Chapter Five: The First Mission

Mu Chen truly found it hard to believe, yet he had to maintain a gentle smile.

“Yue’er,” he greeted Gu Yue’er as she approached.

He felt utterly pitiful, truly wretched. He had submitted four partnership requests, but each one had been rejected. So he watched as, one after another, Gu Yue’er was paired with new partners. Every time, he felt as though his heart was bleeding. Even if her partner was another girl, he couldn’t help but feel jealous.

Why isn’t Yue’er’s partner me? I was the first to apply, I developed my abilities, I could protect her better than anyone! Why is it you?

“Mu Chen!” Gu Yue’er called out cheerfully as she approached.

“Yue’er, do you have any plans later?” Mu Chen smiled, “Would you like to go see a movie with me?”

“No, thank you.” Gu Yue’er kept her smile, “I need to meet with Xia Yan later—there’s something I need to ask him.”

Xia Yan. It was him again.

Recently, Mu Chen had already noticed something unusual about Gu Yue’er. On holidays, she would often be seen with a boy. At first, Mu Chen was furious, but after some investigation, he concluded that the two were not romantically involved. Yes, that boy was just an ordinary person, while Yue’er was a gifted individual. The gap between them was like an ocean to a drop of water—no possibility of competition.

But then, unexpectedly, that ordinary boy transferred into their training institution.

“All right, you go ahead!” Mu Chen forced a smile, “Next time, when you’re free, let’s hang out together.”

“Mmm, but I’ve been quite busy lately, sorry,” Gu Yue’er nodded with a smile. Throughout, she showed no sign of impatience or annoyance, but inwardly, she was troubled.

Why doesn’t he understand my tactful refusals? Why would ordinary friends go to the movies together? Why does constant rejection become a reason for endless entanglement?

Watching Gu Yue’er’s departing figure, Mu Chen’s features twisted with anguish. His fists clenched tightly. “Yue’er’s partner… can only be me, no one else. I will succeed in my application, I will…”

“Xia Yan, how could a person like you enter Yue’er’s heart? You don’t even understand what love is!”

Ever since entering the institution, Mu Chen realized his heart had been captured. He’d fallen uncontrollably in love with this girl—madly, obsessively. He saw her as his everything, more important than his own life. Her existence far outweighed his own.

For her, he was willing to do anything, even if it meant becoming the enemy of the world—he would not fear.

It shouldn’t be like this. The distance between them should have grown shorter. If not for Xia Yan, Yue’er wouldn’t have refused his invitations. She was so beautiful, so kind, so pure—like an angel.

“Next time, next time… I will succeed and become Yue’er’s new partner.” Mu Chen gazed into the distance. “Xia Yan, my love is not something you can block. How could someone like you understand what love is?”

“No one in this world loves her more than I do!”

…

After accepting their first assignment, Xia Yan and Tao Lu quickly headed to the institution’s “flight vehicle zone” to take an aerial transport to the mission site.

Because it was their initial mission, the objective was simply to eliminate a level-1 demon—a straightforward task.

“By the way,” Tao Lu continued walking briskly, “I haven’t properly introduced myself yet. My name is Tao Lu. I come from an ordinary family, and my ability is a spirit-type mind control technique.” She deliberately emphasized the words “ordinary family,” perhaps overstating it.

“Mmm,” Xia Yan nodded slightly.

“Hm?” Tao Lu was instantly annoyed. “And you? What’s your ability? Is it an enhancement type? Or are you planning to keep secrets from me too?”

“I don’t have any abilities,” Xia Yan replied.

“You…” Tao Lu stared at him in shock. “You must be joking. No ability? Your speed is unreal, you sliced my bullets mid-air, intercepted every shot with your marksmanship—if that isn’t a special ability, then what is?”

“That’s just my physical development. During my last test, it reached 12.3,” Xia Yan said, not intending to hide the truth from his partner—otherwise he wouldn’t have revealed his criminal status.

“My goodness…” Tao Lu’s eyes widened. “Your physical development exceeds human standards? Are you a werewolf? A demonkin? A winged one? A bloodline descendant? An angel?”

But then she reconsidered—none of these races could break the established limits.

“I’m human. I said so during the entrance ceremony,” Xia Yan replied.

“How can a human have a physical development of 12.3 without awakening an ability?” Tao Lu glared at him. “Normally, physical development is half of neural domain development. If your physical development is at 12.3, your neural domain must be at least 25. But by 15, you’d certainly have an ability.”

“I don’t know… But I haven’t lied to you,” Xia Yan replied simply.

“Forget it!” Tao Lu sighed. “Our main goal now is to awaken your ability. That’s our top priority—all actions will center on this objective.”

“How does one awaken an ability?” Xia Yan asked, curious.

He was determined to manifest his ability, knowing that once he did, the institution would reward him handsomely—resources he could convert into money to save Ding Li. This was his primary purpose for joining.

“It’s simple. Raise your neural domain development to fifteen percent. Or, once you reach fourteen percent, apply for an ability awakening assessment here,” Tao Lu explained earnestly.

“I mean, how do you improve neural domain development?” Xia Yan spread his hands.

“Well… as of now, there’s no accurate method for that,” Tao Lu said awkwardly. “If there were, ability users wouldn’t be so rare.”

“So you’re saying nothing at all!” Xia Yan sighed.

“What do you mean? I’m telling the truth.” Tao Lu glared at him. “To join the institution, you need ten percent neural domain development by age fifteen. Do you think you can reach that by doing nothing? Just eating, drinking, playing, relying on talent? Impossible. Over eighty percent of our students are exceptionally gifted, able to defeat level-1 mutants. Without unwavering effort, how could you expect any reward?”

“I see,” Xia Yan replied.

“Xia Yan!” Gu Yue’er called out, running over breathlessly. The three of them were already in the flight vehicle zone.

“Yue’er?” Xia Yan looked at her.

“You’re heading out on a mission, right? Let me come too,” Gu Yue’er smiled. “I’m a bit worried about you—this is your first mission, after all. I’m a spirit-type user, so I can support you from afar. That way, it’ll be much easier.”

“How did you know we were going on a mission?” Tao Lu asked, displeased.

“Because I work under the same management as you do. I’m also one of Mr. Lyon’s ability users, so I can access the mission data,” Gu Yue’er replied with a smile.

“But this is such a basic mission, we don’t need extra help.” Tao Lu waved her off, obviously annoyed. “If you don’t mind, please don’t get in our way. We’re in a hurry—delays could mean casualties.”

“S-sorry,” Gu Yue’er apologized, bowing her head.

“Yue’er, don’t worry. I have combat experience,” Xia Yan said with a wry smile. “Stay here at the institute. I’ll let you know I’m safe when I return.”

Gu Yue’er hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “All right… but be careful.”

“Don’t worry.”

Gu Yue’er looked at Tao Lu, bowing her head. “Please take care of Xia Yan. It’s his first mission—he doesn’t have much experience…”

“We’re leaving,” Tao Lu cut her off impatiently. “No need to worry about him—he’s stronger than I am.”

Gu Yue’er paused, then smiled as she watched them go.

…

Thirty minutes earlier, in a district near Donglin Avenue, Fuxiang City.

Crowds moved through the busy streets, cars flowed like rivers, skyscrapers towered overhead. Women’s laughter and men’s hearty calls rang out, the cries of children scattered here and there. The first impression was one of peace and harmony.

Suddenly, an electronic broadcast sounded.

“Warning, warning. Spatial fluctuations detected in the area. Possible demon incursion in thirty minutes. All citizens are to proceed to the underground shelters immediately.”

At the sound of the demon incursion alert, citizens dropped everything, racing for the nearest underground shelters. In moments, the district was deserted—a lifeless street where even the air seemed still. An energy shield soon sealed off the entire zone. No demon could breach it in the short term.

Space began to tear. Wisps of black matter rippled through the air, then coalesced into a cloud of black mist. This demon had no fixed form—it could shift as it pleased. Its attacks were nothing like ordinary physical strikes. Instead, it would wrap its prey in a cocoon, devouring their bodies and even their souls, driving them mad with negative emotions.

From the energy readings, this was a level-1 demon, the weakest of its kind, relying purely on instinct to hunt.

Outside the energy barrier, Tao Lu led the way and slipped inside.

“Come on—we’re institution members. Our badges are recognized automatically; the shield won’t stop us,” she said.

Xia Yan followed her in.

“It’s just a level-1 demon. You take the lead; I’ll support you,” Tao Lu said. “But remember, E-grade weapons barely affect demons. You need at least D-grade, or use abilities.”

Xia Yan glanced at the weapon at her waist. “Can’t your D203 Frenzy Pistol hurt the demon?”

“It can, but I won’t use it. This is your fight—I’ll only step in if necessary,” Tao Lu replied. “If you want to awaken your ability, then you need to fight. I’ll only assist in emergencies.”

Xia Yan drew his E-grade combat knife and E-grade handgun—everything he owned, bought with nearly all his credits, just over three thousand.

“E-grade weapons won’t do much. You don’t even have a D-grade?” Tao Lu was displeased.

“I can’t afford one.” Xia Yan shook his head.

Tao Lu tossed him the sword from her waist. Confused, Xia Yan unsheathed it—a beautiful, razor-sharp short blade about sixty centimeters long.

“That’s the D-grade short sword, Enchantress. You can borrow it for now.”

“Thank you,” Xia Yan said, feeling the difference at once—sharper and better balanced than any weapon he’d held before.

Several hundred meters behind them, Mu Chen slipped through the energy barrier and entered the Donglin Avenue area, his mind locked onto Xia Yan ahead.