Funeral Procession

The handler who arrived first was dressed in a neat suit with a meticulously styled haircut, appearing like a white-collar worker from some company.

He was a veteran handler with a considerable number of awakenings. Upon hearing the alarm, he had rushed to the scene immediately.

Faster than <Li Yèlái> and <Starfire>.

But now, he stood by the roadside, numb and impassive, straightening his suit as if attending a funeral.

Then, he looked at <Starfire> in the car and invited, "Go ahead, <Starfire>, and see him off with me."

"Don't worry, this is his last will and testament recorded in his communicator. It roughly means that if anything unexpected happened, you would be the one to send him off. He also hoped to preserve some mysterious materials in his Soul Well for you to craft a <Psychic Weapon>." The handler spoke calmly, as if inviting <Starfire> to a casual meal.

<Starfire>'s expression was grim, his body freezing for a moment.

He reached out to open the car door, but couldn't.

After successfully grasping the car door handle once more, <Starfire> gritted his teeth and pushed the door open.

"How could he really...? He seemed fine yesterday. Why did he suddenly lose control?" <Starfire> still couldn't believe it.

Yesterday, he had spoken with '<Mada>' on the phone. On the other end, '<Mada>' had been enthusiastic and generous, even encouraging <Starfire> not to be impatient or competitive.

How had he become so twisted now?

"The reason is unknown. That's what we'll be investigating," the handler said calmly. "For now, come with me to see him off. <Starfire>, this is the path you must walk. It's the responsibility every official handler must bear!"

<Spirit Ability User>s all carried the risk of distortion and loss of control.

Under two specific circumstances, the probability of a <Spirit Ability User> losing control would drastically increase.

The first was during advancement and breakthrough.

This was especially true for <Spirit Ability User>s with high awakenings.

Because the more awakenings a <Spirit Ability User> had, the larger their Soul Well became, and the greater their connection to the <Void Realm>. Their projection within the <Void Realm> would also grow larger.

Consequently, they would be more susceptible to the influence of the <Void Realm>'s power, or even attract the attention of <Void Realm> creatures.

Under the infiltration of <Void Realm> power or the malicious inducement of <Void Realm> creatures, a <Spirit Ability User> might become distorted and lose control, ultimately becoming a monster they themselves would despise.

Therefore, during breakthroughs, <Spirit Ability User>s had to be extremely cautious. When possible, they would arrange for teammates to guard and assist them, to prevent distortion and loss of control.

This also reminded <Li Yèlái> why <Cheese>, after completing her breakthrough three days ago, had said she was glad she could still brag with him.

Having successfully broken through, she had indeed walked through the gates of hell and back.

The second situation leading to loss of control.

Was when, for certain reasons, one completely lost control over their psychic energy.

Psychic energy was a double-edged sword. When a <Spirit Ability User> mastered it, it was naturally invincible.

But when the psychic energy began to spiral out of control, it would become a nightmare that dragged the <Spirit Ability User> into the abyss.

There were many potential triggers for this. It could be emotions or unresolved issues that created a void deep within the <Spirit Ability User>'s heart, allowing the psychic energy to exploit it, thus leading to loss of control.

There was a case of a wild <Spirit Ability User> who, in a desperate attempt to resurrect their child, repeatedly performed evil rituals. After repeated failures, they descended into madness and eventually became distorted.

The headquarters had asked <Li Yèlái> to interact more with <Puppet> precisely because they feared that prolonged loneliness might crush <Puppet>, leading to her distortion and loss of control.

As for this '<Mada>', he hadn't been so lucky.

He had ultimately lost control.

From a handler, he had become a victim. From an enforcer protecting the populace, he had become a monster that needed immediate elimination.

But he had made preparations. He had even used his communicator to inform the contact person on the other end in advance, recording his last will.

He wished for his junior, <Starfire>, whom he had brought along, to be the one to eliminate him.

This was the last act of kindness left by his senior, '<Mada>'. In his estimation, <Starfire> would grow from this experience, gain merit points as a reward, and perhaps, if lucky, he might even leave him a <Psychic Weapon>.

However, <Starfire> was on the verge of collapse. Being asked to kill his good friend placed an immense psychological burden on him.

Facing the handler's invitation, <Starfire> hesitated.

<Li Yèlái> could understand his feelings. If <Yáng Chén> or <Cheese> suddenly lost control...

<Li Yèlái> sighed softly.

<Mada> and <Starfire> had known each other for a long time, friends even before <Starfire> became a <Spirit Ability User>. <Mada> had even been the one to bring <Starfire> into the Handler Department, his mentor.

Now, they were to face each other with blades drawn. This was the greatest tragedy.

"But this is one of the responsibilities a handler must bear," the handler continued in his calm tone. "If your teammate loses control, your duty is to end their suffering."

Then, the handler looked at <Li Yèlái>. "You are <Night General>, aren't you? As a member of the champion team, you will come to know in the future what your captain has done for his teammates."

Heroic deeds, teammates.

The former Champion Team, at its peak, had struck fear into the hearts of countless enemies of humanity. There were even rumors that they had once outperformed all the handlers from other <Giant City>s.

But at some point, they had suddenly declined, eventually becoming the current Team One.

Was the decline of the champion team related to loss of control and distortion?

<Li Yèlái>'s heart skipped a beat. He didn't ask further. Suddenly, he didn't want to know the truth anymore.

But <Starfire> still hesitated.

A non-human roar echoed from the upstairs room.

"He's moving, we can't wait any longer." The handler looked at Starfire with regret. "I'll have to eliminate him."

His strength was considerable, and dealing with the twisted Mada wouldn't take long. They had waited this long solely for Mada's dying wish.

"No, I'll do it. I'll do it," Starfire replied, his eyes bloodshot, gritting his teeth.

He picked up a pair of gloves, a custom weapon from the branch's equipment department.

What appeared to be an elegant cloth glove could produce sparks or flames through friction and snapping fingers.

Combined with Zeroing Path's flame manipulation, Starfire's abilities were unleashed. A simple snap of his fingers or rubbing his palms could directly unleash fire.

This was much more practical than Li Yèlái's jet axe, and easier to conceal.

It couldn't be helped, who knew Zeroing Path's ability was so awesome.

Starfire put on the gloves, his eyes still bloodshot, but said calmly, "Mada is a Second Awakening Spirit Ability User, a Night General. Can you back me up?"

He knew Mada's strength and wasn't sure he could 'send' Mada off on his own.

"Of course!" Li Yèlái responded with a heavy heart.

He then gripped his large black umbrella and confirmed the summoning silver bell hidden in his pocket. With his Psychic Weapon, the help of Dual Blade Knight, and Starfire, they should be able to fulfill Mada's last wish.

Afterward, Li Yèlái glanced at the handler.

"Go ahead. I won't intervene unless absolutely necessary," the handler replied with a strained smile. "Be careful, Mada is a Second Awakening Spirit Ability User of Myriad Paths. His first ability is Void Realm Beast Speech, which allows him to control animals and even supernatural creatures. His second ability is Mimic Wolf Howl, a sonic attack."

Li Yèlái and Starfire nodded, then simultaneously used Air Stride, jumping onto the third-floor balcony of the residential building one after the other.

Upon entering the balcony, Li Yèlái noticed something was wrong with the room. The master bedroom was now reinforced with iron bars, and chains hung from the ceiling. The room looked like a prison.

A figure in a police uniform stood with his back to them, facing a corner, hands pressed against the wall, letting out inhuman roars.

"Old Ma, are you okay? Let's go back and have some barbecue." Starfire called out softly, a hint of hope in his voice. He still hoped this was a misunderstanding, or that Mada could still be saved.

The figure paused at the sound of his voice and slowly turned around.

What greeted them was a horrifying, twisted face. His jaw and face protruded, resembling some kind of canine, but without fur, only flesh and bone rapidly growing from beneath the skin, blood dripping from sharp fangs. Furthermore, his limbs had contorted and elongated, and sharp claws had sprouted from his fingers.

"Heh heh." Mada let out a hoarse sound. He turned his body towards Starfire, hunched over, his elongated arms now resting on the ground.

Clearly, he had entered an attack stance.

"You… how could you…" Starfire, utterly despairing, shook his head in pain, then snapped his fingers sharply. Sparks flew from his fingertips.

Then, fire erupted!

Fierce flames instantly engulfed the room. Startled by the fire, Mada roared and rushed out of the room at extreme speed.

Hearing his friend's pained cries, Starfire's eyes turned bloodshot, tears streaming down his face.

But his hands didn't stop. He waved his hand, extinguishing the flames in the room, and pursued.

He snapped his fingers again at Mada, who was running up the stairs.

Engulfed in flames, Mada screamed as he tumbled down the stairs.

However, the moment he got up, he opened his mouth wide and let out a deafening wolf howl.

The howl echoed through the hallway. Starfire felt as if his brain had been struck by a hammer, causing him to falter, his vision blurring for a moment.

This was Myriad Paths's Mimic Wolf Howl!

When Starfire's vision cleared, Mada was already in front of him.

The sharp claws swung down, striking Starfire's psychic barrier heavily.

As the claws slid down, ripples appeared in the air before Starfire, the barrier having been torn apart!

Another claw shot out before the barrier could recover, as if it would rip Starfire open the next second.

Starfire's heart leaped. As he leaned back sharply, he snapped his fingers again.

At this distance, his flames would have the greatest power! They could maximally deplete the opponent's psychic barrier, or even ignite their body directly.

However, it was too late!

The distance between them was too close!

This was the weakness of Zeroing Path. While the power of its abilities was the strongest among paths with the same awakening progress, its physical defense was incredibly weak compared to other paths.

Once approached, one could only rely on their psychic barrier to withstand attacks.

If the psychic barrier was also torn apart, then it was up to one's own reaction.

"Hurry!" Starfire yelled in his heart.

But the moment Mada thrust his second claw, a faster, colder glint flashed.

Mada himself retreated a few steps, allowing Starfire to dodge the fatal blow.

That long sword had flown from behind Starfire!

The blade pierced Mada's shoulder, pinning him to the wall.

<Mada> raised his monstrous face and saw the sudden attacker.

It was <Li Yèlái>, who had been following <Starfire>!

The long saber he threw had saved <Starfire>. This was <Hegemon's Spear Throw>!

It was also <Li Yèlái>'s only ranged attack method.

By using psionic techniques, he could imbue a weapon with enough psionic energy at a distance to neutralize the opponent's psionic barrier.

This was to achieve a surprise victory.

But <Mada>, pinned to the wall, didn't pull out his saber and flee. Instead, he looked at <Li Yèlái>, and a hint of a smile appeared on his monstrous face.

"Thank you..." He seemed to smile and thanked him in a low voice.

<Li Yèlái>'s expression shifted, and he sighed, "Goodbye."

<Li Yèlái> didn't continue attacking, nor did he summon <Dual Blade Knight>.

Because, in the next instant, scorching flames engulfed all sound.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

<Starfire> snapped his fingers repeatedly, and streams of fire surged towards the immobilized <Mada>, until <Mada>'s burning body fell from the saber, no longer reacting.

<Starfire> finally stopped his attack, looking dazed, and stared at <Mada>'s corpse.

He knelt down, looked at <Mada>'s remains, and fell into a deathly silence.

In the silence, <Li Yèlái> stepped forward and drew <Crimson Longsword>. After patting <Starfire>'s shoulder, he turned and left without a word.

As <Li Yèlái> walked back towards the stairs on the first floor, he heard heart-wrenching wails from above.

<Li Yèlái>'s body stiffened. In the end, he left the residential building expressionlessly.

Outside the building, more than a dozen <Spirit Ability Users> had already arrived.

They looked at the residential building in silence, bidding farewell to their teammate. Then, a few <Spirit Ability Users>, their faces filled with grief and anger, rushed into the building.

They couldn't believe that their veteran teammate <Mada> had suddenly become twisted. There had to be a reason.

They wanted to find that reason, to find the culprit!

This had nothing to do with <Li Yèlái>. He saw <Cheese>, who had just arrived.

She sat in her new car, her arm resting on the car window, propping up her chin, staring blankly in the direction of the residential building.

The firelight illuminated her face, making it appear blurry and beautiful, like a dream.

Seeing <Li Yèlái> approach, <Cheese> said softly, "If, one day, I also become twisted and lose control, I'll entrust you with liberating me. I'm afraid of pain, so be quick."

<Li Yèlái> remained silent. <Cheese> reached out and poked his chest, chuckling, "Don't be reluctant then. That would be the greatest release for me."

"Stop talking nonsense," <Li Yèlái> replied in a low voice.

The scene he had just witnessed had a great impact on him. It seemed he was truly understanding the burden of an Executor for the first time.

Resisting calamities, suppressing taboos, watching over the populace, and in the end, even drawing his sword against a former teammate...

Could he truly fulfill these responsibilities? Was he worthy?

No, why doubt now?

Wasn't this the path he had chosen?

<Li Yèlái> exhaled slowly. The change in his state of mind triggered something.

Several nearby Executors turned their gazes towards <Li Yèlái>.

Meanwhile, <Li Yèlái> felt new changes occurring within his Soul Well.

It was expanding, it was breaking new ground.

So, <Li Yèlái> looked at <Cheese> and said softly.

"I'm about to break through."