Who left their last words here?

Chapter 77 Healed! I lack nothing now (5k)

"...【Tears of the Moon Goddess】?"

The crow paused for a moment,
"Is this the [Tears of the Moon Goddess] that I understand?"

"It should be." Bai Zhou nodded. "I heard it's an enhanced version of Moon Water? That should be enough for me to heal."

"--wrong!"

Crow's expression suddenly changed, leaving Bai Zhou completely bewildered.

Then, Bai Zhou heard Ya's urgent voice ask:
"You didn't spend all the money I gave you, did you?!"

That was all her savings!

"That's not right... Can two ashes buy a top-tier potion like [Tears of the Moon Goddess]?"

The crow's mind was a little overwhelmed.

Even if you spend all two Ashes, there's no reason you should be able to buy [Tears of the Moon Goddess].

—Unless she hasn’t been to the Reflection Ruins, prices worldwide have dropped a hundredfold during those days.

But... where did Bai Zhou get the money?
Was it stolen?

The crow eyed Bai Zhou's frail little body with suspicion.

"By sheer chance, I stumbled upon some unexpected wealth."

Under the crow's astonished gaze, Bai Zhou took out two ashes and returned them to the crow:

"You know, I've always been lucky."

...Then, Bai Zhou gave a brief description of his experience in the Ghost Market.

But the more he spoke, the stranger the crow's expression became, as if it had thought of something.

"You mean..."

"You met someone at the auction house who not only spent a fortune to compete with you, but also had an assassin from the Art Society as a companion. After failing to ambush you, this person used a mysterious jade pendant to teleport away?"

"Yes." Bai Zhou nodded. "What's wrong?"

"..." The crow was speechless.

After a moment of silence, her expression was quite strange:
"Perhaps, the person you meet—"

"It's your old enemy, the third young master of the Bauhinia Group, Major Luo of Branch 36!"

"……real or fake?"

Bai Zhou was stunned for a moment.

Although he had suspected it before, Bai Zhou still found it hard to believe when he received confirmation from Ya.

What a coincidence?

How could we be so destined?
"The jade pendant plus the name of the Art Society should be the correct one."

Crow nodded:
"Legend has it that the founder of the Bauhinia Group spared no expense to prepare a specially made jade pendant for each of his three sons."

"At the grand 100-day celebration that year, he presented the jade pendant to each of his three sons as proof of their identity."

"This matter is already an open secret among the older generation of extraordinary individuals at the top level in Tinghai City. I only heard about it by chance."

"If they were to meet, most people would give Zijing Company some face, either by showing leniency or by offering a small favor."

As he spoke, the crow looked at the white boat with awe:

"You've really screwed over Major Luo this time."

“That’s his lifeline. With the jade pendant, he will always have one more chance to turn things around, and even if he is certain to die, he can escape.”

"Luckily, he doesn't know that you are Bai Zhou... otherwise, with old and new grudges combined, I don't know how anxious he would be."

Everything that Shiraishu experienced was something Ya had never imagined.

She had considered that Bai Zhou might be a bit of a troublemaker, but she hadn't expected it to be to this extent.

He's practically a devil incarnate.

Even something as trivial as buying a bottle of moon water can be turned into something extraordinary by him, causing chaos in the ghost market.

In fact, he even accidentally got the major half-dead.

And the mastermind behind all of this, who would have thought, was just someone...

A cat so weak and injured that it can't even kill a chicken?

"If only I had known he was a major..."

The cat, who had gotten a great deal, was heartbroken and full of regret.

If he had known earlier, he would never have let the major buy a single thing!
Besides the [Tears of the Moon Goddess], the Major bought quite a lot, including the final item, the [Bottle of Regret].

—This is practically aiding the enemy!
"It's too late to regret!"

The cat sighed.

But it's alright...

Today, we're digging a hole for the major.

We can dig up the major's grave tomorrow.

The day after tomorrow, Bai Zhou will carry a hoe to dig up his ancestral grave.

"But... if he's a major, why would he go to such lengths to get a large bottle of Moon Water?"

Bai Zhou was still somewhat puzzled, and looked up at the glowing deep purple potion in his hand.
"Could it be that he was also seriously injured?"

“…Probably not.”

Upon hearing this, Crow's expression turned serious.

"I've heard that there's a lost secret behind the [Tears of the Moon Goddess], and now it seems that it might be true!"

"Sometimes, for a top-tier potion, the method of administration is just as important as the method of preparation."

"Any mistake in the details of taking the medicine, or the loss of the method of taking it, may cause the potion to lose its original effect, turning a top-grade potion into a mediocre one."

Crow took the [Tears of the Moon Goddess] from White Boat and examined it carefully:

"I've long suspected that the effects of [Tears of the Moon Goddess] don't live up to its reputation as a top-tier potion."

"Now it seems that perhaps the [Tears of the Moon Goddess] is also such a thing... but the Major has obtained the true method of its consumption!"

What is the correct way to take it?
"That……"

Bai Zhou glanced at the glowing [Tears of the Moon Goddess], then looked longingly at Ya, hesitant to speak.

He suddenly realized that even large bottles of moon water didn't taste so good anymore.

"Don't look at me, I don't know how to take it either."

The crow rolled its eyes.

She is a person, not some big, earless blue pocket cat.

"But I can indeed help you retain most of its medicinal power."

After thinking for a moment, the crow said again:
"As a top-tier potion, even a small portion of its potency is enough to heal your injuries... the rest is all waste and excess."

"I can seal this medicinal power and store it in your body, so you can use it if you get injured again in the future."

"If you later learn the correct way to take it and complete the corresponding rituals, it shouldn't be too late."

Although he didn't have high hopes for this, even Raven couldn't bear to waste most of the potion's potency.

Even without a specific method of administration, this kind of magical potion is generally only used by extraordinary individuals of at least level 5 who are facing injuries of a degree that threaten to shatter their destiny.

Making a mere Level 2 Extraordinary drink this potion to heal...

It really does feel like turning over the ground with a golden hoe.

"Completing the ceremony..."

Bai Zhou seemed to be deep in thought.

Is the blame going to fall on the major again?

Bai Zhou was genuinely curious about the effects of the [Tears of the Moon Goddess], wondering what would make that distinguished major so eager and determined to obtain it.

"—The time we have left is always tight."

"No matter what, your injury can't be delayed any longer."

At this time,

The sound coming from beside him brought Bai Zhou back to his senses.

The evening breeze lifted her cascading black hair, strands of which drifted onto Bai Zhou's cheeks.

It's so itchy.

Then, Raven reached out and handed over the potion, saying softly:
"Bai Zhou, it's time to take your medicine."

The approaching medicine bottle emitted a vivid, deep purple light that softly illuminated Bai Zhou's face.

……

One o'clock.

The moon is like water.

Large swaths of mercury-like moonlight gathered at the top of the building's rooftop, as if drawn there by something.

The rooftop resembles a silver pool, and the figure of Bai Zhou sits cross-legged in the center of the pool.

After meditating and calming his mind, Bai Zhou tilted his head back and drank the [Tears of the Moon Goddess] in one gulp.

The sensation was indescribable; the deep purple liquid was icy cold, sliding down the throat and instantly bursting into countless icy threads that shot through the body, cooling the brain and reaching the depths of the soul.

The anticipated feeling of spiritual sublimation did not arrive; instead, there was an extreme tranquility that almost froze the white boat.

The moonlight that gathered around him seemed to be summoned by some invisible force, no longer spreading evenly, but flowing and converging towards him spontaneously, like a living thing.

A vortex of moonlight formed around the white boat, and the misty moonlight turned into a vaporous substance that rose up, enveloping and then enveloping the white boat's silhouette...

—And so, a huge, translucent silver cocoon of light was formed.

Bai Zhou felt as if he had become a drifting iceberg, or as if he had become moonlight flowing through countless rivers and mountains, in a daze, no longer thinking about anything.

He saw a white sun hanging high above a black sea.

However, this sun was unusually dim, and cracks were faintly visible on its surface.

Bai Zhou knew...

This is his destiny, which is about to dry up.

The gentle moonlight flowed into this place, into the white sun, mending and nourishing the cracks, healing them.

The black waves known as the Sea of ​​Fools began to surge relentlessly.

abruptly—

"Boom!!!"

A magical change occurred.

The sun, restored to its former glory, shines with an even brighter white light than ever before.

The moon's silvery glow and the sun's white rays complement each other, one gentle and the other strong, blooming in a similar yet distinct way.

—The sun and moon shine brightly in the sky!
The once fierce and relentless sunlight now seems much gentler, yet more radiant and resilient than ever before.

"This is……"

Bai Zhou was filled with doubt and uncertainty.

His extraordinary power was based on destiny, but at this moment, that fierce and explosive power, like the sunlight, became more restrained.

It transforms into a more solid, fuller, and deeper tranquility...

But this change is definitely a beneficial one.

Because he could sense that the original explosive quality had not disappeared, but had become more concentrated and easier to control, and could be unleashed at any time.

Just like a blade with its sharp edge fully exposed, a slash from a sheathed sword is often more powerful than a straight, direct strike.

This kind of good thing happened beforehand, something Bai Zhou hadn't expected.

—Is this an additional effect that the top-tier potion, [Tears of the Moon Goddess], brings to Bai Zhou?
Or is it that the "moon" plus the sun... produced this special effect?
"Om..."

The light of destiny illuminates every corner of Bai Zhou's body, allowing each spiritual seed to sprout anew.

The body, which was originally riddled with wounds, rapidly recovered and became stronger under the light...

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The powerful beating of the heart in my chest, the sound of blood flowing like a rushing river.

A continuous stream of power surged from Bai Zhou's limbs.

The next instant, the silvery-white, translucent cocoon of light shattered—

The gathered moonlight slowly dissipated like the receding tide, revealing the silhouette of a white boat. Opening my eyes, I saw a burst of white light, like both moonlight and sunlight, shooting out from within.

But in the blink of an eye, the white light disappeared again, receding into a profound tranquility.

Bai Zhou blinked gently.

Raise your hand and clench your fist; the feeling of weakness you once had is gone.

Abundant vitality is like the rushing spring water of early spring, and the power beneath the skin surges violently.

What seemed like a misfortune turned into a blessing in disguise. This recovery from misfortune brought Bai Zhou a comprehensive restoration and improvement, making him more insightful and well-rounded.

This is only a small part of the effect of [Tears of the Moon Goddess].

A silver crescent mark appeared on the back of Bai Zhou's right hand.

—This is the sealing ritual that the crow performed on him.

Hidden and surging within it is most of the remaining magic power of the [Tears of the Moon Goddess].

He slowly stood up and let out a long breath.

It was as if all the tension and frustration of recent days had been released.

Bai Zhou looked at Ya and said softly:
"I am back!"

He is back.

It is even more "complete" than before the injury.

The cooldown of "Bound Colossus" has ended, and it is available for White Boat to use at any time.

The spiritual energy within him was abundant and gentle, easily mobilized with a single thought, completely unlike the feeling of blockage he experienced when he first advanced to Level 2 Adventurer.

The moonlight not only healed Bai Zhou's injuries but also enhanced him, bringing him to an unprecedented state of perfection.

The perfect "essence".

The sublimated "heart".

The memory of his weakness after the injury flooded back, and Bai Zhou suddenly understood the true meaning of the Level 2 Extraordinary stage.

...The process of extraordinary promotion is actually a kind of "exchange".

Use the "mediocre heart" of humanity to exchange for the "heart of the strong".

Just like Odin in mythology, who blinded himself and hung upside down on a tree for nine days and nine nights, all in exchange for power and wisdom.

then.

The trials and tribulations, the unwavering perseverance, the numerous formidable enemies encountered along the way, the days of tireless travel, and the witnessing of all that history has to offer—

At this moment, all of this merges into Bai Zhou's new "soul".

Then he opened the cage, releasing that burgeoning ambition.

—The heart of a strong person has been forged!

In the blink of an eye.

The seemingly arduous path to advancement for Level 2 adventurers has already progressed more than halfway in just a few days, as if an iceberg has melted away.

But if others knew what Bai Zhou had gone through for this, probably no one would envy him...

"..."

The moonlight had faded, and the rooftop of the building had returned to normal.

For some reason, in the crow's eyes, Bai Zhou was still shrouded in a hazy light.

Raise your hand and make a fist.

"Now, I feel..."

Bai Zhou carefully examined his own power and nodded:

"I have everything I need!"

……

The morning light is dim.

It was almost dawn.

The underground base of Branch 36 was brightly lit.

Outside the office, the newly appointed handsome male secretary trembled as he listened to the voices coming from inside.

Inside the office, the pale-faced major, with bloodshot eyes, swayed and smashed all the expensive furnishings in the office to pieces.

An unbearable weight, as if it were being carried on his shoulders.

The heavily paid [Munch] is doomed, and he will have to pay the art society an exorbitant funeral fee.

The [Tears of the Moon Goddess], which they were determined to obtain, fell into the hands of another.

The precious jade pendant, which was like a second life, was completely used up.

The disturbance caused the ghost market to revive, and the accountability from her family was unimaginable.

—Apart from that white boat, he has never suffered such a great loss because of anyone else!

Now, there's one more!
"Damn it! Damn it!"

"Bai Zhou, number 22..."

"Clang! Clang! Crash!"

It took the major quite a while to stop smashing things and wipe the sweat from his head with a wet wipe.

Standing amidst the chaos, he lowered his head, gritted his teeth, and whispered ominously:
"None of you can escape!"

"They'll all die sooner or later, one by one."

As he spoke, he turned his head and looked at the desk.

There, displayed the spoils of his trip to the ghost market.

It's a pity that I didn't get the most important item, [Tears of the Moon Goddess].

But he ultimately obtained the other things he was equally determined to have—

【Regret Bottle】

Midnight Compass

[Calming Incense]

……

Scattered around were some extraordinary materials that were supposed to be used in conjunction with the [Tears of the Moon Goddess].

With a "smack"—

The major opened the silver box and took out an ancient bronze compass with no pointer and no surface.

The major lingered on the antique compass for a long time, a sinister and enigmatic smile spreading across his face.

"Ah……"

At this moment--

There was a knock on the door outside.

"what's up?"

The major frowned as he put the compass back in the silver box.

A nervous, cautious report came from outside the door:
"Sir... the headquarters... the convoy dispatched by headquarters is about to arrive."

"Look...!"

"..."

Upon hearing this, the major's face darkened once again.

Those people finally arrived.

We've been waiting for you.

With the secretary's help, the major tidied his clothes and appearance.

Then, with a calm expression that showed no abnormality, he led a group of officers and finally met with the people from headquarters that morning.

"We are a special supervision team dispatched by headquarters."

"To assist in handling the case and better address the negative impact caused by the wanted criminal Bai Zhou, headquarters sent us here to help."

The person in charge and the major shook hands warmly, and both sides seemed to be in a very good mood.

"Hello, welcome! I hope we can cooperate sincerely!"

The major shook hands firmly and calmly observed the team.

The group of several dozen people were all silent, dressed in suits and sunglasses, carrying silver suitcases. Their personalities and strengths were indiscernible.

This is very much in line with the consistent style of the Special Administration Commissioner.

"Who is this……?"

Suddenly, the major's eyes narrowed as he looked at the person at the very front of the group, following behind the person in charge.

This man, dressed in a black cloak, stood out from the other special administration agents, appearing as a mysterious figure, though he yawned frequently.

The sight of this cloak reminded the major of the cloak he had just taken off, and it also brought to mind his rather unpleasant experience not long ago…

"Oh...this is a civilian who saw the large reward offered by the Special Administration and volunteered to help."

As he spoke, the person in charge introduced this "mysterious person" to the major.

“In the past, we have collaborated several times, and the collaborations have always been pleasant and efficient.”

"It is worth mentioning that she is a designated friendly citizen by the Special Administrative Region Headquarters, and the Director-General personally praised her as 'a model of cooperation between the government and the people'!"

"..."

"Hello."

The man yawned as he walked over, removed his cloak, and revealed a mysterious mask beneath it.

The only difference is that there are cracks on the mask that are taped up.

...This sleepless ghost, who had been up all night for who knows how long, stood there languidly yet mysteriously, arrogantly yet elegantly.

But her constant yawning looked rather comical.

However, the major, who had been watching her warily, had a constant alarm bell ringing in his mind.

Instinctively, he couldn't help but take two steps back, a spiritual sense of crisis frantically reminding him.

powerful……

Very strong!

She's incredibly strong. Even if the entire 36th Division were tied together without using the black box, they might not be a match for her!
Definitely a Level 5 or higher Extraordinary!
Sure enough, the man gradually regained consciousness as he shook his head.

Her "true colors" have been revealed without a doubt.

This high-level extraordinary being was indeed arrogant and remained silent.

She coldly surveyed the major and the people behind him, making every extraordinary person who was swept by her gaze feel as if they had thorns in their backs.

His aloof aura emanated from him, making every officer present, like the major, feel a sense of awe.

Even the "external aid" is of this caliber, which shows that the headquarters attaches great importance to this place.

Once something is exposed, she will be more dangerous than any prehistoric beast.

This mysterious and terrifyingly powerful woman.

She is……

"Perhaps you have heard of her name."

The person in charge's voice slowly came over at this moment:

"After all, she is a very well-known figure in Tinghai, a famous lone wolf and a good neighbor of the citizens of Tinghai."

"Could it be..."

Listening to the supervisor's introduction, the major asked uncertainly,

"Is it the legendary [Gemstone Witch]?"

"Haha, I knew you guys had definitely heard of her."

The person in charge laughed heartily and stepped aside, allowing the mysterious witch wearing a mask to stand in the center of everyone's attention.

Then, he solemnly pointed to this mysterious and influential figure and nodded seriously:

"—Yes, she is the [Jewel Witch]!"

(End of this chapter)