Chapter 16: Mission Paused

It wasn't until after we left the hospital that Captain Yi Kangdun said, "Earlier, a few simple spells were attached to the book; they only activate and affect the person who picks up the book. The paper man's transmitted information is limited, and I cannot judge the effects of those spells. I only know they are non‑lethal, more like a prank. Because there was some concealment, I couldn't see the situation before obtaining the book; I only vaguely sensed through spiritual intuition that the book had been tampered with."

"Then why was that staff member unharmed? She also picked up that book!" Lei Kedun asked, puzzled.

"There must be some safeguard; the other side is very cunning and powerful, yet their behavior is odd. It seems they have been only pranking, but if it were merely a prank, the abilities they displayed shouldn't be confined to that hospital," Mr. Ke Si analyzed.

"Why did that staff member address you as Joshua?" Qiao Xi looked at Lei Kedun, confused, and asked.

"Uh, when I first entered the hospital I met a blood‑clan person who gave a fake name on the spot," Lei Kedun said simply.

"Blood clan?" Qiao Xi and Mr. Ke Si exclaimed in surprise together.

"Hmm, the blood clan— they're probably the real masters behind this hospital. Captain, could this be related to the blood clan? Moreover, they don't want people from the Earth Mother Church to investigate." Lei Kedun voiced his speculation.

"Probably not. They don't want the Earth Mother Church involved because that church always tries to convert the blood clan to worship the Earth Mother, whereas orthodox blood clan members have always revered their progenitor Lilith." Captain Yi Kangdun shook his head.

He then added, "Let's set this aside for now; the prankster here is likely a high‑sequence strong entity from the Thief Path. The extraordinary abilities of that path are inherently bizarre, beyond our capacity to handle."

"Also, Lei Kedun, try not to act alone and keep an eye on your condition; they may be targeting you. When we return, I'll discuss with the Bishop to have you stay at the Church or assign someone to protect you covertly." Captain Yi Kangdun concluded, speaking privately to Lei Kedun.

Even if the captain hadn't mentioned it, Lei Kedun would have brought it up himself; he felt he had been marked since entering the hospital. Facing the possible gaze of a Sequence‑Five extraordinary hidden in the shadows made Lei Kedun feel utterly uneasy. Moreover, since the opponent is from the Thief Path, he thought that if this continued, he would develop a phobia of A Meng before ever meeting A Meng.

"Meow! Meow meow! Meow!" A black cat passed by Lei Kedun, followed by a troupe of cats of various colors and breeds, with two puppies even mixed in.

Led by the black cat, they swaggered across the road and into an alley.

"What a ridiculous cat adventure squad is this?" Lei Kedun stared at the scene, wondering if he had stumbled into a children's channel.

"But that black cat seems unusual, almost a transcendent being; its mental and etheric aura is far beyond any ordinary animal's. Too bad the captain and others are nearby; otherwise I'd love to use the Eye of Secret Gazing to see what's up with that cat!" Lei Kedun's thoughts halted only after the cats, led by the black cat, disappeared down the alley.

"Do Ma Dan's cats now have their own gangs?" Qiao Xi, still stunned by the disciplined cat troupe, asked.

"Stray cats and stray dogs do form some packs, but it's rare to see so many cats gathered together," Mr. Ke Si said, shaking his head.

Afterwards the group rode a carriage back to the office building where the Executor Squad is stationed without incident; Captain Yi Kangdun, upon returning, went straight to the Knowledge Chapel to see Bishop Angeman Jin.

It's unclear what Captain Yi Kangdun discussed with the bishop, but after returning to the Executor Squad's office area his complexion darkened. Lei Kedun, who had been pondering the identity of the prank‑loving thief in the hospital, noted that the opponent seemed overly familiar with him, as if they had been together since he entered the hospital. Yet the blood‑clan girl, Elisa, who had spent the most time with him, could clearly not be an extraordinary from the Thief Path.

Moreover, given the blood‑clan girl's intellect, Lei Kedun thought she couldn't devise so many pranks.

"Lei Kedun, come to my office for a moment," Captain Yi Kangdun called out suddenly.

"Alright, Captain," Lei Kedun replied, then rose and headed to the captain's office.

The captain's office door was ajar, and Lei Kedun pushed it open, "Captain, you called for me?"

"Hmm, close the door first; I have something to give you," Captain Yi Kangdun said.

He closed the office door as instructed and approached the captain's desk. Captain Yi Kangdun picked up a metal box on the desk and opened it; inside lay an object resembling a large creature's scale, about half a palm in size, its surface stained with faint yellow smears as if splashed, overall gray‑brown with faint patterns.

"This is for you to carry temporarily; if it remains on you later it must be returned to the Church, but if it's damaged or lost, you can discard it," Captain Yi Kangdun said while motioning him to take the metal box.

After taking the metal box, Lei Kedun didn't immediately reach for the scale‑like item; he held the box and examined it for a moment, and as he stared, the Eye of Secret Gazing instinctively activated.

Then the scene shifted: within Lei Kedun's passive Eye of Secret Gazing, the faint yellow stains on the scale seemed to come alive, writhing across its surface; the gray‑brown hue faded to a bronze tone, and the previously subtle patterns became vivid, prompting Lei Kedun to instinctively try to discern them.

"Rooaar~~" A massive dragon roar echoed in his mind; as Lei Kedun averted his gaze and closed his eyes, they stung, and his head throbbed as if a heavy weight were crushing it.

"Snap!" The box in his hand was shut from the opposite side.

"Do not use spiritual sight casually, especially on miraculous items; they may involve high‑level power contamination. Carelessly gazing can make you see things you shouldn't, leading to loss of control, collapse, or madness," Captain Yi Kangdun warned gravely.

"Huh~" After a moment of recovery, Lei Kedun opened his slightly reddened eyes, lowered his head, and said, "Understood, Captain!"

"It's fine; I didn't expect you to progress so quickly and already master spiritual sight so well. I should have told you the precautions earlier," Captain Yi Kangdun, unfazed by Lei Kedun's recklessness, praised his handling of spiritual sight.

"Don't overthink it; it's a good thing. At least you'll now clearly know that spiritual sight can't be used indiscriminately— not everyone or everything is viewable. Reverence comes from everyday life, not from hearsay," Captain Yi Kangdun concluded, wrapping up the incident.

"Captain, is this a dragon's scale?" After the brief episode, Lei Kedun quickly regained his composure.

"Yes, it's a miraculous item called Bronze Phosphide. It has a single function: when you press it against your skin, the scale solidifies your bodily state, rendering any attack or curse that would affect you ineffective for a short period. Positive blessings are also nullified, essentially granting a brief invincibility, but it only lasts five seconds," Captain Yi Kangdun nodded.

"If you exceed that duration, your body will undergo irreversible alteration. Removing the scale ends the process, but afterward your body will enter an uncontrolled period of weakness proportional to how much influence it endured during the constant state. There's no limit on the number of uses, but you can't use it frequently; otherwise your body will collapse under the strain," Captain Yi Kangdun explained the scale's limitations in detail.

"Sss~ So strong, invincible!" Lei Kedun thought the scale was practically a divine artifact, especially since it had no usage limit.

Captain Yi Kangdun interrupted Lei Kedun's pleasant reverie: "It's not as powerful as you think. The constant state the scale provides has a limit, and that limit does not recover. Each use incurs wear; regardless of whether you're attacked during the constant state, the more attacks or influences it endures, the greater the wear."

That limitation didn't surprise Lei Kedun; otherwise the miraculous item wouldn't have ended up in his hands.

"Captain, how much wear can it still endure?" Lei Kedun asked curiously.

"I don't know either," Captain Yi Kangdun admitted, shaking his head.

"Keep it safe and don't lose it; it's not only protection for you but also a form of identification," Captain Yi Kangdun added.

Lei Kedun tried to ask further, but the captain ushered him out of the office.

(End of Chapter)