I considered my superpower fairly ordinary, but I had never said I was weak.
Although I had never gone all out, based on my expectations, if I took things seriously, destroying an entire street with a single fireball probably wouldn't be difficult. But did immense destructive power necessarily mean a high level of ability? Not necessarily. When I had been trapped beneath the cave, it wasn't destructive power capable of destroying the entire basement that had gotten me out. It had been analysis and deduction.
That was why I had my doubts about whether my power could be classified as "strong." Who knew what the average Demon Hunter was like, or what standards they used to evaluate strength? Perhaps many people considered "how big a crater one can make in the ground" the standard for measuring power, but I could no longer see things that way.
"You have such a powerful superpower, yet you've never revealed it to the people around you?" After calming down, Zhu Shi suddenly grew suspicious. "So many people have criticized you and said there's something wrong with your head. Did you never think about taking revenge on them?
"Since you have this ability to 'kill people with your eyes'... No, you don't even need to be there yourself. As long as you have the intention, you can ignite your target from several kilometers away. Whether you burn them badly enough to cause minor injuries or serious injuries is entirely up to you. No one else would suspect you at all, would they?"
Seeing her growing suspicious, I deliberately played along. "So there's a method like that? Thank you. I'll try it next time."
She stared at me.
"That was a joke. Don't worry, I've never thought of doing anything like that." I promised her.
She glared at me for quite a while before relaxing her shoulders and saying helplessly, "I hope so. I really don't want to see you become a Fallen Demon Hunter..."
"Thanks for your concern," I said. "So, that Fallen Demon Hunter isn't a traitor among your ranks, but an evildoer who had been using extraordinary power to commit crimes from the very beginning?"
Because the title was "Fallen Demon Hunter," when I had first heard it, I had assumed the other party had originally been a Demon Hunter from the forces of justice who had later fallen and become a thug who hunted humans. But since I could change classes on the spot into a "Fallen Demon Hunter," the other party could naturally have been one from the start as well.
Zhu Shi nodded. "Yes. His first appearance was eight months ago, in the murder that took place in the Fifteenth Floor room. He was the murderer."
I still had some questions about the origins of the Fallen Demon Hunter, but I first asked about the matter I cared about most. "In your opinion, is he strong or weak?"
"...He's strong." Zhu Shi gave a very clear answer. "Fengdu Luoshan roughly divides Demon Hunters into four levels. From strongest to weakest, they are Formation, Abiding, Decay, and Emptiness. Most Demon Hunters are at the 'Decay' level, while that Fallen Demon Hunter is at the 'Abiding' level. On top of that, he possesses extremely comprehensive physical enhancement abilities. Even among those at the 'Abiding' level, he's outstanding."
Formation, Abiding, Decay, and Emptiness were Buddhist concepts used to describe the four stages of the world, from its formation to its destruction.
"Formation" corresponded to the world's birth and formation, while "Abiding" corresponded to the stable world that continued after its formation. Finally, "Decay" and "Emptiness" corresponded to the world entering decline and the stage after its destruction, when nothing remained.
Although "Fengdu Luoshan" was a Taoist concept, the levels of its Demon Hunters used Buddhist concepts instead. It sounded rather strange. Then again, Taoism and Buddhism had influenced each other everywhere throughout history. For example, the Taoist underworld had initially taken shape under the gradual influence of Buddhism, and the concept of Fengdu Luoshan had also emerged afterward.
Zhu Shi added, "I only started handling the Fallen Demon Hunter case a week ago. Before me, two Luoshan Demon Hunters responsible for the case had already been killed by him."
"He's that dangerous?" I asked in surprise.
"Extremely dangerous." As she spoke, she analyzed the situation for me. "Since your superpower can damage the Fallen Demon Hunter's body, that means your attack power is at least at the 'Abiding' level. That degree of power is rare even among Demon Hunters."
"Then, according to your assessment..." I seized the opportunity to ask the question I cared about most. "Can I join Fengdu Luoshan?"
Unexpectedly, she immediately knitted her brows tightly. "You want to join Fengdu Luoshan?"
"Is there a problem?" I asked, surprised.
"With your personality, it isn't strange that you'd want to join Fengdu Luoshan, but..." She hesitated. "I suggest that you avoid joining Fengdu Luoshan if possible, especially at a time like this... Things inside Fengdu Luoshan are extremely chaotic, and a conflict may break out soon. I can't say more about the specifics. In short, I suggest you don't join during such a troubled period."
Chaos? Conflict? The moment I heard that, I perked up. The unknown chaos and conflicts within a supernatural organization sounded incredibly appealing. It was obvious that she wanted me to stay away from the vortex of strife out of goodwill. All I could say was that I was sorry. Whether I would get involved depended on what I learned about the details later.
However, her expression seemed extremely resistant, so I first switched to another question that concerned me. "Does Chang'an know that you're a Demon Hunter in Fengdu Luoshan?"
"He doesn't. Not only does he not know that I'm a Demon Hunter, he knows nothing about the world on our side."
Her words made me somewhat happy. It wasn't because Chang'an didn't know, but because she had said "the world on our side." As a Demon Hunter, she had personally placed herself and me in the same domain, which made me feel as if I had received some kind of acknowledgment.
She continued, "Also, I hope you won't tell him. Whether it's about my work or anything related to anomalous objects."
"Is it supposed to be kept secret? But he's already come into contact with the anomalous phenomena in the Fifteenth Floor room, hasn't he?" I pointed out. "When all's said and done, why does Fengdu Luoshan keep information about anomalous objects hidden from ordinary society?"
"I don't know how to explain that to you either. I imagine you'll eventually develop the same feeling I have." She sighed. "As for the Fifteenth Floor room, that was an accident. We had no choice but to accept it. We couldn't just let things go completely to ruin, could we? I'll deal with the ritual Magic Circle and the cave there first thing tomorrow morning."
"By ritual Magic Circle, do you mean that Magic Circle?" I pretended I hadn't overheard her phone call with Agent Kong.
"Yes." She nodded. "However, the appearance of the ritual Magic Circle and the cave may not necessarily be connected. The latter is still an unexplained incident. You have no experience dealing with genuine anomalous incidents, so I suggest you don't get involved..."
At that point, she noticed something suspicious. "—Hmm? Wait. Where did you say you encountered the Fallen Demon Hunter?"
I didn't answer her second question immediately. Instead, I took the initiative to provide her with information about the cave.
"That cave is actually connected to the ritual Magic Circle. I've already solved the mystery of its appearance—the answer is the missing symbol in the Magic Circle. The letters on the carpet happen to complete the missing part. That's why, whenever the carpet is covered, the cave switches between appearing and disappearing."
"Huh?" She froze for a moment before asking instinctively, "But the carpet and the floor aren't on the same plane, are they?"
"They don't need to be on the same plane. Even if you're beneath the cave with a floor slab between you, you can reopen it as long as you complete the symbol at the corresponding position." I explained patiently. "There are still other unexplained points, though. For example, after someone outside enters, the cave's entrance disappears on its own for some unknown reason. I haven't found the cause of that phenomenon yet. If you're going in, you'll have to stay alert to that..."
"Wait, wait, wait. Hold on..." She finally came back to herself and stared at me, dumbfounded. "Can you first explain... how you know that the cave can be reopened even from beneath it, and why the cave's entrance disappears on its own after someone enters...?"
"Because I went inside."
"You went inside!?" she suddenly shouted in response. Realizing that she had gotten too agitated, she hurriedly calmed herself down. "Weren't you afraid you'd never get out?"
"That wasn't important."
"No, that's pretty important..." she retorted.
I continued, "Anyway, since you're going to deal with the cave, I'll first tell you everything I know..."
Then I began recounting all the information I knew.
Actually, I hoped she wouldn't deal with the cave just yet, so I could continue investigating its other unknown aspects. But first, I still didn't know whether the cave's existence would affect Chang'an as someone who had come into contact with it. Second, compared to standing against Zhu Shi and stopping her, I would rather make things easier for her and establish a good relationship with her and the Fengdu Luoshan forces behind her. As I'd said before, I knew the difference between having one full meal and having meals every day.
As she listened to me describe my firsthand experience beneath the cave, the look in her eyes grew increasingly strange.
After I finished, she let out a long sigh. Only after quite some time did she seem to have finally digested everything I had said, and her expression became utterly empty.
"I always thought you merely had a strong interest in Ghost Stories. When those people outside called you a lunatic, I assumed it was because they didn't understand you as well as I did, and that they had deeply misunderstood you..."
"Regardless of whether they misunderstood me, you and I have only met a few times offline, right?" I asked, puzzled.
She countered with an entirely matter-of-fact expression, "Don't we chat online all the time?"
That was only online, though.
She did indeed often chat with me online about Chang'an, and we communicated quite a lot. But the internet was still the internet. When two people couldn't even see each other's faces, how could either of them be sure they understood the other's true feelings? Nor could I keep grabbing my friend's sister to talk about all my failed investigations into Ghost Stories. Those investigations were actually the center of my life.
Could she be the type who was especially likely to fall victim to electronic scams by bad people?
It seemed she had unilaterally considered me a good friend all this time, while I had only just realized it. Naturally, I felt somewhat ashamed.
"But now I have to admit that I'm the one who truly misunderstood you." She said this with deep frustration. "When I heard that you'd awakened your superpower a long time ago, I even thought that the reason you'd been able to pursue Ghost Stories for so many years was because you yourself were proof that anomalous objects existed. Now it seems that was another misunderstanding on my part."
"No, that's actually the case," I said. "Without a superpower, I don't know if I could have held on until today."
"Being certain that anomalous objects exist and the depth of your obsession with them are two different things." She shook her head. "Now I'm truly certain that whether you had a superpower or not, you would definitely have kept going."
Before you continue