Misfortune Mark

Tang Qi's Special Ability, which he had temporarily named Omniscience, allowed him to directly perceive the essence of anything within the Supernatural Realm—whether living creatures or inanimate objects—and read the Information Fragments attached to them.

The Parchment Scroll contract before him was naturally among them.

Otherwise, he would never have chosen to sign his name.

The key to making every deception succeed was information asymmetry, and this time was no different.

Curio: Fate Parchment.

Status: Inactive.

Information Fragment One: This is a special Parchment Scroll containing a contract with an almost highest-level binding force. The two parties represent the Power of Misfortune and Furnace Power, respectively. May they abide by the contract under the Gaze of Fate, or both sides will suffer unimaginable punishment.

Information Fragment Two: The contract takes effect by capturing the Soul Auras of both parties. Once the Soul Threads converge and weave fate together, the contract will take effect.

Information Fragment Three: Before the contract takes effect, both parties have the right to alter its contents.

This was what Tang Qi saw.

The Witch Sub-Personality also knew of those Information Fragments, but what she did not know was that there was something wrong with Tang Qi's Soul Aura.

"Whew~"

Within the Parchment Scroll, the two gray lines finally met. Yet strangely, they did not weave "fate" together. The gray line representing Tang Qi rapidly dissipated, like a lit fuse being snuffed out just before it reached the explosives.

As a result, the gray line representing the Misfortune Witch also shrank back.

"What is this...?"

Boom~

Sally, who had been about to return to normal, underwent another change. The Misfortune Magic rapidly fading from her eyes began to return, gray-black ink once more threatening to spread through them as a terrifying tide of magic was about to erupt.

She realized she had been deceived. The Power of Misfortune was violent and ominous, and the restored Fitting Room seemed on the verge of being completely destroyed.

The Witch Sub-Personality wanted to tear Tang Qi apart and would give him no further room to maneuver.

Unfortunately, once a venomous snake had retreated into its vessel, it took a little longer than before to dart out again—especially now, when the seal was nearly closed once more.

Before the Witch Sub-Personality could successfully struggle free, Tang Qi snatched the black-framed glasses from Mrs. Hudson's hand. As he placed them over Sally's nose, his other hand went boom, his remaining Furnace Power transforming into golden flames that wrapped around his palm.

Under the Witch Sub-Personality's gaze, Tang Qi abruptly pressed his palm onto the Parchment Scroll.

In the blank space below, the two gray lines set out once more.

New Information Fragments appeared in Tang Qi's eyes.

Soul information invalid!

Recapturing!

Capture complete!

Fate Weaving in progress!

Contract about to take effect!

As the messages flowed past, Tang Qi's palm became like a "golden eraser." It abruptly covered the section detailing the obligations he had to fulfill, then pressed down hard. The words drawn in Misfortune Magic came into contact with Furnace Power, and the previous scene occurred again.

In an instant, line after line of tiny text vanished without a trace.

Only the two brief lines of small text remained on the Parchment Scroll.

Below them, the two gray lines had outlined a symbol Tang Qi could not make out at all.

The Parchment Scroll immediately caught fire, turning into two streaks of Gray Light with a whoosh. One sank directly into Tang Qi's palm, while the other merged into Sally's body.

"No~"

Rumble~

A piercing howl burst from Sally's mouth. An unprecedented, incomparably terrifying magic power was about to explode, until a slender pale finger pushed the exaggerated black-framed glasses up, completely covering the eyes that were about to be stained by ink.

Whew!

Everything returned to calm.

It's like closing Pandora's Box. Feels pretty good.

Tang Qi withdrew his hand and watched the contract symbol gradually fade, silently thinking to himself.

The moment the glasses were put back on, all those ominous auras brimming with malicious intent vanished without a trace. Sally's alluring yet mysterious eyes returned to their former lively shyness, still carrying that fawn-like feeling.

Mrs. Hudson also recovered and somewhat unhappily scolded Tang Qi for taking back the glasses.

She thought this unromantic Little Boy had no sense of fashion. Or perhaps he was simply stingy, unwilling to let his little girlfriend show such beauty in public, perhaps wanting to hide it away and admire it himself.

The latter explanation made Sally blush furiously. She had no choice but to explain to Mrs. Hudson on Tang Qi's behalf. "Mrs. Hudson, the glasses are my father's keepsake. His last wish was that I wear them until I come of age. At that time, a distant aunt will come to preside over my coming-of-age ceremony, and then I'll be able to take them off."

The overly detailed explanation made Mrs. Hudson smile knowingly.

Of course, the old woman could tell that the young girl was also explaining herself to her "beloved." After the coming-of-age ceremony, she would be able to show him her most beautiful self.

Tang Qi, who was extremely sensitive to human emotions, naturally understood everything as well. He had no desire to explain Mrs. Hudson's misunderstanding, while he categorized the girl's feelings as gratitude and shyness toward her only good friend.

At that moment, all his attention was drawn to that "distant aunt."

Clearly, her father's last wish was real.

But that so-called distant aunt had to be the Gypsy Witch Leader who had helped Sally seal away her Misfortune Magic.

No one helps another for no reason unless there is something in it for them.

Help the infant Sally seal her magic, and once she comes of age, perhaps reap a Witch with terrifying magical power?

It's a fine investment, and the other party has no right to refuse.

Unfortunately, something went wrong with that investment.

Tang Qi thought to himself, unable to help considering whether he had profited or lost from this encounter.

Originally, he had merely wanted to make use of Sally's "bad luck" to increase his chances of encountering strange phenomena. Just as the Witch Sub-Personality had said, he wanted to add fuel and rapidly increase his strength.

He had never expected to encounter the vessel of Misfortune Magic on Origin Blue Star.

The experience was probably like trying to catch a small fish and instead hooking a prehistoric giant whale.

Fortunately, misfortune favored her, while Tang Qi had used his Special Ability to turn the tables once again.

Now, the reward has arrived.

As Tang Qi silently spoke to himself, a strange change that had suddenly appeared between Sally and himself was reflected beneath his slightly lowered eyelids.

Strands of thick gray-black magic slowly and laboriously spilled from Sally's body. Their source seemed reluctant to part with them, but forced by some irresistible power, it could only surrender them. Little by little, they crawled onto Tang Qi's body.

In the end, they all gathered on the back of Tang Qi's left hand, slowly forming a special mark: against a blood-red background, a pair of gray-black Curved Antlers.

His ability activated, and the interface appeared.

Curio: Misfortune Mark.

Status: Complete.

Information Fragment One: It is the mark of the Otherworldly Deity, the Misfortune Witch. Possessing it means one has gained the Witch's favor. Supernatural Creatures from the same faction as the Witch will unconditionally develop Basic Favorability toward the mark's owner.

Information Fragment Two: Activating it can attract Supernatural Creatures within a certain range that belong to ominous, negative, or Evil Factions.

Information Fragment Three: It may cause the mark's owner to encounter some unlucky events. Of course, it may also bring greater luck. No one can fathom the Power of Misfortune.

"Getting the benefits without paying any price still feels wonderful."

Tang Qi stared at the mark on the back of his hand, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly as he said happily.