"And as for all of you—please have at least a little faith in the Spirit Energy Bureau."
Nathaniel Gray spoke with a sigh.
Something this terrible—as long as they reported it, how could the Bureau possibly ignore it?
But thinking about it more carefully, it wasn't that they were unwilling to trust the authorities. They had been threatened. Things like "If you dare speak a word of this, think about what might happen to your parents," or "Once I get out, I'll make your lives a living hell."
"This is exactly why chaotic times call for harsh laws."
This was no longer the peaceful era of the past. The laws of that time were no longer suited for the people of today.
They worked so hard to maintain order, yet there were those who, driven by selfish desires, tried to challenge it—tried to destroy it. Such people should pay the price they deserved.
A cold glint flashed through Nathaniel's eyes as he made a phone call.
It was answered almost instantly, and a voice came through from the other end.
"What is it?"
"I want to kill someone."
Nathaniel spoke calmly. The other end of the line fell silent for a moment before the voice returned:
"Did they break the law?"
"They did."
"Is it serious?"
"I believe it is."
"File a request with me after it's done."
"Understood."
The call ended. Nathaniel pulled on his coat and walked out of the Spirit Energy Bureau.
Ability users—especially powerful ones—once they turned to evil, it took several times the police force of the old days just to apprehend them, and casualties were often unavoidable in the process. Therefore, during capture operations, if containment proved impossible, lethal force was authorized.
Bringing them back alive was ideal, of course. But if that wasn't possible, bringing them back dead was acceptable too.
He hadn't actually needed to make that phone call. The only reason he did was because of who he was.
First Sequence—[Mist] Nathaniel Gray.
His strength meant he could easily capture any ability user below the First Sequence. What they needed was a justification for the target's death.
After all, the power of a First Sequence was simply too overwhelming. China did not want them acting on personal desires and causing deaths at will.
Even if the target was a criminal.
To put it more simply: you had to go through the proper procedure. You had to make your position clear.
That phone call was his position. Now, he was going to kill someone.
Trash like this, driven mad by their own desires—sharing the same sky with them was the greatest insult to everyone else.
Eastern Ning City. A district awash in neon lights.
Though the spiritual energy resurgence and the beast tides meant no region was truly safe anymore, this was Ning City. Protected by a First Sequence, the city remained relatively peaceful.
Even though the number of pedestrians was far less than before the resurgence, there were still quite a few young people wandering around here.
Inside the Fleeting Years bar at this hour, young people released the frustrations in their hearts, swaying their bodies left and right to the pounding music, doing things under the dim lights that they would never do during the day.
Not far from the stage, a man let his gaze wander freely over the stage and the women around him.
A bar, naturally, was never short on beautiful women.
Sensual figures paired with fair skin exposed to the air, bodies undulating to the music—no man could resist looking.
Some chose to step onto the stage and sway along. Others simply sat and watched, lacking the desire to act.
This man was both and neither. He would act—but not yet.
For him, ordinary women could no longer stir his desires. The prey he chose had to be more... special than the rest.
Before long, he spotted a promising target.
She had a slender, graceful figure. Soft, snow-white arms. Beautifully curved, long legs. Delicate calves, smooth and refined. Combined with skin as fine and tender as jade—she was the very picture of elegance.
What attracted him most was the fresh, natural aura she exuded from within. And from the way she sat there looking uneasy, the discomfort clear in her eyes, it wasn't hard to tell this was her first time in a bar like this.
Perhaps the chaos caused by mutant creatures had built up too much emotion inside people, and they needed an outlet. Or perhaps she was simply here to accompany a friend.
But none of that mattered. What mattered was that she had caught his eye.
Liu Yongsheng adjusted the cap on his head, swirling the drink in his hand, occasionally taking a sip. His gaze drifted toward the girl from time to time, a smile playing at the corners of his lips.
Time passed slowly, and before anyone noticed, nearly two hours had gone by.
By then, the girl and her friends stood up, ready to leave. Seeing this, Liu Yongsheng rose as well, following them out at a leisurely pace.
His eyes gleamed with excitement. For him, tonight would be another sleepless night.
His ability wasn't strong. His cultivation talent wasn't high either. The only reason he stood out was because he had awakened a beast-type ability, which gave him a physique superior to ordinary people. On top of that, his beast-type ability came with a power akin to enchantment—he could hypnotize anyone whose mental strength was weaker than his own. This had given him certain... ideas.
The first time he did something like this, he had been nervous. During the act, he worried constantly—what if her mental strength was stronger than his? What if she reported him?
But reality proved far simpler than he had imagined. It went off without a hitch, almost anticlimactically.
Afterward, when she regained consciousness, he used photos and videos to threaten her. He even threatened the lives of her parents and friends. Perhaps he was simply born to be a villain—after his first success, the second and third came quickly.
There was even one time when he had gotten too rough. She woke up while he was still in the middle of it, struggling and trying to resist. No matter how he threatened her, it was useless. Her spirit was too fierce. It ignited his fury, and he ended up killing her with his bare hands.
He had been nervous at first—this was beyond what he had planned. But eventually, he came up with a solution.
First, he unlocked her phone and posted some messages about going out to relax and unwind. Then he stuffed her body into a suitcase and dumped it somewhere mutant creatures were known to appear.
Of course, this wasn't foolproof. With surveillance cameras everywhere, he would eventually be found out. But his intelligence couldn't come up with anything better.
Oh well. This will have to do.
He estimated how long it would take the Spirit Energy Bureau to piece things together. After tonight's fun, he would leave for another city.
With an ability like his, where couldn't he get by?
Thoughts churned through his mind. Before he knew it, the girl had said goodbye to her friends one by one and set off on the road home alone.
The night breeze brushed against her, and Wang Mengyu felt a slight chill.
I'm never going to a bar again.
It wasn't fun at all. Just noisy.
Does this really help release emotions? Wouldn't it just make things worse?
Honestly, sleeping would be better.
— End of Chapter —