transferring HEMA instructional videos via a USB cable to his computer. Chen Ke hurriedly dug out the charger and found a socket in the corner to plug it in. Once the phone powered on again, it took an incredibly long time to start up with its 2008 Nokia Symbian system. ¡°Beep, beep, beep... beep, beep, beep...¡± Chen Ke called back, and the person on the other end answered. ¡°Mad Fak! Mad Fak!¡± Lucina roared. ¡°The phone was dead just now... It wasn¡¯t on purpose...¡± Chen Ke said helplessly. ¡°You¡¯d better be telling the truth! My dad has never hung up on me!¡± Lucina sounded really angry. ¡°What were you going to say earlier...¡± Chen Ke wiped the sweat from his forehead. ¡°Humph... It¡¯s about the car. I need you to help me out,¡± Lucina suppressed her anger but still sounded somewhat unwilling, her voice a bit odd. Chen Ke chuckled, finding it quite amusing. ¡°What are you laughing at?¡± asked Lucina. ¡°Nothing, tell me, what happened to the car?¡± Chen Ke composed himself, all business. ¡°We need three fast cars. I¡¯ve already scoped them out. Deep Anchor District¡¯s street racers are planning a race soon, and lots of drivers have gathered there recently, which of course means a bunch of good cars too,¡± Lucina said with a laugh. ¡°Oh? I guess what you¡¯re planning to do, not a bad idea... How can I help you?¡± Chen Ke stroked his chin. Lucina was planning to steal the gang¡¯s vehicles. Those street racers were skilled at modifying cars, so the speed of their rides wasn¡¯t in question, and they were sure to have nitrous oxide boosters installed. And as street racers, eluding the County Police chase should be no problem either; after all, their cars were the perfect choice for an escape vehicle. The only problem was that they wouldn¡¯t lend or sell their cars, and the delivery guys had no intention of starting a war with them, so the only option was to steal. ¡°We need three cars, and I can¡¯t steal them all by myself. Moreover, I can¡¯t steal them in batches, so I need you to come with me,¡± Lucina said. ¡°That still makes only two people. Will you be bringing Hall or Priskin along?¡± asked Chen Ke. ¡°No, I have another person, a great driver. With you, that makes three. By the way, how¡¯s your driving?¡± Lucina asked. ¡°Hmm... should be good enough to deal with the cops,¡± Chen Ke replied with little confidence. ¡°Meet me at the gun shop, and don¡¯t make me wait too long.¡± Lucina hung up after speaking. Such a rude woman, not even saying goodbye! Chapter 119: 119 Little Fangirl Chapter 119: Chapter 119 Little Fangirl Chen Ke glanced at the phone¡¯s battery, which only had one bar left, but considering that he probably wouldn¡¯t receive any calls, it should suffice. He was sure to find a chance to charge it today. He put on a different suit, hanging the mutated suit back in the closet. Wearing that suit during the day wasn¡¯t very useful, and clothes with mutated effects weren¡¯t easy to come by. If he damaged it, the loss would be irreplaceable. Moreover, as the number of Holy Diamonds in Chen Ke¡¯s possession increased, carrying around a dozen or so diamonds was quite inconvenient. Especially those diamonds, each as big as a slot machine token and twice as thick, with sharp, defined edges that bulged uncomfortably in the pocket of his shirt. He took out all the Holy Diamonds and laid them on the bed, pondering which ones to take with him. At that moment, he remembered Laven¡¯s five Holy Diamonds, which he still hadn¡¯t inspected. Laven¡¯s five Holy Diamonds consisted of a blue-quality shortsword and four pieces of white-quality clothing with an off-the-charts level of shamefulness. He picked up the blue Holy Diamond and held it in his palm. An information box appeared before his eyes. [Training Whip] [Durability: Average] [Pain Sting: Pain sensation is increased, but no intensification of damage inflicted] [Chain Blade: With the blood of its wielder, the sword becomes a whip for a duration of 30 minutes] [Inflicts an additional 20% damage on males] A bead of sweat slid down Chen Ke¡¯s forehead. As a shortsword, it was still useful. Especially for Chen Ke, since his wounds could heal instantly at the expense of his lifespan, and most of the time, his enemies were men. He decided to carry the Training Whip as his main weapon for the time being, leaving the golden-quality Unyielding Fury of Faralis in the apartment. After all, he couldn¡¯t use that longsword with his current strength. Then he looked at the remaining four pieces of white-quality clothing. If he remembered correctly, on that night, in addition to the three-piece suit she wore, Laven also had a gag in her mouth... [Whispers of Pleasure] [Durability: Poor] [Indulgence: Converts 50% of pain into physical pleasure] He would never use it, impossible, he wouldn¡¯t even think about it. Chen Ke turned to the remaining three pieces of clothing, which should include a pair of long gloves, a pair of thigh-high boots, and an extremely embarrassing strap-on bodysuit. [Hands of Catching Wind and Shadows] [Durability: Average] [Stimulant: Increases attack speed when suffering damage] ... [Spring-stepping Boots] [Durability: Average] [Stimulant: Increases running speed when suffering damage] ... [Cage of Desire] [Durability: Poor] [Forget Yourself: Converts 50% of pain into physical pleasure] ... Looking at the effects of these four Holy Diamonds, Chen Ke finally understood the state Laven had been in during their battle that night... When a .45 ACP bullet hit her back, what she felt was not pain, but immense... pleasure. When Chen Ke held these four Holy Diamonds together in his palm, their descriptors suddenly changed, and a new descriptor appeared above their names: [Memories of Mrs. Qiong] [Set Level: 1] [Complete Set Effect: Wounds slowly self-heal] [Set Story: No corresponding knowledge] Chen Ke was startled¡ªthis was actually a set! Not only did each Holy Relic gain a new descriptor, but their colors also began to change slowly. The Holy Diamond that once had a white halo slowly turned a hint of pinkish white... But when Chen Ke separated the four Holy Diamonds, the extra entries disappeared, and the color of the Holy Diamonds returned to pure white. Although the set from Mrs. Qiong was the first suit that Chen Ke had acquired, he couldn¡¯t be happy about it, because the outfit was too embarrassing, and he would never consider using it in his life. Moreover, the additional attributes of the suit were of no use to Chen Ke. He could instantaneously recover by sacrificing his lifespan, even to the point of reviving. He didn¡¯t need the slow self-healing ability of this suit. Since there were level 1 suits, there were bound to be higher levels, and perhaps he could gather a complete set in the future. Chen Ke pulled open the drawer of his computer desk and threw the four embarrassing Holy Diamonds and the Faralis Unyielding Fury into it. There were still a few Holy Diamonds left, the ones Chen Ke had brought from the Fan Hede Kingdom, the robe, blindfold, and trousers all had some protective effects, and the Sage candelabra could be used as a lighting tool, which worked well in conjunction with the training whip. Chen Ke carried those five Holy Diamonds on him, then he checked the spare rounds of his PPQ45, filled the empty magazines with bullets, pocketed his phone and wallet, and went out. Without saying much, as soon as he stepped into the safehouse, Chen Ke heard Pihom and Lucina arguing. ¡°No, this won¡¯t do, this is unfeasible!¡± Pihom rarely lost his temper. ¡°You don¡¯t understand him, Pi, I can handle this!¡± Lucina propped her hands on the sofa as if fighting for something. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Chen Ke advanced towards them. ¡°Lucina wants to steal a car.¡± Pihom said while crossing his arms. ¡°I know, in fact, I was just about to help her steal a car...¡± Chen Ke spread his hands, looking at Pihom and Lucina with a smile, as Lucina gave him a smile in return. ¡°There¡¯s no problem with stealing cars, but I didn¡¯t know Lucina was planning to steal Boss Tang¡¯s car!¡± Pihom exclaimed angrily. ¡°Boss Tang...? Who is he?¡± Chen Ke didn¡¯t recognize the character, but judging by Pihom¡¯s reaction, the guy was probably not someone easy to mess with. ¡°Dominic, a legend among the street racers, and Lucina¡¯s the number one fan girl.¡± Pihom explained. Chen Ke looked toward Lucina with an incredulous expression and asked, ¡°So, Lucina, you¡¯re planning to steal your idol¡¯s car?¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s a top-notch mechanic and driver...¡± Lucina sounded somewhat excited. ¡°Trust me, Chen Ke, this isn¡¯t a good idea, and to make things worse, Tang knows Lucina. She would always seize the opportunity to watch their races. I don¡¯t know what would happen if she got caught...¡± Pihom shook his head. ¡°I assure you, Pi, he won¡¯t find out it¡¯s me who stole his car.¡± Lucina declared. ¡°I bet you actually want him to know it was you!¡± Pihom retorted, hands on his hips. Lucina looked at Chen Ke, seemingly urging him to help. ¡°I don¡¯t know, does Tang have a lot of clout? If we steal his car, will he retaliate against us?¡± Chen Ke inquired. ¡°Not really, Tang¡¯s gang is just an underground racing group. They seem to do other stuff too. He¡¯s magnanimous; even if he knew we stole his car, he wouldn¡¯t seek revenge. But after that, Lucina can forget about going to their turf to watch the races.¡± Pihom explained. Lucina leaned against the back of the sofa, silent, looking at Chen Ke and Pihom. ¡°I get it, then there¡¯s no problem.¡± Chen Ke smiled. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Pihom asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°We¡¯ll just get Boss Tang¡¯s car over here in a bit.¡± Chen Ke grinned, gestured to Lucina, and then turned to leave the safehouse. Lucina smirked, clapped her hands, hopped off the sofa, and followed Chen Ke upstairs. ¡°Chen Ke! Lucina! Oh, f**k, that kid...¡± Pihom leaned on the table, shaking his head helplessly, then a few seconds later, he started laughing: ¡°Reminds me of my younger days.¡± Chen Ke and Lucina walked out of the gun shop, discussing their plan to steal the car, but before that, they needed to meet up with another partner. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to call you Chen Ke from now on.¡± Lucina said with a laugh. ¡°That¡¯s really great.¡± Chen Ke replied. ¡°Thanks for agreeing to help me, Chen Ke. I was actually about to give up just now.¡± Lucina sounded a bit embarrassed. ¡°Why has it got to be Tang¡¯s car? Even if we¡¯re going to steal one, shouldn¡¯t we opt for an easier target?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°His car... oh, never mind, I just wanted to drive it, that¡¯s all.¡± Lucina responded. ¡°Alright, I get it, you¡¯re in fangirl mode now...¡± Chen Ke shook his head. ¡°Say what you want, Chen Ke. Let¡¯s go meet up with my bestie first. She¡¯s an excellent racer. After we get the car, the three of us will drive it back together. Don¡¯t let us down.¡± Lucina said. ¡°Then let¡¯s hurry, Lucina. I¡¯m quite busy.¡± Chen Ke straightened his tie. The pair hailed a taxi and rushed toward the Deep Anchor District in Opportunity City. Chapter 120: 120 Three Keys Chapter 120: Chapter 120 Three Keys Deep Anchor District, Luck Bay. Along the narrow coastline, the white sand was lapped by the azure sea. Looking into the distance, one could see Deep Anchor Port. The straight highway beside the coast was a natural racetrack. Lucina told Chen Ke that exhilarating drag races were held here every night. Chen Ke did not understand racing. In his mind, racing was about running in circles and seeing who finished first. But Lucina seemed very familiar with these street racing methods, explaining various racing rules to Chen Ke all the way. Of course, she did not hide her admiration for Boss Tang either. Luck Bay was not far from the residence of Boss Tang¡¯s gang, but walking there would still take about half an hour. Before stealing the car, they had to meet with a third partner, as Lucina had mentioned. Chen Ke felt it was very inappropriate to involve outsiders in this kind of thing, especially since it concerned a bank robbery, and women generally couldn¡¯t keep secrets. He was worried this might expose their plans prematurely. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Chen Ke. Your concerns are valid, but I¡¯ve thought about that too,¡± Lucina laughed. ¡°I lied to her that we¡¯re stealing cars just to make money, and I even promised her a 5% cut.¡± ¡°5% is not small. How much did you promise her for the three cars?¡± Chen Ke scratched his head. ¡°Half a million union coins,¡± Lucina said. ¡°5% of 500,000... 25,000 union coins. Hmm... I¡¯m not sure how much those three cars are worth, but the price seems reasonable,¡± Chen Ke nodded. Spending 25,000 union coins to secure three cars would definitely pay off after the bank heist. ¡°Okay, tell me about this partner of yours. I don¡¯t like working with people I¡¯m not familiar with,¡± Chen Ke said with his hands in his pockets, his black tie fluttering in the sea breeze. Perhaps it was due to the geographical location, but even before April, the temperature had noticeably risen. The Pacific monsoon circulation brought the United Federation citizens a taste of summer, with temperatures around 30 degrees, several months early. Chen Ke¡¯s back was already somewhat sweaty. ¡°Her name is Lipo. She is quite attractive to men; don¡¯t get enchanted by her,¡± Lucina nudged Chen Ke with her elbow. Chen Ke whistled. In fact, ever since he had arrived in this world, he had never focused his attention on women. His goals were clear, time was pressing, and troubles were continuous. Anyone who dared stand in his way would be cut down face-to-face without idle talk. Lucina didn¡¯t know Chen Ke¡¯s thoughts. They walked on, and as the windbreak trees along the street turned into rows of white houses on the hillside, suddenly, from the road ahead, came the screeching of engines. Then, four modified cars drifted out of the corner, emitting an exhilarating sound of tires screeching against the pavement, trailing long plumes of tire smoke as they sped towards the end of the street, quickly leaving only red taillights visible. Chen Ke was caught off guard and realized he hadn¡¯t been able to see what those cars looked like, and now he could barely remember their colors. They were really fast. ¡°It looks like they are racing,¡± Chen Ke said to Lucina. ¡°People race in Luck Valley every day. It gets even more lively here after sundown,¡± Lucina smiled. ¡°I hope Boss Tang will still have other cars to drive after we steal his, otherwise he¡¯ll have to stay away from the racetrack for a while,¡± Chen Ke shook his head. ¡°He hasn¡¯t raced for a long time, not since his brother Brain left. That¡¯s not what we need to discuss,¡± Lucina patted Chen Ke¡¯s chest lightly with her fist. They continued along the street where the race cars had zoomed past, going up a gentle slope. Many low houses were built on the hillside, and some barefoot kids were playing soccer. Their skin color, like Lucina¡¯s, was chocolate brown; Chen Ke guessed they were probably immigrants from Latin America. When they reached a dilapidated large house, Lucina signaled for Chen Ke to wait as she approached and knocked on the door alone. Before long, an obese elderly woman opened the door. Lucina greeted her warmly with a hug, conversing in a Latin Spanish dialect that Chen Ke couldn¡¯t understand, then both Lucina and the woman entered the house. Chen Ke stood under the tree, arms crossed, pacing back and forth impatiently. Locals passed by on the street from time to time, all of them Hispanic, wearing headscarves, their bare arms covered in tattoos. Their gazes were unfriendly. This looked like their turf, and Chen Ke, as an Asian, was a rare and unwelcome sight here. Several race cars sped past, creating a wave of heat. Although Chen Ke didn¡¯t feel hot, his clothes soaked in sweat were still a bother. He took off his jacket and loosened his tie. He picked up his phone, initially wanting to call Lucina, but hesitated before deciding against it. There must be a reason she hadn¡¯t involved him yet; all he could do was wait. Hmm... That kid jumping rope on the street corner had made it to a hundred and thirty... The huge cloud above finally drifted from the right to the left... On one side of the big house was a basketball hoop, and two people were playing basketball... Their poses looked like... Waiting was an extremely frustrating thing, especially since Chen Ke had a countdown timer in the corner of his eye. The slow ticking of each second only amplified his irritation. Should¡¯ve done like Hall and bought a PSP to keep in my pocket. Just when Chen Ke felt he couldn¡¯t bear it any longer, Lucina finally came out of the big house, followed by a stunning beauty. The girl wore jeans and a red tank top, her black, slightly curly hair long and flowing, her figure curvy. From a distance, all you could see were two round shapes. She was slightly taller than Lucina. ¡°This is my good sister, Lipo.¡± ¡°My name is Chen Ke... um.¡± Lucina, Lipo, and Chen Ke met under the tree for a brief introduction, which was really just sharing names. ¡°Chen Ke? Are you from Rising Sun or Fei Huang Republic?¡± Lipo asked with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m from Fei Huang Republic,¡± Chen Ke replied. ¡°He seems a bit stiff, is he new? How good is his driving?¡± Lipo turned to look at Lucina. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, Lipo, he can handle this,¡± Lucina glanced at Chen Ke as if seeking affirmation. Chen Ke nodded, saying nothing. ¡°Everyone¡¯s here, let¡¯s get to the real work now,¡± Lucina clapped her hands. ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± asked Chen Ke. ¡°We go in, find the garage, then drive the car out. That¡¯s the plan,¡± Lucina laughed. ¡°It seems you¡¯ve forgotten something, the car keys... This isn¡¯t a movie, Lucina, without keys, starting the car is impossible,¡± Chen Ke spread his hands. ¡°Check this out,¡± Lipo pulled three keys from her jeans pocket and dangled them in front of Chen Ke. ¡°Lipo took care of the keys for me last night; she¡¯s the starter girl for street racing...¡± Lucina explained. Chen Ke took a deep breath. Lucina had previously told him about the stakes of street racing, which included money and the opponent¡¯s car... Before the race, racers would park their cars around the venue and hand over the car keys to the starter girl as proof of participation. Taking advantage of this, Lipo had used a piece of clay to imprint the shape of the keys and made duplicate keys... ¡°Good, now all that¡¯s left is to get the cars out,¡± Chen Ke spread his hands again. Lipo distributed the keys to Chen Ke and Lucina, explaining which car each key belonged to, then the three of them headed toward Boss Tang¡¯s turf together. Chapter 121: 121 Sorry, this is not a race car Chapter 121: Chapter 121 Sorry, this is not a race car Wild Wrench Car Repair Shop. This is a roadside repair shop that also offers vehicle modifications. As the territory of the street racing leader Boss Tang, Chen Ke had expected to hear the roar of engines, but in fact, it was eerily quiet. The phrase ¡°door without a crow¡± might be an even more fitting description for the repair shop than simply deserted. The facade of the repair shop was not large, featuring a small business shop and three roll-up door garages adjacent to it. A black Mazda RX8 was parked inside one of the garages, its hood up and wheels removed, seemingly prepared by Boss Tang for modification. Chen Ke, Lucina, and Lipo didn¡¯t go through the main entrance of the repair shop; instead, they walked to the back door from the side. The iron door that was supposed to be tightly closed had a small gap left open. ¡°It seems they are a bit careless,¡± Lucina said with a smile, looking at the iron door. ¡°It looks like a trap...¡± Chen Ke was noncommittal. It was now around nine in the morning, which should have been a busy time for the shop; even if there was no business, it wouldn¡¯t be this quiet, with no one in sight. And both the front and the back doors were not properly closed... ¡°You¡¯re too paranoid, Chen Ke. They were very drunk last night and probably haven¡¯t even woken up yet,¡± Lipo chuckled. ¡°The sound of the engines will wake them, but by the time they get dressed and come downstairs, we will have already escaped,¡± Lucina laughed. Despite Chen Ke¡¯s objections, the two women gently pulled the gap in the iron door wider and squeezed in sideways. Chen Ke shook his head. With no other option, he followed them. In the backyard of the repair shop, there were three modified cars parked: a black Dodge Daytona, a blue Nissan GTR-R35, and a red Toyota Supra. Just by looking at them, it was clear that these were deeply modified monsters; regular vehicles couldn¡¯t possibly catch up. Using them as getaway cars couldn¡¯t be more perfect. Now, the biggest issue was simply whether Chen Ke could handle such cars. ¡°Chen Ke, your key is for the GTR; Lucina, yours is for the Dodge,¡± Lipo said with a grin. ¡°Good, that way I won¡¯t have to swap keys with you,¡± Lucina said, pulling out her keys with a smile. The two women ran to unlock their car doors first. Modified race cars like these didn¡¯t have alarm systems on the door locks, so they could be tampered with without triggering any alarms. They skillfully used a long piece of wire to hook the lock through a gap in the window and quickly hopped into the driver¡¯s seats. Chen Ke lacked such skills; Lucina shook her head and had to get out to help him unlock the door. ¡°Hurry, start the car,¡± Lucina gestured, inserting a duplicate key into the keyhole on the right side of the steering wheel. Chen Ke got into the driver¡¯s seat and grasped the steering wheel. The moment he did, it felt like some instincts returned to him; he shifted the manual gear confidently. The three exchanged glances through the car windows and then simultaneously started their engines. ¡°Vroom vroom vroom...¡± Lucina was the first to zoom out, followed closely by Lipo. Chen Ke stepped on the gas, turned the steering wheel, and drove out as well. Everything went very smoothly, almost too smoothly. ¡°You see, so simple. As long as we plan carefully, we can pull it off,¡± Lucina called. ¡°I don¡¯t see it that way, Lucina, it¡¯s too simple, and that¡¯s somehow unreasonable,¡± Chen Ke shook his head. He sat in the car, feeling great; the vibration and engine noise thrilled him. There was a tachometer next to the speedometer, and Chen Ke felt an urge to test the car¡¯s abilities. Beneath the handbrake, Chen Ke also spotted a knob, and without a second thought, he knew it was the nitrous oxide boost switch... In video games, pressing the nitrous button would make the car surge forward as if it had rockets, but reality was different¡ªthough there would certainly be a similar boost, it wasn¡¯t as exaggerated. And he had to watch the engine temperature, or it could easily blow up... As the three cars raced along the lengthy coastline, as they passed an intersection, suddenly three fast cars emerged from the crossroad. ¡°Lucina, we¡¯ve been bit,¡± Chen Ke, at the rear of the convoy, looked into the rearview mirror and spoke into the phone. The trailing three cars were also modified, with exaggerated spoilers and heart-thumping engine roars. Leading them was a purple muscle car, followed by two modified Nissans. ¡°Street racers, they might think we¡¯re Boss Tang...¡± Lipo joined the conference call. ¡°Let¡¯s see if they can keep up, but be careful not to scratch the cars,¡± Lucina said, full of spirit. ¡°I knew it wouldn¡¯t be easy!¡± Chen Ke complained. The trio decided to split up to lose these racers quickly. Chen Ke floored the accelerator, pinning himself back against the seat, and swiftly the speed reached 180... It was his first time driving a car this fast; the scenery flew past him as if he had activated a four-speed gear shift, lucky that there were few cars on the road this morning, or Chen Ke couldn¡¯t guarantee not having an accident. Even at such speeds, the three cars behind him were still uncomfortably close; they too had chosen their targets: the muscle car chasing Lucina, a vehicle resembling a heavily modified Porsche chasing Lipo, and an unrecognizable model pursuing Chen Ke. ¡°Let¡¯s have a duel then!¡± Chen Ke pulled the handbrake, spotting a turnoff, and let the car drift. He didn¡¯t know why he could drift, it seemed Lin Mo must have also been a driver in the assassin team... ¡°Chen Ke, let¡¯s split up and meet in the Walmart parking lot in the Gun Tie District after shaking them off. You know the way, right?¡± Lucina¡¯s voice came through the phone. ¡°No problem,¡± Chen Ke acknowledged. Lipo didn¡¯t know why they stole these three cars, and certainly wouldn¡¯t let on the secret of the armory to her, so Lucina picked a stop not too far from the armory. After hanging up, Chen Ke glanced in the rearview mirror, formulating a plan. In the brief driving experience just then, Chen Ke had figured out exactly what Lin Mo¡¯s driving skills were meant for. All the driving habits Chen Ke had inherited were aimed at how to quickly shake off pursuers, how to flip the opponent¡¯s car without flipping his own. These driving techniques were highly utilitarian, not about who was faster, but whose car could last till the end. He knew precisely where the car¡¯s strongest points were, where it could withstand bullets, and was also very clear about the weight distribution in most cars. Chen Ke possessed all the driving techniques needed for attacking and defending with a vehicle. He glanced in the rearview mirror, and his mind swarmed with countless methods to flip the opponent¡¯s car. ¡°If you get into an accident later, don¡¯t blame me... I¡¯m not a racecar driver, you know.¡± Chen Ke¡¯s lips curved up slightly as he aligned his car¡¯s right rear with the opponent¡¯s left front. Then he suddenly pressed the brake. Chapter 122: 122 I, Chen, have acted all my life... Chapter 122: Chapter 122 I, Chen, have acted all my life... Chen Ke¡¯s speed drastically dropped from 180 to 40 mph, the tires ground out white smoke on the road and left four black tracks. This two-day Nissan GTR was four-wheel-driven with superb braking performance. The moment Chen Ke stepped on the acceleration, he felt an immense force; had he not been buckled up, he would have shattered the windshield and flown out. The vehicle behind Chen Ke wasn¡¯t too far away; Chen Ke was ready to sacrifice a taillight to collide with the guy¡¯s front. However, just as the two cars were about to crash, the rear car quickly reacted by decelerating and swerving aside. Chen Ke couldn¡¯t help but admire his reaction capabilities. The car overtook Chen Ke, its windows were tinted with a purple privacy film, making it impossible to see the driver inside, but that move made it clear that Chen Ke was not easy to handle, In fact, more dangerous than an average racer. Because those in street races wouldn¡¯t deliberately aim to wreck the opponent¡¯s car and kill the driver. Chen Ke smirked, shifted gears, and accelerated to the right rear side of the other car, aiming to graze its right rear. In high-speed driving, just a slight touch there, followed by a twist of the steering wheel, could send that car spinning out of the guardrail. Of course, Chen Ke didn¡¯t want to kill him, just to make him crash into the grass and stop in a flowerbed. It seemed the other driver guessed Chen Ke¡¯s intention; as Chen Ke accelerated, the other also swerved in the same direction and slowed down, circumventing to be behind Chen Ke. Chen Ke was shocked and glanced at the rearview mirror; the car was trying to do to him what he had planned for it. In an instant, he felt his car get bumped, making the road outside the windshield appear twisted. The opponent¡¯s front hit his left rear. The car raced forward, slightly skewed, the front and rear tires burning rubber and emitting intense friction sounds. Chen Ke firmly gripped the steering wheel, which involuntarily kept turning left; he knew that losing control now would not only send him crashing into the flowerbed but with his posture and speed, the car would surely flip, roll several times on the ground, then lay crumpled in the grass like scrap metal. Chen Ke licked his lips¡ªhis opponent was even more ruthless than expected, certainly not the usual kind of racer. ¡°Chen Ke, do you need help?¡± Lucina¡¯s voice came through the phone. ¡°I can handle it,¡± Chen Ke was about to hang up but the intense shaking of the car made him drop the phone under the seat. He looked forward, saw a semi-covered tunnel carved through the mountain, and realized the other driver wanted to crash him into the wall. ¡°Nice try,¡± Chen Ke muttered under his breath. He glanced back through the rear window and a wild expression crossed his face. ¡°Lin Mo, what would you do in this situation?¡± Chen Ke talked to himself. His hand reached for the handbrake. ¡°Let¡¯s see how good your instincts are...¡± Chen Ke smiled. Biting down, he suddenly turned the steering wheel all the way to the left, then yanked the handbrake; the car swiftly spun around on the road. The opponent¡¯s car, pressing on Chen Ke¡¯s rear, carried forward with the momentum. Chen Ke released the handbrake, slammed the accelerator to the floor while still keeping the wheel turned left. Chen Ke¡¯s car performed a 360¡ã spin, dragging a large swirl of white smoke. When the front was aligned with the road ahead, Chen Ke immediately turned the steering wheel all the way to the right and stepped on the accelerator. The engine roared, and the GTR-R35 shot out like an arrow, charging toward the rear of the opponent¡¯s car. The cars collided, Chen Ke¡¯s car rammed into the rear end of the other car. He revved up the engine and pushed forward with all his might until the other vehicle spun around to face him, then he swiftly drove into the tunnel. The other car swerved and drifted twice on the road before finally stopping just short of hitting a wall. The Asian driver with long hair rolled down the window and smiled as he watched Chen Ke¡¯s taillights. Chen Ke steadied his vehicle and drove towards the meeting point. He picked up his cellphone and called Lucina. ¡°Lucina, how¡¯s it going over there?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°We¡¯ve already shaken off the drivers, how about you?¡± Lucina replied. ¡°I just handled it, so let¡¯s see who gets to Walmart first, girl,¡± Chen Ke laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t be too slow,¡± Lucina laughed and hung up. Three cars headed toward Gun Tie District. After Chen Ke and his crew left, three more cars that had been chasing them stopped at the tunnel exit. A burly bald man got out of his purple muscle car and leaned on the hood, staring at the road ahead. ¡°Are you just going to give them the cars?¡± a blonde man from the Nissan modified car asked. ¡°Lucina needs those three cars more than we do, Brian,¡± the bald man said slowly. ¡°They¡¯re pretty skilled,¡± the Asian driver agreed. An hour later, in Walmart¡¯s underground parking lot. Lucina and Lipo got out of their cars and gave each other a high-five and a hug, as if they had achieved something tremendous in their lives. Chen Ke stood by, unable to join in. The cars that the women had driven back were all undamaged, but Chen Ke¡¯s only had its front bumper askew and two lights broken. However, Lucina didn¡¯t mind, since the three cars would be repainted and partially modified once back. As long as they were not too damaged to start, it wasn¡¯t a problem. ¡°Okay, the three beautiful cars are all here; I don¡¯t need to know who the buyer is, but can you at least tell me when the deal is happening? I¡¯d like to know when I¡¯ll get the money,¡± Lipo asked, arms crossed. ¡°Don¡¯t rush, Lipo. Our buyer is very interested in these three cars; they won¡¯t back out. But for now, you need to lay low from Boss Tang. I¡¯ll call you in a few days,¡± Lucina said with a smile. ¡°Of course, of course... My dear sister has never deceived me... I¡¯ll wait for your good news then,¡± Lipo said as she adjusted her brownish-black hair and then turned to look at Chen Ke. ¡°Chen Ke, it seems our brief partnership ends here, but I think maybe we can stay in touch privately in the future...¡± She walked over to him, the female racer seemingly interested in Chen Ke, and gave him her phone number. Luck Valley never lacked good drivers or races. As a race queen, Lipo had access to race information and might even help Chen Ke secure a spot in a race. HEMA swordsmanship and street racing were things Chen Ke wanted to try in his previous life but never had the time or means to do so. Since coming here, it all seemed more attainable. A car fit for racing... he could manage that. Chen Ke silently planned, thinking about challenging the gym leader at Golden Arthur and perhaps even Boss Tang here... ¡°Great, if there¡¯s time and the opportunity arises, I¡¯ll contact you,¡± Chen Ke told her as he handed her his phone number. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for your call, handsome,¡± Lipo said with a lick of her lips, patting Chen Ke¡¯s shoulder. Lipo bid them farewell and then casually left the parking lot. Once she was gone, Lucina slapped Chen Ke on the back, frowning with displeasure. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, Chen Ke, if you think you can play Lipo, you¡¯re mistaken. She¡¯s played more men than you¡¯ve been with women. Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you,¡± Lucina said. Chen Ke smiled and didn¡¯t reply. He patted Lucina¡¯s shoulder, saying, ¡°I still have some things to take care of here; you go back to the gun shop.¡± Lucina glanced at Chen Ke, seeing yet another fool smitten by a woman. She sighed and walked toward the parking lot exit. The situation wasn¡¯t as Lucina thought, but Chen Ke didn¡¯t elaborate further. In his life, why should he have to explain himself to others? Chapter 123: 123 Increase the Stakes Chapter 123: Chapter 123 Increase the Stakes Chen Ke made a call and briefly explained to Pihom the car theft process, and told him where the three cars were currently stored. Pihom still hesitated but with the die cast, the cars were already stolen, and it was definitely impossible to exchange them back. Having no choice, Pihom had to go with the flow, telling Chen Ke to leave there quickly, and arranged for someone to drive the cars to the postal worker¡¯s modification shop. Those three cars were easily recognizable as Boss Tang¡¯s, so they had to be processed. Chen Ke never knew the postal worker had his own modification shop; after all, during his time there, he had only been to the safe house and, including Pihom himself, had only met four members... At one point, Chen Ke thought the postal worker¡¯s organization was a bunch of country bumpkins... if they hadn¡¯t decided to rob Si¡¯s consortium, he wouldn¡¯t have wasted time with them. However, after several interactions, he had to admit, he had developed some feelings for them, as after coming to this world, not many had spoken to Chen Ke nicely; he mostly dealt with monsters or enemy assassins who drew their guns at him. If nothing unexpected happened, he would probably become an active city robber with the postal workers in the future... That wouldn¡¯t be too bad... After removing the countdown to his life, could he really return to a normal life? After all these experiences, Chen Ke had already gotten into this rhythm, and he couldn¡¯t guarantee what kind of person he would become in the future. He had thought about, once everything settled, finding a way to leave the United Federation and visit the Fei Huang Republic, as that seemed more like his homeland, but thinking about this now was still premature. He was still a freak who could only survive for 20 hours, an assassin with a brain full of killing techniques. From 12 PM to 6 PM, Chen Ke practiced HEMA foundational swordsmanship at Golden Arthur, Diana wasn¡¯t there today, and Brig sparred with him for a bit, praising Chen Ke¡¯s significant progress, which had been made in just two days. Yet only Chen Ke felt it wasn¡¯t enough, without real combat, mastering a killing technique was just wishful thinking, after all, as a coach, Brig had no killing intent. Brig was only sparring with Chen Ke technically, which was meaningless for Chen Ke who had already gained an entry-level in Meyer Swordsmanship. This was the first skill he needed to actively acquire and improve; one could imagine how many people Lin Mo had to kill to master those three assassination skills... During the small talk, Chen Ke also asked about the times Diana would usually come because that girl was truly fierce, sparring with her felt like facing an exceptional swordsmanship master. Chen Ke had no doubt that even if he got crushed by her, she was holding back. In terms of strength, speed, and experience, if it really came to a fight to the death, Diana could probably take Chen Ke down with no more than three strikes. Of course, if it were hand-to-hand combat or with guns, Chen Ke was confident he could take her down. Brig seemed to understand something but didn¡¯t say it out loud, and Chen Ke seemed to catch on to Brig¡¯s thoughts and shook his head helplessly. ¡°She usually comes three times a week, on Thursday and Friday afternoons, and stays longer on Saturdays. Your luck isn¡¯t great, it¡¯s Sunday today, but honestly, buddy, she¡¯s tough to handle, many have tried,¡± Brig said. Chen Ke smiled and didn¡¯t explain. Instead, he continued with his calculations, and for some reason, Chen Ke felt that Diana¡¯s identity must be extraordinary; only those who have truly fought for their lives can sense that difference. That look in the eye, when facing something inhuman, of suppressing the fear within and mustering the courage to strike hard, Chen Ke had seen it on Diana¡¯s face. At 6:30 PM, Chen Ke left Golden Arthur and headed to Lester¡¯s Zio suit shop. Lester was very pleased with Chen Ke¡¯s action last night, although Chen Ke didn¡¯t actually do much, but he didn¡¯t reveal what happened. The phenomenon on top of the building, however, was very puzzling to Chen Ke. That eerie full moon was definitely not normal; Chen Ke once had the illusion of entering another world while on the rooftop. And then there was the sudden appearance and then disappearance of murderous intent... What was ready to hunt him down and why did it give up on the target? What did the target say? Why were there intestines-like substances in his vomit? And when Chen Ke went downstairs, he didn¡¯t notice any signs of the overtime employees leaving, but once he reached the first floor, the entire building seemed deserted... Lester made coffee, brought it to Chen Ke, and slid a magnetic card across the table to him. ¡°What is this?¡± Chen Ke picked up the magnetic card and asked. ¡°This is an access card for Holy Oak High-End Villas Residence. Wealthy people generally don¡¯t use keys,¡± Lester said. ¡°It must be hard to come by a counterfeit of this sort of thing, right?¡± Chen Ke examined the card, which looked no different from a standard credit card, with a blue stripe running through it, inscribed with ¡°Milli Laisi High-end Residential Service Center.¡± ¡°This is not a counterfeit; it¡¯s the real deal,¡± Lester said with a mysterious smile. ¡°It seems I just have to open the door, go in and kill him, and then come out. Sounds pretty simple. How did you get this card?¡± Chen Ke joked. ¡°I have my ways, Chen Ke. Sometimes, it¡¯s better not to ask too many questions,¡± Lester sipped his coffee. ¡°If this card is one-of-a-kind, he must be panicking by now... Aren¡¯t you afraid of alerting the quarry?¡± Chen Ke queried. ¡°No, I am not, because that guy isn¡¯t using the main entrance to get into the house anymore either...¡± Lester seemed as if he was about to say something he shouldn¡¯t and cut himself off mid-sentence. ¡°Lester... I need more precise information to understand the target¡¯s situation, which would allow for better execution of the assassination mission. Being so secretive isn¡¯t wise,¡± Chen Ke rapped his fingers on the table. Lester certainly wouldn¡¯t tell him what exactly was going on with those three targets, but at the very least, Chen Ke needed to know what potential dangers he was facing. What if last night on the rooftop, the killing intent hadn¡¯t faded? Then, Chen Ke would have had to face an unknown enemy unprepared. Assassins hate unknowns. ¡°You¡¯re right, Chen Ke. I shouldn¡¯t expose you to unknown dangers. It¡¯s not in the spirit of our agreement... But I can¡¯t say too much,¡± Lester said, taking a sip of coffee, as if mulling over his words. ¡°Let¡¯s hear it, Lester. Tell me what you think you can,¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°Alright, Chen Ke. Before I divulge some information, I want to assure you that these three tasks are definitely within your abilities. No matter the potential danger, as long as you¡¯re professional, you won¡¯t come into contact with certain things,¡± Lester said, as if he was hiding something. ¡°Come into contact with what?¡± Chen Ke pressed. ¡°Transcendent,¡± Lester said bluntly. Chen Ke paused, looking at Lester with a mix of complex emotions in his gaze. I¡¯ve seen it all, and you want to warn me about this? ¡°Their interaction is with the Transcendent realm; they have had or are in touch with it, but they themselves are not Transcendent. So, Chen Ke, with your skill, as long as you don¡¯t let curiosity get the better of you, there will be no trouble,¡± Lester cautiously said, afraid that his wording might spook Chen Ke. Chen Ke wanted to ask Lester what kind of Transcendent realm those three had come into contact with, whether they possessed Holy Relics or could enter the Great Void. But then he thought that by asking, he would be revealing his own knowledge of the Transcendent, so he changed the question. ¡°How did they come into contact with the Transcendent?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know the details. But I assure you, their deaths are something that those truly involved with the Transcendent would welcome, with no Transcendent power seeking revenge. You just need to professionally ensure their demise, and also, don¡¯t mess with anything they possessed,¡± Lester said. ¡°Even so, this assassination task is beyond the scope previously discussed. You understand what I mean, Lester,¡± Chen Ke said. Lester brought his hands together in a steeple, not arguing. He knew Chen Ke was looking to increase the payment. ¡°No problem, Chen Ke, no problem... We should all adhere to professional ethics, shouldn¡¯t we? Your request is quite reasonable,¡± Lester nodded. After pondering for a while, as if calculating in his mind, Lester said, ¡°The agreed compensation was 100,000 union coins plus a 20% bonus. Now, I¡¯m willing to offer 150,000 union coins and a 30% bonus... and since you¡¯ve already taken out one, I¡¯ll pay you 50,000 union coins upfront. What do you think?¡± 150,000, plus a 30% bonus. Although it¡¯s unclear how much the bonus would be, 150,000 union coins was no small sum. To show his sincerity, Lester took out his phone and immediately transferred 50,000 union coins into Chen Ke¡¯s offshore account. Chen Ke¡¯s phone vibrated in his pocket. He smiled, pocketing the access card. ¡°Deal.¡± Chapter 124: 124: The Taboo Seeker Chapter 124: Chapter 124: The Taboo Seeker 9 PM. In the suburbs of Holy Oak, the villa area known as a gathering place for the wealthy of Opportunity City wasn¡¯t entirely occupied. Many tycoons who owned businesses in Opportunity City did not reside in this increasingly desolate city. They owned properties here, but for most, it was merely a part of their asset portfolio or simply a base for business discussions. Rows of white three-story villas were all dark, except for the street lamps emitting a pallid light. From afar, they resembled the spirits of the dead floating in a dark world. ¡°So, Mr. Punkser, we are going on patrol,¡± a few sturdy bodyguards in crisp suits and black ties bowed slightly to a lean middle-aged man with red hair in the study. ¡°Remember my orders. Anyone, anything that moves and tries to get close, kill them without hesitation,¡± Punkser commanded coldly. The bodyguards quietly left the study and closed the door behind them. This house was one of Punkser¡¯s properties, which paled in comparison to the luxurious residences, estates, and seaside villas he owned across the states of the United Federation¡ªthis inconspicuous little villa could only be described as shabby. It had a mere 200 square meters of space, too small compared to his estate in Carefree City¡ªit felt like a cage, even the study was smaller than his previous bathrooms. But it couldn¡¯t be helped; this villa cost only 3 million union coins, Punkser couldn¡¯t ask for more. This property was an unintended acquisition; if he hadn¡¯t seen it while reviewing his assets, Punkser would have forgotten he owned such a property in this bleak city. This was precisely why he moved here; if even he barely remembered it, no one else would know he was here. It was an excellent hideout from assassins¡ªjust stay put in a place so inconspicuous that even he struggled to recall. Punkser picked up his wine glass, poured himself some red wine, and under the orange glow of the desk lamp, he stared at the red liquid in the glass with hatred in his eyes. His conglomerate was once a part of ¡°Yasla,¡± but he discovered that his colleagues had ventured too far on the path of exploring forbidden Transcendent knowledge. That was something humans were not meant to possess. But the people of ¡°Yasla¡± wouldn¡¯t tolerate betrayal. Over the years, he had evaded several orchestrated ¡°car accidents,¡± ¡°plane crashes,¡± ¡°accidents,¡± and survived numerous attempts by common assassins under his security measures. But later, they sent those things after him. Punkser couldn¡¯t be sure if those individuals still qualified as human. He looked up, gulped down the wine, and glanced at the Blackberry phone on the table. He couldn¡¯t always run from them, but fortunately, there was still a chance. As long as that man kept his promise, he could have a shot at a normal life. ¡°Bzzz, bzzz, bzzz...¡± The phone on the table vibrated in circles. Seeing the caller ID on the screen, Punkser felt as if he had seen a savior. He set down his wine glass, grabbed the phone tremblingly, and pressed the answer button. ¡°Lee? My God... you finally called,¡± Punkser said excitedly. ¡°You¡¯re still alive, right?¡± A man¡¯s voice came from the other side. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right, Lee, I should have listened to you back then... You must save me this time. Yasla¡¯s people won¡¯t give up easily, you must save me!¡± Punkser clutched the phone as if it were a lifeline. ¡°That depends on how much you¡¯re willing to offer me, Punkser,¡± said the Asian man named Lee, laughing. ¡°I¡¯ve told you everything I know!¡± Punkser said nervously. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem that way to me; you¡¯re still holding back, aren¡¯t you?¡± Lee chuckled. ¡°Lee, I assure you, I¡¯ve told you all I know...¡± Punkser hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Lee cut him off. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then you¡¯re no longer of value to me... Why should I help you?¡± Lee said. ¡°Wait! Lee... I do have something to hide, but! The thing and what you want are not related, I can tell you something else... Trust me!¡± Punkser hurriedly said, as a bead of sweat slid down his forehead. ¡°Punkser, I will call you again tomorrow. I hope by then you¡¯ll decide to tell me about that matter.¡± Lee¡¯s tone was expressionless. ¡°Beep.........¡± ¡°Lee... Lee! Hello? Hello?!¡± The other end had hung up the phone. Punkser gasped for air, looked at his phone, and a myriad of emotions surged through him. He raised his phone high, squeezed it hard, and then dropped it, limp. He shook his head, lit up his phone screen, found the call log, and pressed the dial button. ¡°Sorry, you do not have the authority to dial this number.¡± A familiar response came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! You mom¡¯s an Asian bastard! Die! All of you die! Shit! Shit! Fuck! Damn! Fuck!¡± Punkser cursed loudly, grabbed a desk lamp from the table, and threw it towards the corner. The electric plug of the desk lamp was pulled out of the socket, hitting the wall, and the glass shade shattered everywhere. With the orange glow of the desk lamp gone, the study immediately darkened. The thick curtains blocked the street lights and moonlight from outside. Punkser, to prevent assassination by a sniper, had sealed all the windows of the house and locked all the doors. In darkness, one immediately becomes calm. Punkser lit up his phone screen and groped to open the door of the study. ¡°Joseph! Joseph!¡± He called out into the hallway, where his security advisor was supposed to be. No one answered. He leaned out, looked downstairs, and heard the sound of leather shoes walking on the floor. ¡°Hey! Someone!¡± Punkser shouted down the stairs. ¡°Thud thud thud thud...¡± a bodyguard ran up. ¡°Sir, what is the matter?¡± he asked. ¡°Nothing... go back down, it¡¯s nothing...¡± Punkser sighed. The bodyguard bowed slightly, then turned and ran downstairs. Punkser went back to the study, picked up the desk lamp, and using the light from his phone screen, reinserted the plug. The orange light lit up the room again. Exhaling softly, Punkser picked up a wine glass and bottle, filled it, and gulped it down. Just as he put down the glass, a hand in a black leather glove suddenly appeared before him. ¡°You...¡± Punkser startled, attempting to turn around. But the person covered his mouth in an instant. Next, he felt something press against his back, it felt like a gun barrel. ¡°Thud... thud...¡± With a silencer attached, the PPQ.45 made a muffled gunshot sound, two bullets entered Punkser¡¯s back, turning his heart into a mess. Punkser¡¯s arms hung weakly, and he was gently laid on the desk. The two bullet casings were picked up, the hand in the leather glove switched off the desk lamp, and the room plunged into darkness again. The door of the study slowly opened, and a figure quietly slipped out... Chapter 125: 125: Opening the Eyes Chapter 125: Chapter 125: Opening the Eyes ¡°Miles, something feels off,¡± Chen Ke re-entered the memory. Laven stood on the right, Miles on the left. It was as if everything had restarted; this was his third entry into this memory sequence. Slightly different from the previous two times, Chen Ke now knew what danger this trade was going to face. The white, fluttering ghostly woman in mid-air seemed to attack by using thin threads... Although he did not know the principle behind it, she had said a phrase that particularly concerned him, ¡°The bugs of the Consortium and the deformities of Yasla must be eradicated.¡± It seemed no matter what the third organization was, it bore a deep grudge against the other two powers. The Consortium¡¯s bugs¡ªa clear disdain for the ordinary people in the Consortium who could only use guns, perhaps including those secret Spiritual Ability Killers. The deformities of Yasla... That was something to ponder. Miles looked back at Chen Ke, then scanned the surroundings. ¡°Are you serious?¡± he asked cautiously. ¡°Lin Mo is our radar; if he says it is, then it is,¡± Laven had no objections. Chen Ke narrowed his eyes; it seemed Lin Mo¡¯s Transcendent Skill could actively detect enemies, somewhat similar to a life countdown. ¡°What¡¯s off, Lin Mo?¡± Miles inquired. Chen Ke kept silent. His current idea was very simple, to make this situation different from the last. In a little while, the ghostly woman would arrive and start a massacre. None of the people at the scene would escape disaster. This also meant that the trade could not be completed. Chen Ke was not sure if Hainerd was among the people below, after all, he had never seen Hainerd. The failure of memory synchronization might also be due to the trade not being completed. Though he did not know what benefits completing synchronization would bring. How to complete the trade in the face of this deadly attack? Chen Ke did not have a clue yet, but at least, he could try to prevent the first time paradox from happening. Laven and Miles must stay alive. ¡°People are coming to attack the trade, and they are almost here,¡± Chen Ke said with the tone of a soothsayer. ¡°Then we attack them first,¡± Laven chambered a round in her MAC10. Miles was indifferent; he seemed not to believe Chen Ke¡¯s words, or rather, Lin Mo¡¯s words. ¡°My intuition for danger isn¡¯t telling me there¡¯s any risk nearby, Lin Mo. Did you see something? Is it Yasla¡¯s people?¡± Miles asked. ¡°No, not Yasla; it¡¯s something more terrifying than them. I can¡¯t see clearly, but they seem to appear right where we are hiding,¡± Chen Ke shook his head. Miles was taken aback for a moment, a flash of anxiety across his face. Chen Ke caught that flicker of change but kept quiet. ¡°We¡¯d better check it out, Laven. You keep watch on the trade here,¡± Miles patted Chen Ke¡¯s shoulder, gesturing for him to follow. ¡°You and Miles check the entrance. I¡¯ll keep monitoring the trade. I¡¯ve got a bad feeling Yasla won¡¯t play fair,¡± Laven said with a smile. Chen Ke was startled; the situation was becoming similar to the last memory... ¡°I think the three of us should stick together,¡± Chen Ke added. ¡°Someone has to keep an eye on the trade. You go with Miles and check the surroundings; I¡¯ll follow in a bit. Go on,¡± Laven said with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s go, kid,¡± said Miles, without further discussion, he grabbed Chen Ke¡¯s arm and started to drag him away. Even though Chen Ke had changed what he said, offering key information ahead of time, the direction of everything still gravitated toward their original course due to an irresistible force. He started to think rapidly, combining the information he had obtained to analyze the events in this memory sequence that were destined to happen and unchangeable. Laven and Miles would not die here. Laven and Miles had temporarily separated. These two things were unchangeable, otherwise they either faced synchronization failure or the memory sequence forcibly correcting the course of reality... ¡°Watch your head, Laven¡ªthe other side might attack you like a ghost. They could poke out your eyes, slice off your nose, cut you in half at the waist, and even yank out your spine...¡± Chen Ke seriously warned as he walked ahead. ¡°Oh... Lin Mo, are you trying to scare me?¡± Laven asked, licking her tongue. ¡°I¡¯m not scaring you, I¡¯m warning you,¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°That¡¯s a very specific warning, sounds interesting... I never knew your eyes could see the future, what¡¯s about to happen,¡± Laven said with a mocking tone. ¡°You¡¯re a bit off today, Lin Mo, I hope you¡¯ve actually seen something. But if you¡¯re just being unreasonable, I¡¯ll gouge out your eyes,¡± Miles threatened, grabbing Chen Ke¡¯s collar. ¡°We¡¯ll see, big guy. Just wait and see,¡± Chen Ke said, staring into Miles¡¯s eyes, disdainfully. The three fell silent for a moment before Miles let go of Chen Ke and took his shotgun from his back, gesturing for Chen Ke to follow him. Chen Ke and Miles walked towards the sewer exit, and all along the way, he kept looking back. From what Miles and Laven said, Lin Mo¡¯s Transcendent Skill was associated with the action of ¡°seeing¡±. He opened his eyes wide and looked all around, attempting to activate the Spiritual Power within his body. This was not easy, for Chen Ke did not know how to use the spiritual energy. The life countdown was controlled by the flow of consciousness, while spiritual energy, undoubtedly, was more like some sort of qigong or something else that needed to be actively incited. He tried holding his breath, widening his eyes, blinking, and even creating a set of breathing rhythms, but to no avail. Chen Ke recalled how Pihom had once told him that in this world, spiritual energy was injected into the spine, which meant its function was still controlled by brain commands in a nerve transmission pattern... Chen Ke suddenly stopped, closed his eyes and fell into deep thought. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up?¡± Miles asked, annoyed as he noticed Chen Ke had fallen behind after walking for a bit. He made a ¡°shush¡± gesture, continually reminding himself deep within his mind. ¡°I need to see, I need to see, I need to see...¡± ¡°See... see... see... see...¡± He felt a warm current flowing through his back, but the sensation was not intense enough. ¡°Lin Mo!¡± Miles suddenly slapped Chen Ke on the shoulder. Chen Ke startled and opened his eyes, the sensation he had been nurturing all but dissipated... ¡°What are you doing? You¡¯re acting strangely today,¡± Miles inquired. ¡°I¡¯m trying to observe the future,¡± Chen Ke said irritably. ¡°Then please tell me, what am I doing a year from now?¡± Miles chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Miles, but whatever your outcome is in a year, it won¡¯t be a good one,¡± Chen Ke responded coldly. Miles didn¡¯t speak and loaded his shotgun, glancing in Laven¡¯s direction. ¡°Miles, if you were to use a Holy Relic, what would you think?¡± Chen Ke asked suddenly. ¡°It depends on what Holy Relic I have in my hand,¡± Miles replied simply. ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± asked Chen Ke. ¡°If it¡¯s an ax, I would tell myself to aim for the head. If it¡¯s a sword, I¡¯d tell myself to go for the heart,¡± Miles said with a laugh. Chen Ke closed his eyes, a thought growing clearer and clearer in his mind. Behind him, a warm current rose¡ªa liquefied spiritual energy boiling within his spine. He opened his eyes, and the entire world was as if scanned by radar. Waves that only Chen Ke could see radiated from him, automatically distinguishing the outlines of all living beings around him, whether human or not, within his sight. And his pupils turned into a gem-like blue, shining as brightly as LED lights in the dark. ¡°Thanks, Miles!¡± Chen Ke said with a smile. He turned around to look in Laven¡¯s direction where the silhouette of a woman floating in the air was stealthily closing in. Chapter 126: 126: The Black Sphere Chapter 126: Chapter 126: The Black Sphere The woman, ghostlike, floated in mid-air, concealed behind the bridge piers of the water channel, but Lin Mo¡¯s Transcendent Skill was a broad-range perspective scanning. Regardless of whether they were human or nonhuman, no matter what obstacle they hid behind, those eyes could see a faint blue outline around them. Even the two groups making a deal under the water channel were outlined in blue, and upon close inspection, there were actually over forty people from both sides combined. This skill was very similar to the Killing Aura Radar, which also ignored obstacles to outline everyone. However, the difference lay in that the Killing Aura Radar was passive, only turning red when someone harbored murderous intent towards Chen Ke, and it had a limited range, but it didn¡¯t need to consume life span. Lin Mo¡¯s Transcendent Skill was an active scan with a very large scope, but it couldn¡¯t filter targets, and as a Transcendent Skill, if Chen Ke could use it in reality, it would likely consume his lifespan as well. Unfortunately, Lin Mo was already dead, and his Transcendent Skill could not be inherited by Chen Ke; otherwise, it would have been extremely useful. As an Assassin, the Killing Aura Radar could prevent surprise attacks, but this Transcendent Skill was an active scan that could quickly discern how many enemies were in a room during an infiltration, making it an incredibly powerful reconnaissance method. The pity was, Chen Ke was currently in the midst of Lin Mo¡¯s memories, an environment that defied common sense, akin to a replay of a videotape. This Skill was something he couldn¡¯t take with him. ¡°Miles, I see her, over there!¡± Chen Ke pointed in Laven¡¯s direction and drew his pistol, sliding the sleeve before running towards Laven. Miles was well-aware of the effectiveness of Lin Mo¡¯s Transcendent Skill. Even though Lin Mo felt quite unusual today, Miles followed him with a mix of trust and doubt. The gun that Lin Mo used, which Chen Ke had checked, fired regular brass bullets. Although he could potentially summon the three gems in his pocket now, without a life countdown, he didn¡¯t know what they were. It seemed that a normal Spiritual Ability User would need some object to observe the attributes of the Holy Relics, and it was certain that Lin Mo didn¡¯t carry such an object on him. The world of memory trembled in Chen Ke¡¯s eyes, like a video with color distortion, leading him to guess that something he had done must have caused a discrepancy with the original memory. But this discrepancy wasn¡¯t enough to cause a failure in memory synchronization. Occasional double images appeared in his vision, but Chen Ke didn¡¯t stop; he genuinely didn¡¯t know what to do to save Laven¡¯s life and let the deal continue amidst the attack. When that ghostly woman flew out from behind the piers, Chen Ke pivoted in place, pistol in hand, and took up the standard Will-style shooting stance. The optimum combat range for a handgun was between 20 to 50 meters, but Chen Ke was an estimated 200 meters from the white-clothed woman who had emerged; setting aside whether regular bullets could harm this mysterious woman, at that distance, the hit rate would be negligible. However, Chen Ke¡¯s shot had not been aimed to wound the woman but to alert everyone present. After all, from the previous memory, Chen Ke had already understood that the woman attacked indiscriminately and was very powerful! He could only hope that the members of the corporation and Yasla present would temporarily join forces against the enemy upon discovering her. Perhaps then they might be able to take down that woman. The quiet afternoon was shattered by the sound of gunfire, thunder rumbled in the sky; a .45 ACP bullet spun towards a bridge pier and eventually fell to the ground, creating a small crater. Through Chen Ke¡¯s perspective, he saw that everyone involved in the transaction below had gone into alert mode. On Yasla¡¯s side, the cloaked figures in black hooded coats instantly summoned the Holy Relics, eyeing the syndicate gunmen with distrust. The syndicate men also drew various submachine guns, aiming them at Yasla¡¯s people. But this standoff lasted only two seconds before they all noticed the woman floating towards them. This shot changed everything. Laven was first attracted by the sound of the gun, and then she was the first to notice the woman in white, immediately summoning the Holy Relics and entering combat mode. She held a green dagger in her right hand and a MAC10 in her left, avoiding a fate of being killed by a surprise attack. The syndicate men fired at the woman in white, more than ten submachine guns spewing flames together; in just over ten seconds, hundreds of bullets flew towards the woman in white, turning her into a hornet¡¯s nest. It seemed that although the woman wasn¡¯t normal, she wasn¡¯t like the monsters from the Great Void either; ordinary bullets could kill her too. Chen Ke guessed she was some kind of Mutant infected by Spiritual Energy, similar to the female Diner he had encountered before. He thought it was all over, but within Chen Ke¡¯s field of view, more silhouettes emerged, floating from behind various obstacles, was an increasing number of white-clad Mutants. They spread their arms, using some method to grab several syndicate gunmen out of thin air. Those men¡¯s thighs, arms, and heads were twisted and broken at opposing angles by invisible forces, their heads and spines ripped out from their bodies together! ¡°It¡¯s that move again. Some kind of psychokinetic power?¡± Cold sweat slid down Chen Ke¡¯s forehead. The current Chen Ke had no way to deal with this situation. If it was a countdown to life, he could still somewhat control the scene with his Killing Aura Radar and then forcefully knock down a few of the Mutants using his prime force... The dozen or so people from Yasla summoned the Holy Relics and counterattacked with their Transcendent skills. A purple halo burst outward from the center of one of the Yasla members, shooting many thin purple threads throughout the sky. Chen Ke wanted to shield himself, but then he realized that this explosion-like purple light skill was also a scanning skill. The threads in the sky were actually the telekinetic threads controlled by the white-clad Mutants... So they were killing people with these things... The group of Yasla members gathered together, continuously chanting something that sounded very eerie and weepy, as if pleading with something. Then black orbs of light began to gather above their heads. Those black orbs looked highly ominous and were noticeably prominent at a height of about eight or nine meters. Although it was not yet clear what the orbs were for, the white-clad Mutants definitely sensed danger and immediately directed the purple threads toward the people from Yasla. A few Yasla members were lifted into the air, torn apart, and their flesh and organs fell to the ground like rain. The black orb in mid-air diminished somewhat, but the remaining members continued chanting, utterly indifferent. The surviving syndicate gunmen grabbed the briefcases containing the Holy Relics and ran towards their cars, seemingly planning to leave the area. Chen Ke furrowed his brows, no! This won¡¯t do! The transaction must be completed! Otherwise, the synchronization of memories would be lost again! Chapter 127: 127: Severed Hand Chapter 127: Chapter 127: Severed Hand Black orbs floating in the sky had become increasingly numerous, as they slowly converged and began to spin. The mutants in the air seemed to fear the little black droplet-like orbs, as they exerted all their strength, attempting to quickly slaughter the members of Yasla, but the bullets from the syndicate gunmen were relentless, shooting down the mutants one by one. Chen Ke had not expected the mutants to seemingly emerge out of thin air without end, with more and more pouring in from all directions, roughly counting, there must be forty or fifty of them. The mutants formed a siege circle, trapping both sides of the transaction inside. They descended invisible threads from the air, pulling the people on the ground into mid-air to dismember arms and legs. Although it looked very bloody and brutal, in reality, Chen Ke thought that the mutants¡¯ way of killing was very inefficient. That method was more suited to assassination, and if it came to a head-on confrontation, they were not particularly difficult to deal with. Chen Ke and his two companions were on the edge of the encirclement, but because of Chen Ke¡¯s previous shot, they too had exposed their position. Laven waved a short green sword, seemingly dodging the invisible threads in the air. Chen Ke was unclear how Laven could see them, but combined with experiences from a year later, it was evident the things Laven¡¯s eyes were capable of were even more exaggerated than seeing through threads. ¡°Sorry Lin Mo, it seems your unusual behavior today was not without reason. Those sons of bitches just love wrecking other people¡¯s good times,¡± said Miles, loading his shotgun and firing at the mutants in the sky. His shotgun was loaded with single projectiles, the cartridge holding only one bullet, which didn¡¯t scatter upon firing, its power more terrifying than deer bullets. A mutant hit by the bullet was blown an exaggerated distance away. More and more black orbs gathered in mid-air, gradually converging into a large black sphere, its surface swirling with many black bubbles, enough to drive anyone with trypophobia insane. Chen Ke desperately slid down the sloped sides of the drainage ditch, intending to intercept the syndicate gunmen before they could leave, to forcibly complete the transaction. ¡°Hey hey! Lin Mo! You¡¯ve exposed yourself!¡± Laven turned back, seeing Chen Ke jumping down into the drainage ditch and hurriedly shouted. Just as Chen Ke slid to the bottom of the ditch, the large black orb where the Yasla members were gathered began to spin rapidly in mid-air. Like a giant soap bubble, through centrifugal force, the orb flung out many black droplets in all directions, as if it were raining. Just a second ago, Chen Ke was still doubting the power of these black droplets, but the next second, he saw all the mutants that were touched by the droplets begin to rot and blister, falling to the ground one by one. The originally enormous number of mutants was instantaneously halved. The syndicate gunmen picked up the suitcase filled with Holy Diamond and ran off, but Chen Ke suddenly blocked their path. ¡°Hey hey! Wait a moment!¡± He reached out to grab the suitcase from the gunman and pulled him to the ground. The other gunmen, seeing Chen Ke, immediately aimed their guns at him. ¡°Wait wait wait! Don¡¯t fire! He¡¯s our Assassin!¡± The one grabbed by Chen Ke raised his hand to stop them. ¡°Was it you who fired the shot just now? You really helped us out, but now we need to go, and you¡¯d better leave quickly too. Let those freaks fight it out!¡± He dusted off his clothes and said. ¡°No, you must complete the transaction!¡± Chen Ke insisted. ¡°Fuck! Are you fucking crazy? Don¡¯t you see the situation right now?!¡± The gunman was astonished. ¡°Then give me the suitcase, I¡¯ll go,¡± Chen Ke reached for the suitcase. ¡°Are you crazy? Let go!¡± The gunman held onto the suitcase tightly. ¡°You don¡¯t understand, the transaction must be completed today!¡± Chen Ke yelled. ¡°Let go! Let go! Otherwise, I¡¯m going to shoot!¡± The man would not let go. The two tugged at the suitcase, causing chaos. Amidst the struggle, the suitcase was forcibly opened, and instead of the Holy Diamond falling out, it was a severed forearm... ¡°What is this...¡± Chen Ke looking at the arm on the ground, was so surprised he was lost for words. The arm included a complete right hand and part of the lower arm, the skin white and smooth, fingers slender, with nails so long as if they hadn¡¯t been cut for years, curled up in coils, suggesting that the owner of the arm was female. ¡°What is this...¡± The gunman was just as stunned, completely unaware that the suitcase contained not a Holy Diamond but a severed hand. At this moment, the world in Chen Ke¡¯s eyes began to shake violently, with the sky, the earth, and buildings all slowly losing color, the sound also becoming fainter and fainter. ¡°Whoosh!¡± He seemed to plummet into a black hole, the scenery around him speeding away. This feeling lasted for a few seconds, and then he crashed heavily onto the bed. ¡°Memory synchronization failed...¡± Chen Ke¡¯s eyes snapped open, the sunlight from outside the window shining on his face. He rubbed his eyes. After killing that wealthy man from Holy Oak last night, he had returned to his place and immediately delved into his memories. He had thought he knew the key points of that period of memory, but unexpectedly, he encountered this accident... What was the significance of the severed hand in that box... Moreover, it seemed that the gunmen responsible for the trade from the syndicate didn¡¯t know what was in the box either. That is to say, not only did this transaction need to succeed, but the people from the syndicate also couldn¡¯t find out what was inside the box... Chen Ke took a deep breath. No, couldn¡¯t they check the goods when they traded? Or perhaps... ¡°Drip, drip, drip... Drip, drip, drip... Drip, drip, drip...¡± His phone started ringing. Chen Ke picked up the phone. It was a call from Pihom. The preparation for the bank robbery should have nearly reached its conclusion. They had sorted out the vehicle matter, and things on Pihom¡¯s end should also be almost ready. Hall¡¯s responsibility for the escape route should have some results today too, right? ¡°Hey, Chen Ke. You¡¯d better come over. Hall has worked out the escape route, but he thinks you guys should actually drive it for real,¡± said Pihom. ¡°No problem, I¡¯m on my way,¡± responded Chen Ke. After arriving at the safe house. Lucina was playing Tekken with Hall, Priskin was watching at the side, and Pihom was on the phone with someone else. After seeing Chen Ke, the two put down their controllers and walked together into the planning room. Hanging on the whiteboard was a map of Opportunity City, with Hall having used blue and red markers to draw two routes. On one of the blue routes, there was a pause at a certain section. Chen Ke guessed that was the decoy route; the first part was to throw off the County Police, and the latter part to meet up with another team. ¡°These two routes, the whole distance is roughly 30 kilometers. If the car¡¯s fast enough, you could finish in about 20 minutes. Of course, it depends on how long you take to shake off the tail,¡± Hall stated, standing in front of the board. ¡°Cut to the chase, what do we need to watch out for?¡± Chen Ke asked, arms crossed at the doorway. ¡°The issue is with this part of the route...¡± Hall circled a segment of the blue line. Then he continued, ¡°According to the map, there¡¯s no road here.¡± ¡°So, you mean to say you¡¯ve designed an escape route that basically has no road?¡± Lucina asked, spreading her hands with a laugh. ¡°It¡¯s not that there¡¯s literally no road! It¡¯s that there¡¯s a broken bridge there. If you¡¯re fast enough, you should be able to jump it,¡± Hall explained. ¡°Why not talk about why you¡¯ve chosen to put the escape route there,¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°After leaping over the broken bridge, you¡¯ll reach the outskirts of Holy Oak¡¯s wooded land. The forest is dense enough that police cars won¡¯t enter, and helicopters won¡¯t be able to spot you from above. I¡¯ll place the switch car there, so you just need to rush in, switch vehicles, and you¡¯ll completely shake off all tails,¡± said Hall. The other three nodded, making sense. The decoy vehicle on the day of the robbery would face the pursuit of the entire city¡¯s police force, so finding a chance to switch cars would indeed be tough... ¡°So, have we decided who will be the decoys on that day?¡± Priskin suddenly asked. Chen Ke looked at Hall, then at Lucina. ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Lucina raised her hand. ¡°Are you sure you want to go?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°I don¡¯t have confidence in your driving skills, and besides, we¡¯re using Boss Tang¡¯s ride for the decoy car,¡± Lucina said with a smile. The remaining three had no objections, and Lucina looked at Chen Ke again, saying, ¡°We still need one more, Chen Ke, interested?¡± Chapter 128: 128: Anchoring Chapter 128: Chapter 128: Anchoring Around 10 a.m. Pihom¡¯s men drove the three stolen fast cars, now stripped of paint and repainted, to the entrance of the gun store. In addition to removing Boss Tang¡¯s paint job, they had also installed planks in certain areas such as the car doors and the hood, to defend against small caliber bullets. Chen Ke knocked on the muscle car¡¯s door panel, which emitted a dull thud, and opened the door to inspect the interior but found no changes. ¡°This one needs to be set up at the drop-off point beforehand,¡± Hall said. After the bait team shook off the County Police, they would have to switch cars in the small woods to escape, meaning that of the three cars, at least one would be abandoned. ¡°What if the County Police haul the car back and suspect it was Boss Tang¡¯s doing?¡± Chen Ke couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°No, we¡¯ll blow up the swapped car, leaving no trace behind,¡± Hall declared. Lucina, hands on her hips, seemed unhappy but resigned. ¡°We need to first drive the cars to the designated hiding spots, but at the same time, we also need to familiarize ourselves with the route. Priskin, Lucina, and I will each drive one, Chen Ke, you¡¯ll take one of our cars to practice jumping the broken bridge,¡± Hall said. ¡°Practice jumping a bridge? Are you serious? What if it fails once, are you sure the person in the car will have another chance?¡± Chen Ke asked in astonishment. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, Chen Ke, the bridge isn¡¯t big... Maybe my choice of words worried you too much...¡± Hall pinched his nose. ¡°How about you give it a try first...¡± Chen Ke shrugged. ¡°Let¡¯s not argue, guys. Time waits for no one. Let¡¯s discuss this more once we¡¯re there,¡± Lucina said with a smile. Chen Ke shook his head. Just then, Pihom arrived in a white sedan. ¡°Hall, this is the car you wanted for practice. Although I don¡¯t know exactly what you plan to practice, it¡¯s yours now,¡± Pihom said as he got out of the car and tossed the keys to Hall. ¡°Chen Ke, it¡¯s all yours,¡± Hall said with a smile, passing the keys to Chen Ke. ¡°This car¡¯s top speed is 120mph, but it should only be driven up to 80mph at max, and it starts shaking badly after 60mph, just so you know,¡± Pihom warned with a chuckle. ¡°That¡¯ll be just fine, but don¡¯t expect us to return it,¡± Hall gave an okay sign. ¡°I¡¯ve still got some business to handle with Bain. Remember to call me once you sort out the escape route.¡± The four got into their cars, rolled down the windows, waved at Pihom, and left the gun store in a convoy. First, all four cars drove the real red escape route once, then left the getaway car in the open parking lot near the Holy Oak Pulito Bank. Then, Lucina and Chen Ke took one car, while Hall and Priskin each took another, to run through the blue bait route once. At the swapping point, they stopped the three cars and briefly inspected the jumping point. ¡°See, that¡¯s the broken bridge over there,¡± Hall said, leaning against the car door and pointing to the wooden bridge in the distance. Chen Ke crossed his arms and looked off into the distance. It was a small river cutting through the woods, serving as the dividing wilderness strip between Raffi Road and Holy Oak, with the river being over twenty meters wide and a mid-broken wooden bridge across it. ¡°How long has that bridge been here?¡± Chen Ke suddenly asked. A broken bridge and an abandoned bridge are fundamentally different. A broken bridge, before breaking, still functioned as a bridge, subject to routine inspections by relevant agencies at certain intervals. However, an abandoned bridge can no longer be considered a bridge since it isn¡¯t used, making it impossible to determine how long it¡¯s been since any maintenance was done... ¡°Are you sure that bridge can handle a car?¡± Chen Ke asked skeptically. From a distance, the wooden bridge looked like it could at least support one car, but Chen Ke was unsure if such a wooden structure could withstand a car speeding over 100mph. ¡°I tested it the other day, it can hold a car. I assure you,¡± Hall slapped his chest confidently. ¡°It sounds quite worrying...¡± Chen Ke shook his head. ¡°No worries, this bridge was built by a logging company for small pickup trucks, so there¡¯s no need to worry about the load capacity.¡± Chen Ke looked around. The only way into the forest was that wooden bridge. Although there was also a bridge on the nearby highway, it just circled around the edge of the forest, and the County Police looking to chase into the woods would also have to follow by speeding. This idea seemed pretty solid. The exit on the other side of the woods was not far from Raffi Road, right next to Holy Angel Park. They just needed to drive the second car into the forest from the other end. ¡°Do you feel confident, Chen Ke?¡± Lucina asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ve never driven like this before, have you?¡± Chen Ke shook his head. ¡°I haven¡¯t tried it either, but we¡¯ll know once we try,¡± Lucina said with a smile. Lucina was passionate about driving, or rather, she was passionate about all crazy things. She seemed to have endless energy and enthusiasm, eager to show her femininity to everyone around her. The white sedan stopped in front of the broken bridge, with Lucina and Chen Ke sitting inside. The road was intact at both ends of the bridge, but in the middle, perhaps due to overload, it had collapsed and left a gap about 4 meters long. To leap over this gap, the car needed an upward slope so that it could launch into the air at high speed. If the road surface was flat, the car would only crash directly below the bridge. The bad news was that the bridge was very smooth, with no upward curve. But the good news was that the terrain was different on both sides of the river; the forest side was a bit lower, so if the car was fast enough, it could still make it across. ¡°Ready?¡± Lucina revved the engine. ¡°I don¡¯t really have anything to prepare,¡± Chen Ke said. He buckled his seatbelt and firmly grabbed the handle above him. Lucina pulled the handbrake and floored the accelerator, causing the car¡¯s rear wheels to spin rapidly in the mud. ¡°Come on, come on... I hate this nerve-wracking feeling,¡± Chen Ke urged. Lucina cursed loudly, released the handbrake, and the car jerked forward, rushing towards the broken bridge at 50 miles per hour. She floored the accelerator, gripping the steering wheel tightly, her eyes filled with madness. Chen Ke watched the speedometer rise from 50 to 60, then 70... ¡°Bang, bang, bang, bang...¡± Suddenly, an unpleasant noise came from under the car, and the speed dramatically decreased, accompanied by an annoying sense of sluggishness. ¡°What¡¯s happening?!¡± Chen Ke exclaimed in surprise. ¡°We¡¯re breaking down! Damn it!¡± Lucina quickly pulled the handbrake and slammed on the brakes; at this pace, hitting the bridge would mean plummeting into the river. Lucina furiously turned the steering wheel, directing the car¡¯s front to change direction. After about 20 meters, the rear of the white car swung forward, and the whole vehicle stopped horizontally at the head of the bridge. Both of them leaned back in their seats, looked at each other, and then burst into laughter. ¡°Ah, damn it, Pihom really gave us a crappy car,¡± Hall said, slapping his thigh. ¡°He told you before that the car shakes terribly once it hits 60...¡± Priskin laughed. Lucina and Chen Ke got out of the car, stood beside it, and spread their hands in a gesture of helplessness; Hall walked around the car with his hands on his hips. ¡°Should we try to get it started again and give it another shot?¡± Priskin asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, let¡¯s just switch to the getaway car,¡± Lucina laughed. Chapter 129: 129 Lucinas Secret Chapter 129: Chapter 129 Lucina¡¯s Secret This time, Lucina and Chen Ke got straight into Boss Tang¡¯s muscle car. The car was fitted with a V8 engine, boasting a powerful 600 horsepower. It could accelerate from 0 to 100 yards in just 0.79 seconds, clearly tuned for straight-line speed contests. Lucina first drove the car around the empty space nearby, then she aimed the car¡¯s nose toward the broken bridge. ¡°Ready?¡± Chen Ke took a deep breath and looked at Lucina. Lucina didn¡¯t respond; she just gave Chen Ke a thought-provoking glance. In an instant, Chen Ke understood something. ¡°Wait a minute... you did that on purpose just now...?¡± Chen Ke asked. Before he could finish, Lucina floored the gas pedal, and the car charged toward the broken bridge like an arrow released from its bow. The growl of the 600 horsepower twin-bar V8 engine was primal, like a black wild horse, with its rear wheels carving deep tire tracks in the soggy mud. As the car hit the bridge, a clattering sound came from underneath¡ªthe sound of wheels clashing with thick wooden planks. For a moment, Chen Ke genuinely worried whether the bridge would collapse. The car¡¯s top theoretical speed could reach 380 yards per hour. Jumping the gap from the high point of the broken bridge to the other side was certainly not difficult. If there was to be a failure, it would only be because of the driver¡¯s final moment of fear. But Lucina was fearless. As the car¡¯s front wheels lifted, the needle on the speedometer was already shakily pointing to 180. Next, Chen Ke felt as if he, too, was airborne, though he was sitting in the car seat, underneath him seemed a chasm deeper than any toilet hole... The car boiled in mid-air, the nose slowly tilting down, and Chen Ke watched the world outside the windshield roll down like the curtain at the end of a stage play. Then, the front wheels finally touched down, and the back wheels landed at the very edge of the broken bridge. With a ¡°thud!¡± the car briefly lost control, but Lucina pulled the handbrake and clutched the steering wheel, sliding the car to a stop at the entrance of the woods. Chen Ke felt as if he had just been stuffed into a plummeting high-speed refrigerator. The moment they landed, his soul nearly shook out of his body. The two sat in their seats in silence for a while, then Lucina burst into laughter. ¡°Did you see that? Chen Ke! Did you see it?! We were flying!¡± she exclaimed excitedly, shaking Chen Ke¡¯s arm non-stop. ¡°Yes... yes, I saw, and I felt it too...¡± Chen Ke groaned slightly, rubbing his waist. ¡°Hope you don¡¯t have hemorrhoids... because we¡¯re doing this again tomorrow!¡± Lucina laughed. ¡°That¡¯s very considerate of you!¡± Chen Ke sighed. Hall and Priskin were shouting from the other side of the broken bridge, both excited and worried. It wasn¡¯t until Chen Ke and Lucina emerged from the car that they finally cheered and high-fived each other. ¡°I bet none of you could do that,¡± Lucina boasted. ¡°That was a spectacular jump, the car¡¯s all right?¡± Hall shouted over. ¡°I think it¡¯s fine. Which car are we using for another go tomorrow?¡± Chen Ke leaned against the car door, still a bit uncomfortable in his waist. ¡°Tomorrow you guys are using this,¡± Priskin pointed to the GTR behind him, ¡°The GTR R35 doesn¡¯t have as much horsepower as that one, but it¡¯s a lot lighter. Lucina, you confident?¡± ¡°No problem, I can fly any car over,¡± Lucina said as she stretched out, cracking her knuckles and flexing her biceps, making Chen Ke feel self-conscious. ¡°Alright, what¡¯s next?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°You drive the car into the woods and then cover it with the stuff from the trunk. Priskin and I will wait for you guys on the other side of the forest. You remember how it¡¯s drawn on the map, right?¡± Hall reminded. ¡°Of course, I remember,¡± Chen Ke said as he pulled out a copy of the route map Hall had given him that morning. Hall and Priskin each drove a car towards the other side of the woods, while Chen Ke and Lucina were to drive Boss Tang¡¯s muscle car into a hidden spot within the forest. The journey was smooth sailing, with nothing but the silent emerald green lining both sides of the trail. Chen Ke rested one arm on the car window¡¯s edge, propping up his chin, his mind recalling various things from the Fan Hede Kingdom. At that moment, Lucina started a conversation. ¡°Chen, were you born and bred in the United Federation as an Asian, or are you an immigrant?¡± she asked. ¡°I come from a place that¡¯s very far away,¡± he answered with a smile. ¡°So, you¡¯re an immigrant from the Fei Huang Republic?¡± Lucina glanced at Chen Ke. ¡°Even further than that, beyond what you might expect,¡± Chen Ke said with a shake of his head and a smile. ¡°Ah... a secret? Alright, I get it. But I¡¯m still curious about what you used to do,¡± Lucina said. ¡°Just like you, I eked out a living in the underworld,¡± Chen Ke replied. ¡°I¡¯ve been surviving in that hidden world with my dad since I was little, how come I¡¯ve never heard about you?¡± Lucina found it hard to believe. ¡°Not everyone ends up making a name for themselves. Most just muddle through life,¡± Chen Ke said with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re definitely not someone who just muddles through life. I bet you deliberately kept yourself hidden...¡± Lucina wanted to say something more, but she thought better of it and held back. ¡°What about you? Since when have you been part of this world?¡± Chen Ke asked with interest. ¡°Like I told you, since I was little,¡± Lucina said with a laugh. ¡°How young?¡± Chen Ke pressed. ¡°When other little girls were getting dolls as their first birthday presents, what I got was a dagger,¡± Lucina looked at Chen Ke, her eyes filled with pride. ¡°Oh... It seems you¡¯re different from most girls... quite special,¡± Chen Ke remarked. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad thing at all. It was my choice, not something I was forced into. This path was a joint decision between me and my dad. I mean... I kill, I rob, but I¡¯m a good girl, you know?¡± Lucina said, looking at Chen Ke. ¡°I understand... I understand... Watch the road...¡± Chen Ke said, a bit flustered. ¡°I¡¯m not one of those girls who clutches a doll, wears a lace dress, enters five-star hotels and sleeps with wealthy, handsome boys for luxury cosmetics. I know what you¡¯re thinking, Chen Ke, I know.¡± Lucina was getting agitated. ¡°No, no... You¡¯re overthinking it, I didn¡¯t mean that,¡± Chen Ke said, shaking his hand. In reality, girls like Lucina were indeed rare; her muscles were no less developed than a man¡¯s, she acted impulsively yet with passion. However, the mainstream aesthetic of the world wasn¡¯t like this... which is why she became so excited at topics like these. It was a kind of instinctual aversion. ¡°Okay, I was a bit worked up just now. Let¡¯s change the topic. You look pretty strong, do you fight in freestyle combat?¡± Lucina asked. ¡°No, I¡¯ve never tried,¡± Chen Ke shook his head. He only knew how to kill with his bare hands, not competitive fighting techniques. ¡°If you¡¯re interested, maybe we can arrange a time...¡± Lucina glanced at Chen Ke, noticing a hint of red on his face. ¡°I¡¯ll bet I can take you down in 20 seconds, a straight punch to shatter your jaw, a hook to make you vomit everything in your stomach, and then stand on your head with one foot, burying you in your own puke,¡± Lucina said with a laugh. ¡°Focus on driving, Lucina... focus,¡± Chen Ke said, patting Lucina¡¯s shoulder. He had never heard a woman flirt like this... ¡°Who taught you to drive anyway?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°My dad taught me. For us, driving is a skill for escaping with our lives,¡± Lucina replied with a laugh. ¡°We¡¯ve talked about a lot, but you¡¯ve never mentioned your... mother?¡± Chen Ke asked with a smile. The car suddenly lurched as Lucina slammed on the brakes, sliding forward for a bit. If not for the seatbelt, Chen Ke reckoned he would have hit the windshield. Silence. ¡°Lucina?¡± Chen Ke gently asked. ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Lucina said without looking back, got out of the car, and slammed the door shut. Chapter 130: 130: The Nonexistent Guest Room Chapter 130: Chapter 130: The Nonexistent Guest Room All preparations for the bank robbery had been completed: the escape route, getaway car, necessary tools, and backup support¡ªall listed on the small blackboard in the safe house. The blueprint of Pulito Bank spread across a table, and Pihom marked it with a marker pen, denoting many points of interest. After a series of intimidation and bribery, both soft and hard, the shops around Pulito Bank would all close their doors that day, and Pihom even specially instructed one store to set up a diesel generator outside to create noise. Not only that, but Pihom also arranged for assistants, disguised as electricians, to install zipline hooks on both the bank¡¯s rooftop and the residential building across the street and had someone put up the ropes at night. The ultimate objective of this heist was something hidden in the bank by Si¡¯s consortium. To prevent Si¡¯s consortium from realizing they were being targeted, the operation was to be disguised as a very ordinary bank robbery. Apart from locker number 209, several other lockers would also randomly be forced open and the vault¡¯s cash swept away in passing. The goal was to make everyone believe that the robbery was the work of a few crazed thieves, and the transcendent items were merely taken along with ordinary jewels. To pry open the other lockers, Priskin had prepared a handheld circular saw, battery-driven, with an easily changeable saw blade head¡ªthree-disc sawblades should be enough to cut through the lock bolts of the bank¡¯s lockers. This operation was bound to face a shootout during the final part, so firearms were also indispensable. Pihom arranged for long and short guns, along with a large drill for breaching electronic doors, all packed and hidden in a pickup truck, delivered in advance to the bank¡¯s parking lot. They had also replicated the keys to the bank¡¯s back door, thereby avoiding the front door metal detectors and entering the bank interior without triggering an alarm, for a rapid takeover. ¡°I¡¯ll go in unarmed with Chen Ke through the front to see how many people are in the lobby and roughly where the guards are located; then, we¡¯ll signal you,¡± Hall pointed at the map and said. ¡°We¡¯ll come in from the back. I¡¯ll take care of the surveillance room first,¡± Lucina said, pointing to a spot on the map; the surveillance room was adjacent to the bank¡¯s staff hallway, next to the office area. ¡°After taking over the surveillance room, we need to control the lobby ASAP, then let Priskin set up the drilling rig,¡± Chen Ke looked at the map and said. ¡°From that moment, we have a five-minute countdown. After five minutes, the alarm will automatically trigger. According to Pihom and Chen Ke¡¯s scouting, S.W.A.T. and those freaks can get there in less than five minutes,¡± Hall nodded and said. ¡°So, how long do we actually have?¡± Lucina tilted her head towards Chen Ke. ¡°Still five minutes,¡± Chen Ke spread his hands. ¡°After all, the drilling rig takes time. Once the door is drilled open, they¡¯ll likely be on the move,¡± Priskin explained. ¡°Four people in relay; we¡¯ll put the cash and the items we want in travel bags, then zipline from the bank¡¯s rooftop to the getaway vehicle across the street,¡± Hall added. ¡°Mark the bags clearly. The decoy vehicle with the money, and the getaway vehicle with whatever it is we¡¯re after...¡± Chen Ke nodded. Pihom stroked his chin beard, pondering for a moment before speaking, ¡°Seems foolproof. Bain promised that we would have extra help during the escape, so if you see strangers, don¡¯t be quick to open fire.¡± ¡°The hacker?¡± Chen Ke recalled. ¡°That¡¯s right, let¡¯s hope they¡¯re helpful,¡± Pihom said. ¡°Fellas, we¡¯ve prepared three days for this one job tomorrow. Once we pull this off, the brothers to the south will look at us in a whole new light,¡± Hall smiled and said. ¡°The brothers to the south?¡± Chen Ke turned to Hall. Seeing Chen Ke¡¯s confused face, Pihom explained, ¡°I told you, there are more than just a few mailmen, but they won¡¯t all be gathered together.¡± With the preparations complete, all that remained was to pull off the heist the next day. Lucina suggested they all have dinner together and then a drink that night, but Chen Ke had other matters to attend to and left the gun store one step earlier. ¡°You¡¯re always in a rush. I have no idea what you¡¯re up to,¡± Lucina leaned on the safe house door, arms crossed. ¡°I have a rich after-hours life,¡± Chen Ke smiled back. ¡°Definitely nothing serious... mind telling me about it?¡± Lucina asked with a smile. ¡°Maybe some other time,¡± Chen Ke rested his left hand on Lucina¡¯s shoulder and sidestepped her as he walked by. There¡¯s no chance, tough girl; in that world, your muscles and bullets mean nothing, Chen Ke thought to himself. ¡°Mmm...¡± Lucina watched Chen Ke¡¯s back and sighed deeply. At 8 p.m. in the Gun Tie District, Andre¡¯s Rundown Motel. The motel was eight stories high, diagonally across from the Walmart where Chen Ke had first shopped. In Gun Tie District, it was not easy to do business; it was far from a tourist attraction, so the motel had few guests and looked on the verge of closing down. Beyond the first floor¡¯s service lobby, the other floors were dark, with not many lit rooms. Pushing open the aged door, Chen Ke entered the motel. The mottled walls and exposed water pipes betrayed the place¡¯s financial struggles. With few guests, the staff looked disinterested and the entire motel seemed like an antique transported from the 1980s. ¡°Sir, did you reserve a room?¡± asked the plump female receptionist at the front desk, clipping her nails. ¡°I¡¯m here to see a friend,¡± Chen Ke replied. ¡°Oh? Then your friend must not be doing too well. Hehehe... cough cough... um... what room number is your friend in?¡± the plump receptionist inquired. ¡°98,¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°Oh? What a coincidence? I live in room 98 as well,¡± the receptionist chuckled. Chen Ke¡¯s brow furrowed. What was up with this receptionist? ¡°What floor is room 98 on?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°Ha... seems like you really don¡¯t know... you must have been played by your friend,¡± the plump receptionist said disdainfully. Chen Ke scratched his head. ¡°What I mean is, we don¡¯t have a room 98 here,¡± she put down her nail clippers, looking at Chen Ke with interest. Chen Ke looked up towards the stairs and the small elevator, sensing something odd about the building but couldn¡¯t put his finger on what it was. And just now, he had suddenly realized the room number ¡°98¡± was nonsensical. Typically, motel room numbers are a combination of floor number and room number, like the eighth room on the sixth floor should be 6008. This helps staff quickly locate rooms for various routine management tasks. And even if this motel decided to be different and use this non-mainstream method of numbering rooms, it was hard to imagine they had 98 rooms, just based on the size of the building. ¡°Sorry to bother you,¡± Chen Ke shook his head and quickly left the motel. Chapter 131: 131 Memetic 98 Chapter 131: Chapter 131 Memetic 98 ¡°Lester, your information is wrong, there¡¯s no Room 98 in that inn,¡± Chen Ke said while standing outside the inn, calling Lester. It was now 8:15 p.m., and the streets of Gun Tie District were not as bustling as those of Raffi Road. By 9 p.m., the area had already turned pitch dark with hardly a soul around. ¡°Hmm? What are you talking about?¡± Lester¡¯s voice, altered by a voice changer, sounded somewhat puzzled. ¡°I¡¯m talking about the third one we¡¯re looking for, the address on the back of the photo,¡± Chen Ke reminded. ¡°Are you sure it says Room 98 at Ande¡¯s Affordable Inn?¡± Lester asked. Chen Ke was taken aback, he pulled out the target¡¯s photograph from his bosom. He had already burned the photographs of the other two targets he had dealt with; this was the only one he kept. Unlike the other targets, this man¡¯s photograph seemed more formal, as if he was smiling at the camera. It was evident that the other two targets had been captured in secret shots. The man sported a goatee, his neatly groomed hair shone with a slick gloss, wearing a black suit, seemingly taken at a banquet. Chen Ke turned to the back of the photograph. It read: Raffi Road, Holy Mother Angel Hotel 2232. The figures were trembling as if the writer was in a state of indecision when they wrote it down. ¡°Have you looked? Does it say Room 98 at Ande¡¯s Affordable Inn?¡± Lester asked over the phone. ¡°I have, I¡¯m carrying the photo with me. It definitely says Room 98 at Ande¡¯s Affordable Inn,¡± Chen Ke replied. ¡°That¡¯s right, I remember it as Room 98 at Ande¡¯s Affordable Inn too. Go back inside and look again,¡± Lester said. Chen Ke hung up the phone, tucked his cell phone and the photograph into his pocket, turned around, and pushed open the inn¡¯s main door, returning to the lobby. The chubby female receptionist shook her head with a smile that bore a hint of mockery and helplessness; she no longer paid attention to Chen Ke, instead continuing to tend to her nails. As soon as he entered, Chen Ke smelled that faint mildew odor in the air¡ªit was clear the place was inadequately cleaned, hence the unpleasant smell. He glanced at the female receptionist, wanting to ask her again, but it felt pointless; she might have already been bought by the target. Thinking this, Chen Ke suddenly realized that the receptionist may have already warned the target and allowed them to prepare... Such a slipup, to kill her to silence her...? Chen Ke¡¯s hand slowly moved toward his holster, but he refrained. She could just be a civilian who took bribes. Better not to make more trouble than necessary. Instead of asking around, he decided to search by himself. The hotel wasn¡¯t large, with no guest rooms on the first floor, only facilities like old-fashioned mailboxes. It would only take about ten to twenty minutes to run through the other seven floors. Chen Ke sighed and went up the stairs to the second floor of the inn. His leather shoes creaked on the wooden stairwell, as if the whole building might fall apart at any moment. The lighting in the hallway was dim, the dingy yellow light and the quiet atmosphere discouraged lingering, but Chen Ke didn¡¯t care about that. He looked down the corridor; at the end was a window, with five opposite rooms on either side. That is to say, ten guest rooms per floor, so seventy rooms across seven floors... He walked to the door of the nearest guest room and looked at the number plate above it, which read 201. ¡®2¡¯ for the second floor, ¡¯01¡¯ for the room number. Chen Ke walked to the end, and the number plate on the last room was 210. There was no possibility of a Room 98. The number 98 had no significance in this inn. Chen Ke scratched his head and looked out onto the street through the window just as a green taxi passed by. He took out his phone and dialed Lester¡¯s number. ¡°Lester, your information is wrong, there¡¯s no Room 98 in that inn.¡± ¡°Hmm? What are you saying, Chen Ke?¡± Lester¡¯s voice, after being processed through the voice changer, sounded confused. ¡°The third target¡¯s address on the back of the photo,¡± Chen Ke reminded. ¡°Are you certain it says Room 98 at Ande¡¯s Affordable Inn?¡± Lester inquired. Chen Ke took out the photograph; on the back, it read: Raffi Road, Holy Mother Angel Hotel 2232. The numbers were twisted like a serpent, as if the writer was in a state of indecision and struggling against some thought. ¡°Did you see it? Does it say room 98 at Ande¡¯s Affordable Inn?¡± Lester asked over the phone. ¡°Exactly, it does say room 98 at Ande¡¯s Affordable Inn,¡± Chen Ke answered. ¡°I remember it as room 98 at Ande¡¯s Affordable Inn too; look again.¡± Lester said before hanging up. Chen Ke put his phone and the photo back in his pocket, thinking to go upstairs and check again. He counted the number of rooms on that floor; at the end of the corridor was the staircase, with five opposing rooms on either side. He walked to the nearest room door and looked at the plaque above, which read 210. 2 was the floor number, 10 was the room number. The last room at the end had the number 201... Something was off... He took out his phone and dialed Lester¡¯s number again, his eyes glued to the numbers 201 on the door plaque. ¡°Lester... your information... was wrong... the target isn¡¯t... at that inn...¡± he said cautiously after the call connected. ¡°Which inn?¡± Lester asked, puzzled. ¡°Not at... that one... the one...¡± Chen Ke hinted frantically. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about; did you look at the photo?¡± Lester asked. Chen Ke took out the photo again, flipped it over, and held it next to the room number 201. 9... 90... 9... I... 9... Chen Ke leaned against the wall, beads of sweat sliding down his forehead, something was preventing him from thinking. ¡°Chen Ke, I just realized we¡¯ve already spoken twice...¡± Lester said. ¡°What¡¯s going on over there?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, something seems to be forcing me to go...¡± Chen Ke gasped heavily. ¡°Making you do what? You don¡¯t sound right...¡± Lester was becoming anxious. ¡°I don¡¯t know... 9... motherfucker...¡± Chen Ke banged his head against the wall and cursed. ¡°9? When you say 9... it reminds me of Ande¡¯s...¡± Lester¡¯s voice faded. Chen Ke furrowed his brows and pressed the end call button. ¡°201... 201... 201...¡± Chen Ke repeated to himself, looking at the back of the photo, trying hard to articulate each word. ¡°An... An... Ra...¡± ¡°Ra... Raffi Road...!¡± ¡°Fuck! Holy Mother Angel Hotel 2232 dammit!¡± Chen Ke yelled. After he recited that complete sentence, his brain seemed to suddenly clear up, all the confusion and bewilderment dissipated. ¡°Beep... beep... beep...¡± Chen Ke looked at his phone; it was Lester. ¡°Chen Ke... don¡¯t say that sentence, don¡¯t say it. It seems the situation is more complicated than we thought,¡± Lester warned, seeming to have also noticed the oddity. ¡°I already know where that bitch¡¯s son is hiding, no matter how he did it, he won¡¯t live through the night,¡± Chen Ke said angrily. ¡°It¡¯s almost 9 o¡¯clock now; by the time you get to Raffi Road, he might no longer be there,¡± Lester reminded. ¡°I don¡¯t think so; maybe the opposite, he might feel very safe...¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°Alright, but be careful, I don¡¯t know if he has any other ways to get you back into that state...¡± Lester was worried. ¡°This trick is really good, I have to admit, he did a splendid job. If I have the chance, I need to find out how he did it...¡± Chen Ke said coldly. ¡°Good luck,¡± Lester said and hung up the call. Chapter 132: 132 Phantom Chapter 132: Chapter 132 Phantom By the time Chen Ke arrived at Raffi Road District, it was already 9:30 pm. The Holy Mother Angel Hotel might be Opportunity City¡¯s most luxurious hotel. Although it only had one building, the whole hotel looked quite imposing from the outside, complete with a large fountain square. The taxi drove down the tree-lined path and stopped in front of the fountain statue at the hotel square. Chen Ke got out of the car, looked up at the magnificent statue¡ªa goddess riding a Pegasus, from whose mouth water comically spouted. Standing in the square and looking down the hillside towards Raffi Road¡¯s urban area, he could also see the bustling commercial street lights where Golden Arthur and Lester Clothing Store were located. The target¡¯s room number was 2232. According to the usual hotel room numbering rules, if it were a hotel with multiple buildings, the first ¡®2¡¯ would typically mean building number two, and the second ¡®2¡¯ would be the floor. But since the Holy Mother Angel Hotel only had one building, the first two digits indicated the floor level¡ªmeaning the target was in room 32 on the 22nd floor. Chen Ke looked up; the building was lit with orange lights, making the hotel look like a pillar supporting heaven and earth under the night sky. There were not many rooms lit on the 22nd floor, and it was unclear which one was room number 32. He did not plan to enter through the front door, as such a high-class hotel would not allow people to go upstairs without a reservation. Moreover, the lobby was brightly lit, and even if he wore a mutated suit, he could not trigger the Dark Concealment effect. Speaking of which, the mutated effect of the suit was also a kind of meme infection. It seemed that Spiritual Energy infection was not just a simple matter of the literal meaning because it not only distorted the original appearance of things but also endowed a variety of memes. Perhaps, tonight¡¯s target had mastered this method and was able to turn that phrase into a meme infection source, spreading it. Chen Ke walked around to the back of the hotel, looking around. The back entrance had a food delivery entrance leading to the hotel¡¯s kitchen, where several trucks were parked in the open space behind the hotel. At the door, a service staff member was smoking and chatting leisurely with a chef who had come out for fresh air. He looked up, following the exposed drainpipe on the building¡¯s exterior, noticing the sixth floor had an open window that seemed to lead to one of the guest rooms. It looked like there were two ways to get in, but Chen Ke thought of a third method... ¡°Hey, fellas,¡± Chen Ke greeted as he walked up to them. The chef and the service staff exchanged puzzled looks, not quite understanding what was happening. ¡°Could I borrow a lighter from you?¡± Chen Ke extended his hand. The service staff nodded, took a cigarette in his mouth, and reached into his pocket for a lighter. Suddenly, Chen Ke punched him sharply in the jaw. The service staff¡¯s eyes went dark, his knees buckled, and he collapsed onto the ground. Before the service staff even hit the ground, Chen Ke stepped forward, grabbed the chef¡¯s chin with his right hand, and kicked behind his heel, pinning him down to the ground where his head smacked hard against the concrete. In 2 seconds, both men were unconscious. Chen Ke hoisted them up and left them in the shadows, then stripped off the service staff¡¯s uniform... Two minutes later... The uniformed Chen Ke hid his clothes and handgun under a small truck, taking only the Holy Relics diamond with him as he cautiously walked into the back kitchen. The hotel kitchen was still bustling at 9 pm. The head chefs had already left, and only some assistant workers remained, preparing ingredients for the next day. Chen Ke hurried by with his head down, worried that someone might suddenly greet him because even in the service staff¡¯s outfit, he could still be recognized. After all, people working together often were very familiar with each other, and a new face in the team would definitely arouse suspicion. Chen Ke had to keep an appropriate distance from his fellow service staff because they were likely to see through his disguise. However, he could possibly fool the management-level managers. Each service staff member had a special master key that could open all the room doors, and Chen Ke also had one, saving him much trouble since he did not know how to pick locks. He entered the elevator and went straight to the 22nd floor. He had no extra time to waste, for the two guys who were unconscious wouldn¡¯t give him much time, and with the temperature being somewhat low tonight, the one stripped of his clothes might come to from the cold halfway through. He needed to speed up, to fight swiftly and decisively, and then quickly return to change back into his own clothes and evacuate. ¡°Ding!¡± The elevator doors slowly opened, 22nd floor. Chen Ke stepped out of the elevator, the dim yellow light in the corridor provided a comforting feeling, the floor was carpeted, making no sound as he walked, which was really great. Chen Ke glanced at the room number on a door nearby: 2201. This time, he was going to kill using a Holy Relic, specifically Laven¡¯s green short sword... As Chen Ke thought this, he searched for the room number while nostalgically missing Lin Mo¡¯s Transcendent Skill from his memory sequence. Had he possessed Lin Mo¡¯s Skill right now, it would have been so much easier ¨C he could have checked the movement inside the room proactively and located the target through the wall. The Killing Aura Radar could only prevent sneak attacks but couldn¡¯t be used proactively. Moreover, since he had obtained the soul vessel, no new Skills had appeared that he could use ¨C could it be that he had reached the end of his development? If that was the case, it would be truly regrettable. Standing in front of room 2232, Chen Ke pondered his strategy. He could knock on the door since his current disguise was that of a waiter, and the target definitely wouldn¡¯t recognize him. Once the target opened the door, he would swiftly use the short sword to mangle the target¡¯s heart, then quickly evacuate. Or he could use the key to open the door, barge in and stab frenziedly with the short sword, finishing off the target and then escape. But given that this target wasn¡¯t ordinary, Chen Ke didn¡¯t feel that making contact was a good idea. An ambush was a minor concern, but what if the target had stronger Transcendent methods? His only bet was that the target thought he was safe and would be careless. After all, the meme had spread outside, and anyone looking for him should have been led to Ande¡¯s Affordable Inn by the meme; no one would come here to look for him. Chen Ke exhaled, grasped the doorknob, and drew out the key, attempting to insert it. ¡°Are you sure you really want to do that?¡± A man¡¯s voice came from behind, accompanied by a hand resting on his shoulder. Chen Ke startled, turned around, and saw a man dressed very meticulously. There was a hint of disdain in his eyes and an authoritative tone in his voice. ¡°I didn¡¯t call for a waiter. What are you doing in my room?¡± the man asked with a frown. Chen Ke didn¡¯t speak but took a step back. This guy was the man from the photo, not handsome, but he looked respectable due to his tasteful attire. The man had approached Chen Ke from behind without any killing intent, and since Chen Ke had been deep in thought, he hadn¡¯t noticed. ¡°If you can¡¯t give me a reasonable explanation, then I can only assume you¡¯re here to steal something,¡± said the man with a smile. Chen Ke snorted coldly, lifted his head to stare directly into the man¡¯s eyes, his right hand glowing with a blue light. ¡°Oh?¡± The man¡¯s face froze, and the next second, Chen Ke¡¯s green short sword deeply pierced his throat. ¡°What!?¡± The sword had gone through the man¡¯s body, but Chen Ke was shocked. Because the man in front of him was nothing but a Phantom! Chapter 133: 133 The Living Room Chapter 133: Chapter 133 The Living Room The man¡¯s phantom disappeared like blue dust in the air, his voice echoing in the quiet corridor. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect they¡¯d send a Spiritual Ability User,¡± he said. ¡°I must admit, you¡¯ve gone further than the others, but this is as far as you go.¡± Chen Ke looked around and noticed the walls beginning to shed their skin, as the warm yellow paint cracked and a blood-like liquid flowed from the fissures. The carpet slowly turned from dark red to black, becoming sticky, as if a soaked rag had been torn to shreds and then discarded on the floor. Stepping on the ground felt like walking on the skin of some creature, with an indescribably foul stench permeating the air. An Illusion Technique? Chen Ke immediately dismissed this guess; what he was seeing here was quite different from the illusions he had encountered in the Black Box Space. He ran his fingers over the fluid seeping through the wall, which was warm and viscous, and the wall itself felt soft... The ceiling had long vanished, and looking up, he could only see a pitch-black abyss. ¡°Are you a Spiritual Ability User too?¡± asked Chen Ke. ¡°Far beyond a Spiritual Ability User... you people could never understand,¡± the man¡¯s muffled voice came from all directions. Chen Ke considered his next move, slowly walking forward, each step feeling like he was stepping on the spine of some decaying creature. ¡°Far beyond a Spiritual Ability User? You certainly talk big,¡± he tried to engage the man in conversation, attempting to pinpoint his location by his voice. ¡°You couldn¡¯t understand; my ability has transcended the realm of Spiritual Energy. The Administration Bureau, Yasla, the corporations... even the Spiritual Ability Research Institute couldn¡¯t reach my level... This is... a revelation from God...¡± The man¡¯s tone was flat, detached from human thought, as if he had reached another plane of existence. Or rather, he believed he had reached another plane of existence. Although Chen Ke didn¡¯t believe this guy had actually become a god, he had to admit the drastic environmental changes had left him utterly clueless, and even the life countdown timer showed no information. This man could be a mutated individual, like the female Diner, a human infected by Spiritual Energy, but with vastly different abilities. Spiritual Energy was classified by the Administration Bureau into six types and eighteen forms. Chen Ke didn¡¯t know what basis the bureau used to categorize such an ethereal energy, but there must be some reasoning to it. In the classification of Spiritual Energy, beyond the natural elements of water, fire, and electricity, and corrosive elements like poison and acid, there were also indescribable concepts like Justice and Punishment... Elements, matter, even moral categories; Spiritual Energy was not something that could be explained by science. What attribute of Spiritual Energy had this man been infected with? In fact, even now, Chen Ke still couldn¡¯t summarize the man¡¯s abilities. He began to deduce the man¡¯s trickery by working backwards from the current situation. First, he could dissolve into dust and disappear right before his eyes, a skill somewhat similar to Laven¡¯s black mist, but different, as unlike Laven, he didn¡¯t leave clothes behind and could remain unseen for longer periods. Next was, he didn¡¯t know by what means, the scenes around them were manipulated to be distorted. Yet this distortion was so realistic, Chen Ke couldn¡¯t find a flaw. Suddenly, Chen Ke felt something hard beneath his foot. Looking down, on the sticky, dark-red floor, he saw fragments resembling human bones. He crouched down for a closer examination and determined that these fragments had once been part of a human skull... Was this also an illusion? He picked up a fragment of bone, his subconscious telling him that this object was genuine. Following the trail of bone fragments, he found more items, such as a pistol that had almost completely melted away... Like discovering a new world, once Chen Ke had found one thing, more and more items swam into his view. He saw that the hotel¡¯s walls and floor had become dark red flesh, and on the corridor ahead, there were numerous dissolved bone fragments and various weapon parts. Chen Ke was certain that this fleshy wall was no illusion, and that many people had been here before and died... A warm breeze blew in from the darkness at the end of the passageway, carrying with it a pungent acidic smell, and the temperature in the hallway suddenly began to rise, with the sound of flowing water coming from afar. ¡°This is...¡± he hesitated for a moment, and combined with the persistent stench of acid, an imaginatively outrageous yet plausible speculation flashed through Chen Ke¡¯s mind. Perhaps this passageway was the intestine of a man... From the moment that man turned into blue dust and disappeared, Chen Ke had already been devoured by him... When Chen Ke was transported into his intestine, the outside world¡¯s scenery began to subtly change, bringing about bewildering visual effects. The walls and floors, cracked and bleeding, and the man dissolving into dust, indeed frightened people. Sometimes, the countdown of life can be quite foolish; it could only discern and absorb murderous intent, but that man¡¯s intention, just now, was simply to gulp him down whole, hence no warning was given. Liquid began to seep through the ground beneath his feet, that pale yellow substance was like sulfuric acid, seemingly about to dissolve the soles of Chen Ke¡¯s shoes. He knew, it was gastric acid. Human foods rely on gastric acid for digestion, and those bone fragments must have been left behind by the assassins he¡¯d previously devoured. With a flash of blue light from his right hand, Chen Ke summoned a green short sword, then fiercely stabbed it into the ground. The sensation of piercing flesh came as soon as the blade entered the ground; thick blood spurted from the wound, and when the sword contacted the gastric acid, it hissed, but human gastric acid wasn¡¯t so effective at corroding Holy Relics. But the sword was quickly expelled by the ground, and the puncture wound also rapidly healed. ¡°Hahaha! Nice attempt, Spiritual Ability User! But you have seriously underestimated my abilities. Those assassins, upon realizing they had been swallowed by me, attempted the same as you, but neither bullets nor Holy Relics could harm me in the slightest. Just wait until I digest you into a skeleton!¡± The man¡¯s voice echoed from all around. The man was right; the wounds Chen Ke left on the intestine with the short sword all healed automatically in the next second, eerily similar to his own life countdown. But the man was wrong too, he wasn¡¯t unharmed. A super strong healing ability and true invulnerability were still quite different; one just needed to act a little faster... He fiercely stabbed the short sword into the intestine, then slammed his right hand onto the base of the sword handle. ¡°It¡¯s useless...¡± the man chuckled. Spiritual Energy burst forth! An immense power materialized out of nowhere, pushing the green short sword deep into the flesh wall. Room 2232. A man in a suit stood in front of a bookcase, holding a glass of wine. Suddenly, his eyes bulged, and he looked down at his abdomen. His white shirt stained with blood, it burst open with a pop, and a sword protruded abruptly from his belly, sticking into the wooden board of the bookcase, flashing blue light, and turned into a small diamond, falling to the floor. The man gasped for air, knelt down, and clutched at the wound in his abdomen. ¡°You! You!...¡± His voice was hoarse, and he watched in disbelief at what happened next. A hand aggressively emerged from his belly. ¡°Fuck! Fuck!! Oh... Aaaah!!!¡± The man rolled on the ground in agony. An entire arm stretched out from his abdomen, followed by a head. It was Chen Ke, his face covered in blood. The man¡¯s body couldn¡¯t withstand Chen Ke, and soon split in two, Chen Ke, drenched in blood, crawled out from his body, his own body still adorned with the man¡¯s viscera and intestines. ¡°Truly fucking disgusting... shit, I¡¯ve had enough... even killing someone is troublesome.¡± Chen Ke gasped for air, cleaning the fragments off his body. The scene was a mess, with the man¡¯s bisected corpse and a great amount of disgusting innards scattered everywhere, but luckily this was a luxury suite, and the man had many clothes to change into. He took off the waiter¡¯s outfit, packed them all into a bag, used the room¡¯s shower to clean himself up a bit, and found a new set of clothes in the wardrobe to wear. Chen Ke made his way downstairs, left the hotel through the main entrance, and returned to where he had hidden his clothes earlier, retrieved his mutated suit, and stuffed the bag carrying the waiter¡¯s outfit into a trash bin. Chapter 134: 134 The Most Important Thing Chapter 134: Chapter 134 The Most Important Thing 11 PM, Lester¡¯s Zio clothing store. The store door was already closed, and only Lester and Chen Ke were inside, sitting in the tailoring room behind the storefront, discussing something. Chen Ke sat at the table, resting his chin in his right hand, frowning as he watched the busy Lester. Lester was in a good mood; he had made two cups of instant coffee for himself and Chen Ke and passed the red mugs over. ¡°Lester, what¡¯s the story with those three people?¡± Chen Ke asked, placing the mug on the table. A professional assassin shouldn¡¯t ask too many questions, but the circumstances of these three people exceeded the scope of a regular assassination mission. The first target, having gone through something unknown, had reached the brink of mental collapse before death, and Chen Ke had felt intense murderous intent, although for some unknown reason it had vanished without a trace, but the situation at that time was definitely not something ordinary assassins could handle. The third target was a mutated individual, possessing strong transcendent powers, and could even release memes to actively interfere with those pursuing him. It could be said that, except for the second target, the missions should have sent spiritual ability killers for assassination. Of course, Chen Ke wouldn¡¯t tell Lester that he could use Spiritual Energy in another way; he concocted some stories, covered up some details, and lightly passed over these three assassination missions. But the memes from the third target had affected Lester too, just giving Chen Ke the chance to bring matters to the table. ¡°They all involve transcendent matters, I¡¯ve told you before, but I didn¡¯t anticipate things would get this complicated,¡± Lester said, sitting across from Chen Ke, both hands clutching the mug. The aroma of coffee lingered, but Chen Ke had no interest in sipping it. ¡°Lester, I¡¯m already on board, you can¡¯t keep hiding things like this,¡± Chen Ke said with a smile. Chen Ke¡¯s point was clear; behind Lester¡¯s thread there must be a tangled web of powerful forces, and these three assassination missions were definitely not Lester¡¯s own doing; he might just be a middleman. Chen Ke was unaware if Lester had other assassins under his command, perhaps his friend¡ªthe previous owner of the suit¡ªhad once been his partner. The fact that Lester didn¡¯t use his own people for these three missions but instead assigned them to Chen Ke was logically indefensible. Chen Ke guessed that there were two possibilities for Lester¡¯s actions. First, Lester had no one else left, and Chen Ke had appeared just in time, so Lester was willing to take a huge risk. Second, these were missions meant to send someone to their death, and he didn¡¯t want to ruin his own forces, and it just so happened that Chen Ke showed up, so... He wanted to delve a bit deeper into these matters before he had a definite understanding of his own life countdown; perhaps by getting involved with these transcendent matters, he could find an answer. Chen Ke was unclear what exactly the life countdown entailed; previously, he had placed all his hopes on Pankia. Finding him was supposed to provide the answer, this was his wishful thinking, and at that time, that was all he could hope for. Of course, Chen Ke had also prepared for the worst¡ªwhat if the countdown had nothing to do with Si¡¯s consortium? Then he could only rely on Lester¡¯s thread. This was a world filled with spiritual energy, mutated entities, the Great Void, and other strange things, but as an ordinary person, there was no chance to access more information. Take Chen Ke himself, up till now, he still hadn¡¯t figured out exactly what the six categories and eighteen types of spiritual energy were. Many pieces of information could never be found via search engines. If you¡¯re not at that level, not in that position, many pieces of common knowledge that are routine for Superiors might, to you, be profound secrets. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve said before, I¡¯m willing to establish a long-term cooperative relationship with you, right?¡± Lester said with a smile, sipping his coffee. Lester had indeed hinted at that when he had approached him. ¡°When the time is right, I¡¯ll tell you everything, but not tonight,¡± Lester added. Chen Ke knew what Lester meant; his employer was likely very complex. The third target had mentioned companies, Yasla, and the Administration Bureau seemed to be after him... was there also a Spiritual Ability Research Institute? ¡°Lester, tonight can you at least tell me, whose side are you really on?¡± Chen Ke stared at Lester. Lester paused for a moment, pushing up his glasses. ¡°Chen Ke, I really can¡¯t tell you now, if I do, either you must join or you must die,¡± Lester said. Here we go again. Chen Ke sighed. Given how the conversation had gone, he couldn¡¯t press further. ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s talk about money,¡± he said, taking a sip of his coffee. ¡°I can transfer 150,000 union coins to you right now, as we agreed beforehand. Additionally, there will be a thirty percent dividend later,¡± Lester replied briskly. Chen Ke¡¯s phone suddenly vibrated. He pulled it out and saw a notification for a deposit to his offshore account. He had given Lester the account details beforehand, but he hadn¡¯t expected such efficiency. The transfer definitely wasn¡¯t made by Lester since he hadn¡¯t even touched his phone. 150,000 union coins was a significant sum, and the fact that it was transferred so promptly right after a conversation implied that the forces behind Lester were not something a small gang could compare with. ¡°This 150,000 is just a part of the payment. The dividend is quite substantial, so it might only arrive tomorrow,¡± Lester said with a smile. How much could a thirty percent dividend be? And why was there a dividend for an assassination job? Chen Ke had never asked this question, fearing Lester might think him unprofessional. He nodded, suppressing the thrill inside of him, and pocketed his phone. ¡°That¡¯s all for tonight, Chen Ke. I think, from now on, our contacts will mostly be about the suit business,¡± Lester said, crossing his hands and smiling. ¡°I¡¯ll be coming to see you quite frequently,¡± Chen Ke replied, smiling. They raised their coffees, clinked them together, and downed them in one go. ¡°Damn, that¡¯s hot...¡± ... Chen Ke left the mutated suit with Lester for some alterations and donned a new gray suit, also picking up a couple of pairs of brown leather shoes. By the time he returned home, it was 1 AM. Wearing his robe, he sat on his bed, his eyes catching the weak white halo flickering around Lin Mo¡¯s soul. Every time he carried out an assassination or faced off against professional assassins, Lin Mo¡¯s soul would awaken, allowing him entrance into its memories. On one hand, this allowed Chen Ke to better understand Lin Mo, and on the other, it let him foresee certain things. Regretfully, Chen Ke had botched it three times, wasting three opportunities. The transaction in Memory Sequence 0 wasn¡¯t as straightforward as it seemed. The deal between Yasla and Si¡¯s consortium was inherently odd¡ªthe consortium believed they were trading a Holy Diamond, but on Yasla¡¯s end, it seemed clear they were buying a severed hand... Hainerd had an undeniable connection to this transaction. However, Chen Ke had never met Hainerd, so he had no idea where Hainerd had been at the time. Also, on the day of the transaction, a large group of white-clothed mutated individuals would attack, and their strength was formidable. This time, Chen Ke didn¡¯t rush into the memory. Instead, he detailed on a piece of paper the conditions that led to a synchronization failure. 1. Laven and Miles are dead 2. The hand in the box is seen by someone from Si¡¯s consortium Besides these, there were other scenarios that wouldn¡¯t cause an immediate loss of synchronization but weren¡¯t supposed to happen in the memory, either. For instance, direct contact between Lin Mo and the consortium¡¯s trader. Perhaps the situation wasn¡¯t as Chen Ke had imagined. Maybe the transaction didn¡¯t succeed? Maybe a commotion really did occur, but Lin Mo and the others didn¡¯t intervene? He pinched his eyebrows, feeling that Lin Mo¡¯s Transcendent Skill was the most crucial breakthrough. Maybe he didn¡¯t need to act alongside Laven and Miles at all. Maybe he shouldn¡¯t be concerned about the transaction from that day? After all, this was Lin Mo¡¯s memory. For Lin Mo, the most important thing about the memory wasn¡¯t the transaction itself, but something that had happened on the day of the transaction! What exactly had happened that day? Chen Ke was eager to find the answer. ¡°One more time, we can definitely succeed,¡± Chen Ke muttered to himself. He took a deep breath, furrowed his brow, and entered the memory once more! Chapter 135: 135: Duties to Fulfill Chapter 135: Chapter 135: Duties to Fulfill Everything in front of him quickly flew by, and Chen Ke felt himself being pulled into the darkness by an invisible force. Suddenly, his whole body jolted as if he had landed on the ground, and he found himself back in Memory Sequence 0. Chen Ke looked down at the gun in his hand and then surveyed his surroundings. Everything seemed to have restarted. ¡°Don¡¯t rush, Lin Mo, don¡¯t rush. Put your gun away; it¡¯s not time to use it yet,¡± Miles patted Chen Ke¡¯s shoulder. ¡°He¡¯s always impatient, Miles, no matter where he is,¡± Laven turned her head and smiled at Chen Ke. Chen Ke looked up at the sky where clouds were drifting southward. There was a light, sporadic rain falling from the sky. Something very important had happened to Lin Mo today, but what was it? Chen Ke concentrated, and the liquefied Spiritual Energy in his spinal cord began to boil. As he opened his eyes, his pupils turned blue. With him as the center, every living creature within hundreds of meters was outlined in blue, except for insects. Every other creature was clearly visible. The dense blue outlines surrounded the Yasla members and consortium gunmen conducting the transaction like a large encirclement. Besides, there were a few more blue outlines hidden in the shadows, including the group of three with Chen Ke. This transaction was not as secretive as it seemed. It appeared that various forces knew about it and hid in the shadows with their own agendas. ¡°Those Holy Relics are very valuable. There aren¡¯t many white ones; mostly they are blue. I also saw a few golden ones,¡± Laven said. This wasn¡¯t the first time Chen Ke had heard this. Now, he knew that the suitcase did not contain Holy Relics diamonds, but a severed hand instead. ¡°I have a feeling this might not go smoothly,¡± Miles said. ¡°That¡¯s why we are arranged to stay hidden. Look, the transaction is about to start,¡± Laven smiled, gesturing for them to look towards the dried-up water channel below. Several suit-clad agents from the consortium, holding four black suitcases, were negotiating with several people in black hooded coats. Four suitcases¡ªcould there be four hands...? Chen Ke was puzzled. He did not know what the severed hand was for. If this were in reality, an information box would probably pop up in his view to tell him what it was. Chen Ke guessed that the hand was certainly not from a normal human. From a brief glimpse in the previous memory sequence, he could confirm two pieces of information. First, the hand had been cut off but did not hinder the growth of its limb, which looked healthy, even the nails were growing. Second, there was no blood at the cut, just like processed pork. It was very clean. The cut surface did not look like it was sliced with a knife but more like... it had fallen off by itself? He looked around. This time, all the hidden forces had not yet made their move, but their sheer numbers were still daunting. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, these people were here to steal something. Chen Ke saw a person leaning against a bridge pier below the nearby canal bridge, monitoring the trading scene. ¡°Lin, do you see anything?¡± Miles patted Chen Ke¡¯s shoulder as if he had noticed Chen Ke¡¯s unease. In Chen Ke¡¯s eyes, a blue outline rimmed Miles¡¯s body. ¡°Nothing yet, but let¡¯s be cautious. We should split up and check the surroundings,¡± Chen Ke suggested. ¡°I also have a feeling that this might not go smoothly, but I hope it¡¯s just me worrying over nothing,¡± Miles replied. Chen Ke and Miles exited their hiding spots and moved in two different directions. ¡°If anything happens, call me on the encrypted channel, Blue Eyes,¡± Miles waved at Chen Ke. Chen Ke remembered his appearance; a year later, where Miles was still remained a mystery. He walked along the edge of the canal toward the direction of the bridge pier, meanwhile unlocking the safety of his M1911A1. Those hidden mutated ones around had definitely noticed him, but they had not acted yet. They didn¡¯t know that Chen Ke was aware of their presence. The human silhouette behind the pier seemed to be a normal human¡ªnot mutated like the Yasla members, nor floating in the air. He slid down the slope into the canal, knowing the other party had already seen him, and he no longer hid. Pointing his gun behind the bridge pier, he said, ¡°Stop hiding, come out.¡± The man behind the bridge abutment walked out; he was a middle-aged man in his 50s, dressed in a black jacket and jeans, sturdy like a bull, with salt-and-pepper at his temples and a stern expression. A shallow scar ran from his forehead to the corner of his eye, commanding respect. ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± he seemed to know Lin Mo. Chen Ke hesitated for a moment, slowly lowering the gun in his hand. ¡°I hope you¡¯ve already taken care of the matter,¡± the man said. Thoughts whirled through Chen Ke¡¯s mind: this man knew Lin Mo... and it seemed like they were making some sort of secret deal... No wonder... today, for Lin Mo, the most important thing was this... Chen Ke slipped his gun back into its holster and nodded at the man. ¡°Very good... very good...¡± the man seemed relieved and stepped closer. Chen Ke instinctively stepped back a few paces, hesitatingly said, ¡°You...¡± ¡°Humph... At this stage, do you still harbor doubts?¡± the man chuckled. Chen Ke nodded again, not knowing what to say. ¡°I am not a Spiritual Ability User, but I have spent many years smuggling Holy Relics across the sea and have encountered more Transcendents than you have. Trust me, this is the only way,¡± the man declared. This man was a smuggler at sea? Chen Ke suddenly had an unrealistic suspicion. ¡°That method... how confident are you?¡± Chen Ke ventured to ask. ¡°Twenty percent,¡± the other answered. ¡°Less than half...¡± Chen Ke feigned a disappointed look. ¡°Although the odds are not high, this is the only way to bring them back, Lin... either lose them forever or take a chance...¡± The man reached out and patted Chen Ke¡¯s shoulder. ¡°To bring them back...¡± Chen Ke was bewildered. He had no idea what the man was talking about. ¡°Your sister, and my wife. This is the only way, Lin,¡± the man added. Chen Ke suddenly realized something; this man and Lin Mo had formed an alliance secretly to save their most important people. And the man¡¯s use of the word ¡°come back¡± implied that the two women were not dead but trapped somewhere. It sounded like they were stuck somewhere unreachable, hence the need for unconventional means to save them. Did that mean Lin Mo and Yasla both knew that the suitcase contained a severed hand? Lin Mo, within the consortium, tampered with the transaction suitcase, and Yasla made connections under Hainerd¡¯s coordination... Holy shit, was this man Hainerd? As Chen Ke thought, he suddenly had a realization and looked up at the man¡ªhe looked familiar, not like a local from the United Federation but more like a Latino. A year ago, the deal between the consortium and Yasla, Lin Mo was also involved... If this man truly was Hainerd... combined with Chen Ke¡¯s conversation with Lucina when mentioning her mother¡¯s reaction... It must be right! Hainerd and Lin Mo had formed an alliance behind the backs of their organizations to save their wife and sister. That severed hand must be key to the rescue plan, and even in Hainerd¡¯s hands, it was useless without Yasla¡¯s power... Meanwhile, as an assassin of Si¡¯s consortium, Lin Mo created the opportunity for Hainerd to switch the items... But how was this deal connected to the incident at West Gold Building a year later? Chen Ke could not think further at this moment. ¡°This is our only chance, Lin, fulfill your obligation, and I¡¯ll handle the rest,¡± the man said. Chapter 136: 136: Four Become a Team Chapter 136: Chapter 136: Four Become a Team Chen Ke¡¯s world began to tremble, the man laughed as he backed away, vanishing behind the bridge pier. He turned his head back to look at the trading scene, where a fight among the three parties was on the verge of breaking out. But none of these mattered to him anymore. For Lin Mo, the most important thing in this memory was his meeting with Hainerd. The trembling in his world grew more intense, and Chen Ke felt a force pulling him towards the sky. As the scene faded and only darkness remained, a line of information appeared in front of his eyes: ¡°Memory synchronization successful.¡± He felt as though he had fallen from the sky, suddenly sitting upright. He was back in his rented room, lying on the bed in a spread-eagled position. The sunlight outside passed through the window, shining on his back. ¡°Phew, phew...¡± Chen Ke got up, wiped the sweat from his forehead, grabbed his phone next to him and checked the time: 9:30 in the morning. The memory sequence 0 finally synchronized successfully. He quickly picked up the wallpaper, writing down the key information. Lin Mo collaborated with a man suspected to be Hainerd. A year ago, at Si¡¯s consortium and Yasla¡¯s deal, they tampered with the Holy Relics Diamond by switching it with someone¡¯s severed hand. On the day of the transaction, the two met, followed by the attack of the mutated individuals. Was the transaction successful? Chen Ke put down a question mark. He didn¡¯t think so. Otherwise, Lucina¡¯s mother should have returned long ago. Perhaps it was because the trade disrupted that day by a large group of mutated individuals with grievances against Yasla, which led to the incident at West Gold Building? Chen Ke added this hypothesis afterward. Looking at the piece of paper in his hand, Chen Ke felt he was one step closer to the truth, piecing various fragments together. Si¡¯s consortium, Yasla, the three targets given by Lester, the failed action of the courier, Lucina¡¯s mother, the missing Miles... and Lin Mo¡¯s sister. All these people and organizations were linked by the events of that night at West Gold Building. When the Blasphemous Dagger pierced the heart, Lin Mo died, and Chen Ke awoke, as if by some divine providence... If he could just find out what the entry for the Blasphemous Dagger really was, Chen Ke might be able to understand the relationship between the Great Void¡¯s doorway, the contract demon, and himself. Just as he was about to get up, Chen Ke¡¯s field of vision suddenly turned a light blue, very similar to the sensation when Lin Mo activated his Transcendent Skill in his memory. He rubbed his eyes, and where his gaze reached, his vision penetrated the walls, seeing several floors down with only one or two people in the elevator. Wait... What¡¯s this? At that moment, the strange vision in his eyes disappeared, and two lines of small text emerged: ¡°Transcendent Skill regained: Spiritual Vision.¡± Overjoyed, Chen Ke, following a successful memory sync, had actually retrieved his lost Transcendent Skill! He immediately opened the skill list to check the details of this skill. [Skill Codex: Spiritual Vision] [Inheritance: ?????] [Type: Arcane] [Requirement: Intelligence (Met)] [Effect: Gathers Spiritual Energy in the retina, senses, and marks all humanoid life forms within a radius of 100 meters.] [Knowledge Unfound] As Chen Ke anticipated, this was an active reconnaissance skill that reached a radius of 100 meters and could see through any obstacles, directly penetrating them! However, its downside was that Spiritual Vision was unable to highlight threatening targets like the Killing Aura Radar, making it difficult for Chen Ke to locate assassins hidden among crowds. The greatest use of Spiritual Vision was to infiltrate indoors without the opponent¡¯s knowledge and carry out decapitation operations, which from a certain angle, indeed matched perfectly with an assassin¡¯s Transcendent Skill. Chen Ke tried to activate Spiritual Vision, and immediately, the life countdown in the corner of his eye deducted 5 minutes. Chen Ke¡¯s world seemed bathed in blue sunlight. ¡°` This skill activates in just 5 minutes? That little? As he puzzled over this, he noticed the life countdown at the corner of his eye decreasing at the speed of 10 seconds per second! ¡°Your life span now has 12 hours, 29 minutes, and 42 seconds remaining...¡± Although Chen Ke now had a lifespan of 20 hours, he still had to thank the Spiritual Demon¡¯s soul. If it weren¡¯t for the ability to enter the memory sequence and explore, in just tens of minutes he could wear out an entire night, Chen Ke might have to hunt mutated cats and dogs in the abandoned Spiritual Energy breeding grounds every long night. Lester hadn¡¯t ironed the mutated suit yet, after all, unlike Chen Ke, he needed to eat and sleep. Today was the day of the bank robbery, three days of long preparation, all for this heist! Since it was a daytime operation, he didn¡¯t need the special effects of that suit, so Chen Ke wore a gray suit to the gun shop. By the time he arrived at the gun shop, it was already past 10 AM. Weapons, equipment, and necessities had all been arranged by Pihom to be sent to the bank¡¯s parking lot, so everyone just needed to bring their masks. Hall wasn¡¯t playing on his PS3 today; instead, he was sitting backwards on his chair, hands resting on the back of the chair, as if contemplating something. Lucina, dressed in a purple leather jacket over a black T-shirt, torn jeans, and boots, greeted Chen Ke when she saw him. ¡°What¡¯s up with Hall?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°He¡¯s gone into shutdown mode because Lucina thrashed him,¡± Priskin said as he walked past Chen Ke, nodding towards the small table under the large TV where a PS3 cover of Tekken 5 lay. ¡°Lucina... are you really that good at this?¡± Chen Ke asked Lucina. ¡°It might also be that Hall is just too bad, but anyway, I do win more than I lose in arcades and on XBOX LIVE. Um... in other words, I¡¯m pretty good,¡± Lucina laughed. ¡°These fighting games are always hard to play... You spend a lot of time practicing... dealing with frustration...¡± Chen Ke frowned, not fond of playing fighting games. ¡°If you¡¯re interested and have the time, I could teach you,¡± Lucina offered. ¡°Maybe another time. Isn¡¯t today the day we hit it big?¡± Chen Ke steered the conversation back to the bank heist. Currently, he couldn¡¯t afford to waste his life on video games. Just then, Pihom walked in timely and stood next to the table as the four of them gathered around. ¡°Today is an ordinary day to the world, but for us, it¡¯s Payday,¡± Pihom smiled. ¡°Right, Payday,¡± Hall chuckled, as if stepping out of the gloom of Tekken 5. ¡°We are all set. Let¡¯s go over the plan one last time,¡± Priskin said. Chen Ke nodded and looked at Pihom. ¡°At 12 o¡¯clock, you¡¯ll ride the van near the bank. All essential equipment is in the pickup with the license plate ending in 2217. Lucina and Priskin will enter through the back door; she will handle the surveillance room and let Priskin set up the drill. Chen Ke and Hall will enter from the front door once the surveillance is under control and quickly subdue everyone,¡± Pihom, pointing at the blueprint of the bank, instructed. ¡°The drill will be loud, but don¡¯t panic; the diesel generators outside the store will be louder, so no one will notice the noise. Once the vault door is opened, I¡¯ve prepared twelve bags for the money. You need to grab 12 full bags of money and hide the item we need in one of them.¡± ¡°Then comes the escape. If all goes well, by the time you¡¯re bagging the money, S.W.A.T. should already be on their way. A gunfight is inevitable, but we¡¯ll still try to avoid killing cops. I have prepared smoke grenades just in case.¡± ¡°The money bags can be directly transported to the getaway car via a zip line from the bank¡¯s roof, and you can also escape directly from the bank on the zip line. Once in the car, follow the escape route planned by Hall, breaking up.¡± ¡°Hall and Priskin will take the A route with the item we need, Chen Ke and Lucina will act as decoys on the B route. The decoy car must attract as much firepower as possible in the first part of the route, but Bain¡¯s hacker will also come to help, so the pressure shouldn¡¯t be too big.¡± After Pihom finished, he clapped his hands and looked at everyone. ¡°The main target of this operation is the item in that small lock box, money comes second. So, adapt as needed and don¡¯t lose your life for money,¡± he said. ¡°Understood,¡± everyone nodded. Chen Ke sneaked a glance at the others, judging by their expressions, they seemed more interested in the money. ¡°Alright, time waits for no one, let¡¯s move out,¡± Hall said. The four of them responded and proceeded to leave the safe house, walking with swagger towards the van. ¡°` Chapter 137: 137: Chance Encounter at the Bank Chapter 137: Chapter 137: Chance Encounter at the Bank The blue van slowly stopped at the entrance of the alley, and Chen Ke, Lucina, Hall, and Priskin got out of the vehicle. ¡°Good luck to you all.¡± The van driver gave a thumbs-up through the window and then hastily drove away. The four stood at the entrance of the alley looking towards the bank. It was noon, and not many customers were conducting business in the main hall of the bank. The office area at the back was practically empty, with only a few employees working behind the counters. ¡°Chen Ke, you go in first to check out the situation. Count how many people are inside,¡± Lucina said. ¡°No problem, wait for my signal.¡± Chen Ke made an OK gesture. ¡°Everything¡¯s in the blue pickup, you remember the last numbers of the license plate, right?¡± Hall asked Priskin. ¡°2217,¡± Priskin nodded. The four made their preparations, put on leather gloves, adjusted their radios and ear mics, then concealed their masks inside the lining of their jackets; everything was ready for the walk to the bank. This time, Chen Ke only carried the Holy Relics Diamond and didn¡¯t bring a gun because against the S.W.A.T, handguns were virtually useless. He and Hall approached the main entrance of the bank, while Lucina and Priskin went directly to the back parking lot to retrieve items. Hall sat on a bench by the road, took out a PSP, and pretended to play, signaling Chen Ke with his eyes to go in. Chen Ke pushed the door open; a blast of cool air hit him. The bank¡¯s air conditioning was cranked up high. Since it was a day off, only one of the three service windows was open, with four civilians lining up to conduct their business. Chen Ke counted, there were four people behind the counter, three tellers, and one manager in a suit. He looked towards the back office area and saw a chubby man getting water from the water cooler. Near the back door, a security guard in a blue hat was patrolling listlessly, no gun holster on his waist, but holding a police baton in his hand. Chen Ke guessed that this bank¡¯s guards were not armed, after all, if anything went wrong, the S.W.A.T could be there within 5 minutes, a luxury not many small banks had. Just looking was not enough. Chen Ke silently lined up at the back of the queue, and his eyes began to emit a blue glow. Within a 100-meter radius, all active humanoid life forms were outlined in blue, the range large enough to cover the entire bank and even some of the nearby shops. Suddenly, Chen Ke was surrounded by blue humanoid shapes moving about. He could only rely on himself to distinguish them, seeing two figures at the parking lot, guessing it was Lucina and Priskin. Near the back door, one security guard was smoking. In the bank¡¯s restroom, there was one on the toilet, and behind a nearby wall, a figure was looking at something, probably monitoring the security cameras. The blue glow in his pupils faded, Chen Ke moved to the side of the wall, picked up a finance and insurance magazine from the rack to cover half of his face and whispered into the ear mic, ¡°Three guards, four civilians, five employees. Plus one in the restroom, unknown identity; the guards are unarmed.¡± ¡°Thirteen people, not many pedestrians outside either, we can make it quick and clean,¡± Hall replied. ¡°There must be alarm buttons inside the counters, how are we going to deal with them?¡± Lucina¡¯s voice came through the earpiece. It was impossible to circle around from the outside, the doors to the counters were at the back. If anyone made an unusual move, the four employees inside would have enough time to sound the alarm. ¡°I can handle it,¡± Chen Ke said, his killer instinct was enough to frighten ordinary people, giving him enough time to rush in and control the situation. ¡°The main hall is yours and Hall¡¯s responsibility, we¡¯re about to start the action,¡± Priskin said. Chen Ke saw two humanoid outlines standing near the back door, looking like they were ready to come in. Just as the four were about to make their move, Hall¡¯s voice came through the earpiece, ¡°A female civilian just entered the bank.¡± ¡°Let her come in, adding one more person won¡¯t matter,¡± Chen Ke said coldly. ¡°Waiting for your signal, Chen Ke; I¡¯ve already opened the back door. The surveillance room is just diagonally across,¡± Lucina said. Chen Ke closed the magazine, looked at the four employees behind the counter, and felt his killing intent rising up. He was about to unleash it when suddenly a hand patted his shoulder, startling him. ¡°Lin Ke? Is it really you?!¡± A familiar female voice rang in his ear. Chen Ke turned in surprise and saw a purple-haired girl slightly shorter than him standing next to him, her face full of shock. Sleery?! Fuck, Sleery? ¡°You...¡± Chen Ke¡¯s mind suddenly went blank, unable to utter another word. ¡°I thought I¡¯d never see you again!¡± Sleery was also a bit agitated, grabbing Chen Ke¡¯s arm with her right hand and shaking it back and forth. ¡°Chen... what happened? I heard a woman talking to you.¡± Lucina¡¯s voice sounded somewhat displeased. In Sleery¡¯s eyes, he was an investigator, and moreover, he had been captured by the contract demon in the lobby of the West Gold Building and dragged into a beam of light... This was definitely something that couldn¡¯t be let known to the mail carriers. ¡°What... are you doing here?¡± Chen Ke countered and pondered how to get her to leave. ¡°What else would I be doing at a bank? Tell me, how did you escape from...¡± Sleery started to say, but was abruptly interrupted by Chen Ke. ¡°It¡¯s a crazy world, you know, so nothing that happens is strange. How¡¯s the wound on your waist?¡± Chen Ke changed the subject. ¡°Who would have thought you¡¯d care so much about me? The wound hasn¡¯t fully healed yet, but it doesn¡¯t affect daily life. The only pity is that it will leave an ugly scar, so I won¡¯t be able to wear my favorite belly shirts anymore.¡± Sleery blinked her eyes and gave a secretive smile. ¡°Sounds like a slut,¡± Lucina¡¯s voice came through the earpiece. ¡°Uh... um... How long will you be staying?¡± Chen Ke ignored Lucina¡¯s comment and suddenly asked. ¡°I¡¯m just here to sign a fund contract, I¡¯ll be leaving right away, but since I¡¯ve bumped into you, I think we could have lunch together conveniently?¡± Sleery tilted her head and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m busy,¡± Hall commented. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m busy,¡± Chen Ke echoed. ¡°Miss Sleery, you are Miss Sleery, right? I¡¯m Burick who called you!¡± The manager came out from behind the office area and greeted Sleery. Sleery nodded towards the manager and turned back to Chen Ke, ¡°Just wait for me for a moment, I have to go in and sign a contract. You have to wait for me.¡± Chen Ke nodded helplessly, watching her follow the manager into his office. ¡°Chen Ke, we¡¯re going in now!¡± Lucina said. ¡°Wait! Wait! Let¡¯s talk after she leaves!¡± Chen Ke hastily said, turning back to pick up the finance magazine and sit on a nearby bench. ¡°It¡¯s almost 12 o¡¯clock, we don¡¯t have much time left!¡± Lucina said angrily. ¡°Just wait a bit longer Lucina... Don¡¯t rush...¡± Chen Ke was sweating profusely. ¡°Alright, Chen Ke, I¡¯ll help you out then, who¡¯s that woman?¡± Hall asked. ¡°Someone I met at a nightclub, we¡¯re not particularly close, it was just a one-time encounter.¡± Chen Ke bluffed. ¡°I guess there¡¯s more to your relationship,¡± Hall commented. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it, really overthinking it,¡± Chen Ke shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m holding back Lucina for you, but don¡¯t forget this favor,¡± Priskin said. Chen Ke activated his Spiritual Vision, looking towards the back door. A woman¡¯s silhouette was pacing back and forth, while a man¡¯s silhouette stood in front of the door. Chen Ke didn¡¯t simply let Sleery go because of their one-time encounter, but because Sleery had seen his face. Dressed in a gray suit, even with a mask on, Sleery would be able to recognize him right away. Mail carriers don¡¯t kill civilians, and Chen Ke didn¡¯t want to kill people without reason or grievance. To keep from exposing the operation, he could only wait until Sleery had left. ¡°Chen Ke, another female civilian is about to go in,¡± Hall said. ¡°I bet it¡¯s another one he knows,¡± Lucina taunted. Chen Ke looked up nervously at the entrance and saw a woman with long chestnut hair pushing the door open, dressed in a brown leather jacket and black jeans, emanating an efficient vibe. The woman glanced at the bank counter, where a guy seemed to be arguing with the clerk. She shook her head helplessly, then turned to the rows of seats on the other side and spotted Chen Ke with the finance magazine. Chen Ke locked eyes with her, instantly feeling as if all the hairs on his body stood on end. ¡°Chen Ke, what a coincidence,¡± Diana smiled. Chapter 138: 138 Just Waiting for Your Signal Chapter 138: Chapter 138 Just Waiting for Your Signal ¡°Ha! Men!¡± Lucina¡¯s voice came through the headset, sounding a bit annoyed. Chen Ke slowly put down the magazine, only to greet Diana, whom he had never expected to encounter at the bank¡ªa fellow sword-friend from Golden Arthur. Diana glanced at the dispute in front of the counter where a Black man was arguing with the white girl inside about something related to social security funds, discernible through his hip-hop accent. She sat down next to Chen Ke and struck up a conversation, ¡°Didn¡¯t see you at Golden Arthur yesterday?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t been going much lately,¡± Chen Ke replied, his mind racing with ways to convince Diana to leave. ¡°Are you free tonight?¡± Diana leaned back in her chair and asked with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll come with you¡ªI want to meet that bitch,¡± Lucina said fiercely. ¡°No, no... not tonight...¡± Chen Ke shook his head. Diana sized Chen Ke up and down as if she noticed something peculiar about him. Suddenly, she grabbed Chen Ke¡¯s wrist, lifted his hand, and asked, ¡°Why are you wearing leather gloves? And that headset around your neck. You¡¯re not planning to rob the bank, are you?¡± The companions in the headset suddenly fell silent. Chen Ke pulled his hand back and squinted at Diana, his expression rather ambiguous. After a few seconds of silence, Diana suddenly burst into laughter. ¡°I was just kidding, and you took it seriously?¡± she laughed. At that moment, the door to the manager¡¯s office opened, and Sleery walked out with the manager. After speaking briefly with the manager, she looked toward Chen Ke seated in the lobby. ¡°So, let¡¯s leave it at that for today,¡± Sleery nodded to the manager and walked straight towards Chen Ke. Seeing Sleery approaching, Chen Ke suddenly felt an immense headache coming on. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, contemplating his next move. To the postmen, Sleery, and Diana, Chen Ke held entirely different identities, unable to fabricate a lie that could fool all three parties simultaneously. Especially Sleery, who knew too many of his secrets, and even called him differently than others; more importantly, Sleery was an investigator, and in her eyes, so was Chen Ke. He definitely couldn¡¯t let anyone find out about his past activities in the West Gold Building, let alone the incident involving the contract demon and the light rift. As soon as Sleery spoke, Chen Ke would be exposed; he had to keep her under control. ¡°Who is this?¡± Sleery stood in front of Chen Ke, her arms crossed, looking at Diana. Diana took a moment to size up Sleery, her lips curling slightly. ¡°A sword-friend from the HEMA fencing studio,¡± Chen Ke replied. ¡°Hello, my name is Diana, and you are?¡± Diana smiled. ¡°My name is Sleery; I¡¯m his girlfriend,¡± Sleery responded with a smile. ¡°Ha! That bitch finally said it!¡± Lucina said indignantly. ¡°Oh, I see, you¡¯re here at the bank with your girlfriend today?¡± Diana looked at Chen Ke. ¡°Hmm... How long have you known him from the fencing studio?¡± Sleery asked earnestly. ¡°Why do you ask that?¡± Diana said with a laugh. ¡°It¡¯s important to me,¡± Sleery stated, placing her hands on her hips. ¡°You like this type? I thought you preferred someone a bit more powerful,¡± Diana asked, looking at Chen Ke. ¡°He would like that,¡± Lucina chimed in. ¡°It¡¯s nice to know you guys...¡± Chen Ke sighed, his mind a complete mess. ¡°You know nothing about power, Diana. The things he and I have faced together are beyond your imagination, right?¡± Sleery said, sounding a bit proud as she looked at Chen Ke. Indeed, her words were not false; investigators of this world had indeed encountered more Transcendents than ordinary people. However, due to the confidentiality agreements signed upon employment, they couldn¡¯t reveal even the slightest detail. ¡°Oh? Is that so? Sounds like you both are from the Administration Bureau?¡± Diana laughed. ¡°Chen Ke, is what she¡¯s saying true?¡± Lucina asked. ¡°Chen Ke had thoroughly deceived that girl, how could he possibly be from the Administration Bureau? He doesn¡¯t possess a shred of Spiritual Energy in him,¡± Hall commented. ¡°Not necessarily...¡± Chen Ke said hesitantly, deeply concerned that Sleery might blurt out his name. ¡°It seems I need to take care of my own matters now. If you are free tonight, I¡¯ll be waiting for you at the Golden Arthur,¡± Diana said as she stood up. ¡°Lin...¡± Sleery was about to speak when Chen Ke suddenly rose, clasped his arms around her waist, and pulled her aside, nodding toward Diana as he did so. Sleery¡¯s heart raced, her hands naturally resting on Chen Ke¡¯s waist as he led her toward the corner of the room. Diana waved goodbye to Chen Ke and walked over to the counter. Chen Ke took Sleery to the corner and, clutching the microphone of his headset, said, ¡°Listen, I will find time to come to you and explain everything, but I have some matters to handle right now. So, I don¡¯t want you to talk about this with anyone else.¡± ¡°No problem, Lin Ke, no problem... But I don¡¯t even have your contact information,¡± Sleery said, looking up at him. ¡°Here is my number...¡± Chen Ke gave her his number. ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait for your call. Just call, and I can handle the rest,¡± Sleery said with a smile. ¡°So, have you finished what you needed to do?¡± Chen Ke asked. Sleery nodded. ¡°Good, you can go now,¡± Chen Ke said as he let go of her. ¡°Just like that? Aren¡¯t we having lunch together?¡± Sleery asked. ¡°There will be other opportunities for dinner in the future...¡± Chen Ke hinted. Sleery understood what Chen Ke meant and left satisfied. Watching Sleery¡¯s departing figure, Chen Ke breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at Diana, who was almost done at the counter. Meanwhile, more civilians had entered the bank. Chen Ke activated his Spiritual Vision again and carefully counted¡ªthere were 19 people in the bank at the moment. ¡°Chen Ke, that woman drove off in a pink Porsche,¡± Hall commented. He sat outside where he could see Sleery driving away from the bank parking lot. Chen Ke was startled. An investigator¡¯s salary wasn¡¯t low, but it shouldn¡¯t afford a Porsche. It seemed Sleery came from a very wealthy background and was only working as an investigator for fun. ¡°When is the other one leaving?¡± Lucina asked. ¡°Soon,¡± Chen Ke assured, seeing Diana packing up her belongings. He moved behind a pillar, pretending to pick up an investment guide from the bookshelf but in reality, to stay out of Diana¡¯s line of sight. After packing up, Diana looked around, didn¡¯t spot Chen Ke, shrugged, and left the bank. ¡°The other one has left as well, driving a red muscle car,¡± Hall mentioned after a while. ¡°Can we start now?¡± Lucina asked. Chen Ke glanced at the clock on the wall; it was half-past eleven. ¡°Let¡¯s begin. Lucina, take care of the surveillance room. There¡¯s no one there now. Security is focused in the lobby,¡± Chen Ke instructed, his pupils turning blue. The bank¡¯s vault was across from the corridor in the employees¡¯ area, a rather narrow space. As Priskin sneaked in, no one noticed him. Chen Ke also saw through the wall that Lucina had breached the surveillance room, knocking out the security personnel with a karate chop; he instinctively touched the back of his neck. By then, Hall had also entered through the main door, standing next to the bookshelf and picking up a magazine. ¡°You know what we are waiting for,¡± Priskin said as he placed the bag containing the drilling machine near the vault door, its back covered with a babayaga fabric. Meanwhile, Lucina, hidden in the surveillance room, had Chen Ke¡¯s and Hall¡¯s long guns, holding an MP5. ¡°Just waiting for your signal,¡± Hall looked at Chen Ke. As soon as he gave the signal, Priskin would start installing the drilling machine, and Lucina would rush out to throw the guns to Chen Ke and Hall. Chen Ke once again surveyed the people in the main hall of the bank; a killing intent emerged from behind him and darted straight to the four employees behind the counter. ¡°Put on the mask!¡± Chapter 139: 139: Blasphemous Dagger Chapter 139: Chapter 139: Blasphemous Dagger A deep red murderous intent surged toward the four employees behind the counter glass, and Qian Yi, the manager, had been laughing and chatting with the teller just a second before, but in the next second, clutched at his chest. Any living creature experiences a physiological response called the ¡°freeze response¡± when in extreme fear, which causes them to instantly stop all movements, not emit any sound, feel ice-cold, and concentrate all their attention on the source of fear. By the time reason was ultimately eroded by fear, a person¡¯s will would collapse, allowing fear to consume them, leading to reactions like vomiting, paralysis, or incontinence. Of course, Chen Ke was controlling the intensity; he didn¡¯t want to scare anyone to death, nor could he allow the four people inside the counter to faint before he even rushed in. No matter how fake, he had to make a show with the gun to deceive the mail carriers. Hall and Chen Ke donned masks, and at the same time, Lucina also wearing a mask burst into the hall from the monitoring room, gripping an MP5 in one hand and hauling two long guns in the other. ¡°Everybody get down! Get down!¡± Lucina shouted, tossing the guns to Chen Ke, then kicking the nearby security guard down and stepping on his back. The security personnel only had batons and stood no chance against Lucina with guns. ¡°Put your hands on your head and lie on the ground! Do what we say, and no one gets hurt!¡± Hall picked up his semi-automatic shotgun, aiming at the four employees inside the counter. They had already been hit by Chen Ke¡¯s murderous intent trigger, so their faces were pale, and their bodies were somewhat unresponsive. Chen Ke disabled the safety on his modified M16A2 and swiftly ran to the wooden door behind the counter, kicking it open. Raising the gun and shouting, he used the murderous intent trigger once again. The first to fall was the manager, his face turning purple; Chen Ke really worried if he might be scared to death. He prodded the manager with the butt of his gun, and the man collapsed, foaming at the mouth. The other three clerks were trembling and huddling behind the counter; one of the female tellers even wet herself, with yellow urine trickling down her black-stockinged thighs under the stool. Chen Ke frowned and dared not use the murderous intent trigger again; besides, there was not enough murderous intent left, so he simply kicked her into a corner to shiver and cower. ¡°You, lie on the ground, don¡¯t move,¡± Chen Ke ordered. The remaining tellers obediently crawled to the corner and kept silent. Control of the counter and the monitoring room meant the operation was halfway successful; at least there would be no premature alarm trigger. Lucina and Hall had already taken control of the civilians outside, including the security officers in the monitoring room. They herded everyone into the office area to sit against the wall. This way, pedestrians outside couldn¡¯t see anything unusual about the bank. Lucina stood on a table, scanning the controlled crowd to make sure they wouldn¡¯t touch the alarm button, while Hall positioned himself in the hall, hiding in a pillar¡¯s recess to monitor the door, ready to deal immediately with any new customers. Chen Ke slipped to the front of the vault door, which was as large as a wall; Priskin had already assembled the drilling machine and was installing the final drill bit. This big drilling machine was the one Chen Ke had seen when he joined the mail carriers, stationed in the room. On a square frame made of iron pipes, a large drill engine was mounted, with a screen displaying the drill bit¡¯s temperature and battery level on the side. After the bank came to a standstill, a 5-minute countdown began, and S.W.A.T would notice the small bank¡¯s anomaly within 5 minutes and take another 5 minutes to arrive. Chen Ke and his team had only 10 minutes. The drill bit aimed right under the vault door¡¯s iron handle, Priskin gave Chen Ke a thumbs-up, and then pushed the switch. The bank suddenly filled with the noisy sound of the drilling machine, which was almost unbearable for Chen Ke standing by, like some rodent gnawing furiously. ¡°That sound is really grating... How long will it take to open this door?¡± Chen Ke covered his ears. ¡°If nothing goes wrong, about 4 minutes should be enough, but if the drill bit overheats or breaks, it¡¯ll take more time,¡± Priskin said helplessly. ¡°Let¡¯s just pray it doesn¡¯t break,¡± Chen Ke sighed. ¡°Who¡¯s going to check the zip line above?¡± Hall asked through the walkie-talkie. ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± Chen Ke replied, climbing to the bank¡¯s roof through the small passageway of the monitoring room. The bank was only one story, and the zipline was set up next to the electrical box, sliding directly into the alley between the opposite residential buildings. Behind a low wall, two cars were parked. He tugged at the zipline, feeling sturdy, with a height of about 7 meters from the ground, but it could only support one person sliding across at a time, not counting the weight of the money bags. Across the street, a small store had a diesel generator out front, its noise far outstripping the drill, which reassured Chen Ke a great deal. He turned to go downstairs, returning to the drill. The bank was well controlled; aside from the noise of the drill, the rest of the people were quietly curled up in the corners. Lucina looked at Chen Ke and gestured for him to come over; he had thought she would say something, but she turned her back to him, asking him to open the large backpack on his back. Chen Ke took out a dozen rolled-up dark blue cylindrical cloth bags from the backpack¡ªthose were for wrapping the money. Once masked, members would not call each other by name to avoid leaving evidence and exposing their tracks. He slung the M16 across his waist, carrying a large pile of money bags toward the vault door. As he turned around, Lucina hammered Chen Ke¡¯s shoulder with her left hand. Chen Ke turned his head to look at Lucina, but she did not want to pay him any attention. ¡°Good news, it¡¯s drilled through,¡± Priskin said to Chen Ke as he approached, and he began to disassemble the drill rig. ¡°It¡¯s really rare for there to be no accidents,¡± Chen Ke said joyfully. ¡°It took 3 minutes and 42 seconds, the quickest one yet,¡± Priskin said with a smile. Together they pulled open the heavy door to the vault, the thick iron door creaking as they did so. Inside the vault, shelves were stacked with bundles of cash, three walls were lined with safety deposit boxes, and the table in the small room to the side was piled with boxes of coins. ¡°Someone come wrap up the cash.¡± Priskin said as he had many more important things to do. He propped the Babayaga against the wall, walked out of the vault, and brought in someone with a circular saw from outside. Hall followed him in, rubbing his hands as he looked at the money on the shelves, shaking his head, saying, ¡°Shame there were no gold bars.¡± ¡°Gold is harder to launder than cash,¡± Priskin said with a laugh. Hall picked up the bag Chen Ke had brought and started stuffing bundles of cash into it. Chen Ke took out Parchi¡¯s key and searched for safety deposit box number 209. From top to bottom, from left to right, he finally found the small box on the right wall. He inserted the key into the lock, turning it gently for fear of breaking the key, while the sound of metal being cut filled his ears as Priskin used the circular saw to cut open the doors of the other safety deposit boxes. ¡°Creak, creak...¡± As Chen Ke opened the door of box number 209, he found an envelope made of kraft paper inside. He took out the envelope and felt a small, hard bulge inside, roughly the size and thickness of an adult¡¯s thumb¡ªvery much like the Holy Diamond... ¡°What is that?¡± Priskin asked curiously, with Hall also leaning in to see. Chen Ke tore open the envelope and tipped it into his hand, revealing a small Holy Diamond that fell into his palm. ¡°Is this... a Holy Relic? Just to hide one Holy Relic?¡± Hall said in disbelief. Chen Ke frowned slightly. He hadn¡¯t seen many Holy Relics, but even so, he was certain that this particular Holy Diamond was different; it emitted a faint green glow in his hand, a color he had never seen before. Chen Ke wanted to consume some of his lifespan to identify it, after all, just a glance, without summoning it, Hall and Priskin wouldn¡¯t know. But no matter how hard he concentrated, he couldn¡¯t bring up the information box like he could with other Holy Relics. Then, a line of small characters appeared in the corner of his eye: ¡°Insufficient lifespan, cannot identify.¡± Chen Ke was startled. Generally speaking, identifying a Holy Relic only consumed about 20 minutes of lifespan. He had 10 hours left, and it was telling him that wasn¡¯t enough? ¡°Give me that, I¡¯ll mix it in with the money,¡± Hall extended his hand. Chen Ke hesitated for a moment, then looked at Hall and nodded. Chen Ke stuffed the tiny diamond back into the envelope and handed it to Hall, who rolled up the envelope, tossed it into the bag full of money, and took out a marker to dab some color on the zipper. ¡°6 minutes gone, guys, pick up the pace,¡± Lucina¡¯s voice came through the earpiece. Hall and Priskin continued to work busily, while Chen Ke¡¯s gaze fell upon a cylindrical bag nearby. He circumvented the shelves stacked with bundles of cash and pulled open one of the cylindrical bags. Inside, it was filled with diamonds, and Chen Ke was initially startled, but then he calmed down¡ªthey were just artificially polished stones. At first, he thought they were all Holy Relics. He opened several cylindrical bags in a row, all filled with diamonds, none of any value to Chen Ke. In fact, diamonds themselves are just a kind of worthless stone. They are not rare, and because of their high hardness, they can¡¯t be used as raw materials. However, with the vanity of women and the deliberate effort of capital forces, these sparkling stones, when matched with just a copper ring, could sell at sky-high prices. ¡°Chen Ke, help with the money packing, S.W.A.T. should be on their way!¡± Hall urged. Chen Ke responded and turned to the nearest shelf; his gun was too long, and as he turned, it knocked a cylindrical bag off the table, and the diamonds spilled out. He looked down at the scattered diamonds on the ground, spotting a few that glowed orange. His eyes lit up as he bent down to pick one up and examined it closely. This orange diamond was a Holy Relic that had already been identified, and as the information box appeared in his vision, Chen Ke took a sharp breath. Blasphemous Dagger! Chapter 140: 140: Scattering Money in a Mad Dash Chapter 140: Chapter 140: Scattering Money in a Mad Dash ¡°Forget about these diamonds, pack the money fast, we need to pull out!¡± Hall threw a bag of money to Chen Ke, gesturing for him to carry it to the rooftop. Priskin used a circular saw to cut open a dozen safes, and both of the spare blades were now junk, all filled with worthless trinkets inside. Hall packed eight bags of money, each one stuffed full, while Priskin stopped what he was doing, rushed over to the office area to take over Lucina¡¯s job. Lucina dashed out of the bank¡¯s main entrance, sprinting across the street to the getaway car. ¡°Slide the money from the rooftop down to the getaway car with a zip line,¡± Hall said. Chen Ke picked up several orange Holy Diamonds and pocketed them, then shouldered a bag of money and took one more in each hand, running towards the rooftop. As he reached the rooftop, he saw several SWAT vehicles speeding towards the bank in the distance. ¡°Guys, they¡¯re here,¡± Chen Ke warned over the radio, as he hooked the bags of money onto the zip line. Bag by bag, the money slid across the street where Lucina unloaded them and stuffed them into the back seats and trunks of their two cars. Hall didn¡¯t forget to remind Lucina that the bags with colored zippers contained what they were after. Distant sirens reached Chen Ke¡¯s ears as three black SWAT vans, accompanied by six police cars, completely sealed off the street in front of the bank. The SWAT officers in black tactical gear set up spike strips at the intersection and used the vans to create a blockade. Chen Ke crouched on the edge of the rooftop, watching a line of individuals using the vehicles for cover, firing tear gas grenades into the bank with grenade launchers. These guys were definitely not SWAT; the tactical officers wouldn¡¯t launch an assault without regard for the hostages¡¯ safety, clearly not caring about the civilians inside the bank. Seven or eight tear gas grenades shattered the windows, spinning on the floor and releasing yellow smoke. Through the skylight, Chen Ke saw the first-floor lobby quickly filling with smoke. ¡°They¡¯re throwing tear gas, my God, they don¡¯t care if they choke the civilians to death,¡± Priskin exclaimed in surprise from the first-floor lobby. ¡°They¡¯re not SWAT, I bet,¡± Chen Ke shook his head. The tactical officers surrounded the bank, with some even flanking around from the parking lot to the side, setting up ladders to the roof. Chen Ke raised his gun and killed the first officer to climb onto the rooftop. The M16A2 set to three-round burst was powerful and had been modified by Priskin. Even with their bulletproof vests, receiving three shots straight to the chest at a 30-meter range would leave the officers either dead or severely wounded. After Chen Ke opened fire, the situation changed. Now that he had revealed his location, over a dozen assault rifles focused fire on Chen Ke¡¯s position. Chen Ke lay on the rooftop, shot to the point he couldn¡¯t raise his head. He crawled forward a bit to avoid the flying debris. Back on the first floor, Priskin and Hall began returning fire. The Babayaga roared as Hall surprisingly pulled out a hand grenade and hurled it. The grenade flew through the broken entrance and rolled to the opposite side of the street. The enemies who had been shooting at Chen Ke immediately retracted their guns and dove for cover. The fire from across the street was temporarily suppressed, allowing Chen Ke a moment to breathe. He lifted his head, quickly assessing the situation below; more police cars and SWAT vans were heading their way. ¡°We¡¯ve got to go, we can¡¯t outlast them, more are coming,¡± Chen Ke said. Lucina was already sitting in the car, temporarily unnoticed. Chen Ke had already transported nine bags of money over to her before the County Police arrived. She sat in the car waiting for the three of them to evacuate together. Hall and Priskin made it to the rooftop, each carrying a bag of money, with Hall holding another one in his hands. He tossed the bag to Chen Ke and pulled out a handheld hook for the zip line. ¡°Slide over from up here,¡± Hall said. The escape vehicle was parked behind a low wall, which perfectly blocked the view of the County Police. Both cars were parked behind the small shops opposite to the bank street. ¡°There are too many people below. If you slide over from above, you¡¯ll get shot into a sieve halfway through!¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°I was prepared!¡± Hall pulled out three smoke grenades from his pocket. Chen Ke suddenly remembered that, indeed, he had seen Hall pack a bag of grenades before they left... ¡°Only three?¡± Priskin asked. ¡°Three is enough. If we¡¯re fast enough, the zip line can only handle one at a time. I¡¯ll throw the grenades, then you slide over,¡± Hall told Chen Ke. Chen Ke shook his head, took the smoke grenades from Hall, and said, ¡°I¡¯m a precise shooter. You guys go first. I can ensure you won¡¯t get shot up halfway.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Hall nodded, waiting for Chen Ke¡¯s signal. Chen Ke pulled the pins from the smoke grenades and threw them down the building. Green smoke quickly spread, concealing the bank¡¯s entrance in thick clouds. ¡°Green? Why is it green?¡± Priskin asked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, just go,¡± Chen Ke urged. Priskin also took out a handheld zip line hook, attached it to the line, and jumped from the rooftop. Chen Ke threw another smoke grenade, and then he and Hall covered Priskin with suppressive fire. Beneath the smoke¡¯s cover, Priskin, carrying the money, safely descended to the other side. ¡°Can this rope handle that much weight?¡± Chen Ke looked at the zip line¡¯s anchor point with concern. Priskin¡¯s load with the money must have been around 200 pounds; it was a miracle that the zip line didn¡¯t snap the first time. ¡°No problem, I¡¯m going over!¡± Hall said as he handed Chen Ke a hook and then attached his own to leap off the rooftop. Chen Ke threw the last smoke grenade. A 100-meter radius was now covered in green smoke. He saw a blue gleam in his eyes and spotted a human silhouette on the opposite rooftop aiming at Hall. Chen Ke raised his gun and fired. He switched to single-shot mode, and one bullet hit the SWAT team member in the abdomen, knocking him off the rooftop. Like a falling tomato, he smashed onto the ground, a splash of blood. There was a brief lull around him; swearing under his breath, Chen Ke attached the hook and leapt off the rooftop. The short distance of just over 20 meters suddenly seemed incredibly long. As Chen Ke, carrying the money bag, slid down through mid-air, his long gun was useless in his hands. Suddenly, a bullet struck the money bag on his back, and Chen Ke was spun around by the inertia of the bullet, scattering banknotes like snowflakes through the air. With a loud bang, the zip line¡¯s anchor finally gave way under the weight. Chen Ke fell flat on his back, just three meters above the ground. ¡°Rua!¡± Chen Ke grunted as he hit the ground, but quickly forced himself to get up. ¡°What happened, Chen Ke?¡± Lucina and Hall¡¯s voices came through the earpiece. ¡°I was shot down...¡± Chen Ke replied, as a surge of killing intent swelled from all around him, his life timer reaching its limit, and in the midst of the green smoke, all he saw were red human silhouettes. Kill Trigger! This time, Chen Ke released all his killing intent without reservation, temporarily incapacitating the six SWAT officers nearby. The more ruthless you are, the harder you are to scare. If he had released that killing intent in the bank earlier, some might have already died. The killing intent aiming at Chen Ke came to an abrupt halt. Only these six had found him in the smoke. He shot and killed the nearest one, then ran wildly, with banknotes flying from the torn money bag behind him. Chapter 141: 141: Watchdog Chapter 141: Chapter 141: Watchdog When Chen Ke ran through the streets with the torn money bags on his back, Lucina, Hall, and Priskin had already started the car. Money bags were stuffed into the backseat and trunk. ¡°The bag with the colored zipper tag is in my car, right?¡± Hall asked via radio. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct, but how the hell did you guys lose Chen Ke?¡± Lucina cursed. ¡°He went last, with no one covering him,¡± Hall said. ¡°Chen Ke, can you hear me? Keep running down the street, stay to the left, I¡¯ll come out at the next intersection,¡± Priskin said as he stepped on the accelerator and turned the steering wheel right, bursting out of the alley and onto the main street. ¡°No, no... that¡¯s the opposite direction of Route A, escape according to the planned route,¡± Chen Ke refused. The green Holy Diamond was on their car, and if they couldn¡¯t get away immediately, the whole operation would¡¯ve been pointless. Moreover, Chen Ke was confident he could escape the predicament without their presence, as he would actually have more freedom to act alone. ¡°Don¡¯t play the hero, Chen Ke! I¡¯m coming to get you. Hall, you guys escape according to the original plan,¡± Lucina shouted angrily. ¡°Then he¡¯s in your hands, girl!¡± Priskin pulled the handbrake, turned the wheel left, and the car darted into the next turning. Chen Ke winded through the alleys between shops and houses, circling the S.W.A.T¡¯s blockade, and all targets with murderous intent towards him were outlined in a circle of red. Spiritual Vision activated, and Chen Ke¡¯s pupils turned blue. Compared to the Killing Aura Radar, Spiritual Vision had a slightly greater range. When more blue human outlines came into his sight, Chen Ke suddenly discovered with delight that those blue outlines were slowly turning red! Killing Aura Radar could actually stack and coordinate with Spiritual Vision! Spiritual Vision provided active detection range, Killing Aura Radar identified the targets! It was like killing two birds with one stone. The only downside was that Spiritual Vision consumed a significant amount of life every second, so it couldn¡¯t be activated continuously. When Chen Ke turned off Spiritual Vision, the red-outlined targets within its range also disappeared from his view, indicating he couldn¡¯t cheat using this method. Even so, it was enough; short-term, active, large-range detection, and near-body, persistent, passive detection had already met Chen Ke¡¯s needs for stealth attacks and defense against them. ¡°Tell me your location, Chen Ke,¡± Lucina¡¯s voice sounded very anxious. ¡°I¡¯m navigating through streets and alleys, I¡¯ll be out the other end soon,¡± Chen Ke replied. Gunshots came from behind, walls on both sides were hit, spitting out brick fragments, he looked back and raised his gun, shooting dead several S.W.A.T members that had followed into the alley. Chen Ke had always felt that these people were not part of the United Federation police system, but couldn¡¯t pinpoint why, yet now, he was sure of it. Although these people were wearing S.W.A.T uniforms, the weapons they carried varied wildly, including the AK series; it was hard to imagine the NATO Alliance would use Eastern bloc weapons. Before he had run out of the alley, Lucina pulled up in a modified Nissan car to the junction with a screeching halt, swung open the passenger door, and looked anxiously at Chen Ke. ¡°Your timing couldn¡¯t be better!¡± Chen Ke threw the torn money bag through the open car window onto the backseat and then climbed in. There wasn¡¯t much money left in the torn bag; most of it had scattered on the road. ¡°I¡¯m always punctual,¡± Lucina said, flooring the accelerator and the car shot off immediately. ¡°Did you pick up Chen Ke?¡± Hall¡¯s voice came through the earpiece. ¡°He¡¯s sitting to my right,¡± Lucina responded. ¡°Good job, then let¡¯s proceed with the plan,¡± Hall laughed. Chen Ke tossed his M16A2 in the back seat, the rifle was simply too long, completely unusable in a car chase shootout, and Lucina handed him an MP5 from beside the seat. He rolled down the window, about to poke his head out to shoot when Lucina suddenly made a sharp turn, scaring him into quickly pulling back. ¡°Wait a minute, this isn¡¯t the correct route,¡± Chen Ke shouted to Lucina, realizing something. ¡°It¡¯s too congested, that road has 6 traffic lights! I¡¯m taking a detour,¡± Lucina snapped back. Chen Ke shook his head; five police cars were already on their tail. He checked the MP5 magazine and then leaned out to shoot back. The policemen in the cars began to return fire, several MP5Ks spitting flames, as two cars unleashed a car chase shootout on the main street. ¡°Pihom said there¡¯d be a hacker to help, how do you think he¡¯ll assist?¡± Hall asked. ¡°Don¡¯t know, don¡¯t count on it, if he was really going to help, the cops wouldn¡¯t have shown up so early,¡± Priskin said. A black S.W.A.T van drove at Chen Ke and Lucina from the left, Lucina pulled the handbrake, swiftly turning right into another avenue. ¡°Look, it¡¯s a green light,¡± Chen Ke pointed ahead. The car quickly passed the intersection, and when the following police cars caught up, the street lights abruptly turned red, causing cross traffic to move and the police cars to brake sharply, narrowly avoiding collisions with civilian vehicles. ¡°Hall, what¡¯s the situation on your end?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°Going smoothly, but we¡¯ve got a bit too many cops tailing us, got any ideas...¡± Halfway through his sentence, an explosion sounded through the earpiece. Lucina and Chen Ke were shocked, worried that the two might have been blown away. Money was the least of their concerns; the green Holy Diamond was still in their car! ¡°Hall! Hall! Can you hear me?¡± Chen Ke unplugged his earpiece, frantically calling into the radio. ¡°We¡¯re fine, nothing happened to us,¡± came Priskin¡¯s voice. ¡°What was that explosion just now?¡± Lucina asked. ¡°Freaking incredible, we hit the jackpot. An underground gas pipe blew up, flipping all the cops¡¯ cars behind us,¡± Hall laughed. Chen Ke breathed a sigh of relief. Whether it was a coincidence or not, luck was on their side. Just when everyone thought they had victory in the bag, the sound of helicopter rotors came from above¡ªit was the County Police¡¯s chopper. Chen Ke stuck his head out and saw a blue and white helicopter, with a sniper aboard. ¡°Can you take him down? If that helicopter is up there, none of us are getting away,¡± Lucina asked. ¡°An MP5 can¡¯t shoot that far. The M16 is too long to use inside the car,¡± Chen Ke shook his head. He tried to use the Killing Aura Radar to attack the helicopter pilot, but the distance was far too great, a completely naive wish. Just when Chen Ke was at a loss, the helicopter suddenly spun out of control, plummeting down and crashing into the roof of a shop. ¡°What happened?¡± Lucina, hearing the explosion, asked. ¡°I think someone helped us from the shadows,¡± Chen Ke took a deep breath. ¡°What?¡± Lucina glanced at Chen Ke. Chen Ke¡¯s phone suddenly vibrated. He pulled it out to see a call from an unknown number. Who would be calling him at a time like this? He pressed the answer button, hearing a stranger¡¯s male voice. ¡°Hope that helped you out just now,¡± the man said. ¡°Who are you?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about names, they¡¯re not important,¡± the man replied. ¡°Are you the hacker Bain mentioned?¡± Chen Ke guessed. ¡°Not just a hacker,¡± the man laughed. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of exposing yourself by calling?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°Come find me if you dare,¡± the man¡¯s tone was confident. ¡°You didn¡¯t call just to show off, did you?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°There¡¯s a drawbridge up ahead, go that way. That¡¯s what I wanted to tell you,¡± the man said. ¡°Understood,¡± Chen Ke replied. ¡°By the way, I took the liberty of looking you up and found you to be quite an interesting person. Who knows, maybe we have common goals,¡± the man chuckled. ¡°What all did you... see?¡± Chen Ke hesitated before asking. ¡°You¡¯ve left less information online than even I have, and your recent actions have all been targeting various Transcendent organizations. Am I right?¡± the man said. ¡°How did you come to know all this?¡± Chen Ke frowned. ¡°In the cyber era, a little skill is all it takes to gain access to all information. These details have been abused by big corporations and tangled with various criminal activities,¡± the man explained. ¡°And you chase down this information and respond in kind, even giving yourself a nickname, the ¡®Vigilante¡¯... It¡¯s like you¡¯re...¡± Chen Ke didn¡¯t finish. ¡°Like a watchdog sitting between individual privacy and public safety,¡± the man laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll remember you,¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°I will too, oh, and just a heads up, the drawbridge is coming up,¡± the man said and hung up. ¡°Who was that just now?¡± Lucina asked. ¡°That hacker, telling us to head for the drawbridge,¡± Chen Ke answered. In the distance, a red drawbridge was slowly rising. It was the road out of Holy Oak. Over the bridge, they would reach the countryside between Holy Oak and Raffi Road. Chapter 142: 142: Car Accident Chapter 142: Chapter 142: Car Accident When Lucina drove across the lifting bridge, the entire bridge had just begun to rise slowly, and it seemed that it wouldn¡¯t be lowered anytime soon. The police cars and S.W.A.T. vehicles were forced to stop on the opposite shore, only able to watch them leave. The police radio was repeatedly broadcasting the vehicle models of Chen Ke and Lucina, and trying to dispatch new helicopters for support. However, after their jump from the bridge and switching vehicles, all these efforts were in vain. ¡°Hall, how is everything on your side? We¡¯re ready to switch cars,¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°Lady Luck is watching over us; we¡¯ve shaken off the cops and are on our way back,¡± Hall answered. ¡°Great, it looks like the cops will deploy new helicopters to hunt for us, but after we switch cars, they won¡¯t be able to find us,¡± Lucina laughed. With the help of a hacker, their escape went unusually smooth. As decoys, Chen Ke and Lucina barely even had to lift a finger. The hacker, who called himself a vigilante, manipulated the street lights and underground ducts. He managed to shake off many county police and also directed an EMP attack at the helicopters, causing them to lose control and crash. After leaving Holy Oak, they were beyond the hacker¡¯s area of assistance, but at the moment, no police forces were following them, and they could comfortably hide. Chen Ke¡¯s and Lucina¡¯s vehicles had already been pinpointed by the police, so they stuck to the original plan to switch cars. Hall¡¯s situation went very smoothly, largely because Chen Ke had drawn a significant amount of the firepower. ¡°The bridge is over there; I hope you¡¯re fully confident,¡± Chen Ke said. A few hundred meters ahead of them was a grove where the second escape car was located, and the broken bridge was visible from afar. Chen Ke recalled the experience from their practice, fastened his seatbelt, and firmly gripped the handle on the car ceiling. ¡°I¡¯ll pretend you didn¡¯t say that,¡± Lucina said confidently. She floored the accelerator, and the car¡¯s speed quickly surpassed 180 mph. Looking forward through the windshield, the incredible speed was palpable. In many racing video games, the cars handled by players often start at 150 mph and easily reach 250 to over 300 mph. However, in reality, 80 mph is already quite alarming. A regular civilian car, without any modifications, trying to turn sharply at 80 mph will result in only one outcome: flipping over. At 150 mph, only high-end cars or modified vehicles can offer you a stable ride. Ordinary cars accelerating beyond 100 mph will shake uncontrollably and pose a significant risk of losing control. The car that Chen Ke and Lucina had stolen was Brain¡¯s Nissan GTR-R35, perfectly capable of handling this speed. A few hundred meters, just mere seconds passed, and the all-wheel-drive GTR crossed over the curb and charged into the muddy terrain. Lucina clenched her teeth, her arm muscles bulging as she struggled to maintain control of the steering wheel, aiming the slightly out-of-control car toward the broken bridge. Chen Ke sat rigidly, his fingers gripping the handle turning slightly white, unable to utter a word. The black GTR left twisted tracks in the mud, kicking up a flurry of dirt, and then flew off the edge of the broken bridge toward the other side. Chen Ke felt as though he had lifted off the seat, hanging in mid-air. Had it not been for the seatbelt, he might have been thrown out of the car. ¡°+1 hour¡± ¡°+1 hour¡± ¡°+1 hour¡± ¡°+1 hour¡± ... While the car was still in mid-air, the life countdown in the corner of his eye suddenly sprang into action. ¡°Damn!¡± The only thought that flashed through Chen Ke¡¯s mind. In his peripheral vision, he saw a massive whip blade slashing down from above towards the airborne car. With a loud crash, the whip blade brutally cleaved the GTR in half. The rear of the car fell into the river, leaving only the front part with a section of the driver¡¯s seat crashing onto the opposite shore. The car¡¯s front end heavily smashed into the mud and spun four times before finally tipping over sideways and coming to a stop against a tree by the riverbank. Lucina was thrown, along with her seat, into the mud nearby, while Chen Ke was upside down, strapped to the seat in the wreckage of the front end. Chen Ke¡¯s head was severely injured, half his face soaked in blood, several ribs broken, his left collarbone dislocated, and his left arm fractured. ¡°Fuck... fuck... so much blood... can¡¯t believe I¡¯m not dead, should really post this on Circle of Friends...¡± Chen Ke muttered to himself as he tried to unbuckle his seatbelt. The countdown of his life instantly repaired Chen Ke¡¯s injuries. As his lifespan limit increased, the time needed to restore his body also grew, ultimately taking 1 hour of his lifespan to heal all his injuries. ¡°Lucina... Lucina!¡± Chen Ke, hanging upside down, looked around for Lucina and found her lying in the mud a dozen meters away. She slowly got up, the blood on her head gluing her long black hair to her face, but aside from that, she was not as badly hurt as Chen Ke. Perhaps being flung out and landing in the soft mud had resulted in lighter injuries than being strapped to the seat. ¡°Chen Ke... how are you?¡± Lucina hobbled towards him. The murderous intent did not dissipate, continuously adding to Chen Ke¡¯s lifespan; behind Lucina, a red humanoid silhouette slowly crawled ashore from the river. The figure was nearly 2 meters tall, slender, dressed in a black hooded trench coat; with a swish, the chain blade retracted into its right sleeve, stretching out a skinny, skeletal-like palm. That guy was not normal... Chen Ke frantically pulled at the seatbelt, but the metal buckle seemed soldered as if the wire was at the bottom, and he couldn¡¯t pull it open. ¡°Chen Ke, let me help you.¡± Lucina quickened her pace, completely unaware of the skinny monster approaching her from behind. ¡°Lucina, watch out behind you!¡± Chen Ke warned. Before Lucina could turn around, the creature charged at her, clamping its skeletal hand tightly around her throat and lifting her up off the ground where she stood. Lucina was 170 cm tall and muscular, heavier than an average woman; yet the creature effortlessly held her up with one hand, showing its strength far exceeded that of a normal person. The creature flipped back its hood, revealing a creepy, bald face¡ªa head that looked like a meatball with no skin, just an ashen face stuck on the front, lipless, without eyebrows, teeth exposed in a terrifying appearance. Lucina had never seen such a thing, but driven by survival instincts, she still tried hard to hit the creature¡¯s face with her knees and elbows. The lipless mouth of the creature split open at an angle as if mocking her. No matter how Lucina resisted, it was futile; her hands tightly gripping the creature¡¯s arm, muscles taut, she tried to pry its hand open. The creature¡¯s palm, rigid like a frame, suddenly tightened around Lucina¡¯s neck. Lucina made a choking sound, her tongue slightly sticking out, eyes rolling back, her body becoming limp, no longer moving. The creature turned to look at Chen Ke, who was still struggling to undo his seatbelt. The creature started to laugh, grabbing Lucina¡¯s foot with its other hand, lifting her upside down, then thrusting his knee forward, slamming Lucina onto it. ¡°Oh... !!!¡± Lucina¡¯s abdomen formed a horrific indent from the creature¡¯s sharp kneecap, she groaned, vomiting bloodied gastric fluids. If it weren¡¯t for Lucina¡¯s strong physique and solid abdominal muscles, that strike alone could have killed her. Still, even clinging to life, that blow had knocked Lucina unconscious. The creature tossed Lucina aside and turned toward Chen Ke. Seeing Lucina knocked out, Chen Ke no longer held back. His right hand flickered with blue light; a baton appeared in his hand, its green short sword razor-sharp, slicing the seatbelt instantly, and Chen Ke fell to the ground. ¡°A Spiritual Ability User? Interesting...¡± The creature remarked. ¡°You can actually speak human language?¡± Chen Ke was surprised. He had thought the creature was purely monster-like. ¡°Mortals won¡¯t understand Yasla; hand over the object, and I might let you die quickly,¡± the creature laughed. ¡°Heh... tell me about Yasla, and I might let you keep a whole corpse,¡± Chen Ke mocked. The creature¡¯s smile faded, its right palm retracting into the sleeve, flicking out a long whipblade. Raising its right hand, it swung the whip at Chen Ke. Chen Ke¡¯s eyes hardened. Here it comes! Chapter 143: 143 [Three-Day Heist: Pulito Bank] Completed Chapter 143: Chapter 143 [Three-Day Heist: Pulito Bank] Completed The whip blade was like a brown centipede, as if it had its own life, whistling terrifyingly through the air as it lashed toward Chen Ke. He rolled to the side to dodge the attack. The whip blade left a long, deep ravine in the muddy ground. The strange man pulled back, retracting the whip blade. Chen Ke glanced at the dirt, only to find it filled with corrosive, bubbling acid. Could this whip blade possibly have a corrosion attribute as well? Was it a Holy Relic, or part of the monster¡¯s body? Chen Ke didn¡¯t ponder long, for a flash of white light enveloped him, and he donned a tattered coat from the Victorian era. ¡°The Doctor¡¯s Old Overcoat¡± [Durability: Average] [Corrosion Protection: Acid damage reduction, immunity to splash-type acid damage, and half damage from soaking acid.] This coat had helped Chen Ke fight the toad god and had accompanied him through his trying journey in the white-crowned chapel in the Fan Hede Kingdom. The enemies he had previously faced had never utilized the garment¡¯s properties, but today, it had its chance to prove itself. ¡°Hand it over! You don¡¯t stand a chance,¡± the monster said. ¡°You sure are ugly,¡± Chen Ke retorted. A surge of red killing intent billowed behind him, rushing toward the monster in an instant. It had to be said, while not entirely useless, the full force of the killing intent only managed to stun it for a second. Clearly, the killing intent was only intimidating to ordinary people; it had limited effect on something as terrifying as this monster. But that one second of vulnerability was enough. Chen Ke knelt on one knee, his right hand gripping a short sword in reverse, and he snapped his fingers against the ground. One hour¡¯s worth of Spiritual Energy burst forth with immense thrust, and the reactive force catapulted him diagonally upwards. Chen Ke flew over three meters away and more than one meter high. In mid-air, he aimed directly for the monster¡¯s head and violently stabbed the green short sword downwards. However, the whip blade thwarted Chen Ke¡¯s attempt, moving like a venomous snake behind him and tightly coiling around his sword-wielding arm¡ªthe acid sizzled on his right sleeve. ¡°Nice try, but your song and dance is over!¡± The monster regained its senses and reached for Chen Ke¡¯s Holy Relics coat with its other hand. Chen Ke again activated the killing intent trigger. As long as the killing intent flowed endlessly, he could use it indefinitely to control his opponent to death! Having learned from the previous encounter, the monster summoned all its concentration to resist when it sensed the anomaly, but it still gave Chen Ke a half-second opening. ¡°Spend 20 minutes of life span to identify the Holy Relic.¡± ¡°Spend 30 minutes to summon the Holy Relic.¡± Chen Ke¡¯s left hand glowed with an orange halo, and the Blasphemous Dagger appeared in his grasp! As if starting afresh, he jammed the dagger into the monster¡¯s lower jaw and into its brain, even stirring it around with the handle. The pain caused the monster to stick out its tongue, roll its eyes back, and make an expression that seemed utterly befuddled. The monster fell to its knees, the whip blade retracted into its sleeve, transforming back into a palm, and then it collapsed on the ground. Chen Ke extracted the dagger, returning it to its form as an orange Holy Relics diamond, adorned with the monster¡¯s brain matter and blood. Chen Ke wiped the diamond clean with the monster¡¯s hood and pocketed it before turning to look for Lucina. She lay on the ground, unconscious from pain, just six or seven steps away from Chen Ke. Chen Ke had just taken a step when a wisp of black mist emerged beside Lucina. The mist took shape, becoming a bald, naked female with a purple mark on her forehead. ¡°The Silent Witch!?¡± Chen Ke inhaled sharply. He summoned the green short sword back into his hand and took a fighting stance. He hadn¡¯t expected this witch to possess Laven¡¯s Transcendent ability to turn into mist! The bald witch gazed at the monster¡¯s corpse beside Chen Ke and wore an expression full of resentment. She embraced Lucina from the ground and gave Chen Ke a sinister smile. ¡°If you want her, exchange her for the thing,¡± the witch said indifferently. Not good... Chen Ke thought of the worst-case scenario. He saw a red halo appear in the witch¡¯s pupils, and a vortex of red light emerged behind them. Chen Ke had seen this skill before! It was the same skill that Laven used to transport herself to the shopping mall rooftop from the hamburger restaurant! She intended to take Lucina away. Chen Ke instantly acted, snapping his fingers towards the ground and launching himself at the Silent Witch. But with a flash of red light, the witch and Lucina disappeared on the spot, and by the time Chen Ke landed, his short sword had pierced into the mud. Chen Ke still harbored a sliver of hope. Perhaps the skill¡¯s transportation distance was limited? He immediately activated Spiritual Vision, scanning all living beings within a hundred-meter radius. Whether on the opposite side of the river, in the woods, or on the nearby road, he couldn¡¯t find any targets. Chen Ke stood there feeling a sense of emptiness. He took out his phone to call Pihom, but couldn¡¯t find any trace of it on him. Chen Ke returned to the wrecked vehicle to search and found his Nokia E63 with a broken screen. The accident had been too severe; even a Nokia couldn¡¯t survive. But to leave no evidence behind, he pocketed the damaged phone and picked up the M16A2 that had fallen into the mud. As for Lucina¡¯s MP5, he couldn¡¯t find it. It must have been swept away into the river along with several bags of money from the trunk... Chen Ke sighed and counted the remaining bags of money scattered on the ground before driving away alone in the escape vehicle hidden in the woods to the gun shop. When Chen Ke returned to the gun store, it was around 3 in the afternoon. The gun store was closed. He parked the car in the backyard, leaned against the van, and then, carrying the gun and money bags, walked into the safe house. Pihom and Hall were sitting at the table, while Priskin was playing with a radio power amplifier and repeatedly calling Chen Ke and Lucina¡¯s names through the headphones to the point that they didn¡¯t notice Chen Ke when he entered the safe house. ¡°Hey,¡± Chen Ke called out, tossing the money bag onto the floor. The three looked up, their worried expressions dissipating. Priskin threw off his headphones and ran over to give Chen Ke a bear hug. ¡°I knew you¡¯d be fine, hahaha! What happened on your end? Why didn¡¯t you respond to the radio for so long?¡± Hall slapped Chen Ke on the shoulder. ¡°Where¡¯s Lucina? I bet she¡¯s still sitting in Boss Tang¡¯s car!¡± Priskin laughed. Only Pihom saw through Chen Ke¡¯s mood. When Chen Ke remained silent, their initial joy froze on their faces. ¡°What happened, Chen Ke?¡± Hall asked. ¡°I lost Lucina,¡± Chen Ke slowly said. A silence fell over the three. After a dozen seconds. ¡°Is she dead?¡± Priskin cautiously asked. ¡°No... not dead... just captured...¡± Chen Ke shook his head. ¡°Hahaha! No big deal! Just reel her back in, right?¡± Hall laughed. ¡°Hall...¡± Pihom seemed to realize the seriousness of the situation. ¡°The organization that took Lucina is called Yasla. They are a far more dangerous existence than any Spiritual Ability User...¡± Chen Ke shook his head. If a Spiritual Ability User was someone who wielded Spiritual Power, those people in Yasla were neither human nor ghost; no one knew how they had become what they were. Again, the three fell into silence. Chapter 144: 144: Sorry, Hainerd Chapter 144: Chapter 144: Sorry, Hainerd Postal workers lack the ability to go head-to-head with Spiritual Ability Users. After all, they are just a bunch of bandits. ¡°I will miss her...¡± Priskin whispered. ¡°I¡¯m going to delete Lucina¡¯s Iron Fist save file...¡± Hall sighed. Chen Ke took a deep breath, placed his hands on the table, and looked at them in disbelief. He demanded loudly, ¡°What do you mean? Are we just giving up?¡± ¡°What else can we do, Chen Ke? You said it yourself, the other party is a Transcendent-level organization...¡± Hall murmured. ¡°I heard that postal workers are like a big blob of multicolored playdough squeezed together, but your words make me wonder...¡± Chen Ke shook his head. ¡°Chen Ke is right. We can¡¯t abandon any of our partners,¡± Pihom said. ¡°Do you have any good ideas?¡± He looked to Chen Ke, considering the opposition was a Transcendent-level organization, and it was impossible for postal workers to defeat them. Chen Ke picked up an envelope from the table. It contained the biggest gain from this operation: a green Holy Relics diamond. ¡°They want us to take this in exchange for Lucina,¡± Chen Ke said slowly. He turned the Holy Diamond over in his hand, displaying it to the three men. ¡°This is a Holy Diamond, and it¡¯s a color we¡¯ve never seen. I haven¡¯t assessed its value yet...¡± Pihom stroked his beard. ¡°Was Hainerd¡¯s last operation related to this?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe this diamond was also among the spoils of Hainerd¡¯s operation...¡± Pihom analyzed. ¡°Then give it to them and swap her back. We¡¯ve already taken the money, and we know who exactly they are. Next, we return the goods to them, and from then on, our waters don¡¯t cross,¡± Hall said. ¡°You¡¯re too naive, Hall... Even if we give this back to them, they¡¯ll find a way to wipe us out... The bomb phone in the car was just a threat, but this time, they might not be just trying to scare us...¡± Chen Ke shook his head. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that we¡¯re now forced to go toe-to-toe with them?¡± Priskin asked. ¡°That¡¯s right. They don¡¯t know where we are, so they are proposing a trade to capture more postal workers. They will surely resort to torture to find out the locations of the safe houses within the Federation,¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°This is real trouble now...¡± Hall sighed. At that moment, the door to the safe house was pushed open, and a burly man walked in. ¡°How did he get in?¡± Hall and Priskin were on alert, pulling out their handguns and aiming at the man¡¯s silhouette. There were two ways into the safe house, through the Red Door behind the gun shop counter and the hidden door in the backyard. With the gun shop closed, Chen Ke had come in through the hidden door. ¡°I should have advised you and clarified the situation sooner, but your actions exceeded my expectations...¡± The man slowly stepped out of the darkness into the light, revealing a muscular Latino with streaks of gray in his hair and scars on his face. Chen Ke turned his head to meet the man¡¯s gaze, both of them startled. ¡°Hainerd... what the hell are you up to?¡± Pihom asked with his hands on his hips and in a low voice. If he remembered correctly, the man standing before them was Hainerd. He still looked robust but slightly wearied, with more white hair at his temples than a year ago. Of course, Hainerd knew Lin Mo, but he had never expected Lin Mo would show up at the postal worker¡¯s safe house. Chen Ke didn¡¯t know what Hainerd had been up to for the past year, nor was it known whether the plan he had with Lin Mo was successful or had failed. Did Hainerd know about Lin Mo¡¯s death in the West Gold Building? Was Li Mo¡¯s death related to him? Chen Ke¡¯s mind was a mess, and Hainerd must have been equally confused. ¡°Hainerd, what happened during the last operation?¡± Hall asked. ¡°It¡¯s a long story, and I will pick a time to properly tell you, but for now, let¡¯s talk about that green Holy Diamond...¡± Hainerd fixed his gaze on Chen Ke as he slowly approached the table. ¡°We still can¡¯t trust you, Hainerd. It would be best if you came clean to us now,¡± Priskin said. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault... I took risks for my own purpose, and to prevent them from finding you, I went into hiding after that operation...¡± Hainerd said. ¡°Them...?¡± asked Pihom. ¡°Yasla,¡± Hainerd said as he picked up the green diamond. ¡°They are a group obsessed with Spiritual Energy. They were human before, but not anymore...¡± Hainerd glanced at Chen Ke. Chen Ke said nothing. ¡°I know what that is. It¡¯s mutation triggered by being infected with Spiritual Energy. The Administration Bureau calls them mutated individuals,¡± Hall added. ¡°They are not simply mutated... Yasla is a group of persistent fanatics. They believe that Spiritual Energy is a revelation, a direction for the next evolution of humanity... If mutated individuals are infected by Spiritual Energy, then Yasla could be said to have become one with Spiritual Energy as mutants...¡± Hainerd shook his head. ¡°Mutants...¡± Chen Ke glanced at Hainerd. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this Holy Diamond, we¡¯ve never seen this color before, it must be worth a lot of money, right?¡± Pihom asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know what this Holy Diamond is either, it can¡¯t be identified by the detection machines, and its color is unique, but Yasla¡¯s people are very eager to get their hands on it. They had a hard time obtaining it from Si¡¯s consortium, only to have you guys snatch it away,¡± Hainerd said with a smile. ¡°Why would Si¡¯s consortium have this?¡± Chen Ke asked. Hainerd looked at Chen Ke, as if realizing that the man before him was somewhat different from the one in his memory. ¡°Cough... Let me introduce him, this is our new member, Chen Ke,¡± Pihom coughed. ¡°So, now you¡¯re called Chen Ke... I knew you wouldn¡¯t give up,¡± Hainerd said meaningfully. From Hainerd¡¯s words, Hall, Priskin, and Pihom noticed something amiss and all looked toward Chen Ke. ¡°Chen Ke... What does Hainerd mean? We... are a bit confused,¡± Hall said, looking at Chen Ke doubtfully. ¡°He used to be a Spiritual Ability Killer for Si¡¯s consortium...¡± Hainerd spoke slowly. Silence fell over everyone. ¡°Damn...¡± Pihom whispered under his breath, his right hand unconsciously opening the drawer under the table where a large-caliber revolver was stored. Priskin and Hall also found themselves speechless, stealing glances at each other, their hands slowly drifting to their holsters. ¡°No, it¡¯s impossible, I¡¯ve scanned him with the Spiritual Energy detector, and there is no liquid Spiritual Energy in his spine,¡± Priskin suddenly remembered something and said. Hearing this, the three of them sighed in relief and all turned to look at Chen Ke, expecting an explanation. ¡°No...?¡± Even Hainerd was stunned, looking at Chen Ke doubtfully. Facing the skeptical eyes of the four men, Chen Ke¡¯s eye twitched, and an incredibly melodramatic lie came to his mind. He placed his hands on the table, surveyed the four people, and with a slight upturn of his lips, he slowly said, ¡°Actually, my name is Lin Ke, and I¡¯m Lin Mo¡¯s brother.¡± Pihom, Hall, and Priskin all heaved a sigh of relief. Pihom closed the drawer and crossed his arms in front of his chest again, while Hall and Priskin moved their hands away from their holsters. Only Hainerd looked utterly shocked. ¡°He... has a brother...?¡± Hainerd said in disbelief. ¡°Yes, my brother Lin Mo used to work for Si¡¯s consortium. But they killed him. I want to avenge my brother,¡± Chen Ke said coldly. ¡°So that¡¯s why you¡¯re so persistent about Si¡¯s consortium... I finally understand...¡± Pihom nodded. Hall patted Chen Ke on the shoulder, showing understanding. ¡°So, did you send the distress signal? What about the bomb in the car?¡± Priskin asked. ¡°I did send out a distress signal; Yasla wanted me to prove my loyalty... but I had no idea they would put a bomb in the car,¡± Hainerd said, still not having recovered from the deception of the Lin brothers. ¡°You were working for Yasla before...? Why, Hainerd?¡± Hall pressed. Pihom shook his head, and Chen Ke had a premonition that Pihom definitely knew something. ¡°For my beloved, even though I failed once, I refuse to give up, just like your brother,¡± Hainerd looked at Chen Ke and said slowly. It seems that the plan from a year ago had ultimately ended in failure; none of them had been able to save the people they loved. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about the car bomb; that was not the outcome I wanted...¡± Hainerd said, looking at Pihom. ¡°Don¡¯t be in a hurry to apologize... Hainerd,¡± Chen Ke said cautiously. Hainerd turned to Chen Ke, not understanding his point. ¡°During today¡¯s operation... I lost Lucina... She¡¯s now been captured by Yasla¡¯s people and is being held hostage... They want us to exchange her for this green Holy Diamond...¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°+30 minutes¡± ¡°+30 minutes¡± ¡°+30 minutes¡± ¡°+30 minutes¡± ... Chapter 145: 145: Three Lives, One Door Chapter 145: Chapter 145: Three Lives, One Door Hainerd stared at Chen Ke, his face frozen. Chen Ke could feel his anger and killing intent, but the man ultimately controlled his emotions. Robbing a bank was inherently a high-risk affair. Even with meticulous planning and thorough preparation, an unexpected incident could lead to a disastrous failure. After all, Chen Ke and his team had succeeded. If it hadn¡¯t been for the sudden intrusion of Yasla¡¯s freak at the last phase, the four of them should have been celebrating with champagne and counting money in the safe house. The root of the robbery traced back to a deal a year ago between Hainerd and Lin Mo¡ªHainerd, a member of the Postmen, formed a secret alliance with Lin Mo, an assassin for Si¡¯s consortium, initiating the operation to save his wife and sister. ¡°They want the diamond, no doubt, but we can¡¯t give it to them,¡± Hainerd said. His words left the four somewhat perplexed. They had assumed Hainerd would be desperate to exchange the diamond for his daughter. ¡°It looks like you don¡¯t care that much about your daughter,¡± Chen Ke looked at Hainerd. ¡°I think you¡¯re not aware of how much I just wanted to twist your head off,¡± Hainerd replied coldly. Chen Ke shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I will definitely save Lucina, but the Holy Diamond cannot be given to Yasla. You probably still don¡¯t understand the relationship between Yasla, Si¡¯s consortium, and us,¡± Hainerd said, shaking his head. Chen Ke and the others looked at Hainerd¡ªthey were indeed clueless and unaware of their current situation. ¡°Tell me then, why did you rob that bank?¡± Hainerd asked. ¡°You might not believe it, but it¡¯s all because of you,¡± Pihom said. ¡°Yes, you disappeared from the operation, then sent us a car bomb. If it weren¡¯t for Chen Ke... or rather... Lin Ke¡¯s help, we wouldn¡¯t have made it this far,¡± Hall said. ¡°Your informant, Parchi, led us to this diamond, but he died from the curse of the Silent Witch. You know how powerful that magic is, right?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°You rashly stole this diamond just to find out who had bombed you with a car...? Had I known earlier, I should have told you the facts sooner,¡± Hainerd said helplessly. ¡°If you had told us earlier, I would have stopped you from doing something stupid,¡± Pihom spoke gravely. ¡°What if that stupid thing was for family? Old Pi...¡± Hainerd retorted. Pihom gave no clear response. ¡°So, what exactly happened?¡± Chen Ke looked at Hainerd. Hainerd sighed, pulled up a chair, sat down slowly, and narrated the details of the previous operation. It had been a robbery targeting Si¡¯s consortium on Raffi Road, a long-distance route leading out of the city, involving four target vehicles, two guards, two transport cars, and just six armed guards¡ªsimple and pleasant. Four members of the Postmen were in charge of this operation, led by Hainerd. But he had other plans. Before deciding to hit this job, Yasla had already set its sights on the target but preferred not to act directly. Offering the return of his wife as payment, Hainerd decided to ¡°borrow¡± the power of the Postmen to conduct the operation. But he did not realize how high the cost of serving Yasla would be. After the score, the other three Postmen were silenced, and he was forced to leave behind his phone. The relationship between Yasla and Si¡¯s consortium was not as simple as cooperation. As a member of the ¡°Company,¡± the consortium had been dedicated to secretly researching and uncovering the mysteries of the Great Void. Moreover, they brought some artifacts, aside from the Holy Diamond, out of the Great Void to sell to Yasla or keep for themselves. If Holy Relics were weapons and equipment endowed with mystical power from an unknown era, then artifacts were the incarnations of miracles beyond the explanation of words... ¡°In the end, did they fulfill their promise?¡± Pihom asked. ¡°They failed to fulfill their promise,¡± Hainerd said. ¡°It seems... that¡¯s pretty normal... Villains in movies never keep their promises,¡± Hall added. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. Yasla is cruel, but they also have a strong sense of contract... They failed to restore my wife because someone killed it,¡± Hainerd said faintly. ¡°Hmm... Restore? What exactly happened to your wife and Lin Mo¡¯s sister? Were they locked up somewhere, or...?¡± Chen Ke asked, puzzled. ¡°There is a Holy Relic called the Blasphemous Dagger. Its purpose is to open a door,¡± Hainerd slowly explained. The Blasphemous Dagger... In the bank¡¯s diamond parcel, he had seen the Holy Diamond of a Blasphemous Dagger hidden among the diamonds, which the Si¡¯s consortium intended to smuggle out of Opportunity City amongst the stones. He had picked up a few at the time, not counting exactly how many, and he hadn¡¯t had the time to look up the entry for the Blasphemous Dagger. ¡°What kind of doors can that dagger open? Like a master key?¡± Priskin asked. ¡°No, it is an evil Holy Diamond that can be used as a weapon, but its greater function is to open a door to the Great Void in our world,¡± Hainerd explained. ¡°The Great Void...¡± Priskin fell silent. ¡°I have some knowledge of what this dagger does. Si¡¯s consortium has stockpiled a lot of these things, but to use this dagger to open a door, it requires the sacrifice of three human lives,¡± Hainerd added. Chen Ke remained silent, listening intently, knowing full well what Hainerd meant, having experienced it himself. ¡°This type of dagger must be used in pairs and requires a ritual, binding a soul as a contract, sacrificing two lives as the first offering to open the door. One life is the key, one life to open the entrance, and another to open the exit.¡± ¡°The ritual requires the power of the Silent Witch, so the Si¡¯s consortium and Yasla have always maintained a balanced, cooperative relationship. Once the dagger has bound the three offerings, the person who is the contract will become a contract demon...¡± Contract demon... ¡°You owe me a soul...¡± Chen Ke remembered the contract demon¡¯s words. ¡°The contract demon will be exiled to the corresponding Great Void of that dagger. Then, the two additional bound lives will open the doors to that Great Void, one for entering and one for exiting. The dagger will pierce the hearts of the offerings, hooking away their souls and presenting them to the contract demon exiled in that Great Void.¡± ¡°After the entire action of opening and closing the door is completed, the two daggers and the contract demon become a stable Great Void transport system, allowing the Si¡¯s consortium to sacrifice lives to send people into the Great Void to seek what they desire.¡± ¡°Your wife... became a contract demon?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°That¡¯s correct... and so did Lin Mo¡¯s sister,¡± Hainerd said. Chen Ke looked up at the ceiling. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, Hainerd¡¯s wife was pierced through the heart by Faralis¡¯s Unyielding Fury and then fell off the cliff with Chen Ke, now presumably lying at the bottom of Fan Hede Valley... That meant, aside from the Blasphemous Dagger that Chen Ke used to kill the Black man and left at the West Gold Building, the consortium still had another... ¡°Is the dagger a one-time use?¡± Chen Ke suddenly asked. Hainerd shook his head and replied, ¡°If it¡¯s the ritual you¡¯re talking about, then it¡¯s one-time use, but the door opening and sacrificing are permanent. However, after a complete ritual, this pair of daggers can only open the door to that one Great Void.¡± ¡°But what if they only have one dagger? Does that mean they could only enter and not exit?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. Theoretically, the daggers bound in the same ritual are not meant to be used concurrently. My understanding of these things is quite limited.¡± Chen Ke vividly remembered the dagger initially plunged into his own chest had three empty entries. Used... would likely mean the ritual was complete. But what did the other two entries, already extracted, signify? Chapter 146: 146: Breaking the Curse Chapter 146: Chapter 146: Breaking the Curse ¡°Let¡¯s put aside the matter of the dagger, we need to get Lucina back, and now swapping the Holy Diamond is the only way. But the problem is, we don¡¯t know how to contact them, nor do I want to risk trusting them. Hainerd, how well do you know them?¡± Pihom asked. ¡°That Holy Diamond is not just an ordinary piece of equipment, I don¡¯t know what it is, but I know someone in Yasla knows how to use this thing. If we have it, Lucina can stay alive, but once handed over, everyone will die,¡± Hainerd said. ¡°This Holy Diamond...is green. Are there many Holy Diamonds of this color?¡± Chen Ke asked, since Hainerd had once been involved in smuggling Holy Relics and had seen more Holy Relics and Transcendent items. ¡°This is the first time in my life I¡¯ve seen a green Holy Diamond. At first, I thought it was a counterfeit. The scanner couldn¡¯t detect any information, and the spiritual energy levels are so low it didn¡¯t seem like a Holy Relic. But clearly, it¡¯s not one of a kind,¡± Hainerd replied. ¡°So you¡¯re saying there are many of this green kind...¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how many there are in total, but I¡¯ve overheard people in Yasla talking about gathering them before others... I guess it¡¯s like some other sets of Holy Diamonds, able to complete a set, god knows what. But trust me, someone in Yasla knows how to use it, and it¡¯s not comparable to ordinary Holy Relics. The moment it¡¯s handed to Yasla, none of us present would survive,¡± Hainerd spoke seriously. Chen Ke looked at the green Holy Diamond lying on the table, so plain at the moment. His life countdown could appraise Holy Relics, but in this case, it indicated a dwindling lifespan. It seemed that to appraise and even summon it would cost far more than 20 hours of life, this spiritual energy is indeed deadly... ¡°They want to trade with us, but we have no way of contacting them. Besides waiting, there¡¯s no other way,¡± Hall said, spreading his hands. ¡°You don¡¯t need to go looking for them. They will come to you,¡± Hainerd shook his head. ¡°Does that mean they know where we are?¡± Chen Ke was startled. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that serious. Otherwise, they would have come and robbed us by now. But don¡¯t forget, they have the Silent Witch. Aside from cursing people, she¡¯s very good at finding them,¡± Hainerd said. ¡°What means do they use to find people? Transcendent powers?¡± Priskin asked. ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter. Anyway, her eyes are special. Once you¡¯ve made eye contact with the Silent Witch, she can find a way to lock on to you... Has anyone here made eye contact with the Silent Witch?¡± Hainerd asked. Everyone glanced at each other. Chen Ke took a deep breath and slowly raised his hand. Pihom wiped his face, and Hall and Priskin also shook their heads. ¡°That witch took Lucina away right in front of me, using a strange method... vanished into thin air,¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°Did you talk to her? Did she speak to you?¡± Hainerd asked concernedly. ¡°She told me to exchange the Holy Diamond for Lucina, then disappeared,¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°Did you reply to her?¡± Hainerd stared at Chen Ke. ¡°I didn¡¯t reply, I didn¡¯t say anything,¡± Chen Ke shook his head. ¡°Good... Did you make any other moves? Nodded? Or any other body motion indicating agreement?¡± Hainerd anxiously asked. ¡°I... I can¡¯t remember, it all happened so fast, I don¡¯t remember making any movements,¡± Chen Ke shook his head. ¡°Just to be safe, we can only assume you¡¯ve now been afflicted with the Silence Curse,¡± Hainerd said resignedly. ¡°Does that mean I¡¯ll turn black and rot like Parchi?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°Yes...if you refuse to go through with the trade... you might die from breaking an oath,¡± Hainerd said. ¡°This is ridiculous... Is there no cure for this strange... spell?¡± Hall asked. ¡°There¡¯s one, there¡¯s one...¡± Hainerd said with a smile. ¡°Why not tell us?¡± Pihom asked. ¡°Kill the Silent Witch who cursed it, and the Silence Curse will be broken. I¡¯ve done it before,¡± Hainerd said with a smile. ¡°That makes sense...¡± Chen Ke said coldly. ¡°So, does that mean we only have the option to trade with them now, unless, we don¡¯t care about Chen Ke¡¯s life?¡± Priskin scratched his head. ¡°What if... what if he hasn¡¯t been cursed?¡± Hall looked at Chen Ke and then at Hainerd. ¡°Then you¡¯d have to ask Chen Ke, whether he¡¯s willing to gamble with his own life,¡± Hainerd spread his hands. ¡°Even if I weren¡¯t cursed, that witch could find me anytime, anywhere. I don¡¯t like this feeling,¡± Chen Ke shook his head. Just by making eye contact, she could find someone. How crazy was that ability? He suddenly remembered when he and Pihom were scouting the bank, he had seen a Silent Witch through the telescope. Chen Ke couldn¡¯t quite recall what that witch looked like, but if she was the one who abducted Lucina... ¡°If they want to trade, I¡¯ll trade with them,¡± Chen Ke said. Everyone looked at Chen Ke. ¡°This is dangerous, you can¡¯t get out of it alone. We¡¯ve already lost enough people,¡± Pihom shook his head. ¡°That witch can find me anytime, anyhow I must find a way to kill her,¡± said Chen Ke. ¡°Dealing with them isn¡¯t easy, although regular weapons can be effective,¡± Hainerd commented. ¡°Are you saying that they can be shot dead?¡± Hall asked. ¡°I never said they aren¡¯t afraid of guns. In fact, Spiritual Ability Users are afraid of guns, and getting shot will kill them, but the problem is, Spiritual Ability Users can use Holy Relics and Skills scriptures, and it¡¯s too difficult to shoot them head-on with a gun. With the special effects of the Holy Relics properly coordinated and strong skills to support them, the movements of Spiritual Ability Users far exceed regular human comprehension...¡± Hainerd shook his head. ¡°Far exceed human comprehension? What if I stand 200 meters away with a PSG1 aimed at him? What can he do then?¡± Hall asked. ¡°There are many things he can do. For example, one second before you pull the trigger, he could instantly teleport right in front of you from 200 meters away, and cleave you from head to the rear,¡± Hainerd said sarcastically. ¡°...¡± Hall wanted to argue, but couldn¡¯t find a suitable example. ¡°You don¡¯t have a firsthand understanding of the power of Holy Relic weapons. Only those who have used them truly understand how powerful they are,¡± Hainerd shook his head. Chen Ke fully understood. Even though he had only used low-level Holy Relics, he could already grasp their powerful aspects. The power of Holy Relics didn¡¯t lie in how sharp or heavy they were, or even in the eighteen kinds of attributes they possessed. It was about their enchantments. Even the most basic enchantments could include bizarre effects like ¡°wounds that never heal.¡± What about even more powerful Holy Relics? A cleave that splits the earth? A casual swing summoning a meteor shower from the sky? Chen Ke dared not imagine. Especially since these Holy Relics were so compact; grouped into a bracelet or set in a necklace, allowing Spiritual Ability Users to travel anywhere lightly equipped. They were human-shaped weapons of mass destruction, yet they mingled in the markets without arousing suspicion from people around them, not to mention their Skills scriptures. ¡°If handled properly, there¡¯s still a chance, haven¡¯t you done it yourself?¡± Chen Ke smiled. ¡°You¡¯re right. I just wanted to remind you how difficult it is,¡± Hainerd said. ¡°Well, it looks like we can only trade with them, and the trader has to be Chen Ke...¡± Pihom said. ¡°Why are you still calling him Chen Ke until now, isn¡¯t his name Lin Ke?¡± Priskin suddenly asked. ¡°We got used to calling him that... Chen... What do you think we should call you?¡± Hall glanced at Priskin and then looked toward Chen Ke, asking. ¡°Just call me Chen Ke... I have already forged Lin Ke¡¯s death certificate, Si¡¯s consortium has been thinking all of us Lin brothers are long gone...¡± Chen Ke wiped the sweat from his forehead as he spoke. The group decided to still call him Chen Ke and agreed to temporarily entrust the green Holy Diamond to him for safekeeping. Now, other than waiting, there was no other option. Chen Ke also insisted on trading with Yasla alone, mainly because if other people were with him, he couldn¡¯t unleash his full ability. Pihom and Hall could only hope that Chen Ke would be able to improvise during the trade. ¡°I like cautious people, Chen Ke, you and Lin Mo really look alike... If it weren¡¯t for your completely different personalities, I think I wouldn¡¯t be able to tell you apart,¡± Hainerd remarked approvingly. ¡°Hainerd, if there¡¯s time, I¡¯d like to have a chat with you alone,¡± Chen Ke looked towards Hainerd. Chapter 147: 147 Hainerd Past Events Chapter 147: Chapter 147 Hainerd Past Events Chen Ke wanted to ask Hainerd many questions, including about the deal from a year ago, Lin Mo¡¯s sister, and West Gold Building, Lin Mo¡¯s last night... Perhaps, the question Chen Ke most remembered: What exactly was the life countdown? He might also get an answer to that. Was it something similar to the Silence Curse? If the life countdown was also a kind of curse, then could Si¡¯s consortium, or Yasla, have the ability to lift such a curse? As of today, all the mysteries would be revealed. ¡°Give them some space,¡± Pihom said. Hall and Priskin nodded their heads, walking past Chen Ke and patting him on the shoulder. Pihom walked past Hainerd, wanting to say something but restrained himself, and slowly walked out of the safe house, closing the door behind him. Now, only Chen Ke and Hainerd were left in the entire safe house, the computer case¡¯s fans whirring loudly, making the atmosphere very oppressive. ¡°What do you want to know, Chen Ke?¡± Hainerd didn¡¯t look at Chen Ke, took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket¡ªthe most popular budget brand in the United Federation, only costing five union coins per pack. He popped one out and then offered it to Chen Ke. Chen Ke waved his hand, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t smoke.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good habit,¡± Hainerd muttered, biting one himself and lighting it with a lighter. A swirl of smoke filled the room with the pungent odor of tobacco, Chen Ke frowned, pretending to prop his chin with his hand, discreetly covering his nose. ¡°Talk about what you and Lin Mo did a year ago, and why it ultimately failed,¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°That¡¯s a long story,¡± Hainerd mused, looking at the whirling smoke. ¡°Then keep it short...¡± Chen Ke said bluntly, wanting to know the truth, not a trivial family story. ¡°Alright, you¡¯re as impatient as Lin Mo, so I¡¯ll give you the ultra-compressed, super simple version,¡± Hainerd said with a smile. The gates of memory slowly opened, and the white cigarette, consumed by the red flames, turned to ash, falling to the ground. It all started with a woman, Hainerd¡¯s wife, Margaret. Hainerd was originally a smuggler of Holy Diamonds in the inland sea and had been in the business for over a decade before meeting Margaret during a transaction, where they fell in love at first sight. Like dry wood meeting fierce flames, on a small cruise drifting between Opportunity City and Carefree City on the inland sea, Lucina was born. But the good times didn¡¯t last long. Smuggling on the sea is a very dangerous and illegal act, and the Administration Bureau¡¯s crackdown on Holy Diamond smuggling never ceased. When Lucina was four, Hainerd and Margaret were captured by the Administration Bureau¡¯s marine patrol and were thrown into prison. However, Hainerd was only imprisoned for six months before being released by the Administration Bureau, while his wife disappeared from the face of the Earth. He took Lucina back from the orphanage, reverted to his old trade, and has since been searching for Margaret¡¯s whereabouts. In a deal with a certain consortium, he learned news of Margaret. Apparently, the Administration Bureau had always been using prisoners to test unknown Skill manuals and Holy Relics, sometimes simply as expendables. They called those people ¡°D-class personnel.¡± Margaret and two other prisoners were used as ¡°sacrifices¡± for the Blasphemous Dagger, which opened a gateway to the Great Void. As compensation, the Administration Bureau released Hainerd early. Hearing this, Chen Ke shook his head. ¡°You might consider this a necessary evil in this world, because the initial intention of the Administration Bureau was to better explore and utilize Spiritual Power for the benefit of society. From the perspective of those involved, however, so-called necessary evils are nonsense.¡± Sacrificing oneself for the world is heroic, but there is a difference between voluntary and forced, and Margaret¡¯s fate was more akin to being treated like a lab rat. Hainerd lacked the power to oppose the Administration Bureau and was unable to recover for many years, until one day, a group called Yasla told him that the mutation of a contract demon was reversible. Sacrifices used as keys cannot be resurrected, but those offered to contract demons can be brought back to life through a ritual. Once that sacrifice becomes human again, the corresponding doorway will be permanently closed, never to be opened again. Additionally, the person would suffer from severe short-term memory loss, unable to remember events from just ten minutes prior, and forever lose their past. But for Hainerd, this was a price he was willing to pay. What Yasla wanted was the green Holy Diamond in the possession of ¡°the company,¡± which was the same one Chen Ke and his team had stolen today. ¡°The company¡± is an organization formed secretly by hundreds of large Spiritual Businesses in the United Federation, without fixed members or form, and the leader is unknown. Core members never change, but other members come and go, appearing loose, yet incredibly stable. Currently, ¡°the company¡± is dedicated to exploring the commercial prospects of Spiritual Power and the Great Void. In a sense, it is a more profit-driven commercial alliance than purely academic organizations like the Spiritual Ability Research Institute. Yasla wanted Hainerd to be their spy, to search for the diamond, and promised to use their power to find Margaret and transform her back into a human. Years passed, and Lucina grew from a little girl into a robust mature woman, Hainerd¡¯s temples slightly graying, and he joined the postal service. It was then that he finally learned that ¡°the company¡± had continually been moving the green Holy Diamond, and its next location was Si¡¯s Consortium. Was it fate or coincidence? It didn¡¯t matter. Within the consortium, an assassin, Lin Mo, had a sister who was also sacrificed as part of the Blasphemous Dagger ritual. Seizing this as an opportunity, Hainerd formed an alliance with Lin Mo, collaborating from the inside to steal the Holy Diamond. But Lin Mo¡¯s sister was not transformed into a contract demon; she was simply used as the key to open a door. Only contract demons could be transformed back into humans, and a key, once dead, remains dead. Hainerd didn¡¯t share this with Lin Mo as this was his only chance. Yasla and Si¡¯s consortium had longstanding intermittent cooperation. The consortium needed Yasla¡¯s powers to conduct rituals for a new Blasphemous Dagger, and Yasla needed items brought back from the Great Void by the consortium. However, there were some rare items that even the consortium was unwilling to sell to Yasla, hence the trade a year ago where Hainerd and Lin Mo switched the contents inside the box. That trade was merely a rehearsal for the subsequent theft of the diamond. The severed hand Yasla coveted came from another witch in the Great Void, whom the consortium sacrificed many people to acquire her powerful forearm. That day, Yasla deliberately exposed itself, allowing its mutated adversary to follow and attempt to steal the severed hand amidst the chaos at minimal cost. Since Si¡¯s consortium was a valuable collaboration, Yasla did not want to jeopardize it over a severed hand. It could attribute the deaths of the consortium¡¯s gunmen and the disappearance of the hand to the mutated being. This was the true purpose of the trade a year ago, and the first collaboration between Hainerd and Lin Mo. A few months later, they did it again... This time, Lin Mo smuggled out the green Holy Diamond and mixed it into the traded items, and Yasla repeated its tricks, successfully stealing the Holy Diamond. ¡°We got the Holy Diamond, but Yasla told me that after the ritual, they were unable to successfully summon the contract demon that was once Margaret...¡± Hainerd shook his head. A contract demon corresponds to a pair of daggers, it seems, the dagger used by Lin Mo that night was not the one sacrificed by Margaret. Chapter 148: 148: Return to the Rightful Owner Chapter 148: Chapter 148: Return to the Rightful Owner Margaret was sacrificed at the Administration Bureau, while Lin Mo used a dagger from Si¡¯s consortium... The Great Void they led to should have been different, and too much time had passed, at least over twenty years. That meant, the contract demon Chen Ke killed wasn¡¯t Margaret. ¡°I told your brother that the ritual failed, but he wouldn¡¯t give up... he still had a glimmer of hope, just like I did when I first encountered Yasla,¡± Hainerd shook his head. However, the Holy Diamond hadn¡¯t been in Yasla¡¯s possession for long before it was stolen by another mysterious person. ¡°Someone can steal from Yasla?¡± Chen Ke couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Yes, Yasla¡¯s deformed appearance doesn¡¯t make it convenient for them to move about in public, so they attract a vast network of human infiltrators with the lure of oddities and power,¡± Hainerd said. Chen Ke thought about the three assassination tasks Lester had given him, pondering. ¡°The Holy Diamond was stolen, and its whereabouts were unknown until two weeks ago... when we learned it was being transported by a convoy to the bank at the Holy Oak in Opportunity City,¡± Hainerd continued. ¡°Then you deceived the Postman, pulled off the last operation, and completely disappeared,¡± Chen Ke said. Hainerd nodded, but he had no choice in this operation because both he and Lucina had made eye contact with the Silent Witch. They blackmailed Hainerd into helping them snatch the Holy Diamond by threatening Lucina¡¯s safety. For Lucina, Hainerd was forced to take part in the operation. He first misled the Postman Organization with false information about the operation, then contacted Yasla at the port and received further instructions. By then, the consortium had already caught wind that there was an infiltrator within, and they had begun purging. However, they never suspected Lin Mo. Yasla, for the sake of that gemstone, no longer masked their cruelty. They eliminated the other three people Hainerd led, and forced Hainerd to send out a distress signal. Their intention was to send a message to this human organization robbing the Holy Relics: don¡¯t get involved in this matter. But they didn¡¯t expect the Postman¡¯s people to be so stubborn... With the Holy Diamond back in their hands, Hainerd began to have second thoughts. He no longer trusted Yasla, after all, there was no possibility of saving his wife. Thus, he contacted his informant Parchi and planned to secretly transport it overseas. Hainerd knew there was a man with the last name Lee in the Fei Huang Republic who absolutely had the power to confront Yasla, so he wanted to take Lucina and seek asylum with him. But the incident at West Gold Building had caused the Administration Bureau to tighten up inspections on maritime shipments, so he had to delay his escape plan. He ordered Parchi to store the item at the Pulito Bank at the Holy Oak, a place where Si¡¯s consortium secretly kept Holy Relics. That¡¯s why the bank was so well protected. Parchi himself thought he was working for Si¡¯s consortium, but in fact, this time, it was Hainerd¡¯s own idea. He meanwhile avoided Yasla¡¯s pursuit and one night finally killed the Silent Witch that could have tracked him down. But he never expected that the Postmen would rob that bank... ¡°What happened at West Gold Building that night? Do you know?¡± Chen Ke asked. Finishing a cigarette, Barnard stubbed it out in the ashtray, took out another one, and lit it. After a long while, he shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know why Lin Mo got involved in the West Gold Building incident, but I can tell you... Si¡¯s consortium¡¯s intentions are not simple. Their actions have been very aggressive in recent years, constantly collecting Blasphemous Daggers and opening many gateways to the Great Void. Even the company is hardly able to tolerate them now,¡± Hainerd said. ¡°My brother was used as a sacrifice to open a gateway to the Great Void, and he died at West Gold Building that night,¡± Chen Ke said, stroking his chin. ¡°Is that so... I don¡¯t sense much sorrow in you,¡± Hainerd eyed Chen Ke suspiciously. ¡°My heart is broken, don¡¯t question the bond between my brother and me,¡± Chen Ke patted his chest. ¡°No matter what Si¡¯s consortium wants, they¡¯ve already made the company quite intolerable. Moreover, it seems there are constant contradictions within their ranks,¡± Hainerd said. Hmm... Is that so? Chen Ke suddenly remembered the message left by a member of the Si¡¯s consortium team next to the stone door in Fan Hede Kingdom. ¡°Be careful of Miles.¡± And just now, when he came through, the Black guy was also looking for Miles... Did he deliberately get lost during the operation? Laven has already been killed by Chen Ke, but that Miles guy is still missing. Combining his memories of what Miles looked like, Chen Ke felt certain that he was up to something behind the scenes. What Si¡¯s consortium really wanted was not too important to Chen Ke, but he had to know what risks he¡¯d face if he decided to approach them. ¡°By the way, when you go to trade with Yasla, have you thought about how you¡¯ll get out unscathed? Besides, you still have to rescue someone...¡± Hainerd was even more concerned about this. ¡°That¡¯ll depend on when they come looking for me. I have my ways, and trust me, I can bring Lucina back safely,¡± Chen Ke said, not revealing his plan since it involved Spiritual Energy, mutated suits, and a bunch of tricks. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re going to do, but don¡¯t underestimate the members of Yasla, no matter how tough you think you are. If you¡¯ve fought with them, you¡¯d understand how formidable they are,¡± Hainerd cautioned. ¡°Of course, Hainerd, I always underestimate any opponent,¡± Chen Ke said. Since he had made eye contact with the Silent Witch, to avoid exposing the safe house¡¯s location, Chen Ke decided to only contact Pihom and others by phone until he killed that witch. As for the green Holy Diamond, he¡¯d keep it in the safe house for now. After saying goodbye to the crowd at the gun store, he returned to the place he was renting and sat on the bed organizing his things. He did not plan to hand over the diamond, nor did he want to leave it with Pihom indefinitely. If that thing was really that badass, keeping it to himself was definitely the best choice. One day, Chen Ke¡¯s life expectancy would increase to the point where he could identify the Holy Diamond. Whether it was a weapon or a piece of clothing, whatever it was, it would greatly enhance his power. It was a crazy world, and he had to face those terrifying things, driven by the countdown on his life. It was only through Spiritual Power and Holy Relics that he could survive. He had witnessed the Administration Bureau¡¯s Spiritual Ability User squad and P.W.A.T perish right before his eyes. Not because they were too weak, but because their gear was too weak. Well-trained and tactically aware, no good, your bullets are worthless against the monsters and you¡¯re just waiting to be harvested! Have Spiritual Power and full sets of Holy Relics, no good, your gear is trash and your skills aren¡¯t strong enough; you¡¯re still crushed by high-level monsters! That¡¯s the reality of this world. To cope with those monsters and prolong his life by absorbing their killing intent, he needed stronger gear and more skills. One day, he would break free from the countdown¡¯s bonds, return to a normal life, and no longer need to deal with these monsters. However, for now, he must finish the messy business at hand, trade with Yasla, and exchange Lucina back. Chen Ke did not plan to take on that group head-on. In a one-on-one fight, he was confident, but if they ganged up on him, he couldn¡¯t guarantee a safe escape. His equipment wasn¡¯t strong enough, his lifesaving skills too limited; he lacked the ability for rapid displacement, like Laven¡¯s turning into mist. Moreover, Lucina was in their hands; if she died, that would count as his failure. He couldn¡¯t count on the help of the Postman Organization either. If those people followed him to the trade, it would be a one-way trip and they would only hinder Chen Ke. So, Chen Ke thought of a bold plan. He took out the two cellphones and batteries of the Si¡¯s consortium assassin, placing them on the bed. Then, he pulled out Parker¡¯s Spiritual Energy M1911A1 pistol and one advanced Punishment attribute bullet. It was time to return these items. Chapter 149: 149 Reality Chapter 149: Chapter 149 Reality All afternoon, Chen Ke did not leave his rented apartment. He took a shower and sat in front of his computer desk in a comfortable bathrobe, browsing the internet. In recent days, many things had occurred in Opportunity City, changing the course of certain events in the shadows. This included Chen Ke¡¯s three assassination tasks. The CEO of Mirror, a well-known advanced material engineering company in the United Federation, Jeff, committed suicide by jumping from the building of the Opportunity City branch three nights ago. The news shocked the entire Opportunity City, and most people watched the spectacle online with glee. Some speculated that Jeff killed himself because the rapidly growing Spiritual Power Industry had critically squeezed the traditional materials industry¡¯s living space, creating unbearable pressure that kept the CEO from getting enough sleep. Meanwhile, the ongoing merger of Mirror by the Li Consortium has been the focus of industry news. Jeff had initiated a buyback of shares through the board to resist, but it was largely ineffective, and he was also facing the prospect of being ousted from the board. Mirror was an industrial company dedicated to the research and development of top artificial synthetic materials. They had once met the military cooperation needs of the United Federation¡¯s armed forces, but after the military undertook reforms in spiritual energy, their business shifted from military to civilian use. Chen Ke remembered this man named Jeff, who had jumped from a building over thirty stories high right in front of him. When Chen Ke found him, Jeff seemed to be talking to something that didn¡¯t exist. He didn¡¯t think that Jeff was merely drunk at the time. The sudden appearance and unexplained disappearance of killing intent convinced Chen Ke that there were others in the room besides them. Why did that entity eventually change its mind? Chen Ke had no idea. But if Jeff was truly talking to someone, then it must have been the source of that killing intent. The next news item described a shooting in the Holy Oak Villa District. The victim was Fox, the president of the Lescott Spiritual Ability Enterprise of the United Federation. Chen Ke was stunned for a moment. So that hysterical heat in the room was actually from the boss of the Lescott Spirit Company... He remembered that Sleery and Yang Xiao were spiritual investigators under Lescott. Online sources also indicated that the Lescott Spirit Company was currently discussing a merger with the Li Consortium, but Fox had some disagreements with the Li Consortium on certain aspects, so the merger deal had been at a standstill. Fox¡¯s death had already been classified as murder by the County Police, and an investigation was quickly underway. However, because the assassin¡¯s methods were very professional, the FBI still had no clues. However, considering that both cases had indirect relations with the Li Consortium, the FBI was currently preparing to investigate the Li Consortium of the Fei Huang Republic. Chen Ke sneered. It seemed that, unwittingly, the Li Consortium had taken the fall for him. But strangely enough, these two people were both targets the Li Consortium had intended to acquire. These two assassinations seemed like a message from some organization intending to send a dangerously rich signal to the Li Consortium. ¡°I¡¯ve been made a pawn,¡± Chen Ke said. But an assassin is a gun that anyone can use. Whoever pays more gets to pull the trigger. Chen Ke searched for the Holy Mother Angel Hotel. His third target met a gruesome end in room 2201. To infiltrate the hotel, he even knocked out two bystanders and donned a waiter¡¯s uniform. Logically, this incident should have been the first to come to light. Yet, no matter how much Chen Ke searched the internet, he could not find any information about it. There was no news mentioning the murder at the Holy Mother Angel Hotel. The man who had acquired special abilities due to a spiritual energy infection died unnoticed, as if no one cared. Chen Ke stroked his chin, musing that there were only two possibilities: either Lester¡¯s employer had covered up the incident, or the Spiritual Ability Administration had locked down the information. After all, the man was involved with the Transcendent realm, and it was normal for him to be harmonized by the relevant departments. Moreover, considering the incident involving Hainerd¡¯s wife, the Spiritual Ability Administration was clearly not clean either. An organization that treated prisoners like lab rats shouldn¡¯t be surprising when they engage in certain activities. The bank robbery that took place at noon today was also downplayed to some extent. ¡°The Pulito Bank in Holy Oak District was raided by robbers at noon today, but Opportunity City¡¯s S.W.A.T. quickly responded and controlled the situation. The criminals were killed during their escape, and the bank only lost 2.6 million union coins, all of which has already been recovered.¡± That¡¯s how the Opportunity City Daily¡¯s official website described the bank robbery that happened at noon today. The news made no mention of the Holy Relics and clearly stated that the robbers were killed and emphasized the mere loss of union coins. Chen Ke sighed. He couldn¡¯t help but admire the media control capabilities of these capitals. It was no longer just a question of what information could be seen but rather ¡°what information they wanted whom to see.¡± Chen Ke shook his head. He knew that this was not someone secretly helping the postman but rather a certain promise made to the Superiors when facing even greater fear. Pulito Bank was where Si¡¯s consortium hoarded their ill-gotten Spiritual Energy goods, and it was also a member of ¡°the company.¡± That green diamond was also hidden in that bank. It was not hard to imagine why this news was so flippant. Whether Si¡¯s consortium was aware that the green Holy Diamond was hidden in the bank they controlled, or whether they knew it had been stolen, was not certain. Their warehouse full of stolen goods being robbed was clearly a very embarrassing affair. Combined with what Hainerd said, Si¡¯s consortium, in order to maintain their seat within ¡°the company,¡± manipulated the media to repeatedly downplay the losses of the robbery to just the least valuable thing¡ª¡±money.¡± It was like a child who made a mistake telling lies to their parents. Chen Ke turned off the computer, picked up a few orange Holy Diamonds from the table, and looked at them closely. They were from the Blasphemous Dagger found in the bank, a total of seven! Lin Mo was killed by this thing piercing through his heart, and moreover, the dagger¡¯s entry had vanished without a trace. Although he had learned about the rough usage of the Blasphemous Dagger from Hainerd, now, he finally had the chance to see the exact details of the dagger¡¯s entry. The daggers had been appraised, so Chen Ke didn¡¯t need to expend extra life. In the bank, he only managed to get a brief glance; now, he could calmly take a closer look. [Blasphemous Dagger] [Durability: Intact] [Time-Space Travel: After fully charging, kills the sacrifice to open a random portal through time and space](Requires prerequisite: Killing Intent Connection) [Killing Intent Connection: Absorbs killing intent to charge itself](Requires prerequisite: Trinity) [Trinity: Use three lives as a sacrifice to activate Killing Intent Connection](One-time use only) [A dagger from Fan Hede, imbued with mysterious Magic, it became a wicked Sacrificial Artifact, capable of allowing its bearer to travel through time and space.] [¡°The evil Magic attached to this dagger is even older than the Fan Hede Kingdom itself, its origin comes from the Dull Witch. If I could also possess her power, then all of time and space would submit to me...¡± ¡ª¡ªThe Pope Mazville] Chen Ke¡¯s hands, holding the orange little diamonds, began to tremble slightly... The essence of the life countdown was actually a combination of Killing Intent Connection and Time-Space Travel. In other words, Chen Ke was a humanoid Blasphemous Dagger... Chapter 150: 150 What is Time? Chapter 150: Chapter 150 What is Time? Chen Ke finally figured out the source of his ability. After the Blasphemous Dagger pierced Lin Mo¡¯s heart, Chen Ke had traveled through time. The soul that was supposed to be taken by the contract demon was trapped within Chen Ke¡¯s soul due to the effects of the time travel. The Blasphemous Dagger¡¯s inherent abilities of ¡°crossing through time¡± and ¡°connecting with killing intent¡± were also absorbed by Chen Ke. Such a coincidence was unlikely to occur a second time. The ability to absorb killing intent replaced normal human lifespan. In other words, Chen Ke¡¯s lifespan was essentially Spiritual Energy; he was a Blasphemous Dagger that needed constant recharging. The subsequent improvements and the development of abilities related to killing intent were definitely unique to the dagger. Chen Ke guessed that these abilities came from some kind of mutated Spiritual Energy, combining the traits of humans, Holy Relics, and Spiritual Energy, resulting in a unique and bizarre characteristic. Of course, this was just his own speculation; whether it was true remained uncertain. Ancient knowledge revealed that the seven Blasphemous Daggers originated from the Fan Hede Kingdom, deriving from the evil magic of the Pope Mazville. Moreover, the Blasphemous Dagger seemed to be mass-produced... Chen Ke took out paper and a pen from the drawer and wrote down his analytical deductions. He drew a stick figure, writing his own name in Chinese characters beside it. Then next to the figure, he drew a dagger and next to the dagger, he sketched three horizontal bars to represent traits. Then, he connected the traits and the figure with a dashed line. That was the relationship between him and the Blasphemous Dagger. The Blasphemous Dagger came from the Fan Hede Kingdom; from the scholastic information, the dagger itself wasn¡¯t the focus, the focus was the enchantment on the dagger¡ªthe evil magic. The words of Mazville disclosed that this kind of evil magic was even older than the Fan Hede Kingdom itself and was extremely voracious, desiring this power to conquer all of time and space. This meant that Fan Hede wasn¡¯t from an Otherworld, but instead a part of human history... And here, a new term appeared: the Dull Witch. The enchanting techniques left by the Dull Witch allowed objects to perform ceremonies of traveling through time. The modern Silent Witch could conduct such ceremonies. Could there be some connection between them? Chen Ke speculated that the Dull Witch could travel through time without relying on these sacrificial artifacts. If she really could... Where would she be now... Could she have come to the modern era? Suddenly, Chen Ke thought of Parker, this man played by time. In the present world, there was a dead Parker, and in the Fan Hede Kingdom, there was another Parker sitting by a church fire... Chen Ke couldn¡¯t help but think of many time-travel movies. Could the Parker in the church be from another parallel universe? It was now confirmed that there was such a thing as time traveling. So what about this United Federation in the year 2009, and how did it compare to the United States he knew from 2009? Chen Ke was almost confused. If he really had traveled to the year 2009, why was the country called the United Federation and not the United States? Multiverse? Parallel universes? He couldn¡¯t be sure of the answers. Chen Ke wanted to return to being a normal person; that goal would not change. But now, the breakthrough had become the Dull Witch. However, how could he find a woman who only appeared in the terminals of Holy Relics? He didn¡¯t even know if this witch still existed, let alone if she could travel through time. Human recorded history spanned 5000 years, with history tracing back to the ape age a million years ago. Even just considering the civilized era, Chen Ke would have to search the Earth 5000 times... That was too unrealistic. Since the dagger¡¯s knowledge came from the Fan Hede Kingdom, why not first limit the search area to that region? Perhaps he might find some clues. Since the Blasphemous Dagger was discovered by Si¡¯s consortium from the Fan Hede Kingdom, Chen Ke wanted to have a serious discussion with Pankia. After all, he had been there before, and apart from a lighthouse, a straight sword, and several white and blue outfits, he hadn¡¯t seen the Blasphemous Dagger. Chen Ke carefully stored the pieces of paper that recorded critical information, and when he wrote this information down, he used Chinese characters¡ªensuring that even if someone else picked up these papers, they wouldn¡¯t be able to understand the content right away. Chen Ke thought that perhaps he should get a small notebook to carry with him at all times to jot down some information, even though a phone could record information, it wasn¡¯t as flexible as paper and pen. Speaking of phones, Chen Ke suddenly remembered that his red Nokia E63 was out of commission. He didn¡¯t plan to go personally to deal with Pihom and Lester before the transaction was completed, as it would only create trouble for the future, so he had no choice but to contact them via phone for now. Besides, that mutated suit was still at Lester¡¯s place; he needed to make a call and ask Lester to send someone to bring it over... Hmm, it was time to get a new phone... Chen Ke glanced at the time in the bottom right corner of his computer screen; it was currently 6 p.m. It was still very light out, and Yasla and the others probably wouldn¡¯t come looking for him during the day. So he put on his clothes and went out, heading to the nearest large shopping mall. In the United Federation, people generally went to the service provider¡¯s store to buy phones under contract. For example, high-end phones like the iPhone, which cost 400 union coins, could be taken home for 150 union coins if signed with a two-year contract with the service provider. Chen Ke already had forged identification, but he still didn¡¯t want to apply for a phone card; instead, he chose to continue using the unregistered prepaid phone cards. At least, using this type of card made it difficult to be located and searched by the County Police and other official agencies, which was exactly what Chen Ke wanted. In the United Federation, few people went to Walmart or Metro to buy phones; generally, it was only older people who didn¡¯t bother going to the service provider¡¯s store or didn¡¯t shop online who would buy phones in the store. Therefore, the phone counter at Walmart was nearly empty, with only two old men consulting store clerks on how to use their newly purchased phones. Even though Chen Ke disliked touchscreen phones, this time he still chose to buy an iPhone3G. In fact, after June, Apple was going to release the latest iPhone3GS, but Chen Ke couldn¡¯t wait two months for the new model. If there was also an Apple company in this world, what was his original timeline like... As the clerk rattled on about the many improvements of the iPhone3G over the old models, he pondered this question. In Chen Ke¡¯s understanding, time continuously and unceasingly rolled forward, much like a river; time travel was still only a scientific hypothesis in his place. He had always thought that the crux of the paradox of space-time travel wasn¡¯t about reversing cause and effect, but rather about the travelers through time becoming innumerable. If a person could travel through time, it meant that in this universe, he had nearly an infinite number of reflections¡ªten years ago, a year ago, a minute ago, even a second ago... No matter how far he traveled forward or backward, he could encounter another version of himself. Extending this thought, what does a three-dimensional being look like? In the eyes of a higher being transcending the dimension of time, is a being trapped in time akin to an infinitely long caterpillar? From his birth to his death, countless versions of him were stacked together, extending endlessly in both directions... If the current Chen Ke went back a week and headed to the West Gold Building, could he see Lin Mo still sprawled on the ground? If he traveled even further back... arriving just a moment before Lin Mo¡¯s heart was pierced by the Blasphemous Dagger and stopped him. Would he still exist now? Would the events that happened in this period still stand?! People of the past could only wonder, but the current Chen Ke could try! Chapter 151: 151: The Scientists Forum Chapter 151: Chapter 151: The Scientists¡¯ Forum While Chen Ke was contemplating questions about time travel, in another city hundreds of kilometers away from Opportunity City, a group of people was engaged in a heated debate over differing views on the Great Void and Spiritual Energy. Spiritual Ability Research Institute. Located in the capital of the United Federation, Norton City, most of its members come from the United Federation¡¯s Scientists Alliance and NASA. It¡¯s an organization composed of top scholars who specialize in the research of transcendent matters such as Spiritual Energy, the Great Void, and Holy Relics. Virtually every country has departments and organizations dedicated to research on Spiritual Ability, but the United Federation¡¯s Spiritual Ability Research Institute is undoubtedly at the forefront of such research. They possess the world¡¯s top talent, unlimited funding, and unrestricted time investment. This organization was established in 1927 and developed the world¡¯s first Holy Relic identification device just three years after its inception, which was named ¡°God¡¯s Eye.¡± The original ¡°God¡¯s Eye¡± was extremely large, several stories tall, requiring at least six hours of warm-up self-inspection before it could begin analyzing and authenticating Holy Relics, a process that could take more than ten days. However, with the advancement of technology, the upgrading of materials, and the deepening of research on Spiritual Energy, the current ¡°God¡¯s Eye¡± has become as small as a smartphone, and the authentication time has been reduced to within six seconds. This device is now a standard issue for agents of the Spiritual Ability Administration. In addition, the Spiritual Guns, Spiritual Bullets, and Black Box construction techniques used by the Administration are all outcomes of the Institute¡¯s research. The Spiritual Ability Research Institute is the foundation upon which the United Federation maintains control over the powerful force of Spiritual Energy. At this very moment, senior professors of the Spiritual Ability Research Institute had all gathered for one reason: Parker¡¯s corpse. After being transported out of the West Gold Building, Parker¡¯s body had already been close to two weeks. It was conveyed from Opportunity City in a special coffin from the Administration Bureau to Norton City and quickly entered the special laboratory of the Spiritual Ability Research Institute. Over the past ten days, Parker¡¯s body had gradually decayed, turning from a human corpse to a pile of rotting flesh. As of yesterday, it had been reduced to a skeleton clad in decaying flesh. What was mind-boggling was that all vital signs of this cadaver were normal. In other words, there was no difference between it and a living person. Further adding to the mystery, state-of-the-art sensors attached to the cadaver detected brainwave activity and changes in skin temperature... Based on the current readings, this entity known as Parker¡¯s corpse was under extreme mental stress, and there was a discrepancy in skin temperature between the front and back of the body, as if it were beside a campfire... The Institute had tried to stimulate the cadaver with various methods, such as electrical shocks and punctures, yet there were no responses. This case was the first of its kind since the establishment of the Spiritual Ability Research Institute, bringing together many scientists for the highest-level meeting the Institute offers: the Spiritual Ability Research Institute Roundtable Forum. They engaged in a variety of academic discussions. During the meeting, many scholars presented their views, often engaging in heated arguments. The meeting continued for four hours without any sign of concluding, Among the attendees was 67-year-old Professor Mansis, with his round glasses, goatee, and hairline almost reaching the top of his head. He noticed that there were quite a few researchers from the field of biology attending today, probably because the issue with the cadaver seemed more like a biological marvel. ¡°Is there a possibility that Parker has transcended his physical constraints, achieving some sort of out-of-body state, leaving behind his own flesh, and then...¡± a professor with a big Eastern European beard suggested. ¡°I appreciate your hypothesis, Professor Labdu Muhammad, but with all due respect, it has no practical significance...¡± a bald professor elegantly replied. ¡°Professor Ibrahi, the current condition of this cadaver is unfathomable. I think it can no longer be explained or deduced using scientific theory. Our best biologists here can¡¯t even confirm whether it¡¯s dead or alive.¡± Professor Muhammad seemed somewhat displeased with the rebuttal. ¡°Occam¡¯s razor, Professor Muhammad. Entities should not be multiplied without necessity. Your hypothesis is based on the premise that souls exist in this world, but to date, we have been unable to prove the existence of such a thing,¡± Professor Ibrahi replied indifferently. ¡°Then how do you explain individual consciousness and thought processes? How do you explain that living beings with intuition and perception each have distinct consciousness?¡± Professor Muhammad posed the counter-question. ¡°Biological consciousness arises from the radiophonic phenomena of the brain¡¯s neurons. The molecules that make up the brain can¡¯t possibly be completely identical, resulting in the infinite individual differences,¡± a female professor joined the discussion. ¡°I can¡¯t agree with that assertion. The marvel of human consciousness and the potential humans display in fields such as creation and art cannot be generalized to mere radiophonic phenomena... besides, brain-dead individuals also exhibit radiophonic phenomena in the brain, so the neuronal radiophony can only indicate that the brain organ is still working, maintaining the operation of other organs in the body... but that doesn¡¯t prove that brain-dead individuals also possess a complete consciousness,¡± Professor Whitehair immediately countered beside the female professor. ¡°Brain radiophonic phenomena lead to consciousness, yet the reason we can stand here expressing our views and debating with each other is that we possess not only the most basic consciousness but also the ability for logical thinking. Consciousness arises from radiophony, but how do we explain the ability for logical thinking?¡± Professor Muhammad also rebutted. ¡°The larger the brain capacity, the more complex the brain structure, and the more intricate the radiophonic phenomena, the creation of logical thinking ability requires a very large brain capacity,¡± Professor Ibrahi added. ¡°Then why isn¡¯t a cat as intelligent as a parrot?¡± a short-statured professor suddenly exclaimed from the far end of the table. ¡°The premise for generating the ability for logical thinking does not merely require brain capacity, the brain organization also needs to be complex enough...¡± a chubby professor laughed beside him. ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that a parrot¡¯s brain is smaller than a cat¡¯s, but more complex? Have you ever seen the brain slices of these two species?¡± an unnamed professor joined the fray. ¡°I¡¯m a biology professor, do you think I haven¡¯t seen them?¡± the chubby professor retorted with some irritation. ¡°In fact, the complexity of different parrots¡¯ brains varies, you wouldn¡¯t happen to have looked at the dumbest one, would you?¡± Professor Muhammad laughed heartily. The professors around him also burst into hearty laughter. ¡°I don¡¯t know if the parrot I observed was the dumbest, but I think its brain slice looks a lot like yours,¡± the chubby professor counterattacked. ¡°You talking about your mom?¡± Muhammad snapped back, annoyed. ¡°Professor! This is the Roundtable Forum, please don¡¯t use profanity!¡± the female doctor warned. ¡°He just sprayed me saying my brain was as small as a parrot¡¯s!¡± Muhammad urgently said. ¡°I think he¡¯s right...¡± Dr. Ibrahi laughed. ¡°Your mom is a bitch!¡± ¡°Who are you cursing?¡± ¡°Cursing you, what about it?¡± ¡°Fuck! Got the balls to settle it in the bathroom?¡± ... Professor Mansis sighed. Humans always repeat the same mistakes when opinions diverge, and views are opposed, high-level scientists are no different from internet trolls... He quietly watched as the group of gentlemen and ladies in white lab coats climbed onto the tables, pulling and shoving each other, while he took out a box of green arrow gum, popped a piece into his mouth. The cool mint flavor shot through his mouth up to his nostrils, slightly easing his furrowed brows. That afternoon, he still had two matters to attend to. Parker¡¯s body was first to be researched by his beloved pupil, Wang Ailin, and as Special Agent Diana handling the case was an old classmate of Ailin, she had access to a great deal of firsthand information. Mansis had decided to help Ailin establish a specialized research laboratory to tackle the complex questions posed by Parker¡¯s remains. That afternoon, he was to meet with Ailin to discuss a potential list of laboratory members, so she could get familiar in advance. Then, he had to face a problem. It must be said, without that trouble, Mansis wouldn¡¯t have his success today, but by now, he was increasingly able to do without the other¡¯s financial support. On the contrary, the aggressive and insatiable demands of the other party had become a source of trouble. That problem was the founder of Si¡¯s consortium, Corrigan. Chapter 152: 152: Wait and See Chapter 152: Chapter 152: Wait and See Mansis left the meeting room as half the sun had already sunk into the western horizon. Regarding Parker¡¯s remains, a roomful of great scientists had discussed nothing of any practical significance. In the hallway on the 12th floor of the Great Void research building at the Spiritual Ability Research Institute, Mansis ran into his female student, Wang Ailin. This young Asian girl, only 27 years old, had demonstrated abilities that were no less than those of her contemporaries, the top psychic scholars. She was one of the most powerful brains on the planet, and it must be said, even Mansis was somewhat envious of her. Wang Ailin wore a black business suit with a white lab coat over it, her left arm cradling a thin notebook computer. ¡°Professor, what a coincidence,¡± Wang Ailin waved to Mansis. ¡°The Spiritual Ability Research Institute spans 120,000 mu of land, with various research groups¡¯ areas located kilometers apart. The probability of coincidentally encountering another project group¡¯s researcher here can be considered negligibly small,¡± Mansis said with a proud smile. He straightened his tie, pushed his glasses, and gracefully walked over to Wang Ailin. ¡°But it¡¯s not zero. You know why I¡¯ve come to find you,¡± Wang Ailin said with a mysterious smile. ¡°Of course, I know. You are my best student,¡± Mansis laughed. When other researchers were Wang Ailin¡¯s age, they were still rushing around various laboratories, doing grunt work. In fact, to have joined the United Federation¡¯s research institute as an official researcher at the age of 27 was already a tremendous achievement. This meant your intelligence was extraordinary, overwhelming the era, and all other humans on this planet. And Wang Ailin was not just any researcher. She had studied under Mansis, but soon emerged prominently, becoming the principal leader of a certain project. Based on different research topics, the Spiritual Ability Research Institute has many research institutions, all distinguished by ¡°building units.¡± Each building represents a research institution, and such buildings were countless within the vast institute. And in each building, the bottom 20 floors were filled with basic grunt work ¡°science dogs,¡± while the top 20 floors were occupied by the main core personnel of the project. Wang Ailin was the only known researcher who, at 27, had become a core member on the top 20 floors. She looked around to make sure no one was nearby before slowly opening her notebook to present her research findings to Mansis. Mansis¡¯s expression went from a worldly-wise old man to a rigorous scientific fanatic. He pushed his glasses and stared at the complex charts on the screen, repeatedly scrutinizing them. ¡°You really... did it?¡± Mansis grew more incredulous as he watched, repeatedly looking up at Wang Ailin. ¡°Based on these changes in constants, and the change in spiritual energy density around the portal of the Great Void, I¡¯ve concluded something. As everyone knows, quarks, being fundamental particles, cannot be observed. However, we can use phenomena triggered by quark collapse and quark confinement to deduce their changes... My experiment has led to a conclusion, that is, the vectors inside and outside the Great Void are consistent...¡± Wang Ailin said. ¡°We¡¯ve always believed that the Great Void is a quantum tunnel, showing us another world, an entrance to another universe... But obviously...¡± Mansis nodded. ¡°It seems we were all wrong. On the other side of the Great Void is still our world... just at an earlier time...¡± Wang Ailin smiled. ¡°No wonder we kept adjusting the readings and kept deviating from the coordinates... This discovery will help improve and upgrade the Black Box technology, making the portal¡¯s closure and maintenance easier and more stable...¡± Mansis evaluated. ¡°Of course, you and I know that our research isn¡¯t for something like the Black Box Space. Professor, what you and I want is ultimate knowledge, the truth of the world... If we can master the time coordinates, we might even be able to open the Great Void at will,¡± Wang Ailin said. ¡°I understand what you mean, Wang, I understand... If we can make a breakthrough in this direction, we could achieve real time travel...¡± Mansis said. ¡°But the difficulty lies in the fact that we don¡¯t know any time coordinates, including our own timeline, we have no way to search for them, time is fluid, coordinates shouldn¡¯t be a constant...¡± Wang Ailin shook her head. ¡°We still need to rely on the Blasphemous Dagger to open the door, the government provides us with sacrifices every year...¡± Mansis reminded. ¡°But... what they require from our research is how to close and control the gates, not to freely open them to explore the greater mysteries. Think about it, what is the real history of humanity? What kind of power did our ancestors possess...¡± Wang Ailin sighed. ¡°We will always find a way, I think Parker¡¯s corpse could be a breakthrough... You didn¡¯t attend the meeting today, I want to hear your opinion.¡± Mansis said. ¡°I think Parker is now in a paradoxical state, he¡¯s still alive, likely in the Great Void.¡± Wang Ailin said. ¡°You mean... he became two?¡± Mansis asked. ¡°Yes, time is continuous, meaning the moment before Parker and the moment after are connected, but his continuity could have been interrupted by something not bound by time continuity, creating a paradox...¡± Wang Ailin pondered as she spoke. ¡°Not bound by time? What could possibly extricate itself from the torrents of time?¡± Mansis glanced out of the window at the sky. ¡°I think, that must be gods...¡± Wang Ailin closed her notebook and spoke lightly. ... ¡°Siri! What¡¯s the weather like today?!¡± Chen Ke stood by the counter, yelling at his iPhone 3G. The clerk in the counter looked at him with a bewildered face, not understanding what he was doing. ¡°Sir, have you decided to name your phone ¡®Siri¡¯? You can enter the name in the Bluetooth menu, so when other iPhones connect they can see your name. Yelling at it won¡¯t do anything...¡± the clerk reminded. Chen Ke scratched his head, looking at the unresponsive phone, not knowing where he had gone wrong. ¡°Siri! Tell me a joke!¡± Chen Ke yelled again, suddenly realizing something, this voice-activated assistant seemed to be a feature only available with the introduction of the iPhone 4S. ¡°No voice feature, no fingerprint unlocking, I¡¯m telling you, 10 years from now the iPhone XI will be unlocking with iris recognition, and it¡¯ll have a hideously ugly notch on the screen.¡± Chen Ke fiddled with the iPhone 3G in his hand, making chit-chat with the clerk behind the counter. ¡°That¡¯s a great idea, sir, fingerprint unlocking... That¡¯s too sci-fi. And what¡¯s this notch?¡± The clerk played along with a chuckle, though he didn¡¯t actually believe it. ¡°The notch is where a little bit has been cut out from the middle at the top of the phone, with the screen only on the sides.¡± Chen Ke gestured on the phone screen to show the clerk. ¡°Apple wouldn¡¯t design something like that, you probably don¡¯t know Apple¡¯s design style, they pursue a naturalistic aesthetic.¡± The clerk spread his hands and laughed. ¡°Ha! Right, that¡¯s Apple¡¯s aesthetic!¡± Chen Ke laughed. ¡°I bet you, the iPhone in 10 years won¡¯t be like that.¡± The clerk was a dedicated Apple fan, naturally dismissive of Chen Ke¡¯s claim. ¡°Wait and see!¡± Chen Ke said confidently, grabbing the phone¡¯s box and leaving Walmart. Chapter 153: 153: For the Sake of the Stone Chapter 153: Chapter 153: For the Sake of the Stone ¡°` Chen Ke returned to his residence at 7 p.m. The sky gradually darkened, and the last rays of the sunset burned through the clouds on the horizon, painting the entire sky a deep blue like a chopping board splattered with thick blood. The entire apartment building was draped in the blood-red afterglow of the sunset, and Chen Ke saw a silhouette standing by the window of his dwelling. They were waiting for him. Chen Ke pulled out his newly bought iPhone and called Lester, asking his subordinate to deliver the suit later. Then he entered the elevator. The apartment door was slightly ajar, and the lights were off inside. Cold air blew out from the gap. He pulled the door open and walked in, then casually shut it behind him. In front of the bedroom window, a woman leaned against the wall, arms crossed, staring straight at him. She wore a black hooded coat, her entire face hidden in the shadows. Due to the backlight, Chen Ke could only see her bright red lips. The coat hem reached her knees, her calves were white, and she was barefoot. Chen Ke threw the phone box onto the bed and then pulled a stool over to sit down. He didn¡¯t take out his gun or summon the Holy Relics, as he didn¡¯t sense any killing intent from her. Before he left this time, Chen Ke had taken all his diamonds and even bought a small wallet with a zipper pocket specifically to carry the Holy Diamond closely, especially since he had already attracted Yasla¡¯s attention and had to be wary of an attack at any time. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be afraid at all,¡± the woman said with a smile to Chen Ke. ¡°I¡¯ve never been afraid,¡± Chen Ke chuckled. The corners of the woman¡¯s mouth lifted slightly, she stretched out her hands and lifted her hood back, revealing her shiny bald head. By Western standards, she was the kind of beauty that could bring disaster to a country. Her eyes twinkled with a faint red light, and there was a purple rune mark on her forehead. Chen Ke immediately recognized her as the Silent Witch who had taken Lucina away at noon. ¡°Your courage comes from ignorance. You have no idea what it means to oppose Yasla,¡± the witch said mildly. ¡°Oh well, I¡¯m not the one opposing; you are the ones opposing me,¡± Chen Ke spread his hands. ¡°It seems you don¡¯t care much about your partner,¡± the witch said with a laugh. ¡°She¡¯s just a partner in robbery to me, not as important as you might think. If she dies, I¡¯ll get a bigger share of the money,¡± Chen Ke shrugged. ¡°So, you don¡¯t plan to use the Holy Diamond to get your partner back?¡± the witch raised an eyebrow. ¡°No... I¡¯d rather get my partner back than keep the Holy Diamond,¡± Chen Ke stated. ¡°Why?¡± the witch asked curiously. ¡°Because I promised her father that I¡¯d bring his daughter back,¡± Chen Ke said coldly. For a moment, the witch¡¯s eyes lost their sparkle, as if she was recalling some sad memories, but she quickly returned to her previous demeanor. ¡°Then, give me the Holy Diamond now, and she will be back tomorrow,¡± the witch said. ¡°No,¡± Chen Ke flatly refused. ¡°Yasla never lies,¡± the witch stated. ¡°And Chen Ke never negotiates,¡± Chen Ke smiled. ¡°` ¡°You have to know, Yasla is sparing your life right now only because you have the diamond,¡± the witch coldly declared. ¡°You also need to understand, I am sparing your life right now only because she is still in your hands,¡± Chen Ke laughed. The Silent Witch furrowed her brow, her pupils radiating a red halo as she stared intently at Chen Ke. But after a few seconds, the halo dissipated. Chen Ke spread his hands; he had thought the witch was about to take him away. ¡°Midnight, bring the diamond to the Bulland Cookie Factory on the outskirts of town, come alone, and you will meet her,¡± the witch said. After she spoke, the red glow in her eyes scattered like a flood, forming a pale red mist that enveloped her, pulling her into the black vortex behind her. Once she had completely disappeared, the vortex gradually shrank until only a red dot remained in mid-air. Chen Ke snorted, watching the red dot slowly vanish. After a while, he muttered to himself, ¡°I will too.¡± ... 9 PM, Spiritual Ability Research Institute, 38th floor of the Great Void Research Building. Mansis returned to his office to find the door unlocked, moonlight streaming through the windows into the hallway. Spring had arrived, but tonight¡¯s temperature had dropped quite a bit. Mansis rubbed his temples, aware of who his visitor tonight would be. He composed himself and pushed open the door. His private office wasn¡¯t especially large; three large bookshelves stood against the walls, a large globe next to the couch, a small desk lamp on, casting an orange light. In the shadows where the light didn¡¯t reach, a figure was waiting. ¡°Corrigan...¡± Mansis began slowly. Corrigan, the founder of Si¡¯s Consortium and the true mastermind behind it. He had also, through his limitless financial support during Mansis¡¯s youth, established Mansis¡¯s status in the academic world. ¡°Look at you, Mansis... We¡¯ve known each other for just 40 years, and now you¡¯ve become so aged...¡± Corrigan¡¯s frail voice came from the darkness. ¡°All life meets its end; it is a natural law,¡± Mansis responded. Corrigan stepped out from the shadows, slowly walking into the light. He wore a black hooded robe, his entire being bathed in shadows, hands lightly brushing over the desk surface, like dried, forked branches. ¡°No... Death is an insult to life, it is a curse,¡± Corrigan shook his head. ¡°Corrigan, tell me, do you really feel alive at this moment?¡± Mansis sighed. ¡°I am the man who deceived death, what do you think?¡± Corrigan stepped forward, his withered hands lifting the hood to reveal his desiccated face. He was terribly old, his muscles shrunk to their limits, barely maintaining his human form. His shriveled head, features huddled together, pupils without any luster, his toothless mouth and coiled tongue able to speak was a miracle. If Mansis hadn¡¯t watched Corrigan shrink year by year to his current state, the sight of this distorted face alone might have driven him insane. In 1929, at the age of 30, Corrigan founded his own family business, initially a small company focused on logging and paper-making. With time changes, it gradually expanded its business across various industries. As the founder of Si¡¯s Consortium, Corrigan had lived for 112 years. The man who cheated death, his life sustained by the wedge-shaped stone embedded in his head: the Symbiotic Stone. The stone was embedded in the right frontal lobe of Corrigan¡¯s head, like a demon¡¯s horn, completely black with blue luminous patterns on its surface, gradually fading to white starting from the tip. The blue patterns concentrated near the insertion point on the forehead. ¡°Mansis, you know why I have come to see you,¡± Corrigan said. Mansis, of course, knew; he was seeking a new Symbiotic Stone. Chapter 154: 154 Eternal Life Chapter 154: Chapter 154 Eternal Life Symbiotic Stones were a miraculous creation; they could replace failing parts of the human body, supply energy to the host, and extend their lifespan. The principle of this energy supply was easy to understand. For instance, if a person had an incurable disease and their entire liver had necrotized, then the Symbiotic Stone could take the place of that person¡¯s liver, allowing the body to return to normal function. However, this function was limited to internal organs of the body and did not include the completeness of the limbs. Depending on the size of the stone and the extent of the host¡¯s missing bodily functions, the duration for which their energy would suffice also varied. A complete Symbiotic Stone was a fully blue crystal. The one embedded in Corrigan¡¯s forehead had turned black, signifying that the power of the stone was nearly depleted. ¡°I feel that my time is short,¡± Corrigan said, his tone laced with entreaty. ¡°The power of this stone is fading, I need... a new Symbiotic Stone.¡± ¡°Symbiotic Stones are miraculous creations, even harder to obtain than Holy Relics...¡± Mansis turned away. ¡°Then go find one in the Great Void!¡± Corrigan grabbed Mansis¡¯s shoulder, staring into his eyes fiercely. A hint of pity showed in Mansis¡¯s eyes. Corrigan let go of his hand, sighed, and walked to the huge globe. His dry fingers gently brushed over the sphere, setting it into motion. ¡°Do you remember, Mansis, the year 1979?¡± Corrigan spoke slowly. ¡°I remember, that¡¯s the year we met,¡± Mansis sighed. In 1979, Corrigan was an octogenarian with esophageal cancer, while Mansis was just a 47-year-old researcher, frustrated and unaccomplished. As the illness worsened, Corrigan¡¯s fear of death grew daily. Over the past 20 years, he had invested a considerable sum in medical technology in search of ways to cure diseases and extend life. At the end of the ¡¯70s, the study of Spiritual Energy was not as advanced as it is today, with most research oriented toward military purposes and predominantly directed by the military. When Mansis found a Symbiotic Stone and brought it to Corrigan, Corrigan saw a new possibility. ¡°Back then, you were the one who showed me a miracle, Mansis. You gave me hope, and now you can¡¯t take it away...¡± Corrigan said. Mansis had no reply. Back in 1979, he held the Symbiotic Stone but didn¡¯t choose to hand it over to the military or the Spiritual Ability Research Institute. As a researcher without any results, his discovery would have been claimed by other scholars already in high positions. He wanted to leave his mark in human history, to occupy a place in the world of spiritual studies. Thus, finding a tycoon to invest in him was the only option. The moment the Symbiotic Stone was inserted into Corrigan¡¯s forehead, his intestines, which had already lost basic function and were under great strain, were instantly replaced by the power of the stone, as were his kidneys, liver, spleen, and the nerves of his brain. Other organs, that were slowly deteriorating, started functioning normally. Corrigan, desperate to extend his life, and Mansis, yearning to make a name for himself in human history, became the perfect partners. Corrigan never interfered with Mansis¡¯s research and provided unlimited research funding. His only requested compensation was the Symbiotic Stone. But as Mansis continued his research, he gradually understood the specific role of the Symbiotic Stone. It was a stone that deceived the gods. It didn¡¯t function as previously thought, by replacing the host¡¯s damaged and deteriorating organs. Instead, it merely deceived the host¡¯s body into believing that all its capabilities were still normal. Once the stone¡¯s energy was exhausted, or if it was removed or damaged, the host would die immediately. In the end, the host would live with the terrifying countdown of life. Just look at the state of Corrigan... At 112 years old, his entire body resembled a long-dead, shriveled corpse. If this stone truly replaced his necrotic organs, by all logic, he should not have looked this way. In other words, Corrigan had died of intestinal cancer at over 80, but the Symbiotic Stone deceived his body, allowing him to maintain his consciousness. However, Corrigan¡¯s body, riddled with necrotic organs, could deceive itself but not the laws of nature. Without nutritional replenishment, his body gradually rotted and withered into its current state. This stone was a meme of self-deception, and it had the power to materialize that meme. It was not a means to prolong life; rather, it was more akin to a crystallization of a being¡¯s homage to life itself. However, Mansis was not prepared to tell Corrigan the truth. ¡°I am profoundly disappointed with the world. Everyone is researching how to use Spiritual Energy to kill each other faster and more conveniently but no one ever considers using it to extend their own lifespan. Mansis, tell me, why is that?¡± Corrigan shook his head, eyes betraying helplessness and fear of death. ¡°Humanity is not ready, Corrigan. Death is an insult to life, while eternity is a curse upon it... Life without death is meaningless,¡± Mansis responded, shaking his head. ¡°Nonsense! Absolute rubbish!¡± Corrigan suddenly shouted, knocking over a globe onto the floor. Mansis took a small step back, eyeing Corrigan warily. ¡°In this world, no one has truly tasted immortality. To say that immortality is a curse seems to me nothing but a consolation for those who cannot attain it. If you could live forever, Mansis, live until the end of time, wouldn¡¯t that be good?¡± asked Corrigan. ¡°Corrigan... Have you considered this? If humanity cannot eradicate poverty and hunger, if it cannot ensure true equality among people, if it cannot break down the barriers between classes, then the meaning of immortality differs for each individual... If the rules do not allow everyone to live with dignity, then the technology of eternal life is doomed to be nothing more than a new tool for rulership,¡± said Mansis. ¡°Mansis, that is humanity¡¯s problem, not ours to fret over... Eternal life is the starting point for humans... If they aren¡¯t ready, let them wait longer... but at least, I am ready,¡± Corrigan mustered a smile on his withered face. Mansis fell silent for a moment, then walked over to the wall and shifted a portrait to reveal a hidden safe. He glanced at Corrigan, who tactfully turned his head away, ensuring that he wasn¡¯t looking at the safe while Mansis quietly worked the combination lock and extracted a package wrapped in oil paper. The item in Mansis¡¯s hand was roughly the size of a TV remote. He unfolded the oil paper, revealing the Symbiotic Stone within. The pure blue crystal emitted a captivating halo of beauty that was difficult to look away from. Corrigan stared intently at the Symbiotic Stone in Mansis¡¯s hand, his mouth slightly agape, his hand involuntarily reaching out towards the stone. Mansis lifted the stone saying, ¡°This is the last one,¡± ¡°We will always find more,¡± Corrigan replied absently. ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve been up to these past two years, Corrigan. Tell me, did you have anything to do with the West Gold Building explosion?¡± Mansis asked. ¡°If you wanted to thwart me, you shouldn¡¯t have offered me the Blasphemous Dagger under the guise of your duties,¡± said Corrigan with a smile. ¡°Is that a threat?¡± Mansis responded coldly. ¡°I¡¯m simply reminding you,¡± Corrigan said. ¡°You and I are of a kind; we just pursue different things. I have found what I was looking for, and you have not... so why not cooperate, as intimately as we did forty years ago, instead of spouting high-minded principles and pretending to be humanity¡¯s savior?¡± Corrigan mocked. Mansis could not retort and merely glared fiercely at Corrigan. He then thrust the Symbiotic Stone into his hands. ¡°May God help you find what you seek in the Great Void soon enough,¡± said Corrigan with a laugh, contentedly placing the Symbiotic Stone into his coat pocket and putting his hood back on before leaving the office. Watching Corrigan leave, Mansis sighed, sinking into deep thought. Corrigan was right; he and Mansis were of a kind, both seeking something from the Great Void. Corrigan sought immortality, Wang Ailin pursued supreme knowledge and the truth of the world, and Mansis sought a power that could lead humanity! Human history, albeit brief, was replete with wars, oppression, and injustice. The insatiable gluttony of the wealthy and powerful classes for resources and their hindrances to grand endeavors had severely slowed humanity¡¯s march towards the cosmos. Humanity needed their own god, one to unite people globally in a genuine collective will, only then would they truly be ready to enter the Era of Eternal Life. Mansis wanted to assume that responsibility, thus he needed the power capable of shouldering such a burden. Chapter 155: 155: Must Die Tonight Chapter 155: Chapter 155: Must Die Tonight ¡°` 10 p.m., Bulland Biscuit Factory. It was an abandoned factory. Bulland¡¯s strawberry-flavored biscuits once were a bestseller throughout the federation, but three years ago, they were badly impacted by Transcendent¡¯s Spiritual Energy Cookies, and sales had plummeted ever since. Their factories scattered across various locations had gradually been deserted. In addition to reducing production capacity by 80%, the CEO was still exploring new snack products, endeavoring to continue the legacy of the 37-year-old brand. To recoup funds, Bulland sold many of its factories to various spiritual energy purchasers. A few were bought and demolished to build new buildings, while the majority were left intact and off-limits to everyone, turning into breeding grounds for Spirit Explosion Space. The machinery used for producing and packaging biscuits was still piled up in the factory area, retaining their full functions, but they now had no purpose. Spiritual Business like Bulland Company paid for all the expenses when buying the factory houses; even if it felt wasteful, there was no loss on Bulland¡¯s end as the Spiritual Businesses wanted to preserve all the factory¡¯s contents to the greatest extent. After all, what they sought was the authenticity of abandonment. Inside the manager¡¯s office of the deserted factory, a thick layer of dust accumulated on the desk, while the Silent Witch sat atop the table, her eyes closed in deep thought. To the right of the witch, against the wall, Lucina¡¯s hands were cuffed and hung from the water pipe installed against the wall, barely touching the ground with the tips of her toes. Her right eye socket was swollen, her left cheek a shade of dark purple. Her cracked lips still dripped with blood, and the smoky makeup around her eyes was smeared by forehead sweat, streaming down her cheeks as black tears. Her jacket lay tossed aside, her black tank top covered in tears and stained with blood, revealing an abdomen bruised and swollen from beating, with leftover bloodied vomit on her collarbone. A hooded freak gripped Lucina¡¯s cheek, forcing her mouth into an ¡®O¡¯ shape, and stuffed a tentacle-shaped extension from his right hand down her throat. Lucina made a choking noise, her eyes rolling back, stomach acid spilling from the corners of her mouth, her body trembling slightly. Seeing Lucina¡¯s agony, the freak revealed a sinister smile and twisted his fingers, causing the tentacle to stretch even longer. ¡°Don¡¯t play with her until she¡¯s dead!¡± snapped the Silent Witch, opening her eyes fiercely. The freak looked back at the witch, rolling his eyes before retracting the tentacle from Lucina¡¯s mouth, leaving a string of thick saliva. Lucina gagged, vomiting the contents of her stomach onto her chest. ¡°I just went inside her stomach and stirred it up,¡± the freak said with a laugh, looking towards Lucina with a sense of pleasure yet to be satisfied. ¡°Why don¡¯t you wait until we get the Holy Diamond before you play?¡± the Silent Witch said angrily. The freak tilted his head and licked his lips with his tongue. The Silent Witch jumped down from the desk and strode elegantly over to Lucina, lifting her chin gently with a finger to examine her face. Lucina spat out a mouthful of bloody phlegm at the witch. The witch sneered coldly, wiped the blood from her face with her thumb, then sucked it from her thumb. ¡°Your blood tastes good, and your body is quite tough. Once we get the Holy Diamond and return to Yasla, I will show you many more enjoyable things,¡± the witch said with a smile. ¡°Go on... kill me now,¡± Lucina said fiercely. ¡°I will, I will kill you slowly, but right now you¡¯re still alive just because we haven¡¯t gotten the Holy Diamond. Your little boyfriend is on his way here, but sadly, neither of you is going to make it through tonight,¡± the witch said slowly. ¡°Chen Ke...¡± Lucina¡¯s heart sank. In this factory, dozens of such freaks lay in wait; it was her first time dealing directly with beings from the Transcendent plane, and their power was not something a mail carrier could contend with. ¡°` ¡°He promised your father to exchange you back,¡± the witch laughed. ¡°Once we get the Holy Diamond, we¡¯ll kill him, and then let your father come to exchange for you, hmm hmm hmm...¡± Lucina was startled. Had Chen Ke really found Hainerd? ¡°Listen here, you bald bitch... If you dare to lay a hand on them, I¡¯ll haunt you as a ghost and kill you...¡± Lucina said furiously. ¡°Your threats are meaningless. Look at yourself now, merely a punching bag hanging there, devoid of a single bit of spiritual energy. To us, you are nothing more than an ant,¡± the witch laughed. ¡°But you are not entirely worthless. When your little boyfriend arrives, I¡¯m going to torture you right before his eyes. Make him kneel and beg for mercy, make him kneel before me with the Holy Diamond in his hands, begging me to spare your life,¡± the witch said as she grabbed the back of Lucina¡¯s head, staring into her eyes. The anger and humiliation in her heart erupted, and Lucina hysterically cursed at the witch. But soon, darkness enveloped her vision, and she passed out. The Silent Witch pulled her thumb out of Lucina¡¯s navel, licked the blood off it. Against a Transcendent, the muscles of mortals had no significance whatsoever. ¡°Two more hours, and he will be here,¡± the witch said, looking out the window. As her voice faded, dozens of hooded figures emerged from the shadows around the factory, lurking in places where neither lamplight nor moonlight reached, waiting for the prey to walk in. ... Chen Ke sat on the edge of the bed, fixing the battery into the assassin¡¯s phone. He had two such phones in his possession, one of which Lin Mo always carried on his person. Previously, for fear of the corporation tracking his location through the phone signal, he had never carried these two phones and had even removed their batteries. But tonight, he had other plans. ¡°Beep... Beep...¡± The familiar number connected, and Chen Ke waited for the other party to answer. Pankia staring at the caller ID on his phone was flooded with thoughts, and after a long while, he finally pressed the answer button. ¡°It took you a long time to answer the phone,¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°...¡± Pankia didn¡¯t speak, just listened silently. ¡°You¡¯ve failed twice, Mr. Lan Mei, now it¡¯s my turn,¡± Chen Ke said, sounding distracted. Pankia, of course, knew about the two assassination failures, the second one being a near-miss. But when it rains, it pours, and it wasn¡¯t just Lin Mo who was out of control; Pankia was a bit overwhelmed himself. ¡°I have many questions for you, Mr. Lan Mei. Midnight tonight, at Bulland Cookie Factory, let¡¯s settle all our scores once and for all,¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°I will be there, Lin Mo. I will give you all the answers, so you can die without regrets,¡± Pankia said with a cold laugh. ¡°I hope so,¡± Chen Ke said with a laugh, and then hung up the phone. Pankia picked up the desk phone and immediately called Slavin. ¡°Bulland Cookie Factory, midnight tonight. Send all the assassins from Opportunity City, we can¡¯t afford another failure,¡± Pankia instructed. ¡°Mr. Chairman... But may...,¡± Slavin began to ask. ¡°Never mind about him, Lin Mo must die tonight,¡± Pankia said emphatically. Chapter 156 - 156 156 Sorry Lucina ?Chapter 156: Chapter 156: Sorry, Lucina Chapter 156: Chapter 156: Sorry, Lucina Chen Ke removed the battery from his phone and then tossed both phones into a cup of water. This time, he truly wouldn¡¯t need them anymore. Chen Ke stood up and straightened his attire. Lester¡¯s henchman had delivered the suit an hour before, pressed perfectly flat and professionally dry-cleaned. It felt like a second skin when worn. He adjusted his tie, strapped on his gun holster, checked the PPC¡¯s magazine, and loaded a few more bullets into the not-full magazine. Another pistol lay on the bed, Parker¡¯s Spiritual Energy M1911A1, with just one last Punishment-attribute round left. He picked up the gun, chambered the round, and slipped it into the holster under his right armpit. The small wallet with the zippered pocket was filled with all the Holy Diamonds Chen Ke had acquired to date. He stuffed the wallet into the inner pocket of his suit jacket and buttoned it up. Most of the Holy Diamonds were of little use against humans, except for the shield that could automatically stand on its own, which could be used as cover. Mainly because the Holy Relics he held weren¡¯t of great quality. Most of the special effects attached to the Relics were meant for reducing damage from attributes, lacking any active offensive effects. What Chen Ke needed now were better Holy Relics with stronger offensive capabilities, as well as more active Transcendent Skills. It seemed he would have to keep venturing into various Great Voids to farm for them. With everything that could be useful packed, he lastly picked up the iPhone3G and dialed an unfamiliar number. ¡°Beep... Beep...¡± Chen Ke waited patiently for the other side to answer. ¡°Beep... Beep...¡± After a while, the person on the other end finally spoke. ¡°I knew you would call.¡± It was the hacker who had assisted with the bank robbery escape at noon today. ¡°I know this is sudden, but I need your help with a small favor right now,¡± said Chen Ke. ¡°We¡¯ve only known each other for a brief ten-plus minutes. So, this favor won¡¯t be free,¡± said the Hacker. ¡°I can pay,¡± Chen Ke replied with a smile. ¡°It seems that score earlier was quite profitable,¡± the hacker laughed as well. ¡°Do you know the Bulland cookie factory?¡± asked Chen Ke. ¡°It¡¯s hard not to know, Opportunity City only has that one factory, and it¡¯s been deserted for a long time. Are you looking to buy it?¡± asked the Hacker. ¡°No... From your performance this afternoon, you can remotely control parts of the city¡¯s circuits and traffic systems in some areas, right?¡± asked Chen Ke. ¡°Mm-hmm,¡± replied the Hacker. ¡°Good, I need you to turn off all the streetlights, houses, roadside billboards... everything that can light up near the factory tonight at ten minutes past midnight,¡± said Chen Ke. ¡°That¡¯s not difficult, but I can only maintain it for 30 minutes,¡± said the Hacker. ¡°That¡¯s enough, just make sure it¡¯s dark enough inside the factory at that time,¡± Chen Ke said with a smile. ¡°I can¡¯t control the moon,¡± said the Hacker. ... Opportunity City at night was like a haunted city, with animals infected by Spiritual Energy that resided in various human-made wastelands. Occasionally, they let out a penetrating howl that echoed through the night sky for a long time. Chen Ke walked leisurely with his hands in his pockets, moving through the quiet streets. Lamp after lamp cast a white light down onto the road, extending out in front of him. The cookie factory wasn¡¯t too far from where he rented, and he didn¡¯t want to involve others in this incident, so he didn¡¯t take a taxi but chose to walk instead. At 11:59 p.m., Chen Ke arrived at the entrance to the Bulland Biscuit Factory. Next to the factory was a large residential area, and opposite it stood an aging, large-scale shopping mall. Although it couldn¡¯t be considered a shopping street, this large shopping mall was the only shopping center in this remote corner. The factory¡¯s big iron gate was slightly ajar, and even without stepping inside, he already felt tons of murderous intent rushing towards him. Since it was beyond the range of the Killing Aura Radar, Chen Ke¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t see any red outlines. He sidestepped into the factory, patting off the dust that clung to his suit. The biscuit factory wasn¡¯t much different from the abandoned car factory he had visited at the beginning of his travels, in terms of architectural layout. The factory wasn¡¯t large, about the size of a school¡¯s sports field. An office building stood isolated in the northeast corner, with four L-shaped connected workshops facing it across an open space. Around the open space were nine decorative lamp posts for illumination, their hefty bulbs resembling fruits hanging from trees. Moreover, tonight, all these lights were actually on. Chen Ke¡¯s eyes emitted a faint blue halo. Centered on him, a blue pulse rippled out, revealing within a 100-meter radius, every human-shaped living creature. Workshops, office building, and various potential hiding spots¡ªall were filled with Yasla¡¯s deformities, with their outlines slowly turning from blue to red. Chen Ke counted them, nearly forty in total. These freaks had never thought about trading, just as Chen Ke had predicted. He, too, had never considered using the Holy Diamond to exchange for people. That green Holy Diamond was now lying in the delivery man¡¯s safe house, well-guarded by Pihom. He sighed, leaned against one of the lamp posts, waiting for the other party to appear. The white light struck him and cast a dark, twisted shadow upon the ground. This was the first time Chen Ke had seen his shadow, it didn¡¯t resemble a human form, but rather a cluster of burning black flames... Suddenly, a mass of dark clouds covered the moon tightly above, darkening the surroundings considerably. The corners of Chen Ke¡¯s mouth rose slightly¡ªHeaven was indeed helping him. He saw three red outlines leading a blue one emerge from the office building. Without guessing, he knew it was the Silent Witch and her subordinates, bringing Lucina with them. Chen Ke glanced at the countdown in his eye. It took them nearly 2 minutes to reach his location, about 20 meters from Chen Ke. Two oddities were clutching Lucina¡¯s arms. From their posture, it seemed that Lucina couldn¡¯t stay upright on her own. ¡°You came, I thought you would escape alone like a coward,¡± the Silent Witch mocked. ¡°I think you probably don¡¯t understand that the thing used for exchange should be kept intact, otherwise it will infuriate the other party in the trade and lead to a failed transaction,¡± Chen Ke said as he looked at the battered Lucina, spreading his hands. ¡°Chen Ke... you shouldn¡¯t have come...¡± Lucina said, looking at Chen Ke. One of the oddities punched her in the stomach, silencing Lucina. ¡°Where¡¯s the Holy Diamond?¡± the Silent Witch asked. ¡°Let her come over first,¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°If you don¡¯t hand it over, we can still search your corpse,¡± the Silent Witch replied with a laugh. Chen Ke shook his head and reached inside his suit. The Silent Witch¡¯s smirk widened. ¡°What if I tell you that I actually didn¡¯t bring the Holy Diamond?¡± Chen Ke said with a smile. What he pulled out wasn¡¯t the Holy Diamond, but Parker¡¯s Spiritual Energy M1911A1. The witch clapped her hands, and the monsters hiding in the shadows came forth. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll play a game. Until you bring the Holy Diamond, my minions will tear your little girlfriend¡¯s flesh piece by piece, let¡¯s see how long she can wait for you,¡± the witch said with a laugh. The creature holding Lucina extended another hand from its sleeve, sharp as scissors, placing it on her cheek. Chen Ke glanced at the countdown; 7 minutes had passed. ¡°Lucina, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Chen Ke said, slowly raising the gun. Chapter 157 - 157 157 Big Brawl ?Chapter 157: Chapter 157: Big Brawl Chapter 157: Chapter 157: Big Brawl Lucina seemed to understand something and slowly closed her eyes. The Silent Witch glanced at Chen Ke and then at Lucina, revealing a surprised expression. A wave of murderous intent rose behind Chen Ke, visible only to him as a pale red mist surged toward Lucina. Suddenly, Lucina felt an inexplicable fear spread through her heart, chilling her limbs, stiffening her body, and numbing her scalp. After a brief resistance, she was overwhelmed by indescribable fear and fainted with her eyes rolling back. The two bizarre figures holding Lucina felt the weight in their hands increase, then they let go, and Lucina, with her eyes rolled back, fell face down on the ground motionless. ¡°Is this... did she get scared to stupor?¡± one bizarre figure asked. The Silent Witch looked at Chen Ke, who had just slightly raised his gun but had yet to aim at Lucina. ¡°What did you do? Did you... kill her? How did you do it?¡± the Silent Witch glared at Chen Ke. She had intended to use this as leverage against Chen Ke, but hadn¡¯t anticipated his capabilities. ¡°You freaks, tonight you¡¯ll witness the true Transcendent.¡± Chen Ke smiled, lifting the gun toward the ceiling light bulb. 12:10 AM. ¡°Bang!¡± The terrifying gunshot of the Spiritual Energy M1911A1 rang out, the Punishment attribute bullet carrying a white flash pierced through the cheap light bulb, dimming not only the area he stood in but also everything else capable of emitting light around it. Suddenly, everything turned pitch black, not to the extent of being unable to see your hand in front of you, but enough to obscure your view of people ten steps away. ¡°Where is he?¡± The Silent Witch and the bizarre figures had their attention drawn by the sudden massive power outage around them, and by the time they turned back to look at Chen Ke, he was nowhere to be found. All the bizarre figures around entered a state of combat readiness, cautiously surveying their surroundings, with purple runes and a dim purple glow emanating from the Silent Witch¡¯s forehead. ¡°He¡¯s still here, I can feel the marks I left on him. Take that bitch back to the office building, everyone else make sure he doesn¡¯t escape,¡± the Silent Witch ordered. But the two bizarre figures beside her glanced at each other, sheepishly saying, ¡°That woman, she¡¯s gone too...¡± Lucina, who should have been lying on the ground, left behind only a pair of bloody handcuffs. ¡°He is a Spiritual Ability User, we don¡¯t yet know what Transcendent Skills he has, nor do we know about his Holy Relics, so don¡¯t underestimate him, hit him with everything you¡¯ve got, even if it kills him,¡± the Silent Witch yelled. She stretched out her hands, her pupils turning purple. In a whisper, she muttered, ¡°Dagon... Anado... Muhar...¡± Her hands, following the unnamed spell¡¯s whisper, ignited with purple flames, and from a cut that opened in the palm of each hand, a purple-red whip-like a serpent¡¯s tongue flowed out. The whip, wrapped in purple flame, seemed alive, coiling around the witch¡¯s forearm, its head bending upward and probing the surroundings like a snake¡¯s tongue. Over 46 of Yasla¡¯s bizarre figures all entered a state of combat readiness, their limbs morphing into various strange weapons, not using Holy Relics at all, truly like humanoid monsters. And these transformations, all were observed by the conglomerate¡¯s assassins through their sniper scopes. ¡°See that?¡± came a voice through the earphone. ¡°46 of them, all Yasla¡¯s deformities, the target just vanished; seems like he plans to ambush us,¡± the sniper replied. ¡°Did he side with Yasla?¡± another assassin questioned through the earphone. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter who he sided with, Mr. Lan Mei said he¡¯s done for tonight,¡± the sniper stated. ¡°46 of them, how should we proceed?¡± another assassin asked. ¡°First, kill his allies, then force him out. I¡¯ll cover from above, and you guys go in from below,¡± the sniper said. The assassins appeared from their hiding spots, using their transcendent skills, and dashed toward the factory. Shortly before this, Diana was fast asleep in a high-end apartment in the Raffi Road District, with a new 52 Wonder Woman comic covering her face. The loud ring of the phone startled her awake. ¡°Diana, that gun... it was fired. At the Bulland Cookie Factory in the Gun Tie District,¡± said a colleague from the Administration Bureau¡¯s gun management department. ¡°I¡¯ll be there shortly.¡± She instantly perked up, flipped the comic book onto the nightstand, threw off the covers, and got out of bed wearing only her underwear. Diana drove toward the factory, her phone vibrating. It was Bader. ¡°Did you hear?¡± Bader said. ¡°I¡¯m on my way,¡± Diana replied. ¡°We must catch that bastard this time,¡± Bader said. ¡°Say what you want, but I have a feeling this is our last chance,¡± Diana said. ¡°They said three blocks over there are out of power, and the circuit maintenance department is sending people there,¡± Bader reminded her. ¡°Let the County Police worry about those people,¡± Diana snorted. During the conversation, two P.W.A.T vehicles passed her, also heading in the direction of the factory. Diana glanced at the Wonder Woman doll on the dashboard and unconsciously pressed the accelerator to the floor. The Silent Witch sensed something was off; she sensed a large accumulation of spiritual energy around her. A blue throwing knife flew from behind toward the monster, who saw the incoming knife with the eyes at the back of its head and bent down to dodge. The throwing knife flew past the monster and then disappeared into thin air. Over thirty fully armed assassins appeared on the rooftops and corners of the factory. Without a word, they were equipped with submachine guns. Simultaneously, golden, blue, and white halos spread from their bodies, summoning various Holy Relics. ¡°Assassins from the consortium... They have come to reclaim the Holy Diamond. Don¡¯t let them succeed,¡± the Silent Witch said. The monsters scattered, screaming as they charged at the assassins, whose submachine guns spat out fire, with the lights of various Holy Relics shining brightly together. One monster rolled up its sleeves, and its right arm burst open entirely, bones splaying out, tendons forming strings, and bones turning into arrows, aiming at the group. ¡°Pop!¡± A terrifying gunshot sounded from afar, and just a second later, the monster¡¯s head exploded like a squashed tomato. ¡°Sniper! Scatter!¡± the Silent Witch roared, and her Purple Fire Whip fiercely lunged at an assassin, piercing through his flank, entangling and churning his innards before exiting through his neck. Purple flames began to consume the assassin¡¯s flesh. He screamed as his flesh melted into pulp, dripping off his bones onto the ground. The Silent Witch withdrew her whip, searching for the next target. At this moment, Chen Ke, with Lucina passed out on his back and his suit jacket draped over her, crouched and slipped into a nearby workshop. He stuffed Lucina into an abandoned low cabinet, closed the door, put on his suit jacket again, and looked through the walls to see a large mass of red human shapes fighting messily outside, accompanied by the sounds of Barrett gunfire. Pankia had really gone all out this time, dispatching so many assassins, even using anti-material sniper rifles against him. He couldn¡¯t leave yet; he had to kill that Silent Witch he had locked eyes with earlier. He didn¡¯t want to always carry a tail behind him. Chapter 158 - 158 158 Waiting for You to Return to Split the ?Chapter 158: Chapter 158: Waiting for You to Return to Split the Money Chapter 158: Chapter 158: Waiting for You to Return to Split the Money He crouched and slipped out of the workshop, pressing his body against the wall. He tried to maintain his Dark Concealment at around 80%. Outside, more than seventy people were involved in a brawl. The Holy Relics intermittently emitted flashes of all kinds of colors, which were quite a sight. It wasn¡¯t difficult to find the witch. Her unique Purple Fire Whip shone dazzlingly bright, and her ability to turn into mist meant snipers had failed to kill her so far. Chen Ke took out his PPQ45, screwed on the silencer, and aimed at her shiny bald head. Suddenly, she turned and looked directly at Chen Ke. ¡°What¡¯s the principle?¡± Chen Ke was taken aback. The Silent Witch turned into black mist in an instant and shot toward Chen Ke¡¯s face. After transforming into mist, everything but the Holy Relics carried on her person would fall to the ground, so now the witch was exposed before Chen Ke. Before she could fully materialize, the whip burning with purple flames flew straight at him. Chen Ke flexed his thighs and leaped to the side. Midair, he felt the hand holding the gun heat up immensely. When he landed and looked at his hand, he saw his right palm and the PPQ45 wrapped tightly by the witch¡¯s whip and quickly dissolving into water. The PPQ45 was gone, and so was his right hand. The empty, blood-soaked sleeve flapped in the wind, thankfully his clothes were intact. The witch sneered and hurled a second lash at Chen Ke. A flash of gold in Chen Ke¡¯s left hand, and he summoned Faralis¡¯ Unyielding Fury! Although he couldn¡¯t lift it, nobody said he couldn¡¯t stick it into the ground! The golden greatsword became entangled in the flying purple whip. Chen Ke grasped the hilt with his left hand and turned it into his chest. There was a sensation as if cutting paper with a box cutter, and the purple whip was severed. The witch screamed, and her right arm withered quickly where the whip had been cut. She looked at the golden sword in disbelief and said incredulously, ¡°Justice... it¡¯s a Justice attribute!¡± Before the witch could recover from the shock, the golden greatsword turned back into a diamond and slid into Chen Ke¡¯s wallet. He rushed forward, and as his left hand instantaneously regenerated, he slid the ARK tactical recurve knife he had bought from Walmart 511¡¯s counter out of his sleeve. The knife point entered the witch¡¯s upper left abdomen first. Then, relying on the gap between the ribs, Chen Ke flicked his wrist, driving the blade into her heart. He held the knife handle with his left hand and wrapped his right arm around the witch, slowly laying her down on the ground. No blood spurted from the wound because the blade was still pressing on the heart. The witch¡¯s eyes widened. There was no more killing intent in them, only jealousy and regret. ¡°If only... I could have met you sooner...¡± the witch sighed. Chen Ke understood what she meant. Nobody had been there to save her when she most needed it. If she had been as lucky as Lucina, perhaps things would have turned out differently today. But there are no ifs in this world... ¡°I¡¯m sorry, everyone has their fate,¡± Chen Ke said lightly, stirring the knife handle and smashing her heart. The light faded from the witch¡¯s eyes as she lost all signs of life. A surge of killing intent hit him. Chen Ke¡¯s fight with the witch had attracted the attention of a sniper. He rolled away swiftly, disappearing from everyone¡¯s perception. The battle in the factory raged on. Limbs of monsters, severed by the Holy Relics, and corpses of assassins dissolved into acidic water by Corrosion attribute Spiritual Energy lay scattered everywhere, while the sniper in the distance kept taking heads. The monsters tried to summon black orbs but were repeatedly interrupted by the sniper. It seemed they had no answer to the attacks from beyond their sight. Chen Ke furrowed his brows, according to the way things were going, the fight would end in a few more minutes, and then it would be a bit troublesome to think about running away. He made his way back to the workshop building and found the cabinet hiding Lucina, then hoisted Lucina out of the cabinet. She was deeply asleep, having sustained serious injuries all over her body, and with Chen Ke¡¯s infusion of nearly half of his assassin¡¯s ¡®Spiritual Energy¡¯, both her body and mind had reached their limits. Honestly, even Chen Ke didn¡¯t know if Lucina could wake up again; people tend to lose their memories in a state of extreme fear as a kind of self-protection mechanism by the brain. In more severe cases, it¡¯s possible to become comatose. Lucina closed her eyes, her head slumped on her left shoulder, her deep brown curly hair matted to her face with blood and sweat, in contrast to the awake Lucina, Chen Ke found the unconscious one a bit more charming. He reached out to brush the messy hair from Lucina¡¯s face when she suddenly opened her eyes. ¡°Fuck! Fuck!¡± Chen Ke was startled by those eyes, his hand trembling slightly in mid-air. Lucina¡¯s gaze was filled with complex emotions, and in her eyes, Chen Ke saw fear, anxiety, guilt, and anger. She looked at Chen Ke, struggling to adjust her emotions but in the end, anger took over. ¡°Mad Fak! Did you just shoot at me?!¡± Lucina grabbed Chen Ke¡¯s hanging right wrist, furious. Damn... she¡¯s been beaten so badly, how can she still have so much strength? Chen Ke tried to withdraw his hand but found it not so easy. ¡°I just went to great lengths to save your life...¡± Chen Ke said. The suit¡¯s ¡®Dark Concealment¡¯ effect had its limits; if the wearer had made contact with someone, its meme deception would temporarily fail unless the person who had discovered the wearer lost the target again. Maybe Lucina had already woken up when Chen Ke carried her out of the cabinet, or even earlier... ¡°Where did you shoot just now?¡± Lucina asked, while touching her own body, a sticky mix of oil, sweat, blood, and dust on her; it was quite sorry, and even Lucina herself felt disgusted. ¡°I didn¡¯t shoot you with a gun, you fainted on your own,¡± Chen Ke spread his hands. Lucina punched Chen Ke in the chest, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me, I¡¯m not that cowardly!¡± ¡°Hey... girl,¡± Chen Ke¡¯s right hand rested on Lucina¡¯s shoulder, looking at her as she showed a tenderness he had never seen before. ¡°Thank you for coming to rescue me, Chen Ke. I didn¡¯t expect you would be willing to... I messed things up, didn¡¯t I?¡± Lucina whispered. ¡°No, you did great, we¡¯re just waiting for you to come back and split the money,¡± Chen Ke smiled. ¡°Right... split the money... so much money...¡± Lucina started laughing, then, catching Chen Ke¡¯s left arm, she heaved a long sigh and passed out again. Chen Ke sighed; it seemed that Lucina had merely been forcing herself to stay conscious, and now had exhausted her energy. He took off his suit jacket, draped it over Lucina, then carried Lucina on his shoulder and sneaked out of the workshop. The fight outside was still ongoing, with forty-odd people still tangled up in combat. The freaks of Yasla didn¡¯t seem to have the upper hand, but in the end, there were more assassin corpses on the field. Speaking of physical strength alone, Yasla¡¯s freaks were far superior to the assassins, and they could exhibit all kinds of strange abilities without the need for Holy Relics. Just as Hainerd had said, the freaks of Yasla, in pursuit of merging man with ¡®Spiritual Energy¡¯ into one, were no longer in the realm of human. At this moment, the sound of urgent sirens came from the direction of the factory gate, followed by the screeching of tires from several cars stopping abruptly. Chen Ke peeked out from the edge of the door, guessing it was the Administration Bureau following the signal of the ¡®Spiritual Ability Pistol¡¯ that had arrived, so he turned his head and sneaked back into the factory. Chapter 159 - 159 159 Monster ?Chapter 159: Chapter 159 Monster Chapter 159: Chapter 159 Monster Four P.W.A.T. vans, accompanied by several police cars, pulled up at the gates of the biscuit factory. Diana arrived just then, parked her red muscle car aside, pulled out her revolver, checked her spare ammunition, and strode towards the factory gate. Intermittent bursts of submachine gun fire and the clashing of cold weapons echoed from inside the factory. The new P.W.A.T. commander, Kou Mark, and the County Police chief immediately set up a cordon. The headlights of all vehicles shone towards the factory gates, bright as day. County Police officers, hiding behind the doors of their cars, shouted into the factory using megaphones. ¡°We¡¯re the Opportunity City County Police! You¡¯re surrounded! Drop your weapons! Surrender immediately!¡± Diana approached Kou Mark, flashed her credentials, and was about to explain her purpose when a black SUV drove up. That was Bader¡¯s car. ¡°Hey, Diana,¡± Bader got out of the car and walked towards them. ¡°You¡¯re with the Administration Bureau?¡± Kou Mark asked. ¡°Yes, the people inside are involved in the West Gold Building case from a week ago. We need to capture the target alive,¡± Diana said. ¡°Who do you think he¡¯s fighting now?¡± Bader looked towards the factory gate. As they spoke, the surroundings suddenly brightened a bit¡ªthe power had returned. ¡°I don¡¯t know; maybe he¡¯s fighting with monsters infected by Spiritual Energy again. In any case, be ready,¡± Diana shook her head. ¡°Monsters? I thought this was just a simple gun-theft case...¡± Kou Mark rubbed his buzzcut head. This Captain Kou Mark was still young, around 36 years old. His every move was meticulous and serious, not as calm and collected as Morgan. ¡°Tell your men to seal off the factory gate. Keep an eye out, don¡¯t let anything slip through,¡± Diana said while checking the time on her phone, 12:45 AM. ¡°We¡¯re just going to charge in? Shouldn¡¯t we fire some smoke grenades inside first?¡± Kou Mark asked, puzzled. ¡°If that makes you feel better, shoot them now,¡± Diana said with a smile. Suddenly, all the electronic controls of the vehicles malfunctioned, the headlights dimmed, and the street lamps along the roadside exploded one by one, popping and cracking. ¡°Snipers?!¡± Someone shouted, and the P.W.A.T. and County Police officers all dropped to the ground like lightning, all except Diana and Bader, who remained standing by the car door. A gust of wind blew, and the factory quieted down. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Kou Mark leaned against the back of the car, putting on night vision goggles and looking around. Seconds later, an officer restarted his car, and two beams of light hit the factory gate again. For a moment, it seemed as if something flashed by the door, but it quickly disappeared. ¡°The car¡¯s system just short-circuited for a moment... Try restarting your cars,¡± an officer called out. One by one, people restarted their cars, and the factory entrance was brightly lit once more. ¡°Bader, I thought I saw something slip through the gate just now. Was I hallucinating?¡± Diana asked. ¡°You must not have slept well... I didn¡¯t see anything. It was indeed very dark, but not to the point where we wouldn¡¯t notice if someone came out,¡± Bader shrugged. ¡°The hacker inside was attacking us just now? We definitely outnumber them, let¡¯s charge in!¡± Kou Mark exclaimed angrily, waving his hand, and thirty P.W.A.T. members rushed towards the factory gate with him. Diana and Bader exchanged glances, shook their heads reluctantly, pulled out their weapons, and followed the team. They lined up at the cracks on either side of the large iron gate, let two team members open it, and then flooded in quickly. As the team charged into the factory, the scene before them left everyone dumbstruck. Scattered across the ground were numerous human corpses, seemingly from two different groups, judging by their attire. Among them were severed limbs that were not at all human. ¡°What in the world... Who are they?¡± Diana inhaled deeply, astonished at the carnage before her. Bader immediately recognized Yasla¡¯s creatures and his brow furrowed with a subtle expression on his face. The scene was very quiet, and Kou Mark probably witnessed such a situation for the first time, feeling some physiological discomfort. He had his men tally the bodies, approximately over 60 in total¡ªover 30 of them human, the rest were humanoid monsters. Some corpses were shredded to pieces and were beyond counting. Among the remains, Bader caught sight of a familiar face¡ªthe Silent Witch he had once met... ¡°In the battle with the consortium¡¯s assassins...¡± He was flooded with thoughts. Although there were frictions between the two organizations, they were in a mutually dependent relationship. There was no need for such all-out confrontation... ¡°Bader, look,¡± Diana nudged the daydreaming Bader. He snapped back to reality and followed where Diana was pointing, only to see a pistol buried in the mud. ¡°Is that...¡± Bader was startled, a Spiritual Ability Pistol? The Spiritual Ability Pistol was specially modified, equipped with a Spiritual Power Reader, and as a variant of the M1911A1, it lacked a safety mechanism, making it easily recognizable. ¡°We better wait for the forensic team to see whose fingerprints are on it,¡± Diana suggested. Bader nodded, hands on his hips, standing there, suddenly feeling despondent. Why did they have to fight? What should I do now? He pondered hard. ¡°Check the other buildings in the factory for any survivors,¡± Kou Mark commanded. Watching the P.W.A.T. team busy themselves, Diana felt more at ease. This was her first time seeing the corpses of human-shaped monsters. Wang Ailin would no doubt be eager to study these bizarre creatures. However, a battle of such magnitude surely brewed more complex issues behind the scenes. And from the bodies of the humans, they even recovered Holy Relics... She glanced at Bader, who seemed to be wrestling with something, probably pondering how to negotiate custody of the Holy Diamonds. In the distance, several P.W.A.T. members entered the dark, long-haired workshop to clean it up. To be on the safe side, each time they entered a workshop, they threw a Spiritual Power Inhibitor Hand Grenade. This grenade dispersed a pheromone that briefly hindered the functioning of liquid Spiritual Energy in the spinal cord. Though the range couldn¡¯t cover the entire area, it at least secured the entrance. ¡°Team leader, situation found! Requesting suppor¡ª,¡± Kou Mark¡¯s earpiece crackled with a voice. At the same time, in the silence, a monstrous roar resounded. Everyone was drawn to the source of the sound¡ªa workshop in the factory complex. A humanoid monster, estimated to be four meters tall, charged out from the darkness. Its eyes, glowing with a red halo, trailed red light as it moved, entwined with intestine and blood vessel-like appendages that wrapped around its slender arms and body, pulsating to supply energy to the black heart. ¡°Dear God! Did you see that monster?¡± Kou Mark exclaimed, removing his night vision goggles in shock. Diana was too astonished to speak, as the creature resembled a contract demon, yet was distinctly different. Only Bader knew what this thing was, but he certainly wouldn¡¯t tell the others. All present aimed their guns at the creature and pulled the triggers. The monster was quick and possessed strong self-healing abilities. As it was being shot, flesh flew off its body, but it quickly regenerated fresh tissue. ¡°Are you carrying it?¡± Bader turned to Diana. Many agents returning from leave often forgot to carry their issued Holy Relics on their first day back. ¡°Got a new one,¡± Diana said, touching her chest with her hands crossed in front. She was enveloped in golden and blue halos, her jacket replaced by a red bodice leather armor, a copper ring appearing on her head, a round shield materialized in her left hand, and a broad-bladed short sword clenched in her right. As Diana transformed into her battle gear, Bader too put away his pistol, his body shimmering with a blue glow. A grey-blue hooded robe replaced his neat suit, long boots adorned his feet, a sleeve sword extended from his left wrist, and a mace was in his right hand. ¡°I¡¯ll Charge down there,¡± Diana said, laying her sword across her shield. ¡°I¡¯ll go for its face,¡± Bader twirled his mace. Chapter 160 - 160 160 Secret of Harmony ?Chapter 160: Chapter 160: Secret of Harmony Chapter 160: Chapter 160: Secret of Harmony Two people charged toward the four-meter-tall monster under the intense firepower cover provided by the P.W.A.T. Diana took a step forward and her body suddenly accelerated like an arrow released from a bow. Her body emitted a red flash in the darkness of midnight, instantly propelling forward more than 30 meters, leaving behind a long red afterimage. The monster¡¯s elongated rubber-band-like right arm aimed its claw straight at Diana¡¯s chest. She sneered, her left arm swiftly lifting to deflect the claw with her shield. This was the vulnerability she was looking for. She dove into a slide aimed beneath the monster, thrusting her wide-blade sword directly up. Instantly, blood poured out, a large splash of hot, thick pus sprayed onto Diana¡¯s face and chest, trickling down her collarbone and into her corset armor. ¡°Ah... that¡¯s fucking disgusting,¡± Diana cursed under her breath. Even though the monster didn¡¯t have the parts a normal person would have, as a woman, Diana subconsciously thought that cutting it off there should cause it great pain. But the monster showed no reaction. Bader followed closely behind, leaping high and stepping on the shield Diana had raised. With a strong push, Diana propelled him upward, and with her strength, Bader leaped again, reaching a height level with the monster¡¯s head. His left hand, equipped with a sleeve blade, stretched towards the monster and deployed a 12-centimeter long blade, aiming for its carotid artery. The monster, as if picking a peach, grabbed Bader, its red eyes closely inspecting his face hidden under the hood, and roared, ¡°Traitor!¡± Bader snorted coldly, his right hand swinging a spiked hammer toward the monster¡¯s head. Blood splattered everywhere, as if a hammer had smashed an egg. But the monster¡¯s flattened head regrew, and it pressed its sharp claws into Bader¡¯s chest. ¡°Fuck! Fuck! Aaah!!!¡± Bader screamed in agony, continually striking the monster¡¯s arm with his hammer. Diana pulled out her longsword, stepped on the monster¡¯s knee to gain leverage, and fiercely plunged her sword into the upper abdomen of the beast, trying to use her body weight to cut it open. The monster noticed Diana and flung Bader away, then grabbed her. Bader hit the ground, rolled nimbly, and his body became semi-translucent. The monster tried to press its claws into Diana¡¯s abdomen, but her corset armor was much harder than Bader¡¯s hooded coat, so it was unsuccessful. Changing its strategy, the monster grabbed Diana¡¯s legs and right shoulder, attempting to tear her in half. Diana fiercely resisted the monster¡¯s strength, her free left arm striking its body with her shield. ¡°Shoot, shoot its legs!¡± Kou Mark commanded from afar, confident in his teammates¡¯ shooting skills to not wound Diana in the monster¡¯s clutches. Thirty guns fired simultaneously at the monster¡¯s legs. Although its regenerative abilities were remarkable, the intense gunfire was enough to destabilize it, causing a slight distraction. Seizing the opportunity, Diana broke free from the monster¡¯s grasp, kicked its face, then grabbed its shoulders and swung to its back. Seeing Diana free, Kou Mark immediately ordered a ceasefire to avoid accidental injury. ¡°It¡¯s useless, you can¡¯t kill it like that. You need to cut off its energy supply,¡± Bader¡¯s voice echoed around. ¡°How do you cut it off? Those blood vessels on its body?¡± Diana asked without turning, aware of Bader¡¯s Holy Relics¡¯ invisibility effect. ¡°No, its energy is internal,¡± Bader said. ¡°Internal... I just plunged my sword into its belly, and it didn¡¯t react at all,¡± Diana said. ¡°Its insides are bigger than you think,¡± Bader said. ¡°Just tell me what to do,¡± Diana said. ¡°Draw its attention... I¡¯ll handle the rest,¡± Bader said. This monster was not documented in the Administration Bureau¡¯s files; maybe tonight was their first encounter. She didn¡¯t know why Bader was so confident, but since he was, it was best if he could solve the problem. Diana was left holding only a shield, her longsword still embedded in the monster¡¯s abdomen. With Kou Mark¡¯s support, creating an opening for Bader should have been a simple task. ¡°Come at me, you ugly freak!¡± Diana tightened the straps on her shield bracer, wiped the blood off her face, and roared at the monster. The monster¡¯s arms stretched like rubber, snapping towards Diana, but she dodged them with her shield and evasive movements. Meanwhile, Kou Mark split the P.W.A.T team members into two groups, shooting from different flanks, securing a safe space for Diana. The gunfire from both sides angered the monster, which pulled one arm free to swipe at the ten-plus members on the left side. Its sharp claws tore through the waists and abdomens of three team members and sent others flying. With half the firepower gone, the monster attacked Diana more frequently. Realizing that its rubbery long claws posed no threat to her, it withdrew its elongated arms and compressed them. The monster¡¯s originally thin arms now became incredibly thick, and it began pounding Diana¡¯s shield with its fists. When the fists collided with the shield, there surprisingly was the sound of steel clashing. ¡°Bader! Hurry... I can¡¯t hold it off all day,¡± Diana urged anxiously. Diana¡¯s left arm went numb from the vibration, feeling as if her entire left side had shattered. She braced her right hand against the back of the shield, attempting to withstand the monster¡¯s power with both arms. ¡°Bang! Bang! Bang!¡± Three more punches came, and Diana knelt on one knee, her left arm first in intense pain and then completely numb as it hung limply by her side with the shield. Her left arm had dislocated. The monster let out a victorious howl and pinned Diana to the ground with its giant right palm. It raised its left fist and smashed it towards her face. ¡°Mom, I love you,¡± Diana thought silently, staring up at the monster¡¯s iron fist coming at her face. ¡°Smack!¡± At that moment, a miracle happened. The monster¡¯s body suddenly burst open, and Bader erupted from within its abdomen, his hot blood splattering on Diana¡¯s face¡ªscalding, greasy, and mixed with soft remnants sticking to her chest and face. The explosion split the monster¡¯s body into six individuals, all disheveled, lying on the ground covered in blood. Diana spat out some of the remnants from her mouth, took Bader¡¯s hand and stood up, looking confusedly at the six severely injured individuals on the ground. Their bodies were deformed, two without arms, two without legs, and one, headless. ¡°They¡¯re almost dead, or rather, one is already dead...¡± Bader sighed. ¡°What... what is this... I¡¯ve never seen it before,¡± Diana asked. ¡°It¡¯s a monster infected by Spiritual Energy, six merged into one big one,¡± Bader crafted a story. In reality, they were Yasla¡¯s monstrosities, having used a malevolent magic known as the ¡°Secret of Harmony,¡± transforming into four-meter-tall flesh puppets. Flesh puppets possessed incredible self-healing and physical molding abilities and immense strength. Their intelligence, memory, and consciousness all came from the six individuals merged together, which is why the flesh puppet had recognized Bader and screamed, ¡°Traitor.¡± But this merging magic also came at a terrible cost. Firstly, the individual forming the head died instantly; then, those forming the arms and legs lost those limbs permanently. Once the merger dissolved, the survivors would lose their memories from during the merger and suffer from an incurable, short-term amnesia, ultimately becoming invalids with only 50 seconds of memory remaining. ¡°How are your injuries?¡± Diana asked. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious, not deep, but your shoulder has dislocated,¡± Bader said. At that moment, Kou Mark ran over, pinching his nose as he looked at the bodies on the ground. Then he looked at Diana and Bader with admiration. ¡°We should head back, call the medical examiner to clean up the scene, and oh... don¡¯t forget that gun...¡± Bader patted Kou Mark¡¯s shoulder. ¡°That sacrificial offer... Bader, do you think the person who stole the gun is in this pile of bodies?¡± Diana asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know, let¡¯s check the fingerprints on the gun and the autopsy reports... I can¡¯t stand this shit on me any longer... I need to go wash up,¡± Bader said, waving his hand and clutching his chest as he walked towards the factory exit. Diana, clutching her dislocated left arm, watched Bader¡¯s retreating figure with a suspicious gaze. ¡°What are you hiding?¡± she thought quietly. Chapter 161 - 161 161 One Stop Away from the End ?Chapter 161: Chapter 161: One Stop Away from the End Chapter 161: Chapter 161: One Stop Away from the End Chen Ke had been carrying Lucina for quite some time, and he checked his phone, it was already 12:50 AM. He had left the factory and that group of County Police far behind in his mind. The dark clouds had dissipated, and the moon hung high in the night sky, bringing a chilly air. The wind rustled the surrounding leaves, sounding like bells calling spirits. Just now, when escaping from the factory, it was thanks to the help of a vigilante that they could evade the spotlight of the police lights, otherwise the Dark Concealment effect of the suit would¡¯ve been ineffective. Chen Ke couldn¡¯t just run off, after all, he was still carrying a woman on his shoulders. Speaking of which, Lucina was really heavy... Not much shorter than himself, and in her unconscious state, her body was like a horse¡¯s, probably weighing more than 140 pounds... Of course, Lucina¡¯s weight did not come from fat, but from muscles all over her body. A few days ago, in order not to be addressed by the name ¡°Chen, Mad Fak,¡± Chen Ke arm-wrestled her, only to be thoroughly defeated. It is widely known that women, lacking a certain body organ, have less than ten percent of the male level of testosterone, so it¡¯s very hard for them to build muscles. Back in his original world, Chen Ke had seen delicate girls in the gym who would ask the trainer worriedly, what if they accidentally developed muscles? In fact, this was as ridiculous as saying, ¡°I just want to play around, what if I accidentally become the world¡¯s number one?¡± No doubt Lucina had put in a tremendous amount of effort to build her physique, and it was because she was so strong that she had survived the torture from those freaks. ¡°But damn, you really are heavy... You must eat quite a lot on a normal day... Good thing I have unlimited stamina,¡± Chen Ke muttered to himself. Speaking of eating, Chen Ke immediately thought of Diana, another very solid girl. After coming out from Golden Arthur, the way she devoured hamburgers left a deep impression on him. Maybe Lucina also eats in a fucking intense way. There was no longer a need to remain concealed, so he put on his coat and carried Lucina on his back. Since the life countdown had started, he had turned into a human perpetual motion machine. Chen Ke had no normal human survival needs; food would mysteriously disappear after passing down his throat, he didn¡¯t get thirsty, and even though he could feel temperatures like cold or hot, they didn¡¯t affect him. All sorts of negative factors that could affect his physical abilities, like poisoning, were held in check by his life span; even if he died, as long as there was time left on his countdown, he would be revived instantly. Chen Ke felt that he was only one cheeky step away from becoming Deadpool. ¡°Alright, since you don¡¯t want to carry me, I¡¯ll just walk by myself,¡± Lucina said coldly next to Chen Ke¡¯s ear. ¡°Ouch! Fuck!¡± Chen Ke got startled, almost loosening his grip. Lucina patted his back, struggled her legs free from Chen Ke¡¯s hands, and jumped down to the ground. ¡°Hey, you can walk by yourself now?¡± Chen Ke asked, looking at Lucina. ¡°What do you think, Mr. Mad Fak? I¡¯m a woman who¡¯s just been strung up and beaten for two hours, and who¡¯s had a freak shove their entire finger down my throat and stir it around four or five times, vomiting so much I can¡¯t even remember what my mother looks like,¡± Lucina said, spreading her hands discontentedly. ¡°Uh... you really had it rough... Oh, sorry,¡± Chen Ke said quietly, with his arms crossed. ¡°But you see, I¡¯m so heavy, Mr. Mad Fak, that even you with your infinite stamina are overwhelmed. I even made your snow-white shirt and your night-black suit dirty. So...¡± Lucina said indignantly, stopping halfway, squinting her eyes, and crouching down holding her stomach. ¡°Oh... fuck... I feel like someone inside is slamming me...¡± Lucina clutched her stomach, grimacing in pain, and cursed bitterly. ¡°You¡¯ve got internal injuries, girl, let me carry you back,¡± Chen Ke reached out his hand to her, but she swatted it away. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! Stinky man! Oh... shit...¡± Lucina said with one hand on the ground, blood trickling from between her lips. Chen Ke saw how serious Lucina¡¯s internal injuries were, not just from the vomiting of blood but also from the red and purple bruises on her abs that told of the severe beating she must have taken from the group of freaks. He grabbed Lucina¡¯s right arm, crouched down, and helped her onto his back. ¡°Wait! Wait...¡± Lucina said. She was only wearing a tattered vest on her upper body, the fabric around her abdomen torn to shreds, exposing her entire stomach. She didn¡¯t mind it back in the factory, but now that she was on the street, even though it was a deserted late night, she felt embarrassed. ¡°Take off your suit and give it to me,¡± Lucina demanded. Chen Ke was taken aback. ¡°I¡¯m fucking freezing to death... Can¡¯t you have some sympathy?¡± Lucina said angrily. The temperature had indeed become a bit cold. Chen Ke was used to dressing down, so it didn¡¯t occur to him immediately. He had thought that Lucina had understood the purpose of the suit. He took off his suit and handed it to Lucina, who wore it with satisfaction. As if she had noticed Chen Ke¡¯s unusual gaze, Lucina frowned and said, ¡°I¡¯ll wash it clean and return it to you!¡± Then she spat out the blood in her mouth. ¡°No need for that... Let¡¯s hurry home,¡± Chen Ke said as he picked up Lucina and continued on their way back. There wasn¡¯t a single car on the road, the buses had stopped running too, and walking back might take until 4 a.m. This was his first time walking so leisurely. Lucina¡¯s breathing was very faint; she hadn¡¯t made a sound for a long time and was probably asleep. He walked another street and suddenly recognized the familiar streetscape¡ªit was the district where the gun store was located. One more stop and they would be home. At that moment, the figure of a robust man stood in the middle of the street, slowly approaching him. The man was about 100 meters away from Chen Ke, with a sturdy build, and it looked like he was headed for Chen Ke. Chen Ke couldn¡¯t feel any murderous intent from the man, but he still went on full alert. Because in Chen Ke¡¯s vision, an information box appeared next to the man. [Mutated Individual Level: Mutating] [Status: Normal] [Form: Humanoid Creature] ¡°What the hell...¡± Chen Ke slowly backed away, set Lucina down by the roadside, and reached into his holster for his PPQ45, only to come up empty... He remembered now, the PPQ45 had been completely corroded by the Silent Witch¡¯s whip, and he had left the Spiritual Energy M1911A1 in the factory. Now, he had nothing but the Holy Relics and his fists. The man was only 20 meters away from Chen Ke, and under the streetlight¡¯s illumination, Chen Ke could finally see his face clearly. ¡°You are... Miles!¡± Chen Ke said coldly. Miles... Chen Ke had only seen him in Lin Mo¡¯s memories. Although he was prepared for an eventual encounter, he had not expected to meet him under these circumstances. ¡°Long time no see... Lin Mo... or should I call you... Chen Ke?¡± Miles¡¯s voice was deep and emotionless, his gaze conveying an indescribable sense of disregard. Chen Ke didn¡¯t speak, pondering why Miles knew his current name. ¡°I returned the arm, but there¡¯s nothing I can do about that head, Chen Ke, tell me, how did you do it?¡± Miles said coldly. The head Miles was referring to... was it Faralis? And that severed hand, was it also Faralis¡¯s? ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Chen Ke smiled. ¡°You will know.¡± Miles seemed to have anticipated Chen Ke¡¯s reaction; his arms flashed with a blue glow as he summoned a pair of gauntlets. ¡°Chen Ke... what¡¯s going on... oh... fuck...¡± At that moment, Lucina woke up and saw Chen Ke confronting Miles. ¡°You¡¯ve been hiding things from many people, Chen Ke, but tonight, you must give me an answer,¡± Miles said as he rubbed his gauntlets and charged at Chen Ke! Chapter 162 - 162 162 Come Lets Compete ?Chapter 162: Chapter 162: Come, Let¡¯s Compete Chapter 162: Chapter 162: Come, Let¡¯s Compete Chen Ke rolled to the side, dodging Miles¡¯s punch. He stood there with a look of disdain toward Chen Ke, seemingly mocking his secrecy and persistence. How did Miles know about him? It wasn¡¯t just his name¡ªdid he also know he was a transmigrator? From his words, Chen Ke could at least confirm one thing: when he had reattached Faralis¡¯ head in the Fan Hede Kingdom, Miles had also been present. Moreover, it was highly likely not in human form. Without a doubt, although Miles still retained a human shape, he had been infected by Spiritual Energy, and it seemed to be voluntary. ¡°How did you reattach her head and bring her back to life?¡± Miles asked. Chen Ke snorted coldly¡ªhe certainly wasn¡¯t going to tell Miles. Life¡¯s countdown seemed more complicated than Chen Ke had imagined; his current ability came from the Dull Magic of the Blasphemous Dagger, and he didn¡¯t know how he had acquired this power. As his unique Extraordinary Ability, it was better the fewer people knew about it. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to tell me, then prepare to suffer...¡± Miles said with a smile as his fists gradually heated up and turned red, just like in his memory. Chen Ke looked to Lucina at his side; the streetlights combined with the moonlight were not sufficient for the Dark Concealment to be fully effective. If Chen Ke could see her, then so could Miles. He was not afraid to battle Miles, but he didn¡¯t want Lucina to see him using Spiritual Energy. However, given Lucina¡¯s current physical condition, he was afraid the lethal trigger might suddenly kill her. When someone is weak, their spirit can easily collapse¡ªminor cases result in vegetative states, severe cases in death. ¡°Come on, Chen Ke, fight me and let me see what you truly are,¡± Miles stepped forward, his body emitting a red glow, and then, in an instant, he was right in front of Chen Ke. ¡°+5 hours¡± ¡°+5 hours¡± ¡°Life limit reached...¡± ... The killing intent aimed at Chen Ke, judging from the amplify, the life countdown didn¡¯t think Miles could not be defeated. A 5-hour boost was a formidable opponent for Chen Ke, who only had 20 hours of life left. Although it was Chen Ke¡¯s first encounter with this type of Transcendent Skill, from the activation effect, it seemed to be an Enhanced Charge Skill, augmented by Faralis¡¯ Unyielding Fury. Miles¡¯s fist aimed at Chen Ke¡¯s face, but just as it was about to reach Chen Ke¡¯s nose, it hit an iron wall with a clang, echoing dully. Between Miles and Chen Ke, a large shield was erected. Chen Ke held the shield in his left hand, with his right hand a blue light flashed, summoning a training stick, his clothes changing into the three pieces he had found in the Fan Hede Kingdom: a robe from the Black Ring Sect, leather leggings, and marching boots. These three pieces of cloth weren¡¯t much use in facing Miles, but Chen Ke¡¯s goal was merely to protect his Transcendent suit¡ªthat artifact was unique in the world, irreplaceable even if he tried to recreate it. Watching Chen Ke¡¯s transformation, Lucina by his side was too shocked to speak, never having imagined Chen Ke was a Spiritual Ability User. Chen Ke looked at Lucina with a complicated expression on his face. If he didn¡¯t use the Holy Relics, they would both be done for. Deception and concealment were meant to minimize trouble, but when trouble came knocking, there was no point in hiding anymore. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s see who is better!¡± Chen Ke said coldly. Miles grabbed the edge of the shield and yanked it aside, but by then, Chen Ke was already prepared, thrusting the training stick harshly toward Miles. Miles grabbed Chen Ke¡¯s training stick, took a curious glance at it, and recognizing the Holy Relics, said, ¡°So... has Laven died?¡± ¡°The next one is you,¡± Chen Ke restored the training stick back into the Holy Diamond and snapped his fingers at Miles empty-handed. A burst of Spiritual Energy of five hours¡¯ worth! Boom! A loud explosion sent Miles flying with great force, slamming him against a lamppost ten meters away, bending the straight pole. ¡°Lucina, get up, run... this is not a place for you to be,¡± Chen Ke took the opportunity to say to Lucina. ¡°This is... why? You?¡± Lucina was somewhat incoherent, the overwhelming influx of information into her brain left her at a loss for words. ¡°There¡¯s no time to explain, Lucina. Staying here will only drag me down. Get up, run, I¡¯ll hold him off,¡± Chen Ke yelled. ¡°Neither of you will get away,¡± the next second, Miles charged at them with his Charge Skill. Chen Ke turned around, only to meet Miles¡¯s fist head-on, his body, splattered with blood, flew more than ten meters away, crashing into an electronics store nearby. ¡°Girl, are you his girlfriend? Maybe I can use you...¡± Miles turned to Lucina. ¡°Go to hell, tumor,¡± Lucina struggled to stand up and began to slowly back away. ¡°Your screaming might make him change his mind.¡± Miles spread his palms and reached for Lucina. A refrigerator from the electronics store window flew out and heavily struck Miles¡¯s back, emitting a sound of flesh colliding with metal. Angered, he turned around, only to be greeted by a washing machine to his face. Miles took the washing machine with his face, his nose and eye sockets oozing blood, and he tossed the washing machine beside him, wiping the blood off his face. ¡°If you punch my face again, I might really get angry,¡± Chen Ke said, as he jumped out of the electronics store window looking completely uninjured. Miles was surprised, having no idea that Chen Ke could instantly recover using his lifespan. ¡°This power... did you obtain it from the headless corpse?¡± Miles exclaimed in surprise. ¡°Guess?¡± Chen Ke responded with a smile, his gaze turning fierce. He snapped his fingers at a nearby car ¨C a ten-hour burst of Spiritual Energy, enough to send the car flying. Fueled by anger, Miles clasped his hands together and swung from left to right as if hitting a home run, sending the entire car to one side as it rolled down the street, its wheels flying off. Following the car, Chen Ke aimed the training stick straight at Miles¡¯s throat. ¡°Snap!¡± With the speed of lightning, Miles gripped the green dagger aimed at his throat with his left hand, his entire glove heating up and turning red. The intense rising heat was unbearable for Chen Ke, feeling his palm, holding the dagger, blister from the high temperature, he immediately let go. The durability of the training stick visibly deteriorated rapidly, degrading from normal to very poor. Chen Ke tried to transform the training stick back into the Holy Diamond, but realized it wasn¡¯t working and could only watch helplessly as Miles crushed the green dagger. He extended his left hand, gesturing a snapping motion at Miles, but this time, Miles saw right through his trick, grabbing his entire left hand. ¡°Crack, crunch...¡± sounds of bones being crushed emitted from Chen Ke¡¯s left hand. Miles said with a smile, ¡°You have many tricks, but you lack experience.¡± Then he grabbed Chen Ke¡¯s right leg, lifted him high, intending to tear Chen Ke in two. Chapter 163 - 163 163 No Longer Being Someone Elses Gun ?Chapter 163: Chapter 163: No Longer Being Someone Else¡¯s Gun Chapter 163: Chapter 163: No Longer Being Someone Else¡¯s Gun Chen Ke in midair suddenly had a strange thought. If he was torn in half, after resurrection, would the countdown of his life let his upper body grow a lower half, or vice versa? If it was the lower half that grew a new upper body, would it still be him? He shook his head, surprised that he could still get distracted in such a situation. His right hand moved downward, ready to snap his fingers, but he heard the sound of bone breaking. His left shoulder and right leg were forcibly dislocated. ¡°Let him go, you son of a bitch,¡± Lucina¡¯s voice came from behind. With her severely injured body, she charged at Miles, her arms clamping around his neck. ¡°Young lady, this is unwise of you,¡± Miles said condescendingly. ¡°Fuck off, bastard,¡± Lucina cursed, her arm muscles bulging as she tried to twist Miles¡¯ neck. Miles sighed, grabbed Chen Ke¡¯s right leg with one hand and flung him to the side, tossing him into a nearby green belt, then grabbed Lucina¡¯s wrists. Seemingly wanting to wrestle with Lucina, Miles didn¡¯t heat his gauntlets. His huge palm gripped Lucina¡¯s arms, appearing as if he could crush her muscles into pulp with little effort. ¡°I must say, for a woman, you¡¯re quite strong... Chen Ke should be ashamed,¡± Mars felt Lucina¡¯s strength and spoke admiringly. Meanwhile, he was slowly prying Lucina¡¯s arms apart. Lucina exerted all her strength, the muscles in her neck and arms bulging with veins, but she couldn¡¯t stop Miles from slowly pulling her arms apart. She felt that if he wanted, he could have done it much faster. She felt her feet lift off the ground, and in the next second, the whole world spun, and then her back slammed hard onto the concrete. ¡°Urgh...¡± Lucina coughed out a mouthful of blood, splattering it on her chest, seeing a severely blurred night sky. She realized that she had been thrown over Miles¡¯ shoulder... Her back severely injured, now completely numb in her upper limbs, she tried to push herself up from the ground but was utterly powerless, blinking continuously but unable to see anything clearly. Miles grabbed Lucina¡¯s neck with one hand and her thigh with the other, lifting her above his head, and said in a deep voice, ¡°You might spend the rest of your life in a wheelchair.¡± ¡°Duang!¡± A thick shield flew from a distance, smashing onto Lucina, the weight and momentum of the shield causing Miles to lose grip, and Lucina along with the shield flew seven or eight meters away, crashing to the side. The shield slid over the ground for a distance, then flashed with blue light and turned into a small diamond. Miles turned around, Chen Ke was gripping a golden great sword with both hands, flying towards him from midair. He crossed his arms in front of his chest to block Chen Ke¡¯s slash, the collision of the two Holy Relics producing a violent shaking sound. After landing, the Faralis¡¯ Unyielding Fury in Chen Ke¡¯s hands disappeared, and then, he made a downward slashing motion, and as the movement came to an end, the great sword appeared again! Miles was stunned and blocked the attack again with his gauntlets. ¡°I¡¯m really angry now,¡± Chen Ke said, making a sword-holding gesture with both his left and right hands, attacking Miles from two different directions. Miles, not knowing from which hand the sword would appear, had to take a defensive posture. He repeatedly blocked Chen Ke¡¯s slashes, his gauntlets wailing under the strikes of the great sword, even showing cracks, and he yelled in frustration, rolling backward and covering his chest with both hands. ¡°Hiya!!¡± Chen Ke shouted, making a slashing gesture again. ¡°Clang!¡± The sword struck a large shield, which was Chen Ke¡¯s Holy Relic. Miles had just picked up the Holy Diamond from the ground and summoned it. With a shield in his left hand and a fist in his right, he launched a counterattack at Chen Ke. Once identified, Holy Relics could be used directly by anyone with Spiritual Energy. After all, these tiny diamonds didn¡¯t have the sort of owner-recognition functions described in fantasy novels. When using the Holy Diamond, it subjectively belonged to the user, so even if someone else touched it, they couldn¡¯t immediately snatch it away. However, once it reverted to its diamond form, it became ownerless. Whoever summoned it, owned it during that time. That¡¯s how merciless the Holy Relics were. ¡°You¡¯ve got a few tricks, but too little experience; in your hands, these things are completely useless,¡± Miles said. His body turned red as he lifted the shield and charged at Chen Ke from point-blank range. Chen Ke inwardly cursed, realizing the next second, he was struck by his opponent and sent flying, crashing into a nearby utility pole and creating a crack. ¡°Shit...¡± Chen Ke spat out blood; that hit must have ruptured his liver. An ordinary person would have died. ¡°So this is... that woman¡¯s power...? The undying power that maintains youth, even after being decapitated...¡± Miles looked at Chen Ke enviously. ¡°You misunderstand... Miles, the Fan Hede Kingdom was abandoned by time, it¡¯s merely a fragment of an era and cannot grant you transcendent powers.¡± Chen Ke sighed. ¡°No, don¡¯t try to fool me. If that were so, Si¡¯s consortium wouldn¡¯t have dismembered her and taken her back for research...¡± Miles squinted his eyes. ¡°Dismembered?¡± Chen Ke was startled. ¡°The power of fire is hidden there, true, pure fire. The fire that burned that land to ashes!¡± Miles said gravely. Chen Ke remained silent; from Miles¡¯ words, he gleaned two pieces of information. The first, Fan Hede hid some form of transcendent power that Si¡¯s consortium was likely after. The second, Fan Hede wasn¡¯t some new Great Void for Si¡¯s consortium; they had already completed the ritual, and the activity at West Gold Building was merely a matter of routine. This meant, all the equipment boxes and tents marked with HCP, and even Brother Discouraged, who they had seen in Fan Hede Kingdom, were not from the Administration Bureau... ¡°What happened that night?¡± Chen Ke asked. ¡°Ah... I almost forgot... you¡¯re not Lin Mo... Before your death, I guess I¡¯ll tell you. Lin Mo¡¯s sister was also an assassin for the consortium, but she was used as a sacrificial offering to open the door and was sacrificed. He knew Hainerd had deceived him, that a key used as a sacrificial offering couldn¡¯t undergo the ritual transformation, so he believed in what I said,¡± Miles explained. ¡°You?¡± Chen Ke frowned. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to piece together the headless woman¡¯s body and study the meaning of the ritual. To revive her was the opportunity to obtain power... I don¡¯t want to be someone else¡¯s weapon anymore; I want to become my own sword! Like you, Chen Ke...¡± Miles said. ¡°How do you know about me?¡± Chen Ke shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve been observing you. I don¡¯t know why you call yourself Chen Ke, but I guess, you must have obtained that woman¡¯s power and undergone some transformation. Perhaps, there¡¯s someone else¡¯s soul inside your body now...¡± Miles laughed. Chen Ke smiled. Miles was clever; he had guessed half right. Chapter 164 - 164 164 Your Ending ?Chapter 164: Chapter 164 Your Ending Chapter 164: Chapter 164 Your Ending ¡°So, who¡¯s in that body now, Faralis, or someone else? Are you still you, huh?¡± Miles said. ¡°But none of that is any of your business.¡± Taking advantage of the moment Miles was distracted, Chen Ke activated his murderous intent trigger. After using it several times, Chen Ke discovered that the most effective way to use the murderous intent trigger was when the opponent was distracted. If they were mentally prepared, the effect of the murderous intent would be greatly reduced. For an opponent like Miles, the current murderous intent trigger still couldn¡¯t cause him any substantial impact, but with just a brief moment of distraction, Chen Ke could seize the opportunity to turn the tables. Miles felt as if something was trying to interfere with his mind during that brief daze. The moment he snapped back to reality, he heard Chen Ke¡¯s snapping fingers. Not good, he thought to himself. The next second, Miles was sent flying, crashing heavily into the outer wall of a roadside shop, knocking down a large chunk of concrete. His shield also flew out of his hand, landing seven or eight meters away from Chen Ke and reverted back to the Holy Diamond. ¡°It seems this is your finishing move, right, Chen Ke... What else can you do besides this?¡± Miles said with a smile, rising from the ground, his gauntlets glowing as if red-hot iron. Like a gale, Miles charged at Chen Ke. It was now definitely too late to retrieve the shield. Gritting his teeth, Chen Ke summoned Faralis¡¯s enormous sword, the Unyielding Fury. He had only one second to react, to discern the direction of the opponent¡¯s attack and then tilt the sword to deflect it. This sword was indestructible, so it could absolutely withstand this attack. Chen Ke hadn¡¯t specifically practiced this kind of parrying technique, but he was clear on the basic motions, and the principle was rather simple. When the potential energy of the opponent¡¯s attack hadn¡¯t yet transferred to oneself, using extra force from a different angle would deflect the opponent¡¯s attack, achieving an effect of deflecting it without injury. Of course, easier said than done. Even if one were holding a shield and performing a shield deflect, in reality, it wasn¡¯t as easy as in video games. Because it wasn¡¯t about timing, but the use of strength and choice of angles. Miles¡¯s fiery gauntlets, in Chen Ke¡¯s eyes, were like a meteor hurtling toward him. Discarding all distracting thoughts, he tensed the muscles in his arms and chose the right point of deflection. ¡°Clang!¡± In that split-second moment, he exerted force in his arms, holding the tip and hilt of the sword, and from the bottom left to the top right, he fiercely blocked the punch. Striking the gauntlet between the thumb and fingers with the sword horizontally, he bit down hard and lifted it upwards, causing Miles¡¯s punch to veer off course and brush past his face towards the empty air behind. Miles looked at Chen Ke in surprise, unable to stop his momentum due to the inertia of his charge and punch. Having his power diverted by Chen Ke left his chest and abdomen completely exposed. In an instant, Chen Ke recalled the Unyielding Fury back into the Holy Diamond, then made a thrusting motion forward, and the great sword reappeared, stabbing into Miles¡¯s abdomen. ¡°Well done!¡± Miles exclaimed, grabbing the hilt of the sword embedded in his abdomen and headbutting Chen Ke. Chen Ke hadn¡¯t expected him to use this move and was hammered in the face, bleeding profusely from his nose like a faucet. ¡°You¡¯re so pathetic, Chen Ke, that in the face of my experience, even with your unfathomable power, you can¡¯t beat me,¡± Miles laughed heartily. Chen Ke gripped the hilt of the sword tightly, trying to shove the great sword further into Miles¡¯s belly. Yet Miles fiercely grabbed the blade, and even though his abdomen was bleeding profusely, the sword hadn¡¯t penetrated deeply. Stabilizing his stance, Miles turned his left hand into a knife-edge and viciously struck at the sword, attempting to chop the Unyielding Fury in two. However, it was like striking a stone with an egg. When his gauntlet made contact with the great sword, it surprisingly cracked. ¡°This sword...¡± Miles gasped in shock. Chen Ke sneered as he recalled his greatsword, stepped back, lowered his stance, and made a slashing motion with both hands. From the upper right to the lower left, he hacked towards Miles. ¡°Don¡¯t use the same move twice on me,¡± Miles said, blocking the sword slash with his right gauntlet. With a short step, he moved in front of Chen Ke and launched a fierce punch towards his abdomen with his left gauntlet. The searing hot gauntlet, combined with Miles¡¯s brute force, burnt away Chen Ke¡¯s white shirt, turning his six-pack abs into charred flesh. His entire waist and abdomen were scorched black. Moreover, it shattered his internal organs. Chen Ke was punched into the air, coughing up a large mouthful of blood, his eyes actually becoming hazy... Chen Ke forcefully regained his consciousness. That punch just now would have killed an ordinary person. The wound on his abdomen healed at a speed invisible to the naked eye, consuming 80% of Chen Ke¡¯s lifespan. With the severity of the injuries varying, the more lifespan consumed, and no longer like when he had just crossed over, when he could recover in 20 minutes. For him now, lifespan was an amplifier for his Transcendent Skills, a resource to be consumed. If he was constantly forced to use his lifespan to heal, his combat power would plummet. Miles, aware of Chen Ke¡¯s healing speed, didn¡¯t wait for him to react. A flurry of punches landed on his waist, chest, and head. Miles was likely a professional boxer; up close and exchanging blows with him, Chen Ke couldn¡¯t gain any advantage¡ªhis hands couldn¡¯t keep up with Miles¡¯s punching speed. ¡°Motherfucker!¡± Chen Ke cursed, taking a punch from Miles on the face. The flame burnt off half his hair and an eyeball and shattered half his cheekbone. But it also brought him a fleeting opportunity. He flicked Miles¡¯s bald head with his finger, and a force pushed down from above slammed him hard onto the cement ground, creating a large crater. ¡°Keep going!¡± called Lucina from the side. She picked up a Holy Diamond from the ground and threw it to Chen Ke. He caught the diamond¡ªit was that heavy shield. Chen Ke stepped on Miles¡¯s chest while the other man tightly grasped his leg, flipping him into the air, readying a Rising Dragon Fist. ¡°Whoosh!¡± The large shield materialized in front of Chen Ke. He snapped his fingers at the shield, and like a door being slammed shut with a smack, Miles was once again pinned to the ground. Chen Ke landed right on the shield and snapped his fingers again! ¡°Arghhhh!!!!¡± Miles bellowed, his arms struggling against the shield, resisting the eruption of one hour¡¯s worth of Spiritual Energy. As soon as the snapping stopped, he violently flipped the shield to the side. At that moment, Chen Ke leaped high off the shield. Forming a reverse grip on the sword handle with both hands, he dove towards where Miles stood. With a flash of golden light, the sword reappeared, plummeting from the sky. He couldn¡¯t freely swing the sword now, but objects are inert, people are alive. If he couldn¡¯t swing it, so be it. He only needed to make it appear in the nick of time! Miles wanted to step back and evade, but he found that Lucina was clinging to him, preventing him from moving. He could only raise his hands to guard. Faralis¡¯s Unyielding Fury stabbed from the palm, pierced through the elbow, and impaled Miles¡¯s right arm. Chen Ke cut forcefully, amputating his entire arm. ¡°Ow!!!! You bitch!¡± Miles cursed, his left gauntleted hand igniting into Flame, reaching for Lucina¡¯s arm. ¡°Forget it.¡± Chen Ke made an upward thrusting motion and swiftly severed Miles¡¯s left arm too. Both arms, spurting blood, fell to the ground. The gauntlets flashed blue and turned into two Holy Diamonds. ¡°Miles, I told you, after one year, your ending would definitely be grim,¡± Chen Ke said. ¡°Did you say that?¡± Miles puzzled. Chen Ke struck his head off with a sword, his neck spurting blood like a human fountain into the sky. The bald head rolled around on the ground several times before coming to rest, still bearing a look of confusion. Chapter 165 - 165 165 Harvest Day (End of Volume One) ?Chapter 165: Chapter 165 Harvest Day (End of Volume One) Chapter 165: Chapter 165 Harvest Day (End of Volume One) Chen Ke stared at Miles¡¯ head for a long time, his lifeless eyes gradually losing color, and as the blood flowed more from his neck, his skin also turned pale. The message that appeared next to Miles¡¯ body ¡°Mutating¡± turned into ¡°Mutation Interrupted¡± and gradually dissipated. The blood flowing from his headless body streamed from the center of the street into a nearby drain. The bright red blood, like wine, scattered about, even igniting some sparks. When the red blood drained away, darker, deeper black blood began to flow from the cut at Miles¡¯ neck¡ªChen Ke guessed that the earlier blood must have been Faralis¡¯... Miles had drunk the blood dripping from Faralis¡¯ head during a ritual in Fan Hede Kingdom to obtain transcendent powers, causing his body to mutate. What kind of powers were they? Two slightly glowing blue diamonds in the pool of blood caught Chen Ke¡¯s attention; those were Miles¡¯ gauntlets. He picked them up, wiped off the blood, and observed them carefully. The Holy Relics, already identified, did not require him to consume any more of his lifespan, and the information box instantly popped up. [Spartan¡¯s Fury] [Durability: Poor/Average] [Steel Break: Causes durability damage to other Holy Relics] [Fury: Boxing power increased by 5 times] (single gauntlet 1.5 times) [Gale: Continuous attacks will increase Fury multiples] (limited to paired use) [Lack of Knowledge] These were a pair of gauntlets, and there was no sign of the flame effect. It seemed, Chen Ke had guessed right; it was Miles¡¯ own ability that made the gauntlets ignite. Chen Ke suddenly remembered that a year ago in Lin Mo¡¯s memory sequence, Miles had already been capable of using such abilities... It seemed likely that Miles had conceived the idea of becoming a truly transcendent being when Si¡¯s consortium first discovered the Fan Hede Kingdom and he came across Faralis. Liquefying spiritual energy to inject into the spinal cord was probably just a compromise; otherwise, organizations like Yasla wouldn¡¯t emerge. Their goal was not just to use the power of spiritual energy, but to merge entirely with it! In Chen Ke¡¯s brief understanding over the past week and a half, spiritual energy wasn¡¯t exactly pleasant; it brought power, but also many uncontrollable consequences. The toads in the sewers, the starved monsters¡ªthey were cases of passive infection. In a way, they had gained power, but it wasn¡¯t something enviable. Actively utilizing spiritual energy successfully seemed to be limited to the Administration Bureau and Spiritual Business; the ¡°superhumans¡± were powerful enough to end wars single-handedly, and spiritual energy-related commodities could form a thriving industry. Those who didn¡¯t appear successful included Yasla¡ªthey had mutated themselves into non-humans, and it was hard to tell whether they had merged with the spiritual energy or become part of it. Now, Chen Ke had at least understood two ways to utilize spiritual energy, each bringing dramatically different results. However, looking back at Faralis from the Fan Hede Kingdom, she still maintained a perfect, unblemished human form, her severed head and hands showing no signs of decay... How did the people of Fan Hede Kingdom utilize spiritual energy? Chen Ke searched Miles and found nothing else valuable, so he gave up; he left the body for the Administration Bureau and County Police to worry about. ¡°It seems those two diamonds attracted more attention than I did...¡± Lucina sighed deeply, sitting down powerlessly on the ground, her shoulders, collarbone, and hair smeared with the blood that had sprayed from Miles¡¯ neck. Chen Ke¡¯s body was flickering with white and blue halos; his protective leg guards reverted to suit trousers, and his white robe that had just touched the diamonds crumbled into powder. His white shirt had burned holes around the waist, exposing his abs. ¡°Just now, thank you for your help,¡± Chen Ke approached Lucina. ¡°I know...I saw. I think it suits you better,¡± Lucina nodded, taking off the suit she was wearing and handing it to Chen Ke. Chen Ke took the suit, checked it over, and found many wrinkles from the iron gauntlet but no damage; having Lester help iron it would probably fix it. ¡°Come on, girl, Pihom and the others are waiting for us to return,¡± Chen Ke draped the suit back over Lucina. ¡°You¡¯re really thoughtful...¡± Lucina smiled, coughed a few times, looking somewhat pale. The recent fight with Miles had drained her of a lot of energy; without her sacrificial help twice, Chen Ke didn¡¯t know what price he might have had to pay to kill Miles. ¡°Stop talking, Lucina; we have one more stop to go,¡± Chen Ke said. He grabbed Lucina¡¯s arm, supported her onto his back, then clasped her thighs with his hands and stood up. They walked in silence for a while. ¡°Don¡¯t betray the postman... Don¡¯t leave me...¡± Lucina whispered softly before slipping into a deep slumber. ¡°I promise you,¡± Chen Ke replied. ... By the time they got back to the gun store, it was already past 2 a.m. Pihom and the others were not aware of tonight¡¯s deal, but they were still very concerned about Chen Ke and Lucina¡¯s condition, so the entire team gathered at the safe house, monitoring 24 hours a day and waiting for Chen Ke¡¯s call. Hainerd was the one on night watch; after all, it was his daughter who had been taken, and he was certainly the most anxious. When Chen Ke entered the Red Door with the bruised Lucina on his back, Hainerd¡¯s face showed a look of surprise. To avoid turning himself or Lucina into invisible people due to the Dark Concealment effect, Chen Ke had removed the blazer from Lucina before entering the house and draped it over his own arm. Chen Ke placed Lucina on the couch, then went to wake everyone else up, knowing he needed to give father and daughter some space. As Pihom, Hall, and Priskin expressed their amazement at how Chen Ke had handled everything so swiftly, a crisp slap was heard outside, signaling someone had just been hit hard. When the four men peeked out from the strategy room, they saw Hainerd and Lucina embracing tightly. What was lost, and what remained absent, was already in the past; exhausting all efforts to rescue the past was less valuable than cherishing the present and seizing the future. Pihom had his contacts; he could arrange for a private doctor to treat Lucina since people like them couldn¡¯t possibly go to a hospital. Hainerd, no longer fixated on his deceased wife, decided to return to being a postman. After Lucina was somewhat recovered, he planned to take her with him on a significant heist. Meanwhile, he also approached Chen Ke with a worried heart to inquire about the Silent Witch. ¡°She¡¯s no longer an issue,¡± Chen Ke simply replied, and from his expression, Hainerd found his answer. Half an hour later, the doctor contacted by Pihom arrived in the safe house¡¯s backyard by car, and Hall and Priskin helped Lucina into the van. Lucina glanced at Chen Ke, then lay on the ambulance bed in the van. Chen Ke knew she would keep the matter about Miles and the Holy Diamond hidden from others. What followed was a night of revelry, with Chen Ke using his cheating techniques, consuming two cases of whiskey and six bottles of vodka, knocking out all posters. By 6 a.m., as Hall and Pihom slept under the table and Hainerd and Priskin vomited in the restroom, Chen Ke stood alone at the entrance of the gun store, watching the newly risen sun. Since crossing over, all events had stemmed from two men with different agendas. Miles, exposed to Transcendent powers, refused to remain someone else¡¯s assassin, drank the blood of Faralis, obtained the last of the Flame power, and deceived Lin Mo, who wanted to save his sister, turning into the sacrifice needed to open the door. Hainerd, wanting to save his wife, abandoned his daughter and danced with the dangerous Yasla, sinking deeper and becoming unable to easily withdraw. And Lin Mo, was just an ordinary assassin caught in the mix. Individuals trained as weapons, once harboring their own desires, turned into threats that no one could control. At least for now, Chen Ke had deciphered the intricacies of the situation and accepted his ability. He had wasted 24 years of youth, yet found a sense of being alive after a dream, feeling the warmth and cold of humanity only after being emotionally hollowed. Perhaps, in this world, could he pursue things he dared not even think of before? The countdown of life, like a wolf in his heart, awakened him, making him face all fears. Chen Ke felt, the moment for change had arrived. The iPhone in his pocket vibrated, signaling an incoming deposit to his offshore account¡ª1 million union coins had been credited. The postmen¡¯s robbed money wasn¡¯t cleaned so quickly; this must be the share Lester mentioned. Three targets, a total of 1.15 million. Chen Ke exited the messaging interface, his finger unintentionally opened the photo gallery app, and surprisingly, discovered a video inside. ¡°Huh? Was this a secondhand phone?¡± Chen Ke smiled and played the video. ¡°See you in two days... heeheehee... Where¡¯s the sun...¡± WTF? Chapter 166 - 166 166 Double Doubt ?Chapter 166: Chapter 166: Double Doubt Chapter 166: Chapter 166: Double Doubt Chen Ke leaned against the door of the gun shop, scrutinizing the video on his cell phone. First, it was certain that an iPhone 3G couldn¡¯t support a memory card, and Chen Ke had never transferred this video to his new phone. This video was definitely not normal. He recalled the source of the video; it was a week ago, in the cheap motel he had rented, hidden within a spy camera in the alarm clock set up by the landlord, equipped with a memory card storing this video. It was mixed in with many other surreptitiously recorded videos, making it seem quite ordinary. The video¡¯s content was very simple. It started pitch-black, as if the camera¡¯s angle was bad during the secret recording, failing to capture the image properly, but at the same time, there were various ambiguous female voices in the background. In the next ten seconds, amidst the dark background, a woman¡¯s heart-wrenching scream could be heard, so piercing that it was unbearable to listen to a second time, filled with tragedy and resentment. Lastly, the most frightening part of the video arrived; the all-encompassing blackness slowly receded to reveal that this darkness was actually a woman¡¯s eyes, with pupils and sclera both black, clearly not something of a normal human. ¡°Hehe... where¡¯s the sun...¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the sun...¡± Chen Ke played the last segment over and over and then paused the video exactly when the woman¡¯s face was fully revealed. This woman had an Asian face, thin features, and her skin was somewhat pale. Her teeth were as sharp as those of a rodent, and green mucus continuously flowed from the narrow nostrils beneath her slender nose. The woman¡¯s hands had only four fingers, and she had a constant habit of wiping her nose. Although the video was paused, Chen Ke always felt that the woman¡¯s eyes seemed to be watching him. The video itself was definitely filled with problems; Chen Ke found it hard to believe it was secretly recorded. It looked more like the strange woman had recorded it herself, hoping for it to be seen. How was it recorded? Using the motel¡¯s spy camera? Chen Ke didn¡¯t think so. A video couldn¡¯t just end up in his phone without reason. Chen Ke pinched his chin, pondering. Perhaps, the memory card in the motel was a transcendent item, capable of infinitely copying the stored video onto any playable medium? But Chen Ke quickly dismissed this speculation. If the memory card itself was the issue, then it should have stuffed all videos into the iPhone 3G, not just this one. If it wasn¡¯t the storage medium that was faulty, then it must be the video itself that had issues. Although his memory wasn¡¯t very clear, he remembered that when he first watched the video at the rented place, the woman in the video said she would come for him in seven days, but now it had changed to two days. Counting on his fingers, it seemed the timing was correct... Chen Ke was puzzled; was this still the same video? If so, it was too weird¡ªcould this video actually keep track of time and change its message accordingly? At this moment, the woman in the video suddenly smiled at Chen Ke, sticking out a purple, snake-like tongue, and then she left the frame. Now, the video only showed a bed and a wall... A chill ran down his spine, and all the hairs on his body stood on end. Now, Chen Ke wasn¡¯t afraid of such strange things, but he didn¡¯t want to encounter something like this without any preparation. Suddenly, the phone crashed from the video interface, returning to the home screen. Chen Ke hurriedly reopened the photo album app, only to find it completely empty. ¡°Where¡¯s the sun...¡± A woman¡¯s voice echoed in Chen Ke¡¯s mind, as if it was distant on the horizon yet close to his eyes. He frowned and looked around, he knew that some trouble had targeted him... Opportunity City, Spiritual Ability Administration¡¯s affiliated hospital. Diana Prince sat in her underwear on a chair, her left arm in a splint, cradled in front of her chest. Her forehead and collarbone were bandaged, and she had a bandage wrapped around her right waist and abdomen. The battle at the factory last night had given her a tough time, her left shoulder was dislocated, she had a fractured upper arm, strained muscles in her waist and abdomen, and her collarbone also showed signs of fracture. It was all thanks to that combined monster, whose powerful punches, despite being blocked with a shield, were still potent enough to injure. But due to Diana¡¯s and Bader¡¯s outstanding performance, they significantly reduced the casualty rate for P.W.A.T and saved many lives. That was precisely why Diana couldn¡¯t continue with field work for the time being, so she was forced to decompress and temporarily transfer to a clerical position. The lost Spiritual Ability Pistol had been found, matching the one registered in the system. This morning, a colleague from the forensic identification department handed over the fingerprint analysis report of the firearm to Diana. Unfortunately, the fingerprints on the pistol were wiped clean, indicating that the opponent was highly professional. Diana also reconfirmed the gun¡¯s owner and registration information over the phone. Even though there were some discrepancies in the timeline, it indeed belonged to Parker. Diana didn¡¯t believe in the whole ¡°time travel¡± thing, even though this world was crazy, she had never seen a time traveler. After decompressing, she dressed and left the hospital. At this moment, she was no longer a Spiritual Ability User, but rather a 28-year-old injured woman with limited mobility. ¡°Remember to come back at 9 p.m. every day to change your dressings,¡± the nurse called out after her. ¡°I know!¡± she replied helplessly. Just as she stepped out, she received a call from her old classmate, Aileen. ¡°Did you find the gun?¡± Aileen asked straightforwardly. ¡°Yes, just last night. Your information is really timely,¡± Diana responded. ¡°Great, let¡¯s meet at the old place at 11 a.m.,¡± Aileen decided on her own. ¡°You¡¯re in Opportunity City now?¡± Diana was surprised. ¡°Yeah, I arrived last night. The case concerning Parker has now been escalated to the highest level by our research institute. We get word of any development,¡± Aileen said proudly. ¡°It seems you are more anxious than I am...¡± Diana said while touching her forehead. ¡°We need more detailed information to help unlock the secrets of Parker¡¯s body. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s fun? A person who¡¯s dead but still alive, like an unbreakable lie,¡± Aileen laughed. ¡°It sounds like a third-rate sci-fi TV show, Aileen, you watched quite a few of those in college...¡± Diana sighed. ¡°The universe is so wonderful, showing us many impossibilities that challenge our perception, but I¡¯m ready to uncover all the answers,¡± Aileen laughed. ¡°Good luck then, Miss Wang. I¡¯m going to sleep for a bit, and we¡¯ll catch up at 11 a.m.¡± Diana said. Since last night, she hadn¡¯t closed her eyes, and after a high-intensity battle without any food, she felt extremely tired. ¡°Oh, poor Diana, going to sleep hugging a pillow again. What will you dream of? Muscle men or electric horses?¡± Aileen joked. ¡°I¡¯ll dream of you wearing Hello Kitty pajamas, hugging a pillow, trying to climb into bed,¡± Diana replied coldly. Chapter 167 - 167 167 The Suit-wearing Thug ?Chapter 167: Chapter 167: The Suit-wearing Thug Chapter 167: Chapter 167: The Suit-wearing Thug Eerie videos disappeared from Chen Ke¡¯s phone, but he knew that in two days, that unhuman and unghostly thing would definitely come looking for him, so starting now, he had to stay vigilant for anomalies around him. Although Chen Ke hadn¡¯t yet joined any Transcendent organizations, he had indeed entered their realm. The inconvenience of not having Transcendent forces providing intelligence was finally being felt. This video reminded Chen Ke of the incident in Room 98, where through memetic transmission, reality was distorted, leading people to take bizarre events for granted. This was the harm of memes. The terrifying aspect of altering memes was that it could make the altered individual completely unaware. Without others to cooperate, it was very difficult to break the spell. After all, no one would question common sense, even if that common sense was fabricated by humans. For example, in real life, the most familiar memes: ¡°walk a hundred steps after dinner,¡± ¡°drink eight glasses of water a day.¡± These had become some sort of common knowledge, imprinted in the minds of the majority of middle-aged and elderly people, and were truths beyond challenge¡ªeven though these truths now had uncertain origins and lacked any scientific experimentation to verify their accuracy. Humans themselves possess the ability to transmit and modify memes, but such memes need a certain degree of correctness. But Transcendents are unreasonable; they can make people believe twisted, unreal, and impractical thoughts and information without a shadow of a doubt. In a sense, these abilities belonged to the category of altering reality. Moreover, this video, in some respects, was very similar to the transmission of memes. Just one viewing was enough to be affected, and regardless of whether the source of the video was carried, it could use tools around it to play. Chen Ke remembered a horror movie he¡¯d seen in the past, ¡°Seven Days of Strange Tales,¡± which was translated as ¡°The Ring¡± in his country. Those who watched the videotape would die mysteriously within seven days. He never imagined that upon arriving in this world, he would also encounter such things. But the Chen Ke of now was no longer the timid person he was while watching that movie. It had only been a little over a week since he had crossed over, and already the deaths at his hands exceeded double digits, and he had experienced a bank heist... And now, he was a marked man, worried that every day without causing trouble meant a lack of killing intent. If they dared, let them come for him; suffused with killing intent, he would summon his great sword and chop them all down. Chen Ke nodded to himself, resolving to no longer dwell on this matter. Just then, his phone screen lit up with an incoming call¡ªit was from Lester. The postman had no idea that Chen Ke was collaborating with an agent from another power, so he swiped to answer the call while leaving the gun shop and walking across the street. ¡°Lester? I just received the money, and I must say, your efficiency is really high,¡± Chen Ke said with satisfaction. 1 million union coins was not a small sum; a postman might take away just over 2 million from a single bank heist. Adding the 150,000 Lester paid in advance, and his previously accumulated roughly 10,000, in just one week, Chen Ke was already a millionaire. ¡°You¡¯re decisive in solving problems, so we¡¯re equally decisive with payments. Of course, this call isn¡¯t just to confirm the money has arrived,¡± Lester said, laughing. ¡°Hmm? Are there more targets that need handling?¡± Chen Ke¡¯s eyebrows raised. ¡°That depends on you. The last collaboration had some problems, causing you to face some additional risks during the operation. If you choose to stop, we would understand,¡± Lester said magnanimously. Of course, that was not his personal stance but the attitude of the power behind him. Chen Ke was not someone who hadn¡¯t been through the ropes of society; he had the emotional intelligence to understand that, in assassinations linked to the Transcendent level, encountering some complications and additional risks was quite normal. On the surface, this statement appeared to be a polite and perfunctory apology, offering him a choice whether to cooperate or not, but in reality, it was a test of Chen Ke¡¯s disposition. Translated, it basically meant: if you can¡¯t even handle this trivial matter, don¡¯t bother hanging out with us. Chen Ke, of course, wouldn¡¯t sever this relationship, after all, Lester¡¯s backing organization might well be a legitimate and powerful force making big waves at the Transcendent level. At the very least, it shouldn¡¯t be much worse than Si¡¯s consortium-type Spiritual Businesses. Cooperating with them would possibly bring him into contact with the real Transcendent sphere and secure much more significant intelligence. Of course, Chen Ke wasn¡¯t naive enough to believe that those forces would really provide anything for him, but it was better to be inside the circle than just looking in. He¡¯d take it one step at a time. ¡°Our business relationship has finally made a little bit of progress, it would be such a pity to cut it off now,¡± Chen Ke said with a smile. ¡°Uh... very good, very good... Do you really think so?¡± Lester seemed to have gotten the answer he wanted. ¡°I¡¯m freaking loving it,¡± declared Chen Ke. ¡°Excellent, Chen Ke... I knew I hadn¡¯t misjudged you, that suit really suits you...¡± Lester was elated. ¡°Speaking of suits, Lester, its tie and shirt got torn... do you have any replacements?¡± asked Chen Ke. He was still wearing that suit, buttoning up to cover the tear on the belly of the shirt and had taken off the tie, stuffing it in his pocket. ¡°Torn? Chen Ke, are you eating suits every day...? I gave you that suit less than a week ago, and you¡¯ve already had it repaired several times...¡± Lester said, somewhat surprised. ¡°Uh... go talk to those monsters about it...¡± Chen Ke said helplessly. ¡°Alright... It looks like I need to prepare several more suits for you. You go through clothes too quickly...¡± Lester laughed. ¡°I¡¯m not fussy about what I wear, but I really like this suit. Can you tailor a few dozen identical ones for me to have as spares?¡± Chen Ke asked seriously. The suit Chen Ke was wearing had some very useful special effects, and he decided to wear it for covert assassinations in the future, as it was unique and it would be a loss to ruin it in regular combat. ¡°No problem, do you need each suit to be a different color?¡± Lester responded promptly. ¡°No need, all black,¡± replied Chen Ke. He could instantly identify that transcendental suit from hundreds of black suits. ¡°Alright, then, I¡¯ll start by tailoring 10 suits for you, including shirts, ties, as well as shoes and belts. If you also need socks, then adding it all up, after a 50% discount, it will be 50,000 union coins,¡± Lester said. Ten suits, even at a 50% discount, amounted to 50,000 union coins... Though Chen Ke wasn¡¯t short of money now, he had never spent like this before. However, the quality of the suits from Lester¡¯s tailor shop was definitely good, so the price was acceptable. ¡°Deal!¡± Chen Ke said through gritted teeth. ¡°Alright, transfer the money to me whenever it¡¯s convenient for you. I¡¯ll get started on the 10 suits now... But, you¡¯ll have to come by my shop. There are some things that can¡¯t be discussed over the phone,¡± said Lester. Chen Ke replied affirmatively, guessing that Lester must want to discuss details of the next assassination... Having arranged to meet Lester at 11 a.m. at the Zio tailor shop on Raffi Road, Chen Ke hung up the phone, looked up, and to his surprise, found himself right outside Li Bo¡¯s noodle shop.