That night, at ten o'clock, the dormitory was quiet.
Twelve secret curtains spread open in midair.
Every day, Bai Zhou went to the cafeteria convenience store, buying a little today and a little tomorrow, stocking up on Ritual materials in advance.
Now, they were all spread across the floor.
—Though calling them Ritual materials made it sound more impressive than it was. It looked more like camping on the dormitory floor.
Eggplants, cucumbers, oranges, braised chicken legs, beef meatballs, luncheon meat, beef, and mutton.
There were also vegetables, sesame oil, and sesame paste.
Six scented candles flickered, arranged on the floor in the shape of a hexagram.
A fresh, sweet fragrance drifted through the room as slowly rising white smoke converged in the air.
If he put a small pot in the middle, this would be a candlelit dinner for Bai Zhou and Ya—hot pot edition.
But only by doing this could he avoid arousing suspicion.
At most, people would think Bai Zhou was a glutton who prepared late-night snacks or small treats for himself in the dormitory every night.
...No one would have guessed that these things could be used to set up a mysterious Ritual that assisted advancement.
That was Ya for you.
—A master of mysticism especially skilled at cutting corners for maximum cost-effectiveness!
"Your understanding of the Secret Technique deepened after the last battle."
"So your advancement arrived ahead of schedule."
All kinds of materials were laid out, and juice squeezed from an orange dripped onto Bai Zhou.
The fresh, sour fragrance curled around his nose, inexplicably clearing his mind.
"This is a Ritual to help you maintain mental tranquility at all times... It's ready."
Ya clapped her hands, looking at Bai Zhou with satisfaction as she spoke softly:
"Your advancement will happen tonight."
As soon as she finished speaking,
Bai Zhou began swinging his knife.
But this time, everything was different from before. With every swing, he felt as though something clogged inside him was being "digested."
His body grew more nimble, and his swings became increasingly instinctive. The seven pieces of spirituality inside him surged with vitality, distributed throughout his body in a special arrangement.
The right arm he used to swing the knife held the most, with three pieces of spirituality lying dormant there.
All of this was the result of his training over the recent period.
Then,
Following the technique recorded in the Secret Technique, Bai Zhou activated all the spirituality in his body.
"Buzz, buzz, buzz—"
The seven pieces of spirituality lit up inside him one after another, linking together.
Their radiance blazed fiercely, almost as if they were burning.
Bai Zhou's soul seemed to explode in a daze, and his vision was filled with dazzling White Light.
A certain instinct, almost like "a child crying at birth," drove Bai Zhou to swing his arm.
With a sharp crack—
The Bench Leg in his hand exploded in midair. Broken metal fragments flew in every direction, shooting into the walls and floor.
They sank three inches into the walls, a shocking sight.
But Bai Zhou was still moving. His right hand clenched empty air as though it held a knife.
Brilliant sparks streaked across the sky.
A tiny Crimson Moon blossomed in midair, breathtakingly beautiful.
But in the next instant, its beauty transformed into extreme danger.
The Crimson Moon descended like a blade of light, carrying the aura of sacred judgment as it came crashing down from the heavens—
First "Moon Ember," then "Sacred Oath."
Then it slashed!
Boom!
The iron table Bai Zhou had recently moved from the empty dormitory next door exploded four meters away from him, splitting into two shattered halves.
The cut was incredibly smooth, as though a knife had sliced through tofu.
Yet the moonlight continued forward without slowing, plunging straight into the floor.
Ya stamped her foot.
Her shadow spread out, transforming into a vast net of darkness across the floor—
Easily binding the moonlight.
The corners of her lips lifted slightly. Though the smile vanished in an instant, no one noticed it.
Because Bai Zhou had now completely mastered the introductory portion of Moon Ember Sacred Oath Slash.
Able to mobilize spirituality and use a Secret Technique, thereby possessing power beyond the mortal realm... Bai Zhou could now be considered a qualified Extraordinary, possessing extraordinary combat ability.
If Bai Zhou had chosen the Hunter Path, he would have succeeded completely at this point.
However,
The purpose of Bai Zhou's special training was not to become an Extraordinary.
...On the other side, Bai Zhou, who had unleashed that unbelievable slash, still had not regained consciousness.
After the grand, dazzling White Light faded, he once again saw his Destiny—the grand White Day.
Above the pitch-black Sea of Ignorance, it was supported at a height of five feet four inches by an endless stream of multicolored Rainbow Light.
—A rumbling echo came from the distant sky.
A wisp of Flowing Fire swiftly skimmed across the pitch-black Sea of Ignorance, illuminating the chaotic Fate Space.
It flew into Bai Yang, then vanished without a trace.
"What's that...?"
"Rumble, rumble, rumble—"
The White Day revolved, and the sky trembled.
The [Chen] Destiny quietly rose, completely settling at a new height.
—Five feet five inches!
A symbol resembling a red moon appeared on Bai Yang Fate, occupying the lower-left corner.
It was about one-sixth the size of Bai Yang Fate.
"A Secret Technique Imprint!"
Bai Zhou was delighted.
Ya had told him beforehand that only by completely digesting the knowledge of a Secret Technique, turning that knowledge into instinct and engraving it into his soul...
could he transform that knowledge into a "Secret Technique Imprint" and carve it onto his Destiny.
Now, this tiny Crescent Mark symbolized the knowledge of "Body Forging" contained in Moon Ember Sacred Oath Slash.
From this moment on, it was no longer "knowledge."
As something engraved upon his Destiny and made part of Bai Zhou's body, it had become Bai Zhou's innate instinct.
Just like "people are born knowing how to walk" and "no one needs to think in order to eat or drink."
Bai Zhou could clearly sense that he could condense five more imprints like this on his Destiny.
—At least for now.
Using a Secret Technique through a "Secret Technique Imprint" not only consumed less spirituality, but also allowed every move of the Secret Technique to carry the characteristics of Destiny itself, producing the special effect of one plus one being greater than two!
Of course, not everyone could do this. It required Destiny to combine with a compatible Path.
—In other words, the "Secret Technique Imprint" was the privilege of a Destined One.
This was what was known as the "Blessing of Knowledge."
Every time a Secret Technique Imprint took shape, it meant that the Destined One's Extraordinary Path had risen by one level.
And now, the formation of the first Secret Technique Imprint meant...
Bai Zhou had stepped onto the Adventurer Path and become a Level 1 "Adventurer."
—A "Destined One"!
In the dormitory, Bai Zhou opened his eyes.
His air had subtly changed. In a daze, some kind of fortune seemed to have settled over him, bringing a strange confidence that made him feel he could overcome any obstacle.
His body was nimble, his mind leaped with energy, and his abundant spirituality had doubled from seven pieces to fourteen.
The great momentum was upon him.
This was a Destined One who had embarked upon the Destiny Path.
Destiny was here!
And so was I.
"Buzz!!!"
Bai Zhou raised his hand and connected with the Secret Technique Imprint on his Destiny. Instinct drove him to swing another slash.
Realizing that there was nothing in his hand to grip, he used his hand as a knife, driving only one piece of spirituality in his right arm as he slashed through the air—
"Buzz—boom!!!"
The White Moon was born within the room.
A white moon rose, yet it radiated light like the sun, sacred and unstoppable.
Though driven by only one piece of spirituality, it was an entire circle larger than the Crimson Moon from before. It possessed a few more traces of grand, upright splendor, yet also carried an extremely dangerous, explosive aura.
This was the new Moon Ember Sacred Oath Slash, combined with the characteristics of [Chen] Destiny.
In the next instant, the White Moon fell.
"Oh no!"
—But the moment he struck, Bai Zhou regretted it.
Only then did he suddenly realize that this attack might smash through the floor.
The curtains could conceal information, but they had never claimed they could block attacks.
The person living downstairs might be lying in bed asleep. If the White Moon descended from the heavens and chopped off his head...
It was difficult to imagine how much turmoil the Special Management Department would be thrown into because of that unlucky victim!
—Fortunately, Ya acted in time to save both the dangerously fragile floor and the unlucky person downstairs.
"Buzz!"
The net of darkness spread open once again, binding the White Moon.
But radiance burst from the White Moon, causing the net of darkness to sizzle. In the blink of an eye, it burned the shadows full of holes.
"Hm?"
Ya frowned.
More shadows immediately closed in, pouring forth without end, finally "extinguishing" the White Moon.
Only then did Bai Zhou relax, his heart filled with lingering fear.
He truly had not expected that driving only one piece of spirituality could produce such enormous power, even making it more explosive and destructive than the Moon Ember Sacred Oath Slash unleashed with seven pieces of spirituality before his advancement!
What a vicious "moon"!
The Moon Ember Sacred Oath Slash unleashed through the Secret Technique Imprint was completely different from the one before, as if they belonged to two entirely different styles!
He suddenly recalled what Ya had said when she introduced the Adventurer Path to him:
"Capable of both offense and defense, and brave enough to explore."
"First in combat among the Twelve Destiny Paths."
Every Path had its own strengths. Some were especially bizarre, while others were especially troublesome.
The Adventurer Path was comparatively simple.
—It was simply exceptionally good at fighting.
One could imagine what it would look like if he mobilized and burned all fourteen pieces of spirituality at once, unleashing his full power...
What kind of scene would that create?
—At least fourteen times the explosive power!
On the other side, Ya looked at the shadows on the floor, which had been corroded with numerous holes and were slowly healing. She fell into thought.
"It seems that a Secret Technique combined with the characteristics of [Chen] Destiny has a restraining effect on extraordinary phenomena of the shadow type... Not bad!"
"As for its other characteristics, they still need to be observed further."
As she spoke, she looked toward Bai Zhou. Shallow appreciation showed between her brows, along with a faint, nearly imperceptible smile:
"It seems you successfully embarked upon the path you firmly chose."
"Congratulations—"
"Destined One Bai Zhou!"
Nine days!
Today was August 25.
On August 17, Bai Zhou had arrived at the Special Management Department.
From awakening Destiny as an ordinary person to becoming a Destined One, he was no longer fundamentally different from her.
Bai Zhou had needed only nine days.
If one counted only the special training, the time was even shorter.
At the beginning, Ya had estimated that it would already be quite good if Bai Zhou could become a Level 1 Hunter after a month of special training...
But fortunately, it had taken nine days.
Because at this moment, less than three days remained before the Blood Worship Cult's invasion.
Yet aside from her, no one would know that
the youth Bai Zhou, whose presence in the Special Management Department had been extremely low, had already grown in silence and gained the qualifications to face any storm head-on.
As Ya, who had witnessed Bai Zhou's rapid transformation with her own eyes, how could she not feel moved?
"You taught me well." Bai Zhou waved his hands.
But Ya shook his head. "With your talent, it would have been the same no matter who taught you."
"Besides, you're not taking the 'Hunter' pathway. There's very little I can do to help you."
"—How could that be?"
Bai Zhou would never take those words seriously. His gratitude came from the bottom of his heart.
The more high-spirited Bai Zhou was now, the more grateful he was for Ya's existence.
Under the guise of a transaction, this "ghost" Maiden whom only he could see had completely changed his fate.
If becoming a Beyonder from an ordinary person was already an unimaginable leap in destiny,
then what was it like to become a Destined One blessed with knowledge and favored by fate?
...Of course, compared to being high-spirited, Bai Zhou actually felt more relieved and grounded.
After all, ever since he had arrived at the Special Management Department, he had not enjoyed a single easy day. His nerves had been wound tight with anxiety every day.
Until today.
He vaguely felt that he could finally relax for a while.
After meeting the Blood Worship Cultist last time, he had reassessed his own strength.
And now, his strength had undergone a earth-shaking transformation!
...At the very least, Section Chief Liu should no longer be his match.
But Section Chief Liu was already considered a relatively high-ranking official in the base. His position was far from ordinary, and his strength was even more extraordinary.
Although the battle in three days was filled with countless unknown risks, Bai Zhou had done everything he could as well as possible.
Perhaps all that remained was to find some 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, the sound of "bang bang" knocking came from beside his ear.
The knocks were fast and urgent, as if something important had happened.
Bai Zhou came to his senses and looked at Ya in confusion.
Ya shook his head as well.
"They must be looking for you about something. There's no way they could have noticed anything unusual here."
The confidence in her voice eased Bai Zhou's worries.
The hidden curtain immediately vanished. Flames whooshed across the floor, and all the ritual materials and Bench Leg fragments disappeared.
Even the battered iron table that had been chopped in half was burned to ash and vanished in an instant.
The lights overhead came on, illuminating the room.
In the blink of an eye, the room had completely changed.
Apart from the gaudy posters covering the walls and the temporary absence of a table, everything was normal—almost excessively normal.
Bai Zhou went to open the door.
He did not recognize the person standing outside. The other party did not say much either, simply hurriedly handing Bai Zhou two letters before leaving.
The person still had many letters in his hands, so he was probably in a hurry to deliver them to other people.
But...
What kind of letters were they?
Bai Zhou did not remember the Special Management Department having any messengers.
He shut the door with a snap and read the letters.
The first letter contained an astonishingly pleasant piece of news—
An order promoting Bai Zhou to Level P3 Specialist, appointing him to fill the vacancy of supervisor of the Third Sector of the Black Room, and instructing him to claim his Magic Potion when he had time.
Level P3!
—Had Section Chief Liu's "maneuvering" succeeded?
Bai Zhou found it unbelievable.
So he really had prepared a huge surprise for him!
Today truly was a special day. First, he had successfully advanced to a Destined One, and then he had received a notice of promotion to Level P3.
Twofold happiness overlapped, bringing Bai Zhou even more joy...
Before today, he had never really thought this could come to pass.
It was easy to imagine how much effort Section Chief Liu had put in behind the scenes!
...No, he should be called Brother Liu!
While filled with emotion, Bai Zhou opened the other letter.
The following words had been written in black ink:
[It is with immeasurable sorrow that we inform you of the following tragic news:
Our closest comrade-in-arms, the finest warrior of the Special Black Box Control Agency, Section Chief Liu Zhen of the Inspection Department of the Black Box Maintenance Department, tragically died in the line of duty at 8:00 p.m. on August 25.
Comrade Liu Zhen was the pride of the entire Special Management Department. He was loyal and fearless, selfless and impartial, and fulfilled his oath to protect the Federation with his life.
His passing is an irreparable loss to us, and an even deeper sorrow to the entire collective!
To remember his heroic spirit and express our grief, a funeral will be held at the base tomorrow, August 26, at 14:00.
We sincerely invite you to set aside time to attend and accompany our bravest comrade on his final journey.
All colleagues of the Special Management Department.
August 25, 2025]
With a sharp tearing sound,
the lights overhead flickered out.
Bai Zhou's mind seemed to explode, leaving it utterly blank.
Section Chief Liu...
Brother Liu was dead?
—How did he die?!
Before you continue