Lin Luo had assumed that leaving the Handling Division would inevitably cause some trouble, given his unofficial status. A strange face suddenly appearing there would surely invite questioning if noticed. What surprised him, however, was that he passed through completely unimpeded. Though some people shot him strange glances along the way, the moment they saw Kinuhatasai, they swiftly backed away as if avoiding the plague.

At first, Lin Luo found it odd, but after a moment of thought, he understood. The Handling Division conducted inhumane experiments on Level 5 espers; most of the personnel involved were people who preferred the shadows—in otaku terms, beings of darkness. And Iem, being the dark mercenary organization of Academy City, staffed by espers, already had a notorious reputation... How does the saying go? Rats and snakes stick together?

Of course, one was the rat and the other the snake; naturally, the rat scurried far away upon seeing the serpent.

Don't let the deceptively cute appearance of Kinuhatasai fool you. Despite looking like an innocent little loli, she was very much a person of the darkness. As Iem's second strongest combatant, Lin Luo swore she must have killed no less than double digits, perhaps even triple digits.

Yet, this professional-grade assassin was now obediently leading the way for him. The little girl was incredibly docile—the reason being the white scarf draped around her smooth neck... warm, comfortable, and highly perilous.

Exiting the Handling Division, Lin Luo looked around, pointing to an unmarked van at the street corner. He asked Kinuhatasai, "That's your vehicle, right?"

After receiving the little girl's affirmative nod, he asked again, "Can you drive?"

Kinuhatasai blinked, a hint of disdain in her eyes. "That's the job of the lower echelon."

"Where are they?"

"The two you knocked unconscious just now."

Oh, those two good-for-nothings... Lin Luo realized with a start. But little girl, that's a biased statement. They passed out on their own; it had nothing to do with me. Honestly, for someone from the darkness, they lack basic fortitude. Useless!

Once inside the van, Lin Luo started frowning. Without a legitimate driver, the usual trope dictated that a hostage would be forced to drive. But the little girl beside him clearly wasn't suited for that role. That glorious and grand task must fall to him... Tsk, what a hassle!

"Can't you take this thing off?" Kinuhatasai asked from the passenger seat, gesturing to the 'white scarf' around her neck.

As an esper of Level 4 and an executive in the dark side, her composure was strong; even as a hostage, there was no panic on her face. However, having a 'blade' perpetually hanging over one's neck is unsettling for anyone. She felt extremely uncomfortable.

"That won't do. I need to focus completely on driving. I won't have time to watch you. If I don't have Shiroi to suppress you, a close-combat type like you could strike me down before I even knew what was happening!" Lin Luo firmly refused. He fumbled around the car for a bit longer, his frown deepening... Damn it, the structure of this vehicle seems overly complicated?

"What exactly is your ability? How can you command such a monster?" This question had been swirling in her mind since the beginning, refusing to leave. She had never heard of any ability that could summon monsters. Was he one of those summoners from B-grade movies?

Impossible, Kinuhatasai desperately wanted to deny it. But since superpowers exist in this world, possessing a summoning ability didn't seem all that strange... Aren't the very essence of superpowers allowing a non-divine body to tread into the realm of the gods!

"Knowing too much isn't good for you." Lin Luo gave her a sidelong glance. Seriously, reveal his ability just like that? Did she take him for an idiot?

"Tch!" The little girl clicked her tongue dismissively. Years of life in the dark side had honed her intuition. Although she had only spent less than ten minutes with Lin Luo, she sensed he didn't actually intend to harm her, so her courage grew considerably, losing the intense fear she initially held.

"Don't worry. As long as you behave like a good girl, Shiroi won't hurt you. Besides, isn't it cute?"

"But it's so uncomfortable..." The little girl pouted, adopting an air of pitiful vulnerability.

"Cuteness is shameful!" Lin Luo glared at her sternly. "Don't think that just because you're a cute loli I'll go easy on you. You should know, for a captive, the treatment you're receiving is already excellent... At