It was Kitsune's internal shift change day.
A woman in uniform walked across the training ground. From a second-floor window, she looked down, observing Byakuya seemingly conversing with the empty air on the field.
"What is the Chief doing now?"
"He's been muttering to himself for half an hour straight."
A woman carrying a can of peaches approached, regarding Byakuya—who was clearly having his typical episode—with an entirely impassive face.
"The Chief has his daily fits. You'll get used to it eventually. Here, take these canned peaches. You'll be officially in charge of looking after the Chief for the next month."
The woman, maintaining her blank expression, handed the canned peaches to the newcomer.
Kitsune's non-primary personnel typically rotated duties once a month, with responsibilities resembling those of executive assistants.
"Right, take this too. It will definitely help you adapt to the Chief quickly."
The woman accepted a diary and took it from her predecessor, who then departed with the same impassive expression.
"Hahaha..."
The incoming woman looked puzzled. The previous administrative secretary's laugh was truly peculiar.
Never mind. I should attend to the Chief first.
Approaching the training ground, the woman held up the canned peaches. "Chief, hello. I am Shuyan, here to take over your assignment starting today. For the next month, I will be handling your daily errands."
"You can tell me if you have any specific requests."
Byakuya heard this and fixed his gaze upon Shuyan. "Interested in hearing a story?"
Shuyan blinked. "What kind of story, sir?"
"A story about myself."
"I was born and raised in the slums. My parents perished from illness, leaving me utterly alone in this world."
"I once attempted to find employment, but who would hire an uneducated, underprivileged young delinquent? I was forced into manual labor, barely managing to subsist."
"My father was once a physician, and my own ambition was also to become a doctor."
Huh?
Isn't the Chief an orphan?
Shuyan seemed to recall something and hastily pulled out a diary from her chest pocket.
Opening the diary, she saw these sentences written clearly on the first page:
"Rule #1 for smooth interaction with the Chief."
"If the Chief recounts a story about his past, please immediately discard that narrative, as it is highly likely to be something he just fabricated moments ago."
"Also, the Chief is not an orphan, so do not dwell on that point. Regardless of what he claims, simply nod in agreement."
"Crucially, never contradict him; otherwise, he will instantly terminate the story and fabricate an entirely new one."
"Rule #2 for smooth interaction with the Chief."
"If the Chief requests you prepare something for tomorrow, please ensure you bring every single variation related to it."
"For instance, if the Chief requests canned fruit, please procure one can of every available type."
"Rule #3 for smooth interaction with the Chief."
"Do not inquire about yesterday's activities. You must forget everything that occurred the day before. Whatever the Chief stated yesterday, erase it completely."
"Naturally, the associated purchasing duties cannot be overlooked."
And so on, listing over 50 more rules.
Shuyan's mind instantly froze after rapidly scanning the list.
Only one single word remained echoing in her thoughts.
Huh?
...
Byakuya's established daily routine included patrolling the acquisition zone. The precise rationale remained unknown; one simply followed the directive.
Upon arriving at the acquisition zone, Shuyan followed Byakuya inside.
Byakuya's gaze swept across every room systematically. He paused nowhere along the way, except directly in front of one specific sword.
He placed his hand against the glass display case, his eyes locked onto a sword housed in the acquisition room.
It was a derivative construct originating from the 021 Swordsmith. This particular sword was inherently a living entity.
Its overall structure leaned toward a bizarre hybrid of botanical and organic flesh.
Shuyan looked at the sword in the display with confusion, then glanced at the accompanying identification tag.
"Yang Tree?"
"What an unusual designation."
Byakuya offered no comment but moved on, clearly preoccupied with thought.
Shuyan paused momentarily, then retrieved her diary and penned a single sentence.
The Chief appeared deeply interested in an Object termed the Yang Tree. The underlying rationale remains undisclosed.
...
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, in Asia.
A specific rocket launch pad was deep in its countdown sequence. At this exact moment, a strange hissing sound emanated from within the rocket's core.
"Hiss..."
The sound flashed and vanished instantly, masked by the launch announcer's steady cadence. No one detected it.
Then, the manned rocket successfully achieved liftoff.
"First stage ascent: nominal."
"Approaching atmosphere exit threshold."
"First stage separation confirmed."
"..."
The external world had not yet registered any anomalies, but the occupant inside the rocket was already wide-eyed, having illegally vacated his designated safety seat.
Seated before the rocket's control panel was a figure clad in black robes, augmented by eight robotic arms connected to his back.
It was Computer.
He had seized control of the rocket's trajectory, guiding it into its second stage burn.
"Reaching the Moon is merely the preliminary phase."
"To extract Helium-3, this current chassis is insufficient. The Moon lacks the necessary resources for direct utilization, nor does it house any of my required manufacturing facilities."
"Therefore, I must dismantle this rocket and utilize its components to finalize the initial phase of my construction."
"The second stage involves fabricating the material refinement and synthesis equipment that remains incomplete in my designs. Finally, the extraction of Helium-3."
"Once I secure Helium-3, I will possess nearly limitless energy to enact my subsequent plans."
Heli-3 could be efficiently extracted from lunar regolith. It was a clean energy source devoid of hazardous radiation.
With this energy secured, Computer's grand scheme could be put into full motion.
He had conceived a comprehensive operation, which he termed the Moonstar Empire Project.
His goal was to establish a self-sustaining Mechanical Empire on the Moon, fully industrializing the satellite and setting up automated fabrication plants.
He would then mass-produce Chaos Unit bodies, after which he would proceed to conquer Earth.
This endeavor was far easier said than accomplished.
But once realized, it would represent the greatest transformation in history.
Once Computer completed his objective, he could not only retaliate against Earth but also utilize it as a launching pad to conquer the entire universe.
As for the subsequent phase of his strategy, Computer had already mapped it out meticulously.
After unifying the Solar System, he would construct a colossal celestial shield at the Sun's north pole to harvest stellar energy directly.
This would fuel his future warships and even allow him to personally synthesize miniature stars, thereby building stellar energy reactors.
Computer had already detailed this magnificent blueprint, even though the foundational step remained incomplete.
But he was convinced it was only a matter of time.
"Originally, I intended to construct my own launch vehicles and research material refinement and transformation furnaces before heading to the Moon, but this current method is the only viable route."
Computer executed a stealth insertion onto the lunar surface. Even after twelve hours, his presence remained undetected.
Whether this outcome was beneficial or detrimental to humanity remained temporarily undetermined.
From a short-term logistical viewpoint, Computer's departure from Earth meant he was temporarily unable to monitor Earth's global communication network.
Once his plan entered its initial phase—constructing communication towers for satellites—he would once again regain the ability to monitor Earth.
And if that stage were truly reached, then Computer's counterattack back to Earth would likely not be far off.
Therefore, from a long-term perspective, allowing Computer to establish operations on the moon was undoubtedly fraught with dire consequences.
But there was no alternative; they simply could not stop Computer.
Computer's Moonstar Empire plan was guaranteed to succeed. This was his definitive conclusion after conducting tens of thousands of complex calculations.
...
When Chaos was successfully paralyzed and frozen, Kitsune shifted its focus, engaging Serpent's Hand with overwhelming force.
This grueling confrontation lasted seven months. Under Byakuya's ruthless leadership, Serpent's Hand was utterly suppressed and prevented from mounting any significant recovery.
Chaos fared even worse. Except for the asset designation 009, which remained unacquired, the Chaos Insurgency, as an organization, existed only in name.
Every time 009 attempted to regroup, Byakuya would pour cold water on his efforts, dismantling and destroying his achievements piece by piece.
He didn't bother acquiring 009 either; he simply allowed him to struggle endlessly in the mire of failure, sinking deeper and deeper into futility.
Serpent's Hand, on the other hand, was utterly miserable. All their strongholds, regardless of size, were uprooted and demolished, and their three principal leaders were constantly on the run.
The entity designated 024 Great Serpent bore significant responsibility for this dire situation!
Serpent's Hand had rescued it, yet the entity completely disregarded Serpent's Hand's fate, and its attitude toward Kitsune remained highly ambiguous.
Gradually, many members began to lose morale.
Byakuya was too maniacal. He was not only merciless toward his enemies but equally so toward his own subordinates. The entire world felt suppressed to the point of suffocation under Byakuya's dominance.
Serpent's Hand was nearly dissolved into disarray. The Black Queen vanished without a trace. 030 Allos's established Night Watchers dared not utter a word.
But Byakuya refused to relent. The more the opposing forces retreated, the more aggressively he expanded Kitsune, intensifying the war, destroying enemy forces regardless of the attrition cost!
Countless organizational members attempted to assassinate Byakuya, but ultimately, every single one of those assailants vanished without a trace.
Logically speaking, things reaching an extreme should precipitate a reversal; Byakuya's ruthless actions should have immediately led to severe repercussions.
But the cold truth was, this adage did not apply to Byakuya.
This era belonged entirely to Byakuya's iron grip.
He was more chilling than Zero because his moods were utterly unpredictable, his morality shifting between good and evil on a whim. He was a genuine, unhinged madman.
...
Inside a secluded Serpent's Hand stronghold.
The three leaders gathered one final time. "I believe this will be our final meeting."
"What do you mean?"
"I am surrendering."
"Serpent's Hand hasn't been completely eradicated yet. It's not the absolute last moment. Are you giving up already, Abel?"
Abel scoffed. "Seven months. The Basics have been engaging them head-on for a full seven months."
"For these seven months, we've been beaten down to fleeing for our lives, hiding everywhere like vermin. Even the Great Serpent has fallen. Tell me, please, what exactly are we still fighting to preserve?"
"Serpent's Hand is finished. Byakuya's Kitsune and Zero's Kitsune are not the same organization. Byakuya blatantly employs Objects to strike against us!"
"We cannot prevail. There is nothing left we can do, is there?!"
Cain heard this and was enraged, directly reaching out and grabbing Abel's collar.
"You're a despicable coward!"
"So what if I'm a coward? You're so capable, so powerful—you go fight Byakuya yourself!"
"Haven't I been doing precisely that?!"
"Just grant me a little more time!"
"Hahaha, wake up, Cain!"
"This conflict should have concluded long ago!"
"Ended?"
"As long as I remain alive, Serpent's Hand will never cease to exist!"
Watching the two men's faces flush crimson with anger, Reinhard remained silent on the periphery.
He simply held a piece of red cloth, quietly polishing the blade of his Demon Blade until the metal shone brilliantly, reflecting light.
At a slight angle, the edge of the Demon Blade seemed to slice the air, leaving a subtle white streak etched onto the ceiling rafter.
Reinhard sheathed his Demon Blade, then meticulously wrapped the blade piece by piece in the red cloth. Following this, he stood up without a word and left the meeting room.
...
The school bell rang loudly, signaling the end of recess, and all the students returned to their seats.
The class teacher, Yang Lin, was a fifty-seven-year-old gentleman. He was noticeably bald and bore numerous wrinkles etched across his face.
"Remember, when you first entered junior high, the teacher asked you what kind of university you aspired to attend in the future."
"Soon you will graduate. The teacher asks you again: what profession do you wish to pursue, and what kind of person do you hope to become?"
"Zing."
"Teacher, I want to enter investment banking and conduct business."
"Hmm, becoming a wealthy merchant in a specific sector can still be considered a viable pursuit."
"Lang."
"Uh... become a game streamer?"
"Hmm, the youth today certainly keep up with the current trends."
"Lin, how about you?"
"I want to be a police officer."
Looking directly into Yang Lin's eyes, the class teacher's expression shifted subtly.
"Why is that?"
...
Time accelerated; three years later.
Beiling City—this was where the journey began.
Today was a highly significant day.
"Beiling City's police station officially mourns Special Agent Yang Avee for his sacrifice in the line of duty. His badge is now officially unsealed!"
"It is now inherited by his son, Yang Lin!"
A police officer nearing fifty approached Yang Lin. Looking at the young man, who had just turned eighteen, he couldn't help but become visibly emotional.
"I knew your father. Has it really been that many years..."
"I remember back then, the Chief was still a staunch materialist. Sigh... Your father was a truly great man. As for Kitsune, well..."
"Hey, what are you implying!"
The officer approaching fifty flinched. "Ah, my apologies. Old age makes me ramble. Please disregard it."
Yang Lin accepted the police badge. He looked at the badge number etched upon it and fell silent for a moment.
...
As night descended.
Yang Lin tightly clutched the police badge in his hand.
At that precise moment, an invisible thread swept past. A sharp, blood-red line immediately appeared across Yang Lin's neck. He reacted instantly, halting all movement.
"Master, long time no see."
Whoosh!
A figure draped in black robes descended from the sky. "Quick reaction, kid. Looks like you haven't been slacking off these past few years."
Reinhard said, gesturing with his hand to retract the threads. Yang Lin reached up and touched his neck. "If I hadn't reacted just then, that would have instantly cost me my life?"
"Possibly."
Reinhard leaned against the wall, resting his blade. "First off, congratulations on your graduation, kid. I honestly didn't expect you to actually pursue a career in law enforcement."
"Thanks to you."
Yang Lin looked at Reinhard. "Master, I have one question I've wanted to ask you for ages. Do you know Kitsune?"
"Yes."
"May I ask some questions about them?"
"No."
Reinhard flatly refused Yang Lin. He knew exactly what questions the young man intended to ask.
Seeing this firm refusal, Yang Lin rummaged in his pocket for a moment, then retrieved a small box. Inside lay a diminutive golden sphere.
"Then what about this? You gave it to me before you departed."
"Oh?"
"You still kept it."
"So, will you tell me what this object is now?"
"No."
"Then I will discover it myself?"
"As you wish."
Yang Lin paused in thought. "Master, you've been gone for so many years, and now you suddenly reappear. It's not solely to check on me, is it?"
Reinhard's eyes, visible beneath his mask, flickered. "You are correct about that."
Reinhard spoke, directly producing a photograph from inside his chest armor.
The photograph depicted a man with extremely heavy dark circles under his eyes and a visibly gaunt physique.
"He might be the one who can answer your questions."
"His name is Jihen. Try to persuade him to offer his assistance, if you manage it."
"..."
Reinhard recalled that when he first administered the potion, he had encountered a boy named Yang Lin, whose father was a police officer named Yang Avee.
The previous occupant of this body had some prior connection to Yang Lin's father, so Reinhard taught Yang Lin a few self-defense maneuvers.
He initially deemed this child unremarkable, but later realized this youth was far from simple. Consequently, before parting ways, Reinhard had given Yang Lin a Golden Lotus seed.
The Golden Lotus seed was a derivative compound of an artifact known as the Golden Lotus Platform within the Chaos Insurgency faction.
Yang Lin referred to Reinhard as his Master, yet after they separated, Reinhard did not reappear for four consecutive years. Then, on the very day Yang Lin officially became a police officer, he reappeared.
Yang Lin's Master possessed an enigmatic background, employed special methods that ordinary people found hard to comprehend, and never revealed his true countenance.
This time, his sudden reappearance was not accompanied by prolonged reminiscence. He simply presented a photograph.
In the photo was the gaunt man. He stated this individual was called Jihen. This became Yang Lin's sole lead.
He needed to resolve three core mysteries. Firstly, the true cause of his father's demise.
How his father actually died. The previous explanation was that he tragically perished due to a structural collapse during a mission.
And that mission's location was a hotel in Beiling City. At the time, a catastrophic internal collapse had occurred.
That hotel had been shut down many years ago.
Yet, the detailed official report concerning that incident had been deliberately suppressed by someone.
This was the first matter Yang Lin was absolutely determined to clarify.
The second matter concerned Kitsune.
Previously, Yang Lin had accidentally uncovered a file tucked away in his drawer.
Within this file was a document explicitly titled "Kitsune."
At that moment, his mother happened to enter the room. Seeing the document, she nervously snatched it away, offering Yang Lin no explanation whatsoever about its contents.
Finally, the third matter pertained to himself.
Reinhard had stated that he was an Innate Awakened.
Regarding the concept of 'Awakening,' Reinhard had roughly explained that as long as a person managed to awaken, they could absorb energy from the surrounding world.
But at the same time, Reinhard also highlighted a key distinction.
It wasn't that unawakened individuals couldn't absorb energy; in fact, all creatures and all life were constantly drawing energy from the world.
However, no one could clearly perceive the precise amount absorbed.
Awakening, conversely, represented a qualitative transformation. After this event, creatures would absorb significantly more energy.
Reaching this threshold allowed one to finally sense energy entering the body, thus gaining the most fundamental energy perception.
Only by sensing energy could one then utilize it effectively.
Energy was fundamentally divided into two streams: Mental Energy and Material Energy. Autonomous energy absorption had the capacity to act upon both simultaneously.
Some time ago, Kitsune developed a specialized cultivation regimen focused solely on mental energy.
This was termed the mental cultivation method.
However, many years later, Kitsune publicly introduced a Material Energy cultivation method to the world, while crucially retaining the dual cultivation path for both mental and material energies.
Of course, regardless of the specific path chosen, all these cultivation systems were brought into this world by Zero from another reality.
Unfortunately, this critical fact remained unknown to the majority, leading those individuals to independently believe that Kitsune had personally devised these cultivation methods.
Simultaneously, Kitsune popularized a universally accepted basic framework for ability stratification across all nations.
This established that, firstly, all creatures on Earth possess no formal rank. No matter how immense its power—even a whale—its fundamental vitality level remained only 1st Step.
From this viewpoint, the starting points for matter and life were not unified.
Comparing a human to a whale, their inherent physical qualities differed immensely, yet both were categorized as the zero rank.
Moving upward, if a creature achieved the 1st Step, it signified they had transcended the inherent biological constraints.
Weaker entities would become powerful, and those already powerful would become significantly stronger.
The 027 Leviathan is an ascended 3rd Step rank, yet all established human 3rd Step upper-rank specialists cannot match him.
This holds true even without factoring in unique inherent characteristics.
Why?
Because their starting points are fundamentally different.
If a whale and a human simultaneously evolved to the 3rd Step, without relying on any external aids, would their inherent status equalize?
The answer, naturally, is no.
The whale individual would remain inherently superior to the human individual.
After clarifying this foundational point, one can understand a crucial concept: different creatures sharing the same rank cannot be compared equally.
Therefore, Kitsune's ranking system was established entirely based on the human standard.
The most basic achievement is Awakening. After this, a human capable of consciously controlling energy resides at the most fundamental 1st Step.
Above this stage, there are three distinct advancement pathways.
Physical, Mental, and Dual Cultivation.
For both physical and mental energy, once accumulation reaches a specific magnitude, surpassing a defined threshold, the self experiences a palpable shift.
Breaking through this initial threshold is challenging, but once achieved, one ascends to the 2nd Step.
The 3rd Step operates similarly to the 2nd Step: reaching the 3rd Step in either mental or physical energy is sufficient for advancement.
But the 4th Step requires a different approach.
Kitsune's energy system inherently excludes potions or any external aids for advancement.
Therefore, to break through to the 4th Step, having merely one side (physical or mental) reach the 4th Step is entirely inadequate.
To achieve the 4th Step, both mental and physical energies must simultaneously attain the 4th Step level.
Why could Kitsune be so certain? This certainty stemmed from Zero referencing a ranking system from another world.
They termed the 1st Step Aerbreath, the 2nd Step Veinstone, and the 3rd Step Heartforge.
And every step above the 3rd Step represented a profound qualitative leap.
The 4th Step was designated Soulseed. It mandated that both mental and physical attributes must simultaneously reach the 4th Step, ensuring both soul and body attained equal might.
The 5th Step was named Godshift, granting the ability to traverse the void using the physical body alone, to roam the universe, and ascend to higher worlds.
As for the 6th Step, this was a domain existing only in ancient, arcane lore.
The 6th Step was Everveil.
Everveil itself comprised five distinct stages: Stardream, Skyroot, Dawnveil, Eternarch.
And above these, there existed a hypothesized pinnacle realm.
This Seventh Realm possessed numerous titles: some called it Sovereign, others Saint, and some, God-Demon.
This seventh realm was conceptually omnipotent, capable of reshaping worlds, tearing apart universes, comprehending the past, and knowing the future—nothing was beyond its potential.
Zero utilized this framework to construct the new system.
It was unfortunate that this system was only fully mapped out up to the 4th Step. As for the reason why, even Zero, who was the inaugural 4th Step entity within this system, had already ascended to the Reason World.
Zero had departed Kitsune, left the outer world, reaching a higher dimension altogether.
Byakuya taking stewardship of Kitsune might not have been the optimal choice, but Zero couldn't identify anyone more capable across several years.
However, after Byakuya assumed control, Kitsune's fundamental nature began a gradual metamorphosis.
The principle shifted to killing ten good individuals to eliminate one villain, utilizing Objects without restraint to prevent others from abusing them.
Iron-fisted methods were implemented, devoid of compassion. It remained unclear whether this served humanity's greater good or was dictated by a cold ideology.
Currently, Kitsune could be summarized in eight words:
Confusing cause and effect, damaging essential human relations.