Just as Lin Feng finished his meal and pushed the plate aside, a sudden ding echoed in his ears, sharp and clear.
A system prompt slid into view, glowing faintly in the dim apartment light.
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[ New Quest Issued! ]Objective: Kill a Magical Beast.Rewards:• Shop Function Unlocked• +100 Gold Coins (Shop Currency)
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Tip: Magical Beasts can be found near the outskirts of Bo City. Proceed with caution—targets may be stronger than your current level. Predators don't fear the wild. They dominate it.
Lin Feng's eyes gleamed.
"Took you long enough," he mumbled, a vicious smile became steep upon his pockmarked face. "I was starting to think that you forgot about me system."
He stood up with a screech of the chair from the tiled floor. He had raised his hand to the butterfly knife, which lay flat on the table in front of him. The obsidian-black blade shimmering with gold markings.
"A magical beast, huh…? I suppose it's time I stretched my legs a little."
He turned toward the window, the night outside still and deep.
"And maybe see what this body can really do."
/////////////
The morning mist was still there, a fog just hanging over the city like an old ghost that didn't know where to go. Pale light and serpentine shadows ran across the wood floor of Lin Feng's apartment, pulled by the curtains. Lin Feng enjoyed the morning calm even with the occasional sound of cloth softly shifting along a body, and just the low roll of breath control.
Lin Feng stood shirtless by the open window, steam rising off his skin as sweat glistened on his now-toned frame. The sickly, skeletal figure from months ago was gone.
He had filled out—not bulky, but lean with defined muscle, the kind earned through relentless repetition, not luxury. His hollow cheeks had softened, color returned to his pallid complexion. Even his hair, once brittle and clinging like strands of death, now hung heavier with health.
His body no longer looked like it would break in the wind.
He was still tall, still gaunt in the eerie way a panther is—elegant, quiet, dangerous—but now there was power in every movement. Each breath he drew was measured, and each muscle was tense and ready. A blade honed, not just born.
He dropped from the pull-up bar welded crudely to the doorway, landing silently, rolling his shoulders once.
Then came the next part of his usual routine.
Lin Feng sat cross-legged in the center of his apartment, on top of the cold tile floor, hands resting on his knees. His breathing slow, mind falling into rhythm. He closed his eyes.
Within the darkness of his soul space, the stars stirred.
Seven dark stars—his Curse Element Magic Constellation—slowly shimmered into place, pulsing in eerie, sickly light. Unlike before, they no longer jerked or sputtered in and out of formation. They responded to his will now—sluggish, yes, but obedient.
Progress.
Controlling them still took effort, like trying to hold a fistful of angry wasps, but it was no longer impossible. He had trained every single morning, rain or shine, bloodied or bruised, forcing his soul and spirit into alignment.
He grinned slightly in the silence of his meditation.
"Another week… maybe two," he whispered to himself, "and I'll be able to cast mid-tier."
His eyes snapped open, and he stood, feeling the mana stirring under his skin like a serpent waking in warmth.
The new Lin Feng wasn't just stronger.
He was becoming efficient.
Deadlier.
Ready.
Lin Feng stood before the mirror and wiped the sweat off his face with a towel after splashing cold water on it. As he looked back into the mirror, he saw calm in his black eyes, or perhaps coldness; he looked much better than the time he had taken over this body.
"It is about time," he said, tossing the towel across the chair.
The Hunter Association.
It was one of the few organizations that didn't pry too deeply into a person's background. As long as you could kill beasts and bring results, they didn't care if you were a saint or a psychopath. No tests for soul stability, no divinations, no mandatory spell-type declarations unless you were gunning for the elite squads.
Perfect.
"I'll use my Curse magic," Lin Feng said to himself, running a hand through his now healthier, heavier hair. "No hiding it. It's the fastest way to rack up and level up. The Hunter Association doesn't give a damn as long as you get the job done."
"I just need to hide my traces when I kill people."
He pivoted and walked down the hallway, swiping his coat off the hook. The black obsidian butterfly knife was already slipped into his belt on the side. The dull knife with the bloody designs was buried deep in the drawer, now it was not to be used. Forgotten—but not lost.
"And if they get to asking too many questions," he added with a dry, playful chuckle, "I'll just disappear. Scorch earth on this name, this face. Burn the trail."
His voice dropped to a near whisper as he stepped out the door.
"After all, hunters don't need licenses to hunt."
The air inside the Hunter Association's Bo City branch was thick with ambition and sweat — veteran hunters coming in to claim their rewards, rookies pacing nervously as they waited for approval.
Lin Feng pushed through the scope to glass doors, a black mask covering the bottom half of his face. Unconsequential and nondescript, anyone could buy a mask like this from a street stall like Wonka's. Regardless, it imbued him with a layer of anonymity that made him feel more comfortable, to be simply a biped, easily replaceable. His hair was still damp, black strands kept loosely tied back. His eyes, however, were free. They were deep, black voids. The clerks passed cautiously, thinking better not to make eye contact.
He approached the registration desk where a female receptionist was busy processing another applicant — a young man with a cocky grin and bright eyes.
"Name?" the receptionist asked him.
"Fan Mo," the boy replied casually. "Element... Lightning."
The receptionist raised her brows in surprise. "Lightning? You're in luck, we always need lightning mages. One moment."
Lin Feng watched the exchange in silence. Fan Mo… that's not his real name, he thought, observing how relaxed the boy was about it.
Once the boy walked away with his temporary hunter badge, Lin Feng stepped forward.
"Do I need to give my real name?" His voice was low, calm, but it carried an undertone of subtle menace.
The receptionist blinked, slightly startled. "Uh… not really. Many freelancers use pseudonyms when registering. It's allowed, though we do need to attach it to an ID in case of mission violations."
"Good."
He reached into his coat and pulled out a forged ID, sliding it across the desk. "Register me as Ghost."
"Element?"
"Curse."
Her fingers paused over the keyboard, eyes briefly flicking up to meet his gaze — and quickly looking away. "Understood…"
She typed it in, her fingers slower now.
"That'll be all, Mister... Ghost. Welcome to the Association. Missions are posted on the left board. Your badge will be ready in a few minutes."
Lin Feng gave a small nod, eyes shifting toward the mission board. The room buzzed with movement, but in his mind, all was silent.
He hadn't just stepped into the Association — he had slithered in like smoke, like a shadow. As long as no one tugged too hard, the mask would hold. And if it didn't?
Well, Ghost would simply disappear.