A Giant Called Player

Another level of power.

Luke carefully sensed how he felt after unleashing the Red Dragon's power. It was very close to Clear Sky at level 80. But in a fight, he certainly wouldn't be a match for a level 80 Clear Sky, whose abilities had all been perfectly integrated. He was probably close to a four-star hero in strength.

After all, this was only the ability of the Svenbornbarry Snake. Eating a piece of dragon meat couldn't really turn him into a dragon.

Luke felt the explosive energy inside him.

This feeling... was amazing!

Trolls had great strength and powerful regenerative abilities. Red Dragons had the same.

And there was the added protection of Dragon Scale.

Two strengths combined.

Luke figured that if he ran into danger, even if he couldn't beat his opponent, as long as he wasn't killed instantly, he could hold out long enough to log in Clear Sky for support.

At last, he didn't have to worry about his life every moment.

He dismissed the Red Dragon's power, and his body returned to normal. The Dragon Snake tattoo reappeared on the back of his right hand.

Only the color of the Dragon Snake's right hind leg had faded considerably. That was the result of using the Red Dragon's power.

All it needed was a small piece of dragon meat to recover.

And as for dragon meat... Clear Sky had far too much of it stored in her Spatial Backpack.

Luke asked Clear Sky for a piece of dragon meat about the size of a fingernail and placed it on the back of his right hand.

The Dragon Snake poked its head out and swallowed it in one bite, then sank back into his skin and became a tattoo again. Its right hind leg regained its full color.

He checked the time. Dawn was approaching...

He'd have to find another time to test the changes brought on by the Secret Arts.

Luke had Clear Sky log off, then followed his route back to the dormitory.

He took a long, refreshing shower and welcomed the new day in comfort.

Just as he started feeling hungry, Kailina arrived with breakfast.

After tidying up Luke's room, Kailina watched the Detective Chief sitting at the table, eating and drinking heartily. Puzzled, she asked, "Detective Chief, I feel like your body has changed a lot. Your strength seems to have increased considerably, and that tattoo on your right hand...

If I hadn't recorded your features yesterday, I'd have suspected you were someone else."

As an enhanced human with a specialized function, Kailina was highly sensitive to outside information and had a keen eye for details. She could sense that Luke had changed dramatically overnight. After all, just yesterday, he had been an utterly ordinary person.

But the information she had recorded told her this was the Meteor Detective Chief of the Cape District Secret Intelligence Bureau.

That was why Kailina was so confused.

Luke glanced at the Dragon Snake tattoo on the back of his hand and smiled at Kailina. "What you saw yesterday was a disguise. My power is returning.

Did anything unusual happen last night or this morning?"

Kailina was now absolutely loyal to Luke.

In response to his question, she said, "Detective Chief, the curfew outside has ended, and the city is returning to normal. As for the situation with the Mad Axe Gang, Captain Black Mamba has already taken some people to confirm it.

But based on the reports that kept coming in throughout the night, they should have held their ground."

"Looks like the Mad Axe Gang has some ability after all. They're worth helping with all we've got." Luke picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth, then said to Kailina, "Have someone notify our sponsors and tell them I've invited them to a meeting at the Secret Intelligence Bureau. First, I've just taken up my post, so I want to meet everyone and build a closer relationship. Second, we'll discuss everyone's future prospects. Third, we'll help the Mad Axe Gang get through this crisis."

"I'll send someone to notify them right away. When should the meeting be?"

"Today... There'll be a curfew again tonight, so have them come at three in the afternoon."

"Understood, Detective Chief."

Luke pushed his cutlery forward. "Once you're done, change into something casual and come with me to investigate a case."

At the order, Kailina asked in confusion, "Detective Chief, I... I'm only a clerk. Shouldn't you bring Captain Black Mamba and Captain Pisco on a case?"

"Do you think taking those two out would count as investigating a case?"

"Th-that..." Kailina realized she couldn't argue. As the Secret Intelligence Bureau's chief secretary, she was the one who'd cleaned up after those two the most.

"Then it's settled. You received a formal Magic education from a young age, so you should be no weaker than Black Mamba. You just don't have her combat experience or ruthlessness.

There's no need to kill anyone for this case. Just use Magic to help me control the situation."

Since the Detective Chief had put it that way, Kailina could only reply, "Yes, Detective Chief. I'll get ready right away..."

Kailina gathered the cutlery into the food box, picked it up, and left.

While waiting for her, Luke considered the path he should take next.

Before he used the Secret Arts to acquire a bloodline, Luke had many paths open to him.

But after gaining the Taotie bloodline, he could only build his power system around it.

His options had narrowed, but the path ahead was clearer.

Luke had only laid the foundation so far. He still had a long way to go before he could build a towering structure.

That meant pouring a vast amount of resources into it.

Clear Sky was so powerful because she stood on the shoulders of a giant called "Player."

Whatever materials she needed, she could easily collect them in the game.

But Luke didn't even have equipment to extract Dragon Blood, let alone process materials.

Even if he wanted to buy some things, he couldn't.

At this point in the world's history, the Secret Arts were a very rudimentary power system. Neither nations nor private research groups would spend much money or resources researching a form of power with almost no theoretical basis, one that relied entirely on experience and luck.

Wouldn't that money and talent be better spent on Magic, Steam Technology, machinery, human enhancement, or Supernatural Cultivation?

The reason the Secret Arts could surpass other power systems in the later stages of the Era Game was that Players had "played" their way there with their lives.

That also meant many mysterious items and materials were exclusive to Players.

Luke's phone contained the methods for processing those mysterious items and materials, but he didn't have the equipment to produce them.

There was a world of difference between gulping down Dragon Blood and turning it into a drink.

The taste was different, too.

As a port city connected to the world, Raging Wave City could provide access to the equipment and materials he needed.

But he needed money, a Secret Arts laboratory, safe channels, and protection...

He needed so many things.

He had to make good use of his position as a Detective Chief in the Golden Shield Empire's Royal Secret Intelligence Bureau. As long as he could dig out a rabbit hole full of passageways, he'd still be able to thrive here even if his identity was exposed one day.

As Luke was planning his future, Kailina knocked and came back in, now changed.

She wore a morning-glory-colored dress and a pair of round-toed Calfskin boots, with a Lady Hat tilted on her head.

She wore white Lace gloves, and a Magic Wand could be seen tucked inside her left sleeve.

"Detective Chief, are we ready to go?"

Luke put on his hat and picked up his cane. "Let's go... Out the back door. We don't want to draw attention."