NOVPUBWhen Daniel showed up in the logistics department, the Abel and Allen brothers were extraordinarily delighted.
Abel looked Daniel up and down, his tone indifferent but tinged with concern, "Are you alright?"
Allen was practically beside himself with joy, tearfully and snottily hugging Daniel, "Dan, I finally get to see you again."
Feeling the warmth from the two brothers, Daniel couldn’t help but feel touched.
In this world, aside from blood relatives, the ones who constantly worry about you are your true brothers.
They chatted for a while, and the Abel brothers asked many questions.
Mostly about monsters—do they really exist? Can humans compete with them?
When Daniel confirmed their worst fears, both Abel’s and Allen’s faces drained of color.
They’d been clinging to the slim hope that the monster situation was merely a hoax.
Daniel’s words shattered their worldviews.
Upon learning that some humans had evolved into ’Evolvers,’ and that Daniel was one, Allen was ecstatic.
"Evolver? Beings with unimaginable powers, transcending mere mortals?"
"Initially, I thought everyone at the Investigation Bureau were nutcases. But this is just like S.H.I.E.L.D. in the movies—actual superheroes exist!"
"Dan, I want to become an Evolver. Teach me how?"
Daniel pondered for a moment and replied, "To become an Evolver, you’d need to go through a life-or-death situation."
Allen looked at him blankly, trying to digest what Daniel had said.
Daniel elaborated, "Surviving a supernatural event almost guarantees you’ll become an Evolver."
"Simplistic as that?" Allen was skeptical.
Daniel chuckled dryly at the remark. "Simple?"
"Have you ever faced death? Have you been torn to pieces by monsters and chewed up?"
"Ever seen a monster take a bullet to the head and not die?"
Allen swallowed hard, audibly gulping.
The look on Daniel’s face made him feel as if Daniel had personally experienced these horrors.
If becoming an Evolver meant going through all that, perhaps it was best not to aspire to it.
"Never mind," Allen waved his hands dismissively, "I’ll remain a regular person. Behind every great warrior, there are always ordinary people making silent sacrifices."
Abel couldn’t help but slap the back of Allen’s head and then turned to Daniel, "Ignore his nonsense, Dan. While I don’t know how powerful an Evolver really is, I know you’ll be on the front lines against these monsters. It’s bound to be perilous; please be cautious."
Daniel offered a subtle smile, "Don’t worry. I won’t fully perish until every monster is wiped out."
"By the way, I need both of you to help with something. If we succeed, there will be even fewer monsters in this world capable of hurting me."
Hearing this, Abel and Allen instantly grew serious.
Both looked at Daniel and promptly asked, "What do you need us to do? Just say the word; we’ll give it our all."
Daniel responded, "I need you to start mining that gold deposit. I’ll provide an initial one billion for startup. We can figure out the rest later."
Abel and Allen exchanged glances, reading uncertainty in each other’s eyes.
Just a short while ago, Daniel was contemplating selling the gold mine, and now he wanted to excavate it himself.
Though they couldn’t fathom Daniel’s reasoning, the brothers agreed without hesitation.
After imparting a few instructions and warning them to be cautious, Daniel urged them to call him immediately if anything seemed amiss. They then parted ways.
Daniel drove away from the Investigation Bureau and parked beneath Rachel’s apartment building.
He gazed up at her window. The sun shone brilliantly, casting its resplendent rays upon the building; every window gleamed except for Rachel’s.
Her window looked ominously dark, as if shrouded by some malevolent force.
A sense of eerie pervasion hung in the air.
That mysterious creature was still there.
He got out of his car and crossed the street to a café, taking a seat near the window.
He ordered a cup of coffee and kept his gaze fixed on Rachel’s window.
As the sun journeyed from east to west and the last hues of daylight vanished, night arrived on schedule.
The table in front of Daniel was filled with empty coffee cups.
Had the creature disappeared?
Furrowing his brow, Daniel was about to get up and investigate when he noticed two black vans screeching to a halt outside the café.
Six or seven burly men, clad in dark suits, burst through the café doors.
In a fluid sequence of movements that suggested well-practiced routine, they cleared out the café’s patrons and flipped a ’Temporarily Closed’ sign on the door.
Daniel’s instincts kicked in; these people were up to no good, and he was their target.
His hand instinctively reached for the Desert Eagle at his waist, his eyes narrowing with caution.
Among the men in black, a young man in his early twenties caught his eye.
Handsome and charismatic, the young man saw Daniel’s movement and offered a suave smile.
"No need to draw your gun, Mr. Daniel. The spiritual magazine your Desert Eagle uses comes from our company."
Daniel glanced at the young man before speaking, "You’re with Rebirth Corporation, aren’t you?"
The young man settled into the chair across from Daniel, a playful smirk etched on his face. "So, Nine has already briefed you, huh?"
"Yes, we are indeed from Rebirth Corporation. My name is Morrison, and I’m the general manager. Pleasure to meet you, Daniel," he said, extending a business card.
A cover, perhaps?
Daniel took the card, briefly examining it.
Other than Morrison’s name and contact number, the card was deliberately void of any further information, as though purposefully cultivating an air of mystique.
Daniel knew they were likely here because of Nine, but he maintained his composure.
"So, what brings you here?" Daniel inquired.
Morrison surveyed the café, noting that all other patrons had been removed, before posing his unexpected question. "Nine met his end at your hands, didn’t he?"
Caught off guard, Daniel nonetheless recounted the circumstances of Nine’s death with a measured tone, leaving out any unnecessary details.
After listening to Daniel’s explanation, Morrison’s smile remained unchanged. "Let’s set aside the issue with Nine for the moment and focus on you."
"Firstly, congratulations on becoming the team leader at Investigation Bureau Headquarters," Morrison began. "You’re the first to take such a position immediately after becoming an Evolver. Your future is promising. Have you ever considered joining us at Rebirth?"
Daniel looked at Morrison, his thoughts triggering a data display.
[Age]: Born in ’99 (24 years old)
[Detail]: Level 3 Evolver, possesses shadow abilities. Specifically, can manipulate his own shadow, freely switch identities with it, and the shadow has a hundred percent of his own capabilities.
[Appraisal]: His shadow abilities make it difficult to detect his presence. A born assassin. Avoid if encountered!
"Level 3 Evolver," Daniel mused, eyes flickering with newfound caution.
This was beyond his expectations.
Given Morrison’s abilities, any direct confrontation would be disadvantageous.
Besides, six other black-clad men were at his beck and call, all Level 1 Evolvers.
Numbers alone could tip the scales.
Engaging them now would be imprudent.
With this in mind, Daniel responded, "Certainly, I’d be interested in joining Rebirth."
Morrison, who had already mentally prepared a persuasive pitch, stumbled over his words. "Excuse me, what did you say?"
"I said I’ll join Rebirth," Daniel repeated, a hint of exasperation coloring his tone.
Morrison eyed him quizzically. "Are you messing with me?"
"Why is it so hard for you Rebirth folks to take someone at their word?" Daniel retorted. "I said I’d consider joining, provided you can show me the benefits of doing so."
Morrison burst into hearty laughter. "Haha! You really don’t beat around the bush, do you?"
"Though I maintain my reservations about you, I’m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. Bring in the item from the car," Morrison directed, the latter sentence obviously intended for his subordinates.
Two men in black exited the café, returned to their vehicle, and soon came back carrying a rectangular object that stood over half their height.
It was covered with a cloth, obscuring its true nature, but the strained expressions of the men carrying it indicated its considerable weight.
With a flick of his wrist, Morrison signaled for the cloth to be removed.
Instantly, a dazzling burst of golden light filled the room. Real, pure gold.
Beneath the cloth lay a massive rectangular block of gold, styled like a safe.
"This is a safe made from two tons of pure gold. Its internal structure is designed to block all supernatural powers," Morrison explained. "You’ve just joined the Investigation Bureau; I doubt you’ve seen this much gold before."
Even at current market prices, two tons of gold would be worth close to nine billion StellarCoins.
Morrison was confident that any rational individual would find such an offer irresistible.
"Is that all?" Daniel’s tone was nonchalant.
Morrison paused, then broke into a grin. "You’re audacious. I like that."
"Indeed, this amount would easily tempt any average Evolver, but you are far from average. With your rare ability to resist any negative effects, you’re worth much more," Morrison spoke as he pulled a wallet from his pocket and placed it in front of Daniel.
