《Psyche Reflection》


 Prologue

    It was a spacious yet dark room, the light largely shielded by the curtains that had been drawn, covering most of the glass window panels save for one central panel.


    At the far end of the room, which appeared to be a personal office, a large desk made of mahogany could be seen.


    There, a man sat on a comfortable office spin-chair with his back facing the entrance of the room. He appeared to be dressed in a black cloak, which was in stark contrast to his blonde hair.


    Beside the desk lay a motionless corpse which face couldn''t be seen as it was lying face down, though the body structure hinted that the deceased was most likely male.


    Now, a clear view of the face of the blonde-haired man could be seen. The man was adorning a bright red mask covering his eyes, much like a masquerade. His face was free of blemishes, testament of his youth.


    After a period of silence, the man muttered to himself, "Is perception equal to reality? If not, who''s to judge what''s real and what isn''t? After all, it is a fact that we don''t perceive everything that exists in so-called reality, and at the same time we perceive things that seemingly don''t exist in the real plane.


    However, our conscious decisions that affect reality are determined by our perceptions, so perhaps all it takes to alter reality is to alter our perceptions. The power to alter perceptions...this is a dangerous line you''re crossing, Heinrich..."


    The masked man''s thoughts were disrupted by a shrill female voice which blasted through the earpiece in his right ear, much to his displeasure, "Hey, what are you dallying there for, Red? The cronies of the Foundation are heading your way as we speak! Are you done disposing the target? If so, get out of there this instant!"


    The man named Red replied calmly, "Relax, I know what I''m doing. Gotta let the Foundation know who''s the one who did their backer in, right? I bet their expressions would be a joy to watch."


    Ignoring the snide remarks made on the other end, Red turned his chair around to face the door as the sound of boots landing heavily drew nearer. Within seconds, the door was knocked down as armed soldiers dressed in white uniforms stormed the room, pointing their assault rifles towards Red.


    A man who appeared to be their leader declared, "There''s no chance of escape for you now, the most wanted criminal of the Foundation and leader of the Seven Spectres, Akagami Red! We''ve got this place on complete lockdown! "


    Red sighed as he sneered, "Come on, don''t be such a downer. We''re in the cognitive world after all, so have a little imagination, hahaha!"


    Enraged by Red''s remark, the leader of the soldiers ordered, "Get him!" The soldiers swiftly opened fire, as the bullet hail from their automatic rifles shattered the window panels instantly.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    To their dismay, the moment they opened fire, Red had instinctively leaned backwards, avoiding the bullets as he performed a backroll before diving backwards out of the building through the broken window.


    One of the soldiers remarked, "Is he insane, Captain? We''re several metres above the ground, even if this is the cognitive world-" His superior interrupted him, "No, he''s not! This is the number 1 criminal on the Foundation''s hit list we''re talking about, he''s definitely up to something!"


    As Red was plummeting rapidly to the ground below, he muttered, "Let''s do this." as his body erupted in blue flames, slowly consuming his entire torso.


    The Captain''s question was answered as he witnessed a stream of blue flames shoot up towards the sky. The captain swiftly ordered, "Darn, he knows about our ambush on the ground below, so he''s gonna try and escape from the sky above. Notify the Major whose team is on the rooftop so that they might intercept him before it''s too late!"


    One of his soldiers acknowledged the order and quickly relayed the message via his walkie talkie. Meanwhile, on the rooftop, surrounded by well-equipped soldiers, a burly man who was a head taller than the rest said coarsely, "The target is heading our way, you say? Very well, we''ll take him out for sure."


    One of his men gasped as he pointed towards an object coated in blue flames, "T-Target in sight, Major!" When the object reached the end of its upward trajectory, the blue flames dispersed in all directions, revealing what appeared to be a winged demon.


    The demon''s face was relatively obscure, as it was covered in blue flames, the prominent features being the 2 narrow red slits it had as eyes as well as its gaping maw in the same colour. On its forehead were 2 horns which pointed up and away from each other before bending at 90ˇă to face the front.


    The demon had black feathered wings on the back of its body, which was covered by a red suit. Even though its appearance was intimidating, with its long sharp claws and its terror inducing face, the demon had a gentleman-like appearance, topped off by the bow hat atop its head.


    The Major remarked, "This is the true form of Akagami Red, the S-class demon, Arceus! Non-Reflection users, stand back and provide support fire! The rest, it''s time to turn up the heat! Let''s go, [Balrog]!"


    To his horror, nothing emerged as the squad was thrown into disarray, with one soldier remarking, "I can''t use my Reflection! What''s going on, Major!" The Major quickly composed himself as he ordered, "We''ll figure out the reason later! Open fire!!"


    The soldiers swiftly emptied their clips as they fired at their target. Unfortunately, before their bullets could land, Red, who was now known as Arceus, created a wall of blue flames before him, melting every single projectile headed his way.


    Arceus remarked sympathetically, "So many innocent lives, thrown for the sake of the ambition of one man. You, the big guy, tell your leader, Heinrich, this. The Seven Spectres would never stop till he changes his ways. We''ll always be there, operating from the shadows. Now, if you''ll excuse me, I gotta get going. [Purgatory Flames]."


    From Arceus'' right hand, a torrent of blue flames erupted as it headed rapidly towards the soldiers on the rooftop, who were defenceless against the incoming onslaught. The Major could only brace himself for the worse as he cursed, "Damn you, Akagami Red!! This is not over, you hear me! The Generals will take your head for sure!"


    The blue flames washed over the entire squad as bloodcurdling screams pierced the air. However, it wasn''t long before the flames mysteriously extinguished without claiming any lives, as everyone on the rooftop was merely burnt slightly, much to their surprise.


    The Major remained stumped momentarily before recovering swiftly to look up into the sky, but his enemy was long gone, leaving behind a sole black feather that descended slowly...

 Chapter 1: The Reflected World

    <Year 20XX, Singapore>


    The Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) train rushed noisily along its underground tracks towards its next station, though the noise didn''t faze the commuters within its carriages, since they were all accustomed to it.


    After all, the noise was a small nuisance relative to the convenience brought by the MRT, with stations placed all over the small island in relative close proximity to one another, not to mention the highly interconnected lines.


    Among the current passengers on board this particular train stood a bespectacled young man who was dressed in a simple T-shirt, long pants and running shoes. He had short but slightly messy black hair, and his face wasn''t completely blemish free, showing that he probably didn''t pay much attention to personal grooming.


    The young man had a lean frame, but hidden under his clothing was a well-toned figure with chiselled abs, the result of consistent physical training over the past few years. He was Lee Jin Kai, 21 years of age and a freshman of the National University of Singapore majoring in Psychology.


    Today was yet another ordinary day in the eyes of Jin Kai, as he headed towards school for his first lecture in university. Even though it was an exciting prospect in Jin Kai''s eyes, he did well to keep his excitement under wraps, maintaining a stoic appearance like all other commuters present.


    Jin Kai took a glance at the MRT system map, realising that it would take a few more minutes before he arrived at his destination. Bored to his wits'' end, Jin Kai decided to observe others silently, hoping to pick up on some interesting conversations along the way. Though the train wasn''t packed because the morning peak was already over, it wasn''t long before Jin Kai caught onto a particularly fascinating dialogue between a man and a woman, both dressed in office attire.


    The man exclaimed, "Did you read the breaking news this morning? They say that the famous information technology magnate in the US, Mark Francis, has suddenly fallen into a coma! The doctors said that they couldn''t discover the cause of this incident and had urged family members to prepare for the worst, as he still remains in a vegetative state.


    This is just but the latest of what the media dubs as ''mental shutdown'' incidents which are occurring all over the world! Don''t you find such occurrences scary? Is this the new face of terrorism we have to contend with?"


    His partner replied nonchalantly, "Oh please, you know that the media loves to stir controversy, especially in the West. There are only but a handful of such incidents, and so far, it seems that there''s no clear correlation between the victims, as they come from various backgrounds.


    Nonetheless, the incidents are largely isolated to the US and Europe, so I think we''re pretty safe for now. If you ask me, I''d worry more about this train breaking down than such a distant threat. Come on, cheer up! We''ve still got a long day ahead of us to be worrying about these kind of things."


    Following his companion''s encouragement, the man nodded before switching the topic of their conversation to more boring, everyday issues that Jin Kai wasn''t interested in. However, the term ''mental shutdowns'' lingered in Jin Kai''s mind as he muttered to himself, "I wonder if there''s any logical explanation behind these sudden comas, could it be a virus?"


    Jin Kai''s thoughts were disrupted by an announcement over the train''s public address system, "Kent Ridge. Please mind the gap." As the train doors slid open after the train halted at the station, Jin Kai swiftly exited from the carriage he was in, having arrived at his destination. Jin Kai was about to head for the escalator when he was entranced by a young woman in front of him.


    Her attire was nothing special, as she wore a simple blouse with jeans. However, it was her sparkling blonde hair tied up in a single ponytail, accompanied by her deep blue eyes that truly captivated Jin Kai. Jin Kai had seen his fair share of Eurasians in his multi-racial country, but this woman was a truly unique beauty, since her facial features were more reminiscent of Asians than Europeans, which probably meant that she was of mixed descent.


    Jin Kai drew in a deep breath as he forced himself to calm down, knowing that he probably wouldn''t have an opportunity to interact with her on a personal basis. Sighing as he lamented his misfortune silently within his heart, Jin Kai walked towards the bus stop just outside the station, where he waited for the shuttle bus to bring him to the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.


    It wasn''t long before the bus arrived, as Jin Kai found himself competing with several students for a place onboard the crowded bus. It wasn''t a surprise, as the closer it was to the start of lectures, the more packed the bus would be, with many students planning their journeys such that they would reach their respective venues in the nick of time.


    However, a surprise was in store for Jin Kai nevertheless, as not only did the same blonde-haired woman board the same bus as he did, she was standing in such close proximity to him that their bodies were nearly touching. Jin Kai''s heart was pounding furiously as he couldn''t believe his luck, though deep down he knew that this wouldn''t amount to much.


    The bus trip went pretty smoothly, as Jin Kai savoured every minute he had in the presence of the divine beauty before him. When it was time for Jin Kai to alight, he sighed silently in his heart, for the dream was finally over. However, fate had other plans for him, as the bus skidded unexpectedly to a halt at the bus stop, causing many passengers to lose their balance, including the woman before Jin Kai.


    Having lost her balance, the woman fell slightly backwards onto Jin Kai, as she frantically reached out for something that would break her fall, grabbing onto Jin Kai''s arm by accident in the process. Jin Kai was stunned by the sudden turn of events as the woman swiftly recovered from her fall before looking at Jin Kai in the eye.


    The woman whispered quietly, "Sorryˇ­and thanks. I hope I didn''t hurt you in any way." Jin Kai responded instinctively, "No, I''m fine, thanks for your concern." The woman smiled brightly before exiting the bus as its doors swung open, much to Jin Kai''s surprise as he swiftly alighted as well.


    Walking a fair distance behind the woman, Jin Kai was pleasantly shocked to discover that the woman was heading towards the same venue as he was, implying that they were enrolled in the same introductory module for Psychology. Jin Kai thought to himself proudly, "Perhaps Lady Luck has shone on me this timeˇ­I should make the most of this heaven-sent opportunity."


    Despite his initial bravado, Jin Kai couldn''t muster enough courage to sit next to the woman in the lecture theatre, settling for a seat a few rows behind her instead. The first lecture soon began, as the lecturer, an aged professor, started the module proper with an introduction to what psychology entailed.


    Try as he might to focus on what the lecturer was covering, which included the roots of psychology in ancient medicine and philosophy, Jin Kai couldn''t keep the woman out of his mind, as his inner turmoil raged within him. Jin Kai muttered to himself, "Come on, focus! I can try asking her out after the lecture, so I''ve got to concentrate for now!"


    It didn''t take Jin Kai long before he could finally focus completely on the lecture, the content covered assisting in arresting his interest as well. Now, the professor was sharing on the different schools of thought in psychology, starting from the structuralists, who believed that processes in the mind, like molecules and cells, can be broken down into simpler units for further examination and comprehension.


    The lecture started to get really exciting to Jin Kai when the professor finally touched on Sigmund Freud''s psychodynamic theory. The professor narrated, "A popular school of thought in psychology between the 1900s and the 1950s was Sigmund Freud''s psychodynamic theory, which remains prevalent in pop culture today as well.


    According to Freud, the human mind can be split into 3 parts, so to speak. First of all, the id, which is the source of psychodynamic energy, in other words, the energy which power our thoughts and consciousness. The id represents our primitive desires, and I believe that everyone realises that more often than not, our actions are driven by our innermost desires.


    However, not all desires bring benefit to us or the people around us when they are satisfied, hence, to keep the id in check, the superego, which is formed from our conscience and the need to conform to the rules of society, serves to provide the requisite check and balance.


    Together, the forces of the id and the superego counteract each other to shape the ego, otherwise known as the personality of an individual. Everyone has unique personalities, but it remains true for us all that our respective ids are the product of a delicate balance between the id and the superego.


    If the scales were to tip towards either sideˇ­I believe that it would spell bad news for one''s psyche. If the id overpowers the superego, just like how the devil in cartoons sometimes emerge victorious over the angel, one might disregard the laws and do as he pleases, possibly hurting both himself and those around him.


    On the other hand, if the superego outweighs the id by a large extent instead, the stress resulting from guilt and the constant need to abide by the rules can place a huge burden on one''s mental state, since one is unable to find joy from things he genuinely enjoy. Whew, I think I''ve talked quite a bit already, so shall we all take a short 5 minute break here? If you''ve any questions, please feel free to come down and enquire!"


    Jin Kai exhaled slowly as he gave his body a light stretch. Just a little longer and the lecture would be finally over. Jin Kai took a glance at the blonde-haired woman who remained at her seat, as she appeared to be actively scribbling away in her notebook. He was glad that she was sitting alone, which meant that he stood some chance if he was to ask her out.


    As Jin Kai was scanning his surroundings furtively, his vision suddenly started to become hazy with a reddish hue as his environment turned deathly silent in an instant. Before Jin Kai could even panic, he heard a deep yet calm voice within his head, "You have been chosen to be the Shepherd, the one who guides others to the truth. Gather your comrades, for an arduous journey lies ahead of youˇ­"


    Jin Kai then noticed that a particular individual sitting in front of him was shrouded by a red aura unlike the other students. Curious, Jin Kai stretched his hand in an attempt to reach the aura before him. However, just as he ''touched'' that student, Jin Kai felt as though his body was sucked into a wormhole, as his world went black instantly.


    Meanwhile, a shiver shot down the spine of the blonde-haired lady, as she turned around swiftly before muttering inaudibly, "It can''t beˇ­there''s actually a Diver here, in this very lecture theatre? Most likely a newbie, given the unexpectedness of this Psyche Dive. Guess I''ve no choice but to enter that psyche which I''ve been avoiding."A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Resting her head against the table, the lady appeared to be taking a nap before the lecture resumed, but the truth couldn''t be much further as her consciousness was swiftly transported away, leaving behind a limp body momentarilyˇ­


    When Jin Kai had finally regained his senses, he found himself in a completely unfamiliar environment. The sky was still bright blue, but Jin Kai found himself surrounded by debris and broken buildings. Jin Kai wondered aloud, "Where am I now? And what was that freaky voice earlier? Guess I should try to find a way out instead of panicking here."


    Jin Kai swiftly began to explore his environment, as he attempted to uncover clues to his whereabouts and possible exit. As Jin Kai navigated through the foreign territory, he touched the debris with his hands and was surprised to discover how real they felt. Jin Kai muttered, "If this is a dream, it definitely feels really realisticˇ­if only there''s someone here who I could questionˇ­"


    Just as Jin Kai turned right at a corner, he found himself facing the back of a giant toad, which was only slightly shorter than Jin Kai but was far heavier. The toad was brightly coloured, with warts plastering all over its back. Jin Kai was stunned, but he managed to keep himself from screaming in fear as he slowly backed away from the monstrosity before him.


    Unfortunately, by a wicked twist of fate, Jin Kai accidentally kicked a pebble on the ground which skidded on the ground towards the toad, hitting its hind leg. The toad quickly turned its head around, its eyes locking onto Jin Kai as they gleamed with hostile intent. Jin Kai cursed, "Drats!" as he immediately turned tail and ran as fast as he could.


    Jin Kai turned at every corner he could find, hoping to shake his pursuer off as the giant toad was hot on his heels, since it could clear great distances with a single leap. Jin Kai used the croaking sound it made to estimate its distance from him, as he kept sprinting without turning back. Just as Jin Kai thought that he had finally given his predator the slip, he felt something slimy swipe his left ankle as he instantly lost his footing, crashing unceremoniously onto the ground.


    Jin Kai, who remained on the ground, turned around only to discover that the toad was only a few metres away from him, as it waddled slowly towards him, confident that he could not escape its grasp. Jin Kai noticed that its tongue was slowly emerging from its mouth and realised immediately that it was the tongue of the toad that had tripped him in the first place.


    Cold sweat trickled down Kai''s forehead as he recognised that there was no escape from this monster, with its extendable tongue and the short distance between them. Kai attempted to rationalise in denial, "Perhaps letting this toad eat me would return me to the real worldˇ­yeah, that must be it, this is all an illusion!"


    Just as Jin Kai had resigned to his fate of becoming the toad''s next meal, he heard the sound of gunfire coming from behind him. Jin Kai swore that he saw a brief image of a bullet from the corner of his left eye before it whistled past him and landed on its target, cracking the toad''s skull. The toad died instantly, as it collapsed limply onto the ground before its body vaporised into black vapour, much like the death of a monster in a video game.


    "I can''t believe that you willingly let yourself get eaten by that Spectre. As expected, you don''t know what would happen if you were to lose your life here in the Reflected World. Guess you''re fortunate that I came on the nick of time, you newbie." a female voice rang from behind.


    Jin Kai swiftly turned around, overjoyed to finally have a companion to assist him out of this ordeal. However, to his pleasant surprise, his saviour was the very same blonde-haired woman he was mesmerised with, but her attire now was completely different. Now, the woman before him was dressed in a tight-fitting white uniform from head to toe, the epaulettes on her shoulders giving off a militaristic feel.


    The woman stretched out her hand in assistance and Jin Kai gladly accepted it, as she pulled him back onto his feet. The woman introduced herself, "I''m Lieutenant Aiko Verde of the Foundation, but you can just call me Aiko. You''re the one I met on the bus this morning, right? I''m glad you''re alright."


    Seeing Aiko''s bright smile made Jin Kai blush slightly as he replied shyly, "I''m Lee Jin Kai, thanks for saving me, Aiko. On a serious note, you were saying this place is called the Reflected World? Can you tell me more about it?"


    Aiko sighed as she said gently, "Very well. However, let''s move as we talk, we don''t want to get caught off guard by those Spectres." Jin Kai nodded as Aiko quickly took the lead, with Jin Kai following closely behind.


    As the pair walked briskly, Aiko shared, "Alright, I''ll give you a crash course right now on your surroundings. This place is known as the Reflected World, in other words, the cognitive world of an individual. Everyone has their own unique Reflected World so to speak, but many are unaware of its existence, for only people like you and me, aka the Divers, are able to access this realm via the ''Psyche Dive'', which you probably initiated by accident earlier.


    In here, the innermost desires and beliefs of an individual are materialised. Take this place, for instance. The debris and broken buildings are very likely a hint to how this particular individual views the world around him. If I were to guess, he''s probably very discontented with his life, for he has many perceived needs that are unmet, resulting in such a broken environment.


    Now, onto that toad you encountered earlier. That was a Spectre, a fairly weak one to be honest. They can come in all forms and sizes, but they are all manifestations created from the excess psychodynamic energy as a result of the imbalance between the id and the superego."


    Jin Kai interrupted, "Wait, you mean that Freud''s psychodynamic theory applies to this realm? This is insane, to think that what we learn in psychology had such implicationsˇ­"Aiko shot him a displeased look before resuming, "Yeah, glad you were paying attention to the lecture so I don''t have to explain so much.


    Anyway, back to the topic, the presence of Spectres indicate an imbalance between theidand the superego, which usually doesn''t bode well for the mental state of the individual in real life if such imbalances were to persist for a long time.


    In fact, in some cases, Spectres might even evolve into much stronger Demons, which are far harder to cleanse from the Reflected World. I believe that Divers are the chosen ones to cleanse the minds of people from the insidious influences of Spectres and Demons, a noble duty indeed.


    Now, the important question awaits; What happens if you were to be killed in this world as a Diver? The answer, you''ll enter a coma in the real world, never to wake up again. After all, you''re injecting your consciousness, your ego, into another individual during the ''Psyche Dive'', so if that consciousness gets erased, well, the answer is clear."


    Jin Kai took a moment to ponder before he enquired, "Okay, I understand the severe repercussions of dying in this world now. Let me just ask you this, are the ''mental shutdown'' incidents all over the world connected to this? Can you ''kill'' people by erasing their ego in this world?"


    Aiko''s lips curved into a slight grin as she replied, "Well, you''re pretty sharp, making the connections so quickly. Yes, from what the Foundation has gathered, there''s a link between the ''mental shutdown'' incidents and the Reflected World. This is one of the many reasons why the Foundation was formed, to prevent the misuse of the Reflected World by Divers seeking to fulfil their own personal agenda instead of using their powers for the greater good.


    Another chief reason for the formation of the Foundation was to protect and nurture new Divers such as yourself. This is why I''ve come to Singapore from Japan, to set up a branch of the Foundation here in Singapore with a team of Divers under my charge. Currently, you''re the very first Diver I know in this country, so I guess it''s only the 2 of us for now."


    Jin Kai scratched his chin as he remarked, "I kind of get the situation now, but you still haven''t explained to me how Divers can fight against those Spectres. I was totally helpless out there earlier, but you took out that giant toad with one shot!"


    Aiko giggled as she replied cheerfully, "I guess this is the part you''ve been eagerly waiting for. Well, I don''t expect you to fight any Spectres today, just leave all the fighting to me, but I guess I can teach you the basics. There are many ways to fight against Spectres, but the most basic is the use of weapons we fashion from our cognition.


    Take me for instance. I use a pair of automatic pistols as my weapon of choice against Spectres. Just remember, this is the cognitive world, so the power and efficacy of your materialised weapon is contingent on the strength of your cognition, so the more powerful your image of your weapon, the stronger it''ll become."


    Jin Kai swiftly added, "Hey, if this is the cognitive world where our thoughts get materialised, does that mean I can just imagine a huge nuke and blow all these monsters up with ease? Man, that would be totally cool!"


    Aiko sighed, "If that was the case, everybody would become insanely powerful in here. Yes, the strength of imagination do play a part, but it''s not that easy to attain a level of imagination that can be translated to such destructive power. In any case, a word of advice from me. The strength of your cognition is grounded on realism, so the more real-life experience you have with a particular weapon, the stronger it''ll become here in the Reflected World-"


    Just as Aiko was about to finish her sentence, the ground started to tremble strongly as the pair struggled to maintain their balance. The trembling stopped soon enough, but what came next was worse. Emerging from the ground just before the duo was a humongous lizard, which size made the toad from earlier appear small.


    The lizard bared its sharp fangs, its forked tongue flicking left and right as it glared at the 2 puny humans before it. Aiko smirked, "It''s finally shown itself, the head honcho of this place. Destroying it should restore the balance between the id and the superego, given the amount of psychodynamic energy it''s exuding. I initially wanted to avoid a fight with it, since it was pointless, but since it chose to hunt me, I guess I''ll just have to return the favour."


    Before Aiko could reach for her pistols, Jin Kai stopped her, requesting, "Let me have a go at this guy, I want to gain some combat experience. If things go awry, you can step in anytime and pull my ass out of this mess. So, let me take him on!"


    Seeing Jin Kai''s resolved gaze, Aiko relented as she warned, "Be careful, this Spectre is not as weak as the toad from earlier. Remember what I''ve taught you and you should be fine, I''ll provide backup if necessary."


    Jin Kai smiled before closing his eyes as he began to focus his thoughts. The lizard, which had grown impatient, took the first move as it extended its forked tongue rapidly, seeking to catch Jin Kai with it before swallowing him whole. Just as the tongue was about to reach its target, Jin Kai''s eyes flashed wide open as he instantly conjured a lightweight silver spear in his hands.


    Jin Kai instinctively thrust the tip of his spear into the tongue of the lizard, pinning it down before he hacked away its end with a quick flick of his wrist. The lizard howled in pain as it swiftly retracted its bloodied tongue, the dismembered end disappearing into black vapour after a moment''s delay.


    Jin Kai then seized the opportunity to narrow the gap between the lizard and him, as he started to dash towards his target. Still recovering from the pain inflicted on it, the lizard barely noticed Jin Kai''s advance until the last minute, where it launched a fierce swipe at him with its claws, much to the horror of Aiko, who hadn''t expected Jin Kai to charge in from the front so recklessly.


    Just as Aiko was about to step in, as she thought that Jin Kai would be heavily injured from that attack, to her surprise, before the attack could land, he vanished instantly, only to reappear right before the lizard''s head as he plunged his spear deep into its skull between its eyes. Twisting his spear while it remained lodged in the lizard''s head, Jin Kai performed a quick upward swing, tearing through the lizard''s forehead in the process.


    Aiko was stunned by the turn of events, as she muttered, "There''s no doubtˇ­he''s already using psychodynamic energy unconsciously to augment his speed and powerˇ­I can''t believe that these are the movements of an amateurˇ­who is he exactly?"


    Aiko''s thoughts were broken when she noticed that the lizard''s eyes moved to focus on Jin Kai. She warned, "Jin Kai, that creature isn''t dead yet! Get out of there!" Just before the lizard could swallow Jin Kai whole, Jin Kai had instinctively leapt into the air, avoiding the attempt on his life.


    While in mid-air, Jin Kai directed the tip of his spear towards the top of the lizard''s head, before he pushed off with all his might, crashing into the top of the lizard''s head like an arrow. The impact of his crash forced the lizard''s jaw to smash onto the ground, pinning it down. Now, with his spear buried even deeper into the lizard''s head than earlier, Jin Kai adjusted his grip before running down the length of the lizard''s torso, ripping through its flesh from head to tail.


    That was the final straw for the poor monster, as it collapsed onto the ground, its lifeless body soon vaporising into black vapour. Aiko, who had yet to recover from her shock at the ease in which Jin Kai had defeated such a large Spectre on his very first fight, stammered, "H-How are you able to use psychodynamic energy so easily? Manifesting your weapon so quickly is one thing, but using raw psychodynamic energy so instinctivelyˇ­what did you do exactly?"


    Jin Kai turned around and replied matter-of-factly, "Well, you did say that this was the cognitive world where imagination and cognition is key. I''m a fantasy author, so I guess you can say I''m armed with a fertile imagination, hahaha! Never would I have thought that such a skill would be so useful!"


    Aiko smiled gently as her thoughts drifted away from their present situation. If she had such a capable Diver under her wing, perhaps her goal would be attainable after allˇ­

 Chapter 2: Re-Enlistment

    <Reflected World of Unknown Individual>


    Aiko''s thoughts were broken by a question, "Hey, Aiko, what''s that shining ball of light?" Turning to face her questioner, Aiko replied casually, "Oh, that must be the ego of the owner of this realm. Now that most of the Spectres here have been eliminated, it can finally come out of hiding without worrying for its safety."


    As the ego flew nearer to the pair, it suddenly metamorphosed into a figure, more specifically, a male student who Jin Kai recognised. The figure, who was surrounded by white light, expressed his gratitude, "Thank you for rescuing me from those monsters, even though they were technically my creations.


    As I''m the only student from my polytechnic who has entered this course, I was so filled with apprehension on my ability to fit in with the rest of the cohort that I had dreaded going for lessons. Now, I know that this fear comes from my fear of solitude in my 4 years here, and the only person who can do anything about it is myself. I''mˇ­going to try my best to socialise with my course mates!"


    After his declaration was made, the figure slowly faded into nothingness, his face carrying a tranquil expression. Jin Kai stammered, "W-Wow, what was that all about? Was that really the person we helped? Would he know of us in real life?"


    Aiko replied coldly, "No, that was only his Reflection, or inner self, so to speak. The real person won''t know who we are, but the events that transpired in this realm would have real life consequences. He would probably feel less troubled now that the burden weighing on his heart has finally been lifted. Now, I believe it''s time for us to return to the real world as well."


    Before Jin Kai could open his mouth, Aiko pointed towards what appeared to be a portal. Aiko explained, "That was what I was looking for when I asked you to follow me. That''s our ticket out of the cognitive world. I would explain to you how entry and exit of the cognitive world works another time. For now, we''ve got a lecture to return to."


    Jin Kai nodded in silence as he followed Aiko''s lead, stepping into the portal without hesitation as the world around him went bright before he blacked out once again.


    <Reality, Lecture Theatre, Singapore>


    Jin Kai slowly regained consciousness as his vision gradually became clearer. Feeling oozy, Jin Kai muttered to himself, "My head''s all fuzzyˇ­was that all a dream?" Jin Kai stole a glance at his watch and looked at the time. Despite spending what appeared to be at least a few hours in his ''dream'', only 3 minutes had passed in the real world.


    Jin Kai only knew it wasn''t a dream when he saw Aiko staring straight into his eyes before nodding her head. Jin Kai interpreted her gesture as a request for them to meet up after the lecture, to which he responded with an ''OK'' gesture with his fingers. Jin Kai then stole a glance at the student they had helped and noticed that he was looking a lot more refreshed, which brought a smile to Jin Kai''s face.


    When the lecture was finally over, Jin Kai waited patiently for Aiko at the benches outside the lecture theatre. It wasn''t long before Aiko arrived as she snapped, "Jin Kai, lend me your IC to take a few snapshots, it''s for the Foundation." Jin Kai drew his identity card from his wallet without hesitation before handing it over to Aiko, who swiftly used her smartphone to take a few photographs of the front and back of Jin Kai''s IC.


    Aiko then said matter-of-factly as she returned Jin Kai''s IC, "I''m done, thanks. We should exchange contacts, since we''ll be getting in touch rather frequently from now on, now that you''re going to be a full-fledged member of the Foundation. Oh, speaking of the Foundation, I''ve just received a potential mission, so, if you want to come along, meet me at 1400H outside Kent Ridge Station, assuming you''ve no lectures in the afternoon of course."


    Jin Kai felt a strong sense of delight bubbling within him as he replied jovially, "S-Sure, of course! I''m free tomorrow afternoon, so see you outside Kent Ridge Station, 1400H!" After exchanging contacts on their mobile phones, Jin Kai waved goodbye to Aiko as she walked away from him, eventually disappearing out of sight.


    <The next day, outside Kent Ridge Station, 1400H>


    Jin Kai waited patiently for Aiko, having arrived a good 5 minutes earlier in his excitement. Aiko soon showed up nonetheless, dressed in a simple polo shirt and tight-fitting jeans, which served to accentuate her curves and shapely legs. Jin Kai was mesmerised momentarily before his daze was broken by a voice.


    Aiko smiled brightly before speaking hurriedly, "Did you wait long? Come, let''s talk more on the train, there are quite a bit of stuff I''ve to explain before we formally begin the mission per se, such as some administrative details as a new recruit of the Foundation. We''re heading towards Raffles Place today." Kai nodded as he followed closely behind Aiko, the Central Business District their next destination.


    Onboard the train, Aiko took out a small hardcover book as well as a singlet wrapped in a plastic packaging from her bag, handing them over to Jin Kai. Aiko swiftly explained, "Okay, before you start raining me with questions, let me just update you with what''s going on now.


    Using the photo of your IC, I''ve sent your particulars for registration with the Foundation, which should be responding with your Foundation identity card in about a week''s time. The card looks something like this."


    Aiko then flashed out her own Foundation IC, which was white in colour. Jin Kai noticed that it displayed her rank very clearly, and instinctively asked, "Wow, the card shows off your rank too? What will my rank be? How fast does it takes to climb ranks?"


    Aiko sighed as she replied weakly, "Well, what do you expect? All recruits start off as Privates, and promotion is dependent on merit, like in all other organisations. I''ll explain the significance of ranks another time, but just note that it''s relatively similar to that of an Army. You served in the Singapore Armed Forces before right, as all male citizens in your country is required to?"


    Jin Kai answered proudly, "Yup, I did, as a conscript. Left full-time service as a 1st Lieutenant. Guess I''m back to being a recruit, haha. Please look after me, Mdm!" Aiko appeared slightly embarrassed before continuing, "Okay, I''ll now explain the 2 things that I''ve just handed over to you, which are part of your enlistment package together with your Foundation IC.


    Firstly, the book. Well, if you read the title now, you might think it''s blasphemy, but I''ll demonstrate the significance of its content in the Reflected World later, assuming we do find a suitable Psyche to dive into."


    Jin Kai scanned the cover of the book in his hand. Its title read, "Tier 1 Spells for the Reflected World" and it was written by a Japanese by the name of Yamamoto Rika. Certainly looks like an interesting work of fiction, but as Aiko had pointed out, it was probably something of substantial importance.


    Aiko resumed, "Next, the singlet. I want you to wear it within your clothing before we meet our client later. Like the book, you''ll understand its significance only in the Reflected World. Moving on, let me explain what we''ll be doing this afternoon. As noble as the Foundation might be, its true mission must be kept a secret from the rest of the world, for any knowledge of the Reflected World by non-divers would result in public outrage and chaos.


    Thus, the Foundation goes by the name of "Psyche Seeker Foundation" where our public front is that of an organisation committed to funding and conducting research into psychology. Thanks to our numerous business partners, we''ve been able to attain a wide network which we can tap on to reach out and help more people with troubled psyches, albeit in the shadows.


    Sadly, one of our key business partners, Mr Mark Francis, has fallen into a coma recently. Though the Foundation hasn''t publicly released any news amongst its members, I suspect foul play is involved, and it''s probably the doing of some rogue Diver, as you''ve brought up the possibility before.


    Sorry, I got too excited about what had happened to Mr Francis. Today, we''ll be visiting one of our partner firms. It''s a counselling centre that specialises in helping troubled office workers. Through our partner firms, we hope to reach out more effectively to people who need our help in cleaning their psyches from the influence of the Spectres. Do you have any questions up to this point?"


    Jin Kai shook his head, having clearly understood the situation. Most likely, they would be allowed to sit close to or even within a counselling session, on the pretext of being interns at the firm. If the client is indeed similar to how that male student was like the day before, they would then be able to enter his psyche and purify the Spectres within.


    Now, the question which couldn''t be answered presently was, how would he be able to tell exactly whether a person is a hit or not? And even if it was a hit, how exactly was he going to perform a "Psyche Dive", so to speak?


    Jin Kai realised that his first question was rather pointless now that he was sitting together with Aiko outside the counsellor''s room at the waiting area. When Aiko and he entered the centre, the counselling session was already underway and Jin Kai immediately picked up on something amiss in the environment.


    Jin Kai couldn''t really describe how he felt, but there was this sense of discomfort tugging away at his heart, and when he turned to face the direction where the sensation originated from, he could make out some sort of reddish hue from behind the door which led into the counsellor''s room.


    Aiko probed, "You can sense it too right? The distortion you''re sensing in the environment is the excess psychodynamic energy released from an imbalanced psyche. This tells us that this person''s psyche is open for us to enter via the ''Psyche Dive''."


    Jin Kai swiftly responded, "How are we going to perform the ''Psyche Dive'' exactly? Sorry, I had no clue as to how I did it the first time." Aiko replied coolly, "Well, it''s pretty simple actually. All you need to do is focus your mind on the source of the reddish hue, and imagine yourself injecting your consciousness into it You can close your eyes to aid the process. See you in there."


    Aiko quickly fell silent as Jin Kai realised that her eyes were closed and her body still, implying that she had most likely already projected her consciousness into the target. Drawing a deep breath, Jin Kai closed his eyes as well as he concentrated on the reddish hue with all his might, eventually being rewarded with the feeling of being siphoned into the hue, as his world swiftly went blackˇ­


    < Reflected World of Unknown Client>


    When Jin Kai regained his consciousness, his first sight as he opened his eyes was that of the blinding sun, as Jin Kai instinctively shielded his eyes from the harmful glare of the sun before slowly opening his eyes.


    Upon recovering his complete vision, Jin Kai realised that he was in the middle of what appears to be a desert, which sands are regularly shifted and carried by the wind. Trudging through the sand that made walking, never mind running, difficult, Jin Kai could feel the immense heat of the sun beating down on his body.


    The arid air added to Jin Kai''s discomfort as his throat became parched near instantly. Mustering what little voice he had left, Jin Kai shouted, "Aiko! Where are you!" To his surprise, he heard someone giggling behind him as a voice replied, "Hehehe, has the scorching sun dulled your senses? I''ve been standing behind you this whole time."


    Jin Kai swiftly turned around to see Aiko, dressed in the white uniform he had seen her wear the last time they entered the Reflected World. Aiko asked, "Look at your own body. Notice anything different?" Jin Kai looked down at his torso and arms, before realising that he was now completely dressed in white as well, in an attire similar to Aiko''s. However, the only noticeable difference was the fact that his shoulders lacked any epaulettes.


    Before Jin Kai could even open his mouth to stammer, Aiko remarked, "Surprised, aren''t you? You can thank the singlet for this. The singlet contains a device that is linked to our ICs, which purpose is to stimulate your nervous system into creating a personalised uniform without expending further psychodynamic energy. Don''t ask me to explain the specifics behind it, I''m no engineer."


    Jin Kai nodded in acknowledgement as he muttered, "I see, the information regarding rank can also be transmitted via the device on the singlet, which is why I don''t have any epaulettes now. Before we start our mission proper, I''ve got a burning question.


    You mentioned that the Psyche Dive can only be performed on imbalanced psyches, and that is usually the case for people with distorted desires or the overly conscientious. In that case, how do rogue divers access the psyches of their targets? Not everyone would possess an imbalanced psyche, right?"


    Aiko grinned slightly as she replied, "You''re pretty sharp for a recruit. You''re right, rogue divers do go after seemingly ordinary people with no clear imbalance in their psyche. However, there are 2 main ways in which rogue divers enter the psyches of such people. Firstly, the balance between the id and the superego is not static, but rather, in dynamic equilibrium.


    This means that while in the long run, the id and the superego counteract and keep each other in check, there would be occasional lapses of imbalance between the two, which are opportunities for rogue divers to enter a person''s psyche.


    The second method, which has been branded as illegal by the Foundation, is to artificially induce an imbalance in a person''s psyche. This can be done by various means, such as provoking a person etc. This method may seem cumbersome, but it''s the most potent used by rogue divers. Anyway, enough about rogue divers, let''s begin your Orientation."Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Some time passed before Jin Kai and Aiko finally encountered some Spectres. This time, they took the form of vultures which skulls lacked any flesh whatsoever, giving them an undead appearance. Aiko commanded, "Well, I''ll give you this opportunity to demonstrate what you''ve learnt thus far. Go and eliminate those Spectres, they should be no match for you at your current state!"


    Jin Kai nodded as he recalled the sensation he had felt when he fought against that giant lizard. Instinctively conjuring his trustworthy spear, Jin Kai rushed towards his targets, which took notice of his presence as he drew nearer. Sensing Jin Kai''s hostility, the vultures screeched as they took flight, soaring towards him with the intention to impale him with their sharp beaks.


    Even though the vultures were fast, Jin Kai was even faster as he nimbly avoided their charge with his instinctive use of psychodynamic energy on his feet to increase his mobility. Jin Kai then swiftly retaliated with successive slashes across his assailants, successfully destroying them in the process as they disintegrated into black vapour.


    Jin Kai was about to heave a sigh of relief when a tingle of electricity shot down his spine. Jin Kai immediately dived out of the way as sharp feathers pierced the ground where he once stood. Turning around swiftly, Jin Kai realised that his new assailant was also an undead vulture, but it was much bigger in size and had the luxury of attacking from a distance.


    Jin Kai cursed, "No fair, not only can it fly, it can also attack from such a huge distance? How am I going to bring it down?" The Spectre denied Jin Kai any opportunity to catch his breath as it flapped its wings relentlessly, raining its feathers like shrapnel in hot pursuit of Jin Kai, who was forced to run around it in circles, much to the laughter of Aiko.


    Jin Kai screamed, "Hey Mdm, shouldn''t you step in now to save your poor recruit? Why isn''t this big bird attacking you anyway?" Aiko struggled to stop laughing before finally composing herself, "Well, I''ll explain that later. In any case, this opponent is perfect for conducting my lesson. Remember that I told you that the most basic method of fighting the Spectres is the use of weapons fashioned from our cognition? Nobody said that you were only limited to one type."


    Catching Aiko''s drift instantly, Jin Kai quickly sought cover behind a huge stone he could find, as the feathers from the vulture rooted itself into Jin Kai''s cover. The vulture, recognising that it couldn''t hurt Jin Kai from its current position, started to fly towards Jin Kai''s location as it sought to strike its target from above, beyond the protection afforded by the stone.


    Just as the vulture flew across the stone, ready to finish off its hapless target with a volley of feathers, it was greeted by the barrel of an assault rifle as Jin Kai pulled the trigger without hesitation. A bullet whistled through the air before striking the vulture through the head, dealing substantial damage as the huge bird fell towards the ground.


    To ensure the kill, Jin Kai threw aside his SAR21 assault rifle before re-summoning his spear, lopping the monster''s head off as it descended. As the carcass of the Spectre dissolved into nothingness, Jin Kai muttered, "Wow, the recoil from shooting the SAR21 here felt really real, this uniform ought to be complemented with a vest that can absorb the shock. An idea for another day, I suppose."


    As Jin Kai emerged from behind the stone, his new weapon in tow, Aiko clapped as she offered some praise, "Well done, you''ve obtained another weapon which you can use against opponents at a distance. I see that your military training has paid off, giving you the inspiration to conjure a weapon you''re familiar with. That is Lesson 1 of your Orientation completed."


    Before Aiko could continue speaking, she noticed that Jin Kai''s face was turning grim as the grip on his rifle tightened. Jin Kai shouted quickly, "Get down!" as he raised his rifle towards the sky. Aiko complied as Jin Kai took a few shots before pulling Aiko away, just before far larger feathers crashed into the location where they once were.


    Aiko now realised that they were up against a far more menacing Spectre than before, as this had to be the largest undead vulture they had encountered up till now, its size similar to that of the giant lizard Jin Kai destroyed the day before. Jin Kai hissed, "Darn, I''m sure my bullets found their target but they did nothing more than graze it! This creature can attack from a range as well, so using my spear would be pointless unless I can keep it restrained somehowˇ­"


    To Jin Kai''s surprise, Aiko remained calm and was even smiling as she exclaimed, "Wow, things have been going rather smoothly today! Onto Lesson 2, recruit! For the purpose of this demonstration, I''ll need you to keep it distracted for a while. Can you do it, Jin Kai?" Jin Kai sighed, before separating from Aiko as he taunted the Spectre to focus on him.


    As Jin Kai was busy avoiding the attacks of the ridiculously large bird, he noticed that Aiko was murmuring to herself, as though she was reciting a chant. When Aiko was finally done, she declared boldly, "Burden thy enemies with the weight of their sins, Tier 1 Spell of Restraint, [Hundred Nails of Sin]!"


    Upon the completion of her spell, Aiko instantly conjured a hundred small specks of light which were shaped like nails before releasing them towards her target. All hundred easily found their target due to its sheer size as Jin Kai wondered what a hundred small bolts could do to a monstrosity of its ilk.


    To his surprise, the large Spectre started to struggle momentarily before it crashed resoundingly into the ground, the impact of its landing nearly sweeping Jin Kai off his feet. Jin Kai was stunned but soon recovered when he heard Aiko chanting again, this time more audibly as she was walking towards him.


    Aiko chanted, "Sacred power descended from the heavens, derivative of the light, come swiftly and smite the forces of evil. Tear through darkness and vanquish evil, Tier 1 Spell of Destruction, [White Lightning]!" Jin Kai noticed that a huge amount of psychodynamic energy was gathered around Aiko, as they converged towards her open palm before being converted into cracking electricity, which sparks flew erratically.


    Aiko swiftly released the stream of electricity gathered in her right hand towards her immobilised target, as white lightning arced rapidly towards its target before engulfing it whole, electrocuting it badly while leaving a badly seared patch at the point of incidence. Despite its size, the Spectre was fatally wounded by the spell, disintegrating into black vapour in mere moments.


    Jin Kai''s mouth was agape with incredulity upon witnessing Aiko''s feat, before he stammered, "W-What was that? I thought you said nukes were near impossible but that was equally cool too!" Aiko sighed as she replied, "Remember the book I gave you prior to our visit to the centre? It contains all known Tier 1 Spells usable in the Reflected World, including the 2 which I''ve just utilised.


    This is the second common method of fighting Spectres in the Reflected World, the use of Spells which can be generally classified into ''Restraint'' and ''Destruction''. There''s a reason why I don''t use them so often in contrast to my trusty pistols. If you''d noticed earlier, it takes quite a bit of time to concentrate and shape my psychodynamic energy with the help of those lines I chanted, which seek to stimulate and direct my cognition in the right direction.


    In the event where the battlefield is extremely heated, it''s near impossible to find the time to prepare and cast spells. Thus, there are rarely any Divers who specialise in solely using Spells despite its huge potential, given the huge risks involved. I''m just letting you know that magic exists here in the Reflected World as part of your Orientation, but it''s relatively unwieldy due to the fact that it doesn''t exist in reality unlike our weapons."


    Jin Kai nodded despondently as he was really intrigued by the intricacies behind spells in the Reflected World, but it would appear that they were extremely difficult to use by regular Divers, not to mention beginners like him. Before Jin Kai could contemplate any further, he was shaken literally out of his thoughts by the rumbling ground below him, as both Aiko and him struggled to maintain their balance.


    Jin Kai swiftly sensed danger when he saw something gleaming heading towards him. Instinctively jumping out of the way, Jin Kai barely avoided what appeared to be the tip of a scorpion''s stinger, as it buried itself deep into the ground just before him. Jin Kai''s next action surprised even himself, as he couldn''t comprehend what went over him.


    Concentrating his psychodynamic energy into his right hand like how he had done for his feet, Jin Kai uttered, "Tear through darkness and vanquish evil, [White Lightning]!" To his disbelief, the Spell actually took form despite the shorter incantation, as the lightning bolt flashed across the air before colliding against the stinger, delivering an electric shock to the assailant while causing a conspicuous crack at the point of impact.


    Aiko was impressed beyond belief at the scene which just unfolded. Jin Kai had only seen her use [White Lightning] a few minutes ago and he could replicate it so quickly with a shortened version, making it practical for battle. In addition, the power behind his [White Lightning] was only slightly weaker than hers, proving that his powers of cognition were very likely more superior than her.


    Aiko had to put aside her thoughts as their unknown adversary began to reveal itself, a giant scorpion which emerged slowly from the sands behind her, its movement probably inhibited by the numbing effects of the electric shock which it had received. However, Aiko knew from experience that the paralysis is only temporary, and it would soon recover and resume its assault.


    Seizing her chance, Aiko exclaimed, "Alright, listen up, Jin Kai! The next lesson I''m going to share is usually not for recruits, but for personnel of more advanced ranks. However, as I see that you have a lot of potential, I''ll impart to you the 3 fundamental applications of raw psychodynamic energy right now.


    First of all, the technique also known as [Void]. Earlier, you asked me why the Spectres didn''t target me, right? Well, the answer is simple. Spectres detect foreign presences in the Reflected World by their ability to detect psychodynamic energy.


    Thus, [Void] essentially refers to the ability to minimise emission of psychodynamic energy throughout one''s body, essentially eliminating one''s presence from the sight of Spectres. Why don''t you try it now? Try imagining your psychodynamic energy as a jacket which you want to keep close to your body."


    Jin Kai quickly complied for his own personal safety as he visualised sucking his psychodynamic energy deep into his body. As he opened his eyes slowly, Jin Kai was amazed that the huge scorpion before him had visibly relaxed despite recovering from its paralysis, as though he had disappeared from its sight. Jin Kai thought, "Looks like Aiko is right. I''m peering straight at those large beady eyes it possess and it''s not even responding one bit."


    Aiko then continued her lesson, "Well done, I knew that you could pick up [Void] easily given your exemplary use of [White Lightning] earlier. [Void] is usually used in scenarios requiring stealth, such as escape or espionage. Now, for the second technique, [Field], which is the complete opposite of [Void]."


    Jin Kai noticed that the giant scorpion was visibly on guard as its eyes narrowed towards where Aiko was standing. Before Jin Kai could even open his mouth to warn Aiko, the Spectre''s tail crashed into where Aiko stood, raising a dust cloud that clouded Jin Kai''s vision.


    Jin Kai panicked for a moment before a voice assured him from within the dust cloud, "[Field] is a technique involving an increased emission of psychodynamic energy in an area with one at its centre.


    The purpose of this technique is to detect things that may elude one''s other senses, and the smaller the area covered, the keener this technique is. At a more advanced level, this technique can also be used to predict the intentions of others, allowing one to respond with minimal effort to hostility."


    When the dust cloud had finally settled, Jin Kai was stunned to see that Aiko had only shifted slightly from her original position, with the stinger of the scorpion barely inches away from her feet, her back still facing the Spectre. Realising that it failed to kill its target, the giant scorpion clicked its pincers menacingly before it struck relentlessly with its claws, pounding the sand rapidly in an attempt to maim Aiko.


    Unfortunately for the Spectre, Aiko gracefully danced through all its assaults while barely shifting from her original position. What made this feat even more incredible was the fact that Aiko was not facing the scorpion straight on, and its attacks weren''t slow. Becoming infuriated with Aiko''s insolence, the scorpion launched a horizontal swipe with its right claw instead, which Aiko dodged with a leap off the ground.


    The beast was no slouch, as it had intended for Aiko to jump into the air, so that it might strike her easily with its stinger, as it was difficult to manoeuvre while in mid-air. Before Jin Kai could say anything, Aiko remarked nonchalantly, "Okay, the 3rd technique which I believe you are already familiar with, [Augment]."


    Just before the stinger could impale its target, Aiko countered with an overhead kick, her right foot reinforced with psychodynamic energy. Stinger and foot clashed head-on, and the resultant impact created a shockwave which blew in all directions, forcing Jin Kai to cover his eyes from the sand carried by the wind.


    When Jin Kai recovered, he was shocked to see that Aiko and the Spectre were still locking horns with each other. However, the victor soon emerged as cracks started to emerge from the tip of the scorpion''s stinger, which joined up with the cracks inflicted by Jin Kai''s spell earlier, shattering the stinger into black vapour in the process.


    The scorpion shrieked in pain but before it could bury itself into the sand to escape, Aiko slammed her augmented right fist into the back of its head as she descended, creating a crater in the process. The exoskeleton of the scorpion instantly cracked as the Spectre died instantly from trauma, its body dissolving into black vapour shortly.


    Jin Kai could only stare in awe at Aiko''s demonstration as he thought, "So this is the power of a Lieutenant of the Foundationˇ­when would I reach that level myself?" Aiko swept her hair back casually as she quipped, "Well, I guess that''s it. Destroying that scorpion should be sufficient to restore balance back to this psyche, given the amount of psychodynamic energy it possesses. This place should be collapsing soon, so let''s head for the exit."


    Witnessing the sands being sucked into what appeared to be a sandpit, Jin Kai swiftly followed Aiko as they headed for the exit portal, which appeared the moment the place began to collapse. Before Jin Kai stepped into the portal, he turned around to see a female figure enshrouded in white light waving her hand in appreciation. Jin Kai returned the smile and stepped right into the portal, experiencing that feeling of being drawn into the darkness once againˇ­


    <Real World - Counselling Centre @Raffles Place, Singapore>


    Jin Kai''s eyes slowly fluttered open as he struggled to regain his senses. Taking a glance at his watch, he noted that only 10 minutes had passed since they entered the Reflected World. Jin Kai then heard the sound of chairs shifting before the door to the counsellor''s room swung open.


    Out stepped a smartly dressed businesswoman, who remarked, "Thank you for taking the time to listen to my troubles with my boyfriend, I feel a lot better after this session with you, Mr Ng. Your guidance is greatly appreciated."


    The counsellor, Mr Ng, replied, "You''re welcome, I was just offering a listening ear. Relationship matters can be rather tricky, but I believe if you could also listen to what your partner has to say like how I did earlier, the two of you can enjoy more effective communication and your relationship can definitely flower."


    The lady nodded as she swiftly walked past Jin Kai and Aiko without recognising them and exited the centre. Mr Ng then turned to Aiko and said, "Ah, you two must be the interns introduced by the Psyche Seeker Foundation! I''m sorry for making you guys wait, that client earlier was really troubled."


    Aiko replied with a cheerful smile, "Not at all, sir. We kept ourselves meaningfully engaged, right, Jin Kai?" Jin Kai could only nod awkwardly as Mr Ng exclaimed, "That''s great! Come, I''m still expecting some clients, so you two can come in first and prepare. Not to worry, I will ask if they''re comfortable with your presence, if not, then I''m afraid you two would have to wait outside like earlier. Is that okay?"


    Aiko answered politely, "Of course, sir. Your clients should take precedence over us. Let''s go, Jin Kai." Jin Kai followed Aiko into the counsellor''s room before closing the door behind him. Looks like the day won''t be over so quickly after all, with potentially a few more Psyche Dives to be madeˇ­


    <Changi Airport Terminal 2, Singapore, Present Time>


    The automatic glass doors slid open as a young woman stepped out of the air-conditioned airport into the taxi bay. The young woman was dressed in a simple blouse and skirt, with a straw hat resting atop her head with luscious black hair.


    Pulling her luggage behind her as she swiftly hailed a taxi, it wasn''t long before she was seating comfortably at the back of the taxi. Before the driver could ask, the woman said gently, "To Clementi Avenue 1 please."


    The driver nodded silently as he drove them away from the taxi bay towards the woman''s intended destination. As the taxi headed towards the city, the woman looked out through the window and muttered, "This greeneryˇ­and the sweltering heat, this is Singapore indeed. However, life in Singapore won''t be that great without youˇ­Jin Kai."

 Chapter 3: Old Friend, New Ally

    <Year 20XX, Central Library, National University of Singapore>


    The past few days went by without any major hitches, as Jin Kai simply accompanied Aiko on their routine visits to the various partner firms of the Foundation, making a few occasional Psyche Dives in the process.


    By now, Jin Kai was rather attuned to the whole process, which included combat in the Reflected World. Ever since the introductory session conducted by Aiko, Jin Kai had added a few more Spells to his repertoire, as he knew that he had a penchant for using them because of his innate talent in imagination which boosted his cognition in the Reflected World.


    Nonetheless, Jin Kai felt that things were growing mundane, as the Spectres they had faced thus far were not strong enough to pose a challenge against him. Despite voicing his desire to take things to the next level, Aiko insisted that it was still too soon for Jin Kai to partake in higher level missions, as he had yet to clear his 2 weeks probationary phase as a Private.


    Despite voicing her objections, Jin Kai could sense that Aiko herself was getting visibly impatient, as she had recognised and acknowledged Jin Kai''s strength as a Diver. Unfortunately, rules were rules, and as Jin Kai''s superior in the Foundation, Aiko had the responsibility to follow regulations to ensure Jin Kai''s safety, especially since there were only 2 of them in Singapore at the moment.


    Thus, Jin Kai could only wait till his probation was over before he could embark on anything exciting. Realising that there was no point sulking over the matter, Jin Kai whipped out his mobile phone to scan through his messages as he sat alone in the library before his attention was arrested by a particular notification.


    Jin Kai swiftly opened the Messenger app on his phone before scrolling through the message sent to him, its content written in Simplified Chinese. The message read, "ÄăşĂŁ¬±đŔ´ÎŢí¦ŁżÎҸոյ˝´ďĐÂĽÓĆÂŁ¬ČçąűÄăĂ÷ĚěÓĐżŐŁ¬ÎŇĂÇÔĽ¸öʱĽäŁ¬ÔÚŔϵط˝ĽűĂ棡(How are you? I''ve just arrived in Singapore, if you''re free tomorrow, let''s arrange a timing to meet at our old jaunt!)"


    Jin Kai smiled as he recognised the sender of the message. It was an old childhood friend from China who went by the name Lim Su Lin. Jin Kai had the opportunity to befriend her when her father was stationed in Singapore for work, for they attended primary school together and were in the same co-curricular activity, Wushu, throughout their time there.


    Unfortunately, after her final year in primary school, Su Lin''s father had completed his attachment in Singapore, thus Su Lin had to return home to China with him. It has been almost 9 years since Jin Kai had seen Su Lin in person, and even though they had communicated occasionally through email, nothing would beat meeting an old friend in person.


    Jin Kai swiftly typed his response, "şĂ°ˇˇŁĂ÷ĚěÖĐÎçŇ»µăÔÚʵÁú¸Ú»¨Ô°ĘěĘłÖĐĐÄĽűŁ¬˛»Ľű˛»É˘! (Sure. See you tomorrow at 1pm at Serangoon Gardens Hawker Centre, I''m not leaving till you show up!)" To Jin Kai''s surprise, Su Lin texted a smiley face almost immediately, acknowledging her receipt of his message.


    Having settled the meeting for the next day, Jin Kai gave himself a good stretch before resuming his self-study. Perhaps 2 weeks wasn''t that long after all, when some time can be well spent on catching up with his old friend.


    <Next day, Serangoon Gardens Hawker Centre, Singapore>


    Jin Kai was humming softly to the tune of the song he was listening through his earphones, as he entered the spacious hawker centre. As it was lunchtime, the crowd was immense, but fortunately, Su Lin had told Jin Kai that she had already got a table, saving him the hassle of finding a free table among the throngs of people.


    Using the instructions sent to him by Su Lin, Jin Kai navigated through countless bodies as he sought to locate her whereabouts. Having kept in close touch with Su Lin all these years, Jin Kai roughly knew how her appearance would be like despite not seeing her in person for the past 9 years.


    It wasn''t long before Jin Kai finally caught a glimpse of a person who matched Su Lin''s appearance, and she was sitting at a table which was within the described area in her instructions. As Jin Kai approached the table, he became increasingly confident that the person is indeed Su Lin. However, when he was within 5 metres from the table, Jin Kai was surprised to see another familiar face sitting at the same table and engaging in conversation with Su Lin.


    "Aiko, what a coincidence! What are you doing here?" Jin Kai asked. Aiko swiftly turned to face him as she gasped in disbelief, "Hey, Jin Kai! What a surprise indeed! This is perfect, let me introduce to you the latest member of the Foundation to join the Singapore branch from China, Staff Sergeant Lim Su Lin!


    She''ll be joining us as our Branch Sergeant Major, in other words, she''ll be my deputy and your second superior as of now. Su Lin, this is Private Jin Kai, the newest recruit of the Singapore Branch. From now on, we''ll be operating as a single cell until we recruit more members, so get along, you two!"


    Both Jin Kai and Su Lin broke out in awkward laughter before Jin Kai snapped in Chinese, "ÄăÔőĂ´Ă»ĚáĆđąýŐâĽţ´óĘ°ˇ? (Why have you not brought up such a serious matter before?)" Su Lin replied calmly, "Well, knowledge of the Foundation and its members should only be privy to those whom it concerns. I never knew you were one of us, so of course I kept mum about my involvement with the Foundation."


    Confused, Aiko asked shyly, "I''m sorryˇ­do you two know each other prior to this meeting? You two seem to be awfully familiar with each other." Su Lin explained, "I apologise that you have to witness such a disrespectful scene earlier, Lieutenant Aiko. Truth be told, the two of us were childhood friends who attended the same primary school together, but I returned to China 9 years ago while Jin Kai remained in Singapore. We actually arranged to meet here for lunch."


    Aiko nodded as she remarked, "I see, so you two are old friends who have known each other for quite some time. This is truly a remarkable coincidence! If you two are having lunch now, do you mind if I join in? I''ll love to hear more about your tales together as children! Oh, and by the way, just call me Aiko, I''m not so particular about rank as Jin Kai can testify."


    Jin Kai looked at Su Lin who nodded in approval. Jin Kai then replied shakily, "S-Sure, please do! I''ll order the food, so you girls just sit tight, okay? Aiko, you don''t mind having Kway Chap (local Singaporean delicacy) right? This is usually what Su Lin and I will get when we''re here since this Kway Chap stall serves great food."


    Aiko expressed an "OK" gesture with her fingers on her right hand before Jin Kai quickly took off to join the growing queue at the popular stall. When Jin Kai was outside earshot, Aiko asked excitedly, "Be honest with me, how was Jin Kai as a kid? Is he as serious-uppity as he is now?"


    Su Lin laughed, "No, he was cuter, clumsier and more absent-minded back then. However, if I were to name one thing that hasn''t changed about him, I would say it is his kindness. He''s always looking out for others, even at his own expense. Let me share with you a story that took place 12 years agoˇ­"


    <12 Years Ago, Singapore>


    "´ňµÄşĂŁ¬ËŐÁŐŁ¬Ă»ÓĐʲôĚرđµÄ˛î´íŁ¬ĽĚĐřĽÓÓÍŁˇ(Well done, Su Lin, there are no major mistakes, keep up the good work!)" Su Lin''s primary school Wushu coach lauded. Su Lin bowed humbly as she placed her hands together in the traditional Wushu salute, before returning to the side to continue practising her Wushu routine.


    As Su Lin found some space for herself within the multi-purpose hall, she could hear some murmuring as she walked past her fellow team-mates, though it wasn''t clear enough for her to grasp the content.


    A boy whispered, "Damn, this Su Lin is really a monster! She could finish the entire routine without even breaking a sweat, and right after she''s done, she goes back to her corner and continues practising, as though nothing had happened!"


    Another boy added, "Yeah, not to mention that at 9 years old, she can already run faster and jump higher and further than even us senior boys, putting us to shame in front of the Coach. To me, the worse thing is that she does all this with a straight face, acting all high and mighty just because she''s the Coach''s pet!"


    A girl pitched in, "Well, if you boys feel so bad about this, why not confront her about it? No point just standing around and complaining, right? Actions speak louder than words, so if you want to teach that PRC (People''s Republic of China) bitch a lesson, you better prove it! Since she''ll probably beat you physically, I have another way of dealing with herˇ­"


    When training was finally over, Su Lin was helping to sweep the floor when she was confronted by the trio. One of the boys taunted, "Hello, Su Lin. Let''s play nice first, guys. Su Lin, we know that you have external training outside that makes you possibly the best Wushu practitioner among us all. However, could you just tone down your training here a little, especially during our physical training sessions? You wouldn''t like to embarrass us, would you?"This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Su Lin remained silent, her gaze still fixed on the eyes of the trio. In truth, back when she was 9, Su Lin wasn''t proficient in English and thus didn''t understand what her senior was trying to convey. Angered by her non-response, the other boy lashed out, "See, I told you being nice wouldn''t work! She''s just too arrogant for that! Let''s proceed with your plan, Amelia!"


    Amelia smiled, her plan falling into place perfectly. Amelia recognised the true reason why Su Lin remained unmoved, which was the language barrier between her and her seniors, who were more comfortable speaking English. Amelia was the top female Wushu practitioner before Su Lin arrived, and it was finally time for her to exact her revenge.


    Amelia spoke gently in Chinese, "ËŐÁŐŁ¬Ę¦ĐÖĂÇĘÇĎëÇëÇóÄăÔÚѵÁ·Ę±·ĹÇáËɵ㣬¸řËűĂǵăĂć×ÓŁ¬Äă˵ČçşÎ? (Su Lin, your seniors are asking you to take it easy during training, so that they can keep some face, what do you say?)"


    Being the forthcoming person she has always been, Su Lin replied, "ČçąűĘÇÔÚĚĺÄÜѵÁ·Ł¬ÎŇ»áĘÔ×ĹĘĘӦʦĐÖĂǵÄËٶȡŁżÉĘÇŁ¬łý´ËÖ®Í⣬ÎŇ»ąĘÇŐŐ×Ĺ×ÔĽşµÄˮ׼Ŕ´Á·Ď°ˇŁ(If it''s physical training, I''ll try to accommodate the pace of my seniors. However, other than that, I''ll stick to my standards during training.)"


    Turning around to face her fellow seniors, Amelia wrongly translated, "Well, she said that she doesn''t give a hoot about you guys, and she''ll continue the way she''s been doing. Disrespectful, isn''t she? Are all people from PRC as uncultured as her?"


    Angered by the false words, the first boy screamed, "My Chinese may not be good, but I know enough to scold you! »ŘČĄÖĐąú°ÉŁ¬ÄăËŔ°ËĆĹŁˇ(Go back to China, you bitch!)" The other boy added, "ÎŇĂÇÎäĘő¶Ó˛»ĐčŇŞŇ»¸öĎńÄă¶ÔʦĐÖĂ»ÓĐ×đÖصĶÓÔ±Łˇ(Our Wushu team doesn''t need a member who disrespects her seniors!)"


    Recognising the venom laced within the words of her seniors, on top of their hateful glares, Su Lin swiftly saw red as anger surged within her. While her seniors continued to throw insult after insult in English, Su Lin quietly adopted her martial arts stance, ready to strike them all down.


    Among the trio, only Amelia recognised the imminent threat, as she used it to her advantage, "Hey, you two. She''s all riled up and ready to beat you up, better beware! You guys don''t want to be embarrassed further right, losing in a 2v1 fight to a girl younger than you?"


    Instigated by Amelia''s words, one of the boys huffed, "Ha! She may be better than us at Wushu, but that doesn''t translate to actual fighting ability, not to mention that we outnumber her! Let her come, and we''ll teach her the most painful lesson she would ever have!"


    Just before Su Lin could pounce on her bullies, she felt someone rushing in from behind. Believing it to be an accomplice, Su Lin swiftly launched a pre-emptive strike, as she lowered her body before twisting it rapidly, directing her palm towards her assailant''s head.


    PIAH! Su Lin''s hand connected with the face of her target, as he collapsed to the floor instantly. To her horror, Su Lin realised that she had slapped her fellow teammate who was of the same age as her, Jin Kai.


    The slightly chubby boy rubbed his sore cheek as he whined, "ÍŰŁ¬şĂÍ´°ˇŁˇ±ľĎë×čÖąÄă´ňČËŁ¬µ«ÔÚľŻ¸ćÄă֮ǰŁ¬Č´±»´ňÁËŇ»°ÍŐơŁ°ĄŃ˝Ł¬×ܶřŃÔÖ®Ł¬ÎŢÂŰ·˘ÉúʲôĘÂÇ飬´ňČËľÍĘÇ´íÎ󣬼´ĘąËűĂÇÓĂÓďŃÔŔ´´ĚÍ´Ä㣬ÄăҲҪѧ×ĹČĚ°ˇŁ¬ÓĂŐýČ·µÄ·˝·¨Ŕ´¶Ô¸¶ËűĂǡŁ


    (Wah, that hurts! I had wanted to stop you initially, but before I could warn you, you already slapped me in the face. In any case, no matter what happens, violence is wrong, and even if they try to use words to hurt you, you''ve got to learn to restrain yourself and use the correct method to deal with them.)"


    Jin Kai then turned around to face his 3 seniors as he chided, "You guys are in the wrong too! What''s wrong with giving one''s all during training? If you''re embarrassed by the fact that your junior is better than you, then use that shame to motivate yourself to train harder!


    Anyway, why must you even compare yourselves to Su Lin? Didn''t Coach always tell us that the most important person to compete with is ourselves? I will not be embarrassed to have a senior who may not be as good as me in Wushu, but I''ll be extremely embarrassed to have a senior who doesn''t carry himself like one!"


    The 3 seniors looked down sheepishly as they couldn''t fault the logic presented by their junior. Even though Jin Kai was not exactly the best at Wushu, his maturity and industrious nature made him popular with the coach, who made him captain of the junior squad despite being the youngest among them.


    If word had got out from Jin Kai on what they had done, they risked expulsion from the team, which was the worst outcome possible. Recognising her folly, Amelia pleaded, "I''m sorry, Jin Kai! Please don''t say a word about this to the Coach, and I''ll do anything you say!"


    Jin Kai contemplated for a moment before he said calmly, "I only wish for what''s best for the team. Su Lin is a precious teammate to us all, and this is not because of her proficiency in Wushu, but rather, the mere fact that she is a member of our Wushu team.


    I hope that you all would get along with her and try befriending her. I know it isn''t easy, but Su Lin''s learning English too, so you guys can do the same with your Chinese, which is our Mother Tongue, after all. Promise me that you would never pick on her again just because she''s different and I''ll keep my end of the bargain, otherwise, don''t blame for the consequences you''ll face."


    The trio readily agreed as they hastily left, relieved that Jin Kai didn''t intend to escalate the matter further. Jin Kai then turned to Su Lin before extending a warm hand with a bright smile on his face, "´óĽŇŇÔşóĘÇŇ»¸öÍŶӣ¬ĎŁÍű´óĽŇŁ¬°üŔ¨Ä㣬ÄÜą»şĂşĂµÄĎŕ´¦Ł¬Í¬ĐÄĐ­Á¦ÎŞÎŇĂÇѧУŐůȡąâČ١Ł(We''re team from now on, so I hope everyone, including you, would be able to get along with each other and work hard together to bring our school honour.)"


    Su Lin felt slightly shy as she spoke softly, "Jin Kaiˇ­thank you." before Jin Kai just dismissed it with a wave of his hand as he walked towards the exit. This was the first time Su Lin had properly interacted with Jin Kai, the first of many shared experiences to comeˇ­


    "I''m sorry for the wait, ladies! Here you go, one plate of Kway Chap, salted vegetables, and tow kwa (a type of bean curd) for us all to share! Tuck in and enjoy, it''s my treat!" Jin Kai exclaimed as he laid the tray down on the table before distributing the dishes.


    Aiko remarked, "Well, I can sort of believe your story now, Su Lin, from my own experiences with him and his gentlemanly behaviour today. Good work, Private!" Su Lin struggled to stifle a laugh as Jin Kai asked confusedly, "What were you two talking about behind my back? Surely you didn''t share with Aiko any of my embarrassing moments, did you, Su Lin?"


    Su Lin chuckled, "No, I didn''t have the time to go on to that. I merely shared with her how we officially became friends but not to worry, we''ll have plenty of time to reach that stage." Jin Kai sighed as the girls laughed away, before tucking into the delicious spread before them.


    When they had finished their meal, the trio headed towards the wet market just situated behind the hawker centre, as Su Lin insisted on showing Aiko how the market life was like in Singapore. Unfortunately, as it was already past 2 in the afternoon, most of the stalls selling fresh produce were already closed, leaving behind small retailers who sold miscellaneous products of all sorts.


    Just as they were about to get closer to one of the stalls, Jin Kai noticed a slight commotion at the end of the wet market leading into the open-aired car park. A young man appeared to be requesting something from an old woman, as the two was engaged in a rather long talk. Suddenly, a second slightly older man rushed from behind the old woman and snatched her handbag.


    Unfortunately, before the old woman could note down his description, her line of sight leading towards him was blocked by the first man, who appeared disappointed that he couldn''t get what he wanted as he walked away from her. By the time the old woman''s line of sight was unblocked, her snatch thief had already escaped out of sight, and too far for Jin Kai and his friends to give chase.


    Jin Kai noted that there were no security nor police cameras in the area, making the behaviour of the first man extremely suspicious. Was it pure coincidence that the path he decided to take would prevent the old woman from catching a glimpse of the robber? Or was there a more sinister plot behind it, especially since an ordinary Singaporean would at least try to help the old woman in one way or another after she became a victim of robbery?


    Jin Kai was not the only person who felt that something was amiss. As the young man walked towards them, his pace unnaturally quick, Su Lin took pre-emptive action as she stuck her foot out, tripping the young man. Su Lin then swiftly took one of his arms and twisted it behind his back, pinning him to the ground by using her body weight.


    Aiko joined in on the action, securing his other hand behind his back as she used her body weight as well to keep the man pinned onto the ground. The man cursed, "Argh! What are you two girls doing? I haven''t done anything wrong! How dare you assault me in public!" Su Lin replied calmly, "We''ll see."


    Su Lin went quiet for a few seconds before opening her mouth again, "Now, how do you feel? If you''re starting to feel guilty, you''ll tell me the name of your accomplice and where I can find him."


    The man, who appeared resolute just moments earlier, was now breaking out in cold sweat as he stammered, "H-He''s not my accomplice, but my boss, Xue Lang (Blood Wolf). You can find him at Blk 154, #08-05, Serangoon Avenue 3. Please stop himˇ­we''ve done enough misdeeds already and if we don''t stop now, we can never be redeemedˇ­thank you for helping me to awaken from my folly."


    Su Lin demanded coldly, "You''ll tell the Police whatever you''ve just told us about your boss. Is that clear?" As Aiko watched Su Lin interrogate the suspected accomplice, she was extremely impressed with what she had observed. Aiko knew that the man was hiding something, from the relatively strong imbalance in his psyche which she felt.


    However, what truly impressed Aiko was the speed in which Su Lin had purified the man''s psyche. Su Lin only took a few seconds in the real world, which translated into at most 10 minutes in the Reflected World. Given the fact that the man''s Psyche was considerably distorted, more so than the people whom Jin Kai and Aiko had encountered in the past few days, Su Lin had to be considerably skilled to achieve such a feat, her rank belying her true capabilities.


    When the Police arrived shortly after Jin Kai had called them to report the incident, the young offender was escorted away as some members of the Police remained to collect testimonies from the victim as well as Jin Kai and his companions. After the Police left, Jin Kai asked Su Lin, "Hey, why didn''t you mention where the boss was hiding? The Police could easily nab him with their resources, isnˇŻt that why you interrogated that information from him?"


    Su Lin smiled as she replied, "Where''s the fun in that? Firstly, it might make the Police suspicious of us, since it doesn''t make sense for a young woman like myself to be able to extract vital information from a crook. Next, arresting the boss isn''t a permanent solution, if an underling was already in possession of such a distorted psyche, do you think serving a jail sentence would do anything to help this boss turn over a new leaf?"


    This time, Aiko frowned as she questioned, "What are you trying to suggest, Su Lin? I don''t like where this is heading." Su Lin beamed, "Well, we''ve got an address and a target, so what do you expect? This could be our very first mission together as a team, so let''s make haste and deliver justice to that crime boss before he notices something amiss and flee!"


    Jin Kai felt his heart beating rapidly as adrenaline started to course through his veins. This was going to be his first mission with serious repercussions, to purify the psyche of a crime boss. Finally, things were starting to get interestingˇ­

 Chapter 4: First Demon Extermination

    <Year 20XX, Serangoon Gardens Hawker Centre, Singapore>


    After listening to Su Lin''s audacious recommendation, Aiko''s face went grim as she remained silent for a short while. Jin Kai guessed that Aiko was probably processing Su Lin''s suggestion in her mind, weighing the pros and cons very carefully given the weight of the matter.


    Aiko soon broke her silence, "Su Linˇ­you know that we might potentially be facing a Demon if we were to take on this task, right? Demons are on a whole new level as compared to the Spectres that Jin Kai has faced so far, so if you really insist on accepting this mission, I would have to exclude Jin Kai from participating, given his lack of experienceˇ­"


    Jin Kai was about to voice his dissent before Su Lin stepped in, explaining firmly, "Aiko. I know the risk of fighting with a Demon. It''s definitely dangerous to bring Jin Kai along, but the experience he would gain from such an encounter far outweighs the risk, especially since a commissioned officer, you, are around to ensure that things don''t spiral out of control.


    If Jin Kai doesn''t know how frightening and lethal Demons can be early on, would you rather have him encounter his first Demon without a commissioned officer like you around? Don''t forget that once Jin Kai achieves the rank of Corporal and above, he is able to join a section led by just a Sergeant which is expected to be strong enough to take on low class Demons as a team.


    Often, such teams, including the Section Commander, may indeed have the firepower required to exterminate Demons when they work as a team. However, Demons are extremely cunning unlike Spectres, thus, even if they are only slightly stronger than the average Spectre, you can be sure that the battle won''t be concluded easily, especially since they are technically the rulers of their own heavily distorted Reflected World.


    In sum, it''s better for Jin Kai to be exposed early on, while you''re still there to watch over him, Aiko, as someone who can probably take on a low class Demon one on one comfortably. Don''t make the same mistake I did back then, leading a group of fresh-faced Corporals to their demise on their first Demon exterminationˇ­"


    Jin Kai was stumped, while Aiko''s expression softened considerably as Su Lin continued to narrate her past, "Before I was posted to Singapore, I was a Section Commander in China, leading my own section which was 7 men strong. The guys I led were all capable in their own right, and most of them were on the fast track towards promotion given their potential.


    However, it was precisely due to their strength and inexperience with fighting against Demons that made them complacent on our very first Demon extermination. Each of them thought that this was an opportunity to demonstrate their worth, so any semblance of teamwork that we had in the past fell apart.


    Having sorely underestimated the danger posed by a Demon and its potential to evolve further, sometimes rapidly, I could only watch as my men were killed one by one by that cursed abomination, its growth over the course of the battle catching them all by surprise. Finally, after an extremely arduous battle, I had finally eliminated the Demon as the sole remaining survivor, though victory at that point of time truly felt meaningless. I''d failed as a leader after all.


    Despite my failure to protect the lives of my men, the Foundation didn''t hold this incident against me, recognising that Demon exterminations were heavily volatile and full of risks, not to mention that my men were also guilty of disobeying my instructions in their eyes.


    For singlehandedly exterminating a Demon, a feat usually associated with senior officers, I was promoted to Staff Sergeant and sent here to Singapore, given that there were vacancies here, not to mention my familiarity with this country.


    Even up to today, I can never forget the anguish I felt that day for my inability to keep my men alive, so Aiko, I beseech of you to let Jin Kai participate in this mission, for I fear that with his immense potential as you''ve mentioned, complacency would cause him to meet his early endˇ­"


    Jin Kai gulped as he remained silent, unsure of what to say. Su Lin had never shared with him such a traumatic incident before, and he hadn''t even noticed the emotional struggle she must be going through back then. Aiko sighed before she finally relented, "I guess you''re right. However, I want you both to promise me that you would heed my instructions at all time, because we don''t know how strong this potential Demon would be until we experience it firsthand."


    Jin Kai and Su Lin nodded their heads without objection as the trio swiftly headed out to their next destination; the address given by the robber''s accomplice.


    <Blk 154, Serangoon Avenue 3>


    The lift doors opened slowly as the trio swiftly stepped out at Level 8, as they searched for the unit given by the accomplice to check if the robber was home. Once they arrived at the unit, all of them could immediately sense the immense distortion in the air, and the extremely strong reddish hue behind the door of the unit.


    Moreover, they could hear rustling sounds from inside the unit, much like a person frantically packing his stuff to make a quick getaway. As the windows were pulled slightly ajar, they could barely hear some mumbling, "Darn, he should be back by now! That idiot probably got caught! Time to leave while I can!"


    Aiko remarked softly, "Seems like we''ve got our man. Let''s find a place where we wouldn''t be disturbed and quickly enter that distorted psyche to verify our target." The other two nodded as they swiftly found a nearby staircase which they deemed suitable. Sitting with their backs against the wall near the stairwell, it didn''t take long before all 3 entered the Reflected Worldˇ­


    <Reflected World of ??>


    When Jin Kai opened his eyes, he was horrified to discover himself in a place which was nearly pitch black, save for the blood-red auroras along the "skyline" that lit up the place. Jin Kai asked, "What''s with this place? It reeks heavily of blood and death, I''ve never entered a psyche this grim before!"


    A firm female voice belonging to Su Lin replied, "Well, this is the Reflected World of someone possessed by a Demon after all. One of the tell-tale signs that a person is possessed by a Demon is the brightness of the Reflected World, since heavier distortions to the Psyche are reflected by increasing darkness here. However, given that this place is just a vast flat land with no other artificial constructions, I suppose this demon ain''t very strong-"


    Aiko interjected, "Don''t take our enemy lightly, Su Lin. Though the terrain may appear flat and open, we don''t know what our enemy has in store for us. Let''s proceed with caution using [Void]-" Before Aiko could take another step, they all could hear sounds of clapping as a pale man dressed in a simple T-shirt and trousers stepped forward from the darkness.


    The man, who had crimson eyes which shone brightly of bloodlust, exclaimed warmly, "Welcome to my humble place, visitors. What business might you have with me, Xue Lang? An urgent loan? I''ve a special deal for y''all, if you take up a loan of $10,000 or more, I''ll charge you interest at an all-time low of 7.5%! Ain''t that great?"


    Aiko cursed inwardly, "Darn, he noticed us before we could go under the radar! At least he showed himself and even revealed his name. Now, all that''s left is to send him into oblivion quickly without him noticingˇ­"


    Before Aiko could say anything, an exasperated Jin Kai exclaimed, "We''re not interested in your illegal money lending business, you loan shark! We''re here to deliver you to justice, you petty robber who robs the defenceless like that elderly woman! What kind of boss are you, I believe even gangsters have a code of honour which they abide to!"


    Aiko buried her face in her palm as her plan to end this surreptitiously has gone down the drain. Visibly angered by Jin Kai''s taunt, the veins on Xue Lang''s forehead bulged as he gritted his teeth in anger, cursing, "I once operated a lucrative money lending business in one of the largest residential areas in Singapore, Yishun. Back in my golden heydays, I was easily earning at least a thousand dollars every day!


    However, my empire collapsed when that meddlesome brat showed up. That little hooligan, Seow Han Wei and his gang of misfits beat up my peddlers so badly in the name of "self-defence" that my men all left me one by one, afraid to incur his wrath over mine. I still remember that fateful day, the day that I thought I would finally put an end to that detestable teenager in a successful ambush.


    However, I would never expect that I would be fighting a true demon incarnate. Despite being severely outnumbered and sporting numerous injuries from the blows my men had rained upon him, that little freak refused to go down, as he crashed fist after fist into the faces of my men, shattering teeth and fracturing skulls in the process.


    Even when we restrained those immensely powerful arms of his, the monster''s legs were no less powerful as he struggled with reckless abandon, like a truly frenzied beast. Han Wei even used his own head as a weapon, which explains this scar on my face as well as my missing tooth. By the time the Police arrived, my men were largely all down, bleeding and unconscious while Han Wei was still standing, blood dripping from his fists.


    I would never forget that hateful stare from those eyes of his as I was pulled away by one of my subordinates, who was fortunate to escape with light injuries as he hardly participated in the fight, a coward, but a smart man who rescued me from certain doom.


    The aftermath of the incident was clear, my men were all charged with assault despite suffering life-threatening injuries on top of other offences relating to our business and Han Wei only escaped with a light sentence of community service since he was deemed the victim, not to mention that he was a juvenile in the eyes of the law.


    As for myself, I''ve managed to avoid the Police for weeks, but everything I had was gone; my gang, my business, my reputation, everything! I was forced to resort to robbery when my savings ran dangerously low. Now, do you understand my anger? I swear I won''t go down until I exact my revenge on that cursed brat Han Wei, and nobody''s going to stop me!"


    Xue Lang''s body convulsed slightly before his muscles started to bulge outwards, his body beginning to morph into that of a monstrosity as black miasma covered his entire body. Aiko ordered, "Stay alert and be on your toes! He''s revealing his true self now!" When the black miasma faded, Jin Kai could barely make out the silhouette of what appeared to be a werewolf, its red eyes piercing straight into his heart.


    Without warning, the Demon vanished, and in the next instant, a dust cloud emerged at where Jin Kai once stood as something crashed at his location. Aiko grunted, "Shit! Don''t tell me that Demon can gauge our power levels and went after the weakest among the three of us first! Jin Kai, you OK?"


    To Aiko''s pleasant surprise, when the dust cloud settled, she realised that the Demon, a white-furred werewolf who was over 2 metres tall, had its right claw sinking deep into the ground before Jin Kai, who had narrowly avoided the attack. Aiko thought, "Not bad, he probably used [Field] to predict where his opponent would strike, enabling him to dodge at the last minute by using [Augment]."


    Maintaining his composure despite the near shave, Jin Kai conjured white electricity in his left hand which sparks streaked haphazardly as he muttered, "Tear through darkness and vanquish evil, [White Lightning]!" Without hesitation, Jin Kai hurled the lightning bolt straight at the Demon''s face at point-blank range before jumping back to increase the distance between them.


    BOOM! Jin Kai''s spell successfully connected as smoke resulting from the explosion on impact covered the face of the Demon. Jin Kai thought, "Thanks to my training over the past few days, I''ve slowly gotten the hang of using this spell, enabling me to generate more power in an efficient manner. The spell should have hurt it rather considerably, given that I was able to create a crack on the stinger of that scorpion Spectre a few days ago."


    Unfortunately, when the smoke dissipated, Jin Kai was horrified to discover that the Demon was barely hurt, only stunned by Jin Kai''s spell as it shook its head in an attempt to regain its sense of balance. Upon recovering, the Demon''s eyes flashed open as it stared at Jin Kai, making no attempt to disguise its malice.


    Before Jin Kai could do anything else, a voice whispered softly into his ear, "OK, you''ve seen how strong a Demon can be. Now, take a step back and let the professionals handle this." Distracted by what he had heard, Jin Kai couldn''t defend himself when the Demon suddenly appeared before him, ready to decapitate him with a left swipe.


    However, before the Demon could proceed as planned, it was struck hard in the gut by a single palm strike, causing it to skid backwards by a few metres. Jin Kai heaved a sigh of relief when he realised that it was Su Lin who had come to his rescue, and she was not done with the Demon yet.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Rushing forward without caution for her own safety, Su Lin swiftly closed the gap between her and the Demon before launching a flurry of palm strikes against its torso, ending her rout with a firm backhand smash using her right fist. Helpless against Su Lin''s relentless barrage, the Demon could only endure her assault before being pushed back even further with her final strike, as it crashed a fair distance away on its back.


    Jin Kai could only stare in amazement at Su Lin''s moves. Sure, he knew she was a martial arts prodigy, being trained under her mother who opened her own school teaching baguazhang. However, the gap between his expectations and reality was just too wide, as Su Lin''s strikes were too fast for Jin Kai to follow with his naked eye.


    What was even more amazing was the fact that Su Lin hardly appeared to be breaking a sweat, as she calmly remarked to Aiko, "This Demon is most likely a power type, with a heavier emphasis on its physical attributes, notably speed and defence. Given the strength of its hide and its earlier performance, I''d say it is a D-class, lieutenant."


    Aiko smiled as she chirped, "Well, I''ll trust your assessment, Su Lin. Nonetheless, we ought to remain on our guard, since Demons have the potential to grow stronger in the course of battle. How''re you faring on your first Demon extermination, Jin Kai?"


    Jin Kai gulped as he replied, "D-class? How many classes of Demons are there? This guy is already pretty strong in my opinion!" Su Lin replied nonchalantly, "Well, there are conventionally 5 classes from A to E, with E being the weakest. That makes D-class 2nd weakest. Don''t feel so down though, even E-class demons can be dangerous to a section, so just treat this encounter as a learning experience!"


    Jin Kai felt highly embarrassed. He''d thought that he''d gotten pretty strong over the past few days, but the hammer of reality soon struck him in the face in the form of the D-class Demon, Xue Lang. Now, Jin Kai could finally understand Aiko''s apprehension in bringing him along. He truly wasn''t ready to handle such monsters on his own, and would probably be a burden to the team at the current moment.


    Meanwhile, the Demon slowly staggered to its feet, blood trickling from the corner of its mouth. Wiping away the blood from its mouth, the Demon rasped, "Guess I underestimated you humans. Even the weakest among you isn''t an easy picking, I suppose. It''s time for me to turn the tables. Come on out, my loyal hounds!"


    Even though the darkness hindered vision, Jin Kai could clearly sense numerous presences emerging from the darkness, as several pairs of bloodthirsty eyes locked onto him, their intent extremely clear. Jin Kai mumbled, "Um, guys. I think we are surrounded by Spectres. Do you have a plan, Aiko?"


    Aiko responded in a confident yet rude manner, "Don''t need to state the obvious, Jin Kai. Not to worry, all of these is still within expectations, as Demons are known to command armies of Spectres. I hope you still remember your promise to me, Su Lin. Now''s the time to keep it, for I want you and Jin Kai to keep those Spectres busy, I''ll take on that Demon alone. No buts, is that clear?"


    Su Lin sighed as she nodded, barking, "Come on Jin Kai, let''s clear out these runts so that our boss can hunt in peace. Be careful, these Spectres are stronger than the ones you''ve faced thus far!" Jin Kai silently obliged as he conjured his trusty spear before linking up with Su Lin as they began their extermination of the Spectres, who were in the form of shadowy black wolves.


    It was now a showdown between Aiko and Xue Lang, as the latter chortled, "Hmph, that lass earlier may have hit me pretty hard, but I''m not at full power yet, hahaha! I''m surprised that you didn''t get that lass to work with you to fight me, maybe you two would have stood a chance if you had worked together, mwahahaha!"


    Aiko smiled as she offered a cynical response, "Oh, please. You wouldn''t stand a chance against either of us, not to mention both of us at the same time. Don''t overestimate yourself, you mutt. Why don''t you show me your full power right now?"


    Aiko''s words were the last straw as Xue Lang roared, "Alright! If 100% is what you want, 100% is what you''ll get! Prepare to die in the most gruesome fashion possible!" Upon completing his sentence, the psychodynamic energy around the Demon grew denser as the ground under him cracked. The Demon''s muscles grew larger as its height grew a few inches, making it appear a lot more intimidating than before, as saliva dribbled down the corner of its mouth.


    Meanwhile, Jin Kai was facing some difficulty in keeping the Spectres in check, as he realised that even with [Augment], it wasn''t easy to rip through the torsos of the bloodthirsty wolves which pounced on him from all directions. Jin Kai thought, "This isn''t looking good, at this rate, I''m going to run out of psychodynamic energy before I get rid of all of them. I need to find a more efficient method of strengthening my attacksˇ­"


    Suddenly, an idea came into Jin Kai''s mind as he cheered out loud, "Yes, there''s that spell I can use! What a good opportunity to test it out!" After dodging the advance of a Spectre before impaling its head, Jin Kai muttered, "Let Heaven''s grace bless my weapon, [Lightning Boost]!"


    In an instant, sharp, crackling electricity flowed along the surface of Jin Kai''s spear, searing through the flesh of its victims as Jin Kai expertly twirled his weapon. Upon seeing Jin Kai''s new spell, Su Lin, who was calmly dispatching the Spectres as she weaved through them, remarked, "Not bad, by converting the nature of your psychodynamic energy into that which is sharper like a lightsaber, you reduce your expenditure of psychodynamic energy in the long run. Good job!"


    Jin Kai smiled sheepishly at Su Lin''s compliment before she reminded starkly, "It''s not over yet! These Spectres will keep on coming so long as their boss isn''t defeated, so don''t let down your guard!" Jin Kai nodded before a bright flash of light at the corner of his eye distracted both him and his opponents momentarilyˇ­


    <One minute ago>


    Upon witnessing Xue Lang''s display of might, Aiko analysed coldly, "Hhhm, so this is your full powerˇ­got to say that I''m a tad disappointed, for I was hoping for a far greater challenge so that I can take another step closer to my dreamˇ­"


    Pausing between her sentences, Aiko resumed shortly thereafter, "Fine. It doesn''t matter. All demons have to be exterminated, regardless of strength. Let''s do this, partner." Xue Lang was about to pounce on the stationary Aiko and gouge her flesh out before a chill ran down his spine. The Demon started breaking out in cold sweat inexplicably, even from his own perspective.


    Sure, the girl''s eyes were cold and merciless, but it had to be more than just that to keep a big bad Demon like Xue Lang away, especially when it was supposed to be the absolute ruler of this domain. Suddenly, the air became still as Xue Lang soon discovered the source of his anxiety.


    In an instant, Aiko released a far greater amount of psychodynamic energy than Xue Lang , but unlike Xue Lang that did it just for show as the energy he released quickly dissipated into the surroundings, the psychodynamic energy released by Aiko wrapped itself around her and began to slowly take shape, before finally culminating in a bang of bright light.


    Blinded momentarily by the flash, Xue Lang was soon horrified to discover that a visible figure was standing right behind Aiko, twirling its revolver nonchalantly. The figure, who was dressed very much like a Cowboy in the Wild West, was at least 2 heads taller than Aiko, as it stood casually with one leg crossed behind the other.


    To Xue Lang''s horror, the figure spoke, "It''s been a long time since you''ve summoned me, my Lady. Oh, is that a Demon I see? No wonder you called me out for some hunting, hehehe." Aiko sighed, "I wish you''ll keep your mouth shut more often, Slim. You already talk enough in my own Reflected World. Why am I so unlucky to have a Reflection that can speak out loud even in another person''s Reflected World?"


    Putting Xue Lang''s presence aside, Slim chuckled, "Oh come on, don''t be like that, my Lady. Don''t you love smooth-talking cowboys like me, [Highway Sheriff Slim], who always save damsels with their charm and their guns? That''s the reason why I''m your Reflection after all! It''s a fundamental part of who you are!"


    Angered by Slim''s obvious disregard for him, Xue Lang howled, "Is that all you can do, little girl? Summon out a pretty boy whom you can hide behind? You''re really all talk after all!" Just as Xue Lang completed his taunt, two bullets whistled past him, grazing both his left shoulder and left ear badly with their speed.


    As Xue Lang grabbed his ear and shoulder before grimacing in pain, Slim warned coldly, "While I thank you for complimenting my looks, I feel an urgent need to remind you that prey have no right to speak. Oh, and by the way, let me just enlighten you to the fact that being able to talk is important as well, girls love guys who are good with their words on top of their actions and looks."


    After tearing through another Spectre with his electricity coated spear, Jin Kai looked at Slim and asked, "Wow, what is that? Is that another application of psychodynamic energy?" Su Lin, who batted an incoming Spectre away, replied, "Yes, that''s the most advanced application of psychodynamic energy, conjuring your Reflection, in other words, your inner self which reflects all of your aspirations, desires etc."


    After striking 2 more Spectres, Su Lin continued, "It''s extremely difficult to conjure a Reflection, both technically and emotionally. That''s why the ability to conjure a Reflection is so highly regarded in the Foundation, being the minimum criterion required to become a commissioned officer here. I''m glad that we''re given a chance to see how strong Lieutenant Aiko''s Reflection is."


    Meanwhile, Xue Lang, who was slowly recovering from the pain, thought silently, "Curses! I didn''t let down my guard when it came to my defence and yet his bullets tore through my proud armour so easily? If he wasn''t fooling around, he could''ve killed me on the spot! I''ve to avoid a head-on confrontation at all costs if I''m to live and kill him together with that lass!"


    Without warning, Xue Lang took off, opting to run round Slim and Aiko in circles till he spotted an opening. Slim fired a few shots in pursuit, but Xue Lang''s pace was too quick for them to land, as they decimated some Spectres instead. Aiko berated, "How many times have I told you to go for the kill with your first shot? Now, what are you going to do, sharpshooter?"


    Slim replied casually, "Aw, come on. We''ve faced speedy opponents like him before, so no worries! If he was a really dangerous opponent, I would naturally take him seriously, but this guy is just a puppy! We''ll just have to resort to that drill to kill him, like the good old days!"


    Aiko sighed as she resigned to her fate. Meanwhile, Jin Kai, who was more interested in the battle between Aiko and Xue Lang than his own fight, asked, "Why can''t Aiko join her Reflection in opening fire against Xue Lang? In addition, why can''t she move from her current spot?"


    Su Lin, who was largely done on her end, explained, "A Reflection is essentially an extension of one''s own body, very much like a weapon fashioned from your cognition. The drawback of using a Reflection is that its user is unable to perform any other actions that use psychodynamic energy concurrently, since she has all her attention focused on directing her Reflection.


    Moreover, every Reflection is governed by 2 radii; a movement radius and an action radius. The movement radius determines how far a Reflection can move away from its user, while the action radius determines how far a Reflection''s actions can travel assuming it is immobile. The sum of these 2 radii gives us the effective radius of a Reflection, in other words, the maximum range of its action using the user as the reference point.


    From the looks of it, it seems like though Slim has a decent action radius, his movement radius is probably pretty small, thus, Aiko is forced to remain near to him. Oh, and one more thing, any damage sustained by a Reflection is transferred to its user, so that''s another risk of using a Reflection."


    Jin Kai exclaimed after piercing through a Spectre which sought to ambush him from behind, "What? Isn''t Aiko in great danger now, with Slim being such a big target for that Demon to attack?" Su Lin shrugged her shoulders as she remarked, "I''m sure our boss has a plan, so let''s just focus on what''s in front of us for now."


    Xue Lang grinned as he thought, "Seems like this fella is pretty slow. Too bad for him, speed is my strength, hahaha! Prepare to die, asshole!" Judging that Slim was most vulnerable from behind, Xue Lang swiftly seized his opportunity to dive in, as he sought to rip through Slim''s nape with one swipe.


    Just as Xue Lang thought that he had succeeded, Slim suddenly vanished into thin air as Aiko performed a quick backroll through Xue Lang''s legs. Before Xue Lang could recover, he felt the cold metal of a barrel resting on the back of his head, as a cool voice rang, "Hasta la vista, baby."


    The sound of gunfire could then be heard eminently before Xue Lang even had any opportunity to scream, as Slim literally blew off the Demon''s head with a powerful shot, leaving behind a smouldering, headless carcass that collapsed onto the ground, disintegrating shortly thereafter.


    The remaining Spectres, upon the death of their master, began to slowly dissolve into nothingness, much to the relief of Jin Kai, who was getting exhausted from fighting them repetitively. Apart from the gradual disappearance of the Spectres, Jin Kai also noticed that their environment was slowly getting brighter, as though the darkness surrounding them was fading.


    Jin Kai''s thoughts were broken as he heard a stern voice, "You know what to do now, don''t you, Xue Lang?" Jin Kai turned around to see that the carcass of the Demon had disappeared, and in its place, an individual cloaked in bright light which resembled Xue Lang in his human form.


    The figure replied, "Yesˇ­I''ve committed so many wrongdoings, wrecked so many families and even robbed a defenceless old lady. I''ll confess to my sins in reality. Thank you for letting me see the light once again, by freeing me from the demon within my heartˇ­"


    Aiko smiled as she added, "There''s no such thing as a path of no return, only the choice not to return. If you''re resolved to change for the better, there''s always a place in society for you." The figure smiled in appreciation of Aiko''s kind words before it slowly faded.


    Aiko heaved a sigh of relief before announcing, "Alright, our work here is done. Well done, everyone. Let''s celebrate the success of our first Demon extermination with a celebratory dinner, Jin Kai''s treat, hahaha!"


    Jin Kai grumbled, "Hey, I already treated you guys for lunch! Don''t push your luck too far!" which drew giggles from both girls as the trio searched for the portal to take them back into reality.


    <Blk 154, Serangoon Avenue 3>


    The moment Jin Kai returned to reality, the first thing he heard was a man''s voice, "Hello, I''m SIO (Senior Investigation Officer) Kumar from Ang Mo Kio Police Division. May I speak to Mr Koh Wen Qing?" A man, who looked like Xue Lang, replied shakily as he opened the gate, "Yes, I am Koh Wen Qing. You''re here to arrest me for all the crimes I''ve done, right?"


    Surprised by the man''s unexpected response, SIO Kumar replied calmly, "Mr Koh, alias Xue Lang, you''re hereby under arrest for one charge of robbery and possibly other charges for your involvement in unlicensed money lending. Please note that whatever you say now might be used against you in court, so you''ve the right to remain silent."


    Xue Lang nodded silently as he allowed the police officers to handcuff him without resistance as they escorted him out of his place. SIO Kumar turned to his subordinate and remarked, "Don''t you find this weird, Gerard? Xue Lang''s accomplice who leaked his whereabouts was also behaving rather funny. It''s unexpected for such hardened criminals to give in without much resistance."


    Gerard was about to reply when he noticed that there were 3 young adults hiding behind the wall at the corner of his eye. Gerard quickly added, "Sir, there are 3 more individuals over there who are behaving rather suspiciously. Should I bring them in for questioning?"


    Upon hearing Gerard''s next course of action, the 3 young people swiftly slipped away and disappeared. SIO Kumar turned to face their direction before laughing, "Hahaha, no worries, they''re probably some kaypoh (nosy) residents excited to see the Police make arrests in their block. In any case, if we need to trace their identities, we have our PolCams installed at the lift lobby and stairwells which would give us a visual on their appearances. Let''s go back, Gerard."


    Gerard nodded as he followed his superior to the lift lobby, but he couldn''t shake off the feeling that those 3 young people were more than just nosy onlookers. Deep in his heart, Gerard told himself, "Well, not to worry. If such a similar incident occurs again and I catch these 3 around, I''ll mount an investigation against them, even without Police resources."

 Chapter 5: The Leader Among Outcasts

    <Year 20XX, Yishun, Singapore>


    The soft purring of a distressed cat could be heard audibly as it drew a small crowd of onlookers curious as to what was going on. Looking up, they realised that it was kitten with orange fur perching dangerously on the branch of a tree, which stood at a height of 4 metres.


    No one knew exactly how the kitten got up there in the first place, but everyone knew that it was in a precarious position, given that it was still pretty far away from the trunk of the tree. To make matters worse, the branch that it was standing on wasn''t very thick, and looked as if it would snap at any point of time.


    Just as everyone was actively murmuring on the plight of the poor animal, a single individual swiftly pushed his way to the front and began climbing the tree, much to everyone''s surprise. Despite the height of the tree, the young man appeared unfazed as he made his way up nimbly, much like a monkey.


    When the young man had reached near to the top of the tree, after wisely selecting a more stocky branch to stand on, with his right hand firmly gripping another thick branch, he stretched his left hand outwards in the direction of the kitten before tapping the branch lightly, cooing it to come to him.


    Initially overcome by its fear of falling, the kitten remained stationary, but after several coos by the young man to assure it, the kitten began to tread gingerly across the branch towards him. Just before the kitten could reach the young man however, the branch it was walking on suddenly snapped, forcing it to take a risk as it leapt towards the man.


    Much to everyone''s relief, the young man swiftly caught the kitten with his outstretched left hand before bringing it close to his body in an embrace. Holding onto the kitten tightly with one hand, the young man was somehow still able to make his way down the tree safely, earning the applause of all the bystanders who had witnessed his heroics.


    After releasing the kitten back onto the ground, which mewed in appreciation before scampering off, the young man was approached by another 2 young men who looked more like delinquents. One of the two handed over a school bag before exclaiming, "As expected of Big Brother! His kindness towards animals know no bounds!"


    Suddenly, the atmosphere changed drastically as the crowd of onlookers finally realised who the young man really was. As he was attempting to rescue the kitten, they didn''t pay much attention to his appearance but now, upon further scrutiny, everyone could recognise the identity of the young man, who had become increasingly notorious over the past few months.


    One of the onlookers stammered, "Y-Yellow streaks atop a head of black hair, a scar on the left eye inflicted during a brutal fight with loan sharksˇ­there''s no mistaking it, that''s the Outcast, Seow Han Wei."


    After Han Wei slung his bag across his shoulders, he walked away from the scene silently, the onlookers swiftly parting to make space for him to cross, as his henchmen followed closely behind.


    An old man among the crowd mused, "To think that a young man like him is the current ruler of the Underworld here at Yishun, I''m lost for words. Even the Police aren''t willing to take action against him, with his stabilising influence in this area once ridden with crime. How far would this kid go? We sure are living in some interesting times todayˇ­"


    <Kent Ridge, Singapore>


    "Why are we meeting here today? Another assignment?" Jin Kai asked cheerily. Even though Jin Kai had now fully comprehended the danger of facing off against a Demon, he was still raring for another go, in hopes of slowly improving till he could match Aiko one day.


    After all, unlike Jin Kai who had struggled to even injure the Demon, Aiko easily dispatched it with a single shot to the head from her Reflection, [Highway Sheriff Slim]. Speaking of Reflections, Jin Kai was filled with excitement as he couldn''t wait to get his own. Unfortunately, Aiko told him that he wasn''t ready yet, as he would probably need more ground experience to acquire the requisite control over his psychodynamic energy, despite his talent.


    Aiko replied with a bright smile, "Nope, it''s not a new assignment, but I''ve got some pretty big news to share! First of all, Jin Kai, I formally welcome you to the Foundation with your Foundation IC! Here you go!"


    Receiving the white card with both hands from Aiko, Jin Kai quickly scanned through the content printed on the card before he realised that there was something off. Jin Kai asked sheepishly, "Erm, is there an error on the card? I''m only a Private, but the card states that I''m a Corporal? What''s going on here?"


    Aiko displayed heartfelt pride as she answered, "Well, I''ve reported back to HQ on all the missions we''ve successfully completed, and after the most recent Demon extermination, in lieu of your contributions and ability to hold your own against relatively tough foes, you have thus been promoted to Corporal straightaway! Congratulations, Jin Kai!"


    Jin Kai could only smile abashedly as both Aiko and Su Lin clapped happily for him. Aiko then resumed, "Other than Jin Kai''s promotion, I''ve another big piece of good news! We''ve been formally recognised as the Singapore Branch of the Psyche Seeker Foundation! This means that we''ve now been given access to the prized intelligence database of the Foundation!"


    Confused, Jin Kai blurted, "Erm, what''s so great about gaining access to this intelligence database? Can you explain it to me in simpler terms?" Sighing, Aiko replied, "Well, think about all the past missions we''ve undertaken. We''ve only been able to accept controlled cases so to speak, since our targets are all largely clients of the Foundation''s affiliates.


    The only Demon extermination mission we''ve done so far was sourced on our own through pure coincidence. However, now that we can tap on the Foundation''s intelligence network, managed by the Foundation''s highly skilled intelligence specialists whose role is to sniff out potential big targets by investigating into rumours and sorts, we''ll be able to partake in more higher level missions and help more people out. Isn''t that great?"


    Jin Kai and Su Lin nodded awkwardly, not knowing what to say since they can''t understand the greatness of the database until they''ve experienced it firsthand. Seeing the unconvinced expressions on the faces of her friends, Aiko pouted, "Very well, let me give you a demonstration on what this baby can do."


    After logging into the system on her laptop, Aiko began scanning through the contents of the database, which was supported by a virtual private network (VPN). Browsing through the files under "Singapore", something soon caught Aiko''s eye as she squealed in delight, "How about this? This looks interesting enough to warrant further investigation!"


    Jin Kai and Su Lin looked at the document which was titled, "New Drug Traffickers on the rise in Yishun; believed to be subordinates of newly cemented Underworld Boss, Seow Han Wei" Jin Kai thought to himself, "Drugs, huhˇ­this might be even more dangerous than Xue Lang. However, if we successfully resolve this, we''ll be rescuing many people from the danger of consuming such poison, guess we''ll have to do this after all."


    <Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Singapore>


    Han Wei headed for the exit of the veterinary lab upon the conclusion of his lab session for the day. He was, after all, a student enrolled in a Diploma in Veterinary Bioscience in Ngee Ann Polytechnic, which would come as a surprise to most given that it was a course relatively difficult to get into.


    As Han Wei headed for the school gate, he was stopped by the Polytechnic''s Head of Discipline, Mr Ong. Mr Ong warned coldly, "I don''t really care about your antics outside school, Han Wei, but trust me, if you get into another major fight, your expulsion is certain, is that clear?"


    Han Wei acknowledged with disinterest, "Yes, sir." before going on his way, as though the Head''s warning meant nothing to him. Angered by Han Wei''s nonchalant attitude towards him, Mr Ong noticed Han Wei''s form teacher, Mr Cheng, exiting the lab and swiftly stopped him, requesting in exasperation, "Mr Cheng, we need to talk. It''s about Han Wei."


    Mr Cheng smiled gently before replying, "Sure. Let''s talk over lunch and coffee." At the canteen, as they tucked into their meals, Mr Ong launched into a tirade as he ranted, "That boy Han Wei, do you know how much work I''ve to do to clean up his mess from his run-in with the loan sharks? He''s not only marred our school''s public image, he''s also a terrible influence to all our students, with his disrespectful, delinquent-like behaviour. How can you tolerate a brat like him?"


    Mr Cheng took a sip of coffee before replying calmly, "I agree with you that Han Wei''s brawl with loan sharks was an extremely unfortunate and regrettable incident. However, don''t you think that the school is also partly responsible, for we''ve failed to educate our students properly to avoid such bad company, myself included?


    Moreover, I''ve to disagree with you that Han Wei is a bad influence to our students. Despite being hot-tempered and brash at times, Han Wei is still a good student who hardly created trouble for me or any other teacher despite his contempt for authority. After all, he is someone who would fare better with the carrot than the stick, as a result of his rebellious nature against those who seek to impose their authority on him.


    When given the due respect and freedom to go about his things, Han Wei has become a role model in his class, his grades one of the best among his peers. Moreover, Han Wei''s presence has actually substantially reduced the number of bullying incidents in our Polytechnic, as he often protected those who got picked on often simply because they were different, making him truly a leader among outcasts."


    After hearing all of Han Wei''s positive traits, Mr Ong was simply lost for words as he reflected on his initial assessment of the young man. Perhaps Han Wei wasn''t that rotten to the core after all, and there was some good within himˇ­


    <Yishun, Singapore>


    Han Wei heaved a sigh of relief when he exited the MRT station at Yishun. Despite his ill reputation here as the unofficial underworld ruler, Han Wei never felt more at home in this town, which he had lived all his life.


    After all, Han Wei had never dreamt nor desired to become the leader of a gang, everything just fell naturally into place following his actions against those unruly loan sharks which had been threatening the peace of his neighbourhood estate, including his own home.


    Ever since tales of his brawl with the highly wanted loan shark Xue Lang spread throughout Yishun like wildfire, Han Wei''s small motley crew which initially comprised of 5 people including himself soon ballooned to become over 100 men strong, with several youth delinquents pledging their loyalty to him, having been impressed by the strength he wields.


    However, more importantly, Han Wei became the big brother figure many of these delinquents sorely wanted but never had all their life, a big brother who accepted them fully for who they were without a tint of discrimination. Many of them joined gangs in order to fill the void within their hearts and in their eyes, Han Wei was a shining role model who exemplified everything they wanted to be.


    Nonetheless, it was a tough job to manage a group this large, thus, Han Wei was thankful for the help rendered by his "2nd in command" and very first friend, Fu Sheng, who had an innate talent in HR management. Fu Sheng''s assistance meant that all Han Wei had to do was show his face and boost the morale of the guys under him, without having to worry about the nitty gritty details of administration.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Now, as Han Wei was en route to his meeting place with his senior gang members, he encountered a group of primary school children picking on a single Eurasian boy who was dressed in the same uniform as them. Eurasians, as a result of their European ancestry, were usually of bigger build than Asians, but this particular boy was rather scrawny, even smaller than his Asian bullies.


    Han Wei could barely make out their conversation as one of the boys teased, "My, my, you''re already 11 and yet you still keep such an extensive collection of stuffed toys. Surely it won''t matter if I just take one from you, right?"


    The bully then snatched the boy''s key chain which had an adorable miniature teddy bear and given the expression on the boy''s face, nothing further needs to be said regarding the value of the key chain to the boy. Just before the bully and his accomplices can run off in glee, he accidentally ran straight into Han Wei, who merely stared at him coldly.


    Recognising Han Wei as the ruthless delinquent their parents have warned them about, with his unique black hair with yellow streaks, the children began shaking in fear as the leader among them dropped the key chain unwittingly before turning tail and fleeing.


    Han Wei picked up the key chain and upon stroking the stuffed teddy bear, memories began to flood his mind uncontrollablyˇ­


    <9 Years Ago>


    As a young boy, Han Wei hardly had any memories of his father, who passed away when he was five, and he was raised by his mother singlehandedly since then, who worked as a seamstress to make ends meet.


    Despite the tough times they had to go through, Han Wei''s mother never failed to shower her son with love in the limited amount of spare time she had, resulting in a strong bond between them. To relieve his mother''s burden, Han Wei picked up sewing from her as he helped her with her work occasionally.


    However, Han Wei''s true interest lay with animals, more specifically small mammals and birds as he was fascinated with them since a very young age. Combining his passion for animals with his newly acquired skill in sewing, Han Wei began knitting stuffed animals based on animals in real life such as kittens and sparrows.


    On one particular day at age 9, Han Wei was admiring his own handicraft bird in school by comparing it with a real life sparrow when a group of senior students suddenly snatched the stuffed toy from his hand before ridiculing him as they shoved him onto the ground, "Ha! Can''t believe that you''re a boy when you possess such cute, girly stuff! What an oddball!"


    The worst had yet to come as the leader of the bullies ripped Han Wei''s stuffed bird into two right before his very eyes. In anger, Han Wei growled before attempting to charge the leader, but he was restrained by 2 lackeys as the rest went on to beat him up, the price of attempting to retaliate against their leader.


    Once Han Wei was beaten black and blue, the leader of the gang warned him arrogantly, "Don''t breathe a word of this incident, for your own sake since you don''t have any concrete evidence that we attacked you, given that there are no CCTVs in the area. Goodbye, pussy." They then departed, laughing evilly at Han Wei''s plight.


    Upon returning home, Han Wei''s mother was horrified to discover that her son was covered in scrapes and bruises, his expression forlorn. Before she opened her mouth instinctively to ask what had happened, her sharp eye caught onto the broken stuffed bird on the table, as she instantly deduced what might have happened.


    Mrs Seow then placed one arm across her son''s shoulders as she asked gently, "I know you''re deeply hurt at the moment, so I won''t press you for details. Just feel free to share with me anything that you''re comfortable to talk about." Mrs Seow knew deep down that her son was very different from other boys his age, with his hobbies in knitting stuffed animals and looking after stray animals including cats and birds.


    Han Wei remained silent for a while before slowly opening his mouth and asking, "Mum, is it wrong for a boy to like cute stuff? What makes a man a man then? Am I considered a man? Or am I a wuss like what those bullies have called me?"


    Mrs Seow embraced her son tightly before speaking gently, "My silly boy. A man is not defined by his preferences. As your father would have said, a man is truly a man only when he stands firmly to his beliefs and morals, regardless of whatever adversity might come his way.


    If you like cute stuff, have the courage to admit it and stand against those who wrongfully oppress you simply because you are different. To continue to express yourself freely, you first need to be strong mentally before becoming strong physically, just like your father before you. Of course, that does not mean hurting others just because they dissed you, but there are times where self defence is necessary."


    Comforted by his mother''s advice, Han Wei rubbed away his tears before swearing inwardly that he would remain steadfast to his beliefs, growing stronger to achieve that goal...


    Returning back to the present, Han Wei walked towards the Eurasian boy, who was slightly intimidated by Han Wei''s appearance and build, given that Han Wei stood at a height several heads above that of the boy.


    To the boy''s surprise, upon standing right in front of him, Han Wei actually squatted down such that they became on eye level with each other. Han Wei quickly returned the key chain before remarking, "That''s a pretty nice key chain you have here. Take good care of it next time, okay?"


    The boy was stunned momentarily at Han Wei''s action before gratefully accepting his key chain. Before Han Wei could leave, the boy stammered, "Y-You''re so cool! Unlike me, who gets picked on just because I''m small, and like different things as compared to boys my age..."


    Han Wei drew in a deep breath before placing his hand on the boy''s shoulder, advising, "It''s OK to be different, and your physical size isn''t as important as the size of your fighting spirit. Remember, a truly cool person is one who sticks to his guns no matter what adversity lays before him. Dare to be different, and have the courage and determination to see your beliefs through when you''re certain they''re right for you. See ya, kid."


    As Han Wei turned to leave for his destination, the boy stammered, "I-I''m Jimmy Bullard! What''s your name, big bro? Will we ever meet again?" Han Wei waved his hand casually as he remarked coolly, "It''s better if you don''t know my name, for people who are associated with me are often viewed in a negative light, which I don''t want for someone as young as you. As for whether we''ll meet again, only fate would tell."


    Jimmy could only stand awestruck as Han Wei walked away, his face forever etched in the memory of the little boy...


    It didn''t take long before Han Wei arrived at the meeting place, a basketball court where his fellow senior members have already gathered to play basketball together. This was merely a guise to cover up their meeting from the Police, since they can''t stop a group of teens from enjoying sports together.


    A brilliant idea conceived by the mind of Fu Sheng, who even thought of rotating the representatives from each section so that the Police can never pinpoint all their key members. Of course, Han Wei was no fool, recognising that the Police was purposely letting his group off the hook, since they hadn''t done anything criminal as of now.


    An organisation with the size and resources of SPF should easily obtain intelligence on his motley crew, but they haven''t acted on that information despite the fact that Han Wei was possibly one of their Persons of Interest, implying that they valued his presence in bringing stability to the area, especially with regard to youths who steadily flocked towards him.


    This had the surprising effect of reducing crime in the area, since these youths respected the wishes of their new boss to avoid creating trouble for others, for Han Wei believed that true freedom of expression meant respecting the freedom of others as well.


    The meeting was rather routine, with each senior member simply taking turns to report the situation in their neighbourhood, of which there was nothing of note. Once everybody was done, Han Wei heaved a sigh of relief as he duly dismissed them all, though he noted that a few senior members stayed behind to converse with Fu Sheng.


    For the past few weeks, Han Wei noticed that Fu Sheng was engaged in deep discussion with a couple of his senior members after every meeting, where they were always from the same groups. However, Han Wei didn''t put too much thought into it, for technically Fu Sheng was the de facto leader of his gang while he was merely the inspirational figurehead.


    Furthermore, Fu Sheng had been his closest friend all these years, and Han Wei trusted him fully in implementing plans that would benefit the youths under their charge; those who had been neglected and despised simply because they couldn''t keep up with the mainstream.


    Han Wei was confident that this was probably no exception, and his closest friend simply did not want to bother him with the cumbersome details. Seeing that there was nothing more to be done, Han Wei waved goodbye to his fellow gang members before taking his leave.


    "Going home, boss? If there''s no one at your place, can I hop over? Really want to see how your place''s like!" It was Jay, one of the youngest members of his group at age 13. Despite his small frame and young age, Jay was one of the more outspoken individuals of Han Wei''s group, never failing to speak his mind whenever he had any ideas.


    Even though Jay''s unreserved attitude drew the occasional ire from his fellow gang members, especially those who viewed seniority and hierarchy very highly, Han Wei appreciated Jay''s candidness with him. After all, Jay''s straightforward nature meant that Han Wei could confide in him, as he was assured that Jay wouldn''t mince his words when asked to share his opinion.


    Han Wei sighed, "Well, I won''t be staying home for long, just a short while before I help out at my mum''s shop, so suit yourself." Jay''s face brightened instantly as he squealed, "Alright boss! Can I go over to your mum''s shop as well later?"


    Han Wei remained silent as he started walking towards home. It''s not that he wanted to snub the young lad, but Han Wei really didn''t know how he should respond against the boy''s incessant questions. Thus, Han Wei concluded that silence was his best bet to keep Jay quiet.


    True enough, Jay soon piped down after a while, respecting his boss'' right to silence. Now, without Jay''s constant bombardment, Han Wei could finally clear his mind and think about what he had to do for the day. However, before Han Wei could drift deeper into his thoughts, he sensed something off about his environment, his battle instincts pricking him at the detection of hostile intent.


    Han Wei focused on listening as he slowed down his walking speed. True enough, his ears picked up the sound of footsteps, neither too far nor too near from him. Han Wei also noticed that the sound went cold when he stopped moving, further confirming his belief that they were being tailed.


    When Han Wei turned round the corner of a block, he whispered quietly to Jay, who was getting confused from Han Wei''s erratic movements, "We''re being followed. Go ahead without me, I want to see who exactly is tailing us." Jay obliged without complaint as he walked ahead of Han Wei, trusting his boss to fend for himself.


    Han Wei kept his back tightly plastered against the wall, his heartbeat rising rapidly as the sound of footsteps grew more audible. He was tempted to swing a punch at first sight of his stalker, but quelled his desire to do so after considering that he might hurt an innocent person in the process.


    Han Wei took a few steps back from the corner just as 3 figures appeared, a young man and 2 young ladies. Han Wei stared straight into their eyes, scrutinising their expressions. True enough, the young man expressed shock momentarily before recovering his composure shortly thereafter, while the 2 ladies remained stoic.


    That brief lapse, which was a reflection of surprise rather than fear, was sufficient to validate Han Wei''s belief that the 3 before him were his very stalkers. Han Wei growled, "Who are you people? What business do you have with me?"


    To his surprise, the trio before him simply murmured among themselves before the blonde-haired lady replied, "You''re Seow Han Wei, right? The so-called big boss in this area? Unfortunately, despite your notoriety, you''re not the target we''re looking for. Sorry for taking up your time and causing alarm."


    Han Wei was confused. Who exactly were these weirdoes looking for and what exactly were they investigating? Just as the trio turned to take their leave, Han Wei rushed up to them in an attempt to stop them, hoping to get some answers.


    However, before Han Wei could place his left hand on the shoulder of the blonde-haired lady, his instincts kicked in as he raised his right arm quickly to shield his face. BAM! A roundhouse kick crashed into his right fist, causing him to reel slightly. The force he felt wasn''t like a heavy slug that he was accustomed to from street brawls, but a pinpoint strike that stung despite possessing little power.


    Han Wei was genuinely shocked, as the Chinese lady withdrew her foot as fast as she had kicked. This young lady was no ordinary person, probably a martial arts expert. Han Wei''s thoughts were then disrupted by a cry, "Boss, you alright? Who''re these guys who dare to lay their hands on you? I''ll call down the rest of the gang now!"


    It was Jay and before he could whip out his phone, Han Wei interrupted, "It''s OK, Jay, I''m fine. Let''s not create any more unnecessary trouble. Ladies, I apologise if my actions were rude, I was just too eager to get to the bottom of things. Please forgive me."


    The blonde lady replied with a smile, "It''s cool, I''m sure you didn''t mean any harm and I also have to apologise for my friend''s hastiness. She can be a little too vigilant at times. In any case, I can''t divulge too much on our affairs but I''ll give you a hint; pay closer attention to your gang members, the rumours haven''t been too good. Bye."


    The blonde lady took her leave alongside her 2 companions, as her female companion continued to watch Han Wei warily for a while before eventually turning away. Han Wei heaved a sigh of relief that things didn''t escalate any further, as he really didn''t want to fight women, not to mention highly trained ones.


    After all, Han Wei was brought up to be chivalrous in his family, so hitting a woman was a no go. However, to be frank, the stinging sensation in his right hand reminded Han Wei that even if he was to go toe to toe against that mysterious female exponent, things probably wouldn''t end up favourably for him.


    "Hey, boss, you OK? You seem to be in a daze. Star-struck by the lady who kicked you? I didn''t know you were a masochist if that''s the case hehehe" Jay rambled as he gave Han Wei a friendly pat on the shoulder. Han Wei retorted, "Don''t spout nonsense, I was just thinking about what that blonde lady said about our fellow brothers. I think what she said warrants an investigation, but let''s keep it between the two of us for now, OK?"


    Jay nodded excitedly as he chirped, "A secret mission entrusted to me by the boss...rest assured that I would get to the bottom of the matter with the best of my ability!" Han Wei simply smiled in acknowledgement, concealing the unexplainable sense of anxiety bubbling deep within his heart, as if dark times were upon him...