Ye Chenyang

Before it made its move, the [Skin Painter] seemed to have used some method to blind the surveillance cameras nearby. That worked out nicely for her; she wouldn't have to take extra steps to cover her tracks.

And... her information wasn't on this "shoddy job" that had changed hands countless times, either.

The information systems and platforms in this world were an absolute mess, riddled with holes. That made things a lot easier for her, too.

But after all that, her original plan to "awaken" a Fire Elemental Ability seemed to need a few changes.

While testing her abilities yesterday, she'd discovered that when she activated [Ignite], her eyes turned a conspicuous, burning gold.

Some high-ranking abilities did have traits like that, but the [Prairie Fire] she'd planned to disguise herself as definitely didn't.

She'd have to change her plan... though it wasn't as if she had no other options.

Whenever Awakened advanced, they gained a fixed ability and strengthened their existing abilities. The same went for Calamities and Aberrants.

Other abilities along the [Elemental] Path tended to specialize in a particular trait of one element and then delve deeper into it,

but it was different for an Apex Sequence like hers.

The Calamity Sequences and Awakening Sequences were two sides of the same coin. Her abilities could encompass nearly all the top abilities along this Path, and she could choose her own branch.

That meant that if Jiang Mian absorbed enough nourishment to advance to Second-tier...

Not only could the [Ignite] skill evolve, she'd also encounter the two basic abilities [Tide] and [Gale] again, along with a new ability, and she'd be able to choose one of the three.

Until she knew what the next new ability would be, Jiang Mian tentatively settled on [Gale].

The ability looked unremarkable, but if she used it well, it would help her conceal her aura and make her run faster. It could also fan the flames, complementing [Ignite].

But... to reach Second-tier, she'd have to "eat" at least ten First Order Calamities or Awakened. She still had a long way to go.

As Jiang Mian planned her next move, she rode her Electric Scooter into the evening traffic.

A few minutes after she left, a Black Sedan marked with the Public Security Bureau insignia quietly pulled into the residential compound.

The doors opened, and a squad of special task force members in black uniforms stepped out.

They quickly split into two groups. One set up a cordon around the perimeter, while the other hurried upstairs.

At the back of the group walked a sunny-looking young man. He wore a Security Officer's uniform, but the insignia on his shoulder was that of a trainee, showing he hadn't yet become a full-fledged officer.

This was Ye Chenyang's first Field Duty assignment since joining the force: handling a case involving a Calamity.

In fact, he was still a student. Because his Sequence rank was exceptionally high and he was talented in his own right, he'd been allowed to take part in fieldwork and gain experience.

Yet the expressions that occasionally crossed his face didn't match his still-youthful appearance at all.

Only he knew the truth: he was a Reincarnator.

In his previous life, the Apex Calamities had inflicted immense losses on humanity, and he'd died at the hands of Sequence 1, [Silent Death]'s [Withering].

By then, he'd already been an Eighth Order powerhouse. But the moment they clashed, his opponent's death curse had ensnared him, and he'd inevitably begun to die.

Ye Chenyang had fought with everything he had just to take his opponent down with him.

After all, he was Sequence 4, [Radiance]'s [Eternal Day].

That purest radiance was powerful enough to dispel all filth and even temporarily drive away the Mist. It was one of the vital forces that allowed humanity to establish a foothold and build cities within the Mist.

In this life, he'd chosen to keep a low profile, pretending to be Sequence 49, [Shining Blade].

There was only one reason: Calamity Sequence 2, [Nightmare]'s [Oblivion River], was lurking among the upper ranks.

Or rather, some high-ranking officials had, at some point, had their memories and personalities washed away by [Oblivion River], becoming his puppets.

Ye Chenyang couldn't confirm where his true body was now, so he could only act with caution.

In his previous life, he'd only wanted to scrape by,

never expecting to awaken an Apex Sequence, become an Eighth Order powerhouse, and ultimately perish alongside [Withering] in the final battle.

But in this life...

For his own sake, for his friends and family, and for everyone else struggling to survive in this world,

he would seize the advantage in this race against the end. Before the Apex Calamities could grow powerful, he would find them one by one and wipe them out completely.

He knew the appearances or identities of the other Apex Calamities,

but [Doom] had never shown itself, not even by the time he died. At most, it released its abilities from an extremely long distance. It was terrifyingly cautious.

And for that very reason, [Doom]—the Calamity with the widest-range attack ability—had caused the fewest casualties. Most of those it killed had been Awakened who were hunting it.

For now, all he had to do was quietly wait for the "Prodigy Cultivation Plan" from above to begin. Until then, he had a little time to catch up with an old acquaintance.

"Stay close, rookie. Remember what I taught you. Don't touch anything at the scene."

The Security Officer walking in front of him, Cheng Qiao, didn't look back as he gave the simple reminder.

"Understood, Captain Cheng."

Cheng Qiao's words brought Ye Chenyang's attention back to the present.

The group reached the fifteenth floor.

The woman who'd called in the report was wrapped in a blanket, still trembling as she incoherently described how her boyfriend had instantly burned into a sheet of skin right before her eyes.

Ye Chenyang's gaze swept over the chaotic living room before settling on the human-shaped scorch mark on the bedroom floor and the charred skin sack lying quietly beside it.

Abilities along the [Radiance] Path had an exceptionally strong capacity to sense and purify anything from the Mist.

So he could sense the dense Calamity aura lingering in the air, and it was rapidly dissipating with the passage of time.

"Captain Cheng."

Ye Chenyang stepped closer and said slowly,

"The deceased... or rather, the thing that was burned away, was probably Calamity Sequence 97, [Skin Painter]."

At that, Cheng Qiao crouched nearby and carefully examined the remains on the floor.

There were plenty of Calamities in the Calamity Sequences with disguising abilities. Those along the [Nightmare] Path were especially troublesome; they could even imitate someone's mind.

Something like a [Skin Painter] could develop greater intelligence as the number of people it devoured increased. It was indeed a difficult opponent.

"Mm, it was definitely a [Skin Painter]. But the way it died..."

Cheng Qiao nodded. There had been reports of [Skin Painters] in other districts lately, but this was the first one to appear in their South District.

He pondered for a moment. It had burned to ashes in an instant, with almost no warning before it spontaneously combusted. An ability that seemed to activate from a distance...

"[Prairie Fire]? Or [Wildfire]?"

Ye Chenyang picked up where Cheng Qiao left off. Those were the only two abilities that fit the bill.

Because he'd left early in his previous life, he hadn't been involved in this case, though he'd heard that Calamities occasionally died suddenly in this area.

There was probably a high-ranking Calamity wandering around and hunting for food.

Still, how could it resist attacking humans? That was strange...

The Awakening Sequence and Calamity Sequence corresponded to each other, and abilities in the same position shared certain similarities.

For example, at Sequence 83, the Awakening Sequence was [Prairie Fire], while the Calamity Sequence was [Wildfire]. Both could scatter Fire Seeds too tiny for the naked eye to see, instantly igniting their targets.

By comparison, [Prairie Fire] was more precise and had a stronger initial burst, while [Wildfire] was more difficult to control, fiercer, and had a wider range.

"[Prairie Fire]?"

Cheng Qiao raised an eyebrow, but his expression remained troubled.

"If an Awakened with an advanced ability like that happened to pass by and kill the thing that was harming people, that'd be a good deed."

"But something doesn't add up.

"When someone confirms a Calamity kill—especially one like a [Skin Painter], which isn't all that low in the Sequence—they're expected to report it to the Public Security Bureau. The reward wouldn't be small."

"With things the way they are now, who does good deeds without leaving a name and turns down the reward, too? Some legendary Good Samaritan?"

After that, Cheng Qiao said no more and began issuing orders.

He had one team member take the woman in for questioning, while he contacted colleagues at the Inspection department to arrange a thorough examination of the remains.

Jiang Mian rode her Electric Scooter home at an unhurried pace in the evening breeze.

She hadn't found a second Calamity, but the extra snack she'd just had had clearly put her in a good mood.

But as soon as she reached the fifth floor where she lived, a tall figure happened to come down the stairs and block her path.