Star-Love Demon Eye

"A deal?"

Bai Xuan was surprised by Su Yue's words, but what concerned him more was how she had managed to speak to him mind to mind.

After a moment's thought, he asked, "Is this your power?"

"More or less."

As she spoke, Su Yue sprawled across the pink leather sofa. She slipped off her round-toed shoes, revealing feet wrapped in white stockings, and curled them gently against the edge of the sofa.

"But don't worry," she continued. "I can only communicate with you like this for a short time. I can't discover your identity."

Bai Xuan narrowed his eyes. Did that mean Su Yue's superpower could do more than one thing?

After thinking it over, he asked, "Why do you want to make a deal?"

"Because we both need each other's help," Su Yue replied with a smile. "I can sense that you have plenty on your mind. And you only appeared in Ninghang City recently... Your organization must be fairly new, right? I can provide funding, personnel, or whatever other support you need. What do you think?"

"..."

Bai Xuan was silent for a moment before asking, "What are the terms?"

"Could we... talk in person?"

"Our time to communicate like this is too short," Su Yue said softly. "I can't explain it all."

"When and where?"

"Let me think." Su Yue tapped the Collar around her neck. After a moment, she smiled and said, "In an hour, on the roof of the Ninghang Academy teaching building. How does that sound?"

"Fine."

"See you soon, then."

As soon as she said that, Su Yue switched off the Collar.

She bit her lower lip, a trace of pain crossing her face.

But after taking a deep breath, she smiled faintly and murmured, "I hope we can be friends this time, mysterious Mr. Slime Mask."

Meanwhile, Bai Xuan had returned home.

The first thing he did was turn in the quest he had just completed:

[World Quest: Skeleton Plague (Complete)]

[Quest Reward: Character Setting—Skeleton (Green)]

[Skeleton (Green): Lose your flesh and become a skeleton.]

"?"

Bai Xuan froze when he saw the new Character Setting.

This thing... seemed pretty useless.

"Never mind. Maybe it'll come in handy someday."

He muttered to himself, then got ready to head to the academy.

He had no idea what Su Yue wanted, but he was deeply interested in her superpower. Since she had invited him, he had no reason not to go.

Before leaving, though, Bai Xuan took out the gift Su Yue had given him earlier—the little box that looked like a wedding ring box.

He opened it. A blue gemstone lay quietly inside.

Unlike an ordinary gemstone, this sapphire had a faint current of magic flowing within it.

"What's this?"

Puzzled, Bai Xuan took out the gem and examined it closely.

"Master, that's a Magic Stone," Xilin explained from beside him.

"A Magic Stone?"

Bai Xuan raised an eyebrow. He had heard of them before.

Injecting even a wisp of magic into one could draw out the magical energy stored inside and cast various spells.

But it was useless to anyone without magic, and superpowers weren't magic.

Magic Stones were also extremely expensive. Even a low-grade one cost tens of thousands.

And the one Su Yue had given him... was probably high-grade, worth hundreds of thousands at least.

"She really is rich..."

Bai Xuan couldn't help murmuring in amazement. Then he stood to leave.

He turned to Xilin and Marée Alaira. "I'm going out. Be good and wait for me at home."

"Okay, human!"

Bai Xuan headed straight for the academy.

The campus was silent in the dead of night, with only moonlight spilling across the grounds.

The moment he entered through the gate, he instinctively looked up at the roof of the teaching building to the east. A figure stood at its edge, watching him quietly.

"She's early..."

Bai Xuan muttered, then hurried up to the roof.

Su Yue, standing there, smiled faintly the moment he appeared.

Before long, the rooftop door swung open. Bai Xuan stepped out of the darkness and into the moonlight before her.

At the sight of him, Su Yue greeted him with a bright smile.

"Mr. Slime Mask, you seem to know this academy inside out. You came straight to me without a moment's hesitation."

Bai Xuan merely asked, "What deal do you want to make?"

"Oh, what a headache." Su Yue sighed before explaining, "The Evil Organization is after me. The Three of Spades you dealt with before was one of them. This time, they've sent members with a higher rank, so... I need your help."

"Once it's done, I'll grant you one request. Money, treasures—name it."

Bai Xuan didn't answer immediately. "You'd be better off going straight to the Investigation Bureau. They'd protect you."

"The Investigation Bureau?"

The moment Su Yue heard those words, her expression darkened.

She folded her arms, her round-toed shoe tapping impatiently against the ground again. "I'll never ask the Investigation Bureau for help! Some of them are even more deranged than the Evil Organization. They abandoned their humanity long ago in pursuit of power!"

"..."

Bai Xuan immediately realized something must have happened to Su Yue.

After a brief silence, he pointed to the Collar around her neck. "What's that?"

"This?" Su Yue tapped the Collar and smiled. "Technology from Ideal City. It's that woman's creation. It helps me control my power and reduces the mental strain of using my superpower."

"She calls it the 'Star-Love Demon Eye Suppression Device.'"

"Star-Love Demon Eye... Suppression Device?"

Bai Xuan paused at the name.

Shouldn't it be called an assistance device?

Why a suppression device?

And Su Yue's superpower was called Star-Love Demon Eye?

What a strange name...

"What's this?" Su Yue stepped closer with a smile. She bent down and tilted her face up toward him. "Curious about my Collar? Is it because it looks a little... like a kink collar?"

"?"

Bai Xuan blinked. But on closer inspection, it really did!

It was just more refined and high-tech.

Ahem!

He cleared his throat and said firmly, "All right. I accept the deal."

The instant Bai Xuan said it, several notifications appeared before his eyes:

[Quest Acquired—Mind Guardian]

[Quest Difficulty: D]

[Quest Location: Lakeside Villa, Ninghang City]

[Quest Description: The Evil Organization covets Su Yue's superpower. Help her escape its threat.]

[Quest Hint: Two members of the Evil Organization have arrived in Ninghang City.]

[Quest Reward: Character Setting—Mental Immunity (Purple)]

Huh?

Bai Xuan stared at the notifications, surprise flashing through his eyes.

So direct contact with someone involved could trigger a quest too.

Even more surprising, the quest reward was displayed outright!

Not bad.

"Then—"

Su Yue's eyes curved into crescents as she smiled and asked, "What do you want, mysterious Mr. Slime Mask? If I have it, it's yours."

"I..."

Bai Xuan started to speak, then stopped. Just a few meters away, a Spatial Rift had silently torn open!

A burly man with six arms stepped out of the rift, wearing a Four of Spades mask.

His voice was hoarse as he said:

"Miss Su! You won't get away this time!"