"Those two just left."
From a distance, a dyed-hair woman spoke to the companion on her phone, seeing Xiang Nan and Manman depart the plaza. After ending the call, she hurriedly followed them.
Over a period of observation and tailing, their group had basically ascertained the duo's capabilities. Judging by the girl Manman's level, even if that trench‑coat guy were also a Nen user, he probably wouldn't be that strong. Even if they turned out not to be players, any local Nen user in this world still came under their faction's watch list.
Before long, Xiang Nan and Manman took a taxi out of the downtown bustle and arrived at a tourist spot on the city outskirts. This particular attraction wasn't well-known; visitors here were few, so it was relatively secluded.
The dyed-hair woman took a taxi as well, continuing to follow from behind. Once they got there, she didn't immediately get out of the car but watched Xiang Nan and Manman enter the scenic area—only then did she again take out her phone and dial her teammates.
"They're at a site in the city's south, seems like they're touring. I have a feeling… he's probably noticed me," she said, frowning.
"He noticed you, huh… So he is a Nen user. If he's also a player and still in the early game, that's quite formidable. Be careful; we'll head over right away," came the caution on the other end.
"Roger."
With that, the woman paid her fare and got out, heading into the park as well.
This particular tourist spot was free, no entrance ticket required. She pretended to wander aimlessly around the park, but eventually spotted Xiang Nan and Manman seated lakeside, enjoying the breeze. Surrounding them were shady green trees; in front was a crystal‑clear lake reflecting ripples and occasional schools of fish swimming around.
Because it was a relatively deserted attraction, and Xiang Nan was simply sitting there with Manman, the woman grew even more suspicious. They didn't seem to be sightseeing at all—rather as though they were here on some business, as if waiting for someone. On top of that, an empty seat happened to sit right next to them.
She collected herself and walked over calmly, choosing to sit next to Xiang Nan while pretending to be listening to music through the earphones dangling from her neck. The distance between them was less than three meters. As she covertly squinted, she saw Xiang Nan was—as ever—reading, this time some medical text instead of a newspaper. He showed zero reaction to her arrival. Sitting beside him, Manman was quietly gazing at the fish in the lake.
The dyed-hair woman frowned.
"A rare quiet spot just right for us to sit and talk—so why the silence?"
As soon as she was about to close her eyes once more, she heard the man's wry chuckle:
"Figures."
He'd been aware of her all along; clearly, they had come here precisely to meet her.
"When did you notice me?"
Setting aside her headphones, the woman spoke in an unruffled tone, turning toward the trench‑coat man.
"A while back, ever since we first entered Heavens Arena. The day we registered, you people were on us… Over the past few days, you've switched pursuers three times: first that muscle‑bound guy in the half-sleeves, then a white‑collar man in a suit who looked like a corporate drone, and now you." Xiang Nan kept his eyes on the book without lifting his head. "Inside Heavens Arena was complicated, and likewise the busy downtown made it inconvenient to strike at us or cause a scene, so I chose this place in particular."
"So you two… are players," the woman said at once.
The man's speech style, plus that "corporate drone" remark, was something she recognized all too well. Certain phrases clung to their souls from the previous world, impossible to hide.
"Which round have you reached?" she asked point‑blank.
"That's a secret…" Xiang Nan closed the book, raising his eyes to the shimmering lake. "Let's cut to the chase—after watching us for so long, what do you want?"
"Everything."
The woman stared at Xiang Nan's profile for a moment before she answered bluntly.
"All your intel since you arrived in this world, your experiences, plus your Nen techniques."
"And then what?"
"Well," she said, "once we see your value, and if we give you the go‑ahead, you'll be free to go about Heavens Arena—fighting other Nen users, slowly growing stronger. And with us intervening, you'll get help moving up past the 200th floor too."
"Otherwise?"
"Otherwise?" The woman's eyes turned cold. "Your fate might not end well. Best‑case scenario, after we're done exploiting you, we let you scram. Worst‑case, you get an early 'elimination' right here."
"Early elimination" meant death.
Since there was no need to mince words, the woman spoke without pretense.
In all their time controlling this place, no newcomer had dared defy them. They all yielded—why would these two be any different?
"I see…" Xiang Nan tapped his chin thoughtfully, giving a small smile.
The woman mistook this for him hesitating or wavering.
Then the man finally looked at her directly, a slight shift in tone:
"But… I'll pass. Frankly, if you lot were a formidable team—real elites—I might have considered working with you for mutual benefit. But from the looks of it, you're too weak. Which means your entire faction can't be that impressive. Even though you came to this world earlier, it seems you never capitalized on that head‑start."
"You might have chosen the wrong approach for your personal growth, or maybe you misused available resources. Possibly you bungled your opening advantage so badly that none of you gained any real achievements or honed yourselves. At best, you picked some worthless talents at the outset, plus your mental capacity is lacking. Hence, if I were to treat you as potential collaborators, you wouldn't be up to snuff—let alone expecting us to obey you."
Xiang Nan's words made the woman's face darken. Until now, every new arrival they had cornered ultimately succumbed or was destroyed; no one had dared belittle them so blatantly.
"A player's talents and capacity are determined by that soul's previous life," Xiang Nan went on. "A higher Extinction Game level doesn't necessarily mean real power. From the mechanics of this game, ranking is separate from personal strength. This entire system has plenty of loopholes… I'd bet you banded together so you could rely on each other's manpower for the upcoming tests, yeah? Then you'd get a higher chance of passing each round's missions."
"All told, from what I've seen, you're just short‑sighted. I suspect your ringleader obviously knows this, but manipulates you anyway for short‑term benefits. I'm somewhat curious about him or her though—someone cunning enough to treat you like pawns, and you're none the wiser."
"You—!" The woman's killing intent flared, but Xiang Nan ignored her reaction, continuing:
"Actually, I was a bit curious to talk with you at first. But seeing your attitude, I'm no longer interested."
He rose from the bench, turning to go.
At this moment, the woman behind him unleashed a malicious mental aura—her Nen brimming with hostility, locking onto Xiang Nan and Manman.
"I'll give you one last chance," the woman said icily. "Kneel down and apologize this instant, or—"
Xiang Nan barely glanced her way, his tone dismissive as he said to Manman,
"You handle it."
Then, hands in his coat pockets, he strolled off leisurely.
Deal with… her?
Let Manman handle me?
In the woman's eyes, that was an ultimate insult. She knew Manman's minimal skill level all too well. Some worthless newbie? They had to be joking.
"Fine, enough nonsense."
"Time to kill you both."
Her expression turned from anger to calm, as she decided to put an end to them on her own, without waiting for her leader's instructions.
Still seated, Manman complied with Xiang Nan's words, timidly rising and stepping in front of the woman—clearly intending to block her path. Although her face looked uneasy… she still did it.
An even bigger insult. The woman took a deep breath, then said,
"Well, then—suit yourself."
Simultaneously, she put on her headphones, playing her music; and with her tremendous Nen unleashed, Manman's body visibly seized, overwhelmed by the difference in their aura magnitude. Their Nen levels were simply on two different planes.
"I'll kill you in three seconds," the woman said, locking eyes on Manman, voice dripping with menace.
~~~
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