When I first awakened my superpowers, I also had delusions about my powers being exposed, followed by official forces arresting me on false charges and reducing me to a mere lab rat in some research facility.

Rationally speaking, I thought such a scenario was unlikely. For one, using a precious superpowered individual as experimental fodder goes against basic scientific principles. Secondly, official forces must uphold ethical standards. Ethics are not just for outward appearances—they're also an essential banner to unite people internally.

But what if "superpowered individuals" aren't as rare as I imagined? What if the organization targeting me doesn't care about ethics at all?

That terrifying scenario was just a fantasy for me, but for Patrol Lu, it was a harsh reality.

"After eight months, Lu Chan managed to escape the underground organization's research facility on his own. However, after enduring unimaginable torment, he lost most of his power as a Wuchang. Now, he can only provide support from the rear as a Patrol," Zhu Shi sighed. "Zhuang Cheng, you once asked me if I disliked Lu Chan, didn't you? The truth is, I don't dislike him at all. On the contrary, I once greatly respected him. He used to be a kind-hearted Wuchang who wielded his sword for the good of all people—a role model I deeply admired.

"In Mount Luo, 'Formation'-level Wuchang are also referred to as 'National First-Class Demon Hunters.' However, most hunters at this level don't take pride in the title because they don't see themselves as bound by secular authorities. Yet Lu Chan was different—he wore that title with pride.

"Even though his personality has drastically changed, and he now believes that Hunters should rule over ordinary people, I can't blame him. It's easy to say what's right and wrong until you've walked in someone else's shoes. I understand this well. The torture he endured in that facility is something ordinary people can't even imagine. If I had gone through the same experience, I might have become just like him.

"It's just that, due to our differing stances, I can no longer see eye-to-eye with him. That's all."

I nodded in understanding, my mind picturing Patrol Lu's humble and friendly face.

It was truly hard to imagine that someone as composed as him had once endured such horrifying experiences. As a fellow "superpowered individual," I couldn't help but feel a sense of shared vulnerability. Zhu Shi's emotions regarding this must be even stronger than mine.

"Patrol Lu seems to have noticed my power level already," I said. "You mentioned before that, in order to prevent me from being drawn into the factions too soon, it was better to hide my true strength. Is that still possible now?"

"Lu Chan's faction will definitely try to recruit you, but things haven't reached the worst-case scenario yet," Zhu Shi said after some thought. "At the very least, you haven't demonstrated elementalization in front of him. For a fire-wielder, whether or not you can elementalize makes a world of difference. In his mind, your evaluation has probably shifted from 'very strong attack power' to 'overwhelming attack power.'"

"He should also be able to infer from your victory over Agent Kong that your other 'weak points' aren't particularly weak. However, he probably wouldn't think of something as advanced as elementalization."

"I see...," I nodded at first but then suddenly remembered something.

This was something I should have asked Zhu Shi earlier, but I had been so busy searching for Ma Zao, and after reuniting with Zhu Shi, there had been so many other pressing matters. Only now did this question resurface in my mind.

"Zhu Shi, have you ever heard of the 'Divine Seal'?" I asked.

"The Divine Seal?" Zhu Shi was momentarily stunned. "Is that its exact name? 'Divine Seal'?"

"I think so?"

Her question made me realize that I was being rather vague. In the realm of mysticism, the word "Seal" wasn’t exactly rare. Even adding the prefix "Divine" didn’t make it much more specific.

I added, "I can’t remember where I came across this knowledge, but supposedly, there’s something called the Divine Seal in this world, and it’s said to grant any wish."

"A Divine Seal that can grant any wish...," she seemed to have some reaction this time. "It does sound familiar... Sorry, I can’t recall it clearly right now. I’ll look into it for you later. But why are you suddenly asking about this?"

"Just making conversation to pass the time. We are on our way, after all," I said casually. "Then… have you heard of someone named 'Xuan Ming'?"

In the Fog Dream, both Number One and Number Two had a strong reaction to Number Four's mention of this name. Number One seemed wary, while Number Two was outright terrified.

If my judgment was correct, Number One was probably someone like me, living in the modern world. Yet, both he and Number Two, who existed in the post-apocalyptic era, had reflexive emotional responses to this name. This was enough to prove that "Xuan Ming" was a figure of immense renown and fear.

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As expected, Zhu Shi also reacted to the name.

Her expression immediately turned grave.

"Zhuang Cheng, where did you hear that name?"

"Agent Kong mentioned it to me," I deflected the question toward the dead man. "But he only briefly brought it up and didn’t go into detail."

"Why would he mention Xuan Ming to you?" She seemed puzzled at first but then had a moment of realization. "Oh, I see… It must be because you're a fire-wielder, right?"

"So this Xuan Ming really is related to the fire god Zhurong from the era of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors?" I asked.

"Hmm… Where should I even begin…?" After a moment of thought, she said, "I told you before, didn't I? Many of the gods in mythology were actually based on Great Wuchang—beings who either brought calamity to the land or blessed entire regions."

"Are you saying…?" The realization hit me immediately.

"That’s right. Xuan Ming was once one of the Great Wuchang of Mount Luo."

Number Four, Xuan Ming, was actually one of Mount Luo's Great Wuchang?!

My initial shock was quickly replaced by understanding. No wonder even in the Fog Dream, where superpowers couldn’t be used, Number Four (Xuan Ming) carried such an overwhelming presence and an aura of intense danger.

Furthermore, if he had been a Great Wuchang—someone who could control cataclysms and natural disasters—it made perfect sense for his name and legend to persist even into a post-apocalyptic era.

Then I caught onto something. "You said 'was'?"

"About half a year ago, Xuan Ming betrayed Mount Luo," Zhu Shi said. "I don’t know the exact reason, but one day, he suddenly went berserk. In front of countless witnesses, he burned another Great Wuchang, 'Fu Hongchen,' to death, then defeated and severely injured another Great Wuchang, 'Ming Zhuo,' in direct combat. After that, he left Mount Luo."

"The Great Wuchang are the sovereigns of Mount Luo. Generally speaking, no matter what a Great Wuchang does, it cannot be considered treason—just like how a subject cannot accuse an emperor of rebellion. There’s only one exception: when Great Wuchang turn against one another."

"After that incident, Xuan Ming was officially labeled a traitor to Mount Luo, and his whereabouts have been unknown ever since."

Number Four, Xuan Ming, actually did something like that…

Killing one Great Wuchang with fire, severely injuring another in head-on combat—could it be that he wasn’t just a Great Wuchang but one of the strongest among them?

I had spoken with Number Four, Xuan Ming. From his words and demeanor, he didn’t seem like an unstable or insane person. The idea that he attacked his peers in a fit of madness was hard for me to accept. He must have had a reason—some greater consideration—that drove him to act against the other Great Wuchang.

I recalled the moment in the Fog Dream when he furiously confronted the giant, his voice full of righteous anger and despair. To him, the giant seemed to represent the force behind the destruction of the world—the only moment he ever lost control of his emotions.

Could his betrayal and attack on the other Great Wuchang be connected to that incident?

"Xuan Ming was a Great Wuchang who mastered the power of fire. That’s probably why Agent Kong brought up his name when talking about you," Zhu Shi reasoned, then suddenly stopped in her tracks.

She raised her right hand and spoke in a low voice: "Target spotted."

At her words, my heart tightened. I held my breath and focused my gaze forward.

We had moved into an old sports park in the historic district. It was a desolate field, with a red running track encircling an overgrown football pitch. We crept along the outer edge of the track.

I had been here before. Occasionally, people would come to jog or exercise, though it was said that this place used to be much livelier. Over time, it had fallen into disrepair and turned into the lonely, desolate place it was now.

On the far side of the track, I spotted a strange humanoid figure. It was clearly not a jogger or a fitness enthusiast. Standing nearly three meters tall, it had a goat's head, walked on two muscular legs, and was covered in thick, sinewy muscles—a monstrous being that looked like something straight out of a nightmare or a vision of hell.

"A Oddities…" Zhu Shi focused intently on the creature, pulling me behind a nearby patch of overgrown grass to hide.

The Oddities didn’t seem to notice us. It appeared to be merely passing through, though it was equally likely that this place was its hunting ground. For a creature like this, an isolated location—not entirely deserted but sparsely visited—would be an ideal hunting ground. All it had to do was wait patiently, and eventually, prey would walk right into its clutches.

Though I had previously entertained the idea of asking such a creature about its motivations for committing evil, this was clearly not the right time for such a conversation.

I considered my next move carefully.

"Kill it outright" was the first option I dismissed. Although Patrol Lu had recommended killing Oddities on sight, doing so now would eliminate any chance of gaining information about Ma Zao. Killing the creature outright would be the worst possible decision in this context.

But I couldn’t capture it alive either. According to Patrol Lu, every attempt by Mount Luo to capture a Oddities alive had ended in failure. Oddities had a built-in self-destruct mechanism that was not under their conscious control. I couldn’t negotiate with it, couldn’t reason with it—it would self-destruct the moment it was cornered.

If I couldn’t kill it or capture it, my only remaining option was to tail it—to follow it patiently until the Oddities’s actions attracted the attention of "Ma Zao, who might be investigating Oddities."

However, choosing to tail it meant that if the Oddities started killing innocent people, I would have to stand by and do nothing.

Alternatively, I could intervene each time it tried to kill someone while simultaneously implanting a thermal marker into its body. It would be like wildlife scientists tagging a predator with a tracking device. This way, no matter where it went, it would remain under my surveillance. Even if it teleported away, it would still be within my watchful grasp.

But there were risks. I had no idea how far its shadow-based abilities could extend. Could it kill from beyond my detection range? Was it possible that other creatures summoned from its shadows were already lurking elsewhere, killing innocents out of my sight?

Overlooking these unknown factors would mean gambling with innocent lives. Zhu Shi would undoubtedly advocate for killing the Oddities immediately.

That would be the safest choice for others—but it would also directly conflict with my own goals and interests.

What should I do?