Prologue

A rainy night, deep within the mountains of Sichuan Province, China.

In a vast expanse of lush forest surrounded by several towering mountains, faint glimmers of firelight occasionally peeked through the dense foliage, almost completely obscured by the torrential downpour, as if they might be extinguished at any moment.

The dense forest was eerily silent on this rainy night. The continuous, heavy rain drowned out all other sounds, rendering the forest pitch black and impenetrable to the eye. The rainwater wove a vast web, enveloping everything within it.

In such harsh weather, it seemed unlikely that any living creature would be active. However, suddenly, from somewhere deep within the forest, came the sound of rapid footsteps, crunching leaves and splashing through puddles. These footsteps quickly moved through a corner of the dense forest, heading towards the faint points of firelight.

As a thicket of bushes parted, five men dressed in tight black clothing, with their heads and faces covered, revealing only their eyes, emerged stealthily from the forest. They crouched at the top of a small hill, looking down. Below them was a compound enclosed by high walls topped with barbed wire. The compound consisted of several buildings of varying heights and three rows of connected low houses. In one corner stood a sizable brick-and-wood warehouse, appearing quite old.

One of the most striking features was a five-story white building, the only points of light coming from within, while the rest of the complex lay shrouded in darkness.

Facing the slope, the main gate bore no identifiable markings, only a faintly visible guard post beside it, adding to the place's mysterious aura despite the torrential rain.

Five men, undeterred by the relentless downpour and the muddy ground beneath them, stared unblinkingly at the scene below.

Suddenly, the central figure among them uttered a low command, "Move out!" The five men disappeared into the dark forest behind the slope in unison.

Outside the main gate, a burly soldier with a loaded rifle stood guard. Despite the stillness of the crude road before him, his vigilance remained unwavering, his sharp eyes scanning back and forth, clearly a product of rigorous training.

Rain and wind swept through the open door of the guard post, soaking the soldier's face and chest, yet he seemed unfazed, not even bothering to wipe away the water dripping from his brow.

Suddenly, the soldier's expression changed slightly as he felt a strange cold sensation around his neck, as if it were submerged in water. Unable to bear it any longer, he reached up to touch his neck.

Had there been a second person nearby, they would have been shocked to see a glob of water, thick and unyielding, encasing the soldier's neck. The water, like a gelatinous blob, trembled slightly around his neck, an eerie sight indeed.

Just as the soldier's hand was about to touch the water, it suddenly changed. The previously stable water rapidly contracted, forming a blade-like shape that swiftly encircled the soldier's neck.

A look of sheer terror flashed in the soldier's eyes as he clutched his throat, his severed windpipe preventing any sound from escaping.

Oddly, the strange water did not disperse after cutting his neck but froze, sealing the wound and preventing any blood from spilling. This bizarre phenomenon was incredible, as if someone was controlling the water with a mysterious power.

After a brief struggle, a dull gray color crept into the soldier's eyes. He gasped desperately for air, but his face turned increasingly blue. Finally, he collapsed, his strong body falling partially out of the guard post, motionless.

The faint sound of the soldier's fall alerted a shadow crouched about twenty meters behind the guard post by the wall. The shadow stirred slightly. On closer inspection, it was a person who had been squatting there all along without moving! Until now, no one would have imagined there was a hidden sentry there.

In addition to the obvious guard, the military often placed hidden sentries, a habit formed through long-term combat experience. Seeing the soldier's uniform and weapon, it became evident that this place was far from simple.

Unfortunately, the hidden sentry didn't have time to understand what had happened before his head was enveloped by a large water ball that suddenly appeared. Such a sudden change would unsettle anyone. Panicked, he abandoned his concealment, jumping up and frantically trying to remove the strange water from his head.

Suddenly, the hidden sentry's movements stopped abruptly. He fell silently to the ground, having met the same fate as the visible guard.

With both guards dead, a man dressed in black emerged from the dense forest. He dragged the bodies aside and concealed himself in the guard post, becoming utterly silent. The entire process was soundless, unnoticed by anyone.

Meanwhile, inside the compound, three mud-soaked men in black swiftly ascended to the fifth floor of the conspicuous white building, leaving muddy footprints in the pristine hallway. At the entrance of the building, the bodies of several guards lay scattered, evidently killed silently by the intruders.

The entire top floor was a single room, its tightly shut alloy door gleaming coldly under the bright corridor lights. The three men approached the door, and at a signal from the leader, one of the masked men stepped forward and pressed his hand against the metal door.

An astonishing event unfolded as the man seemed to sink into the door, disappearing behind it as if he had submerged in water. Shortly after, the alloy door parted silently, revealing the masked man standing behind it.

Inside the room, the terrified eyes of nearly ten white-coated researchers met the gaze of the two men who entered with an air of confidence, the door closing behind them, isolating the room from the outside world once more.

"Who are you? What do you want?" A middle-aged man, somewhat calmer than the others, restrained his colleagues' panic and asked in a deep voice.

"We don't want much. Just the four items delivered to your institute two months ago. Cooperate, and no one will get hurt," replied the leader. His voice was low and magnetic, characteristic of a mature man, suggesting a highly charismatic individual behind the mask.

"This is a national-level special research institute. Everything here belongs to the state. I cannot give you anything. I advise you to leave; this place is guarded by regular troops, and escape is impossible," the middle-aged man replied, mustering his courage.

The leader said nothing more. Instead, he gave a slight nod to the second masked man. Without a word, the masked man twisted his ankles, as if preparing for something. Suddenly, to everyone's disbelief, his body dissolved into a faint shadow and reappeared beside the middle-aged researcher in an instant, a flash of white light in his hand.

"Ah!" The researcher let out a blood-curdling scream as blood spurted from his throat, staining his white coat red. He clutched his neck, stumbling around, desperately trying to stem the blood flow, creating chaos and breaking objects in the room.

No one saw how the masked man killed the researcher. His speed exceeded human limits, just like his companion who could pass through the alloy door. They possessed extraordinary abilities beyond human comprehension.

"I know this lab is completely sealed. No one outside will hear a thing, no matter the noise. So, hand over the items quickly. I don't want to kill anyone else," the leader spoke leisurely after ensuring the researchers grasped his capabilities.

After a moment of silence, an older researcher pointed shakily at an inconspicuous alloy door embedded in the wall. "The items are in there, but only the director and the now-deceased Mr. Chen knew the code," he stammered.

"You go," the leader instructed the man who had just passed through the door.

The man walked to the hidden door, pressed his hand against it just as before, and disappeared into it. After a short while, he emerged again. "I can't open it, and the nature of that thing is very peculiar. I can't bring it out," he reported.

The leader didn't respond. He circled the alloy door a few times, extended his right hand towards it, and slowly began to clench his fingers while twisting his wrist clockwise.

At that moment, his previously calm demeanor vanished. Though his movements weren't overt, his body stood rigidly straight, legs slightly apart, eyes fierce under the hood, and veins bulging on the back of his hand. It was clear he was exerting all his strength.

At first, nothing seemed amiss, but soon the alloy door began to emit a series of creaking sounds. The smooth surface of the door twisted like a crumpled cloth, contorting in sync with the man's wrist movements. Within moments, the door was entirely deformed.

"Oh my god! This is multi-layer composite alloy, even a rocket launcher can't penetrate it. Is he human or a monster?" The researchers were in shock, whispering amongst themselves as they watched the leader.

Under their terrified gaze, the tightly embedded alloy door was crumpled into a shapeless mass, completely destroyed.

The leader stepped into the gaping doorway, quickly scanning the small room before opening a large cabinet pressed against the wall. After a brief search, he pulled out a small iron box.

Opening the box, he found four fist-sized, peculiar objects nestled in foam padding. These items were roughly spherical, covered in faint yellow, vein-like stripes. Each intersection of these stripes featured a small depression with spiral patterns inside, creating a network of holes over the entire surface. Though these objects looked bizarre, they didn't seem to possess any other remarkable traits. It was unclear why they had been brought to such a remote research institute.

Yet, the man seemed delighted. As he examined them closely, he muttered, "These are it! It's laughable that no one knew their value and left them in such a remote place. A bunch of fools. These things truly belong to me."

Closing the box, he swiftly turned to his two companions. "We've got it. Let's go."

The three men quickly exited the building. Just as they stepped outside, a masked man's upper body eerily emerged from the shadows in the corner by the door, like a ghost materializing out of thin air, enough to scare the faint-hearted to death.

"Boss, we might have been discovered," the man said with a grin, his playful tone incongruous with his eerie behavior.

As he spoke, a commotion arose outside the building, and several searchlights illuminated the entire research facility.

"Let's move. Xiao Gao, you go get ready," the leader instructed the man named Xiao Gao, who had been hiding in the shadows. With that, he quickly headed downstairs.

"Brat, we're discovered, and you're still so cheerful," one of the masked men said, giving Xiao Gao a light smack on the head as he passed by.

Xiao Gao wasn't upset; he just chuckled and vanished back into the shadows.

The three men didn't take the elevator but quickly descended the stairs. At the second-floor landing, they encountered six approaching guards.

"Stop! Put your hands on your head and squat against the wall, or we'll shoot," a stern lieutenant commanded, while six dark gun barrels pointed at them in unison.

The leader ignored him, letting out a disdainful snort and continuing to advance. The lieutenant's face changed drastically, and he gritted his teeth. "Open fire!"

In an instant, gunfire erupted. The five soldiers didn't hesitate, pulling their triggers, and a barrage of bullets shot towards the leader.

However, it seemed as if an invisible shield surrounded him. The high-speed bullets stopped half a meter in front of him, as if embedded in the air, neither advancing nor falling. It was an incredibly bizarre sight.

Having never seen anything like this, the six well-trained soldiers stood frozen in shock, their eyes wide with disbelief.

The leader slowly raised a hand and pushed forward. The bullets flipped back, shooting towards the soldiers with several times the speed they had been fired. Without any time to react, all six soldiers were killed by their own bullets.

Treating it like a trivial task, the leader didn't even glance at the bodies on the ground, stepping over them as he continued downstairs, followed closely by his two companions.

Outside, the rain was still pouring, with large raindrops clearly visible under the bright searchlights.

Directly facing the building's entrance, nearly thirty fully armed soldiers surrounded the building tightly, and on the nearby rooftops, four soldiers with sniper rifles stood ready. Their faces were grim, clearly understanding that tonight's opponents were no ordinary people.

"Surrender immediately, or we'll shoot to kill," a lieutenant shouted, stepping forward from the crowd.

Facing so many guns, even the three arrogant intruders had to stop. The leader didn't respond but casually looked around as if waiting for something.

"I'll give you five seconds. Surrender now..." the lieutenant began to shout again, but before he could finish, a massive warehouse a hundred meters away suddenly exploded in a blinding flash. A series of deafening explosions followed, completely obliterating the warehouse. Debris and bricks flew everywhere from the immense force, like bullets shot from a gun, whistling through the air.

"Get down!" the lieutenant reacted quickly, shouting as he dropped to the ground. The soldiers behind him also hurriedly lay down, but a dozen still got injured by the flying debris.

It was clear that the intruders had come prepared; they couldn't be allowed to escape! As the explosion subsided, the lieutenant tried to get up, only to be shocked to find that the ground was completely iced over, trapping his limbs. Cries of alarm came from the surrounding soldiers, indicating they were similarly immobilized.

The seemingly thin layer of ice was incredibly solid. Despite his best efforts, the lieutenant couldn't break free. The soldiers could only lie there, helplessly watching as the three men walked away confidently.

Who were these people?

The masked man who had dealt with the sentry at the gate emerged quietly from behind a truck. It was clear that he was responsible for the recent chaos.

"The obstacle at the gate has been cleared," he reported to the leader.

"I took care of the ones upstairs too. Not bad, right? That explosion ensured all traces are destroyed. Don't worry, boss," Xiao Gao said, jumping out from the shadows of the truck.

"Well done. Stick to the plan and let's move out," the leader said with satisfaction. The five men left the research facility, disappearing into the dense forest.

An hour and a half later, forty kilometers away in a hidden valley, a helicopter shakily lifted off into the stormy sky.

They flew eastward for about a hundred kilometers, the lights of the Sichuan capital, Chengdu, shining brightly ahead.

The rain had lessened, and the helicopter's flight steadied. The leader finally relaxed, realizing he was still wearing his wet, stifling mask.

He slid open the cabin door to take a refreshing breath and said, "It's over, everyone. Relax a bit," as he prepared to remove his mask.

At that moment, the helicopter flew past an unused metal billboard atop a tall building. The bright lights made the smooth stainless steel surface mirror-like, perfectly reflecting the helicopter as it flew by.

Out of the corner of his eye, the leader noticed the reflection in the billboard. His face changed drastically. "There's someone under the helicopter!"

All four men in the helicopter were stunned and quickly put their half-removed masks back on. One of them bent over and pushed his upper body through the belly of the helicopter, leaning out to see.

Underneath the helicopter, a young man in his twenties with thick eyebrows and large eyes clung to the fuselage like a gecko. He was about six feet tall, with a build like an athlete's. His body remained firmly attached to the helicopter, a feat that seemed astonishing given the long duration of the high-speed flight.

"It's you!" The masked man exclaimed, clearly recognizing the young man.

"Brother Zheng, long time no see. How have you been?" The young man flashed a smile upon being noticed. He waved at the masked man and, with his hands pressed against the helicopter's belly, allowed his body to dangle in mid-air. With a twist of his waist, he flipped onto the helicopter's landing gear and then smoothly into the cabin.

Holding onto the door, the young man quickly surveyed the helicopter's interior. "Wow, four experts under Boss Luo's command? It seems my meddling wasn't in vain!" He cheerfully addressed the leader.

Besides the two pilots, there were three other men in the cabin. The leader, known as Boss Luo, let out a grunt. "So, you're one of Mr. Fang's men. How did you get here?"

The young man didn't answer directly. His gaze shifted to the metal box in Boss Luo's hands. "Boss Luo personally came for this. It must be something valuable. Could I borrow it to show my old man? I'll definitely return it."

As he spoke, Xiao Gao, who had been sitting quietly in a corner, suddenly leaned back and vanished into the shadows. Unexpectedly, he emerged from the shadow at Boss Luo's feet, grabbing at the young man's waist from below. "Ni Mu, you can borrow it, but leave your waist as collateral!"

"Hey! Your moves are still as ruthless as ever. You can return things, but losing my waist is irreparable!" Ni Mu, the young man, had anticipated the attack. Laughing, he pressed a hand against the cabin ceiling and, using it as leverage, hung himself in mid-air. His legs shot out and precisely clamped onto the metal box in Boss Luo's hands. His body's adhesive ability was truly remarkable.

Boss Luo tried to pull back but was a step too late. Knowing Ni Mu's adhesive power, he realized that unless Ni Mu's legs were severed, it would be impossible to reclaim the box. Resolute, Boss Luo quickly opened the box and took out the four strange spherical objects inside.

At that moment, the helicopter hit a patch of turbulent air, shaking violently. Boss Luo's heart sank. In such turbulence, maintaining balance was impossible. The spheres slipped from his grasp and fell out of the cabin, descending into the urban jungle below.

"You..." Boss Luo was furious at this blunder. He turned his icy gaze towards Ni Mu, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

Ni Mu shrugged with a helpless smile. "Looks like it's a wash for everyone. Take care, Boss Luo. Goodbye!" With a flick of his legs, he sent the box flying. As Boss Luo was momentarily distracted, Ni Mu pushed off the ceiling, launching himself out of the helicopter and spreading his limbs as he plummeted.

Ni Mu's body fell swiftly, but whether by chance or design, he aligned himself with the side of a building. Pressing his hands against the glass wall, he stuck firmly to the surface.

Waving at the receding helicopter, he muttered, "What are those four spheres? Boss Luo was so desperate to get them... I need to report this to the old man and maybe earn a reward." With that, he kicked through the glass beneath him and climbed into the empty building.

"Mr. Luo, what do we do now?" One of the masked men in the helicopter asked.

"The matter over there is urgent; I must return immediately. Che Ming, you and Xiao Gao stay behind and make sure to retrieve the items for me. If you need manpower or funds, just go to Zhang Ruibao. He will fully support you," Boss Luo ordered after a moment of contemplation.

The masked men responded respectfully in unison.

And thus, the story begins...