Dual Cultivation: Beasts and Women!

Liam had just locked the room and sat down on a cushion when he summoned the item he had received earlier.

He still didn't know what the artifact was and hadn't had time to analyze it. But it couldn't just be a beautiful representation of the Barter Fair, he was sure of it!

Felicity had warned him of the dangers of pursuing this secret mission, so it couldn't all end with a mere "trophy"!

Determined to find out the truth, he didn't go home and spent another 50 of his merit points for two hours of total privacy.

With the item in his hands, he moved his soul's mana through his body, enveloping his hands, eyes, ears, and nose as he checked the device.

At first glance, the 3D map in his hands seemed to be nothing more than a trophy, a representation of the Barter Fair. There was no sign of anything special about it.

But as he poured mana into the device, sounds of moving gears emanated from the small 25 cubic centimeter object.

Moving his hands away, leaving only his mana in contact with the device, Liam watched as it opened, revealing three things inside. A slight note, rolled up and tied with a gold ribbon; a silver pill; and a black tablet.

Liam didn't know what the black tablet was, but he frowned as he looked at it closely. Strangely, there was nothing, no sign coming from the item, something unusual for anything in the cultivation world.

'Strange... Even items that cannot contain mana in their structures still have some mana left.'

Items that could not contain mana could also temporarily have mana in their structures. The difference between something unable to hold mana and something able to hold mana itself was the ability to hold mana in itself, even without a supply.

But an item without the ability to hold mana in its body could have mana in it temporarily, especially if it was in an area of high mana pressure—an area very rich in mana. Therefore, in the cultivation world, everyone, even those who could not cultivate, usually had some mana in their bodies, no matter how little.

The black tablet caught Liam's eye. It had nothing on it, as if it didn't even exist.

'Maybe this note is about that...' He put the two items aside and checked which one was more likely to tell him something.

The moment he tried to untie the note, a subtle pulse came from the item, making Liam turn pale as his identification badge suddenly appeared outside his spatial ring.

{Congratulations on completing the first phase of the Secret Hunt mission!}

Golden letters formed in the air above it as it unraveled.

As the first message faded, a subtle golden aura reached Liam's badge, causing it to glow the same color.

{Secret Hunt Mission—2nd Phase}

{You are an ambitious and skilled disciple of Demon Gate. With your resolve to defy the heavens, you have defeated—and possibly slain—your dear sect mates. Congratulations, you are among the 1% of the most capable disciples of the Demon Path. But your demons and powers are still in their infancy. Continue to develop your skills and become a pillar of our sect.

With the conviction to do whatever it takes, you will succeed or die trying.}

{Description: The road to success is arduous and endless. As someone who is fearless and willing to join the Secret Hunt, you are now one heir of Demon Gate. Hunt down demon Spirit users and absorb their powers. Transform your demon Spirit(s) into a Sage Spirit(s)!}

{Requirement: Reach the Low-level Sage-grade of your demonic Spirit(s).}

{Rewards: Promotion to Division Chief; 10 times the salary of a Division Chief; 3 nominations for promotion from Outer Disciple to Inner Disciple; 3 Spirits of your choice of the Sage-grade, Low-level.}

{Time to complete: Indefinite.}

{Penalty for failure: Death.}

{Note: Other disciples performing the 2nd phase of the mission will recognize you as a competitor by your aura after a while of using the ART, just as you will recognize them. Be prepared.}

Reading the golden letters in front of him, Liam opened his eyes wide, unable to hold his breath when he saw such a top prize, but also such a deadly mission for him to accomplish.

'To give such a high price means that someone cannot complete easily this mission or in a short time. It's probably a long mission with older, better-positioned members, which means I'm in trouble!'

The generous reward did not fool him. He immediately focused on the implications he could see from the lines he read.

'I can also say that I have no choice but to fight! If others can identify me, they will probably hunt me down. As far as I know, the competitors in this mission are each other's food... Those damned cult members will certainly hunt me down, and I'll have no choice but to do the same!'

He turned pale as his lips tightened. For a moment, he remembered Felicity's words and regretted them.

"Shit!"

He slammed his fists on the ground, regretting the decision he had made.

He grabbed a bottle of water from his ring, drank half a liter, and tried to breathe more calmly.

'Damn it! I have no choice but to continue!' He closed his eyes, his expression painful, a bitterness he didn't want to feel.

But amid this moment, a memory from when he was an earthling came to mind.

...

"This again, Li?" A woman's voice echoed in Liam's memory as the image of a housewife kneeling on the floor, picking glass shards out of a wound.

"I'm sorry, Grandma," a little boy said, holding a soccer ball in his hands as tears streamed from his eyes while his legs turned red.

"Being sorry won't change what's already happened," said the gray-haired old woman, ignoring the boy's gaze and picking up the glass from the wound on his leg.

"It hurts, Grandma!"

"You disobeyed me, and now you're hurt. Deal with it, boy." She looked him in the eye and taught him a hard lesson. "Be strong. You'll have a scar, but you'll survive." She laughed as she poked him in the forehead. "Be smarter next time."

...

Liam remembered his childhood for a moment, how his strict grandmother had raised him to be a man who faced his problems.

Breathing calmer, he tried to better accept his position and move on from the problem. 'Now that I'm already dirty with shit, it doesn't make any difference if I try to avoid the mud.'

Pouring his mana into the spatial ring, he discovered several resources and a small book with the image of the black tablet on the cover. Ignoring the resources that made his body tremble for a moment, he opened the book in his hands.

{Black Art}

{The demonic tablet carries the power of darkness. When consumed, it integrates with the demonic Spirit(s) of its user, giving them a new ability—Cannibalism.}

{... From the moment Cannibalism is active, your Spirit(s) will be able to devour other demonic Spirits in order to evolve qualitatively...}

{Detail: Be careful when killing. If the enemy Spirit Master dies before your demon-type Spirit(s) is(are) devoured, the skill won't take full effect.}

{Tip: To work perfectly, Cannibalism must be stimulated with the bodies of demonic Spirits once a month. If it is not stimulated, it will gradually lose its characteristics and eventually fall apart, ending the Cannibalism skill.}

{Tip 2: Failure to consume the Black Art tablet will cause the disciple being sentenced to death.}

{Tip 3: Losing the Cannibalism skill by not consuming demonic Spirits increases the aura sensitivity to other disciples in the Secret Hunt, making it more likely that you will be hunted.}

The book in Liam's hands was very informative, with many tips on how the {Black Art} worked and the consequences of each possible action.

As far as Liam understood, the Secret Hunt was a kind of competition that defined the top hierarchy of Demon Gate. It was as old as the sect itself, so every way to escape the mission had been thought out beforehand, and there were all kinds of devices to prevent an easy escape.

'It is possible to escape, but someone in that situation would have to hide well and have high-level resources to get in the way of the hunters who would come after them... But it's possible, even if it's not for me right now. As long as I'm in Demon Gate, I'll either continue the mission or die.'

The moment he opened the 3D map, his ID was marked, and he now had the Secret Hunt mission with him. If he didn't start it by taking the black tablet, someone higher up would come and execute him!

With no chance of escape for the time being, he could only continue with the mission.

'At the very least, they provide precious resources.' He put the Black Art book aside and turned his attention to the two dozen resources in his new spatial ring.

Basically, it contained natural resources, artificial resources, and Third Class artifacts, with defensive, support, offensive, and cultivation items.

The best thing about these resources was that most of them had no minimum requirements for use. Anyone, even a Spirit Lord, could use even the best of these Third Class items.

Considering the crucial moment he was in, these items come in handy against Emerald Owls!

'Since the devil has come to my door, I have no choice but to ally myself with him.' He looked at the black tablet and swallowed it with a single movement.

"Emerald Owls... I will solicit this from you. Be prepared!" He muttered between his teeth, determined to do everything in his power to survive!

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