Moonlight peeked through the gaps in the clouds, dim and hazy. The sky was heavy with dark clouds, hiding the stars, and the damp air carried the distinct scent of impending rain.
A young girl in a dark raincoat stood at the edge of the rooftop. She pulled back her hood, letting the warm summer night breeze brush against her face. Her long, grayish-white hair fluttered gently, appearing cold and ethereal under the faint moonlight.
The school uniform beneath her raincoat was the real deal—the standard uniform of the Yuanxing City Punisher Academy. However, no one would ever mistake her for an ordinary student.
The still-smoking muzzle of her gun and the fresh beads of blood on her blade had already betrayed her identity.
A Punisher.
That was the official term used by the Republic of Shenzhou for ability users.
Its specific meaning: “One who brings punishment to the enemies of humanity.”
A vortex of black energy coalesced silently behind the girl, gradually outlining the silhouette of a burly man in black robes.
“Mission complete. Here is the agreed-upon reward.”
A brand-new flight case was placed on the open ground between them. The lid flipped open, revealing half the space filled with bundles of cash, while the other half was packed with small, blood-red crystals.
The girl’s gaze bypassed the money and fixed onto the crystals. A hint of surprise surfaced on her calm face.
“This many?”
“This mission was quite difficult. Based on the official rating, this amount is perfectly reasonable.”
“But it was easy for me,” the girl said flatly. “I only had to ensure you could successfully capture the target. I didn't even need to take out many people.”
“Does that mean you’ve improved again? How was it? Capturing a dragon on a rainy night—was it a thrill?”
The girl didn't answer, merely touching the long white sword leaning against her side.
The blade emitted a low hum, as if responding to its master’s heart.
The man in black had no doubt that if the person before him wished it, his head would be separated from his shoulders in an instant. Though he was also a Punisher, his strength was far inferior to the girl’s; he merely possessed an ability that was quite useful for running errands.
But as long as they were in this city, that would never happen.
“The leadership on both sides is aware of the conflict between you and your family. Naturally, we won't urge you to go back. We have no reason to drive away a powerful combatant who is officially on our books.”
“However, you must remember not to stand out too much, especially by provoking the forces on your family’s side.”
“If they truly set their minds on taking you away, given the current situation, neither side has any spare strength to intervene.”
“So, take the time to enjoy ‘life’ a little.”
Before his voice could fade, the black-robed man’s figure became illusory once more, finally vanishing into a pitch-black vortex.
“Before you leave this city, you should find someone and have a proper romance, little girl.”
“Ugh—”
Luo Yang lay sprawled across his bed, stretching his limbs with force.
Waking up at half-past three in the afternoon—another beautiful day had begun.
In truth, he had originally wanted to sleep until dawn the next day, but unfortunately, there was a high-class banquet he had to attend tonight. He had even requested leave from the academy for it.
Of course, he wasn't going there to eat. As a front-line member of the Yuanxing City Punisher Coordination and Management Bureau, he was responsible for the banquet’s security inspection.
The Yuanxing City Punisher Coordination and Management Bureau, or the Yuanxing City Ability Bureau for short, was a subordinate institution of the central “Special Abilities and Affairs Coordination Office” of Shenzhou, as well as a direct agency of Yuanxing City.
He gently pushed open the door. The humid, sticky heat unique to southern summers flooded the room, making him feel quite uncomfortable.
Even before he had transmigrated, he had hated this sticky feeling.
Yes, he was a transmigrator. However, he hadn't been brought here by a truck; instead, he had stumbled through a “gate” and arrived in this world called Blue Star from Earth.
The banquet was still over an hour away, but he had to leave immediately.
This villa, located on the third ring of Yuanxing City and left behind by his missing grandfather, was his only shelter and the only asset under his name. The banquet venue was in the city center, which was quite a distance away.
For the sake of saving money, Luo Yang chose to take a bus and then transfer to the subway to reach his destination.
In the two years he had served the Ability Bureau, he hadn't managed to save a single thing except for enough money to barely cover food and drink.
This even surprised him.
Sometimes he would think, “Am I really someone who spends money recklessly?”
Well... it seemed he actually was.
Given the speed at which Luo Yang consumed equipment, it was already an act of mercy that the bureau hadn't used his pitiful salary to offset the costs. How could he have expected to save up any family fortune?
What a sin, truly a sin.
The face of the logistics chief, who looked haggard every single day, flashed in Luo Yang’s mind.
He hoped there would be fewer combat missions in their future days of working together—at least to make her life a bit easier.
The commute was pleasant enough. He browsed videos and read novels, and before he knew it, he had reached his destination.
“Expert Luo! Over here!”
At the source of the voice, an ordinary-looking young man in a black hoodie appeared in Luo Yang’s field of vision.
“Hey, Xiao Zhang, you’re here early?”
Xiao Zhang seemed to have been waiting for a long time. He walked up with a beaming smile and said, “I had nothing to do this afternoon, so I came early to wait.”
Luo Yang nodded slightly. Xiao Zhang was a civil servant who had recently joined the bureau. His ability rating wasn't high, but his work attitude was very upright, making him quite popular among the old-timers at the bureau.
“Let’s go. It’s about time. Let’s get to work.”
The so-called inspection work was actually more like odd jobs. It was nothing more than checking the security inside and outside the venue, measuring ability fluctuations, and other simple tasks.
Luo Yang, however, never tired of it. According to the Ability Bureau’s regulations, going on one field assignment earned a subsidy of three hundred Shenzhou coins. If the mission was completed successfully, there was an additional bonus of one hundred and fifty coins.
To Luo Yang, money was very important.
“Luo Yang and Zhang Ke from the Yuanxing City Punisher Coordination and Management Bureau. We are here to handle the inspection for this banquet.”
Luo Yang showed his credentials to two security guards in black suits while tapping Xiao Zhang with his left hand, signaling him to take his out as well.
Xiao Zhang hurriedly fumbled in his bag and pulled out the credentials he had received only a few days ago.
The two guards took a quick glance and stepped aside to clear the entrance.
“Hello, Mr. Luo. The venue has been cleaned. You may begin your work at any time.”
“Thanks, we’re heading in.”
The venue was a semi-theatrical building. The first floor had a massive stage, and the backstage was filled with countless musical instruments, costumes, and various odds and ends.
Luo Yang led Zhang Ke as they jumped around, going from the stage to the backstage, and from the first floor to the fifth, spending two or three hours scouring the entire venue.
Only after confirming there were no hidden lethal weapons like bombs did he take Zhang Ke into the third-floor office.
According to the usual workflow, once the full inspection was done, the remaining time was spent slowly waiting for the event to end.
In reality, this was a form of protection for the public.
In this era belonging to Punishers, saying the protection provided by mortal security guards was “better than nothing” was an overstatement.
If something really happened, it would still be up to combat-type Punishers like them to hold the line.
“Xiao Zhang, I’m done with my part, so I’m heading out. When things wrap up on your end, remember to send me a copy of the mission report. I’ll need it to file my own.”
“Alright, Expert Luo.”
Luo Yang put on his jacket and walked toward the venue’s main entrance, leaving Zhang Ke to stand guard alone.
This wasn't a dereliction of duty or a result of laziness; it was a compromise born of necessity.
A few days ago, the Old Director had given Luo Yang a strict order, limiting his equipment supply and telling him to avoid participating in combat missions as much as possible. He had even specially authorized Luo Yang to off work early during field assignments.
Only when encountering missions with extremely high danger levels and very troublesome enemies would he be allowed to go all out.
And the reason for all of this was Luo Yang’s powerful and bizarre ability.
Name: Luo Yang
Punisher Rank: 【Classified】
Ability: 【Weapon's End, Ember's Birth】
Ability Grade: Unmeasured
Effect: Can control all weapons belonging to, or temporarily belonging to, the ability user. While being controlled, the weapon will not suffer any damage and will continuously perform at its maximum potential, only to be destroyed immediately after a certain period. The duration the weapon can remain intact increases based on factors such as the weapon's grade, materials, energy, and environment.
This was the entirety of Luo Yang’s profile in the Ability Bureau’s records.
Looking at the literal meaning alone, one could understand that Luo Yang’s combat power was strong—very strong. However, only the Yuanxing City Ability Bureau, which shouldered the responsibility for logistics, knew that behind this power lay a staggering consumption of financial and material resources.
Seeing that the finance and logistics departments were about to risk their lives to stop him, the Old Director finally issued those orders.
Faced with such a situation, Luo Yang had no choice but to obey, even if it meant he would receive much less subsidy money.
Who could blame him when his ability was a natural money-swallowing beast!
By the time Luo Yang left, some people had already taken their seats in the venue. Most of the participants in this banquet were socialites and wealthy elites.
Although he worked for the Ability Bureau, Luo Yang had not formally joined this official institution; instead, he served as external personnel.
According to the rules, he was not a permanent staff member and did not need to disclose his identity to the public. Naturally, he was unknown to these elites.
This was a special consideration from the Old Director. In the Old Director’s words: “This kid’s talent is too monstrous. I’m reluctant to let him go, but I’m also worried about him having an accident before he fully matures. So, I chose a middle ground—letting him work for me without having to show his face or expose his identity.”
The Old Director was right. As the second-largest city in Jiangnan Province, a major economic hub of Shenzhou, Yuanxing City certainly had no shortage of young geniuses.
But in terms of seniority, achievements, or even raw strength, the Old Director was certain that among the younger generation of the entire Ability Bureau, no one could stand on equal footing with Luo Yang.
Abilities were divided by strength, and Punishers could determine their ability grade through Ability Measurement Stones.
From low to high, abilities were divided into seven grades: Ordinary, Flicker, Sharp Edge, Peerless, Transcendent, Abyssal, and Cosmic.
Although Luo Yang’s ability grade could not be measured by conventional means, no one who had witnessed him in battle would think his grade was low.
Next was his Punisher rank, which was far ahead of his peers.
Under the international standard, Punisher ranks were divided into nine levels from low to high.
They were Awakening, Sublimation, Core Consolidation, Clear Heart, Path Illumination, Dao Manifestation, Star Initiation, Order Sanction, and Soul Kindling. Each major rank was further divided into nine minor levels to distinguish strength within the same rank.
Under the classified records, the eighteen-year-old Luo Yang had already reached the ninth level of Core Consolidation, just one step away from breaking through to the Clear Heart rank.
Most Punishers would break through to the Clear Heart rank around the age of thirty-five. Top-tier geniuses could generally do it five to eight years faster. As for a Clear Heart rank at nineteen, or even eighteen?
At least in human history, such a person had never appeared.
Stepping out the main door, the sky was completely dark. Under the lights, a cold and elegant figure was stepping out of a car behind him.
Rate on N.U.
