Chapter 384 - Master of Illusions, White Aster

The situation before Cassius was somewhat unexpected. It had never happened in his previous four time-travel experiences. However, it made sense: Cassius hadn't reached the level of a combat artist during those four time-travel experiences. He had only managed to master Qi in the fourth time-travel experience. So now, on this fifth time-travel experience, Cassius entered the past era for the first time as a combat artist.

He had just closed his eyes to assess his physical state, confirming that he was not in his own body but the body of the mask's original owner. The only difference was that Cassius's immense Qi had come along with him. It was compressed into every limb and cell of this body. However, he found it somewhat difficult to harness; this body couldn't withstand such power.

Putting aside the problem of Qi for now, Cassius wondered why Qi had been brought back with him through time-travel. Qi was the product of the integration of essence, energy, and spirit; three core elements: body, blood, and soul. These three pillars, when united, generated Qi. Every human had Qi, though it was typically very weak. However, combat artists who trained in Covert Martial Arts have greatly enhanced pillars, resulting in Qi that is visible to the naked eye.

Qi functioned like an invisible extension of the body, and was capable of transformation through a combat artist's intent, granting incredible abilities. Qi and the soul were deeply intertwined and almost inseparable. This relationship was even evident when comparing veteran combat artists to new ones: the Will of the Fist displayed in martial arts was a manifestation of Qi transformation.

The willpower of the mind, that could manipulate Qi, reflected the deep bond between the soul and Qi. Therefore, achieving the combat artist level and mastering Qi might allow him to carry Qi along on every future time-travel. This realization was a significant benefit for Cassius, although his enthusiasm dampened when he glanced at his status.

[Lingering Attachment Energy: 49.6 - 3 x 4.5 = 36.1]

He'd lost 13.5 units of lingering attachment energy, nearly a quarter of his reserves, in mere moments. Cassius quickly assessed his time-travel ability, trying to figure out why.

After a minute, he understood the reason. While Qi was closely linked to the soul, they were not identical; they shared more of a derived relationship. Cassius's original time-travel ability could only send his soul back in time. Now, with Qi added to the journey, it naturally required more lingering attachment energy.

This time-travel activation had consumed 3 x 4.5 = 13.5 points, triple the amount of lingering attachment energy than usual.

The standard cost of time-travel with the Dark Hunter Mask was 4.5 units of lingering attachment energy. Though this was already a significant increase, it was within the normal range. Now, with Qi included, the cost soared to double digits, and Cassius's reserve could only sustain four such trips.

The tripling of the energy cost might seem like a steep price, but it was actually a substantial gain. Bringing his complete Qi back to the time-travel era meant Cassius could skip the slow and dangerous initial accumulation period in each time-travel and rapidly regain his original strength. This would save a lot of time and eliminate many uncertainties, ensuring he wouldn't meet an untimely end in the early stages of time-travel.

Moreover, lingering attachment energy was not meant to be hoarded like wealth; it was meant to be used. Accumulating large amounts of lingering attachment energy on the panel, while useful, would ultimately become meaningless since there were so few legendary antiques compared to antiques with lingering attachments. While carrying Qi required three times the energy cost, it was still manageable for Cassius.

As long as the Golem Sect gathered antiques with lingering attachment faster than Cassius used up legendary ones, everything would be fine.

Lying on the bed, shrouded in sunlight, Cassius stared up in thought. Since Qi had come along, he needed to revise his plans. Initially, he had intended to proceed cautiously in the time-travel era, laying a stable foundation before taking more risks. But now it was clear that plans had to change, and some ideas needed to be abandoned.

Of course, while his soul brought Qi with it, his strength hadn’t been instantly restored. An adaptation period was still necessary. His current body was the mask's original owner's and was nowhere near as strong as Cassius's original body, which rivaled a top-tier combat artist in physique. If he used Qi in this fragile body, it would likely result in severe internal injuries or worse, even a complete collapse.

Cassius now needed to nurture and adapt to his body. His Qi, formed from essence, energy, and spirit, could, in turn, nourish these elements. Naturally, this process would be faster with external support. He immediately thought of the sacred fountain possessed by the Dark Hunter Organization.

Their spring water could enhance and strengthen an ordinary person's body, granting them extraordinary abilities. Since he currently held a position within the Dark Hunter Organization, completing missions perfectly should earn him a few scoops of that spring water without much issue.

There was another point to note. Cassius's body had changed, and the transformative effects of the Golem Covert Martial Arts were no longer present. Additionally, the Southern Dipper Covert Martial Inheritance's numerous acupoints were also gone for the moment.

However, this was only temporary. Since ancient times, the essence of Covert Martial Arts lay in Qi. When combat artists trained in different Covert Martial Arts, their Qi gradually adapted to those techniques, recording the limits, states, forms, and experiences they'd gained in training.

In other words, as long as his Qi remained, he could reverse-engineer his body to adapt to his Covert Martial Arts. The Southern Dipper Red Falcon Fist and the Southern Dipper Sonic Snake Fist, being pure ancient fist techniques, lacked the complex training methods of regular Covert Martial Arts, making them the easiest to restore.

He simply needed to channel his Qi through his body repeatedly, reactivating the Southern Dipper acupoints and reconstructing the meridian networks. Gradually, his Death's Fang Force and Reverberating Force would form naturally.

But his Golem Covert Martial Arts would be somewhat weakened. After all, Cassius's second Golem heart and the Golem Three Form Blood Circulation had been created through a rare coincidence by forcibly extracting the essence of the Golem.

Replicating this was impossible. At most, he could construct simulated organs within his body using his Golem Soul, allowing the Golem Covert Martial Arts to function normally. His abilities would still be accessible, but his combat power and stamina might not reach the monstrous levels they had in the real world.

Of course, even though his strength had been somewhat reduced, Cassius believed that once he regained his powers, his physique would still rank highly among top-tier combat artists. He would maintain an overwhelming advantage.

After exploring the unexpected changes in his time-travel abilities, he refocused on his current time-travel era self. He closed his eyes, processing the information in his mind.

Date: 159 years ago.

The Hongli Empire Calendar, Year 969, July 2.

Location: Imperial Capital, Florence, District Seven.

Character: A rookie hunter who had joined the Dark Hunter Organization two and a half years ago, code-named White Aster, with the designation C.11451, currently 26 years old.

This same rookie hunter, White Aster, would, three years later, be the only surviving "C"-ranked Shadow Hunter from the Dark Hunter Organization when the Empire collapsed and the capital fell. His legacy would carry over to the early days of the Hongli Federation, where he would gather and lead an official supernatural organization to help the fledgling Federation Government survive the initial dark chaos of the savage beast upheaval.

White Aster met his end in battle in Federation Year 25, leading to the disbandment of the reestablished Dark Hunter Organization as its core support, the Sacred Spring, lost effectiveness.

It wasn't until seventy or eighty years later, when the Federation capital Florence was once again ravaged by dark creatures, resulting in a major tragedy, that the government resolved to revive the Dark Hunter Organization under the name the Black Ops Agency.

The original 12th Division of the Federal Special Service Bureau, became the new 13th Division and incorporated supernaturals within the Federation, which became the new Black Ops Agency that Cassius knew well.

As he sorted through the information in his mind, Cassius discovered that the current owner of the legendary antique rarely used his real name, going exclusively by the codename White Aster. Everyone called him by this nickname, with few aware of his actual name.

The nickname "White Aster" had become etched onto his half-exposed face. It was a slender, translucent black mark that wound up from the base of his neck and bloomed into an aster.

The mark stopped just below his ear. When his hair was longer, he could even cover it entirely. White Aster preferred his hair relatively long.

The flower mark on his face seemed like a decorative tattoo, but it was, in fact, a competency that allowed him to create illusions. White Aster named this ability "Phantom Aster."

Once it was activated, Phantom Aster could disrupt the five senses of his enemies within a certain range, creating various illusions. At its highest levels, it could even make illusions appear real. For instance, White Aster could conjure a field of blood-draining asters around his target, whose roots would seem to siphon their blood. If the deceived and fearful target accepted this as reality, then when the illusion faded, they would become an actual dried corpse.

This was akin to self-deception through human perception. If the mind believed it was dead, the body would follow. It was like when someone locked in a freezer died of frostbite, even though the cooling was never turned on.

White Aster's Phantom Aster ability was in its first major stage. Human senses are divided into two primary categories: the first includes sight, hearing, and smell; the second includes touch and taste. The stages increase in difficulty, with the second stage more challenging to master than the first. Beyond these was the third and final stage, the advanced level where illusion became indistinguishable from reality, allowing for kills unseen.

White Aster had mastered all three stages, making him a master of illusions. But, of course, that wasn't where he was currently. Cassius had initially rejected the original antique owner's somewhat delicate-sounding abilities. Yet, the more he learned, the more serious his expression became.

White Aster's later experiences revealed something significant: illusion was a clash of minds and a battle of willpower. The strength of illusions lay in the user's mental clarity and resilience. Techniques and inducements were merely supplementary.

Cassius was well-versed in minds and willpower. As a combat artist, he understood the Will of the Fist and the intense connection to spirit and soul embodied in Qi. This body held the condensed Qi of a top-tier combat artist.

If he used Phantom Aster’s abilities on a foundation of this strength...

Hmm...

Perhaps he could manifest dark creatures like Golems, Southern Dipper Blood Vultures, and Southern Dipper Sonic-Swallowing Serpent in illusions and have them devour each other or tear their prey to pieces.

When he imagined the scene, Cassius thought any enemy caught in such an illusion might be reduced to tears. And not just from above—they'd probably be crying below too.

Intrigued, Cassius decided he would not pursue the path of illusion mastery but instead learn the basics to use as a supplementary technique. With his formidable willpower as a foundation, it could serve as a useful auxiliary skill.

This way, he could ravage his enemies mentally within illusions, then crush them physically in reality, achieving a dual critical effect.

He had to admit, it didn't sound bad.

Reeling in his wandering thoughts, Cassius refocused on the icon in the top-right of his field of vision—a mask symbol.

It represented the legendary antique, the Dark Hunter Mask. A light mental touch brought forth information on its lingering attachment.

Two objectives, clear and simple.

The first: to become one of the top five executives of the Dark Hunter Organization.

These five top executives were: the Chief Mechanist, the Administrator, the Sacred Spring High Priest, the Workshop Chief, and the Radiant Hunter. Each represented a different division within the Dark Hunter Organization.

The Chief Mechanist was the head of the Black Ops Agency, so let's set him aside for now.

The Administrator handled all logistics, from funding and notifications to personnel changes.

The Sacred Spring High Priest oversaw the maintenance of the Sacred Spring, including its use by members, with a role akin to that of a priest providing comfort.

The Workshop Chief, as the name suggests, was connected to the workshop, handling supernatural weapon development and high-explosive research to support the organization's combat operations.

Lastly, the Radiant Hunter was a title of honor similar to the Shadow Hunters, though there were five Shadow Hunters and only one Radiant Hunter. The Radiant Hunter was the most powerful and accomplished among all hunters. He was a lethal weapon, and the organization’s sharpest blade.

White Aster's lingering attachment with becoming one of the executives was understandable. Even though the Dark Hunter Organization was in decline, it was still far more complete and prestigious than the one White Aster himself had assembled in the early Federation days. He had survived that transformation, one of the few who had, and retained a strong sense of belonging and admiration for the organization's strength.

His desire to join the upper ranks of the original Dark Hunters was not surprising. Additionally, his second lingering attachment was equally straightforward.

To witness firsthand the Dark Hunter Organization's downfall during the Empire's collapse. And in the chaos of that moment, to find the true mastermind. He wanted a clear answer.

White Aster had only realized later that the fall of the Dark Hunters was no coincidence; it wasn't simply an encounter with overwhelming enemies—it was a conspiracy.

𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

There were forces, hidden yet pervasive, involved in the entire ordeal.

Mysterious, yet omnipresent...