Chapter 42: The Sleeper Agent

"An undercover agent?"

Li Yela finally understood. The authorities currently needed a Second Awakening Psion to act as a proxy for that member's spokesperson.

To infiltrate the Ark, he seemed to be one of the selected candidates.

"Yes, though we prefer to call them a 'sleeper cell,'" Yin Huo smiled. "Every time someone enters the Ark, they require the consent of a ticket holder. This is also why it is impossible to kill someone to steal their ticket. Once the holder dies, the ticket becomes void immediately. Fortunately, we have found ways to control the holders.

Therefore, we need a comrade inside the Ark to gather intelligence for us and, at the appropriate time, coordinate with the major Megacities to seize control of the Ark. Based on the memories in that fellow's head, those who enter the Ark are the Void Projections of the passengers. If necessary, they can be forcibly detached from the Ark, and we will be responsible for recalling your Void Projection from the Void. In terms of safety, there are certain guarantees."

"But why me?" Li Yela asked, puzzled. "Surely you must have more professionals?"

It wasn't that Li Yela was afraid; no matter how eerie the Ark was, he had Mr. Shadow to back him up. His personal safety shouldn't be a major issue.

In Li Yela's eyes, the faction responsible for causing such a tragedy was far more loathsome and deserving of death than any Ember Church. Even if it was just for the sake of those fallen comrades, it was worth using a transaction!

But the authorities didn't know about Mr. Shadow's existence. Why were they looking for him? Weren't they being a bit too confident?

He had received no professional training. If he were to expose himself, he had two ways out—detaching from the Ark or trading with Mr. Shadow—but the authorities' entire arrangement would be completely ruined.

"Actually, we have many candidates. Every Megacity, every branch, even every captain has different candidates. Seventy-nine in total," Yin Huo said. "But considering individual strength and curses, we chose you."

Li Yela was somewhat stunned. Strength was one thing, but were they even using misfortune as a weapon now?

"Didn't you say that in the worst-case scenario, one could directly detach from the Ark? Why is strength still a consideration?" Li Yela inquired. The Ark seemed like a platform shared by passengers from all over the world; combat shouldn't break out on it. As long as he didn't expose himself, what danger was there?

"After joining the Ark, you must adhere to the persona of that spokesperson. We can help you refine the process of trading intelligence with the passengers above. However, they sometimes conduct offline operations.

Just like this current incident, it was a coordinated setup by multiple Ark passengers and their subordinates. Therefore, since you might have offline contact, the stronger the sleeper cell's strength, the better. It is best if you grow stronger step by step under the Ark's watchful eye; that way, they won't become suspicious.

Currently, you possess two facial patterns: the Weakness Insight from the Spirit Eye path and the Shadow Army from the Nether path. Furthermore, you are currently enhanced by the Heart of Slaughter for two hours. Your physical strength far exceeds that of a typical Second Awakening Psion."

Yin Huo provided examples: "At the same time, we saw the footage of you fighting the cavalry formation and know your combat skills are exceptional. Among Second Awakening Psions, you are already a top-tier powerhouse. Damn, I'm truly envious... I should have given the Champion a blackjack and just snatched you for myself!"

Yang Chen shot him a glance but said nothing.

Li Yela, meanwhile, was deep in thought. It wasn't just about entering the Ark to gather intelligence; he would also need to coordinate with them offline. That made it more dangerous. From that perspective, seeking someone with great strength made perfect sense.

Li Yela smacked his lips, thinking to himself, *'It actually feels pretty good to hear someone brag about me like this.'*

"Of course, there are certain risks, both within the Ark and during offline missions," Yin Huo continued. "But for you, the rewards will be immense. You could even call it an opportunity!"

"An opportunity?" Li Yela frowned, then tried asking, "Do you mean trading within the Ark?"

"Exactly!" Yin Huo nodded. "Though I hate to admit it, the resources and knowledge possessed by the Ark are far greater than those of our No. 3 Border City, or even the other allied Megacities!"

"Since you must fulfill the persona of that spokesperson, you will naturally want to use the Ark's unique characteristics to grow stronger."

"The Ark's passengers come from all over the world, and possibly even from within the Forbidden Zones. Whether it is knowledge or intelligence, they are superior to our human authorities. As one of their spokespersons, you can trade with other passengers or spokespersons to obtain various intelligence, potion formulas or materials, psionic armaments, or even taboo items."

"To gain trust, we will do our best to help you fulfill the requirements of the trade chips or missions, allowing you to establish contact with multiple passengers or spokespersons."

"And that is your opportunity!"

Li Yela understood the implication immediately.

For instance, the potion formulas mastered by humanity were limited. The Second Awakening potion for the Myriad Manifestation path, for example, was missing in No. 3 Border City and the surrounding Megacities. Because the potion was unavailable, psions of that path could only rely on luck during their second awakening. Just like Li Yela's Void Beast Speech.

With the unique nature of the Ark, he might be able to collect various potion formulas through passengers of different identities from across the world. He would only need to trade to obtain the corresponding formulas.

Clearly, this would enhance the overall strength of humanity. Not to mention the materials and taboo items.

This was indeed a significant benefit. As a sleeper cell, the authorities would assist him. Whether it was intelligence or missions, they would satisfy his requirements as much as possible.

Li Yela could then directly reap many benefits from the Ark's trades. Aside from sharing them with the authorities, he could achieve effective personal growth. Third, fourth, or even fifth awakening potions. Obtaining high-quality psionic armaments would also be well within reach.

Of course, all of this had to happen without the other party discovering his true identity.

"And then, there is your curse: Misfortune!" Yin Huo continued. "From our research, your misfortune includes 'Encountering Powerful Enemies' and 'Vehicle Killer'."

"Are you saying 'Vehicle Killer' could work on the Ark?" Li Yela was startled.

That would be interesting. Once the Ark was fully populated, if he triggered it, wouldn't he wipe them all out in one go? With the effect of Vehicle Killer, if it successfully triggered, how much of a mess would the Ark be left in?

"Based on current analysis, it is a possibility, but it cannot be tested," Yin Huo said. "So, for now, treat your curse as your trump card. If things become untenable, trigger the curse directly and forcibly detach from the Ark. Even if you fail to get the intelligence, you can at least slap them in the face! That is the worst-case scenario."

Li Yela nodded in understanding.

At this moment, Yang Chen, who had remained silent, suddenly spoke: "Everything carries risk. It is possible your Vehicle Killer will be ineffective against the Ark.

It is also possible that while you are forcibly detaching from the Ark, you might be captured or your Void Projection might be destroyed, causing you to be directly distorted or turned into a vegetable.

Even more likely, your Void Projection might be attacked by other Void creatures mid-way."

"Everything involves risk, Ye Jiang. Do not force yourself. Think it over before you answer. Even if you do not wish to go, no one will blame you."

Yang Chen looked at Li Yela, his eyes shifting with complex emotions. He naturally wanted vengeance; the death of his teammates was caused by the Ark's chosen. Therefore, when he heard Yin Huo's plan, he did not oppose it directly. If the plan succeeded, everyone would be happy. Li Yela would grow stronger, and they could avenge their comrades!

But if something went wrong, Li Yela would be in grave danger.

"I understand, Captain," Li Yela nodded.

Thinking of those fallen colleagues, the desire for revenge in Li Yela's heart grew even stronger. They were willing to face death in the face of danger. Since he had Mr. Shadow as a trump card, why should he be afraid? Moreover, he could use the Ark to make humanity stronger, and make himself stronger...

Of course, there was the worst-case scenario: perhaps 'Mr. Shadow' was no match for the 'Ark.'

Li Yela fell into silence, but the heroic images of his teammates flashed through his mind.

After a long while, he nodded in response: "I can do it. This mission must be carried out by Team One! It belongs to us!"

In this recent incident, among the psions of the various official branches, Team One had suffered the greatest losses. One-third of the members had died, and the survivors were all wounded, with a significant portion unable to perform missions in the future. It could be said that Team One had lost nearly half its strength.

Such a grudge had to be settled by Team One themselves!

Yang Chen's eyes flickered. After a few seconds of silence, he spoke: "You are indeed a member of Team One, but remember, safety comes first."

"Understood," Li Yela nodded, then asked, "What should I do next? When do I enter the Ark? Do I need any training?"

"No rush. On the 15th of every month, the Ark members gather within the Ark. It's only the 20th now; it's still early, so there's no need to enter the Ark separately," Yin Huo smiled. "As for training, that spokesperson has only attended twice. Forcing an imitation would only create flaws. When the time comes, a captain-level expert from the Whisper Path will use suggestion on you."

Enter the Ark as a sleeper cell on the 15th of every month? Li Yela nodded slightly. "Then it's decided? No need to consult the higher-ups again?"

Li Yela assumed that since the four Megacities and all branches were selecting candidates, even if his branch decided on him, it wouldn't matter, right?

"No, it is decided. It's you," the little old man sinking into the sofa suddenly spoke.

As he smiled, he revealed toothless gums. He was truly very old, but his voice was full of vigor. The old man rose from the sofa, his squinted eyes looking at Li Yela as if seeing through his secrets. "Very good, very good. I look forward to your future growth."

Li Yela was somewhat puzzled and looked at Yang Chen.

Yang Chen spread his hands and said, "This is indeed a big figure. If he agrees, then it's you."

Li Yela whispered, "Should I say something like, 'If you do not reject me, I am willing to call you father' at a time like this?"

The old man paused, then laughed, "Then your seniority would be far too high! Hahaha! Alright, little Ye Jiang, since the candidate is confirmed, you may go. However, remember: this operation is highly secretive. Do not tell anyone. Not family, not friends. Do not reveal anything. We will contact you when the time comes."

"Alright, I understand." Li Yela nodded, greeted everyone, and left the room.

Carrying a secret mission, Li Yela felt no different.

Three days passed peacefully. Then, Li Yela received a message from the Equipment Department stating that his psionic armament and thermal axe had been completed.

Excitedly, Li Yela rushed to the branch.

He soon saw his equipment in the Equipment Department.

A C-class psionic armament: the Azure Dragon Halberd—or was it the Crimson Dragon Halberd?

The shaft was pure black, and the blade glowed with a reddish hue. A golden coiled dragon was painted on the shaft, and at the dragon's eye, there were actually a pair of rotating crimson eyeballs.

It is said that among the eighteen types of weapons, the saber is the courage of all weapons, the spear is the king of all weapons, and the sword is the lord of all weapons. But the halberd is the tyrant of all weapons!

Just sitting on the weapon rack, this Crimson Dragon Halberd exuded an aura of dominance and wild ferocity.

"Using the Spirit of the Tree (a taboo item) and a derivative of the Black Gargoyle as the primary materials, supplemented by materials from three transcendent creatures, we worked overtime to finally forge this Crimson Dragon Halberd," a middle-aged member of the Equipment Department introduced. "You mentioned before that your previous weapon was too light and felt awkward, so we specifically added weight this time. However, neither its toughness nor its sharpness has been affected."

"I'll know once I try it." Li Yela picked up the Crimson Dragon Halberd. The weight was indeed moderate; with his current physique, it felt very natural in his hands. His previous long saber had also felt good, but after his physical enhancement, his strength had increased, making the saber feel too light when swung.

He tried swinging the Crimson Dragon Halberd, pulling it back sharply during a downward stroke so that it formed an arc every time. Li Yela was somewhat satisfied, and as he increased the force of his swings, the arc of the halberd became even wider.

The middle-aged staff member's expression turned serious. He could tell that Li Yela was testing the halberd's toughness—swinging it down with great force and then pulling back in the opposite direction, using that massive strength to stretch the halberd to its limit. If the toughness wasn't sufficient, it would snap after a few such movements.

It wasn't until Li Yela's eighteenth pull-back, when the halberd traced an arc and then returned to its original shape, that the man finally nodded in satisfaction.

"Very good, I like it!"

The Crimson Dragon Halberd felt great, and it allowed him to maximize the use of the "Eighteen Picks with One Hand" technique. Li Yela felt his melee combat strength had increased significantly.

Next was the thermal axe, which was a foldable, portable model. As Li Yela flipped the thermal switch, a crimson heat glowed from the axe blade. With very little effort, a casual chop left a three-centimeter-deep groove in a metal cube.

"Not bad, it certainly cost a lot of money," Li Yela thought. He folded the thermal axe and strapped it to his back. He then took out the large black umbrella, which had been modified for free by the Equipment Department, and inserted the Crimson Dragon Halberd into it.

*Mm, not bad. It's well hidden.*

After bidding farewell to the staff, he left the branch carrying the large black umbrella.

At one of the branch exits, he saw the girl wearing the panda mascot suit.

"Let's go," Li Yela smiled. Today was the day to eat with his benefactor. He would never forget what she had done for him.

[Mm-hmm (≧ω≦)/]