Growth in Strength

The Abnormalities Tang Qi had faced so far, like the Bronx Dog-Faced Man and the Ghoul Nightingale, were the kind of insane, mindless monsters. But there were also beings like the Dugong Sea Demon and the Lust Slave painter who could still think, proving that Abnormalities weren't necessarily incapable of communication.

Naturally, they could also feel fear.

If that weren't the case, the Dual-Blade Man wouldn't have been able to occupy the top position in the predatory hierarchy.

And at this moment, the fear Tang Qi instilled in them surpassed that of the Therand Dual-Blade Man. It wasn't because Tang Qi had turned the tables and killed the Dual-Blade Man, but because of the pair of hands he extended in the final moments, hands filled with golden flames.

Instinctive fear swept through the depths of their hearts.

Tang Qi even heard screams coming from the shadows around him. If the Misfortune Mark could still emit its tempting magic, perhaps some insane Abnormalities might have stayed, but at this point, the mark had closed.

The tempting "light" was gone, but terrifying heat arrived.

The Abnormalities scattered and fled.

Fortunately, at this moment, Tang Qi had no time to pay attention to them.

He was being impacted by the sudden surge of golden light points flooding into his mind.

In his Mental Space, the golden light points were like a mountain torrent, pouring frantically into the gray, hazy space within Tang Qi's head.

BOOM

It was like a slowly burning furnace suddenly having a large bucket of gasoline poured into it, creating an explosive sound.

At this moment, Tang Qi even felt like his head was about to burst.

Is this me adding a large amount of fuel to my own Furnace?

A surprising harvest!

Watching the Dual-Blade Man's Resentful Soul dissipate into green smoke, Tang Qi murmured.

At the same time, suppressing the throbbing pain in his head, he opened his eyes, which glowed with a golden light, and swept them over the surrounding darkness.

The Abnormalities attracted by the Misfortune Magic had all dispersed.

The crisis was over, both unfortunate and fortunate.

If Tang Qi hadn't extinguished the Misfortune Mark in time, even if he had reversed the situation and killed the Therand Dual-Blade Man, he might not have been able to deter the other Abnormalities.

If he wasn't mistaken, the monsters that had been lurking in the shadows just now were all regulars in the Newton District.

And that wasn't even all the Abnormalities in the entire district.

If more time had passed, the things on the hierarchical pyramid would have appeared one after another.

Then, it would be the Bronx District next to Newton, other districts, and then the entire Messer City.

As for whether the range could continue to expand, that depended on Tang Qi's control over the mark.

"A dangerous lure. I need to be more cautious using it next time."

After saying this, Tang Qi glanced at the alley, which was now impossible to look at directly.

In an area like the Newton District, which was full of artistic atmosphere, even a small alley should be clean and tidy as a basic requirement.

But at this moment, the scene before him was probably unmatched even if one searched the entire Bronx District.

There was hardly a clean floor tile, and the walls were covered in blood and碎肉 (shattered flesh).

Tang Qi had no desire or obligation to clean it up, but he didn't leave immediately either.

The spoils were waiting for him to collect.

Moving quickly, Tang Qi disregarded the bloody mud on the ground and rummaged through the shattered corpses. With the cheat of his special ability, Tang Qi didn't need to carefully distinguish anything; he just needed to pick it up and take it.

A few seconds later, Tang Qi quickly darted out of the alley.

His jacket was now worn inside out, the bloodstains well hidden. His figure quickly merged into the shadows of the street, leaving the "crime scene" at the fastest speed.

The first person to discover that small alley would probably have nightmares for several months straight.

The lottery prize that should have been there was likely gone too.

After all, the Lust Slave painter who committed the major crime was no longer in human form at all. Even the most skilled human restoration expert couldn't piece him back together.

Inside, it was simply a "Gore Hell."

Tang Qi left the scene but didn't immediately return to the brick building. Instead, he suppressed the "abnormality" within his body and circled through the streets until he confirmed that no Abnormalities were following him. Only then did he follow the route he had already planned and return to Thorn High School.

BANG!

Returning to the small building, Tang Qi immediately locked the doors.

With almost no delay, he rushed to the second floor. He didn't even have time to put away the spoils before he collapsed onto the Moon-Patterned Carpet.

With a "buzz," he entered a state of meditation.

At this moment, his body was truly like a furnace.

Golden flames were almost overflowing from within him.

His previously clear mind was throbbing as if it were about to explode. All sorts of chaotic thoughts emerged, and some negative impulses, like poisonous snakes, like vines, tried to occupy his mind. This was a sign of Demonic Deviation.

Fortunately, at this moment, he activated his Skill Bar.

If it were someone else practicing the Golden Furnace Meditation Method, it might take a long time of mental visualization to enter a meditative state.

But Tang Qi didn't need to.

With just a thought, the Golden Sun quickly appeared, helping Tang Qi tame the golden light spots that had surged into his mind, representing the essence of the Resentful Soul's power.

Time flowed quickly.

As the light and heat gradually grew gentler, all the chaos and negativity in Tang Qi's mind disappeared.

"Phew~"

He opened his eyes again and subconsciously looked at the clock on the wall.

Three hours. It was a rare meditation session that lasted three hours, and Tang Qi hadn't adjusted even once during that time.

And at this moment, he felt... better than ever before.

He scanned his bedroom, and as he did, he immediately felt the difference.

His vision seemed clearer, more acute.

Things that used to appear blurry were now incredibly clear.

He seemed to see the fine dust in the air, the detailed texture of the desk, the tiny numbers in the corner of the book covers, and even the distortion of the hazy pale purple moonlight as it shone through the curtains – everything was so clear.

Although these images quickly disappeared like illusions.

The next moment, Tang Qi looked at himself.

The interface, which could only be seen with special abilities and had changed significantly again, popped up.

His first glance was at the Skill Bar.

On it, there were still only three sub-sections.

But each one had changed.

[Golden Furnace Meditation Method: An ancient meditation method... Realm: Beginner; Progress: 1%.]

Just the first one made Tang Qi raise an eyebrow. If he remembered correctly, the Meditation Method's previous progress was only 0.33%, but now it had jumped a full three times, directly reaching one percent.

The leap in progress brought about the result that the spiritual power currently residing in Tang Qi's mind was much more expanded and abundant than before, even several times greater.

If this level were achieved through normal meditation increases, Tang Qi didn't know how long it would take.

A month?

Or a year?

Although the latter two didn't have as astonishing an increase as the Meditation Method, they also brought a look of joy to Tang Qi's face.

[Furnace Eyes: Derivative skill, activated through the eyes, possesses deterrent and calming effects, can be further improved, Realm: Beginner, Progress 0.3%.]

[Chaga Combat Technique: Primitive and ancient combat technique, Realm: Beginner, Progress 0.2%.]

After examining himself, Tang Qi didn't get up immediately. Instead, he remained seated where he was, slowly closed his eyes, and quietly felt and adapted to the changes in his body, the transformation from spirit to flesh. In his mind, he continuously replayed and recalled the fragments of the battle that had just ended.

The dark, dangerous alley, the terrifying enemy, he put himself back into the scene, simulating it again and again.

"Buzz~ Whoosh"

After a moment, Tang Qi opened his eyes again and then stood up.

At this point, the fierce, intense aura around him had dissipated, returning to normal.