Who left their last words here?

Chapter 15 The Sequence of Fate and the Path of the Adventurer
"call--"

The spear moved like a dragon, yet its downward strike was powerful and heavy, much like wielding a knife.

But in that instant when the tip of the spear flickered—

A few glints of cold light flashed by.

The rivets with the small green bottles attached stuck to the wall with a "thud".

"laugh--"

The green bottle exploded, releasing a dense mass of dark green bubbles that quickly corroded several large pits into the wall.

"..."

He placed his hand on the trigger button at the back of the spear, raised the spear, stared at the white boat staring at the cross anchor for a moment in silence, then turned to look at the crow beside him.

Crow remained unfazed: "I went to the research institute and got some chemical materials that can enhance the power of the spear."

"But there's not much stock left, so use it sparingly."

No, this isn't a question of saving money or not.

Bai Zhou's expression was strange.

Who would throw such a hidden weapon when they're stabbing each other with spears?
Who could possibly guard against this...?

"There are many similar mechanisms up there; you can study them at your leisure."

"I also made two explosive crossbows. Don't use them lightly. The button is this..."

As he spoke, the crow shook his head.

"Actually, this was not my intention... but this broken spear is designed like this everywhere, so I couldn't help but repair it."

"Therefore, many of the mechanisms are empty slots. If you have any ideas, you can fill them in as appropriate."

Bai Zhou blinked his clear eyes.

Then, he offered his heartfelt assessment—

"A brilliant design!"

If it were the old him, he would have thought that this was too unethical.

But now he thinks it's just right.

Honesty leads to death, integrity to defeat.

We will never forget the teachings of the Ruins Realm Civilization!
"This is already very good."

Bai Zhou stared thoughtfully at the pits corroded in the wall.

"But... I think there's still room for improvement."

As he spoke, he picked up the spear and walked to the head of the bed, reaching out to grope around on the headboard.

A moment later, he pulled out a small, dark flashlight.

This is the military-grade high-powered flashlight he received as a P1-level specialist after joining the Special Administration.

Its main feature is its brightness.

It was extremely bright, illuminating an area as if it were daytime, making it impossible to look directly at it.

With a "click," he secured the flashlight to the caliper connector near the nozzle.

With a satisfied smile, Bai Zhou looked at the crow, whose eyes were wide open, and said happily:
"In this way, the moment the spear is thrown, a powerful flashlight is turned on, and the flying nails are connected in the blinding gap..."

"It should be easier to use."

In addition, he has some ingenious ideas worth trying.

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

"...What did you do in Night City before?" Crow asked uncertainly.

Bai Zhou's expression turned serious: "I am a model student in the Youth Training Corps."

He's known as a good kid.

—It's all that damned civilization and those insidious, swollen behemoths that corrupted him!

……

The research on large toys will have to be temporarily suspended.

Because special training is about to begin again.

The curtains were drawn, the firelight ignited, and twelve hidden curtains were suspended in the shadows.

Bai Zhou solemnly picked up the familiar... bench leg once again.

Even the most fancy spears and guns are just external possessions; true combat skills are what truly protect you.

He's still quite sensible.

The crow gently leaped up, sat back on the ribbon, and let out a soft cry:

"You've made rapid progress lately, and your basic training is going very well."

"Now, you should be able to appreciate the learning benefits that come with a talent for numerology."

Bai Zhou nodded sincerely, agreeing wholeheartedly.

He was shocked by what he learned, experiencing the perspective of a "genius" for the first time in his life.

He seemed to suddenly have an epiphany; his brain became exceptionally active, he learned quickly, mastered skills quickly, and could apply what he learned to other situations.

What others need a whole semester to learn, he only needs to flip through the book one night, and with Ya's interpretation, he can understand it almost perfectly.

—This is what it feels like to have a five-foot-four-inch talent in destiny analysis.

For the first time, Shirazu's mindset underwent a subtle shift.

Because for the first time he clearly realized...

This is a "miracle" that my past self could never have achieved!
He seems to have truly undergone a complete transformation, a complete change from the past.

However, Bai Zhou's special training progressed so rapidly not only because of his talent in numerology, but also because of the accumulation of knowledge in the fog of mystery.

The knowledge of the gray fog that he initially thought was of little use has now become nourishment for his growth.

For example, there is a book called "Introduction to Sketching", which was a great help to Bai Zhou in his homework of drawing runes.

While using this knowledge, Bai Zhou seemed to "digest" it, gaining new insights into it.

Putting everything else aside, let's just talk about painting.

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

Back in Wancheng, if he had this special skill, he would have dared to eat three bags of Four Delicacies Yi Noodles every meal!

And for the third bag, he dared to be so extravagant that he didn't even drink the soup!

However, even with such talent and accumulated experience—

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

Ya was not a famous teacher, and he didn't even have any teaching experience. He simply used rote learning.

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

Bai Zhou almost choked to death.

"Fortunately, although the process was tough, the result was gratifying."

Looking at the white boat now, Ya nodded with satisfaction.

Abdominal poetry and gas from China.

Bai Zhou, whose mind was now brimming with knowledge, even showed a slight improvement in his demeanor.

"Now, we can begin advanced training."

The flickering firelight illuminated the crow's iridescent eyes as she met the white boat's gaze:

"I know without asking that you want to start by learning the real secret technique, 'Moon Ashes,' right?"

After practicing the basics of swordsmanship tens of thousands of times, even the most tedious learning needs something to look forward to.

Who wouldn't want to wield a blade like a crow, killing and burning corpses in one fell swoop?

He's so handsome he's almost inhuman.

But just then, the crow's expression turned serious.

"But there's something I want to remind you of upfront."

"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?

Raven continued, “For the extraordinary ones who are in the first major stage, whether they meditate, practice, exercise, or practice yoga, the ultimate goal is the same.”

"It is nothing more than the six elements: body, mind, qi, essence, intention, and spirit."

"For example, the Confucian school in the Eastern Federation emphasizes the cultivation of the Six Arts: rites, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and mathematics."

"These six arts correspond to the six levels of advancement in the first major stage of extraordinary individuals."

"If one can integrate the six into one and elevate oneself, one will stand at the pinnacle of this field and be qualified to be given a title."

"The previous inheritor of 'Moon Ashes,' Twilight Flame, was such a being."

title……

Bai Zhou couldn't help but feel a sense of longing.

"As for 'Moon Ashes,' it is a secret technique of the 'Hunter' path, and it is a rare secret technique that can train both 'body' and 'mind' at the same time."

"Once you master the basics of 'Moon Ashes,' you will be able to achieve the sublimation of your 'body' and become a Level 1 'Hunter.'"

"—A truly extraordinary being."

To become... a 'hunter'?
Bai Zhou immediately thought of the black-robed men's last words.

He remembered that it mentioned level 4 'Butcher' and level 2 'Family'.

The crow reminded:

"But this also means that you have embarked on the 'Hunter' path, and from now on you can only use the secret techniques and heritage of the Hunter path."

"otherwise……"

The crow's call paused briefly.

“Conflicts of knowledge can cause extraordinary individuals to go insane, lose control, or even die.”

With a "buzz"—

As if living shadows were surging across the ground, countless thin lines of shadow leaped from the earth, encircling the raven and bowing down to her, who sat horizontally in mid-air, as if claiming dominance. "Incidentally."

Sitting cross-legged on the ribbon, casually lifting a few strands of shadow, Crow added:
"I am also a 'hunter' who walks in the shadows."

"..."

Looking at those enormous shadows that were almost solidified, Bai Zhou shivered.

—Are you a "hunter" or a hunter of "people"?
So Bai Zhou cautiously asked, "So, is there anything else worth reminding you of?"

He remembered that Raven had mentioned before his exploration of the mist that modern occult knowledge was strictly monopolized by various parties.

But the crow is a 'hunter', and there's no doubt that she possesses a great deal of knowledge related to 'hunters'.

The predecessors planted trees, and the descendants took the shade.

With such a powerful thigh right in front of him, what else would he choose if not the 'hunter' path?
"Start your hunter journey through 'Moon Ashes,' and then learn the various skills I impart step by step."

"This is the only path I can prepare for you right now, and it's also the best path."

The crow sighed softly.
"But...it may not be the most suitable."

"I don't know."

Bai Zhou shook his head.

If it's the best, how can it not be suitable?
It can't be that he lacks talent...

“Because your destiny number is [Chen],” the crow said.

Bai Zhou did indeed tell Ya that his destiny was that of the sun.

The crow was quite puzzled by this:
Although this is undoubtedly a "Chen" type of destiny, its color is quite different from a normal "Chen".

Whose sun is white?

With a screeching sound, the crow landed on the ground and pulled the iron table between the two men.

A few shadows climbed onto the table, carrying white paper that was spread out, its surface blurred and yellowed in the firelight and shadow.

The raven's cold voice always seemed to have a slightly hoarse quality:
“Destiny analysis is the principle of life, which reflects the essence of a person’s life.”

"The essence of so-called extraordinary paths is nothing more than to strengthen one's destiny and complete the ascent to a higher level of life."

“…Look here.” The firelight danced at Crow’s fingertips as he wrote on the paper on the table from a distance.

A faint smell of burning wafted by, and wisps of smoke rose gently. Soon, a complex pattern appeared on the paper.

Bai Zhou approached and saw countless dark lines twisting and overlapping to form two trembling wings.

In the firelight, a moth made of countless black lines leaps onto the paper, as if it is about to break free from the binding of the scroll and fly out.

"This is a moth."

"Those with the [Moth] attribute in numerology can easily perceive the flow, whispers, and indescribable forms that are inaccessible to ordinary people."

"They are natural puzzle solvers, and therefore full of curiosity about everything."

The crow's cries ceased, and its eyes lowered.
"But the price is that curiosity often brings deadly danger, and the secrets they perceive can drag them into a vortex of eternal madness at any time."

"The line between an elegant, hidden moth and a mad moth drawn to the flame is often very thin."

The flames on the ground suddenly shot upwards, and the light and shadow flickered violently on the crow's face.

With a flick of the fingertip, another charred pattern appeared on the paper.

“And this,” the crow continued.

"【ring】."

At first glance, the pattern looks like two intertwined and separated rings, but upon closer inspection, it is just a twisted circular trajectory. Strangely, it seems to have only one "side".

The image of the ouroboros that Ya had drawn before flashed through Bai Zhou's mind; there was an inexplicable similarity between the two.

"Those with this astrological attribute often possess both rationality and madness, good and evil in one, and are adept at creating miracles in desperate situations."

"But the price is that fate plays tricks on them, but it will ultimately conquer them—"

"While offering all sorts of hope, it had already prepared for a doomed, desperate end not far off."

The descriptions of both "moth" and "ring" by the crow are superficial, revealing only the tip of the iceberg.

But even these few words were enough to make Bai Zhou's imagination run wild.

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

"They influence personality, reflect past life experiences, and foreshadow future destiny; they are the most mysterious things in this world."

As the firelight dimmed slightly, the shadow behind the crow gradually lengthened beneath the heavy curtains.

"What I just mentioned, and your [Chen], are all one-twelfth of this."

She flicked her fingertips again, and the moth and the ring vanished.

Only a black sun, composed of messy lines, hangs on the paper.

— Its name is [Chen].

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

The crow said:

"In fact, each astrological attribute has its most suitable and extraordinary path."

"You can take any path to become extraordinary."

"But only by aligning with that destined path can the upper limit be unrestricted."

"This not only adds additional numerological characteristics to the secret technique, but also multiplies its power..."

"With further development of the methods, it may even be possible to master special talents such as 'casting spells without incantations' and 'danger intuition,' which possess incredible and magical effects."

The crow waved gently at the air in front of it.

For example, me—

"My destiny is naturally aligned with the 'Hunter' path, which led me to gain the power to control shadows by chance."

Like a shadow surging with life, it instantly crawled out from under the crow's feet, spreading and wrapping around her ankles like thorns, and then meandering upwards in the air.

The altitude is level with the crow's line of sight.

The crow gently raised its hand and picked up a dark, shadowy rose from the top of the thorns that stretched before its eyes.

"—People no longer usually call such people 'extraordinary'."

"Because their future is far beyond that of ordinary extraordinary people; they are the lucky ones blessed by knowledge and favored by fate."

To distinguish it, people prefer to call it...

“'The Chosen One'”.

"And the corresponding pathways are called the Destiny Sequence! Or the Twelve Paths of Destiny!"

Destiny... Twelve Paths.

Bai Zhou held his breath.

"So, what is the sequence of destiny corresponding to my birth chart, [Chen]...?"

He understood the implication in the crow's words.

Crows are hunters, they are chosen ones.

However, the destiny sequence corresponding to [Chen] is probably not 'Hunter'...

"That's exactly what I wanted to tell you."

Raven scattered the shadow rose in his hand into the air and looked down at the black sun drawn on the paper on the table.

"The reason why the chosen ones are so hard to find is that every extraordinary path is hidden and incomplete, and some paths have been lost for a long time."

"Even for me, my mastery of the 'Hunter' path is far from complete..."

As she spoke, she shook her head.

"But unfortunately, the destiny sequence corresponding to [Chen] disappeared hundreds of years ago."

"The two most recent instances of chosen ones using this method..."

"One instance was hundreds of years ago in the Eastern Federation, when Emperor Ming, Zhu Yuanzhang, was buried for the Eternal Heaven of the Grasslands."

"The other is the Beowulf family, a secretive and ancient family of extraordinary individuals in the Western Federation of Sweden."

"Legend has it that their ancestor was a dragon slayer who possessed a relatively complete lineage of this method... but the family was wiped out seven hundred years ago."

As he spoke, the crow lightly drew a line on the table.

"This long-lost path once had an extremely glorious history, and at some point it was even called the 'Dragon Slayer' path..."

"Later on, people uniformly referred to this route as..."

"[Adventurer]!"

A line of fire flashed from his fingertip, and a symbol appeared beside the chaotic black sun.

The symbol is a diamond-shaped shield with a sword and a knife crossed in front of it.

"A balance of offense and defense, and a willingness to explore."

"Among the twelve paths of destiny, combat is number one."

Crow explained,

"This is the corresponding symbol for the 'Adventurer' path."

'Adventurer'...the path?

Bai Zhou's pupils contracted slightly.

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

The lost adventurer's path...?

However, there is a similar mark on the "Oath of the Saints".

Even such symbols and markings can be found on the ancient battlefield beneath that inverted giant city…

They're everywhere!

　Good news! It's on the new book chart!

　　The bad news is at the very end, and it's about to be pushed out.

　　The heroes of the world are as numerous as carp crossing a river.

　　I'm begging for monthly votes and to keep reading to stay on the charts! Gentlemen, lend me your strength!

　　bow--

　　
　
(End of this chapter)