Chapter 64: Genuine Goodwill from Billionaires

The Hermit Union’s sponsorship event concluded on a harmonious and friendly note. The seventeen attending billionaires fully embraced their altruistic spirit, generously pledging support to contribute towards the millions of ordinary people on Xuanlan Star. They saw it as an undeniable responsibility. Heartened by the billionaires’ display of great compassion, members of the Hermit Union were immensely pleased. Ultimately, both parties shook hands amicably before parting ways.

After the meeting ended, as the last billionaire departed the Global Building with a somber expression, the young man who had been wearing a mask suddenly pulled it down and casually slumped into a chair, exclaiming, “That scared me half to death.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you, Little Brother Wang,” Vena affectionately approached Duan Wenxuan.

This young man was none other than Duan Wenxuan himself, appearing in his original form. When creating the second personalities for Vena and others, he faced a dilemma due to their inherently peculiar natures. He couldn’t significantly alter their true characters without risking adverse reactions. However, he also feared that minor changes might not be enough to control these unpredictable individuals, who could potentially cause uncontrollable chaos.

Reality differed from the Fourth Monster World; there, they faced the constant threat of fused mutants, and without Duan Wenxuan’s suppression, they would have perished long ago. However, in the real world, their fused mutants fell into Dead Silence, allowing them to freely harness the mutants’ energy without risk of harm to their bodies.

As a result, even with second personalities, these individuals remained unpredictable.

To prevent any mishaps, Duan Wenxuan had no choice but to impose additional restraints on them in everyday life. He utilized Winter’s mutant ‘Strange Card Deck’ as an extra layer of insurance. When Duan Wenxuan brought them into the real world and thoroughly investigated the abilities of their fused mutants, he serendipitously discovered that Winter’s cards could effectively address his concerns.

Winter’s deck consisted of fifty-four unique cards, each possessing distinct powers accessible by the license holder. Among these fifty-four cards, the two Jokers held perfect suppression over the other cards’ strengths.

Unfortunately, within the Fourth World, Winter only managed to develop one card, yet it tormented him intensely. It’s worth noting that Winter himself was unaware that after deep fusion, new card abilities would emerge, totaling up to fifty-four cards altogether.

In Winter’s hands, these cards were being wasted. Duan Wenxuan took them over and forcefully underwent deep fusion himself. During this process, while Winter was still alive, his cards were brutally stripped away, causing him to experience a similar state as Hu Fu, nearly leading to his immediate death.

Seeing that Winter seemed beyond saving, Duan Wenxuan attempted to return one of the fifty-four cards—the Ten of Diamonds—just as Winter’s breaths were fading. Naturally, this was the same card Winter had previously been able to utilize. In a desperate attempt, akin to treating a hopeless case, it surprisingly brought him back to life.

However, Duan Wenxuan discovered that after Winter fused with the Ten of Diamonds, he could effortlessly control Winter. It was as if a unique connection formed between them, allowing him to arbitrarily decide Winter’s fate between life and death.

Duan Wenxuan had a premonition, much like how the Greed Pot and Twisted Eye continually evolved and perfected themselves, the cards under his deep fusion unexpectedly reached their most flawless state instantly.

No one had achieved such profound fusion with mutants before, especially not with high-load mutants like playing cards. However, utilizing the gate’s power, Duan Wenxuan forcibly completed the full fusion.

Finally, Duan Wenxuan gave the ten of hearts to Vena, the nine of clubs to Wyda (the fat man), the nine of hearts to Qiao Si, and the jack of spades and diamond jacks to Bai Di and the doctor respectively.

After gaining control over them, Duan Wenxuan slightly revised their second personalities’ memories. The Hermit Union officially consisted of fifty-four members in total. However, throughout its history, there had never been a time when all fifty-four positions were fully occupied.

Within the Hermit Union, the one holding the ‘King’ card was referred to as the King, possessing the most unpredictable abilities that allowed control over other license holders. The current King, aging, coincided with the resurgence of the spiritual tide. Thus, he secretly sought a successor, and somehow, he bestowed the ‘Joker’ card symbolizing succession upon an ordinary young man in his twenties from Hanming Country-this person being Duan Wenxuan himself.

The Hermit Union’s hierarchy, controlled by the King, relied on the power rooted in their respective cards. With additional assistance from mutants developed by the Hermit Union, which they fused with, the individual’s personal strength became relatively insignificant. Moreover, since the Joker card holder had already been determined, the rest of the Hermit Union, despite any dissatisfaction, could only accept it.

During this emergence of the Hermit Union into the present world, it was natural for its members to accompany and protect the small Joker card holder, which is why Duan Wenxuan joined them.

Duan Wenxuan’s arrangement also served to establish a public identity for himself.

He had declined Zong Cheng’s invitation to the underground base and often disappeared mysteriously for ten days or even half a month at a time. With the chaotic state of the world, nobody specifically focused their attention on him.

However, there would inevitably come a time when he’d draw notice. Hiding too perfectly could be suspicious, so having an established identity was not entirely undesirable.

Lowering his gaze, Duan Wenxuan slightly tilted his head, allowing his longer bangs to cover his left eye. The left eye, fused with the Twisted Eye, appeared ordinary under his careful concealment. But upon closer inspection, one might discern a miniature black hole-like effect, absorbing distorted energy within it.

“Little Brother Wang, this is for you.”

Seeing that Duan Wenxuan wasn’t acknowledging her, Vena smiled and placed a small cloth doll into his hands. Upon closer look, the doll bore a striking resemblance to Vena, about three to four parts similar.

“You’re thirty this year, significantly older than Duan Wenxuan,” Qiao Si remarked tersely, which matched well with his uniquely cold expression.

Duan Wenxuan feigned disbelief convincingly, looking astonished towards Vena. She appeared to be around fifteen or sixteen years old, despite heavy makeup.

Vena’s smile had vanished, replaced by a malicious glance at Qiao Si. “Didn’t your mother ever tell you that a girl’s age is a secret?”

“Alright.”

Winter promptly intervened, separating the two contentious youths. Then he turned to Duan Wenxuan. “We should leave now. Next, we’ll temporarily avoid the spiritual tide, which will likely last around a week. Afterward, we’ll begin setting up the laboratory. With the surge of mysteries following the spiritual tide, it presents the best opportunity for our research.”

Duan Wenxuan scratched his head. “I understand you all have important work ahead, but I still have friends in Hanming Country whom I’m worried about. Unfortunately, I may not be able to accompany you.”

”…Very well. In that case, I’ll have Qiao Si stay with you for protection. Qiao Si’s physical abilities are exceptional, and guarding from concealment won’t cause any discomfort for you.” During normal circumstances, Winter was handsome and refined, handling matters efficiently with meticulous planning.

Naturally, Duan Wenxuan declined. “No, no… The tasks you’re undertaking must be crucial. As this century begins, other license holders for the Hermit Union have yet to be chosen; you are already understaffed. Don’t waste resources on me.”

“That wouldn’t be wise. If something happens to Little Brother Wang, the king would punish us.”

When mentioning the king, Vena had no direct visual impression of him, but a hint of fear still surfaced in her eyes. The Hermit Union’s king was always shrouded in mystery and rarely appeared in person. Even when present, he never revealed his true identity. However, the king possessed control over the other license holders, and the terrifying punishments could make even the most steadfast individuals plead for mercy, instilling genuine fear within them.

“Ah… it’s not your fault. I’ll talk to that grandfather myself; this doesn’t concern you.”

“But…”

“That’s enough,” Winter interrupted Vena. “Duan Wenxuan makes a valid point. Let’s follow his advice, though Qiao Si should escort you to Hanming Country first before returning, just in case any mishaps occur along the way.”

The Hermit Union swiftly concluded their discussions and set their agenda, while at the same time, unrest brewed among the recently departed wealthy figures.

Daniel Pinochet, ranked as the world’s eighteenth richest individual, was sixty-eight years old. With his neatly trimmed gray hair and well-exercised physique, he did not appear his age. However, during the recent Hermit Union meeting, one of his eyes had been brutally pierced.

He was dragged out of the Global Building unconscious.

Inside the spacious limousine, Margate’s top surgeon and ophthalmologist were already examining Daniel. Initially pain-stricken and unconscious, Daniel gradually regained awareness.

“How is it?”

“The situation is not good. An eye removal surgery is necessary; otherwise, it will affect your life.”

Daniel’s expression turned grim.

In the evening, Daniel woke up in his hospital bed after undergoing the eye removal surgery. The effects of anesthesia were gradually wearing off, but the intense pain radiating from his left eye served as a stark reminder that he had lost one eye.

He swiftly discharged himself from the hospital, noticing a card placed beside him. The card felt substantial and heavy, with its backside depicting a menacing-looking sprite holding a shield.

Daniel observed that Winter and other members of the Hermit Union seemed to have similar cards, albeit with different patterns on their backs and slightly larger than his own.

“License holder… counterfeit…”

Flipping the counterfeit card in his hand, Daniel’s expressions continually shifted. As a top-tier tycoon, his private ventures extended beyond legitimate businesses. To some extent, he had connections with entities unimaginable to most people, including real-life mercenaries and assassins.

However, based on what he observed now, this Hermit Union seemed not to be a counterfeit.

As a mysterious organization that has existed for over a thousand years, their research into mystical forces undoubtedly leads at the forefront of the world. If there were sufficient benefits, sacrificing one eye would not seem too high a price.

“Sandra.”

Promptly, a bald man dressed in a suit entered. His tall frame slightly bowed before Daniel. “Boss.”

Daniel handed the card from the table to him. “Find someone trustworthy and have them place their first drop of blood on it. Then test it with various firearms attacks, streaming the live footage back to me.”

“Understood.”

Sandra swiftly departed. Approximately ten minutes later, the television screen in Daniel’s bedroom activated, revealing a vast open training ground.

The card was held by a man in his thirties, clearly an elite mercenary. He pulled out a knife, swiftly sliced his thumb, and smeared the blood onto the card. Almost instantly, a translucent layer emitting a faint shimmer enveloped the entire mercenary, forming a protective shield about half a meter in diameter.

The opponent gestured, and after receiving a nod from the mercenary, ordinary handguns began firing all around them. The rapid gunfire made Daniel’s heart leap.

The swift bullets collided with the thin layer of translucent, shimmering protection but momentarily hesitated for about half a second against the shield. Then, as if their destructive force had been neutralized, they gently fell to the ground on the spot.

In disbelief, the mercenary tightened his grip on the card and even curiously reached out to touch the protective film. It wasn’t just him; Daniel could see the expressions of others nearby, filled with excitement yet disbelief at the same time.

“Switch to regular rifles.”

Soon, more rifles were brought over. Continuous rifle shots were still blocked by the film, although this type of attack caused some discomfort to the mercenary within. He felt vibrations inside the shield, making him increasingly dizzy.

“Stop.”

After Sandra called for a halt, she asked the mercenaries about their sensations during the test, with someone nearby quickly jotting down their responses. Next, they switched to heavy sniper rifles, but this time, a single shot pierced through the membrane immediately. Fortunately, it did not strike any vital areas, and the mercenary’s remarkable reflexes allowed him to dodge, sustaining only minor injuries.

Not long after the experiment concluded, Daniel received the test report.

“The membrane provides complete protection against small-caliber handguns, and ordinary rifles cannot breach it within three minutes. However, when subjected to high-impact forces, discomfort due to vibrations is noticeable inside the protective layer. Heavy sniper attacks also delay the initial damage but ultimately can still penetrate the film.” As he read the report, Daniel gazed intently at the card, his eyes filled with eagerness.

Deep down, he knew these stakes were sufficient.

It was important to remember that this was just a replicated card. If they had access to genuine cards or even other forms of mystical energy usable by ordinary people, as potentially researched by the Hermit Union, they could undoubtedly gain a significant advantage amidst this global upheaval.

Additionally, one point made by the Hermit Union resonated with truth: mystical powers were indeed unfriendly towards ordinary individuals like themselves.

Compared to ordinary individuals, Daniel had access to much more insider information.

The global transformation brought forth a surge of mysterious events, but most were inherently dangerous. Once involved, many technological methods proved ineffective against these phenomena.

Within the entire Jindar Empire, there were likely no more than a hundred people capable of harnessing mystical powers effectively. Their abilities seemed to have suddenly emerged, yet despite skepticism, it appeared as though they possessed inherent aptitudes, naturally endowed with such capacities. For others trying to replicate this later on, regardless of their efforts, success remained elusive.

This phenomenon wasn’t unique to the Jindar Empire. Examples included Mao Qisheng from Hanming Country and Ye Shan from the Li Kingdom. The mystical power they accessed through specific mysterious items was exclusive to them; even if others studied those items, they could not replicate the effects.

Some already speculated that this great change might become a lavish feast for a select few. Eventually, these individuals could evolve into a dominant elite, using their extraordinary capabilities to suppress the majority of ordinary people—a truly terrifying scenario.

Lacking innate aptitude would increasingly shut out the masses in the future.

Currently, money holds great importance, but in the future, it will become virtually worthless. Instead, ‘aptitude’ will be the most valuable asset. However, now there seems to be a breakthrough by the Hermit Union, allowing certain mysterious items to be usable by ordinary people.

“Sandra, continue transferring another five hundred million golden taels as per my instructions yesterday. Find a way to notify them that this is a gesture of goodwill from me, Daniel Pinot.”

“Yes, sir,” Sandra responded without any objections.

Daniel rubbed his throbbing temples, confident that others had likely tested the card’s effects even earlier than him. As long as they weren’t foolish, they would also express their goodwill towards the Hermit Union in some manner.

After all, for these influential figures, money was already losing its significance; soon, it would hold little value. What truly mattered was the future.