New Abilities

Rayne returned to his room, still considering Roger's proposal.

Become a Demon Hunter?

Rayne knew a little about Demon Hunters, but not much. He only knew that they were experts at hunting monsters.

Monsters referred to demons and creatures corrupted by Fel Energy. They came in countless varieties and vast numbers, often lurking in the human world and causing tremendous destruction. A Demon Hunter's primary duty was to seek out and eliminate these monsters.

Because they dealt with monsters so often, Demon Hunters inevitably picked up traces of demons and Fel Energy. Those who approached them would unconsciously feel repulsed.

On top of that, Demon Hunters always arrived while tracking monsters.

Their appearance often meant that a tragedy or massacre had already occurred.

Over time, Demon Hunters became omens of misfortune. In some ignorant and superstitious countries and regions, people believed Demon Hunters brought bad luck and calamity. They were unwelcome there and were even actively driven away.

Of course, such beliefs only circulated among backward ordinary people.

In the supernatural world, Demon Hunters were an exceptionally powerful supernatural profession.

Demon Hunters had appeared relatively late. They had once been an advanced branch of Rangers, only gradually rising and becoming independent over the past few centuries. Therefore, their fighting style somewhat resembled that of Rangers: swordsmanship as their foundation, supplemented by several spells with different specialties. They were extremely versatile.

As their profession's name suggested, Demon Hunters were best at tracking monsters. They were highly sensitive to the aura of Fel Energy.

Every Demon Hunter carried a Silver Sword specially made for dealing with monsters. Forged from rare Witcher Mithril, it could inflict greater damage on monsters than an ordinary steel sword.

Silver Swords were exceptionally effective against monsters, but their power was limited when fighting other kinds of enemies. Therefore, Demon Hunters also carried a standard steel sword that they could switch to at any time.

That was why Demon Hunters always carried two swords, and it had become their most distinctive trait.

Crayden Academy, where Rayne studied, had no teachers for the Demon Hunter profession.

It was said that Demon Hunters had their own dedicated Schools, and they were highly secretive. Their inheritance still relied primarily on masters and apprentices, so Demon Hunters had always been few in number.

Demon Hunters from different Schools inherited different traditions, and they called themselves Schools.

Rayne had once heard a teacher introduce the Demon Hunter Schools. There were more than a dozen in total, but only four were truly powerful and well-developed: the Bear School, Wolf School, Cat School, and Snake School.

This distinction arose from the different Primary Souls chosen after a Demon Hunter's Second Soul Transformation, which caused their combat styles to diverge.

Rayne did not know which Demon Souls the four schools fused with. That was the secret of each school.

Roger said he could invite me to join his school... Rayne was deeply tempted by the proposal. Roger always wore a necklace with a wolf-head pendant, which suggested he was very likely from the Wolf School. Rayne did not know what style the Wolf School followed, but that was unimportant, because Roger was a Legend!

Any Legendary Transcendent was an influential figure in the Empire.

Without even thinking about it, Rayne knew that Roger held an extremely high position in the Wolf School. If he became Roger's apprentice, he would have a powerful patron behind him!

Not to mention that Rayne still bore the Strife Mark. Before the mark dissipated, it would be best for him to remain beside a powerful protector.

And Roger was the most suitable choice.

Rayne considered it for a long time but did not make an immediate decision.

He had yet to undergo the Soul Transformation Ritual, and he was not certain whether he could succeed. Even if he did, he might not necessarily become a Demon Hunter. In truth, Demon Hunters had extremely demanding talent requirements, no less than those of the powerful Church professions. After all, this was a profession capable of casting spells.

Moreover, Roger had not asked him to agree immediately. He could go find Roger after passing the Soul Transformation Ritual.

If the ritual failed, then there would naturally be nothing more to discuss.

I'll wait until after the Soul Transformation Ritual and see how things turn out. Then I'll decide whether to become a Demon Hunter.

Rayne stopped dwelling on it and lay down on the bed, only to discover that he was not sleepy at all. His entire body remained in an intensely excited state, brimming with energy.

Furthermore, he discovered that even while lying still, his physical attributes were gradually improving.

An indescribable power flowed through his body. Wherever it passed, whether muscles and bones or blood vessels and organs, everything seemed to be charged, continuously strengthening again and again. Every so often, he could feel a change.

This feeling...

It feels amazing!

Rayne nearly lost himself in the sensation. He opened the Mobile Realm interface, where all one hundred small squares representing his battery level were filled with green. Just looking at them made him feel especially satisfied.

Battery fully charged. I can use it however I want from now on. That's just how carefree I am.

Rayne's gaze fell on the newly activated icons. After counting them, he found that the number of usable icons had actually increased by five!

The most eye-catching icon was one he had noticed before. Its overall shape was a microphone, with a distorted pointed ear at its top and several curved wave lines surrounding it.

What could a microphone possibly do? Rayne activated the icon skeptically.

Then countless sounds flooded into his ears!

Voices, wind, friction—every kind of sound tangled together in chaotic noise, nearly making his head explode.

Rayne shut off the microphone as quickly as possible and clutched his head. It took him quite a while to recover.

Scratching his head, he finally understood what it was.

A microphone was actually a sound receiver. It received sounds across different frequency bands, converted them into electrical signals, then amplified them or filtered out noise.

And after the phone had mutated, the microphone's function had also been enhanced.

It allowed him to hear sounds from every frequency band and hear much farther away. Even the faintest sounds could be heard as clearly as a broadcast.

This is super hearing!

Rayne was overjoyed. He carefully activated the microphone again and, after several attempts at adjustment, quickly adapted to it.

Among the mass of chaotic sounds, he only needed to lock onto one of them. The disorderly sound waves would become orderly, shifting from blurry to clear. He could rapidly trace their source and judge their distance, while all other sounds weakened into negligible background noise.

"I knew there was no way you could stay lucky all night. It's my turn to play..." This came from a guest in the inn lobby downstairs. His voice sounded slightly weary, but it carried a trace of excitement.

Sultry cries mixed with a man's panting, coming from a resident next door to the inn.

Rayne awkwardly shifted his attention. The suggestive sounds rapidly faded from his ears and quieted down.

Flutter, flutter, flutter. A nightingale flew through the night sky and landed on a tree at the end of the street, letting out light, pleasant chirps from time to time.

In the foul ditch beneath the tree, a fat rat poked its head out. It suddenly darted from the crack between the stones where it had been hiding, scurried along, its four feet splashing through rotten mud in a rapid series of sounds, before finally hiding in another hole.

Within a range of several hundred meters, even sound waves caused by the slightest vibration could be received by the microphone, adjusted and amplified, then transmitted through Rayne's ears into his brain.

Countless sound waves formed a complete world inside his mind. It was an entirely new way of observing the world.

Even if he lost his eyes and became blind, Rayne could still "hear" the shape of this world, go about his daily activities, and even fight others. He would be sharper than someone with all five senses intact.

After experiencing it for a while, Rayne quickly mastered the microphone's usage.

He named this super hearing the Voice of All Things.

With hearing this powerful, I still need to train it more. I should activate it often whenever I go out. It'll be extremely useful for both tracking and avoiding being tracked. If a Shadow Blade assassin comes near, I'll be able to notice in advance.

Too bad it drains the battery so quickly.

As Rayne experimented with the Voice of All Things, his battery level actually dropped by one square, leaving only 99%. It was no longer full. Though he knew it would recover after resting, he still felt a little distressed.

He continued on to the second activated icon.

This icon was exceptionally simple and clear: a three-dimensional gyroscope.

The moment Rayne saw it, he felt some anticipation.

Every phone had a gyroscope installed. It was a sensor used to detect movement and direction in space, as well as the transmission of force. Many phone functions depended on the gyroscope. He just did not know what kind of ability it would grant him after mutation.

He activated the gyroscope, but nothing seemed to change.

Damn, I'm stupid.

Rayne slapped his forehead. The gyroscope sensed changes in motion, and he was lying perfectly still in bed. How could it possibly be useful?

He hurriedly climbed up. The instant his feet touched the floor, he noticed something unusual.

An inexplicable sense arose in his heart. As he moved from the bed to the floor, every movement of his body was stable and swift, as though carefully calculated. There was not a single unnecessary motion.

At that moment, he stood still, yet felt as though he was standing more "steadily."

If someone shoved me right now, I'd probably regain my balance immediately like a roly-poly toy.

Rayne took several steps and immediately experienced an entirely new sensation.

He found it difficult to describe. His body seemed to have become a complex, precise machine. Every movement was under his exact control. The transmission of force between his torso and limbs—every aspect of the process—could be clearly felt.

Rayne looked at his hands. His ten fingers swayed back and forth, growing faster and faster, their frequency increasing until they became a blur.

After more than ten seconds, the blur abruptly vanished. His fingers became motionless, as steady as stone.

With these hands alone, I should be no worse than a Ranger's Nimble Hands!

Rayne grinned smugly and drew the longsword leaning against the head of the bed.

This sword had belonged to Esberg. Rayne had brought it back as a trophy. It was a Hand-and-a-half Sword that could be wielded with one hand or two. Its weight was suitable, its craftsmanship exquisite, and it was a rare fine sword. If sold, it would be worth at least a dozen Gold Shields.

The moment the sword entered his hand, Rayne felt something strange. The weapon seemed to become part of his body, and he understood every detail of it perfectly.

Its center of balance, dimensions, and weight were all clear in his mind. It felt as familiar as a personal sword he had used for years.

During his three years at the academy, Rayne had mainly studied a set of swordsmanship called Imperial Military Swordsmanship.

This swordsmanship focused on defense and counterattacks. In combat, one guarded the centerline in front of the body, defended steadily, and kept every movement clean and efficient. It balanced offense and defense, making it the most popular swordsmanship in the Empire. Many people learned it as their introduction, but while easy to learn, it was difficult to master.

Imperial Military Swordsmanship had four opening stances. Rayne was most accustomed to beginning with the Plough Stance: he turned his body slightly sideways, spread his legs and lowered his stance, held the sword with both hands before his waist, and angled the tip diagonally upward and forward.

His gaze sharpened, and he took a great step forward before thrusting.

A flash of cold light seemed to cut through the room. The air was pierced, releasing a sharp whistle.

Rayne had practiced this thrust for three years, but he had never delivered one so precise, swift, and powerful. Not even the academy's swordsmanship instructors could achieve it.

Rayne exhaled in satisfaction and casually tossed the sword. With a snap, it landed in the scabbard without missing by a hair.