Chapter Nine: Two Drops of Liquid

Clang!

With a crisp sound, the cylindrical metal that had released a drop of black liquid finally lost its ability to hover in the air and fell to the ground with a thud.

Shen Lie’s hearing had not faded; he clearly heard the metal object hit the floor. Yet his eyes did not move an inch. His gaze remained locked on a spot about a foot before him, where two droplets of liquid were locked in a deadly struggle.

Yes, a struggle—that word fit perfectly. The two drops, one black and one yellow, were entangled as if they were mortal enemies from nine lifetimes, each trying to devour or tear the other apart. Both exuded a fierce aura, making Shen Lie feel that whoever won, his own fate would be grim.

The standoff did not last long. In less than a minute, the balance shifted. The seemingly dominant yellow liquid, bold and mighty, was eventually no match for the small black drop. Gradually, it began to weaken, and before long, the black liquid enveloped it completely.

Shen Lie had no idea what would happen now that the black drop had triumphed, but compared to the menacing aura the golden liquid had radiated before, he found himself hoping for the black liquid’s victory. Still, he was nothing more than a lamb to the slaughter, with no control over the outcome.

Bit by bit, the black liquid consumed the yellow, the golden color shrinking from half to a third, then even smaller, until only a faint glimmer of gold shone from within the black.

Just as Shen Lie thought the outcome was decided, the gold—now encased in black—suddenly swelled violently. The two entwined drops grew rapidly, as if someone had inflated them like a balloon. The black liquid tried to compress and regain control, but it was futile; the gold kept expanding until, in an instant, it reached the size of a fist and then burst apart with a bang, shattering its black prison and dispersing into a field of golden light.

Stunned, Shen Lie forgot all about the danger. He watched as the golden brilliance scattered, then condensed into a thin stream, like a swimming fish, heading straight for the center of his brow. To witness such a spectacle in his life, he thought, was worth it.

The golden liquid, transformed into light, believed itself free from the black’s grasp. But the black liquid exploded as well—not into stardust, but into a dark radiance, like a veil of night that washed over all the golden glow. Then, gathering into a smaller droplet, it dove into Shen Lie’s brow together with the golden stream.

The battle between the liquids was over. But Shen Lie saw nothing more, for the moment the scattered gold and concentrated black entered his brow, he slipped into unconsciousness once again.

Shen Lie dreamed—a wild, bizarre dream. At one moment, he became a golden giant, brimming with power, as if he could pluck the sun, moon, and stars with a wave of his hand. The next, he was a man in a black cloak, body thin and withered, yet with a mind as sharp as ever, viewing the world with utter indifference, as though every living thing but his own kind were insignificant ants.

The two streams of consciousness switched and intertwined incessantly, nearly driving him to madness. In the end, he realized he had become both at once: the golden giant and the black-cloaked man. Arrogance, coldness, fury—all manner of emotions twisted together until his very soul seemed on the verge of collapse, even within the dream.

Then.

Then he saw a streak of black light, and heard a cry of unwillingness.

...

He didn’t know how much time had passed when he finally awoke from his coma.

His body now looked normal again—the monstrous appearance was gone, though he was unaware of this, with no mirror to see himself. The first thing he did upon waking was to lie on the ground in a daze.

Usually, he forgot his dreams soon after waking, but this one was too vivid, leaving a lingering impression. Even when awake, his mind kept replaying fragments of the dream.

After a long while, Shen Lie finally shook off the confusion and surveyed his surroundings, only then recalling his predicament.

“Is it... over?”

He remembered the two strange drops last entering his brow. At the time, he had thought himself doomed, whether to possession by an evil spirit or to some fatal toxin—yet all that happened was a dream.

He stretched his limbs, feeling sensation returned. Shen Lie quickly stood up, checking his body over.

“No injuries at all? And I feel... stronger?”

Examining himself, he found not only was he unscathed, but his earlier hunger and weakness had vanished. He felt power surging within, and sensed a mysterious energy lurking in his blood, almost begging to be released.

He exhaled sharply.

On instinct, Shen Lie threw a punch. A gust of wind whistled at his fist, a sign of the strength behind the blow. But what truly shocked him was that, as his fist flew out, it turned faintly golden.

The sudden transformation gave him quite a fright. He’d thought nothing had changed, but clearly, that was wishful thinking. Whether it was the golden liquid he had drunk or the thing that entered his brow, something had altered him. But this was not the time to investigate—what mattered was that he was alive, and this place brimmed with danger. He needed to leave as soon as possible.

He pulled out his phone and saw it had powered off from lack of battery. Before passing out, he’d had two bars left; this phone was known for its long standby time. That meant he’d been unconscious for a long time.

This realization made him even more anxious to leave. Not only was this a dead end, those strange patterns were no teleportation array. If he accidentally triggered something else, he doubted he’d survive. Now, with his newfound strength and stamina, he might have a better chance. Perhaps that giant insect had already left, and if so, the crack in the wall was his best hope for escape.

With that, Shen Lie glanced cautiously at the shattered golden bones and the massive, dark-red chair atop the golden dais. He dared not make any rash moves, and retreated step by step toward the exit.

“Maybe I need a weapon,” he thought.

His eyes fell on the black, pointed metal cylinder lying amid the golden bones. A flicker of desire passed through him. This was the only weapon he had seen in this entire space, and earlier events proved it was no ordinary item. If he didn’t seize it now, he might never have another chance.

After a moment’s hesitation, greed won out. Gritting his teeth, Shen Lie strode swiftly to the dais, grabbed the object, and fled without a backward glance from that great hall.