Returning to the Mysterious Era

"Ah!!!"

Inside the cage, a shrill scream echoed unceasingly.

At the entrance, the administrator Franz and the others didn't seem the least bit perturbed. Those who had long been in contact with and fought against dark creatures did not have sympathy for them of any sort. It was best for them to die—even better if they died in excruciating torment. Standing at the cage door, watching the dark creatures inside struggle and perish like writhing maggots, brought an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.

Ole felt a deep sense of relief settling inside him. These seemingly unkillable fiends had finally met their match. Tortured, oppressed, and subjected to pain, just as they had tormented ordinary humans, these fiends were now getting a taste of their own medicine. It was a single-minded act of repaying evil with its own methods. Each dark creature's scream was music to the ears.

With a clatter, skeletal remains, the size of a human infant, fell to the ground, still puffing out a white mist-like steam.

A black boot stepped on the bones. With a delicate shift of his foot, the bones crumbled like rotten mud, leaving a clear mark in the middle where the sole had pressed.

Cassius cracked his neck, and exhaled, utterly relaxed. A slight flush dusted his cheeks as if he was inebriated. After consecutively using five dark creatures to practice, he had seen remarkable effects, and the progress of the Golem Covert Martial Arts had made a marked increase. The Physical Body Stage had now reached 97.8%, with about 2% left before hitting its limit.

It was a very wise decision to come to the Black Ops Agency's division and practice on the dark creatures in the cage. These imprisoned dark creatures were far superior to ordinary dark creatures. Some were incredibly powerful, and others had unique properties that made them practically immortal.

If one were to categorize them as food, ordinary dark creatures were plain and flavorless, while these imprisoned special dark creatures were gourmet dishes—high-quality food.

Cassius, in his initial use of the Golem Covert Martial Arts, devoured five dark creatures in one go. Now, he was experiencing a bit of indigestion; many of his internal organs had been damaged during the continuous vibration and guidance earlier. The Golem heart was showing signs of fatigue after so much use, and his blood vessels had some burns.

He decided to rest for a while and continue after dinner. Cassius stepped out of the cage slowly. Amos who had been blocking the door immediately moved aside.

Ole and Tommy instinctively took several steps back. Although they took satisfaction in watching Cassius execute the dark creatures, this did not eliminate their fear of him.

The sight of the dark creatures' skeletal remains still lingered in their minds; anyone who could brutally kill fiends like that must be a much more horrific monster.

Even though Cassius had the appearance of a refined and beautiful young man, it did nothing to inspire any feelings of closeness or admiration in Ole and Tommy. They were mostly filled with awe, and that admiration was intertwined with a thin thread of fear.

Cassius glanced at the two of them, his expression unchanged. Skin and appearance were the most superficial aspects of a person; willpower and force were what truly mattered.

Ever since he began practicing Covert Martial Arts, his essence of life had increased until it reached the human body's limits, even surpassing them. Since then, a vast chasm had formed between him and ordinary humans. Back then, the aura naturally emitted from his body alone would make ordinary people feel oppressed and suffocated. A single glance would make them think a predator was watching them from the depths of a jungle.

Although he had become thinner and more elegant, the essence of life within him had only grown stronger. After all, he now had a Golem blood circulation system in his body, and his physique had reached a terrifying level comparable to that of a combat artist.

At this point, if Cassius truly wished, he could release his aura at random, and an ordinary person like Dr. Tommy might drop dead on the spot—body stiffening, heart stopping, and brain shutting down.

This was the ultimate gap in the essence of life.

A similar phenomenon could be seen in the aura of combat artists. It was the effect produced by the combination of Qi and force. Those surrounded or targeted by such an aura would experience hallucinations, their spirits captured, and their willpower to fight drastically diminished. Cowardice, fear, and dread would overwhelm them, their confidence in their fist techniques suppressed. Their abilities might not even reach half of what they could originally perform.

Cassius had encountered high-ranking Blood Race members twice already and would always have the illusion of seeing a giant bat before him; this was the instinctual release of aura at that level which was practically the same as Cassius's current state. As it was the unification of one's style and willpower, the aura of a combat artist was even more intricate and effective, used to actively manipulate and suppress the opponent.

And he was touching, barely though still touching, upon that realm.

The next phase after the physical modification stage would be the manifestation of Qi!

Cassius was a peculiar case; although his physical body had reached the level of a combat artist, his fist techniques had not yet caught up. Generally, one's physical realm was limited by the level of their fist techniques. But, due to a series of bizarre and fantastical experiences—turning into a dark creature, mastering the non-human Covert Martial Arts, and reshaping his body through dual cycles—his physical talents and foundation were extraordinarily strong.

What he lacked was the realm of his fist techniques.

Once his fist techniques' willpower was fully integrated, and the fusion of spirit, Qi, and essence gave birth to an aura, fully stepping into the realm of a combat master, Cassius's strength would experience a dramatic surge. It wouldn't be impossible for him to rival those old combat artists who had been immersed in their craft for years, even as a novice. He was curious about what kind of aura would emerge, based on this near-non-human body and the non-human Golem Covert Martial Arts.

If the Winged Serpent Fist manifested a winged serpent, the Mad Lion Sect manifested a lion king, would the Golem Covert Martial Arts manifest a golem?

If a four-meter-tall, ferocious golem were truly manifested, wouldn't those who saw it be scared to death? Cassius was still doubtful about whether a combat artist's aura could truly produce such powerful illusions.

Dinner was held at the Black Ops Agency division. The Black Ops Agency didn't have a separate reception room or villa; it only had a communal canteen. Deputy Minister Ole and Dr. Tommy usually ate in their offices, but this time, they ate in the public canteen.

The group sat in a corner, eating and chatting. Cassius felt full, so he didn't eat much. After a few bites, he decided to just sip on rose tea. With its fragrant scent, it was very pleasant to drink. The red, semi-transparent liquid also gave off an impression of splendor and elegance.

By the time dinner concluded, it was already around seven in the evening.

Ole and Dr. Tommy seemed to have some matters to attend to, so Cassius, Amos, and Franz took a stroll inside the Black Ops Agency. The moonlight peeked intermittently through the clouds, casting a reflective sheen on the grayish-white buildings.

The sound of their hard-soled shoes echoed differently as they walked. Amos's footsteps were rapid, almost like he was jogging. Cassius's pace was steady, clear, and powerful. Franz, on the other hand, walked like an ordinary elderly man—slow and steady.

Amos stood on Cassius's left, his glasses reflecting the moonlight slightly. He opened his mouth, hesitating before finally speaking.

"Li… Li Wei, was the technique you used against the dark creatures this afternoon some sort of Covert Martial Arts? Or a Secret Technique? Are you using them to train…?" Amos's tone carried a slight hint of hesitation.

Cassius turned his head and replied, "You're right, it was a Covert Martial Arts technique. Isn't your thread technique also a type of Covert Martial Arts?"

"No, the Violent Storm's Three Limits is merely a Secret Technique unearthed from ancient texts, or as you might call them, techniques. Unlike Covert Martial Arts, which has a comprehensive framework for enhancing the physique, mine is purely a combat method with single-mindedness. My power comes from other sources…"

Amos stopped there, clearly withholding certain details that were too secretive to share.

He was a rather peculiar person, being able to switch between his youthful and teenage forms during battle. There was undoubtedly some significance behind it. However, Cassius wasn't particularly interested in digging into the why.

Everyone had secrets, and it'd be meaningless to delve deeply into them. Besides, Cassius didn't directly answer Amos's question about whether he was using dark creatures to train. As long as they had a mutual understanding, that was enough.

Having suspicions, doubts, and certainties was acceptable, but it was best to leave them unspoken. Both sides only needed to know that their cooperation was mutually beneficial. Cassius could use them for training, and the Black Ops Agency could eliminate potential threats; it was a win-win situation for both of them.

Amos, in his youthful state, was impulsive and outspoken, while the old administrator beside him, Franz, would never say a word despite noticing the issues.

The three chatted casually as they walked around the Black Ops Agency branch. In those ten-odd minutes, Cassius also figured out the layout of the branch. An oval-shaped design, there were two core points at the center, one being the five-story building they saw when they entered, and the other being the round bunker at the rear, housing an underground embedded prison.

The rest were mostly guard buildings, training grounds for the commissioners, dormitories, office buildings, and the like. There was also an archive and a data library. Small as it was, the Black Ops Agency branch was fully equipped. After all, it had to oversee all supernatural events in Beiliu County.

The branch also had a dedicated phone line, directly connected to the military stationed in Beiliu County. In the event of a special emergency, the minister could directly request military assistance.

This branch was well-defended, and most supernatural forces or dark creatures wouldn't dare to attack it. Clearly, Deputy Minister Ole was a highly capable planner. Not all branches were like the one in Beiliu County.

At 8:30 p.m., in Cell No. 11…

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Inside the spacious room, a three-meter-tall white statue was repeatedly slammed into the ground, smashing the specially made stone slabs. The flying debris shot out like bullets. The entire room shook constantly, with large cracks appearing on the walls, and visible dust scattering everywhere.

And the one doing all this was a slender teenager. He lifted the massive white statue with both hands, swinging it around like a meteor hammer. The stark contrast in size between the two made the scene oddly comical, like something out of a ridiculous cartoon.

As Deputy Minister Ole stood at the entrance, listening to the continuous crashing sounds from within, he took out his small notebook and flipped back to the page for Cell No. 11.

The Giant Rock Monster: a creature with a body strong enough to withstand explosive blasts. Strip its stone skin away, and it would reveal an innate regenerative ability. Even if it was blown apart, it could reassemble itself. Plus, it weighed four tons.

Four tons? And he's not even breaking a sweat?!

Ole peeked inside just as Cassius performed another backward slam. The Rock Monster hit the ground in a large, human-shaped indentation. A fist-sized piece of stone broke off from the monster and flew toward the entrance.

With a whoosh, it made a whistling sound like a cannonball. A dozen silver threads crisscrossed in the air, the Mist Threads slicing the stone into pieces which clattered to the ground. After rolling a few times, the fragments seemed to be summoned by some force and began spinning back toward the Rock Monster.

Boom!

The Rock Monster was kicked away, leaving a three-meter-wide white streak on the ground. A figure immediately landed on its chest, black shoes pressing down on the cracked surface.

Since some dark creatures fought back, Cassius had to weaken them enough to prevent any struggle. This way, he could continue his training with the Golem Covert Martial Arts without interruption.

He crouched down, placing his hand on the Rock Monster's chest. A surge of shock energy began transmitting once again.

In the blink of an eye, it was already past ten at night. Cassius had used up all nine dark creatures available for disposal at the Black Ops Agency branch for his training. The vibrations generated by the collision of different life magnetic fields were all absorbed into his body, and it was this power that was accelerating Cassius's cultivation.

[Golem Covert Martial Arts: Physical Body 99.3% (Total Three Stages)]

His body had become stronger, so much so that Cassius vaguely felt like he was on the verge of touching the Qi field. The physical body, Qi, and mind all influenced each other, and with a body at the level of a combat artist, it was only natural for him to sense the existence of Qi.

Cassius had a feeling—a premonition of sorts.

If he could push the Golem Covert Martial Arts Physical Body chapter to its absolute peak at a hundred percent, he would enter a special state of inspiration. In this state, comprehending the willpower and the Qi field of fist techniques would yield twice the result with half the effort. If he sparred with a Covert Martial Arts expert again by then, it might come naturally.

He walked out of the last cell, feeling satisfied though with a slight hint of ruefulness. He was still a bit short, about two or three dark creatures shy.

However, he didn't need to feel too sorry. Now that he was working with Amos and Franz, it was just a matter of waiting a little longer. He also couldn't count his own abilities out; it wouldn't be too difficult for Cassius to hunt down a few dark creatures in a short time.

Ole, who was at the door, put his notebook away upon seeing Cassius. Taking a deep breath, he spoke to him in a low, somber tone. "Mr. Li Wei, I have a favor to ask of you. I beg you… Please… please kill my daughter."

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