Fifty thousand Points for a rare ability that could be used for a lifetime. It was worth it!
Su Wan waved her hand, signaling Lei Lie and the others to leave. Once the warehouse door closed, she gave the command to the system.
“Begin extraction.”
【Command confirmed. Extracting ability: Shadow-Hide (Fragmented Version). Points consumed: 50,000. Current Points balance: ...】
【The extraction process requires the host to establish a mental link with the Aberrant; the system will provide full assistance. Estimated time: 30 minutes. Please ensure you are within the Absolute Safety Zone.】
There was still an hour left before her return to Blue Star. Half an hour for extraction and half an hour for follow-up arrangements—that was plenty of time.
Su Wan sat in a chair beside the cage and closed her eyes.
A strange sensation spread from the system interface, like an invisible thread connecting to her forehead, penetrating the alloy cage, and probing into the Shadow-Stalker Beast’s mind.
The beast seemed to sense something, twitching slightly in its unconscious state and letting out a low whimper.
In the depths of Su Wan’s consciousness, blurry images began to surface...
These were the Shadow-Stalker Beast’s instinctual memories: fragments of how it moved through shadows, blended into its environment, and silently approached its prey.
Those images flooded into her perception like flowing water, parsed, refined, and compressed by the system until they finally condensed into a shimmering, deep-purple point of light.
【Extraction progress: 17%... 34%... 52%...】
Thirty minutes later—
Su Wan snapped her eyes open. A faint light flashed deep within her pupils before returning to normal.
A deep-purple “Ability Seed” now hovered at the edge of her mental power core.
【Extraction complete! Congratulations to the host for obtaining the ability: Shadow-Hide (Fragmented Version).】
【Ability Description: Enables dual optical and aura concealment in shadows or low-light environments, making it difficult for conventional perception to detect movement.】
【When actively triggered, grants complete invisibility for 3 seconds (consumes mental power, 10-second cooldown).】
【Note: This ability can be used normally on Blue Star, but take care to avoid prolonged exposure in areas with dense surveillance to prevent unwanted attention.】
Su Wan stood up, her mind stirring slightly. Her body suddenly became transparent, like a phantom blending into the air!
Three seconds later, her figure solidified again. She looked down at her hands, a satisfied smile playing on her lips.
While this ability could only serve as a brief ambush or escape tactic in combat, it was practically a god-tier skill for everyday infiltration, tracking, or evasion.
Especially on Blue Star—a world without Ability Users or supernatural powers—this ability was enough to make her invincible against any danger.
She looked at the unconscious Shadow-Stalker Beast in the cage. She noticed its aura was weaker than before, but its vital signs remained stable.
It had lost its core ability, but as a Level 3 Aberrant, it was still worth a fortune.
...
In the third-floor Meeting Room, Liu Sen, Lei Lie, and the scarred-face man’s group were summoned before Su Wan.
The scarred-face man and his group were still pale, their eyes filled with awe as they looked at her.
Su Wan looked at Liu Sen and got straight to the point. “I need you to do something for me.”
Liu Sen replied hastily, “Please speak, my lady! I will do whatever is within my power!”
Su Wan watched him, her gaze sweeping over the others before she said slowly, “I want you to take them and transport this Shadow-Stalker Beast back to the Inner City. Hand it over to the Deep Blue Research Institute.”
Liu Sen was stunned. The scarred-face man and his group were equally shocked.
“My lady, this...” Liu Sen swallowed hard. “This is your prey. It’s worth three million Star Coins...”
“I know,” Su Wan said flatly. “But I don’t need those three million.”
“What I need is for you to return to Panshi City openly under the pretext of ‘bringing the Shadow-Stalker Beast to justice.’”
Her gaze swept across them, her voice carrying an unquestionable authority. “Liu Sen, the City Defense squad you led was wiped out. If you go back empty-handed, your superiors will be the first to make you pay.”
“But if you return with the Shadow-Stalker Beast, it will be a major achievement—enough to make up for your failures. You can say the squad sacrificed themselves during the hunt, and you, along with the surviving members of ‘Night Owl,’ finally succeeded in capturing the target.”
Liu Sen’s eyes gradually lit up.
“As for you—” Su Wan looked at the scarred-face man’s group, finally resting her gaze on Lei Lie. “From now on, Lei Lie is the captain of the Night Owl mercenary team.”
“Huh?” The scarred-face man was completely taken aback. Su Wan looked at him and asked softly, “Do you have an objection?”
“No, no, no! No objection at all! Master Lei is powerful; him becoming captain is what everyone wants!” the scarred-face man said without hesitation.
Ignoring him, Su Wan continued, “As members of ‘Night Owl,’ you’ll not only be cleared of any charges but also receive a share of the bounty. Three million Star Coins from the Deep Blue Research Institute is enough for you to live comfortably in the city.”
The scarred-face man and his group exchanged glances, a hint of irrepressible joy flashing in their eyes. Three million Star Coins! Even split among a few people, it was a massive fortune!
“However—” Su Wan’s tone shifted, her voice suddenly turning cold. “From now on, you will stay in Panshi City as my informants.”
She spoke each word deliberately. “I want to know everything you can find out about the Inner City. I want to know what the Deep Blue Research Institute is researching, the movements of the City Defense Force... You will be my eyes and ears.”
The joy on the scarred-face man’s face froze. The expressions of the others became complicated.
Stay in Panshi City? Enjoy the money? And then... act as an informant for this harbinger of death?
They began to scheme. Once back in the city, the sky was high and the emperor was far away—how could this Landlord possibly control them?
With a huge bounty in hand, they could flee far away. Could she even catch them? What if they told the top administrators of the Inner City about the Terminal Station and this woman’s existence...?
A secret calculation flashed in the scarred-face man’s eyes.
However, the moment that thought arose—
“Scarface.”
Su Wan’s voice thundered in his ears!
The scarred-face man shuddered and snapped his head up, meeting Su Wan’s cold, deep eyes.
“Are you thinking that once you’re back in the city, the sky is high and the emperor is far away, so I can’t reach you?” Su Wan’s tone was flat, but it carried a bone-chilling coldness. “Are you planning to take the money and run, thinking I can’t catch you?”
“Perhaps you’re even thinking of telling the top administrators of the Inner City about the Terminal Station and my existence...”
The scarred-face man’s face instantly turned ashen! The other three also widened their eyes in terror—had their thoughts been seen through as well?!
Rate on N.U.
