There were cameras inside the mall and on the roof; the control room had seen Lian Yufan and You Zhengping’s injuries. 

In the surveillance image, You Zhengping was propping himself up on his elbow, struggling to confront Destroyer 192. Lian Yufan had his head down, his back rightly pressed to the load-bearing wall, hands flat against it; he looked like he was deep in thought, but in reality his spine had been broken, and if he didn’t maintain this posture, he would fall down at once. 

“Director Xiao…” Luo Huai said in concern, seeing the state the two of them were in. 

Director Xiao raised his hand lightly. The squad’s main combat force was exhausted. It was in fact time for him to act. 

Director Xiao in fact had the power to subdue Destroyer 192, and there had in fact been no need to let the Protectors be so seriously injured in this battle. But he was getting old. 

Director Xiao was forty-three years old now, and the marks of time were already climbing from the corners of his eyes. Right now, he could still be the young Protectors’ backup force, explain the inside story to them. But what about when he was fifty-three, sixty-three? 

While he could still be the young Protectors’ mainstay, however much he regretted it, however much it pained him, he still had to let the young people act, so that power could continue. 

In the surveillance image, Destroyer 192 said to You Zhengping, “Do you really think I only planted bombs in this mall? Since I have to fight the mission target alone, how could I not keep some room to maneuver? Do you still remember the goldfish in the manmade lake?” 

You Zhengping’s gaze froze. Of course he remembered. 

The Protection Organization had determined the Destroyer 192’s ability was a sort of game space. It could turn all the inanimate objects the ability user touched within the space into bombs. But that couldn’t explain why the goldfish had exploded at a touch. The goldfish were living beings. 

You Zhengping, who had participated in the battle on the surface of the water at close range, had considered this question, but he hadn’t come up with an answer. Only now did a reasonable explanation for this phenomenon occur to him—there were two types of bombs. 

One type was the type they were familiar with: inanimate objects that Destroyer 192 had touched. The other type was a transmitting bomb, which could use its impact to transmit vibrations into the bodies of living beings. 

Simply explained: when the little boy’s cap exploded, it was thrown into the water by Cen Xiao. But in fact that cap’s ability to injure had been very low. Its true use had been to disperse vibrations and make living things vibrate internally at a high frequency; in this way, they became small-scale bombs and exploded. The goldfish in the manmade lake had only become bombs that attacked Cen Xiao because of the impact from the cap. 

If You Zhengping had guessed right, then the living being on the scene that would become a bomb was…

“You’re the goldfish,” Destroyer 192 sang, pointing at You Zhengping. “I placed special bombs on the three children’s backpacks. I was originally planning it as a fallback, but now you’ve taken the force of all three bombs.” 

He took out his phone and opened the “Explosion Game” interface. It showed that there was one living bomb on the roof. It was You Zhengping! 

The expressions of everyone in the observation room grew grave. Luo Huai said nervously, “Director, if You Zhengping really does get turned into a bomb, then even with the repulsion field, he’ll still…” 

None of them had expected such a thing to happen. Director Xiao was enraged. The water vapor in the air over the roof trembled violently. 

“You’re all very powerful,” Destroyer 192 said complacently. “No wonder no one has ever accomplished a world-opening mission. Too bad. You can’t kill me, I’ll succeed in escaping, and this special ability user will die!” 

He had left himself a retreat. He would use the neckband to change bodies and escape. He wasn’t afraid of death at all. 

“It’s the neckband, isn’t it…” Director Xiao stared fixedly at the surveillance image, gathering his power. If he could only prepare in time and destroy the neckband before Destroyer 192 changed bodies, then, having no way to escape, the Destroyer wouldn’t dare to harm You Zhengping. Then they could negotiate. 

While Director Xiao was considering his opportunities to act, the surveillance on the roof suddenly went black. 

At the same time, all the special ability users on the scene felt a mighty force envelop the mall. The repulsion field collapsed instantly. Following that power, there also came a chilling fury. 

Zhen Li’s fingertips froze in the process of drawing the second winner. He wasn’t a person with especially staunch willpower. He was so frightened by this fury that he could barely stand up. His knees went weak, and he knelt down, hands shaking even more uncontrollably. 

The Protectors who had experienced the fight at the amusement park were all familiar with this power. It was the black-cloaked man! 

He’s even stronger than at the amusement park! Cen Xiao thought inwardly. 

Cen Xiao was on the fourth floor. When he felt that power, he immediately bolted towards the roof. He couldn’t let anything happen to You Zhengping. 

Instantly, all the squad members apart from Lian Yufan ran towards the roof. Director Xiao and the other Protectors who had set up the repulsion field also rushed there. 

The billowing fury made Zhen Li, far off on the first floor, lose his footing, never mind Yuan Luori, who was on the roof directly facing the black-cloaked man. 

Yuan Luori, who had always seen the clearer as his idol, had thought that he had passed at least five hundred levels. But now, directly facing the black-cloaked man, he wondered, could a mere five hundred levels really give someone such frightening strength? 

“Are, are, are you the mission target?” Destroyer 192 said, shaking. 

192 had always thought that he was a gamer who used shock tactics; in the Clearing League, no one could match his destructive power. But now, feeling the mission target’s power, which was as vast as the cosmos, Destroyer 192 felt that he was only a tiny speck of dust in that cosmos. 

How could he defeat this?! Destroyer 192 quickly grabbed his neckband. He wanted to run away at once. 

But there was a pair of hands faster than he was. 

The black-cloaked man, who had been standing next to You Zhengping, had at some point appeared behind Destroyer 192. No one had seen how he had moved, and no one had heard a sound. 

Everyone could only see him lightly reach out his hands and grab 192’s neckband. At that gesture alone, it seemed that fate had clutched Destroyer 192 by the throat. He couldn’t escape this body. 

Items, abilities, medicines… All gaudy combat techniques were merely for show when faced with absolute power. The black-cloaked man’s light cut had broken the link between the two neckbands. 

Power from the neckband entered Destroyer 192’s body. The neckbands were connected to the soul. Destroyer 192 instantly felt as though his soul was tearing, like he was breaking down and evaporating. 

“I said that whoever broke the law would be killed without pardon. Why do you never listen?” The black-cloaked man’s voice was very soft, his words seeming to tail off in a light sigh. 

He picked up 192’s phone and used the System app to open the Clearing League’s communication group. He even opened a group video. 

Last time he had used Yuan Luori’s System to speak to the Clearing League. This time he went directly to a video, letting the Clearing League’s people see Destroyer 192’s miserable condition. 

After turning on the video, the black-cloaked man pushed Destroyer 192 in front of the camera with his hand on his head and quietly said, “Let them hear you cry.” 

Then the black-cloaked man pressed down. A force like a tearing explosion went from the top of 192’s head to the soles of his feet. His arms instantly exploded from within. Just as the pain came, his arms were instantly restored. Not a drop of blood spilled. Only the flames were visible. 

But Destroyer 192 knew that the black-cloaked man was actually using his own life force as fuel, drawing out his healing ability by force, making him heal himself at the moment of injury. 

He seemed to be healing now, but essentially he was burning up his life force. When his personal base life force was exhausted to the point that he couldn’t heal anymore, he would die miserably on video. 

Destroyer 192 wanted to run away, but his soul was fixed in this body. He couldn’t budge. 

After doing all of this, the black-cloaked man walked towards You Zhengping amid the sounds of 192’s screams. 

The heavily injured You Zhengping, holding himself up on his elbow, shifted away twice. He could also feel the black-cloaked man’s frightening fury. He wanted to run away, but he couldn’t. He could only look on as the black-cloaked man walked up to him, sat in a kneeling position, lifted You Zhengping’s head with both hands, and pillowed it on his knees. 

You Zhengping: “???”

Wasn’t there something wrong here? 

The black-cloaked man reached out a hand and touched You Zhengping’s nanotech mask. Softly, he said, “Faced with a self-aggrandizing idiot like this who views human lives as trash, you’ve done very well to protect the city’s peace.” 

He was being praised? You Zhengping, who had thought there was going to be a great battle, was dumbfounded. 

This black-cloaked man was not only praising him, he was also stroking his face! 

No one but Yu Hua was allowed to stroke his face, let him go! You Zhengping thought he was struggling fiercely, but in reality it was very slow. 

“Don’t move. You’ve been very gravely injured. I’m going to heal you,” the black-cloaked man said. 

The black-cloaked man’s hand swept over You Zhengping’s arm. You Zhengping felt a mild, cool spring breeze blow over the burned places. He felt like he was soaking in a hot spring. It was so comfortable he wanted to close his eyes and go to sleep. 

Now that he was no longer in pain, he could relax. You Zhengping narrowed his eyes and thought vaguely that last time, Yu Hua must have been healed by this power, too. 

“The external injuries are fixed. Now I need to remove the transmitted vibrations. Bear with me.” As he spoke, the black-cloaked man waved his sleeve and covered You Zhengping’s eyes. 

Bear, bear what? The healing process felt very good. You Zhengping only felt drowsy. He didn’t resist when his eyes were covered. 

Next, You Zhengping felt icy cold lips touching his, and the transmitted vibrating energy was cancelled out by something. 

Huh? Hey! What was this? You Zhengping pushed aside the sleeve covering his eyes and rolled away from the black-cloaked man, quickly leaving the pillow of the black-cloaked man’s warm knees. 

He stared in wide-eyed alarm at the black-cloaked man, but he saw that the black-cloaked man ignored him now that he had healed him. He got up, went to Destroyer 192, and closed the Clearing League group video. 

Just then, Cen Xiao, who had been on the fourth floor and closest to the roof, arrived. He quickly went to You Zhengping, swept his eyes over his teammate, and sighed in relief. “No injuries.” 

“How many people have been injured?” the black-cloaked suddenly asked. 

Likely his imposing manner was too strong. Cen Xiao answered unconsciously. “Everyone did very well under the protection of the repulsion field. There’s only one Protector who broke his spine. He may be paralyzed.” 

The black-cloaked man lifted the half-dead Destroyer 192’s finger and used it to jab the System interface a few times. He used a large number of points to get a healing pill, which he gave to Cen Xiao. “This will heal him.”  

You Zhengping could enjoy Yu Hua’s personal healing, but forget about the other Protectors. 

When he had gotten the healing pill, the System had lost any value. The black-cloaked man removed all of the System app’s energy. This was an energy ball five times larger than the one from Yuan Luori’s System. 

Throwing away the phone, the black-cloaked man went to Destroyer 192, who was still constantly being injured, healing himself, and being injured. He lifted his neckband and squeezed lightly. The neckband broke. Destroyer 192’s eyes lost the look of life. He fell down heavily. 

Just then, the main force of the Protectors was hurrying over one by one. The black-cloaked man looked at Director Xiao and the others, leapt off the roof, and vanished without a trace. 

Though they all wanted to pursue and attack the black-cloaked man, everyone now instinctively turned towards You Zhengping. Pinching his arms and handsome uncle nanotech mask, they all said in amazement, “What about your injuries?” 

You Zhengping was still stunned from having been kissed. Hearing everyone question him, he didn’t speak. 

But Yuan Luori, who had witnessed it all, said in a profoundly affected voice, “My, my idol healed him, and, and also…” 

You Zhengping’s head cleared instantly. He took a stride towards Yuan Luori and made a throat-cutting gesture at him. The look in his eyes was fierce. 

“And also removed the bomb for him.” Under threat from You Zhengping, Yuan Luori swallowed the words “stole a kiss.” 

“The black-cloaked man destroyed the surveillance cameras. What happened before we got here?” Director Xiao asked. 

“It was…like Yuan Luori said. He beat up Destroyer 192, threatened the Clearing League, then left after he healed me,” You Zhengping summarized absently. 

Seeing that he looked like something had scared him, Director Xiao frowned. “First go back to the base to rest, then tell us in detail.” 

The Protection Organization’s people stuffed the soulless corpse of Destroyer 192 into a bag. Outsourced employee Captain Liu of the criminal police led some auxiliary policemen from Lian Yufan’s squad. They picked up the three unconscious children, planning to return them to their parents after their injuries had been seen to. They would also have to think of an explanation. 

While everyone cleared the battlefield, Cen Xiao quickly ran downstairs. He saw Zhen Li climb to his feet, leaning on the lottery box for support, and staunchly draw a number. The mall’s employees were still asking how he felt. Zhen Li waved a hand and said he was fine. He could fight on. 

Lian Yufan was leaning against the wall as though abandoned by the world. He wouldn’t fall, and without anyone to help him, he couldn’t move. 

Cen Xiao went over to him and put the white pill in his mouth. “Take this.” 

Lian Yufan thought it was only an anti-inflammatory and struggled to swallow it. In less than three seconds, he felt his whole body filled with energy and his broken spine restored. A dozen seconds later, all of his injuries had healed. 

“That was…” Lian Yufan left the load-bearing wall, roughly inspected his body, and found that apart from his special ability being seriously depleted, he was entirely unmarked. 

“An army from the heavens.” Seeing that he had recovered, Cen Xiao laughed easily. “Tell you back at the base.” 

Everyone left the mall during the lottery drawing. Before leaving, Cen Xiao and Yuan Luori waved to Zhen Li from afar.

Zhen Li: “…” 

Why were they all leaving? Were they leaving him alone to dance all day? What about the rest of it? Was no one going to look after him? 

Though everyone had left, Zhen Li still dutifully brightened up the atmosphere, desperately drawing out the time. He still remembered some phone numbers from when he had eaten the paper. When he pulled out the second slip, Zhen Li stared at the blank paper and forced himself to remember. “Customer with the phone number ending in 6788, congratulations, you’ve won!” 

There was no one to support him this time. The person who had won was a genuine customer. It all relied on which phone number Zhen Li could remember. 

A middle-aged man went up on stage to receive the prize. This time, Zhen Li gave him a perfunctory “congratulations” and chased him off. He didn’t even let off a salute. This made the prize winner unhappy. He muttered about how different his treatment was. 

While Zhen Li struggled to maintain enthusiasm at the mall, everyone else had already returned to the base. 

You Zhengping, hiding the parts about the head pillowing and the kiss, related everything the black-cloaked had done. Yuan Luori also related, though he spent most of his time praising his idol, saying his idol was so awesome, and since his idol was so law-abiding, he had to finish memorizing all the laws and hoped that the Protection Organization would supply him with some other legal texts. 

Yuan Luori and Zhen Li, the two former Destroyers, had put in quite a lot of effort in this operation. Director Xiao sent people perform a study on Yuan Luori and found that his state of mind was very good. He was even more willing to uphold the law than the average citizen. He could study on his own without any need for supervision or tests. He basically been fundamentally transformed. 

Everyone also inspected Lian Yufan and You Zhengping’s conditions. Lian Yufan had only been healed of his injuries, but You Zhengping had not only been healed, his power had also been raised quite a bit. Before, his power had been much less than Director Xiao’s. Now, looking only at power alone, he was about equal with Director Xiao. 

Director Xiao couldn’t understand this. He could only explain it as the transmitted vibration having raised You Zhengping’s power, a case of good fortune coming in the wake of surviving a great disaster. 

But You Zhengping himself knew that his power had substantially increased when the black-cloaked man had kissed him. He felt guilty. Excusing himself by saying he wanted to test out his increased special ability, he went to the underground training room to be alone. 

He spent two hours alone in the training room. When it was time for diner, Cen Xiao came to get him and saw You Zhengping wearing the nanotech mask and looking closely in the mirror. 

“Time to eat… Why are you still wearing your mask in the training room?” Cen Xiao asked. 

The nanotech masks needed to be cared for. Normally they took their masks off after returning to the base. 

“Am I very handsome?” You Zhengping said, pointing at the handsome uncle’s face. 

Cen Xiao said, “…If that mask were a little younger, that would be fine, but now… Do you think his mess of crow’s feet are attractive, or the deep laugh lines?” 

“That’s right, I also think that it’s handsome enough and refined enough, but it wouldn’t be so very alluring, right?” As he spoke, You Zhengping unconsciously touched his lips. 

“What’s wrong with you? You’ve been acting weird ever since we got back to base. Are you hiding something from me?” Cen Xiao asked. 

“No, no, no!” You Zhengping said, waving his hands. “I told Director Xiao everything I could.” 

“Oh, so there’s something you couldn’t, right?” Cen Xiao instantly understood You Zhengping’s subtext. 

You Zhengping said, “…Scram, beat it! Go eat! How can you make so much trouble all day?!” 

He stiffly muddled through and went to eat with Cen Xiao. Director Xiao said that after being observed tonight, he would be examined in the morning, and if nothing was wrong, he could go home, and he could take three days off. If no new Destroyer appeared, he didn’t need to come to work.  

When he had been injured, You Zhengping had thought that he wouldn’t be able to see Yu Hua for a month. When he heard this news, he was very glad, thanking the black-cloaked man in spite of himself. 

When he thought of the black-cloaked man, You Zhengping instantly recalled that ice cold kiss, and instantly went stiff all over. Even his food lost its flavor. 

Cen Xiao kept an eye on his friend and saw his face change from red to white. It was a marvel. 

—

After You Zhengping and the others retreated to the base, it began to rain. In the rain, a three-month-old husky was shaking itself out. Destroyer 192 was in ecstasy. It hadn’t expected that at the last moment, it would leave that body and succeed in escaping! 

“Awoo, awoo,” it howled cheerfully in the rain. 

As it was howling, a man in a suit and leather shoes came up behind the little husky and grimly said, “It seems that when you switch bodies, your temperament is influenced by the body. Not quickly taking off the neckband and fleeing, playing around in the water at a time like this—has your IQ fallen a great deal?” 

“Awoo?” The little husky opened its blue eyes wide and saw a tall man. 

He bent down and reached out his hand, squeezing the scruff of the little husky’s neck and lifting it. He smiled brilliantly towards the husky. “Did you think you escaped relying on your own powers? I let you go.” 

“Awoo! Awoo! Awoo!” The canine sense of smell was very acute. The little husky had used its instincts to sniff out that the man in front of it was the black-cloaked man who had beaten in to the point of wishing for death. 

“I suddenly thought that it would be such a pity for you to die like that, so I spared you.” The man reached out two fingers and snapped the neckband on the husky’s neck. 

There was another neckband in his hand. It had been taken from Destroyer 192’s body. 

The two neckbands disappeared simultaneously. The little husky was instantly dumbfounded. 

Its System was gone, and its neckbands were gone. He had turned into a dog that could only live a dozen years!

---

Author's Note

Yuan Luori: Destroyer 192 must be sentenced to at least ten years, with death as the maximum penalty! 

Yu Hua: Yes, ten years of torture, followed by death. 

Destroyer 192: …