Starving Xilin! Don't Tear Down the School!

"?"

Bai Xuan frowned at the man's sudden appearance.

He had only just accepted the deal.

Was it already time to get to work?

The moment the man appeared, Su Yue hurried behind Bai Xuan

and whispered, "I'm counting on you, Mr. Slime Mask~"

"..."

Bai Xuan narrowed his eyes at the six-armed man.

Spade Four... He was probably stronger than Three of Spades, right?

"Oh? An unexpected bonus?"

Spade Four sneered when he saw Bai Xuan.

"Kid, you've interfered with our organization's operations again and again. You've angered the higher-ups."

"The bounty on your head is up to thirty chips now. I won't let you escape!"

Chips? A bounty?

A thought flashed through Bai Xuan's mind.

Did this Evil Organization operate on a bounty system?

And how much were thirty chips worth?

He needed to learn more about the organization.

As he thought, his Venom Scorpion kagune slowly extended from his back, ready for battle.

"Still trying to fight back?"

Spade Four gave a cold laugh. All six fists clenched, and the muscles across his body tightened until they were hard as steel.

"Die!"

Before the word had faded, he launched himself at Bai Xuan like a cannonball.

Bai Xuan stood still, his expression calm in the face of the attack.

Just as Spade Four was about to reach him, a teleportation spell flared to life in front of Bai Xuan!

Xilin appeared out of thin air, Lightless Sword in hand. Her blade flashed and severed two of Spade Four's arms!

"Aah!"

The scream shattered the silence on the top floor of the teaching building.

Spade Four staggered back several steps and stared at Xilin in disbelief.

How could she possess a spatial superpower too?

Within his organization, it was one of the highest-level abilities!

Every time they tore open space, they had to pay one chip!

But he soon bared his teeth in a grin. "Female Knight! You're a bounty target too!"

Flesh churned at the stumps of Spade Four's arms, and both limbs regenerated in the blink of an eye!

"You're all my prey! I'll collect the bounty for every last one of you!"

With a roar, he charged again!

But he had barely taken a step when a streak of red light fell from above and slammed into his back.

Boom!

Several thunderous crashes followed as Spade Four was smashed from the roof all the way down to the ground floor!

"Oh no!"

Bai Xuan's brows drew together.

Little Marie had torn up the school!

He hurriedly looked down. Marée Alaira kicked Spade Four across the room, sending him into a wall like a rotten watermelon with a dull thud.

Bai Xuan froze for a second.

Looks like school's out tomorrow.

"Let's go down."

With that, he and Xilin leaped down.

"Human! I took care of him!"

Marée Alaira ran over to Bai Xuan, calling out with a smile.

"Well done!"

Bai Xuan smiled and praised her. As for the damage to the school... who cared?

Then he turned his attention to Spade Four, who lay on the ground.

Spade Four was still alive. His body was as tough as the giant earth lizard from an earlier mission, and he could heal himself on top of that.

Even after Marée Alaira tore off all six of his arms, he could regenerate them in a short time. His combat strength was formidable.

Still, he was probably within the bounds of D-Rank.

And his healing clearly had a limit—his arms were regenerating much more slowly than they had the first time.

"Care to talk?"

Bai Xuan looked at him. "About your Evil Organization."

"You really think you've beaten me? What a joke!"

Spade Four sneered. "We... will meet again!"

Before he finished speaking, fiery cracks split open across his body!

"Danger!"

Xilin flashed in front of them. At the same instant, her cape woven from the Flame of Justice billowed out like a shield, sheltering everyone behind it.

The next second, Spade Four's body exploded, sending scorching flames skyward!

Thanks to Xilin's protection, no one was hurt.

"That wasn't his real body?"

As the flames died down, Bai Xuan looked where Spade Four had been. Only charred remains were left.

"It was a Spade Puppet."

Su Yue entered the classroom and explained to Bai Xuan, "He's the Evil Organization member who's been targeting me. I hope you'll keep protecting me, Mr. Slime Mask."

"Mm."

Bai Xuan nodded, his thoughts elsewhere.

The mission prompt had said that two members of the Evil Organization had arrived in Ninghang City.

Only Spade Four had appeared so far. The other had yet to show himself...

Bai Xuan turned to Su Yue. "Is anyone else at your home?"

"Just a butler and a few maids," Su Yue said. "But don't worry. They can all be trusted."

After a moment's thought, Bai Xuan rubbed Marée Alaira's head and said to Su Yue, "I'll have this little one stay by your side for now. But you can't tell anyone who she is."

"Really?" Su Yue smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Slime Mask~"

"Huh? Human! Are we going to be apart?"

Marée Alaira looked at Bai Xuan, reluctant to leave him.

Bai Xuan reassured her. "Little Marie, this is a very important mission. You're the only one who can do it. Understand?"

"And it's only temporary."

"I understand! Leave it to me, Human!"

Marée Alaira immediately puffed out her chest and accepted the mission with confidence.

Not long afterward, she left the school with Su Yue in the Maybach.

Bai Xuan took Xilin home.

He had thought carefully about assigning Marée Alaira to protect Su Yue.

The little one was stronger than Xilin. If both Evil Organization members attacked, she stood a better chance of keeping Su Yue safe.

Besides, Marée Alaira was absolutely loyal and completely unaffected by Psychic Esper Abilities.

Once home, Bai Xuan glanced into Bai Yu's room. It was quiet, without a sound from within.

He turned to Xilin. "Go take a bath first, Xilin."

The Spade Puppet's explosion had splattered her with black tar. She needed to wash it off.

"Mm."

Xilin nodded and went into the bathroom.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Bai Xuan activated Legendary Perspective.

Marée Alaira had already arrived at Lakeside Villa with Su Yue. Nothing unexpected had happened along the way.

Su Yue had kept trying to talk to Marée Alaira throughout the trip, but she never got a response.

That was only natural. In Marée Alaira's eyes, Su Yue was like an ant trying to talk to her.

Answer her?

Not likely.

Bai Xuan then turned his attention to the World Book.

Upgrading the Mission Map required him to complete ten E-grade missions. That was one reason he hadn't taken a D-Rank mission right away.

He still needed two more E-grade missions to upgrade the map.

But E-grade incidents were far rarer than F-grade Anomalous Calamities, occurring perhaps a tenth as often. Anomalous Calamities above D-Rank were rarer still, with only a few dozen happening across the world right now.

Anything above C-Rank was on another level entirely—enough to plunge a whole city into panic.

While Bai Xuan was focused on the World Book, Xilin quietly emerged from the bathroom and approached him. "Master... what we agreed on earlier..."

"?"

Bai Xuan looked up and froze. Xilin was still dripping wet, clear droplets clinging to her pale skin.

Wait, Xilin!

Are you really that hungry?

You haven't even dried yourself off!