In a deep mountain in the far east, there was a dense forest on the mountain. The morning sunlight shone into the forest through the gaps in the leaves, filling the forest with a sense of tranquility. A house was located deep in the forest, an old-style building that was very common in the last century. Although its style was quite different from modern buildings, it had a solemn and grand feeling that modern buildings lacked. It gave people the impression of a shrine.

The main gate was quite far from the entrance, with a large open space between the two gates. On one side, there were ponds filled with numerous unknown fishes. Perhaps due to the early morning, the yard was very quiet, or maybe it was always this quiet. Because of this quietness, the sound of birds singing from the surroundings could be heard very clearly, creating a harmonious and peaceful scene. The doorplate on the front door clearly read "Tsuchimikado," written vertically.

"Ding, ding."

The silence was broken by the sound of a bell, and the paper door at the entrance opened. A girl wearing a miko (shrine maiden) outfit walked out from inside. She appeared to be around fifteen or sixteen years old, with long black hair tied with a white ribbon in the middle and lower part. There was a bell-shaped accessory tied to the front end of her hair, and she carried a bag on her back. From her appearance, she gave a feeling of being disconnected from modern society. What era was it now? How could she give such a retro feeling? But on the other hand, it was like she could purify all impurities and possessed a transcendent and ethereal feeling that didn't belong to this world, as if implying that she belonged to another world, which was unbelievable.

The girl turned around and looked at the middle-aged man in front of her with a serious expression.

The middle-aged man, who was nearly forty years old, was wearing a simple outfit that matched the old-style building and had a style similar to that of a priest's robe. He looked quite gentle, although he appeared weak, it was only an appearance. The middle-aged man just stood calmly, but still exuded a strong presence. His sharp eyes indicated that he had extraordinary experiences and could see through everything, fully demonstrating that he was not an ordinary person.

He had the potential to be a game boss.

At this moment, the middle-aged man spoke in a steady tone.

"Take this with you. Although you can't use it now, you may need it in the future."

Then, the middle-aged man handed a special talisman to the girl.

"Okay."

The girl carefully accepted it and put it away.

"This time, you must complete this task. You are the eldest daughter of the family, so I entrust it to you. Don't disgrace the Tsuchimikado Family."

"Um, I understand. I'll definitely do my best."

While answering, the girl clenched her fist in front of her chest.

From her tone of voice, one could sense the determination in her heart and her slightly nervous state.

After saying those few words, the girl left with large steps. The middle-aged man gazed at the girl's departing figure with an indescribable expression. Although he tried to hide it, his anxious expression couldn't be completely concealed.

Everything began from this moment, and as for the outcome at the end of the path the girl walked, no one knew it yet.

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From the surroundings, it could be inferred that this place was a military training ground of a certain country.

Soldiers could be seen exercising everywhere on the training ground. From their skilled movements, it was evident that this country had an excellent army. Inside a room within the training ground, there was one person who stood out.

It seemed like some kind of daily training, but it gave a feeling of a fight. It wasn't exactly a fight, though, as dozens of people surrounded one person. The middle-aged man in the midst of the crowd calmly observed his opponents.

The middle-aged man wore a strange mask, making him appear to be in his thirties. The mask covered the upper half of his face, leaving only the lower part from the nose down. The middle-aged man stood out among the crowd, perhaps due to the long-term training, he appeared very skillful. Despite the numerous opponents before him, even with the mask on, one could see a relaxed expression on the middle-aged man's face. He didn't show any signs of nervousness or fear. Rather than pretending to be calm, it seemed like he was genuinely confident.

The neighboring room, separated by only a window, was completely different. It wouldn't be accurate to call it a neighboring room. To be precise, the two rooms were separated by a huge reinforced glass, so the space could be considered as one room divided into two.On the other side of the glass were several individuals dressed in white clothing, facing the machines and "working". They must be researchers, as they had tense expressions and were intensely focused on the other side of the glass, as if afraid of missing something important.

At that moment, a voice came from the speakers on the wall.

"Please prepare for the experiment. The experiment will now begin."

As if responding to a cue, the dozens of people inside all rushed towards the middle-aged man. Their actions indicated that they were the elite soldiers of this training ground.

In an instant, they had reached the middle-aged man, who had been standing in place motionless from the beginning. It was unclear whether he hadn't reacted or had simply given up. But the next scene clarified any confusion.

Just as the crowd was about to surround the middle-aged man, he suddenly disappeared from their sight.

"......"

As everyone was astonished, a voice suddenly came from above.

"I'm here."

Everyone looked up in the direction of the voice.

They saw the middle-aged man in mid-air, raising his right fist and smashing it towards the ground. With a loud roar, the impact created a blast like a bomb, tearing apart the ground and creating a large crater where the middle-aged man had struck. The surrounding area also cracked. The people who had been blown away by the explosion fell to the ground and did not get back up, only groaning intermittently.

Despite the scene before him, the middle-aged man's expression remained unchanged.

At that moment, a voice from the speakers announced the experiment's termination.

The middle-aged man walked expressionlessly towards the "adjacent room", and the researchers respectfully reported the day's experimental results to him.

"Captain, today's record has been broken again."

However, the middle-aged man did not show any signs of joy. His expression remained unchanged.

At that moment, one of the researchers approached the middle-aged man and informed him.

"Captain, there's a summons order from above."

"Hmm..."

The middle-aged man's expression immediately changed. He took on a very serious look, nodded, and without saying anything more, turned and left.

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The location was in the bustling downtown area, and because it was nighttime, the neon lights were flashing and headlights could be seen on the streets, with vehicles coming and going. The streets were filled with busy people, creating a lively atmosphere. In the center of this city area stood a tall building with dozens of floors. The building was luxuriously decorated and served as a symbol of the downtown area.

At that moment, the figure of the middle-aged man appeared at the entrance of the building. He looked up, and with a swift stride, walked into the building, even with a strange mask on, he was not stopped by the security guard at the entrance. He went straight through the guards and entered the nearby elevator. With a ding, the elevator doors closed, and the middle-aged man finally entered a room on one of the floors of the building.

The room was lavishly decorated, with various precious antiques displayed on the nearby cabinets. Even someone unfamiliar with these items could tell that each one was invaluable.

Sitting on a chair in front of the central table was a young man with gray hair. He was gazing out the huge floor-to-ceiling glass window, admiring the beautiful nighttime view of the bustling city.

Upon hearing the door open, the young man turned around and greeted the newcomer with a familiar smile.

"Finally here?"

The middle-aged man immediately bowed upon hearing this.

"I heard your strength has increased significantly again. I can definitely feel it."

"Where, I know I'm not as good as others. I can only make up for it with diligence, but still far from being as good as you."

Contrary to his usual demeanor, the middle-aged man spoke humbly, the complete opposite of his attitude during training just moments ago.

Then, with a caring tone, the young man replied to the middle-aged man without considering the age difference between them.

"How is it? Are you getting used to the military?"

"Sir, I've been in the military for several years now."

The middle-aged man didn't show any signs of anger. Instead, he maintained a respectful expression and answered cautiously.

In response, the young man rubbed his forehead and smiled, making slightly exaggerated gestures."In that case, it is true that time flies by so fast. It has been such a long time since that...," the young man said with a mysterious smile.

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man's expression changed, although it was a subtle change. However, the middle-aged man seemed unaware of it and asked in a slightly rude tone, getting straight to the point, "What brings you here?"

Facing his subordinate's somewhat rude question, the young man didn't mind and instead changed his casual attitude. His expression became serious, displaying strong leadership capabilities.

Calmly taking out a photo from his suit, the young man threw it towards the middle-aged man like a dart. The middle-aged man effortlessly caught it.

"This is your mission this time. It seems to be right up your alley. You will be informed of the details later. When executing the mission, you don't need to worry about anything else. Others will take care of it. Remember, this mission is our top priority."

Upon seeing the photo, the middle-aged man showed a hint of confusion, seemingly questioning the importance of the mission, but he didn't voice it in the end.

Realizing what the middle-aged man was thinking, the young man continued to smile, but it was a cold smile without any warmth as he asked in a deliberately probing tone,

"Why don't you ask me why I assigned you this mission?"

"Subordinates never question the judgment of their superiors. The reason why the superior assigned this mission must be based on their own judgment. As for me, I am not very talented. Even if the superior patiently explains, I'm afraid I won't fully understand. Besides, all I need to do is complete the mission entrusted by the superior. Any other matters are not within my concern," the young man exclaimed in an enthusiastic tone.

"I see, I see. You are indeed outstanding, even better than the others. So, as an outstanding individual like you, you will definitely not disappoint me. You have a bright future, and I look forward to your performance. Lastly, this is what that person meant," the middle-aged man responded nervously, bending down respectfully once again.

"At your command, I will start preparing," the middle-aged man said before turning and leaving the room.

In the room, only the young man with a smiling face remained. His smile was like a cold smirk, capable of devouring everything, regardless of whether it was hope or despair.

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Above the side of the high-rise building where the middle-aged man was located, not far from the room where the young man was, two shadows were suspended in mid-air. Yes, they were completely motionless in the air. Of course, there was nothing above the shadows, which ruled out the possibility of being suspended by a helicopter. There was also nothing below them. This extraordinary phenomenon could only be explained by magic or superpowers. Upon closer inspection, some slight differences could be noticed. It was more accurate to say that the shadows were standing in mid-air rather than being suspended, although the shadows seemed indifferent to this fact.

At this moment, the smaller shadow, as if confirming something, spoke up.

Vaguely, a teenage girl of about fifteen years old could be seen. She had long hair and was wearing a black hooded cloak, probably to remain inconspicuous. However, now the hood was down, revealing her hair, which flowed like the sea in a vivid shade of blue. The other shadow was dressed similarly.

"Sister, it seems like they have taken action," the smaller shadow said, filled with anxiety.

"Yes," the other person answered the question just asked, as if lost in thought. Showing a bit of absent-mindedness, they lightly supported their chin with their right hand, and after a brief silence, they turned to face the young girl and gently caressed her head with their hand.

"Don't worry, this might actually be for the best."

Lowering the hood, revealing beautiful midnight-colored hair, the enchanting girl smiled and comforted the young girl with her words.

This girl, referred to as the older sister, was obviously older. Although she appeared to be only around seventeen years old with her midnight-colored hair, she gave off an aura older than her years, perhaps due to certain unique experiences. She seemed much more mature than an average girl of her age and exuded a mature beauty.

"....... "

Although her head was being touched, the young girl raised her head in confusion, not understanding the meaning behind it, and looked at her older sister with a bewildered expression."If it were your brother, he would have understood immediately. Even after observing for two years, I still haven't fully understood the true intentions of that man," sighed the girl with long dark hair, sounding somewhat frustrated.

To this, the young girl argued back with a strong voice.

"That's not true. Big sister is already very strong, even two years ago. If it weren't for her, maybe I would have died a long time ago."

"........"

The girl with long dark hair was momentarily taken aback, but it was only for a moment. The next moment, she smiled and withdrew her hand.

"Well then, let's go. It's dangerous to stay here and besides, there are other things to do. It might be busy recently!"

After saying that, the two figures disappeared simultaneously into the darkness, leaving no trace, as if they had never been present in that place.