Peacock Spider

"No, it's not what you think!"

Seeing Jiang Qian force his way inside, the girl covered her body and retreated again and again, backing all the way into her bedroom.

"Then what is it? Weren't you crying and begging me to save you? Why are you afraid of me?"

Jiang Qian strode in after her as if he were at home, without the slightest regard for the fact that she was a young girl in the bloom of youth.

"You dragged me into that creepy place and called it an 'invitation.' Do you really think I'd thank you?"

"Brother Jiang, don't..."

With nowhere left to hide, the girl kicked off her slippers and curled up nimbly in the corner of the bed. She covered her long, pale legs with her nightgown and gazed at Jiang Qian pitifully, her eyes seeming to brim with tears.

"Please, don't bully me..."

Jiang Qian expressionlessly licked the corner of his mouth.

He reached out and closed the door. "You shouldn't have said that. Now I want to bully you even more."

As he spoke, he walked over, clamped a hand around her slender wrist, pulled her straight, and pinned her onto the bed. Well, Jiang Qian couldn't say why he'd chosen that particular position, either.

"Ah!"

The girl cried out in alarm, her chest heaving as her cheeks flushed pink.

Her voice took on a hint of tears. "Y-you... What are you going to do?"

Jiang Qian's lips curled. "Anything you can imagine."

The girl jumped in fright!

She twisted her body, bit her lip, and unconsciously squeezed her legs together...

So that's what you're after... Jiang Qian watched the "struggling" girl beneath him with cold eyes, his tone turning slightly ominous. "Of course, if you cooperate, I'll consider being less rough with you."

"Mm... Whatever you want to know, I'll tell you the truth!"

The girl caved after barely half a round.

Her eyes grew unfocused, and she trembled.

"You scared me. Don't be like this..." Before she'd finished speaking, the grip around her wrist suddenly loosened.

She felt the figure looming over her move away...

Just as she tried to open her eyes, a jacket was thrown over her head!

It was a women's knitted cardigan—her own, which had been hanging on a coat rack beside the wardrobe.

The girl hurriedly tugged at the cardigan blocking her vision, hastily held it against her chest, and looked at the intruder in surprise and wariness.

By then, Jiang Qian had taken a seat at the desk two meters away.

He got straight to the point. "Let's talk about the Super-Species World, License Holders, and why you dragged me into this."

Jinping Public Security Department.

Special Affairs Center—Operations Department.

More than a dozen people had gathered in a solemn conference room around a long table. The man at the head looked like a businessman, with a blue pinstripe suit, gold-rimmed glasses, and a neatly trimmed beard that lent him an air of refinement.

He was Lan Junxian, head of the East Sea Peacock Spider Task Force.

Everyone present was one of the twelve "elite operatives" seconded from the Jinping City Special Operations Center.

The group included both men and women. Aside from the small red epaulettes each wore, they had no uniform in common. Still, every one of them looked capable and self-assured.

"Xiao Jing, go ahead."

"Yes."

The English-style young woman in a beret deftly operated the projector.

A series of gruesome photographs appeared on the large screen behind Lan Junxian...

Brutal hunts, corpses left on display, and terror attacks staged almost like works of art...

The graphic images unsettled even the twelve elite operatives seated around the table!

Of course, it wasn't just the methods that chilled them. Every victim of these brutal attacks had been male, and several of the young men were promising candidates protected by the Ten Clans under official policy.

The victims came from the Wild Bee Tribe and the Ant Clan Alliance, as well as the powerful Predator Family—and even the Deep Sea Clan, to which Task Force leader Lan Junxian belonged.

This showed that the killer was not only ruthless but also incredibly arrogant.

Lan Junxian gave a light cough, his mild expression gradually sharpening. "Sadly, all the atrocities you've just seen were committed by a Noble Card holder who calls herself the Saintess of the Sacred Mountain. Her Identity Card and codename are: Peacock Spider!"

Noble Card was the name given to the Identity Card of a Super-species Player at the "middle stage" of the Seven-State Evolution Ladder.

Among the ranks of Super-species evolution, the status, upper limits of power, and rarity of a Noble Card were beyond the imagination of ordinary Identity Card holders.

Of course, above Noble Cards were Divine Cards. The power of the divine was nearly godlike, already beyond the affairs of humankind.

Lan Junxian slowly surveyed the long table. He saw no obvious signs of fear among these elite License Holders from the north.

He'd often heard that northern License Holders were valiant fighters who spoke little and hit hard. Their people might be a bit tough, but they weren't afraid of powerful enemies and were first-rate at getting things done.

That reassured Lan Junxian somewhat, and he continued:

"Yes, the opponent you're about to face is a bloodthirsty and ruthless character. She's cunning, good at disguising herself, and obsessed with perfection. She rose to prominence along the eastern coast, but her crimes have spread across the country. Anyone would be justified in killing her."

"Fortunately, my informant has already tracked the target's movements. It's imperative that we close the net at once."

"This operation does not require us to take her alive. If necessary, kill her on sight! Here is the intelligence we've gathered so far."

The slide changed.

A giant image of a peacock spider appeared before the group.

As Lan Junxian began his "lecture," someone below muttered, "She's killed so many people, so how come there isn't even a sketch of her?"

"Probably because everyone who's seen her is dead," a colleague whispered from the next seat.

"Tch, they're only filling the north in on this dangerous figure now that the operation's about to start..." someone muttered.

"Hey, buddy, the danger is inside our territory right now. Keep it down."

Hearing the whispers below, Lan Junxian obligingly stopped speaking and swept his gaze over the elite operatives.

"Colleagues, feel free to speak your minds."

After all, he had no direct authority over these seconded colleagues. They'd need to find common ground in their thinking and working styles.

It was better to air disagreements before the operation and resolve them rationally than to let everyone insist on their own way and undermine one another during it.

Besides, he understood the reasons behind these "disagreements."

The East Sea Branch oversaw the eastern coastal region and eastern waters, while its information sharing with the Jinping Branch, which belonged to the northern region, was quite limited.

This situation was not up to any individual. It was the result of the official system for managing "special security" matters.

Under the overall coordination of the capital, the four branches each managed "special security" matters in their respective jurisdictions:

The Jinping Branch, centered in Jinping City, primarily coordinated and oversaw the northern region. Its epaulettes were sunrise red.

The East Sea Branch, centered in East Sea City, coordinated and oversaw the inland cities, coastal cities, and waters of the eastern region. Its epaulettes were deep-sea blue.

The Shen-Guang Branch, centered in Shen and Guang, coordinated and oversaw the inland cities, coastal cities, and waters of the southern region. Its epaulettes were a vibrant green.

The Chuan-Zang Branch, centered in Chuan-Yu City, coordinated and oversaw the vast plains and mountain regions of the west. Its epaulettes were the gold of the evening glow.

Above the four branches was the Special Affairs Center headquarters, located in the capital.

The chain of authority ran from top to bottom: Beijing Headquarters—regional branches (Level Two)—city branches (Level Three).

Cases requiring cooperation between major regions—that is, between Level Two branches—generally needed to be coordinated and arranged by Beijing Headquarters, then handled systematically with the overall picture in mind.

That was the system.

However, everything had two sides. A system built around the greater good was harmonious and stable, but lacked flexibility.

For example, Lan Junxian's investigation into the Peacock Spider case in the inland region had to proceed under these conditions. He couldn't bring his own team here directly. He could only continue the investigation through a cooperative secondment, because this wasn't his jurisdiction.

The conference room fell silent.

No one was quite sure what kind of person this East Sea task force leader was, so they hesitated to respond.

It took one colleague raising a friendly hand to end the stifling silence.

"Go ahead."

Lan Junxian adjusted his glasses and gave a modest, amiable smile.

The questioner had already stood up. "I heard Peacock Spider has always been active along the coast. What made her head north into the inland region? The task force must have some idea, right?"

The man was tall and portly, with a prominent belly.

He belonged to Team Three of the Special Affairs Center's Operations Department and was its current captain.

Lan Junxian's expression showed rare approval, though he kept smiling. "Team Bear has hit the nail on the head! That's exactly what I was about to discuss. That's right, we do have some tentative theories about why the target has headed north this time..."

Experimental Middle School staff housing.

Inside the girl's bedroom.

Jiang Qian sat astride a desk chair beside the bed, his arms resting casually across its back as he studied the young girl kneeling on the bed.

"So you brought me into the Super-Species World to offset your 'debt' in the instance? You'll only be safe if I clear it?"

The girl clutched the knitted cardigan around herself and cautiously nodded. "Mm."

According to the girl, she'd failed her last instance, and the price was so steep that it put her life at risk. That was why she'd made a deal with the instance world, paying off her debt by sending out invitations...

According to her, this was a unique ability of her Identity Card. Other people couldn't use it and didn't know about it.

Jiang Qian wasn't convinced by her explanation.

Still, he thought it was valuable information: the unique properties of Identity Cards.

He wondered whether his ability to obtain a "dual card" was also based on some kind of special talent.

He needed to learn more—systematically and comprehensively—about Identity Cards and the Super-Species World.

Whatever the truth, the girl was a good source of information for now.

"Why did you choose me?"

Jiang Qian carefully steered the conversation forward.

At the same time, he considered this: if the girl could send invitations to "recruit" Super-species Players, could she also choose which trial instance they were matched with?

It was important to figure that out. He was curious whether being matched with Whispers of the Inner Demon had been the result of his own bad luck or something the girl had done on purpose.

But when the girl heard his question, she froze. Her gaze flickered for an instant.

Then, a ripple of emotion surfaced in her eyes.

She's about to put on a show... Jiang Qian didn't give her the chance. He continued, "What would happen to you if I failed to clear it?"

Jiang Qian watched the girl without giving anything away, catching every subtle reaction.

"Would you be buried with me, or would you pick another scapegoat?"

The girl's eyes brimmed with tears, her gaze revealing a tangle of inner conflict. She climbed down from the bed and knelt barefoot on the floor, looking up at Jiang Qian with a pale, nervous face. "I don't want to die..."

That was as good as an admission.

Jiang Qian's gaze remained cool. "I don't think I've ever had a grudge against you."

"No, it's not about a grudge!"

Tears fell one after another from the girl's eyes. She was clearly trying her hardest to hold them back, but she couldn't stop her wounded feelings and agitation from surging together. "I came to find you, Brother Jiang, because... you're the only one with this kind of ability!"

"?"

The girl's shoulders quivered. Her voice was soft, but her words were clear. "An invitation from the Super-Species World could be a disaster in anyone else's hands. Only someone who can master it can gain power from it and open up a new destiny!"

"Brother Jiang, you're quick-witted and intelligent, and you're good at math and logic. I believe that no matter how difficult a trial instance you're matched with, you'll be able to survive it and get an Identity Card! That's why I begged Mom to take me to your house to meet you..."

"You trust me so much that it makes me nervous." The corner of Jiang Qian's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.

"I mean it!"

The girl seized the chance to inch closer, placing her small hand on Jiang Qian's knee. "You're the smartest boy I've ever met, Brother Jiang! You have a better chance than most people I've met of touching divine grace. You were born to be a player!"

"Enough. Stop putting on a show." Jiang Qian glanced at the hand resting on his leg.

But the girl's restless little hand slid up his leg. Her eyes were dazed as she leaned forward and moved closer.

The open cardigan revealed a tantalizing glimpse of her body, the outline of her breasts faintly visible.

While Jiang Qian was distracted, her small hands had already climbed up his arm. "Brother Jiang, which instance were you matched with?"