Chapter 82

"Infected, why have you infiltrated the school?" Under the star-studded night sky, an elderly man dressed impeccably in a shirt and tie, leaning both hands on his cane, spoke with a solemn tone. "There is nothing here that your kind wants. Leave my school."

That sounded quite amusing, Ji Qing thought to himself.

The black-haired, crimson-eyed intruder casually played with his fingers and murmured with feigned distress, "And yet, am I not doing just that? It is you, elder, who has blocked my path of departure."

The moment those words were uttered, He Yun realized something was wrong.

It seems he has already succeeded, He Yun thought with realization.

By now, the intruder had shifted from his ghostly, smoke-like state back into a complete human form. This haughty intruder spoke with a tone that was partly composed and partly casual, clearly not sensing any real danger in the current situation.

He was dressed elegantly and wore a face mask. A pair of blood-red, shimmering slit pupils peered through the black veil, sizing He Yun up with a half-smile.

He Yun had identified the man as an Infected based on the characteristics of his eyes. Only the Infected possessed such bizarre physical changes, and only the Infected would deliberately flaunt their mutations during an operation.

This was one of their signature traits.

He Yun spoke sternly, "Leave the item behind, and I may let you walk away."

"Oh?" The intruder suddenly let out a whistle, his lips curving into a graceful smile. "It seems the Principal also understands that now is not the time for a head-on confrontation. Did my talent bluff you, or are you worried about your subordinates who are rushing here in a panic?"

"How about we just pretend you saw nothing?"

The intruder cast a provocative glance toward the Administrative Building in the distance.

These words were less of an offer for peace and more of a threat. He Yun thought calmly: This intruder was using his own strength and the lives of He Yun's subordinates to "persuade" him to let him go. Since the objective of the infiltration had been achieved, the intruder himself did not wish to waste a combat opportunity for no reason.

When an Infected used their talent, it would deepen their mutation.

To avoid fighting if possible—that was the attitude the intruder was projecting.

However, He Yun knew he could not compromise.

Although he still did not know which ability item the Infected had stolen from the school’s Collection Vault, the fact that it was worth a trip from such a powerful Infected made him realize the severity of the situation.

As the Principal of the Third Ability Academy, He Yun knew the layout of the school better than anyone else. Because of this, he had been able to discern exactly where the alarm had been triggered and could predict the intruder's next move.

Years of experience as a hunter also allowed He Yun to judge that this intruder had come prepared.

The intruder had specifically avoided the outer patrols, headed straight for the underground vault, and chose to break through the ground exactly where He Yun had predicted after being discovered. If the intruder's plan hadn't been so meticulous, the two of them wouldn't have crossed paths like this.

A powerful Infected, a specific theft, a prepared plan... the combination of these factors pointed toward a turbulent future.

If he took a single step back here, he would be unworthy of his status as an S-rank Hunter!

Yet, He Yun did not attack immediately. He still wanted to talk the Infected down, and for only one reason—

The teachers remaining at the school were relatively weak.

By the time the teachers realized the intruder was not at the Administrative Building and came rushing over, there might be unnecessary casualties. Furthermore, He Yun had never seen the intruder's talent before; defeating him quickly would be far from simple.

He Yun thought: What a pity... It seems I can't bluff my way through this...

The handsome old man said coldly, "And if I insist on keeping you here?"

"Then we shall each rely on our own skills."

Li Yuan let out a nonchalant laugh. His crimson slit pupils flickered with a violent sense of pleasure. It was a morbid obsession rooted in human genes for conflict, bloodshed, and anything that could trigger an adrenaline rush.

The battle erupted instantly.

Countless bolts of lightning suddenly overflowed from the Principal’s cane, flashing toward the Infected. They were swift and agile, leaving crackling sparks wherever they passed and scorching yellowish burn marks onto the lawn.

However, before the lightning could reach him—

The numerous agile and fierce bolts were immediately dragged into the ground by thick, pitch-black shadows. They struggled like trapped beasts before eventually turning into wisps of insignificant white smoke. Nevertheless, some stubborn bolts tore through the ominous shadows and surged forward.

The abilities and talents clashed, and their masters were just as engaged.

A pitch-black longsword formed from shadows slammed directly into the silver-white cane. The two engaged in a fierce struggle on the school lawn, each clash vividly demonstrating their masterful control over their respective ability or talent.

[Used Shadow Strike once, Popularity Value -20]

[Used Shadow Strike once, Popularity Value -20]

[Used Shadow Swap once, Popularity Value -20]

...

The Popularity Value was evaporating at a rate visible to the naked eye. The amount, which had long since surpassed ten thousand, immediately dropped exponentially into the thousands, then the hundreds... yet its owner didn't even spare it a glance, using it directly.

I'm really glad I used a persona for this, Ji Qing thought.

Using a single shadow skill wouldn't consume much Popularity Value, but facing a powerhouse with extensive combat experience, Ji Qing naturally maintained the utmost vigilance. Worried about the safety of the teachers coming to support him, He Yun’s offensive was fast and fierce.

Ji Qing, naturally, could not allow himself to fall into a disadvantage.

This was a psychological war of attrition; both sides were incredibly tense. If either side showed any hesitation or weakness, the other would seize the opportunity to strike and lead the battle toward their desired victory.

The pitch-black longsword was suddenly shattered by the silver-white cane.

But before He Yun could follow through, the longsword instantly transformed into a whip as supple as a venomous snake, tightly binding the cane in an attempt to snap it. His old companion of many years let out several faint creaks.

The sound was extremely slight, yet it echoed clearly in both their ears.

In a duel between experts, any tiny sound was enough to turn the tide.

The corners of Li Yuan’s mouth couldn't help but curl upward.

Even though the swift and thunderous lightning drowned out all other noise, He Yun could still clearly read the silent words of the man standing inches away. The intruder was smiling as he said: It seems the victory is mine.

He Yun immediately manipulated the lightning, causing a bolt to explode between the two of them.

He used a "lose-lose" tactic to interrupt this brief exchange. Faint white smoke rose from his cracked cane. His old friend, who had accompanied him for many years, had unfortunately suffered fundamental damage during this conflict with the Infected.

But at this moment, He Yun did not spare the cane even a single glance.

He scrutinized the intruder with a serious gaze, as if wondering when such a formidable character had appeared in the Federation.

After several rounds of intense clashing, He Yun had a general grasp of his opponent's strength. The opponent’s power was just like the talent he displayed—dark, eerie, and seemingly without limit, like a cold and hopeless dead sea.

Such a powerhouse wasn't even using his full strength to avoid deepening his mutation.

When did the Federation produce such a powerful Infected?

He Yun was deeply shocked internally, but he remained expressionless on the surface. As a hunter who had spent years in Danger Zones, he knew he must not show even a hint of hesitation. Hesitation, doubt, and confusion would all become knives the enemy could use against him.

But... but someone like this...

He is still in the early stages of mutation; how can he understand his own talent so well? Is this really not an ability?

He Yun’s mind raced with a thousand thoughts, but after remembering something, a look of realization flashed in his eyes.

He stated with certainty, "You are from the Dawn Society."

"Oh?" The intruder didn't show any sign of surprise. He still held the longsword made of shadows, pacing along the edge of the lawn. He smiled nonchalantly and asked back, "Senior He, isn't that obvious?"

"I heard long ago that the Dawn Society developed a serum to suppress mutation. Is that why you are so reckless?" He Yun frowned as he moved.

Because Li Yuan was moving, He Yun was forced to move around the lawn with him.

For a moment, the atmosphere on the lawn was on the verge of exploding. However, the intruder acted as if he were hearing about this for the first time, murmuring with a troubled expression as he touched his face, "Is that so? I'm not really sure about that. After all, I'm still in the early stages of mutation; I have no use for such a thing."

"Precious medicine should naturally be saved for those who need it more."

At the end of his sentence, the intruder looked straight at He Yun’s left leg, making no effort to hide his provocation.

He Yun’s face instantly darkened.

The Infected’s words were undoubtedly a slap in the face!

He Yun’s left leg had been permanently disabled due to a severe injury, which was why he had been willing to retreat to the second line of defense. The long periods of high-intensity travel had prevented his leg injury from receiving proper care, but that was no excuse for an Infected to insult him.

Thus, a new round of conflict quickly began.

Although He Yun desperately wanted to force the intruder to speak and learn of his origins and goals, the intruder always diverted the conversation back to the fight, as if intentionally preventing He Yun from learning about his existence.

This didn't quite fit the current MO of the Dawn Society.

He Yun silently reviewed the intelligence he had on the Dawn Society. He naturally classified such a powerful Infected as a high-ranking member, but currently, among the high-ranking members of the Dawn Society, only the appearances of Red Heart and White Night were officially recorded...

Could he be one of the remaining cadres?

Snap—

The sound of the wooden cane breaking echoed through the night sky.

The winner of this battle was finally decided at this moment, yet the fight had not yet reached its end.

The intruder’s lips curled into a wild smile as he prepared to press his advantage.

Just as He Yun prepared to dodge, an anxious voice called out from not far away: "Principal! There's an intruder!"

Both people on the lawn paused.

Then, He Yun saw the intruder's form instantly dissipate, the black smoke heading straight for the third party's location.

He Yun’s pupils constricted instantly.

He sprinted toward the approaching teacher, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Watch out!!!"

However, the eerie and ominous black smoke suddenly vanished just as it was about to leap off the lawn and reach the teacher. Startled by the Principal's shout, the teacher had already prepared to activate their ability to counterattack, but was left looking around in confusion.

Seeing this, He Yun couldn't help but stop in his tracks.

He gazed solemnly at the thin black smoke before him, thinking with a sense of relief: It seems he has escaped.

It was an event that was hard to classify as good or bad.

By the time tonight ended, a letter of reprimand from the Federation would be sitting on his desk. As the Principal of the Third Ability Academy, he had failed to stop the Dawn Society from taking an ability item that was vital to them. But fortunately... fortunately...

Fortunately, there were no casualties among his subordinates.

The young teacher asked anxiously, "Principal, what just happened?"

"It's nothing, it's nothing," He Yun said, waving his hand repeatedly to reassure them.

He instinctively reached for his cane, only to suddenly remember its unfortunate demise just moments ago. For the first time, this battle-hardened former S-rank Hunter showed his exhaustion. He looked up at the night sky and said, "I'm old... I really have grown old..."

***

Elsewhere, at 10:47 PM, by the school wall.

Ji Qing successfully returned the Administrative Building keys to the guardhouse at the school gate. He thought with amusement: I bet no one in the school would ever imagine that a thief who just robbed the place would be in the mood to return the keys.

This operation had cost a baseline of over twelve thousand Popularity Value.

Ji Qing had instantly fallen from being a wealthy man back to the impoverished class he was in before he opened his personas. Although the skill-type items only seemed to cost 20 Popularity Value each, creating those overwhelming, earth-shattering special effects would truly empty one's wallet.

Therefore, on his way back, Ji Qing honestly chose to climb over the wall.

In any case, all the school’s security personnel had gathered at the Administrative Building because of the alarm that had pierced the night. There were currently no guards at the guardhouse; only an old incandescent bulb remained at its post.

Ji Qing even had the leisure to turn off a light for the elderly security guards.

However, the moment Ji Qing's feet hit the ground, he sensed a mysterious feeling of being watched.

Ji Qing tilted his head, troubled by this.

Just as he was about to use his Spiritual Energy to attack the unknown voyeur, he suddenly remembered the ability Li Xuehua had mentioned in the past.

Oh, so it’s the teacher?

Li Xuehua must have discovered him while scanning the school’s perimeter for other signs of intrusion. However, this was the perfect opportunity for a flawless curtain call. The elegantly dressed, mysterious, and powerful intruder let a composed smile curl onto his lips.

He turned gracefully like a gentleman and bowed toward the distant voyeur. "All for the dawn of the new world. Please bid your Principal farewell for me."

After saying that, Ji Qing unhesitatingly attacked the scattered Spiritual Energy.

—In the gentlest way possible.