Fallen Demon Hunter VS Superpowered Individual 2

After being rescued from a dead end by Wuchang, I made a decision to never again get involved with anything related to abnormalities.

That dead end would surely become a nightmare for the rest of my life. I didn't want to fall into such a terrifying desperate situation again.

However, Wuchang's words shattered my future plans.

"It seems you already know the horror of abnormalities. Since that's the case, I'll tell you something very important. It's also a way to prepare yourself mentally for your future."

"...What are you going to say?" A bad premonition immediately struck me.

"The moment you accidentally fall into an abnormal event, a line is drawn between you and the ignorant ordinary people outside. From now on, it's best not to think about living out the rest of your life peacefully." He might have been reminding me with good intentions, but to my ears, his words were incredibly cruel. "There's a saying in Luoshan: encountering an abnormality means forming a bond with it.

"Although Luoshan hasn't figured out the principle behind this phenomenon yet, according to statistics, the probability of people who have encountered abnormal events encountering them again is greatly increased, as if they were cursed.

"Unless you are the legendary 'Great Wuchang' who is impervious to all evil and makes demons and monsters flee at the mere sight of him, you will encounter similar dangers in the future."

Unable to face it, unable to escape, the shadow of abnormality had already become intertwined with my fate.

Under these circumstances, I had only one choice. Although making this choice was logical from a rational perspective, I still spent a lot of effort to convince myself. That was to delve into the world of abnormalities and learn the techniques to deal with them.

With the help of that kind Wuchang, I joined Luoshan with a letter of recommendation and became a disciple there.

Most of the other Luoshan disciples had similar experiences to mine; they were ordinary people who had encountered abnormal events and joined Luoshan to learn how to survive. The general course of study was four years, though there were a few exceptions. The graduation paths could be broadly divided into two: one was to become a Demon Hunter with the power to hunt abnormalities; the other was a "probe" who could not become a Demon Hunter and could only serve as their vanguard.

Judging by the names alone, probes were consumables for Luoshan. Although they called each other "Luoshan Agents" outside, both Luoshan and the probes themselves considered them half outsiders. Even though Luoshan provided safety equipment for agents out of obligation, their death rate outside remained high.

I wanted to become a Demon Hunter, to possess power. Since I was destined to encounter abnormalities again in the future, let me at least master the means to protect myself. With extreme fear and fervent desire, I absorbed knowledge related to demon hunting like a sponge. In my past memories, I had never been so enthusiastic about studying, not even on the eve of the college entrance examination.

The reason I was so helpless back then must have been my lack of power. If I had possessed the power to break through that dead end, or even the power to directly resist illusions and slay evil spirits with a single sword like Wuchang did at that time, how could I have been so pathetic?

All fear and despair in this world stem from the insufficient power of the person involved.

However, I despaired once again.

Most Luoshan disciples lacked the talent to become Demon Hunters, and I was no exception. Four years passed, and I was still as powerless as ever, eventually returning to the secular world as a probe.

Several years, then over a decade passed...

Nearly twenty years went by, a period long enough to change many things. For instance, Wuchang, who had saved me back then, had now transferred to become a "Patrol" and, by chance, became my superior.

There were also many things that remained unchanged, such as me, who never obtained what I longed for.

As a Luoshan Agent, I encountered numerous abnormal events. Thanks to my fear-driven caution, and more importantly, thanks to crucial luck, I still hadn't died. But the fear in my heart had not subsided; I knew very well that my survival to this day was merely by chance. My colleagues, whom I knew, died one after another in tragic ways, just like the friends who had entered that dead end with me, leaving me alone in the unfathomable darkness.

During this time, I also tried to further my studies, repeatedly challenging the door to becoming a Demon Hunter. But the world of talent was incredibly cruel; some things you have, and some things you don't. The door to becoming a Demon Hunter remained firmly shut.

Perhaps I would never achieve my wish. One day, I would eventually feel regret again and be buried in that darkness.

As I despaired like this, a stranger wearing a silver mask appeared before me, bringing a hope that was as poisonous as it was hidden.

Having been a Luoshan Agent for so many years, I had accumulated extensive experience observing abnormalities. Therefore, I could tell at a glance that this stranger wearing a mask was shrouded in an aura of strangeness and madness from head to toe. Beneath his seemingly rational and confident demeanor lay the face of a madman.

He was a lunatic, and nothing he said should be believed. I had to distance myself from this dangerous man immediately.

Yet, the words he uttered were impossible for me to refuse.

"Do you want power?"

"...Power?"

"Looking at your eyes, you seem to know what kind of person I am. And I too can see through the cowardly facade you've worked so hard to hide.

"There's no need to be so angry. Fearing dangerous things and wanting to stay away is only natural. Only when one's basic needs are met can one understand etiquette; only when one is well-fed can one understand honor and disgrace. Courage is the same. People often think courage is the companion of the weak, but that's absurd nonsense only fools brainwashed by peace and order would say. Courage without power is merely the self-satisfaction of the foolish. True courage is always born from power.

"And what I am bringing you now is the treasure you have longed for and sought in vain."

He took it out right in front of me.

My gaze couldn't leave the object.

"What is this?"

"True courage."

His voice was like the seductive whisper of a devil.

In the end, I accepted the "gift" from that person.

He called himself the "Monster Maker," his real name and origin unknown, his whereabouts elusive. The thing he gave me was called the "Seed of the Heart," an abnormality that could merge with my body and grant me power.

While using this power, I would transform into the form of a Ram-headed Demon and be able to manipulate the power of shadows at will. This power was extraordinarily strong; just upon obtaining it, I surpassed the Decay level.

The Demon Hunter community generally divides their cultivation path into four realms: Formation, Stability, Decay, and Void, drawing from Buddhism's four stages of the world from its birth to its end.

Among them, "Void" corresponds to ordinary people without power. As the name suggests, they cannot wield any mana, and their bodies are equivalent to being empty. Many Demon Hunters who have just embarked on the path of cultivation, who can only manipulate external natural forces but cannot yet wield mana themselves, are also classified in this tier.

"Decay" corresponds to most Demon Hunters. Just as people who don't review their knowledge often forget what they once knew, and those who don't exercise their muscles gradually weaken even if they have strong muscles, Demon Hunters at this stage are in a state of "sailing against the current; not advancing means falling behind." Some Decay-level Demon Hunters even possess power not inferior to the Stability level, yet they must still face the risk of power decline and constantly strive for improvement through arduous training.

"Stability" level Demon Hunters do not have such worries. Mana has already reshaped their souls and bodies, deeply integrated with them, becoming a constant power. From their perspective, Decay-level Demon Hunters are essentially mortals wielding powerful weapons, akin to lucky individuals relying on potent magic tools or those who awakened their powers by chance. Only Stability-level Demon Hunters can be considered transcendent, "true Demon Hunters," and the backbone of Luoshan.

The "Formation" level Demon Hunter symbolizes the limit of the cultivation path. Demon Hunters at this stage can no longer evolve further because they have reached the summit, a stage literally described as "completed."

Originally, even if I could become a Demon Hunter, I would have to start from "Void" and move against the flow of the world's creation to destruction. But with the help of the "Seed of the Heart," I immediately touched the threshold of "Stability." If Luoshan were to know about this, it would surely cause a huge upheaval.

But I also knew very well that the Monster Maker would absolutely not give me such a thing for free.

"The Seed of the Heart" itself comes with side effects that cannot be underestimated. The Monster Maker made it very clear to me: anyone I kill will have their soul automatically devoured by me, and the more souls I devour, the more I will crave to devour souls. This is a physical instinct, just like throwing roasted meat with a strong aroma in front of a starving person; the latter will inevitably want to tear it apart and swallow it. Only during digestion does this evil craving subside.

The Monster Maker himself also has demands of me, but compared to the side effects, these demands might not be considered much. He needs to regularly examine my body and collect my blood and other bodily tissues, and I have to report my current physical condition to him like a patient with an illness.

It's obvious that he views me as an experimental subject. I am not important to him; what's important is what changes will occur with the "Seed of the Heart" within me.

I am not foolish enough to resist him with violence. Threatening the gun store owner with a gun bought on the spot would only happen in a moronic joke. Although I don't know what kind of power he possesses, he must have a way to suppress me.

The power granted by the "Seed of the Heart" makes me feel smug, while the urge to kill plunges me into anxiety. Rather than resisting the Monster Maker, I must first find a way to deal with this pressing issue.