Where Did That Assist Come From?

Lund Restaurant, main hall.

Facing more than a dozen men and women with malicious smiles,

the burly man and the two psychics behind him turned deathly pale. The "Night General" had called for backup that fast? When had they been spotted?

Why were there more than a dozen handlers in a restaurant?

So you were all here for a team-building outing?

While he screamed inwardly, the burly man suddenly wrenched both arms free of the server's grip and made a break for the door.

He was a second-awakening psychic of the True Martial Path, with tremendous physical strength and a major advantage in close-quarters combat!

But his body suddenly locked up.

The server's eyes flickered, and he saw a gigantic monster, dozens of meters tall, suddenly appear and punch straight at him. The sensation of his flesh and bones being crushed made him let out a scream of sheer terror.

In reality, the server had merely glanced at him, and he had immediately collapsed, screaming. The pain from his hallucination had been transmitted to his brain with perfect accuracy. The agony of being crushed alone had robbed him of all ability to fight.

Spirit Eye Path, Phantom Eyes.

The two wild psychics behind the burly man didn't even spare a thought for their teammate's safety. They turned and fled.

But the female guest nearest the exit rose gracefully, lifted a heavy table with a marble top in one hand, and swung it at them.

The two were horrified. They hurriedly reinforced their Psychic Barriers, planning to endure the blow and force their way out.

However, when the tabletop slammed into their barriers, immense force passed straight through and struck them. A powerful shockwave burst inside their bodies!

True Martial Path, Internal Strike.

The violent impact made both men spit blood on the spot. One fell and lost consciousness.

The other gritted his teeth through the pain, changed direction, and leaped up with Sky Stepping, intending to smash through the second-floor window and escape through the wall.

But the moment he jumped, a short male guest suddenly appeared in front of him. He raised a fist and smashed it into the man's face.

The blow sent him crashing back to the ground, where he couldn't get up again.

Nether Path, Shadow Step.

Then a crowd surged forward and bound all three men like mummies.

"We came out to help Doll put on a show, and ended up earning Merit Points too!"

"No wonder he's the Night General! His luck is unreal!"

"What Night General? You should call him Night Farm!"

"Next time we run into some fugitive, let's have the Night General go out for a stroll while we follow him in disguise. Then we won't have to worry about a thing!"

"Two first-awakenings and one second-awakening. If the Night General had been cornered alone, who knows how it would've ended."

"And today, they showed up at just the right time. Good thing we stepped in. If they'd ruined Doll's rare date, they probably wouldn't have walked away alive."

The handlers grumbled among themselves. They had gathered in the first place for Doll's date.

They hadn't expected to run into three wild psychics. Talk about walking Merit Points!

Meanwhile, in a private room on the second floor,

Li Yèlái thought he could faintly hear screams.

Since becoming a psychic, his body had grown much stronger, and his hearing had sharpened too.

But when he focused and listened again, all he heard from outside was beautiful singing.

Did I hear wrong?

Li Yèlái didn't dwell on it and continued chatting with Doll.

Doll was very active on the forums and in group chats, and lively when she communicated with her sign. She seemed like a real social butterfly.

But when she took off her mascot costume and faced Li Yèlái as herself,

she seemed nervous and ill at ease.

Perhaps because she hadn't spoken to anyone in so long, she spoke softly and hesitantly. She was nothing like the Doll online. She'd become a complete introvert.

But Li Yèlái could understand. His dining companion probably hadn't spoken with anyone like this in years.

The fact that she could now slowly manage to express herself clearly was already the result of private practice.

When people go a long time without speaking aloud, they gradually lose their ability to speak.

Who knew how many nights she had practiced with herself in front of a mirror?

At the same time, Li Yèlái learned some bad news: even a handler of Doll's caliber couldn't completely erase the effects of the curse.

How could his younger sister's curse be dealt with, then? Would the Anti-spiritual power helmet still work?

Li Yèlái pondered this.

Just then, a dish drenched in red chili oil was turned toward him by a slender, pale hand. It looked like spicy chicken in chili oil.

Doll, sitting beside him, looked delighted and shy.

"This one is really good!"

As a senior handler, Doll was naturally well-off. But she spent most of her time at the branch, and whenever she went out, it was usually on a mission. Besides, no one could look directly at her.

So she generally got food from the branch cafeteria and ate it in her room.

She had never tried dishes from a restaurant before.

So whenever she tasted something delicious for the first time, she would recommend it right away and turn the dish toward Li Yèlái.

"Thanks. It really is good." After trying a piece, Li Yèlái nodded.

"My tongue's getting a little numb, though." Doll stuck out her pink tongue.

The private room had a large round table, and Li Yèlái and Doll sat side by side.

When Doll turned to look at Li Yèlái,

her long, pale legs shifted beneath the table and accidentally brushed against his right leg.

Even through the fabric, Doll could feel the warmth of Li Yèlái's calf.

A hint of alarm flashed across her face. She seemed about to pull her legs away, but in the end, she didn't move. She pretended nothing had happened and simply kept her leg pressed against Li Yèlái's.

Her face reddened again.

The touch, her flushed cheeks, and her pink tongue gave her an alluring air.

Unfortunately, Li Yèlái paid none of it any mind. After thinking it over, he replied, "Since you like spicy food, how about hot pot next time? There's a hot pot restaurant that claims to serve authentic food from the giant city of Shuchuan."

Doll's eyes lit up. She had picked up on the important part.

Next time.

"Can we still have a meal together?" Doll leaned closer and asked carefully. Her words were full of hope.

As she leaned closer, Doll felt her warm breath brush Li Yèlái's face.

Feeling shy, she quietly edged back a little.

"Of course. It's no big deal." Li Yèlái nodded. "How about once a week? You can pick the time."

After all, even an investigator from headquarters had suggested that he spend more time with Doll. He was currently the only person unaffected by her curse. If he stopped paying attention to her, she'd be even more pitiful.

Li Yèlái couldn't imagine what would happen to Li Yúnyān if she didn't have him looking after her.

In short, he had to avoid the worst-case scenario.

Besides, having a meal with someone wasn't difficult for Li Yèlái. On the contrary, he now had a dining companion. Maybe he could even apply for funding.

"Mm-hmm! I'll treat you next time!" Doll said excitedly, her eyes filled with joy.

Soon, after they finished eating, Doll put her bear mascot costume back on and left the private room with Li Yèlái.

The handlers waiting in the main hall in disguise were very disappointed.

People said that a good meal stirred up lust, but it seemed nothing had changed between the two of them after dinner.

Under the disappointed gazes of the handlers, they left Lund Restaurant.

Li Yèlái then escorted Doll back to the East City Branch. He went to the branch himself and practiced Single-Handed Eighteen Thrusts with the Crimson Longsword.

Naturally, he didn't use his ability. Bad luck was too frightening; he wouldn't use that power unless absolutely necessary.

After many battles and training sessions, Li Yèlái had thoroughly absorbed the experience from the illusion.

By now, he had mastered both Single-Handed Eighteen Thrusts and Hegemon's Spear Throw.

But the Crimson Longsword was a long-handled blade, different from a spear or a halberd.

Some moves didn't quite suit it, so Li Yèlái had to adapt them himself.

At dusk, as Li Yèlái was leaving the branch, he received a strange text on his official communicator.

[Mr. Night General, you participated in the capture of wild psychics and successfully apprehended three psychic hunters. You have earned four Merit Points.]

Li Yèlái stared at the message, completely baffled.

Where had that assist come from?

All he'd done today was have a meal with Doll, then return to the branch to train.

How had he ended up participating in the capture of wild psychics?

Had he somehow stumbled into three assists?

Could it be that Doll had captured three wild psychics right after he treated her to dinner? Since he'd eaten with her, did that count as an assist from him?

That didn't make sense either. If that counted, wouldn't the Processing Department cafeteria be raking in Merit Points?

Besides, Doll had just said goodbye to him when he left. It probably wasn't her.

Although he was confused, Li Yèlái couldn't find anyone to explain it.

In the end, he let it go. A few extra Merit Points were always welcome.

Then he saw a second message.

It was from Cheese. She had spent the past two days preparing for her third awakening ceremony.

That meant carefully observing her Soul Well and being ready to take the medication at any moment.

Now, she had found the right moment to open her Soul Well.

She had successfully reached the third awakening and sent Li Yèlái a message.

"Xiao Ye, you've got a powerful ally to lean on now! Hahahaha!" Cheese sent a smug emoji.

She had gained a highly offensive ability: Spirit Words!

From now on, she wouldn't have to be so passive.

Li Yèlái grumbled inwardly that he'd already leaned on her before.

But he still sent his congratulations.

"Thanks! I'm glad I can still brag to you," Cheese replied, saying something that left Li Yèlái confused.

The next two days passed peacefully.

Li Yèlái settled into a routine of going between the Antique Shop, the Family Apartments, and the East City Branch.

That was actually the daily life of a non-duty handler.

He could earn some Merit Points by patrolling certain areas, but Yáng Chén hadn't assigned him any such tasks.

He thought Li Yèlái still needed to train and build a solid foundation.

Because in a few days, when October came around,

it would be the First Team handlers' turn to enter the Black Prison and guard the Forbidden Items.

Li Yèlái would be joining them.

Of course, he would stay on the upper floors of the Black Prison with several other first-, second-, and third-awakening psychics: the first and second floors.

They were responsible for guarding D-Rank and C-Rank Forbidden Items.

As for strong psychics like Yáng Chén, they would guard the lower floors, suppressing the B-Rank Forbidden Items that were always on the verge of escaping or losing control.

As long as they made it through a month safely, the entire team would earn Merit Points.

It was one of the ways handlers could steadily earn Merit Points.

So Li Yèlái had specially asked Doll to bring meals to Li Yúnyān while he was guarding the Black Prison.

However, on the third day after his meal with Doll,

Li Yèlái was reading a history book in the Antique Shop when he suddenly heard an urgent ring. He was momentarily confused, then immediately realized it was the alarm on his official communicator!

Li Yèlái tapped it open.

Coordinates: Old City District, XX Street, XX Building.

It was an emergency call, like the alarm Li Yèlái had sent when he encountered the Large Black Umbrella. The alert would reach every nearby handler.

"Something happened there?" Li Yèlái's heart tightened. The location was a little over two kilometers from the Antique Shop—not too far. But it was hard to get a taxi there, so he'd probably have to run.

After hesitating for a moment, Li Yèlái picked up the Large Black Umbrella, asked his boss for leave in person, and rushed out the door.

When he'd been in danger before, his colleagues had come to his aid right away.

Now it was his turn to help someone else. Naturally, he wouldn't back down.

Then, after he had run only a few hundred meters, he heard the sound of brakes. Tires left conspicuous skid marks on the asphalt.

Li Yèlái frowned, then saw a car brake hard and stop beside him.

A young man in casual clothes leaned out from the driver's seat and shouted at Li Yèlái, "I knew it was you! Get in!"

"Starfire?" Li Yèlái was taken aback. The newcomer was none other than Starfire, the fellow rookie who had fought alongside him before.

Starfire's arm had been cut off by a Void Realm Creature back then. Li Yèlái had heard that after the arm was reattached, he spent a long time recovering. Later, he joined the Second Team!

Li Yèlái hadn't expected to run into him this time.

Li Yèlái didn't waste time and got in.

Starfire stepped on the gas, and the engine roared to life again.

"Do you know what's going on?" Li Yèlái asked.

"I don't. I only know that the one who sent the signal was my teammate, Mada. We're on good terms. He was the one who invited me to join the Processing Department." Starfire drove quickly along the road. "He's a police officer. He was investigating a missing-person case, but for some reason, he suddenly sent out this distress signal."

"Could he have run into a Suffering One?" Li Yèlái thought of Doctor Wang.

"I'm not sure. We should be the first to arrive. Let's get him out first." Starfire grinned. "I'd be a little scared on my own, but with you here, I feel a lot more confident."

Starfire still remembered that evening, when Li Yèlái had challenged the monster like a hero.

Even someone as competitive as Starfire had to admire Li Yèlái's courage and strength.

Soon, they arrived at the scene.

It was a residential building. A police car was parked nearby, but there weren't many pedestrians around.

Instead, one figure had already appeared outside the building.

Judging by the communicator on his wrist, he was clearly an official handler. And he had awakened more than once. He was no weakling!

But he hadn't gone upstairs. He merely looked at the two of them with an expression of numb sorrow.

"Which of you is Starfire?" he asked softly.

"I am!" Starfire replied.

"Good. Go on. Finish him off and fulfill his last wish," the unfamiliar handler said flatly.

"What last wish? You..." Starfire froze, his face instantly turning deathly pale.

After a moment of stunned silence, Li Yèlái fell silent as well.

He understood what the handler meant.

Starfire's friend, that 'Mada,' had become distorted.

Li Yèlái suddenly understood what Cheese had said back then.