Chapter 678: Just Learn, and Don't Make a Sound
Chapter 678: Just Learn, and Don't Make a Sound
"?!?!?!"
As everyone watched the three-headed dog, which had bitten into the Archer Director's calf and was shaking its head frantically in an attempt to tear off a piece of flesh, their minds went blank in unison.
This is what you call 'not quite the same'? This has nothing to do with what we just learned!
"Behave yourself!"
Observing the three-headed dog, with two heads biting onto the Archer Director's legs and the third head reaching towards the middle, Lyon's heart skipped a beat. He immediately raised his hand and slapped the third head, which was about to deliver a fatal blow, and then said awkwardly:
"My situation is as you see it. I can observe and compress the sand, but the result seems to have nothing to do with sand..."
"..."
Indeed.
After being slapped by Lyon, the three-headed dog, which had returned, fell silent. The Archer Director couldn't help but fall into a speechless silence as he recalled the sensation of being bitten.
This has nothing to do with sand, and it doesn't even seem related to the secret art I taught... Wait a minute!
The Archer Director instructed Lyon to control the three-headed dog, then reached out and touched the three snarling dog heads.
Cold, rough, and with a strong abrasive sensation, it felt like caressing a sheet of sandpaper... This indeed felt like sand, not something that had altered the essence of sand. It was more like a situation after having learned the basics of the secret art.
But if Lyon had truly mastered the Archer Secret Art, how could this dog be explained?
"Um..."
Looking at the Archer Director's expression, Lyon glanced at the newly acquired 【Secret Technique Inheritor (Archer)】 badge and couldn't help but ask tentatively:
"Sir Archer, although you may not believe it, I feel like I've already grasped the basics and can control this... um... this dog. So, can I not go to Crab Director to have my memory erased?"
"We'll talk about memory later."
The Archer Director waved his hand, indicating there was no rush, and said with narrowed eyes:
"You said you can control this dog... To what extent can you control it? Can you turn it back into sand?"
"I'll try."
After hearing the Archer Director's words, Lyon pondered for a moment, then reached out and grabbed the middle head of the three-headed dog.
As he did so, the 'inner core' that had leaked out and overlapped with the sand flowed back into the dog, and the half-human-sized three-headed dog quickly shrank, eventually turning back into an ordinary grain of sand.
Lyon had indeed mastered the technique, and his control was excellent, far surpassing the initial learning stage. He was even better than the little girl from the Aquarius Division at the beginning.
The Archer Director picked up the sand from Lyon's hand and rubbed it, examining the empty interior with not a drop of 'inner core' left. He couldn't help but hiss, feeling his brain throbbing painfully.
Lyon's ability to perfectly compress his inner core demonstrated his highly focused will; his ability to completely overlap and enhance the sand indicated exceptional manipulation skills;
And the fact that he could withdraw all of his inner core without leaving a trace further represented his strong self-awareness and ability to largely exempt himself from the reverse influence of anomalies.
In any previous selection for the Archer Palace, someone who had learned the enhancement secret art in just two hours and could control it so fluently would almost certainly secure the Director position.
But what the hell is going on with this dog?!?!
...
The Archer Director pondered for a long time, holding his head, but couldn't figure out why Lyon could enhance sand into a dog. Finally, he took a deep breath and pulled out a bloodshot eyeball from his pocket, handing it to Lyon, who was completely perplexed.
"Alright, go ahead and cast your Secret Art on this Anomaly in front of me again, and let's see what's going on here..."
"Don't worry. I was planning to use this as a practice item for you guys. Although it barely qualifies as an Anomaly, its 'Inner Core' is barely stronger than a grain of sand. You won't be in any danger."
No danger at all?
Upon hearing this, Leon nodded slightly, but instead of immediately casting the Secret Art, he reached out and rubbed the sticky eyeball in his hand.
【Name: Three-Day Eye - Left (Link, Observation)】
【Appearance: A fresh animal eyeball with a horizontally slit pupil, feeling warm and sticky. When sensing a gaze, it will actively stare back at the source of the gaze. If sniffed, a faint sheep-like odor can be detected.】
【Abilities: Vision Sharing, Environment Observation】
【Cost: Before use, pray to the Son of Soul, Jogaya, and offer a sheep's head without its left eye within three days.】
【File: A common moving eyeball in the Prison of Greed, often placed in locations requiring surveillance. It continuously shares the user's vision for about three days...】
【Evaluation: A very useful Anomaly... When seasoned with vegetable oil and pepper salt, the taste is actually quite good.】
【Corruption Value: 0.1】
With a Corruption Value of only 0.1, it should indeed be safe.
After confirming the safety of the Anomaly, Leon tentatively began to compress his 'Inner Core' according to the Archer Secret Art he had learned, overlapping it with the sheep's eye in his hand, and finally enhancing it...
"Woof!"
The excited dog's bark sounded again, and this time, without waiting for the Archer Director's help, the sheep's eye in Leon's hand suddenly turned black and transformed into a three-headed dog, rushing towards the Archer Director with a ravenous look.
It was confirmed; he had indeed mastered the Archer Secret Art, and his mastery was quite impressive.
Grabbing the approaching three-headed dog and petting it, Leon discovered that the black fur felt as sticky as the eyeball. The Archer Director then picked up the three-headed dog and threw it back, his expression complex as he explained:
"Although the manifestation is strange, you don't need to seek out the Crab Director. With your current level of mastery, as long as you don't cast it on targets with a Lyon Value higher than yours, you won't face any danger.
As for the next Secret Art lesson... You can come if you want to, but I think it's best if you don't."
"..."
It's not that... What do you mean by that?
"When I say this, I'm not trying to be unwelcoming, but your approach is vastly different from others. I have nothing left to teach you."
Seeing Leon's puzzled look, the Archer Director sighed and explained, pointing to the eyeball in Leon's hand:
"Others learn how to enhance different types of Anomalies, control the enhanced Anomalies, and protect themselves from being corrupted when enhancing Anomalies with consciousness. But you..." He paused, his expression complicated. "Your 'Inner Core' is too rigid and extremely resistant to altering itself to adapt to the rules of others.
When others use the Archer Secret Art, they offer themselves to enhance the target, and their primary concern is being corrupted. However, your Archer Secret Art doesn't accept this; it immediately starts to corrupt others.
Therefore, Anomalies with a Lyon Value lower than yours will lose their 'Self' after being corrupted by your 'Inner Core' and will be forcibly polluted into your image. Even Anomalies that don't belong to you can be forcibly 'enhanced' by you.
The Secret Art of the Archer Palace, in your hands, should no longer be called Anomaly Enhancement; it should be renamed Anomaly Pollution."
(End of Chapter)
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