"I want..." Fang Yuan began, his voice as calm as the surface of a still lake, yet beneath that serenity lay a storm of boundless ambition. "I want total knowledge. I want the details of the 22 pathways, the abilities of every sequence from nine to zero, the potion formulas, the required ingredients, and most importantly... the weaknesses of every path."
The Weaver's smile widened; he seemed to have expected this exact request. He spoke with a hint of amusement: "Knowledge is power, isn't it, Oh Venerable? You wish to possess the map before your feet even touch the ground."
With a fluid wave of his hand, the mist condensed around Fang Yuan's head, transforming into a torrential flood of images, symbols, and words that surged violently into his mind. Fang Yuan felt a sharp pain tearing at his soul as he assimilated the concepts of these alien pathways. He saw the "Spectator" path, witnessed the secrets of the "Sailor," and dived into the depths of the "Marauder"... He saw the Sequence 0 for each—the pinnacle that none dare to dream of.
"You have what you desired," the Weaver said, his voice fading as the table and chairs dissolved into nothingness. "But remember, Fang Yuan: in that world, knowledge is also a curse. The more you know, the greater the danger of your madness."
Before Fang Yuan could respond, the void collapsed beneath him. He felt his body falling into a bottomless well, shrouded by mist. The Weaver's playful laughter vanished, replaced by the distant, mournful whistle of a steam train. The scent of coal mixed with the salty dampness of the sea.
He opened his eyes to find himself lying on a hard wooden bed in a cramped, dark room. A headache tore through his skull like heated daggers, but his mind was orderly and organized, as it always was. He immediately recalled the most vital piece of information he had acquired:
"I am now in Tingen City..."
He touched his face with thin fingers; he was no longer the Venerable at whose name the world trembled, but merely an ordinary human at the start of an unknown journey. Yet, in that darkness, a terrifying smile etched itself onto his lips—a smile that did not belong to this fragile world.
Fang Yuan absorbed the faint glow coming from the small window. This was not the sun of the Gu World, vibrant with power and life; it was a cold, pale sun, obscured by heavy clouds of thick smoke and industrial dust.
He propped himself up on the harsh wooden bed, ignoring the annoying creak of the dilapidated furniture. His new body was weak, frail, and entirely lacked training. But his mind... his mind was a priceless treasure. He immediately began classifying and arranging the massive influx of information the Weaver had planted in him.
"I have succeeded in obtaining knowledge," he thought, analyzing the data with absolute precision. "This means I will not walk blindly in this world. I know the pathways, and I know the risks."
He reviewed the 22 pathways with a critic's eye:
Spectator: Powerful in emotional manipulation, but lacks direct strength in the beginning.
Reader: Grants deep understanding, but is too theoretical.
Warrior: Immense physical strength, but prone to direct madness.
Sailor: Control over storms, but geographically limited to water.
Marauder: Allows for the theft of abilities and concepts... a path that appealed to him personally, as it required meticulous planning.
Lawyer: Useful for political manipulation.
Prisoner: Distinguished in combat and torture.
Assassin: Specialized in assassination and infiltration.
He weighed each path carefully. He wasn't just looking for quick power, but for the path that granted the maximum amount of freedom—the path he could control while bypassing its risks.
"The path I choose must be one that grants me the ability to survive first and foremost," he pondered deeply, then stopped at the "Marauder" pathway.
"Marauder..." Fang Yuan whispered, his voice carrying a hint of familiarity. "A path that relies on opportunism and deception, allowing the theft of abilities and concepts... Isn't this what I have always done in the Gu World? I stole recipes, I stole Gu, I stole opportunities... This path suits my nature perfectly."
He continued his cold reasoning: "In the lower sequences, the abilities may be limited, but they will give me an edge in gathering information and manipulating enemies. In the higher sequences, the abilities will become lethal. And if I can reach Sequence 0, I might become an entity capable of stealing immortality itself."
He made his decision: "Marauder will be my first path."
He rose from the bed, feeling the coldness of the wooden floor beneath his feet. He was hungry, but his mind was full of plans. He didn't know where to find the potion ingredients, but he wasn't worried; one who succeeded in the Gu World amidst impossible hardships would succeed here too.
"Weaver... I do not know your goal in sending me to this world," he whispered, staring into the emptiness. Compared to that entity, his body now was miniscule. Was it possible to oppose the Weaver?
"Interesting." He smiled silently.
Five hundred years of experience allowed him to understand that everything has a price, and to face all of this with an iron heart that seeks immortality. If anyone tried to stop him, regardless of their identity, their death would be at his hands. The ambitions in his heart were vast; walking this path meant making the world your enemy.
He was destined to be alone. Destined to kill. This was the conclusion of five hundred years of a tumultuous life.
"I may not know your goal; you might be trying to subject me to your whims, but there is nothing new in this. From the moment I was born in Qing Mao Mountain, I was mostly subject to Heaven's Will. After the battle of Yi Tian Mountain, I tried to break free, but I was exposed in the Dream Realm. My journey has always been full of obstacles."
His new journey had begun—a journey in a world of mist and madness that would not stop until he reached the peak, or until the darkness swallowed him.
Fang Yuan continued to contemplate his reflection in the old, cracked mirror above the extinguished fireplace. The features were not alien to him; they resembled his younger self at Qing Mao Mountain: an "ordinary" face to a suspicious degree, average features you might find in any crowded alleyway. A thin body, 170 cm tall, a frail build due to poverty, and a strange necklace hanging around his neck.
But, as if nature refused to leave out the mark of truth, his eyes were the black hole in that ordinary face. Dark, deep eyes, as if they were a bottomless abyss absorbing the light. A single glance into them was enough to tell any keen observer that behind this simple face lay a soul that had witnessed the extinction of worlds, and a mind that knew no mercy.
Fang Yuan stepped out of his dilapidated room, walking steadily over the city's wet pavements. The smell of burning coal and the sound of distant factories were a strange language, but the knowledge in his mind began to translate everything.
"Marauder..." he thought, shoving his hands into the pockets of his cheap coat. "Sequence 9 requires the 'Error' (Marauder) potion. The main ingredients aren't impossible, but they require money or... theft."
He stopped in front of a shop selling old hardware and watches. "The first step," he said to himself, watching a policeman pass by, "is to find a black market or a gathering of Beyonders. In the Gu World, I searched for Spirit Springs; here, I will search for the sources of supernatural characteristics."
He remembered the Weaver's warning that knowledge is a curse. "The only curse is weakness," he thought coldly. "If madness is the price, then madness shall submit to my demonic heart."
He stopped at a dark street corner, where he saw a man wearing a top hat and carrying a leather bag, appearing tense. With a quick glance of his sunken eyes, Fang Yuan analyzed the man's movements.
"In the Gu World, I needed years to refine a single Gu. Here, I only need a potion... and I have the full map."
Fang Yuan began to follow the man silently, dissolving into the mist as if he were part of it. He wasn't hunting a victim; he was hunting his first step toward immortality in this new world.