My words were too righteous. To anyone else, I would sound like a hypocrite, preaching what I didn't practice.

However—

Standing among these men was a different story. I'm the good guy here because the standard was just absurdly low.

I mean, the difference between an individual that indulges mainly in carnal pleasures and an organization who intentionally hurt and kill others for experimental purposes was astronomically wide.

"Master Cheng, seeing the level you've achieved, you must know that sacrifice is essential for true progress. All we're doing is exploring how humans could ascend even higher."

"Ascend higher? You really think turning humans into monsters counts as progress?"

Kyle sighed.

"Master Cheng, regardless of our differences, you can't deny that monsters are far superior to humans. There's a reason no one has ever fully climbed the Tower. It's simply impossible."

I glanced around. He was stalling with his words.

"It's time for your lesson. Whether you learn it now or carry it into your next life makes no difference to me."

He didn't answer. He just shook his head in disappointment —and began attacking.

BOOM!

A single strike detonated in the air a few inches ahead. I twisted mid-step, narrowly avoiding it.

Just as I was about to get momentum, another strike erupted from my left—and then another, and another, repeating without pause.

I jumped back multiple times, trying to gauge the reach of his strikes, until I reached a wall.

Judging by his attacks, his range exceeded this entire chamber.

Celestial weapons… what a headache.

But it was also full of opportunity. Absorbing that cane would elevate my power to an entirely new level.

If I'm being honest, I wanted to switch to my spear right now—but that would make this fight too easy.

Right now, I didn't lack firepower. What I lacked was experience—and it wasn't every day I faced an opponent who could actually make me break a sweat.

BOOM!

BOOM!

Two invisible explosions echoed, pinching me in from both sides.

I leapt into the ceiling and twisted—then planted my foot on my own shadow, using it as a foothold to stand upside down.

So, he could use that annoying ability more than once at a time. Great.

I felt another attack coming—this time, three strikes at once.

thud!

I kicked off the ceiling and shot downward.

Midair, invisible explosions erupted all around me. I twisted and maneuvered through them, barely slipping through the gaps.

This wasn't going anywhere if I kept playing along.

The second I landed, my muscles snapped like coiled springs, propelling me forward in a blur.

Kyle also increased the rate of his attacks, putting them ahead of me and tearing apart my momentum.

'Let's find out if I can slice through it'

My sword flashed, cutting through the impact and trying to redirect it—however, the shockwaves was unpredictable, and slammed into me.

Good thing my Qi veil absorbed most of it—otherwise, I would've taken real damage.

"Master Cheng, is this all you've got?" Kyle's voice turned arrogant, his earlier politeness cracking now that he got some advantage.

"Not at all. I was merely testing your power—seeing whether you got anything worth offering. But its obvious now, small victories satisfy you far too easily. How shallow."

Kyle's smile stiffened.

Bruno let out a low chuckle, rolling his shoulders. "Heh… looks like he struck a nerve."

Kyle exhaled slowly, fingers tightening around the cane. The arrogance didn't vanish—but it sharpened, turning colder, more focused.

"Careful, Master Cheng. People who underestimate me usually die a painful death."

I laughed softly and stepped forward, dust falling from my sleeves as I straightened my robe.

"Underestimate?" I shook my head. "No. I was evaluating. And now, I'll show you what it means to face an unrivaled master like me."

The cane tapped again.

BOOOM!

An invisible strike erupted where I would have been a heartbeat earlier.

This time, I didn't dash. I didn't blur. I slid—barely a step, just enough to let the attack detonate harmlessly behind me.

Kyle's eyes narrowed.

Tap. Tap.

Two strikes—one high, one low. I twisted my torso, Qi flowing smoothly, letting both pass by inches. The shockwaves tugged at my clothes but failed to slow me.

I kept advancing.

Not charging. Not retreating.

Walking.

His tapping grew erratic.

The attacks kept coming—just as deadly as before—but something had changed. I wasn't reacting to the strikes alone anymore. I was watching him.

The way he wielded the cane.

The timing.

The habit.

For others, spotting it would be nearly impossible—they would be too busy trying to survive his attacks.

Not me. Sure, I got caught before, but that was only because I was testing whether I could block it.

Step by step, I closed the distance. My control over Qi grew stronger. I was improving in real time, and that alone made this entire mission worthwhile.

"Kyle, I'll help you!" Bruno stepped forward and took a pill.

His body began turning pitch black, tiny holes forming across his skin, releasing smoke like a steam engine.

"Old man, this is the power of the drug we're creating. I'm one of the first people who can sustain it." Bruno spat and launched himself toward me like a battering ram.

His speed was no joke—almost on par with mine.

What made him even more dangerous, though, was the momentum; he tore through the air, sparks flying in his wake.

"You're not the only one who can do that,"

Shadow energy and Qi spiraled around my fist, turning it pitch black.

BOOOM!

The collision of our fists rocked the entire chamber.

Contrary to everyone's expectation, it was Bruno who went flying like a ragdoll, crashing into the other Seekers, and killing them.

Kyle's eyes widened. Even he hadn't expected his companion to be defeated in a contest of strength—especially after taking that suspicious drug.

But frankly, the outcome was only natural.

Drugs or not, I had three rare physiques—muscles and bones tempered to perfection, and martial arts that let me use my body in ways others could only dream of.

With shadow energy layered on top, it made me unbeatable in raw strength alone.

In fact, at my current level, I could even go toe-to-toe with that boss ape I fought before in a fistfight.

Yeah, a fistfight against a literal monster the size of a building.

"Bruno! Are you alright?" Kyle shouted while tapping his cane to keep me at bay.

Unfortunately, I was done playing. Instead of dodging, I drove my darkened fist straight into the invisible attack head-on.

BOOM!

It collapsed before it could even build any real force.

"You… have the same ability as Bruno?" he asked, studying me carefully from head to toe.

"Same as him?" I laughed softly. "Don't be ridiculous. Mine is a technique I have cultivated for a hundred years—it's not as cheap as your so-called superpowers."

Kyle's eyes narrowed. He began tapping the floor frantically, but no attacks came at me.

Not wanting to wait and see what he planned, I closed the distance in a blink. Whatever his trick was, it wouldn't matter once his head was separated from his body.

'It's over.'

My blade hovered inches from his neck. Just a little more, and he would meet his maker.

"Got you." he smiled.

I blacked out, and when I came to, I was lying on the floor, buried under rubble and broken concrete.

What the hell just happened?

I tried to get up, but every bone in my body was broken.

[Host, you have sustained fatal damage. Pain receptors for the clone have been automatically shut down.]

Good thing, too—because judging by my condition, my status was anything but good.

Remind me again never to underestimate someone with a Celestial Weapon.

"You lost, Master Cheng." Kyle stood before me, his lips bleeding—likely from the backlash of his own attack.

"To think that an attack capable of turning stone to dust only left you half-dead… that alone proves your body is beyond exceptional."

"Young man…" I coughed, forcing the words out. "Haven't you heard the saying? What doesn't… doesn't kill you… makes you stronger."

He shook his head in disbelief. "You still have the energy to talk back. Don't worry, Master Cheng—we'll use your body to further our research."

"That doesn't sound too bad… but…" I paused, "Aside from durability, you should probably add another subject."

Curious he got closer. "What is it?"

"Hyper Regeneration."

My broken hands snapped back with lightning speed, bones reshaping and twisting into razor-sharp claws.

He reacted fast, but he was already too close.

Before he could even lift his cane, I ripped his right leg clean off and drove it straight through his chest.

thud!

He hit the ground, coughing up blood. Long-range fighters like him always have one weakness: their bodies aren't built to take hits.

Meanwhile, my wounds began knitting themselves back together, even in this partial transformation. A handy trick I picked up while experimenting with my Metamorphosis skill.

Unlike the original skill, mine was far more flexible—and packed with way more features, thanks to the system.

The other Seekers began stepping back when they saw me roll my shoulders and snap my neck like a zombie coming back to life.

I couldn't really blame them—they were staring at someone who had literally cheated death.

"H-How… how is this possible? Immortal… how can you be immortal?" Kyle spat the words out through his bloodied teeth.

"What a weird question," I said, brushing off my clothing—or what was left of it. "You live in a world full of monsters and superpowers, and you're shocked by this?"

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