 |
| Descend from the Stars (STARS) |
A mission capable of restraining Wen Shu would undoubtedly require the enhanced power of the Eye of Doom. Xu Rongchuan hadn’t brought Xu Dan along to avoid potential friction between two active S+ anomalous objects.
Du Ruo had mentioned that the Eye of Doom had been acting up lately… His mood darkened slightly.
The Eye of Doom—Pangu’s most unique active anomalous object. Five years ago, just one month after Pangu’s establishment, it had appeared within the organization without warning and voluntarily entered the containment unit.
It had chosen Pangu, not the other way around.
It manifested as a human head that appeared to be around sixteen years old and adorned with six eerily beautiful eyes, most of which remained closed. When a living being approached, it would curiously open its eyes. Its gaze could bestow random powers upon those who drew near, but it also brought misfortune—the more eyes it opened, the greater the misfortune, while fewer eyes meant greater luck. Among Pangu’s researchers, there was a prevailing theory: if it ever fully awakened, with all six eyes open simultaneously, it would mark the beginning of the world’s end.
As for how many eyes it would open each time, it seemed entirely a matter of probability. Thus, the Eye of Doom was housed in Unit One, overseen by Tang Sumu, the captain of Unit One—a man symbolizing good fortune—and there had never been any issues.
Over these five years, Pangu had used the Eye of Doom to create numerous temporary Superhumans, significantly bolstering special security operations. The Eye of Doom and the Book of Contracts were the two most crucial anomalous objects in Pangu’s possession.
Xu Rongchuan stepped into Unit One. Captain Tang stood with his back to him, positioned beside the Eye of Doom.
It was a massive, cylindrical transparent containment unit. Inside floated a head so beautiful it defied description—skin like unreal porcelain, delicate translucent lips, an exquisitely sculpted nose, and hair the color of deep ocean blue with a faint iridescent sheen. Six closed, stunning eyes adorned its face, while below the head, a long spinal column trailed like a tail.
Eerie, terrifying, beautiful, indescribable, unbearable to behold, and utterly awe-inspiring.
No matter how many times Xu Rongchuan entered this place, he couldn’t help but hold his breath.
And there, beside the Eye of Doom, stood Tang Sumu with his fiery red hair and gazing at it with profound intensity with his right palm pressed against the containment unit. The Eye of Doom’s spine curved gracefully, like some strange tentacle, lightly "touching" the human hand through the glass.
Xu Rongchuan paused. They seemed to sense his arrival and turned toward him simultaneously—one blue, one red—and even Tang Sumu’s delicate features momentarily took on an inhuman coldness.
Xu Rongchuan blinked and the illusion vanishing as quickly as it appeared. Tang Sumu was already smiling brightly, greeting him cheerfully: “Long time no see! Here to rescue Team Wen? I have a feeling luck will be on your side today~”
Xu Rongchuan gave a wry smile. “Whether luck’s on my side or not, I just hope the Eye of Doom takes pity on me. Every time it sees me, it opens four or five eyes—I can’t handle that.”
As he spoke, the Eye of Doom drifted silently upward, its spine swaying elegantly as it moved toward Xu Rongchuan and stopping just before the glass. Its brow twitched slightly and its delicate lips curling into a faint smile, as if deeply intrigued by the visitor.
Xu Rongchuan: …Damn. I hope Xu Dan can hold out.
The long lashes of the Eye of Doom fluttered as it began to curiously open its eyes. One, two, three...
The fourth eye had already half-lifted its lid but for some reason closed again.
Three pale blue irises, so clear they were nearly translucent, gazed at him. Yet what they reflected wasn’t his image—instead, they seemed to swirl with vortices of countless stars, so mysterious it was as if they concealed the secrets of the entire universe.
Xu Rongchuan only glanced once before his mind exploded with white light and a surge of immense power flooding his body alongside excruciating pain.
He felt his psychic sensitivity being elevated infinitely, to the point where he could even hear Tang Sumu’s steady heartbeat. Then, his already highly trained body began surpassing human limits—his speed, endurance, and senses far exceeded their usual levels. He felt he could now climb barehanded from the first floor to his sixteenth-floor bedroom.
After about five minutes, the power stabilized, and the pain began to fade. This time, luck was truly on his side. He’d gained enhancements in both psychic ability and physical prowess, while the Eye of Doom had only opened three eyes—meaning he wouldn’t become either fortunate or unfortunate.
This was the first time in four years the Eye of Doom had granted him such a boon. Xu Rongchuan turned his gaze toward it, and it was still watching him, its spine swaying gently as if trying to emerge from the Containment Unit...
Tang Sumu tapped the glass with a bent knuckle.
The Eye of Doom smiled faintly again, its three mysterious eyes closing once more. The expression on its face gradually faded, as if donning an invisible mask, transforming from a living being into an inanimate object.
The fluctuating energy in the room dissipated. Tang Sumu grinned. “See? The god of fortune has indeed favored you.”
Xu Rongchuan was in good spirits. “Maybe it likes Team Wen and wants me to bring him back quickly.”
At some point, Tang Sumu had taken out a die. He deftly tossed it into the air and caught it in his palm. Looking down—3. He whistled lightly. “Seems like your trip will go smoothly. Come back safe and soon.”
Xu Rongchuan waved and left the first division, heading to the Sixth Division to briefly delegate tasks before retrieving Xu Dan from Xiao Bai.
“We’re going on a mission in T City next door.”
Xu Dan’s eyes lit up as he quickly stepped forward to walk beside him. “Just the two of us?”
“Mhm,” Xu Rongchuan glanced sideways, studying Xu Dan’s face—just as beautiful as the Eye of Doom’s. “You’ll be responsible for seducing the wealthy crowd. I’ll play the wealthy target being seduced.”
Xu Dan looked puzzled. “What does ‘seduce’ mean?”
Xu Rongchuan slowly smiled...
“At its most basic, seduction means making someone intensely interested in you. Most humans in this world are fragile and simple. Once they’re in a state of infatuation, killing them becomes as easy as flipping a hand.”
At 9 p.m., everything was ready. After explaining all mission details to Xu Dan, Xu Rongchuan drove, pushing the speed limit on the highway. T City was just next door—they’d reach the case location in two hours.
The third division had provided them with two bar invitations, prepared in advance for the rescue team. One was an audition invite, the other exuded an aura of luxury—a vacation invitation.
Xu Dan was dressed in a white shirt and jeans, bathed in the glow of the car's headlights, his handsome profile softened by an ethereal light. He gazed intently at his brother like a diligent student paying rapt attention in class and asked, "What about higher-level seduction?"
"Make humans fall for you, become utterly infatuated, willing to obey your every word, and even gladly die for you."
Xu Dan curled his lips into a smile, looking blissfully at his brother's lips moving as he explained. Suddenly, he grasped the meaning of "utterly infatuated" without being taught, along with the "advanced seduction" his brother mentioned: "Just like how I feel about you now, brother?"
Xu Rongchuan: "..."
"Ahem," he freed one hand to rub his nose, "You can't compare it like that. I've never seduced you."
Xu Dan tilted his head, his expression both innocent and affectionate, murmuring in confusion, "Then why do I feel this way? If I don't see you for more than half an hour, my heart starts to ache. Is the human heart just too fragile?"
Xu Rongchuan fell silent. Ever since Xu Dan started attending Pangu, his ability to express himself had improved by leaps and bounds—especially when declaring his devotion.
Receiving no answer, Xu Dan pressed on, "Has brother ever done a seduction mission before?"
"...Yes," Xu Rongchuan replied. "The target was a mutated queen bee whose ultimate life goal was reproduction—capable of mating with any species to produce offspring. But that's beside the point. What I want to say is, for this mission, you only need to perform basic seduction. Attach yourself to a wealthy person and have them take you through the third basement level into Chaos Hotel. I'll meet you there."
Xu Dan wasn't happy. The words went in one ear and out the other; all he remembered was that Xu Rongchuan had once seduced a queen bee—making bees his most hated animal at that moment, bar none.
They arrived near the ORACLE bar, the location mentioned in the case files, at eleven at night.
Xu Rongchuan parked the car in an inconspicuous alley, changed into an expensive, well-fitted suit, assembled a compact handgun, strapped a dagger to his calf, and got out of the car with Xu Dan, who carried nothing.
The air was slightly cool. This was a chaotic urban village—on one side stood towering, brightly lit high-rises, while the other was dim and disorderly, already immersed in midnight revelry. Many bars were hidden here, ORACLE being just one unremarkable among them.
Xu Rongchuan climbed to the rooftop of a deserted flat-roofed building, concealing himself in the shadows as he scanned the entire row of disorderly bars.
His heightened senses filled him with a nauseating disgust: unseen forces of chaotic energy intertwined everywhere, a miasma of resentment like gray fog enveloped the surroundings, and the stench of blood seemed to linger in the air.
Clearly, the problem was far worse than the case files had described.
Xu Dan stood beside him, taking a deep breath of the air, then slightly narrowing his eyes.
A familiar scent...
But he couldn't recall...
Must protect brother...!
He stealthily reached out, trying to grasp Xu Rongchuan's hand, but Xu Rongchuan's senses were unusually sharp today and he moved his hand behind his back before contact could be made.
Xu Rongchuan had plenty of experience with teammates who brought bad luck, but zero experience mentoring newcomers. Looking at Xu Dan's slightly aggrieved face, he thought hard before finally managing to say, "We'll split up. Meet at Chaos Hotel tomorrow. Stay safe—don't let anyone take advantage of you. Contact me anytime through the built-in earpiece if anything happens."
"I don't expect you to make any discoveries, just protect yourself and don't cause trouble."
Xu Dan pouted unhappily: "I want to go with brother."
Xu Rongchuan wasn't in the mood to babysit at the moment. He patted Xu Dan's shoulder, ignoring his sulking, and leaped down directly from the shadowed rooftop.
Landing on the ground as silently as a wild beast, he vanished into the alley in the blink of an eye.
•───────•°•❀•°•───────•
Advanced chapters are now available up to chapter 70 on my Ko-fi page!
If you appreciate what I do, please consider supporting me on kofi. Thank you!
•───────•°•❀•°•───────•