This magic is really strong!
As a modern person, Shawn, after gaining new extraordinary powers, immediately tested the strength of this ability.
"No need to chant a spell, just a simple gesture can activate it."
"The arm's range of motion is about three meters."
"The flexibility is similar to a normal person's arm, able to accomplish most everyday tasks."
Writing, drawing.
Shawn used the Secret Hand to lift the table in front of him, weighing about fifty kilograms, which was close to the Secret Hand's limit. Even moving it himself would be quite strenuous, and using one hand would certainly be difficult.
"This is just a level 1 spell."
Standing motionless, Shawn watched as a dining knife floated in the air before swiftly darting forward toward the bookshelf, embedding itself in an instant.
He seemed to have found a new toy, directly approaching the desk, as the chair beside him automatically placed itself behind him.
"It's incredibly convenient!" Shawn couldn't help but exclaim.
The quill pen on the desk floated up in the air, and then a sheet of paper unfolded, the quill dipped in ink, and began to write. He mused silently, "Within a three-meter radius, it's like having an extra hand, useful for many things, even combat."
"An invisible hand can do so many things."
This spell doesn't consume much energy for Shawn. If he wishes, he can maintain it for a long time, as long as he remains focused.
"Yes. Focus."
"Hecate said that focus is the caster's foremost requirement, and maintaining any spell demands focus."
This is currently the first self-protection ability Shawn possesses.
In the knowledge of flowing Primitive Magic Power, Shawn has mastered three level 1 spells. Actually, this ability is more of a supernatural ability than a spell because it greatly differs from his understanding of casting.
"Undying Touch can immediately paralyze the target's body at the moment of contact with the enemy."
"But it requires close contact."
"Detect Emotions can sense the target's emotional fluctuations and reveal their strongest current emotion."
"So, for now, only the Secret Hand is most suitable for self-protection."
Time passed unconsciously.
When Shawn came back to his senses, he noticed the Butcher standing outside the room door, having been observing him for an unknown duration.
"You've completed your advancement." The Butcher's expression was somewhat surprised.
—Surprised.
Shawn detected the emotion, directly feeding it back to his brain, as if he himself felt surprised.
As he momentarily lost focus, the floating quill dropped to the ground, and the invisible hand gradually dissipated.
The Butcher shrugged, saying, "Looks like you need to learn how to maintain focus and combat spellcasting."
"Let's go."
"It's dinner time."
Tonight's dinner was quite sumptuous, featuring specially prepared grilled lamb ribs with a distinctive lamb aroma. Although the Butcher remained a complete vegetarian, Shawn was intrigued, moving slightly in confusion to see if there was anything unusual.
"You can eat."
The Butcher focused on cutting the hard bread in front of him, and slowly said, "Produced from the Dolan Region's lambs."
"Very tasty."
"Made by a special chef, with secret barbecue sauce and flavorful seasoning."
"I eat vegetarian because of work, not fond of meat."
Shawn picked up a knife and fork, cut off a piece, put it in his mouth to taste—juicy, tender, and aromatic, stimulating the taste buds, he couldn't help but take another bite.
"Since Hecate agreed to mentor you, your meals will be arranged just like a Wizard Apprentice's," the Butcher continued eating, not lifting his head, "The kitchen is in the room on the right in the first-floor corridor; if you need anything, you can ask them."
"There aren't many living people here, fresh ingredients need to be prepared in advance."
"If you're not used to eating it, you can cook by yourself."
"Hmm." The Butcher looked at Shawn, who had put down his knife and fork, and thoughtfully said, "The cook is alive. You can eat without worry."
Shawn froze for a moment, silently saying to himself, I don't eat people.
After dinner, the maid took away the dishes.
The Butcher took out his silver flask, poured himself a drink, glanced at Shawn, then drank of his own accord.
"Since you've advanced to a transcendent."
"Then here you can change jobs." The Butcher took a sip and said, "The salary will be higher."
"When you return to the real world, you'll have plenty of resources."
Hearing this, Shawn couldn't help but look up, softly asking, "I can go back?"
"Of course." The Butcher smiled and said, "You didn't think we would keep you locked up here, did you?"
"But otherworldly souls find it hard to integrate into ordinary society."
"You don't feel a sense of belonging here."
"So, initially, we will arrange a job for you; don't worry, it's not a dangerous job."
"Once you've passed the assessment period, you can basically arrange your own life at will."
Is there really such a good thing?
Shawn's demeanor was slightly skeptical, and he asked, "You're an otherworldly soul too."
"Hmm." The Butcher nodded, saying, "But I grew up here, lived here nearly fifty years; unlike you, I have my anchor in this world."
"You're actually unlike other otherworldly souls."
"I know someone who was once an angel, from a place called Heaven Mountain; she always wanted to return to her homeland."
Hearing this, Shawn felt a bit excited and cautiously asked, "Can we really go back?"
The Butcher shook his head and said, "No. It's very difficult."
"This is the Distant Realm, a forgotten cosmos."
No way back.
The Butcher stood up and patted Shawn on the shoulder, "You can't stay here too long, the gray mist will erode everyone."
"You only have three months to learn."
Three months?
Does that mean in three months, I will be sent back to the memory of the Dorne Kingdom?
"Come with me," the Butcher said, standing up, "Get a head start on adapting to your new job, you also need to learn how to fight, how to protect yourself."
"Many people's first job after returning to reality is as an investigator."
"Although not that dangerous, it's also hard to avoid combat. You have a lot to learn."
Investigator?
Is it the kind of job I imagined?
Shawn stood up, he had already begun to slowly adapt here, come what may, survive first before anything else.
Outside the monastery.
The Butcher led Shawn through this vast cemetery, where there were countless tombstones, but most of them had no names, he said while walking, "Most of the normal creatures in the Bizarre Realm have gone extinct."
"The high walls can isolate many evil objects, but some small things can still pop out."
"Your new job is cleaner."
The Butcher pointed ahead, and when Shawn climbed up the high slope and looked down, he quickly felt a chill in his scalp because he saw many deformed bugs.
They looked somewhat like deformed millipedes, centipedes, slightly bloated, about thirty centimeters long, fist-sized, and some larger ones were gnawing at everything around them like a swarm of bloodthirsty locusts.
Shawn couldn't help but ask, "What is that?"
The Butcher put down the heavy box he was carrying, opened it while answering, "Soul Worms."
"Also a specialty of the cemetery district."
"The ones with a human face on their heads are more valuable, the others are just fertilizer."
"What kind of weapon are you used to using?"
Bam.
Inside the box the Butcher opened, Shawn saw all kinds of weapons: knives, spears, sticks, daggers, long swords, and some bizarre and unusual weapons. In the corner of the box, Shawn also saw a revolver, and his breathing suddenly quickened.
The Butcher picked up that revolver, the small gun seemed like a toy in his palm, and he asked, "Can you use this?"
"McCarter Revolver, the standard equipment of the Kingdom Guard."
"But there aren't many bullets here."
The Butcher tossed the gun to Shawn.
Shawn reached out to catch the gun, flicked the cylinder, six chambers, and whispered, "No, but I've seen it before."
The Butcher nodded, "Then keep it."
"But this thing isn't very effective against evil objects."
That's because you don't have enough firepower.
Shawn is quite aware of the power of modern firearms; all fear stems from insufficient firepower.
"Kill them all?" he asked.
The Butcher nodded, "These things eat everything, if left unchecked, they'll greatly damage the environment."
"They pop out quickly, need regular cleaning."
Understood.
Shawn looked at the box in front of him, picked up a long sword, swung it a bit, then switched to a long knife, which felt more comfortable to wield. He cautiously asked, "Are they difficult to handle?"
The Butcher shook his head, "Not difficult, just don't get bitten."
Indeed, not difficult to deal with.
The worms were rather clumsy, completely unaware of Shawn's approach until he slashed one in half with a single blow, then the other worms were startled and swarmed.
"Too many!" Shawn began to retreat.
One of the soul worms with a human face outline on its head suddenly lunged from the side, Shawn shifted his gaze a bit, and as he swung the knife to kill the worm in front, a black invisible hand extended from his back.
The body of the soul worm suddenly froze mid-air, then sunk in as if squeezed, bursting apart.
"No battle experience, but learns quickly," the Butcher said to the empty place beside him.
By now Shawn had already pulled away from the worms; he realized if he got too close, he could be injured, these worms had very sharp mouthparts, capable of gnawing through rock.
Three meters is a safe distance.
The invisible Secret Hand wielded the long knife, while Shawn focused on dodging and running.
From an outsider's perspective, all they could see was Shawn continually dodging those worms, while a long knife hovered mid-air, constantly slashing them.
The Butcher stood far on the hillside, saying to the empty place beside him, "Should have no problem being a regular investigator."
Bam!
A soul worm that was noticeably different pounced forward, it was quicker, with a terrifying old man's face growing on its sinister head, Shawn didn't hesitate to draw his gun and shoot, at less than two meters, directly hitting the worm's head, blasting that painful human face to bits.
"This thing is indeed handy!" Shawn raised the gun, couldn't help but exclaim.
He thought of an image from a past life, of Harry Potter.
The invisible hand had the strength of a grown man, if he was given a few more guns, his firepower alone would be formidable.
Compared to cold weapons, Shawn undoubtedly preferred firearms.
.........