Chapter Twenty-Two: The Final Plan (Second Update; the First Update Was Earlier Today)

Gu Yue'er sat atop the tall building, gazing at the sky filled with countless stars, as if by doing so all her worries would be swept away. Perhaps it was just a means of escape, but so what? Everyone is entitled to make choices for their own life.

Regret crept into Gu Yue'er's heart; she truly wasn't suited to play the role of a "hero." She yearned for an ordinary life—a gentle wife, a familiar routine. Still, life was far easier now than before. She could peel away part of her facade and no longer needed to be the Gu Yue'er who smiled at everyone.

Xia Yan, thank you, truly—there is no one in this world better than you.

Gu Yue'er smiled happily, free to think of nothing, to do nothing, knowing there would always be someone to bear all burdens for her.

When she said "I hate you" to Xia Yan, her heart was, in fact, full of joy, for the real Gu Yue'er had finally emerged. The Gu Yue'er with many flaws, with many emotions, with grievances and complaints, with pain and suffering—she, too, could be accepted and loved by him.

Yet no matter what, Gu Yue'er's heart could never be at ease. The shadow of death would always startle her awake in the dead of night, never letting her forget the comrades who died because of her...

In her heart, she told herself there was nothing to fear. As long as Xia Yan was there, she would no longer be afraid. If she couldn't do something, she would leave it to him.

But then, a terrifying notion crept into her mind...

If Xia Yan were to die before her eyes, she would completely lose control—she would go mad, utterly lose the will to live.

She had placed all her emotional reliance on Xia Yan. He had become her pillar, and she would never allow that pillar to crumble. If it truly disappeared, she would have no reason to go on.

...

The night passed, and Gu Yue'er opened her eyes to greet a new day.

Yet that morning, she received a message.

"Member Gu Yue'er, the Director wishes to see you."

It was a message from Levin. Although Gu Yue'er no longer wished to have anything to do with him, if it was an order from the Director, she had no grounds to refuse.

"Do you know why the Director wants to see me?" she asked Levin. "I want to first watch Xia Yan's final match. Is that possible?"

"Of course," Levin agreed unexpectedly quickly. "But please, Member Gu Yue'er, come to the Director's office and watch the match via the digital interface."

"Alright..." Gu Yue'er paused, then replied, "I understand."

Fuxiang City, in a certain villa.

This was Gu Yue'er's first private meeting with the Director. In fact, she had only encountered the Director twice before; this was the third time.

The Director's name was Ai You, a woman exuding mature charm, her every gesture imbued with an intellectual beauty. She was also the most powerful figure in the organization, with over forty percent of her brain capacity developed.

"Member Gu Yue'er, it's a pleasure to see you," Ai You greeted her with a smile.

"May I ask what the Director wishes to discuss with me?" Gu Yue'er asked, her tone slightly awkward.

"You've created an almost impossible miracle." Ai You looked at her steadily, "Your brain development has surpassed ninety percent of the organization's management. But you've only been here less than a year. Do you know why that is?"

"Why...?" Gu Yue'er's expression was uncertain.

"Because of one of my experiments..." Ai You seemed to realize something. "Forgive me, I forgot to introduce myself. I am not only the Director, but also a researcher."

"My research is on creating a drug that could bring about human extinction," she sighed. "But this drug is missing a crucial medium, something I have never been able to find."

Gu Yue'er's face darkened with confusion and fear.

"I've searched desperately, pouring my heart and soul into it," Ai You continued. "This medium needs to be the blood of a psychic, and not just any psychic, but one with the 'Purification' ability. However, Purification only arises as a second or higher ability."

Ai You gazed at Gu Yue'er as one might a precious gem. "But that's not all. In addition to Purification, the blood type must be extremely rare, and the subject cannot have awakened any alien bloodlines."

"In the end, I discovered that none of the common blood types would work. It had to be an exceedingly rare one. I began to think perhaps no one in the world matched the requirements."

"You...what do you mean?" Gu Yue'er asked fearfully.

"Until I met you, Miss Gu Yue'er. This experiment, which had been stalled for two years, finally resumed—and progressed smoothly." Ai You narrowed her eyes. "Your brain development is now approaching thirty-five percent; you could awaken the Purification ability at any moment. You are human, and your blood type is a perfect match."

Gu Yue'er wanted to run, but her legs would not move. There was no escape before this terrifyingly powerful Director.

"To help you awaken Purification, I'll assist you," Ai You smiled. "It won't hurt at all. Just watch the match on the digital screen and see the one you depend on—Xia Yan—die. You'll awaken your second ability."

"Trust me, Miss Gu Yue'er, you won't go insane. You're a very special case. At the very least, you'll hold on for a while."

"It was you...it was you all along! You killed them, you killed Sister Wei Guo. It was all of you!" Gu Yue'er's eyes, once timid, now glinted with hatred.

"Yes, it was me. I orchestrated it all," Ai You laughed heartily. "It was all for you, Miss Gu Yue'er. Your rapid progress in brain development is thanks to me!"

"And now, let Xia Yan's death put an end to all of this. Surrender the future to me!"

"No... Xia Yan won't lose. He absolutely won't lose!" Tears shimmered in Gu Yue'er's eyes as she shouted, "I won't do as you wish. I won't be an accomplice to your evil!"

"Then hold on to your last hope and watch as it shatters," Ai You replied, her gaze filled with a pitiful condescension, as if looking down on an ant.

...

At the same time, in the arena.

The crowd was smaller today than in previous days, quite different from past years. It wasn't that people were uninterested, but rather that the outcome seemed a foregone conclusion.

Even so, the arena remained packed to the brim.

"Will you be using system-simulated weapons?" Mentor Nina asked Yiling and Daren.

"No," replied Daren, the demon youth.

"No," answered Xia Yan.

This refusal surprised many. It was the first time Xia Yan had declined to use system-simulated firearms in a match.

What did it mean? Some speculated he was finally getting serious, or perhaps he intended to go all out. Or maybe he didn't want to end this fight so easily.

Those with keen insight sensed something more. Many had seen Xia Yan's partner, Tao Lu, lose to this demon youth and nearly face grave danger.

Did Xia Yan want to teach his opponent a harsh lesson for that reason?

Yet none could have guessed that Xia Yan refused the "system-simulated weapon" because he intended to kill his opponent.

Right here, before the eyes of countless people, he would erase this demon from existence!

Xia Yan wore two guns and carried one weapon, all borrowed from Tao Lu. Though it gave the impression of being a kept pretty boy...

One of the pistols was the C102 Frenzy—an energy pistol, not the best of the C-class but far superior to any D-class, and worlds apart from the E-class live-ammo pistols found on the market.

The second, a backup, was the D202 Rampage, since Xia Yan's marksmanship surpassed his close-combat skills, and an extra sidearm was always useful.

Lastly, he carried the D-class short sword, Enchantress. Xia Yan was not particular about weapons; sword, blade, staff, or spear—he could wield them all. While his technique was good, he wasn't yet at expert level, so his close-quarters combat was similar regardless of weapon. The main factor was still his physical strength.

Mentor Nina stood aside, sensing an unusual atmosphere. A chilling premonition washed over her—a sense that someone would die in this match, and she would be powerless to stop it.

It was an absurd thought, but she found no reason to laugh.

"Begin."

Xia Yan moved with blinding speed toward Daren, Enchantress short sword in hand, poised to strike with lethal intent at the first opportunity.

His resolve was unshakable—he meant to kill his opponent. Xia Yan's murderous intent burst forth in that instant, so palpable even Daren could feel it.

It was a fight to the death—one would live, the other would die.

Come then, let's see who falls first, and how long that confidence in your eyes can last.

His speed was like a gale. The audience could hardly follow his movement, even many organization members could not discern his precise position.

Daren unleashed his bloodline, wings bursting from his back as shadow enveloped him. With a sweep of his wings, he soared into the sky.

In that instant, Xia Yan drew the C102 Frenzy and aimed at Daren, flying high above.

The crowd was perplexed, faces darkening—no one understood what Xia Yan was doing.

Did he intend to break the rules and shoot at the demon youth in midair with the energy pistol?

If he did, he'd be disqualified on the spot.

It was unthinkable!