36 Approaching the Finale 6

"The method you mentioned... it's not that I haven't considered it." I weighed my words carefully.

The reason I haven't done as Agent Kong suggested is quite simple. To others, my superpowers might seem innate, a natural extension of my being, or something inextricably bound to my existence, but I have never viewed them that way.

Why did I awaken these powers? This is a question I have pondered since the day they emerged. Was it truly because I possessed an inherent potential that manifested during puberty? Or was the "lighting a candle with my gaze" method I was obsessed with at the time genuinely effective, such that enough persistence could actually awaken the power to manipulate fire?

Or perhaps my ancestors carried the blood of spirits or gods, and it only came to fruition in my generation? Or maybe I encountered some external catalyst for my awakening not long ago, which I have simply failed to recall?

I have always felt that the origin of my abilities is suspicious. When I thought about lighting a candle, I immediately awakened the corresponding power, and the rate at which this power grew was terrifying.

At first, I was incredibly thrilled by this miraculous strength, repeatedly practicing how to control it in secluded places. During this practice, my power grew rapidly, much like muscles become stronger with repeated exercise.

But slowly, I realized something was wrong.

It seemed that even when I wasn't practicing, my power was growing on its own. While not as fast as when I was actively training, it felt as though even if I just lay down on a patch of grass, my power would strengthen with every breath I took. As time passed, this strength grew to a level I could hardly fathom.

Is this really a power that can just randomly appear in a human like me? I often doubted it.

In many stories about superpowers, they are not permanent; they can degenerate or even disappear due to certain factors. Some stories go even further, suggesting that superpowers are special phenomena that only appear during puberty; once one reaches adulthood, no matter how great the power previously mastered, it fades away with time.

Something gained for no reason might just as easily be lost for no reason.

I have never viewed this mysterious power with peace of mind, and I have long been mentally prepared for the day it might become unusable. Under these circumstances, I certainly wouldn't take it for granted as my inherent asset, base my future on it, or show it off in broad daylight.

Of course, when it is necessary, I discard all reservations and use this power without hesitation. When a threat like the Fallen Demon Hunter appears before me, if I were to dither about my life in the coming days, I wouldn't even make it past today.

Moreover, I have no intention of taking my powers to the grave. Although I remain skeptical about the true nature of this strength, "adventures beyond reality" are what I care about most. If I haven't achieved what I want by tracking urban legends before I graduate from university and enter society, I will then take the initiative to expose my powers to the public to attract the attention of supernatural organizations.

Fortunately, before I reached that point, Luo Shan appeared before me.

Seeing that I hadn't replied for a long time, Agent Kong kindly reminded me, "If it's inconvenient to answer, there's no need to force yourself."

"It's not that it's inconvenient to answer; it’s just a long story..."

Just as I said this, my ears caught an unusual sound.

It sounded like a stick being thrust into thick, viscous liquid and stirred vigorously—a dull, strange noise. I felt as though I had heard it somewhere before. This inexplicable sense of familiarity made me shut my mouth instantly and look toward the source of the sound.

It was a small patch of shadow at the edge of the curb not far away. It had become abnormally dense and deep, standing out from the surrounding shadows and spreading like spilled ink. From that grotesque patch, bubble after bubble began to boil, the surface undulating constantly. That was where the sound came from.

Immediately after, a thick, muscular arm burst out, splashing ink-like liquid shadow all around. I was all too familiar with this scene; it was exactly how the Fallen Demon Hunter had appeared before me last night. Soon, a demon identical to the one from the night before crawled out from the shadow.

The changes didn't stop there. Other shadows nearby underwent the same mutation, and a second and third demon crawled onto the ground. One appeared in front, just like the first, while the other appeared behind us, cutting off our retreat. Three demons stood there, eyeing us like predators.

If only one demon had appeared, I might have guessed that the Fallen Demon Hunter from last night had been resurrected, but with three of them, I could only conclude that there were more than one to begin with.

The three demons did not speak; they let out low, bestial growls, saliva dripping from their mouths. Perhaps they weren't transformed humans after all.

Indeed, the incident with the Fallen Demon Hunter was not over.

What was their purpose in appearing here? Was it for revenge? Was the target only me, or did it include Agent Kong?

Did it have anything to do with the grudge between me and the Fallen Demon Hunter?

How unlucky. If it were just me here, that would be one thing, but Agent Kong, who is not skilled in combat, is also here.

Seeing this, his voice began to tremble. "Zhuang Cheng..."

"Agent Kong, I'll deal with them. Look for an opportunity to run."

I wasn't sure if these three demons possessed different abilities from last night's Fallen Demon Hunter, so I didn't make any rash promises.

"...No, looking at their formation, I won't be able to run." Agent Kong steadied himself and pulled a handgun from his coat.

I couldn't help but glance at it. It was a grey revolver with a long barrel, inscribed with strange symbols. It appeared to be equipment designed to deal with anomalous entities.

"This is the weapon issued to agents by Luo Shan. Although it's not exactly top-tier, it will have to do for now," he said, forcing himself to remain calm. "Next, we—"

He seemed to want to discuss how we should cooperate, but reality is not a turn-based game. It isn't the case that the enemy cannot act until we finish our turn.

Before he could finish, the enemies attacked, charging at us simultaneously.

As they charged, I turned my focus back to them and activated my power.

The demon in the front was ignited on the spot, turning into a roaring torch as if drenched in gasoline.

This skill of igniting an opponent with my gaze has a flaw: I can only ignite one target at a time.

The principle of this skill is to transfer my gaze—or more specifically, to transfer my spirit—onto the opponent.

Often, when we talk about "someone transferring their spirit onto an object," we actually mean "someone focusing their attention on an object." Humans are visually dependent animals; when a person focuses their gaze on a specific object, they are shifting their attention there.

Thus, people often compare the eyes to the windows of the soul; where the gaze goes, the spirit follows. The point where the gaze focuses is where the spirit lands.

Although flames can expand the field my gaze covers—strictly speaking, this goes beyond physiological vision and into supernatural perception—as long as I am human, certain principles still apply. Surely no one can focus their eyes on multiple directions at the same time, and my "focus of attention," or "landing point of my spirit," can only exist in one place at a time.

The second demon in front of me immediately used the burning demon in front of it as a shield, pushing it forward to continue its charge. While it would inevitably be burned by its own comrade, it successfully avoided my direct gaze.

From this reaction, it was clear they knew my gaze could serve as a medium for fire attacks; it seems they had obtained information about last night's battle through some channel. However, they still didn't realize that where the fire reached was where my gaze reached.

Furthermore, just because I can only attack one target at a time with my gaze, it doesn't mean I can only use one skill at a time.

The reason I used that skill was simply because it was the first I learned and the one I was most comfortable with. As soon as I saw the enemy moving, I used it as a reflex. While using this move, I quickly raised my right hand and summoned a tiny "firefly" from my palm.

Pouring a massive amount of spiritual energy into it, the "firefly" rapidly expanded, turning into a giant fireball that detonated.

The overwhelming torrent of flames swept in all directions, instantly swallowing the three demons attacking from front and back. The area I occupied immediately turned into a purgatory filled with fire, the intense light temporarily blinding human vision.

This time, because I needed to protect Agent Kong, I didn't hold back or act with a relaxed mindset; I infused the flames with the sincere will to destroy the enemy.

Under the impact of the destructive flames, the three demons charging at us were like fish caught in a raging torrent, helpless against the force.

They didn't even last the time it takes to blink before being reduced to ashes.