C4 No.98!

At nightfall, the stars sprinkled across the sky lent a faint glow to the otherwise pitch-black heavens. For reasons unknown, the moon shone with an unusual brilliance this evening.

Yang Chen sat on his bed, his gaze fixed on the interface before him, lost in thought. He possessed strength, but how to enhance it was the question that plagued him. Was he to depend solely on the system's sign-in, which was still fifteen days away? That seemed preposterous! Moreover, signing in didn't guarantee an increase in power.

He had scrutinized the sign-in page in detail. It offered a plethora of rewards: Spiritual Energy Liquid, weapons, cultivation techniques, martial arts, armor, mounts, and more. There was even a "thank you for participating" consolation prize. This meant that relying solely on sign-in rewards would make improving his abilities an arduous task. Currently, aside from his raw power, he was clueless about everything else, including how to harness the energy within his body—a significant hurdle.

To put it bluntly, Yang Chen felt like someone who had stumbled upon a divine weapon. He knew it was valuable, but he could only wield it clumsily, unable to tap into its most formidable powers, relying instead on its sheer sharpness for fighting.

Feeling utterly helpless, he mused, "Is No.98 my only hope?" He massaged his temples, a gesture of his frustration. "Damn, I must be the most useless Grandmaster on the planet!"

"All I can do is hope No.98 acts quickly; otherwise, it's just too suffocating," he muttered, shaking his head and closing the interface.

This system, with nothing but a sign-in feature, was truly worthless. Yang Chen had read other novels where the protagonists' systems were incredibly powerful. His, by comparison? The epitome of uselessness! Just a sign-in, and even that was only available every fifteen days. Absolutely pointless!

He'd be better off armed with an AK and a stroke of luck, striving to grow stronger and achieve greatness. "Pah!"

As Yang Chen was internally berating his system, his ears perked up, detecting something amiss. A smile spread across his face. "Ah, it's No.98. Quick as ever!"

With a subtle shift, Yang Chen vanished into the shadows, blending seamlessly into the darkness, nearly invisible to the naked eye.

Outside Yang Chen's modest dwelling, several men in black had materialized in the open space. Their expressions were stern, their eyes emitting a dangerous glint.

"Have we located the target?" one asked.

"Yes, inside that house," another confirmed.

"It's curious how Red Hair managed to persuade the captain to assign us this mission," a third commented, his face contorted with disdain for Red Hair.

"Regardless, it's not as if he's the one who discovered the new Ability User in Hua Xia. We're the ones who have to capture him. He just wants us to give the newcomer a hard time."

"This Red Hair is a real leech to No.98. He's been an Ability User for months and still can't beat a newbie. Embarrassing!"

The men in black nodded in agreement. To be an Ability User for so long and yet be unable to defeat a newcomer was indeed shameful.

"Let's just play a small prank on him for now. Who knows, this rookie might end up joining our ranks," the apparent leader suggested with a wave of his hand.

"Let's get this over with and report back," he commanded.

"Yes, sir!" they responded in unison, their figures swiftly disappearing.

One of them conjured a faint white glow in his palm, revealing a red pinpoint within it. "Found him, he's in the room," he whispered.

The others exchanged glances, and one swiftly melted into the darkness, heading for Yang Chen's house. Such caution was warranted. A new, unaffiliated Ability User might harbor hostility, and approaching them directly could be fatal. And if they were a foreign spy? Such occurrences weren't unheard of.

Hence their current approach. Even within Hua Xia's borders, vigilance was the creed of No.98's operatives. This was no ordinary time, but an age where spiritual energy had resurged, and Ability Users were legion. Any passerby could be a foreign spy with abilities.

Despite Hua Xia's standing as one of Earth's three superpowers, it couldn't guarantee the absence of foreign Ability User spies within its borders. Red Hair, merely a peripheral figure of No.98 or just an ordinary Ability User under its name, had yet to earn the organization's recognition.

The other assailants in black also stealthily located a secluded spot, conveniently situated near Yang Chen's house yet difficult to detect.

They had earned their place within the ranks of No.98, and their abilities were notably high.

No.98 may have been open to all Ability Users in Hua Xia, but only a select few ever made it inside. To join, one needed either exceptional talent or a ranking of D level or higher.

This squad was uniformly D level!

Even when facing a C level Ability User, they could put up a fight with their combined might!

One of the men in black, who had blended into the shadows, swiftly approached Yang Chen's house. After a thorough reconnaissance, he contorted his body and seamlessly phased through the thick wall, infiltrating Yang Chen's room.

This was his special ability, Phasing.

Once inside, the intruder quickly vanished into the darkness, the black garb proving its worth.

The night was deep, and with the lights off in Yang Chen's room, the darkness became an ally to the man in black.

But something felt off as soon as he entered. The room was eerily silent, not at all like someone was present, despite his team having detected spiritual energy fluctuations earlier.

A sense of dread washed over him, and before he could alert the others, a vice-like grip clamped around his neck, silencing any attempt to cry out.

He tried to struggle, but the iron grip was unyielding, effortlessly hoisting him up as if he were no more than a chicken.

The man in black's eyes betrayed his fear. He knew his strength well enough to put up a fight against a C level Ability User, but now, he was powerless.

This level of dominance, he had only ever felt from the B level masters within No.98!

Meanwhile, the team leader outside Yang Chen's house furrowed his brow. A full minute had passed since his comrade had entered, and yet, there was no sign of activity.

Considering the modest size of Yang Chen's house, locating him should have taken mere seconds.

But now, after a minute, there was still silence.

Something wasn't right.

Even a skirmish would have made some noise.

Confusion clouded the leader's mind.

He exchanged a knowing look with his comrades, one of whom now held a softly glowing white light in his hand, marked by two prominent red dots.

"Could they have encountered each other?"

The leader's frown deepened as he pondered the situation.

Then, with a sudden lift of his head and a determined glint in his eye, he commanded, "We can't wait any longer. Strike now!"

"Yes!" came the unanimous response.

A subtle ripple of spiritual energy emanated from them, stirring the air into whirlwinds.

Just then, the house's door quietly swung open.

A lean figure emerged, carrying the limp form of the man in black, his eyes vacant. The figure's body seemed to harbor a formidable power.

Casually tossing the man in black aside, he faced the prepared assailants, flashing a set of pearly white teeth that stood out starkly against the night.

"So, you were looking for me?"