For Chen Fan, all of this felt like an unexpected windfall—A gift from the heavens.
Today marked the first true step of his career as a detective.Now that he was officially a Two-Star Detective, the permissions and access available to him had increased dramatically.
After the promotion ceremony, he returned straight to his residence.His heart was burning with anticipation.
He wanted—no, needed—to know exactly what privileges came with the second star.
He booted up his terminal.Two bright stars gleamed on the interface, confirming his new rank.
Chen Fan couldn't help the smile spreading across his face.But when he scrolled down to his accumulated merit points—
His heart skipped.
"Four hundred and fifty thousand points…The Alliance really is being generous this time."
Upgrading from Level 2 to Level 3 required five hundred thousand points.He already had four hundred and fifty thousand.
That meant he was just one step away from becoming a Three-Star Detective.
"…It's too much," he muttered, frowning."It doesn't add up. Even with both missions combined, it shouldn't be this high. So why…?"
His instincts—the instincts of a detective—alerted him.Something wasn't right.
And then he saw it.
A new message.Sent from headquarters.Anonymous.
His eyes narrowed.
It was an assignment order—and it required him to travel into outer space.
A distress signal had been detected on Mars' long-range monitoring station.The signal originated from Inkstar, a region on the far edge of the Milky Way.
But before Mars Command could respond, the signal vanished.
What made the Alliance take it seriously was not the distance—but the source.
The distress beacon used an encrypted pattern belonging exclusively to the Alliance.Its origin?One of their own standardized spacecraft.
"Someone from the Alliance… went all the way out there?"Chen Fan frowned.
He himself hadn't received any official Alliance spacecraft yet.His vessel—the Sapphire—was something he bought with his own points.
But Inkstar…
That region lay on the galactic fringe.A lawless zone.Bordering other star domains.
Humanity had expanded for centuries, leaving traces of civilization across countless sectors—Yet Inkstar remained untouched. Unclaimed.A place where raiders, mercenaries, and cutthroats thrived unchecked.
"Someone went there on a black mission? But why wasn't it listed on the system?"
He opened the mission tab again.Nothing.No related tasks.No secret categories.
The mystery only deepened.
Just then—
"Chen Fan. You received the latest assignment, didn't you?"
Zhao Ying appeared at his doorway, her lithe form leaning casually against the frame.
Her outfit—business attire as usual—was anything but modest today.Two buttons of her white dress shirt were undone for some reason, revealing a glimpse of pale skin that made Chen Fan's heartbeat stumble.
He forced his gaze away.
"I got it, Ying. But… could you maybe change your style before visiting next time? It's… distracting."
Zhao Ying rolled her eyes.
"No time for your nonsense. I'm here to inform you that this mission is special. The assignment didn't come from Mars Command—it came directly from Earth's main Alliance headquarters."
That stunned him.
"And they want us to head out immediately to investigate."
"Wait—" Chen Fan interrupted, his eyes widening."When you say us…"
"I'm going with you."
She delivered the words without hesitation.
"And in addition to you and me, the Iceforce Squad will be joining the mission."
Chen Fan sucked in a breath.
"The Iceforce Squad? The Three-Star unit?"
"Who else?" Zhao Ying shrugged."They're already stationed on Mars. Everyone else is either incompetent or unavailable."
Her self-confidence was… excessive.But not inaccurate.
"Fine. But if the Iceforce Squad is handling it, what's the point of me going?"
"Headquarters has its reasons."She leaned closer."You're on the brink of reaching Level 3, aren't you? According to intel, Inkstar has a mysterious zone—Thunder Marsh. It could push your lightning ability directly into the next tier."
Chen Fan froze.
Then—
"Deal!"
He agreed instantly.How could he refuse something like that?
Zhao Ying nodded, satisfied.
"Pack your things. We depart in three days. And remember—this mission is classified. You're not allowed to tell a soul. I'll give you the full briefing when we set off."
—
Three days later
Chen Fan arrived at the Alliance aerodrome in his Sapphire vessel.
Before he even landed, he saw it.
A colossal metallic silhouette.Stationed beside the docking platforms like a sleeping beast of war.
His breath caught.
A warship—But not just any warship.
Its hull gleamed silver, decorated with blue frost-like markings.The entire structure stretched across the deck like a giant sea predator.
At the prow, a monstrous shark's maw opened wide—Rows of metallic fangs forming a terrifying visage.
Chen Fan's pulse quickened.
"The legendary… Tiger Shark Battleship?"
He circled the warship several times, unable to hide his excitement.
Among all Alliance warships, the Tiger Shark was known for sheer destructive firepower.Its main cannon was rumored to be capable of obliterating a small planet.
As he approached, a loud voice thundered from the external speakers:
"Chen Fan! Stop gawking and get up here already!"
With a heavy mechanical hum, the warship's boarding ramp extended downward.
Zhao Ying stood at the top.
And Chen Fan nearly choked.
Today, Zhao Ying wore a full set of black combat leather—Form-fitting, sleek, highlighting every curve of her figure.
Tall boots.Utility straps.A holster hugging her thigh.
She looked like she walked straight out of a special-ops fantasy.
But she wasn't the only one.
Standing beside her was another woman—so quiet, so still, that Chen Fan hadn't noticed her at all from afar.
Her clothing was plain.Her presence… ethereal.As if she wasn't part of the surroundings—but the surroundings were part of her.
When Chen Fan got closer, he saw her face.
And froze solid.
She looked almost identical to Zhao Ying—same features, same bone structure—but colder.Sharper.Like a regal statue carved from ice.
"Chen Fan," Zhao Ying said proudly."This is Captain Zhao Ling, leader of the Iceforce Squad—And my elder sister."
Chen Fan's breath caught.
A Level-3 Esper.Awakened Talent: Ice Goddess Authority.
As he stepped inside the warship, passing by Zhao Ling—
A chill pierced straight through his bones.
Not on the skin.Not in the air.
But deep—into his soul.
He shuddered uncontrollably.
"So this… is the legendary absolute zero…?"
The Ice Goddess' aura was not something a Level-2 Esper was meant to withstand.
And the mission had only just begun.