Chapter 63: Firewood

“Have you settled everything at home?”
Mo Yan handed a suitcase to Mu Yu. The two of them stood by the roadside, the sun above especially scorching.
“More or less.”
Mu Yu’s expression was somewhat odd. This morning, when the two children learned he was going away, they were unusually cheerful. Even his luggage had been packed by Mu Qing and Gu Zi working together, leaving Zhuang Haiyan unable to intervene at all.
Although he was glad to see Mu Qing return to her old carefree self, why did he still feel this inexplicable irritation?
“There are items and documents I’ve prepared for you in the suitcase. Think up a code name on the way—you’ll need it for registration.”
Mo Yan, ever considerate, had written down some points to note on a sheet of paper. For regular trainees, none of this would be necessary, but Mu Yu wasn’t officially registered as an Artefact Controller, so having an alias was crucial.
“What kind of items?”
Mu Yu opened the suitcase in puzzlement. Inside lay a black hooded trench coat and a mask, both pitch black. In a small inner pocket, a neat stack of documents was arranged.
“A-grade Void Silkworm Silk—these are its derivatives. They don’t have the full power of true Void Silkworm Silk, but the side effects are much less severe.”
Clearly, Mo Yan had spared no expense. Even with his authority as head of the investigation unit, exchanging for these two items had drained his savings over the years.
“They were originally for myself. Once you put them on, most probing abilities are nullified, and it offers some resistance to mental manipulation as well.”
“And the side effects?”
Mu Yu didn’t put them on immediately. In fact, for him, the side effects of an item mattered more than its effects.
“Don’t wear them too long. If you keep them on for more than seven days straight, your body will start to mutate. You have to wait at least eight hours before wearing them again. Um, have you ever seen a grain weevil?”
Mo Yan thought for a moment, then gave an analogy.
“You’ll gradually turn into a human-sized weevil—and it’s irreversible. At least, headquarters hasn’t found a solution yet.”
“Your tastes and thoughts would become like an insect’s too. You might fall in love with another giant bug and breed obsessively.”
Mu Yu’s face twisted instantly, and he wanted to put the coat back. He couldn’t accept the idea of breeding with a mother insect—the very thought made him nauseous.
“And that’s if there’s a big mother bug around. If you don’t find a mate for a long time, well, you know many Void Silkworms are hermaphroditic.”
Mo Yan glanced at Mu Yu’s increasingly desperate face and sighed.
“So, remember—take it off every seven days without fail.”
As Mo Yan finished explaining, a dark green military truck was approaching in the distance. It was nearly time.
“Hurry up and put it on. It’s not as bad as you think.”
Seeing Mu Yu still hesitating, Mo Yan stepped forward and pressed the mask onto his face.
“Well, I guess I’m on your pirate ship now.”
Mu Yu sighed as he put on the trench coat. It was a strange sensation: though he could see and touch the clothing, once it was on, it felt as though nothing was there.
‘How does this thing stay on my face?’
Mu Yu curiously touched his face. The silk felt smooth and, though seemingly soft, was as hard as steel to the touch.
“Don’t get too curious. Get in the truck.”

Mo Yan stuffed the suitcase into Mu Yu’s hands. Even though Mu Qing and Gu Zi had helped pack his luggage, Mu Yu had left it all with Mo Yan.
You could never be too careful—there might be someone whose ability or item could reveal Mu Yu’s identity from a piece of clothing. That would be a disaster.
So now, every piece of clothing Mu Yu wore had been arranged by Mo Yan. Even his underwear...
“Oh.”
Mu Yu replied reluctantly, surprised to find his voice was now hoarse through the mask.
The spacious rear seat was empty. Mu Yu was happy for the peace and picked a corner to lean against, gazing out the window.
This trip wasn’t arranged just for Mu Yu. As it happened, several new ability users from Fengzhou City were also heading for advanced training. To mask his identity, Mu Yu was picked up halfway along the route.
“Brother Xiong, what’s the Academy like?”
In a closed station, a few young men were gathered, excitedly chattering non-stop.
Anyone who’d awakened supernatural abilities responded like this. Fat... Black Bear had been the same, so he just smiled at them, not interrupting.
But after smiling, his already rough face looked even more intimidating.
“Don’t worry. The only thing strict in the Academy is the discipline—everything else is first class.”
‘Yeah, just a little strict.’ Black Bear silently added, but there was no need to say it aloud. Let these youngsters enjoy their optimism a bit longer.
As ability users without risk of losing control, their lives and safety were far more protected than Artefact Controllers. However, their power grew much slower.
Artefact Controllers could make rapid gains simply by mastering new items—their progress could be described as meteoric, but the risk of losing control rose sharply.
Still, nothing could diminish the exalted status of Artefact Controllers. A Grade C Artefact Controller could, if reckless, reach mastery in two months—but might lose control at any moment.
An ability user might need four or five years of hard work to reach Grade C, and twice as long for Grade B or A—if they had talent.
So to help these young people grow quickly, the treatment they’d receive at the Academy... well, it was hard to describe.
“Alright, enough talk. Get on the truck.”
Black Bear cast a sympathetic glance at the excited youths and boarded first.
“Come on, let’s grab good seats!”
Two young men who looked alike hurried after him, only to find Black Bear blocking the entrance, unmoving for a long time.
“Brother Xiong, what’s wrong?”
One of the youths patted Black Bear’s shoulder and tried to peer past him, then froze in place.
A pitch-black figure sat deep in the truck’s shadows.
“And you are?”
Black Bear ventured to ask. The youth had never heard him speak so cautiously—his usual boisterousness instantly subdued, his burly frame seeming even larger.
He’d already activated his ability; in this state, Black Bear could withstand small-caliber gunfire.
But unease still gripped him. His ability was semi-beast transformation, giving him not only formidable strength but also a heightened sense of danger.
This sense had saved him countless times—and now, it was screaming at him to turn and run.

The last time he’d felt this way was just days before, entering the hospital. In Black Bear’s eyes, the whole hospital was a monstrous beast, ready to swallow him whole. That time, his heart had nearly been pierced by a blade.
“Artefact Controller—Black Shadow.”
A hoarse voice came from beneath the hood. When the mask-covered face looked up, Black Bear almost thought he was staring into the eyes of a monster. His heart skipped a beat.
“Ability User—Black Bear.”
Instinctively stating his title, Black Bear realized the figure seemed displeased, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
Why had he chosen such a ridiculous code name?
“Just call me Fat Bear—everyone does.”
...Fat Bear immediately changed his nickname, bowing and nodding as he tried to step aside.
“I’m mainly in charge of escorting the new students to the Academy. Sorry to disturb you. We’ll take another truck.”
“It’s fine. Let them come in.”
Mu Yu looked at the burly man before him in confusion. For all his size, he seemed so meek—he was even ready to change trucks just so Mu Yu wouldn’t be disturbed.
Is this what they call ‘big and gentle’?
With Black Shadow’s permission, the tension in the truck eased. However, Black Bear’s cautious demeanor made the young people quiet down, huddling together and whispering.
“Brother Xiong, who is that? Why are you...?”
Finally, one couldn’t hold back his curiosity and crouched beside Fat Bear, prompting the others to listen in.
Fat Bear quickly covered the youth’s mouth and, after glancing at Mu Yu and seeing Black Shadow unmoving, waved the youngsters closer.
“Listen, there’s one group at the Academy you must never cross.”
Only when they’d huddled around him did he lower his voice.
“Look, you can argue with the teachers, curse the principal, even blow up the toilets, and you’ll be fine. But if you see someone from the Artefact Controllers’ Academy, steer clear.”
“There are two types of Artefact Controllers who enter the Academy. The first are those seeking ways to suppress their items—they’re not so bad, just avoid getting into conflicts.”
“But the second type... is like him.”
Fat Bear pointed to the shadowy figure in the corner, his tone a mix of awe and fear.
“There are those who enter the Academy just to grow stronger. You know what state Artefact Controllers live in—these people are always on the verge of losing control. If you’re unlucky enough to catch them at the wrong moment...”
“No one can save you.”
Fat Bear shuddered at the memory of meeting Black Shadow’s gaze.
Rather than a person, it felt as if an event itself was sitting there.
Most Artefact Controllers knew their own condition, so they tended to minimize item use, hoping to eke out a little more life.
But some people—
They burn themselves as fuel, just to light the road ahead.