Destiny Sequence and the [Adventurer] Path

"Whoosh—"

The spear shot out like a dragon, but its downward slash carried tremendous force, its stance resembling a blade strike.

But the instant the spear tip flickered—

Several cold glints shot past with a whoosh, whoosh.

Rivets tied to Little Green Bottles thudded into the wall.

"Hiss—"

The green bottles exploded, and dense dark-green bubbles rose one after another, corroding several large pits into the wall in the blink of an eye.

"..."

Bai Zhou pressed the mechanism button at the rear of the spear-gun, raised it, and stared at the Cross Anchor in silence for a moment before turning to Ya beside him.

Ya's expression did not change. "I got some Chemical Materials from the research institute. They can increase the spear-gun's power."

"But there isn't much left, so use them sparingly."

No, this was not a matter of using them sparingly or not.

Bai Zhou wore a strange expression.

Who used hidden weapons like this while fighting with spears?

How was anyone supposed to guard against that...

"There are many more mechanisms like this on it. Study them slowly."

"I also made two Explosive Crossbows. Don't fire them lightly. The button is here..."

As she spoke, Ya shook her head.

"Actually, this was not my original intention... It was just that this broken spear was full of designs like these, and I couldn't resist restoring some of them."

"So, many of the mechanisms have empty slots. If you have any ideas, you can fill them as you see fit."

Bai Zhou blinked his clear eyes.

Then, he gave a heartfelt evaluation—

"An exquisite design!"

The old him might have thought this was a little too dishonorable.

But now, he only felt it was just right.

Being honest would get you killed. Being upright could only lead to defeat.

He could not forget the teachings of Ruins Realm civilization for even a moment!

"This is already very good."

Bai Zhou looked thoughtfully at the corroded holes in the wall.

"But... I think it could still use a few minor improvements."

As he spoke, he picked up the spear-gun and walked toward the bedside, reaching around to search beside it.

Before long, he pulled out a small pitch-black flashlight.

After joining the Special Management Department, he had received it as a P1 Specialist: a Military High-Intensity Flashlight.

Its defining feature was brightness.

Extremely bright. Wherever it shone became as bright as day, impossible to look at directly.

With a click, he secured the flashlight to the Caliper Interface near the spearhead.

With a satisfied smile, Bai Zhou looked at the wide-eyed Ya and said cheerfully,

"This way, I can switch on the high-intensity flashlight the instant I thrust the spear, then follow up with the flying nails while they're blinded..."

"It should be a little more useful."

Besides that, he had a few more strange ideas worth trying.

In Bai Zhou's eyes, this mechanical spear-gun full of mechanisms and empty slots... had become a beloved oversized toy that he could modify however his imagination pleased.

"...What did you do back in Evening City again?" Ya asked uncertainly.

Bai Zhou's face turned solemn. "I was a Three Good Student in the Youth Training Corps."

He had been a famously good child.

—It was all that damned civilization's fault, along with that sinister Swollen Giant Monster, for leading him astray!

Research on the big toy had to come to a temporary end.

Because special training was about to begin again.

The curtains were drawn, flames rose, and twelve hidden curtains hung in the shadows.

With a serious expression, Bai Zhou picked up the familiar beyond-familiar... Bench Leg again.

No matter how flashy the spear-gun was, it remained an external tool. Combat secret techniques were what truly kept one alive.

He understood that much clearly.

Ya leaped lightly and sat sideways atop the ribbon once more, speaking calmly.

"You've progressed quickly lately. Your basic special training has advanced rapidly."

"By now, you should have felt the learning boost brought by your Destiny talent."

Bai Zhou nodded sincerely, deeply agreeing.

You never knew until you learned. Even he had been startled. For the first time in his life, he had experienced the perspective of a Genius.

It was as if something in his mind had suddenly clicked. His brain had become extraordinarily active—he understood as soon as he learned, mastered as soon as he practiced, and could even draw inferences from one example to another.

Subjects that took others an entire semester to learn only required him to read through the books for one night. After Ya explained them, he could understand most of it.

—That was what having a Destiny talent of five feet four inches felt like.

For the first time, Bai Zhou's mindset shifted subtly.

Because for the first time, he clearly realized...

This was a "miracle" that his former self could never have achieved!

It seemed he had truly been reborn, utterly transformed from who he once was.

...However, Bai Zhou's special training had progressed so quickly not only because of his Destiny talent, but also because of the accumulation within the Knowledge Mist.

The Gray Fog knowledge he had once thought useless had all become nourishment for his growth.

For example, a copy of Introduction to Sketching had greatly helped him with his assignment of copying runes.

As he used this knowledge, Bai Zhou seemed to "digest" it, gaining new insights into it.

Forget anything else—just take drawing.

Give him a drawing board, and he could set up a small stall on the street and sell paintings.

If he had possessed this skill back in Evening City, he would have dared to eat three bags of Four-Flavor Instant Noodles every meal!

And with the third bag, he would have been extravagant enough not to drink the soup!

Yet, even with such talent and all that accumulated knowledge—

After three days, Bai Zhou still felt as if he had shed a layer of skin.

Ya was not a famous teacher. In fact, she had no teaching experience at all. She simply crammed everything into him at once.

It was like trying to make up for more than a decade of missed compulsory education for an adult in just a few days.

It had nearly choked Bai Zhou to death.

"Fortunately, although the process was difficult, the results are gratifying."

Ya looked Bai Zhou over and nodded with satisfaction.

A mind filled with knowledge naturally lent a person elegance.

With his chest stuffed full of knowledge, even Bai Zhou's temperament had improved slightly.

"Next, we can proceed to advanced special training."

The flickering flames illuminated Ya's rainbow-colored eyes as she met Bai Zhou's gaze.

"Without even asking, I know you want to start with the real secret technique, Moon Ember, right?"

He had practiced basic blade swings tens of thousands of times. Tedious learning needed something to look forward to.

Who wouldn't want to deliver a slash like Ya's, killing someone and burning the corpse in one smooth sequence?

It was so cool it barely seemed human.

—But at that moment, Ya's expression became serious.

"But there is something I need to make clear first."

"What?"

"You have already taken the Enlightenment Potion and awakened your Destiny. The next step is to prepare to choose an extraordinary path."

An extraordinary... path?

Ya continued, "For extraordinary people still in the first major stage, whether they meditate, cultivate, train, or practice yoga, all paths ultimately lead to the same destination."

"They seek nothing more than the six aspects of body, heart, qi, essence, intent, and spirit."

"For example, the Confucian School of the Eastern Federation places importance on cultivating the Six Arts: rites, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and mathematics."

"These Six Arts correspond respectively to the six levels of advancement in an extraordinary person's first major stage."

"If one can unite all six into one and elevate oneself, one stands at the peak of this field and qualifies to bear a [Title]."

"The previous inheritor of Moon Ember, [Twilight Flame], was such an existence."

A Title...

Bai Zhou could not help feeling a little yearning.

"And Moon Ember is a secret technique of the Hunter Path, a rare one that can train both the 'body' and the 'heart' at once."

"Once you gain entry into Moon Ember, you can complete the elevation of your 'body' and become a Level 1 Hunter."

"—A true extraordinary person."

Become... a Hunter?

Bai Zhou immediately thought of the last wills left by the Black Robes.

He remembered mentions of a Level 4 Butcher and a Level 2 Vassal.

Ya reminded him,

"But that also means you will have stepped onto the Hunter Path. From then on, you can only use secret techniques and inheritances of the Hunter Path."

"Otherwise..."

Ya paused briefly.

"Conflicts in knowledge will cause an extraordinary person to suffer mental collapse. In severe cases, they may lose control or even die."

With a hum—

Living shadows seemed to surge across the floor. Countless fine threads formed from shadows leaped up from the ground, encircling Ya and bowing to the King seated in mid-air.

"By the way."

Sitting cross-legged atop the ribbon, Ya casually lifted several strands of shadow and added,

"I am also a Hunter who walks within the shadows."

"..."

Looking at those immense shadows that had nearly solidified, Bai Zhou shuddered.

—Were you a "Hunter," or did you hunt "people"?

So Bai Zhou asked carefully, "Then is there anything else worth noting?"

He remembered Ya mentioning before he explored the mist that modern mystical knowledge was tightly monopolized by various factions.

But Ya was undoubtedly a Hunter. She certainly possessed a vast amount of knowledge related to Hunters.

The predecessors planted trees, and later generations enjoyed the shade.

With such a thick thigh right in front of him, if he did not choose the Hunter Path, what else would he choose?

"Enter the Hunter Path through Moon Ember, then steadily learn all the knowledge I teach you."

"This is the only path I can prepare for you at present, and it is also the best path."

Ya sighed softly.

"But... it may not be the most suitable one."

"I don't understand."

Bai Zhou shook his head.

If it was the best, how could it not be suitable?

It could not be that his talent was insufficient...

"Because your Destiny is [Chen]," Ya said.

Bai Zhou had indeed told Ya that his Destiny was a sun.

Ya had been quite puzzled by it.

This Destiny was undoubtedly one with the [Chen] attribute, but its color differed from an ordinary [Chen].

—What kind of sun was white?

With a screeching scrape, Ya landed on the ground and pulled an iron table between them.

Several strands of shadow crawled across the tabletop, bringing over White Paper and spreading it out. Under the flames and shadows, it looked hazily yellowed.

Ya's cold voice always seemed to carry a trace of hoarseness.

"Destiny is the principle of life. It reflects the essence of a person's life."

"The essence of an extraordinary path is nothing more than strengthening one's Destiny and ascending to a higher level of life."

"...Look here." A line of flame danced at Ya's fingertips, writing on the paper from a distance.

A faint burnt smell drifted through the air, and wisps of pale smoke curled upward. A complex pattern soon appeared on the paper.

Bai Zhou leaned closer and found countless pitch-black lines twisting wildly, layered and intertwined into two trembling wings.

Illuminated by firelight, a Moth formed from countless black lines seemed to leap from the paper, as if about to break free from the parchment and fly away.

"This is [Moth]."

"Those who possess a Destiny with the [Moth] attribute can easily sense currents, whispers, and the forms of indescribable things that ordinary people cannot touch."

"They are born puzzle-solvers, and because of that, they are filled with curiosity toward all things."

Ya's voice paused, and her eyes lowered.

"But the price is that curiosity often invites mortal danger. The secrets they perceive may drag them into an eternal vortex of madness at any moment."

"—There is often only a thin line between an elegant Moth of Secrets and a crazed moth flying into flames."

At that moment, the flames on the ground suddenly leaped upward, and the shifting light and shadows flickered violently across Ya's face.

Her fingertips moved, drawing another charred pattern on the paper.

"And this one," Ya continued.

"[Ring]."

At first glance, the pattern looked like two circular rings intertwining and separating. But upon closer inspection, it was merely a twisted ring-shaped trail. Strangely, it seemed to have only one "side."

Bai Zhou thought of the Ouroboros symbol Ya had drawn last time. The two shared an indescribable similarity.

"Those with this Destiny attribute often possess both reason and madness, good and evil as one, and are skilled at creating miracles in desperate situations."

"But the price is that fate toys with them, and will ultimately conquer them—"

"While granting them all manner of hope, it has already prepared a fated, despairing end not far ahead."

Ya's descriptions of [Moth] and [Ring] were both merely cursory, revealing only the tip of the iceberg.

Yet even that was enough to set Bai Zhou's imagination racing.

"This world has black and white, yin and yang, the four symbols and five elements. Destiny, too, is divided into twelve attributes."

"They influence one's character, reflect one's past life, and foreshadow one's future fate. They are the most mysterious things in this world."

The firelight dimmed slightly. Beneath the shadows cast by layer upon layer of curtains, the shadow behind Ya gradually stretched longer.

"Everything I just mentioned, along with your [Chen], is one of those twelve."

Her fingertips moved again, and both the moth and the ring vanished.

Only a Black Sun formed of chaotic lines remained suspended on the paper.

"—Its name is [Chen]."

"There is a secret that even few in the occult world know..."

Ya said,

"In truth, every Destiny attribute has an extraordinary path that suits it best."

"You may embark on any path and become an extraordinary being."

"But only by combining with that destined path can your potential remain unrestricted."

"Not only can this grant secret techniques additional Destiny traits and multiply their power..."

"As the path is further developed, you may even master special talents such as 'Spellless Casting' and 'Dangerous Intuition,' gaining incredible and miraculous effects."

Ya lightly waved her hand at the air before her.

"For example, me—"

"My Destiny attribute is naturally compatible with the Hunter Path, which is why, through a fortunate coincidence, I obtained the power to command shadows."

Shadows that writhed like living creatures immediately crawled out from beneath Ya's feet, spreading and coiling around her ankles like growing thorns before continually winding upward through the air.

They rose to the level of Ya's gaze.

Ya gently raised her hand and plucked a pitch-black shadow rose from the tip of the thorny growth that had reached her eyes.

"—Usually, people no longer call such individuals 'extraordinary beings.'"

"Because their futures far surpass those of ordinary extraordinary beings. They are lucky ones blessed by knowledge and favored by fate."

"To distinguish them, people prefer to call them..."

"'Destined Ones.'"

"And the corresponding paths are called Destiny Sequences! Or the Twelve Destiny Paths!"

Destiny... the Twelve Destiny Paths.

Bai Zhou held his breath.

"Then the Destiny Sequence corresponding to my Destiny, [Chen], is...?"

He understood Ya's implication.

Ya was a Hunter, a Destined One.

But the Destiny Sequence corresponding to [Chen] was probably not the "Hunter"...

"That is exactly what I wanted to tell you."

Ya scattered the Shadow Rose in her hand into the air, then lowered her head to look at the Black Sun drawn on the paper atop the table.

"The reason Destined Ones are so hard to find is that every extraordinary path is secretive and incomplete. Some paths have even been lost for a very long time."

"Even the Hunter Path I possess is far from complete..."

As she spoke, she shook her head.

"But unfortunately, the Destiny Sequence corresponding to [Chen] vanished without a trace centuries ago."

"The last two Destined Ones to appear on that path..."

"One was [Ming Emperor] Zhu Yuanzhang, who laid the Eternal Heaven of the Grasslands to rest in the Eastern Federation several centuries ago."

"The other was the Beowulf Family, an ancient and secretive family of extraordinary beings in Sweden, in the Western Federation."

"Rumor has it that their ancestor was a Dragon Slayer who possessed a relatively complete inheritance of that path... but the family was also annihilated seven hundred years ago."

As she spoke, Ya lightly drew across the table.

"This long-lost path once had an exceedingly glorious history, and in certain eras was even called the 'Dragon Slayer' Path..."

"And later, people came to uniformly call this path..."

"[Adventurer]!"

A line of fire traced across the paper, and beside the chaotic Black Sun, a symbol appeared.

The symbol was a diamond-shaped shield, with a sword and a blade crossed before it.

"Balanced in attack and defense, courageous in exploration."

"Among the Twelve Destiny Paths, it is number one in combat," Ya explained.

"This is the corresponding symbol of the Adventurer Path."

"The Adventurer... Path?"

Bai Zhou's pupils contracted slightly.

He stared at the symbol on the table, his heart pounding.

The lost Adventurer Path...?

—But the Sacred Oath Slash bore an identical symbol.

And symbols like this, on that ancient battlefield beneath the Inverted Giant City...

Were everywhere!