The Truth in the Mist

"Ha... haha... cough..."

"I won!"

On the cold ground, Tang Qi hugged the dog corpse with its blown-off head, laughing brilliantly.

Just now, he had gambled.

With his ordinary human physique, being hunted down, one-on-one and bare-handed, he couldn't possibly fight a monstrous mad dog.

But with a Supernatural Firearm, everything changed.

In the end, he paid the price of a bitten arm, successfully unsealing Blood Python No. 1 and blowing that dog's head off at the last moment.

Feeling the corpse gradually cooling in his arms, Tang Qi struggled to his feet. He didn't check his wounded arm first, but looked at the imposing pistol still gripped in his other hand.

Within his eyes, the changed Special Interface popped up.

[Curio: Blood Python No. 1.]

[Status: Restored.]

[Information Fragment One: This weapon followed its Original Owner through war. In an accident, it killed a Cave Demon Dragon, and after being stained with the dragon's blood, it gained a Transcendental Power—Dragon Might (Fake).]

[Information Fragment Two: Its base attributes are Explosion and Armor-Piercing. Bullets can be modified to add different temporary attributes.]

"Good stuff!"

Although Tang Qi was just a rookie who had barely stepped into the Supernatural Realm, he still had basic discernment.

Especially under his Omniscience Cheat System, the information on this Supernatural Firearm was laid bare—a weapon that could instantly skyrocket Tang Qi's combat power.

This was evident from the Bronx Dog-Faced Man corpse in his arms.

"Hm?"

The moment Tang Qi's thoughts turned to the monster corpse in his arms, he saw the mangled mad dog's body suddenly begin to rot.

The tumor-ridden torso deflated like a punctured balloon, shrinking bit by bit. A huge rotten patch appeared, skin and flesh dissolving, then the bones, turning from pale white to pitch black. A breeze blew past, and it scattered like dust.

Where the corpse had vanished, a hazy soul rose, still wearing an expression of wailing—the Drug Addict Ghost Tang Qi had killed.

The moment it saw Tang Qi, it looked as if it had seen a terrifying natural enemy. Its already twisted face contorted into an even more venomous expression. With a shriek, it turned to flee.

But At This Moment, a pale hand suddenly shot out, grabbing it directly by the neck.

Before it could open its mouth to scream, a "bang" sounded within Tang Qi's palm, and faint golden flames Ignited.

The moment it touched the flames, the Drug Addict Ghost's vengeful spirit melted like snow under the scorching sun. It flailed its limbs, struggling desperately, but couldn't last a second before turning to ash.

In Tang Qi's mind, it was as if a stream made entirely of golden specks flowed from his palm, surging instantly into that strange space shrouded in mist.

"Boom"

Tang Qi felt his body tremble, an incredibly warm sensation enveloping him, accompanied by endless power flowing through his limbs and bones.

A chase and counter-kill should have drained all of Tang Qi's stamina.

But now, aside from the faint pain in his arm, Tang Qi felt no exhaustion, and his condition was better than ever.

"This feeling...?"

"Hum"

Tang Qi slowly stood up, abruptly closed his eyes, entered his Mental Space, then quickly came out and looked at himself again.

Sure enough, the expected scene appeared.

The skills column had changed once more.

But this time, the change was in the Golden Furnace Meditation Method.

Where it had been blank, a bracket now Appeared, reading: Beginner, Progress 0.01%.

"The Meditation Method has also entered the beginner stage."

Feeling the abundant Mental Power in his mind, a Joyful Expression appeared at the Corner of his Mouth, and he spoke calmly.

At this moment, he suddenly understood something about the decryption formula for the Golden Furnace Meditation Method.

The sun is a golden furnace, its only fuel the soul.

Perhaps he had found the correct path to cultivate the Meditation Method?

Tang Qi vaguely grasped something, but a faint doubt lingered.

Still, this wasn't a good place to ponder. Tang Qi took off his jacket to wrap his severely wounded arm, then swept his gaze over the ground that should have been a mess.

Because the monster's corpse had dissipated, aside from some black ash, there were only six golden shell casings and a few drops of Tang Qi's own blood.

Though it was late at night, the place was remote, and with no corpse left, even if someone showed up, there was no need to worry about explanations.

But following the principle of less trouble being better than more, Tang Qi still cleaned up.

He picked up the shell casings, put them in the box along with Blood Python No. 1, then kicked some dirt over the bloodstains.

After confirming everything was in order, Tang Qi turned and headed home.

Back at the Brick House, Tang Qi treated his arm with a rather odd technique—rough disinfection with strong liquor, then applying herbal medicine. This knowledge wasn't possessed by either the Original Owner or Tang Qi himself; it clearly came from Old Morgan, a native of the Saha Continent.

Tang Qi devoured half of his soul and also acquired some fragmented knowledge.

With everything settled, Tang Qi neither practiced the Meditation Method he had already begun nor tinkered with the Supernatural Weapon Blood Python No. 1 he had just obtained.

Instead, he quickly went back down to the first floor, entered the cramped storage room, and dragged out a bundle of old newspapers, along with a pile of magazines and other publications. The topmost one showed yesterday's date.

Carrying these ink-scented publications to the study, Tang Qi began flipping through them rapidly.

His focus differed from ordinary people—he ignored political news and commercial information.

He specifically sought out strange tales, unreliable Urban Legends printed in small newspaper corners, or simply gruesome tragedies that sounded bloody.

Divine Eagle Calendar, Year 102, April 29th. A Snow Monster was suspected to have appeared at the federation's famous tourist destination, Mount Ghana. A Giant covered in ice and snow burst from deep within the mountain, snatched a child from a pair of tourist couples, and fled without a trace.

April 30th. In the largest metropolis, Saint Eagle's Nest City, a street collapsed, and a creature resembling a Mermaid appeared in the sewer. The official explanation was that it was some kind of marine life that had strayed into the drainage system.

The same day, in the second-largest city, Carthage City, cult members attempted to self-immolate beneath the statue of the Lord of Thorns. They were stopped by police, but before they could be escorted to the station, all the cult members mysteriously vanished.

May 1st. On the federation's Highway No. 5, a Serial Killer appeared, killing over a dozen people along the road. At the murder scenes, symbols resembling demonic runes were left behind.

As he flipped through more and more of this information, Tang Qi's brow furrowed tighter. The vague suspicion in his heart gradually became clearer.

Turning further, Tang Qi grew unsatisfied with just the Divine Eagle Federation. His search scope expanded directly to the entire Blue Star.

The relevant information exploded several times over, bombarding Tang Qi's mind.

Year 102, April 30th. Within the Europa Alliance member state Franchi, a Blood Mist suddenly erupted inside an old countryside castle. It didn't dissipate until the early morning of the next day. All life within the affected area had died.

May 1st. In the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean, a passing cruise ship was suspected to have been capsized by a Giant Octopus-shaped Sea Monster. Most of the people on board died, and the few survivors were all in a state of chaos and madness.

May 2nd. Deep within the Eritrean Ocean, various eerie and terrifying roars were detected, as if a monster battle was taking place in the depths of the sea. A day later, a large patch of seawater in the middle of the ocean was stained blood-red.

April 28th. Inside the Siren Trench, a violent pillar of light suddenly erupted. The light pierced through the ocean, briefly illuminating most of the trench. Within the pillar, the phantom of a pair of Wings could faintly be seen. Many insisted it was likely a Divine Miracle.

The source was precisely the "Wings of Freedom," lost by the Divine Eagle Federation for centuries. Rumors said the Federal Government had already organized scientists and theologians to investigate and retrieve it.