Era of Magic and Martial Arts

Chapter 438 - 422: Have You Heard of [Destiny]?

Zheng Hang’s pupils contracted into pinpoints, a cold gleam reflecting off his glasses.

"The Black Core is a lock forged by a god?"

He silently chewed on this answer, and the fleeting eerie red light in his eyes made Zhao Jingyi shiver suddenly.

Within that red glow, there seemed to be an indescribable emotion—was it shock? Astonishment? Or... excitement?

Zheng Hang was indeed very excited, and he had every reason to be.

After all, a Black Core was always in his stomach—or perhaps one should say Calamity Iron, or the god’s forged lock—being digested at any given time.

"So, what I swallow is not just Calamity Iron, but the god’s locks forged from Calamity Iron..."

His thoughts surged like tides, countless possibilities surfacing in his mind.

"Then, besides the inherent strength of the Calamity Iron on this lock, could there also remain a fraction of the god’s authority? Even just a sliver..."

His thoughts were not without foundation.

Just as the [Destiny Stone Sculpture] could lock in the soul of a Deputy, and [Magician’s Card] might house the remnants of a magician’s soul, it seemed reasonable that the god’s forged lock could retain the god’s mighty power, right?

As if to validate Zheng Hang’s speculation, the mysterious panel on his retina quietly changed.

Under the "Iron Eater" category, a new prefix emerged:

Iron Eater: Tier Two

Absorbed Metal Trait Slot Available: [Molded Embryo (Green)]

Metal Trait Slots Available: 1

[Current Edibility: Divine Shackles • Nine Nether Evil Iron (Edibility 17.4%/100%, Reserve 1.3%.)]

When Zheng Hang’s gaze fell on the words "Divine Shackles," his heart felt as if it were a Calamity Corpse ignited by flames in a cremation chamber, hot and excited.

He stared intensely at those words, a wave of unexpected ecstasy surging in his heart.

Zhao Jingyi, seeing Zheng Hang’s prolonged silence, could not help but feel a twinge of unease and asked:

"Zheng Hang, are you okay? Why did you suddenly become speechless?"

Zheng Hang took a deep breath, trying to calm his inner turbulence.

He slowly closed the system panel, his gaze gradually becoming firm and fierce.

Turning to Zhao Jingyi, he spoke in a deep and powerful voice:

"I’m fine, just... it’s just a bit hard to accept. There’s that kind of Black Core in my body too, like you said. So, after I die... will a divine lock be forged from my ashes too?"

Zhao Jingyi was amused by Zheng Hang’s words, shaking her head she replied:

"No, when humans die, they only turn to ashes. Only when they mutate into Calamity Corpses can a Black Core be forged, and even then, not every Calamity Corpse can produce a Black Core."

Zheng Hang feigned surprise: "Why is that? Could it be that the god skimps when forging locks?"

Zhao Jingyi, just an assistant in the lab, had to study her mentor’s theoretical research but didn’t necessarily understand or know all the results.

She thought for a moment and said:

"I remember my mentor mentioning that it’s similar to genetic dominance; in human form, the Black Core is completely recessive, only activating when one mutates into a Calamity Corpse. But even then, it doesn’t manifest in every Calamity Corpse; the reasons are complex and linked to the Upper City."

Zheng Hang nodded, the mystery in his heart gradually clearing, hinting a piece of the puzzle might string together.

He gave a cold snort:

"So that’s how it is, no wonder you fear your mentor so much; he truly is a terrifying madman, a lunatic coveting godly power."

His eyes showed undisguised killing intent:

"Madmen are not frightening, but madmen who understand science are. If such a person is allowed to continue unchecked, one day he might drag everyone in Lower City into an abyss."

Zhao Jingyi was startled by the killing intent in Zheng Hang’s eyes; she lowered her voice:

"Zheng Hang, you... you must not be rash! The mentor’s strength is unfathomable, he’s a hundred times more terrifying than the seniors modified into monsters.

The seniors are just his playthings, while the mentor... he’s the true monster hidden under human skin, lurking beneath the light."

Zheng Hang withdrew his hand from Zhao Jingyi’s grasp, the retracting bone spur still scraping a bloody piece of flesh from her hand.

Zheng Hang held up the bloodied piece in his palm, gently swaying it, then slowly lifted his gaze, casting a profound smile from the edge of his glasses:

"What a coincidence, in this world full of strangeness and insanity, I’m also a monster wearing human skin, hidden among the crowd."

Zhao Jingyi suddenly felt a chill, but the mentor’s shadow hanging over her was too profound.

Even if she admitted Zheng Hang was a monster, monsters differed; some were mad, while others, even in darkness, appeared more human.

How could a human-like monster compete with a truly mad one?

Zhao Jingyi hurriedly said:

"It’s impossible; not only is the mentor a monster, but there’s an evil organization behind him, hidden and terribly frightening, full of monsters like him."

Zheng Hang raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"

After a while, Zhao Jingyi slowly lowered her voice, each word squeezed out with uncontrollable trembling:

"It is an extremely terrifying, unpredictable cult organization, regarded by the Upper City Council as an S-class evil force. Its infamy is well-known in the Upper City, causing people to avoid it like the plague."

Zhao Jingyi’s face grew increasingly pale as she spoke, as white as bones freshly dug from the ground, devoid of blood, with chattering teeth:

"Yes, the terrifying Calamity Corpse Sect is the force behind the mentor!"

Zheng Hang listened to Zhao Jingyi’s rapid-fire string of fear-inducing descriptors, feeling a bit fearful himself, fearing she’d mention [Destiny] turning into a boomerang aimed at him.

"Oh, it’s Calamity Corpse Sect!"

Zheng Hang exhaled internally, then grinned at Zhao Jingyi, revealing a set of sharp white teeth:

"I never told you, I’m not fighting alone, actually, there’s an evil organization packed with monsters behind me too."

Zhao Jingyi paused, dumbfounded.

Zheng Hang spoke with deep affection:

"Since you know [Calamity Corpse Sect], you must also have heard of [Destiny]?"

[Destiny] rarely operates in Lower City, and many Lower City People haven’t heard of [Destiny]’s infamy, but Zhao Jingyi was not among them.

Thanks to [Calamity Corpse Sect], Zhao Jingyi had privately investigated the ranking of evil forces.

In her research, whether official or rumored, factual or speculative, [Destiny] consistently topped the list by unanimous agreement.

The list of "achievements" related to [Destiny] in those reports was more extensive than all other evil forces combined from second place onwards.

It can be said, [Destiny] occupied more than half the space in those reports.

...