Lord of Enigma

Moses City didn't enjoy much fame in the Federation, but things fared pretty well in the Exquisite Phoenix Prefecture.

Other than its long history, it was also because the few large districts here each boasted unique characteristics of their own.

The bustling Midtown district naturally didn't need any explanation. All the most well-known banks and companies in Exquisite Phoenix Prefecture had branches there. The Midtown district was even reputed to be the shopping paradise that one must visit the most.

Next was the Bronx district. Despite how the place was messy, filthy, and inadequate, the refugees living together, mafia and ruffians running amok, illegal construction, a landscape of buildings with differing heights that made the place look like an ant nest, and the law of the jungle with a clearly defined hierarchy — all of these gave the Bronx district a unique kind of aesthetic. Thus, it was the favorite shooting location of several film companies whenever they were filming movies with a dark aesthetic.

Except that to the residents of the bottommost tier of the hierarchy in the Bronx district, this so-called unique kind of aesthetic was actually the truest and cruelest reflection of their lives. Eking out a meager existence was already an arduous task; should they go any lower, they would probably fall into the deep abyss.

Fortunately, the current political and economic situations were very stable. As long as nothing went terribly wrong, families like Sally's would still be able to fill their stomachs adequately.

After that was the Newton district in front of Tang Qi now.

It was adored by various kinds of artists and low-key in its reputation, yet carrying significant weight in non-mainstream art fields.

Tang Qi walked down the streets leisurely. All sorts of graffiti filled the old and timeworn buildings on either side of him. The exquisiteness of some of the graffiti was indeed advancing towards a standard that could be called art. The standard of the decor of the storefronts along the street was also rather impressive.

But as it got later into the night, it went without saying that it was impossible for this place to be as brightly lit as Central Avenue. One by one, stores closed for the day, and darkness quickly started to envelop the area.

Tang Qi didn't show any signs of anxiety. He continued to stroll about leisurely like a curious high school student.

During this process, Tang Qi swiftly built up his level of familiarity towards the Newton district. At the same time, he quietly made a mental note of where each street led to. A map gradually formed within his mind.

Unlike typical paper maps, Tang Qi personally measured every path. Should he encounter any unforeseen event, this would make escaping more convenient.

This wasn't a game!

In the real world, the hunter might turn into the hunted any moment.

This was the lesson that Tang Qi learned from his encounter with the Witch of Misfortune.

There was no such thing as excessive caution for a newbie who had just stepped into the realm of the supernatural.

Shortly, before it reached late night in the Newton district, Tang Qi passed by a small town square where the stream of people was starting to disperse.

Skateboarding teens carrying backpacks left with their arms around each other's shoulders, laughing cheerfully as they did so. Couples with their arms around each other walked off as they whispered into each other's ears. The old men playing chess also packed up their teapots and chessboards and swayed as they strolled back home.

As for those who hadn't left yet, there was an unshaven street artist sketching a portrait of his last customer for the day, an old granny who sold art trinkets in her stall packing up, a young girl playing the violin, and a down-and-out magician pestering a couple and performing magic tricks for them in an attempt to earn a few more Wellers…

The atmosphere was very harmonious.

Tang Qi quickened his footsteps and bought a "Crazy Spicy Black Forest Hotdog" from a red food truck named "Mexican Fire Dragon" that was about to leave.

While it was still steaming, he took a quick bite as he walked towards the alley opposite the small town square.

Ha~!

Shocking spiciness, a savory fragrance permeating the Black Forest ham, the warm fluffiness of a sunny side up egg, and the aroma of a caramel, onions, and sage mix.

Just like gushing lava, it bombarded Tang Qi's taste buds. Before the evening chill could even wrap around Tang Qi, it was dispelled by this eruption of heat and spiciness.

"This tastes awesome. I've long heard of how delicious the hotdogs are in Newton district. They certainly live up to their name. Those ninety-nine Wellers were totally worth it."

Tang Qi mumbled as he dug happily into the hotdog. He walked briskly into that rather dim and gloomy little alley, much like a high school student on his way home after strolling about aimlessly, just that the route he picked seemed like a rather bad choice.

But here, it seemed like no one really cared.

Until the moment Tang Qi stepped into the alley and swallowed the last bite of the hotdog. After a burp and a faint sigh, he decided it was time and finally directed his will towards that place.

A sensation as if his skin was being scalded swiftly came over the back of Tang Qi's hand and then disappeared right away.

But at this point, as he looked over, where fair skin was originally supposed to be, a strange mark was slowly appearing before his eyes. Bit by bit, underneath his skin, grayish-black lines began to form a symbol that looked like a pair of curved antlers against a blood-red background… A foreboding aura hit his face.

Whoosh!

A gloomy and chilly gust of wind started blowing from all directions. The sudden change in the weather caused the small town square to become deserted even more quickly.

The food truck drove off in a whoosh. The magician who finally earned another 50 Wellers thanks to the couple's hurry to leave packed up his belongings swiftly and left. The young female violinist was as graceful as ever, just that the pace of her footsteps also quickened somewhat. She even gave the old granny selling art trinkets a hand along the way.

The artist also quickly tore the portrait sketch off his easel and handed it to the brunette beauty in front of him. After receiving the payment, he left hurriedly as well.

The sketch was done very nicely. One could tell that the artist was pretty skilled, except that the brunette beauty was terribly disappointed. Staring after the artist, as if she couldn't bear to let him go, she said, "Did he not realize my hint? I even gave him my phone number. Gosh, he's really so charming. What a perfect partner for a one-night stand."

The artist could feel the emotions of the beauty behind him clearly.

However, he didn't linger. On the contrary, his urge for that figure who had already disappeared became even stronger. He was pretty much bellowing at the bottom of his heart. "That aura is so alluring. I must have it. I must definitely get my hands on it. I'll be able to become even stronger."

The artist was very attractive. He had handsome facial features and was dressed in a way brimming with the air of an artist. No wonder he got such strong attraction from beautiful women.

Just that right now, his gait was disorderly. Because he was too anxious, his good-looking facial features were even starting to become twisted.

Clank!

As he chased after that figure into the alley, a small gleaming knife also appeared in the artist's hand. Judging from the dried bloodstains on the handle, this obviously wasn't its first time drawing blood.

Gripping the knife in his hand, the artist rushed into the alley at a speed almost as if he was jogging. Excitement filled his eyes.

He could already see himself plunging the knife into that high school student's back. As blood spilled everywhere, that alluring treasure of his would embark on a path leading to even greater power.

"Usually, you wouldn't be my target, but once I kill you and become even stronger, I'll be able to enjoy even more marvelous bodies. I won't need to hide from those uniformed rats with such great pains anymore too. C'mon, give me the treasure."

"Ah~"

Bam!

The face of that high school student entered the artist's sight, just that how it happened wasn't quite what he had imagined. Or at least, it couldn't have been like what was happening now. His arms were caught in an instant and twisted by another pair of hands. A rock-solid knee slammed into his abdomen.

The violent impact caused his abdomen to convulse straightaway. A snap echoed, signifying the fracture of both his arms.

What made his eyes widen even further and reveal a look of shock, fear, and disbelief was that strong pair of hands directly taking hold of his own hand and slashing the knife across his neck.

With a thud, his body was tossed onto the ground. Because of his slashed throat, the act of breathing caused blood to gush out of his wound, forming a large puddle of blood on the ground in no time. Among the mess, the artist wrapped his hands around his throat, as though a fish struggling onshore.

"He's so weak?"

A frowning Tang Qi said in puzzlement as he stared at the dying artist on the ground.

If not for that special interface appearing in his vision the next moment, Tang Qi even suspected that what he killed was a human instead and not the low-grade monster he was after.