Lin Yu returns to his room, sits on his chair, and closes his eyes, sinking into his sea of consciousness.
He stares at the phantom of the tablet floating within the vast expanse of his mind.
With his original power, he knows he can erase the trouble.
But his original power is not replenishable, so he must use it with caution.
"Co out," he says.
The woman appears in his sea of consciousness, her smile curling on crimson lips.
Lin Yu frowns and says, "How can you get out of my sea of consciousness?"
The woman laughs softly and says, "Are you joking? Why should I go out of your sea of consciousness, only to be sealed by you again?"
Lin Yu studies her and thinks, *I was not going to seal you, but read your mory… but it is better she doesn’t know.*
"I will take an oath that I will not seal you," Lin Yu says calmly. "Co out of my sea of consciousness."
She narrows her eyes and says, "I am old, not senile. You won’t seal , but you will let others seal ."
Lin Yu mutters to himself, *Her weak point is being sealed again. Letting her go may pose danger, and I need the knowledge she carries.*
"How about we co to an agreent?" Lin Yu asks.
Her lips curve slightly. "What kind of agreent?"
"I will help you get out of the seal," Lin Yu says.
She tilts her head and replies, "You will help get out of the seal… then what do you want for that?"
"The knowledge inside you," Lin Yu says without hesitation.
The woman smiles wider. "Deal."
"Deal," Lin Yu answers.
"My na is Lin Yu Weston," he says.
"Isolde Ashenford," she replies smoothly, crimson eyes glinting.
"I need the heart of a Tier 3 Blood Fox to break the first seal," she says. "Let’s go."
Lin Yu rolls his eyes. "I haven’t even advanced to Tier 1, and you want to deal with a Tier 3 Blood Fox?" He looks at her as if she has lost her mind.
"I will lend you my strength," Isolde says firmly.
"I cannot leave this city before I graduate from the university, and I don’t even know where Blood Foxes inhabit," Lin Yu says flatly.
"That is easy," Isolde says. "Blood Foxes can be found in the Sakar mountain range. And what is graduation? What is a university?"
Lin Yu sighs and begins to explain the world as it is now.
------
The next morning, as soon as Nora steps into the shared office with her team, she finds the desks empty.
An officer passing by stops and says, “The chief asked you to go to his office.”
She heads upstairs, pushes open the door, and sees her teammates already inside, standing in silence.
Before she can ask what is going on, the chief enters, walks straight to his seat, and fixes his eyes on them.
“How was your visit to the extraordinary market yesterday?” the chief asks.
Anna, already expecting answers after Lin Yu’s words, feels the weight of recognition press on her.
She had thought the Black Guards were behind it.
Not her own chief.
“Chief, you were behind it,” she says.
The chief nods, steady, and replies, “The extraordinary is returning, and our departnt needs a team to take on the extraordinary cases.”
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
Anna frowns and asks, “Chief, what do you an extraordinary is returning?”
The chief says, “Extraordinary began to return fifteen years ago, but the pace has accelerated in the past few years.”
Thomas steps forward, tense, and asks, “Chief, when did the extraordinary disappear, and why?”
“It started to fade five hundred years ago,” the chief says, “and completely vanished two hundred years ago.”
Anna ets his gaze and asks, “Chief, why our team?”
The chief looks past them, fixing his eyes on Nora.
Her teammates turn toward her, and she points at herself, uncertain, “Because of , chief?”
“The rule of this world,” the chief says, “is to keep the extraordinary hidden. I don’t know all the reasons, but one is that extraordinary resources are not infinite.”
Nora stiffens and says, “What does it have to do with ?”
“Not you,” the chief says, “but your father.”
Anna’s brows knit. “Her father asked you?”
The chief shakes his head slowly.
“Let finish,” he says.
“Her father has many extraordinary techniques in his hands, and he is now drawing closer to the Weston family, seeking to acquire an extraordinary path from them.”
He leans back, letting the words settle, giving them ti to absorb the weight of it.
He continues, “So, after her father acquires an extraordinary path, he will teach her. If she is bound to beco extraordinary, then why shouldn’t she do it with our help?”
They nod slowly, the logic difficult to deny.
Mark clears his throat. “Chief, is there a difference between an extraordinary path and extraordinary techniques?”
The chief gives a small smile. “Good question. An extraordinary path consists of many extraordinary techniques. But not all combinations of techniques create a path.”
They exchange glances, nodding in understanding.
“Any more questions?” the chief asks. “You should clear all your doubts before I teach you an extraordinary technique.”
Ben raises his hand slightly. “We will not be given the practice thod of an extraordinary path?”
“No,” the chief says firmly. “You don’t yet have enough rit for a complete path. Each of you will be taught a single extraordinary technique of your chosen path.”
Anna narrows her eyes. “What extraordinary paths will be given for us to choose?”
The chief leans forward, his tone weighty. “There are thirteen true ways in the world: Blood; Moon and Mystic; Knight; Life and Nature; Spirit and Dead; Sun and Light; Fire; Water; Wind; Earth; Dark; Lightning; and Alchemist. The extraordinary paths are like branches of these ways.”
He pauses, then adds, “Our departnt holds three paths from the way of Knight, Life and Nature, and Earth.”
He takes out three thick books and sets them on the desk.
He places the first before them. “Iron Guard.”
The second land beside it. “Lifebinder.”
The third follows. “Rock Sentinel.”
The group picks up the books, thumbing through the pages, their brows furrowed at the dense words and diagrams.
Anna lingers, flipping between the volus, and frowns. “What is this tier?” She taps the Iron Guard and Rock Sentinel. “In these, it says—Tier Two Extraordinary Path.” She lifts the Lifebinder. “And this says Tier Three.”
The chief folds his hands. “Extraordinary cultivation is divided into nine tiers. From One up to Nine.”
Mark grips the Lifebinder book, his eyes glinting. “This one can be cultivated to the highest tier among them.”
“Yes,” the chief confirms, “but until Tier Two, it only offers healing techniques. Only after reaching Tier Two will you learn combat techniques.”
Thomas leans forward. “And after reaching the highest tier of the extraordinary… then what would we do?”
The chief says, “First, cultivate other extraordinary paths in the sa way. Second, cultivate extraordinary paths of other ways. Or, create the next tier by practising new techniques.”
They nod slowly, the weight of his words pressing into them.
The chief’s gaze sharpens. “What are your choices?”
The group exchanges glances. Confusion and hesitation flicker in their eyes.
Anna, as captain, clears her throat. “Chief… could you give us so advice?”
The chief nods. He points at Anna, Thomas, Ben, and Mark. “You four—choose the Iron Guard or the Rock Sentinel path.”
Then his eyes rest on Nora. “You—choose the Lifebinder.”
Nora blinks. “Chief, why?” Her voice carries confusion. The Lifebinder is written with little to no combat effectiveness.
The chief’s tone is firm. “In the lower tiers, combat effectiveness can be made up by guns and magic instrunts. And with your financial capability, you can acquire these. From your father, you can also obtain a combat technique of the Life and Nature way. And above all, the team will need a healer.”
Understanding passes between them, and they agree with his advice.
The chief leans back. “Then choose the First Tier technique from your respective paths.”
After they made their choices, the chief said, “From tomorrow, co at dawn to the main training ground. There will be soone to teach you all your chosen techniques.”
They nod.
The chief continues, “Your massacre case and the gang bloodbath case are from the sa culprit. So from today, you will work with the two Black Guards.”
At that very mont, Richard and Edmund enter his office.
The chief doesn’t react to their entry without knocking. Instead, he smiles. “I was talking about you two. They will help you solve the case.”
Richard says, “About that…” He and Edmund exchange glances.
Richard continues, “The case has been solved.”
The chief frowns in confusion. “How? Last night I heard the Spice Gang was attacked by the murderers.”
Richard says, “The boss of the Spice Gang is an extraordinary, so he was able to stall the two murderers until the true boss of the gang arrived and dealt with them.”
The chief says, “Lin Yu Weston.”
Edmund nods. “Lin Yu Weston ripped apart the three murderers in Greenwater Manor.”
The chief asks, “What about the tablet?”
Edmund replies, “He said it’s his trophy.”
The chief mutters, “Atlas won’t like it.”
Richard shrugs. “That has nothing to do with us. The big n can solve it on their own.”
The chief sighs. “You’re right.”
Edmund says, “We’ve said what we needed to say. Now we’re leaving.”
The chief nods, and Edmund and Richard walk out of the room.
The chief looks at Anna and her team. “You all can leave as well.”
They step out, each holding the small book containing their extraordinary technique, their minds burning with thoughts of the future—of becoming the strongest, of grasping power, of dominating the world or sothing similar.
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