At the cellar entrance.

Leon witnessed firsthand the terrifying power of a four-star evil spirit.

The instant regeneration of its arms and the way it completely overwhelmed Chen Li with dark energy... an ordinary person would have zero chance of survival against such an entity.

The situation was even more troublesome than Leon had anticipated.

"So this is what a four-star challenge means... Murray was truly impressive to survive an encounter with such a horrifying supernatural being, even managing to wound it somewhat. I only have one chance. If I fail... both Chen Li and I die here."

Steady.

He had to stay steady.

With his life hanging in the balance, even with Chen Li's agonized screams echoing through the cellar, even without absolute certainty of victory.

Leon couldn't allow himself to panic.

Any noise during his approach would mean certain death!

Chen Li, now choking from the dark energy invasion and the spirit's iron grip on her throat, wouldn't last much longer.

Her eyes met Leon's briefly, but instead of begging for help, they conveyed a clear message: focus on the plan, don't worry about her.

Five meters.

Four meters.

Three meters.

Two meters.

One meter.

He had successfully snuck up on the evil spirit without making a sound.

Leon didn't draw out the "Plague Doctor's Dagger" he'd obtained from the hidden event.

After all, without being a [Mysticism] practitioner, he couldn't unleash the weapon's true power.

"...Remember that strange sensation."

Having practiced beforehand, Leon held his breath and concentrated, trying to recall that eerie feeling from his nightmares.

For some reason, thinking about the faceless students neatly seated in that classroom and all those tentacle-related objects made Leon extremely uncomfortable...

Maintaining this unsettling sensation, Leon slowly reached out, pressing his right palm against the back of the evil spirit's head.

During this process, a 'faceless tentacle' mark appeared on Leon's forehead.

By the time evil spirit Arkman felt the slight touch on the back of her head, it was already too late.

Some kind of spotted, slimy tentacle rapidly extended from his palm, completely ignoring the skull's protection and directly penetrating Arkman's brain.

There was no scream, no blood, no gore - none of the usual signs you'd expect from such a fatal wound.

Evil spirit Arkman just turned her head with a blank expression, staring wide-eyed at Leon, who should have been dead.

She couldn't understand how he had 'come back to life.'

She was even more baffled by how Leon possessed such an ability.

The evil spirit, who should have inspired fear in others, now had terror showing in her eyes... as if the tentacle penetrating her brain had shown her horrors she'd never seen before.

Through Arkman's eyes" ,Leon no longer appeared as a brown-haired youth, but as something indescribable.

A being whose very form defied mortal comprehension, something that triggered deep-seated fears.

Strange tentacle patterns spread from around the evil spirit's eye sockets, quickly covering her entire face and body.

Then something inexplicable happened.

The tentacle protruding from Leon's palm began to corrupt and dissolve, taking the evil spirit Arkman with it. In mere moments, they both dissolved into a puddle of foul-smelling liquid.

Hiss! Hiss! Hiss! The polluted water that hit the ground slowly evaporated upon contact with the air.

"Dead? An evil spirit that could regenerate almost instantly and survive intense flames just... died like that!?"

Leon stared at the rapidly evaporating fluid, unable to believe his eyes.

He'd originally thought this would only seriously wound and disorient the evil spirit, allowing Chen Li to finish it off with her cleaver once freed... but this sneak attack had ended everything instantly.

Leon couldn't help but look at his own palm, wondering what exactly these tentacles were.

Curiosity aside.

Leon immediately crouched down, materializing the brass-rimmed syringe in his hand and plunging the needle into the fluid on the ground... extracting a sample of cellular essence.

At that moment.

An indescribable weakness swept through Leon's entire body.

The exhaustion was far more intense than when he'd practiced using the tentacles in his room.

Combined with all the activity, walk, and mental exertion from the past half day.

Leon could barely hold on, his eyes growing unfocused as he fell backward.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

...

『EVENT COMPLETE: The Haunting (Director's Cut) Status: Evil Spirit Eliminated』

Completion Method: Evil Spirit eliminated.

Rewards:

①. Base Destiny Point [1]

②. Bonus Destiny Point [1] (Awarded for eliminating the evil spirit)

③. One "Destiny Card (Rookie Level)"

As you are new and haven't allocated any Destiny Points yet.

Please first distribute your Destiny Points to determine your primary profession, then proceed with the random drawing of your "Destiny Card (Rookie Level)."

The voice in his head gradually brought Leon back to consciousness.

He was no longer in the dark, damp plague cellar.

Leon found himself in a clean, pristine white space... a regular pentagon, with each wall's center corresponding to a distinctive door.

The first door was metallic, emblazoned with a sword and shield design.

The shield bore a prominent cross symbol.

The nameplate read - [Crusader].

The second door was earthen, decorated with three books representing magic, holy texts, and strange characters Leon didn't recognize.

The nameplate read - [Library].

The third door was covered in beast hide, marked with a palm print containing a circular pattern.

The nameplate read - [Control].

The fourth door was brass, featuring interlocking large and small precision gears.

The nameplate read - [Machinery].

The fifth door was ebony, marked with a pentagram and crystal ball.

The nameplate read - [Mysticism].

Leon didn't get excited about completing the evil spirit event. Instead, he immediately focused on the 'reward phase,' adapting to and observing his surroundings.

Simultaneously, he established mental contact with [Possessed Chen Li].

Chen Li was currently resting in the prison, everything normal.

"Distribute Destiny Points to determine my primary profession!? So the knights in [Holy City-Nointera] got their supernatural abilities from the Destiny Space after all. From what I understand about this world, specializing in [Machinery] would probably make life easier? After all, it's a steam-punk era where most city facilities involve copper machinery.

However, I need to find a profession that truly suits me."

In his previous life, Leon had been a researcher...

First stood before the earthen door marked [Library].

If he chose this door, Leon suspected he might gain control over 'magical' abilities.

Leon had always been fascinated by 'magic' since childhood, and he believed his research expertise and ability to study documents would help him quickly master various spell books

Just then.

A strange sensation arose in Leon's mind, compelling him to turn his head toward the fifth door.

[Mysticism]

As a former scientist, Leon understood that while empirical evidence and rigorous analysis were crucial, there was another element equally important in scientific breakthroughs.

Intuition.

This seemingly intangible sense became especially vital when pioneering unexplored fields with minimal existing research - when conventional methods failed to provide an entry point, intuition often revealed the first path forward.

Leon believed intuition wasn't just some mystical gut feeling. Rather, it was the brain's rapid, subconscious calculation, processing all available information including fragments of buried memories.

The more intelligent someone was, and the more knowledge and experience they possessed, the more reliable their intuition tended to be.

As his eyes settled on the fifth door, something deep within pulled him towards it.

In his original world, Western mysticism had fallen out of favor in mainstream academia after the publication of Copernicus's 'De revolutionibus' and the discovery of blood circulation. But in this world of magic and supernatural abilities, [Mysticism] clearly held a different status.

Ancient mystics were polymaths who studied mathematics, alchemy, religious theory, herbal medicine, astrology, and magical symbols - they were the 'scientists' of their era.

"Indeed..." Leon mused. "As someone specialized in cellular biology, mysticism might actually be more suited to my way of thinking. Plus, this head I acquired from the prison might not be explicable through conventional magic - perhaps only mysticism holds the answers."

Leon examined the Destiny Item he'd obtained from the event - the 'Plague Doctor's Dagger'.

"To unlock this item's true potential, I'd need to specialize in [Mysticism]... Coincidence? Or something more?"

There was no time limit for allocating Destiny Points. Leon gave himself thirty minutes to carefully weigh his options before finally pushing open the ebony door representing mysticism.

Instead of the chamber of mystical artifacts he'd expected, he found himself in a small, dark, enclosed space. At its center stood a copper chair fitted with an array of precision instruments - syringes, tubes, and a metallic headpiece.

The choice seemed clear - take the seat.

[SYSTEM NOTICE]

Destiny Points Available: 2

Would you like to invest all points?

Note: 5 points required to complete primary profession and unlock talent trees.

Recommendation: Invest all available points until 5-point threshold is reached.

With such clear guidance, the choice was obvious. From everything he'd learned so far, this was just the beginning of his journey in the Destiny Space.

Though he'd nearly perfected his first event, Leon knew he had a long road ahead. Until he established his profession, he'd remain at rookie level - though certainly a step above those who had never entered the Destiny Space.

Taking a deep breath, he confirmed his choice.

The copper chair's restraints immediately locked around him. Over ten syringes connected precisely to his blood vessels through tubes, with one special needle entering his spine at the base of his neck

Pain was inevitable. But for someone who had endured cancer's torment, this was manageable.

As an unknown solution entered his system, Leon felt his body changing - or more precisely, his head was changing.

Half an hour passed before the injection process ended.

While his physically weak body remained unchanged, something else had shifted...

Squelch Squelch (A wet, sliding sound)

A spotted tentacle emerged from his palm - this time under his conscious control. Using it no longer drained him; instead, he could extend and retract it at will.

Clearly, the two Destiny Points invested in [Mysticism] had given him better control over the "Faceless Head." His entire brain felt sharper, more attuned. He even sensed a strange energy he could potentially manipulate, though he hadn't yet discovered how to harness it.

His intuition had proven correct - Mysticism was indeed connected to this faceless head.

" If things continue like this, I might even find a way to upgrade the 'Faceless Head'. And once the prison expands, I'll be able to contain more special beings!"

Even the usually composed Leon couldn't suppress a smile of excitement. Not just because of gaining supernatural power, but discovering a potential upgrade path for the head. If the prison expanded, he could contain other special beings, each one adding to his personal arsenal.

Just as Leon was processing these revelations, a notification appeared:

[SYSTEM NOTICE]

Class Evolution Complete

- New Class: Mystic Apprentice

- Progress: 2/5 Points Invested

- Next Milestone: Mysticism Talent Tree Unlock (3 points needed)

Recommendation: For future Destiny Space entries, team up with equal-rank apprentices (pre-talent tree)

"Mystic Apprentice..." Leon contemplated. " When I get back to Holy City, I'll have to find a mystical organization that will take me in. I need to learn the proper methods. Until I fully understand the 'Faceless Head's' origins, I can't risk using it openly."

In the blink of an eye, the iron chair vanished, replaced by a crystal round table. The transformation happened so fast that Leon almost doubted his eyes.

[SYSTEM NOTICE]

Select one Destiny Card (Rookie Level)

Revealing card will grant corresponding rewards.

Right - he still had one reward to claim. The Destiny Card, originally a rare drop, had its probability increased by 10% after completing the side quest. Though still unlikely, it had appeared in his rewards.

Luck, after all, was its own kind of strength.

Four golden cards materialized on the crystal table, arranged in a perfect square, their identical ornate backs gleaming in the dim light.

"Best to draw randomly... trying to cheat in a place like this would be suicide."

Leon reached for the leftmost card. The moment his fingers touched it, the others vanished.

The card revealed a [Chalice] pattern, and then something miraculous happened. In a flash of golden light, the card transformed into a physical chalice containing clear liquid.

[SYSTEM NOTICE]

Destiny Card (Chalice) Obtained

Effect: Enhances one basic ability when consumed

WARNING: No basic [Mysticism] abilities detected. Consumption currently ineffective.

Note:

- No effect on existing Tentacle-class (Advanced) ability

- Expires in 24 hours

Use promptly for maximum benefit.

"Well... that's frustrating!"

Leon knew he couldn't possibly join a mystical organization and learn a basic skill within 24 hours. With no time to waste, he made his way back to the prison area, chalice in hand. If he couldn't use it, perhaps his sole containment subject - [Possessed Chen Li] - could benefit from it.