"…That's what Morin said."
"The Thirteen Ancient Gods, Awakened Ones of Reincarnation."
He Jun slowly recited these ten characters, nodding. "Thirteen gods, reincarnated as Awakened Ones. This means there are thirteen true Awakened Ones in this world, the so-called… gods."
"According to Morin, he belongs to a certain Divine Rune family, born to serve the gods. Even the dog in their house is a so-called divine envoy."
He Li hummed in agreement. "That's right. I was originally skeptical about my identity as an Awakened One, but after Captain Susan's confirmation, the demons' obsession with my body, and Morin's affirmation, I can basically confirm that I am a true Awakened One."
"In other words, the… god they speak of."
He Jun said, "If that's the case, your position is very precarious. Both humans and demons want to obtain you. Humans want to turn you into a weapon against demons, while demons want to devour you and gain benefits."
"And you, caught between humans and demons, have become their common object of pursuit, or… enemy."
He Jun looked at He Li and asked, "What are your thoughts on this?"
"My idea is to stay like this for now, within the Spirit Management Association. Until Captain Susan proposes the true conditions for her protection, I have no intention of leaving."
"Level Seven Spirit Warrior is just the beginning. There are higher realms above. The Level Seven Gene Lock ability users are like ants in Captain Susan's hands, pathetically weak. There must be higher tiers above Level Seven."
"So, I want to…"
*Ding!*
The elevator doors opened.
"They're on this floor, aren't they? Those rooms?"
"2203, 2206, 2214."
He Li led He Jun across the soft carpet. He Li continued,
"So, I want to stay here for now. If I leave the Spirit Management Association, it means I've completely revealed my identity."
"As a Level Four Spirit Warrior with a Level One Gene Lock, where can I escape to?"
"At that point, I'll either face an onslaught of demons or be pursued by humans. For now, it's at least relatively safe."
"Aren't you afraid Captain Susan has ill intentions?" He Jun asked.
He Li replied, "I am afraid. That's why I hope she'll propose her terms and we can formally establish cooperation. That way, I'll have a clearer understanding…"
"We've arrived at 2203."
"Alright," He Jun responded.
He Jun looked at the doorplate, which read "2203."
Then,
The door opened.
He Li watched the door slowly open, and an enraged male voice emerged from within.
"What's going on with your hotel? I explicitly said not to clean! Are you trying to… die!?"
Meng Liu, eyes hazy, sat up from the sofa and yelled towards the door. But as he saw who had entered, his expression shifted from anger to confusion, and then to delight.
He widened his eyes, looking with surprise at He Li, who was slowly walking into the room, as if he had received free service, and the quality of the service girl was surprisingly high.
"He Li, you… you…"
When the person you've been longing for appears before you, how will you react?
The answer is, you'll be too excited to speak.
So, Meng Liu chose to act directly. His entire body surged with spiritual energy. The azure spiritual energy on both sides of his shoulders detached from his body, forming two large azure hands that lunged towards He Li.
*Vroom~~~*
The spiritual energy hands stopped in front of He Li. No matter how Meng Liu struggled, they wouldn't advance further. He gave up struggling and instead unleashed all his spiritual energy, clenching his fists and charging directly at He Li.
In truth, he was also very puzzled. Why could He Li, merely a Level Four Spirit Warrior, block his spiritual energy hands out of thin air? But the alcohol from the strong liquor had numbed his brain. Even though his consciousness was clear, his body wasn't entirely under his control.
Meng Liu didn't understand what was happening.
He Li, however, saw it very clearly. Just as Meng Liu's dual spiritual energy hands were reaching out, He Jun had raised his hand. Those azure spiritual energy hands seemed to hit a water surface.
The space in front of He Li rippled.
But He Li couldn't ponder further, because the drunken man had already charged over. However, he was out of luck, as he ran directly into the hand He Jun had raised.
He Jun gripped Meng Liu's neck with one hand. Meng Liu's feet dangled in the air, his limbs flailing, looking at He Li in extreme terror.
Meng Liu clutched his own neck with both hands. He was like someone trying to find a trickle of flowing air in a rock crevice, utterly pathetic. Spiritual energy continuously overflowed from his body, attempting to attack He Li, but it was all blocked by the invisible wall in front of him. At this moment, he was panicked. He struggled to speak:
"I am an Opening Consciousness realm Spirit Warrior, and you are just a Level Four Spirit Warrior. How could you possibly…"
He Li ignored Meng Liu's terrified questioning and growls, continuing the topic he was discussing with He Jun.
"Although it's a mutual utilization, as long as the other party's needs are met, it's a perfect collaboration. I just hope Captain Susan can propose her terms soon."
He Jun, still holding Meng Liu's neck, gave a soft hum and nodded.
"So, killing them now is not just to resolve your own crisis, but also to prove to Susan that you are a true Awakened One, that you have value?"
"Yes, He Jun, do you believe it? Captain Susan hasn't left Binjiang City. She must be standing somewhere watching me right now, just like last time at Zhaoye Building when I wiped out the Bay Crocodile organization. She was standing on the rooftop of the opposite building, observing my every move."
He Li paused, then continued, "Since it's a transaction, I, as the weaker party, must demonstrate my usable value. Although it's frustrating, the existence of all people and things ultimately boils down to 'usable value' and 'emotional value'."
"While showing weakness, I also display my usable value. There's nothing wrong with that. I just want to live safely with room for growth."
He Jun moved slightly, turning to face He Li. He looked at him intently, seeing a touch of youth, a hint of resilience, and in his calm eyes, a fierce struggle.
He Jun smiled. It was the first time he had smiled, at least in He Li's memory. It was a warm smile of relief.
"You've grown up." httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
As He Jun's words fell,
*Bang!*
Meng Liu's body crashed onto the carpet. He looked at He Li in despair as the world gradually darkened and then plunged into endless blackness. His consciousness vanished. In the moment before his consciousness disappeared, he was still pondering how he had died, and even more incomprehensible, what He Li had been muttering to himself since entering the room.
…