Returning to the Mysterious Era-Chapter 304 - Two Natural Born Killers

Feng Liusi and Saint Feinan emerged from the hole in the wall created by the sword light amidst a flurry of conversation, only to see Cassius standing there, hands clasped around the sword before his chest, as if facing a formidable enemy.

Saint Feinan wore a loose black coat, his right hand wrapped in a white bandage used for sword practice. He looked at the somewhat disheveled Cassius in surprise.

"When did you get down here?" He asked, puzzled. Feng Liusi and Saint Feinan had been studying the Spiral-Eye Sword near the living room and had just moved to the nearby training room to practice.

Unexpectedly, Saint Feinan had just familiarized himself with the Spiral-Eye Sword and found the key to activating its hidden power with Qi. However, when he injected it with Qi, the sword light had surged too violently, causing the Spiral-Eye Sword to slip from his grasp. It had instantly shattered the sturdy wall of the antique exhibition's back hall.

Cassius, who had just fallen down, just so happened to be in harm's way. If he hadn't reacted promptly, he might have been injured by the sharp blade.

"I fell down a few seconds ago," Cassius replied grimly.

Saint Feinan was stunned for a moment. "Fell down? From the third floor?"

His eyes involuntarily shifted to the shimmering glass shards on the ground, the nearby window frame, and the cratered concrete floor.

"Why didn't you take the normal route?" He blurted out subconsciously. Cassius's face visibly grew even darker.

"This is a side effect of using the Book of the Devil, or you could call it a curse of misfortune. It worsens one's luck. I fell headfirst out of the third-floor window. Even your loss of control with the sword just now is likely related to this side effect..." As Cassius spoke, he started to hand the fading Spiral-Eye Sword back to Saint Feinan.

But then he pulled it back and said earnestly, "Let's not study the Spiral-Eye Sword today. I'm afraid you might cramp up and swing it at me again. For now, let me keep it safe for you... I'll return it to you for study once my misfortune dissipates."

The earlier scene of a sword light bursting through the wall had nearly scared him to death. Since the Spiral-Eye Sword was an ancient martial treasure containing special energy capable of easily breaking walls and ceilings, he felt uneasy.

He feared that a great cross sword might suddenly emerge from beneath his chair while earnestly drawing maps in the third-floor study. Just thinking about it thrusting upward through both the chair and him made him inexplicably horrified... Better to prevent it early.

"Eh... alright then. If you need any help during this time, you can tell Feng Liusi and me. Do you know how long this misfortune will last?" Saint Feinan glanced reluctantly at the Spiral-Eye Sword in Cassius's hand. He had just started to figure it out, but Cassius had temporarily confiscated it. However, there was nothing he could do. He was also a bit afraid he might lose control and accidentally injure Cassius while practicing.

"I probably don't need your help..." Cassius suddenly thought of something and changed his tone. "No, actually, I do need your help. Please stay away from me for the time being. I just realized that the only ones around here who could truly threaten me are you two..."

He didn't know how strong the Book of the Devil's side effects were, so he had to be cautious. Cassius sincerely said to Saint Feinan, "Please refrain from practicing the sword for now..."

Then he turned, his expression even more solemn, to the amused Feng Liusi. "Please, by all means, don't overuse your Qi and explode..."

Feng Liusi's smile froze. Was this kid cursing him? Somehow, that sentence felt oddly unsettling. However, Cassius was quite serious, so both of them nodded. Satisfied, Cassius stepped forward to re-enter the building through the wall's hole. Suddenly, he had a thought and quickly stepped back. His gaze swept over the thick wall, which, despite being slashed diagonally, still looked solid and sturdy.

Two seconds later...

Bang!

Half the wall collapsed without warning, sending rubble and dust flying everywhere.

Cassius nodded, a look of understanding in his eyes. He decisively turned and walked toward the main entrance of the antique exhibition. His pace was unhurried and gave off a sense of calm.

After walking a dozen meters, Cassius suddenly sidestepped to the left, his entire body shifting over a meter instantly like a phantom.

Snap!

A head-sized red clay flower pot fell from the sky, smashing onto the ground. The pot shattered, spilling soil and plants all over the ground.

"Above is... a balcony." Cassius looked up and saw a crescent-shaped balcony on the fourth floor. The railing held seven or eight swaying ceramic pots with plants. One had evidently been blown down by a gust of wind.

"What kind of wind can blow down such heavy flower pots..." He had just murmured when he heard a whoosh from above, as if a strong wind was blowing. The red clay pots wobbled and fell again, seemingly homing in on his position.

"What the fuck." Cassius cursed under his breath and tried to dodge quickly. Unexpectedly, his foot stepped on a broken shard, causing him to slip. Since he was a step too slow, both flowerpots hit him squarely.

Bang! Bang!

They struck his head precisely, shattering upon impact. Two clumps of plants with roots and black soil stuck atop his head like a pair of upright pigtails.

"...."

Wiping the muddy soil from his head, Cassius took a deep breath and quickly headed toward the open plaza.

The plaza was free of debris as it was mostly cleared that afternoon. Only a few police cars parked in the corner and some unfortunate officers still working at night remained.

A police car sped down the straight street, seemingly aiming to park beside the others. But for some reason, it kept accelerating, and its direction was clearly off. It was heading straight toward Cassius at high speed!

The car crashed head-on into a heavy pillar. The entire hood crumpled and lifted, as plumes of black smoke emerged from the gaps. Cassius stood nearby, rubbing his chin. The police car's windshield was shattered, revealing a sweaty, terrified officer in the driver's seat, still frantically turning the steering wheel.

"What happened? Did the car malfunction?" Cassius asked.

"Ah? Oh. The brakes... they suddenly failed, and the steering wheel... it didn't work either." The young officer's face was still pale, swallowing nervously as he spoke, clearly shaken.

"Interesting. The side effect of the Book of the Devil is worsening my luck, causing unlucky events around me to hap—"

A massive sign fell directly onto Cassius's head, producing a loud metallic clang. The sign was three to four meters long and had six iron artistic characters spelling "Tulip Antique Exhibition."

It was heavy and large, so its impact made Cassius's legs tremble, and the steps beneath him cracked.

"Are you...are you alright, sir?!" The officer stepped down from the driver's seat, staring at the man in front of him in shock. The young man's head was wedged perfectly between the characters for "Tulip" and "Antique".

Cassius looked like a human pole, propped against the ground, his head casting a long shadow under the moonlight. It was a sight that would remind one of an urban legend creature.

"I... I'm fine, but let's leave. It's dangerous..." Cassius muttered, his head buzzing as he spoke. Within seconds, his confusion turned into anger. Why? He could accept a curse of misfortune on himself—it was the price of using the Book of the Devil for precious knowledge. But why did this curse seem to target only his head?

He had fallen head-first from the third floor, hit his head on a window frame, banged it on a flower bed, and now, this advertising sign! A man could only take so much. Even though such attacks posed little threat to Cassius, they were still annoying. Reflecting on it, even that sword strike from Saint Feinan had been aimed at his head—though Cassius had blocked it in time.

"Damn it! If you've got the guts, make my head hurt even a little!" Cassius yanked the sign down and spat. He raised his middle finger defiantly to the source of his misfortune, wherever it might be.

Rumble!

Half of the front hall of the Tulip Antique Exhibition suddenly collapsed. Pillars cracked, and walls came crashing down. In moments, the entire structure crumbled like an avalanche.

Bricks, floor tiles, and walls cascaded into a dusty landslide, swallowing the spot where Cassius stood. The brown dust swept through like a tidal wave, and his raised middle finger vanished into the cloud of debris.

"Fuck you!!" The simple, raw outburst was lost in the sound of the collapse.

Two minutes later, everyone watched in awe as a dusty hand emerged from the rubble. A battered Cassius pushed aside a marble pillar as he pulled himself out. His elegant, expensive attire was now mostly rags. His once shining golden hair was now a dusty mess, and blood dripped down from a wound on his forehead. It trailed from his brow down his nose, dripping off his chin.

Cassius's eyes were blank as he touched the Book of the Devil hidden in his coat, contemplating, for the first time, the idea of discarding it.

***

After an entire night of chaos, Cassius only felt the curse of misfortune lift as dawn broke. According to his record, it lasted roughly ten hours. The curse's strongest effects hit during the first half-hour, with various bizarre, deadly environmental hazards converging upon him. However, after that initial surge, the curse's threat level dropped significantly. The remaining hazards were more likely to injure an ordinary person, posing little threat to Cassius.

The only time Cassius was truly hurt was during the antique exhibition collapse, when a marble pillar had smashed his head, causing some bleeding and a mild concussion. The most dangerous moment, though, was when the Spiral-Eye Sword had lost control and tore through the wall.

In conclusion, the side effects of the Book of the Devil had not yet reached an uncontrollable level. With a bit of caution, Cassius could use his formidable physique to manage it. Moreover, he suspected that the normal use of the Devil's Book shouldn't normally result in such severe side effects. It seemed he had imbued himself with a large amount of essence of calamity all at once by directly reading two crucial pages, which led to an unusual level of misfortune.

In the early morning, the brilliant blue sky shimmered with a golden halo, and soft clouds floated like wisps of cotton. The air was fresh, filling the space with a sense of renewal.

In the training room, Cassius had just washed up and leaned against the wall, his eyes closed in quiet meditation. His slightly damp golden hair framed his sharp brows, giving a softer edge to his otherwise stoic demeanor. Beside him, Feng Liusi, dressed in all black, stood with a composed stance.

Feng Liusi crossed his arms, watching Saint Feinan practice his swordsmanship. Saint Feinan hailed from the northern regions of the Hongli Federation, and his mastery of the Sacred Ice Ten Thousand Cold True Art consisted of three parts: fundamental physical conditioning, whip techniques, and swordsmanship. The Sacred Ice Ten Thousand Cold True Art's strongest combat form was its sword form.

The Spiral-Eye Sword perfectly complemented his chosen weapon for training. The sword, about 1.2 meters long, was shaped like a cross and its blade edges rippled like flames. When it was swiftly brandished, the blade created a mesmerizing spiral illusion.

Saint Feinan slightly closed his eyes as he stood in the center of the training ground. Grasping the hilt in his right hand, he lightly pressed four fingers of his left hand against the blade. He seemed to be sensing something, as he moved gently and calmly. Suddenly, he opened his eyes, releasing the fierce energy within himself and the sword. His fingertips slid swiftly along the blade's blood groove, drawing blood.

"Power unleashed!" Saint Feinan took a step forward, swinging his sword at the same time. The blade shone brightly, with a flame-like black aura swirling and extending around its steel edge. The entire sword suddenly grew to 1.8 meters in length, its width doubling as well.

The cross sword struck the steel dummy in front of him heavily, sparking as it made contact and producing a sound sharp enough to make one's teeth ache. The fiery outline on the Spiral-Eye Sword rotated like a chainsaw, slicing the dummy cleanly in half and marking it with intense friction scars.

A flash of fire appeared in Saint Feinan's eyes as he withdrew his sword, only to strike again.

"Eye Domain!" The spherical ornament at the end of the Spiral-Eye Sword's hilt, a metallic orb shaped like an eyeball, suddenly lit up, emitting an eerie red glow.

Feng Liusi raised an eyebrow, and Cassius opened his eyes in an instant. Both had felt a massive, terrifying pressure expand explosively and engulf the entire training room. The surroundings plunged into a void as all light receded into an intense darkness.

It was as if they had entered a hazy cosmic expanse. A crimson pupil appeared before their eyes, expanding larger and larger. The pressure was so intense, it felt almost tangible.

"This strike... Its power is at least thirty percent higher at its peak!" Feng Liusi's eyes gleamed with deep admiration.

Cassius's gaze held the same awe, though different thoughts surfaced in his mind.

Thank goodness that berserk swing last night wasn't this one...

This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.

The morning flew by, and before they knew it, it was afternoon. Amos finally completed his tasks and brought back good news. The headquarters of the Black Ops Agency had coordinated with the eight branch offices in East Sea County and nearby cities to hand over all the caged dark creatures to Cassius for systematic, harmless extermination.

Now, all he needed to do was prepare for a feast.

They would have a recuperated Feng Liusi, a Saint Feinan that was newly equipped with the Spiral-Eye Sword, and a Cassius whose strength had elevated to new heights.

This combination of power was more than enough to venture into the Akaba Ruins. As for those direct bloodline Blood Race members, including the high-ranking ones...

He could probably carve a blood-soaked path straight through them! After all, there were two natural-born killers in the team...