This was a sight he had never experienced before.

In an instant, the dim surroundings became crystal clear, the trajectory of dust dancing in the moonlight, the flow of the wind, even the slight vibrations under his feet... he could feel it all with perfect clarity. Every detail around him was laid bare, and no change escaped his perception. At this moment, before his mental energy was depleted, Xiao Ning felt like an omnipotent and omniscient deity. But he had no pride or satisfaction because those meaningless emotions had long been stripped away. Only by shutting out those extraneous thoughts could he feel the purest and darkest sense of perception—[Evil Perception].

"Darkness is everywhere, residing in the complex and ever-changing hearts of people, in those unknown dark corners; it exists in the shadows of alleyways and the bright sunshine of the plazas. Everywhere, in every corner, as long as there is light, there will be darkness. Times change, eras shift, yet they never perish."

This ability was crucial, even a standard by which a demon hunter's competence was judged.

Xiao Ning held a pocket watch, and as a wave of dizziness and pain surged in his head, he immediately stopped the timer and exited the state of transcendence. He glanced at the countdown.

"4 minutes and 36 seconds..."

Too short, but with his newly awakened spirituality, that was all he could sustain. This ability was related to his mental state. Seasoned demon hunters could maintain this perceptive state for a long time. If he wanted to become such a veteran, he would have to start training according to the methods in the grimoire.

"Meditation, the best method to train your spirit. Consistent meditation can significantly enhance your spirituality and reduce emotional fluctuations..."

Xiao Ning closed his eyes and began to attempt meditation...

...

......

At dawn, Koro Town was shrouded in a light morning mist, and the streets began to buzz with the sounds of life. Cleaners were sweeping the streets, early vendors were pushing their carts, and workers ending their night shifts gathered in small groups. The dawn sky, with its lonely street lamps casting shadows, saw the empty streets gradually come to life. As the sun rose, the mist faded.

The sound of footsteps on the roads grew denser, and car horns began to blare in the distance. Outside the shop windows, most of the passersby wore neat suits, their backs straight. Although their faces bore traces of fatigue, their steps remained hurried. The clock shop, which had opened early, seemed to be part of this fast-paced environment.

Inside the shop, which had never really closed, Xiao Ning sat behind the counter with his eyes closed, as if resting or napping. The intermittent quiet lasted until an unexpected visitor arrived.

"Ding-ling~"

The bell hanging behind the door chimed as a woman with light and hurried footsteps pushed open the door, speaking in a somewhat urgent tone.

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"Sir, my watch seems to be inaccurate. Could you help me..."

"No."

Before the customer could finish her request, Xiao Ning quickly responded. He kept his eyes closed, not seeing the expression on the other person's face, but he could feel the incredulous shock from the sudden pause in her breathing. The super sensory perception granted by the potion had already begun to take effect.

"You... but you haven't even looked at it..."

"Won't."

Xiao Ning's answer was still quick and concise. The customer was completely bewildered. She glanced around the clock shop and asked blankly,

"What do you mean by that?"

Xiao Ning slowly opened his eyes.

"Won't, the full negation. Is that hard to understand?"

His voice was cold and emotionless, his deep eyes hollow, like a soulless puppet. The air fell silent. Whether she was stunned by this reason or not, the customer didn't make a sound for a long time. Xiao Ning looked up.

Standing before him was a girl dressed in expensive clothing, with fair skin and smooth blonde hair, her delicate doll-like face almost screaming, "I'm rich!" At this moment, the wealthy young lady stood there looking completely at a loss, her eyes unfocused.

Xiao Ning rubbed his temples, trying to contain the unconscious aura he was emitting. Innocent people could become strange and dazed when exposed to such ominous power; it was a mistake he couldn’t afford to repeat. After much effort to restrain the unfamiliar transcendent power, he prepared to wake the girl up, only to realize she might not be an ordinary person...

She held an antique pocket watch, exuding an inexplicable fluctuation. On her white, delicate wrist was a hint of starlike silver light. Upon closer inspection, it was a shiny silver bracelet, peeking out from the laced sleeve.

"Silver?"

Xiao Ning's eyes narrowed. At the same time, he caught a faint whiff of a mysterious aura...

"Give it here."

The startled wealthy girl hesitated.

"W-What do you mean?"

Xiao Ning glanced at the pocket watch in her hand without saying much.

"You said you couldn't fix it..."

The girl hesitated for a moment but eventually walked up and carefully handed over the watch. It was made of bronze, with an antique design, clashing with her expensive attire. However, she had many incongruous items on her, so this wasn’t surprising.

As she approached, Xiao Ning was convinced she was just an ordinary person carrying a bit of mystery. The watch’s hands had completely stopped. He picked it up and took a deep sniff.

Hmm, it seemed to smell like Ningshen flowers?

"What are you doing, pervert?"

A cool voice came from the doorway. Xiao Ning looked up to see a tall, cold-looking woman entering with a book in her arms. Fina, his childhood friend and neighbor, perhaps even more in the future...

At this moment, her blue eyes were filled with a disdainful look, as if she were gazing at trash. The wealthy girl also stepped back unconsciously, her eyes wary.

He admitted that his actions were indeed quite perverted. But Xiao Ning, thick-skinned, pretended to be unfazed.

"There's no rust, so we can rule out internal damage..."

He then pulled out the watch’s crown, intending to adjust it, but unexpectedly felt his spirituality stir. Damn, he had almost forgotten that this was a transcendent item and shouldn't be tampered with carelessly. Xiao Ning forcibly suppressed the surge of spirituality, quickly reinserted the crown, pretended to fiddle with it a bit, then slowly set it down and removed his hands.

"Can't fix it."

The wealthy girl's face was filled with disappointment upon hearing this conclusion.

Fina glanced at him, her voice cold.

"Give it here."

Xiao Ning quickly handed it over like a hot potato. Fina took the pocket watch, pulled out the crown, and found a mainspring from the counter, fitted it in, and turned it a few times. The watch, just declared broken, immediately started ticking.

She looked at Xiao Ning with an expressionless face, then adjusted the time and handed it back to the customer.

"It's done."

"Are you the shopkeeper here? Thank you so much!"

The wealthy girl gratefully took the pocket watch.

Fina replied flatly,

"No, I'm a tailor from the dress shop across the street."

A tailor who can't fix watches is not a good neighbor.