The One (Those Who Hold Destiny)

Under dim lights, the deafening music outside drowned out every miserable howl.

KK, whose real name was Pei Chenjun, was covered in blood. All four of his limbs had been twisted apart. He leaned against the sofa in despair, shaking his head as he begged the other party to spare him.

"Miss, I swear I never told anyone else about your identity, and I never will!"

"I can make a contract with you. I can join your Farming Team! Yes! You can farm me!"

Pei Chenjun no longer felt any delight at discovering that the personal assistant of the eldest daughter of Korea’s largest conglomerate was a Reincarnator. He no longer had any ambition to accomplish something great.

The other party’s strength had far exceeded his expectations, and… she had far too many resources at her disposal in the real world. He had never known that even this remote bar was property of the March Group…

The woman wore a transparent raincoat over a sharp black suit. The dagger in her hand fluttered like a butterfly among flowers, constantly dancing. Her flexibility and coordination far surpassed those of ordinary people. Listening to his dog-like pleas, the corner of her mouth curled up.

"How pathetic, Pei Chenjun."

The woman lowered her head and brought the dagger close to Pei Chenjun’s neck. Her arm muscles tightened as she prepared to strike, but she suddenly rose to her feet, moving so quickly that Pei Chenjun could barely follow her.

Creak.

The basement door was suddenly pushed open, and a tall woman in an exquisite white suit entered alone.

The moment Pei Chenjun saw the newcomer’s face, boundless hope surged within him.

"Miss Li Qingzi!"

"Miss Li Qingzi, save me!"

"Your assistant is dangerous! She’s trying to kill me!"

Faced with death, KK had been stripped of all reason by fear. He did not stop to consider why the eldest daughter of the March Group had come alone to such a place, nor did he think about why she showed no expression upon seeing him covered in blood, his limbs grotesquely twisted.

He simply kept begging for help.

This made the woman standing instinctively behind the door despise him even more.

Pei Chenjun had no awareness of what it meant to be a Reincarnator. Trash like him did not deserve to be one of The Chosen.

"Jing, you still haven’t dealt with this guy?"

"My target has appeared. Get ready. It’s time to move."

Li Qingzi did not even glance at Pei Chenjun. A flash of light passed over her body, and before Pei Chenjun’s eyes, Li Qingzi instantly changed appearance.

The tall urban beauty vanished, replaced by the cold face of a man in a green robe. The broad black cross-shaped greatsword on his back was an unmistakable signature.

Pei Chenjun froze in place.

"You’re… Moon Demon…"

Splat!

Jing slashed fiercely with her right hand, instantly tearing Pei Chenjun’s neck completely open. The terror of having discovered an awful truth still lingered in his eyes.

The Directional Anchor in Moon Demon’s hand merged with the Record Pointer and began trembling violently. Light flashed around her, and her figure disappeared from the real world.

Only after the man’s corpse turned into a Scarlet Drop Card did the woman in the transparent raincoat call the logistics staff to come clean up the traces. Then light flashed around her as well, and she entered the space.

Within her Private Space of over eight hundred square meters, Moon Demon confirmed that the result from the Directional Anchor (Purple) was correct. This time, she had finally tracked down Mercenary Tao’s whereabouts completely.

It seemed that after his previous mission world, he had not continued raising his Reincarnator rank. That gave her a sliver of opportunity.

After Jing entered the space, she still appeared as the short-haired woman in a black women’s suit. This woman had not used any Avatar or disguise at all, openly showing her original face.

As she flipped through the intelligence regularly delivered by the Information Broker, she said, "Mercenary Tao seems to have joined Crimson Lotus. Should we call off the operation?"

Moon Demon sat on a white sofa in the center of the garden, leisurely sipping wine.

"So what if he joined Crimson Lotus? He’s merely one part of that Crimson Lotus Mage’s posturing."

Moon Demon’s voice in the space was likewise a cold male voice.

Jing realized that her captain truly thought very highly of herself. Whether it was Flame Demon or the Title-level Crimson Lotus Mage, she did not think much of either.

She even dared to defy the will of that Supreme Expert, which had led to her current state of being hunted everywhere.

Yet despite being pursued by all those people, she was exceptionally fixated on Mercenary Tao. Jing could not help but suspect that he had obtained something that even her captain coveted.

And… her captain was certain that as long as she killed Mercenary Tao, that thing would definitely fall into her hands.

A card?!

In another massive venue, Flame Demon watched the pointer in his hand gradually settle down, its needle pointing in a fixed direction.

A cruel smile appeared on his face. Moon Demon should be showing signs of exhaustion by now.

No Reincarnator could endure being hunted by every team in every mission world. That constant tension would gradually drive a Reincarnator to the brink of collapse, making them begin to reject mission worlds.

Eventually, at some point, they would explode, make an irrational attempt at resistance, and be destroyed.

Flame Demon had been waiting for this chance. He wanted to kill that bastard!

Flame Demon raised a hand, and several figures tossed aside the alluring Plot Characters in their arms.

"Has the opportunity come, Flame Demon?"

"We’ve wanted to get rid of Moon Demon for a long time too."

The group gathered and began their final preparations.

Bai Cangshu had originally been waiting in his Private Space for deployment to begin when he suddenly received a message from Black Butler.

This man lived off intelligence and lived quite comfortably. Bai Cangshu also guessed that he had prepared multiple Avatars for himself, entering mission worlds under different identities.

By more or less completely giving up mission-world rewards, he passed through mission worlds relatively safely before using the gains he acquired in the space to strengthen himself.

He was a niche and unconventional type of Reincarnator.

"Someone might have the information you wanted."

Bai Cangshu was somewhat surprised. He had not expected to obtain news about the special item card Tarot XXI: The World anytime soon.

According to what the Professor had said, "The Twenty-Two Tarot are bestowed upon The Chosen." In other words, the Tarot Sequence had originally been prepared for special groups like The Chosen.

Considering the origins of such a powerful item as cards, there had originally been top-tier Chosen among their creators. It was perfectly reasonable for that group to give their own kind special treatment.

Yet when Bai Cangshu tried to activate the card, he had received a response as well.

From Wuxin, he knew that when ordinary Reincarnators activated that card, nothing happened. Aside from the space informing them that they had obtained a special item card, there was no further response. They could not even learn the card’s sequence.

But Bai Cangshu had successfully bound the card and learned its sequence.

Sequence locked. Tarot: The World Reversed (XXI) successfully bound.

Activating... Activation failed. Reincarnator Ex051 Innate Ability not anchored.

The space’s prompt said that his "Innate Ability" had not been anchored, but Bai Cangshu had received no information about an Innate Ability from Goddess. This Innate Ability did not refer to his talent.

Based on the rumors in the space regarding The Chosen, this Innate Ability should refer to the extremely special abilities possessed by The Chosen that could interfere with certain functions of the space.

For example, the Professor’s special information-gathering ability, or the abilities some Chosen possessed to create things like Directional Anchors and Slave Shackles.

The problem was that Bai Cangshu had no such ability at all…

The first Ability Scroll he had obtained was Dodon Ray, and the first ability he had actually learned was Magic Spear. Both were entirely combat-oriented abilities.

Therefore, Bai Cangshu speculated that the Tarot Sequence might require some kind of Special Reincarnator capable of opening the sequence.

Returning to the present, Black Butler brought Bai Cangshu once again to the stalls of the Destiny Gathering. These Chosen always separated themselves from ordinary Reincarnators, as though they were an exalted and special group.

This time, Black Butler brought Bai Cangshu to someone lying at his stall with his hands behind his head.

There were no items on the stall, only a sign hanging there.

Paid consultation, fair prices for all.

He seemed somewhat similar to an Information Broker.

"What, is this the big client you wanted to introduce to me?"

The Reincarnator lying at the stall also wore the white robe favored by the other Chosen of the Destiny Gathering. However, he had cut several slits into the hem, making him look extremely unruly.

Bai Cangshu came to the stall and smiled. "How do you charge for your information?"

The man had his hair tied into an ancient-style topknot, with a ponytail trailing down his back. He looked very different from the other Chosen.

"My rates depend on your question and my mood."

He sat up not to speak with Bai Cangshu, but to drink. Bai Cangshu subconsciously glanced at the label on the can of beer in his hand.

The man was extremely sharp. "Stop looking. I bought it online. This brand is a hundred thousand miles away from where I live in the real world."

Bai Cangshu shrugged. He had not actually intended to track down information about the other man’s real-world location so that he could hunt him down. It was merely an instinctive reaction.

Bai Cangshu had an instinct that seemed to compel him to pay attention to such matters.

"I heard a rumor about the information you asked Little Black to look into. I can’t guarantee it’s true, but if you want to hear it, one D-rank Anomaly Point."

He did not seem to have even considered currency like Dimensional Points. He opened with one D-rank Anomaly Point, an outrageously high price that exceeded the standards of every Information Broker.

Bai Cangshu looked at Black Butler. The latter rubbed his nose, clearly already accustomed to this man’s absurd pricing.

Bai Cangshu raised his right hand, and his Reincarnation Mark lit up.

You have lost D-rank Anomaly Point ×1.

"Oh, as expected of Fierce Person: Mercenary Tao. Looks like hunting Reincarnators really is the fastest way to obtain resources. You’re truly loaded."

It sounded half-mocking, half-admiring. The man’s attitude was rather strange.

After finishing his beer, he casually tossed the can aside. Seeing this, Black Butler immediately turned to leave.

The fewer people who knew certain information, the more valuable it was.

But the man said, "Little Black is fine. You don’t need to leave. I’ll waive the price of this information for you!"

Black Butler looked awkwardly at Bai Cangshu. He feared that this action would anger Mercenary Tao, but to his surprise, Mercenary Tao seemed unusually good-tempered today.

"Changge, just say it. Mercenary Tao… isn’t the kind of person you hate."

Black Butler spoke up, offering an explanation for Bai Cangshu.

The Chosen codenamed Changge lay back down, his tone casual.

"I once heard a rumor that the Infinite Dimensional Space had existed long ago. Although the selection rules for Reincarnators, the methods of enhancement, and even the worlds selected for deployment were all different from today, one thing can be confirmed: Reincarnators had already existed in our world at an even earlier time."

Bai Cangshu’s eyes shifted slightly. He had already guessed what the other man meant.

"So tell me, where did those Reincarnators from previous generations go in the end?"

"Did they all die? Or did they return to the real world in some way?"

"Could some of them have been recruited once more by the present Infinite Dimensional Space…"

"Rumor has it that there is an exceedingly rare type of Reincarnator in the space, born with abilities far beyond ordinary people. Those people… are believed to be extraordinarily rare Reincarnators who had their memories erased, returned to reality, and were now selected into the space again. They are called The One, those who hold Destiny."

Bai Cangshu’s expression remained calm. He thought for only an instant, without even pausing.

"So that’s what Destiny in your gathering means…"

At this, Changge seemed to grow interested. He sat up and pointed at Bai Cangshu.

"Ha, Mercenary Tao, that’s exactly what you think it means. Except… these are all just rumors and speculation."

Bai Cangshu turned to Black Butler. "The information you mentioned couldn’t have been just what this guy told me, could it?"

Black Butler looked somewhat embarrassed. Originally, he had only intended to offer a possible line of thought, but Changge had demanded the price of a D-rank Anomaly Point. This transaction now made it look as if he and Changge had conspired to fleece Mercenary Tao.

He shook his head and smiled bitterly. "Sorry. I’ll compensate you for your loss."

Changge had always disliked those fierce people, but seeing that his actions had put his friend in an awkward position, he coughed.

"Fine. Consider that information a free extra. For the D-rank Anomaly Point, you can ask about the item, ability, or other information you currently want most…"

"As long as it has appeared in the public space, I can find out about it."

His Innate Ability was clearly related to this kind of special information retrieval. Bai Cangshu realized that this man was highly valuable.

He did not stand on ceremony and immediately said, "I need something that can raise my Mental Power attribute. It can be an item or an ability, but it must raise it by at least one point."

Changge placed his right hand against his forehead and began using his ability. Soon, he said, "Stall 405 in Area A. The 404 Team is selling a special Superpower Activation Device. Though it will place a certain burden on the body and cause some injury, I don’t think that’ll be a problem for you."

A moment later, Bai Cangshu found a group of bald men in plaid shirts selling various items at stall 405 in Area A. Both their team name and their attire clearly alluded to certain information and content.

They appeared very relaxed, so their strength was likely quite decent.

Violent Superpower Inducer

Quality: Rare

Description: A crude device from the Mob Psycho 100 Derivative World. It uses electrical stimulation in an attempt to induce superpowers.

Effect 1: After use, there is a very high chance that the body will suffer powerful electric shock, resulting in injury and paralysis. Can be exempted with Constitution above 18.

Effect 2: After use, there is a 5% chance of gaining a superpower; a 15% chance of greatly increasing brain activity; a 35% chance of slightly increasing Mental Power; and a 45% chance of no effect.

It was a headband fitted with electrical equipment. Rather than a Superpower Activation Device, it looked more like an instrument of torture.

"Mer… Mercenary Tao?!"

The members of 404 recognized the person standing before their stall as the fierce man responsible for a series of major incidents recently. They had heard he had already joined the ranks of the Title-level Reincarnator Crimson Lotus Mage.

"How many of these do you have?"