Esper X Family – Chapter 35 – The Difference Between a Phantom God and a T0

“Hmm~ The ‘cat’ you picked up this time has quite the temper.”

“Don’t call me a cat!”

Ye Yao turned her head sharply, glaring like a cat with its fur standing on end.

The night wrapped the courtyard gently, like a smooth piece of dark jade.

A young girl sat on an old rattan swing chair.

Her long, jet-black hair cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall.

A few playful strands of hair swayed slightly with the gentle rocking of the swing.

As the swing moved, the girl resembled a butterfly about to take flight, lightly brushing past the shadows on the ground.

“But you really do look like a fluffy white furball, don’t you think? Am I wrong?”

The girl didn’t swing high, just letting her feet lightly touch the ground, allowing the swing to carry her in small, lazy arcs.

Her small feet were clad in white cotton socks as they dangled in the air, occasionally kicking the air unconsciously.

If anyone had stumbled into the courtyard and seen this scene, they would surely have been startled.

After all, what normal person would be swinging alone in a courtyard in the middle of the night?

Even a ghost would be scared.

If the girl hadn’t been so strikingly beautiful, Ye Yao might have gotten goosebumps.

“Don’t cause unnecessary conflict with our new companion, Xia Lian.”

“You’re as boring as ever, Mu Luo.”

In this brief exchange, Ye Yao finally learned their names.

“I thought you all called each other by your Sequence numbers?” Ye Yao couldn’t help but comment.

Mu Luo shook his head. “We’re companions who support each other. Cold, impersonal titles will only drive us apart.”

“Hehe~ Only Mu Luo thinks that way.”

Xia Lian chuckled, then gave the swing a strong push and jumped off, landing elegantly.

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“Supporting each other, huh? That sounds nice. But the others don’t see it that way.”

Xia Lian walked up to Ye Yao and examined her curiously.

“This cat doesn’t seem as troublesome as the last one. Aside from being a bit aloof, she seems pretty normal.”

Then she turned to Mu Luo.

“Are you sure you picked up a Sequence Esper? I feel like you kidnapped her from a normal family. Have you switched careers to human trafficking?”

Despite Xia Lian’s lovable appearance, her words were sharp.

Mu Luo wasn’t fazed.

His emotions were always steady.

“She is indeed a Sequence Esper. At a young age, she killed Flame Demon and can occasionally evade the Countermeasures Bureau’s containment. Most Espers can’t do that.”

“Wow, she’s even taken a life. I thought she’s the kind of cat that wouldn’t even extend her claws when you touch her paw.”

Xia Lian covered her mouth with one hand, feigning surprise.

“She looks fierce but cute. Will she scratch me if I pat her head?”

Ye Yao retorted angrily.

“That wasn’t a person! I just squashed an ant!”

“Hmm~ Let me pat your head, and I’ll believe you.”

Xia Lian smiled calmly, not at all intimidated by Ye Yao’s feat of killing Flame Demon.

Ye Yao’s response was simple.

“Not letting you.”

“Bad cat.”

“You’re not a good person either!”

Ye Yao snorted, taking a step back to avoid Xia Lian’s outstretched hand.

Just because you’re a beauty doesn’t mean that you can take advantage of a little loli!

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Xia Lian wasn’t discouraged. Instead, she laughed happily.

“Hahaha~ How fun. You’ve finally picked up an interesting cat, Mu Luo. Life won’t be boring from now on.”

Xia Lian didn’t tease further. She waved at Ye Yao before turning around to leave.

“We’ll have plenty of time to get along. Don’t run away and become a stray cat, or I’ll definitely find you and bring you back.”

Ye Yao puffed her cheeks as she stared at Xia Lian’s retreating figure.

“What’s with her? Are all the people here this weird?”

Mu Luo: “I can’t say.”

Ye Yao suddenly remembered something.

“By the way, what’s her Sequence number?”

Mu Luo didn’t hide it and answered honestly.

“Sequence 009.”

“Wow! A single-digit number!” Ye Yao exclaimed, but then tilted her head and asked, “Is that impressive?”

Until now, Ye Yao had no idea how big the gap between Sequence Espers was.

After all, she was Sequence 001, said to be capable of destroying the world.

Could the other Sequence Espers do the same?

Probably not.

Otherwise, the Countermeasures Bureau wouldn’t have assigned Lou Wei, the strongest of the current era, to her.

Fortunately, Mu Luo knew about this and could answer Ye Yao’s question.

“The top ten Sequence Espers have immense potential. The Countermeasures Bureau predicts that once their mental power reaches S-rank, they can single-handedly destroy a nation.”

Ye Yao’s eyes widened.

“So she’s like a second Lou Wei?”

Oh no.

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There’s another stat monster here.

Mu Luo shook his head.

“Xia Lian still has a lot of room for growth.”

“Oh, potential for the future.” Ye Yao instantly understood.

If she’s not there yet, then no worries.

“Even if Xia Lian’s mental power reaches S-rank, I don’t think she could defeat that monster.”

Mu Luo’s eyes were filled with wariness when he spoke of Lou Wei.

He had narrowly escaped death multiple times at Lou Wei’s hands and had learned one thing.

Never even think about fighting him.

Always run at the first sign of trouble.

Ye Yao wasn’t surprised at all. She simply sighed.

“The difference between a Phantom God and a T0 ¹ The term 三幻神 (lit.Three Phantom Gods) is the Chinese translation of the three Egyptian Gods from the Yu-Gi-Oh! series. It’s often used as slang for the three strongest characters in a game. As for T0, it’s the term for the top list in a Tier list, the kind that is super broken and makes everything in the game a breeze. .”

“Let’s go. The others are probably still awake. I’ll introduce you to them.”

“They’re all night owls, huh?”

Ye Yao muttered under her breath, unable to suppress her urge to comment.

The two walked into a spacious living room.

The house was easily several hundred square meters.

It was hard to imagine how Mu Luo and the others had found such a luxurious hideout.

Ye Yao couldn’t help but ask.

And Mu Luo didn’t hide it.

“This is a wealthy person’s recreational home in the suburbs. We’re just borrowing it for a while.”

Whether they were forced to lend it or did so willingly was unclear.

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Mu Luo didn’t elaborate.

Ye Yao began observing the interior’s style.

It was supposed to be a rural courtyard, but the inside looked more like a Western-style castle.

Staircases on both sides led to the second floor.

The place was filled with a strong classical vibe.

One had to admit that the owner had good taste.

Mu Luo walked to the center, and shadows quickly extended from his feet, reaching up to the second floor.

He was clearly knocking on doors.

“Come out and greet our new companion.”

The first to respond was Xia Lian, who had just left.

“Hi~ We meet again.”

Ye Yao stared at her warily. “What are you up to now?”

“It’s a symbolic occasion. Of course I can’t miss it, right?”

Xia Lian circled Ye Yao, then bent down slightly to look into her eyes, flashing a charming smile.

“It’s rare for all of us to be together.”

Ye Yao was about to hiss at Xia Lian’s sudden closeness when the sound of footsteps from upstairs interrupted her.

Someone was coming down.

Looking up, she saw a petite figure.

Mu Luo spoke calmly. “Sequence 028, Wu Mi. She’s the one who might need your help.”

Xia Lian added, “The most problematic cat. Can’t tease her, not fun.”

Author Note

I went looking for a place to rent today, but I didn’t find anything. How much longer do I have to search!? I’m doomed.