Chapter 5: Executioner Squad (Part 1)

Yi Kangdun truly lives up to being a Sequence Six scholar; he is genuinely erudite and versatile, and even the influence of the demonic drug cannot deny his profound knowledge—indeed, those who are not profoundly learned cannot ascend to the scholar sequence.

"We've all transmigrated, and we still have to study! Is there any transmigrator more miserable than me?" Lei Kedun muttered inwardly, speechless.

Upon learning that he would have to go to the Na Suo Xi Grand Library every day for a long stretch to study—not only occult knowledge but also astronomy, geography, languages, and various other fields—Lei Kedun felt that his whole being was in trouble.

Lei Kedun recalled the experience in the Knowledge Church just over ten minutes earlier:

"Your Excellency the Bishop, are you sure there is nothing wrong with me? Did you see me just once and already know everything?" Lei Kedun asked, his gaze wavering, at the kindly old man before him.

The elder's hair and beard were all white; though his face showed some age, his spirit was vigorous, his expression benevolent, and he wore a simple gray‑white robe—the uniform of the Knowledge Church—adorned with golden book‑pattern trim that set it apart from ordinary members' robes.

A strong scholarly aura surrounded the elder; compared with the priests in the chapel, Lei Kedun thought he resembled a retired professor more.

This elder was the bishop of the Knowledge Church in the city of Ma Dan—An Ge Man·Jin.

Bishop An Ge Man·Jin did not become angry at Lei Kedun's doubt; his tone remained warm as he said, "I don't know everything from a single glance, but here in this church, under the Lord's gaze, discerning whether any residual power contamination remains on you is quite easy."

"Then? There is no residual contamination on me?" Lei Kedun asked uncertainly.

"Yes," Bishop An Ge Man·Jin replied succinctly, unexpectedly.

"Huh?" Lei Kedun was confused about what Bishop An Ge Man·Jin meant.

Bishop An Ge Man·Jin answered Lei Kedun's doubt: "It is gone now, but because you are an extraordinary being formed from the extraordinary traits of a Sequence Eight deduction trainee who directly ingested the drug, you have not lost control; however, lacking the accumulation from the Sequence Nine Reader stage makes your foundation very weak, which is also a hidden risk."

"Therefore, for the coming period you must go to the Na Suo Xi Grand Library each day to read its books. The best way to master your power is to acquire more knowledge; this will both compensate for the weak foundation caused by missing the Sequence Nine stage and help you better control your abilities. Once you have fully mastered your abilities, you need not worry about losing control," Bishop An Ge Man·Jin explained thoughtfully.

"Alright, the next arrangements are up to you, Yi Kangdun," Bishop An Ge Man·Jin turned and said to the person standing beside him.

"Yes, Your Excellency the Bishop," Yi Kangdun nodded.

Then Lei Kedun was led by Yi Kangdun to the Na Suo Xi Grand Library, not far from the Knowledge Church. The third floor of the library is a restricted area, generally accessible only to members of the Knowledge Church.

On the third floor there is a lounge; Yi Kangdun brought Lei Kedun there to meet the other members of the Executioner Squad.

One can only say that the Knowledge Church's executors live up to their name; even in the lounge, everyone is mostly reading or discussing issues, creating a strong learning atmosphere. Lei Kedun even felt he hadn't entered the Executioner Squad of the Knowledge Church but rather a study salon.

"Ahem! Ahem! This is Lei Kedun Sos, a Sequence Eight deduction trainee; from now on he is a member of our squad," Yi Kangdun brought Lei Kedun into the lounge, cleared his throat twice to draw attention, and introduced him to the other members of the Executioner Squad.

"So that's the lucky one who swallowed the demonic drug whole! Straight to Sequence Eight in one go!" Qiao Xi, who had been waiting in the lounge, stood up first to respond.

He then gave Lei Kedun a self‑introduction: "As for me, you already know—Qiao Xi·Xi Ge Er. Just call me Qiao Xi. Like the captain, we usually just call him 'Captain'; only on rare important occasions do we call Yi Kangdun 'Captain'. Though the captain himself is easy‑going, we still need to be mindful in external situations."

Lei Kedun nodded; from prior interactions Yi Kangdun indeed seemed quite easy‑going, except for his unapproachable appearance.

At the left‑hand desk near the entrance sat a lady with shoulder‑length chestnut hair, wearing a women's version of the same brown long coat as Qiao Xi and the captain. Her eyes were a rare pale gold seldom seen in Luenburg or Fei Nei Bo Te, her face oval, features delicate and Asian‑like. She wore a round‑neck sky‑blue shirt with lace pattern, deep‑blue wide‑leg trousers, and black knee‑high boots, standing about 1.65 m tall.

When Lei Kedun looked her way, the lady naturally rose, bowed slightly, and with a gentle smile said, "Hello, I am Jie Xi Ka·Dai Shan; just call me Jessica like you do with Qiao Xi and the others."

She continued, "I am the squad's psychologist, also an Observer Path Sequence Seven psychologist. We already heard about your situation from Qiao Xi. If you need any assistance, feel free to come to me; providing psychological support and treatment for teammates is my duty."

"Observer Path? Sequence Seven: psychologist? Thank you! That's very necessary for me!" Lei Kedun tried his best to restrain his racing thoughts, preventing himself from overthinking.

Having an Observer Path psychologist in the Executioner Squad was something Lei Kedun had never imagined; performing before an Observer Path Sequence Seven extraordinary being was like brandishing a sword before Guan Gong. Lei Kedun could only hope the other knew little about him, so his actions wouldn't be misinterpreted.

"I should have thought of it—it's also the Omniscient Omnipotent Five Paths. Though the Knowledge Church rejects these paths because of the scholars' arrogance, it's normal for a vast church to have extraordinary beings from adjacent paths; this can greatly compensate for the limitation of a single extraordinary ability," Lei Kedun realized that his earlier assumption that most Knowledge Church members followed the Reader Path was overly naive.

To make his behavior seem less deliberate, Lei Kedun shifted his gaze after speaking to the other squad member seated in front of Jie Xi Ka.

The other was also a lady, her flamboyant crimson hair as vivid as a red moon at night. She wore tight leather jacket and pants, with a loose brown long coat draped over her, exuding unbridled flamboyance.

When Lei Kedun followed the captain into the lounge and first saw the lady's back, his immediate reaction was "Kataryna live‑action version."

Later, when the captain spoke, the lady turned, and Lei Kedun finally saw her features resembling Kataryna: dark‑gold eyes rare in Ma Dan, sharp brows, dark lipstick, a pointed chin, an excellent figure with clearly defined arm muscles (not exaggerated), and the only flaw was a scar missing near her left eye.

"Why are you staring at my eyelid? Does it remind you of someone you know?" she asked, tilting her head slightly, with a hint of smile and curiosity.

Her voice was crisp; Lei Kedun instinctively felt she was not a local, but rather a wandering adventurer or bounty hunter.

"Hmm, not exactly acquainted, but indeed very similar," Lei Kedun replied, not denying; knowing someone in a game counts as knowing.

"Hehe! Little boy, if we were at sea I would think you were teasing or courting me! Unfortunately I'm no longer at sea, but now I'm quite interested in you! My name is Xi Ya—no surname—just call me Xi Ya. Of course, if you wish to be more intimate, that's not forbidden," the Kataryna‑like Xi Ya said playfully.

Her tone made each sentence sound sincere, yet also unreal, leaving one unable to discern the truth.

"Hello, Miss Xi Ya! I'm Lei Kedun. Were you at sea before? Were you a pirate?" Lei Kedun didn't dwell on why she lacked a surname, nor did he ponder which of her words were true.

It was only when she mentioned the sea that Lei Kedun's subconscious recalled the pirate kings and generals of the sea, prompting him to ask the question offhand.

The moment he finished speaking, Lei Kedun regretted it; regardless of whether Miss Xi Ya had ever been a pirate, asking such a blunt question on a first meeting could easily offend her.

"Pirate? Why not adventurer or bounty hunter?" Xi Ya's tone showed no inflection.

Lei Kedun exhaled, showing a shy, slightly embarrassed smile appropriate for his age, and said, "When the sea was mentioned, the first legends that came to mind were pirate kings and generals, so I said pirate rather than something else."

"Pirate king? Pirate general? Kids know quite a few, don't they? Unfortunately I'm not a pirate, but a bounty hunter—one who kills pirates," Xi Ya said, her tone still unhurried.

"Wow! Sister Xi Ya, you've never mentioned this before! A bounty hunter! I've only seen that in novels! Sister Xi Ya, when will you tell us about it?" Qiao Xi's surprised and curious voice interjected.

Qiao Xi seemed curious about everything he hadn't experienced, fully displaying a scholar's thirst for knowledge, though perhaps not always in the right context.

"Xi Ya, like me, is also a Sequence Six scholar. She's not from Fei Nei Bo Te, Luenburg, or Segal; you should have noticed her hair and eye colors. Xi Ya is from the Southern Continent, so many of her habits differ from those of most Reader Path extraordinary beings," Captain Yi Kangdun explained.

Lei Kedun thought the captain was likely worried that he might misinterpret Xi Ya's personality and non‑local conduct.

"Why have I become so fond of interpreting others' words and actions, analyzing everyone's traits? I'm not an Observer. Is this an effect of the Reader Path? I need to watch it, lest it affect me too severely and cause problems," Lei Kedun nodded, acknowledging he understood, while pondering his own changes.

(End of Chapter)