This exotic beast was about the size of a fist. Its main body was a single, large eyeball, while its lower half resembled the body of a small spider.
Due to its extreme speed, only Yang Xi, who had activated his Superbrain, was able to notice it.
Moreover—
“It’s coming straight for me!”
Despite facing an exotic beast head-on for the first time, Yang Xi remained calm.
On one hand, the Superbrain ability enhanced his emotional control. On the other, he was confident he could defeat this creature’s avatar.
Its physical and elemental defenses were both exceptionally high, meaning its weakness was likely spiritual attacks.
Here it comes!
Yang Xi silently calculated the distance between them.
Ten meters!Seven meters!Five meters!
“Once I find a host and absorb enough energy to recover, I’ll definitely get my revenge on that hero!”
The exotic beast''s avatar seethed with resentment, engraving the image of "Hot & Sour Noodles Man" deep into its memory.
“Hmm, I sense a young human male ahead. You shall be my new host!”
The One-Eyed Slayer’s avatar finally detected Yang Xi, who was hiding behind the wall.
Only three meters remained between them!
Is it here? Yang Xi smirked and unleashed a —
A nearly imperceptible pulse radiated from the center of his forehead, effortlessly piercing through the exotic beast’s body.
The creature’s avatar froze in place. Then, with a soft plop, it collapsed onto the ground like a lump of rubber.
Dead.
"As expected, its weakness was spiritual attacks."
"But if I were facing its original body, my D-rank Mental Shockwave would probably only injure it. Good thing this was just a weakened avatar."
Yang Xi, wearing a platinum-gold zodiac mask, stepped forward. A wide black cloak draped over his shoulders, and he wore leather gloves—disguises he had found in the store. Even though he had already destroyed the security cameras, he took extra precautions to conceal his identity.
Placing his hand on the exotic beast’s corpse, Yang Xi activated his ability—.
A faint cyan glow flickered across his palm, and a small, cyan-colored pearl materialized in his hand.
Grants immunity to fire-based attacks below B-rank and significantly enhances physical resistance. B-rank. A highly practical tank ability.
After absorbing the ability pearl, Yang Xi now possessed two pearls within him: one cyan and one yellow .
A notification appeared in his mind.
Only now did Yang Xi notice that the ability pearl was somewhat dim—it was in a dormant state.
Once he activated the B-rank ability, the pearl brightened, signifying that it was now available for use.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
As the ability took effect, Yang Xi felt his skin gradually shift from pale to a bronze hue. Its texture became noticeably tougher, and upon closer inspection, he noticed faint black markings—like an invisible shell covering his body.
“My sensitivity to temperature has decreased as well… I wonder what this shell is made of.”
Feeling the changes in his body, Yang Xi realized that beyond its formidable fire resistance, the Fire-Resistant Shell had significantly enhanced his physical defense—about three times that of an ordinary human.
As for its weakness—mental attacks—his granted him considerable resistance.
This was the terrifying power of —it allowed Yang Xi to grow into a well-rounded force to be reckoned with.
This saying was widely circulated in the ability world, but it was useless against Yang Xi.
A sudden burst of psychic energy was sensed by Flame Butterfly in the distance. She turned her gaze toward the source and caught a fleeting glimpse of a shadow disappearing.
"Senior, something seems off over there. I''m going to check it out."
"Another enemy?" Hot and Sour Powder Superman sounded exhausted. At this moment, he had no strength left to fight.
"No, just being cautious."
After a brief, carefree flight, Flame Butterfly''s smooth, bare feet landed on the ground, where shattered glass reflected the sunlight.
Whenever she used her abilities, her body would become unbearably hot. That’s why she always wore as little as possible—shoes, of course, were out of the question.
"Strange, I clearly felt a psychic outburst here just now, and I saw someone too."
"Over there!"
Flame Butterfly’s big toe, painted with purple nail polish, tapped lightly on the ground. Her flaming wings flapped once as she whistled and swiftly closed in on Yang Xi, who was still lingering in the corridor.
Yang Xi, still clad in his black robe, was making his way toward the elevator.
The moment he stepped out, he considered his options. If he took off the robe, he wouldn’t be immediately exposed, but under interrogation, some details would inevitably give him away. He might as well keep it on. As long as he could successfully leave, he wouldn''t be found out.
So he walked at a leisurely pace, no different from casually strolling through a shopping mall. But in Flame Butterfly''s eyes, this calm and unhurried demeanor made him seem supremely confident—deep and unfathomable.
She hovered at the center of the atrium, illuminated by brilliant lights, looking like an angel.
"Um, excuse me, but were you the one who just used an ability?"
Seeing Yang Xi wearing the You Rooster mask, Flame Butterfly felt a bit nervous and instinctively stopped whistling.
Yang Xi, on the other hand, remained utterly relaxed.
After all, this professional hero—who had trained tirelessly from childhood, worked hard to get into a university’s hero department, and diligently refined her abilities to reach this level—had completely lost any chance of defeating him five minutes ago.
She was merely a C-rank fire-type ability user. She couldn''t possibly harm Yang Xi.
"Yeah, I just helped clean up for you."
He tossed the corpse of the exotic beast toward Flame Butterfly.
As she caught the small One-Eyed Slayer, she immediately realized the mistake she and Hot and Sour Powder Superman had made earlier. If not for this mysterious stranger''s intervention, the situation could have spiraled out of control.
Flame Butterfly kept a wary distance from Yang Xi. "Are you a hero too? I don’t think I’ve seen your profile on the Hero Association’s official website."
Yang Xi waved a hand dismissively. "I’m no hero, just a passerby. I’ve answered your question. Can I leave now?"
Not a hero?
The psychic outburst just now had only lasted for an instant. That meant this masked stranger had instantly killed an exotic beast that had given them so much trouble.
Even if it was just a clone, it must have been just as formidable.
"B-but if you''re not a hero, you’re not supposed to use abilities without permission!"
Flame Butterfly hesitated but ultimately chose to uphold the hero code over her fear.
"You—you must come with me to the Hero Association for investigation!"
Behind the mask, Yang Xi let out a chuckle. "And if I refuse? Are you planning to stop me?"
Flame Butterfly steeled herself and issued a final warning. "Your actions violate the Ability Law. I’m legally authorized to take action against you!"
She conjured three or five flame butterflies, her tone filled with caution.
If this mysterious figure still refused to comply, she would have no choice but to attack.
That exotic beast had been immune to her flames, but there was no way she''d run into a second creature like that—right?
The odds were just too low!
"This is how heroes treat ordinary people?" Yang Xi’s gaze turned sharp beneath his mask. "How arrogant."
Flame Butterfly pouted. "You''re not an ordinary person! You''re a psychic ability user with no registration in the Hero Association—a dangerous individual!"
The young hero waved her hand, sending the fiery butterflies fluttering toward Yang Xi.
Yet, Yang Xi stood motionless, as if he hadn''t noticed them at all.
Just as Flame Butterfly closed the distance, he casually reached out and snuffed out the flame butterflies in his hands.
He smirked and held up his unscathed palm for her to see.
"So, is it my turn to attack now?"
"I-I''m sorry! o╥﹏╥o!!"
The young hero vanished from his sight in an instant.
Yang Xi didn’t bother chasing her—Flame Butterfly wasn’t his target.
"Heh, but today wasn’t a total loss."
"A blue pill…"
"Wasn’t this the same thing Glacier Brave took that day?"