"What is this!"
"Amazing!"
Just moments after witnessing the shock of the newcomers, it was now their turn to be astonished. This was indeed worthy of our organization!
An Jianyou examined the two trees before her. They were peculiar, their appearance distinctly different from ordinary trees.
The trunk of the tree on her left bore faint reddish stripes, spiraling upwards. The fruits it bore were also a pale red.
On the trunk of the tree to her right, the stripes spiraling upwards were a pale gray, and the strange fruits it produced also had a slight difference.
"These are Skill Fruits," Fang You said as he walked over. "They can be considered fruits that unlock the extraordinary. They are used to enlighten newcomers, giving them the foundation to embark on this path."
He counted six fruits on the Blade Slash Tree to the left and six on the Wicked Tracking Tree to the right. He raised his hand and released six electrical tendrils, accurately striking the stems of the fruits. The fist-sized fruits fell, landing in the wooden box he had prepared. Then came the Blade Slash Fruits from not far away. He really wished he could have pulled up a chair, or climbed up to pick the fruits more carefully, but... alas, the burden of being a mentor.
Fang You calmly collected all the fruits. As the Skill Fruits were plucked, the two fruit trees visibly withered. In a moment, they died, dissipating like sand. Two thumb-sized seeds remained, hovering an inch or two above the ground.
Skill Seed (Blade Slash)
Skill Seed (Wicked Tracking)
Description: ... Current Skill Seed depletion: 7%, Growth cooldown: 167:59:59.
"Mentor, you're busy. I'm going to do my missions now~"
"Wait a moment." Fang You called out to An Jianyou. He remembered this young lady's mysterious value had already... He glanced at her with his detection ability. "You've performed well recently. I will guide you to awaken a stronger power. You will also need to bear more responsibility to fight against this ever-deepening darkness."
An Jianyou blinked in surprise. She straightened her back and saluted, "Yes, Mentor!"
...
The two of them proceeded to Training Room Number Two. Training rooms had buffs that enhanced focus, which Fang You thought would be somewhat useful. While she adjusted her state, he surreptitiously checked An Jianyou's panel for her awakening prompt.
Her awakening success rate was only 58%. Lower than his, but not by much... He recalled that An Jianyou's first awakening success rate had been significantly lower than his. This time, the gap had narrowed. This meant... his conjecture was likely correct. The stronger the wicked beings killed, the more dangerous the embraced mystery. Another possibility was that the more mystery accumulated, the more dangerous the awakening process became... Awakening within standard limits was the most suitable.
Once An Jianyou was ready, Fang You began the 'Guidance: Awakening.' This time, he didn't leave. He stayed on-site, observing with expert-level Wicked Tracking. He witnessed it firsthand. Of course, to alleviate An Jianyou's psychological pressure, he kept his distance, pretending not to be present.
Soon, he heard, "Ahhhhhhh—"
A shriek, like that of a marmot, echoed through the vast training ground. Her face contorted, looking as if she were about to cry... no, she was likely already crying. Crying and screaming. The gray mist around her converged and dispersed, dispersed and converged, like tides.
Approximately half an hour later.
"Ding!"
"Notification: Fate Apostle 'An Jianyou' failed awakening. Mystery -10."
An Jianyou had also failed. Fang You remained silent, but he wasn't too surprised. In games, a 90% chance of failure was common, let alone An Jianyou's success rate of only 58%, a coin toss. He glanced at his phone again. Well, it was similar to his own experience. After failing once, the second guidance for awakening was more expensive, but the success rate was also slightly higher. Just a little.
Failure was like a nightmare. It took An Jianyou a long, long time to wake from this nightmare. She felt lost and dejected. The mentor had guided her and given her the opportunity to become stronger, yet she had failed to seize it, falling short of her mentor's expectations, boohoo.
But more embarrassing than falling short of expectations, what made An Jianyou feel awkward was... she seemed to have screamed again just now. She had screamed many times, and very loudly. Ugh! Her face flushed, her toes curled. The last time had been mortifying, but this time it was public embarrassment. How would she face her mentor in the future, ooooh!
An Jianyou covered her face. "Mentor..."
Fang You, having gone through similar experiences, offered comfort, "It's not your first time. You'll get used to it."
An Jianyou: "..."
Ugh, woohoo 〒▽〒. The only solace might be that only her mentor saw this black history. Thinking about it carefully, the mentor bestowed power upon countless spark warriors to fight wicked beings. With awakened powers, he might have seen many cases like hers. Perhaps she was the only one feeling this awkward! Yes, that's it! An Jianyou reassured herself, making it less embarrassing, but she was still dejected.
Her second awakening had failed. She had heard from Bai Xue that the second awakening was extremely difficult, and many had died in the Investigation Bureau during failed awakenings. This time, her mentor must have paid a great price to protect her. But she had still failed.
"So, take your time recalling the awakening process just now. Write down your thoughts and then get some good rest."
An Jianyou: "..."
Mentor, your way of comforting people is truly unique.
...
An Jianyou's mission for today had to be postponed. She also didn't have enough Mystery points to attempt another try. She would have to wait a few more days. Of course, the Spark organization's finances were a bit tight. An Jianyou's awakening and planting the Skill Seed had directly cost 49 Wicked Crystals. If it weren't for the diligent work of the laborers these days, they would have run out of funds today. He glanced at his inventory.
Wicked Crystals: 11
Destiny Points: 73.2
Wicked Crystals were scarce, but Destiny Points were accumulating quickly.
...
Fang You exited the base and walked to the window on the sixth floor, from where he could see the open ground below. A total of ten preliminary-but-not-quite-preliminary trainees were panting as they ran laps on the training field, carrying weights. This was the most basic physical training, and it also honed their willpower. He was curious how many of them would persevere and pass Heidao's assessment, and he thought it wouldn't be easy. Even if these people possessed considerable potential, it was uncertain if they had the will to persist. Heidao was too strict.
Fang You stood by the window, observing. These auxiliary personnel gasped for breath. Some clearly could barely hold on but were still pushing their limits and running forward under the stimulus of Heidao's killing intent. Old Heidao really knew his stuff.
Among these people, one stood out. Even though he was carrying several times the weight of the others, he ran with incredible speed, creating a gust of wind. Master Mingdeng. It was rumored he had a cooperative relationship with the Investigation Bureau and was a master of profound Buddhist teachings. Yes, he was indeed a master. He could absolutely reason with people.
A flicker of detection light flashed in his pupils as he looked at the most robust figure.
Master Mingdeng
Physique: 3.2
Spirit: 1.5
Mystery: 0.09
Skills: Basic Palm Technique, Basic Staff Technique, Basic Buddhist Teachings
Potential Rating: Unknown (Above Green)
...
ps: Regarding the listing, it's still uncertain. If we can get on Sanjiang next week, it will likely be soon, but if not, then emmmmm. So, please continue reading and give your support! ✿(。◕ᴗ◕。)✿~