Chapter 556: A Fury Unleashed

“Swish, swish, swish…”

This was the first time Lu Xin had been so furious—and the first time he had gotten physical.

Stride by stride, he pushed his way through the crowd, swinging his fists with all his might like any ordinary man.

Though his frame was slight and his strength seemingly limited,

the chaotic mental radiation surrounding him whipped up bizarre vortices. The stone floor was marked with deep gouges carved by his mental turbulence, yet not one of his powerful punches actually landed on anyone.

That face kept reappearing on different people, only to vanish when Lu Xin’s fist swung toward it.

Her voice, distorted through endless audio tapes and varied tones, rang out: “You’re really so weak…”

“Weren’t you supposed to be the most fearsome monster from the Orphanage?”

“…”

Laughing mockingly, she taunted, “Don’t you know?”

“Only by understanding more about Mental Alteration and acquiring deeper knowledge can we grow stronger.”

“After I died once, I cared about this more than you know. Do you have any idea how hard I’ve tried? How many experiments I endured just to see you again—and now, you turn out so useless…”

“It seems you haven’t improved at all these past few years…”

“…”

As she finished that sentence, her face appeared on the features of a middle-aged man as he sneered at Lu Xin.

“Don’t you know that the Ghost-type is naturally your nemesis?”

“…”

“Boom!”

As Lu Xin’s punch came in tandem, the man’s expression immediately turned confused.

Gritting his teeth, Lu Xin’s mental power surged like tidal waves, causing even the pebbles on the ground to tremble.

An overwhelming burst of mental strength erupted from him, as if he could achieve anything.

Yet, he couldn’t harm the Ghost-type.

Unless…

Before that thought could fully form, a mighty wave of mental power suddenly enveloped everyone nearby.

Everyone exposed on the plaza instantly felt their limbs constrict. Some, not yet fully awake, suddenly sensed a bone-chilling force, as if a blade was pressed against their necks.

“Clever, aren’t you…”

Number Seven’s voice rang out from about ten meters away, belonging to a lone individual: “That’s all you can do…”

“You never really stood a chance against me from the start…”

“Unless you slaughter every last one of them…”

“…”

The sound of Lu Xin’s teeth grating filled the air as he slowly turned, his jet-black eyes fixed on her.

The mental energy around him grew unnaturally intense.

In a low, cruel tone he murmured, “This is easy…”

Beside him, everyone affected by the mental power began to curl up slowly, some twitching subtly.

It truly was easy.

After all, he never cared much for the people of this city.

“Smack…”

Number Seven’s smile deepened even further. With a sudden snap of her fingers, a strange surge of mental power spread out, pulling back the curtains that had hidden so many ordinary people. Among them, bloodied bodies could be seen scattered across the ground. She laughed raucously, “All those people—you just killed them, didn’t you…”

“You never really saw them as human anyway, so why pretend to be kind now?”

“Clearly, you said you wouldn’t care…”

“So many have died because of you, and now it’s just a little more…”

“Just a little more. If you take the initiative to kill a few more, you could finally catch me…”

“Come on…”

“…”

“…”

Who was she exactly? And why would she do this?

At the same time, from the building next door, Han Bing trembled in terror, speaking in a quaver.

Next to him, Gecko stared intently at the man possessed by Number Seven, watching his lips as he repeated every word he said.

Spider-type abilities inherently allow for such subtle observation and mimicry…

Ever since Ye Xue first appeared, he had been straining to watch her and everyone who suddenly looked up to speak to Lu Xin, lip-reading every word. This enabled Han Bing to piece together the conversation below.

“If Mr. Lone Soldier truly loses his temper and starts killing…”

“Then… what would happen?”

“…”

She couldn’t understand that woman’s intentions, let alone foresee the consequences of letting things progress this way.

But there was nothing she could do.

……

……

“Swish!”

As the questioning words left that woman’s lips, Lu Xin’s dark pupils suddenly flickered with impurities.

His expression became monstrously vicious in an instant.

Killing this woman had always been simple enough.

Slaughtering everyone nearby would leave the Ghost-type utterly rootless. How simple it would be.

Especially when his fury had reached its peak.

Only one thought away—and he could do it.

Yet, for some reason, as that thought formed, another strange, feeble notion tugged at him, as delicate as a hair yet weighted like a counterbalance.

If you zoom into his inky eyes endlessly, you might spot faint traces of something else lurking in that dense darkness.

There, almost imperceptible, was a tiny figure—a little boy huddled in an empty room, clutching his legs, weeping softly in fear, yet utterly powerless.

On the entire plaza, everyone held their breath; the silence was so profound you could hear your own heartbeat.

The mental power hovered overhead, ever ready to pounce and kill everyone—including Number Seven.

Yet, despite its imminent threat, it never descended.

……

“Seems like you still can’t make up your mind…”

Number Seven fixed her gaze on Lu Xin, as if expecting something; but in the end, his hesitation disappointed her.

Her eyes turned cold and sharp: “Shall I help you out then?”

“…”

As soon as those words were spoken, the man possessed by her went instantly numb.

Meanwhile, Lu Xin suddenly thought of something. His heart tightened as he abruptly looked upward.

Around him were many people—those who had just been affected by Scarecrow’s ability and revealed under a protective veil—each one with a face that could have been hers. But now, no one showed her face.

This bizarre sight filled Lu Xin with astonishment and a dangerous premonition.

“Giggling… giggling…”

The woman’s laughter echoed down from the building, confirming Lu Xin’s growing dread.

Glancing upward, he saw Han Bing’s figure at the window.

Her face bore the expression of that woman, laughing uproariously as if something was hilariously absurd:

“You used to be capable of wiping out everyone at the Orphanage—now you can’t even muster the courage to fight me?”

“A monster pretending to be human for so long eventually starts believing he is one…”

“Is it because, after that incident, you began caring for someone?”

“…”

With a bright smile, she suddenly turned severe, looking down at Lu Xin with a haughty air: “But never forget…”

“Before me, you will never be able to protect anyone…”

“…”

Those words barely left her lips when she abruptly raised a delicate handgun.

It was Han Bing’s sidearm.

Even Han Bing knew that against a Special Pollution Cleanup incident, she might never need to use this gun.

Yet now, she raised it, aimed it at her temple, and firmly pulled the trigger.

“Swish!”

An indescribable tension instantly enveloped Lu Xin.

The distance wasn’t far, yet even for him it was far too little to stop what was coming.

Even those like Gecko by Han Bing’s side were caught off guard. Initially, they thought she had drawn her gun after spotting something in order to help Lu Xin, but in the blink of an eye, seeing her point the gun at her own temple, they were stricken with astonishment.

Before they could react—in less than a second—Han Bing, without hesitation, pulled the trigger at her temple.

Thud!

Lu Xin’s heart pounded violently, as if the entire world quaked.

In that moment, despair itself seemed to take hold…

“Clack, clack…”

Unexpectedly, after Han Bing pulled the trigger, no bullet was fired.

Her chamber appeared empty. Even as she repeatedly pulled the trigger without pause, only a monotonous clacking sound emanated.

“Huh?”

Even Han Bing’s own face registered surprise.

At the same time, from the spot on her neck where her long black hair hid it, a faint hissing sound emerged.

A barely visible blue electric arc surged out, making her body tremble, and then her face split into two distinct expressions—one full of perplexing chill and another of anxious determination.

One face held a puzzled, icy gaze, while the other was urgent and resolute.

“You think I don’t know I was trained as an Agent? I’d never give you the chance to control me in an instant!”

Han Bing’s original voice resounded quickly: “To prevent anyone from surreptitiously controlling me and endangering those around me, my sidearm has been specially modified. Without unlocking its secondary hidden safety, nobody can fire a bullet from it…”

“…”

As she spoke rapidly, she also fiddled with a concealed wire in her sleeve.

With a hiss, a visible blue electric arc suddenly enshrouded her.

“Mr. Lone Soldier, hurry…”

At that moment, her voice rose sharply, urgently calling out to Lu Xin below.

Seizing the opportunity, Lu Xin surged upward, his feet pounding against the wall and leaving craters as he raced straight to the seventh floor of the building—a phantom streak marked by lingering afterimages—and arrived before Han Bing in an instant.

The two stood nearly nose-to-nose, their gazes locked in Han Bing’s eyes.

“Whew…”

But just as Lu Xin reached her, Han Bing’s body suddenly collapsed.

The icy half of her expression vanished, signaling that the mental entity possessing her had dissipated.

Lu Xin quickly reached out and grasped Han Bing’s arm, feeling the tremor in her body.

……

……

“Was it really necessary to go this far?”

In a low voice, Lu Xin spoke to Han Bing, his face a mask of unreadable emotion.

Glimpsing her slightly tilted form, he noticed a delicate metal patch fastened at her neck.

That patch, it seemed, had reacted when she was parasitized by Number Seven, releasing a powerful current that not only caught Number Seven off guard but also helped her regain clarity.

Once she recovered, she even activated a miniature energy field, intending to imprison Number Seven within her.

However, Number Seven’s strength was far greater than she expected, and it escaped before Lu Xin could arrive.

“I once said that even with pollution nearby, I could hold out for ten seconds…”

Han Bing panted deeply before whispering, “But her method of pollution was too bizarre—I couldn’t withstand it, so I had to use this device to trap her inside me, giving Mr. Lone Soldier… giving you a chance to clean her up.”

Lu Xin stared quietly at Han Bing’s face, reading hints of self-reproach and dread.

Human nature is easily perceived; Lu Xin could see right into Han Bing’s heart.

He suddenly recalled Han Bing’s laughing warning at the start of the mission, fretting that she might hold him back.

Only now did he understand that her offhand comment had been tragically true.

Those like Gecko and the others nearby, their faces etched with horror, only realized Han Bing’s true intentions after the fact. She knew that the Ghost-type was driving Lu Xin toward a rampage—and the consequences would be dire if he carried it out.

What kind of madman would be so reckless with his own life?

“Why do it this way?”

Lu Xin’s voice turned cold and hard as he stared into Han Bing’s eyes.

Meeting his vacant, intense gaze, Han Bing was momentarily lost for words. Instinctively, she could only speak the truth:

“Ensuring Mr. Lone Soldier’s stability is my duty…”

“…”

“Duty?”

Lu Xin snapped back to focus.

His inky particles trembled violently in his eyes, only to quickly disperse as they condensed back into his dark pupils. Elsewhere, the white of his eyes reappeared, lending his features a stark contrast as his face slowly returned to its natural form.

“Life is precious…”

Staring at Han Bing for a long moment, Lu Xin exhaled softly, “And that includes yours.”

“So, don’t resort to these methods ever again.”

“…”

As he spoke, he reached out and removed the small metal box from around Han Bing’s neck, then gently crushed it.

He could see that the box was constantly emitting electric currents.

Was this the very device Han Bing used to shield herself from pollution?

“I…”

Han Bing’s voice trembled with the concern in Lu Xin’s words.

In that moment, she felt her eyes grow misty—a feeling difficult to explain to anyone.

The way Lu Xin removed that tiny metal box for her felt like…

Mr. Lone Soldier had returned.

……

Lu Xin had no time for further explanation. He slowly turned away.

His eyes swept quickly over the few people emerging from the building below.

Finally, his gaze rested on the little girl carrying a guitar.

Clearly, after Number Seven escaped from Han Bing’s mind, she had once again latched onto that little girl.

Ye Xue glowered from above, fixing her gaze on Han Bing and saying, “I won’t forget you…”

“All these years, you’re the first ordinary person who ever cost me dearly…”

“Whew…”

Hearing this, Han Bing looked down, her eyes meeting Ye Xue’s as she declared, “If you come after me again, you’ll end up paying the price!”

Ye Xue’s pupils immediately constricted to pinpoints.

Before she could say another word, Lu Xin stepped in front of Han Bing.

Facing Lu Xin’s steady gaze, Ye Xue’s expression turned once again to disdain.

“Seems you’ve learned to care about others now…”

With a dismissive smirk, she said lazily, “This is something I never even dreamed of before…”

“Aren’t all people in your eyes just playthings that can talk and move?”

“…”

“So you say I haven’t learned anything these past few years isn’t true.”

This time, Lu Xin remained unmoved by her provocations. He calmly replied, “Actually, I’ve learned a great deal.”

Ye Xue’s expression shifted, clearly uncomfortable with the unexpected response.

“It seems like you’ve been pushing me all along…”

Lu Xin continued, a slight smile playing on his lips as he said, “But what good does that do?”

“I don’t know what you’re so concerned about…”

“I suddenly realized that no matter how furious I get, or how much I despise these things, my identity is just that of a Special Pollution Cleanup operative—only a part-time one. So why overthink it?”

“I hold down two jobs: one pays a monthly salary of a hundred thousand, with a daily allowance of a thousand on business trips; the other brings in… several thousand, even if I hardly do any work. I can afford a grand villa, enjoy chicken legs, and provide my family with a better life—a meal with four dishes. With such a lifestyle, why should one sentence ruin it?”

“…”

Ye Xue’s expression gradually darkened.

“As for you…”

Lu Xin looked at her and laughed brighter, “You’re still alive, and that’s good.”

“After that incident all those years ago, I’ve always regretted one thing.”

“Above all, I regret how naive and foolish I was with you back then…”

He spoke slowly, his eyes filled with a smile. “I really shouldn’t have killed you like that.”

“Years later, I realized that letting someone I despise die so easily was actually doing her a favor.”

“…”

Ye Xue’s expression finally became slightly unhinged.

A flash of sheer terror crossed her face in an instant.

“Now then…”

Lu Xin smiled as he said, “I’ve got to get back to work…”

As he spoke, he turned around and his sincere gaze searched towards where his family was, earnestly saying,

“Help me, will you?”

“…”

“…”

“Swish…”

When Lu Xin suddenly uttered a plea toward an empty space, Ye Xue’s expression finally changed—her pupils contracting tightly. In her eyes, Lu Xin should never show a willingness to ask for help, even from unseen beings.

Not even unseen ones.

“Ah…”

At that moment, family members by the plaza’s edge suddenly froze upon hearing Lu Xin’s words.

Especially his little sister, whose eyes lit up with excitement as a smile spread across her pretty face.

Barely believing her ears, she rubbed her hand over her eyes and joyfully exclaimed, “Brother…”

“I’m coming…”

“…”

At the same time, his little sister dashed along the wall, sprinting toward Lu Xin.

Meanwhile, Mom and Father exchanged a glance—the father’s face a mix of surprise and delight.

“What on earth is going on?”

“…”

Mom sighed quietly. Though puzzled, her face also softened with relief.

“Honestly, I’m not entirely sure either…”

She murmured, “But whether intentional or not, that woman has actually helped him…”

Father abruptly turned, clearly perplexed.

Mom shot a cold glance at him, her eyes flashing as she said,

“Do you really think he returned to his humanity because of that little girl who was willing to sacrifice her life to help him?”

“That little girl only reminded him of who he truly is.”

“What truly brought him back to his humanity was his burning hatred for the Ghost-type.”

“Hatred, after all, is also part of human nature—sometimes even more powerful than all that is good…”

“…”

Upon hearing her words, Father was both enraged and shocked, roaring, “Then why would she do this?”

“I don’t know either.”

Mom’s tone was laced with confusion as she murmured, “I only know that awakening divine nature, like Su Fu, is an extremely long and complex process. Every step must be taken with utmost care, or else one gets lost in it forever. But now, this child has, thanks to the Abyss’s influence, awakened his divine nature in an intense and impassioned way.”

“And with that fierce hatred, he reclaimed his humanity.”

“He managed to complete what would have taken years—a divine awakening and a return to human nature—in just one hour.”

“So…”

She slowly turned her head and asked, “What do you think they’re after?”

PS: Check out Old Wang’s new book “The Throne” – it’s coming soon!

Blurb: A bold title, a fiery protagonist, a golden opening trilogy, and readers can’t stop talking about it.