After nightfall, Tang Qi usually makes bullets as part of his cultivation routine, then spends about an hour practicing Fighting Skill, and finally engages in a whole night of meditation.
However, today is obviously a bit special. Tang Qi digested the spiritual power gained from devouring the resentful soul of Serland's Dual Blade Man, and the saturated feeling in his head tells him that there is no need to meditate tonight, as it would be pointless and might even invite danger.
Fortunately, aside from meditation and Fighting Skill, Tang Qi has other things to do.
After adjusting his state, Tang Qi heads to his workbench and replenishes the two types of bullets he used tonight.
Once everything is packed away, Tang Qi heads down to the first floor.
At this moment, he has an unusually large parcel in his hands.
Inside, are his spoils of the night.
The simple yet sturdy parcel slowly opens, and the items inside begin to reveal themselves.
They are a stack of messy drawings, a dozen or so snow-white dog teeth, an old notebook, and two rusty kitchen knives.
Each item emits a faint glow.
Tang Qi understands the meaning of this glow—the traces of the Extraordinary.
Only Extraordinary items can emit a faint glow under Tang Qi's gaze.
Tang Qi doesn't immediately look into the Information Fragment of these Extraordinary items; instead, he first takes the notebook.
This notebook came from Mr. Skana, the dog breeder who was killed by the Dual Blade Man.
[Curios: Skana's Manuscript.]
[State: Complete.]
[Information Fragment One: It is the life's work of Mr. Skana, detailing how to breed a crossbreed Crossbreed Devil Dog. The experiments might have been cruel and unforgivable, but it indeed can breed a fearsome wolf with a trace of the Devil Dog's bloodline.]
[Information Fragment Two: If it is handed over to a high-level Beast Tamer, it might be possible to perfect the manuscript and breed a real Devil Dog.]
After glancing at the information fragments that fleetingly crossed his view, Tang Qi flips through the manuscript briefly before setting it aside.
As the fragment mentioned, the experimental process is indeed cruel.
Anyone with the slightest moral scruple would burn it upon reading.
Tang Qi does not do so, but he also has no interest in studying it in-depth.
Not because of morals, but because it is unnecessary.
"Beast Tamer?"
"Managed to breed a Crossbreed Devil Dog, yet still failing to enter the ranks of the Professionals. This path seems very difficult to traverse, and the combat style isn't suitable for me either."
Mumbling, Tang Qi reveals a little secret of the Extraordinary Domain.
Though the Mysterious Side had been silent for a century due to the "Mysterious Meteor".
Some faint Extraordinary powers still exist, which are also the foundation for the revival of the Mysterious Side, the return of the Spiritual Tide, and the reestablishment of Order.
In the future Extraordinary Order, various "Professionals" who shone in the ancient era will inevitably return to the stage of the Mysterious Side.
"Professionals" are essentially a collective term for those who have harnessed Extraordinary powers and can continue to advance.
For example, Old Witch Black Snake Witch Samra, Old Morgan's mother, who Tang Qi has not yet met.
She, indeed, is a Professional.
Tang Qi cannot determine her level, but she is definitely a "Witch," a witch who has mastered a vast amount of Black Witchcraft.
With the return of the Spiritual Tide, those Professionals with complete inheritances will only grow stronger.
Other people stepping into the Extraordinary Domain can only passively catch up, with little hope.
For instance, a young man who accidentally obtains the[Skana's Manuscript]would have the potential to become a "Beast Tamer" Professional, but to actually enter that echelon is likely as difficult as reaching the sky.
This knowledge is what Tang Qi inferred from Old Morgan's manuscript and extensive reading of materials like"Monster Records","Federation Hundred Years of Strange Phenomena","Mystical Study Secret Examination Overview"... these peculiar books.
Perhaps, it might not be completely accurate, or perhaps other terms are used within the Mysterious Side, but within the old Order, there is some precision.
Because of this, Tang Qi has already made some plans for his future path, and Skana's Manuscript is not among them.
Setting the manuscript aside, Tang Qi immediately takes another glance at those dog teeth.
[Curios: Devil Dog's teeth]
[State: Complete.]
[Information Fragment: Originating from a crossbreed devil dog, these teeth possess strong, sharp, and some other mysterious attributes. They can be used to concoct secret medicines and create other extraordinary items, such as weapons.]
There's no surprise that the teeth are extraordinary materials, versatile in their usage.
However, to actually make practical use of them still requires considerable exploration.
Unlike the next two kitchen knives, which are directly extraordinary weapons.
[Curios: Serland's Dual Blades.]
[State: Intact.]
[Information Fragment One: These are the two kitchen knives Serland used to kill his wife and daughter. Stained by the power of mad resentful spirits, they have transformed into extraordinary weapons. They don't require decryption; one automatically learns the Madness Blade Skill upon grasping them, but it also leads to a state of chaotic madness.]
[Information Fragment Two: Those with fragile wills will quickly use them to commit suicide.]
"Dangerous weapons!"
Muttering a description, then Tang Qi set the dual blades aside.
Spoils of war, one last item remains.
Mixed among a pile of drafts, a certain drawing that turns its possessor into a slave of desires.
That painter, after acquiring "it," changed from a human to a desire slave.
This implies it is a dangerous item.
Tang Qi didn't want to become a desire slave, so he did not extract "it" immediately after killing the painter, but instead returned here.
Thorny High School is always enveloped by a mysterious divine power.
Although Tang Qi has not identified the source of that power, even now.
But that doesn't deter Tang Qi from making use of it, whereby black witchcraft treasures like the Soul Swapping Balance are quickly weakened.
Likewise, this unknown drawing should be manageable.
Even so, before starting to peruse the drawing, the power of Tang Qi's already greatly expanded Melting Furnace has begun to subtly flow out, gathering in the palm of his hand, poised for action.
Simultaneously, Tang Qi also took a cup of deep blue "salt water."
Blue Sea Salt, prepared to prevent any incidents, Tang Qi melted another piece, not to make bullets but to hold in his mouth at this moment.
Break the curse!
Purify evil!
Although it sounds less potent compared to the "Red Sea Salt" that Tang Qi has already used up, blue sea salt is obviously more suitable against such a sinister evil presence.
Of course, also because Tang Qi has only one piece of red sea salt left while blue sea salt is more plentiful.
Holding the salt water in his mouth, enduring the salty taste, Tang Qi finally began to flip through the many incriminating drafts left by the bloodstained painter.
Rustle, rustle, rustle!
The first drawing, a spoiled portrait of a guest.
The second, an apple, likely a practice piece.
The third, depicts a woman with a curvaceous figure but without any clothes, in a seductive pose.
The fourth, shows a couple intertwined, the man being the painter himself.
...
In the quiet room, all other sounds disappeared, only the sound of flipping drawings remained.
However, as the drawings were being browsed through, no special interface popped up in sight, nor did any reactions emerge in his mind. Although the blue sea salt solution had the effect of dispelling evil, it was indeed still just salt water.
Tang Qi only felt as if his tongue was losing its sense of taste.
Suddenly!
Without thinking, Tang Qi flipped open another drawing.
Just about to continue to the next one as before.
"Boom~"
Without giving Tang Qi any time to react, from that drawing, numerous black tentacles suddenly burst out, instantly about to wrap around Tang Qi's body to drag him into the world within the drawing.
ps: Chapter forty-three has been harmonized; restoration pending in seven days, everyone can join the group (number 726582990) to read it.