Chereads / Lord of Enigma / Chapter 41 - Chapter 41: The Growth of Strength

Chapter 41 - Chapter 41: The Growth of Strength

Tang Qi had thus far encountered bizarre entities such as the Blank Dog-faced Man and the Corpse-eating Nightingale – insane monsters devoid of rationality. Yet there were also beings like the Manatee Sea Demon and the Desire Slave Painter who still possessed the capacity for thought, proving that aberrations weren't necessarily incapable of communication.

Naturally, these creatures could also experience fear.

If that weren't the case, the Dual Blade Man wouldn't have been able to hold the apex position within the Hunting Order.

At this moment, the fear Tang Qi instilled within them far surpassed that inspired by Serland's Dual Blade Man. Not because Tang Qi had managed a turnaround by slaying the Dual Blade Man, but rather due to the pair of hands he extended in the last moment, hands filled with Golden Light Flames.

A primal fear swept through the deepest recesses of their minds.

Tang Qi even heard a series of shrill screams emanating from the shadows around him. If the Curse Mark could still exude the alluring magic that it once did, perhaps some of the crazed aberrations would have remained, but now, the mark had been sealed.

The enticing "light" was gone, but the terror of scorching heat had arrived.

The aberrations fled in all directions.

Fortunately, at this time, Tang Qi was too preoccupied to pay them any mind.

His mind was being battered by a sudden influx of golden light points.

In the Spirit Space, the golden light points flooded in like a torrential landslide into the hazy space within Tang Qi's head.

"Boom"

It was like a slowly burning fireplace that suddenly had a large bucket of gasoline poured into it, resulting in an explosive noise.

At that instant, Tang Qi even felt like his head was about to burst.

"Did I just add a lot of fuel to the Melter within myself?"

"A pleasant gain!"

Watching the Resentful Soul of the Dual Blade Man dissipate into blue smoke, Tang Qi murmured.

At the same time, enduring the throbbing pain in his head, he opened his eyes which shone with Golden Light and swept over the darkness around him.

The monsters attracted by the Doomsday Magic had all dispersed.

The crisis was over, both unlucky and fortunate.

If Tang Qi had not extinguished the Curse Mark in time, even if he had counterattacked and killed Serland's Dual Blade Man, he might not have been able to deter the rest of the monsters.

If he was not mistaken, those monsters that had hidden in the shadows all lurked within the Newton District.

And they weren't likely all the aberrations within the entire district.

If more time had passed, the beings atop the Order Pyramid would have appeared one after another.

Then, it would be Bronk District next to Newton, followed by other districts, and soon the entire Messer City would follow.

Whether the scope could continue to expand depended on Tang Qi's control over the mark.

"Dangerous bait, must be used with even more caution next time."

After uttering this sentence, Tang Qi glanced at the alley that he could no longer face.

In a district like Newton filled with artistic ambiance, even a small alley usually met basic standards of cleanliness and order.

But now, the scene in front of him was one that couldn't be matched even if you searched the entire Bronk District.

There was hardly a clean tile to be found, and the walls were smeared with blood and flesh.

Tang Qi had neither the desire nor the duty to clean up, but he didn't leave either.

His spoils were still waiting to be collected.

Quickly, Tang Qi rummaged through the scattered remains on the bloody ground without caring about the bloodied mud. With his special ability to cheat, Tang Qi didn't need to scrutinize closely – simply picking up items was enough.

Seconds later, Tang Qi dashed out of the alley.

His coat was now worn inside out, hiding the bloodstains well, and his figure quickly dissolved into the shadows of the street, leaving the "crime scene" at the greatest speed.

The first discoverer of that alley was probably going to suffer nightmares for several months.

Perhaps their expected lottery prize was gone too.

After all, the Desire Slave Painter, who had committed heinous crimes, no longer retained any human form at this time. Even if the most skilled forensic reconstructionist arrived, it would be impossible to piece him back together.

Inside, it was simply "Blood Plasma Hell."

...

Tang Qi left the scene and did not immediately return to the brick-and-stone building, but forcefully suppressed the "Abnormal Movement" within himself, navigating through the streets until he was sure no trace of any following Abnormality was behind him, then he followed the route he had already planned to return to Thorny High School.

Bang!

Back in the building, Tang Qi immediately locked the door.

He rushed to the second floor with almost no delay, and without even properly storing his spoils, he collapsed onto the carpet that bore the pattern of the moon.

With a buzz, he entered the Meditation State.

His body at this moment was truly like a furnace.

Golden flames were on the verge of spilling out from within.

His originally clear head was now throbbingly painful as if it were about to explode, various chaotic thoughts bubbling up, some negative impulses even curling around like poisonous snakes, like vines, trying to take over his mind - a sign of Demonization.

Fortunately, at this moment, he activated a Skill.

If it were someone else, practicing the Golden Furnace Meditation would perhaps require a long mental sketching before entering the Meditation State.

But not for Tang Qi.

With just a thought, that golden sun quickly appeared, helping Tang Qi tame those golden light points that surged into his mind, those essence of the power of Resentful Souls.

Time, swiftly flowed by.

As the light and heat gradually became gentler, all the chaos and negativity in Tang Qi's mind completely vanished.

"Phew~"

He opened his eyes again and subconsciously glanced at the wall clock.

Three hours, a rare meditation session had passed, with not a single adjustment in between by Tang Qi.

And at this moment, his feeling... was better than it had ever been.

He surveyed his bedroom and immediately felt a difference.

His vision seemed sharper, more acute.

Some things that had previously appeared blurry were now incredibly clear.

He seemed to see the dust in the air, the intricate texture of the desk, the tiny numbers in the corners of book covers, and even the distorted appearance of the faint purple moonlight as it penetrated the curtains and streamed in - everything was crystal clear.

Yet, these images, like illusions, quickly vanished.

The next moment, Tang Qi looked at himself.

The interface, which could only be seen with Special Ability, once again showed significant change and popped out.

He looked at the Skill Bar first.

There were still only three sub-sections.

But each one had changed.

[Golden Furnace Meditation: An ancient meditation method... Realm: Beginner; Progress: 1%.]

Just seeing the first one made Tang Qi raise his eyebrows. If he remembered correctly, the progress of the Meditation Method was previously only 0.33%, but now it had jumped threefold, directly entering the 1% progress range.

The leap in progress resulted in a spiritual power that was much more expansive, full, and several times larger than before nestled in Tang Qi's mind.

How much time would it have taken for normal meditation to reach this state, Tang Qi wondered.

A month?

Or a year?

Although the increase wasn't as amazing as that of the meditation method, the other two also brought a smile to Tang Qi's face.

[Molten Furnace Eye: A derivative skill, triggered by the eyes, with Shock and Calming Spirit effects, which can be further enhanced, Realm: Beginner, Progress: 0.3%.]

[Chaga Fighting Technique: An ancient Fighting Skill, Realm: Beginner, Progress: 0.2%.]

After examining himself, Tang Qi did not immediately get up, but continued to sit cross-legged, slowly closing his eyes, silently feeling and adapting to the changes in his body – a transformation from spirit to flesh, and continually replaying the completed combat sequences in his mind.

That dark, dangerous alley, the terrifying enemy, reinserting himself into the scene, simulating over and over again.

"Buzz~Hoo"

After a short while, Tang Qi opened his eyes again and then got up.

At this moment, the fierce and intense aura that had been on him had dissipated and he was back to normal.