Entering the Finale 6

"The method you mentioned, it's not that I haven't considered it..." I carefully chose my words.

The reason I didn't do as Agent Kong suggested was actually quite simple.

Perhaps to others, my superpower was innate, a given, tightly bound to my very being. But I never thought of it that way.

Why did I awaken my superpower? This was a question I'd been pondering since the day it manifested. Was it truly because I was born with a predisposition for it, which is why it appeared during puberty? Or was the method I was obsessed with back then, "lighting a candle with my gaze," truly effective, and if I persisted enough, I could awaken the power of Flame Manipulation?

Or perhaps my ancestors had the bloodline of yokai or gods, and it manifested in my generation? Or maybe I encountered some external trigger recently that awakened my superpower, but I just couldn't recall it?

I always felt the origin of my superpower was somewhat peculiar. The moment I thought about lighting a candle, I coincidentally awakened the corresponding superpower, and the growth rate of this superpower also made my heart pound.

Initially, I was incredibly surprised by the incredible power that appeared within me, practicing the manipulation of my superpower repeatedly in secret places. And during this practice, my superpower grew rapidly, much like muscles becoming stronger after repeated exercise.

But slowly, I realized something was off.

It seemed that even when I wasn't practicing diligently, my superpower was strengthening on its own. While not as fast as when I actively practiced, from my perspective, even if I just lay down on a random patch of grass, my superpower would automatically strengthen with my breathing. And as time passed, this power gradually grew to a level I could barely comprehend.

Is this truly a power that can appear so casually in a human like me? I often doubted this.

In many superpower-themed stories, superpowers aren't permanently acquired; they can regress or even disappear due to certain factors. Some stories are even more extreme, portraying superpowers as special phenomena that only appear during puberty, vanishing with time once one becomes an adult, regardless of the immense power previously wielded.

Something obtained inexplicably might also be lost inexplicably one day.

I've never viewed this power of unknown origin with a sense of peace, and I've long been mentally prepared for the possibility of it becoming unusable at any moment. Under these circumstances, I certainly wouldn't take it for granted as my inherent asset, the foundation of my future life, to flaunt it openly in broad daylight.

Of course, when necessary, I would cast aside all my concerns and use this power without hesitation. When threats like the Fallen Demon Hunter appeared before me, if I were to be sentimental about my life tomorrow or the day after, the result would be that I wouldn't even survive today.

And I didn't intend to take my superpower to the grave. Although I remained cautious about the true nature of this power, "adventures that transcend reality" were my primary focus. If, before graduating from university and entering society, I hadn't managed to obtain what I desired by following the trail of ghost stories, I would then proactively reveal my power to the public to attract the attention of supernatural organizations.

Fortunately, before I reached that point, Luoshan appeared before me.

Seeing my prolonged silence, Agent Kong kindly reminded me, "If it's inconvenient to answer, there's no need to force yourself."

"It's not inconvenient to answer, it's just a long story..."

As I was saying this, my ears suddenly caught an unusual sound.

It was like stirring a thick liquid vigorously with a stick – a dull, strange sound, and I felt like I'd heard it somewhere before. This indescribable familiarity caused me to immediately shut my mouth and look towards the source of the sound.

It was a small patch of shadow near the curb of the road, which had become unusually dense and dark at some point, making it stand out from the surrounding shadows. It was expanding and growing like ink spilled on the ground. From that strange shadow, boiling bubbles emerged, their surfaces constantly rippling, and the sound originated from them.

Immediately, an incredibly thick arm shot out from within, splashing ink-like shadowy liquid around. I was all too familiar with this scene; it was how the Fallen Demon Hunter had appeared before me last night. Soon, a demonic monster identical to the Fallen Demon Hunter climbed out from beneath the shadow.

And the changes didn't stop there. Other shadows around us also underwent the same transformation, and a second and third demon climbed onto the ground. One appeared in front, just like the first, while another emerged behind, blocking our escape route. Three demons were eyeing us menacingly.

If only one demon had appeared, I might have guessed it was the Fallen Demon Hunter from last night resurrected. But with three appearing simultaneously, I could only assume the Fallen Demon Hunter wasn't a singular entity.

These three demons didn't speak human language but let out guttural, beast-like roars, with saliva dripping from their mouths. Perhaps they weren't transformed humans.

Indeed, the Fallen Demon Hunter incident wasn't over.

What was their purpose here? Were they seeking revenge for last night? Was their target only me, or did it include Agent Kong as well?

Did it have anything to do with the grudge between me and the Fallen Demon Hunter?

What bad timing. If it were just me here, it would be one thing, but Agent Kong, who isn't good at fighting, is also here.

Seeing this, his voice began to tremble, "Zhuang Cheng..."

"Agent Kong, I'll handle them. You look for an opportunity to escape."

I couldn't be sure if these three demons possessed abilities different from the Fallen Demon Hunter last night, so I didn't make any definitive promises.

"...No, looking at their formation, I don't think I can escape." Agent Kong composed himself and took a handgun from his pocket.

I couldn't help but glance over. It was a gray revolver with a relatively long barrel, inscribed with strange symbols, seemingly an equipment meant for dealing with abnormalities.

"This is a weapon Luoshan equipped the agents with. While it's not a high-profile emergency weapon, we'll have to make do with it for now," he said, forcing himself to stay calm. "Next, we..."

He seemed to want to discuss our next course of action, but reality wasn't a turn-based game. It wasn't as if the enemies couldn't act until we finished our turn.

Before he could finish speaking, the enemies attacked, charging forward simultaneously.

As they charged, I turned my gaze back to them and activated my superpower.

One of them, directly in front and leading the charge, was instantly ignited from thin air, turning into a blazing torch as if doused in gasoline.

This skill, "igniting the opponent with a gaze," has a flaw: it can only ignite one target at a time.

The principle behind this skill is to transfer one's gaze—or more precisely, one's mind—to the opponent.

Often, when we talk about "someone transferring their mind to an object," it simply means "someone focusing their attention on an object." And humans are visual creatures; when one focuses their gaze on a specific object, it means directing their attention there.

Therefore, eyes are often likened to the windows of the soul; where the gaze goes, so goes the spirit. And the focal point of one's gaze is the resting place of one's mind.

While flames can expand the range of my vision, and strictly speaking, this has surpassed the definition of physiological vision, becoming what could be called supernatural perception, as long as I, the user, am human, certain principles still apply. I doubt anyone can focus their eyes on multiple directions simultaneously, and my "focal point of attention," or "resting place of my mind," can only exist in one place at a time.

The second demon, directly in front of me, immediately used the burning demon in front as a shield, continuing its charge towards me. While this would undoubtedly cause it to be burned by its own companion, it managed to avoid my direct gaze.

From this reaction, it's clear they know my gaze can be a medium for fiery attacks. It seems they obtained information about last night's battle through some channel. However, they still don't realize that where my gaze reaches is where my flames will reach.

Furthermore, even if my "ignite with gaze" skill can only attack one target at a time, it doesn't mean I can only use one skill at a time.

I used this skill simply because it was the first superpower usage I learned and the one I'm most comfortable with. The moment I saw the enemy moving, I instinctively used it. While employing this skill, I also quickly raised my right hand and summoned a small "firefly" from my palm.

Infusing it with a large amount of mental power, the "firefly" rapidly expanded, transforming into a massive fireball that detonated.

A tidal wave of flames swept out in all directions, instantly engulfing the three demons attacking from both the front and rear. The area I was in immediately turned into an inferno filled with flames, the excessive bright light rendering human vision temporarily useless.

This time, with Agent Kong needing protection, I no longer held back with ease, injecting my will to destroy them into the flames with seriousness.

Under the impact of the destructive flames, the three demons, caught in their charge, were swept away uncontrollably like fish in a strong current.

They didn't even last the duration of a single blink before turning into ashes.