The Funeral

The Handler who had arrived first was dressed in a well-tailored suit, with a carefully styled haircut. He looked like an office worker at some company.

He was a veteran Handler with a high Awakening count. As soon as he heard the alarm, he rushed to the scene.

He'd arrived even before Li Yèlái and Starfire.

But now he stood blankly by the roadside, straightening his suit as if he were about to attend a funeral.

Then he looked toward Starfire in the car and invited him, "Come, Starfire. Join me in seeing him off."

"Don't worry. These were his final words, saved on his communicator. Basically, if anything happened to him, he wanted you to be the one to see him off. He also hoped to leave some mysterious materials in his Soul Well, so you could make a Psychic Weapon." The Handler spoke calmly, as if he were simply inviting Starfire to grab a meal.

Starfire looked awful. His body had even frozen up for a moment.

He reached for the car door, but couldn't open it.

After finally managing to grab the handle again, Starfire gritted his teeth and pushed the door open.

"How could this have happened to him? He was fine when I saw him yesterday. Why would he suddenly lose control?" Starfire still couldn't believe it.

Yesterday, he'd spoken to Mada on the phone. Mada had sounded warm and generous, even encouraging Starfire not to rush and not to be competitive.

How had he become twisted now?

"We don't know the cause. That's something we'll investigate later," the Handler said calmly. "For now, come with me and see him off. Starfire, this is the path you have to walk. It's a responsibility every official Handler must bear!"

All psychics risked becoming twisted and losing control.

There were two situations in which the chances of a psychic losing control rose sharply.

The first was when advancing to the next level.

This was especially true for highly Awakened psychics.

The more times a psychic Awakened, the larger their Soul Well became, and the stronger their connection to the Void Realm. Their projection within the Void Realm also grew larger.

As a result, they were more susceptible to the influence of the Void Realm's power, and even to attracting the attention of Void Realm Creatures.

Under the influence of the Void Realm's power, or the malicious manipulation of Void Realm Creatures, a psychic might become twisted and lose control, eventually turning into a monster they themselves would despise.

That was why psychics had to be extremely careful when advancing. Those with the means arranged for teammates to protect and assist them, in case they became twisted and lost control.

This reminded Li Yèlái of why Cheese had said she was glad she could still joke around with him after completing her breakthrough three days ago.

After successfully advancing, she'd made it back from the brink of death.

The second situation in which a psychic might lose control—

It was when, for some reason, they completely lost control over their psychic energy.

Psychic energy was a double-edged sword. As long as a psychic controlled it, it could make them unstoppable.

But once their psychic energy slipped out of their control, it became a nightmare that dragged them into the abyss.

There were many possible triggers. Emotions or unresolved issues might create an emptiness deep inside a psychic, allowing psychic energy to exploit the opening and cause them to lose control.

There had once been a wild psychic who, in an attempt to resurrect their child, had performed evil rituals over and over. After each failure, their mental state deteriorated until they finally became twisted.

The reason Headquarters had asked Li Yèlái to spend more time with Doll was that they feared years of loneliness might crush her and cause her to become twisted and lose control.

Mada hadn't been so lucky.

He had lost control after all.

He had gone from being a Handler to a Suffering One, from a law enforcer who protected the public to a monster that had to be put down immediately.

But he had made preparations. He had even sent advance notice through his communicator to the Handler on the other end, asking them to record his last wishes.

He'd hoped that the junior he'd brought into the department—Starfire—would be the one to put him down.

This was the last kindness Mada, a senior colleague, had left behind. He'd expected Starfire to grow from the experience and receive Merit Points for it. If things went well, he might even leave him a Psychic Weapon.

But Starfire was on the verge of breaking down. Killing his close friend placed an enormous burden on him.

Faced with the Handler's invitation, Starfire stood rooted to the spot.

Li Yèlái could understand how he felt. If Yáng Chén or Cheese suddenly lost control—

Li Yèlái let out a quiet sigh.

Mada and Starfire had known each other for a long time. They'd been friends before Starfire became a psychic, and Mada had been the one to lead Starfire into the Processing Department.

Now they had to turn their blades against each other. That was the greatest tragedy of all.

"But this is one of the responsibilities a Handler has to bear," the Handler said, his tone still even. "If one of your teammates loses control, you have to end their suffering."

Then the Handler looked at Li Yèlái. "You're Night General, aren't you? As a member of the champion's team, you'll learn one day what your captain has done for his teammates."

Deeds worthy of renown. Teammates.

At its peak, the former Champion Team One had made countless enemies of humanity tremble. There were even rumors that they had once outmatched the entire Processing Department of another great city.

But at some point, they had suddenly fallen from grace, eventually becoming the Team One they were today.

Had the Champion Team's decline had something to do with someone becoming twisted and losing control?

Li Yèlái's heart gave a jolt, but he didn't ask any more questions. Suddenly, he didn't want to know the truth.

Starfire still couldn't make up his mind.

Just then, a nonhuman roar came from an upstairs room.

"He's moving. We can't wait any longer." The Handler looked at Starfire regretfully. "I'll have to put him down."

He was strong enough to deal with the twisted Mada quickly. He'd only waited this long for Mada's last wish.

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

He picked up a glove, a weapon he'd had custom-made at the Equipment Department of the branch office.

It looked like an elegant cloth glove, but rubbing his fingers together or snapping them could produce sparks or flames.

Combined with the flame control of the Zeroing Path, Starfire could unleash his ability. A single snap or a rub of his palms was all it took to release fire.

It was much more useful than Li Yèlái's Jet Axe, and easier to conceal, too.

What could you do? The Zeroing Path was just that powerful.

Starfire put on the glove, his eyes bloodshot, but his voice steady. "Mada was a second-Awakening psychic. Night General, can you back me up?"

He knew how strong Mada was. He might not be able to see Mada off on his own.

"Of course!" Li Yèlái replied, feeling weighed down.

He gripped the Large Black Umbrella and made sure the Silver Bell was still in his pocket. He had a Psychic Weapon, the Dual Blade Knight's help, and Starfire at his side. They should be able to fulfill Mada's last wish.

Only then did Li Yèlái glance at the Handler.

"Go ahead. I won't step in unless absolutely necessary." The Handler gave him a strained smile. "Be careful. Mada was a second-Awakening psychic of the Myriad Paths. His first ability was Void Realm Beast Speech, which let him control animals and even supernatural creatures. His second ability was Mimicry: Direwolf's Howl. It's a sonic attack."

Li Yèlái and Starfire nodded. Then they both used Sky Stepping and leaped onto the third-floor balcony of the residential building, one after the other.

After entering the balcony, Li Yèlái noticed something wrong with the room. The room that should have been the master bedroom had been fitted with numerous iron bars, and chains hung from the ceiling. What should have been an ordinary room looked like a prison.

The figure in a police uniform stood with his back to them, facing the corner with both hands braced against the wall as he let out a nonhuman roar.

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

At the sound of his voice, the figure paused, then slowly turned around.

His face was horribly twisted. His jaw and features bulged, like those of some kind of canine. He had no fur; flesh and bone rapidly grew beneath his skin, and blood dripped from his sharp fangs. His limbs had also twisted backward and grown longer, and sharp claws sprouted from his fingers.

"Heh, heh." Mada let out a hoarse sound and turned toward Starfire. His body hunched, and his elongated arms pressed against the ground.

He had clearly taken an attacking stance.

"You idiot. How could you..." Starfire shook his head in despair, then snapped his fingers. Sparks flickered between them.

Then the flames rose!

A blazing inferno instantly set the entire room alight. Startled by the flames, Mada let out a roar and charged out of the room at incredible speed.

Hearing his friend's anguished cry, Starfire's eyes turned bloodshot, and tears streamed down his face.

But he didn't stop. He swept his hand, extinguishing the flames in the room, then chased after Mada.

As Mada ran up the stairs, Starfire snapped his fingers again.

Wrapped in flames, Mada screamed and tumbled back down the stairs.

But the moment he got back up, he opened his jaws and let out a deafening howl.

The howl reverberated through the corridor. Starfire felt as if he'd been struck in the head with a hammer. His vision blurred for an instant, and he staggered.

This was the Myriad Paths' Mimicry: Direwolf's Howl!

By the time Starfire's vision cleared, Mada had already charged up to him.

The sharp claws swung down, slamming into Starfire's Psychic Barrier.

As the claws raked downward, ripples appeared in the air before Starfire, and his barrier was torn open by brute force!

The other claw thrust forward before the barrier could recover, about to tear Starfire's guts out.

Starfire's heart lurched. He leaned sharply backward and snapped his fingers again.

At this range, his flames would be at their most powerful! They could drain the enemy's Psychic Barrier to the greatest extent—or even set his body alight.

But he wouldn't make it in time!

They were too close!

That was the Zeroing Path's weakness. Among all paths at the same Awakening level, its abilities were the strongest.

But compared with other paths, its users' bodies were far too weak.

Once an enemy got close, they could only rely on their Psychic Barrier to withstand attacks.

And once that barrier was torn open, all they could do was rely on their own reactions.

"Hurry!" Starfire shouted in his mind.

But just as Mada thrust out his second claw, a flash of cold steel cut through the air.

Mada himself staggered backward a few steps, allowing Starfire to avoid the fatal blow.

The blade had flown from behind Starfire!

It pierced Mada's shoulder and pinned him to the wall.

Mada lifted his twisted face and saw the attacker who had appeared out of nowhere.

It was Li Yèlái, right behind Starfire!

The blade he'd thrown had saved Starfire. It was the Hegemon's Spear Throw!

It was also Li Yèlái's only ranged attack for now.

Using psychic techniques, he could imbue a weapon with enough psychic energy to neutralize an opponent's Psychic Barrier over a certain distance.

That let him catch his opponent off guard.

Pinned to the wall, Mada didn't pull out the blade and try to escape. Instead, he looked at Li Yèlái, and a hint of a smile appeared on his twisted face.

"Thank you..." He seemed to smile as he whispered his gratitude.

Li Yèlái's expression shifted, but he could only sigh. "Goodbye."

Li Yèlái didn't attack again, nor did he summon the Dual Blade Knight.

Because in the next instant, scorching flames drowned out every other sound.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Starfire snapped his fingers again and again, sending wave after wave of flames toward the immobilized Mada, until his burning body slid off the blade and stopped moving for good.

Only then did Starfire stop attacking, staring dazedly at Mada's corpse.

He fell to his knees and stared at Mada's remains, sinking into a silence as dead as death itself.

In silence, Li Yèlái stepped forward and pulled out the Crimson Longsword. He patted Starfire on the shoulder, then turned and left without a word.

As Li Yèlái walked back down the stairs to the first floor, he heard a heart-wrenching wail from above.

Li Yèlái stopped for a moment, but in the end, he left the residential building without expression.

Outside, more than a dozen psychics had already arrived.

They watched the residential building in silence, seeing their teammate off. Then several psychics, faces stricken with grief and anger, rushed inside.

They couldn't believe that Mada, a veteran member of their team, had suddenly become twisted. There had to be a reason.

They would find that reason—and the culprit who might be behind it!

It had nothing to do with Li Yèlái. He saw Cheese, who had just arrived.

She sat in her new car with one arm on the window, her chin resting on her hand as she stared blankly toward the residential building.

The firelight illuminated her face, making it look indistinct yet beautiful, like a dream.

When Li Yèlái walked over, Cheese said softly, "If one day I become twisted and lose control, I'll have to ask you to free me. I'm afraid of pain, so make it quick."

Li Yèlái remained silent. Cheese reached out and poked him in the chest, smiling faintly. "Don't hesitate when the time comes. That'll be the greatest relief you can give me."

"Don't jinx it," Li Yèlái replied quietly.

What had just happened had shaken him deeply. He felt as if he'd only now begun to understand the burden a Handler carried.

Resist disasters, suppress taboos, protect the public—and in the end, draw your sword against former teammates.

Could he really fulfill those responsibilities? Was he worthy of them?

No. Why doubt himself now?

Wasn't this the path he'd chosen?

Li Yèlái slowly exhaled. A change in his state of mind had triggered some kind of transformation.

Several nearby Handlers turned to look at Li Yèlái.

And Li Yèlái felt something new happening in his Soul Well.

It was expanding. It was opening new ground.

Then Li Yèlái looked at Cheese and said softly,

"I'm about to advance."