Chapter 6: Don't Ask, Just Call Me the Shadow Ability User

"Good evening."

"Who are you?"

As the mysterious black-clothed player greeted her with "good evening," Yumikou's mind raced with countless thoughts, emanating the pressure of an A-tier player.

She couldn't discern the strength of this black-clothed player... Just an ordinary person?

Is he hiding his true abilities, or does he really possess none? Is he an enemy faction or a neutral individual?

Why did he kill Serad? Was it because they both possess shadow abilities? Or was it a friendly gesture towards the Seventeenth Bureau?

But even in his weakened state, Serad was ranked 78th among A-tier players. How could he die so quietly...

Most likely, this is a player of the same or even higher tier...

Considering the excessive stamina consumed in the pursuit of Serad and the potential collateral damage, if he is a neutral player, there might be an opportunity to recruit him...

Probe first, and avoid taking action too soon.

—You must be thinking this, right?

Alister had already anticipated the judgments of the official personnel in front of him. He calmly met Yumikou's gaze, the shadows at his feet obediently bowing to the sovereign.

It's easy to play at high levels, where everyone follows the optimal strategies.

"Before asking for the name of the other party..." Alister tilted his head slightly. "It's customary to introduce oneself first, isn't it?"

"Oh?" Yumikou became wary. "You don't recognize me?"

The Seventeenth Bureau, as an official force in Z country, and herself being one of the few A-tier operatives, it was impossible for a player to reach the A-tier without this knowledge.

Alister yawned and casually provided a plausible reason, "Well... Life needs a sense of ritual, after all."

There were many eccentric players in the game of sequences, and there were indeed players who were attached to the sense of ritual in their lives.

Yumikou decided to believe him for now, and spoke with a cold tone, "Qingxian."

"In that case, excuse me for greeting you again."

Alister, with a slight bow, performed a magician-like salute. "Nice to meet you, Miss Qingxian. Good evening."

Yumikou stared at him calmly, and Alister understood that she was waiting for him to reveal his name.

"You can call me..."

The world of players in the sequence game... It all feels like a dream now.

Alister recalled the events of tonight when he was chosen by the sequence game. It was indeed an exciting beginning, and his chosen ability was quite good.

However, if he could start over, he had confidence that he could do it even more perfectly.

In the normal flow of the game, it was probably time to choose a player name before officially entering the game.

A faint smile appeared on Alister's face as he started to formulate his thoughts.

"Shadow."

Alister lifted his gaze, looking at her with calm eyes, as he declared to the world.

"A kind-hearted player passing by, unknown to all." He added kindly.

Don't ask, just call me the Shadow Ability User. Naturally, he had to set the tone.

"In that case, kind-hearted player..." Yumikou smiled lightly. "As a newcomer to Z country, how about joining our 'Seventeenth Bureau' for a cup of tea?"

The player named Qingxian in front of her seemed familiar... Alister didn't show this thought on his face.

He had more important information to process. With a thought, he realized that the official force in Z country was called the "Seventeenth Bureau"...

That was an important piece of information, at least for someone like him who knew nothing.

Alister let out a leisurely sigh. "No need for tea."

Then, as if joking, Alister pretended to be troubled and said, "I think the Seventeenth Bureau wouldn't be willing to let go of a kind-hearted player like me without interrogating me for my details, right?"

"In the past, we would indeed thoroughly interrogate," Yumikou swung her sword flower and her tone changed. "But as long as you don't act recklessly, the Seventeenth Bureau can accept your reasonable activities."

The players in the sequence game had various abilities, and their strengths varied greatly. The Seventeenth Bureau didn't have the resources to monitor all players.

It was a reluctant compromise.

Implied within her words was that this time, the Seventeenth Bureau owed him a favor and would turn a blind eye.

It seemed that she could only gather this much information. The performance should come to an end now, Alister thought.

"In that case, I was just passing by and lending a helping hand."

Alister bid his farewell and turned away, preparing to blend into the shadows and head home.

"Hold on."

But Yumikou suddenly stopped him.

Alister slightly turned his head, glanced at her, and his black eyes remained deep and captivating, but this time, a hint of danger flickered through them.

"What is it?" His tone was not questioning.

Perched on the utility pole, Yumikou stood in the rain, dressed in white like snow. Her clear and cold voice rang out:

"One last question, on which side do you stand?"

In the world of the sequence game, there were player factions that required players to choose sides—another piece of information for Alister to gather.

"Shadow..." Alister emphasized once again.

In the next moment, the shadows from all directions obeyed the command of the sovereign. They surged forward like thorns, piercing through everything in their path.

However, Alister staggered and felt a splitting headache.

The shadow thorns dissipated like ashes, and the black curtains returned to their original state.

"Phew..." Alister adjusted himself. "It seems that it consumes my own mental energy."

Next, the next test.

"Blade."

In an instant, the shadows entwined and interweaved from Alister's sleeve, forming an incredibly sharp blade, currently one meter long.

If Alister desired, the length of the shadow blade could extend further, but it would give him a headache again.

"This state is manageable for now..."

Alister waved the shadow blade in his hand. It was almost weightless, yet sharp and unbreakable.

After conducting several tests, Alister deduced that the farther the shadows extended or the larger their scale, the more his mental energy would be depleted.

"Player's current sequence: E-tier, 10,030,249th."

"Just by dealing a single blow to replenish my health, plus absorbing an A-level ability, I instantly surpass over five million sequence players?"

In the world immersed in shadows, like an irregular realm where game bugs allow players to clip through walls, Alister confirmed his current sequence ranking.

As expected, the sequence game ranked players based on their demonstrated abilities.

Abilities, style, mentality, and other factors determined a player's sequence ranking.

"However, if there's a ranking, what benefits does it bring?" Alister mused.

Status, reputation... or perhaps it provides a certain degree of power increase?

...Or maybe it's all of these?

With that thought in mind, Alister closed the ranking interface and opened the ability interface, pondering the meaning of "Spiritual Energy Value."

"Since I can freely manipulate shadows..."

Alister murmured softly as he surveyed his surroundings, which were filled with irregular black curtains, representing the shadows of various buildings in reality.

"Stab."

As he uttered those words, the shadows within a hundred-meter radius obediently followed the sovereign's command and swiftly pierced through everything in their path like thorns.

However, Alister stumbled and felt his head throbbing.

The shadow thorns dissipated like ashes, and the black curtains returned to their original state.

"Whew..." He adjusted his state. "It seems that it consumes my own mental energy."

So, the next test.

"Slash."

In an instant, the shadows entwined and interweaved from Alister's sleeve, ultimately forming an extremely sharp blade, currently one meter in length.

If Alister wished, the length of the shadow blade could extend further, but it would again give him a headache.

"I can adapt to this state for now..."

Alister waved the shadow blade in his hand. It was almost weightless, yet sharp and indestructible.

After conducting a series of tests, Alister concluded that the farther the shadows extended or the larger the scale, the more it would deplete his spiritual energy.

"Player's basic numerical panel has been updated."

Then, the sequence game system suddenly popped up.

Alister paused for a moment, reached out, and opened the basic numerical panel.

"Player: Alister."

"Tier: E."

"Health Points: 17 (+1)."

"Spiritual Energy Value: 296 (+9)."

"Perception Value..."

"..."

"Note: A player with unlimited potential. Keep it up, newbie."

"...Games really turn everything, even personal strength, into numerical values," Alister sighed with some emotion. "But let's call it a night for now."

He closed the light blue system interface and began to blend into the shadows, vanishing gradually under the dim lights.

"Tired... time for sleep."