Voodoo Master Advancement

"So, Madam, you knew the location of the 'Royal City' because of this Golden Mask?"

When Rein noticed the Golden Mask that Catherine had been wearing, he suddenly felt that it looked very familiar.

Upon comparison, the "Mind Core" was indeed the Golden Mask that the shady antique dealer had tried to sell him in the Hunter's Market in Black Wind Territory a few nights ago.

It turns out that the guy didn't mention the "guy," and when he took it there, he really did see a magnificent palace.

"Yes."

Catherine nodded and said, "This mask must have been an ornament worn by an ancient powerful being for many years, and it bears the remnants of that great being's spiritual energy. However, after it was unearthed, those remaining fragments of spiritual energy rapidly dissipated. Because I am an advanced 'Mental Sequence,' my spiritual power is much higher than that of ordinary people, which is why I saw the palace scene left on the mask."

Rein found it amazing and put the mask on his face a second time, but still didn't see any "strange phenomena".

Seeing Rein's bewildered expression, Catherine smiled and explained, "However, the spiritual energy on it has completely dissipated now. It's just an ordinary golden mask."

Rein raised an eyebrow without speaking, then asked, "Madam, how am I supposed to find the 'royal city' hidden in the mask in this vast desert?"

Catherine said, "I've seen several strange buildings, constructed from huge stone blocks. There are also complex and massive Underground Palace beneath the ground, which seem to have been used by this ancient civilization for sacrifices and as royal mausoleums. These ancient cities haven't been completely weathered away yet, so those landmark buildings must still be there. As long as we can find those buildings, I can probably determine the direction of the royal city."

"Oh"

When Rein heard Catherine's description, he thought of the flat-topped pyramids of the ancient Mayan civilization from his previous life.

As Rein and Catherine chatted more and more familiarly, the onlookers on the sand dunes nearby looked on with great curiosity. The two gradually moved closer together from a distance of four or five meters. Occasionally, Catherine would help Rein by pulling the threads and stitching up some of the wounds on his arm that were difficult to suture.

Finally, after Rein's injuries were mostly treated, Catherine called the others down to greet this "strong reinforcement."

Together they cleaned up the battlefield.

The Third Tier earth mage cast "Quicksand Technique," completely erasing all traces of the battle in the sand to prevent the mage from tracking them down.

Then, without having time to rest, the group quickly cleared away the corpses in the ancient city and set off through the night.

However, the group of ten eventually split into two groups.

After such a major incident, the hired hunters no longer dared to follow the "Redwood Merchant Guild" on their treasure hunts.

Several assassins have escaped, and a squad leader has died. "Black Skull" will definitely send more experts to hunt them down once they receive the news. They survived this night raid by sheer luck, but next time, it's hard to say.

Although the "Black Skull" thieves were mortal enemies to the Chamber of Commerce, their situation wouldn't change regardless of whether "Ghost Shadow" Qilos lived or died.

But this was an unexpected event outside of the Hunter's Contract, and the Hunters did not intend to lose their lives in a vendetta.

Catherine didn't try to stop them, and gave them ample compensation so they could take the wounded back with them.

Then Rein, Catherine, Gannix, the Third Tier Earth Mage, and a Heavy Armor Guard wasn't seriously injured continued on their way.

After the hunting team of more than 30 people was streamlined, only 5 people remained, and their speed was much faster.

Moreover, although last night's battle resulted in heavy losses, it is now almost 100% certain that the remaining survivors are "our own people." They no longer need to live in constant fear of being betrayed.

The five men walked for a day and a night, until the evening of the next day, when they finally found a place to camp near a dry river valley.

Firstly, it was for rest; secondly, Rein felt that after his battle with the [Ghost Shadow] Qilos, he had found an opportunity to advance to the Third Tier Extraordinary level.

This is a river valley with extremely complex terrain, containing water sources and a maze-like landscape. It is surrounded by sand dunes and ravines tens of meters high, making it easy to conceal one's movements and eliminating the possibility of being surrounded by enemies or undead monsters.

Jimmy, the guild guard, went to check the surrounding environment and returned to report, "Guild Master, we can camp here tonight. I have checked the terrain around us, and even if we encounter danger, we can deal with it calmly here."

Catherine nodded and asked Rein beside her, "Mr. Rein, what do you think?"

This question immediately drew everyone's attention to Rein.

Catherine did not elaborate on Rein's identity; others only knew his name and were unaware of his Transcendent abilities.

However, everyone could see that this mysterious man named Rein not only had amazing combat power, but he also seemed to have very powerful healing abilities.

Last night, everyone still vividly remembered the scene of him performing surgery on himself in public. And what was most striking was that, despite being covered in wounds yesterday, he was completely healed today. Putting aside the deadly toxins that would be fatal to an ordinary person, even those open wounds that would normally take several days to heal were healed incredibly quickly.

"Um."

These people are all trustworthy, and Rein didn't hide his plans to advance.

He looked around, nodded, and said politely, "I'll have to trouble everyone tonight. I plan to try to condense my 'momentum'. If I succeed, I will advance to the Third Tier Extraordinary. This process cannot be disturbed, so I'll have to rely on everyone's help and effort."

"Don't worry, leave it to us."

Upon hearing this, Catherine smiled and said, "With your advancement, our journey will be much safer. Even if we encounter a situation like the one before again, we shouldn't be afraid."

Even Amaris, the Third Tier mage and currently the team's strongest fighter, held Rein in high esteem for being able to kill [Ghost Shadow] Qilos. Hearing this, the others nodded in agreement, but their expressions were slightly strange.

Apart from Amaris, who is at Third Tier, everyone else present is at Second Tier. But why is there such a large difference in combat power among these Second Tier Transcendent?

Moreover, everyone knows that the difference Second Tier and Third Tier of the Transcendent is like heaven and earth.

If Rein were to advance to the Third Tier [Demon Hunter], his strength would immediately increase several times over. Everyone was shocked and somewhat expectant, wondering just how incredibly powerful a newcomer would appear in their team.

At this moment, Amaris spoke up, "Mr. Rein, I can help you conjure an earth elemental fortress to conceal your aura. Even if a battle breaks out, it won't affect your advancement."

At the Third Tier the Transcendent, she already belonged to the category of High-tier Extraordinary, and originally she already had the qualifications to look down on low-level Transcendent.

But now, facing this Second Tier Rein, she couldn't show the slightest bit of arrogance.

At least, a fragile mage like himself, even with considerable magical power, would likely lose his life in just a few exchanges if facing a master thief alone. He felt the same way about facing this Rein.

Rein nodded to the nun and said politely, "Thank you. I'm sorry to trouble you."

Night falls.

Not wanting to cause any accidents, no fires were lit in the camp that night.

The dim magic lamp was the only source of light.

Catherine and the other three sat together, none of them sleeping, their eyes frequently falling on the "earth elemental fortress" not far away.

Inside the fortress, Rein was in seclusion, contemplating enlightenment.

Almost no one spoke, and the atmosphere was somewhat somber.

Gannix finally couldn't hold back and asked, "Mother, is this Mr. Rein the same 'Rein' that Cousin Canossa mentioned before?"

This rich young master's hunting trip turned out to be the biggest unexpected event of his life. Contrary to the bard's tales of ancient ruins teeming with treasure, he also failed to encounter a damsel in distress to rescue him.

Instead, a night raid by an assassin and a rebellion by the guards nearly cost the young man his life, and some of his naive ideas were thoroughly shattered.

Now, seeing another Second Tier Transcendent being, Rein, he became even more doubtful about life.

I'm also at the Second Tier Great Perfection level, so why is there such a big difference? Others were able to kill the great phantom thief [Ghost Shadow] Qilos, while I almost peed my pants in fear.

Catherine glanced at him and said calmly, "Yes."

She brought her son out this time to teach him a lesson, so that he wouldn't keep having unrealistic adventurer dreams.

"Oh, that's really true."

Gannix nodded and said, "He is indeed quite strong, but he looks rather ordinary."

He didn't know many details, but he had heard from his family that it was the man his cousin Canossa had her eye on. Although he acknowledged Rein's abilities, he also felt that Canossa's man must be a handsome and capable fighter—a perfect character.

Catherine didn't explain much to him, thinking to herself: She's not bad looking at all.

After all, she had heard Canossa describe Rein's appearance, so she naturally knew that his ordinary appearance was probably disguised by some kind of human skin mask.

She showed no mercy to her son, retorting, "What's the use of being good-looking? Someone like you, your hands shake when you're in danger? Don't you always brag about how you're a crack shot with your musket? Did you manage to shoot down a few assassins last night?"

"."

A barrage of probing questions left Gannix so ashamed he couldn't lift his head.

He didn't get angry at all after being ridiculed by his own mother. In fact, looking back, he realized that he had indeed performed terribly.

Last night, not only did we fail to kill any assassins, but we were nearly killed by them several times.

They had the best Cultivation Method and the best equipment, both at the Second Tier, yet their combat strength was vastly different.

But the boy's stubbornness prevented him from admitting his inadequacy, and he retorted defiantly, "That Mr. Rein must be a descendant of some reclusive, powerful family."

"Do you think everyone is like you, having the best Transcendent resources from a young age?"

Catherine gave her son a disapproving look and said, "I heard from your cousin Canossa that Mr. Rein was only a beginner in the Transcendent realm two or three years ago. He achieved his current success entirely through his own hard work, not because he's from some reclusive family."

Gannix was greatly surprised and completely disbelieving. "How is that possible!"

Catherine: "Speaking of which, your teacher Sam knows Mr. Rein and even taught him martial arts."

Gannix: "Huh?"

Catherine continued, "Haven't you heard your teacher Sam say that he once encountered a martial arts prodigy on his way to City of Radiance?"

Gannix seemed to recall something and exclaimed, "You mean Mr. Rein is the guy the teacher was talking about, the one who learned the 'Iron Mountain Lean' in just one day?"

"Otherwise what? So, the path of the Transcendent requires talent. I think you should go back this time and focus on learning business management from me, instead of always thinking about being an 'adventurer'."

Catherine wanted to dissuade her son from that idea, saying, "Don't be like your father."

At this point, she suddenly became speechless, and did not say anything more, her eyes glistening with tears.

Despite the ordeal, Gannix's resolve remained unshaken. Instead, he declared with even greater determination, "No, Mother! I feel this trip was absolutely worthwhile, even though I nearly lost my life! I believe that one day, I will become a great explorer like Father!"

"You"

Catherine looked at her son, her expression complex, but said nothing more, only sighing softly, "Sigh."

A mother's greatest wish is for her son to be safe and sound.

In the pitch-black night, in the dried-up river valley, the dim light cast long shadows of several people as they whispered among themselves.

On the other hand, in the Earth Elemental Fortress.

Rein is meditating cross-legged.

The color of the "Thunder Tiger Magic Core" he held in his hand was gradually fading, while the blazing battle aura behind him, like flames, was getting higher and higher.

The striped thunder tiger formed from condensed battle qi was beginning to take shape, its features clear and its ferocious power emerging. It was as if a skilled painter had used simple purple lines to outline a lifelike tiger, and in its large, copper-bell-like eyes, an aura of domineering power seemed to materialize, growing stronger with each condensation.

But this is not the end; the magic core has not completely disappeared.

Even in meditation, Rein's face was contorted with a fierce expression. Though his eyes were closed, he gave the impression of a tiger about to awaken.

A comparison reveals that this state is exactly the same as his expression during his battle with that "Ghost Shadow" Qilos last night—fearless, undaunted, and exuding an imposing aura.

Rein's fierce aura remained undiminished, as if an invisible force was adding a fierce aura to the phantom of the thunder tiger behind him, making it more and more solid.

Finally, in the middle of the night.

When the magic core in Rein's hand was completely depleted and turned into a pure crystal, he suddenly opened his eyes.

In that instant, two bolts of lightning shot out from those deep eyes, as if thunder had exploded and the lightning had burst forth!

His face lit up with joy. "It's done! The Thunder Tiger Momentum!"

The moment Rein opened his eyes, his aura suddenly surged outwards.

"Momentum" is not a type of fighting spirit, and even with an earth elemental fortress separating it, it still leaks out.

Immediately, Amaris, the Third Tier mage mage mage mage who was meditating on the sand outside, sensed something and her expression changed drastically.

The next instant, Catherine and the other two also sensed the "Thunder Tiger Momentum," instantly feeling as if they were being stared at by some terrifying monster, their hair standing on end. In this empty valley, it was as if a torrent of power was sweeping in from the darkness, making them feel fearful.

Catherine's expression shifted, and she murmured, "He really succeeded in condensing it."

Having condensed the "momentum" of battle qi means one has already stepped into the threshold of High-tier Extraordinary. After taking the magic potion, advancing to the next level will be almost a natural progression.

Meanwhile, Gannix, standing to the side, wore an expression of shock and envy. "What kind of 'momentum' has Mr. Rein comprehended? How can he be so domineering?"

Amaris's expression was solemn as she said calmly, "Thunder Tiger. A very rare thunder-type beast king. No wonder his fist style is so domineering; it turns out he follows this domineering path. This level of comprehension is not easy to achieve."

She was the only Transcendent individual present to have crossed the threshold of the Third Tier, which made her all the more aware of its difficulty. The "momentum" each person cultivates is different, and so is the level of difficulty. This domineering momentum is one of the most advanced forms of comprehension. Without the heart of a strong individual, this path is simply impassable.

Catherine was shocked, but even more so, delighted. "I'm really looking forward to seeing just how strong he will be after advancing to the Third Tier of [Demon Hunter]!"

Upon hearing this, the others' eyes gleamed with the same sharp light.

If you can kill [Ghost Shadow] Qilos when you are at the Second Tier, how strong will you be after you officially enter the Third Tier?

After successfully gathering the "Thunder Tiger Momentum," Rein did not leave the Earth Elemental Fortress, but instead took out a sealed ceramic jar.

This earthenware jar contains the "Mountain Doctor Sequence" Third Tier Gene Potion, "Voodoo Master," which is a legacy of the Kohlman Clan and shares the same lineage as the "Battle Doctor."

The detailed effects of this potion are still not explained by data. The Kolman Tribe's explanation of the formula is very general, saying that after the potion is upgraded, it will still increase strength, physical resilience and perception, but most importantly, it will add a new attribute - "toxin resistance".

Ilubeck once analyzed the effects of this potion on human genes and speculated that it would awaken a new Gene Chain related to the human immune system and enhance cell activity.

Although the efficacy of the medicine was uncertain, Rein knew that after successfully advancing to the [Voodoo Master] level, his poison resistance would be extremely high. He estimated that even without Antidote Potion, his body would likely have exceptionally high immunity to many toxins.

Moreover, this is something that can enhance one's abilities!

Humans are born with the ability to resist toxins. The renewal and replacement of the immune system naturally increases toxin resistance.

To give a simple example, just like "Paralyzing Toxin," after a small amount of Paralyzing Toxin is injected into the human body, the body's tolerance to this toxin will gradually increase, eventually leading to immunity to this toxin.

However, due to individual physical conditions, there is a certain upper limit to this level of immunity.

To give an example using data, it's roughly equivalent to "+1 Paralyzing Toxin immunity" after one injection, while the upper limit of resistance for an average person is about 99.

This [Voodoo Master] Gene Potion raises the ceiling on this limit, allowing people to accumulate it almost infinitely, reaching 999+!

In the Kolman Tribe, the Witch Doctor who have advanced to this level love to feed poisonous insects and concoct poisons. Living with poisonous creatures year-round, their toxin immunity becomes increasingly high.

There is still much room for development in the field of toxins, but Rein did not think much about it.

He was in high spirits, so he opened the earthenware jar and gulped it down.

Upon entering the mouth, the medicine produced a warm sensation similar to that of drinking baijiu (Chinese liquor), which traveled down the throat into the lower abdomen. The effects of the medicine then rapidly spread, penetrating the meridians throughout the body.

Rein had consistently used potions specific to this "Healing Law Sequence" for advancement, ensuring optimal tolerance to the sequence's potions and perfect compatibility with his Gene Chain. His advancements were almost effortless, encountering no significant hurdles.

As the medicine entered his body, a certain barrier within him seemed to be suddenly broken. His battle qi, which had been saturated and stopped growing, was suddenly freed from its restraints and then surged several times over.

Not only fighting spirit, but also strength, resilience, five senses, cell activity, nerve reaction speed, willpower, almost all physical attributes are continuously increasing.

The Third Tier [Demon Hunter] level allowed Rein to cross the threshold of this High-tier Extraordinary, enabling him to touch upon a power range that was previously beyond his comprehension.