Chapter 103: I Call It the Dark Bible
Chapter 103: I Call It the Dark Bible
Edo Reina sensed danger once more in her heart.
This time her dodge came too slow.
Her power had drained away with her stolen lifespan, and she’d never imagined Fang Cheng would awaken so fast.
Crack!
His hand snapped shut around her knife-wielding wrist.
“You!!”
Her eyes widened in shock. “Imposs-”
The word died as Fang Cheng’s fist smashed into her face.
Thud!
Blood sprayed. Her features crumpled.
Pain flooded her mind, leaving thoughts blank.
Fang Cheng’s swift awakening defied all logic.
The Blissful Faith’s experiments showed victims of ‘paradise’ slept like vegetables until death without intervention.
Only those with supreme mental powers could resist – but such strong minds wouldn’t succumb initially.
Yet the cult wasn’t some research institute. Their crude tests, done just once or twice, never accounted for exceptions.
Fang Cheng became that exception. Killing Edo Reina brought him no joy.
No cultist’s death could resurrect victims or return the kidnapped. Where was the joy in that?
Without joy, ‘paradise’ broke. The illusion shattered.
Fang Cheng pummeled Edo Reina’s ruined face, yanked her arm, then drove another fist into her gut.
“Ghk!”
She folded like origami, bile spewing from twisted lips.
Agony drowned all perception as her organs fragmented.
Still unsatisfied, Fang Cheng rained blows upon her as he’d done in the vision.
When he stopped, only a broken thing remained – barely human, barely breathing.
He hauled her up by the throat. “Last chance. Where’s the ritual location for the day of divine descent? Answer and die quick.”
Her lolling head twitched. “…Hell…awaits…you…”
Another zealot.
Fang Cheng’s blood coalesced into a sharp blade. It parted her chest with wet precision. His fingers closed around the pulsing heart.
Familiar warmth flowed through his hand as text flickered in his vision:
[Energy absorption in progress…]
[Word Spirit Technique +1]
[Life (Fragment 1/3) +2]
[Premonition (Fragment 1/3) +2]
Fang Cheng acquired the Word Spirit Technique from Edo Reina’s corpse, along with two Life Fragments and two Premonition Fragments.
Only two Life Fragments? That surprised him. Edo Reina had been far more troublesome than Heishi Youto, likely a Protector of the Blissful Faith. Yet she’d yielded so little.
This reminded Fang Cheng of the time he’d rescued Sato Hayato from cultists. A Protector had sacrificed himself to summon an evil god projection back then. When Fang Cheng checked that corpse afterward, he’d found nothing. Now Edo Reina’s body gave less than expected too.
Were all these cultists just weaklings destined to die young?
As he pondered, new prompts appeared:
[Life (Fragment 3/3) fusing…]
[Life +1]
[Premonition (Fragment 3/3) fusing…]
[Premonition +1]
The Life Fragment and Premonition Fragment from the hat man combined with Edo Reina’s, forming one full Life and a new ability. Six Lives now—seemed plenty, but against a tough opponent, they’d vanish fast.
Premonition let him sense danger early, perfect for dodging or raising defenses. Highly practical.
The Word Spirit Technique was stranger. Using a Bible as conduit, it traded Life Force or souls to a deity for reality-warping power. A simple deal: offer sacrifices to the evil god, get rewards. Didn’t matter if the sacrifice was yourself or others.
Those cultists who kidnapped Sato Hayato and Edo Reina’s “paradise” technique worked the same way. One stole lives, the other spent her own.
Now Fang Cheng understood why cultists gave so few Life Fragments. The Word Spirit Technique consumed Life Force; lacking that, it ate lifespan. Heavy usage could drain someone dry. The projection-summoning Protector had been emptied out. Edo Reina nearly killed herself with “paradise.” Both had fed their Life Force and lifespan to the evil god, leaving little for Fang Cheng to take.
No wonder he and the evil god were natural enemies. No wonder these cultists grated on him.
He tossed Edo Reina’s corpse aside, retrieving the black Bible he’d knocked away earlier. The Word Spirit Technique wasn’t about spouting nonsense—it required specific incantations from this book. Devotion amplified its power, but deeper faith risked zealotry.
Clever. This “ability” was a recruitment tool. The more you used it, the more it warped your mind. Fang Cheng bet its creator had been some overeager missionary who bought three copies—one for shelves, one for use, one for pushing on others.
Until he solved this flaw, he wouldn’t touch it. Turning into an evil god worshiper? No thanks. Still, the black Bible might hold secrets worth studying.
The Blissful Faith’s scripture was just called “Bible.” Given its ebony cover, Fang Cheng dubbed it the dark Bible instead.
Storing the book, he turned to Sato Hayato. The boy sat slumped, staring vacantly at his parents’ bodies.
Approaching footsteps snapped Sato Hayato back. He glanced at Edo Reina’s corpse, rasping, “Thank you.” Without Fang Cheng’s timely arrival, he’d be dead—let alone achieving revenge.
Blood-tear tracks stained Sato Hayato’s face. His eyes, once bright, now held no light. The naive youth was gone. What remained might mature… or crumble.
Fang Cheng had no interest in saving someone only to watch them decay. “Still want to save your sister?” he asked bluntly.
A spark flared in Sato Hayato’s dead gaze. He grabbed Fang Cheng’s arm. “Fang Cheng! Did you learn where Mai is?”
“No.” Fang Cheng shook his head. “But I’ll find her. If you want Sato Mai to return to a brother who’s functional, not a wreck, pull yourself together.”
Sato Hayato blinked dumbly.
With a sigh, Fang Cheng crouched, hand on the boy’s shoulder. “You’re Sato Mai’s only family now. Her brother. Your job is to care for her, be her support—not dead weight. Understand?”
Tears spilled as Sato Hayato clenched his jaw, nodding hard.
“Mm.”