“Hmm? What is this?”
Opening the document, Lynch saw a mess of circles and crosses, scribbled as chaotically as a child’s drawing. He could not make out a single word.
No, it would be more accurate to say there were no words at all.
The officer’s lips curled, and seeing Lynch’s confused expression, she offered a cunning smile as she explained:
“Mystery documents are more dangerous than artifacts. Artifacts below the destruction grade have little impact on ordinary people as long as they are kept in a contained state, but mystery documents have no contained state. Every word in the document is filled with mysterious pollution. If anyone reads a mystery document—well, it is one thing if they do not understand it, but if they are unlucky enough to actually comprehend it, they will inevitably be affected by the pollution. There is almost no chance of escaping unscathed.”
“So, to avoid accidentally harming ordinary people, most non-malicious mystery documents are written in rare, ancient languages—such as ancient Luojia—to prevent them from being understood by normal people, except for a few notorious ones like the Book of Death or the Ancient Ship Scrolls.”
Lynch stared at the pattern of circles and crosses. “I may not be a scholar, but I have studied five languages, including ancient Luojia. These don’t look like that.”
“What I mentioned earlier refers to mystery documents that need to convey text content; they must at least be written in a way someone can read because someone has to ‘read’ them. But for documents like this that guide ability acquisition, as long as you grasp the will of the author, the ‘text’ used only needs to be whatever the author considers text. It does not require others to understand it.”
Lynch understood. This was essentially a page that one had to ‘read’ using inspiration.
‘Neighbor, please.’
With his previous experience inside the artifact Joy of the Flicker, Lynch tried to empty his consciousness, letting Ms. Luna guide him to read the will hidden within the document.
“So, reading this kind of document is a long process that requires using inspiration to slowly comprehend the will inside bit by bit. Moreover, during the process of comprehension, you must endure the mental shock of mysterious pollution at every moment. You must stop periodically to rest your mind to avoid placing too much pressure on your will.”
“Mm-hmm.” Lynch nodded, his eyes fixed on the document.
“I remember when I first used a mystery document to comprehend an ability, it took me nearly a month, and my speed is considered normal. You don’t need to be in a rush, Lynch. Madam Bessie herself has recognized your inspiration, so you will definitely read faster than me. I estimate you can finish within ten days. But even if things don’t go smoothly, don’t worry. Once your emotions are in chaos, it becomes even harder…”
“What is a fog mantis? And what is a subterranean worm?” Lynch suddenly interrupted the officer’s explanation. “Also, is that long string of text in the final paragraph meant to be read aloud? By the way, what did you say just now? I wasn’t paying attention.”
As he spoke, Lynch turned his head to see the officer’s mouth slightly agape, staring at him blankly as if she were looking at a monster.
“What’s wrong?” Lynch checked his shirt. It looked fine.
“You… you finished reading it?”
“Yes. It was a bit slow, since it was my first time, but I managed to read it in the end.” Lynch said, looking a bit embarrassed. “The other one should be faster; it’s only a hundred characters or so, it won’t take this long. Is there a problem? Also, what did you say just now? My mind wandered, I didn’t catch any of it.”
“No, you didn’t hear anything. I was just saying the moon is very round tonight.” The officer shook her head vigorously with a blank face and spoke in a flat tone. “Both of those are semi-mysterious creatures used as auxiliary materials. They are in the box.”
The moon? Lynch glanced at the bright daylight, looking at the officer with suspicion. However, driven by curiosity, he picked up the second document as quickly as he could under the officer’s numb gaze.
I am not surprised. I am not surprised at all.
It is just reading a bit faster, what is there to be surprised about, right?
Heh heh heh, I wouldn’t be surprised by anything this person does anymore. It is too normal, truly, absolutely normal.
Amidst the officer’s internal monologue as she began to doubt her worldview, Lynch had already finished reading the second document.
In short, these were two basic abilities under the authority of concealment.
One was lurking, the ability to conceal one’s actions by utilizing cover, changes in lighting, and blind spots in vision. One could move secretly in areas with poor visibility without being discovered, but this was just hiding, not true invisibility. A careful search would still reveal him, and moving into well-lit areas would also expose him.
A rogue-type ability. This did not exceed Lynch’s expectations; his first authority was concealment, so basic abilities involving stealth techniques were bound to appear. Besides, he considered himself someone who relied on his brain to fight, so mastering such auxiliary techniques suited his style better. In any case, Officer Natalie would handle the front-line combat for the near future, and perhaps he would master offensive abilities in the long run.
The problem was that the effect of this ability was too lackluster. If careful observation could reveal him, how was that any different from just hiding normally? It was just hiding slightly better.
The other ability was silence, which reduced the sound he made. It did not just cover his voice; it could eliminate any sound generated by his own actions. Used in tandem with lurking, it should have miraculous effects. As for other uses, the first thing that came to Lynch’s mind was a silencer.
Neither were very useful abilities. After all, they were cheap goods he could learn just by reading a document, and they were the lowest tier at that. It would be strange if they were actually useful. Something was better than nothing. Since the fruit came for free, he shouldn’t complain about it being sour.
Thinking this way, he did not feel disappointed. Lynch cheered up and began preparations according to the methods he had learned from the documents.
The matching box contained wing powder from a fog mantis and powder from a subterranean worm. According to Natalie, both creatures were adept at ambush hunting, so using their symbolic meanings to assist in comprehending the lurking ability made some sense.
He dissolved half of the powders in water, poured them into a bathtub, submerged his entire body, held his breath for thirty seconds, and recited the prayer three times. After successfully integrating the latent properties of the two materials into himself, he mixed the other half and pinched his nose to drink it.
It didn’t actually have much of a taste, but Lynch still felt a wave of nausea, much like knowing that the medicinal soup he was drinking contained centipedes and leeches.
But he had no time to retch. Lynch quickly sank his will into his soul and saw a point of light brighten inside the orb representing concealment.
As his consciousness delved deeper, he found the lurking ability he had just mastered. Information regarding its usage and the like was automatically understood by his consciousness.
However, it was only then that Lynch realized that what he had learned was nothing like the lurking described in the document. It was as different as heaven and earth.
The lurking he had mastered, while still utilizing various conditions to cover his actions, would—once successful—conceptually move him ‘outside the perception’ of those around him. As long as he wasn’t directly touched, he wouldn’t be easily noticed by others, even if he lacked cover or light and shadow protection. However, if the disparity in strength was too great, the effect would be significantly reduced.
It was much closer to a rogue’s stealth in a game. This was exactly how Lynch had envisioned lurking to be.
Lynch then remembered Ms. Luna mentioning earlier that after he awakened his divine authority, all effects would see a qualitative leap. He hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but now he understood: these were simply two different levels of ability.
He was now immediately filled with anticipation for the second skill.
The second one was much simpler. The box contained a pile of dried petals, said to be from five types of plants that could absorb or emit sound.
He mixed the petals with a dried root called dream-catcher grass, placed them in an incense burner to light, and inhaled all the smoke into his body.
In a mystical sense, ingestion was a means to affect the body, while incense was a way to deliver medicine directly to the soul. Although it seemed he had only inhaled a few breaths, the conceptual characteristics had already been guided by the dream-catcher grass into his soul.
Observing the authority of concealment again, sure enough, the second point of light had brightened. His consciousness probed it and found that the effect had indeed changed.
It had changed from silence to phantasmal sound.
He could now not only mute himself, but he could also make sounds within a three-meter radius around him disappear. It was not that sounds couldn’t enter, but that they wouldn’t be transmitted out—a form of localized muting, somewhat similar to the glass barrier he had seen at the Black Night Cathedral that morning.
Not only that, but a greater function was the ability to shift sounds to a location within five meters. Although he certainly couldn’t perform a concert of ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,’ it was enough to produce sounds that would draw attention.
It was truly a pleasant surprise. He hadn’t expected the influence of divine authority to be so great. Lynch praised Ms. Luna profusely in his consciousness, but unfortunately, the gentle female voice ignored him entirely, remaining silent.
He glanced at the officer on the sofa. In any case, the abilities in this world were strange and varied, and since effects differed from person to person, his unusual performance wouldn’t necessarily raise suspicions. Lynch rolled his eyes and revealed a mischievous grin.
“Hey, girl.”
The sudden voice rang out from behind the officer. Officer Natalie subconsciously turned to look, but there was nothing behind her. When she looked back toward Lynch’s direction, she found that Lynch had disappeared.
Using the cover of the sofa, he had lurked ‘outside of perception.’
Hmm?
The officer’s eyes lit up. She stood up, straightening her back, and after searching the room with her eyes to no avail, she began to pace slowly around the small living room.
“The effect is this good? I can’t see you at all. Even the effects of your abilities are so strange.”
In reality, Lynch was standing by the door waving at her from afar, but she completely failed to see him.
Lynch thought for a moment, then grinned mischievously as he eliminated the sound of his footsteps and crept toward the officer’s side. His goal was to snatch the bowler hat from Natalie’s back. Closer, even closer. Just as he was about to reach the hat, Lynch suddenly felt the world spin. He flew through the air as if by habit, and was subsequently pinned onto the sofa with his arm twisted behind him.
“Caught you. I sentence you to death for the crime of hat-thievery.”
As she spoke, she knocked him on the head three times before letting go, adding excitedly:
“The effect is actually this good? It’s much better than the effects seen in some mid-tier Soul Severers with the authority of concealment.”
“Is it? I think it’s pretty normal. Besides, didn’t I get caught and sentenced to death by you? Your laws are a bit harsh, aren’t they?”
Lynch rubbed his arm resentfully. He figured that the closer he got, the easier he was to spot. Combined with the impact of the strength gap, being able to get within a meter was already quite good. He would have to practice more and strive to snatch her hat to sell for household expenses.
The officer brandished her sword at Lynch in a mock-beating gesture and pondered, “These two abilities are truly excellent. It is so unexpected that someone could get such good effects from basic abilities learned just by reading documents.”
Lynch shrugged. Man is not perfect; there are limits to being human, so I have decided to give up on being human.
This is my divine authority.
“This way, when we go out to investigate in the future, you can hide and support me from behind if we encounter troublesome enemies, just like that time with the terror claws. I won’t have to worry about your safety either. You…”
The officer was enthusiastically imagining the future of them investigating together when she suddenly turned her head and found Lynch watching her with his chin in his hand, a smile on his face.
Her words caught in her throat, and her face grew hot. The officer bit her lower lip, kicked vaguely at Lynch, sat back on the sofa with a serious expression, and coughed. “But these are all hiding abilities. You have absolutely no offensive capabilities, which makes you too passive when investigating on your own.”
“It is the authority of concealment, after all, so it’s normal to lack offensive means. I feel that Soul Severers of the Crimson Lady shouldn’t have many offensive techniques either.” Lynch spread his hands, his smile quite detestable. “That’s why I need an officer by my side to protect me. After all, I’m just a frail detective.”
“Taking you back to the club for detention would protect you best.” Officer Natalie made a sinister expression and chuckled. “It’s impossible that there are no offensive means; you just haven’t developed them yet. That will have to rely on you in the future. But for the near future… how about this? Since you just triggered a transcendent state today, the exhaustion following your first burst won’t be pleasant, so don’t run around. Come find me at the Scarecrow Club before lunch tomorrow. There should be news regarding Donnie’s address by then. I’ll take you to a place first to test your affinity for secret arts. As long as you aren’t like me, almost completely insulated from secret arts, it will be easy to handle.”
“Wait, let me think…”
Lynch suddenly frowned, bowing his head in deep thought. In reality, he was asking in his mind, confused.
‘I really should be exhausted, but why don’t I feel weak, Ms. Luna?’
【I have warned you, Lynch. The soul manifestation you have now is a divine authority activated by the Supreme Will. Therefore, your transcendent state is different from that of a mortal. Mortals become exhausted because their souls cannot bear the burst state and suffer damage, requiring a slow recovery. But your soul is protected by the Supreme Will and will not suffer damage ‘because of it,’ so you have no exhaustion state.】
‘Hiss, doesn’t that mean I can stay in a berserk—no, wait—a transcendent state indefinitely?’
【As long as your energy can support it.】
‘Then why couldn’t I enter that state just now?’
【As long as your energy can support it.】
‘Huh? Is my energy already depleted? Am I that weak? Three seconds at most, right?’
【No, one-tenth of a second.】
‘Uh, why?’
【Because you are using a mortal’s soul power to supply the consumption of a divine authority, so the effect is almost non-existent. A mortal’s soul power can only support such an effect. It is not that it couldn’t be shorter, but you can only comprehend such a short duration. You have no concept of anything shorter. In reality, you only sustained it for an instant before your soul power was completely exhausted. It was the spontaneous protection of the Supreme Will that kept you from fainting on the spot.】
‘You could have been a bit more tactful.’ Lynch sighed in his imagination, but suddenly realized something. “Then that means if my power is strong enough, I can sustain that state for a long time?”
【Theoretically so, but a mortal soul cannot reach that level. I can be certain of that.】
‘That might not be true. What if that moonlight from last night really connected with my soul? Wouldn’t I be able to maintain the transcendent state for the duration?’
【That is a state that is difficult to replicate, which can only be formed when your soul is alienated.】
‘So I have a chance to form it every time I level up, right? And my idea is actually feasible, right?’
Silence.
‘Is this also a question I cannot understand?’
【No, it is just a question I do not wish to answer.】
‘But you wouldn’t want to see your good neighbor mess up and get himself killed, would you? If there is real danger, you will still remind him, right?’
【Hmm. But knowing these things too early is hard to classify as good or bad for you, but… I will stay by your side and witness your every choice.】
‘Thanks, neighbor. I’ll try it next time I level up. If it’s really bad, I will exercise restraint.’
Pulling back his thoughts, Lynch looked at the officer sitting across from him who was watching him curiously. Lynch smiled. “Don’t worry, I’m fine. I’m going to study my abilities properly tonight and strive to develop new techniques as soon as possible. Tomorrow, we’ll use these two new abilities together to find photos of Maya and Donnie.”
There is a problem with this volume; these two chapters should have appeared in the third or fourth chapter before proceeding to the official plot. But my old habit acted up again, ignoring power progression and gains, so I almost jumped straight into the main plot. Fortunately, there is this interlude after the intro. I am rushing to fix it, I hope it is not too late.
Rate on N.U.
