Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 947: The Avenger

From mid-air, the Shadow Queen appeared, observing the human realm.

Her form gently descended onto the bustling street, unnoticed by the crowds, blending silently amid the hurried pedestrians and streams of traffic. She stood there, quietly observing.

In the glass storefronts along the street, her reflection was faintly visible. She glanced at her reflection, and suddenly, a purple glow flickered around her.

In an instant, the Queen’s black, gossamer-like dress vanished, replaced by a simple white sleeveless sweater and jeans.

She looked down at her attire, then took a step forward, truly stepping into the world as she entered the perception of the people around her.

With her long hair cascading to her waist and a flawless physique, the Shadow Queen walked down the street. Due to an ancient contract, however, she couldn’t stray far from her summoner.

Although her summoner was barely at the pinnacle among the gods, it was undeniable that Lucifer couldn’t sustain her manifested form indefinitely. Were it not for her semi-divine nature, she might already be worrying about maintaining her presence here.

Avoiding combat was preferable. Any battle would deplete her energy, and after a few encounters, she’d face limitations.

To be prepared, she needed a way to replenish her magical energy independently of her summoner. The most straightforward way was to find someone with magical power and siphon energy through a temporary conduit. Yet, there weren’t many people with magic in this modern world.

"Modern society," she murmured, glancing at the skyscrapers and cars spewing exhaust fumes. "What pollution..."The Shadow Queen shook her head, only to pause as a smiling blonde woman approached her from the opposite direction.

Her gaze sharpened.

With her talent for perceiving others, she was often drawn to those with unique abilities, but only beings with extraordinary gifts could truly capture her attention. This blonde woman possessed boundless talent.

The Queen was stunned, for she’d never encountered such a person.

The blonde woman also stopped, her gaze settling on the Shadow Queen.

"A contract spirit? It’s surprising someone summoned a high-ranking entity like you," the blonde said with a slight smile—the maid from the club.

…

The Queen assessed her again, unperturbed by her own identity being partially revealed. The woman not only possessed limitless talent but also held a concealed, powerful force.

The Shadow Queen instantly calculated that even if her true form descended, she might struggle against this being.

"Who are you, with your boundless talent?" she asked softly.

"Me?" The blonde smiled. "A maid."

The Shadow Queen slightly parted her lips. This blonde, as beautiful as the moon goddess of Olympus, hadn’t attracted any passersby—likely due to some enchantment masking her presence.

The maid held a large paper bag filled with various items, resembling someone returning from a shopping trip.

Had she been living in this world long enough to fully integrate into modern society?

"Don’t mind me," the maid said with a gentle smile. "I mean no harm to anyone. I’m simply shopping for spices since it might be a while before I return, so I need to stock up."

"You’re leaving this place soon?" the Queen asked, slightly surprised.

"Yes, very soon," the maid replied. "In the next day or two. As a contract spirit, you can’t stray far from your summoner, right? I’d guess only Lucifer, the Queen of Hell, has the power to summon someone like you."

The Queen’s eyes widened. She stretched out her hand, and a dark red dagger appeared. "The destiny force around her—did you cause it?"

Finally, the Queen’s rare talents allowed her to glimpse a trace of destiny energy similar to Lucifer’s on this "maid."

"No, it wasn’t me," the maid replied with a slight smile. "Please put your weapon away. We have no reason to fight… And with Lucifer unable to fulfill a summoner’s role, why waste your energy?"

The Queen remained still. Just as she had discerned some of the maid’s nature, the maid had nearly deciphered her own entirely.

"And if we did fight…" The maid narrowed her eyes. "This city would likely be destroyed… I’d face punishment from my master for that."

"Fine," the Queen sighed, retracting her dagger. "I can’t find a reason to battle you… though I’d love to."

"A born warrior’s spirit." The maid nodded. "If you wish, we can arrange a service to meet your needs."

She extended her hand, conjuring a black card that flew toward the Queen.

The Queen’s eyes narrowed, reflexively catching it. "So… my summoner’s supposed offense was related to this place. I see."

"Looking forward to your visit, honored guest." The maid smiled, then walked away with her bag.

"I’ve visited before." The Queen turned, calling out after her. "But you weren’t there. If I recall correctly, the master back then was…"

"Scathach."

The maid turned, cutting her off.

The Shadow Queen—Scathach—froze as the maid spoke her name, feeling a wave of terrifying intent that seemed capable of erasing her existence. This power exceeded the ancient contract binding her true self.

Then, the maid smiled, and the ominous feeling dissipated entirely. "Why not try the grilled meat from that shop over there? It’s quite good."

"Thank you… for the suggestion."

"You're welcome."

Only when the maid vanished did Scathach reach for her arm, feeling the slight tremor in her hand.

"To think… I was thrilled without even noticing," she murmured, a hint of a smile lighting her face.

…

…

There was a subtle tremor, almost as if it were an illusion.

He slowly opened his eyes, glancing down at a long, cloth-wrapped object in his arms, like a staff.

"Gayaberg…" He frowned. "What makes you tremble?"

Lost in thought, he was suddenly interrupted by a voice nearby. "Mr. Cook, we'll be landing in ten minutes. Please prepare yourself."

Outside, the wind howled. He was currently at high altitude—this journey had already lasted nearly twelve hours.

Not long ago, the headquarters of Paradise Island’s Michael Society had sent one of the Twelve Divine Generals, 'Wolf King' Robert, to investigate the mysterious destruction of a branch. However, Robert disappeared without a trace soon after.

Despite the society's resources, they failed to find any sign of 'Wolf King' Robert after more than a month of searching. Then, two days ago, they received reports of another small branch under attack.

So this time, the society directly dispatched Cook.

Cook opened the helicopter cabin and looked down. The fierce wind blew his hair wildly, and his gaze turned cold.

At that moment, the pilot suddenly announced, "Mr. Cook, notification received—another attack on a branch! This time, the assailant has penetrated deep into the base and is causing massive destruction!"

"Got it. Hover here; I’m going down directly." Cook turned back and gave a simple command.

He raised his hand, and the spear, Gayaberg, instantly shot forward, the cloth wrapped around it disintegrating in an instant!

…

Boom—!!!

A massive explosion.

The flames lit up every face.

In a narrow passage, seven or eight men wielding machine guns were frantically firing. Their target was a woman in a black leather trench coat.

The bullets were powerful, specially designed for society personnel. But these custom bullets couldn’t penetrate the woman in the black coat!

The bullets stopped in mid-air, unable to move forward. The woman seemed shielded by an invisible wall…or rather, a flickering web of bluish arcs surrounding her!

The arcs formed a barrier, stopping every bullet aimed at her.

"Damn it! Take down this monster!" The gunmen shouted in frustration, but the woman in the black coat remained unmoved. She simply raised her hand, and a massive arc of electricity shot forward!

The arc swept through the passage, short-circuiting all electronic devices. The men with guns screamed as they convulsed, their bodies charring before they collapsed to the ground.

In an instant, the passage fell silent.

The woman in the black coat exhaled slowly, then walked to the end of the hallway, where an electronic door blocked her path.

She pressed her hand against the electronic lock, sending a current that instantly rendered it useless.

With both hands, she wrenched the door open.

At that moment, a gunshot rang out from behind the door, aimed directly at her forehead. Unfazed, she narrowed her eyes, and electric arcs wrapped around the bullet, stopping it mid-air.

"Monster!"

The room was filled with monitors, like a command center. A man in a black suit screamed in horror.

He had witnessed the bullet being stopped…by this supernatural power!

Unable to fight back, he only thought of escaping. But as that thought formed, the terrifying woman waved her hand, and the suspended bullet shot back toward him.

"Ah—!!"

The bullet pierced his left knee, contorting his face in pain. He fell to the floor, cold sweat streaming down as he crawled back until he was pressed against the control panel.

The woman in the black coat stepped forward, her gaze icy. "Hand over the electronic key."

"I… I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Every branch director of the society, big or small, holds a key. This key opens the pathway, allowing the branch's network to connect directly to Paradise Island's mainframe… Are you telling me you don’t know?"

"How do you…" The man's heart skipped a beat, and he gritted his teeth. "The branch director left long ago! You’re mistaken; I don’t have it."

"If you don’t have it, there's no use in keeping you." She spoke indifferently and raised her hand.

Suddenly, a large arc gathered in her palm, gradually taking the shape of a crude cross sword.

"Let's see if you can withstand this." The woman in the black coat smirked, gripping the lightning-forged "sword" and thrusting it toward his chest.

"No—!!!!"

As he screamed in terror, the woman suddenly halted and rolled to the side!

A red flash passed by, embedding itself in the control panel—a dark red spear.

"Who's there!"

The woman looked sharply at the entrance, where an older man stood calmly.

She frowned, her expression turning serious. "Cook? One of the Twelve Divine Generals of the Michael Society… I didn’t expect them to send someone like you."

Cook examined the woman, stepping into the room. Clearly, this branch had misunderstood something.

The attacker he faced wasn’t the same as the one 'Wolf King' Robert was after—the one Robert was investigating was a princess from the ancient Eastern Xuanyuan family.

But this woman…seemed familiar.

"You know me?" Cook frowned, studying her closely. "I feel like I've seen you somewhere too."

"Have you forgotten?" The woman in the black coat sneered but took a small step back. "It doesn’t matter if you forget… I’m no longer who I was. I’m just an avenger now."

"An avenger." Cook nodded, summoning the dark red spear back to his hand. "Then let me see how fierce your fire of vengeance burns!"

The woman in the black coat took a deep breath.

Today, I might die here…Yè Yán, are you alright?

(Note: Can anyone tell who this Yè Yán is? And the woman in black coat? Is her name Jenny or Jennifer?)