"Absolutely not."
Director Chen folds his hands across his chest, a disapproved look on his face.
"Director." Xin Linhua leans over the table "You said we needed to form a bond or what not. As far as I’ve gathered, this is a surefire way to do so."
"Yes, a surefire to the other side, I assure you."
"How come you’re against this?" Xin Linhua groans in frustration.
"Xin Linhua, Phantom is the institute’s greatest asset. Even without any abilities, he’s the only one who can singlehandedly clear a rift, regardless of its risk level. To go on such a mission–"
"Exactly!" Xin Linhua cuts in "And I’m not asking you to send us to a high level one, just a low level rift. One fit for an E-Rank is enough. That’ll do."
Director Chen unfolds his hands, massaging his forehead instead.
Very early on a Thursday morning, zero caffeine in his system and bones creaking from sleeping on the wrong side of the bed, he was jolted awake fully by someone’s constant knocks.
Xin Linhua had rushed into his office all excited and giddy, only to drop a bomb on a him;
He wants the Director to assign him and Rong Yizhan to a rift if a new one appears!
"Do you think the ranks are a joke or something? A D-Rank rift requires four to five Sentinels. And they’re not going inside to clear it, their job is to ensure that any monstrosity that escapes is killed. What you’re asking me to do is suicide."
Director Chen rises to his feet. Without courtesy, he kicks Xin Linhua and his companion out.
"Director–"
__SLAM!!!
The door slams in his face.
"Damnit!" Xin Linhua almost kicks the door "Now what?"
Rong Yizhan stares at the door, then at Xin Linhua. He turns and makes his way out.
"Stop right there!" Xin Linhua strolls over, blocking his path "What makes you think this is over?"
Rong Yizhan frowns, the expression is obvious even with the blindfold.
"He said no."
"Okay? And?"
"If you’re going to break the rules, don’t take me with you."
"Ah! My Yaras? is smart." Xin Linhua praises "So...are you coming with me?"
"No."
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"Here we are!" Xin Linhua spreads his arms dramatically.
"Where are we?"
"Well, I’ve been tracking down rift sighting locations for a while so i can avoid them. This is close to Jiang Street. It’s famous for getting low level rifts once in a while."
"We’re here based on guesses?" Rong Yizhan takes in his surroundings.
"No, no, my dear." Xin Linhua waves a finger "A rift is bound to open here."
"Today. You calculated that as well?"
"Not exactly."
"So we’re here based on guesses."
Xin Linhua chuckles guiltily. He rubs the tips of his nose and turns away.
"If you’re done fooling around, I’m going back to the institute."
"Hold on!" Xin Linhua blocks him "Look, this is not exactly a parade for me either. I came face to face with a Nikura just once in my life and I almost lost my shit. To venture into their dwelling... that’s suicide. But I’m willing to risk it."
Rong Yizhan stares at him for a long while. Silence settles between them.
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"What do you get from this?"
"You’re kidding right? If you awaken your abilities, as your guide, I’ll walk around the country with my nose in the air. Every Sentinel in the institute will be crushed beneath my feet. Besides, I heard that a guide with over a 70% match rate can use their Sentinel’s ability. The higher the rank and rate, the more power they can weld."
Xin Linhua is snickering and chuckling like crazy. Like he’s some villain in a melodramatic soap drama.
He’s not even trying to hide his intentions, straight up blurting it out and letting it be known that he’ll misuse power if given to him and he doesn’t care about the outcome. The source of this chapter is novelping.com.
"Anyway~" Xin Linhua claps in excitement "All we have to do is wait for a rift to appear and clear it."
Rong Yizhan stares at him.
"Clear it?"
"Yeah."
"Who’s going to clear the rift?"
"Hehe~ You of course, who else?"
Rong Yizhan stands for a few seconds. He turns, walking towards the rooftop door.
"What the hell!" Xin Linhua blocks him.
"Move."
"You lil–"
"ATTENTION, ALL CIVILIAN!!! A RIFT HAS BEEN DETECTED! PLEASE EVACUATE THE STREETS AND NEARBY BUILDINGS AND STAY AS FAR AWAY AS POSSIBLE!"
Xin Linhua’s eyes light up like a thousand watt bulb. This is probably the first time he’s not running so fast, his heels are touching the back of his head.
"There it is!"
Above them, just beneath the grey skies full of dark thunder clouds, a spatial crack appears in the sky. It’s like a crack on a window, slowly widening little by little.
A grotesque hand pierces through, its three large fingers grab onto the side of the crack that widens more and more, until it’s big enough to let the monsters within it walk out.
"Yokai." Xin Linhua mutters "That’s a D-Rank rift, not an E-Rank."
Right on cue, Xin Linhua sights a few figures wearing a familiar uniform, leaping across building tops and approaching the rift’s location.
"Wow, they’re fast." Xin Linhua stares in awe "By the way, Yaras?, there’s something I’m curious about."
He turns to Rong Yizhan who’s blatantly ignoring him now.
"I’ll just ask anyway. I know Aeromancers are basically airbenders and all, but how can they do that? Like, jump so high on buildings despite not being Aeromancers."
He receives no answer. As expected. He decides to leave the question and focus on the fight below.
The Yokai, as named, is basically a dark red demon with webbed feet and a distorted figure. They mimics humans and how they walk on two legs. They have long skinny hands with three large fingers, pitch black eyes and one of their greatest advantages... is flying.
They have bat like wings on their back, hence the name,Yokai. They have the physique, and enhanced abilities of a bat.
"Sentinels are different from guides and normal civilians." Rong Yizhan’s voice jolts Xin Linhua back to reality.
"I know that."
"Regardless of Rank or abilities, once awakened, a Sentinel is like a mutated human. All senses are opened and enhanced, physique and prowess climbs a threshold. They can do the impossible."
Xin Linhua nods along with the explanation. Maybe because it’s the first time Rong Yizhan is taking the initiative to respond to him without actively trying to kill him, or maybe it’s how the youth looks as he stares into the distance despite not being able to see, and explains things so calmly with that cold and detached voice of his.
"Woah..." Xin Linhua’s gaze suddenly darkens "So you mean I didn’t have to climb that many stairs, you could have gotten us here in a split second?"