After an utterly ordinary twenty-fifth birthday, Xu Shi threw himself into work full of energy early the next morning.
Su Lin was rather surprised... Had the young master completely changed his ways?
However, Xu Shi's next request surprised her even more. "Th-then, are you sure you want it now? Right here?"
"This sort of thing can be done anytime. You don't need to be in such a rush..."
It was obvious that she strongly disapproved of Xu Shi's sudden request to awaken an ability.
Ascendants fell into two categories.
Some people were born with abilities, while others needed a little help.
By now, the technology for artificially awakening abilities had become quite mature. Serpent Coil was even the leader in this field; even the Inspection Bureau needed their support.
So that was not what Su Lin was worried about.
What concerned her were the complications caused by awakening an ability.
Abilities were not a gift for everyone—the Re-Ascension brought about by the moderately corrosive Rust Fog was far from flawless.
Physical illnesses, mental devastation... The complications varied from person to person, but there had never been an exception.
In her eyes, it would be better if Xu Shi failed to awaken an ability at all.
The worst-case scenario was awakening some useless trash ability, only to be tortured until he wished he were dead.
If that really happened, what would they do?
Besides, she had not even handled Gu Yi's matter yet... Wasn't it a little too hasty for him to suddenly bring this up?
"Quit rambling."
Xu Shi cut her off. "Just do what I told you."
This was not some whim of his. It was because the matter with Spark had yet to be resolved.
The hacker intrusion was only the opening act. That alone would not be enough to secure a decisive victory.
More importantly, there was a mole within Serpent Coil.
Xia Wuyou, the youngest action team leader in Serpent Coil's Field Operations Department, was also the person in charge of this escort operation.
And she had an even more damnable identity—she was the protagonist Shen He's childhood sweetheart.
Leveraging that relationship, Shen He had contacted her on the eve of the operation and successfully persuaded her to leave a back door open for his plan.
It could be said that without Xia Wuyou turning a blind eye, Spark's operation to snatch food from a tiger's jaws would have had less than a ten percent chance of success when they were already at a disadvantage in both manpower and equipment.
And after that, there was even less need to mention it... Old friends rekindled their feelings, and the traitor finally made up her mind to defect, becoming Spark's sharpest blade.
Just thinking about it made Xu Shi's blood pressure spike.
And now that the plot had changed, who could guarantee that the protagonist would not be more cautious and have Xia Wuyou verify the authenticity of the roster again?
In short, such an unstable factor had to be dealt with ruthlessly!
Awakening his ability ahead of time was also part of that consideration.
Xu Shi knew very well that compared to Gu Yi, Xia Wuyou was more single-minded and mentally stronger... Methods like strapping a bomb to her would probably have little effect. Worse, they might backfire and push her into the protagonist's arms ahead of schedule.
He still needed the safeguard of an ability... Even if it came to nothing, every protagonist had an ability. How could he, the villain, be absent?
"...I understand."
Seeing how resolute Xu Shi was, Su Lin could only helplessly retrieve a compact device.
Sundial, a device developed by Serpent Coil to assist with awakening abilities.
"You may feel some discomfort shortly. Please try not to be nervous."
"Mm. Begin."
Although he had prepared himself mentally, the suffocating sensation the instant the machine activated still exceeded Xu Shi's imagination.
It was like suddenly falling into the Deep Sea, with boundless darkness crushing his chest. All he could feel was despair.
But after a brief moment of panic, Xu Shi quickly calmed down.
It was merely a normal reaction to awakening an ability... Find that anchor point, and everything would be settled.
The process was not drawn out. Before long, he saw the rope dangling down.
That was it!
He reached out with all his strength and grabbed it, and the darkness around him instantly shattered.
"Hah!"
The next second, Xu Shi woke up gasping for air.
"Young Master, are you all right?"
Su Lin promptly handed him a glass of water and asked with concern.
"I'm fine. That was pretty thrilling."
Xu Shi took the glass and drained it in one gulp, then caught his breath. "Did it work?"
"Yes."
Su Lin picked up the analysis data printed by Sundial in real time. "The results show that the ability you awakened is..."
Malice Entropy.
Xu Shi already had a name in mind.
Or, put another way, Negative Emotion Amplification.
No one was perfect. Under different circumstances, people would always develop different negative emotions.
Greed, jealousy, sadism, lust...
Malice Entropy was the catalyst that made the seeds of malice bloom and bear fruit, forcing others to gradually fall into his rhythm.
According to the original novel's setting, if someone remained under the influence of Malice Entropy for too long, their mentality would undergo irreversible changes, until they ultimately submitted completely at his feet.
(??ω??) Put simply, it was the evil kind of corrup...
Why was even his ability so villainous...? Although he had known it would be this, Xu Shi could not help laughing at himself.
There was no washing this clean now (doge).
Fortunately, he had no such intention. If he was going to be a villain, he might as well do it properly. What was the point of all that flashy nonsense?
Su Lin did not know what Xu Shi was thinking, but she was quite relieved.
Sundial had rated it B, so there was absolutely nothing to worry about now... Not to mention that the young master had awakened a psychic ability, the type with the greatest potential.
Every Re-Ascension brought a qualitative leap.
"Congratulations, Young Master. But please do not get carried away."
Still, she did not show it. She merely stated calmly, "I will also do my utmost to help you further develop your ability."
"Sure."
Xu Shi ignored her jab. He really did need to learn from Su Lin in this regard.
"For now, accompany me to lunch."
How had an entire morning passed...? It had only felt like a little while during the awakening.
Still, judging by the time, it was about time to meet that Miss Xia.
Eaton Tea Restaurant.
Serpent Coil's lunch break was only half an hour.
Because time was so tight, this nearby restaurant, with fast service and cheap prices, had become a favorite among employees who had not yet modified their stomachs mechanically.
Xia Wuyou was one of them. At that moment, she was seated in a corner of the restaurant, enjoying her lunch at an unhurried pace.
She was truly beautiful. Her slender, well-proportioned figure, fair skin, neatly tied high ponytail, and perfectly unwrinkled uniform... The elegant air in every movement she made was a pleasure to behold.
But the person seated across from her looked somewhat slovenly, wearing an oversized athletic hoodie and deliberately keeping the brim of his cap low.
It was obvious that the other people in the restaurant did not think much of this unkempt customer.
Xia Wuyou, however, did not care. As she ate, she quietly asked, "Is this Leader Shen's intention as well?"
"Yes. Leader Shen said that he hoped Miss Xia would cooperate with us as much as possible during the operation the day after tomorrow."
The man in the hoodie nodded. "Also, we ran into a small problem earlier, so we will need to trouble Miss Xia to confirm the exact personnel arrangement for the escort operation once more."
As he spoke, he slid a note and a key across from beneath the table. "The note has the contact information, along with the key to locker 404 at Metro Station C... The item we promised Miss Xia earlier is waiting there."
"You're giving me the payment first?"
Xia Wuyou silently accepted the items, though there was a barely noticeable trace of excitement in her voice.
"Yes. Leader Shen said that you have been friends for many years, so there is still this much trust between you... He also asked me to pass along a message: he hopes your aunt recovers soon."
"Very well. Please thank him for me." Xia Wuyou nodded.
"You could thank him in person, you know."
The man in the hoodie rose with a joking smile. "Then I'll be going. I can't stay here long... Enjoy your meal, Miss Xia."
Within ten seconds, he had vanished from sight.
Xia Wuyou remained seated, but her breathing unconsciously became a little heavier.
That was an SS-class inhibitor, an outrageously expensive medicine that would be enough to keep her aunt going for another half year.
If not for that, she would never have taken such a risk and made this deal with Spark.
She would pick it up after work, then head to the hospital... As she thought this, a smile gradually appeared on the young woman's face.
But the next second, that joy vanished completely.
A man wearing gold-rimmed glasses entered the restaurant, passed through the crowd, and finally stopped at her table.
"There are quite a few people here... Mind if I share your table, Team Leader Xia?"
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