'Female jealousy!' Leylin shrugged his shoulders, sighing helplessly before he followed the Snake Dowager. His current abilities allowed him to pass silently through the crystal sphere of the World of Gods, so the Shadow World wasn't a challenge.
The force of his Kemoyin bloodline surrounded him, and the Shadow World emitted a comforting aura. It immediately admitted Leylin inside…
At the core of the Shadow World, within the limitless sea of origin force. There was a magnificent and refined palace here, built out of black stone. Shadow force pervaded the surroundings, and at the very centre was a large black crystal. A beautiful girl could faintly be seen within the crystal, lying in slumber.
'Hehe, the Weave has responded, the prey has taken the bait. Is it the Dowager?' A laugh like the tinkle of a bell sounded, as a maiden dressed in black muslin emerged from the shadows. She looked just like the maiden sleeping within the black crystal.
"Let's see, where are you?" The maiden stretched out her fair and delicate fingers. She seemed to connect with the authority of the world, and a bright and beautiful screen appeared before her.
The screen showed a black datura flower bud and a blood-red cocoon transform into streaks of light, advancing like lightning through the world's boundary. They streaked across the skies.
"Ah?" However, just as the maiden was about to zoom in and follow their trails, the screen suddenly flickered with static. A mechanical voice sounded out, "Unknown interference has occurred, tracking terminated."
"Haha, what an interesting opponent. They want to play hide and seek with me? Well, I just happened to want to go out for a walk." The maiden stretched lazily, exposing the graceful curves of her body before disappearing into the palace. Multiple shadows formed to conceal everything within.
"Damn, what was that just now?" The Snake Dowager's flustered and exasperated voice could be heard ahead of him. Leylin's lips curved into a faint smile in response.
'A magic network, or should I call it a Shadow Weave? If it wasn't for my previous experience with the World of Gods' Weave, as well as my research into Karsus' Avatar, it wouldn't have been this easy to disrupt it.'
"Dowager, I've already blocked the Mistress' surveillance. The situation has changed now, but we had better split up at once!" The blood-red cocoon turned beautifully in midair, changing its trajectory.
Before they parted, Leylin kindheartedly reminded the Dowager, "Be careful, perhaps the current Shadow World is completely different from the one that you remember."
After officially entering the Shadow World, Leylin knew why the Dowager wanted to drag him in. The Shadow World tolerated Leylin in the same way as the Magus World did. He did not feel the slightest sense of rejection, as if he was a native here.
'Is this complete lack of rejection and suppression due to the original Allsnake bloodline? So only the Dowager and I can minimise the surveillance of the World Will, and avoid discovery by the Mistress of the Night.'
The Dowager was originally a Shadow World native, and had been the person closest to controlling the entire world. She had been greatly favoured by the World Will. Since he was once a descendant of hers, Leylin carried the brand of the Shadow World in his body. The world would not reject him innately, which would allow him to conceal his presence as much as possible.
The Trial's Eye and their other allies were different. They would be discovered the moment they touched the world's edge, and the Mistress of the Night would act against them immediately.
'My interference will put Shar off our trail for a short period of time. Still, it might not be enough to secure our safety.' Leylin took out a few bizarre dolls with painted faces.
'I never would have thought that I would use up the voodoo dolls that I made earlier in this place.' A blood-red glow appeared on the dolls' bodies. Enveloped by light, the strange dolls seemed to inflate and giggle cheerfully.
"Hee hee!" "Haha!"
Having grown to the size of normal humans, the paint on the dolls' faces changed. They grew more and more animated, and their auras slowly changed to resemble Leylin's own.
*Bang!* The three voodoo dolls separated, the original blood-red cocoon dividing into three and falling in different areas.
'This Shadow World has been radically changed by the Mistress of the Night. The most startling change is the warning system surrounding the world boundary.'
In his former location, Leylin had already concealed his own figure and begun descending slowly. He felt like Shar had transformed the Shadow World into an extremely secure fortress in all these years, which meant their own operations could meet great difficulty…
"Beep! Unidentified flying object detected, transmitting information to ground station!"
Once Leylin had divided himself into several avatars, a number of satellites that had been orbiting the Shadow World paused their normal tasks to send a warning to ground control.
Inside a large hall with receptors for the signals from the satellites, those within working tirelessly. A soldier stood up and marched over to her superior, handing him an image. On the image was one of Leylin's avatars in the shape of a blood-red meteor. "Sir! An unidentified flying object has been spotted. This is the video capture from drone #3."
"Mm, what does the warning officer advise?" The commander was a middle-aged man with faint white streaks in his hair. He had eyes like an eagle's, his gaze sharp and chilling.
"The images from the satellite show that the target's volume does not exceed two shadow cubits. It's not a giant meteorite, so it might be some astral debris or natural star fragments. However, we haven't been able to deny the possibility that it's some astral creature," the soldier replied quickly.
"Mm, those astral creatures have always been extremely dangerous. Those that bring disease or curses are the most dangerous, if it spreads far it might harm society greatly." The middle-aged man waved his hand, "Exterminate it!"
"Understood! Secondary space cannon prepared. Shadow Weave fully charged, beginning countdown. T minus 3, 2—"
Having received the order, the control tower quickly leapt into action. A blue laser shot out of the ground, accurately targeting the blood-red meteorite.
But just at this moment, the blood-red meteorite on the screen suddenly changed. A glaring scarlet flare flashed, and a sharp warning sound issued out.
"Target has issued a high-energy response. Current energy level surging rapidly. It's already reached a danger level of 5A! Sending automatic report to the security bureau of the empire!"
A researcher looked at the twisting image on the screen and suddenly cried out, his voice filled with panic. On the screen in the main hall, the blood-red meteor seemed to have developed its own will, drawing out a bright trajectory and directly dodging the laser attack.
Afterwards, the image of a doll emerged from the streak of light, its jet-black scleras suddenly flashing with light. The screen suddenly burst into a flurry of static.
"Drone #3 has gone silent!" The soldier from before cried out involuntarily, a stack of folders in her hands falling to the floor.
"Something malicious from another world! Has a powerful existence entered this place?" The commanding officer, that middle-aged man, wrung his hands as he muttered under his breath, "I never thought that I would run into another one.
"Everyone, the security bureau has issued the highest of orders. It is time, we must dedicate our lives in our loyalty to the empire!"
The middle-aged officer stood up and tore his collar off. He began to shout himself hoarse with orders, "Fire all the guided missiles from the surface! Destroy the target at all costs! Cancel all vacations of the surface armoured vehicle department, all members are to remain on standby! Also, connect me to the empire, I need to obtain the highest authority in Ando City's Shadow Weave!'
"Sir, yes sir!" Multiple drills and the obedience training caused the soldier to bow and accept his order. Her heart was still at a loss, however, 'These preparations, doesn't it mean we're gearing up for a world war?'
"Report!" Just at this time, the control tower's communication device rang out. An alarming voice rang out, "Satellites #4 and #5 have encountered residual high-energy, unable to capture the meteor."
*Crash!* A tremendous vibration rattled the area. The floor and the ceiling trembled continuously as the new energy-incandescent lights blinked on and off. A glaring red alarm flashed across the entire hall.
After a long time, the voice of a communications officer could be heard, blank and frightened, "Target has launched an offensive. Second division base has lost communications!"
"The fifth attack, enough to destroy the empire. Is it about to arrive?" The middle-aged officer's glasses fell from his face, shattering into countless shards of glittering glass on the floor. He limply sat on his chair, seemingly losing all signs of energy.
'What was that satellite just now? It looks like this world's technology surpasses my expectations.' Connected via his truesoul, Leylin could see the satellite that the voodoo doll had attacked. Strictly speaking, it looked no different from the satellites from his previous life. However, it seemed to be powered by a different source of energy.
'Besides, they tried to attack the voodoo doll with laser weapons. I should try to attack and see their defence!' Leylin gave the command with no hesitation, and later saw a scene that satisfied him.
'It seems like it is a branch base, their defence is on the level of Breaking Dawn Magi. Still, that base was being controlled by ordinary people!' It was a pity that this sort of strength was nothing to Leylin. With a wave of his hand, his puppets could easily erase them.
-x-X-x-
'Remain hidden as much as possible. Gather information and wait for further instructions.' Giving commands to the rest of the puppets, Leylin descended into the atmosphere himself. Currently still in stealth mode, he was small enough a target to avoid the satellites' detection even if they were still here.
After passing through a thick cloud full of radiation, Leylin saw a mysterious continent in front of his eyes. It was filled with the radiance of civilisation.
'A.I. Chip, begin preparing plan 1,' Leylin commanded.
[Beep! Plan 1 activated. Gathering data on gravity and atmosphere, remapping physical constants…] The A.I. Chip loyally carried out Leylin's orders, and then presented an analysis chart filled with information to him.
'The atmosphere here is suitable for the survival of large life-forms. The other physical constants aren't much different either, just that the inertia of the elemental particles is greater. So I can only absorb them through specific channels?'
Leylin felt like the Shadow World was rather interesting. Microscopic soul sensing allowed him to discover a huge and terrifyingly powerful Weave here.
'In essence it's like the one in the World of Gods, but there's some difference in its scope and ability. As well, its mainly powered by shadow force. Should I call it the Shadow Weave?'
Now Leylin was left without doubt about the identity of this Mistress of the Night who'd taken the Shadow World from the Snake Dowager. It was evidently the Goddess of Shadows from the World of Gods, Shar!
'Rumours say that the faith of dark wizards allowed Shar to involve herself in the domain of magic. Seems like it's true…' Leylin didn't connect to the Shadow Weave directly. After all, Shar may have implemented some special restrictions, and any misstep could cause him to be discovered.
'The most important thing now is to blend in and slowly get access to the Shadow Weave, obtaining enough power to control it.' Leylin's eyes glinted. With his experience from the World of Gods, it wouldn't take long for Leylin to analyze the Shadow Weave.
*Vroom!* The sharp sound of a fast engine sounded out, and a large, foreign, yet all so familiar body flew past Leylin's eyes.
Its streamlined design could reduce air drag greatly, and the two wings at its side maintained its balance. The powerful engine drove it forward, allowing it to fly in the sky with several thousand people within.
'A plane? I never thought they'd be so advanced…' Leylin sighed. He could see the numerous specks of light that represented souls within the flying vehicle. These souls were so tiny a mere ripple of power on his end would completely decimate them. Still, the knowledge of these puny things had allowed them to successfully conquer the skies!
'A similar inclination towards technology and development…' Leylin had a look of nostalgia in his eyes as he stood atop the upper cabin of the plane. He slowly sat down, memories from his previous life appearing in his mind.
"What's going on?" Within the cabin, a young girl with a ponytail gazed at a brown-haired young man anxiously, "Are you feeling sick, brother? Should I get an attendant?"
"No I'm fine, Jill. I just felt uncomfortable all of a sudden. This terror, only that time with the school bus can compare…" The brown-haired youth smiled with a pale face, but his hands were still trembling unconsciously.
"That accident?" Jill's eyes darkened. She knew fully well that her brother Xavier was exceedingly talented, and his natural sense of danger was quite powerful. Once in primary school, it had allowed them to avoid a serious traffic accident.
Recalling how terrible the news had reported it to be, as well as the scene where none of her classmates had survived, the girl's eyes reddened. She couldn't control the tears that fell, "It's all my fault… If I didn't force Brother to go as well…"
"Er… Didn't I say it already? Don't worry about it, and act as if we're going to crash in the next second…" The young Xavier glanced at the surrounding passengers sheepishly and quickly hugged Jill, smiling apologetically at everyone else.
What he hadn't mentioned was that he hadn't had such a premonition before getting on the plane. It was just that he suddenly quivered in that instant, feeling helpless and despair at a sure death. This feeling buried itself into his heart, causing great trauma.
However, this feeling disappeared just as quickly, leaving not a trace. It made him feel like he'd gone crazy.
"It's nothing. Stop crying, Jill!" Xavier could only do his best to console his little sister, but he could not help recalling what had just happened.
'That feeling of a sure death that suddenly disappeared… What was that about?' At this thought, the young man could not help but pull out a pendant at his neck, the bright red string having a black snake rune on it, 'Is there a force here that can destroy this plane in an instant? Or is a war about to break out soon?'
"Haha… A crash? You're hilarious!" A middle-aged man who was reading a magazine at the side put the book in his hands down, adjusting his glasses, "Crashes were indeed common twenty years ago. You could be unlucky enough to have failing components or meet a bird. However shadow force has come quite far since then, and all aircraft are integrated into the Shadow Weave. All vehicles have powerful shadow armour protecting them, so even if you bump into a prehistoric dragon you won't face any problems…"
"Exactly… I've gotten on so many flights, and I've yet to hear about any dangers!" A curly-haired woman beside them began to chatter away.
"Is that so?" Jill was still very childlike in her thoughts. Having heard this she immediately stopped crying. Beads of sparkling tears hung on her rosy face, making her look even more pitiful.
"Yes!" After seeing the state Jill was in, the man who had been speaking suddenly sensed his lolicon soul come ablaze, suddenly exploding!
"Don't worry. Look at this!" He raised his arm, pulling at a portion of his sleeve to reveal a digital wristwatch with a unique design on his wrist. On the silvery-grey exterior was the symbol of a black crown.
"This…" Gasps could be heard everywhere. "The newest model of the rapid shadow series! Tsk…"
"Rapid Shadow V, providing the most convenient and quick connection to the Shadow Weave. It was developed by the empire's chief scientist Lirlian using the latest 2D point technique. It now supports the storage and download of spells at rank 3 and above, even if casting mid-ranked spells needs the caster to control things very well. Only university students of the empire and mechanics above grade 5 can work this. I never thought uncle was such a bigshot!"
The young man could not conceal the envy and fervour in his eyes after seeing the man's watch, and he blurted out all the information about it.
"So? Are you at ease yet? Even if anything happens to components of the plane, with the Shadow Armour and Flight that I bought and stored before, it will be enough to protect you…" The man spoke, immensely pleased with himself. He then stowed the watch away, amidst cheers and sounds of admiration.
"Thank you, uncle!" Jill yelled sweetly, and the man sat back down, pleased.
"Right… Maybe I'm too uptight? How could there be supernatural happenings in this day and age? The records at home are like legends. They're all fake…" The youth, Xavier, heaved a long sigh, beginning to doubt himself for the first time.
"Dear brother!" At this moment, a youth in a black suit and gold-rimmed glasses pulled at the safety belt, heading over with a grim look on his face.
"I think you're very right!"
"Could you be…" Xavier was now extremely excited.
"Mm! Even with the government forcefully getting involved and increasing shadow protection for all aviation vehicles, accidents are everywhere…" the suited man said stiffly, causing Xavier to nod without end.
"This world is too dangerous. One could be struck down by a maglev just walking on the roads, much less when it comes to a flood of Shadow Weave connections allowing minors to use magic as they wish. There's other issues as well…"
The suited man's words were headed in a strange direction. Soon, he picked out a beautiful advertisement from his briefcase and placed it in front of Xavier. "Hence, for the sake of you and your family, insurance is necessary! Our company is now launching the newest services that involve protection from Shadow Weave radiation as well as flight risks. Take a look, and ask me any questions you have. Here's my business card…"
"So it's to sell insurance…" Xavier's face was now crinkled in a frown, and Jill finally smiled after all the crying.
"Well… I'll think about it. But the attendant is coming over…" Xavier pulled back, pointing to the long-legged stewardess with a smile on her face.
"You must choose our Imperial Love. By picking Imperial Love, you're choosing a better future…" the youth said sternly with a nod before returning to his seat.
"Sigh… young people these days…" An old granny seated behind him sighed, causing Xavier to wish he could bury his head in his chest...
-x-X-x-
The passengers in Xavier's cabin heaved a sigh of relief after the plane landed safely on the runway. Following that, they stared at him in blame.
"My apologies!" Xavier held his sister's hand and left the cabin, as if running away to the airport terminal.
"Hey wait up! Wait!" The man with the watch caught up to them, "You left your purse behind!"
"Oh, thank you Mister!" Jill thanked the man courteously, taking a pink purse with a cartoon bear on it.
"Haha, I'm just 25. Don't call me Mister, just Crowley is fine…" This man who looked like an uncle with long sideburns smiled wryly, "And your names are?"
Xavier gripped his sister's hand, and spoke politely, "I'm Xavier, and this is my sister Jill, we're here to study…"
Crowley noticed the wariness in Xavier's eyes, but he smiled without caring, "Oh I see… This is my number. I have some connections here in Thousand Bears City, so remember to look for me if something's up." Having said that, he handed a long string of numbers to Xavier and disappeared into the crowd.
"Jill, don't just casually speak to strangers in the future!" Xavier reprimanded his sister after seeing Crowley off.
"But I felt like Mister Crowley was nice…" Jill bit her lips.
"Don't rely on your instincts anymore. Live like a normal person!" Xavier sighed, seemingly relieved of all his burden. He hailed a floating vehicle and boarded it alongside Jill, the wheelless machine converging into the roads that were like a network of arteries...
Neither Xavier nor Jill realised that a strand of black hair had attached itself to them. It was a power that lay between material and secondary energy, so even with extraordinary powers the siblings didn't detect it.
"I never thought I'd find the blood of the Snake Dowager while just looking around!" Leylin could sense the bloodline of the Snake Dowager in the siblings, even if it was extremely thin.
The siblings possessed extrasensory powers, able to foresee bits and pieces of the future. Although he hadn't been masking his presence, the ability to sense him was still somewhat remarkable. Because of that, Leylin made an exception and put some attention on this pair of siblings, attaching a tracking spell to them.
Standing amidst the river of people, he observed his surroundings. The passersby walking to and fro did not seem to see him.
The high-rise buildings with over a hundred floors, the apartments, massive billboards, maglev trains and transparent tubes that served as streets… Everything gave Leylin a sense of extreme nostalgia. It was like he'd returned to his previous life.
'No wonder I could see traces of civilisation in the world's shadow force. Evidently they've undergone a few technological revolutions, and the population has grown to a frightening number…'
A rough estimate said the population of this Thousand Bears City was more than ten million. The information he'd gathered on the plane told him this was but a middle-tier city of one empire, which meant the population of the entire world most likely fast approached that of the Magus World. And this was inclusive of the subterranean world!
"It's been proven that science and technology sustain the greatest growth of life for ordinary beings…" Without any extraordinary abilities, living together as a species and with technology was the best option, especially when there was a mastermind behind the curtains pushing for this development.
"In relation to the population, the number of extraordinary beings seemed to be suppressed…" Leylin thought of the wristwatch, Rapid Shadows. This device was commonly worn by ordinary citizens here.
"Extraordinary powers have been changed to devices. As long as one is able to fork out a little bit of money, even a child would be able to download a spell from the Shadow Weave?"
Leylin's eyes conveyed interest, "This Mistress of the Night, Shar, what is she trying to do?"
He turned his gaze to a giant light screen in the sky. It was made of numerous points of light, currently showing an advertisement for some product. That changed as the time for news arrived.
"A mine containing a new energy source was discovered this morning, causing stock in the energy sector to drop drastically. The market is closed for the day."
"The Prime Minister's wife will appear at a charity even in the Shangri-La Hotel tonight, donating to the inhabitants of the thirteen coastal cities devastated by Hurricane Darkness. Analysts say that this…"
"The authorities have once again asserted their swift, resolute decision to clamp down on all illegal markets of Rapid Shadows 5.0. In a joint effort stretched across various parties, the target this time was the fabrication of false documentation, especially that specifically required to purchase Rapid Shadows.
"Emergency Notice: Amdo City was hit by a meteorite 3 hours and 12 minutes ago, causing an infrastructure collapse. The surrounding tremours were extremely powerful, causing financial damages amounting to 37.85 million. The number of casualties is unknown at the time of this report. The local garrison troops have…"
The reporter who wore a work outfit explained the disaster in a stern voice, as images of troops entering Amdo City was seen.
"Their reaction is pretty fast, huh." Leylin shook his head and did not pay any further attention to it. A newly developed empire with a mysterious entity like the Mistress of the Night controlling it from behind the scenes could unleash extreme power if he stepped on it.
The ancient Netherese were an example. The golden period of the Nether Empire allowed it to rival even the gods!
Leylin had no doubts that, should Shar use some of her hidden cards, his very own voodoo dolls would be discovered sooner or later. However, they were only meant to distract her. He was already satisfied that they were able to last this long.
"Hmm, maybe I should watch the news more often, who knows if any news about the Snake Dowager may appear…" Leylin grinned.
According to his observations, the Shadow World now was a completely different world from the one that she spoke of. Just like the differences between the middle ages and 21st century of his past life.
An antique like her may not be tech savvy, captured on some fellow's camera due to the technological advancement of this world. However, these were all minor details. Leylin believed that even it if were to happen, the Snake Dowager would sense the difference and conceal herself.
'To put it in other words, after those voodoo dolls, the Snake Dowager will be the one who will divert the attention away from me…' Leylin's eyes flashed. Although he was invited here by the Snake Dowager, he had no intentions of playing the role of nanny.
'Intelligence is the current priority. I can't connect to the Shadow Weave recklessly, I need to find an opportunity…' Leylin looked at the news that was being replayed, and suddenly got an idea.
...
Outside of the city, at the second level of a small villa.
Compared to the outside world which was so technologically advanced, this villa had a rather rustic and unadorned layout. Or in other words, it was old-fashioned.
"I never though we'd be able to live at home even if it hasn't been maintained in so long." Jill wiped the sweat off her cheek, and her dusty hands left several black streaks on her face. She was like a kitten playing around.
Xavier, wearing an apron, saw his sister and frowned, "You're dirty! Hurry and wash up…"
This was their old home, one that had been abandoned for many years. If not for the fact that this place could allow them to commute to school, the siblings would never have stepped foot in this place. It took some dusting and cleaning up to make it fit for living.
"I wonder why Mom and Dad didn't sell this place off back then. Is what they say true, that this is our heritage from several hundreds of years of ancestry?"
Xavier did not believe much of it. Finishing dinner, he placed a video call to a gentle and smiling older couple.
"I have organised the things…" Xavier nonchalantly said.
"Alright! Little Xav, you have to bear the burden of an adult and take care of your sister…" The middle-aged man said, before continuing after some hesitation, "Also...In our old home, between the layer of the two bookshelves, there are some things that you can have a look at…"
"Oh? That useless book? I have seen it several times since I was three…" Xavier said in an unperturbed manner.
"What?" The voice on the other end was raised by a full octave. The man grasped as his heart as if unable to believe what he had just heard.
"Isn't it just a book written about some strange fantasies, magic and other nonsense? I can't believe you actually stowed it away like some treasure, and the main point is you did not do a very good job of hiding it…"
Xavier rolled his eyes, before exchanging a few more sentences with his parents in a pacifying manner and ended the call.
"That book...This brings back some memories…" Through some sort of nostalgia, Xavier went to the study room in the upper level and found the book that was hidden between the two shelves.
Due to the accumulation of time, the cover of the book was now extremely faded and obscure, with a thick layer of dust gather on it. This caused Xavier to become annoyed before he cleaned up the place another time.
"It's so ancient. I'd believe it even if someone said it was a thousand years old…"
-x-X-x-
Time had eroded the light yellow parchment. Not only were many of the handwritten words within blurred with age, the pages themselves stuck to each other as well. Several footnotes were stained with the trace of decay.
The book was written in form of ancient script, the worlds looping and distorted. It seemed like a three-year-old child could have written it better.
Xavier had hated reading and writing ever since kindergarten. With the 'good fortune' of a father with a doctorate in history, he'd had to understand various ancient writing styles since his youth. This specific script was a specialty of his, having been taught it seriously by his father.
Xavier managed to read the parts that were still legible.
"This is clearly a mythological story…" When he thought of his youth and how this storybook had accompanied him in his childhood, a faint smile arose on Xavier's face.
"The Snake Dowager ruled the entire Shadow World, and her descendents could later be found throughout the vicinity of Sanal. They possessed great power and defeated the homo sapiens, the Elias and other ancient creatures. Finally, they occupied the entire star continent."
"The Allsnake's heirs were called 'blood descendants' and grasped the shadows, able to talk to all species of snakes. The blood descendants divided the continent into 15 kingdoms, crowning the most pure-blooded of them as their monarch…"
"They wrote this like it actually happened." Young Xavier continued to flip the pages. Most of the book's latter pages were spent describing the beauty of the Snake Dowager and her power. There was also rich descriptions of the Shadow World under her rule. Just as he had arrived at the latter half of the book, information appeared that made Xavier's eyes light up.
"When the giant serpent's final glorious empire fell, their ancestor's bloodline mixed with other tribes. Theoretically, all creatures who possess the bloodline of the giant serpent can go through a period of cultivation and trigger their unique bloodline power…"
Xavier's finger traced a datura flower bud, his fingertips stroking the uneven surface. This complicated craftsmanship definitely required skill, and was not something that was made for fun.
If one looked at it carefully, they could see many complex black runes on the flower. Still, about half had been worn away by time.
After the symbol was a bunch of meandering descriptions of training techniques. They suggested things like mixing together the blood of bats and lizards, smearing it under the nose to increase one's chances of entering a meditative state.
'This is what caused me to make such a huge fool of myself in kindergarten…' Xavier's face twitched a little. In his view, this book's techniques were extremely childish. It seemed to have come from the primitive tribes who liked to prank people.
'Even if it's fake, they should have made it a little more realistic. Everybody knows that there is nothing like soul force or a weave. It's impossible to harness these abilities to use magic…' Xavier speechlessly turned over the pages until he reached the very end.
The handwriting here was rather new and was clearly added later. It was written in a modern language and didn't seem to be difficult at all.
This first part of this new content seemed to be a self-introduction of someone known as Chanal. The main idea was that he was from the same tribe as the original author, but his ancestor's records were far too absurd. He did not believe in the descriptions of his world travel as well.
However at the every end, Chanal had added something else. Reportedly, it was a complete military technique from his own tribe. It was originally meant to be used by cultivators.
"This looks a little more sincere— So it's called Snakebite Fist?"
Xavier flipped over the pictures at the very end and discovered several unusually realistic figures of a human body. It was rather genuine in its complexity, and its content looked very similar to other high-level biology diagrams.
From his recent martial arts experiences, this physical training didn't look as if it was just some crazy nonsense.
Soul energy and this weave had caused the humans of the Shadow World to acknowledge several extraordinarily powerful existence. It had aroused a popular craze in martial arts and extra-sensory perception. Sadly, this fad was soon found to be full of liars.
Apart from soul energy and the weave, extrasensory perception seemed to have disappeared from this world entirely.
After some half-baked consideration, Xavier had wasted a considerable sum of money to enter and train in a high-ranked martial arts school. Unfortunately, the only benefit it gave him was the strengthening of his muscles.
After all, those true inheritances had been tenaciously hidden away by the military instructors. Those without enough power and money would not receive proper instruction and become true brothers in training. It was unfortunate that although Xavier's family was a little wealthier than others, they were not infinitely more opulent.
Primarily based on his intellect and good relationship with his martial instructors and apprentice brothers, Xavier had learnt several genuine things.
'According to the teachings of the red-nosed military instructor, rank 0 to rank 2 spells are completely unable to harm experts with truly powerful cultivation techniques. Perhaps… Before the command is given, they could completely break off the wrist of 'Swift' that you prepared…'
Xavier looked at the resources on the Snakebite Fist and discovered that the written account was very detailed and reliable. From the most basic breathing techniques to the attacks and defensive techniques, there were also records of the necessary drug ingredients that were required for the cultivation. It could clearly be seen that Chanal was a very meticulous person at heart.
'I fulfill all the basic requirements, so next is to buy these ingredients and make some training equipment…' Xavier's eyes seemed to burn with fervour, 'Seems like I found something good when I was young. Shall I give it a go?'
"Wait, didn't I plan to remain an ordinary man. What's the point of these fighting techniques?"
Xavier suddenly thought of his old military instructor's advice, "Those with real power these days are the strong mechanics who grasp several high-ranked spells. Researchers in psi energy who've graduated from famous universities are also strong, especially those with doctorates. Fighters have no chance of resisting their high-ranked spells…"
Xavier clearly recalled the desolate look in his instructor's eyes.
"Yes, as long as one has enough money, they can easily download and use low-ranked spells. It's not impossible to obtain mid-ranked spells either. Those martial artists who train their bodies and use martial arts to cultivate themselves are all fools. So why am I still considering it? I should hurry up and pass the entrance exam for the high-ranked mechanic permit and obtain the authority to use mid-ranked spells. Then, even the world's top 500 companies will fight for me…"
Xavier sighed and shoved the voluminous book back into its original location. There was a trace of regret in his heart that, try as he might, he was unable to completely suppress...
Once the youth left and the door clicked shut behind him, the room was plunged into darkness. Leylin's figure appeared suddenly, stepping across limitless space to arrive directly inside.
The bookshelf was opened up, and the large book was wrapped in a faint light that delivered it to Leylin's hands. Page after page turned rapidly, until Leylin stopped at the symbol of the black datura flower bud.
"The Allsnake descendants' inheritance? It seems like history's hurt it a lot…" Given Leylin's knowledge and experience, a single touch told him this book was written 1257 years ago. The author was an extraordinary expert, about equal in power to a rank 2 or rank 3 Magus.
It was only that the expert had received an incomplete form of the inheritance. With the passage of time, it had been reduced to this dilapidated state.
"According to the book's meditation techniques, it's still possible to cultivate extraordinary power. However, the chance of becoming a monster is even greater…
"The martial techniques at the end, however, abandon meditation techniques and spiritual energy. They're rather suitable to this world's laws. Perhaps it's possible to cultivate something using it…"
Leylin vaguely gave his opinion before tossing the book back to its place in the bookshelf. As he was now, he was far too lazy to read this sort of thing. He instead turned his attention to the spines of the many black books that looked like a wave.
"A historian's study… It should be enough for me to know how the world has changed," Leylin's eyes were fixed on the upper right hand corner of the bookshelf, where a voluminous book lay. The A.I. Chip's light scanned across it at lightning speed.
It was most likely the history of this specific family, This scholar had preserved a great deal of his material books, which made Leylin feel pleasantly surprised.
Although he could access many powerful safety nets and even the Shadow Weave itself to obtain all he needed, it was difficult to avoid leaving traces behind that way. If it was discovered by the Mistress of the Night, he would face a difficult situation. Compared to that, even if this primitive method of collecting information was more tedious it could completely avoid Shar's detection.
The bookshelf showed that the teenager's father was quite meticulous. It was laid neatly in order, sorted by dates.
The bottommost section contained ancient myths and stories of bards, which seemed like the owner did not care very much for. In the middle were a stack of history books. Some of them even had their pages threaded by strings, old enough to be sold as antiques. On the uppermost portion was modern history, and the brand new covers gave off a glossy look. It was evident that these books had been picked up the most by the owner.
The history and changes of the Shadow World soon lay bare for Leylin's perusal.
-x-X-x-
The Snake Dowager ruled over the Shadow World in ancient times. Then, this place had been largely similar to the Magus World, with extraordinary power granting high status and various empires at war with each other. Wars erupted every day, and it was a dark time for the commoners.
It seemed like Xavier's father adopted a prudent stance against these descriptions of snake descendants and bloodline carriers, thinking they were just superstitions used by people of ancient times to control them through fear.
History had changed when the Snake Dowager had lost her position about thirty thousand years ago. The Mistress of the Night had taken control of the Shadow World. Unknowing of the facts, the regular humans had met a pivotal point— psi energy and the Shadow Weave had been established.
"With the Snake Dowager gone humans took primary control of the Shadow World, allowing science to flourish. The most crucial bit was the discovery of psi energy…" Leylin's right index finger tapped on the cover of a history book as he pondered the subject deeply.
'Psi energy, the gift of the Shadow World. Pure and effective, it has low contamination. Even more important is that a lot of it can be stored, and humans could make containers for it quite easily. Once it was discovered it replaced all kinds of fuels, developing into many other fields as well. Now the maglev trains, aircraft, and even the high-tech armour used by their soldiers ran on psi energy…'
Leylin read on slowly.
'Psi energy did not exist during the reign of the Snake Dowager, instead coming right after the Mistress of the Night appeared… It is extensively used, connected to another new creation called the Shadow Weave.'
Once one read to this point, even a fool would realise it was a setup of the Mistress of the Night.
'Ever since then, humans have had near unlimited energy. Money allows them to cast spells from the Shadow Weave, letting them toss extraordinary ability into the trash and abandon all ancient training techniques. Is this now the era of science?'
This was all within the books from Xavier's family. Several tens of thousands of years ago, there were countless myths and legends of heroes with superpowers, but by the era of Xavier's ancestor all small discoveries of such abilities had been carefully recorded. It was evident that history had changed greatly.
'Make them over-reliant on equipment, having them forgo true strength and regress in their extraordinary abilities… It reduces the number of enemies, and allows you to use the Weave to control the entire world…'
Leylin felt like he understood part of why Shar had prepared all this. At the same time, a spirit force message travelled over, causing his face to change.
...
Amdo City had now been surroudned by soldiers with powerful-looking cannons. Many of these soldiers had expensive equipment on, making for an extremely imposing sight that stilled the atmosphere.
At the centre was a large piece of land that had been hollowed out by a meteorite. The extreme heat had left behind traces of crystal within, but the meteorite itself had already disappeared.
A command post had been erected here temporarily, with many troops analysing data and conducting investigations within. They were all submitting their information to the middle-aged commander from before.
"The Weave has been checked, no traces of psi energy found."
"Meteorite sample collected, sending a copy to the royal family for further analysis."
"All troops on standby, prepared to move at any time."
All this information did nothing to improve the commander's mood. After all, he was facing an opponent that had obliterated a military base in an instant. What's more, there was more than one enemy!
"So the culprit within this meteorite hid himself inside Amdo City. What about the other two, where did they land?" The officer rubbed his temples.
"The estimated trajectory puts the second landing point in the east of the empire, within 30km of Danube City. However, the base there was extremely quiet. The mission has been handed over to the local troops." The report came from a well-trained intelligence officer with a pair of long, beautiful legs. She adjusted her spectacles as she spoke calmly, "The third landing point is at Coral Coastal City. We've already sent a request to the navy to find and annihilate the opponent."
"Three apostles at a time…" The middle-aged officer seemed unable to bear this heavy burden, "And one's already infiltrated Amdo City. How is the city's shutdown going?"
"Our troops have already surrounded the place, forbidding any citizens from leaving the city. A couple of small fights broke out, but the situation is under control…"
"Alright then… We can only impose these heavy laws for the sake of the empire," the officer said with an expressionless face.
Creatures from the stars were extremely dangerous. They could hide within the souls of ordinary citizens, beginning to spread contamination. They'd taken down entire empires in the past, so he had to prevent it at all costs!
Even if these specific apostles couldn't contaminate the soul, any foreign pathogens or viruses they carried could cause serious damage to the affected citizens. Thinking about it some more, the officer passed down further orders, "Relay the new safety measures once more! Deny all citizens who wants to leave, including the local officials inside too. All who disobey must be killed immediately!"
"… Yes!" Listening to the merciless order, the soldier was taken aback. Still, she ended up obeying his orders.
"Hehe… It looks like the Empire Hawks aren't all that capable? They actually have a headache from such a small event?"
Just as the soldier was about to leave, a mocking voice sounded from outside the strength. The green flaps were pushed open to reveal a group of soldiers in black uniform. The one who laughed earlier was a member of the group with yellow crew-cut hair.
"Soldiers! Soldiers!" The soldier pulled out a minigun, aiming at the group that had barged in. She was extremely furious at the lack of security outside the tent.
"Raise your hands slowly! You are now intruding in a restricted area of the army, I have the rights to kill you immediately!"
The other officers pulled out their guns as well, pointing them at the group.
"Hehe… Kill us? How interesting! Foolish humans…" The group of black uniformed personnel did not show any expression. As for the yellow crewcut man, he pointed his finger at the woman and twirled it.
"Ahhh…" Suddenly, the woman felt like her hands did not belong to her anymore, and the gun fell to the ground as she was lifted and floated in midair, her head facing towards the ground.
"How can this be? The Weave is sealed in here, mid-grade spells can't be cast at all!" The other administrators were shocked.
The yellow haired man looked at the female soldier's thighs, his sleazy eyes revealing his lust. He then asked his leader for permission. "Not a bad pair of thighs! This stocking… You're rather wanton on the inside. Boss, can I play with her?"
"Enough! All of you, stop now! Put down your guns!" The middle-aged officer ordered. Very soon, he looked at the leader of the black uniforms, his eyes revealing a complex gaze, "Are you here to mock me, Javis?"
"I don't have time like that to waste, elder brother." The huge bloke called Javis looked at the yellow-haired man, who immediately released the female soldier. He then took out documents sealed by the imperial seal.
"I'm here to clean up your mess… It's a fact that the Special Forces are the true trump card of the empire, used to deal with things like this." All the military personnel within the tent gasped after hearing the words 'Special Forces'.
This was a covert team put together by the empire. They consisted of people with extraordinary abilities, and were supported by many resources and the newest technology, tasked with dealing with special occurences like this.
More importantly, the members of this team were extremely lawless. Nasty news and rumours floated around the army about them, labelling every team member a crazed criminal.
"The empire has sent out the Special Forces, do those up the hierarchy believe that things have reached such a bad stage?" The female soldier collapsed to the ground, breaking out in cold sweat. She didn't dare to look at the yellow-haired man anymore.
"Since it's the orders of the empire, I have no objections!" The commander looked through the documents and even saw the seals from his direct superior. He saluted in a military pose, before handing over a silver key over to Javis, "I hope you don't let the superiors down!"
"Relax, I'm not you!" Javis smirked, the silver key melting as it entered his body through his skin.
Suddenly, a mechanical voice sounded in the tent. "Authority passed on. Shadow Weave control of Amdo City has changed, welcome General Javis."
"Very good! Contact Mole and Wolf Fang for me!" Javis barked out his orders. Very soon, two soldiers wearing black uniforms appeared on the screen.
"Boss! Team 1 is in position!"
"Team 2 Ready!"
"Our target this time has the ability to enter souls. The feedback from the Weave and the estimation of the central neural net say that the possibility of the enemy hiding in a citizen's body is extremely high.This is a list compiled by the city's surveillance system, I want you to dispose of every member there!"
Javis raised his hand, and an extremely detailed, long list of names appeared. This was the list of suspects put together by the central neural net, where the Weave had sensed the greatest number of questionable energy spikes.
"Have you gone mad?" Javis' brother looked at the list of names. There were over ten thousand names written in there! He howled once more, "These are all citizens of the empire! There may just be one culprit while the rest of them are innocent!"
-x-X-x-
"You've always been so soft, brother. It's your greatest weakness…" Javis looked at his brother. They had similar faces, but their hairs were already turning white.
"I'm the person in charge right now. If not for the citizens, I would long since have applied for the Shadow Weave Team to destroy the entire city…"
Javis dug his ears, "Where are the soldiers? Remove unauthorised personnel from this tent at once!"
Suddenly, a group of armored troops entered and chased the middle aged officer and his subordinates away.
"People who get in the way should leave. Now… Let us play our game of hide and seek!" Javis looked at the screen, his extreme insanity spilling over into calmness, "Enable city surveillance. Lock down all spells using the Shadow Weave, and disable teleportation. Scan for any strange sightings and energy movements. Begin the purge!"
"Go! Action!" Mole and Wolf Fang waved their hands in a forward motion, and the armoured troops behind them began their operation to kill the people on the list.
"Hey, what are you trying to do?" Armoured troops entered a civilian's home, and began shooting at the family of three who were having a meal at the dining table.
*Bang! Bang!* Very soon, the head of the man exploded, and his body lay in a pool full blood, followed by his wife and his daughter.
Although middle-grade spells in the empire had seals that needed unlocking and high-grade spells were reserved for soldiers and royals, commoners still had the right to use low-level spells. However, Javis had already locked down on magic in Amdo City, so all Rapid Shadows watches had turned to trash.
Without those tools, these commoners were weak and small in front of the armored troops. Wave after wave of flying drone encircled the air around Amdo City, releasing messages of warning.
"Troops of the empire are currently in the midst of capturing spies. All civilians are requested to stay in their homes, and not to leave. We will not hurt the innocents. I repeat, we are troops of the empire…"
Gunshots sounded from time to time, and there seemed to be a flurry of activity within the city. However, the soldiers had still managed to suppress the situation and keep it in control.
After all, ten thousand was still only a small fraction of the ten million plus population here. As long as their own names weren't on the list, these citizens wouldn't be brash enough to resist the executions.
As for Javis, he sat in the command post and watched the screen in admiration, enjoying the wine in his hand.
*Bang!* Yet another man was killed in his own home, and blood spilled everywhere.
"No! Don't…." This was the plea of a young lady before her death, but the soldier did not even spare her another glance.
To obey commands was the basic duty of a soldier, and one who didn't think for themselves was basically the ultimate weapon. Only resolution and strength would carry them through all situations and missions.
The mass killing was executed quickly, but there were still some hiccups from time to time.
"Damn it! The Empire still has a hostile outlook on us extraordinary humans?"
A bespectacled young man howled at the gun pointing towards him. Suddenly, he was covered in flames as he turned into a malevolent creature that was filled with scales.
"Shoot!" The psi energy filled bullets only left white scars on the scales.
"It's a mutant! Extraordinary person! Hurry and call for backup!" A squad leader howled at the communicator, but it was already too late.
*Zoom! Whoosh!* The monstrosity leapt forward, turning into a black line on the screen.
*Crash!* The armour that the troops wore was soon torn apart, spilling out broken white bones and blood.
"Huff… Want me to die? You first!" A human voice sounded from the creature's mouth, as he ducked into the sewer quickly.
"Ding! Target's identity confirmed! Second level civilian, Chengfei! Father… Mother…Current home address:... Beginning lock-on!"
The central system screen revealed pieces of information on the target, and on the left side was the appearance of the young man before he transformed.
"Good! These mutants are hereditary. Mole, find a couple of men to get rid of him. As for the rest, look for his parents and blood-related kin!" Javis ordered.
"Kiddo! You had a fun time earlier huh?"
The sewer duct was shattered into pieces, reveal the underground pipe network and the creature's shocked expression.
A black-uniformed soldier stood in midair before the creature, looking down on him in mockery.
"Spawn of the witch! Meet your maker today! Before you die, I hope you can give me some fun…"
"It's only a low-level bloodline carrier?" Javis nodded his head indifferently as he watched the young-man-turned-creature being brutally killed on the screen.
The expansion of technology and the constant purges from the empire had dropped the numbers of these mutants. Some of the present generation didn't have strong powers. On the other hand, people who had obtained extraordinary strength through training rigorous techniques were still around.
However, these two types of extraordinary humans were as weak as ants in front of the forces of the Empire and the Shadow Weave. As the killing in Amdo City continued, many innocent civilians who were caught in the crossfire ended up dead as well.
There were also other unlucky ones like the mutant earlier, killed mercilessly without any proof or verification needed.
These mutants formed the underground world of the each city, but after this event they were completely purged from Amdo city. However, if Amdo City could survive this ordeal, they would instead reach a very high level of society.
As the massacre continued, the several thousand names on the screen disappeared, finally showing only the last few hundred targets.
"All teams on alert!" As the target area grew smaller, even Javis himself had turned more solemn.
...
*Whoosh! Whoosh!*
A woman wearing an office outfit rapidly ran down the streets, as if a predator that was searching actively for its prey.
Suddenly, a metal net appeared from the side of her vision. She leapt upwards for a distance of more than five metres, passing through a wall to disappear from the scene.
"I have to avoid the surveillance cameras, and also throw away any hi-tech equipments related to hidden energy and the Weave!" The office lady face changed as she crushed the Rapid Shadow on her wrist...
About ten minutes later, in an abandoned factory. Blood splattered on the walls like plum blossom in a dark corner.
The office lady took off her coat, revealing a white blouse underneath. She had a hole on her hand.
"Urgh…" However, she gritted her teeth and moved her muscles, forcing out a golden metal bullet out from her body. After expelling the bullet, she heaved a sigh of relief. She then tore part of her blouse to wrap the wound, and her face turned extremely pale.
"The empire is quite resolved this time. Was our organisation discovered?"
"No! Even if we were exposed, they would not need to take such drastic actions. Moreover, the whole of Amdo City is filled with gunshots… We were just unlucky to have been discovered… Were they after some powerful mutant organisation?"
The office lady smiled wryly, "Even if I learned a few body techniques and trained my Plum Blossom Fingers to rank 5, I can only run in the face of the Empire… If not for the other mutants diverting the attention from me, I would have been captured or killed by now… After they narrow down the radius of their hunt, the situation will grow even more troublesome. I need to leave this place as quickly as I can!"
She did not realise that a strand of her hair had already turned crimson red, with a phantom voodoo doll faintly floating behind her back.
[Host Command: Gather intelligence and conceal as much as possible! Chances of current target being discovered is too great! Abandon current target immediately!]
Very soon, the phantom of the voodoo doll left the office lady's body and merged into the darkness.
[Current location is unsafe, attempting to leave! Traces of spatial lockdown discovered! Attempting to break through!]
Light flashed within the dim eyes of the voodoo doll.
"Found you!" Javis howled from within the command post, "Gather up immediately. Attack!"
A dazzling white light flashed as the abandoned factory and the office lady within it disintegrated, turning into dark liquid before sizzling and evaporating into thin air, not leaving behind a trace.
[Beep! Whereabouts discovered, mode changed to breaking through!] The smile on the voodoo doll's face turned even more sinister than before, as light flashed past its eyes once again.
*Boom!* The incendiary bomb which contained a huge amount of energy caused a quarter of Amdo City to be completely destroyed.
Javis and the other members of the Special Forces stood above the explosion in mid-air, surrounding the voodoo doll.
"First apostle found!" Javis snapped his fingers, and powerful spells took form nearby. The energy waves they radiated were no less than that of legendary spells!
"Damn it! That crazy Javis!" Javis' brother, that middle-aged commander, couldn't help but curse as more than a quarter of Amdo City was destroyed.
"I knew it… Handing over the Weave to him was not a wise thing!"
...
Leylin was shocked for a moment as he received the news in Thousand Bears City.
"Although they have made a large sacrifice, they still managed to capture the doll and destroy it, huh?"
-x-X-x-
"Able to destroy my voodoo dolls… This empire is much stronger than the kingdoms on the surface of the Magus World…"
Leylin nodded his head from Xavier's old home in Thousand Bears City. His voodoo dolls were as strong as peak Breaking Dawn Magi, at the limits of rank 6. On the surface world this could afford one a throne, yet that strength was now obliterated by the special forces of a single empire.
Put in other words, the Monarch of the Skies, the Blazing Flames Monarch and the like would not meet with a good end if they came to this world.
'I haven't discovered the Mistress of the Night yet either. She could track my dolls down using the central neural net and the Weave, forcing one out into the open. Such swift and decisive action…' Leylin evaluated indifferently, at the same time not harbouring much more hopes for the other two dolls. With the powers of this empire, discovering the other two was just a matter of time.
However, the goals of acquiring intelligence, data, and even stalling for time had been achieved, so it was already enough.
...
Leylin stayed in Thousand Bears City for some time, watching Xavier train recklessly in the Snakebite Fist. Curiosity had gotten the better of him, and he'd bought a large quantity of medicinal herbs and training dummies for practice.
Another of the dolls was discovered during this time. However, several important cities had suffered collateral damage to destroy it, and the destruction and viruses spread by the doll reached millions. The government had started a donation drive for the victims of this tragedy, and Xavier's sister Jill herself donated part of her pocket money.
As for the last surviving voodoo doll, it was currently hiding in the vast ocean. However, it was only a matter of time before it was discovered.
Leylin didn't mind that, having it gather as much data as it could before being tracked down. Past that he didn't bother with it. In any case, he was confident in infiltrating this world even without the help of the voodoo dolls, and could avoid the surveillance of the Shadow Weave himself…
Within an underground basement. Xavier had already moved most things out of this place making an empty space the size of half a basketball court. The area was littered with sandbags and dummies.
Xavier did not have his shirt on, and he'd wrapped his fists with cloth as he began practicing the technique written in the Snakebite Fist Manual.
*Sssii!* Every punch of his seemed to soften his bones, letting them twist and contort in different ways. A hiss sounded with each fist thrown, as if it was a venomous snake that was striking.
"Huff… Snakebite Fist! Ruthless, insidious, and the trick lies in it being unexpected, striking at an angle that the opponent will not anticipate! Hence, I have to soak both my arms inside a special concoction broth in the beginning stages, to soften the bones…" Xavier muttered.
After practicing one stage of the technique, he went to the nearby water tank and picked up a white towel and dabbed into it. He then applied the black substance on the towel onto his hands, not missing a single pore.
The blackish liquid seemed to burn his skin upon contact, and bored its way through the pores into the bones, as if wanting the melt the entire arm.
"Argh… Damn… It hurts so fucking bad…" This pain caused Xavier to curse. He stuffed another towel he had prepared into his mouth as his expression turned malevolent, and faintly let out the hissing roar of a beast.
This pain lasted for over half an hour before it subsided, leaving Xavier with cold sweat.
*Pu!* He spat out the towel in his mouth and looked at his own hand. Once the residue of the concoction was washed off it revealed fair, whitish skin with a glossy sheen.
"This…" He touched his own hand, and felt that the skin had gotten thicker.
"No… It's totally adding on another layer of outer skin…" Xavier looked at it for a while longer before he took out a needle and pierced his own skin.
Resilient and smooth, just like hide…
He needed about half his strength to finally pierce through the skin, and even that only made him feel a pinch.
"Both of my arms have an increased piercing effect, and even my bones have turned softer, arriving at the minimum requirement of the Snakebite Fist…" Xavier nodded his head, and suddenly felt his heart ache a little, "The ingredients for the concoction is too expensive, and this pain…"
His heartbeat grew fast as he looked at the manual, "Just the elementary stage cost me all my savings. I even need to put my hands in poison in the later stages, giving my strikes a toxic effect. No matter what it doesn't look like an orthodox skill, more demonic…"
In fact, Xavier's guess was rather accurate. Back in the past, the Snakebite Fist was was a manual used by the servants, so it was not anything great. However, it granted great power in a short period of time.
However, with the thinning of these bloodlines and the suppression from various kingdoms and empires, bloodlines had regressed over time. Manuals like the Snakebite Fist instead became treasures to be passed down.
'If he continues to train like this, he'll most likely deviate and go crazy. Even if he's lucky enough to succeed, it'll at most be some skill around the mid-grade Rapid Shadows…' Leylin stood by the side and casually watched Xavier train. 'Forget it… I've been a guest this long, it's about time I pay some rent…'
*Po!* Leylin smiled as he reached out with his hand, and a black light entered the manual of the Snakebite Fist. As this light was too weak, Xavier who had been practicing diligently did not notice it.
However, the ancient manual trembled, before it resumed a stationary position.
In a certain page within the book that recorded the runes of the black datura flower, the lines of the runes continuing to extend and fill out as the flower bloomed. Very soon, these lines lost their powers and did not move any longer. However, the black datura flower which was originally only quarter full was now halfway done, and energy waves seemed to be spreading from the runes.
*Hiss!* Naturally, Xavier did not notice these changes. However, as he punched, the hissing of a giant serpent sounded once again, causing the rune of the black datura flower to flash. An energy radiation that the original owner, a Magus, had placed into the book was now drawn out, as it began to move towards the only bloodline descendant around the manual.
*Hiss!* *Hiss!*
The Snakebite Fist's hissing sound grew louder and louder, as the vibration of the sound waves grew stronger. It was like a giant serpent had coiled itself around Xavier's body.
The teenager had entered a miraculous state. His eyes grew dull as he unleashed punch after punch.The teenager now had enter a miraculous state. Black gas formed a phantom of a black snake behind him, its crimson eyes and tongue giving off a dangerous aura.
With the appearance of the phantom, the skin on Xavier's arms began to molt. Once the old skin fell off it revealed scales underneath.
'This energy is only to pay rent. However, it's like a key that unsealed the radiation locked inside the manual.' Leylin smiled as he watched the black gas engulfing Xavier whole. With his current powers, he could easily grant Xavier the strength of a Breaking Dawn. However, this did not stand in line with the principles of Magi, that trades demanded equal measures.
Moreover, such a spike of foreign power would definitely alert the Weave. Why would he do such a thing?
Hence, Leylin chose to pay his rent in equal measure. This had unsealed the energy radiation within the book, allowing Xavier's ancestor's intentions to be fulfilled.
'Although your ancestor was a low ranked Magus, this is a start to having extraordinary abilities. Moving forward, it's all up to you…' Leylin smiled, his eyes filled with anticipation.
He did not do this because he was bored, but because wanted to confirm a few things through this boy. For instance he wanted to know whether mutant organisations existed, as well as other bloodline carriers.
After Xavier demonstrated his abilities, he would immediately turn into a magnet and attract many people who intend to use his powers. This would put the boy in a bit of a perilous situation, but that only served to give Leylin some excitement as he watched.
'Don't let me down, young man…' Leylin looked at the figure that was still training in the basement. The phantom of the snake now grew larger, and Leylin's smile grew wider...
Xavier only woke up from this unconscious state the next morning. He scratched his head and muttered, "Eh? What's happened to me?"
*Pat!* Suddenly, a piece of wood from the table that he used to prop himself up had been ripped off, causing him to fall onto the ground again.
"What? This wooden table is really unsturdy?" The teenager exerted more force, and his eyes grew bigger as he saw that the wooden block were grinded into fine wooden chips which fell to the ground.
"This situation… It's not that the table is weak, but I've gotten stronger…" Xavier stood up and looked at both his hands. Suddenly, he punched out— Piercing Strike!
*Swish!* A sharp whistle and roar filled the room, carrying the bellows of a giant serpent. A small hole was punched into the walls, causing dust and wood to fall.
'It seems like my body has completely adapted to the movement of the Snakebite Fist… and this…' Xavier looked at his hands, at the scales that had already grown on his skin.
"Complete mastery of the Snakebite Fist?!"
-x-X-x-
Xavier remained confounded over the next few days.
His family inheritance, the Snakebite Fist that was extremely difficult to train in, had been mastered just like that? It was too good to be true, leaving the teenager so distracted he didn't even notice the change to the manual. In the end, he broke seven to eight more items in the house, being nagged by his little sister until he finally learned to control his own strength and stop crushing things.
However, Xavier soon put these issues to the back of his mind. There were more important things to consider.
"Greater Skill Proficiency Test…" Xavier clenched his fists as he looked at a date circled in red on the calendar, "I need to pass no matter what. The access to the Shadow Weave will give me stronger and more powerful spells, letting me find a good job and take care of my family…"
"Martial techniques only enable one to serve as a fighter or security guard even if you master them. Talents who can use high-level techniques are instead sought by many organisations…"
Hence, Xavier did not care much about the strange phenomenon that occurred to him, and immediately delved into a questionnaire and database to study for the test.
Leylin too did not idle around. He casually browsed through the books that Xavier had bought, and saw a small advertisement on one of them.
"Advance sale of answers, a 100% pass rate?" Leylin smiled as he called the number that was left on the note, and got an address.
"Lad, it's you who wants that copy of answers for the high level skills test?" Leylin met two muscled hoodlums at a certain corner of Thousand Bears City. Their bodies were littered with piercings and tattoos, the kind of people one would avoid on the street. They were the type to get into trouble with the police often.
"Yes! Is it true, the 100% pass rate?" Leylin left his concealed state, looking like a youth who wore a jacket and jeans. He was also carrying the ad pamphlet.
"Hehe… Of course it's true!" A hoodlum exchanged gazes with his partner. "We sell everything here, do you know Rapid Shadow 5.0? We can even get one of those, so the answer sheet is definitely not a problem!"
This expression on the hoodlum, as if he was looking at a fat juicy sheep, caused Leylin to sigh inwardly. However, he still put on an expression of unease, "Okay. But I want to see the item before we trade, and it has to be simultaneous!"
"Of course, what do you take me, Azure Dragon, as?" The hoodlum grinned and turned around, "Follow me…"
A group of thugs were littered across a messy underground basement. *Bash! Bam!* Many items fell to the ground, and a few pitiful wails resounded as well.
The two hoodlums which had led Leylin here were now lying on the floor, with blood splattered around them. The group's leader was here as well, one with the tattoo of a black rose on his face. Leylin proceeded to step on his head.
"You have guts, huh? Not only did you use fake answers to try and fool me, you even wanted to rob me? Hmm?" Leylin threw a crumpled piece of paper on his face, "How many fingers do you think I should chop off?"
It was a rare chance for Leylin to be this rampant. He didn't need to fear security cameras, since the underground wanted nothing to do with the country. Even their accounts book was by manual entry and not digitised.
As for any authorities colluding with them? Leylin looked at the boss in disdain and gave him another kick to his stomach, causing the boss to curl up like a prawn. It was not that Leylin did not think highly of them, but collusion occurred at a far greater level than that of this unorganised rabble.
"Do you want to live, or die?" Leylin looked at the boss toyingly, and the answer was immediate.
"So then, take out all the money you have on you! I only want cash! Also… Tell me which underworld organisation is the strongest here? And who is their head?" No matter how good a society was it always had its dark side. Several rounds of questioning gave Leylin the information he needed, and he left unworried that this group would seek revenge. They wouldn't be able to find someone with the same looks Leylin had displayed here, and even if somehow they managed it that would be their bad luck, not his.
This encounter gave Leylin an understanding of how organised falsifying documents was here. Special providers had established good reputations in manufacturing identities, able to give him true blue documents that could withstand scrutiny. As for the source? It was the extra income of a government official working in the safety bureau.
'Exploitation by selling real yet falsified identities? Why does it give me a feeling like I'm being tracked?' Although Leylin complained in his heart, he still paid the money. After a round of genetic inspection, an identity card was now attached to his body. From this day forth he became a third-class citizen of the empire, not afraid of investigations.
The identity card allowed Leylin to rent a house, and buy a low-grade Rapid Shadow and even surf the net. Of course Leylin could've just stolen someone else's identity by transforming into them, but he wanted to witness the authentication process himself.
'As expected. All this genetic inspection mumbo jumbo is a lie to trick the people. The true goal is to let the Shadow Weave scan a person's spiritual sea, huh?' The surprise had caused Leylin's eyes to turn darker, and even harder to read.
His experiences with the Weave in the World of Gods was why he had revealed no traces just now. Even if he'd forcefully assumed someone else's identity it wouldn't have ended up well.
However, through the help of that corrupt official, he was now an ordinary citizen living amongst ten billion others. Even Shar would not be able to find him.
"Hello, Mister Ley! This is your communication device, and the first generation Rapid Shadow. Since you don't have any degrees or a greater skill certificate, you can't use Rapid Shadow 3.0 or above…"
The service staff smiled apologetically to Leylin and took the cash that he handed over. This cash and the money used to buy his identity was funded by those unlucky hoodlums from earlier.
"Hmm… They are all portable retina displays, just a little worse off from my previous world…" Leylin looked at the internet that was similar to his past life, and the various tools and advertisements within. Nostalgia filled him, but it was quickly suppressed again.
"I also need to rent a place… Do you know anywhere that would suit me? I want a house that is close to the outer circle…" Leylin mentioned the area that Xavier and Jill were living in.
"This place?" The staffer was a woman in her twenties, with some slight makeup on. This question exceeded her authority, so she was rather stunned as she looked up at Leylin.
"I'm offering adequate compensation," Leylin added immediately.
"No problem!" The lady very quickly replied, but it was unclear whether it was the promised money that coaxed her or Leylin's looks. "My house is near that area, so it's quite convenient for me as well. However, you have to wait for me to end work…"
...
After busying himself for a while, Leylin immediately moved into a house close to Xavier's. Not knowing of their new neighbour, the siblings carried on with their own tasks.
"A first generation Rapid Shadow… Everyone in the empire has one now…" Leylin looked at the watch that had a black crown labelled on it, and activated the thing.
"Ding! ZESKNG988273221 activated, beginning automatic identity scan… Identity confirmed and locked. This Rapid Shadow is for your personal use, if it is damaged please call…"
Once the startup screen faded, Leylin immediately moved to the most important feature of the watch.
"Ding! Identity locked, account confirmed! Current Balance: 3000 Seres." A notification appeared on the Rapid Shadow, followed by a list of spells and their prices.
"Rank 0 spell— Illumination. 200 Seres per use."
"Rank 0 spell— Increase Resistance. 300 Seres per use."
...
"Rank 1 spell— Shield. 1000 Seres per use."
"Rank 2 spell— Shadow Ball. 3000 Seres per use."
"Ding! Authorisation currently limited to rank 2 shadow spells. Please obtain increased authorisation and buy a newer Rapid Shadow to upgrade…"
"The wizards from the World of Gods would definitely cry at this sight. They take painstaking effort to learn spells, but here people can just buy and download the same things…"
Leylin shook his head. All his money had been used to buy his identity and pay for his rent, so he didn't have much left. However, he had enough to buy a couple of rank 0 or 1 spells for fun. 3000 Seres was not even the salary for a normal office job. If the wizards came over here, they would definitely be devastated and cry.
'However, is it really that easy? Would the Mistress of the Night be so nice?' Leylin rubbed his chin, "Purchase Illumination."
"Ding! 200 Seres deducted. Current Balance: 2800 Seres," the Rapid Shadow notified. Leylin felt like this device connected to the Weave, leaving him with a ball of light in his hands.
'It's the same as wizards' spells, but cannot be stored. If one can't control these they'll land in trouble easily…' Leylin very soon discovered the disadvantage of this system. 'Furthermore… Although it is in minuscule amount, the Weave steals spiritual energy from every person who makes a transaction…'
-x-X-x-
The Weave and its spells cost a lot of energy to maintain. Even with the World Origin Force to support her she wouldn't use it recklessly. This was why she'd adopted a system similar to the World of Gods. Every cast of a spell extracted a small part of the caster's spiritual force.
"But this place takes much less from the caster…" Leylin smirked in disdain. "A.I. Chip, begin analysis!"
[Beep! Mission established, analysing 3d structure of the Shadow Weave…]
A stream of data ran past Leylin's eyes. Compared to the World of Gods, the analysis of the Weave here was much faster and more accurate.
[Beep! ETA: 68 hours 23 minutes and 19 seconds.]
[Beep! Level 3 spells and above sealed. 78.55% chance to breakthrough without alerting anyone. Proceed?] The A.I. Chip voice intoned.
"Not necessary. I can just go and take a greater skill test…" Leylin shook his head and denied the A.I. Chip's prompt.
After toying with the Rapid Shadow, Leylin immediately opened his computer and browsed the sea of information that was available on it. The entertainment and leisure section was skipped as he moved onto the empire's map, governance, military news, and various related issues. With Leylin's processing abilities now, he managed to quickly browse through the information on the internet. Slowly, everything in the empire was revealed to him.
"Hmm? What's this?" Leylin witnessed something strange amidst the sea of information. He opened a new page, entering a forum.
"Explosive news! Extreme beauty found in City A! I'm flabbergasted after looking!" This thread attracted many fans, and even many had applied to follow it closely. However, many of the replies were 'seeing is believing' and the like…
"I wanted to take a picture too, but I did not bring my communicator device!"
"I brought mine, but the communicator device was spoilt. I couldn't take any photos, but she was really gorgeous, even causing a few car accidents on the streets…"
"Yea! That woman mysteriously left soon after that. Many rich people in City A have been offering sky high prices to catch a glimpse of her…"
"Could it be a ghost?"
Leylin gave that post a downvote. Many of the posts on the thread were similar to comments like 'OP is trolling' or 'Absolute bait', until a cocky guy posted a new image.
"Haha… Those above me are retards! I happened to have the latest Rapid Shadow there, and I managed to take a photo!"
A rank 8 existence wouldn't leave behind an electronic image even if she suppressed her own aura and radiation. The forcefield around their body could contort the space around them, and even if a photo was actually captured or their true name discovered it would come with unimaginable power or even curses!
The person posted a blurry image on this thread, faintly revealing an extremely seductive figure. Even the corner of her dress left people wanting more.
"A photo from the front! I beg you…" Many online 'wolves' were asking for more on the thread, but there was no more response from the person who posted the image.
'Hmm. City A. huh? But the Snake Dowager should have moved quickly, not wanting to meet Shar…' Leylin could only silently pray for the Snake Dowager. After all, Thousand Bears City was extremely far from City A, and required him to travel across half the empire.
Furthermore, with the Snake Dowager drawing all the attention to herself, he would be less likely to be found by the Mistress of the Night. He only had a partnership with that woman, so only after his own safety was assured along with an equal exchange did he even consider helping her.
As for now? The Snake Dowager used to live here in the Shadow World. No matter how much it had changed, she could surely adapt to it quickly. Were she to fail at even that, Leylin would choose to walk away from the place right away. After all, lousy teammates were extremely scary creatures who could cause the party to be wiped.
"The Snake Dowager is a rank 8 existence after all… I should believe in her…" Leylin shrugged his shoulders and began pulling the window curtains apart. From his position, he could clearly see Xavier's two-storeyed home. The study room's light was still on, which meant that Xavier was studying hard.
"Hmm! The skill test begins in three days huh?" Leylin took out his communicator and also signed up for the test. He'd wanted to obtain greater authority with the Shadow Weave, as well as higher status.
'Once I get a mid-grade Rapid Shadow even some extraordinary abilities won't attract attention from the central neural net. It'll let me do quite a bit…'
...
The three days passed very quickly, and the day for the greater skill test had arrived.
Xavier exhaled loudly and looked at the mirror after packing his things. Ever since that mysterious change in him, he'd matured greatly in his looks. His skin had grown smooth and glossy as well, causing even his sister Jill to be jealous.
"Okay, I need to succeed this time!" Xavier cheered himself on as he looked at his reflection, before walking out of the house.
"All the best, Brother!"Jill saw him out of the house, and prayed as Xavier's figure left. Her voice reverberated through the alley.
"Woah… There's so many people in here…" Even if he'd prepared himself mentally, Xavier was still taken aback at the sheer number of people at the examination venue.
"The greater skill test is one of the most difficult tests in the empire. Once one qualifies they can use middle-rank spells, equivalent to holding gun rights. Apart from that, many organisations will clamour to hire you… It's pretty normal to have so many people apply…"
A familiar voice sounded from behind Xavier, and he turned around. He saw a young man standing there, his long sideburns causing him to look middle-aged.
"Why? You don't recognise me anymore?" The young uncle patted Xavier's shoulders and laughed.
"What? Un...Uncle Crowley!" Xavier immediately recognised the man from the aircraft.
"I told you not to call me uncle…." Crowley touched his own face. "My beard and sideburns are a little thick, but in fact I'm still very young… I'm only twenty five! Twenty five!"
'But isn't twenty five already considered an uncle?' Xavier disagreed inwardly, but he still changed his form of address.
"Mm. I remember Big Brother Crowley already has his license? Don't you already have the latest version of the Rapid Shadow?" Xavier asked.
"Indeed. I'm not a candidate today, I'm exam staff." Crowley placed an exquisitely made license in front of his chest, "Even if we know each other well, don't think that I'll go easy on you… Each and every test is invigilated by a computer system as well as the authentication of the Shadow Weave. There's no use in cheating…"
After speaking, Crowley swept his gaze at the surrounding candidates. Some of them held gazes of unease, restlessness and jealousy.
"The authorisation of middle rank spells requires technical skills, and extremely strong concentration. People who don't meet these two criteria can go home now… If you turn into an idiot in any case, we don't need to take any actions because you have signed the indemnity form…"
However, this advice did not bring about any effects. Crowley could only sigh as he bid Xavier farewell before entering the hall.
"Drats…" After Crowley left, Xavier felt the fervent gazes concentrate around him, as if able to melt his body. His senses had been magnified by the Snakebite Fist, causing him to feel uneasy.
"So...Sorry!" he muttered, before running to the side where less people were gathered.
'There aren't as many candidates here, surely they didn't overhear my conversation with Crowley?'
*Bang!* As he was looking down on the ground, Xavier knocked into someone, and the supple rebound force sent him falling backwards as his bottom hit the ice cold floor.
"Are you alright?" This was a black-haired youth with black pupils, more handsome than even superstars. That apologetic look on his face was so warm it seemed like spring had bloomed. He reached his hand out and pulled Xavier up.
"I'm fine, thank you!" Xavier couldn't deny this man's looks, and they even aroused his ire. He refrained from punching that face.
"Hmm, you have great strength…" Xavier responded quickly and saw the physical appearance of the youth before he praised him.
Xavier had already mastered the Snakebite Fist. Even if he suppressed his own strength, and the technique itself didn't excel in raw power, he had a good idea of his current physical prowess. He'd be fine even if a car crashed into him, but now he'd been knocked down easily.
"Yup, I like to train my body regularly!" The youth smiled and revealed a tidy row of white teeth.
This person was naturally Leylin. His appearance had not changed much from before, and was the exact same one on his identification card. Currently wearing jeans and a jacket, he'd decided to greet Xavier 'by accident.'
"I'm called Ley, what's your name?" Leylin asked rhetorically.
"Xavier! I'm Xavier!" Xavier answered only after he patted the dirt off his body and inspected his belongings.