Caesar confided in Xiaofeng, "Before I came here, I made a decision—to aid the Alliance forces in creating an army of ability users. But now..."
Before Caesar could finish, Xiaofeng's anxiety flared. "Wait—don't you only possess the Evolution ability? You can make an ordinary person an ability user?"
Caesar shook his head. "No, but I can evolve another ability user."
"Hera..." Caesar spoke her name without hesitation.
At the mention of Hera, Xiaofeng's heart tightened. He recalled her power—the rare ability to replicate other ability users' powers.
When Xiaofeng met Hera, she was already a formidable Level Nine ability user. If Caesar's evolution had further advanced her, her current level might well be...
Noticing Xiaofeng's furrowed brow, Caesar revealed quietly, "Hera has surpassed Level Ten."
"Surpassed Level Ten? Now?"
"She can directly copy an ability user's power onto another—whether that person is an ability user or an ordinary human." Caesar's tone held regret for having aided Sam; had he met Xiaofeng sooner, he might not have left such a perilous legacy.
"To copy an ability user's power onto someone else?"
"Yes. Hera's power has evolved to that extent, and I believe this army of ability users has already been established."
Xiaofeng pondered. "Whose abilities did she copy?"
Caesar sighed. "Yezi... Yuan's twin sister."
Xiaofeng pressed on, "Has Yezi also undergone evolution?"
Caesar nodded. "Yes, she has also surpassed Level Ten."
Qin Tian, the Giant, Tugu, and Pandora had yet to grasp the sheer magnitude of this ability user army's strength.
Qin Tian scoffed, "No matter how strong they are, when they meet me—Qin Tian, the invincible brat—they're finished. I could rip their hearts out and kill them in an instant!"
Pandora laughed mockingly, "Sure, Qin Tian killed five today—soon he'll be dispatching tens, hundreds at once…"
Tugu cautiously asked Caesar, "When you say Hera can copy Yezi's abilities to someone else, is it a full one-hundred percent copy, or just partial?"
Caesar's voice hardened, "One hundred percent."
Xiaofeng was utterly astonished. "What? One hundred percent? You mean Hera can create an army of Level Ten ability users?"
Caesar nodded, dazed. "Exactly—an army composed of countless Level Ten ability users."
Xiaofeng burst into uncontrollable laughter. "You must be joking! Do you realize what an overwhelming force that would be?"
Everyone present was stunned by Xiaofeng's words. An army of Level Ten ability users—that was truly a terrifying power.
After composing himself, Xiaofeng suddenly asked those around him, "Who can tell me how to solve this problem?"
"We can use Purification abilities to cleanse them," Tugu said matter-of-factly.
"That works if it's just one or two ability users. But if it's thousands, do you think you'll have the chance to purify them all?"
"So this army would be invincible?" Tugu asked, surprised.
Xiaofeng gave a playful kick to Tugu's armored rear. "Exactly what do you think?"
Meanwhile, Guiyao, tightly cloaked, appeared on a desolate street in the New City. A quiet bar was open for business.
In such a bustling metropolis, this bar would normally be crowded, yet at midday, few patrons were present.
Guiyao pushed open the door and surveyed the room. His eyes settled on a man sitting alone in a corner. Calmly, Guiyao approached.
The man glanced up, then returned to eating a bowl of thick noodles that looked delicious.
Guiyao sat opposite him. "I didn't expect you to actually come."
The man's weathered face seemed unremarkable as he replied calmly, "Speak. What do you want?"
Guiyao's voice dropped low. "Jack, Yuan, Gundam, and Zehong are dead."
The man paused mid-stir, eyes sharpening into razor-like blades. After swallowing his noodles, he asked, "How do you know? Are you certain?"
Guiyao nodded. "I saw it with my own eyes. Xiaofeng and his group killed them all."
The man set down his fork and wiped his mouth with a white napkin. "You've come to seek vengeance?"
Guiyao nodded again. "We were all trained by you. We were like brothers. When Xiaofeng tried to kill Satan, I begged for his life. This time, though I rushed over, their actions were too swift. That Qin Tian killed Jack and the others in under a minute—it was unbelievable."
The man frowned deeply. "You must understand, I've been out of the public eye for many years. Few even know I still exist. Asking me to intervene puts me in a difficult position. Though I mourn Jack and the others, you know I no longer wish to be involved. I want a peaceful life."
"But Jack and the others were raised by you."
The man folded the napkin and adjusted his disheveled clothes. "Even if Xiaofeng kills you all, what does it matter? Life is just waiting for death. Dying a day sooner might be a relief."
"Do you mean you feel no attachment to them?"
"Attachment? Of course I care. But Xiaofeng and his group are formidable—they killed four of the Seven Fiends in under a minute. How could I stand against them?"
Guiyao froze. "So you truly won't help me?"
The man hesitated, fork in hand, then said, "It's not that I won't help—I lack the strength. But I can introduce you to someone who can."
Standing, he placed a coin on the table and said, "Come. I'll take you to meet this person."
"Now?"
"Yes, now."
"Very well. If it means avenging Jack and rescuing Satan, I'm willing to meet anyone," Guiyao agreed, following him out.
They slipped into a deserted alley, where the man grabbed Guiyao's arm. "Let's go."
Guiyao nodded, sensing what was to come, allowing the man to grasp his arm.
In a sudden instant, the man's form dissolved into a black mist, enveloping Guiyao as well. A sharp explosion echoed as both vanished from the street.
They reappeared deep within a dense forest, beneath a small wooden cabin. Both gazed up at it; the man said, "This is the place."
Guiyao surveyed their surroundings, noting a massive pile of excrement beneath the cabin—proof its occupant was a creature of formidable size. Tossing Guiyao into it would guarantee he remained hidden.
The man called out, "Black Eye, come down!"
Moments later, the cabin's door swung open, revealing the head of a child.
Had Xiaofeng seen this child, he would have been shocked—the boy was a fugitive remnant of the Evil Dragon Sect. If his name truly was Black Eye, he must have some unusual connection to the Black Dragon.
Guiyao frowned at the boy's arrival. "You want me to work with a child?"
Black Eye glanced coldly at Guiyao. "Hmph, so what if I'm a child? You think you're impressive just because you're an adult? You're nothing but a failure."
Guiyao's fury flared. "What did you say?" He lunged forward.
At that moment, a black python adorned with dozens of gem-like eyes materialized behind Black Eye, emitting a deafening hiss.
The python was nearly half a meter thick, its body pitch black, crowned with jewel-like eyes that glistened eerily. Its shrill roar stirred a flock of birds into frantic flight.
Guiyao clapped his hands over his ears, struggling to endure the unbearable high-frequency vibrations that threatened to rupture his eardrums.
Once the python ceased, the man smiled smugly. "Now you see Black Eye's true power."
Black Eye stroked the python's neck, and it silently slipped into the shadows behind a large tree, vanishing as if never there.
With a disdainful smirk, Black Eye remarked, "Look at you—scared of a mere ability user."