Starting from the night he became a player in the Sequence Game, Alister had only taken three days to reach "E-Rank 897th," and there were hardly any E-Rank players ranked higher than him anymore.
On the first day, he wagered his life and won the A-Rank ability "Shadow Domination."
On the second day, he won the E-Rank Sequence Game and acquired the S-Rank ability "Lord of Shadows," along with the A-Rank "Supreme Senses."
On the third day, he used up his psychic energy to kill Luo Zhong, obtained the D-Rank ability "Power Substitution," and caught the attention of the Eleventh Seat of the Eternal Night.
And today, the fourth day, he was once again on the move...
"While the strong don't mind getting involved..."
But...
Dissolving into shadows, Alister arrived at an empty rooftop. He searched for the traces of the man in casual attire while reflecting on his recent actions.
"My growth curve far exceeds the initial predictions..." Alister recalled his contemplation on the bridge. "My luck is too good, it feels suspicious, as if everything has been arranged..."
Or maybe it could be said that his luck was bad, as he always ended up in various incidents.
The search was brief, with the sky only slightly darkening. With the assistance of "Supreme Senses," Alister quickly found the man in casual attire.
He saw the man flagging down a black taxi, placing a suitcase in the trunk. After confirming that no one was following, he cautiously got into the car.
He appeared no different from an ordinary person planning to leave the city for a trip, expertly disguising himself.
Considering that the man might have unknown means of perception, Alister didn't immediately merge into the shadows of the taxi. Instead, he chose to move through the shadows along the way.
The black taxi left the city and drove on the highway for about an hour, reaching a sparsely populated suburban area.
It couldn't compare to the prosperity of City A; there were no towering buildings. The houses were scattered, shimmering dimly, exuding a hazy beauty of the city.
Payment, disembarking, retrieving the suitcase— the man in casual attire walked through the suburban area in the twilight, ignoring the passersby, passing through blind spots of surveillance cameras one after another.
It wasn't until late at night that he reached his intended destination, stopping in front of an abandoned factory.
Two guards stood in front of the rusty iron gate. When they noticed the man in casual attire, the guard on the right, resembling a street thug, nonchalantly asked:
"Who the f**k are you?"
"Maka baka." The man in casual attire replied casually.
The password was correct.
The two guards exchanged glances, confirming there was no problem, and then opened the gate, allowing the man in casual attire to enter.
Creak... The iron gate closed, and everything returned to normal.
Meanwhile, hundreds of meters away on a rooftop, Alister observed everything, taking a final glance at the crescent moon before disappearing into the shadows.
...
...
"Detected: Game event detected, special rules in effect."
"Rule One: Team up and solve this illegal player transaction with a power no higher than E-Rank."
"Rewards will be settled based on player performance; violation of rules will result in cancellation of settlement."
"Participating players (2/2) — Ready."
"I didn't expect that I would have a teammate."
Under the night sky, at one end of the road belonging to the abandoned factory, Himizuki leaned against a utility pole, glancing at her companion with interest.
"Himizuki, it's quite a coincidence."
Not only did they meet at the subway station that night, but Alister also remembered seeing her in the morning news broadcasts. Himizuki, the heiress of the Himeji Group, left a deep impression.
Although Himizuki concealed her Sequence title, Alister could still sense the formidable strength she possessed. Most likely, she was an A-Rank player, a character he couldn't confront head-on.
There was a beauty in the high-intensity basic values of an A-Rank player that he, as an E-Rank player who relied solely on player abilities, couldn't match.
"So, 'Shadow,' why are you here?" Himizuki had seen Qingxian's records.
Being able to manipulate shadows, surpassing the majority of A-Rank players in perception... Alister's identity had been a mystery since his appearance, and it was impossible to probe his true abilities. He seemed indistinguishable from an E-Rank player...
Himizuki silently raised her evaluation of "Shadow," acknowledging his incredibly advanced ability to conceal his true strength.
"Just bored, looking for something to do." Alister casually glanced at the system prompt, acting as if nothing had happened. "And you?"
Himizuki let out a silvery laugh, took off her sunglasses, and replied lazily:
"Bored as well, came to find something to do."
"What a coincidence."
Alister decided to let go of this operation since he didn't want to gamble on excessive luck.
But just before Alister merged into the shadows...
"Hold on." Himizuki pouted slightly, her tone filled with arrogance. "You can't leave until this game event is over."
The system's rule was to act as a team, and if Alister left, Himizuki would be considered defeated, resulting in the cancellation of rewards.
"It's just a sudden ordinary Sequence Game; why bother?" Alister turned his back, glancing at Himizuki from the corner of his eye. "I don't like teaming up with others."
Since he aimed to maintain the image of a lone wolf, Alister wouldn't allow himself to show any vulnerabilities.
Himizuki calmly stated, "Failure is not in my vocabulary."
"Oh."
"Although I don't know your background, I am well aware that you have no backing from any power or organization." Himizuki yawned.
"So what?"
"Fifty million, password eight eights." Himizuki casually tossed a mysterious bank card. "It's a black market card. You can withdraw money however you want, no problem."
It meant hiring the independent "Shadow" with these fifty million and teaming up with her to complete this game event.
Alister accepted the hiring, deciding not to leave.
"I thought you would ask for more," Himizuki responded with a meaningful look. "You settle for what you've got. Not bad character."
Although a reward of tens of millions was the basic price for hiring a personal force of an A-Rank, in reality, the majority of hired A-Rank players would raise the price to billions or even require additional high-ranked items to be persuaded.
Even if Himizuki was inclined to offer a better reward, Alister never regretted anything, so he didn't continue to demand a higher price. He didn't have such thoughts at all.
Indeed, he was a person who settled for what he had when he couldn't fully grasp the situation.
Suppressing his presence, Alister placed the mysterious card in the pocket of his black coat and maintained his hands-in-pockets posture as he walked towards the abandoned factory.
After walking a short distance and sensing no movement behind him, Alister immediately stopped and glanced at Himizuki, who was leaning against the utility pole.
It meant that he didn't like being watched.
"To observe someone thoroughly, their back is just as important."
Himizuki responded to Alister's gaze, explaining with a teasing tone. Then, she finally started moving and joined him in a team.
The two maintained a distance that wasn't too close or too far, walking along the dimly lit suburban road.
"The back of shadows is still shadows, so you're making a meaningless observation."
Alister shifted his gaze dispassionately, warning her with a hint of annoyance.
"Is that so?" Himizuki smiled meaningfully, behaving like a high and mighty princess.