NOVPUBEven 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.
Upon observing the wallet, Daniel sensed a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy.
Could this be a Spiritual Artifact?
He could clearly perceive that the wallet contained an independent space of about one cubic meter.
A spatial Spiritual Artifact, no less. Daniel was subtly surprised.
Noticing Daniel’s reaction, Morrison appeared pleased. He chuckled, "Exactly, this wallet is an extremely rare spatial Spiritual Artifact— a storage wallet, if you will. With mere thought, you can place objects in or take them out. So, do you like it?"
Like it? Of course, he did.
With this storage wallet, he could carry a great deal of cumbersome items that would otherwise be inconvenient to lug around.
And all this would weigh no more than the wallet itself.
Daniel was very tempted.
However, Daniel casually tossed the wallet back onto the table, a cool smile spreading across his face.
"I do like it, it’s indeed rare. But, it’s still just a supplementary Spiritual Artifact, offering no substantive enhancement to my own powers. If you think this is enough to make me betray the Investigation Bureau, then you’re underestimating me."
At these words, Morrison’s face darkened.
How demanding could this guy be?
Any Evolver would understand the invaluable convenience of a storage wallet.
It wasn’t as though there were many; they were exceedingly rare.
Libertopia itself might not have a second spatial Spiritual Artifact to offer.
Morrison would have never parted with this if not for Daniel’s unique abilities.
And yet, Daniel was not impressed.
"What do you want? A Gene Magnet? An offensive Spiritual Artifact? Or perhaps more gold?"
Morrison’s face wore a look of exasperation, his voice tinged with impatience.
Had Daniel not held some value to him, Morrison would have already slapped the insolent man dead, given his usual temperament.
Daniel pondered for a moment before picking up the wallet from the table again. "Why do you want me to join Rebirth?"
"As I’ve said, for your abilities," Morrison replied curtly.
Daniel shook his head. "I’d like you to be more specific, to help me weigh my options."
If Morrison had taken an interest in his abilities, then he surely had a particular use for them in mind.
And Daniel was right; Morrison was caught in a moment of hesitation. Should he disclose it?
The man before him had yet to commit to joining Rebirth.
If he were to learn of Morrison’s plans prematurely and let the information slip, things could get dicey.
After some contemplation, Morrison decided there was little harm in telling Daniel.
After all, nobody else knew the details. Besides, if Daniel agreed, he wouldn’t spill the secret.
If he declined, then there would be no reason to keep him in the loop anyway.
"I need your abilities to retrieve something for me."
"Where from?"
"Thirteen hundred nautical miles off the West Coast, at the bottom of the sea."
Daniel’s expression remained tranquil, a still pond without a ripple, yet the wheels in his mind began to turn.
Thirteen hundred nautical miles would place one near the heart of the open ocean, where the seabed’s depths can easily reach two to three thousand meters.
What could possibly be there, in a realm devoid of sunlight?
Monsters.
Whatever was down there had to be accompanied by the shadow of monstrous creatures.
Daniel had his answer in mind.
On land, humanity’s domain, they were not even guaranteed victory against monsters.
Descending two to three thousand meters—or deeper—into the ocean would be tantamount to courting death.
No sane person would go.
Without a second thought, Daniel flatly replied, "I won’t go."
Morrison’s face darkened. "You better think carefully. You only get one chance."
A sardonic laugh escaped Daniel’s lips. "What, are you planning to kill me to keep me quiet?"
Morrison chuckled, "You’re sharp. It’s not just about silencing you. Your abilities might pose a significant obstacle to us overtaking the Investigation Bureau in the future. So, if you don’t join us, you must die."
"Think it over. I’d hate to eliminate an Evolver with such rare capabilities."
Daniel shook his head again. "I refuse."
Seeing this, Morrison looked somewhat taken aback. "Are you sure? You should know that as a Level 3 Evolver, I could kill you effortlessly. I won’t give you a chance to catch your breath."
Daniel had no doubt this was true, yet he stood firm. "I refuse."
The smile faded from Morrison’s face as if he were a different person.
"Ah, what a shame. I thought we could be close colleagues, comrades in arms. It seems that was only my wishful thinking."
Suddenly, without warning, a spike composed of dark shadows shot out from beneath Morrison’s feet, hurtling toward Daniel’s throat with lethal speed and force, enough to pierce through anything.
Unfazed by the unexpected strike, Daniel watched it closely, gaining further insight into Morrison’s capabilities. Shadow powers, indeed potent.
Whoosh!
The shadow spike halted, stopping just a millimeter from Daniel’s throat.
But the force of the spike had already punctured the air, leaving a pinprick-sized cut on Daniel’s throat that gathered into a droplet of blood.
Morrison looked at Daniel with keen interest. "I didn’t expect you to remain so composed in the face of death. I’m liking you more and more."
"My subordinates are a bunch of impulsive idiots. I like someone level-headed, like me. I’ll give you another chance. Join Rebirth now, and sign the Spiritual Contract, and you’ll live."
Daniel met Morrison’s gaze with unwavering calm, a glint of disdain flashing in his eyes. "Who do you think you are to offer me a chance?"
Morrison’s smile vanished instantly. "It appears you’re beyond redemption. I wonder what the Investigation Bureau has given you to instill such loyalty. Well, if you can’t be used, you must die. It would also avenge Nine."
Daniel smirked, "You think you can kill me?"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Daniel drew a Desert Eagle with lightning speed, channeling a hundredfold increase in power. With a thunderous bang, the bullet exploded out.
Morrison furrowed his brow; ordinary bullets were no longer a significant threat to him.
However, a heartbeat later, his expression dramatically changed as an inexplicable dread seized him. Reflected in his eyes was a bullet enveloped in flames.
He could distinctly sense the bullet’s immense power—definitely not something he could withstand physically.
"Shadow Transmu—"
Morrison barely got the words out when his head was blown off by the bullet.
Daniel looked forward calmly. Was it over?
The shadowy spike near his throat slowly dissipated, seemingly foretelling Morrison’s end. But he had heard Morrison say something—had the bullet disrupted his incantation?
Suddenly, Daniel sensed movement behind him.
Whipping around, he pulled the trigger.
Bang! Bang! Bang! n𝚘vp𝚞𝚋.com
The subsequent shots were not indiscriminate; Daniel had deliberately sealed off all of Morrison’s avenues of escape.
However, what he saw next was staggering. What appeared behind him was not a person, but a shadow—a pitch-black one. His bullets merely passed through it, hitting the wall behind.
The shadow bared a hollow mouth in a cold smile and raised a hand.
Whoosh!
Once more, a spike of shadow manifested, rocketing towards Daniel at a furious speed.
From Daniel’s back, four bone spurs broke through his clothing, arcing over his head and coming together to form a defensive armor.
Yet, the gap in power between a Level 3 Evolver and a Level 1 Evolver was immense.
Cling!
The shadowy spike jabbed into Daniel’s bony armor, hesitated for just a moment, and then penetrated it completely.
Crack!
The bony armor shattered into pieces, falling to the ground. A gaping wound, the size of a bowl, appeared on Daniel’s chest. His vision shifted upward as he collapsed onto the ground.
The shadow morphed back into human form, revealing Morrison.
He looked at the fallen Daniel, hesitating, "How could that Desert Eagle generate such immense power? And what are these bones? His ability is supposed to be immunity."
Morrison was puzzled, but the world afforded him no time to ponder. Everything instantly shattered and collapsed.
...
[Number of Echo Stone Time Rewinds within 24 hours: 9!]
...
Inside the café, Daniel had been sitting from daylight till dusk. The lights had come on, and the customers were as numerous as ever.
Suddenly, he saw two black business cars pull up across the street.
Led by Morrison, six men in black stormed into the café.
After driving everyone out, they hung a ’Closed’ sign on the door.
