139 Power Enhancement (4000)

One week passed.

A brief peace was established between the Holy Flame Society and the three major factions of Nilodo, though plenty of underhanded maneuvers unfolded behind the scenes. Countless subtle conflicts rippled through the urban districts of Nilodo.

In an elegant manor, on the third-floor balcony of a villa.

A middle-aged man clad in a black robe gazed quietly down below, taking in the scenery while listening to his subordinate's report.

"Minister, as per your instructions, the personnel we dispatched followed the faint clues and located several sites that are potentially the source of the anomaly. One is the satellite city of Colma in the western district of Nilodo, another is Lake Patton in the northern part of Nilodo, and the third is Todd Town in the northern suburbs..."

A subordinate recited from the document in his hand.

"The Blue Flame Combat Task Force, the Blizzard Combat Task Force, and the Amethyst Combat Task Force were dispatched to investigate these three locations respectively. Nothing was discovered at the first two, but at the third location, we found a series of combat traces..."

The subordinate raised his head and glanced at the black-robed man.

"Combat traces? Be more specific..." Kevin lowered his black hood, his indifferent eyes fixed on the forest.

"Yes."

"According to intelligence, weird occurrences have frequently happened in Todd Town recently, rumored to be haunted by ghosts. Behind the town stands the Modire Cathedral, which has a history of over a hundred years. Villagers have reportedly seen spirits there..."

"Ten days ago, the Golden Spiral organization developed an interest in this place. They dispatched personnel to investigate here two or three times, but returned empty-handed. However, seven days ago, according to our intelligence operative embedded within the Golden Spiral organization, the Black Baron personally led a team to investigate the Modire Cathedral and ran into trouble..."

The subordinate cleared his throat and continued.

"Subsequently, the knights of the Golden Spiral organization, accompanied by several combat squads, headed to the Modire Cathedral to resolve the trouble, leaving behind extensive traces of battle there..."

As the subordinate spoke, he produced several photographs.

Kevin reached out, took them, and flipped through them one by one.

The exterior and surroundings of the cathedral were marred by massive slash marks, the charred stone refusing to be washed away even by the torrential rain.

There were massive, water-filled craters scattered about.

The interior walls were shattered, covered in impact marks, alongside sinister and terrifying traps that had already been triggered.

"A knight..."

Kevin raised his head calmly, his expression unchanged. Yet, the dull, suppressed fury beneath that calm was palpable.

The mastermind behind the disastrous defeat suffered by the Holy Flame Society earlier was none other than this person! He was capable of defeating Chijin, the Second-Ring limit captain of the Black Flower Combat Task Force, in a direct confrontation, displaying formidable strength. Furthermore, the opponent was a Rune Master.

A rune expert capable of manufacturing massive quantities of lethal weapons and revolutionary gadgets was all the more troublesome.

He was essentially a strategic resource.

Leaving aside the entire East Coast, or even the entire eastern region of the Agali United States, how many rune experts of such caliber existed? He never expected that this individual would pledge allegiance to the Golden Spiral organization and bring such immense trouble to the Holy Flame Society.

If you cannot have it, destroy it!

If you cannot have the person, eliminate them!

This was the motto Kevin had always lived by.

Recently, not only had he issued orders to search for the Calamity Daughter, but he was also actively seeking an opportunity to exploit the knight's flaws. Regrettably, the target had remained holed up in his laboratory, offering no chance to catch him isolated.

Kevin had already been on the verge of abandoning his original plan.

Yet, to his surprise, the birth of the miraculous entity known as the Calamity Daughter was somehow intertwined with the knight?! The Holy Flame Society had searched for so long to no avail—could the opponent have beaten them to the punch? This was unequivocally bad news...

In an instant, Kevin's mind raced.

"Minister, there is also this."

The subordinate at his side handed over an envelope.

Inside were several photographs depicting what appeared to be the shattered remains of certain creatures, reduced to mere fragments of evidence.

Beside them were the analytical findings of experts.

"An unprecedented transcendent species, whose energy frequency does not match any known captured transcendents. Three or four consecutive specimens are completely unknown, suspected to be delusional entities..."

Kevin narrowed his eyes slightly.

Absurd delusion, illusion-reality conversion, spatial shifting...

These appeared to be the three abilities of the Calamity Daughter.

The so-called absurd delusion involved the Calamity Daughter sensing the fear residing in a target's heart, thereby manifesting a species that had never existed before, perfectly tailored to embody that fear—much like the half-human, half-serpent monsters depicted in ancient murals.

People of primitive tribes feared venomous snakes and scorpions because they frequently represented death, leading the Calamity Daughter to materialize serpent-men.

*Crackled, snap.*

An electric arc flashed across the paper, causing it to burn and burst into flames.

With a dark expression, Kevin turned around, realizing that one of his worst suspicions had likely come true. Everything had been in vain...

Now, the Holy Flame Society had two major objectives.

First, seize the miraculous entity, the Night Raven.

Second, completely tear the Golden Spiral organization to shreds.

These two goals were arguably of equal importance.

Kevin relaxed his grip, and ash scattered into the air.

Behind him, his subordinate followed closely.

***

"How is Chijin doing?"

"Not very well. Although his life was saved, but..."

Kevin understood the unspoken implication, a trace of guilt stirring within his heart. It was he who had explicitly requested the deployment of the Black Flower Combat Task Force; he had not foreseen this turn of events.

"Once I successfully complete this mission and receive a promotion at headquarters, I will certainly secure an opportunity for limb-regeneration surgery for you... Chijin." Kevin pulled his hood down.

***

*Splat!*

A skull was crushed to pieces.

Xiunan pulled back his hand and washed it clean.

He began to review the harvest from his wool-gathering efforts over the past few days.

[Ability: Crystal Shock Armor (+6)]
[Possesses top-tier resistance against sharp weapons, blunt instruments, and elemental forces. Features force-conduction traits; any blow received on one part of the body is distributed across the entire physique. Comes with the passive Reflection Seal, bouncing damage back to the attacker.]

[Ability: Transcendent Item Master (+6)]
[Grants two additional combat slots, capable of pushing combat items to their absolute operational limits. The moment you grip a transcendent item, you will instantly comprehend the circulation of Ring-force and the specific principles within it. In the face of a life-or-death crisis, you can even sacrifice the transcendent item as a cost to trade for overloaded operational time.]

[Ability: Brief Flight (+5)]
[The Blood-Red Knight's wings have evolved, enabling not just gliding, but active flight. Grants a total of five brief flight opportunities, each lasting one minute. Confers spatial mobility second only to a Sublimator.]

[Ability: Blood-Red Grand Knight (+5)]
[The Pale Knight has upgraded into the Blood-Red Knight, solidifying its form. That is, the bursting ceiling is converted into the baseline. Moreover, upon contact with blood activity, the Blood-Red Knight's attributes will still receive boosts, gradually driving it into a berserk Blood-Red Grand Knight state.]

[Trait: Corrosive Energy (+3)]
[Resonance of corrosive energy produces a special effect, inflicting armor-piercing efficacy against Ring-force light barriers. Furthermore, this effect is consecutively reinforced twice, granting a moderate increase in penetrative power.]

*Whoosh... Hiss...*

Cyclonic currents of air surged out from beneath the mask, enveloping the entire secret chamber in a searing heat—the body temperature radiated by the Blood-Red Knight.

In the dead center of the room, a five-meter-tall figure sat cross-legged on the ground, exuding mountain-like pressure.

The half-red, translucent armor gleamed with brilliant light, while intricate, eerie circuits rapidly wove and surged across the armor's surface.

Such was Xiunan's harvest over the past week and more.

It was not merely the result of harvesting the bronze tiles, but also the investment of the two to three hundred evolutionary points he had accumulated and left unused previously, poured entirely into enhancing his strength.

Hence, Xiunan had achieved substantial progress.

*Clack-clack-clack-clack...*

The Blood-Red Knight raised its hand, and a series of mechanical, gear-like sounds echoed from its joints. He could clearly feel the torrent of power surging through his body like wild horses.

Xiunan had a systematic plan for his growth in strength.

Rather than allocating his evolutionary points into the lowest-value enhancement of his three basic attributes, he poured them entirely into strengthening the existing abilities of the Blood-Red Knight.

Even the Ghost Steed had been upgraded to the Second Ring.

*Boom!*

Flames flared with physical intensity.

A massive silhouette materialized in mid-air.

Clad in heavy armor, the Ghost Steed violently reared its upper body, its enormous iron hooves slamming heavily onto the ground. Its shoulder muscles were streamlined, its mane etched with lines of power and majesty, while blazing currents of light flickered across it.

[Name: Ghost Steed]
[Type: Ring]
[Rank: Second Ring]
[Traits: ...]
[Ability: Flame Shifting: Within the range of the ghost flames, the Ghost Steed can execute a short-range spatial shift. Side effect: consumes one-third of Ring-force.]
[Ability: Ghost Flame Halo: The ghost flames materialize, generating specialized thorn-like fire. Flame power is massively enhanced, possessing binding traits. The original properties of the ghost flame halo are retained.]

The horse's hooves tapped lightly against the custom alloy flooring.

Within moments, the surface of the metal floor turned glowing red, showing faint signs of melting.

Xiunan quickly recalled the Ghost Steed, reverting it to human form. He was now fully prepared for the battle ahead.

The Night Raven would appear tomorrow at midnight!

A Sublimator?

Xiunan would not halt his pace.

That afternoon, at the sanitarium of the Golden Spiral organization.

Xiunan pushed open the door and stepped inside.

The interior was a clean, orderly ward with the windows wide open, a refreshing breeze fluttering the curtains up and down. On the bed against the wall, the Black Baron was gazing out at the scenery.

"How is it? Can you be discharged yet?"

Xiunan strode over and casually picked up an apple.

"Almost, but I'm already capable of returning to combat. Thanks to your healing badge." The Black Baron stood up straight from the bed and draped his coat over his shoulders.

"Let's go. Staying here is making my bones rust."

He slipped a badge into his chest pocket.

Xiunan chuckled, tossing the apple core into the nearby trash can. With the portable healing badge on hand, it made little difference whether the Black Baron was discharged a day earlier or later; the healing of his minor physical injuries would not be hindered.

"For some reason, I always feel like your aura has been growing stronger lately. It's a bit frightening..."

The Black Baron glanced at Xiunan's back and shrugged.

"Is that so? Then whose aura is stronger, mine or the Leader's?" Xiunan asked casually without turning back.

"Well, the Leader's, of course. A Sublimator... The Third Ring and the Second Ring are worlds apart. The two of us are still far too distant from that level; perhaps we'll never have the chance in this lifetime." The Black Baron shook his head, sighing with emotion.

He glanced at Xiunan, then suddenly realized something. The fellow had defeated Chijin, a Second-Ring limit powerhouse, in a direct match; he seemed dangerously close to the Sublimator tier. Given three to five years, or at most a decade, he stood a genuine chance of stepping into that realm.

Hence, the Black Baron added another sentence.

"Anyway, I won't live to see it..."

"But you are the one among us with the highest hope!"

***

Nilodo, Covalent University.

A vast expanse of rental housing surrounded the academic district, catering primarily to the top students of Covalent University. Some lived there due to special circumstances, while others were couples cohabiting. The university exercised minimal oversight over this.

At four in the afternoon, another class concluded.

As the bell rang, batches of students poured out of the teaching buildings like a dense school of fish.

"Sanya, let's go see a movie together. The newly released *Count Tunkaya* is supposedly quite good..."

A handsome, blonde- and blue-eyed boy walked along holding his textbooks in one hand and three movie tickets in the other.

Walking ahead of him was a striking girl with a single ponytail.

With a cold temperament and an exceptionally alluring figure, coupled with her striking looks, it was only natural that she commanded popularity.

"Why don't you ask your best friend to come along as well?"

Seeing no reaction from Sanya, the boy suggested bringing her friend along to defuse the awkwardness.

"Sorry, Solin. I haven't been feeling very well these past few days and want to go back and catch up on some sleep." Sanya politely declined, then clutched her textbooks and walked into the crowd.

"..." Solin sighed.

Instantly, two more students lunged forward with their arms slung over each other's shoulders, snatching one movie ticket each.

"What did I tell you? Sanya wouldn't agree." One of the slimmer boys raised an eyebrow.

"A bet's a bet. Perfect, one for each of us," the plumper student said.

"Come on, let's go watch a movie together. Oh right, we need to get popcorn and cola ready." The three of them chattered away as they walked toward the campus exit.

At the southwest gate, across the street in the rental district, Sanya clutched her textbooks all the way to the room on the right side of the third floor, pulled a key from her pocket, and unlocked the door.

Inside was a familiar layout, exuding a cozy, girlish warmth. Yet today, Sanya felt no sense of security whatsoever; instead, she felt an inexplicable sense of apprehension.

She had no idea what was wrong with her.

Ever since a few days ago, she had been plagued by frequent nightmares. Bizarre and terrifying dreamscapes pushed her to the verge of a psychological collapse, and her insomnia had grown severe.

Unlike her friend Lili's insomnia, Sanya was no ordinary person. Bloody murder scenes would not frighten her—unless they involved anomalous phenomena.

"Hah..."

Sanya set her textbooks down.

She lay on the sofa, gently pressing her temples.

"I hope I don't have any more nightmares tonight..."

Sanya whispered a silent prayer.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up as a thought struck her.

Could it be because of that thing?

She quickly stood up, retrieved a box from a concealed corner of her bedroom, and gently popped the latch open with a click.

Lying right in the center was a black mask.