Chapter 139: Eve
Physical Cultivation: Pimi Realm (Late Stage) — equivalent to Body Cultivation: Wandering Realm (Late Stage); entire body composed of spiritual-energy mechanical cells measuring 100 picometers each.
Spiritual Energy Cultivation: Qi Refinement Level 4000 — mechanical cells can continuously absorb spiritual energy; once a certain threshold is reached, her cultivation will evolve accordingly.
Mental Power: Selfless Realm — No self, no others; a heart free of desire, pursuing only hope. Increases combat strength by 30%.
Soul Realm: None — as a mechanical lifeform, her soul structure cannot currently be analyzed; upgrading the Eye of True Sight may allow further investigation.
Darkness Mental State: Oblivion Realm — Darkness descends, heart demons arise; slaughter brings no solace. Increases combat strength by 50%.
Skill: Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting — Since her body is entirely composed of mechanical cells, she can freely alter her form into any shape.
Innate Ability: Darkness
Comprehensive Power Level: 9999+ (in Darkness state: ~1,000,000; capable of destroying stars with a casual strike).
(Power level is for reference only; actual strength varies based on skill, talent, technique, and combat circumstances. Please use personal judgment.)
——
As his spiritual energy rapidly depleted, Franklin had already switched places with his phantom double in advance, hiding it underground.
Using teleportation and the Eye of True Sight consumed nearly half his energy, but after viewing Eve's detailed information, his scalp tingled. That earlier pack of taiyaki had indeed saved his life—otherwise, he would already be a corpse beneath Eve's blade.
His flight speed too slow to matter, Franklin darted through the city streets in flashes of light, heading for home. He wanted to sweep the area with his spiritual sense to check the situation, but when his awareness brushed across the house, the feedback stunned him—it appeared completely empty.
The entire building was hidden.
Something wasn't right. Whoever was behind this had taken steps beyond reason. A hitwoman like Eve couldn't have appeared by chance.
He clenched his teeth. Hiring an assassin? That's crossing the line.
This kind of thing wasn't part of any bet—and assassins or mercenaries weren't protected under interstellar law. Even in the Galactic Federation, such an act was punishable. He'd have to talk to Lala about this.
Before he could think further, a massive shadow loomed over him. Instinct kicked in—he flashed aside just as a meteor hammer slammed into the street where he'd been standing. The ground collapsed, but the surrounding buildings remained strangely intact.
She was holding back. Eve wasn't aiming to destroy the environment—just him.
Franklin didn't dare engage directly. He darted into a side alley, weaving through narrow passages as his spiritual sense expanded five meters around him. Any attack entering that zone was instantly tracked and dodged by predicted trajectories.
Blades of light rained down, each strand of her golden hair transforming into a weapon. He avoided them by inches, using the terrain to break line of sight. Then, in one breath, he switched places with his underground phantom, escaping her pursuit.
Spotting the hovering stone table still carrying his shopping haul, Franklin let out a short sigh of relief and directed it toward home—only for the sound of air splitting to ring out again.
He dodged, weary, then turned to face her.
"Can't we talk first? Why attack me? For money? Or something else? Do you really have to kill me?"
Eve glanced at the taiyaki in her hand. The golden strands of her hair floated lightly before settling again.
"I only kill bad people. And you… are one of them."
Her voice was calm, detached.
She looked again at the taiyaki, hesitated a beat, then continued softly, "A certain person told me you're cruel and ruthless. Eliminating evil is also a kind of good deed. And I've already accepted payment—so the task must be completed."
Franklin's mouth twitched. "Have you considered that maybe that person lied to you?"
Eve paused briefly, her hand reshaping into a blade once more.
"I don't care about truth or lies. I've taken the money. Once the mission's over, I'll investigate you myself. If it turns out I killed the wrong man, I'll avenge you personally."
Franklin was speechless. What kind of twisted logic is that?!
He prepared to run again—but before he could move, a flash of white light streaked down.
Zastin landed in front of him.
"Golden Darkness, you may be a killer, but your targets are supposed to be villains. I can personally vouch for the character of our young master-in-law. Withdraw now, and the Royal Guard will overlook this incident. Persist, and we'll show no mercy."
Eve tilted her head. "And you are?"
Zastin's eyes narrowed slightly, though he kept his tone restrained. "I am Captain Zastin of the Royal Guard of the Deviluke Kingdom. Currently serving as planetary inspector for Earth. Your presence here already violates Galactic law. This is your second warning."
Watching the stern, righteous look on Zastin's face, Franklin's eyes lit up.
"Zastin, feel free to use your secret weapon. Her combat power's over ten thousand—don't you dare underestimate her and get wiped out."
He noticed Zastin stiffen for half a second before regaining composure.
Seriously? You came charging in without even checking her data first?
When Zastin waved him aside—clearly hinting for him to run—Franklin sighed helplessly.
"Running won't solve this. She's not evil—just misguided. If she can be set straight, she could be an incredible asset to the Deviluke Kingdom someday."
Zastin's mouth twitched, both wary and annoyed. Still, he slowly edged back to Franklin's side while keeping Eve in view.
"I just came from your friends' place," he muttered under his breath. "The moment I returned, I heard His Majesty had already arrived on Earth. Couldn't find his exact location, so I came to check on you—maybe help you prepare a bit, so you don't annoy him with something trivial."
Franklin groaned, covering his face. "You… unbelievable. I've already met my father-in-law. We actually got along—"
Before he could finish, a flash of steel swept toward him.
Zastin deflected the blow with a bright blue sword of energy, forcing Franklin to retreat. The two clashed in a blur—light against gold—ascending rapidly into the sky.
Below, Franklin could only watch as their figures tangled in midair, sword and blade colliding in showers of sparks. The battle seemed balanced; even with Zastin's strength, Eve wasn't yielding.
He extended his spiritual sense to monitor them both, preparing to intervene—until a familiar voice cut in behind him.
"Lin, who's that golden-haired girl? She's strong—she's actually fighting Zastin to a draw!"
Lala's eyes were wide with surprise.
Franklin sighed. "She says she's an assassin—someone paid her to kill me. Luckily, Zastin showed up in time, so now they're fighting it out."
No sooner had he finished than another unexpected figure appeared beside him. His spiritual sense hadn't even detected her.
"Ryōko-sensei?! Weren't you supposed to be at school this morning? What are you doing here?"
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