Chapter 102

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Chapter 102: Mutual Testing

"Fog?"

Although Holy Shield had not been on the front lines for many years, his past battle experience and his role as an instructor told him that this situation was entirely abnormal.

He placed his right hand on the joystick of his wheelchair; while his body remained still, it was already tense beneath the surface.

Lin Qingliu concealed himself within the mist conjured by his Illusion ability, observing every move of his opponent through the seemingly non-existent fog.

Something was amiss.

This was Lin Qingliu’s first encounter with the superpowered individual known as Holy Shield, yet the man did not appear to be in a critical condition at all.

Or rather, he had managed to deceive most people, but he could not fool Lin Qingliu, who possessed the Knowledge Path ability.

He needed to find a way to test him.

Not only to confirm his suspicions but also to ensure he maintained the upper hand during their interaction.

Only by demonstrating absolute strength could he compel the other party to take him seriously.

Lin Qingliu gently picked up a knife from the dining table beside him. As his muscles tensed, the stainless steel knife shot forward like a bullet.

This was merely a simple test. As a member of the superhero team numbered "One," Holy Shield’s abilities were undoubtedly formidable, given their versatility.

Though he appeared to be in dire straits, that was not the reality; Lin Qingliu was prepared for a challenging battle.

After all, according to Fulan’s description, the man’s Shield ability was not purely material.

This meant that Dimensional Shift would likely be countered to some extent by it.

The knife sliced through the mist, cutting through the air towards Holy Shield’s face.

In the dim light, a brief glimmer flashed; Holy Shield sensed something hurtling towards him.

This defied logic, as he felt that the object didn’t even disturb the surrounding fog, as if the two were not in the same dimension at all.

Though he considered many things in that instant, time was still on his side.

In a flash, a light purple shield materialized around him.

Displaying his prowess, the shield did not confine Holy Shield’s own body but instead enveloped all the space within a two-meter radius. Then, at an astonishing speed, it contracted, firmly capturing the knife just inches from his face.

At this moment, the tip of the knife was less than a centimeter from his forehead, but Holy Shield paid it no mind; instead, he focused intently on the thick fog before him.

Who could it be?

Was it an assassin sent by those who opposed him?

Or was it simply time for him to step aside?

A sneer appeared on Holy Shield’s somewhat aged face.

"Who goes there?"

In the thick fog, a tall, slender figure gradually came into view.

Holy Shield scrutinized the individual carefully, comparing every detail he saw with all the information in his mind, attempting to find any evidence of a prior encounter with this person.

But he found nothing.

This was someone he had never seen before; although the killing intent was not overt, the previous attack had clearly aimed to take his life.

"Can we talk? I don’t feel like fighting right now."

Holy Shield forced his tone to remain calm and gentle, though a hint of fear subtly laced his words.

If the other party truly intended to kill him, they might sense his unease, which could play into his hands.

It had been a while since he last used the move to crush an enemy into pulp.

To his surprise, a straightforward response came from the thick fog:

"Sure, no problem."

Then, a man with long white hair, dressed in a researcher’s white coat, appeared about a meter in front of him.

This was a standard social distance—not too far to seem insincere, nor too close to appear overly familiar. It was just right, making Holy Shield feel somewhat at ease.

Seeing the man’s attire, Holy Shield’s first thought was that a villain might have emerged from the research institutes. But he quickly connected the man’s appearance to a recent internal document.

It detailed a recent incident at the research institutes.

A morally ambiguous organization had surfaced during that event, and a superpowered individual, who was both an enemy and an ally, had single-handedly faced off against a top-tier superhero team, marking his debut.

That person was called—

"Humanoid Entity B!"

"Pfft!"

Though he had anticipated some kind of code name among humans, wasn’t this a bit too dismissive?

He ran his fingers through his white hair, which covered half his face, and gave a sharp clap to his forehead and cheek.

"You all… just call me that?"

Lin Qingliu, in his Paster state, spoke with a hint of dissatisfaction. An ordinary person might have been terrified, but Holy Shield remained composed:

"What else should I call you? You and your organization are shrouded in mystery; you don’t even leave a name behind.

"If it weren’t for the fact that you still maintain some order, the outer city would have been turned upside down long ago."

"Do you really think you can find me like that?"

"Maybe not you directly, but there will always be traces."

Holy Shield spoke as if advising a younger person, patiently guiding him:

"Where there are great rewards, there will be brave souls; where there are harsh punishments, there will also be results. Once we label your organization as evil, useful clues will inevitably come our way.

"No one can perfectly conceal everything. You know this—wherever one goes, traces are left behind."

He really managed to pull it off.

Lin Qingliu clicked his tongue internally, deciding to skip the topic and introduce his name first. Otherwise…

Was "Humanoid Entity B" really that unpleasant to hear?

"You can call me ‘Paster.’ As for my organization, it was established under the will of the deities, born to save humanity—the Followers."

"’Followers,’ huh?"

Holy Shield mulled over the name, thinking that the old fellow from the Ministry of Internal Affairs had done a decent job with "The Sect."

That guy’s books from the Old Era weren’t read in vain.

"Alright, I’ll remember that. So, Mr. Paster, what brings you here today?"

Holy Shield emphasized the word "visit," making his displeasure with the earlier attack clear.

But the man before him showed no sign of backing down. The white-haired youth replied earnestly:

"I’m here to conduct a selection for the great master."

"Selection for what?"

"Followers."

"Me?"

Holy Shield found it hard to believe. He knew the person before him represented a shadowy organization, but he couldn’t fathom their intentions for recruiting him.

To put it bluntly, he was already a high-ranking official in Hope City, with one foot in the core circle. One day, he might even take over the Ministry of Internal Affairs or replace Wencheng as the new general.

So what was this about?

Were they trying to dig into a load-bearing wall?

Insane!