Starving Xilin! Don't Tear Down the School!

"?"

Bai Xuan frowned at the man's sudden appearance.

He had only just accepted the deal.

Did he have to get to work already?

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

In a low voice, she said, "Mr. Slime Mask, I'm counting on you~"

"..."

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

Spade Four... He should be stronger than the Three of Spades, right?

"Oh? An unexpected bonus?"

Spade Four broke into a vicious grin when he saw Bai Xuan.

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

"Your bounty's up to thirty chips now. I won't let you get away!"

Chips? A bounty?

A thought flashed through Bai Xuan's mind.

Did the Evil Organization really operate on a bounty system?

And what were thirty chips worth?

He needed to learn more about this organization.

As he thought, the Venom Scorpion slowly extended from his back, ready to fight.

"Still want to struggle?"

Spade Four sneered. All six hands clenched into fists, and his muscles tightened until they seemed as hard as steel!

"Die!"

Before the words had left his mouth, he launched himself at Bai Xuan like a cannonball.

Bai Xuan stood motionless, his expression calm as the attack bore down on him.

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

Xilin appeared out of thin air, Lightless Sword in hand. A cold flash severed two of Spade Four's arms!

"Aaah!"

His scream shattered the silence on the top floor of the school building.

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

How did she have a spatial Superpower too?

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

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

But he soon grinned again. "Female Knight! There's a bounty on you too!"

As he spoke, flesh churned at the stumps of his arms. Both limbs regrew in the blink of an eye!

"You're all my prey! I'll catch every one of you and collect the bounties!"

With a roar, he charged again!

He had barely taken a step when a red streak slammed down onto his back.

Bang!

A string of deafening crashes followed as Spade Four was smashed from the top floor all the way to the ground floor!

Oh no!

Bai Xuan's brows drew together.

Little Marie had wrecked the school!

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

Bai Xuan froze for a second.

Looks like we're getting tomorrow off.

"Let's go down."

With that, he and Xilin leaped down.

"Human! I took care of him!"

Marée Alaira ran up to Bai Xuan, beaming.

"You did great!"

Bai Xuan praised her with a smile. As for the damage to the school... who cared?

Then he turned his gaze 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 even heal himself.

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

Still, he was probably within the D-Rank range.

And his healing clearly had a limit. This time, he was recovering much more slowly than before.

"Feel like talking?"

Bai Xuan asked, "About your Evil Organization."

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

Spade Four sneered. "We'll... meet again!"

Before he could say another word, fiery cracks split across the surface of his body!

"Look out!"

Xilin flashed in front of the others. At the same moment, her cloak woven from the Flame of Justice rose like a shield to protect them all.

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

Fortunately, Xilin's protection kept everyone unharmed.

"So that wasn't his real body?"

When the flames died down, Bai Xuan looked at where Spade Four had been. Only a pile of charred remains was left.

"It was a spade puppet."

Su Yue walked into the classroom and explained, "He's the Evil Organization member who's been targeting me. I still hope you'll protect me, Mr. Slime Mask."

"Mm."

Bai Xuan nodded calmly, though his thoughts were elsewhere.

The mission notice had said two Evil Organization members had arrived in Ninghang City.

So far, only Spade Four had appeared. The other one was still out there...

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 puffed out her chest and accepted her mission with confidence.

Before long, she left the school with Su Yue in a Maybach.

Bai Xuan took Xilin home.

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

The little one was stronger than Xilin. If they faced two Evil Organization members, she was better equipped to keep Su Yue safe.

And Marée Alaira was absolutely loyal, entirely unaffected by Psychic Esper Abilities.

Once home, Bai Xuan checked Bai Yu's room. It was completely quiet.

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

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.

Bai Xuan sat on the edge of the bed and activated Legendary Perspective.

Marée Alaira had already returned to Lakeside Villa with Su Yue. Nothing had gone wrong on the way.

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

That was only natural. To Marée, Su Yue was like an ant trying to strike up a conversation.

Pay attention to her?

Not likely.

Bai Xuan then turned his attention to the World Book.

Upgrading the Mission Map required completing ten E-Rank missions. That was one reason he had not taken a D-Rank mission right away.

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

But E-Rank incidents were far rarer than F-Rank Anomalous Calamities, occurring at perhaps a tenth of the rate. Anomalous Calamities of D-Rank or higher were rarer still, with only a few dozen happening worldwide.

As for C-Rank and above, those were on another level entirely. They could plunge an entire city into panic.

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

"?"

Bai Xuan looked up. Xilin was soaking wet, crystal-clear droplets still clinging to her fair skin. He froze.

Come on, Xilin!

Are you really that hungry?

You haven't even dried yourself off!