Boom!

The explosion awakened the night.

The Blue Shield Knights in the camp walked out of their tents and looked at the forest not far away with suspicion. Thick smoke was rising inside the forest. They turned around and were shocked to realize that Rezar was missing.

“The prisoner has escaped!” someone shouted.

The knights hastily picked up their shields and steel swords and hurried to the scene of the explosion.

As they entered the forest, they saw Han Xiao standing before a huge pit. Inside was a corpse that was as burnt as charcoal, unidentifiable.

Rex ‘hastily’ arrived at the scene and demanded with a serious face, “What happened here?”

“Your prisoner almost escaped, and I caught him.” Han Xiao shrugged and said, “As you can see, I accidentally played too much.”

“Rezar is dead‽” The knights were shocked.

Rex’s expression changed. He shook his head and said, “The king wants him alive. He should not have died, but sadly, he decided to die…”

As the commander, he concluded this matter with just a few words. He strictly punished a few guards on duty then ordered the knights under his command to go back to sleep. The people saw this and did not bother too much about it. Since Rezar had died, there was no need to escort him anymore, and they would not have to be nervous on their way back anymore.

Many people heaved a sigh of relief and felt content. Most people had the same thought as Rex and wanted Rezar dead. The hometown of some knights was the Southland territory, and Rezar had almost killed their family. If not for the higher world warriors, the outcome would have been unimaginable. Despite Rezar’s failure, they could not take it as if nothing had happened.

A few old soldiers who had followed Rex a long time realized something and gave Rex a meaningful look. They knew their commander well; this ‘escape’ was most likely planned and acted out for the sake of the king and those royalties who wanted to capture Rezar alive. Killing Rezar was to prevent others with vicious intentions from benefitting from him and causing more harm. Rex had a very good reputation among the army and was loved. Furthermore, the soldiers did not have very good impressions of the royals. Without any discussion, they all took it as they knew nothing.

After everyone dispersed, Rex nodded at Han Xiao and left.

Han Xiao did not return to the camp but walked further away instead. In the dark night, he came to the back of a small hill. Rezar had been thrown there, and Herlous was guarding him with his arms crossed.

In the end, Rex had given Rezar up. Although he really wanted to kill Rezar, he did not have much of a choice with Han Xiao, so he could only believe Han Xiao’s words.

“How is he?” Han Xiao asked.

“The wound on his chest is bandaged, so he won’t die,” Herlous replied.

“Good. I’m going to King City with the knights. You’ll need to stay in the wild with Rezar. When I’m done, we will call a spaceship and leave together.”

Herlous nodded. He sized up Rezar and questioned, “Black Star, are you actually recruiting this Mage? He’s not the good kind at all.”

“Do I look like I’m that short of people?” Han Xiao padded his back and said, “Don’t forget, I promised to bring hundreds of thousands of Supers to solve Sunil’s problems. I’m not interested in him.”

“Alright then, I will listen to you and stay to guard him. If he wants to run, I’ll slash him.”

Herlous trusted Han Xiao a lot. He knew that his fate was bonded with Han Xiao. In the beginning, he had joined Black Star full of doubt, but after going through so much together, he strongly believed that Han Xiao had the ability to live up to his promises when he recruited him. Han Xiao had the ability to change the future of his race.

“Since you’re not recruiting him, what do you want him for?” Herlous asked.

Rezar looked up at Han Xiao. His aged face was filled with horror, no idea what awaited him next.

“You’ll see.”

Han Xiao took out a small suction cup-shaped device, in the middle of which were many tiny needles. He pressed it on Rezar’s arm where his veins were closer to the surface. The needles penetrate into his veins, slowly sucked his blood, and gradually released a dim magic light.

Rezar suddenly felt he was losing the magic power in his body. Terrified, he looked at the device on his arm.

This thing was sucking his magic!

“No! No!” He struggled with all his might, but his strength was disappearing very quickly.

Magic was disappearing continuously. Very soon, more wrinkles appeared on Rezar’s face like he had become ten years older. A sense of weakness filled his body, and he felt like he was back in his childhood when he was just an ordinary person.

“Where’s my power‽ Give me back my power!”

He had gained the power of an ascender for less than half a day, and before he could feel that power fully, he had already lost it. Rezar almost fainted.

Even when the twenty-year plan failed, he had not been this desperate. Power was the foundation of his confidence, and Han Xiao took that away from him.

With his power lost, Rezar’s mind seemed to have become an ordinary person too… no, not even as strong as an ordinary person. He was crying and begging.

Han Xiao shook his head. Some people used their power to do whatever they wanted and be evil, and when they lost it, they became cowards.

The device in his hand was indeed the [Super-Gene Extractor—Test Version] that he had gotten from DarkStar. Herlous saw this, and a chill ran down his spine. “Quickly, put it away. I’m afraid.”

A few months ago, Han Xiao had tested the effect of the extractor. The first test subject was Frenzied Sword. The effect of it on players was absorbing twenty to fifty points of a random attribute and a certain amount of energy from them, which could be given to another person. The duration of it was ten minutes to two hours. In his previous life, the Super-Gene Extractor was controlled by DarkStar. The players could only get [Broken Super-Gene Extractor] after completing highly difficult related missions. Its effect was similar to the one that he had but weaker. The practicality of the extractor was very low in combat, as it had to be in direct contact with the body of the target to take effect. Most people had physical or magical armor, so it was very hard for it to work. Furthermore, the target had to be under control and not fidget around. The prerequisite to use it was very tough.

The hidden function of the extractor would only take effect when the target was completely unguarded, such as sleeping, enslaved, paralyzed, or willing, which meant that the target had to be under complete control. If the players were affected by it unluckily, they would enter a twelve-hour weakness period where their attributes would decrease by thirty to ninety percent, depending on the extractor output. If it was used on an NPC, not only would that NPC also become weak, it would also generate an ability potion. Drinking that potion would grant a certain ability from the target, which would be shown as a Temporary Character Summon Card on the players’ interface.

The second test subject that contributed to this result to Han Xiao was indeed Herlous. Herlous vividly remembered the sense of terror and weakness when his power was taken away, and he was horrified of it. When Han Xiao used it on him, he had only used a low small output, but even so, Herlous had needed many days to recover from it. Things like this that could take away Super-Genes were the natural enemy of Supers!

How many Supers did the organization that invented this device destroy in the process?

Han Xiao took out three empty tubes and poured the blood extracted by the device inside.

_____________

You have received [Ability Potion] x 3.

_____________

He drank one tube straight away. The sweet and metallic taste filled his mouth. The warm blood flowed down his throat, and it was very spicy on the nose. Then, a warmth that belonged to magic power rippled in his body.

_____________

You have received [Character Summon Card—Rezar (Temporary)]!

Character Summon Card—Rezar (Temporary): [Origin Water Magic Power]

Temporarily grants power beyond one’s self. +20% All Attributes.

Duration: 5 – 15 mins

Usage: 0/1 (This Character Summon Card will exist for: 15 days)

_____________

A buff, not a bad ability at all. Han Xiao was quite satisfied.

Rezar had only lost his magic power temporarily, but this crying old guy did not know that. This meant that Han Xiao could keep shearing him and make many Ability Potions. Although the temporary Character Summon Card’s ability would be different, he believed that the players would be willing to pay for this new product.

In his previous life, DarkStar had used the Super-Gene Extractor to carry out this plan. The difference was, Han Xiao would not capture people as batteries out of nowhere. The temporary Character Summon Card was just an add-on for him—he had no need for it. Only when he met someone that he could use it on without conflicting with his morals would he do it.

“I recall that you begged me to bring you to the higher world. Hehe, now, I promise you I will.”

Han Xiao’s smile was like a demon’s in Rezar’s eyes. This old guy shivered in terror.

Going to the higher world like this was the exact opposite of how he had thought it would be. A strong sense of regret filled his heart and climbed into his eyes.

“Yo—you’re a demon…” Rezar wanted to roar but could only speak these words softly.

Han Xiao was amused. You’re calling me a demon?

…

Two days later, the Blue Shield Knights returned to King City. This city was sitting on a plain, and the Origin Water river split the city in half from the middle, separating it into the East and West Shore, at the same time dividing the classes. The East Shore had royal mansions and palaces, beautiful and luxurious. The West Shore was the crowded civilian area, filled with buildings and all kinds of pollution pipes, forming the complex streets. Only the people who had lived there for more than ten years could remember the roads. The usual people would lose their way after a few turns.

It was now noon, and a bean-sized sun hung high in the sky. The lights were dim and gave the city a dark yellow shade. The buildings and streets shrouded each other. It was like dusk under the sunset, but this was the brightest time of the day in Planet Dawn.

Rex brought everyone to the East Shore and settled near the palace. The steward came to welcome them, and his attitude was more polite and respectful than when he faced the king. He bowed so low that it was as if he wanted to plant his head in the ground.

“On behalf of the Vain Kingdom, I welcome you to Planet Dawn. His highness has invited the higher world warriors to join the palace for dinner. We hope that you can give us the pleasure. By then, our ascenders will communicate with you through the Kingdom Tribune Mages and make payment for the reward of this hire.”

The people had no objection.

Han Xiao’s main goal of this trip was to ask around about the signs of the Mutation Disaster, and it was the perfect opportunity to ask the king. If the palace dinner was the type of party that allowed him to move around freely, he would then ask the King for intel.