Following the crow through multiple elevator transfers, Yue Ge finally reached the "Zone A" his guide had mentioned. From what he’d observed en route, the entire building shared a uniform design—even the doorplates looked nearly identical. Without opening a door, there was no telling what lay behind it.
Elevators didn’t run directly from ground to top floor. Each served only a single level, like mall escalators limited to shuttling between two floors. Even with a map, getting lost here seemed inevitable. Yue Ge had already forgotten the way back.
Unlike Zone C’s sterile white expanse, Zone A resembled a luxury hotel. Wooden doors bore golden plaques, thick carpets muffled footsteps, and overhead lights cast a softer glow.
The crow led Yue Ge to the innermost elevator. This one behaved differently. After stepping inside, the doors closed—but the elevator didn’t move. Only when the crow slid a card into a side slot did it lurch upward.
Feeling the ascent, Yue Ge asked, "Does this go all the way to the top?"
"To A6," the crow replied, pocketing the card.
"Sixth floor? How many floors total?" Yue Ge pressed. From outside, six seemed near the summit—surely only one or two levels remained above.
"You’ll learn in time." The crow stepped out as the elevator halted.
The moment Yue Ge exited, the doors sealed shut behind him with a soft click, leaving barely a visible seam. Blending seamlessly into the wall, the elevator would’ve been invisible had he not just emerged from it.
To his surprise, "A6" wasn’t a room—it was an entire floor. Beyond the elevator stretched a vast plaza. Lights embedded in white ceiling tiles illuminated walls of matching hue. Only the ground was black, like packed earth that sank slightly underfoot.
At the plaza’s center, the crow turned, tablet in hand. "This’ll do. Bai Ya briefed you on the procedure, yes?"
"She only mentioned a test," Yue Ge shook his head. Clarity mattered—mistakes here could be costly.
"Close enough." The crow’s gaze dipped. "Frankly, this role shouldn’t go to an outsider. But Doctor Bai Ya recommended you for the Organization… You have no objections?"
"None." Yue Ge frowned inwardly. Something about the crow’s phrasing felt off, though he couldn’t pinpoint it.
"Her recommendation bypasses vetting. She’s your sponsor—any issues, take them to her." The crow nodded. "Your credentials will arrive shortly. You’re now part of Heavenly Mandate."
"Then why summon me?"
"Because you’re *applying* to be Doctor Bai Ya’s assistant. This test is mandatory." The crow set aside his tablet and gripped his mask. "Simple: defeat me. You… won’t back down, will you?"
"Back down from what?" Yue Ge tilted his head slightly. This test aligned with his expectations; its absence would’ve raised alarms.
Logically, Bai Ya needed no bodyguard—her combat prowess was legendary. The assistant role demanded no specific fighting skill; the Organization had other safeguards for her protection. Yet this trial persisted. Yue Ge was an outsider, his past a blank slate. Trust was scarce here beyond Bai Ya’s endorsement.
The crow’s orders had been stark:
*—It’s time to serve the Organization.*
After years within these walls, he knew exactly what that meant. Hence his uncharacteristic chatter. Survival came first; all other desires followed.
"Death." The crow peeled off his mask. Beneath the cloak lay only darkness—a pair of crimson eyes fixed on Yue Ge.
Factor manifestations varied wildly, especially among High Danger Class types. Many altered their very forms upon activation. The crow’s Factor was such an entity. He hadn’t let his human shape resurface in years, perpetually locked in this state. The mask and robes were mere disguises; beneath them, nothing remained to prove his humanity. As long as his Factor raged, this shadow was his truth.
"Prepare yourself. Activate your Factor. I won’t hold back. If you die here… you were never worthy." The crow tossed his mask aside, shed his gloves, and unfurled pure black wings. He ascended swiftly, hovering mid-air.
Familiar power surged through him. His heart hammered at impossible speed. It had been ages since he’d pushed his Factor this far. The darkness wasn’t numb—in fact, pain now radiated from every limb, as if something were tearing him apart piece by piece.
Yue Ge, a street-taught novice, likely knew little of Factor mechanics. Bai Ya hadn’t elaborated. But all Chosen Ones understood the risk: Factor activation always courted disaster. Sedatives could suppress it—but never eliminate it.
Human and monster Essences never fully merged. To retain their minds, Chosen Ones could only wield the compatible fragments. The rest—the volatile, incompatible portions—had to be suppressed. That was where sedatives came in.
Higher-tier Factors meant greater incompatibility with the human body. Drawing the line at High Danger Class, upper-tier Factors held potential lower tiers could never grasp. Skill and will couldn’t bridge that gap.
Yet within each tier, raw power wasn’t everything. Sometimes, victory hinged not on the Factor itself—but on mastering the instinct it unleashed. When instinct could be *controlled*, even *surpassed*, unimaginable strength erupted.
Controlling instinct was simple. Surpassing it? Few achieved that. It meant activating *every* shred of Essence within reach—compatible and incompatible alike. And the incompatible fragments? They were exponentially stronger.
The crow happened to possess that very ability.
"Come then…" He raised a hand, crimson eyes gleaming. "Show me what you’re made of. Don’t disappoint me now."
