Dark Operative

"Undercover?"

Li Yèlái understood. The authorities needed a second-awakening psychic to act as a proxy for that member.

He seemed to be one of the candidates who could infiltrate the Ark.

"That's right. Though we prefer to call them sleeper agents." Yīnhuǒ smiled. "Every time someone enters the Ark, they need the ticket holder's consent. That's also why you can't kill someone and take their ticket. If the holder dies, the ticket is voided immediately. Fortunately, we've found a way to control the ticket holder.

"So we need one of our people inside the Ark to gather information for us and, at the right moment, help the major cities seize it. From the memories in that guy's head, it seems everyone who enters the Ark is a Void Realm projection of a passenger. They can force themselves to leave the Ark if necessary, and we'll be responsible for bringing your Void Realm projection back from the Void Realm. So your safety is at least somewhat assured."

"But why me?" Li Yèlái asked, puzzled. "Surely we have people who are more qualified?"

Li Yèlái wasn't afraid. No matter how strange the Ark was, Mr. Shadow could cover the cost.

His own safety shouldn't be too much of a problem.

And to Li Yèlái, the force behind this massacre was far more despicable—and far more deserving of death—than the Ashes Church.

For the sake of his fallen comrades alone, it was worth making a deal with Mr. Shadow!

But the authorities didn't know Mr. Shadow existed. Why would they choose him? They had a lot of confidence in him.

He hadn't received any professional training, either. If he slipped up, he could either leave the Ark or make a deal with Mr. Shadow, so it wouldn't be too bad. But the authorities' entire plan would be ruined.

"We actually have quite a few candidates. Every major city and every branch has someone in mind, even the captains. There are seventy-nine candidates in total." Yīnhuǒ continued, "But when we considered personal strength and your curse, we still chose you."

Li Yèlái was taken aback. He could understand them considering his strength, but they wanted to use his bad luck as a weapon too?

"Didn't you say we could just leave the Ark if things went badly? Why does strength matter?" Li Yèlái asked. The Ark seemed like a platform that passengers from all over the world could use together. Fighting shouldn't break out there. As long as he didn't expose himself, what danger could there be?

"Once you're aboard the Ark, you'll have to live up to that proxy's persona. You'll trade information with the passengers there, and we can help you prepare for that. But sometimes they also operate in the real world.

"Take this incident, for example. Several Ark passengers and their subordinates planned and carried it out together. So you might meet them outside the Ark. The stronger the sleeper agent, the better. Ideally, you'd grow stronger step by step under the Ark's watch. That way, they won't get suspicious.

"You currently have two facets: the Spirit Eye Path's ability to see through weaknesses and the Nether Path's Shadow Army. On top of that, the Heart of Slaughter has strengthened you for two hours. Your physical constitution is far beyond that of a second-awakening psychic."

Yīnhuǒ gave an example. "We also saw footage of you fighting the cavalry formation, so we know your combat skills are excellent. Among second-awakening psychics, you're already one of the best. Damn, I'm so jealous. I should've whacked the champion over the head and stolen you for myself!"

Yáng Chén glanced at him but said nothing.

Li Yèlái considered it. He'd have to enter the Ark and gather information from its passengers, but he'd also have to work with them outside it.

That did sound more dangerous. From that angle, it made sense to choose someone strong.

Li Yèlái smacked his lips. It feels pretty good to hear someone brag about me like this.

"Of course, there's some risk involved, whether inside the Ark or during missions in the real world." Yīnhuǒ continued. "But for you, the benefits will be substantial. You could even call it an opportunity!"

"An opportunity?" Li Yèlái frowned, then ventured, "You mean trading with the Ark?"

"Exactly!" Yīnhuǒ nodded. "Much as I hate to admit it, the Ark has far more resources and knowledge than Border City No. 3, and even the other allied major cities!"

"Since you have to live up to that proxy's persona, you'll need to use the Ark's unique advantages to grow stronger."

"The Ark's passengers come from all over the world, and some might even come from inside the forbidden zones. Their knowledge and information are better than what the human authorities have. As one passenger's proxy, you can trade with other passengers or their proxies. You could get all sorts of information, potion formulas or ingredients, Psychic Weapons, and even Forbidden Items."

"To earn their trust, we'll do our best to help you meet the costs of trades or fulfill the requirements of any tasks, so you can establish contact with multiple passengers and proxies."

"And that is your opportunity!"

Li Yèlái immediately understood what he meant.

For example, the potion formulas known to humanity were limited.

The second-awakening potion for the Myriad Paths, for instance, was unavailable in Border City No. 3 and the surrounding major cities.

Without the potion, psychics on that path could only leave their second Awakening to chance.

Just like Li Yèlái's Void Realm Beast Speech.

Given the Ark's unique nature, perhaps its passengers—who came from all over the world and had different identities—could bring together all kinds of potion formulas.

He'd only need to trade for the formulas he wanted.

That could raise humanity's overall strength.

And that wasn't even counting the ingredients and Forbidden Items.

It really was a significant benefit. As a sleeper agent, the authorities would help him.

They'd do their best to meet the requirements, whether for information or tasks.

Then Li Yèlái could gain a lot by trading through the Ark.

Besides sharing the benefits with the authorities, he could also improve himself.

Potions for the third, fourth, and even fifth Awakening.

High-quality Psychic Weapons wouldn't be out of reach, either.

Of course, all of that depended on the other side not discovering his identity.

"Then there's your curse: bad luck!" Yīnhuǒ continued. "Our research indicates that your bad luck includes an unavoidable powerful enemy and a vehicle killer."

"You mean the vehicle killer might work on the Ark too?" Li Yèlái was startled.

Now that would be interesting. Once the Ark was full, he could unleash it and take everyone down in one fell swoop.

Given the vehicle killer's effects, just how badly could it wreck the Ark?

"Our current analysis says it's possible, but we can't test it." Yīnhuǒ said, "So for now, treat your curse as your trump card. If things become impossible, trigger the curse and force your way off the Ark. Even if you can't get the information, you can still slap them in the face! That's the worst-case scenario."

Li Yèlái nodded to show he understood.

Just then, Yáng Chén, who hadn't spoken until now, said, "There are risks to everything. Your vehicle killer might not work on the Ark.

"And when you force yourself off the Ark, they might catch you or destroy your Void Realm projection, leaving you twisted or in a vegetative state.

"Worse, other Void Realm Creatures might attack your Void Realm projection on the way back."

"There are risks, Night General. Don't force yourself. Think it over before you answer. Even if you don't want to go, no one will blame you."

Yáng Chén looked at Li Yèlái, his expression shifting uncertainly.

Of course he wanted revenge. His teammates had died in vain, all because of the Ark's chosen passengers.

That was why he hadn't immediately objected when he heard Yīnhuǒ's plan.

If it succeeded, everyone would be happy. Li Yèlái would grow stronger, and they'd avenge his teammates!

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

"I understand, Captain." Li Yèlái nodded.

Thinking of his fallen colleagues, Li Yèlái felt his desire for revenge grow stronger.

They'd been willing to die in the face of danger. He had Mr. Shadow as his trump card. Why should he be afraid?

Besides, the Ark could help humanity grow stronger, and help him grow stronger too.

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

Li Yèlái fell silent, but images of his teammates, standing like heroes, flashed through his mind.

After a long while, he nodded. "I think I can do it. Our team has to take this mission! No one else is more suited to it!"

Of all the psychic divisions involved in this incident, the first team had suffered the heaviest losses. A third of its members had died, and all the survivors were wounded. A good number of them would no longer be able to work on missions.

In other words, the first team had lost nearly half its members.

This grudge had to be avenged by the first team itself!

Yáng Chén's eyes flickered. After a few seconds of silence, he said, "You're one of our own, after all. But remember: your safety comes first."

"Mm." Li Yèlái nodded, then asked, "What should I do next? When do I enter the Ark? Will I need any training?"

"There's no rush. The Ark's members gather there once a month, on the fifteenth. It's only the twenties now, so there's no need for you to enter it alone." Yīnhuǒ smiled. "As for training, that proxy has only appeared twice. If you force yourself to imitate him, you'll just give yourself away. When the time comes, a captain-level expert from the Whisper Path can use suggestion on you."

So he'd board the Ark as a sleeper agent on the fifteenth of every month? Li Yèlái nodded slightly. "So it's settled? No need to discuss it with the higher-ups?"

Li Yèlái had thought that the four major cities and all their branches were choosing candidates. Even if his branch picked him, that didn't mean it was final, right?

"No. It's settled. You're the one." Just then, the little old man who had been sinking into the sofa spoke up.

As he smiled, his toothless gums came into view.

He was extremely old, but his voice was strong.

The old man rose from the sofa and looked at Li Yèlái with narrowed eyes, as if he could see right through his secrets. "Very good. You're very good. I'm looking forward to seeing how you grow."

Li Yèlái was puzzled and looked at Yáng Chén.

Yáng Chén shrugged. "He's a very important figure. If he agrees, then it's you."

Li Yèlái asked quietly, "Should I say something like, 'If you don't mind, I'll gladly call you father'?"

The old man was taken aback, then laughed. "That would make you senior to me by far! Hahaha! All right, Little Night General. Now that we've settled on a candidate, you can go back. But remember, this mission is highly confidential. Don't tell anyone—not your family, not your friends. We'll contact you when the time comes."

"Okay, I understand." Li Yèlái nodded, exchanged farewells with everyone, and left the room.

Li Yèlái had a secret mission to shoulder, but he didn't feel any different.

The next three days passed uneventfully. Then Li Yèlái received a message from the Equipment Department saying that his Psychic Weapon and Heat-Melting Axe were ready.

So Li Yèlái hurried over to the branch.

He soon found his equipment in the Equipment Department.

A C-grade Psychic Weapon: the Qinglong Ji—or was it the Chilong Ji?

Its shaft was pure black, and its blade gleamed red.

A golden dragon was painted along the shaft, and its eyes were actually a pair of rotating, crimson eyeballs.

They said that among the eighteen kinds of weapons, the saber was the boldest of all, the spear was king of the weapons, and the sword was their lord.

The ji, however, was the tyrant of all weapons!

Even sitting on the weapon rack, the Chilong Ji exuded an air of dominance and madness.

"Using the Forbidden Item Tree Spirit and material derived from the Black Gargoyle as the main ingredients, with materials from three other supernatural creatures added, we've finally managed to forge this Chilong Ji after working around the clock." A middle-aged Equipment Department staff member introduced it. "You said your weapon felt too light, so we deliberately gave this one more weight. But its flexibility and sharpness haven't been affected."

"There's only one way to find out." Li Yèlái picked up the Chilong Ji. Its weight was just right, and with his current physique, it felt like a perfect fit.

His previous saber had been a good fit too, but after his body had been strengthened and his strength increased, it had started to feel too light when he swung it.

Li Yèlái tried swinging the Chilong Ji, then lifted it back up as he brought it down, making the shaft bend into an arc each time.

He was satisfied, and began swinging it harder and harder. The shaft of the Chilong Ji bent more and more.

The middle-aged Equipment Department staff member's expression grew serious.

He could tell Li Yèlái was testing the ji's flexibility. He struck downward with all his might, then pulled in the opposite direction, making the Chilong Ji bend to its limit under the tremendous force.

If it weren't flexible enough, it would snap in half after just a few swings.

Only when Li Yèlái pulled it back for the eighteenth time, and the Chilong Ji bent into an arc before springing back to its original shape, did he finally nod in satisfaction. "Excellent. I love it!"

The Chilong Ji felt great in his hands, and let him make the most of his Single-Handed Eighteen Thrusts. Li Yèlái felt his close-combat ability had improved considerably.

Next came the Heat-Melting Axe. It was a foldable model, easy to carry.

When Li Yèlái switched on the heat, the blade glowed red-hot.

He barely had to put any strength into it. A casual chop left a gash three centimeters deep in a metal cube.

"Not bad. It did cost a lot." Li Yèlái folded up the Heat-Melting Axe and strapped it to his back.

He took out the Large Black Umbrella, which the Equipment Department had improved for free, and slid the Chilong Ji inside.

Mm, not bad. It was well hidden.

After saying goodbye to the Equipment Department staff, he slung the Large Black Umbrella over his shoulder and left the branch.

At one of the branch's exits, he saw the girl wearing a panda Doll costume.

"Let's go," Li Yèlái said with a smile. Today was his meal with Doll. He would never forget what his benefactor had done for him.

[Yeah! (≧ω≦)/]