As the days passed, the inner turmoil Liang Chen was experiencing did not cease. The days went by in a monotonous sequence, but the blue light that had appeared before him on that dark night continued to haunt his thoughts, slipping into his mind during moments of silence, leaving behind unanswered questions. How could such a power suddenly emerge in his life? Was it just a dream, or was something deeper happening?
Day after day, he kept observing the glowing screen that appeared before him from time to time. Despite his numerous attempts to ignore it, the commands and instructions it displayed were becoming more frequent and more specific. The feeling of anxiety grew stronger every time he neared an understanding of what was happening.
One day, he sat in his room, his face pale from lack of sleep, his eyes deep in the glowing screen that had suddenly appeared before him. This time, the screen displayed new instructions, more specific than ever before.
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[System]
*Current Status: Progressing.
*Next Task: Absorb spiritual energy from five living beings affected by the new energy.
*Warning: The more your influence grows in the world, the more you become susceptible to being noticed.
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"What do these words mean?" Liang wondered, trying to understand what the system was trying to convey.
At that moment, he could no longer ignore the growing sensation within him. He began to feel a strange energy flooding his body, as though every part of him was re-shaping itself. It was clear that this system was not just a fleeting digital screen—it was something alive, something interacting with him.
-Liang realized that the energy he absorbed from the black cat that night was not just a random accident. It was the beginning of something bigger, something that could change the course of his life. At that moment, he made an important decision: would he continue to hide these abilities from the world, or would he try to understand them with all the strength he had?
"If there's something greater in this energy, I need to learn how to use it. But at the same time, I can't risk exposing myself." This decision became the foundation for everything to come. And even though he had been avoiding confrontation, he began to feel that a strand of light was guiding him into the unknown.
Liang decided to embark on a new journey and carry out the next task presented by the system. But before doing that, he had to face his greatest challenge: how could he absorb spiritual energy from living beings without drawing attention to himself?
The sun had already set when Liang decided to go out on his first attempt to collect spiritual energy. He headed toward the backyard of his house, where the plants had begun to show strange signs. Some flowers were growing abnormally, and their leaves were changing into unusual colors. Life around him was changing, but was he the only one who felt it?
He looked at the birds flying overhead in a frenzied pattern. It seemed as though they were watching him closely, their eyes glowing with an unusual blue hue—the same as the cat's eyes. Something strange was happening in nature, and it was obvious that these changes were part of the new energy that he himself was beginning to be affected by.
At that moment, he decided to try absorbing energy from one of the birds flying nearby. He took slow, cautious steps toward the bird hovering above him. Before the bird could fly away, he slowly raised his hand toward the sky, breathing quietly.
As in the previous instance, energy began to flow into his hand. But this time, the energy was denser, more tangible. He felt a fire ignite within him, as if his body were burning from the inside out. It was a painful experience, but at the same time, it was strange and exhilarating.
[System]
*Energy collected from the bird.
*Units collected: 2/10.
When the bird stopped hovering in the sky, Liang felt a sudden wave of exhaustion. His body was tense all over, and his heart was beating faster than usual. But he didn't allow himself to give up; he continued collecting energy, and each time he gathered more energy, he began to feel a strange transformation within himself.
However, as he moved from tree to tree, trying to gather more energy, he felt something unusual. There was someone else watching him. A shadow was moving slowly through the garden, drawing closer to him.
"Who are you?" Liang asked, his voice trembling.
The man answered in a calm tone, "I'm not here to scare you, but you can't stay hidden forever, Liang Chen."
The Mysterious Encounter: Who is This Man?
Liang didn't know how to respond. He had thought he was the only one with this power, but now he discovered that others knew about it. The man before him radiated something strange, something Liang couldn't fully understand.
"How do you know my name?" Liang asked, raising his hand cautiously.
"The energy you carry cannot be hidden, and you are not the only one who feels it. I've been watching you for a while, and I know what you are."
The man smiled, but the smile carried an air of mystery.
[System]
*Warning: You are not alone. You must handle this power with greater caution.
Liang felt a shiver run down his spine. The system was warning him about something, and this man seemed to be a part of that warning. But before he could think further, the man suddenly disappeared into the darkness, leaving Liang standing there, paralyzed by shock.
"Who was that? And what did he mean?" Liang wondered as he stepped backward, his mind racing through everything that had happened since that first moment when the screen appeared.
But one thing was clear: his adventure had already begun, and the world around him was changing. It seemed that the man held the key to this transformation.
Liang closed his eyes for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts. Each step was leading him deeper into the unknown. But he knew one thing for sure: the path he had chosen would not lead him back. With each unit of spiritual energy he gathered, he was getting closer to understanding what the future held.
"Secrecy will be my first weapon, but I won't be alone in this." He whispered to himself as he stared into the surrounding darkness.
End of Chapter Two