Chapter Two: The Inheritance of Mie Nishikawa

Chen Ziang began analyzing the message sentence by sentence, contemplating its meaning.

“The King of the Ghouls greets you.”

There was no need to overthink this phrase. The Lord of the Great Deep Sea had started with the exact same greeting. Perhaps divine beings preferred not to use overly complicated salutations.

“You have slain His witch; He holds you in high regard.”

From a human value perspective, this seemed absurd. But for deities... it was not surprising, for their modes of thought were inherently unfathomable.

“Spend 10 points of Ember to obtain permission for the ‘Bloodstained Pin.’”

Ten points of Ember was a mere trifle to Chen Ziang, hardly worth noting.

The Bloodstained Pin—what exactly was it? He did not know.

“This action will be regarded as acceptance of reconciliation. The King of the Ghouls will hold no further hostility toward you.”

This last sentence was the most crucial. The phrase “no further hostility” implied the opposite—that currently, hostility still remained.

Being targeted by a deity was terrifying, as one could not expect another god to watch over you twenty-four hours a day, shielding you from potentially fatal attacks at any moment.

The principle was simple: a thief may steal a thousand days, but no one can guard against a thief for a thousand days.

If forced to choose between the two, Chen Ziang would certainly opt for reconciliation. It was impossible for a mortal to contend with a deity.

Yet, to be safe, it was best to consult Lixu.

But... how was he to leave this place?

Chen Ziang attempted to activate the Dreamwalking ability, but there was no response.

This realm seemed neither the waking world nor the dream world, but another unknown dimension altogether.

“How do I leave here?” Chen Ziang meditated deeply, trying to communicate with the sarcophagus lid.

“Use the ‘Bloodstained Pin’ to exit this place.”

Chen Ziang was speechless.

So, there was no choice given, was there?

He had no option but to spend 10 points of Ember. Soon, his vision went black once more, and he found himself back in his subconscious realm.

---

Chen Ziang stood up and looked around the “cabin environment.” Instinctively, he checked his clothes and pockets but still could not find the so-called “Bloodstained Pin.”

Only after turning his body did his calf bump into the nearby Mandala Magic Sword, causing something to fall to the ground with a clear, pleasant sound.

Reluctantly, Chen Ziang knelt down and searched carefully for some time before finally finding a badge.

This badge resembled amber at first glance but bore a strange, scarlet hue, as if it were solidified blood from some creature.

It was said to be “some creature’s” blood because human blood could never possess such properties—one’s gaze was easily drawn to it, slipping into a vacant, thoughtless trance, requiring effort to break free.

Moreover, this object reminded Chen Ziang of the “Shadow Cloak.”

Both shared many similarities: neither could be looked at directly, both were compact and portable, both appeared as badges but were not called “badges.”

Chen Ziang picked up the Bloodstained Pin and clipped it to the opposite side of his collar, symmetrically balancing the Shadow Cloak.

Speaking of which, the Shadow Cloak blocked his spiritual sight, reducing the mental contamination’s impact on his reason. What then was the purpose of this 10-point Ember Bloodstained Pin?

As if in response to his question, the Bloodstained Pin began to emit a faint hum. Suddenly, a flood of information appeared in Chen Ziang’s mind.

The Bloodstained Pin was an identity token of the Flesh faction (just as the Shadow Cloak was for the Shadow faction).

It could temporarily lock wounds but required the expenditure of corresponding Ember points. The cost was unrelated to the severity of the injury but depended on the method of attack—especially if the damage stemmed from mysterious powers, which cost vastly more than normal harm.

Additionally, killing members of opposing factions (Shadow or Mist factions) granted corresponding merit points to the Bloodstained Pin, also measured in Ember.

Furthermore, this particular Bloodstained Pin had been condensed from the remains of Nishikawa Mie. It not only served as her Flesh faction identity token but also carried the powers she possessed in life, including:

“Last Breath,” exchangeable for 100 points of Ember.

“Shadowcold Scythe,” exchangeable for 300 points of Ember.

By literal interpretation, “Last Breath” likely referred to that eerie, cold black mist, while “Shadowcold Scythe” was the immensely destructive scythe itself.

Exchange or not?

Of course, exchange!

Currently, Chen Ziang’s combat style involved summoning tentacles for restraint, defense, or coordinated offense, while wielding the Mandala Magic Sword in close quarters combat.

As Yuki Izumo had evaluated, the Mandala Magic Sword was a sealing weapon of formidable attack power. It could instantly kill any pierced ghoul, destroy the Shadowcold Scythe in one strike, and severely wound Nishikawa Mie’s divinity... but its flaw was obvious.

It was too short.

To use the magic sword against aberrations, one needed to be within two steps, making attacks vulnerable to counterstrikes.

For example, when attacking Nishikawa Mie’s divine mist, a powerful stab into the fog absorbed most of her form but crippled his own right arm.

The Shadowcold Scythe was roughly three to four meters long and was itself a power, allowing it to be thrown, greatly extending its attack range.

Chen Ziang was now wealthy enough; even after exchanging both powers, he still had over 1,300 points of power left!

Exchange! Exchange! Exchange!

After acquiring both of Nishikawa Mie’s powers, the corresponding knowledge surfaced in Chen Ziang’s mind.

Contrary to his initial assumptions.

The black mist and scythe both originated from the “Shadowcold Scythe” power, which Nishikawa Mie had upgraded and evolved toward a substrate form.

The scythe’s characteristic was rapid absorption of heat and vitality, which Chen Ziang had witnessed and experienced firsthand.

The black mist was somewhat special; its lethality was weaker than the scythe’s but its area of effect was much larger. It could quickly weaken numerous enemies nearby, completely erase one’s trace, and enhance the power of the Shadowcold Scythe.

Had Nishikawa Mie not succumbed to a death wish but insisted on fighting Chen Ziang and the others to the death, even at a two-on-one disadvantage, the outcome would have been uncertain.

As for the “Last Breath” power, it was somewhat akin to “Dreamwalking,” allowing one to enter the “Last Realm.”

The Last Realm was a special dimension some souls could enter when near death, as their spirits began to detach from their bodies.

Similar to the dream world, it existed in the Abyss at a depth of roughly 200 to 270 but encompassed a far wider area.

Many Abyssal gods had domains within the Last Realm—for example, the sacred city Zubasa of the Ghoul clan and the King of the Ghouls’ underground black altar were both located there.

Unless absolutely necessary, Chen Ziang would not dare venture into the Last Realm.

Reviewing his gains, the true boost to his combat power lay in acquiring the “Shadowcold Scythe” power and the Bloodstained Pin for life extension and blood lock.

But could this thing truly coexist with the Shadow Cloak?

He was uncertain. If Nico, the nightmare priestess of the Shadow faction, saw the Bloodstained Pin, what would her reaction be?

He decided to keep a sharp eye on this and warned himself never to bring the Bloodstained Pin to the ancient city of Enrank next time.

(End of chapter)