Chapter Thirteen: Crisis Response

Ma Wu’s ability was called Mental Shock, a sustained attack power. If he managed to keep it up for more than five seconds, its force would even surpass that of Mental Rend.

As a convict, Xia Yan was by no means soft-hearted. He sensed something was amiss in an instant. Almost by reflex, he drew his 203 Frenzy Pistol with his left hand.

He pulled the trigger, sending a bullet flying toward Ma Wu. Xia Yan knew that if he didn’t kill his opponent, this relentless mental assault would be enough to render him unconscious, if not dead.

Die!

The bullet pierced the center of Ma Wu’s skull in a flash, and this ability user, with brain development of around forty percent, was killed instantly by Xia Yan.

This sustained attack called Mental Shock, if it lasted less than a second, did little damage to Xia Yan. He grit his teeth and managed to endure.

At that moment, the demon lunged straight at Xia Yan.

He remained utterly calm, slashing forward with his versatile blade. A streak of light sliced through the level 3 demon’s core, instantly shattering it.

Qingxia’s face showed terror. She couldn’t have imagined the situation would unfold like this.

The Ma Wu she controlled had little defensive ability—he’d already been invaded by the demon’s negative emotions and retained only his attack power. So Xia Yan’s bullet struck him directly in the head.

This was so decisive that even Qingxia felt fear.

In less than a second, Xia Yan had killed Ma Wu. Had he hesitated, had he given Ma Wu three seconds, his brain would have felt as if it were splitting apart, and he would have fallen unconscious.

His reaction was far too swift.

And at the same time, Xia Yan had slain the demon!

Qingxia was weighing her options. What should she do?

Should she control He Changlou and make a desperate stand against Xia Yan?

She could probably win, but He Changlou wasn’t fully under her control yet. And if she used He Changlou to kill Xia Yan, with two members in abnormal states, the human side might start to suspect her.

Fear crept over her.

Most terrifying was Xia Yan’s lightning-fast response—an attack without a moment’s hesitation. It left Qingxia shaken and unable to regain composure.

No, she couldn’t risk it!

“Forget it. Wait a few more days. He Changlou spends every night with me; soon I’ll have full control.” Qingxia gritted her teeth and finally chose to withdraw.

She decided to give Xia Yan a few more days. This time, she would be more cautious.

“Withdraw,” Qingxia recalled her intent.

He Changlou did the same, looking at Xia Yan with astonishment.

Xia Yan’s reaction speed was almost unnaturally fast. Their Third Squad had always believed that, although Xia Yan was a genius, he couldn’t possibly have much combat experience—he was so young, after all.

Now, He Changlou realized he was wrong. Xia Yan was not only young and talented; his battle experience was frightening, his decisiveness in killing unparalleled, his crisis handling flawless.

He Changlou couldn’t match that. If he had been in Xia Yan’s position just now, he might have been injured—or worse.

Once the calm was broken, He Changlou and Qingxia’s voices came through.

“Xia Yan, what have you done!” He Changlou roared, eyes swollen with rage. “How could you kill Ma Wu!”

“Xia Yan!” Qingxia shrieked. “Why did you kill him? Are you insane?”

Xia Yan had already sensed something was wrong.

He Changlou might be radical, but Qingxia was not. Surely, they could see that he had been attacked by Ma Wu just now.

“I didn’t want to die, so I killed him,” Xia Yan replied simply. “He was invaded by a level 3 demon and was as good as dead; then he attacked me. If I did nothing, we’d both die.”

He Changlou hesitated, then shook his head, unable to refute Xia Yan’s words.

“But Xia Yan, he was our comrade! Unless absolutely necessary, we shouldn’t kill our own.” Qingxia’s eyes were red. “You’re mad. If he attacked you, you could have kept your distance—his Mental Shock wouldn’t have killed you.”

“Miss Qingxia, are you suggesting I risk death?” Xia Yan’s gaze was cold. “Sorry, as a guardian, I won’t do that.”

“That’s enough, Qingxia,” He Changlou shook his head. “It wasn’t Xia Yan’s fault. We’ll report this and let the higher-ups handle it.”

Qingxia stared at Xia Yan, her eyes full of hatred.

How could she not hate him? Ma Wu was a crucial fighter—his Data Stream ability was vital for analyzing targets. When she decided to sacrifice Ma Wu and take Xia Yan down with him, she was reluctant.

But Ma Wu died, and Xia Yan survived without a scratch. He endured less than a second of Mental Shock, barely affecting his combat capability.

She clenched her teeth, her eyes red with hatred—resenting Xia Yan for surviving. She had been all but certain of victory, only for a massive mishap to occur.

The matter was reported, and the higher-ups concluded that Xia Yan bore no responsibility; Ma Wu had brought it upon himself.

Three days passed.

Qingxia sat in her bedroom lounge chair, eyes closed in rest. She was waiting a few days before moving against Xia Yan.

“No, I can’t wait. I must kill him as soon as possible,” Qingxia muttered grimly. “Yes, let the Angel Clan handle it—even Blueheart could be eliminated. These two humans are both geniuses; they must be wiped out soon.”

“Xia Yan is clever. If he spots anything amiss and investigates me, my secret will be exposed. It must be done quickly.”

Qingxia bit her lip and dialed a contact.

“What do you want?” came a cold voice.

“My code name is Blood Cloud. My Federation ID is—” Qingxia provided her credentials.

She was not a human from District Nine, but born in District Three among the Angel Clan. Her parents had been killed by a human, and she’d hated humanity ever since.

She wanted to become an Angel, but her bloodline was too thin; even after thirty percent brain development, she had not achieved her goal. In despair, she became a guardian spy. Her aim was to kill as many human ability users as possible.

Especially geniuses like Xia Yan and Blueheart—such talents would only grow stronger in the future!

Crushing such prodigies in the cradle—wasn’t that the most thrilling thing?

The cold voice replied only after several minutes, “What do you want?”

“I have intelligence for headquarters,” Qingxia explained the events in detail and requested permission to kill both Xia Yan and Blueheart.

“Two rookie guardians?” The voice pondered. “You can kill one, but two deaths at once would draw attention and risk exposure.”

“Then kill Xia Yan—he’s the bigger threat, far more dangerous than Blueheart,” Qingxia said, her face twisted with hatred.

“Understood. I’ll contact the Angel Clan guardian squad in District Nine and have them deal with Xia Yan. You just wait; someone will reach out to you.”

“I understand.” Qingxia nodded and hung up.

She laughed, delighted.

Xia Yan, you’re doomed. Let’s see how you escape this time!

Fuxiang City, Ability Training Institute, in Miyuki’s office.

Miyuki was busy with paperwork, while the girl before her had stars in her eyes, nearly drooling—a fan before her idol.

“All right, take this,” Miyuki handed the file to the girl.

“Thank you, Lady Miyuki,” the girl smiled, reluctantly leaving.

She thought Miyuki was so gentle—never angry, and ranked first in the institute. The perfect woman.

After the girl left, Miyuki opened her cyberbrain and contacted Xia Yan. The call was quickly connected.

“Xia Yan, what do you mean by this!” Miyuki shouted angrily, “You won’t even attend your teammate’s memorial—how do you expect others to see you?”

Xia Yan’s tone was calm. “Lady Miyuki, since I killed Ma Wu, if I attend, won’t everyone surround me?”

“I don’t care about your excuses!” Miyuki said furiously. “Xia Yan, get over here now!”

“What’s so urgent?” Xia Yan asked.

“Never mind—just come first!” Miyuki’s face was stern, her anger palpable.

“Fine, I’ll tell my master and come right away,” Xia Yan agreed.

If anyone saw Miyuki, the institute’s top-ranked member, speaking like this, their eyes would pop out. She’d never even spoken harshly to anyone, let alone acted angry.

“Pfft,” Miyuki couldn’t help but laugh at her own tone—she was genuinely happy.

Xia Yan had passed his first test, killing Ma Wu. Miyuki knew the details; surely it was a hidden hand at work.

There’s no such thing as accidental exceptions!

Had Xia Yan not killed Ma Wu, he would surely have died himself.

He was resolute, never hesitating for an instant. That was why Miyuki believed Xia Yan could win. If he were not this kind of person, she would never have invested so much effort in him.

She believed he could keep going—at least, in this battle, he would not fall.

Yet she still wouldn’t tell Xia Yan the truth.

It was midday before Xia Yan arrived. He knocked, and, after being allowed in, pushed open the door.

Miyuki smiled at him, “Xia Yan, the matter you asked about has been approved. You can start the mission now. When you return, pick out a grade-level pistol.”

“What’s the mission?” Xia Yan asked.

“We in District One value the nurturing of new blood. For those who, at a young age, reach the top of the institute rankings, we invest resources in their development,” Miyuki smiled. “I don’t mean Fuxiang City, but other districts.”

“So?” Xia Yan looked puzzled.

“This person is named Luo Gang, ranked first in his institute—a human, a genius. But after reaching number one, he became arrogant, thinking himself unique, neglecting his training. If this continues, even a genius will become mediocre,” Miyuki said with a smile.

Xia Yan was confused. “But what does that have to do with me?”

“I want you to knock him down a peg. Think about it—a peer easily defeats him, and he’ll be humiliated, forced to catch up. He won’t dare be so arrogant again.”

Xia Yan frowned. Miyuki seemed to want him to show off and embarrass Luo Gang.

Wasn’t this a bit unscrupulous?

Still, Xia Yan knew a grade-level firearm was vital, and his contribution points were far from enough. Accepting Miyuki’s terms had its advantages.

After leaving the institute and training with Lan Qing, striving for the strength of former director Ai You, Xia Yan’s power had already surpassed ordinary institute members.

Against the top-ranked member, Xia Yan would surely win—perhaps with ease.

If anything, Xia Yan’s current strength, once equipped, would rival seasoned guardians—at least those with brain development above forty percent and rich experience.

He was now even stronger than Blueheart, despite his defeat six months ago.

Miyuki was certain Xia Yan would easily finish the mission; the idea of him being defeated was laughable. He could beat Luo Gang, the institute’s top, without even using his ability.

“Lady Miyuki, are you sure this task is appropriate? Maybe you should negotiate with the institute’s top member instead—this method seems excessive,” Xia Yan frowned.

“In any case, you’ll be rewarded—it's not for nothing,” Miyuki smiled. “We have our reasons. If you don’t want it, I’ll ask Miss Blueheart instead.”

“Oh, alright,” Xia Yan smiled wryly.

“So will you accept?” Miyuki asked with a smile.

“How many contribution points?” Xia Yan inquired, getting to the crucial matter.

“You have twenty-seven. Do a few more missions, make it forty, I’ll add fifty—ninety should be enough for a grade-level gun,” Miyuki said, pursing her lips.

“Too little!” Xia Yan objected. “The Federation’s firearms are never less than a hundred points. At least one hundred twenty, even one hundred fifty, for a satisfactory weapon.”

“Xia Yan!” Miyuki snapped, stomping her foot. “Don’t push your luck. You think contribution points grow on trees?”

“Fine, I’ll accept!” Xia Yan relented. He got along well with Miyuki, and the reward was far more than for hunting a level 4 mutant—he couldn’t complain.

Truthfully, Miyuki issued the mission partly to humble Luo Gang, but also for Xia Yan’s sake. Without a suitable firearm, his strength would be greatly diminished.

Danger would only increase, and she couldn’t warn him directly. At the very least, she wanted him properly equipped.

“Xia Yan, I’ve approved one hundred points. With what you have left, it’ll be enough,” Miyuki said with a smile.

“Lady Miyuki, your authority is impressive,” Xia Yan exclaimed.

“It’s nothing; worst case, I’ll deduct it from your salary,” Miyuki joked. “But you’re not yet fully considered a District One human—try to get your brain development to thirty percent.”

“That’s easier said than done,” Xia Yan replied helplessly.

“Wait—wait!” Miyuki stared at him warily. “Xia Yan, you haven’t awakened some alien bloodline, have you?”

“No,” Xia Yan shook his head.

“Really?” Miyuki’s eyes grew even wider.

“Yes,” Xia Yan nodded.

“Ahem, Mr. Xia, you don’t seem to understand jokes,” Miyuki said, half smiling.

“I didn’t catch the joke,” Xia Yan replied gloomily.

“By the way,” Xia Yan continued, “Lady Miyuki, there’s something I wanted to discuss with you, though I’m not sure about it.”

“What is it?” Miyuki asked eagerly.

Xia Yan wanted to mention Qingxia. He suspected her behavior was off.

After Ma Wu’s death, her actions were suspicious.

He Changlou’s temperament could be explained, but Qingxia was always so composed—something seemed amiss.

Still, it was only suspicion; he had no evidence.

“Forget it—I’ll tell you after I finish this mission. Right now, I need to get a grade-level firearm as soon as possible; I don’t have time to waste,” Xia Yan replied with a wry smile.

“Xia Yan, you’re asking for trouble, leaving things half-said!” Miyuki muttered at his retreating figure.

After Xia Yan left, a shadow flickered in Miyuki’s eyes, but she was astonished—Xia Yan had already detected something in just this incident!

He truly was extraordinary...