Chapter 8: Better to Die Than to Lose One’s Spirit

Page 1/3

It is well known that Florida is a famous land of amusement across the ocean.

In Florida, one may not have a life, but one must have a job.

That said, Maple Sugar City is essentially the Florida of Dongjiang Province, a place historically prolific in producing remarkable individuals.

Although the inspector had mentally prepared himself for what awaited him in Maple Sugar City before this trip, the female officer’s remarks still managed to amuse him.

Alright, alright, so you outsource public security to zero-level high school students?

It’s equivalent to entrusting a domesticated Chihuahua to maintain order among a pack of hyenas on the vast African savannah.

The inspector wasn’t disparaging zero-level individuals; in other industries that might be acceptable, but in the realm of combat in polluted zones, there is a fundamental gap between zero-level mortals and the extraordinary.

Those involved in security operations against pollution zones typically possess magic spirits that markedly enhance physical abilities such as “Might,” “Swiftness,” and “Evasion.” The core members of these teams are even proficient in wielding powerful offensive magic spirits.

In contrast, zero-level mortals have no buffs or skills and can only deal damage by basic attacks with spirit-infused weapons, making them vulnerable to instant defeat with the slightest mistake...

Wait a minute, could it be?

A flash of insight struck the inspector.

Despite Maple Sugar City’s eccentricity, Maple Sugar Heavy Industries was indeed a pillar industry in the province.

Thinking of the Li family, the inspector immediately understood: the so-called extraordinarily accomplished high school students were most likely the Li family’s “young talents.”

The achievements of other outsourced security personnel were all attributed to this “Knight of the Righteous Sun” to build up political capital for future endeavors.

This was a common tactic, not just in Florida—excuse me, not just in Maple Sugar City—but worldwide.

“Is that kid’s surname Li?”

The female officer shook her head. “I don’t know that.”

“Playing dumb, huh? Alright, I get what you mean. The police have to protect the privacy of outsourced personnel. No worries, it’s all within the system. I understand.”

The inspector smugly believed he had uncovered the truth.

The female officer was completely baffled.

Having lost all hope in reinforcements, the inspector turned his gaze to the battlefield monitoring equipment.

A faint, eerie gray mist permeated the polluted zone.

On the screen, a tactical team composed of local police and the prodigious young woman from the capital, Ye Sheng, was besieging an elite extraordinary creature.

Two melee extraordinary beings held the front line, another ranged member distracted the enemy, and Ye Sheng positioned herself at the rear, serving as the primary damage dealer of the team.

Page 2/3

The polluted zone’s environment resembled that of underground ruins where many modern technological devices failed. In such conditions, an extraordinary being like Star Fate was akin to an aircraft carrier of the old era, with the team’s tactics designed around her.

The second-tier magic spirit “Luminous Stone Shard” operated continuously, casting an unceasing stream of azure spells from every tricky angle to efficiently strike the gigantic creature nearly two meters tall—the “Granite Mechanized Hellhound.” Its rocky hide flaked off, accompanied by the ethereal sounds unique to Star Fate’s spiritual energy flowing, amid the clear metallic clangs, making the image on the screen increasingly tense.

“A mid-second-tier extraordinary creature being suppressed by a recently advanced single-core second-tier leader...” the inspector nodded quietly. Indeed, Ye Sheng’s combat prowess was more impressive than rumors suggested.

The problem lay in the poor quality of Maple Sugar City’s grassroots police forces, who could not effectively cooperate with Ye Sheng’s offensive and instead became a liability.

Although the other team members theoretically possessed extraordinary ranks comparable to Ye Sheng’s, their actual effectiveness was quite another matter.

There were differences even within the second tier.

Ye Sheng was exerting great effort in damage output, even proactively maneuvering to attract the monster’s aggro to relieve pressure from the front-line fighters. Yet, her inept teammates were picked off one after another.

In the end, Ye Sheng alone battled the monster for a full ten minutes. Just as the creature reached its last gasp, it suddenly unleashed a deafening roar.

The mechanized hellhound, now retreating upright, took on a peculiar gait and swung its greatsword fiercely, delivering a dazzling flurry of horizontal and vertical slashes, unexpectedly closing in on Ye Sheng!

“A third phase death throes...” Ye Sheng’s cold eyes rippled slightly as she used Star Law-enhanced sidesteps to ghost past the lethal combo.

The onlookers tensed in unison, holding their breath.

Ye Sheng nearly succeeded but was hit on the shoulder by the hellhound’s delayed final strike, losing balance and falling.

Boom!

Flames spewed from the hellhound’s nostrils, scorching the earth.

All turned to ashes.

The faint glow of the mist gate separating the polluted zone from the safe area extinguished, signaling this challenge had failed once again.

“Cough, cough...”

“The quick slash from the groove!”

“I’m going to vomit, ugh—”

Near the hastily erected teleport anchor, the fallen challenge team members reappeared one by one in the void.

For extraordinary beings, death was not irreversible—they needed to consume a supernatural item called a “Rebirth Crystal.”

Rebirth Crystals were costly.

Besides magic spirits, they were the second most valuable commodity in the era of the extraordinary and required binding to the extraordinary’s sea of consciousness to function.

The accompanying medical personnel, well-trained, swarmed to assess the challengers’ conditions—mainly their mental states.

Page 3/3

Tonight, they had failed four times, meaning each member of the team had experienced death four times within just a few hours.

Death was never pleasant, especially when inflicted by overwhelmingly oppressive extraordinary creatures.

Three police officers exhibited varying degrees of psychosomatic reactions: difficulty breathing, blurred vision, slowed movement...

Even with ample Rebirth Crystals, one could not truly resurrect indefinitely, for death eroded the soul.

The soul’s strength had limits; indeed, most extraordinary beings’ souls were somewhat fragile. Dying too many times in a short span could drive one insane.

Yet Ye Sheng appeared unaffected, demonstrating remarkable mental resilience.

The soul’s tolerance to death varied from person to person, making mental fortitude an essential innate trait.

She refused the nurse’s infusion, standing quietly as she reviewed the battle.

Her teammates were simply incompetent; otherwise, the fight should have been over after at most two attempts.

Yet she did not complain, a stark contrast to the mockery she faced in the auditorium with students.

The campus was a place for ideological exchange and knowledge fusion, but the polluted zone was a threat from the abyss, endangering human survival. The strong must bear the responsibility of protection.

No matter how weak her teammates were, Ye Sheng resolved to kill every monster that needed killing.

Otherwise, did the existence of high-tier extraordinary beings mean they were here to lord it over mortals and defile their heads?

“Looks hopeless. Let’s call the ‘Clock Tower’ for backup,” the inspector suggested.

The female officer quickly waved him off. “No, no, no. The director gave a strict order: this polluted zone must be resolved before the Clock Tower intervenes, or someone’s going to lose their position... Relations between the bureau and the Clock Tower have been tense recently.”

“When have official relations with the Clock Tower ever been smooth?” the inspector scoffed. “Enough already. With all this commotion, they’re probably ready to swoop in and clean things up. If I remember correctly, the Clock Tower branch here in Maple Sugar City has a permanent third-tier member, right?”

The “Mental Clock Tower,” an ancient multinational organization that had long concealed itself beneath the surface of human society since the extraordinary resurgence, possessed profound heritage and a unique modus operandi in the new era. These folks pride themselves as the orthodox path of human evolution, their arrogance unmatched.

Besides a few special regions, official relations with the Clock Tower were generally poor worldwide. However, for overall peace and stability, the Clock Tower maintained a cautious, cooperative distance with governments.

For instance, in Maple Sugar City, the sole stationed third-tier member was the “Storm Axe Edge” Grey, from the Mental Clock Tower.

The Li family also had members, even fourth-tier ones, but they were either on missions or in secluded meditation, essentially unavailable unless Maple Sugar City faced a catastrophe severe enough to compel their intervention.

As for the Maple Sugar City government—they simply couldn’t afford a third-tier member. What does third-tier mean?

It’s one rank above second-tier... sounds simple, but in reality, third-tier is an extremely sensitive watershed. It is the “first staircase for humans to ascend toward demigodhood.” Only those who reach third-tier are regarded as high-end talents valued by major powers.