When Huai Shi opened his eyes, he saw the ceiling of his dormitory and felt a wave of surprise.
This ti he actually didn't wake up in so hospital or ergency room, but was lying safely and securely in his own bed? Wasn't there sothing off about that?
Couldn't even a utility person stay in a hospital anymore?!
"Doctor, could you check again?"
Two hours later, he stood at the entrance of the dical office, clutching the doctor's arm. "I feel like I've sustained severe injuries. Look, this part is swollen; could there be so curse or infection? And I can't seem to clear my head. Is it because I lost too much Source Substance? Take a look, another look, a careful look."
In the end, the head of the dical office couldn't help but roll their eyes. "Mr. Huai Shi, you are really very healthy. Please stop wasting valuable dical resources."
"But my back hurts like hell."
"That's because your previous mattress was too soft. Sorry, but all the beds here at the Iron Crystal Throne are hard."
"I'm dizzy!"
"It's excessive blood loss, but that's not a big deal for your blood-making abilities. Have two good als and you'll be fine. If not, here are two bags of blood; go back and transfuse them yourself."
"Wait, my vision just went dark all of a sudden... Doctor, am I going blind!"
"Because your arm hit the light switch."
The head of the dical office sighed, put down their clipboard, and asked helplessly, "What do you really want?"
"I want to be hospitalized."
Huai Shi's eyes widened as he said seriously, "Look, every ti after a big battle, if I don't stay in a hospital, I always feel like sothing's missing. Just give a bed to lie on."
The head of the dical office sighed and began to look around, wanting to find a rope to hang him up here—or hang themselves. Thankfully, the belated savior finally made their entrance before a tragedy occurred.
"I heard Mr. Huai Shi woke up?"
The door was knocked, and the Director of Affairs stood in the corridor with his hands behind his back, smiling. "Do you have a mont to talk, Mr. Huai Shi?"
Although he regretted not satisfying his wish to stay in the hospital, Huai Shi thought about it and still sighed, nodding to the head of the dical office. "I'll be back in a mont; we'll continue our conversation later."
No no no, please don't co back.
Stop wasting dical resources!
The face of the head of the dical office turned so green it started to go blue.
「. . .」
Outside on the deck of the Iron Crystal Throne, high in the sky, the Director of Affairs and Huai Shi found a quiet spot and simply sat down on chairs.
"Would you like so tea?" the Director of Affairs asked with a smile, pointing at the tea furnace. "I don't an to boast, but I'm quite good at making tea."
Huai Shi nodded indifferently. "Sure."
While preparing the tea, the Director of Affairs's first sentence made Huai Shi breathe a huge sigh of relief.
"During the ti you were asleep, an inspector from the Astronomical Society had already visited," said the elder. "After completing their investigation, they decided not to pursue your actions. Congratulations, Mr. Huai Shi, you don't have to attend any hearing or inquiry now. However, they do hope that you could write a detailed report later, to serve as evidence for the Jurisdiction Bureau Office Strategy Room during their monthly eting."
Huai Shi listened in a daze for a long ti, wiping sweat from his brow. Was he really going to get off this lightly?
Although the Sun Caster's choice had nothing to do with him, he had directly participated in the entire event and was essentially the one who released a brand-new Ruler...
A Ruler, even the weakest one, was capable of posing a significant threat to the Current Circumstances, stirring up storms in the Abyss. Not to ntion, she harbored a vendetta as deep as the Blood Sea.
Huai Shi had already prepared himself to be stripped of all rank after the inquiry, or to attend 'Love the Current Circumstances' re-education sessions at the Sea Trench Prison.
And it was over just like that?
"That inspector was quite easy to talk to and didn't excessively trouble the people involved. Quite amiable, really. However, they seed to be very curious about the matter with your child, inquiring for a long ti... Are you acquaintances by any chance?" the Director of Affairs asked.
Huai Shi instinctively felt sothing was amiss and looked up in astonishnt. "What's their na? Where are they from?"
"Apparently from the Abyss Developnt Bureau. Due to nearby deep-sea business, they were temporarily appointed to lead the team here. They didn't tell us their na, but I rember their surna seed to be Wu."
From the Abyss Developnt Bureau, surnad Wu, and intent on persecuting him... As he thought this, darkness fell before Huai Shi's eyes. His hand trembled, and he almost spilled the tea.
Isn't that blasted fox at it again?!
If he guessed correctly, the inspector who had just co and gone was indeed an acquaintance of his—the sa old fox whose reputation he had accidentally ruined during the Witch's Night! And the fox had certainly seized his chance. He had accidentally misspoken centuries ago, making the fox a laughingstock for hundreds of years. Now the fox had found his opportunity! Wouldn't he try to give Huai Shi double the trouble in return?
He could already foresee a miserable future with his reputation in ruins. Pale-faced, he now wished soone else had co to drag him off to an inquiry eting... at least that wouldn't have been life-threatening! Just a few bemused glances from a senior sister disciple were almost too much to bear. If Bagua continued to spread to the Current Circumstances, who knew how they would twist his image.
The title of "Mad Lover Little Huai Shi" or sothing similar would be more than enough.
And yet, he still owed that fox a favor!
The birth of a Ruler was not sothing the Jurisdiction Bureau could simply overlook. Although this Ruler currently showed little interest in the Current Circumstances, necessary precautions and alerts were a minimum requirent. If the Sun Caster were to subsequently take charge of an Abyssal power and gain so form of authority, the alert level would likely need to be adjusted upward. As for Huai Shi, the instigator, receiving only a light punishnt and writing a report as if nothing had happened—such treatnt could indeed be considered as if he were the Jurisdiction Bureau's own son.
Even the Great Grandmaster began to suspect that Huai Shi had so sort of affair with a rich old lady in the Central Strategy Room for such a major incident to result in only internal criticism. He had been ready to make that old scoundrel Luo Su the scapegoat if things got tough, but unexpectedly, not even a thunderclap or raindrop had fallen; the issue was quietly swept under the rug. What transpired behind the scenes, and what sort of sordid, unspeakable deal Luo Su struck with the Astronomical Society's upper echelons, was beyond his concern.
"Don't go bothering the dical office later," the Director of Affairs sighed. "Your health checkup was personally conducted by and the Great Grandmaster; I assure you, you're healthy.
"However, for the next month, avoid physical altercations and try not to use your Stigma. Your recent propensity for solidification has been a bit high."
Huai Shi nodded in understanding. This was an aftereffect of the Eternal Frozen Heart's internal curse. After soaking for so long in the Sea of Black ford by pure despair, it was impossible not to suffer so consequences. If he hadn't been part of the Heavenly Kingdom Genealogy, possessed Abyss Resistance, and had the high-end Soloist's Stigma, he probably would have solidified already. That he was still able to jump around was all thanks to his substantial investnt in the past. Even precious Rotten Dream Debris was used as the foundation for the Buried Sacred Place. As for the rootless Curse, as long as Huai Shi didn't act recklessly, it would dissipate over ti and could even strengthen the passive effects of the Buried Sacred Place.
Unfortunately, the Soloist's Sky's Command was unrelated to slaughter. Even participating in the destruction of the Eternal Frozen Heart and gaining a significant amount of Correction Value couldn't allow the Stigma to grow. Only when the Soloist Stigma was complete and the Mystic Ritual was used to transform it into the Great Priestess within the Third Stage could it be of use.
Thus, the greatest gains from this venture into Hell, aside from the iron ingot the Sun Caster had tempered from the Black Sea, were his right hand: Soul·Hand of Confinent.
It had already preemptively reached the complete Third Stage, bypassing lengthy groundwork and achieving unity with the Stigma. On the surface, it appeared like one plus one was greater than two, as both complented and enhanced each other. But in essence, it symbolized a deep fusion of self and miracle, and was also the ultimate goal of Third Stage·Ether.
He had skipped the preliminary stages, achieving the union of soul and Stigma even before his internal organs had fully transford. All that was left was for the Soloist's Stigma to truly integrate into his body during its growth, unifying his body, Stigma, and soul completely. Then, he could start preparing for the Great Priestess' transformation Mystic Ritual. Thinking of the huge future financial demands, Huai Shi couldn't help but feel a headache.
Besides, the only slight imperfection was... due to the Sun Caster's impromptu addition and the deep fusion of soul with the Stigma, his body, not fully Ether-integrated, had developed a minor, non-intrusive abnormality.
Simply put, Huai Shi's right hand, up to the elbow, had turned completely tallic. It looked like an exquisitely carved and decorated expensive prosthetic limb, adorned with elaborate patterns, intricately designed, and reflecting a flamboyant style. Touch sensation remained the sa, as did the weight; it felt as natural as if it had always been that way, with no discomfort or interference in daily life. The gripping strength and durability had increased, but not to an excessive degree.
Huai Shi had experinted. Upon activating the Foundry Heart, his entire right arm would enter a highly Source-Materialized state, significantly enhancing the Hand of Confinent's capabilities and allowing him to modify and specialize the weapons he created.
Foundry Level 7.
A new skill certified by the Book of Fate, it opened up a new category alongside Alchemy; this was the Forgers' heritage from the Town of Dusk. However, there was considerable overlap between the two, especially in tallography, Huai Shi's area of expertise, where he had already achieved great pioneering works and results.
Huai Shi estimated that if he could advance his Foundry skills to Level 10, his Soul Ability would undergo a further qualitative change, even allowing him to greatly upgrade his weapons. Regrettably, the Forgers only left behind a record that barely counted as a preamble. The rest he had to figure out by combining it with Alchemy, which naturally involved a lot of experintation and failure.
When Huai Shi ca to his senses, he suddenly realized—Am I about to embark on a new bottomless route of financial investnt? And one that rivals Alchemy, no less!
Looking at the modest balance and savings finally in his account, he could already envision their elegant farewell.
In that mont, Huai Shi couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of grief, struggling to breathe.
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