Die, Replay, Repeat

The leader of the group spoke firmly, "Mr. Fang, don't even think about pulling any tricks. Someone in our team has exceptional perceptive abilities. He's already confirmed that Fang Moli isn't here."

Fang Xiu frowned. "I said, 'Lead the way.' You deaf?"

The leader of the group grew increasingly uneasy. Fang Xiu's tone made it seem as if he wasn't the one being kidnapped—it felt more like he was ordering them to take him back to their base.

The air grew tense.

The root of the issue was that everyone here had heard of Fang Xiu's reputation. They were far too wary of him.

Fang Xiu, Master of the fifth-tier psychics, ranked first in the global psychic talent database, and known as "the Foreseer"...

They knew he had once orchestrated the killing of Joker, a fifth-tier powerhouse. On top of that, he had resolved a Grade-S Specter event while still at the second tier.

Any one of these achievements would be enough to make someone a legend among psychics, but all of them combined in a single person? It was terrifying.

Fang Xiu's impatience mounted. "What a useless bunch. If you're not willing to lead the way, then get out of my sight. You're getting in my way."

The expressions of those people surrounding him instantly darkened.

Fang Xiu's arrogant demeanor made them feel as if he was the one surrounding them, not the other way around.

The leader's eyes flickered with anger. "Attack!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, one of the group members made their move. 

Spreading his hands wide, a sphere of pitch-black light formed and quickly engulfed Fang Xiu.

"Did… did it work?" the man muttered, stunned. He hadn't expected it to be this easy. Fang Xiu hadn't reacted at all or even attempted to resist.

It felt so effortless that it almost didn't seem real.

But there was no time for doubts. They had to move forward with their plan.

"Let's go!" the leader ordered. The group immediately withdrew, taking Fang Xiu with them.

….

Several hours later, when the black sphere of light that had enveloped Fang Xiu finally dissipated, he found himself inside a prison cell.

The bars and walls of the cell glimmered with a dark golden hue, clearly made from Mind Steel. Its unparalleled strength was undeniable.

Outside the cell stood five individuals.

Specifically, one man sat in a chair while two others flanked him like bodyguards.

The energy emanating from the group was unrestrained, making it clear that all five were fourth-tier psychics.

The man sitting down had reached the peak of the fourth tier.

When Fang Xiu's eyes landed on the seated man, a faint, knowing smile curved his lips. "Isleland? Just as I thought."

The man sitting across from him was Shanben Yilang, the Chief Commander of Isleland's Investigation Bureau.

Shanben Yilang sat upright, his sharp, evaluating gaze fixed on Fang Xiu. "Mr. Fang, you don't seem surprised to see me."

"There aren't many nations with the nerve to kidnap me. It wasn't hard to figure out," Fang Xiu replied calmly. "But it doesn't matter which country it is. The result will be the same."

"Oh?" Shanben Yilang’s smile was faint but calculating. "Mr. Fang, you seem quite confident. Let me guess—your trump card is contacting Fang Moli, isn’t it?

"You let yourself get captured to identify which country was behind this, and then you planned to call Fang Moli to retaliate and make an example of us.

"Unfortunately for you, cleverness isn’t exclusive to you. Anything you can think of, we can anticipate. This prison was designed specifically for someone like you. Inside, no messages can be sent out—neither through technology nor psychic means.

"It’s reinforced by the abilities of multiple psychics, making it nearly indestructible. Neither internal nor external force can breach it. Without the key, escape is impossible.

"And as for the black sphere that enveloped you during capture, it’s also a barrier. It isolates you from any form of tracking. Even Fang Moli won’t be able to figure out who took you or where you’ve been taken."

Shanben Yilang finished his explanation with a steady gaze fixed on Fang Xiu, as if expecting to see panic or despair crack through his calm façade.

But Fang Xiu’s expression didn’t falter. If anything, his eyes carried a faint, mocking glint.

"How unfortunate," Fang Xiu said softly. "Because soon, you’ll wish Fang Moli were here. If he comes, only a few of you will die. If he doesn’t… all of you will."

Shanben Yilang’s expression darkened. "Fang Xiu, enough of the theatrics. You’ve already killed two of my nation’s ambassadors. Now that you’re in our hands, spare yourself some pain and hand over the method to break through to the fifth tier."

Fang Xiu smiled faintly, almost amused. "Eager to get started, are we? Very well, let’s begin."

For reasons he couldn’t explain, Shanben Yilang felt a sliver of unease as he watched Fang Xiu’s composed demeanor.

Then Fang Xiu’s tone shifted, growing colder. "Come out, ‘wife.’"

"Wife?" The room froze in confusion. "What is he talking about?"

And then the air beside Fang Xiu rippled like water. A slender figure stepped out from the distortion, her presence graceful and commanding.

She wore a short, silver-white dress, her ethereal beauty carrying an almost otherworldly air.

"Who’s there?" a man shouted in terror.

"No… wait! That’s not a human being—it’s a Specter! She’s radiating Specter energy!"

Shanben Yilang sneered, regaining his composure. "So, this is your trump card? Summoning a Specter here, in the heart of Isleland’s headquarters? How naive."

"Just one?" Fang Xiu’s smile widened, a hint of menace creeping into it. "Don’t be impatient. We’ll take this slow."

This was, after all, his first time deciding to summon a large number of Specters for battle. The prospect was… exhilarating.

"Go," Fang Xiu commanded.

At his word, "wife" stepped toward the prison door.

Shanben Yilang’s sneer deepened. "Pointless. I already told you—neither humans nor Specters can escape this prison. It’s completely sealed. There’s no way—"

His voice stopped abruptly, replaced by a startled shout:

"What? How could she…"

Everyone stared in disbelief as "wife" glided through the prison bars effortlessly, as though they weren’t even there.

Within moments, she was standing directly in front of them.

The guards stiffened, their foreheads damp with sweat.

Their supposedly impenetrable prison had been rendered useless in an instant.

This defied reason. The prison’s strength should have been enough to withstand even a Class-S Specter. 

'Could this Specter be stronger than S-Class?' Just the thought sent a shiver down everyone's spine.

"Attack!" Shanben Yilang barked.

The four psychics behind him sprang into action, unleashing a barrage of attacks.

But what followed was even more astonishing. Every attack—psychic blasts, physical weapons, elemental strikes—passed through "wife" harmlessly. It was as if she wasn’t part of this world.

"Is this… an illusion?" Shanben Yilang muttered, his sharp eyes narrowing as he tried to make sense of it. Perhaps this was an elaborate illusion designed to confuse them.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

But that theory crumbled when "wife" raised one pale, elegant hand and lightly traced it across the wall.

SLASH!

An unseen force ripped through the wall, leaving a massive crack.

With a deafening crash, the wall crumbled entirely, exposing the area beyond.

"It’s not an illusion?" Shanben Yilang and the others were stunned.

After shattering the wall, "wife" didn’t stop. She moved methodically, attacking nearby structures one after another.

"What is she doing? Why destroy the buildings?"

The group was baffled, unable to comprehend her actions.

But Fang Xiu understood perfectly.

He had instructed "wife" to demolish the surrounding structures to clear his view, allowing him to summon even more Specters.

Translator's note: If he took down all the psychics in Isleland, who's to handle the Specters there? What about the civilians?