Chapter 1763 - WMW 132

The two quickly began to strike up conversation. With Leylin's experience and knowledge, duping a youth was an extremely simple matter. Xavier had soon lost all traces of jealousy in his heart, feeling like this Ley was a talkative and humorous person.

"Mm, so you have a little sister. Thousand Bears City's little bear biscuits are favoured by many girls. I should bring some with me when I come to visit," Leylin said with a smile.

"You coming over to visit is already enough. You don't have to be so courteous," Xavier replied. But just as he was about to continue, a sharp bell sounded out.

Drawn in by the urgent sound of the bell, the crowd streamed towards the main gate in waves, like a limitless sea of people.

"Mister Ley, the examination is about to begin! Let us continue our chat later…" With Xavier's physique, he was involuntarily swept away by the surging sea of people, leaving Leylin behind.

"Of course!" Leylin smiled. This sort of scene seemed to bring back a rather nostalgic feeling, and he also entered the examination hall.

"The examination has been split into 2 sections— a written examination and an on-site test. Candidates AS1 to SD100 please proceed to examination hall 3," a mechanical voice echoed in the hall. Leylin followed its prompts, arriving at an exam hall.

At the destination were several silver-grey nutrition cabins. The metallic surface shone brilliantly, looking like something out of science fiction.

"Your written examination will be conducted in the nutrition cabins, so please find your seats." A staff member with a blue exam badge entered the hall, scanning the crowd with a piercing eagle-like gaze.

"The exam will take a long time, but don't worry about your constitution. We will prepare enough nutrient liquids for you." The blue-badged staff member monitored them all and Leylin found his own nutrition cabin.

"Beep! Scan has been completed. Welcome, candidate GF87." Ice-cold and solid… This was Leylin's first impression of the nutrition cabin. Even he felt nauseous with the influx of nutrient liquid, so it would definitely be a form of torture for normal people.

A light flashed before his eyes suddenly, and a virtual exam room appeared. The room itself was limitlessly vast, but it only had a single hardwood desk with paper and pen on it.

"A virtual environment? Mm, this can eliminate cheating, and allows the examinees to be given different questions each. Unless one can break through their cabin's lock, they can't possibly cheat." Leylin sat down, sweeping his eyes across the questions on the table.

His ability to gather information was shockingly quick. He's crammed hard last night, so none of these questions could trouble him one bit.

"It's a written examination, but many things can be tested in a virtual environment. It absolutely won't be limited to just these unlimited questions…" Leylin smiled to himself before answering the questions at rapid speed.

In this environment, ordinary candidates were completely unable to perceive the passing of time. Leylin was of course the exception. After completing over ten examination papers, the surrounding environment began to change. He was taken to an operating workshop.

'Question 35— Use the given materials to repair this Rapid Shadow wristwatch.'

Leylin looked at the lathe here, and saw a broken wristwatch upon it, with several electric pens and other items scattered around it. Its screen had been smashed to pieces.

'This must be the on-site test,' Leylin stroked his chin, 'Unless the on-site tests directly open the limits of authority, and evaluate the use of mid-ranked spells?'

The current empire did not have sufficiently advanced virtual reality technology to simulate magic. Only Leylin's A.I. Chip was able to do something on that level. After all, the flesh and soul were the same as spiritual force and matter. It was an extremely difficult matter to fuse the two together and analyse all their mysteries.

It was only with the space-time travel that his A.I. Chip had abandoned physical form. It had fused with his soul, and even then it took multiple advancements to reach its current level.

Crowley had changed into a well-ironed uniform, walking into the control theatre of the examination hall. His eyes sparkled as he saw a fair-haired beauty and greeted her, "Oh, Miss Bobbi! Did you discover any useful seedlings?"

"Your job is to patrol the examination hall, Proctor Crowley," the beauty rejected him without hesitation. It caused all the other proctors to smile.

"Alright, alright! I'm impatient too. If we discover an outstanding mechanic, we'll get a reward as well," Crowley looked at Bobbi with a pitiful look in his eyes, "I think we need to discuss it."

Bobbi looked at the monitor screen and then at her wrist before she finally agreed. "Five minutes, then…"

The other exam proctors kept their calm in the face of something so unexpected. An amorous glint immediately appeared in Crowley's eyes, and he followed Bobbi outside.

Although on the surface it seemed as if there was melodrama here, with one person pursuing the other, their conversation was transmitted to the rest through secret means.

"Let's have dinner tonight? A new restaurant opened up recently in the Champs Elysees," Crowley spoke non-stop, his performance making the other proctors knit their brows and turn away.

In secret he'd sent a short message to the woman, 'I see that TY13 and the others are quite good. They're worth recruiting and nurturing…'

"I don't have any time tonight." Bobbi said with a cold expression on her face, replying using their secret code, 'Pay attention to them and protect them. The best thing is to fail them in their written exams, or chase them out of the examination hall. Don't give them access to the on-site tests. Other than that, you seem to have missed one of them…'

'I'll take responsibility for Xavier, don't interfere.' Crowley's expression changed..

'I know, I know, but the thing is…'

'As long as you understand. Let's not say too much, the surveillance from central intelligence and the Weave is quite serious.' Crowley finished his final message and then fell to the ground to release a heart-piercing cry, "Oh, Bobbi, my Bobbi…"

The fair-haired beauty smiled coldly and returned to the control room under the surveillance of many guards and onlookers.

'What happened?' She'd originally expected a lot of busybodies to circle her, but she was rather stunned to see all the proctors surrounding the screen. The melodrama from earlier did not attract any attention whatsoever.

'Did my acting skills fail? Or am I under suspicion?' Bobbi's heart twisted. She saw a proctor come over to her with an extremely solemn expression on his face, as well as a look of ecstasy. "Bobbi! Come and take a look."

"Mm?" Bobbi leaned against the wall with a curious look on her face. In her heart, she secretly sighed in relief, 'I wasn't discovered!'

Afterwards, she saw an examination paper with a perfect score broadcasted on the screen.

"Ah, so such an exceptionally intelligent seedling appeared," Bobbi sucked in a breath of cold air. She looked at the candidate's information column. "So his name is Ley? It seems like he answered everything correctly, this is really…"

"Everything must be compared. Look at this," the proctor produced another record. That was Leylin's progress in repairing the Rapid Shadow wristwatch. Every movement flowed like the movement of clouds, filled with a unique sense of beauty.

"He does not hesitate in the slightest before committing to every action. This youth has already grasped the techniques of 2-dimensional objects. His intuitive use of materials and his confidence are monstrous…" Bobbi bluntly put it, her words full of praise.

"Mm. Xavier and Rambo aren't much compared to him…"

"Are you ready to directly recommend him to the empire?" Bobbi asked.

"No, the written examination is the most basic part. What we need is a talented person with keen spiritual force, sufficient willpower, and tenacity to manipulate high-ranked spells…" The proctor's words were very reasonable. After all, there were many good examples of those with a good foundation but terrible spell execution.

"Then let's wait and see," Bobbi said with a smile. There was some hesitation in her heart, however. 'This Ley… Nothing was strange about him before, and even Crowley didn't discover anything. He has this sort of intelligence, how abnormal…"

...

With a desperate round of eliminations, less than a hundred candidates remained for the second. Xavier was amongst them, his face filled with curiosity and excitement as he looked all around him.

"Oh, Xavier!" Leylin arrived by his side and clapped him on the shoulders.

"Mm, Mister Ley has also passed?" Xavier said with a smile.

"I just got lucky, haha…" Leylin scratched the back of his head and replied courteously.

"You're too modest. Just got lucky? You topped the entire examination!" Crowley arrived, dressed in the official uniform of a proctor. The candidates made way for him.

"Brother Crowley! Let me introduce you. This is Ley… Wait, what did you just say?" Xavier suddenly seemed to feel a little dizzy.

"I said that your friend isn't as simple as you thought. He placed first in the written examination!" Crowley smiled as he shook hands with Leylin. His eyes, however, were filled with unconcealed warning.

'He feels rather nervous, and he has a similar bloodline aura…' Leylin looked at Crowley then at Xavier, his smile deepening.

"Oh, this really is amazing," Xavier made a big fuss. Crowley had to quiet him down forcefully, "Take note of the exam hall's rules!"

'You're the one who disrespects the rules the most…' Xavier protested in his mind, but he lowered his voice a little in the end.

-x-X-x-

'This extraordinary strength, it's similar to a bloodline aura but also contains vicissitudes of the spirit…' Leylin looked at Crowley and then back at Xavier, finding them both similar. Of course, without knowledge nobody would notice these similarities.

'Bloodline carrier, huh? Finally found one, and an organisation suppressed by the empire at that... ' Leylin felt somewhat delighted, and at the same time he observed Xavier's conversation with Crowley as the latter left something with the teen.

'Interesting… Is he trying to protect Xavier or set him up?' Leylin looked at Crowley, but Crowley walked away instead.

"Alright everyone, the examinations will begin!" Under the vigilant gazes of the officers, Leylin and the other candidates walked into a large field with a white jade floor. In the centre of the field was a spell formation in the shape of a hexagon.

"The examinations requires you to connect with the Weave, and also to accurately cast a middle ranked spell…" A well trained military officer stood at the forefront, and his voice echoed throughout the entire field.

"I'll repeat myself… There is a certain level of danger in this examination. You may choose to give up now and walk away, we will not look down on you…" Evidently, with success just one step away, none of the candidates chose to give up.

"Very well. If I call your name please step forward for your examination. Firstly, WE23, Deery…" A girl with freckles walked forward, her face filled with unease.

"Stand inside the formation, the Weave will grant you temporary authority…" The officer ordered with a voice that could not be disobeyed. After the candidate stood at the spot, he nodded his head and looked at his watch before saying, "Authorise middle-rank spells from the Shadow Weave."

*Buzz! Buzz!* The white light in the spell formation began to shake, and the pressure from within caused the freckled girl to cry.

"Central neural net, pick a topic," the officer shouted from outside the formation. Many spells names begin to rotate quickly on a large overhead screen, and it finally rested on one.

"Rank 3 spell— Shadow Wings!" the officer said as he looked at the girl. "Connect to the Shadow Weave through the spell formation, and cast the spell to the best of your ability. Our judges and the central neural network will perform the scoring…"

"Damn! Shadow Wings is a difficult spell to cast even amongst the rank 3 spells, she really is unlucky…" Xavier sighed in pity, not noticing that Leylin was looking at him with an even more pitiable expression.

Xavier concentrated on the spell formation, watching as the girl attempted to summon a pair of black wings. However, all that formed was two balls of black mist, not materialising into wings. The two were even uneven.

*Bang!* A loud explosion sounded out at the end, and the balls exploded behind the girl's back. She was sent flying, with flesh and blood oozing out of her body.

"Final score: 0.2. Fail!" The officer had an indifferent expression on his face as he waved his hands, indicating for the medical team to carry the girl away and treat her.

"How is it? Does anyone want to quit now?" The officer surveyed his surroundings, and the candidates all bowed their heads. However, even now nobody chose to quit, each thinking that Lady Luck would stand by their side.

"Very well… Next!" The officer resumed the examination, smiling icily.

"Final score: 0.4. Fail!"

"Final score: 0.3. Fail!"

"Final score: 0.6. Barely passed!"

...

Candidate after candidate was disqualified quickly. It took fifty candidates for a single plump candidate to pass. The unlucky ones had been carried out of the venue, causing the atmosphere to darken.

If not for that candidate scoring a pass, most people would have given up by now.

"Next, Dinar!" The officer called a name.

"Sir!" The candidate called Dinar was a tall lanky man, looking to be in his thirties. However, his sideburns were white and his eyes spoke of a long past.

"Yes, you look promising. Enter!" After seeing him, the officer's eyes brightened.

"Thanks!" Dinar walked into the spell formation and took a deep breath.

"Begin! Your chosen spell is Phantom Fireball!" The officer announced.

"Whaa… It's one of the easiest spell to control! He's so lucky…" The candidates below clamoured.

The man seemed extremely pleased with his own luck too. He closed his eyes as a formless spiritual force spread and connected to the Weave. Very soon, a dark red fireball appeared before him, as gentle as a tamed beast.

"Very well. Finally, another candidate passed!" Xavier clenched his fist, and his confidence was rebuilt.

However, just as he thought Dinar would pass, a strange even occurred. The dark red fireball began to shudder, and seemed to cracked at its sides, causing Dinar's expression to turn bad.

*Boom!* The dark red fireball exploded, charring Dinar into ashes.

"..." Absolute silence reigned, death permeating the field. The silence was finally broken by a scream, and immediately a cacophony was stirred up.

"SIlence, or you'll be disqualified!" The threat was extremely effective, and the field became quiet once again.

"Sad. This Dinar's spiritual force was cracked, causing a backlash with the spell. This is one of the three primary ways of suicide in the books, you should all be wary of it." The officer lectured them and waved his hands as he inspected the spell formation. Several members from the medical team came forth and carried the burnt corpse away.

'Oh, so that's what happened.' Leylin looked at Xavier, who seemed to be scared silly. Crowley smirked in secret as well, nodding his head.

'Although the Shadow Weave's requirements are lower than Mystra's, regular humans can only control low-ranked spells. Middle-ranked spells and above need thorough examination. This is not something peculiar, just… The death, it's abnormal! These officers can all use the Shadow Weave, but they didn't manage to save an amateur? It has to be deliberate!

'So then, the only difference with Dinar was… He had mild traces of extraordinary abilities!' Leylin's eyes brightened.

'So there's a secondary purpose to this screening. Apart from choosing those qualified to cast middle-ranked spells, it serves to differentiate true humans from mutants of bloodline carriers!

'Since they have better talent in the first place, it's quite likely that they'll take these examinations. By tweaking some things in the dark and under the disguise of accidents, the empire can purge and massacre these impure humans…

'No wonder I found it strange that even with psi energy and the Weave the number of extraordinary humans has been dwindling too quickly… There was this screening…' Leylin nodded his head, not disagreeing with what they had done.

Any centralised government would abhor those people who could form their own forces and become a threat. Those like Magi that could not be controlled by the Shadow Weave were better off purged in order to maintain peace and public security.

Moreover, if one could even stamp on the seal in the name of justice, it would be even better. Had Leylin been the ruler, he would most likely have made the same decision.

'So regular humans who apply for the exams will only pass or fail, suffering some injury at most. However, extraordinary humans…' Leylin looked at the headless corpse, which was a good example.

After constant repeats of this scenario, with the development of science, extraordinary humans would then become a myth and legend of the distant past. So, Crowley was in fact protecting Xavier earlier?

"Hmm? Are there any now who want to leave?" Evidently, the death earlier scared several candidates, and some chose to withdraw. The officer did not stop them, and allowed their departure by waving his hands. After all, if they had to force every candidate to go up and attempt the test, then it would be too obvious.

This plan was set for the long term. As long as there were a huge numbers of bloodline carriers dying each year, the seeds would eventually be eliminated.

"Next, Xavier!"

"It's my turn!" Xavier felt pumped.

"Go up! All the best!" Leylin encouraged him at the side, and saw the worry in Crowley's eyes.

'After all this time, the rebels should have thought up a way to counter this by now, huh?' However, Xavier did not know anything regarding these issues, and he walked to the spell formation in trepidation.

'Okay! The spirit scan is not a problem, he's not a bloodline carrier!' The officer looked at a secret report before he announced the choice loudly, "Chosen spell— Phantom Fireball!"

'I've already casted this countless times in my head. I'll surely succeed!' Although Dinar had died earlier, Xavier did not allow his death to affect his spiritual force from reaching into the spell formation.

"Hmm?" However, he suddenly realised something. The spiritual force which he could use to cast low rank spells was now like a dead puddle, not moving one bit.

"Damn it! Move! Come on!" Xavier turned beet red, only feeling that his spiritual force would not budge no matter what.

*Puff!*... Finally, a small wisp of flame was formed before him. But it very soon turned into a black pillar of smoke.

-x-X-x-

"That flame, don't tell me it's actually a Shadow Fireball?" The candidates below were completely stunned. The whole room erupted into laughter.

Xavier wanted to dig a hole and throw himself into it. The embarrassed blush on his face extended all the way to his neck.

"Such a shame… You scored so well in the written examination, but it turns out you're a squib." The proctor regretfully shook his head.

A squib was a normal person who was innately weak in terms of spiritual force. Although it wasn't difficult for them to cast low-ranked spells, they were idiots at the practice of higher ranked spells. With their spiritual force unable to support them, they were like machine guns with no bullets.

"Pity… Final score: 0.1 Fail!" The military instructor announced loudly. Everyone around Xavier sighed.

Just as Xavier began to walk away despondently, he saw Crowley walking towards him. "Don't be upset, everything will get better soon," he said, and Leylin keenly noticed a look of relief in the man's eyes. He shook his head involuntarily.

'Normally, the juniors take advantage of their elders. Seeing a senior do that to a younger man is quite rare... ' Leylin watched rather speechlessly as Crowley used his acting skills to score points with Xavier.

"Next, Ley!" The proctor raised his voice as Leylin calmly stepped forward and walked into the pentagram spell formation.

'It seems like my performance in the written exam scared them. Did I arouse some suspicion?' Leylin saw the bewilderment in the proctor's eyes, and laughed coldly to himself.

'This Ley…' Crowley fixed his eyes on Leylin's back, 'It's very strange that our organisation never discovered someone like him. It's very suspicious… I hope he's a natural genius, otherwise…'

Very quickly, Leylin felt a gentle scan from the pentagram's spell formation. [Beep! Soul aura sweep detected, creating a fake profile…]

His truesoul of laws suddenly shrank back a little, hiding itself in a crack between the spiritual and material planes. All his power left with it, making him seem like an ordinary person. With the A.I. Chip as well as his own self-concealment methods, nothing was discovered.

'Everything is normal? It looks like he really is a genius. I hope he can pass and contribute to humankind in the future.'

The proctor glanced at the screen out of the corner of his eye and announced it in a loud voice, "The central neural net has selected the spell— Shadow Servant!"

"What? Isn't that the hardest exam question? Shadow servants need a fixed amount of intelligence!"

"He's finished! People say even high-ranked engineers with mechanic permits can't cast it properly…"

The candidates who were watching below rejoiced in Leylin's misfortune.

"Shadow servant? Ley's luck is really too bad…" Xavier seemed to recover a little from his knockback, and began to worry for Leylin who stood at the centre of the pentagram.

"Begin authorisation of the Shadow Weave," the proctor nodded. The pentagram suddenly let out a faint white light, and the Shadow Weave rumbled as the restriction on the middle level was lifted.

[Beep! Authority to use mid-ranked Shadow Weave acquired. Injecting background virus, beginning analysis…]

'The middle layer of the Weave has been opened to its limits. There should be a small crack for me to exploit to get to the higher ranks. A.I. Chip, attempt analysis of the high-ranked Weave!'

[Beep! Mission established! Initiating task…] the A.I. Chip loyally answered.

"Mm, what's the matter?" At this moment, the main proctor was suddenly enveloped in fear. But when he came back to consciousness, nothing seemed to have happened. The A.I. Chip had used that moment of unconsciousness to use a backdoor into the upper levels of the Shadow Weave, completely concealed from the man himself.

'As expected, the Shadow Weave is quite imperfect. Although it's like Mystra's Weave on the surface, it's severely lacking.' Leylin's eyes glowed, 'After all, this is something Shar built alone, and not even as a god. If it's like this…'

A sudden unbidden thought revealed itself within Leylin's heart, 'If I use the rank 12 arcane spell here, Karsus' Avatar, what would happen?"

The World of Gods was far too powerful, with quite a few gods at the peak of rank 8. He couldn't imagine their response if he broke the Weave apart. Here, though, it was different. The Shadow Weave was incomparable to the real Weave, and Shar herself was only an intermediate god when she left.

Leylin had quite looked forward to using the exam to test the Shadow Weave's response to arcane spells and the like. A conscient that had already died but could still pass the crystal wall structure and make it to the Shadow World was rather curious.

'Well, they're both the Weave in the end. Karsus' Avatar has quite a high chance of succeeding, and I only need to overwrite the Shadow Weave's research program. It's best to act only after I've analysed the tenth level of the Weave…'

Leylin's mood vastly improved after he thought about this point. Shar wasn't a full incarnation of the Shadow Weave, but their existences were tied inseparably. If the Shadow Weave was destroyed, the damage done to her would be terrifying.

It seemed like Leylin had a trump card in his hands, one which he could use to threaten Shar at any time. It said, 'Don't come over here, or I'll let you have it!'

'However, how do I let Shar know about this deterrent? That is the true problem.' Even nuclear weapons were at their strongest before they were fired. Leylin naturally wouldn't just act without a prior warning.

"Can you begin, Ley?' the proctor seemed to have misunderstood, "If you aren't sure about it, you can choose to give up. After all, your safety is of utmost importance.'

It had to be said that the proctor loved to protect ordinary human geniuses.

"Oh, thank you. It won't be necessary," Leylin politely waved him off and directly connected to the Shadow Weave.

*Zzzz!* A layer of concentrated black smoke formed beneath his feet, slowly sketching the outline of a person. The proportions of the four limbs were perfect and in harmony, only its facial feature left fuzzy and indistinct.

"Master…" A hoarse voice was emitted from the shadow servant's body as he knelt down in front of Leylin.

"This intelligence… It's the highest grade of shadow servant!" The proctor smiled fervently, "Ley! Your complete assessment score is 1, you gave an exceptional performance!"

"Woah…" The people below were stunned into silence. A long moment seemed to pass, and the cheers that erupted afterward were incomparable to the cacophony caused by someone passing before. After all, those before him had very barely passed, whereas Leylin had scored full points.

"Ley really is a brilliant person…" Xavier looked at Leylin who stood up on the stage. Everyone's attention was focused on the black-haired youth, and in his heart he felt slightly inferior when compared to him.

"What's the matter?" Crowley casually patted him on the shoulder, "Although you don't have talent when it comes to controlling the Weave and using spells, your personal strengths lie in other areas. The one who invented the Rapid Shadows was also a squib! However, who can deny his contributions?"

'That's true! Even if I don't have a diploma, I still have the Snakebite Fist!' Xavier inwardly thought to himself and clenched his fist. Seeing this scene, a trace of gratification flashed across Crowley's eyes.

...

His high-ranked permit was hot off the press, and the government had strongly urged Leylin to stay. He said he needed some time to consider his options, using that as an excuse to leave.

After that, he went directly to the shop for Rapid Shadows. He didn't actually need one to cast shadow spells, but he had to conceal that fact so he ended up buying one.

"You want to buy Rapid Shadow 5.0? Please show me your permit." This was the same shop assistant from before, and there was a trace of astonishment in her eyes, 'He only had authority for the most basic model just a while ago. Now…'

"Mm," Leylin calmly handed his new permit to the assistant. Once the computer attested to its veracity, her eyes were filled with fervent passion. It wasn't just this assistant, the others nearby were completely starstruck as well!

Leylin didn't suspect in the slightest that as long as he took care, it was very possible for him to get his hands on everything. However, now was not the time. He ignored the bitter gazes directed at him from hiding, settling the payment for the device and leaving the shopping centre. The gazes had never been a problem for him.

"Ding! Welcome to Rapid Shadow 5.0, customer. Your account balance is currently 23000 Seres." His communication device flashed immediately after he equipped the wristwatch, receiving several messages in succession.

"Hello, Mister Ley! Thousand Bears Market is honoured to have served you your title. ID data and authorisation refreshed, citizen class changed to first rank. You can enjoy public facilities for free, overdraft on the Shadow Weave, and receive beneficial treatment when it comes to immigration visas. Please send an enquiry for further details…"

The messages of several private firms followed, offering sky-high salaries of hundreds of thousands of Seres a month.

'No wonder those attendants all became like this. So high-ranked mechanics are equivalent to nobles here?' After seeing this, Leylin involuntarily sighed. No matter how science and technology progressed, humans in the end were still divided into different ranks.

Sadly, he himself didn't have the slightest of interest in these things. He was too lazy to even send a reply.

-x-X-x-

On his way back to his villa, Leylin went to Xavier's house to greet the siblings, especially making an appearance in front of Jill. Agreeing to visit them again, he returned to his room and closed the doors and windows.

'Woman of the shadows… Mistress of the Night, it's time I greet you.' Leylin closed his eyes slightly, his conscient traversing boundless space in an instant as it arrived at the seas. An eerie smile emerged on the oily face of the voodoo doll as it emerged from the blue depths.

"Target discovered. Attack!" Many warships and aircraft carriers equipped with psi energy generators surrounded it, numerous powered submarines gathering around it like sharks. Spells gathered at the malicious mouths of the cannons, causing a great sense of danger.

"Hehe…" The smile on the voodoo doll widened, and the glint in its two black eyes dimmed before beginning to flicker even more vigorously than before.

This slight change resulted in an extreme transformation of the aura of the doll. From a brutal, robotic puppet hunter, it had now turned into a bundle of unfathomable darkness.

*Crack! Crack!* The voodoo doll turned its neck and scanned the huge warships with terrifying artillery, as well as the dense crowd of powerful spellcasters atop.

"You've done the best you possibly can in terms of technology. Unfortunately, your personal evolution has been stagnant…" Leylin shook his head, and then made a sound.

*Chii!* Piercing sound waves swept the area, and large batches of the navy collapsed with blood spurting out of their orifices.

"Infrasonic attack! Quick, activate shadow protection!" The surrounding warships entered a frenzy. Guided by powerful mutants and the empire's special forces, they formed multicolour shields one by one.

Unfortunately, these shields had no effect at all. The normal people were mowed down like grass, and only the mutants with exceptional mental power were spared alongside a few powerful spellcasters.

"Your weak mental force makes it difficult to counter attacks on the soul…" Leylin believed this to be deliberate on the part Shar. In this scenario, no matter how far human civilisation advanced it would always remain in her grasp.

Things were harder with mutants and those with ancient bloodlines. While the chances were low, some beings of laws could still appear among their ranks. This was why they had to be exterminated.

'Take rank 1 and 2 Magi, for example. They wouldn't be able to fight my old world's military head on, only turning to dust under their laser cannons. However, if they were to keep a low profile they could bewitch and hypnotise people in a bid to set up terrifying organisations, and to devastating effect…'

*Rumble! Rumble!* Having lost most of their crews, the warships and aircraft carriers sank into the sea. Those workers had been normal humans, and there was little they could do to withstand the might of Leylin's soul when he intentionally attacked them.

Some aircrafts even began to smoke and spark, exploding violently. This was the disadvantage of using external tools; all sorts of accidents could occur without a controller.

"What do we do, Captain?" The survivors gathered on the few warships left, staring at the figure that was like a devil in the sky.

"We attack!" The captain, who looked wise and had a scar on his face, gritted his teeth, "This person's attacks are only effective against normal humans. There's little effect on us extraordinary beings so we can take him on. Do what you can, and have the rest retreat. Get the empire to draw up other methods to annihilate them!

"We should prepare an elite team formed entirely of extraordinary beings, which will definitely be enough to dispose of the enemy…"

Light flickered on the wristwatches of those present, and shadow wings formed on their backs as large numbers rose to encircle Leylin in the air.

'I see…' Leylin took a look around and smiled slightly, 'Besides high-levelled spellcasters, the special operatives of the empire also have a batch of extraordinary beings and bloodline carriers? This policy of having some pulling the rest forward really seems to be instinct for large countries…'

"Quick! Notify the naval headquarters! Apostle 3 has special offensive abilities and no ordinary being can get close to him. Only the Special Forces can do anything to him, call them in!"

The surviving ships were started at this moment, and some jumped on to lifeboats as they all left the area quickly. It was like there was a great ferocious beast watching them from behind.

Leylin paid no mind to them leaving. It was like a normal being stepping on a group of ants in their way, and then continuing on while paying no heed to the ants lucky enough to survive.

'A rank 6 blood carrier, and other ability users…' On the contrary, Leylin was slightly interested in this wave of elites surrounding him. The burly man at the lead was almost equivalent to rank 6 in the Magus World, and he also had the inheritance of an ancient bloodline.

'The empire even managed to buy over someone like him? It looks like Shar's plans aren't so simple…'

"What the hell are you?" The captain eyed the voodoo doll in front of him, astutely sensing the wisdom and intelligence in it. A single look from the doll had made him feel transparent, causing a chill up his spine.

"Heehee…" Unfortunately, Leylin had no intentions of communicating with beings like this. Under his control, the voodoo doll's smile widened and became more eerie. Light glinted in its eyes.

*Rumble! Rumble!* The survivors who had managed to escape now found that the ocean behind them began to roar, the waves surging to over a hundred metres tall and swallowing them.

*Drip! Drip!* Crimson blood fell from the voodoo doll's straw arm as it held onto the head of the scarred captain. His wide, terrified eyes had lost all signs of life.

The voodoo doll stood silently in the sky, and only after a long while did it turn back, looking towards a certain area.

"I imagined you would do something, Mistress of the Night…" A layer of light appeared from the voodoo doll, revealing Leylin's figure.

"Heehee… those are just some pawns. If you like it, what does it matter if you killed a few more?"

The Shadow Weave flashed, and a young girl dressed in black walked over leisurely. She had a pair of beautiful and long eyes, and a face that was just exquisite. There was a hint of a mischievous smile on the corner of her lips, and she seemed like a little sister you'd find living next door who loved playing tricks.

If the Snake Dowager's beauty was that of maturity and charm, Shar was like an orchid that was very approachable. The Mistress of the Night sized Leylin up and down, eyes full of unconcealed curiosity.

"I thought the Dowager would be the only one coming, I didn't expect she would invite you as well. The smell of this bloodline… Hehe…" Shar's voice was like a clear spring, graceful and beautiful.

The smile on her face grew bigger, and she held on to her belly as she started chuckling, "Haha… I never thought that woman would actually face such a disadvantage as to have a portion of her bloodline ripped out. There's nothing more delightful in the world!"

The grace of shadow force evidently allowed Shar to see through Leylin's bloodline with a glance. The fact that Leylin was not feeling the pressure from the world was enough proof of his identity.

"While I may have separated from her bloodline, we are currently allies," Leylin said with a steely expression.

"That's true… you are her ally now…" The smile on Shar's face froze, and turned austere.

In the World of Gods, she wasn't exactly one who was benevolent or loved peace. Gods lost their immortality and part of their personality in the astral plane, but some things would still remain the same.

"So… You came here just to see me?" Shar asked, and Leylin suddenly felt a huge pressure applied on him. Part of it came from the world itself. Large amounts of origin force surged forth, seemingly able to destroy his puppet in an instant as it tried to search for his main body.

"It isn't quite convenient here… shall we go somewhere else?" Leylin looked exceptionally calm in the face of this threat, motioning for Shar to go first. Then, with his five fingers stroking lightly, the space seemed to open like a curtain, revealing spatial cracks and turbulence.

With a challenge like this, Shar naturally felt no fear. She was all smiles as she took the first step, and the surrounding space immediately changed as they reached the boundary of the world.

The great origin force of the Shadow World gushed and tumbled, glimmering with a hint of civility. The huge Shadow Weave revealed itself, acting like a backbone that controlled everything.

Leylin watched this magnificent scene and looked back at the black-veiled girl, "Is this your goal? Using the Weave to control everything, and then becoming the world itself…"

"If you invited me here to say that, then you can die now…"Powerful shadow force twined around the former goddess, the power of multiple laws signifying her power as a rank 8.

Leylin merely laughed in answer, asking, "Should I call you the Mistress of the Night, or Shar?"

With this sentence, the earth seemed to shatter! Her secret having been seen through, Shar's expression changed!

"You've been to the World of Gods?" she asked, a silent acknowledgement of her identity. Beings like her would not be so easily startled by quibbles, and since Leylin was already so sure she wouldn't be able to change his thoughts anyway.

-x-X-x-

"Mm, I've been there. The world makes one wish for a leisurely life, and it's filled with all sorts of interesting laws…" Leylin chuckled, and then looked at the weird girl, "I'd never have thought that the shadow girl didn't actually fall, instead coming to the astral plane…"

"Faith is powerful, but it's also a cage for us gods…" Shar grew dazed, seemingly recalling past memories, "When we were on the verge of falling in the dusk of the gods, I actually managed to see through some things. No matter how great it is, restricted power is worth nothing. In comparison, the Magi's approach to the truth…"

"Even so, you were the only one able to make a real change…" Leylin's eyes glinted as he inquired subtly.

"Hehe… you don't need to try sounding me out. I was the only one who crossed the crystal sphere to come to the astral plane. Devoid of faith, we gods are like fish out of water, and things become dangerous for us. Passing through the crystal sphere in the face of imminent death requires a great amount of courage and luck. I was the only one fortunate enough to succeed…"

Shar's lips quirked up in a smile, "I've answered your questions. Now, you can fall at ease ..." In the next moment, she suddenly attacked!

*Rumble!* The entire Shadow World seemed to come to life. Great origin force descended through the Shadow Weave, somehow boosting her strength past its limits as she seemed to reach the peak of rank 8.

[Beep! Target has locked on to host's aura, is tracking. Countdown…] The A.I. Chip warned in blood red. Leylin understood that she'd be able to find his main body sooner or later if he didn't do anything, such was the terror of a peak rank 8 Magus!

With his clone here, Shar could connect to his main body, injuring it grievously or even killing him along with it.

"The Shadow Weave allows you to completely wield extraordinary strength. It can even amplify World Origin Force… As expected of the Mistress of the Night, your wisdom is as dazzling as the stars…"

Leylin was also one of those beings of laws that did not have to worry about the World Origin Force. This method was like a breath of fresh air for him. Shar's usage of it wasn't something simple, instead optimised, boosted, and altered slightly.

If World Origin Force was crude oil, then the Shadow Weave allowed her to process it, separating it into diesel, gasoline, and asphalt at different times, making it more usable. Leylin's own origin force weapon was similar, though it held a few more advantages. Although the Shadow Weave gave Shar power, it restricted her movements. On the other hand, the origin force weapon could adapt to various worlds.

*Pilala!* The raging Shadow Weave emerged from different areas, like a powerful electric grid that trapped Leylin within.

"If these are your last words, then I humbly accept your praise…" Shar's sweet voice sounded, with no bloodlust whatsoever. However, at this moment, she had already issued a death penalty to this being of law under her.

Before she reached the peak of rank 8 and completely fused with the Shadow World, Shar still had a weak point. She wouldn't be able to break out of a siege of peak rank 8s, which was why she couldn't let the Magus who knew her secret leave!

With her foresight, she naturally knew that Leylin's main body was at most a rank 7 Magus, and could likely be heavily injured or killed by her. Her killing intent multiplied, and under her control the Shadow Weave swept towards him.

WIth the support of a large world's origin force, even one with the power of a rank 8 Magus would definitely be in trouble under this one move!

"It's been a pity, Miss Shar… We could have discussed more possibilities…" The A.I. Chip's rays glinted in Leylin's eyes, and he suddenly sighed.

*Rumble!* All of a sudden, a streak of green flames blazed on the voodoo doll's body, and quickly spread all over its body.

"Are you trying to break all connections? Dream on!" Shar snorted, and with a wave of her hands, powerful restrictive force descended.

"You overestimate yourself."

*Sou!* Amidst the green waves, Leylin's figure suddenly turned into a meteor. As if he was committing suicide, he crashed into the Weave that was closing in on him.

*Boom!* All of a sudden, a feeling of extreme danger struck Shar's soul. It was a warning of failure, instantly reminding her of the danger she felt during the dusk of the gods. In fact, this sensation was even worse than what she'd felt back then!

'What's going on?' Shar suddenly retreated, numerous spell rays flickering on her body. Circles of origin force formed an armour that began to envelop her. In what had been a sea of origin force, within the palace, the girl in the crystal slowly opened her eyes, a trace of fear appearing on her expression!

*Buzz!* Turbulent! Immense! A conscient that had initially been in a deep slumber suddenly awakened as it descended.

*Whoosh!* The Shadow Weave extended, causing the little green meteor to jump out of the siege and leave behind a bright curve in the sky before disappearing.

Shar knew that the Magus had already completely destroyed all traces of the puppet, and it would be impossible to pursue him further. Now, however, her focus was on something else.

"What's going on? What's with this huge sense of danger that could harm my life? And the World Will?" Shar closed her eyes, as if interacting with the great shadow will. Only after a long time did she open her eyes.

'It sensed an aura dangerous enough to kill me?' Shar bit her lips, looking serious.

The more powerful a being was, the more afraid it was of death. This applied even more to her, who had been lucky enough to survive the dusk of the World of Gods.

'What is it? A Netherese flying city? An extraordinary divine weapon? Or is it the Earthern Plate of Destiny?' All sorts of thoughts streaked through her mind, one after the other. Following that, she turned towards a region of the empire. Although she had not been able to pinpoint his location, she's still found the general vicinity.

"Allsnake… you've truly found a great helper this time…" Shar sighed, her body merging into the shadows. A terrifying web of darkness encircled the region Leylin was in under her command, surging in the shadows.

...

Thousand Bears City, within the bedroom of a villa. Leylin opened his eyes slightly as a trace of black lightning flickered in the room.

Some of the threads that had tried to pursue him were disconnected and swallowed, dissolved by darkness. Only once the process was complete did he stand up, recalling his meeting with Shar.

'Most of her divine immortality has been converted…' Leylin sighed with a hint of pity.

The divinity was the most important part. Godly power of laws could be devoured completely and used in an instant, allowing a Magus to multiply their strength. However, the reverse was not true. Having changed, Shar was no longer a god. Even if Leylin devoured her, it would be great if he got even a fifth of the law of shadows.

That small fight using his avatar had allowed him to determine Shar's strength. She was near the peak of rank 8, only a few steps away from the boundary of rank 9! This strength exceeded that of the Snake Dowager.

If Shar had beings of laws helping her, even Leylin would have to consider retreat. Just like the wars between large countries in his previous world, these battles in the astral plane were all for profit. If there was little profit out of it along with the danger of injury or curses, nobody would want to fight.

'But it's too clean… the whole Shadow World doesn't seem to have any other rank 7s aside from Shar…' Leylin felt a deep chill inside.

There were still a few beings of law under the Snake Dowager's rule. They'd made deals with her, allowing her to watch over them without worry. However, there were no auras of law in the current Shadow World anymore!

'Shar is from the World of Gods, after all. She wouldn't want her secrets discovered by other Magi before she reaches the peak of rank 8…' Leylin sighed. He had a feeling the rest of those existences had probably met their ends.

"The Snake Dowager should have discovered this by now, right?" He pushed side the curtains, his eyes seeming to pierce into the boundless starry skies and into another part of the empire.

...

There was an ancient castle sitting atop a hill at the outskirts of a bright city. Such medieval structures had grown rare in recent times, becoming tourist sites more than anything else.

A lady with a long black umbrella was leisurely walking across a shady pathway. She'd worn a coat of mink fur, and her tall black heels created piercing noises as they hit the ground. With her black silk gloves, she seemed elegant and posh.

Under the headscarf was the face of a middle-aged woman. Her long eyes and lips were smeared with bright red makeup, giving her an enchanting look.

The Snake Dowager had evidently learnt from the previous lessons, and restrained much of her charm. While her current figure was beautiful, it was not enough to create trouble and suffering for the country.

Raindrops dripped onto the roads and created a lively rhythm. The soil was all muddy, yet nothing seemed to stick onto her high heels. However, as there weren't many people nearby, nobody discovered this startling scene.

-x-X-x-

"Alilux, Jar Spectre, as well as a guardian of the mermaid clan, the prophet Kalle..." The Snake Dowager's eyes held a trace of sadness, "You should have chosen me from the beginning…"

She walked directly into the ancient castle, but the dozing security guard did not notice her at all. Intensely familiar with everything in the castle, she continued on her way and walked into the basement. She finally arrived in front of a wall.

The dirt yellow manson stones were covered with the mottled marks of history. The likeness of a two-handle vase had been carved in there with simple skill.

"In Allsnake's name…" the Snake Dowager bit her lip, a trace of blood appearing and piercing into the body of the wall. The entire wall seemed to collapse, revealing a pitch-black passageway.

In the end, she arrived in front of a simple altar. There she saw fragments of ceramic, radiating an atmosphere of chilling horror with concentrated resentment. The grudge had materialised even after thousands of years.

"Jar Spectre, so this is what became of your body?" The Snake Dowager picked up a dirt-yellow fragment of the vase, traces of black patterns wandering on the surface as they let out hissing sounds. It seemed like a thousand snakes were flowing over each other.

Having gotten what she wanted, the Snake Dowager quickly left. The passageway was discovered by a cleaner later, becoming a popular tourist destination.

...

Another bright and beautiful day dawned in Thousand Bears City.

"Ah…" Xavier stretched lazily and sat up in bed.

"Oh dear, I didn't manage to get my license again. I still have to ask for money from my parents at this age… Shouldn't I hurry up and find some odd jobs to do?" He kneaded his temples in worry as he put his clothes on.

The imperial university was expensive to go to, and normal families could not afford it. Xavier had grown a bit of pride over his life, and he didn't want to use up his parents' money after he grew to adulthood.

'Tiring jobs like waiting tables don't have high salaries. I should become a bodyguard instead! My physique was crafted well by the Snakebite Fist, giving me great attack power. I can earn in excess of ten Thousand Seres a month…' His self-confidence was greatly bolstered by his sturdy physique and willpower from training in martial arts.

Several minutes later, he walked into the living room with toothbrush in mouth. He saw fried eggs, bread, and milk on the table, with a note stuffed under the plate.

"Jill's already gone to school?" The scene of a little girl cooking breakfast from atop a stool appeared in his mind, and a smile blossomed on Xavier's face. Washing his face and rinsing his mouth, he sat down to eat breakfast and turned on the television.

The television screen appeared in midair, broadcasting the clear and simple voice of a female anchor, "Welcome to the morning news. Let's begin with economy. A few days ago the Imperial Corporation declared that…"

Suddenly, the expression of the female anchor changed.

"Breaking news! Thousand Bears City's Golden Flower Primary School was attacked by an unknown party this morning. The casualties are currently unknown, and the police department and firefighters have hurried to the scene. Five different organisations have presently taken responsibility for this attack…"

A sudden scene of dense fireworks appeared behind the anchor, showing a primary school. The police had erected a perimeter of warning tape, and faint weeping sounds could be heard from within.

*Bang!* Xavier's expression turned blank, the cup of milk in his hand shattering on the floor.

'That's Jill's school!' He immediately rushed out, pulling out the door with so much force that a hole the size of a fist was formed where the handle used to be.

"Mm, has it begun?" Next door to Xavier, Leylin also walked out from his residence. He saw Xavier rushing hot-bloodedly to Golden Flower Primary School, strolling behind him calmly with his own breakfast in hand.

'Jill! Jill! You must be alright!' Xavier looked into the distant horizon. He could already see the dense black smoke over the school building, an ominous sign. Sirens could be heard in the distance.

The closer he got, the worse the traffic jam became. There seemed to be a long queue of maglev trains on the tracks, with numerous traffic policemen maintaining order.

"Damn!" Xavier ferociously slammed his taxi's door open and fled. In a few moments, he had disappeared to the end of the street, with money left carelessly on the seat. The driver's mouth gaped as if he had seen a ghost.

With his agility and the fact that he was not all that far from the primary school in the first place, Xavier very quickly reached the location.

"Stop! What are you doing?" An armoured policeman blocked him from going ahead, examining him closely.

"I… I'm the brother of a student here, her name's Jill. How is she?!" Xavier asked in a panicked voice.

"The robbers have taken hostages, we are currently working hard to rescue them," the policeman's gaze turned into a pity, "I promise you that we will do our absolute best to rescue them. Now please, go over there to register and wait…"

He pointed at an empty space where a group of parents had gathered. Many mothers were weeping openly.

"Damn… I want to go in!" Xavier's face flushed with rage.

"I'm sorry, that is impossible!" The policeman's expression changed, "Don't make things difficult for us…"

Seeing a gun's black muzzle, Xavier rolled his eyes, "Fine, I'll leave. I'm leaving…" As he slowly left and walked around the school, he arrived outside an enclosed wall. There were policemen here as well, but it wasn't as densely protected as the last area.

"Okay, now!" Xavier deeply breathed in and emitted a serpent's hiss, suddenly becoming a shadow which rushed forward.

"Stand still!" "Shoot!"

A cacophony of voices could be heard, as well as dangerous gunshots. However, Xavier had displayed his extraordinary power here, bending into an S as if he was a snake to dodge all the gunshots. He barely flipped over the wall into the campus, and exasperated howls sounded behind him.

"Jill! Jill!" Xavier was extremely panicked in his heart, but his thoughts were eerily calm. He began to stealthily make his way towards Jill's classroom.

The once happy campus had now become hell. The corpses of several students and teachers littered the hallway, the fresh red blood unpleasant to the eyes.

'It's impossible, Jill would not have fallen here…' Xavier encouraged himself to move onwards, silently drawing closer to Jill's class.

The robbers had evidently based themselves here, congregating together. However, their attire was extremely strange. They were wearing black wind jackets with sunglasses.

'They don't look like robbers…' A faint thought arose in Xavier's heart. However, at this point he already had no choice. After seeing the crowded figures and their firepower, he began to feel a little anxious.

'Right, the ventilation ducts… If I can restrain my life undulations, I can hide.' Xavier's eyes brightened. He used Snakebite Fist to control his entire body's muscles and blood flow. Under the mysterious force, his blood slowly grew cold. His life undulations also became increasingly weak, until he resembled a rock on the ground.

*Bang!* A ventilation duct was kicked open, and Xavier slowly climbed towards the school building.

"Why do we have to act like robbers, boss? Can't we just act directly?" Nobody was alerted to Xavier's presence, exchanging words which made his heart beat faster.

"It's the mayor's fault, he said it would be bad influence. Well, someone else will take his position after this, that's the price for provoking the Special Forces…"

'The empire's Special Forces Division?' Xavier's heart turned cold. He felt like he had interfered with some disastrous affair.

"Ah…" Just at this moment, the sound of a girl crying out in alarm could be heard. Xavier's eyes widened in response, 'It's Jill's voice!'

He crawled across at lightning speed. Looking through the opening in the ventilation shaft, his eyes almost popped out of their sockets at the scene he witnessed. Within the classroom, a teacher's body had slumped over the desk. Many little girls were crouched on the ground crying, with a huge man dragging Jill up.

"So annoying!" He pinched a nerve behind Jill's head, which made her immediately faint.

"Let go of my sister!" Seeing this scene, Xavier couldn't hold back anymore. He jumped down from the ventilation shaft directly.

"Oh, so there was one left?" The man in the wind jacket looked at Xavier and at the black apparatus in his hand, "It's a shame he's too old. There's no value in nurturing and brainwashing him…"

"Let go of my sister!" Xavier roared as he charged ahead. However, he was blocked by a slanted-eyed youth with a pallid face.

Heavy makeup was smeared on his face in thick layers, and he swiped his tongue across his brightly coloured lips, "Give this one to me, he seems rather amusing," he said with an evil expression.

A Rapid Shadow wristwatch flashed with light, and a wall of shadows stopped Xavier in his tracks.

"Alright, but pay attention to the time," the middle-aged man nodded. He threw Jill and two other girls over his shoulder and left.

"Damn it, DAMN IT!" Xavier's expression flushed a deep red. His arm suddenly softened, and like a snake with sharp fangs he shattered the shadow wall into pieces.

"Oh, a martial artist? I like it!" Slant Eyes seemed to brighten, "I know from experience that trash like you can last a little longer, so don't disappoint me…

"Don't even think about stubbornly resisting. I've already surpassed high-ranked mechanics and can directly connect to the highest layer of the Shadow Weave. Your martial skills are just a joke compared to high-ranked spells."

"Sss…" A black shadow flashed past. Xavier reappeared in front of Slant Eyes, his fingers stabbing directly into his throat.

-x-X-x-

"How… Is this possible?" Slanted Eyes fell to the ground in disbelief.

"Even if you have powerful spells, your neurons are still too weak. Your processing ability cannot keep up at all… Before you even cast a spell I could kill you over ten times!" Xavier rushed in.

"Jill! Jill!" The deadly and vicious Snakebite Fist was now used by Xavier to a terrifying degree, and very soon the remaining kidnappers had their throats torn apart, dying in a gory fashion.

He went up to the roof, but Xavier could only see an aircraft flying off in the distance.

"No…" Xavier fell helplessly to the ground.

"I never thought that I'd be late!" A sigh sounded beside him, and Xavier unconsciously retaliated.

However, the powerful Snakebite Fist was stopped, and the other person spoke out, "I'm not your enemy. I'm here to help."

"You… Crowley?" Xavier recognised him and suspicion filled his face, "Why are you here?"

"I'll explain later, right now we need to leave this place. Follow me!" Crowley's expression was extremely solemn as he dragged Xavier and left the place. Still, Xavier shrugged off the man's hands once they reached a corner of the school.

"What exactly is happening?"

"I said it before, I'm here to help!" Crowley put on an extremely serious face, "Do you know the identity of those people who abducted your sister earlier?"

"The empire's Special Forces!" Xavier spat out the name. Learning of this fact, all his hopes of police help had been dashed.

"Nn, they're lackeys of the Special Forces!" There was a tinge of hatred in Crowley's voice, "Not only do rampantly kill adult bloodline carriers, they capture our children and brainwash them into becoming their own recruits!"

"Bloodline carriers? Could it be…" Xavier suddenly recalled the contents of his family's inherited book.

"I implicated all of you this time. You'd best give your parents a call, and let them avoid all risks…" Crowley said apologetically.

"Wait…" Xavier shrugged his hands. He'd learnt too much today, causing him to feel dizzy.

"Who exactly are you? Why did you say 'you all'?" Wariness crept in Xavier eyes, and every muscle of his bulged like that of a leopard about to leap on its prey.

"I belong to the Bloodline Alliance, an organisation formed to resist the empire. Our activities in Thousand Bears City attracted the attention of the Special Forces…" Crowley said slowly.

"You criminal ringleader!" Before Crowley could finish speaking, Xavier sent out a punch that carried the phantom of a black snake.

*Hiss!* The same giant snake serpent appeared behind Crowley. He punched out the same way, accompanied by the hiss of an ancient snake.

Xavier's fist was caught in Crowley's palm, no damage done to either part.

"Snakebite Fist?!" Shock filled Xavier's face.

"Only a weakling will resent others, and disregard the true target!" Crowley let go of Xavier's hands, "Your gift in practising the Snakebite Fist has far exceeded my expectations. Even those so-called 'geniuses' would not hold a candle to you…"

"Who exactly are you?" Xavier stressed each syllable.

"Me? I'm known as Crowley, but my name is Xanier! Deruze Xanier! Can you see the connection now?" There was warmth in Crowley's eyes.

"Xanier! The ancestor that left us the Snakebite Fist! How? Doesn't that mean you're over five hundred years old?" Xavier's first instinct was disbelief.

"There are many things you don't know about the world. Don't be easily convinced of truth and lies… I don't hope for you to believe me anyway. What? Don't you want to save your sister anymore?" Crowley smiled.

"How do we save her? Crow… Xan…" Xavier stammered. If what Crowley said was true, then wasn't this man his great great great grandfather?

"Crowley would be fine!" Crowley smiled, and then his expression turned solemn. "There is a Special Forces base outside Thousand Bears City. The young bloodline carriers they abducted will be detained in that place, undergoing a rigorous selection process before the best are sent over to the empire. So? Do you have the guts to go with me?"

"Of course!" Xavier clenched his fists and nodded his head with resolution.

...

'Bloodline Alliance?' Leylin stood on the side of the street. He'd seen everything, including Xavier's conversation with Crowley.

'According to Xanier's words, this organization is the one that most bloodline carriers are gathered in… These are the descendants of existences who had wielded laws, but they are now reduced to this state… It's rather sad…' Leylin shook his head.

"Hey handsome, do you wanna chat?" A melodious voice sounded by the side of the street. Leylin turned around, only to see a young lady whose earrings reflected the sunlight.

It took him a while to think, but then he smiled mysteriously, "Sure!"

Some time later, the two of them were sitting in the partitioned room of a cafe.

This place was rather exquisite in its design and service, and the couple's room was also good at isolating sound. The waiter served coffee along with snacks shaped like little animals before quietly closing the door.

Leylin waved his hands, and a layer of blood red light enclosed the room. Only then did he turn back to look at the beautiful lady. "Snake Dowager! You actually dare look for me now? Aren't you afraid of being caught by the Mistress of the Night?"

Leylin already felt that this girl had been possessed when he saw her. The Shadow Weave could have easily discovered this connection of spacetime.

"It's alright… I'm using the chipped body of the Jar Spectre to contact you…" The young lady smiled, flashing the phantom of a shattered piece of clay and revealing the power of laws within it.

"The Jar Spectre was an existence on the same level as me back in ancient times. It possessed the law of stealth, and its pristine waters could immediately travel to any part of the Shadow World…

"However, it's now been reduced to this broken piece…" Complex emotions whirled across the Snake Dowager's face, "It seems like you've discovered it as well? The Mistress of the Night is the only being of law remaining alive in this world…"

Leylin spoke solemnly, "So then. Why take the risk to contact me?"

"An exchange of information, and a plan moving forward." This girl before him was rather beautiful originally. However, the Snake Dowager's possession had elevated her aura, and her wry smile seemed to hold a hint of coquettishness to it.

"She's already gotten rid of all beings of law in the Shadow World, and has it under tight surveillance using the Shadow Weave. This psi energy of hers has replaced all sorts of fuel in the world as well… I have no doubt that she could will the civilisation of the entire world destroyed as long as she wants it…"

The Snake Dowager was a native of the Shadow World, after all. Since she wanted to seize control of the place, she'd ideally want it intact. Even then, in a crucial moment she most probably wouldn't care about the destruction of an entire civilisation. This was a common trait amongst beings of law.

Leylin thought over it for a while. She was his ally right now after all, so he decided to chip in with some information, "Here's some more. My voodoo doll already met the Mistress of the Night…"

"What?" A nervous expression appeared on the Snake Dowager's face.

"Relax, she didn't manage to lure me over. I didn't suffer any serious injury either." Leylin's retort had been immediate, he'd known what she was thinking of.

"My apologies… The Mistress of the Night is someone who excels at convincing people. The Jar Spectre had been lured by her…" the Snake Dowager said apologetically.

"That's alright," Leylin nodded his head and continued. "From what I can see, I didn't meet her true body. It was just an avatar."

"An avatar! Then where is her true body at?" This information was rather important, and could determine the victory and ownership of a world. Hence the Snake Dowager pressed on.

"I don't know…" Leylin shook his head and saw the Snake Dowager turning silent. He then asked, "Your Excellency, what plans do you have now?"

"I'll first rope in the strength of the bloodline carriers… and there are several other things for me to do as well…" The Snake Dowager bit her lips and pointed her finger out, forming a strange rune in the air.

"This is the imprint of the Jar Spectre. You can contact me through it anytime, it can't be seen by the Weave."

"Alright!" Leylin reached out his right hand, allowing this rune that looked like a jar with two ear-shaped handles to enter him through his skin.

[Beep! Host obtained 'Jar Imprint'! Effects: Able to converse with another imprint holder unlimitedly in the Shadow World. The connection applies before all others in the world. Explanation: The ancient Jar Spectre's original body is a giant jar with two ear handles. Legends have it that the entire water source of the Shadow World comes from it, and its two ears can listen to any information in the Shadow World!]

"I'll need your help in roping in the bloodline carriers!" The beautiful eyes of the Snake Dowager looked at Leylin.

"I won't refuse!" Leylin did not decline the request. He'd already set his eyes on the Bloodline Alliance anyway.

The Snake Dowager left after smiling contentedly, only leaving behind a girl who'd fainted on the spot.

"Sigh… I still need to clean up this mess, how troublesome…" Leylin shook his head and snapped his fingers. The young girl sat up immediately and looked at his eyes which contained no annoyance, "After you wake up, you will forget…"

-x-X-x-

Outskirts of Thousand Bears City.

Crowley had brought Xavier to a simple and crude building that was still under construction.

Past a board that covered up the basement was a huge place. Flickering neon lights illuminated a place with a cold, hard, metallic lustre, causing Xavier's palms to sweat slightly.

"This is the Bloodline Alliance's stronghold in Thousand Bears City. It's impossible for the two of us alone to attack a branch of the empire's Special Forces ourselves, so we'll need some helpers. Come, let's introduce you."

Crowley brought Xavier to a place that seemed like a little meeting room, pulling the door open. Instantly, many judging and distrustful or threatening gazes fixed onto him, causing him to stiffen up.

"Alright, alright. Don't get too overboard with your greetings!" Amidst this perilous situation, Crowley was like a huge reef. His words caused a large amount of the pressure to dissipate. Only then did Xavier get the strength to raise his head and size up the people in the meeting room.

Everybody here had a grim aura about them, causing the teen to feel extremely uncomfortable. However, there was one person amongst them he recognised.

"Is that… Invigilator Bobbi?" He focused on one of the many females.

"Haha… You should've seen her at your greater skill test. Let me introduce you once more. This is Bobbi. She has the bloodline of the ancient enchanting witch, and she's also an official of Thousand Bears City."

Crowley rubbed his nose, "Be careful. This old woman likes to prey on young things…"

"Who are you calling old, you smelly snake?" Bobbi twisted her slender waist as she approached Xavier. She was one head taller than him, and it gave him much pressure.

"Can you do it, kid? This isn't playing house, you really might lose your life in this operation…"

Xavier looked up at the roaring sea and gulped, before turning resolute, "I… I must go!"

"Haha… Don't underestimate Xavier. He's genius enough to have mastered the Snakebite Fist at his age! With an additional set of armour, he'll definitely be powerful!" Crowley patted Xavier on the back.

"Mastery over the Snakebite Fist?" The crowd began to get restless, and what followed next was Bobbi's fearless laughter, "Haha… how interesting. This is too interesting…

"He's not even twenty now. Considering his age, it can't have been all that long…" She turned her waist and sized Xavier up and down as if watching a rare animal. She then shot a glance at Crowley with her slender eyes, the challenge and disdain within them obvious, "Didn't you take two hundred years to do the same thing? In comparison to him, what are you?"

"Can we not discuss this now?" Crowley could only surrender to this taunt that struck at his weak spot. Xavier, on the other hand, was shocked, 'Is the Snakebite Fist that difficult? Then why could I succeed in a matter of days…'

He now understood that what had happened to him was something unusual. He decided to keep it a secret, it was something that could not be made known.

"Alright! Since he's gained mastery of the Snakebite Fist, he meets the requirements to join us," Bobbi nodded and sat down, "Let's continue what we were discussing…"

"That's the kind of person she is. Try not to provoke her…" Crowley awkwardly pulled Xavier to sit at a corner, no longer bringing up meeting anyone else.

"Based on our intel, the empire's special forces have destroyed four or five strongholds of the resistance in Thousand Bears City. They've become more ruthless and brutal, and the number of young bloodline carriers they took away has increased…" A screen flashed with many images as a young man in a wheelchair spoke. A picture of Golden Flower Primary School caused Xavier to clench his fists.

"We can surmise that they must've faced a huge loss of sorts recently, so they're eager to get new blood…"The young man on the wheelchair lifted his glasses, full of confidence, "Thanks to them, numerous organisations are now willing to pledge their loyalty to us. Of course, it's on the condition that we destroy their base in Thousand Bears City and save their relatives… What's most important is that the other side is unscrupulous, to the point that even the mayor is disgusted. We can make use of this and break off their most powerful support from authorities…"

"Do you understand the general situation now? Prepare to move out!" Bobbi clapped her hands, and people left the meeting room one after another. Only Xavier, Crowley, and a few others were left behind.

"You don't have a weapon yet, right kid? Come with me!" Bobbi placed her hands on her hips and brought Xavier to the young man seated in the wheelchair.

Crowley spoke up from beside Xavier, "This guy's called Genius, he's our organisation's weapons and intelligence officer."

"Haha… did you just say I'm smart?" The young man called Genius burst into laughter, seemingly full of love for himself. However, Crowley and Bobbi did not say anything, obviously used to his narcissism.

Xavier noticed that this man was stuck with prosthetics from the waist down. He'd evidently suffered from some critical injury before, to the point that even the empire's current technology could not allow him to recover.

Genius maneuvered his wheelchair and arrived in front of Xavier, "Speak! Tell me what you want. Even if it's the newest version of Rapid Shadow, I can get it for you!"

"Mm, I haven't tried the high-grade Rapid Shadow yet, and I haven't even passed the licensing exam. The same goes for laser weapons…" Xavier scratched his head in embarrassment.

"Then…" Crowley and Bobbi exchanged an awkward glance, but they did not speak.

"Just give me armour!" Xavier had made his choice after some thought. After all, his greatest advantage was the mastery of the Snakebite Fist. Sturdy armour would greatly raise his battle might.

"Just armour? Don't you need anything else? How about tracking cannons? Or an external Weave connection?"Genius trained a piercing gaze on Xavier, as if measuring his body size.

"That's not necessary. All I want is something that can protect me well. The metal for my arms must be durable enough, and should not affect my movements… And for my legs, It's best that…"

Xavier gave a broad outline of what he wanted and then looked at Genius, "I've said a lot. Do you remember it all?"

"Haha… it's no big deal. I'm Genius, remember?" A projection appeared in mid-air as Genius patted his wheelchair, showing an outline of armour that was exactly like what Xavier had described.

"The only thing that matches your requirements right now is the empire's Venomsnake Armour. Thankfully there's one stored in the base. It can be used after some modification…" Genius' hands moved extremely quickly. In but tens of minutes, Xavier was able to don his armour.

He waved his arm and tested the flexibility of the arms for the armour, and then entered a stance of the Snakebite Fist. "Amazing…"

"But of course! Genius really is a genius. He used to be from the Imperial Research Institute, anything he alters can be sold at astronomical prices on the black market…" Crowley had changed into a black windbreaker, "Are you ready? Let's leave!"

"Of course," Xavier's fists punched out, creating dazzling sparks in the air, "Jill, I'm coming to save you!"

...

The members of the Bloodline Alliance moved very quickly. In just half an hour all its fighters were surrounding a military base.

"That's the base of the Special Forces branch. Once the fight begins Genius will move to break off all communication with the outer world. We'll have fifteen minutes." Crowley sounded grim, "Remember to be on time. Any later than that, and we'll have no other way. Once they move out from their garrison to encircle us, all of us will probably be completely decimated."

"Fifteen minutes!" Xavier gazed at the base like it was a malicious beast and gritted his teeth, "That's enough!"

"Good! Well then, move out!" Crowley raised an arm, and numerous black figures pounced out. In the next moment, a bright red alarm resounded in the base.

"Communications down. Haha… I really am a genius!" Genius was in the basement of the Bloodline Alliance base, sat inside a huge machine with a silver helmet on his head. His eyes were full of an abnormal fervour.

He hadn't just cut off communications. The military base's power had been taken down as well, causing the Special Forces' base to quiet down.

*Hss!* Xavier struck out with a right hand that was like a venomous snake tooth. Protected by his armour, he was like a humanoid gundam as his fingers instantly severed the throat of an enemy. The Venomsnake Armour weighed nearly fifty kilos, but to him it was almost weightless.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!* Black figures were flung away one after the other. Xavier quickly charged out, his armoured hands grabbing onto a fat bald man.

"Where's Jill? No, where are those primary school students you took today?" Although his was covered by armour, Xavier understood the he was looking quite sinister.

His fierce murderous spirit immediately caused the man to stammer. His body trembled, and a patch of wetness appeared on his pants. He'd actually lost control of his bladder!

Just at this moment, a few black-clothed men charged over towards him, firing their laser weapons. The shots only left shallow marks on Xavier's armour, and in retaliation he struck them ruthlessly, causing them to crash into the wall leaving huge depressions behind. Their bones shattered loudly, and it was obvious that they would not live.

"Speak quickly, or you're next!"

-x-X-x-

"I'll say it, I'll say it! They're in basement 2!" The immense threat of death cured the fatty's stutter, and he spilled the beans in a hurry.

*Crash!* Xavier tossed him to the side and charged down to the basement.

"Trash! You're all trash!" An icy voice sounded, causing Xavier's heart to skip a beat. He soon saw a black-robed figure that made his eyes bulge in rage— it was the middle-aged man who had abducted his sister, and he was still wearing the same jacket!

"The guards here are too weak…" The man didn't carry any weapons on him, and the unzipped jacket flapped in the wind to reveal the perfect abdominal muscles of his body. It gave Xavier an extreme sense of danger.

At the man's feet were many dead members of the Bloodline Alliance, and on his body were scars from the aftermath of an explosion.

"Give me back my sister!" Xavier howled.

"Oh, you're that kid from before… Heh, looks like that idiot Base is dead…" The middle-aged man inhaled deeply, "Make sure to remember my name. I'm Wolf Fang, the one who'll kill you tonight."

*Awoo—* A strong forcefield emanated from the man's body, making Xavier feel like he was standing helplessly before a canine on the grassy plains.

*Hiss!* He quickly activated the Snakebite Fist in response, and the phantom of a black serpent appeared behind him.

"Huh, interesting. I'll be able to toy with you a little while longer!" Wolf Fang's eyes brightened.

*Boom!* However, the ceiling broke apart just as Wolf Fang was about to make his move, and Crowley descended to stand in front of Xavier.

"Go! I'll stop him!"

"Thank you!" Xavier rapidly disappeared into the passage, but Crowley and Wolf Fang no longer minded him.

"Keke… Crowley, one of the top five experts of the Bloodline Alliance. You're wanted for fifteen charges of treason, a rank SSS criminal." Wolf Fang's gaze at Crowley was like nothing else existed in the world.

"Javis' lackey, eh. Your hands are stained with the blood of my people…" A pea sized ball of explosion radiated out from Crowley, and a fine black mist appeared to fight back against Wolf Fang's forcefield. A black python seemed to emerge from within the mist, its vertical eyes glaring at Wolf Fang.

"Hahaha… Interesting, quite interesting! So that kid just now was your student? Or is he a descendant?" Wolf Fang guffawed as he charged forward like a tank. The battle had begun!

"What is this?" Having entered the room in the basement, Xavier was scared out of his wits at the sight he'd witnessed. Multiple giant nutrition pods littered the area, containing creatures of different species and even human beings. The humans themselves seemed to be from all age groups.

However, even if these people looked normal there was definitely something odd about them. Xavier peered through one cylinder of glass, seeing a little boy with purple skin and a pair of wings protruding from his back. It seemed to be some form of deformity.

The little boy suddenly opened his eyes, his yellow pupils staring icily at Xavier. It was a look of utter despair and death.

"It's… Alive!" Darkness seemed to enveloped Xavier at this instant. He'd lived his life as an ordinary citizen so far, so this was the first time the vile, dark, reality was put in front of him.

Seeing that there were live specimens here, Xavier suddenly got worried. "Jill, Jill!"

*Boom!* He destroyed a black mechanical lock, revealing an underground basement. A putrid stench emanated from within.

"Jill! Jill, are you there?"Xavier opened one of the cages underground, but he only saw a few girls with unfamiliar faces.

"Five minutes left. Make sure to withdraw in time!" Genius sounded rather nervous through the earpiece. Several other members who'd followed Xavier exchanged looks, and immediately began scouring for Jill.

Xavier did not mind the actions of the members. He had only wanted to find Jill right now.

"Get lost!" Several Special Forces members were sent flying back and died miserably as a loud serpent hissed.

This place was only a branch base, and it wasn't prepared for such a relentless ambush. It probably held more administrators than soldiers, so Xavier with his armour on was like a ferocious beast that swept away everything in his path.

"Underground room #2!" He kicked opened a metal door, and saw several girls crouching in the corner. All of them wore the uniform of Golden Flower Primary School.

"Jill! Jill!" Xavier howled, but there was no response.

"Not here! Not here too! What's happening?" He forcefully picked up a researcher in a white lab coat, the strength in his wrist causing the man's face to turn red.

"Cough… Cough… The kids from Golden Flower Primary School that were captured today are here…" The researcher's face turned purple, as he uttered several more words. "However… Some special specimens were just taken away, en route to headquarters… Cough, I told you everything I know, please spare me…"

"Damn it!" Xavier's eyes turned red, and he crushed the man's throat without much effort.

*Bang!* The corpse fell lifelessly to the ground. Xavier then waved his hands and sent the little children running out of the room. Right now, he could only walk around aimlessly in the underground base.

"Enemy troops will arrive in one minute! Evacuate immediately!" Genius' voice sounded once again. He was extremely exasperated now, but Xavier seemed not to hear anything he was saying.

"What are you doing? You idiot!"

*Bang!* A fist struck Xavier's face, causing him to be embedded into the wall that had crumbled partially, but it had turned him clear-headed. "Here… Jill… Not here…"

"So what? You haven't found your sister?" Bobbi wore a tight uniform, as she punched Xavier again, sending him flying out from the wall. She then stepped on Xavier, "She's not dead, so as long as she's alive, there will always be a chance. But right now, you are very likely to die here before her!"

"Yes! The headquarters of the Special Forces! I have to go there!" Xavier's pupils suddenly blazed with flames. "Thank you, Miss Bobbi, also… How is Crowley right now?"

"He's in trouble! Wolf Fang is Javis' right hand man, so he is very powerful. Only Crowley here can resist him, and their support troops came in faster than expected. The only comfort is that the other members in this base aren't strong fighters, so we already rescued a large number of people."

"I'll help him!" Without further hesitation, Xavier jumped on his feet quickly, and ran at a speed that Bobbi could not chase after.

"Sigh… Young people nowadays…" Without knowing why, Bobbi smiled lightly. But very soon, she surveyed her surroundings, "What are all of you waiting for? Hurry and evacuate! Take everything that can be brought away, and destroy the rest! I want the sins of this place to be burned away by fire!"

*Pit Pat! Pit Pat!* Droplets of fresh blood fell of the ground, accompanied by heavy panting.

Crowley looked at the three deep gashes on his chest, and at the blood pouring profusely out of the wounds. Wolf Fang had managed to expose his bone.

"Haha… How is it? A top expert of the Bloodline Alliance only has this much ability?" Wolf Fang laughed maniacally. His shirt had been ripped open, and his aura began to converge, forming the phantom of a wolf behind him.

Experts like them were far faster than normal human beings. Unless one could cast spells instantly, a Rapid Shadow wristwatch was of no use at this level.

"You're a bloodline carrier as well. Why betray your kin?" Crowley asked, panting.

"You haven't seen the might of the empire," Wolf Fang squinted, "You'll never be able to imagine the kind of existence that backs it up. Compared to them, I am but an ant…"

"Ah… You already lost the heart to improve yourself as a practitioner!" Crowley swayed, as if he was going to collapse at any moment.

"It doesn't matter what you say now, because you are going to die here today!" Wolf Fang struck out, and a powerful gale accompanied his strike which looked like the jaws of a wolf, "Wolf Fang Punch!"

*Hiss!* A black figure stood before Crowley and a snake hissed loudly, but the black figure was sent flying back.

"Kid, you actually dare to return?" Wolf Fang looked at Xavier.

"Hurry and leave! You aren't his match!" Crowley looked extremely worried now.

"Don't worry, I'm fine!" Xavier picked himself up from the ground and patted off the dirt on his body.

*Kacha! Kacha!* However, his expression soon changed. A spiderweb of a crack appeared on his fist, soon extending to his arms and even his shoulders. His armour quickly shattered into pieces, revealing the teenage boy within.

"Hehe...My Wolf Fang Punch has the power to shatter and shock anything it touches, so it is the best for destroying things…" Wolf Fang stood before Xavier, like a giant wolf which had found his prey.

"Not good, Wolf Fang is stronger than I'd expected, even the other members that Bobbi brought as support are not going to be of much use…" Cold sweat began to form at the tip of Xavier's brows.

"No! I still have to find Jill, how can I die here?" The youth clenched his fist…

This intense desire to live made its way to Leylin, who was watching on as a spectator.

"Forget it! He is after all a descendant of the Snake Dowager. I just agreed to look after her bloodline, how could I betray that so quickly?" Leylin smiled and gently tapped in the air with his finger.