Jian Weiwei arrived abruptly and left just as quickly, leaving Xin Ye standing there in deep thought.
She had said that humans created by abilities were classified as mutants, but she hadn't offered a single word of explanation as to why.
Abilities, augmentations, materials... too much information had tangled together into a massive ball of yarn that was impossible to unravel for now. It seemed the remaining answers would have to wait until after the competition.
Xin Ye picked up the mirror shards he had dropped, dismissed his Mirror Image, and left the residential area. Next, he needed to contact Lian Muyun and Leng Xianye, who were lying in wait on the other side.
He had dealt with two people here, but there were still six others on the other side.
Even though the "five-into-three" selection process had ended, the overall situation remained shrouded in mist. Upon closer reflection, one could only say that everyone shared some responsibility for how things had turned out.
The voice request was picked up, and Leng Xianye’s voice came through the other end: "Xin Ye, I see them entering the City Park."
The City Park had a high density of greenery. Mutant plants had encased the entire park in a hemispherical shell, turning it into a "mini-forest." All the advantageous observation points were occupied by plants; unless one could transform into a small animal like Tang Qiuqiu, it was difficult to observe from a height.
Leng Xianye had no choice but to tail Tao Cheng’an’s team.
He saw someone flipping through a book on a bench next to the stone path at the park entrance.
"...I also see Fan Shuwan."
As expected.
Xin Ye breathed a sigh of relief.
After picking the locations for Leng Xianye and Lian Muyun, Xun Yin had asked Xin Ye why he chose them. Xin Ye had zoomed in on the map: "Tao Cheng’an isn't like Xu Hua. After seeing the direction the Mirror Image fled, he’ll likely head the opposite way. He understands that beyond hunting each other, collecting materials is the true path to winning this match."
"The fact that only three of them appeared in the residential area proves it. One person must have gone to the Water Zone to get the Blue Material; otherwise, Xing Yue and Qiuqiu would have called me long ago."
"As for why I chose the park... it’s the only landmarked location in the direction he chose. Everything else nearby is just residential blocks."
"If Tao Cheng’an still wants to 'coincidentally' run into Fan Shuwan to borrow their team’s key sensory ability to find the Red Material, the park is his best bet."
In a situation where order had broken down, Xin Ye didn't believe Fan Shuwan—who had been selling information from the start—wouldn't try to get a piece of the action.
He asked Leng Xianye, "Can you find a way to get close enough to overhear them?"
If it were Lian Muyun, he would have said "I'll try," but Leng Xianye simply answered, "Okay."
The Headquarters' receivers had always been high-quality. Fortunately, Tao Cheng’an and Fan Shuwan didn't intentionally lower their voices, giving them a chance to eavesdrop.
It wasn't perfectly clear, but it was enough to understand the gist.
"...With the previous large-scale sensing, this result will be more precise... I guessed you’d come over, so I already had my teammate activate their ability in advance."
"The Red Material is hidden among the Monitors? Headquarters really made this one tricky. Luckily you're here, sir."
"But besides the people from your team, who else is among the Monitors? I might not be familiar with them..."
Xin Ye heard Fan Shuwan chuckle. "It’s fine, I can help you with that too."
"Our Weiwei knows that Monitor... his name is Fu Shu."
Xin Ye, who had only learned this a few minutes prior, took out a cracker and bit into it.
The fact that several seemingly unrelated people standing before you had hidden connections was truly terrifying.
"Fu Shu? I feel like I’ve heard that name somewhere, something about a project..."
"Is now really the time to discuss that? ...Do you plan to move now, or?"
"Let's do it tonight," Tao Cheng’an said.
Fan Shuwan sent a message to Jian Weiwei: "Alright, I’ll have Weiwei come find you."
Xin Ye also sent a message to Lian Muyun, but his content was telling him to get ready to receive guests—perhaps the match could end tonight.
He couldn't stand staying in this "breeding farm" for another second.
Tao Cheng’an’s group bid farewell to Fan Shuwan and headed back the way they came to wait for Jian Weiwei at the park entrance. Since she had just left Xin Ye, it would take her some time to get there.
After they passed the bushes where Leng Xianye was hiding, a sphere of energy began to coalesce in Leng Xianye’s hand.
Concealment was an important course during training, mostly used for kiting and finding openings when fighting higher-ranked mutants. He hadn't expected to use it in a gambit between ability users.
Just as Tao Cheng’an was about to step out of the park gates, a tall black wall rose before him.
The wall swallowed the moonlight falling upon it, imprisoning everyone it blocked in shadow.
Paper knives flew out instantly, trying to sever the wall, but they were all consumed by the black energy. The teammates Tao Cheng’an brought along also tried to resist, but Leng Xianye’s ability was like a bug—ignoring whether the rank was equal or lower, it devoured everything that came near.
"...How annoying," Tao Cheng’an laughed dryly as he backed away, commanding his companions, "Don't fight Leng Xianye head-on. Go to the back gate."
"That’ll do," Xin Ye said, hearing Tao Cheng’an call for a retreat. "Follow them closely. Drive them toward Lian Muyun. You decide how to act for the rest."
Leng Xianye knew Xin Ye was looking out for him and gave a soft "Mm."
His "Black Box" could devour abilities, mutants, inanimate man-made objects, and even space itself without discrimination. There was only one thing outside its scope: humans.
He didn't know if it was related to how the ability was created... or just its inherent nature.
If an opponent didn't use an ability—for instance, if Xin Ye’s original body punched Leng Xianye—he wouldn't be able to use his ability to resist at all. The two of them would have to scrap like elementary schoolers.
Therefore, unless he went in for close combat with a gun or a knife, he had no way of threatening Tao Cheng’an’s team’s health points. This fact would be discovered over time, and exposure would be detrimental to the team.
Long-range kills were best left to Lian Muyun.
Combining various factors, a farce-like game of hawk-and-chicken unfolded in the park in the middle of the night.
Leng Xianye, carrying the massive energy of the Black Box, was the hawk. Tao Cheng’an was the mother hen who desperately wanted to escape but couldn't, and the five burdens he carried became the chicks fleeing for their lives.
Fan Shuwan watched this game of chase, simply continuing to flip through his book.
He had long since sensed Leng Xianye nearby, but he didn't mind doing another favor.
Even if the high-and-mighty Young Master Leng didn't understand, the little captain directing him from behind surely would.
Lian Muyun was stationed at the park's back gate. He thought he would be facing a scenario where Leng Xianye acted as bait with a crowd following him, and then he would fire his gun to save his childhood friend. He could brag about this for years, especially to Leng Xianye and Xing Yue.
After all, those two had been cleaning up his messes since they were kids. This time, Lian Muyun finally had the script for "hero saves hero," and he was definitely going to boast about it.
Then he saw Leng Xianye chasing six people.
Lian Muyun mechanically activated his ability, lay down, loaded his gun, and looked through the scope.
Boring.
He landed a steady shot on the head of the ability user in the lead, then aimed at the next person.
But this shot didn't hit; his bullet was blocked.
It was Tao Cheng’an’s paper knife. Only an A-rank bullet couldn't pierce an A+ paper knife.
"Why is there another one!" Tao Cheng’an shouted, fire rising to his brain as he flew paper shards at Leng Xianye’s feet while blocking all the bullets for his teammates.
Tao Cheng’an finally understood why Xu Hua was always losing his temper. Right now, he felt that his act of deceiving his teammates was utterly stupid—it had only made his own actions more difficult.
In the end, the newly joined teammates were abandoned. Lian Muyun found his opening and took out three people with three shots.
"Flame control, stamina recovery, and short-term invisibility?" He realized he couldn't eliminate anyone else under Tao Cheng’an’s protection for the moment, so he holstered his gun and stood up. "Abilities like those really can't compete with us."
Leng Xianye retracted the Black Box.
"Tao Cheng’an," he said. "Xin Ye will be here soon. Three against three—do you need us to give you a fair fight this time?"
Tao Cheng’an cursed inwardly. With Leng Xianye there, he was already terrified of a three-on-two. His own ability felt useless; why would he want a three-on-three? He could do without that "fairness."
"You guys..." Cold sweat began to bead on his forehead. It would be the fifth day once midnight passed. Having held out for so long, who would be willing to be eliminated at the very end? "You guys definitely haven't gotten the Red Material yet either, right? Why don't we cooperate? I got specific information on the Red Material from Fan Shuwan. It’s a Monitor named Fu Shu. No one knows his true strength yet. With me, you’ll have at least one more layer of certainty, right?"
"It’s a win-win situation. Let's not make things awkward. We’ll all be colleagues in the future..."
Hearing that name from Tao Cheng’an’s mouth, both Leng Xianye and Lian Muyun froze for a moment.
"What did you say? Fu Shu?"
"Did you hear that, Xin Ye?" Leng Xianye urgently confirmed with Xin Ye. "He said Fu Shu is the Red Material."
Xin Ye had already reached the entrance of the City Park and could see Jian Weiwei’s silhouette in the distance. "I know, I know. You two don't be in a hurry. Wait for me to talk to him."
*Ding—Ding—Ding—*
A sharp electric bell rang out in the air, and everyone stopped in their tracks.
This included Fu Shu, who had returned to the residential area’s playground equipment.
[This match has ended prematurely. All Monitors and participants, please exit the field.]
***
Besides being able to communicate with mutants, Yu Xiaoyu’s ability came with a naturally high favorability rating from them.
As long as she requested help from a mutant with a power level lower than or similar to her own, over ninety percent of them would agree.
Even if that request was a soft, "Could you please go die for a moment?"
In a place like the Nature Zone, she was like a fish in water, easily helping her teammates escape the dragnet of the 7th Division. Even in a two-on-one chase, she could leave Xing Yue and Tang Qiuqiu far behind.
Upon reaching the entrance to the Water Zone, she injected the serum her captain had prepared for her. Gills grew from her neck, and she dove into the water without hesitation.
Their team only had one injection, and it was reserved for her.
In the original plan, once they reached the Water Zone, only Yu Xiaoyu needed to go underwater because she alone could obtain the Blue Material.
As for the reason, no one knew. Nothing was explained.
It was just what the high-ranking officers had said.
The officers said her ability was very special and could help the laboratory. As long as she successfully retrieved the Blue Material, their team would firmly secure the first-place spot in the finals.
As long as they got first place, it didn't matter if she went underwater alone, Yu Xiaoyu thought. After all, the team had never taken second place; if they lost, everyone would be very sad, and she didn't want them to be sad.
Yu Xiaoyu’s physical fitness was average. Her speed slowed down significantly after entering the water. Upon reaching the 500-meter simulation depth, she could barely hold on, her entire body wracked with pain as if being crushed by a truck.
Fortunately, her ability ensured she wasn't disturbed by deep-sea creatures. An anglerfish even swam over voluntarily to light the path ahead for her.
By the time she reached 850 meters, Yu Xiaoyu was drifting in and out of consciousness, but she still relied on instinct to use her ability to clear the way.
Static buzzed in her ears. She vaguely heard the sound of water being displaced behind her, but she didn't dare look back. She could only swim forward with all her might.
Xing Yue had been close to catching Yu Xiaoyu with her silk, but the girl suddenly accelerated and escaped.
Tang Qiuqiu helped Xing Yue sweep away the anglerfish that tried to stop them from descending.
The two of them weren't anxious. There was still plenty of time, and catching Yu Xiaoyu was only a matter of time. They just wondered how things were going on Xin Ye’s end.
The only one who needed to be anxious here was Yu Xiaoyu.
The girl’s physical pressure tolerance had reached its limit. She gasped, taking in a mouthful of salt water and exhaling a few small bubbles.
*Where?*
*Where are you? Come to me, quickly...*
A ripple pulsed from the depths.
Yu Xiaoyu struggled to recall the instructions the elderly researcher had given her.
The Blue Material was on a flesh-colored frilled shark. If she wanted to call its name with her ability, she could use this character to address it.
*Lan—are you there? Lan, come to my side...*
The flesh-colored frilled shark appeared slowly, swaying its tail. Xing Yue and Tang Qiuqiu, following behind, were both startled.
So the 1st Division also had a way to summon the frilled shark to have it deliver a horseshoe crab?
But they couldn't understand the subsequent actions of the shark and Yu Xiaoyu.
Xin Ye had been given the cold shoulder by the frilled shark underwater before, but now, its eyes held no clarity—only the affection for Yu Xiaoyu caused by her ability. It bumped into the girl’s embrace, obediently allowing her to take out a high-pressure syringe and draw its blood.
Blue blood.
When Xing Yue finally reached Yu Xiaoyu to stop her, she suddenly noticed a Headquarters mark on the frilled shark’s tail.
The girl had practiced drawing blood many times; her technique was skilled, and she quickly finished the collection.
Just as she pulled back, the frilled shark’s eyes suddenly cleared, and it headbutted Yu Xiaoyu away.
At the same time, a broadcast began on land, the message sent simultaneously to everyone’s multi-function watches.
[This match has ended prematurely. All Monitors and participants, please exit the field.]
***
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