Esper X Family – Chapter 54 – We’ll Make Sure He Never Returns!

In the dim, abandoned factory.

This industrial behemoth had seemingly died for many years.

Its interior resembled rotting organs.

Not a single spot remained intact, exuding an aura of decay everywhere.

The walls were like festering skin.

Large patches of plaster curled and peeled like necrotic scabs.

Exposing the rough, grayish bricks beneath.

The fate awaiting this structure was likely nothing but oblivion and erosion.

Even so.

This dilapidated place was not devoid of living visitors.

Several foul beasts had chosen it as a temporary lair.

Faint light flickered within the factory.

A shirtless man whose body was covered in scars pounded a sandbag, each strike resonating with a dull thud.

Beside him, three others played cards under the weak glow.

Thick clouds of secondhand smoke filled the air.

“Three of a kind! When do you think the boss will be back?” asked a man with a cigarette dangling from his lips, who had a scar running across his face.

“Pass. He’s out having fun. Probably won’t be back soon, unless he’s… lacking,” the skinny man, who was also smoking, replied with a wicked grin.

“Bomb ¹ They’re playing 斗地主, also known as ‘fight the landlord’. Four-of-a-kind is the highest combo there and is also called a ‘bomb’. ! You dare badmouth the boss? Watch out, or he’ll skin you alive when he gets back. Maybe he’s out securing benefits for us,” said a bearded man as he stubbed his cigarette into the ground.

The scarred man cut in, “Enough joking about the boss. Let’s focus on how to deliver the goods to the buyer next time.”

The skinny man shrugged, “Why bother? The boss will handle it. With him around, we’ll meet our quota easily.”

The bearded man laughed, “True. The Countermeasures Bureau has been after us for so long, yet here we are, still alive and kicking.”

The next moment.

A playful, girlish voice reached their ears.

“Hehe~ Really? You might not make it through the night, though.”

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“Who’s there!?”

The four men tensed, their eyes darting around in fury.

Bang!

The working light bulb was shattered by an unknown object.

The sudden loss of light plunged the area into darkness.

Only the faint moonlight streaming through the broken windows remained.

And in that irregular beam of light, they spotted a figure standing on the windowsill.

It was Mu Luo, whose cold gaze was surveying the four men, exuding an intimidating aura.

All four were Espers.

Though their mental power was low, they could still feel the overwhelming pressure emanating from the figure.

It was a level of pressure even their boss couldn’t match!

A true expert!

The shirtless man, the strongest among them, was already drenched in sweat.

Every cell in his body trembled.

His C-rank mental power allowed him to perceive more.

He’s a monster!

Wait.

The voice earlier was clearly that of a girl.

The figure on the windowsill was a man.

There’s another expert!?

Realizing this, they were on the verge of losing control.

A slender girl stepped out of the shadows, her glowing red eyes unmistakable.

“Hi~ Were you looking for me?”

The four men couldn’t make out her true appearance.

All they could see in the darkness were those blood-red eyes, brimming with killing intent.

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Her voice was pleasant.

But it felt more like a ghost coming to claim their lives!

“W-Who are you? We have no grievances. You don’t seem like someone from the Countermeasures Bureau. If there’s a misunderstanding, we can talk it out.”

Mu Luo ignored them, speaking as if pronouncing a verdict.

“Sequence 096, Tang Zhuo, ability【Mist Array】, responsible for paralyzing thirteen major city roads, resulting in hundreds of deaths. Confirmed to be involved in illegal trades with a criminal group consisting of Espers.”

As these words fell.

The four men fell silent.

From his tone, his demeanor.

They knew that they were dealing with someone dangerous.

The other party wasn’t a Countermeasures Bureau Esper, but they might be something even more sinister.

The scarred man’s hand pressed the emergency call button on his phone.

Given the girl’s murderous gaze, it was clear that they wouldn’t be leaving alive.

As a vibration signaled a response, the scarred man grabbed his phone and shouted, “Boss! Run! Don’t come back!”

Mu Luo issued a cold command.

“Execute.”

A tall figure flashed past the four men at an imperceptible speed.

In a single breath, he swung his blade, and light flickered.

The four Espers were cleanly cut down before they could react.

Swish—

Gu Wenxin flicked the blood off his blade and sheathed it, remaining silent like a stoic executioner.

On the steel beams in the ceiling, Jiang Huashen yawned in boredom.

“Not a hint of artistry.”

Ye Yao walked out while covering Wu Mi’s eyes.

Her heart raced.

But not from witnessing the killings.

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【Gu Wenxin has slain four C-rank Espers. Family activity proceeds smoothly. Reward: 2 attribute points.】

Awesome!

There’s even an EXP share system!

Now I can just coast along and still leech the rewards!

It wasn’t that Ye Yao didn’t want to look cool.

But it was unnecessary to show off in front of these small fries.

Taking action would only shorten the activity time.

Not worth it.

Ye Yao turned to look at Xia Lian, who had walked up beside her.

“I thought you’d handle it yourself.”

“These guys aren’t worth my time. Since Gu Wenxin needed it, I let him have it.”

Gu Wenxin’s ability,【Slaying Evil】, required him to kill those with karmic burdens to maintain inner peace.

Otherwise, suppressing it would only turn him into an extreme executioner.

Ye Yao knew this, but it didn’t stop her from teasing Xia Lian.

“Hmph, you didn’t even hesitate when you attacked me. You’re definitely a cat abuser, aren’t you?”

“That’s slander!”

Ye Yao ignored Xia Lian’s protests, relishing in her small victory.

Hmph, a mere cat lover beauty. Too easy to handle.

She then turned to Mu Luo.

“What if Sequence 096 isn’t here? His lackey just warned him. Won’t he escape?”

To be honest, this move was no different from tipping him off.

Mu Luo shook his head, “I did it on purpose.”

He crouched down and placed his hands on the ground, closing his eyes as he channeled his mental power.

The next second.

Ye Yao’s skin crawled.

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She felt as if countless unseen eyes were watching from the darkness!

Simultaneously.

Within a radius of a hundred miles, shadows and dark corners seemed to writhe.

Countless eyes opened in the darkness, scanning the surroundings and searching for their target.

In a dimly lit alley filled with neon lights.

A man clutching his phone trembled, his eyes wide with terror.

Had my base been raided!?

The intense fluctuations of his mental power made him a beacon in the dark.

The writhing shadowy eyes locked onto their target.

Back in the abandoned factory, Mu Luo opened his eyes, gesturing for his companions to follow.

Only the lifeless bodies of the four men remained, along with the words “Sequence 0” left on the ground.

Mu Luo’s actions had also alerted another force.

The local Countermeasures Bureau had been mobilized.

“Traces of Sequence 012? Is he here to snatch our target? Let him come. We’ll make sure he never returns!!!”

Author Note

I just realized that the rating system has just opened, and the early ratings are really low. Everyone, please help raise the ratings! Incidentally, please feed me with the free gifts! ∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿

Translator Note

Fanqie ratings are weird… They start at almost 0 even if you have a bunch of 5 star reviews early on.

It’s also why you sometimes see “rating just opened, will rise later” in CN novel sysnopses on MTL sites. It means that the novel is from Fanqie and it’s pirated early on.