Until early August, I continued hunting with the team. We killed two more Leaders and about thirty Servants. I managed to catch another Servant's soul, making me two million richer. In total, I had collected about thirteen million.
On August 1st, the guys decided that the rest of the time until the new school year should be spent on cultivation. They had accumulated enough funds to buy resources and didn't want to risk further.
I called Teacher Tang Yue.
"Hello, this is Li Kai, your former student. Can you talk?"
"Hi Li Kai, yes I can. How are you?"
"Good, thank you. Preparing for Mingzhu admission."
"Congratulations! I heard the competition is very tough. Well done! You'll be an Intermediate Magician soon."
"Actually, about that: I recently managed to break through and awakened an element I know very little about."
"Congratulations! Well done! And what element is it?"
"Spirit."
"Can you come to Hangzhou?"
"Yes! Thank you, I'll head out tomorrow if you don't mind."
"I'll text you the address. Call when you arrive."
"Alright, goodbye Teacher Tang Yue."
"See you, Li Kai."
***
The next evening, I stood before my former teacher's house. Approaching it, I knocked on the door. It opened, and I saw the still-beautiful Tang Yue. In the two years since our acquaintance, she became even more beautiful every day.
"Come in," she waved me into the house.
Everything seemed fine, but something alerted me in her behavior. Her gaze was sharper than usual, and she was ready to strike at any moment, causing her magician's aura to manifest for moments. She also constantly scanned the surroundings as if trying to detect danger. In principle, nothing surprising—anyone connected to the Magic Court should act this way. But something told me my appearance was the trigger for this behavior; she hadn't acted like this before.
"Is everything okay, teacher?"
"Yes. Everything's great. Go to the living room; we'll discuss your Spirit element."
"Alright."
I walked into the house, internally preparing for trouble. Entering the living room, I saw a tall, broad-shouldered man with harsh features looking at me with a heavy gaze.
"Well hello, the Angel of Vengeance of Bo City."
"What? What freaking Angel of Vengeance?"
"Well, what did you expect? You were caught on cameras so many times while killing and torturing Black Order members that local experts managed to compile a whole music video. So you are currently the most popular Magic Court executioner in China."
"And why do you think it was me?"
"No need to lie to me; I am certain it's you. The second dual-elementalist in Bo City, from the same class as Mo Fan. We even bought the awakening orb you used from the magic association. Apparently, it grants such talent with a certain probability; we found no other explanation."
"I don't understand what you're talking about."
"Fine, sit down. Let's talk differently."
I sat in an armchair opposite the man.
"First, I'll introduce myself. My name is Tang Zhong, I am the chairman of the China Magic Court. And I really dislike it when terrorists try to destroy cities in my country, and I also disliked that some kid, instead of reporting everything to us, decided to play vigilante."
Then a huge pressure fell on my shoulders. I realized a Super Magician was sitting before me. A damn angry Super Magician who could eliminate a potential threat without much effort.
Managing to form the Spirit Armor stars, I shielded my mind from the magician's pressure.
"And how the hell was I supposed to do that? No one would let me see you or another chairman of your level. Go through the whole chain? Sorry, but I'm not an idiot."
"True. But why not approach my niece?"
"I was afraid my plan would fail. The Black Order could have just moved their ceremony. And I found out who she was shortly before the ceremony, from the Black Order actually—they knew about her too but were afraid to touch her because of you."
"Listen to me carefully, boy! No more vigilantism! Any information goes to me or Tang Yue first, and she'll come to me. Is that clear!?"
"Perfectly."
"Good. What else do you plan to do with the Black Order members?"
"Nothing."
"What do you mean? First you caused such madness, and now you've decided to step aside? Why?"
"All the information I had, I gave to you. Now it's your problem. Let those who are paid for it handle it."
"Why did you handle it yourself in Bo then?"
"Afraid for my people."
"I see."
We sat in silence looking at each other. I'm no spy. It was foolish to hope they'd just forget about me. If the Magic Court could put two and two together, so could the Black Order. Then I'm dead. Their ranks are mostly scum, but there are monsters among Salan's confidants.
Tang Zhong broke the silence first.
"Thought about what you'll do in the future?"
"Create my own clan."
"Where?"
"Win territory from the monsters."
"A worthy desire. But I'm here to offer you to become who you pretended to be."
"And who is that?"
"An executioner for the Magic Court."
"Why do you need this?"
"Reputation. You already have it. Send you on a couple more public liquidations, and many criminals will surrender themselves once it's announced you were sent after them. This profession requires a certain mindset and such people are hard to find, but you've already demonstrated the necessary talents."
"Those bastards deserved to be killed."
"If that's your condition, fine. I'll pick only total scum for you. And we'll pay well; our budget was significantly increased lately."
"I'll be studying at Mingzhu; when am I supposed to work?"
"We'll send you a request for an internship; Spirit magicians are always in demand, no one will be surprised. You'll be Tang Yue's intern; she'll be your mentor."
"What if the Black Order finds me?"
"Don't worry. All information that led us to you has been cleaned up—at the union where you cleared the sewers and ordered spider venom that killed the Black Order members, and at school where you had two glows but only one element awakened. Only the fact that you're a pharmacist can't be hidden; the info is already in the Shanghai union, and you revealed your Intermediate level quickly. Your elements are rare, but Spirit can be explained by an artifact. But you shouldn't show Summoning to anyone; it's too noticeable."
Yep, I failed everywhere I could.
"Do you need any resources? But don't get too greedy," Tang Zhong asked me.
"I need the most lethal poison that can be obtained from Leader-level monsters."
The man thought it over. He looked at me and said with doubt:
"I'm unlikely to get such a thing; there simply won't be anyone willing to take the order. But Tang Yue will introduce you to someone who might be able to help."
"Alright. Thank you."
The man stood up and left the room. Didn't kill me right away, so that's good. Having to work for him was annoying, of course, but I'm sure I can get off his hook. I just need to become strong enough. Having two identities—an ordinary student recruited by the Magic Court and a completely unhinged executioner—might even be beneficial. No one will investigate the actions of executioners. In this world, such people are a special caste allowed a great deal. They handled not just criminals but were also made to kill monsters that everyone else was afraid to touch. Such people are simply dangerous to touch.
Twenty minutes later Tang Yue entered the room. She sat silently in the armchair Tang Zhong had occupied.
"Well? Met my uncle in person? Better than passing secret notes, isn't it?"
"Honestly, I didn't even think you'd look for me. But where was your support group? Were you really sent there alone?"
"Yes, alone. As uncle admitted, it was rumor-level information from an embedded agent. Essentially, I could have done nothing and my assignment would have been marked complete."
"So that was your first assignment?"
"Yes. And thanks to you it wasn't a failure; we're practically national heroes now. Even the Imperial Palace expressed gratitude."
"Congratulations... Thanks. But I still want to kill you no less. Regarding the Oblivion Insects: we did find them. Cleaned up the immediate circle, but left a couple."
"I assume they died heroically in the line of duty?"
"Yes, the criminal was too powerful."
"I hope your new executioner won't meet such a person?"
"No more dangerous than the trash you cleared in Bo. Criminals and Black Order members are rarely experienced combatants; one doesn't lead such a life out of good fortune. Usually they are just scum who enjoy torturing the weak, or those who didn't achieve much in other fields."
"I'll keep that in mind. How will we keep in touch in Shanghai?"
"You'll do an internship under my guidance. I'm being sent there as a promotion."
"The chairman promised you'd introduce me to someone who will help with my poison problem."
"Yes, but not now. He has health problems currently. When he's better, I'll let you know."
"Alright. I'll go then, MENTOR!"
"Go, go. From now on, call me only that."
I went outside and took a deep breath of fresh, cool air. My head was in total chaos, and my knees were still slightly shaking. Tang Zhong is just a monster in human form! How can he have such an aura?
The main thing is I stayed alive; the rest is manageable. Even if I have to work for the chairman for a while, he can't keep me on a hook forever. Then I'll go into free sailing and let him look for me in the wild zones. I'll return a couple of times a year just for form's sake, to show I'm still alive.
Too bad I couldn't borrow the Totem Snake's poison, but apparently it's preparing to molt. To hell with it, I won't touch it. Who knows what an offended Ruler—and the progenitor of the Poison element—could come up with. I'll just find the best available option through the Hunter's Union.
***
Entering the local branch of the Hunter's Union, I asked the manager for all information on Poison Leader monsters in China and began studying.
There were many options: insects, snakes, frogs, lizards. My eyes were dazzled, but as I studied their poison properties, I was disappointed. Very few were truly lethal.
But among them, I found one very suitable: Demonic Box Jellyfish. These monsters lived in the waters of Weihai on the eastern coast of China. By day, it was a quite popular resort, practically safe. But all that romance lasted only until dark. As the sun set, the local waters became a red danger zone. Demonic Box Jellyfish emerged from the bottom and began their feast. They didn't need tusks or claws; these monsters killed differently. Once a victim touched their tentacles, they were doomed. Box jellyfish venom burned through any defense, caused paralysis, destroyed the nervous system, and stopped the heart almost instantly. No antidote existed for this venom, but I didn't need one. I only needed to obtain some venom to place it in the inner space of my element, where it would be synthesized endlessly, filling the reservoir. This entire process is accompanied by one feature unique to this element: the "Body of Absolute Poison."
The stronger the poison, the stronger the body using it. This is the only element besides Demonization that increases physical strength and resilience. And with the strongest poison, I'll be able to reach the physical parameters of a young Leader!
After staying in a hotel overnight, I headed to Weihai the next day. Arriving in the resort city, I checked into a hotel. I'm here on business, of course, but nothing stops me from staying longer. Maybe until starting university. Essentially, I had a free month to spend on cultivation and recreation.
Heading to the beach, I went into the water and just swam. What a joy! For the first time in both lives, I saw the sea! Good thing I didn't go to heaven after my first death; otherwise I'd be a loser there, as they only talk about the sea in heaven.
Waiting for dark, I headed to a deserted part of the coast and began setting a trap. I took blood bags from my spatial ring and started pouring them into the sea. Soon an unhealthy movement could be seen in the water from the shore. The bait was floating near the shore. Box jellyfish have eyes and can move in water using a jet of water, but I needed someone to lure one closer to me.
A school of large predatory fish arrived at the smell of blood; they dashed along the shallows trying to find wounded prey but failed. Gradually, box jellyfish started approaching them, but these were only Servants. I applied Pacification to them, and they drifted away slowly. Then the first Leader appeared near the school. He didn't fight the fish monsters but simply brushed his tentacles against them, and they died. This action was quite frightening but also motivated me to obtain such a useful tool.
Using a Shadow Spike, I pinned the monster I needed, making it freeze. The bottom under it wasn't deep and the moon was bright, so its shadow was perfectly visible. They aren't transparent like Earth analogues. It had already killed all the fish monsters, and I just had to get a part of its tentacle.
This was happening about twenty meters from the shore, so without wasting time, and casting waves of calm on the area, I swam to the box jellyfish and summoned my artifact knife, saturating it with Shadow energy.
A piece of the tentacle detached very easily; I immediately caught it in a container and swam back to shore. Monsters' venom glands are in the tentacles themselves. Their activation doesn't depend on the owners; as soon as something touches them, the venom release process occurs involuntarily. So even with only a small piece of tentacle, I'll be able to obtain the venom I need.
In the hotel room, I took out the tentacle and began running a special stick along it, forcing it to produce venom. Collecting a couple of grams, I ate a hearty meal, stuck a nutrient solution into my vein, and opened the spiritual poison storage, which looked like a small green funnel that sucked the venom in.
Initially, everything was fine. After a few minutes, weakness came and my pulse pounded faster. After some more time my vision blurred, my head grew heavy and began to ache more and more. My breathing became erratic and air became scarce. My nerves felt exposed; my body ached mercilessly with pain. My vision began to darken and I blacked out.
Consciousness returned gradually; I opened my eyes and looked around the dark room. The medical bag for a month's worth of intravenous nutrition was empty. There was terrible weakness in my body and I wanted to EAT!
Somehow standing up, I found my phone and checked the date. I had been out for five days! Leaving the room, I headed to the restaurant; only snacks were left at night. Never mind. I lunged at them and started eating some dried seafood. A waiter approached and asked what happened; pushing thirty thousand at him, I asked him to find me something to eat. A few minutes later I was sitting and devouring meat platters with bread while chefs were urgently preparing food. I explained to them that I had been in cultivation for a long time and was very hungry, and threw a wad of cash on the table; they nodded understandingly and undertook to feed me their best dishes.
After filling my stomach to the limit, I headed to rest; I needed sleep for my body to adapt.
In the morning I already felt significantly better; a slight weakness remained, but I think it will soon pass. My body had noticeably strengthened, becoming better on a conceptual level. I heard better, saw further, and became much stronger and faster. Gradually my body adapted to the poison in my internal storage; it was already about half full, utilizing the element's spiritual strength. Gradually I need to take the stars under control, and then I'll have a good means for fighting Leaders. The first tier of Intermediate level is called Poisonous Wasps. The caster summons about a dozen wasps that sting the chosen target. If they can deliver even one portion of poison to the enemy, it will already be a victory. I have just over three weeks; I'll cultivate and rest—at least I'll have a vacation at the sea for once.