NOVPUBNine’s face was now even darker, her eyes blazing with fury, the corner of her lips curling into a cold smile.
"Arlo, chase him down!" she barked.
Without hesitation, Arlo bolted out.
Nine then turned her gaze to the still entranced 76.
Well, at least she still had one under her spell.
Arlo would handle the other; for now, she would focus on completing the enchantment for 76.
Nine gracefully lifted her hand and resumed her dance.
...
Daniel burst out of the underground auction, running above ground without hearing any footsteps chasing him from behind.
Just as he suspected, they hadn’t caught on yet.
He sprinted towards the car he had taken from the hotel and dove in.
Throwing Saharak into the back seat, he pulled out his Desert Eagle, loading it with the Spiritual Artifact magazine.
Just as he was done, he saw a figure emerging from the underground passage.
It was Arlo.
Daniel wasn’t confident in taking on a level 3 Evolver.
He quickly ignited the engine and floored it.
As Arlo scanned the surroundings, he spotted Daniel’s car speeding off and immediately locked eyes with him through the window.
Lifting his foot off the ground, he accelerated to his top speed.
Daniel watched in disbelief as Arlo charged towards him, seemingly attempting to use his body to stop the car.
Is he out of his mind?
Even if he’s under Nine’s spell, it doesn’t make sense to think of physically stopping a car.
That’s just suicidal.
While a level 3 Evolver is formidable, they aren’t invincible.
Confronting a speeding car without any special powers is like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
Daniel pressed the accelerator harder, the engine roaring like a wild beast.
He was almost out of the parking area.
As the car was about to pass by Arlo, he suddenly reached out to touch the car door.
Immediately, there was a powerful jolt!
Arlo was thrown off, rolling a few times on the ground.
Daniel glanced at the speedometer.
They were only going about 50-60 mph, but that’s still enough to severely injure an average person.
Looking again in the rearview mirror, he saw Arlo getting up.
Though seemingly unharmed, he didn’t seem to be in pursuit anymore.
Daniel mused, "Has he given up?"
His taut nerves relaxed slightly, but he didn’t let up on the gas, speeding away from the convention center and merging onto the main road.
However, he soon realized something was off.
The scenery outside seemed to move too slowly.
He glanced at the speedometer.
The car’s speed was dropping dramatically!
What’s going on?!
Suddenly, Daniel heard an odd sound.
It sounded like metal clashing, coupled with something breaking.
CRASH!
Suddenly, the car lurched downward, coming to a complete stop.
Kicking the door open, Daniel saw that the wheels had come off the vehicle.
The rims appeared to have been twisted and bent, as if by some unimaginable force.
Lifting his head, he saw Arlo strolling up the road.
It was him!
Daniel gritted his teeth, his expression grave.
How on earth did he manage that?
Could his ability be some kind of remote attack?
Recalling how No. 28 had died, it seemed plausible.
With that thought, Daniel turned and bolted.
It was clear now; Arlo had a long-range attack, possibly even affecting objects from a distance.
Fighting such an Evolver was a nightmare at long range.
After all, drawing and aiming a gun would take a few seconds.
Whereas Arlo, with just a flick of his fingers, could harm him.
The immediate priority was to put distance between them.
Even special abilities should have a range limit, or Arlo wouldn’t have any reason to approach him!
On the road, other vehicles stopped, thinking an accident had occurred.
As some were about to ask if Daniel needed help, all they saw was a fleeting blur.
"Holy crap! How fast is he running?"
"That speed, he could give world-class sprinters a run for their money!"
"I think he’s even faster!"
Daniel sped down the street, darting into any alley he spotted.
Given his supernatural speed, he had undoubtedly drawn the attention of many bystanders.
After what felt like ages, Daniel slowed down, looking back to find no sign of anyone.
"Has he given up?"
No sooner had he spoken, Arlo emerged from around a corner.
Swearing in frustration, Daniel exclaimed, "Damn it, can’t you give up?"
His pace increased once more.
Arlo, being a level 3 Evolver, was persistent.
Even though he seemed a bit stiff due to being enchanted, his speed was still impressive.
He was closing the gap.
As Daniel ran for his life, he constantly glanced over his shoulder, gauging the distance between them.
Roughly 100 feet or so.
At this rate, he’d be caught in a couple of minutes!
Suddenly, Daniel furrowed his brow.
Something wasn’t right.
Why was Arlo still chasing him so closely without attacking from a distance?
Could it be...
A glint of excitement flashed in Daniel’s eyes.
If things were as he suspected, the tables might turn today regarding who was the hunter and who was the prey!
Daniel halted, spun around, and drew his Desert Eagle from his waist.
Seeing this, a hint of surprise and confusion crossed Arlo’s face.
He couldn’t fathom why the guy, who was fleeing desperately moments ago, suddenly mustered the courage to confront him.
Had he given up?
Daniel aimed the gun at Arlo’s head, saying with a smirk, "I’m giving you a chance to strike. If you don’t make your move, I’ll blow your brains out."
Raising his gloved hands, Arlo touched a nearby garbage bin, and with a slight flick of his fingers, the bin, filled with foul-smelling trash, levitated, rotating in the air following Arlo’s finger movements.
When Arlo pointed, the bin hurtled straight at Daniel.
Just as he’d thought!
Daniel couldn’t help but smirk.
There were rumors on the forum that Black Gloved Arlo could manipulate objects from a distance.
However, there was a catch: he had to touch the object first.
The same thing happened at the auction!
If Daniel’s hunch was right, all the masks given to the auction participants were touched by Arlo. No. 28, wearing one of those masks, was killed by Arlo’s remote abilities.
Daniel silently thanked his stars. Luckily, he had discarded the mask after leaving the auction venue. Otherwise, he would have fallen prey to Arlo’s powers.
Dodging the incoming bin with a swift sidestep, Daniel squeezed the trigger in the next heartbeat.
The Spiritual Artifact magazine emitted a brief, imperceptible white glow, launching a spiraling Spiritual bullet straight into Arlo’s head.
Even a level 3 Evolver, when faced with conventional firearms, would tread cautiously, let alone firearms loaded with Spiritual Artifact bullets!
With just one shot, Arlo’s head burst open like a watermelon, spewing a vivid red mixed with an indescribable milky-white fluid.
A gentle breeze blew as Arlo’s rigid body thudded to the ground.
Stowing away his weapon, Daniel remarked, "So this is the feared level 3 Evolver everyone talks about? Not so impressive after all!"
But as he prepared to leave, he noticed the black glove on Arlo’s hand mysteriously sliding off.
It then moved on the ground, wriggling like a lively worm.
Daniel’s brow furrowed even deeper, "What in the world? An Evolver’s power is... alive?"
Suddenly, he sensed something amiss.
The animate black glove wasn’t trying to escape but was making a beeline for him.
What was this?
Seeking a new host?
Before he could react, the glove was at his feet and then, whoosh!
It flew up, encasing Daniel’s hands.
Rather than resisting, Daniel just watched.
He had activated his Life Gate, and an unexplainable mist lingered inside him.
If he was unsure of the mist’s purpose, perhaps using this glove would provide some answers.
With composure, Daniel slipped the glove onto his hand.
It was a tad big, fitting awkwardly.
Then, Daniel felt a sinister and malevolent presence, carrying the weight of curses, invading his being, headed straight for that mysterious zone within him, much like the mist had done.
When this malevolent essence reached the zone, it seemed to halt abruptly.
It had seemingly not anticipated someone else was ’in residence’ there already!
And the one who arrived first appeared to be overpowering.
The malevolence from the glove tried to retreat.
Retreat?
Daniel found the urge to chuckle.
If it wanted to flee, it meant that his gray mist was the victor in this clash.
Survival of the fittest.
When faced with something weaker than oneself, it’s only natural to dominate.
Promptly, Daniel wielded the gray mist within him, wrapping and enclosing the essence of the black glove.
As the mist unfurled fully, the glove’s essence, as if petrified, began to panic, careening aimlessly.
For a moment, the black glove tried vehemently to wrench free from Daniel’s grasp.
However, accompanied by a disdainful snort from Daniel, the gray mist devoured the black glove’s essence in its entirety.
