The door that previously bore the word closed was now gone, blown away by the explosion.
Lyxander looked around. People continued to pass by as if nothing had happened, paying no attention to the blast at all. The shop was located by the roadside, so it was no surprise that it was crowded with pedestrians.
"Why does everyone look strange?"
"Hm?" Amethyst tilted her head.
"Peter's three-star identity is Manipulator, so there's no need to pay attention to anyone else."
She released her grip and smiled at Lyxander.
"Just focus on me."
Lyxander's pupils widened.
Amethyst became five.
Five Amethysts stood in a straight line and walked into the shop.
The moment their shadows reached the entrance, a vine lashed out at incredible speed.
Crack!
One by one, the shadows stepped back and vanished, leaving only the real Amethyst standing where she had first moved.
"That's one of the abilities of Amethyst's Assassin identity," Peter explained.
Lyxander had seen the abilities of Oscar's three-star identity before. He knew well that a three-star user could not be underestimated.
Yet it was Peter's Manipulator identity that truly terrified him. Controlling the consciousness of everyone around was far more dangerous than the power of other three-star identities like Fixer or Assassin.
"Looks like an explosion alone isn't enough." Amethyst lifted the case in her right hand.
Click!
The black case opened, revealing two purple daggers—one thin and light, the other thicker and heavier. Amethyst released her grip and let the case fall to the ground.
Thud!
The two daggers leapt out, landing perfectly in Amethyst's hands. Without hesitation, she jumped into the flower shop.
"Eh?!" Lyxander was startled.
"We're not going in too?"
Peter picked up Amethyst's case.
"Relax. As annoying as she is, I have to admit her strength."
"She's that strong?" Lyxander asked.
"You might not know this, but that woman is a former assassin recognized by Double A," Peter replied.
"Double A?"
"It stands for Assassin Association. Just like us, they're an organization made up of Identity users. The difference is that their members are professional killers," Peter explained.
"Amethyst is really a former assassin?!" Lyxander shivered, imagining that a killer had fallen in love with him.
"Heh." Peter chuckled.
"Where do you think her Assassin identity came from? That's enough talk. Let's go in."
The two of them stepped inside the shop.
Lyxander observed his surroundings. The shop looked spacious—or perhaps it only felt that way because so much of the furniture had been destroyed. Though a few tables and flower vases remained intact, the place was clearly in chaos.
Vines crawled across the floor, walls, and furniture. Shredded plant matter littered the ground, while viscous fluid dripped from the ceiling, extinguishing the remaining flames from the explosion.
"What star level do you think this is?" Amethyst appeared from the darkness.
Peter scanned the area.
"Three-star, red threat level."
Threat level? I've seen that in Orochi's data, but I don't know the order yet, Lyxander thought.
The vines began to grow again, preparing to attack.
Peter dropped the black case in his hand.
Thud!
Click!
A whip burst out. The first image that came to Lyxander's mind was a centipede.
The whip was covered in thousands of arrowhead-like blades, bone-white mixed with blood-red. Peter pulled it out.
Whooooosh!
The whip kept pouring out endlessly, its range seemingly limitless.
Crack!
Even after being slammed down, the whip continued to extend.
Crack!
A second strike.
"Duck!" Amethyst shouted.
Lyxander instinctively obeyed.
Peter twisted his body and swung the whip, encircling the entire room.
Whoosh!
Craaaack!
The walls cracked. Not just the walls—furniture and every last vine were obliterated in a single, brief attack.
Peter raised his hand. The blades of the whip merged together and slid back into the case.
Lyxander stood frozen, eyes wide open. Hearing about Peter's Manipulator identity had made him underestimate the man's combat ability.
Now he understood—no Identity user could be underestimated in any aspect.
"Damn it, at least give a warning before you use that," Amethyst grumbled as she grabbed Peter by the collar.
"Help!"
A woman's scream echoed.
Lyxander's pupils dilated. His entire body tensed. From within the darkness, a dense sense of danger spread through the air.
"Let's put this argument on hold," Peter said with a smile, staring into the darkness.
"She's here."
The head of a red-haired woman with a beautiful face emerged. At first, she looked normal—until her body appeared.
Her body was made of worm-like vines, over twenty meters long, writhing out of the shadows.
"Please… I beg you, help me." Tears streamed down her face.
"Can she still be saved?" Amethyst asked.
"Doesn't look like it," Peter replied.
"She formed a three-star identity before one and two."
"Before star one and two?" Lyxander asked.
"To advance in stars, an Identity user has to go step by step. If they skip ahead, their body won't be able to withstand the Entity virus," Peter explained.
Lyxander immediately realized the danger of the Identity virus inside him, and the urgency of obtaining a two-star identity as soon as possible.
Damn Simon, why didn't he tell me something this important?
"Please… please!" The woman continued to cry, showing no intent to attack.
"Lyxander, I'm going to teach you something," Peter said coldly.
"Entities aren't just strong, they're cunning. She's asking for help not because she needs it, but to buy time."
Lyxander looked around. The destroyed vines were already growing back.
Without warning, Amethyst stepped forward. She gripped a blade in each hand, vanished in an instant, and reappeared just as quickly.
In the blink of an eye, the Entity's body was cut into a thousand pieces. Blood and plant fragments scattered everywhere. The vines stopped growing.
Peter smiled—but his expression quickly turned to panic.
Seeing Peter's face, Lyxander immediately understood and dove under a table.
Amethyst realized it too late. By the time she did, it was already over.
Boom!
The shop's ceiling collapsed, crashing down violently.
Lyxander survived beneath the table, but he was now trapped.
Entities aren't just strong, they're cunning. Now he understood.
Buying time wasn't to regrow the vines—it was to bring the ceiling down. Lyxander analyzed his mistake.
"What we saw wasn't the core," Peter's voice came from beneath the rubble.
Peter was lucky. His body was pinned under debris, but his face was still free.
He saw a flower with a single large eyeball crawling away from the wreckage toward the neighboring building's wall.
"How did you know?" Lyxander asked.
"I saw it escaping. My whole body's pinned down, but my face is still free."
"Can you manipulate my parents in the hospital later?"
"Haha, that's not funny, but yes, I can," Peter laughed softly.
"Good. Now guide my hand."
Peter's pupils widened. He saw a bluish light shining from within the rubble.
"Damn, you really are a genius," Peter grinned as he followed Lyxander's request.
Boom!
An explosion of light struck the Entity, destroying it along with part of the neighboring building's roof.
Peter watched as black fluid materialized in midair. It quickly moved and possessed a single rose stem.
Entities cannot be destroyed; they only move from one host to another.
The Entity had now transferred to the rose stem and entered passive mode.
"Hahaha." Peter laughed.
"Good work, Lyxander. The mission is complete."