High and mighty, Yuan Luori stepped on the Destroyer for a while, then demanded, “How many levels have you passed?” 

Destroyer 183, who had had the power of his System cut off, was bruised and battered. “183 levels, don’t hit me anymore, don’t hit me.” 

“183? I easily defeated a master player who passed 183 levels? Hahaha!” Yuan Luori laughed wildly. He had indeed chosen the right person to follow. Look at the outcome of following the System; over many years, he had only passed 37 levels. But firmly following in the great master clearer’s footsteps, after only a few months, he could take care of a master with 183 levels! 

“Who said you defeated him on your own?” The members of Lian Yufan’s squad were defiant. Supporting each other, they all came up to Yuan Luori. “It was collective power. It was our energy field that broke off the source of his power in the end!” 

But Luo Huai, being fair, said, “Without Yuan Luori, we would only have died at the Destroyer’s hands. He gathered us together when we had been scattered, and he was the one who saw our opponent’s weak point. His contributions to this victory can’t go unmentioned. There’s also this parrot. It was thanks to your hints that I was able to lure the Destroyer into the trap without being injured.” 

Hearing Luo Huai praise him, Yuan Luori tapped lightly with his feet, using Destroyer 183 as a jumping off point. He jumped lithely in front of Luo Huai. Imitating Yu Hua, he gave a restrained smile. “So you have good judgement.” 

The parrot flew from Luo Huai’s shoulder to Yuan Luori’s. It stuck up its tail feathers and raised its head. Its proud look was identical to Yuan Luori’s. 

Luo Huai sighed slightly. “It would be a good thing if you could maintain the same chill you have when you’re sniping.” 

The change in his manner was rather great. Luo Huai, who wasn’t well acquainted with Yuan Luori, couldn’t adjust to it at first. 

On the other hand, the members of Lian Yufan’s squad, who regularly watched the livestreams, understood Yuan Luori’s peculiarities. One of them said, “You should get used to it, Captain Luo. The Destroyers at Zhen Li’s studio are all like this. You haven’t seen him on the livestreams, looking all cold and haughty, and then kneeling whenever he’s told. It’s hilarious, hahaha!” 

“Don’t think I can’t hit you just because you’re wounded.” Yuan Luori clenched his fist and shook it in front of the face of the squad member who was mocking him. 

Luo Huai’s nature was rather steady. He said without emotion, “Check whether there are any highly dangerous objects on Destroyer 183, remove his equipment, restrain him, and take him to the base to wait for Director Xiao’s questioning. Also, those who are lightly injured, clean up the battlefield and call the police to seal off the scene. Request the base’s internal construction team to come put up some high walls. Otherwise, there’ll be no way to explain the mountain. And have a look around for passersby and nearby cars that have been affected.” 

When Luo Huai mentioned the cars, Yuan Luori instantly screamed. Guided by the parrot’s vision, he groped his way to the taxi stopped outside the amusement park. As expected, the car had been crushed flat by a falling rock during the battle. 

Remembering his promise to the taxi driver when he had snatched the car, Yuan Luori turned and went back to the Protectors. He punched Destroyer 183 and miserably said, “It’s all your fault! All your fault! I can’t afford that car!” 

Of the money he had gotten from the talent show, Yu Hua had said he could take 10%. Just as Yuan Luori was getting to celebrate that he wouldn’t need to eat instant noodles anymore and could switch to ordering takeout, he had wrecked a taxi and owed a huge sum of money. After punching 183, he lay down spreadeagled on the ground, looking like he didn’t want to live anymore. 

The parrot didn’t understand Yuan Luori’s pain. Clever as it was, it was still only a bird. It didn’t understand the fascination of money. But it dimly sensed that Yuan Luori’s suffering originated with Yu Hua. Remembering Yu Hua, it also suffered. So the parrot went belly up, spread its wings, and lay on the ground in the same half-dead posture as Yuan Luori. 

Luo Huai was extremely sensitive to emotion. He had never seen a person who was so demonstrative about his aggression, caution, happiness, arrogance, and sadness. As his emotions changed, it seemed that he was several people, all conflicting but perfectly combined within a single person’s body. 

He crouched down and poked Yuan Luori’s belly with a finger. Trying not to laugh, he said, “Don’t lose heart, the organization allows Protectors to apply for reimbursement for missions. It’s not like they can make soldiers who have fought a life and death battle pay out of their own pockets.” 

“I’m not a Protector.” Yuan Luori turned his face away, not looking at Luo Huai. 

The parrot turned its face away at the same time he did. After all, if the parrot could see, then Yuan Luori would be able to see even with his eyes closed. 

“Isn’t there Zhen Li as an example? He was acknowledged by world law, his special ability awakened, and he had the recommendations of three Protectors, including one of captain rank. I’m a Protector of captain rank, and the six comrades in arms who just fought with us can also recommend you,” Luo Huai said, smiling. 

“Really?!” Yuan Luori and the parrot sat up in happy surprise, looking expectantly at Luo Huai. 

“Yes. And there’s also the Protector’s subsidy,” Luo Huai said gently. 

“Wow, you’re a pretty good Protector, you’ll do.” Having recovered his vitality, Yuan Luori became proud once again. The parrot flew to Luo Huai and patted his shoulder with its wing. 

Luo Huai lightly stroke the parrot’s feathers. The parrot cried out happily. 

Near Yuan Luori wasn’t the only place where there were car crashes. Zhen Li was where the real pile-up collision was. 

He had been heading towards the base at full speed in the armored car. The armored car, which could have withstood a hit from an artillery shell, had been cut apart by a high pressure water column, causing a chain reaction accident on the highway, one car hitting three cars. 

Fortunately, the car contained only two accompanying soldiers and a driver. While they weren’t special ability users, they were still special figures who were veterans of many battles. The instant the accident occurred, they quickly jumped away from the car. One of the soldiers also protected Zhen Li, who was sitting next to him. 

Yuan Luori was an assassin. However you looked at it, he had at least passed 37 levels. He was well acquainted with battle. But Zhen Li had been determined to be idle, passing levels without lifting a finger. Apart from being able to dance and having good flexibility, he had practically no combat value. If the soldier hadn’t protected him, Zhen Li would have been seriously injured when the car overturned. 

Zhen Li was intact, but the soldier who had protected him had fallen onto a passing vehicle. When he fell to the ground, he was unconscious. 

The injuries of the two other soldiers also weren’t light, but as long as they could still move, they had to fight. One of them hefted a machine gun and aimed at the Destroyer standing in a current of water, and the other contacted the base, requesting support, then went to help the victims of the car crash. 

“Huh?” The water type Destroyer raised his eyebrows. “My probe told me that there was a very powerful special ability user in the area. How come there’s only Zhen Li?”

There was a large lake beside the highway. The water type Destroyer had liked this. That was why he had chosen this place. 

Between the pouring rain and the water in the river, he could use his powers to the fullest. 

Zhen Li dragged the soldier who had been injured protecting him behind himself and quietly climbed over to the soldier wielding the machine gun to help him shield his teammate. 

The water type Destroyer tossed out a high pressure water column. Zhen Li decisively opened his alternate dimension passage and drew a small circle in the palm of his hand, absorbing the high pressure water column in the alternate dimension passage. 

“What? You’re not totally useless,” the water type Destroyer said in astonishment. “But you’re already soaked.” 

When Zhen Li had been inside the car, naturally he hadn’t gotten a drop of water on him. After abandoning the car, he had been out in the pouring rain. Zhen Li had been drenched almost instantly. All of his clothing was soaked through. 

When Zhen Li heard his opponent, he was instantly alarmed. He was going to take off his clothes, but it was too late. With the water in them being controlled, the clothes of Zhen Li and the soldiers contracted, their collars firmly squeezed their necks. 

“Ahem!” Ignoring his own safety, Zhen Li returned his alternate dimension passage to his stomach and opened his mouth to absorb the water from the clothes of the soldier next to him. He didn’t have that much power. He could only absorb the water around his collar so he wouldn’t be throttled to death. 

However Zhen Li struggled to protect his companions, he could only save the person next to him. 

“It’s raining. What use is it drinking that little bit?” The water type Destroyer laughed lightly and slightly raised a hand. An enormous wave rose in the lake at his feet. Hundreds of tons of water towered high overhead, ready to crash heavily onto everyone. 

“Boring. Just these few good-for-nothings.” The water type Destroyer looked at the energy probe with the serial number 5-3. “Is the probe broken? It clearly shows there’s someone powerful nearby.” 

“Your probe isn’t broken.” A dignified voice came from under the lake. The huge wave raised by the water type Destroyer meekly returned to the lake. 

While the water fell, it was visible that there wasn’t sand at the bottom of the lake. There was an underground fortress made entirely out of metal! 

As Director Xiao rose out of the water, the water current that was about to break Zhen Li and the others to pieces went out of control. Zhen Li gulped big mouthfuls of air. 

Before, Zhen Li had always been taken blindfolded or unconscious to the base. He had vaguely felt that the base was underground. You had to go down through some entrance to reach it. He totally hadn’t expected that the base would be under the lake at the outskirts, so close to him! 

Seeing Director Xiao appear, Zhen Li nearly cried. He forced his breathing to calm and helped the two soldiers find places for the people injured in the car crash. From time to time he took note of the battle situation. 

Director Xiao was very strong. The battle between him and the water type Destroyer had already reached the catastrophic level. The bridge on the lake had been shattered by the water the two of them had raised. All kinds of waterspouts, water arrows, high pressure water columns, and other such water attacks were more dazzling than special effects. 

Zhen Li could see that Director Xiao was no weaker than the other side, but he had to be careful of the people around him. He couldn’t use all of his strength. 

Blood and rain mixed and rolled into the lake. Many people were at death’s door, but they hadn’t received effective aid. When the water type Destroyer noticed that Director Xiao was shielding the highway, he deliberately turned his attacks on the people. In order to protect the ordinary people, Director Xiao was forced to bear the brunt of an attack. He was seriously injured. 

Zhen Li looked at the two people battling and at the soldier who had been wounded protecting him. He wiped the rain from his face despairingly and quietly said, “Who will save them?” 

He didn’t say “us.” The people he wanted to save were the soldiers without special abilities, the innocent passerby who had been dragged in, and Director Xiao, who was struggling to hold on. 

But there was nothing to be done. Support couldn’t come. The whole Xuyang District was a battle. Every Protector was in such a difficult position. Zhen Li could only quietly call, “Great master, save them.” 

After his cry, a warm wind mingled with rain swept over. There was a power mixed into the wind that couldn’t be disobeyed. 

All “common people” involved in this campaign who bear no ill will towards “the Tyrant” will not be damaged. 

All the wounded on the scene almost simultaneously heard this voice. Their fingers twitched slightly, as though they were dreaming. They opened their eyes wide. They were entirely intact. Even the soldier next to Zhen Li woke up. 

These survivors held their family members and sobbed. Meanwhile, Director Xiao’s reach hadn’t been wide enough to block the destructive wave. The lake water crashed heavily onto the highway. 

When the wave dispersed, everyone on the highway was unharmed. 

“What? Are these special effects? Are they filming a movie? Is projection technology this advanced?” The people by the road inspected their bodies and found that the great wave hadn’t done anyone any harm. 

From one half of the armored car, Zhen Li got out a loudspeaker. He called out to Director Xiao, “Director, we’re being protected by the black-cloaked man. No ordinary person will be injured. There are no casualties, not one. You go all out on the battle, don’t worry about us!” 

Hearing his cry, Director Xiao wiped the blood at the corner of his mouth, raised his hand, and said, “Launching a sneak attack above our base? You’ve got some nerve!”

As he spoke, Director Xiao’s hand swept out like a cutting attack. The lake at his feet answered his power and opened entirely, revealing the true appearance of the base. Countless elevated cannons stood there, aimed towards the water type Destroyer. 

“Fire!” Director Xiao ordered. All of the Protection Organization’s firepower concentrated on the Destroyer. 

The water type Destroyer wanted to run, but apart from the cannon fire, there was still Director Xiao. 

He dodged and hid, wildly equipping defensive shields, but his arm was still cut open. Seeing that the Destroyer had taken an injury at last, the wrinkles at the corners of Director Xiao’s eyes deepened in a smile. 

A water current was released from Director Xiao’s palm. It mixed with the rain water and silently seeped into the wound that the Destroyer had yet to take care of. Like a virus, it quickly infected all the blood in the Destroyer’s body. 

As long there was a wound, as long as there was water in the body, as long as he could operate the water he had trained for many years to control in his opponent’s body, Director Xiao became the greatest killing implement in the whole Protection Organization. 

The water type Destroyer couldn’t budge. He wanted to use his phone to equip an item, but his body wouldn’t move. All the blood in his body was disobeying his commands. His body no longer belonged to him. 

Director Xiao kept his eyes on the water type Destroyer, considering whether to capture this person or eradicate him just like this. 

Just then, his communications device rang. Director Xiao pressed a button on his chest. Luo Huai’s voice came from his earpiece: “Director, we’ve succeeded in capturing a Destroyer. With Yuan Luori’s help, we broke his link to the System. He’s willing to confess everything!” 

“Well done!” Director Xiao said heavily. 

He turned off communications and said to the water type Destroyer, “Since that’s the case, then I don’t need to leave you alive.” 

It was as though someone had hit pause on the blood in the Destroyer’s body. His blood no longer flowed. The Destroyer stared blankly at Director Xiao. Soon his heart stopped beating, and he fell heavily. 

Director Xiao stepped on the water of the lake and picked up the fallen body of the Destroyer. Coldly, he said, “Injure my soldiers, destroy my infrastructure, harm my people, you won’t stay!” 

This smooth and crafty middle-aged man seemed like an old fox most of the time. Now he exhibited how completely different the demeanor and resolve of an older Protector were from those of a younger Protector. 

The water of the lake delivered Director Xiao in front of Zhen Li. In the rain, Director Xiao said to Zhen Li, “You used your alternate dimension passage to shield your teammates in a dangerous moment, and when support arrived immediately aided the soldiers in rescuing the wounded. You didn’t panic in the face of peril or run in the face of disaster. You have already become a qualified Protector.” 

Zhen Li excitedly wiped water from his face. He was going to say something when he heard Director Xiao said, “Pass on to the black-cloaked man from me, thank you very much for coming to our aid in this. As long as he doesn’t violate the law or harm ordinary citizens, the Protection Organization will always be his allies!” 

“Pass on… I can’t contact him…” Zhen Li didn’t forget to maintain his persona. 

“Do you really think your shoddy lies can fool me?” Director Xiao asked. “While I don’t concretely know the black-cloaked man’s identity, I’m certain you can contact him. I’m only turning a blind eye. There are some things that, if I say them aloud, may disqualify you from joining the Protectors.

“People who sincerely protect this world shouldn’t receive shabby treatment.” 

Director Xiao stretched out a hand and tapped Zhen Li on the forehead.  

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Author's Note

Zhen Li: I must be the luckiest person in this novel. I haven’t had to lift a finger the whole time.