Suddenly, flames erupted in the room. Purple outer flames encased golden inner flames, burning from beneath the floor. Unlike ordinary fire, they generated no heat. The floor, fractured by the lightning, cracked further, and cold flames surged through the spiderweb-like fissures, turning the collapsing room’s floor into molten, viscous magma.
The carpet vanished into the cold flames; the tea table, building blocks, and toys in the corners instantly turned to ash, sinking into the boiling magma. Though they couldn’t see 324’s exact location, it was clear he had no escape and was frantically moving through the room.
Garm—the hellhound guardian—was a fitting namesake for the twin wolves’ fused gland ability.
For ordinary humans to force a maturing experimental subject to this level of desperation was astonishing. If the He brothers had demonstrated such strength during the assessment, the Ghost-Hunting Team would likely have maintained its top rank.
Bai Chunian scooped up the curled-up “fish ball” in his arms, glancing at the empty air with a teasing smirk. “Two people fighting for a single gland… you think you can handle that too?”
The No-Form Stalker could not simultaneously mimic two abilities, so twin glands could not be copied. Any single half of the gland alone was powerless.
A strange laugh echoed in the empty room: “How long can you hold out?”
Bai Chunian looked at the He brothers; their pheromones were weaker than before.
Despite their power, twin glands had a fatal limitation. Each wolf’s gland was only half the size of a normal one, meaning less energy storage. Power was sufficient, but endurance was lacking—a common flaw among burst-type abilities.
The He brothers looked at Bai Chunian in unison: “Figure out how to flush him out—we don’t have much time.”
If they could locate the enemy, the brothers could converge all flames to a single point and reduce 324 to ash. But every corner of the massive room could serve as a hiding spot; sweeping attacks across the floor would quickly drain their glands.
Bai Chunian tilted his lips, speaking lightly to the unseen opponent: “And you—how long do you think you can last?”
His words alerted the No-Form Stalker, who gathered power again. Storm clouds merged from the ceiling, copying 200% of Lan Bo’s electrical output. The storm coalesced into a nearly black thundercloud, with lightning strikes dense and lethal—clearly intending a swift victory.
The floor burned with violet flames, while high-voltage lightning continued striking from above. The room was almost completely filled with energy, leaving precious little space to stand.
Bai Chunian released a thread of calming pheromones, patting the fish ball in his arms. “Fill the gaps.”
Lan Bo didn’t fully understand the meaning behind Bai Chunian’s command but obeyed. Expanding from his curled form, he rapidly attached to the walls, his translucent tail storing electric light.
Bai Chunian leaned against the wall, tapping his knuckles lightly, waiting for an opening.
Although the No-Form Stalker could mimic others’ abilities, he was not immune to them. He was neither electricity-resistant, spike-resistant, nor fireproof. The dense attacks he unleashed would inevitably avoid his own standing area—he had to leave some space to remain unharmed.
Lan Bo’s claws gripped the wall firmly, spines arched, and brilliant blue light exploded along every fish bone and dorsal fin. High-voltage currents filled in all areas that the lightning had missed.
Suddenly, a floating moon disk appeared without warning in the room’s northeast corner.
It was Captain He’s j1 ability: Lunar Eclipse, a defensive power capable of shielding the area beneath it.
But the disk was limited in size. Its appearance fully revealed the position of the protected target.
Bai Chunian had been waiting for this moment.
He leapt forward, raising his left hand. Sharp beastly claws extended, his entire left arm covered in snow-white, glossy fur. Muscles bulged with veins, and with a single punch, he shattered the floating moon disk. Gold fragments scattered as the powerful claw pressed down on the invisible experimental subject, pinning it firmly to the ground.
In a flash, his arm returned to normal. The experimental subject in his grip gradually took shape—a petite omega, hands clawing desperately at the long, strong hand gripping his neck.
The omega’s eyes were indeed large, but within normal bounds. Long, trembling eyelashes glistened with tears. A green, curled tail, like a chameleon’s, hung limply over Bai Chunian’s wrist.
324 wore a childish little chick T-shirt, far too small and tight for him—not his own clothes.
“You can’t catch me…” 324 glared fiercely, stretching his tiny arms at Bai Chunian but falling short.
“Is that what you think?” Bai Chunian squatted, pinching the chubby cheeks of 324. “You stole two HD serums from the lab, injected one yourself, and created a self-replicating companion ability, right?”
324 froze, eyes wide with fear.
Bai Chunian’s earpiece buzzed. He opened the channel to hear He Suowei’s slightly impatient voice: “What about my two squad members?”
“All good,” Bai Chunian replied casually.
He Suowei exhaled, then reported the arrest results: “I dispatched two special teams to the Xinyuan District. After a full search under the beds of a resident’s bedroom, we found the No-Form Stalker’s body, visibility restored. Already safely captured.”
“Good.” Bai Chunian turned back to the struggling experimental subject in his hands. 324’s expression turned sorrowful and resigned before dissolving into a pile of powder in Bai Chunian’s grasp.
He patted the dust in his hand and lifted Lan Bo. “Let’s go. Mission complete.”
They passed through six collapsed yellow rooms, each a replica of the same playhouse. Only the first had a star-shaped ceiling lamp; the other five only had two illuminated walls.
He Wenxiao leaned on his brother’s shoulder, unsteady, mumbling incessantly, asking Bai Chunian what differentiation ability he had just used, and how this all worked.
Bai Chunian chose to explain only the nonessential parts. “The first yellow room was 324’s final escape bedroom. The rest were under the beds. The glowing walls you saw? Light passing through the foot of the beds in the corners. The ceiling was just the bedboards. The No-Form Stalker was never here. Its body remained under the bed, and what we saw earlier was a self-replicating copy using its companion ability. Luckily, both shared the same gland—disable one, and the other is useless too.”
The He brothers shivered and whispered, “Maybe we should sleep together tonight,” forgetting Bai Chunian’s differentiation ability entirely.
Bai Chunian crouched between them: “Hey, want to join the Omega Alliance? Great pay, bonuses, benefits… we really need alpha talent.”
The two little wolves muttered to each other: “We follow the captain. Wherever he goes, we go.”
Bai Chunian already began scheming how to lure He Suowei, the big straight alpha, into their team.
The police had reopened the exit, and the group left safely. The two little wolves were taken by PBB medics for examination. A senior police officer with a notebook questioned Lan Bo.
Officer: “We successfully rescued seventeen hostages. Where are the other three?”
Lan Bo: “On the wall.”
Officer: “?”
Lan Bo: “Pancakes.”
“Stop joking around,” Bai Chunian said, covering Lan Bo’s mouth and carrying the mischievous fish. “Let’s check the Xinyuan District.”
Most of the PBB military had already withdrawn, having received orders that the No-Form Stalker, experimental subject 324, had been captured in the Xinyuan District.
The No-Form Stalker, handcuffed, walked silently with two riot officers to the armored transport vehicle. Small and frail among towering alpha officers, his body bore bullet scars. Thanks to his enhanced regenerative abilities, the bullets had already been reabsorbed into growing muscle. Three years had passed this way.
“Major isn’t coming for me?” he whispered before boarding. “I used his gravity manipulation in every room, wrote my name everywhere… why didn’t he come?”
One officer nudged him onto the vehicle: “You’ve got some nerve. His arms still aren’t healed—because of you.”
He lifted his hands. A set of magnetic building blocks appeared in his palms from invisibility. “This… for the Major…”
The officer, mistaking them for something dangerous, pressed down on 324, scattering the colorful cubes across the ground.
By the time Bai Chunian arrived at Xinyuan District, the military had withdrawn and the crowd had dispersed.
He knelt, gathering the scattered cubes—exactly twenty-eight, in blue, red, and yellow.
Following the layout of the secret playhouse in his mind, he restored the magnetic cubes into the hollow rectangular prism as drawn in the author’s diagrams: three by three at the base, five units high.
“Oh, that’s how it is.”
He separated the colors, then collapsed and connected them, and the cubes formed 3, 2, 4.
Volume Two: No-Form Stalker – Afterword (Part One)
After 324’s capture, he underwent interrogation according to protocol. He remained silent, his only request to see the Major. The interrogators, concerned that 324 might bear a grudge and harm the Major, submitted a request. It was approved, and the Major agreed to meet him.
He Suowei led 324 along; the young omega’s once-innocent face had grown haggard after prolonged interrogation.
Passing the sink, 324 glanced at his reflection, then carefully washed his face before continuing to follow He Suowei.
At the door of the Major’s lounge, He Suowei paused, knocked twice, and reported.
“Come in,” the alpha inside said.
He Suowei nudged 324 with his gun. “Go. Don’t try anything funny, or you’re dead.”
324, handcuffed, quietly entered the Major’s lounge. He Suowei stood guard outside, listening intently. If 324 showed any aggression, He Suowei would be the first to neutralize him.
The first words 324 spoke upon entering: “People as kind as you never get rewarded.”
The Major’s voice was calm: “Not necessarily.”
Afterword (Part Two)
PBB Archive Operational Footage: June 20, K030.
Footage 1: The Storm Team cornered the No-Form Stalker on the first floor of an abandoned building. Unable to pinpoint the enemy, they opened fire. The No-Form Stalker was hit multiple times, near death. In desperation, he mimicked the gravity manipulation J1 ability of the Puma Major, amplifying it 200%, collapsing the floor and escaping to the second floor.
Footage 2: The Major pursued alone to the second floor. By then, 324’s M2 ability had worn off, leaving him weak and visibility restored. Seeing a small child, the Major holstered his gun and placed an unfinished apple on the floor to lure him closer.
Footage 3: 324 cautiously approached, picked up the apple, and cradled it. A support beam above collapsed suddenly. The Major leapt to shield 324 from falling debris, his left arm pierced by rebar. 324, terrified, fled.
Afterword (Part Three)
At the Major’s home:
The phone on the desk rang. The alpha glanced at the contact name and answered.
It was his older brother, saying he had found a suitable omega match and wanted him to attend a matchmaking meeting. He gave a perfunctory reply and hung up.
324, staring at a spotless framed photo on the desk, blinked and asked, “Is this someone you like?”
Then, using his companion ability, he transformed into the omega in the photograph.
The Major scolded him.
324 reverted, innocent: “Why scold me? Omegas with rabbit ears are cute. That’s not your fault, Major.”
The Major replied: “He’s already married.”
324 didn’t see this as a barrier. He suggested, “Then kill his spouse and take him back.”
The Major shook his head: “The human world isn’t that simple.”
324 wagged his tail: “I wish I had fluffy rabbit ears and a tail too. I only have a bare tail. Do you like chameleon tails, Major? I can curl it like a candy cane for you.”
The Major smiled: “Very cute. Your big eyes are cute too. You don’t need to please anyone.”
324 asked: “Are you going to work? Can I help organize your closet?”
“No need. The servants will handle it.”
324 frowned: “But I’m going back to prison soon. Can’t I do something for you… I don’t want to go back.”
“Wrongdoing comes with responsibility.”
324 bit his lip: “Will I see you again after I go back? I’ll be in there a long time.”
“If you behave in there, yes.”