Returning to the Mysterious Era

Chapter 129 - Another Enhancement

Cassius's right hand sliced through the python's flesh like a spinning white chainsaw, and torrents of blood gushed out and stained the entire carriage.

Agonized, the python opened its mouth wide and tried to bite Cassius's body, but with the carriage window and Cassius's arm firmly holding it in place, it couldn't turn or retreat.

Meanwhile, a string of thuds came from outside the carriage.

As the black carriage sped into a narrow forest, the python's massive body crashed through the trees, causing a tremendous ruckus. Its tough scales couldn't protect its body from being battered and torn.

Inside the carriage, Cassius continued his work with methodical precision. His entire arm was now buried inside the python, having cut through about a third of its flesh. The blood had sprayed out a thin red carpet inside the carriage, sticky and pungent.

Thump, thump, thump...

He could hear heavy footsteps approaching the carriage.

Suddenly, a huge force from outside began yanking at the python's body. Fortunately, Cassius reacted quickly, his strong arms clamping down on the wound in the snake's head, his feet braced against the carriage.

He sensed that the commotion the python had been making had lured in the unknown presence outside. The two were now engaged in a fierce tug-of-war through the window, both extremely strong.

At times, the muscular Cassius managed to pull the snake's body a little further inside, while at other times, the creature outside nearly succeeded in dragging the python out. Cassius knew that the creature outside was stronger than him, because not only was it also moving at a high speed, it didn’t have the same leverage he had.

As for the black carriage, it seemed to be governed by some sort of rule. The carriage was incredibly resilient and seemed indestructible. Unaffected by the forces at play that were currently happening inside, it continued to move steadily forward.

Krrk...

The python's scales scraped along the edge of the window. Whatever was outside was pulling it, inch by inch, out.

"You want to take my catch?!"

Perhaps it was due to his powerful physique enhanced by his training in Covert Martial Arts, but Cassius had a strong desire to compete when it came to strength.

He let out a furious roar, his eyes turning red as his muscles took on a hard, black hue. His arms became as solid as iron, veins bulging beneath his skin like wriggling worms. Power flooded through him.

His muscles swelled, stretching his skin to the limit. His pores seemed to open up, as if releasing steam. The powerful muscles in his arms turned into a mix of red and black.

"You want to match strength with me? Well, get in here!"

With a mighty pull, Cassius yanked the python's head inside the carriage.

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The recoil sent him flying backward and crashing heavily against the opposite wall of the carriage. When he looked down, he saw that he had torn off the head of the monstrous python where it lay in a bloody mess. Meanwhile, the creature outside had snatched away the body. The snake's death was undeniably tragic.

"Damn it!"

Cassius, his eyes still red, was infuriated; he felt he had lost the tug-of-war. Hot steam was practically coming out of his nostrils. He vented his anger by punching the snake's head, driving his fist deep into it. As if the head wasn't gruesome already, it now had a deep pit at the top.

"Wait a minute. I didn't lose. I used Azure Wind Flow to create an opening in the snake's head, and when the two forces pulled at the same time, the break naturally occurred there." Cassius gradually calmed down as he reassured himself.

He took several deep breaths, surveying the mess inside the carriage, and reminded himself, "Don't let Black Rain Manor or things like Shadow Demons hold some kind of sway over you. Impulsiveness, impatience, and bloodlust are the greatest enemies of progress in Covert Martial Arts!"

He recalled one of the principles of Wind Elephant Fist. "When your mind becomes as clear as a stream, the wind becomes unstoppable."

The redness in his eyes gradually faded. He scooched over to the window and looked out. In a nearby forest, a massive five-meter-tall ape was carrying a piece of the snake's body. It ran deeper into the woods, as if afraid its prey would get stolen. Each step it took made a dull thump, like thunder clapping.

"..."

Cassius silently pulled his head back.

You never know what kind of monster you're wrestling with on the other side of the window! Honestly, even though he had lost to this muscular giant ape in strength, it wasn't something to scoff at.

Giant snake, giant ape... Such large creatures exist even in the Rainy World, huh? I thought there'd only be bizarre, illogically twisted monsters, but perhaps ordinary creatures in this realm have mutated under the manor's power? Cassius speculated, drawing from Twilight's bank of knowledge.

Black Rain Manor was an enigmatic entity. No one knew its origin, its purpose, or even when it first appeared. The Hellsing only knew that the manor hunted dark creatures, and the more dark creatures it hunted, the more terrifying it became. It revived nonstop. As time went on, other mysterious areas of the manor gradually opened up.

It hunted dark creatures not out of kindness but to revive itself. Perhaps when Black Rain Manor was fully restored, it would become the largest dark creature there was.

Moreover, Twilight's memories revealed that, according to some historical speculation that was kept hush-hush, Black Rain Manor had appeared more than once in history, dating back to the era of the Mokar Kingdom a thousand years ago. It would be active for a period and then fall silent, and this would happen every several decades. When the manor chose to become dormant, all marked-ones would instantly die since they were expendable.

As Cassius pondered, the carriage wheels continued to carry him forward before finally stopping at a station not far from Black Rain Manor. Cassius got off, not bothering to open an umbrella, and allowing the rain to wash away the blood on his cloak.

A Hellsing, who was on the side waiting for the carriage, glanced with some surprise at Cassius before ringing the bell vigorously. The black carriage, which had been stationary, responded to the bell's call, slowly turning and changing direction.

The Hellsing and Cassius brushed past each other as the former entered the carriage. Immediately, a blood-curdling scream pierced the air.

"Ahhhhh!"

Cassius walked expressionlessly along the forest path, glancing at the upper right corner. There was good news and bad news. The good news was that the time bar had indeed increased, proving Cassius's guess correct. The bad news was that the time bar had only increased by one day, which was disproportionate to everything that Cassius had done.

He guessed this meant he still had to try hunting the Decaying Knights down.

Fortunately, Cassius had prepared for this. He hadn't completed the three-month task, deliberately stalling so he could see whether he needed to defy Black Rain Manor based on what happened in the end. It seemed like he would indeed have to be hunted.

According to Twilight's memory, the Decaying Knights were divided into several types. They were all, without exception, extremely powerful and possessed formidable combat techniques. Each of them was a master who had steeped themselves in combat techniques for centuries! Once they were dispatched, it almost certainly spelled out a Hellsing's death!

Without a doubt, the Decaying Knights were intimidating. If Cassius wanted to turn from hunted to hunter, he would need to do a lot of planning and preparation. Muscle wasn't everything.

Half an hour later, at the Bolt Sect outpost of Black Rain Manor.

A tall figure stood in the rain, knocking on the door.

Knock, knock, knock...

"Coming, coming!" A crisp, pleasant female voice came from inside. "Hello, uh..."

A cute and pure girl around twenty years old, with fair skin and short hair cut into a charming bob, stood in front of Cassius. Her face had a hint of naive innocence, as if she were a newcomer.

At this moment, the girl wore a fearful expression.

Cassius was clearly not a member of the Bolt Sect who boasted slim bodies. On the contrary, the heavily built man outside the door, with his strong body wrapped in a black cloak, carried an oppressive aura and the smell of blood. A pair of cold eyes stared from under the black hat.

The girl swallowed nervously, taking two steps back.

She clenched her fists and mustered up the courage to speak. "Y-you... Hello. May I help you? This is the Bolt Sect outpost... We usually don't allow outsiders in."

"I'm not an outsider." A deep voice sounded. Cassius stepped inside and waved his strong arms before the girl's eyes. The Bolt Sect insignia on them was unmistakable. "Where's Darkblade? My room key is still with him."

"I'm taking over Mr. Darkblade's duties now so I have the key." The girl relaxed when she saw the insignia on Cassius's hand. Initially, she thought Cassius was from another sect and looking for trouble. She hadn't expected him to be a member of the Bolt Sect.

Half a minute later, Cassius grabbed the key and made his way to his room.

At the door, the girl watched his broad back going down the hallway like a moving wall, and she muttered to herself, "Since when did our Bolt Sect have such a big guy?" She frowned and looked down, her pupils shrinking when she saw the ground. There were wet footprints stained with blood.

As was routine, Cassius returned to his room to shower, then headed to the Bolt Sect canteen to eat. During this time, many eyes swiveled his way, all filled with either fear, shock, disgust, or admiration. Apparently, since the group mission five days ago, there have been rumors about Cassius.

Not long after lunch, Darkblade came to see him. He handed Cassius an extra task token and task voucher. Based on his contribution in battle, this was his due reward from the group mission, amounting to approximately 3.5 units of dark essence. It wasn't too bad; at least, it was better than a regular shield task.

Together with Cassius's original task, he now had over fifteen units of dark essence. It was time to strengthen himself one last time before hunting the Decaying Knights.

An hour later, Cassius walked down the gray brick street toward the Baptism Chapel. He found himself, once again, in a familiar old place—a dim private room. All tasks and item exchanges were completed, and he had gained a total of sixteen units of dark essence.

After the shower of black rain, Cassius had gained eight units of Soul Power. He sat cross-legged on the private room floor. He didn't immediately start using it and instead looked up to the top right.

[Wind Elephant Fist Incomplete: Elephant Herd 68.0% (Total Three Stages)]

[Elephant Soul Incomplete: Bug Bite 46.7% (Total Three Stages)]

After six months of relentless slaughter, Cassius had restored his power level, even improving both of them. His physique had advanced by 3.5%, which was the same amount he had increased in order to experiment with Soul Power.

According to the conclusion drawn by the Hellsings, if one's strength increased too much at once in Black Rain Manor, the marked-one might not be able to control it, and the force could corrupt and damage their body. In severe cases, the body could explode and die.

Cassius tested this phenomenon.

He found that what the Hellsings said was true. If you enhanced your power too much at once to the point where you couldn't control it, it could cause unknown consequences to the body.

However, Cassius's Wind Elephant Fist level was higher than his Elephant Soul. Theoretically, his precise control of power exceeded his physical level, meaning Cassius could increase his Elephant Soul's Bug Bite up to 68% without harm.

He tried it once in his last enhancement where he increased his physique in Bug Bite by 3.5% in one go. His hypothesis had been slightly off; Cassius could indeed enhance his Bug Bite up to 68% where it reached the third-level accelerated blood flow, but his body still needed time to adapt and adjust.

He estimated that each 5% enhancement of Bug Bite required about one to two months of rest. After all, at Cassius's level of power, he could even wrestle with giant apes. Ordinary people would be quite terrified by his 5% enhancement.

According to his calculations, Cassius needed roughly four to eight months to enhance his physique to the third-level accelerated blood flow; it wasn't too long nor too short, and therefore quite acceptable. After all, if one went through the Covert Martial Arts training step by step, it would take years to advance from the second-level accelerated blood flow to the third. Unless they were exceptionally talented.

Setting those thoughts aside, Cassius assumed the Secret Technique stance. Suddenly, a surge of heat spread from the core throughout his body. The strong muscles and bones in various parts of his body began to rapidly change under the effects of the Soul Power. The muscles became more compact and firm, its improved shape capable of exerting force better. The bones grew heavier and broader, shining white like porcelain.

Changes that would take years occurred in an instant!

Cassius opened his eyes and clenched his palm. He could feel a powerful surge within him, a strength that grew steadily stronger.

[Elephant Soul Incomplete: Bug Bite 46.7% → Bug Bite 51.7%]

The day when Bug Bite reached completion crept closer. He felt the Soul Power within him.

He still had about 4.5 units remaining. After having used 3.5 units for the enhancement, Cassius couldn't help clicking his tongue. It was getting harder as he progressed. Previously, a unit of Soul Power could enhance Prickling by over 10%, but now the exchange rate was nearly 1% per unit.

Remaining: 4.5 units of Soul Power.

Cassius couldn't help but set his sights on a type of hardening Qigong: Stone Armour Technique!