Destiny Fulfilled! Section Chief Liu's Death (First Update)

It was ten o'clock that night, in the quiet of the dormitory.

Twelve hidden curtains hung suspended in the air.

Bai Zhou went to the cafeteria Convenience Store every day, buying a little bit here and a little bit there to stockpile ritual materials in advance.

Now, they were all spread out on the floor.

--Calling them ritual materials was a stretch; it looked more like camping on the dormitory floor.

Eggplant, cucumber, oranges, braised chicken legs, beef balls, luncheon meat, beef and lamb.

There were also vegetables, sesame oil, and sesame paste.

Six scented candles flickered, arranged in a hexagram on the ground.

A sweet, fresh fragrance drifted out, the slowly rising White Light converging in the air.

If a small pot were set up in the middle, it would be a candlelight dinner for Bai Zhou and Ya--hot pot edition.

But this was the only way to avoid suspicion.

At most, people would just think Bai Zhou was a glutton, always making himself a midnight snack or grabbing a bite in the dorm.

...No one would ever guess that these things could be used to set up a mysterious ritual to assist in an advancement.

That was Ya for you.

--A master of cost-effective mysticism who was particularly good at cutting corners!

"The last battle deepened your understanding of the secret technique."

"That is why the advancement has come early."

With the various materials laid out, juice squeezed from an orange dripped onto Bai Zhou.

The fresh, tart scent lingered in his nostrils, making Bai Zhou feel inexplicably clear-headed.

"This is a ritual to help you maintain mental tranquility at all times... it is set."

Ya clapped his hands, looked at Bai Zhou with satisfaction, and spoke softly:

"The advancement happens tonight."

As the words fell, Bai Zhou began to swing his blade.

But this time was completely different from before; with every swing, he felt something blocked inside his body being "digested."

His body felt increasingly light and agile, his swings becoming more instinctive, and the seven pieces of Spirituality within him were vibrant and active, distributed throughout his body in a special pattern.

His right arm, used for swinging the blade, held the most, with three pieces of Spirituality lying dormant.

This was the result of his training over the recent period.

Then, Following the techniques in the secret manual, Bai Zhou ignited all the Spirituality in his body.

"Hum, hum, hum--"

The seven pieces of Spirituality lit up one after another, connecting into a single whole.

The light was intense, nearly burning.

Bai Zhou's soul felt as if it had exploded in a trance, his vision filled with blinding White Light.

An instinct, akin to a "newborn's cry," drove Bai Zhou to swing his arm.

With a crisp "crack"--

The Bench Leg in his hand exploded out of thin air, shards of iron splattering everywhere, embedding themselves into the walls and floor.

They pierced three inches into the wall, a shocking sight.

But Bai Zhou continued to move, his right hand gripping the air as if holding a blade.

Brilliant sparks flew through Mid-air.

A small Crimson Moon bloomed in the air, breathtakingly beautiful.

But in the next instant, that beauty turned into extreme danger.

The Crimson Moon descended like a blade of light, carrying the scent of a sacred judgment from the heavens--

First "Moon Ember," then "Sacred Oath."

And then, Slash!

Boom!

The iron table Bai Zhou had recently moved from the empty dormitory next door exploded four meters away, shattering into two halves.

The cut was incredibly smooth, as if slicing through tofu.

However, the moonlight showed no sign of stopping, plunging straight into the ground.

Ya stomped his foot on the spot.

Shadows spread outward, transforming into a web of darkness upon the ground—

Easily binding the moonlight.

She curled the corners of her lips slightly, though the smile vanished in an instant, unnoticed by anyone.

Because, the introductory portion of Bai Zhou's Moon Ember Sacred Oath Slash was now completely mastered.

Capable of mobilizing spirituality to use secret techniques, thereby possessing power that transcended the mundane... Bai Zhou could now be considered a qualified Extraordinary, possessing extraordinary combat capabilities.

If Bai Zhou had chosen the "Hunter" path, this would have been a complete success.

However, The goal of Bai Zhou's special training was not to become an "Extraordinary."

...On the other side, Bai Zhou, who had unleashed this incredible slash, still had not regained consciousness.

After the grand and dazzling White Light, he once again saw his own fate, that magnificent White Day.

Above the pitch black Sea of Ignorance, it was held aloft five feet and four inches by a continuous stream of rainbow light.

--A rumbling echo arrived from the distant sky.

A wisp of Flowing Fire streaked rapidly across the pitch black Sea of Ignorance, illuminating the chaotic Fate Space.

It flew into the White Day and then vanished.

"That is..."

"Rumble—"

The White Day rotated, and the sky trembled.

The [Chen] fate quietly climbed, settling firmly at a new height.

--Five feet and five inches!

A symbol resembling a red moon appeared on the White Day fate, occupying its lower-left corner.

It was one-sixth the size of the whole.

"Secret Technique Imprint!"

Bai Zhou felt a surge of pleasant surprise.

Ya had told him beforehand that only by completely digesting the knowledge of a secret technique, learning it until it became instinct, and engraving it into the soul...

Could one transform this knowledge into a "Secret Technique Imprint," inscribed upon one's fate.

Now, this small Crescent Mark symbolized the knowledge of "Body Forging" within the Moon Ember Sacred Oath Slash.

From this moment on, it was no longer just "knowledge."

As something inscribed upon his fate and made a part of Bai Zhou's body, it had become his innate instinct.

Just like "humans are born knowing how to walk" or "not needing to think to eat and drink."

Bai Zhou could clearly perceive that he could condense five more such imprints upon his fate.

--At least for now.

Casting secret techniques through a "Secret Technique Imprint" not only consumed less spirituality, but with every gesture, the technique could carry the inherent characteristics of his fate, unleashing special effects where 1+1 was greater than 2!

Naturally, not just anyone could achieve this; it required the perfect combination of fate and a compatible path.

--In other words, the "Secret Technique Imprint" was the privilege of a "Destined One."

It was what was known as the "Blessing of Knowledge."

Every time a Secret Technique Imprint took form, it meant the Destined One's Extraordinary path had climbed one level.

And now, with the first Secret Technique Imprint formed, it meant...

Bai Zhou had stepped onto the "Adventurer" path, becoming a Level 1 "Adventurer."

--"Destined One"!

In the dormitory, Bai Zhou opened his eyes.

His temperament had subtly changed; in a trance, a certain aura of destiny settled upon him, bringing an inexplicable confidence that everything he did would go smoothly.

His body felt light and agile, his mind pulsed with vitality, and his abundant spirituality had doubled from 7 units to 14.

The momentum of destiny was upon him.

This was a Destined One who had embarked upon the Destiny Path.

Destiny is here!

I am here.

"Hum!!!"

Bai Zhou raised his hand, communicating with the Secret Technique Imprint on his fate, as instinct drove him to swing his blade once more.

Realizing he had nothing to hold in his hand, he used his hand as a blade, driving only a single unit of spirituality from his right arm, and slashed through the air—

"Hum—Boom!!!"

The White Moon was born within the room.

A white moon rose, yet it bloomed with the radiance of a sun, holy and unstoppable.

Though it was driven by only a single unit of Spirituality, it was a full size larger than the previous Crimson Moon, possessing a grand and magnificent aura while carrying an extremely dangerous, explosive scent.

This was the new Moon Ember Sacred Oath Slash, combined with the Destiny characteristics of [Chen].

The next moment, the White Moon descended.

"Oh no!"

--But the moment he unleashed it, Bai Zhou regretted it.

Because only now did he suddenly realize that this move would likely smash right through the floor.

The curtain could hide information, but it said nothing about blocking an attack.

The person living downstairs might be lying in bed sleeping right now; if they were decapitated by a White Moon falling from the sky...

It was hard to imagine what kind of waves the Special Management Department would stir up over such an unlucky soul!

--Fortunately, the precarious floor and the life of the unlucky soul downstairs were both saved by Ya's timely intervention.

"Hum!"

A vast net of shadows spread out once more, binding the White Moon.

Yet, light bloomed upon the White Moon, causing the shadow net to hiss and sizzle, burning it into a tattered mess in the blink of an eye.

"Hm?"

Ya furrowed her brows.

More shadows immediately swarmed forward, endless and continuous, finally managing to "extinguish" the White Moon.

Only then did Bai Zhou heave a sigh of relief, feeling a lingering fear.

He truly had not expected that even with just a single unit of Spirituality, the power could be so immense—possessing even more explosive force and destructive power than the Moon Ember Sacred Oath Slash that had erupted with seven units of Spirituality before his promotion!

What a fierce "moon"!

The Moon Ember Sacred Oath Slash unleashed through the Secret Technique Imprint was a completely different style from the one just moments ago!

He suddenly recalled the words Ya had said when introducing the Adventurer Path to him:

"Equipped for both offense and defense, brave in exploration."

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

Every path had its own areas of expertise; some were particularly devious, others particularly troublesome.

And the Adventurer was relatively simple.

--It was just particularly good at fighting.

One could imagine, if he were to mobilize and burn 14 units of Spirituality in one go, unleashing his full power...

What would that look like?

--At least a 14-fold explosion of power!

On the other side, Ya looked at the shadows on the floor, which were riddled with holes and slowly healing, lost in thought.

"It seems that a secret technique combined with the [Chen] attribute Destiny characteristic has a restraining effect on shadow-type extraordinary things... Not bad!"

"As for the other characteristics, they remain to be further observed."

As she spoke, she looked at Bai Zhou, her eyes revealing a light appreciation and a trace of imperceptible amusement:

"It seems you have successfully stepped onto the path you firmly chose."

"Congratulations—"

"Destined One Bai Zhou!"

Nine days!

Today is August 25th.

On August 17th, Bai Zhou arrived at the Special Management Department.

From an ordinary person awakening their Destiny to becoming a Destined One, there was no longer any essential difference between him and her.

Bai Zhou had only taken nine days.

If one only counted the time spent in special training, it was even shorter.

And initially, Ya's estimate for Bai Zhou was that after one month of special training, it would be quite good if he could become a Level 1 Hunter...

But it was fortunate that it was only nine days.

Because at this very moment, there were less than three days left until the Blood Worship Cult's invasion.

But apart from her, no one would know, that this youth Bai Zhou, who had such a low presence in the Special Management Department, had already quietly grown up, possessing the qualifications to face any storm head-on.

As Ya, who had watched Bai Zhou's rapid transformation with her own eyes, how could she not be moved?

"It is because you taught me well." Bai Zhou waved his hand.

But Ya shook his head, "With your talent, it would be the same regardless of which teacher you had."

"Moreover, you are not following the Hunter path; there is very little I can do to help you."

"--How could that be?"

Bai Zhou would never take such words to heart; his gratitude came from the bottom of his heart.

The more high-spirited Bai Zhou felt now, the more grateful he was for Ya's existence.

Under the guise of a transaction, this "ghostly" maiden, whom only he could see, had completely altered his destiny.

If transforming from an ordinary person into an Extraordinary was already an unimaginable leap of fate.

Then, what could be said of becoming a Destined One, blessed by knowledge and favored by destiny?

...Of course, compared to being high-spirited, Bai Zhou actually felt more of a sense of relief and stability.

After all, ever since he arrived at the Special Management Department, he hadn't spent a single easy day, living every moment tense and on edge.

Until today.

He vaguely felt that he could finally catch his breath for a while.

Ever since he last encountered the Blood Worship Cultist, he had gained a new understanding of his own strength.

And now, his strength had undergone a world-shaking transformation!

...At the very least, Section Chief Liu should no longer be his match.

But Section Chief Liu was already a minor executive within the base, possessing a respectable status and extraordinary strength.

Although the battle three days from now was filled with countless unknown risks, he had already done everything he could to the best of his ability.

Perhaps the only thing left was to find time to return to the Reflection Ruins Realm and deal with that Dead Fatty...

It was time to go back and give it a surprise...

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Suddenly, a "bang-bang" knocking sound came to his ears.

The sound was fast and urgent, as if something pressing had occurred.

Bai Zhou snapped back to reality and looked at Ya in confusion.

Ya also shook his head.

"They must be here for you; it is impossible for them to have detected any anomalies here."

The confidence in those words made Bai Zhou heave a sigh of relief.

The veil of secrecy immediately dissipated, and flames "whooshed" across the floor, causing all the ritual materials and the fragments of the bench leg to vanish.

Even the tattered iron table, which had been sliced in two, was instantly burned into fly ash, leaving no trace behind.

The overhead light flickered on, illuminating the room.

In the blink of an eye, the room had completely changed its appearance.

Aside from the flashy posters plastered all over the walls and the temporary absence of a table, everything was as normal as could be.

Bai Zhou went to open the door.

He did not recognize the person standing outside, but the other party didn't say much, simply handing Bai Zhou two letters in a hurry before leaving.

Seeing that he still had many letters in his hand, he was likely in a rush to deliver mail to others.

But...

What kind of letters were these?

Bai Zhou didn't recall the Special Management Department having any messengers.

"Clack," he closed the door and began to read the letters.

The content of the first letter was a piece of good news that surprised Bai Zhou immensely--

It was a promotion order regarding Bai Zhou's advancement to a Level P3 Specialist, filling the vacancy for the supervisor of the Third Sector in the Black Room, and instructing him to find time to apply for his Magic Potion.

Level P3!

--Did Section Chief Liu's "maneuvering" succeed?

Bai Zhou found it incredible.

So, he had truly prepared a big surprise for him!

Today was truly a special day; first, he successfully ascended to a Destined One, and then he received a notification for his promotion to Level P3.

The double joy overlapping together brought Bai Zhou even more happiness...

Before today, he had never actually thought this could really happen.

One could only imagine how much effort Section Chief Liu had put into this!

...No, he should call him Elder Brother Liu!

While sighing with deep emotion, Bai Zhou tore open the other letter.

Written in black fountain pen ink, the contents read as follows:

[It is with a heavy heart that we inform you of a regrettable and sorrowful piece of news:

Our closest comrade-in-arms, the most outstanding warrior of the Special Black Box Control Agency and Section Chief of the Black Box Maintenance Department's Inspection Department, Liu Zhen, unfortunately sacrificed his life in the line of duty this evening, August 25th, at 8:00 PM.

Comrade Liu Zhen was the pride of the entire Special Management Department; he was loyal, fearless, and selfless, fulfilling his oath to protect the Federation with his very life.

His departure is an irreparable loss to us and a source of profound grief for the entire collective!

To honor his heroic soul and express our mourning, a funeral will be held at the base tomorrow (August 26th) at 14:00.

We sincerely invite you to spare the time to attend and bid a final farewell to our most heroic comrade.

All colleagues of the Special Management Department.

August 25, 2025]

With a sharp "rip,"

the light overhead flickered and died.

Bai Zhou's mind felt as if it had exploded, leaving him completely blank.

Section Chief Liu...

Elder Brother Liu, dead?

--How could he have died?!