NOVPUBRachel’s face was stern. "Move, I need to get out." She walked forward, but Samuel stood his ground, like a utility pole blocking her path.
Rachel repeated, "Move. I’m leaving."
"Heh."
Suddenly, Samuel let out a cold chuckle. His eyes locked onto Rachel, unguarded and shameless. "Rachel, don’t think I don’t know. You’re still pining for that pretty boy in Golden Shores City!"
"Just a mere human, what’s so special about him?"
"I’ve already opened my Life Gate and will soon unlock my first Gene Lock to become a Level-One Evolver!"
"What right does that ordinary human have to vie for a woman against me?!"
Rachel had no interest in prolonged dialogue; she responded curtly, "Even if you become an Evolver, he’s leagues ahead of you."
Thud!
Her words were like a match thrown into a powder keg, instantly igniting Samuel’s fury. His right fist punched a hole in the wall, startling Rachel.
Samuel laughed maniacally, "I’m destined to become something great, like a superhero in the movies. Comparing me to a mere human is laughably pathetic."
He took a step forward, his hand reaching for Rachel’s neck. She noticed and dodged swiftly.
"What are you trying to do?!"
"What am I trying to do? I’m your future husband; you’re my future wife. What else but the things husbands and wives should do?"
Samuel advanced step by step, "We’ve been around each other this long, and you won’t even let me touch you. I thought you were some virtuous woman. You’re just a whore someone else has had his way with. If it weren’t for your looks and important business between our families, why would I ever marry a whore like you?"
Rachel knew Samuel never truly liked her, but she was taken aback by the venom in his words. She didn’t care. She had disliked him from the beginning; now she simply despised him more.
However, Samuel was closing in, his eyes glazed with lust. He was a robust man and an Evolver to boot; she stood little chance against his strength. What could she do?
Just then, a knock at the door.
Seized by animalistic desires, Samuel wanted to ignore it, but the knocking grew more insistent. From the other side came a voice, "Mr. Samuel, Mr. Orland is calling you downstairs."
"Impatiently, Samuel snapped, "Fine, I’ll be down in a minute!"
He turned his attention back to Rachel, but the voice outside persisted, "You should come down now; I have urgent matters to report concerning Miss Rachel."
That got under Samuel’s skin. He was ready to explode but realized that an even more potent Evolver stood beyond that door, and his father was waiting for him. Reluctantly, he retreated.
He looked at Rachel and a gentlemanly smile returned to his face. "My dear, thank you and your father for your hospitality today. I am delighted. I look forward to seeing you in a wedding dress. Goodbye."
With that, he opened the door. Standing outside was an elderly man in a black suit. He seemed benign but was a renowned Evolver in elite circles.
"Hmph!" Samuel glowered, brushing past the old man and exiting hastily.
Once Samuel had left, the man in the suit asked with genuine concern, "Miss Rachel, are you alright?"
Rachel broke into a smile. "I’m fine, thank you Hadler!"
She knew that Hadler had intervened to help her out of a precarious situation. In this house teeming with self-interest, only this old butler, who had watched her grow up, still radiated familial warmth toward her.
Rachel glanced at her phone, at a photo she’d secretly taken of Daniel in his sleep one morning. Thinking of his words just a moment ago, a flower of happiness bloomed wildly in her heart.
During Daniel and Mike’s return to the Investigation Bureau, a major incident unfolded within the agency.
Inside the minister’s office, Martin roared in disbelief, his face twisted in incredulity. "What did you say? Andy’s Resonance reaction is out of control?!"
"It can’t be! Absolutely not! What in God’s name happened?"
"The Isaac town incident was rated a C-level threat. Considering Andy’s capabilities, I could understand if his whole team were wiped out, but how could he himself end up in such a dire condition?"
"He’s been in a coma for two days, and just as we finally revive him, his Resonance reaction spirals out of control? Didn’t the medical team say his injuries weren’t severe?"
As it turned out, the day before Daniel and the others headed to the supermarket, the intelligence department had received information about a supernatural event occurring in a small town more than a hundred kilometers away from Golden Shores City.
Given that the danger level was only a C, Martin had assigned Andy, a level 2 Evolver, to lead a team for investigation.
That day, Martin had issued two assignments: one for the supermarket and one for Isaac town.
However, the supermarket was deemed a lesser threat, so Martin had delayed that mission, assigning it the following day to Julia and Mike, who would take Daniel along for some field experience.
Andy’s team had departed for Isaac town that very day, but only Andy returned the next.
He was found unconscious on Golden Shores Highway One by a Good Samaritan who alerted the authorities.
Law enforcement then contacted the Investigation Bureau, and Andy was brought back to the agency.
He remained in a coma until today, when he finally regained consciousness.
The staff member reporting the situation was drenched in a cold sweat under Martin’s furious glare.
"Minister... When Andy regained consciousness, he stated that the intelligence was incorrect. Although the number of monsters in Isaac town wasn’t large, their threat levels were extraordinarily high, at least equivalent to a level 3 Evolver."
"If his ability weren’t teleportation, he likely would have perished along with the other investigators in the town."
"Level 3 Evolver?" Martin was immediately shocked. A monster equivalent to a level 3 Evolver would warrant an A-Rank threat level!
Moreover, monsters of the same rank are often far more formidable than humans.
If Andy’s account was accurate, the monsters in Isaac town could pose the most challenging fight the Investigation Bureau has ever faced.
Martin knew this was no time for idle thoughts. He urgently asked, "Where is Andy now?"
"He’s in the medical room, but his Resonance reaction is at an extreme peak. He’s on the verge of losing control and exploding. We’ve already evacuated the area within a hundred meters around the medical room. Going there now would be too dangerous for you."
Martin spoke gravely, "Is Brooks back yet?"
"Not yet. He went to a remote forest far from the city, and we can’t reach him for now."
"What about Alex? Has he recovered enough to walk?"
"He can move around, but his injuries haven’t fully healed. He won’t be much help in a fight."
Martin sighed, "We can’t afford to wait any longer. Summon him to my office, and bring Daniel as well. This is precisely the moment when we need his abilities."
"Understood."
Five minutes later, Daniel walked into Martin’s office, a puzzled expression on his face. He’d just returned to the Investigation Bureau with Mike and was immediately summoned by a staffer to see Martin. He had no idea what this meeting was about.
As he entered the office, the first thing he noticed was a strapping, tall man sitting across from Martin. His face was as pale as chalk, but his high, aquiline nose lent depth to his eye sockets, making his gaze appear even more profound. He was a handsome man, a magnet for admirers in any night club, no doubt. However, his expression was consistently stern, his eyes cold as ice, and his overall demeanor radiated an aura of ’keep away.’ The pallor on his face, along with the intermittent coughing, suggested an underlying frailty.
Upon seeing Daniel, Martin nodded in acknowledgment. "Daniel, I didn’t wish to disturb you, but we’re facing an emergency that necessitates the use of your precognitive abilities. Rest assured, you will be compensated as we previously discussed."
Daniel sat down without betraying any emotion. His heart skipped a beat. The gravity of the situation was now painfully obvious. Was his precognitive ability needed? First, he’d find out the specifics—either he’d bluff his way through or hit the restart button.
Martin turned his attention to the frail-looking man. "I forgot to introduce you two. This is Daniel, the new leader of Team Three, and the man who saved your life." He then turned to Daniel, "And this is Alex, leader of Team One, a legendary Level 3 Evolver, unbeatable for anyone below Level 4."
Daniel and Alex locked eyes for a moment—Daniel’s customary calm meeting Alex’s habitual iciness. Neither broke the silence first, leaving Martin to feel a touch awkward, uncertain of what to say next.
Finally, Alex broke the silence. "Captain Dan, thank you for saving my life. I believe in repaying kindness with a gushing spring. I’ve never been fond of owing others. If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. You gave me this life; I wouldn’t hesitate to give it back, even if it means walking into certain death."
Daniel nodded. Everyone has their own way of being. He understood this was just Alex’s nature, not a slight against him.
