"Cough, cough... Who... who hit me..."
The brawny man climbed unsteadily off the floor, leaving behind a large crater in the wall of the medical clinic where he had slammed.
"I did. Why? Got a problem with that?"
The woman who had delivered the kick stepped forward. She grabbed the man by the collar, lifting him up with a look of pure irritation.
"You piece of—"
Still defiant, the man threw a punch at her. The woman simply tilted her head, letting the fist whistle through empty air. Then, she seized one of his arms and twisted her waist; the man was instantly upended, his head slamming into the ground. He went limp immediately, losing consciousness.
The woman leaned down, rummaging through his clothes until she pulled out a small object that looked like a badge.
"Hah, a member of the Rock Elephant Gang. No wonder he's so brainless, trying to headhunt someone in front of a crowd like this. You've got a death wish."
After mocking the unconscious brute, she turned and gave Hyacine a polite bow.
"Thank you, Doctor Hyacine, for being willing to treat everyone at such low prices despite the pressure from Genesis Tech. Given my previous condition, I probably wouldn't have lasted more than a few days without you. I'll cover the costs for the wall repairs."
With that, she stepped forward and handed Hyacine a business card.
"Doctor Hyacine, my name is Su Rui. This is my card. If you ever encounter any danger, call this number. I'll bring my people to support you immediately."
She lowered her voice as she handed over the card, adding, "Even against those armored units from Genesis Tech, we're confident we can tear them apart."
"Thank you, Miss Su Rui," Hyacine replied politely as she accepted the card.
Satisfied, Su Rui turned and left the clinic, dragging the brawny man away with her. Seeing this, the other patients followed suit, piling their own business cards—or their gangs' cards—onto the desk. Soon, a small mountain of cards sat beside Hyacine.
Once the crowd had cleared the clinic, Hyacine let out a long sigh.
Sigh... I appreciate the sentiment, but I can actually handle Genesis Tech on my own. If you guys come to 'help,' aren't you just here to steal my Stellar Jade?
Whatever, back to business. At this rate, I'll have enough for my remaining twenty-some pulls in less than two days.
She signaled Hong Guoguo outside to continue letting people in.
"What? A truce?"
Cipher stared at the message on her Terminal, completely bewildered. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"I've killed several of their top experts and robbed three of their bases, and now they suddenly want to settle? Is this for real?"
But a realization quickly struck her.
Wait, no. Under the influence of 'Puss in Boots,' they shouldn't know that Cifera and I are the same person. To them, Cifera is just the person who robbed three bases. But for them to message me through the 'Flame-Chaser' account... that's a clever little move.
After grumbling for a bit, Cipher tucked her Terminal away and turned to the purple creature next to her, which was currently stuffing its face with snacks.
"Stop eating, Bartholos. Any more and you're going to turn into a Fat Spirithief. We have serious work to do."
"Mmph... mmmph... Yours Truly has a bottomless stomach! Besides, I'm not human; how could I possibly get fat?"
Bartholos chirped its protest before dumping the rest of the snacks into its mouth. After wiping its face, it asked, "Big Sis, what do you need me to do?"
"Head back to the Pit Bottom District. Someone wants to sue for peace."
"You got it!"
—PORTAL TRANSITION—
Knock, knock, knock.
"Come in."
The door to a residential building opened, and a cat-girl with light brown hair walked in alongside a robed figure. These were, of course, Pardofelis and the Flame-Chaser—both personas of Cipher. However, unlike previous times when the Flame-Chaser had been carrying Pardo, this time they walked in side-by-side.
After following a guide for a while, they entered the base and reached a large conference table.
"This is the place. Our superior is inside." With that, the guide withdrew.
"Hmm? You think there's some kind of trap?" Pardofelis turned to the robed figure beside her and asked curiously.
The Flame-Chaser simply gave a slight shake of the head and spoke deliberately: "Even if there is... no need to panic."
"Fair point." Pardo stretched her arms and stepped into the room. "Then let's get to it."
Upon entering, Pardofelis saw a man wearing gold-rimmed glasses sitting across the table, sipping a cup of coffee. When he saw them enter, he set his cup down and gave Pardo a polite smile.
"I wonder how I should address you. Should I call you Pardofelis, or Excellency Cifera?"
Hearing the name "Pardofelis," she was slightly surprised. She had only used that name on a whim for the sake of acting; she hadn't expected this man to dig it up so quickly. However, she remained calm.
"You can call me Pardofelis."
"Very well, Excellency Pardofelis." The man nodded slightly before shifting his gaze to the robed figure. "And how should I address you? Flame-Chaser? Or... Excellency Cipher?"
Cipher?
Pardo was stunned. Why was he calling the Flame-Chaser "Cipher"?
The robed figure responded with a hint of confusion, "Why... call me Cipher?"
"I've been pondering a question: why would Excellency Pardofelis ignore the wealthier branch offices of other megacorps and choose to rob us, the Countercurrent Alliance? It didn't seem rational. After all, to my knowledge, we have never offended you."
The man pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses and continued slowly.
"Furthermore, based on previous battle records, Pardofelis, the Flame-Chaser, and Cipher are all likely S-rank powerhouses. For three such experts to appear out of thin air at the same time is highly improbable. In this information age, it's impossible for someone to reach S-rank without leaving a single trace of their journey."
"Add to that the fact that both Excellency Pardofelis and Excellency Cipher share common traits—cat ears and tails—and Excellency Cipher previously stated she is not a product of Genesis Tech's gene modification."
"Given these clues, I reached a conclusion: Excellency Pardofelis knows Excellency Cipher. Upon learning that Cipher was in conflict with us, you began your retaliation. As for the Flame-Chaser, this individual who appeared out of nowhere is likely Excellency Cipher in disguise, isn't that right?"
"As for your origins?" The man picked up his coffee and took a small sip. "Let me guess... you must be feline demi-human powerhouses from that magical world deep within the 'Spiritual Tide,' aren't you?"