Magic: Reincarnate from high-voltage electricity at the start, level up independently.

Upon hearing the word "human," the curiosity that appeared on the four faces instantly turned into astonishment.

"Humans?"

The boy in the red couple's outfit suddenly stood up from his chair, his gaze falling on the blond-haired man, filled with disbelief.

"How is this possible? Humans all live on the surface world of Witch Star, how could they have come here?"

The boy in the blue couple's outfit nodded in agreement, his eyes also filled with doubt.

"We both understand that the two worlds are now completely separated. Mermaids can't leave, and humans can't enter. Apart from sharing the same planet, the two sides have almost no interaction."

The other two girls didn't say anything, but the emotions in their eyes clearly showed that they shared the same thoughts as the other two.

Without offering any further explanation, Huang Mao immediately took out his phone and pulled up the replay of the afternoon's match.

"See for yourselves."

He handed the phone to the group of people.

The boy in the red couple's outfit snatched the phone, and the remaining three immediately gathered around, their eyes glued to the screen.

In the replay, the staff announced contestant number "34567". A strangely shaped figure walked out from the crowded crowd and slowly walked towards the center of the stage.

The person was completely wrapped in a heavy black robe, their face hidden in shadow. Their features were indistinct, making it impossible to discern their appearance.

The audience members were stunned when they first saw this figure.

This outfit is really out of place in the atmosphere of the competition.

The Music Goddess Awards is a world-class large-scale event, so popular that it overshadowed the trending topic of Princess Doria's disappearance.

Most people participate in the competition primarily to gain exposure in front of hundreds of millions of viewers and build their popularity.

One hundred thousand contestants compete for one championship spot, making the odds of winning extremely slim.

As long as the camera captures their image and allows a global audience to remember their musical abilities, it will only benefit their future development.

This is also what makes the man in the black robe so puzzling.

By deliberately covering oneself up completely, refusing to even show one's face, one is essentially giving up the opportunity to become an internet sensation.

The appearance of the man in black robes instantly stole everyone's attention.

The live stream chat was filled with comments, and everyone was trying to guess his real identity.

I suspect the person beneath the black robe is a veteran musical powerhouse who simply prefers to keep a low profile, hence the deliberate attire.

Maybe they're just plain ugly and embarrassed to show their face, unlike me, who may be ugly but has a positive outlook.

I bet a bag of spicy strips that this person's name is definitely Jiahao.

Don't speculate. This outfit is purely for creating contrast and attracting attention. If he were dressed normally, we wouldn't be all talking about him.

The last comment wasn't wrong.

The entire talent test process was lengthy, and the audience was already tired of watching it. It was difficult for ordinary contestants to arouse everyone's interest when they came on stage.

Only contestants who demonstrate exceptional talent or those with pre-existing fame can briefly capture everyone's attention. Even the most strikingly good-looking men and women will eventually become tiresome after a while.

Most viewers believed that the man in the black robe was just a gimmick to attract attention, and after a couple of glances, they lost interest and stopped paying attention.

A few people kept their eyes on the stage, waiting to see what level of talent he would ultimately be determined by the test.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, the man in black robes slowly raised his hand and placed his palm on the testing crystal ball.

While waiting for the talent to manifest, viewers who persisted in watching began placing bets offline.

I'm betting 50 cents on the talent level capped at blue.

[Jiahao is at most green; if it's anything higher, I'll eat the crystal ball on the spot.]

[The people upstairs are just trying to freeload again.]

A dozen seconds later, the most observant spectators noticed something amiss and exclaimed in surprise.

"The color is showing, let me check the level. Is it green... wait, why is it gold?!"

"Holy crap! It really is gold!"

The crystal ball pressed against the palm of the man in black robes suddenly burst forth with a burst of intense light.

This light is completely different from the green, blue, purple, and red lights that appeared before. This is the golden talent representing an unparalleled genius!

The moment the golden talent was revealed, the audience at the scene and netizens in the live broadcast room went wild.

[Good heavens, the golden talent has finally appeared.]

This is the first player to achieve a gold-tier talent in this test.

[To the netizens who previously declared they only deserved green, hurry up and fulfill your promise to eat the crystal ball; I'll be watching you closely.]

[I just called him Jiahao, what should I call him now?]

Has anyone found out his identity? Someone with a golden talent level can't be an ordinary person. Could it be William or Amber faking it to participate?

The staff member, recovering from the shock, picked up the broadcasting device and read it aloud.

"Contestant No. 34567, with a gold talent rating, advances to the second round of the competition."

As the announcement ended, the man in black robes withdrew his hand from the crystal ball and slowly walked off the stage.

He didn't say a word the entire time.

After stepping off the stage, he quietly walked through the dense crowd and left the testing plaza.

The audience at the scene and the live-streaming drone followed him the entire time.

Just as the man in the black robe was about to turn the corner, a gust of wind swept over, lifting the wide hem of his black robe.

The crowd briefly caught a glimpse of a pair of human limbs appearing through the gaps in the robes.

It's the calf.

Many people at the scene suspected they were seeing things and rubbed their eyes repeatedly, trying to see more clearly.

When the gaze returned to the corner, the figure in black robes had completely vanished, leaving no trace.

Several powerful superhumans reacted quickly and immediately chased after the direction in which the figure had disappeared.

When they rushed into the alley, all they saw was an empty street; their target was nowhere to be seen.

Although they couldn't stop the man in black robes from confirming the incident on the spot, the live-streaming drone captured the entire scene.

Everyone repeatedly replayed the video to compare the details and make sure they hadn't seen it wrong.

This contestant in black robes did not have a fish tail, and his legs were completely human in structure.

A human broke through the barrier between the two worlds, infiltrated the mermaid clan to register for the competition, and even received the first gold rating in the talent test.

This news quickly spread across the internet, and the discussion on major social media platforms soared, directly overshadowing news related to Chu Ge's purple talent.

After playing the live stream replay, the blond-haired man clicked on several trending search terms, all of which revolved around the black-robed human.

With a significant lead in popularity, Chu Ge's analysis of the purple talent-related terms directly pushed him off the top of the list.

"It really is human. I thought you were just making up a story." The boy in the red couple's outfit turned to look at the blond guy, his tone full of surprise.

"Have you found out who this person is? Did they smuggle themselves over from the surface world of Witch Planet?"

"There is no official confirmation at the moment," the blond-haired man explained, shaking his head slightly.

"The event organizers need to protect the privacy of the players and strictly prohibit the disclosure of any registration information."

He then changed the subject and added new information.

"However, nothing is absolute. Hackers broke into the tournament's official website backend and extracted the registration information of the man in the black robe."

Huang Mao recalled for a few seconds, his tone uncertain.

"The name seems to be... Haino? That should be the registered name."

"Apart from this name, all other information is blank."

"Hino seems to have appeared out of thin air, with no prior record whatsoever."

Upon hearing the name, the four simultaneously searched their minds for related individuals. However, after scouring their memories, they couldn't find a single corresponding person.

The surname "Hai" does not exist among the major noble families in the music world.

Just as Huang Mao described, Hainuo seemed like a stranger who appeared out of nowhere.

Upon closer reflection, it becomes understandable; the other party is human and does not belong to the world of music.

The man in the blue couple's outfit raised a new question.

"So how do the officials plan to handle this? Will they allow him to continue participating in the competition?"

Everyone knows that there is an irreconcilable feud between humans on Witch Planet and mermaids in the Music World.

Although after several generations of peaceful development, the hatred of the merfolk towards humans has gradually faded and is far less intense than in the past.

Many young people, when flipping through ancient books and paintings, may even envy humans for having legs and secretly hope that they too can have limbs that allow them to walk freely.

But deep-seated prejudices still exist within the ethnic group.

It is difficult for most people to accept that a human has shone so brightly in the highest-level competition in the music world.

"His eligibility to participate in the competition will be maintained as normal."

The blond-haired man spread his hands, looking completely at ease.

"The competition rules do not explicitly prohibit human participation. The organizers cannot simply cancel a participant's entry based on their special status and public complaints."

The others listened and found it made some sense, so they didn't pursue the topic any further.

The group didn't lower their voices, and the white-haired girl sitting by the window heard the entire conversation.

Chu Ge repeated two keywords in a low voice.

"Human, Haino."

She had absolutely no related memory of it either.

Doubts continued to grow in my heart.

Why did the other party appear in the music world at this particular time?

Could it be that, like me, they want to find a way to leave this world?

Is he really from the surface world of Witch Star?

A series of questions swirled in my mind, but I couldn't find any reasonable answers.

After pondering for a long time without finding a solution, Chu Ge simply gave up on his worries.

Even if the truth is found out, it won't have much to do with me.

She comforted herself with this thought.

A faint thought lingered in my mind: if we ever have the chance to meet again, I must ask him about the reason in person.

After dinner, Chu Ge and Ailiya returned to their room to continue practicing their music.

……

A secluded mountain forest on the outskirts of the City of Sound.

Moonlight bathed the forest floor, and a figure in black robes moved swiftly among the trees.

Several figures, also dressed in black, followed closely behind him.

Unlike the mysterious figure in front, the people behind were all armed with swords and knives, and their attire made them look like professional assassins.

"Speed ​​up, we can't let this human escape." The lead assassin shouted in a deep voice, his gaze fixed on the figure in front of him.

The other assassins responded in unison.

A rookie assassin, who had only been in the business for three days and was eager to make a name for himself, saw the distance between the two sides growing wider and wider, so he pulled out his gun and aimed it at the figure in front of him.

Just as he was about to pull the trigger, the leader strode forward and slapped him hard across the cheek.

"Fool! The patriarch has ordered that he be captured alive. If you kill him, we will all be punished."

The rookie killer hung his head, his tone aggrieved.

"All right."

He quickly put away the gun in his hand.

The leader stopped reprimanding his subordinates and stared at the black-robed figure in the distance.

This human's cultivation level was not low, reaching the mid-stage of B-rank, which was on par with his strength.

A cold, sharp smile curved his lips.

"Even if the King of Heaven himself came tonight, he wouldn't be able to escape this forest."

The distance between the two continued to widen, but the leader showed no sign of anxiety.

He knew this mountainous terrain by heart.

A dozen or so companions were positioned in ambush at the fork in the road ahead. The faster the man in black ran, the sooner he would fall into the trap they had laid.

On the other side, Hainuo sprinted at full speed to shake off his pursuers, and only slowed down and stopped after confirming that he could no longer hear footsteps behind him.

He turned around, his eyes, hidden beneath his black robe, scanning the surrounding woods, carefully examining every rustling sound.

He breathed a long sigh of relief after confirming that the pursuers had completely lost contact.

"Phew! Luckily I ran fast enough to shake them off."

After being identified as having a golden talent, Haino was continuously pursued by various forces.

The group of assassins in black tracked him down within the city and pursued him all the way from the urban area to the mountains and forests on the outskirts.

They finally managed to get away from being tracked for a while.

My stomach made a clear gurgling sound.

Haino reached into the inner pocket of his black robe and pulled out a small piece of bread.

He tore open the packaging and swallowed it in large gulps.

After fleeing for six or seven hours straight, hunger had caused a sharp pain in my stomach.

This bread was the first thing he ate that day.

After eating the bread, the discomfort of an empty stomach was slightly relieved.

But the feeling of hunger remained intense.

He could only force himself to endure it.

This piece of bread was the only food he had left.

Hainuo raised his hand and gently rubbed his abdomen, silently comforting himself.

"Little belly, little belly... I'm sorry you have to suffer with me."

He is currently being relentlessly pursued by assassins, has no money on him, and can't even find a safe place to stay, let alone fill his stomach.

He looked up at the full moon in the sky and silently prayed.

"Moon, oh moon, please bless me to get through tonight safely, and don't let me lose my life at such a young age."

Before the prayer was over, Haino realized something was wrong.

Several figures were vaguely hidden among the branches of the large trees directly facing the moonlight. Their clothing style was exactly the same as that of the assassins who had just chased him.

Oops!

Alarm bells rang in Hainuo's mind, and he immediately turned around, intending to flee in a different direction.

In the instant he turned around, more figures in black emerged from the surrounding bushes, blocking his retreat.

He instinctively took a half step back.

The sound of hurried footsteps came from the path through the woods to the side.

The assassin team that had just been left behind had caught up again.

This is really the end!

Hainuo unconsciously swallowed, his whole body tensing up.

The assassin leader slowly stepped out of the crowd, his gaze landing on Haino, his tone icy.

"Keep running. Weren't you running really fast just now? Run one more step and let me see where you can hide."

Haino did not respond.

He stealthily slipped his right hand inside his black robe, gripping the jade flute fixed to his waist, preparing to fight to the death.

Seeing that the target remained silent, the leader raised his hand in a gesture of acknowledgment.

The other assassins immediately understood the intention, spread out to form an encirclement, and slowly tightened the encirclement around Haino.

Hainuo was surrounded and could not find any way to break through.

The assassin's footsteps drew ever closer.

At the critical moment, a clear, cold female voice slowly emerged from the darkness.

"The Wei family's dogs really are everywhere."

The words were laced with a chilling coldness, and the assassin leader abruptly looked up.

My gaze swept across the entire patch of grass and treetops, but I couldn't find the person who had spoken.

"What kind of skill is it to hide your head and tail? If you have the guts, just show yourself!" the leader shouted, gripping his long sword tightly.

The cold female voice rang out again.

"Idiot, just lift the pig's brain up a little and you'll see it."

Without hesitation, the leader immediately looked up at the high place.

This time, he successfully located the source of the voice.

A slender figure stood atop a large tree not far away.

The moonlight accentuated the girl's flawless appearance. She had long, light golden hair, deep eyes, and a simple, elegant dress that swayed gently in the breeze. Her expression was indifferent, yet excessively graceful.

The leader quickly searched his mental register of nobles and soon confirmed the other party's identity.

"You are Amber."

"Pig brains are smarter than I thought," Amber said calmly, without a trace of warmth.

As soon as she finished speaking, she leaped from the top of the tree and landed steadily in front of Haino, separating the two groups of people.

The leader snorted coldly through his nose after being constantly belittled by the girl.

"What is Miss Amber's purpose in blocking our way?"

Before Amber could answer, he continued.

"We're just out here to make a living and have no intention of getting into conflict with the An family. Our only target for this mission is this outsider, so please, Miss Amber, make way and don't interfere."

"I don't want to hear any more nonsense," Amber said, her voice even colder.

"I've come tonight only to ask you one thing. I'll leave immediately after I get your answer."

Upon hearing this, the leader realized that there was room for maneuver.

He couldn't determine Amber's true cultivation level, but the fact that the other party had been lurking in the tree without him, a mid-stage B-rank expert, being completely unaware of it, was enough to prove that the other party's strength far exceeded his own.

In terms of status and personal combat strength, he was unwilling to confront Amber directly.

Suppressing his wariness, the leader asked a question.

"What do you want to ask?"

"Where is Doria?"

Upon hearing the question, the assassin paused briefly before giving his answer.

"If you're asking about the princess's disappearance, my answer is I don't know."

He did not lie.

He continued:

"Although I hate to admit it, as a B-level assassin, I don't even know which way the palace gates face, let alone kidnap a princess."

The leader snorted coldly and took a step forward.

"I have answered the question truthfully. I ask that you, Ms. Amber, abide by the agreement and do not obstruct us from carrying out our mission."

After saying that, he prepared to step forward and capture Haino.

Amber remained standing in place, refusing to back down, her figure subtly blocking Haino's path.

"What is the meaning of Miss Amber's actions?" The leader asked, a cold glint in his eyes.

"Are you planning to go back on your word?"

"If they try to bully others by relying on their family status, we won't just sit and wait to die."

He gave a cold laugh.

"We've been walking the line between life and death for years. We've seen all sorts of storms. Even if you're born into the highest nobility, the blood that flows from a single slash is still red."

"I admit I can't see through you. Your strength is probably at the peak of B-rank, enough to easily defeat me."

"But I have more than thirty people on my side, each of whom has experienced life and death battles and has rich combat experience. You alone may not be able to kill them all before your magic power runs out."

"I advise you to carefully weigh the pros and cons. If you insist on taking action, once your magic is exhausted, you will only become a prisoner."

The leader's gaze swept over Amber's exquisite face, his tongue lightly licking the corner of his mouth, his tone carrying a lewd undertone.

"The taste of a top-tier noble lady...tsk tsk, just thinking about it is wonderful."

"My companions must all want to see it for themselves."

The leader made harsh threats, but he didn't dare to actually lay a hand on them.

The An family belongs to the top aristocracy, and they are not people that these peripheral assassins can mess with.

If Amber is thoroughly angered, the Weasley family behind her will immediately sever ties and may even try to silence her and cover up any involvement.

The purpose of making these provocative remarks was simply to force Amber to back down and abandon her protection of Haino.

He has a very firm belief in the Way of Killing, and he adheres to his own principles as an assassin.

During missions, never handle personal matters unrelated to the objective.

Two years ago, my wife sent me a message saying, "If you don't come back soon, I'm going to give you to Old Wang next door."

He replied casually, "I'm busy right now, don't let him in yet, we'll talk about it when I get back."

Only a despicable lecher would ruin his future for the sake of beauty.

Unfortunately, not all of his subordinates possess the same level of self-control.

Upon hearing the leader's words, the rookie assassin's eyes lit up, and he took a step forward, raising his hand in greeting.

"Boss."

"Speak," the leader said without turning around.

The newbie scratched the back of his head sheepishly and said:

"Um... I have... germaphobia. When we start working, could I go first?"

The leader's eyelids twitched uncontrollably, and he cursed the rookie countless times in his heart.

A good-for-nothing, lustful and greedy, will never become a top assassin.

How can one talk about dominating all ages with the path of slaughter in the future!

After a brief silence, he replied coldly.

"Stay put, or if you keep interrupting, I'll tie you up and use you as a dumpling stuffer."

"Then... could you be a little gentler with them?"

The newbie shyly agreed.

The leader turned and glared at the newcomer, his anger barely contained. If it weren't for the mission being his priority, he would have killed the guy on the spot.

"Quiet."

A cold, sharp voice interrupted the argument.

The leader turned to look at Amber, whose gaze was icy and chilling.

"I don't have time to chat with you." Amber's tone grew increasingly cold.

"I'll ask one last time, where exactly is Doria?"

"I already said I don't know." The leader frowned, his heart filled with helplessness.

The girl is difficult to communicate with; even after being clearly told there are no clues, she continues to ask repeatedly.

If I had the power to kidnap a princess, would I be wasting my breath talking to you here?

Being an assassin is already a hassle.

Encountering this mentally unstable girl only made him more annoyed.

After hearing the reply, Amber fell into a long silence and did not speak.

The leader waited a while, but his patience gradually wore thin.

If the other side still wouldn't give way, he had no choice but to order a full-scale attack.

A moment later, Amber spoke again.

"In that case, there's no need to say anything more."

The leader's heart tightened suddenly, sensing impending danger.

He gripped the long sword tightly with both hands, assuming a defensive stance.

In the blink of an eye, Amber disappeared from sight.

A strong sense of crisis enveloped my entire body, and my heart continued to beat faster.

"Where did they go?" The leader stamped his foot in frustration, searching everywhere for any trace of them.

The dull thuds of heavy objects falling to the ground echoed continuously through the woods.

My vision blurred briefly, and a figure suddenly came close in front of me.

The moment the leader saw who it was, Amber had already grabbed his neck with one hand and lifted him up into the air.

A feeling of suffocation quickly swept over my entire body.

Just as I was about to lose consciousness, my vision suddenly became clear.

The ground around him was littered with the corpses of his comrades, all of whom were assassins who had followed him there.

Witnessing the horrific scene, the leader was filled with resentment, yet unable to utter a sound.

A few seconds later, his head slumped to one side, and he stopped breathing completely.

This event is also recorded in "The Assassin's Unparalleled Path Ends Before He Was Halfway Through His Life".

Amber casually tossed the body onto the ground without giving it another glance.

After eliminating all the assassins, she turned around, her gaze fixed on the black-robed figure in front of her.

Haino escaped unharmed and was about to thank Amber, but when he met her cold eyes, he instinctively took a step back and whispered, "W-what do you want to do?"

"I think you're a lot like one of my friends," Amber stated directly.

"You must have mistaken me for someone else." Haino hurriedly shook his head in denial.

"I came from a remote area and I don't know anyone here."

Amber watched his flustered and evasive appearance, a faint, cold smile appearing on her lips.

"In that case, I suppose you wouldn't mind if I lifted your black robe and took a look at your appearance."

"Absolutely not." Haino immediately refused and turned to run away.

As soon as he took the first step, he was unable to move an inch.

Amber pressed down on his shoulder with one hand to steady him, while slowly raising the other hand to reach for the black robe above his head, preparing to remove it.

"Doria, stop hiding, I know it's you."