Chapter 39 Fallen Witcher VS Superpowered Individuals 2

After being rescued from a dead end by the strange and supernatural, I made a decision that I would never again have any contact with anything related to the strange and supernatural.

That dead end will inevitably become a nightmare for the rest of my life. I don't want to fall into such a terrifying predicament again.

But the words of impermanence shattered my plans for the future.

"It seems you already know how terrifying these strange things are. In that case, I'll tell you something very important. It'll also help you prepare yourself mentally for the future."

"...What are you going to say?" I immediately had a bad feeling.

“The moment you unexpectedly find yourself caught up in strange events, a line has already been drawn between you and the ordinary people outside who know nothing about it. From now on, you'd better not think about living the rest of your life in peace.” He may have been reminding me with good intentions, but to me, his words sounded incredibly cruel. “There’s a saying in Luoshan: to encounter the strange is to be bound to the strange.”

"Although Luo Shan still hasn't figured out the principle behind this phenomenon, according to statistics, people who have encountered strange events before are much more likely to encounter strange events again, almost like they are cursed."

"Unless you are the legendary 'Great Impermanence' who is immune to all evil and makes demons and monsters flee at the mere sight of you, you will encounter similar dangers again in the future."

-

Unable to face it, unable to escape it, the eerie shadow has become entangled with my fate.

In this situation, I only had one choice. Although making this choice was logical from a rational perspective, it still took me a lot of effort to convince myself. That choice was to delve into the strange world and learn the techniques for dealing with strange events.

With the help of that kind but fickle person, I joined Luoshan with a letter of recommendation and became a disciple there.

Most of the other Luo Shan disciples had similar experiences to mine; they were all ordinary people who had encountered strange events and joined Luo Shan to learn survival skills. The course was generally four years long, although there were a few exceptions. However, the graduation paths could be roughly divided into two types: one was to become a true demon hunter with the power to hunt strange creatures; the other was to become a "probe" who could not become a demon hunter but could only serve as a pioneer for them.

Just from the name, you can tell that the probes are consumables for Luo Shan. Although they address each other as "Agent Luo Shan" in public, both Luo Shan and the probes consider themselves half-outsiders. And even though Luo Shan provides the agents with safety equipment out of obligation, the mortality rate among the agents outside remains high.

I want to become a witcher, I want to possess power. Since I'm bound to encounter the supernatural again in the future, at least let me acquire the means to protect myself. Filled with extreme fear and fervent desire, I absorbed knowledge related to witch hunting like a sponge. In my past memories, even on the eve of my college entrance exams, I had never been this enthusiastic about studying.

The reason I was so powerless to change the situation back then must have been because I lacked the power. If I had the power to break through that dead end, or even the power to be immune to illusions and slay evil spirits with a single sword strike, like Wuchang back then, how could I have been in such a sorry state?

All fear and despair in this world stem from the lack of power of those involved.

However, I was in despair again.

Most of Luo Shan's disciples lacked the talent to become demon hunters, and neither did I. Four years passed, and I remained powerless, ultimately returning to the mortal world as a probe.

Years, decades...

Nearly twenty years have passed, a long enough time for many things to change. For example, the impermanent person who saved me in the past has now been promoted to "Patrol Officer" and, coincidentally, has become my superior.

There are also many things that remain unchanged, such as my inability to obtain what I desire.

As a detective in Luoshan, I encountered numerous bizarre events. Thanks to fear-driven caution, and more importantly, a stroke of luck, I survived. However, the fear within me remained; I knew perfectly well that my survival was nothing but a fluke. And one by one, my acquaintances died tragically, just like the friends who had entered that dead end with me, leaving me alone in the unfathomable darkness.

During this time, I also tried to further my studies, repeatedly challenging myself to become a Witcher. But the world of talent is incredibly cruel; some things are there, and some things are not. The door to becoming a Witcher remained firmly closed.

Perhaps I will not be able to achieve my wish. One day, regret will resurface, and I will be buried in that darkness.

Just when I was in such despair, a stranger wearing a silver mask appeared before me, carrying a hope that concealed deadly poison.

Having been a detective in Luoshan for so many years, I've accumulated a wealth of experience observing the bizarre. Therefore, I could immediately tell that this masked stranger exuded a strange and insane aura from head to toe. Beneath his seemingly rational and confident demeanor lurked the face of a madman.

He's a madman; nothing he says should be believed. I must get away from this dangerous man immediately.

But the words he uttered made it impossible for me to refuse.

Do you want power?

"……strength?"

"Looking into your eyes, you seem to know what kind of person I am. Me too, I can see through your cowardly face that you've worked so hard to hide."

"There's no need to be so angry. It's only natural to feel fear and want to stay away from danger. Just as people know etiquette when their granaries are full and honor and shame when they are well-fed and clothed, so too does courage. People often think that courage is the companion of the weak, which is an absurd statement uttered by fools brainwashed by peace and order. Courage without strength is merely the self-satisfaction of a fool; true courage must be born from strength."

"And what I am bringing you now is the very treasure you have longed for and have been desperately seeking but unable to obtain."

He took that thing out in front of me.

My eyes couldn't leave that thing.

"What's this?"

"True courage."

His voice was like a seductive whisper from a devil.

-

In the end, I accepted that person's "gift".

He calls himself the "Creator of Monsters," his real name and origins are unknown, and he is elusive. What he gave me is called the "Seed of the Heart," a strange object that can combine with my body to grant me power.

When wielding this power, I transform into the form of a goat-headed demon and can manipulate shadow power at will. This power is exceptionally strong; just acquiring it has already propelled me beyond the realm of the "evil" level.

Demon hunters generally divide their path of cultivation into four realms: formation, existence, decay, and emptiness, derived from Buddhism's view of the four stages of the world from birth to end.

Among them, "emptiness" corresponds to ordinary people without power. As the name suggests, they cannot wield any magical power, and their bodies are essentially empty. Many demon hunters who have just embarked on the path of cultivation and can only manipulate external natural forces, but cannot yet wield magical power themselves, are also classified into this category.

The "Bad" level corresponds to most Witchers. Just as someone who doesn't regularly review their knowledge will gradually forget what they once knew, and someone who doesn't regularly exercise will gradually weaken even if they have strong muscles, Witchers at this stage are in a state of "rowing against the current; if you don't advance, you fall behind." Some Bad-level Witchers even possess strength comparable to that of the Master level, yet they still must face the risk of power decline, constantly refining their skills and undergoing arduous training.

"Dwelling" level demon hunters, however, do not share such concerns. Their magical power has, in turn, transformed their souls and bodies, becoming deeply integrated with them and transforming them into an enduring force. From their perspective, "Bad" level demon hunters are essentially just ordinary people wielding powerful weapons, much like lucky individuals who possess powerful magical artifacts or those who unexpectedly awaken superpowers. Dwelling level demon hunters, on the other hand, can be considered extraordinary, the "true demon hunters," and the backbone of Mount Luo.

The "Completion" level of a Witcher symbolizes the limit of the path of cultivation. Witchers at this stage can no longer evolve further because they have reached the summit, which is the "completion" stage in the literal sense.

Even if I were to become a Witcher, I would have to start from "emptiness" and travel backwards along the path of the world's birth and destruction. But with the help of the "Seed of the Heart," I immediately came into contact with the threshold of "dwelling." If Luo Shan were to find out about this, it would surely cause a huge upheaval.

However, I am also very clear that the creator of this strange thing could not have given it to me for free.

The "Seed of the Heart" itself has a significant side effect. The creator of this monster explicitly told me that the souls of anyone I kill will be automatically devoured by me, and the more souls I devour, the more I crave to devour more. It's a bodily instinct, like throwing a fragrant piece of roasted meat in front of a starving person; the latter will inevitably want to tear it apart and swallow it. Only during digestion will this evil craving cease.

The creator of this freak also has requirements for me, but compared to the side effects, these requirements are probably nothing. That is, he needs to regularly check my body and collect my blood and other body tissues, and I also need to report my current physical condition to him like a patient.

It was obvious that he was using me as an experimental subject. I was unimportant to him; what mattered was how the "seed of the heart" would change within me.

I wasn't foolish enough to resort to violence against him; threatening the shopkeeper with a gun I bought at the gun store would only happen in a ridiculous joke. Although I don't know what kind of power he possesses, he must have methods to suppress me.

The power I gained from the "Seed of the Heart" fills me with pride, yet the urge to kill plunges me into anxiety. Rather than fighting the creator of these monsters, I must first find a way to deal with this pressing problem.

(End of this chapter)