111 Death Mask (6000)

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Runic Guild, West District, Physical Testing Room.

Xiunan was wearing thin clothing, surrounded by a crowd of people in white lab coats. They were using professional instruments to test his bodily data in his normal state.

"Hey, that’s the seventh time you’ve bent the needle..."

Xiunan was speechless. Standing before him was a delicate-looking young nurse, holding a steel needle used for drawing blood. She wore an expression of deep shame.

Xiunan’s skin was simply too tough. Under the dual effects of his power sharing, his physique had been reinforced. Even in his normal state, he surpassed human limits; his skin was as thick and resilient as cowhide. A sharp needle could barely pierce it, but it couldn't reach the veins beneath.

"Let me do it!" a male doctor volunteered. He was tall and burly, looking less like a doctor and more like a football player.

Three minutes later, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The doctor wiped sweat from his forehead; after five or six failed attempts, he had finally drawn the blood.

Xiunan glanced at his right hand. It was covered in dense needle marks, almost looking like a honeycomb. However, the marks made by the young girl earlier were already beginning to heal, the red dots fading rapidly. He estimated they would be fully healed before long.

He stood up and followed a tester in black to the next area. Next was the speed test. This was simple: a straight-line sprint. He was told to unleash his full speed, no holding back.

The data came in shortly after. 5.02 seconds per 100 meters—roughly double the limit of an ordinary human sprinter.

Then came endurance. Xiunan excelled here even more than in speed, lasting about three times longer than a normal human. If he were to run a marathon, he figured he could keep going for hundreds of kilometers, provided he relied solely on his physical strength.

Next were reaction speed, vision, and so on. Finally, it was time for strength.

In a spacious, brightly lit room, there was a large metal machine in the corner. It was unadorned, featuring only a central indentation for striking and a display screen above it. Punch Strength Tester No. 1, with a limit of three tons.

The punch impact of an average male is roughly 100 to 150 kilograms. If one took 150 kilograms as a baseline, this machine’s limit was twenty times that.

"Give it a try..." A beautiful woman in a black uniform stood nearby, wearing heavy makeup and holding a clipboard. She was responsible for recording Xiunan’s ten punch attempts.

Xiunan nodded in front of the machine. He rolled his sleeves up to his shoulders, revealing solid, powerful muscles. He wrapped his fists completely in black gloves. He let out a soft breath, his gaze sharpening.

*Whoosh...* A whistling sound cut through the air.

His right arm blurred and vanished, whipping through the air like a black shadow, landing with immense force.

*Boom!* The recorder nearby felt the ground tremble, and the punch tester shook violently. She blinked and stepped forward to look.

"3000kg!"

He had hit the limit of the tester in a single punch?

The female tester asked Xiunan to try again. The result remained 3000kg; it didn't change. The testing range was insufficient. It was time for a new machine.

Three minutes later, Xiunan arrived in a larger room where a more sophisticated and taller punch tester stood. Punch Strength Tester No. 2, with a limit of six tons.

*Boom!* A dull thud echoed as he struck.

"4018kg!"

Four tons of force, twenty-six times that of a normal person. The tester gave Xiunan a deep look and recorded the data on her chart. Xiunan continued the test.

"3892kg!" "3966kg!" "4100kg!"

Ten strikes in total, with an average force of 3989kg—nearly four tons. A standard family car weighs between 1.2 and 1.3 tons, while high-end cars are 1.4 to 1.6 tons, and heavier ones reach 1.8 to 2.0. Every punch Xiunan threw was equivalent to two heavy cars slamming into the target.

Such immense strength would definitely be classified as a superpower, and the Ice Thorn Runic Guild recorded it as such. Any other anomalies would simply be considered side effects of the superpower on his body.

In reality, however, great strength was not Xiunan's superpower; meditation time was. Great strength was merely a shared effect of his Holy Bone Secret Ring ability. If anyone mistook his strength for his trump card, they would be sorely mistaken. Having a public facade was an excellent way to hide his true strength while he developed in the shadows.

That said, honestly, Xiunan’s strength could indeed be considered a superpower; after all, it allowed his body to gain greater power based on the upgrade and evolution of his runes. If he mastered enough runes and the random shared effects were all strength-based, it would only be a matter of time before he evolved to the point of punching through a skyscraper.

Once the data testing was complete, the various departments of the Ice Thorn Runic Guild received the evaluation report immediately.

Great Strength, E-rank talent, high degree of development. Maximum punch force around four tons, posing a certain level of threat to a First-Ring Secret Ring Master. Weak in long-range combat, but close-quarters combat strength rivals a mid-level First-Ring Secret Ring Master.

"Not bad. I didn't expect this Mr. Knight to be not only a Runemaster but also a super-powered individual," said a man with gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose.

He wore a black Runemaster’s short robe, leaning on a pale purple patterned cane with his left hand, while holding the evaluation report in his right. Most notably, a golden badge was pinned to his robe. He was clearly a noble Runic Expert.

"That is exactly what makes it so valuable. Possessing a natural talent, becoming stronger just by eating and breathing, yet still able to resist temptation and commit to the dry, tedious career of a Runemaster, and even achieving the status of a Runic Expert..." President David remarked with a smile. His wine-red suit had not a single wrinkle; he looked like a model in a display window—meticulous, serious, and professional.

"That is indeed true," the bespectacled man nodded.

The man’s name was Jacques. He was the other Vice President of the Ice Thorn Runic Guild, and his status was much higher than Vice President Joan’s. The reason was that Jacques was a Runic Expert, while Joan was still some distance away from that level. She remained an Elite Runemaster; she had hit the limit of that level ten years ago but had been unable to take the next step. Becoming a Runic Expert was not easy; many were stuck at the Elite level for their entire lives, unable to climb any higher.

In the entire Republic of Agari, there were fifty-three states. The Nilodo branch of the Ice Thorn Runic Guild covered about two states. Out of tens of millions of people, only sixteen experts had been produced in decades. One could imagine the difficulty of earning this title.

Of course, the actual ratio might be higher, as some massive organizations did not easily reveal the Runic Experts they cultivated, leaving them uncertified by the Ice Thorn Runic Guild.

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Just how many there were remained an unknown.

"Is he going to proceed with the Secret Ring Master test next?" Jacques glanced at the report in his hand and looked through the glass into the room. Xiunan was standing quietly in the center, casually warming up.

"That's correct," President David replied.

"He also has talent for Runic combat?" Jacques raised an eyebrow. Theoretically, Runemasters before the age of fifty were rarely skilled in combat because that period was when their inspiration was most active; wasting it on experiments would be a shame. It was only after fifty that Runemasters, having gained experience but lost some inspiration, began to study combat, some becoming even more skilled than Secret Ring Masters.

"Who knows?" President David shrugged.

"Who is his opponent?" Jacques tapped his cane and asked.

"Shadowfly, a Second-Ring Agility-type Secret Ring Master. His combat strength is between early and mid-Second-Ring. He should be one or two grades stronger than the Knight. This level is perfect for testing; anything higher wouldn't show us much..." David replied, rubbing the ring on his finger.

In the room, Xiunan looked at his opponent. It was a thin, black-haired man in his thirties or forties, exuding a cold, gloomy aura.

"Expert Xiunan, let's begin." Shadowfly glanced at the glass and spoke slowly. When Xiunan received his expert certificate, he used his real name. It didn't matter; a person of value could go by any name.

"Hmm," Xiunan nodded slightly.

"I will suppress my strength to the First-Ring level and then slowly increase it," Shadowfly said.

"No need, just use your full strength from the start," Xiunan replied. It was getting late, and he planned to return to discuss the purchase of experimental equipment with Black Jazz.

"Then... be careful..." Shadowfly hesitated for a moment before nodding.

He stepped forward, and in an instant, his entire body transformed into a pale black mist, vanishing from sight.

Xiunan scanned his surroundings. The room was filled with clutter, and the lighting wasn't very bright. This seemed designed to facilitate Shadowfly’s ability.

*Hiss, hiss, hiss...*

In an unseen corner behind him, a shadow emerged. The dark silhouette shot out, its outline blurring and lengthening in mid-air. An arm holding a silver dagger struck out furiously.

*Boom!*

A pitch-black fist blocked the dagger, and an arm, twisted and wound like steel bars, emerged from behind. In an instant, another arm grew out, carrying immense strength, whipping out like a heavy meteor hammer and dragging the stagnant air of the room with it.

*Clang!* The fist shattered the black silhouette. But the shadow, though broken, did not disappear. Instead, it fell to the ground like a blob of glue, squirming rapidly before reforming into a human shape in another patch of shadow. Shadowfly’s eyes revealed a hint of gravity. That strength already exceeded the First-Ring level.

"Second-Ring? But it seems to be just a little bit short," Shadowfly muttered, holding his dagger.

*ROAR!!!*

A low, guttural sound echoed through the room. A ferocious, nearly three-meter-tall humanoid figure squeezed out, its blood-red eyes glowing beneath a heavy helmet. Beside the hideous bone spurs were eerie circuits, and the edges of its broad, gray-black wings were lined with dense, metallic serrations. A powerful yet broken feeling radiated outward.

"Fine, I take that back..." Shadowfly shut his mouth and merged into the darkness once more.

*Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!*

A series of metallic strikes echoed continuously. The ground shook every time the Pale Knight took a step. The two engaged in rapid combat; Shadowfly used his ability to constantly dive into the shadows, launching surprise attacks from unexpected angles—highly threatening!

Even when struck head-on, he could transform into a puddle of viscous shadow glue, reforming into human shape in moments, appearing completely unharmed. It was unclear what kind of superpower model this was. Shadow transformation? But it didn't seem that simple.

While they fought, in the observation room, Jacques raised an eyebrow. President David smiled but said nothing. Perhaps this was a Runemaster who excelled in combat?

*Roar!* The battle in the room suddenly reached its conclusion.

The Pale Knight forced Shadowfly into a corner, his fists bombarding the glue-like shadow like cannonballs. The immense power, like a pile driver, caused the specially modified combat room to tremble. The glass vibrated, humming loudly.

In the corner, the black shadow constantly coalesced and shattered. The human form could not fully materialize under the iron fists of the Pale Knight; he seemed to have reached his limit.

"I..." The head was smashed before the word was finished.

"Surr..." A heavy hammer pierced the chest.

"ender!" The shadow was torn in two.

In the distance, Xiunan used his control to force the Pale Knight to stop. He frowned slightly. Once this rune started attacking, it seemed to enter a berserk state; if it didn't taste blood, it was hard to stop. It seemed he needed to fix the flaws in the combination rune as soon as possible.

Nearby, Shadowfly gasped for breath. A giant hand stopped just an inch above his head. He had been a fraction of a second away from being smashed on the spot. The giant, ferocious humanoid figure blocked a massive patch of shadow, inexplicably giving off a sense of terror.

Shadowfly didn't know why he felt this way; in truth, his opponent's strength was only a line above his own. Under normal conditions, they would have traded blows, but the Pale Knight’s sudden burst of power had forced him into a corner and defeated him.

"Whew..." Shadowfly exhaled. Perhaps it was because his opponent was so well-rounded—strength, speed, and defense, with no weaknesses. There were no flaws or openings to exploit; it was despairingly comprehensive. Moreover, he had a faint feeling that the Pale Knight had not even used all of its capabilities, which would have been fatal to him.

*Whoosh...*

The Pale Knight instantly transformed into a rune and was retracted by Xiunan. He lowered his eyes, his complexion slightly pale. The consumption of ring power was significant, and the circuits of the Pale Knight were slightly loosened, affected by the external space.

Through this test, Xiunan not only verified his strength but also understood a rule for using the Pale Knight rune: combat must be swift and decisive. Go all out from the start, unleash maximum power. Do not give the enemy a chance to react; do not engage in a war of attrition.

*Clap, clap, clap...*

A series of applause greeted him. As soon as Xiunan entered the observation room, President David and Vice President Jacques began to clap, praising him with smiles.

He naturally waved his hand, being humble. This level of strength was nothing to be proud of; the gap between his Secret Ring Master combat strength and his Runemaster status was significant and could not be closed in the short term.

So, what he needed to do now was use his status as a Runic Expert to obtain resources. He needed to complete the Pale Knight as soon as possible, then start hunting down members of the Holy Flame Society. He needed to obtain evolution points and study that book, *The Milodalen School*, to attempt to replicate the powerful creatures described within.

He was becoming intoxicated by the process of acquiring power. For some reason, it gave him much more of a sense of achievement than real life. It was something that made a person delve deep, willing to endure loneliness.

Perhaps, this was the charm of runes...

*************

"Knight, catch." Mask sat in the driver's seat and tossed over a high-end cigarette. Xiunan caught it, speechless.

"Why are you wearing that girl's clothes from earlier..."

"Isn't this a bit too flashy?"

Xiunan couldn't help but complain, as Mask was still sporting the appearance and body of that glamorous star. She wore a dark red dress with black pantyhose underneath, and a thin, fiery-red leather belt tied around her waist. Her figure was immediately highlighted—busty, slender-waisted, and curvaceous. It was definitely some kind of ability; Xiunan didn't even need to guess.

*Bang!* He got into the passenger seat.

"Need a lighter?" Mask handed over a silver lighter.

"..."

Xiunan had clearly seen Mask retrieve the lighter from between her breasts. Did she inherit the habit of hiding things there even after her ability changed? Her chest was like a four-dimensional pocket. She could pull a whole pile of things out of there.

"Just light it for me..." Xiunan leaned the cigarette forward.

*Heh.* A smoke ring puffed from her red lips, and Mask lit the cigarette for him with a clean, fluid motion. When Mask leaned in, Xiunan could clearly smell a faint, lingering fragrance—perhaps perfume.

"You men, you're really pretentious."

Mask cradled her chest with her left arm, her palm supporting her right elbow. The cigarette between her fingers rose slowly.

"Aren't you a man?" Xiunan laughed.

"How can you be sure I'm a man? Is it based on the image you saw at first glance? That’s not necessarily my true form, you know..." Mask squeezed her hands together. The creamy white mounds became even more prominent.

"Forget it, that 'loser' aura of yours can't be hidden no matter how hard you try," Xiunan flicked the ash.

Some say men understand men best, and it's true. A man who has transformed into a witch understands men very well. Men are also very good at detecting the scent of their own kind.

"Heh heh..." Mask giggled, and then shifted from a highly aggressive "big sister" back to her original self.

"I just didn't want to play with you. Believe it or not, I can make a man unable to tell whether I’m a man or a woman even in bed." He said this while starting the car.

"Superpowers are indeed the most unreasonable things..." Xiunan rubbed the stubble on his chin.

"No more joking, let's talk business." Mask suddenly became very serious.

Xiunan looked out the window. They were driving down a mountain road. On both sides, only streetlights flashed past, and a pitch-black starry night blanketed the earth. Looking down from the hillside, one could faintly see the bustling, neon-lit city in the distance.

"Do me a favor," Mask said again.

"Go ahead," Xiunan said, still looking out the window.

"Actually, I'm not just a member of the Golden Spiral organization; I'm also one of the directors of the Fire Deer Antique Company..."

"It’s called an antique company, but you know how it is." Mask raised an eyebrow. He figured it wasn't a legitimate business; the antique company was just a cover.

"There are four directors in total, and we have six relic exploration teams under us, responsible for entering various ruins to search for ancient legacies. Recently, the Black Eye exploration team in the Kurunta Forest had an unexpected harvest..."

"What kind of harvest?" Xiunan became interested.

"They found a mask—a death mask from the ancient Baikalan mythology. But legend says there is only one true death mask, and countless forgeries exist beyond that. While they are antiques, their value is worlds apart from the real thing..."

"So, we want to ask a high-level Runemaster to check the runic circuits on it to see if it's a forgery. The Runemasters cultivated within our company lack the eye for it, and we're afraid of leaks if we go outside, so we came to you..." Mask explained the process.

"Relics..." Xiunan caught the keyword. Kaxiu’s daughter had been taken by a powerful force called the Relic Organization. The branch of the Holy Flame Society that could compete with the three major forces of Nilodo was only a tiny part of this behemoth known as the Relic Organization.

"So? Are you willing to help me?"

"Of course, I’m very interested in this." Xiunan nodded and agreed. Perhaps coming into contact with the field of ancient relics would be useful later on.

"Pleasure doing business with you," Mask said while driving.

Xiunan smiled and said nothing.

"You haven't eaten all day, right? I’ll take you to the Saint Carna high-end restaurant to have a feast in a while." Mask began to whistle leisurely.

*Boom!*

Xiunan’s eyes widened suddenly. A black shadow rushed out from his peripheral vision, slamming heavily into the car. It was like a terrifying tank running them over.

The high-performance Saint Shield sedan was sent flying by the immense force, spinning wildly as it headed toward the cliff. In the state of Meditation Time, a figure nimbly rushed out of the passenger seat, quickly shifting direction to open the driver’s side door. But a sense of danger attacked from behind.

Xiunan lunged forward and rolled. A massive hammering sound shook the ground; the road, fully half a meter wide, collapsed, and stones shot out like bullets.

"Mask!"

Xiunan looked to the side. In the dark of the night, the fiery-red car tumbled straight off the cliff. He didn't know if her ring power light film could withstand the impact.

*Boom!* A pillar of fire rose from below.

Well, the hope of survival seemed slim.

Xiunan’s face was like iron. The Jessica Pendant had not issued a warning during this attack. The unknown enemy had somehow rendered it ineffective. He turned his head sharply. A specter-like figure was crouching in the crater, its hideous features peering over at him.

Veins like tree branches, eyes as black as ink.

"A power user? A Secret Ring Master? Or..."