Chapter 20: Skinny Dog

At night, when Li Yela returned to the old apartment after changing back into his own clothes, it was already eleven o'clock.

Fortunately, Li Yela had told Li Yunyan in advance that he was going to the New District to deliver an antique; otherwise, it would have been difficult to explain why he was returning so late.

After ensuring there was no blood on his face or the scent of blood on his body, Li Yela finally knocked on the door.

Soon, the sound of unlocking echoed from within the bolted door.

The door swung open quickly.

A young girl with fluffy hair stood inside, looking at Li Yela with some anxiety. "You're back way too late. Do you know what time it is?"

Li Yela had already prepared his excuse: "A rather precious antique needed home delivery. It was a long way away, in the New District. But the client was quite generous; they gave me a lot of overtime pay."

This wasn't entirely a lie; taking on private jobs was essentially overtime. As for the client, although he hadn't received the full payment yet, the deposit had already been paid.

One hundred thousand Giant City Credits—Li Yela and the detective would split it.

Fifty thousand credits each had already been deposited into their accounts.

This was a massive sum, bringing him one step closer to his goal of buying a new house.

Years ago, when his mother fell seriously ill and his father left, Li Yela had sold the house his parents left behind, yet it still hadn't cured his mother's illness.

Since then, he and his sister had been forced to rent this old apartment.

Now, he could finally see the hope of buying a new home.

"Are you really not being kept by someone?" Li Yunyan asked suspiciously. "Why do I smell perfume?"

Good grief, no wonder she was anxious.

Even now, this girl still suspected her own biological brother of selling his body.

She really was his sister!

As for the perfume, Li Yela had rushed to the kitchen while holding Cheese to break the curse; he had likely picked up her scent during that time.

Shaking off the sensation of that soft touch from his mind, Li Yela could only say, "It might be a colleague's perfume. I hitched a ride back in her car."

"Then she must treat you pretty well, big brother. There's really no need to work yourself this hard; I'm making money too." Li Yunyan arched her beautiful eyebrows and said with a mischievous grin, "I'll support you!"

Although Li Yunyan could not leave the house and dared not meet outsiders, thanks to her exceptional painting skills, she had found an online job as an amateur artist.

The income wasn't much, but it was stable, which relieved a great deal of pressure for Li Yela.

Li Yela was her last remaining relative; she didn't want to be a burden to him, but rather sought every way to help him.

Li Yela felt a warmth in his heart, but his expression remained serious. "Hmph, I am the head of this household. How could I allow such a thing?"

"Head of the household?" Li Yunyan let out a low laugh upon hearing this.

She casually tossed a plastic flyswatter to Li Yela, while she picked up a wooden stick, striking a cool swordsman pose. "Here's your weapon. Let's be fair. The winner is the head of the household!"

Li Yela looked at the flyswatter in his hand, then at the wooden stick in his sister's hand. He couldn't feel the "fairness" in this at all.

Thus, he could only put down the flyswatter and yield. "Fine. When the time comes, instead of others living off me, I'll live off my sister. I guess I'll become a member of the wealthy generation after all."

"Look at you, dreaming big. I take back what I said," Li Yunyan teased. After chatting with him for a few more sentences, she urged him to go to sleep.

Once Li Yela had returned to his own bedroom, Li Yunyan walked out onto the balcony.

Under the cover of night, the Giant City was quiet and mundane.

But in her eyes, the trees in the green belts were twisting their trunks wildly.

The figures walking down the streets were not pedestrians, but a collection of grotesque monsters.

The things flying through the sky were not common birds, but terrifying creatures with fangs and claws.

It was, quite literally, a scene from hell.

Everything had changed three years ago.

In her vision, classmates, teachers, and friends had all turned into these untouchable monsters.

Even the stray cats she frequently fed had turned into monsters with multiple eyeballs, no fur, and bloody, raw flesh. Even the potted plants in her own home had become indescribable, horrific vegetation.

Everything had changed. Li Yunyan didn't know if she had gone mad, or if the world had.

And in this mad world, Li Yela was the only exception.

He was still the same as always, still taking care of her just as he always had.

Li Yunyan sighed softly. "You're all I have left... big brother..."

***

The next day, after finishing work, Li Yela immediately rushed from the antique shop to the branch office.

Just as he had suspected.

As the authorities intervened to investigate Wang De, his industries and funds were frozen.

The girl in the white dress who had hired Li Yela and the detective had also been implicated, making her unable to pay the subsequent commission.

However, Li Yela didn't lose out.

Because during this operation, he had obtained a second Psionic Armament.

He had been called over by Yang Chen specifically to familiarize himself with its abilities.

As a bell rang, the Dual Blade Knight appeared directly on the training ground, drawing the attention of several handlers who were still training.

This was the Psionic Armament Li Yela had obtained from Wang De; it contained a bell that held the "Undead Summoning" ability from the Nether Path.

According to official testing, the bell contained a pile of ashes.

They belonged to a powerful knight from the Calamity Forbidden Zone—Black Source City.

After death, the knight had been turned into ashes through special means.

"Based on the analysis of the psionic residue, this knight likely possessed strength close to a fourth-stage awakened psionic user during his lifetime," Yang Chen said, standing beside Li Yela. "The knight summoned through the ashes actually possesses less than thirty percent of his original strength. But theoretically, it is equivalent to the strength of a second-stage awakened psionic user."

In other words, obtaining this Psionic Armament meant he could summon a second-stage awakened knight as a helper.

This was the most straightforward way to increase strength: calling in backup!

"Of course, you could choose to sell this bell. The ability to summon a knight is very rare, so you won't have trouble finding a buyer. But I suggest you keep it. A second-stage awakened knight can help you resolve many troubles," Cheese said.

Today, she was still wearing a loose hoodie, concealing her full and proud curves.

Yang Chen turned to look at Li Yela and said seriously, "You have seen Void creatures and Sufferers, and you have even come into contact with Taboo Objects. You should understand the dangers involved. If you have this knight to assist you, you will be much safer in future operations."

Li Yela nodded; it was true.

Cheese and Yang Chen were indeed looking out for him.

If Li Yela had this bell when facing Void creatures, he might not even have to lift a finger himself.

"Furthermore, although we currently don't know how to refine this kind of ash summoning, if we solve this technical problem, we can help you catch a few more monster ashes to fill the bell and increase your combat power later," Yang Chen continued. "Ultimately, once you become a Handler, you will face many dangers. Do not miss the opportunity to strengthen yourself. I don't know exactly what you are trying to buy, but only by becoming stronger can you accumulate merit points more efficiently."

"I know," Li Yela nodded again. "I plan to keep it."

Sharpening the knife does not delay the woodcutting. Although Li Yela wanted to save up points to quickly buy the Anti-Psionic Helmet, becoming stronger would allow him to acquire merit points more efficiently.

This was the safest route.

"Very good!" Yang Chen continued. "But because of this, you must familiarize yourself with your psionic consumption. Once you notice any signs of your Soul Well collapsing, stop using any Psionic Armaments immediately and notify us! This is vital. Once it becomes distorted, it's truly over!"

Li Yela nodded cautiously. Psionic users faced the risk of distortion when using Psionic Armaments.

The higher the grade of the armament, the stronger the temptation toward distortion.

Fortunately, the Crimson Longblade and the Summoning Bell were not high-level.

The Summoning Bell was low-level because the ashes inside were of a lower grade.

However, using two Psionic Armaments simultaneously meant the risk of distortion was not small.

He had to be careful.

He wondered if "Mr. Shadow" could still save him once he became distorted.

"By the way, yesterday was your first time taking a private job. How did it feel?" Yang Chen asked.

"It was dangerous and sudden. If Cheese hadn't happened to attend the banquet and stepped in to support us, the detective and I might not have made it out alive," Li Yela said, still feeling a bit shaken. He turned to Cheese and said, "Thank you."

If Cheese hadn't been there, the Lancer Knight would not have committed suicide and would have continued to obstruct Li Yela and the others.

If that had happened, Li Yela would have truly had to make a deal with "Mr. Shadow."

"It's nothing. You saved me too," Cheese said, patting Li Yela on the shoulder.

Then, seemingly remembering the moment Li Yela had rescued her yesterday, Cheese squeezed his shoulder hard and whispered, "Consider yourself lucky!"

Li Yela's mouth twitched, and he didn't respond, which served as a tacit admission.

Yang Chen gave the two of them a strange look and said, "This is the danger of Taboo Objects. An old man in his nineties, relying on a Taboo Object, was able to put three psionic users in danger. Based on the intelligence you provided, that should be a Grade C Taboo Object."

"Only Grade C?" Li Yela was stunned. "It can fulfill almost any wish. How can it only be Grade C?"

Li Yela thought to himself that since it could act as a wish-granting machine, it should probably be Grade B.

"The rating isn't based on its ability, but on the danger it poses and the probability of it losing control. If no one offered a sacrifice to make a wish, this altar could have sat quietly underground for hundreds of years. Even if it did lose control, its attack range would be limited to the vicinity of the wisher. That is why it is rated Grade C."

Yang Chen said, "The Grade B Taboo Objects hidden in the Black Prison beneath our feet are the real threats. They could cause terrible harm even if left alone. They are all difficult masters. In the future, when it's our turn to be stationed in the Black Prison, you must stay vigilant."

The duty of guarding the Black Prison was rotated among the various official Handler teams.

This was also one of the ways Handlers could steadily acquire merit points.

Speaking of which, it would soon be the turn of the First Team—the team Li Yela belonged to—to guard the Black Prison.

When that time came, they would get another boost of merit points.

Li Yela nodded and then asked, "Will there be any problems because I destroyed a Taboo Object last night?"

"The entity behind the Taboo Object, known as the Ghost Immortal, did not make a move, so there should be no problem," Yang Chen said after thinking for a moment. "However, some people in the upper management expressed regret over losing a usable Taboo Object. It's not a big deal, though."

In reality, the higher-ups were already getting a headache over the misfortune Li Yela displayed.

They were terrified that if Li Yela ever went out into the Giant City, he would run straight into a King of the Forbidden Zone.

Yang Chen didn't mention this.

After all, in his view, it was highly unlikely. No matter how unlucky a person was, it had to follow logic, right?

Why would a King of the Forbidden Zone leave the zone for no reason? For a stroll?

Moreover, if someone were truly that unlucky, the authorities could simply set traps and assemble dozens of military units to attempt a siege on the King of the Forbidden Zone.

While complaining inwardly, Yang Chen said aloud, "Train well. Once you notice any changes in your Soul Well—whether it's a further awakening or a risk of distortion—you must inform us."

Seeing Li Yela nod, Yang Chen turned to Cheese and asked, "You are about to undergo your third awakening. Do you plan to use a magic potion?"

After last night's battle, Cheese had discovered that her Soul Well was beginning to expand and extend, and her connection to the Void was becoming stronger. This was the phenomenon of an imminent breakthrough.

"Of course, Captain. I've already prepared the potion. I have no intention of leaving it to chance," Cheese complained.

Her first awakening ability was Verbal Hypnosis, and her second was Forced Suggestion. Both were support-type abilities. If her third awakening randomly gave her something like Universal Translation or Beast Speech, she thought she might die of anger.

Thus, she had spent a fortune to purchase a specific magic potion.

"Which one? The Sickness Curse of Border City No. 1? Or the Word Spirit of the Lava Mine City?" Yang Chen asked.

"Word Spirit. It's more offensive," Cheese responded, patting Li Yela beside her. "In a few days, I'll show you what real damage looks like! You'll have moments where you'll be clinging to my leg for dear life."

Li Yela glanced down at Cheese's thigh, thinking to himself that he had already done that, but he still nodded and replied, "Uh... alright."

***

In the following days, Li Yela traveled back and forth between his home and the branch office.

Through continuous training, he gained a detailed understanding of his current abilities.

As a first-stage awakened Myriad Psionic user, his ability was "Myriad Faceless."

Currently, "Myriad Faceless" only possessed one mask.

It was the Xiang Yu mask, which possessed the "Weakness Insight" ability from the Spirit Eye Path.

This mask provided Li Yela with rapid improvements in combat experience and psionic techniques.

At the same time, it allowed Li Yela to master the "Eighteen Thrusts with One Hand" and the "Overlord's Halberd Throw."

This gave Li Yela strong melee capabilities as well as a powerful throwing ability.

To the outside world, Li Yela was already a very capable Handler among first-stage awakened psionic users.

He possessed two Psionic Armaments and had even killed a Void creature.

In reality, because he had killed the Skinner, Li Yela had obtained a second mask.

However, due to his resistance toward Mr. Shadow, Li Yela had not yet accepted that mask, and he did not know which path it belonged to.

"It seems I'll have to find an opportunity to try it out," Li Yela thought as he walked home, carrying his large black umbrella.

Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks.

Because at a nearby intersection, a young man holding a black umbrella amidst the crowd smiled at him. "Is it you? The young man who destroyed the Ghost Immortal Altar."

Li Yela looked at his own large black umbrella, then at the young man's black umbrella.

He couldn't help but laugh. "What's it to you?"

"Skinny dog!"

(End of Chapter)