He exhaled through his nose. That door could break down any moment from now, and the worst thing would be for whoever’s on the other side to catch the White Tiger in his current state.
His brain snagged on the stupidest detail in the room: the huge, plush onigiri blanket draped over the back of the sofa, the one Supervisor Hai’s VIP service had stocked in the suite “for grounding comfort” as if all high?tier guests wanted to nap under a giant rice ball.
He grabbed it.
Chewie stared. “You are not—”
There was no third knock.
Almost simultaneously, the door detonated off its hinge, filling the suite with a wave of dust and smoke. Eathan coughed, throwing an arm up as the impact shoved him back a step.
Through the haze, five figures stepped in.
Their presence hit before their faces did. Armour gleamed silver under the settling dust, layered over dark uniforms cut in Heaven’s clean lines. Their badges—a sigil-etched platinum—caught the light as it came into view.
Paladins.
Elite ones, judging by their attire.
The door?kicker took one step forward and let out a low whistle at the destroyed frame. “Well,” he said. “Strong lock.”
The man slipping up behind him had midnight hair and wore a scholar’s robe. Two more were behind him, inspecting the scene.
“Mingze,” the man said, not even looking up from the holopad in his hand. “The protocol is knock, wait, then override the lock. Not knock, override, and remove the door from the building.”
“You said time?sensitive,” Mingze protested. “I saved us three seconds.”
“In this realm, three seconds is enough to file a complaint,” the man replied. “Please refrain from adding paperwork to the mission.”
Leading them all was a woman with a spear. She didn’t chide either of them, only settling for her gaze on Eathan and Chewie.
“Room registered to one guest,” she said. “Tier?Two Enlightened Phantom. Eathan Lin.”
Every syllable landed like a file being opened.
Eathan tried to smile politely.
“Hi,” he offered. “Looks like housekeeping really went all?out this time.”
On the left were the Platinum Paladins. On the other, Eathan and Chewie—and the mound of white between them that looked almost like a giant rice ball.
“…”
The spear didn’t waver.
Neither did the onigiri.
Eathan shifted an inch closer to it just as the woman began to talk.
“My name is Ji Renshu, captain of the Platinum Paladin Elite Force,” she said. Her spear angled toward the floor, but it wouldn’t take much to redirect. “We are here to retrieve the divine essence currently under your possession.”
Eathan really wished she’d phrased that differently.
His eyes darted over each face, activating [Ledger Tap] to see whether he could gauge out their information. Unfortunately, other than names and the fact that they were from the Elite Force, he got nothing. Their motives were unclear, but after the ghost messenger’s warning, he wasn't inclined to trust any.
The young one with jade eyes—Chen Mo, according to the [SYSTEM]—slipped out from the back, fingers smoothing an invisible crease from his sleeve.
“Hand him over.”
Eathan felt Chewie’s shoulders tighten beside him. He lifted his hands a little, palms out.
“I’m not sure who you mean—”
Chen Mo’s gaze locked onto the blanket.
For a beat, nobody moved.
Ji Renshu didn’t even glance his way. “Commander White, please come with us,” she said. “We do not intend unnecessary harm.”
Chewie actually laughed. “Yeah?” she said. “And I’m Heaven’s favourite influencer.”
The massive guy who’d kicked the door—red hair, shoulders like a fridge—looked faintly proud. The man beside him, Yue Shiyin, gave the door a quick, pained once?over like he was already drafting the repair report. At his wrist, a holopad chimed. He checked it, gaze moving from the display straight to the onigiri.
“The core resonance is strongest,” he said, voice mild, “right there.”
He pointed directly at the blanket.
Everyone stared.
Silence stretched, brittle as glass.
“It’s… decor.” Eathan exhaled through his nose. “Premium grounding object,” he added. “Very expensive.”
Yang Mingze’s mouth twitched. Mei Yuling blinked once, slowly. Even Ji Renshu’s brows dipped half a millimeter, which, judging by the rest of her face, was the emotional equivalent of three question marks.
Chen Mo’s smile did not help the situation. “Commander Bai Hu,” he said, eyes bright. “What are you doing?”
Ji Renshu lifted her spear, point glinting towards Eathan. “Loose compliance will be considered resistance,” she said. “Unveil the blanket.”
Chewie’s fingers drifted toward her seals.
“Let’s all breathe,” Eathan said quickly. He exchanged a glance with the twelve-year-old as he inched to the onigiri.
“You start breaking out divine weapons in a VIP floor, management is going to— alright, alright,” he added when the spear didn’t budge. He moved one hand toward the blanket very, very slowly. “I’m lifting it. See? No sudden movements.”
He wrapped his fingers in the blanket’s edge.
The spear’s tip tracked the motion.
Time stretched thin. Eathan could hear the hum of the suite, the faint clink of glass settling in the broken doorframe, the slow inhale behind him that sounded suspiciously like someone trying not to cry.
Eathan yanked.
The onigiri blanket snapped up from the couch. At the same time, he flung his other hand out.
[SYSTEM] NOTIFICATION:
Skill [Receipt Printer (Lv. 7)] has been activated!
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
50 Qi Tokens have been subtracted from your [PROFILE]! (8309 → 8259)
The air in front of his palm tore open with a mechanical chirp. A strip of glowing receipt paper spat out, sigils printing themselves in rapid succession.
Beckoning Kitten Phone Charm — Anti?Deception
Volcanic Sea Salt 100lb — Repel
Koi Sticker Sheet (Full Pack) — Redirect
He slapped the strip against the floor, and light detonated.
Three golden kittens erupted from the sigils, each the size of a house cat and armed with a bell and the worst attitude known to felines. They streaked forward with ears flat, tails whipping, slamming straight into the Paladins’ front line.
Yang Mingze instinctively stepped up, bracing for impact. The kittens slammed into him with the speed of bullets, bells ringing once. His eyes went briefly wide.
“Are those—”
The Volcanic Sea Salt went off.
A wave of transparent, crackling force blasted out from the bells. It wasn’t fire, not quite, but it stung Eathan’s skin, and it hurt celestial contracts. Every layered ward the Paladins had around them shuddered.
Yang Mingze and Ji Renshu took the brunt, sliding half a step back—just enough for the Koi Stickers to come into play.
Hundreds of shimmering red koi erupting into the air like thrown cards. They spun, rearranged, then plastered themselves across the room, forming a shifting barrier. The spear thrust that had been aimed at the space Bai Hu had occupied skidded sideways, guided by koi, striking empty air.
Eathan flung the onigiri blanket straight into their line of sight.
“Move!” He hissed.
Chewie was already moving. She grabbed a handful of pre?inked seals and slammed them onto the floor at their feet; the sigils lit up, forming a temporary acceleration circle.
They shot sideways, dragging Taeril with them. Behind the mess of barrier seals, Eathan heard the redhead swear. “What kind of setup is this—”
His words cut as one of the golden kittens bounced off his mask with another sharp ding and he staggered, plated armour clattering at his wrist.
Eathan’s heart pounded. He tried to angle their path toward the suite’s side, hauling Taeril by the wrist. The man followed easily—too easily. Physically, the Pale Judgement was here. Emotionally…
Eathan didn’t dare to think about it.
The blanket dropped at last, smoke and koi clearing into the air. Ji Renshu raised her spear again, eyes narrowing.
“Form Beta,” she said.
Everything changed.
Yang Mingze surged forward, no longer off?balance; his aura snapped into place like armour locking. Yue Shiyin’s fingers flew across his interface; all the ambient light in the suite bent, casting weird double shadows.
Meanwhile, Chen Mo had gone very, very quiet.
He stepped around the edge of the chaos like water finding a gap in rock, slipping between a leaping kitten and swinging koi. His eyes never left the couch area.
Or rather, the space where the White Tiger had been.
Eathan felt the shift like someone suddenly turned their attention solely on the back of his skull.
“Where is he,” the man murmured again.
[Calamity Radar] flashed a warning ping over his silhouette.
Fantastic.
Eathan quickly skimmed the location data, then closed his interface just in time for Yue Shiyin’s illusion web to snap into place. The next second, a whole dozen other bodies had filled the room.
Dozens of Ji Renshus stepped through the dissipating smoke, identical spearpoints leveled. Dozens of Yang Mingzes, dozens of Yue Shiyins—sharp eyes and sleeves falling in the exact same line. The illusion detail was obscene; even the chipped plaster near the door copied itself. Eathan’s breath hitched. Chewie cursed under hers.
“Focus,” Eathan said. “He’s stalling for the real ones—”
A needle of force sliced his cheek.
[HP] has decreased by 15%! (100% → 85%)
He jerked his head, hand flying to his face. No blood, but the skin burned.
Mei Yuling had lifted one hand, palm turned lazily up, as if testing rain. Invisible threads shimmered from her fingers, so thin they barely caught the light.
She flicked two fingers toward him.
Eathan dove, and a cluster of threads embedded in the floor where he’d been—a precise circle small enough to dissect an eyelash.
She’s sniping me? he thought, half outraged, half impressed. With spiritual acupuncture?? In a hotel???
He didn’t have time to finish his thought and just ducked. Mingze’s fist slammed into the spot his head had been a split second ago, the impact rattling crockery in the kitchenette.
“The name’s Yang Mingze!” he roared, grinning. “Remember it when you’re in intake processing!”
Chewie slid under his arm, a blur of small fury. She slapped a crackling rune under his foot as she went.
“Move it, muscle-head,” she said.
The rune flared; Yang Mingze’s sole stuck to the floor with a violent jerk. His upper body kept going. Eathan winced reflexively at the angle his knee took.
Behind all of it, Chen Mo emerged like a fish underwater. The jade-eyed Paladin had threaded through gaps in Yue Shiyin’s illusions, stepping around Yang Mingze’s flailing, slipping between Mei Yuling’s threads.
He stopped just in front of the White Tiger. From this angle, Eathan could see Chen Mo’s pupils dilate, eating colour.
“Bai Hu,” he said. “I found you.”
His voice was all wrong, threaded with something that sat uncomfortably between devotion and hunger. It made Eathan’s skin crawl.
The next second, a small furrow cut between his brows.
“Something’s off,” Chen Mo whispered. Even then, his hand lifted, reaching for the White Tiger’s face. “It’s alright. I’ll fix—”
Eathan didn’t think. He just moved. He shoved Taeril back with one arm and threw the other forward, a fresh receipt tearing into existence mid?step.
Skill [Receipt Printer (Lv. 7)] has been activated!
50 Qi Tokens have been subtracted from your [PROFILE]! (8259 → 8209)
Corrosive Glue Stick — Bind
2000s Bleach — Purify
Flamethrower (Portable) — Ignite
The seals burned hot against his palm. He slapped them on the floor between Chen Mo and the White Tiger. Blue?white fire burst into a wall, roaring up from the carpet. Chen Mo’s fingers brushed flame, and the fire twisted, latching onto the wrist with a binding pull.
The Paladin didn’t even twitch. He rotated his wrist, letting the bind eat away at his sleeve instead. Beneath it, pale skin remained untouched.
“…Interesting,” Chen Mo murmured.
Chewie slammed into him from the side.
Her fist cracked with crimson qi, a shape like an axe?edge forming around her knuckles. She buried it in Chen Mo’s ribs hard enough to snap anyone mortal in half.
He went with the blow, body folding, air leaving his lungs in a rough grunt. But his eyes—those creepy jade eyes—never left the White Tiger.
“Kid,” Chen Mo coughed, straightening, one hand pressed to his ribs. “You hit harder than you look.”
“Mutt,” Chewie snapped back, eyes flashing a shade too crimson. The ancient warlord's seal along her blade glowed faintly. “Who are you calling a kid?”
Yue Shiyin’s illusions surged again.
Ji Renshu drove her spear through the smoke; Yang Mingzes swung punches that passed through furnishings but not through anchored seals. Eathan had to weave between real and fake with no time to double?check.
Skill [Karmic Insight (Lv. 1)] has been activated!
200 Karma have been subtracted from your [PROFILE]! (8209 → 8159)
The world shifted. For half a heartbeat, the shapes of their intent lit up in muted colour, threads like arrows marking trajectories, appearing less than even a half second from their actual firing.
But it sufficed.
Eathan’s body twisted to dodge at an angle that he didn’t know was even humanly possible. Yue Shiyin’s aim drifted a hair to the side; one of Mei Yuling’s threads snagged illusory fabric instead of his wrist.
…This skill is way more busted than advertised.
He dove between two overlapping spear arcs, dragging Taeril with him. It was only then that he realised that Chen Mo had disappeared again. He whirled, heart dropping. The next moment, a cold breath was at his neck.
“Don’t interfere,” the boy whispered. “He’s mine.”
“…Dude,” Eathan said after a second, incredulity overcoming fear. “Do you even hear yourself? That’s restraining order material.”
Chen Mo ignored him, instead shifting to peer right into Taeril’s eyes. Up close, Eathan saw the subtle shift—how the White Tiger’s pupils tightened, then dilated out again, like someone adjusting focus on a lens.
A pressure rippled through the air.
Mental art.
Eathan felt it brush past him, aiming squarely for the man behind him. Patterns, layered over patterns, reminiscent of charm fields and binding arrays during rift missions.
His heart lurched.
“Chewie!” he shouted. “He’s going for his head—”
They lunged at the same time, but neither got there first.
They didn’t have to.
One second, Taeril White was a silent statue, hand slack at his side. The next, he moved as a blur of light.
Chen Mo’s body jerked upward. A pale hand had closed around his throat, lifting him off the ground as easily as if he weighed a feather.
Yuling’s threads stilled mid?air. Mingze froze mid?swing. Yue Shiyin’s illusions faltered, a flicker flicking through the duplicates.
Eathan went cold all over. He’d seen this posture before in the Commander’s Nightmare, when it wasn’t Taeril White they were speaking to but the Pale Judgement. Not a single wasted movement. Just direct, raw violence.
That was what stood there now: one hand on Chen Mo’s neck, arm straight, gaze flat.
Chen Mo’s boots kicked once against empty air. He made a choked sound that somehow still sounded like pleasure.
“Commander Bai Hu,” Ji Renshu said, almost warily. Her hands had re?found her spear in that frozen instant; the tip remained lowered, but tension coiled high in her shoulders.
No answer.
Bai Hu’s face didn’t change by a millimeter. His eyes were black glass. His hand tightened.
Eathan’s fingers dug into his own palms. This was fine, it was exactly what they wanted. In order to hide the White Tiger’s current state from the Paladins, this killing aura unique to the White Tiger was exactly what they needed. And yet…
“Mister… White?”