The day is still dark, the sun hovering behind the mountains that were blocking the spectacular view of the horizon.

"Ow..." Atlas grunted. He's never felt so feeble before. Every muscle on his body is sore, throbbing with fatigue and an inarticulate type of pain.

He unleashed his Third Eye to give his body a check up, in case he needed to be transferred to the hospital for having such a weird condition. To his surprise, his meridian are wider and more chafed than before, meaning that he can take in more Aura at a time than he could before. His flesh has somehow become st.u.r.dier and more obstinate. If someone were to stab him in the chest with a kitchen knife forcefully, it would barely leave a mark, maybe even dent the knife itself.

Of course, Atlas's doesn't want to make himself a test subject. Not leaving a mark doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt at all.

Blackbear was driving the vehicle this time, and Blade was sitting on the co-driver seat, hugging his blade intently and dazing off blankly.

"Where are we? And why is my s.h.i.+rt different now? It's so baggy!" Atlas asked confusingly, as if he has amnesia and has forgotten about everything that has happened to him.

"How should I put this..." Blackbear murmured, thinking how to provide a good answer, but Blade was already way ahead of him.

"You basically tore a guy's heart out and went berserk for a while. Nothing too serious." Ending his sentence, Blade proceeded with his casual personality by keeping quiet.

Blackbear shrugged. "It's a straightforward answer but mostly accurate."

[I did what?] Atlas was dumbfounded, jaw dropped. He stared at his right hand, which he felt heavy all of a sudden. Atlas sniffed his palm. There persists a thin scent of metallic blood.

{We used a heavenly song to get rid of a demon in your head. You're welcome.} Nam added in.

"Don't be too ashamed Atlas. You were clearly possessed by using 'Sinister Dragon Claws'. Don't expect anything perfect from an evil organization, it brought you power, but it had severe side effects." Blackbear drove as he said. As the eldest person in Bloodhound, other than ghost Nam in his pendant, Blackbear deserved the authority to be saying the wise and meaningful lessons and his words are always well respected by everyone. "I recommend you not to use it again."

"Sure. I won't." Atlas scratched the heart of his palm, attempting to sound more content. Sadly, guilt cannot be swept off that simply.

Before they attacked the Sinister Scales, they have already researched sufficiently and uncovered Borus's real home location. They were now speeding towards their destination, quite a few miles from the courtyard they have razed to the ground.

After disarming the security cameras and destroying date and footages, completed by Percy, they has apparently called the police and authorities to clean the mess up as they left to loot Borus's place.

Petal stayed behind while Tristan left for his mission; the mission that he was supposed to do until he got dragged along just to puke twice in a day.

Atlas remained silent the whole ride, trying to sleep and recover his tired body.

A few minutes later, they arrived at a tiny house in the middle of nowhere. Outside parked a simple Toyota car and a yard of withered weed.

"We are here." Blackbear parked the car. The two other vehicles parked as well.

"Shall we check it out?" Nova said, walking towards Atlas. "You all right Atlas?"

Atlas answered with a simple nod.

"You know. With a courtyard like that, I expected this raid to be more sumptuous." Percy complained, kicking a pebble.

Atlas smiled, pus.h.i.+ng the door as it freaked open. "Don't judge a book by its cover too early." Atlas switched on the light switch, and even he himself is surprised.

There paintings and sculptures decorated the room. One painting that was hanging above a lone bed looked extra expensive.

It was a cool painting of a domineering man wielding a spear, surrounded by a crimson mist. Black tattoos ran all over his bare skin, illuminating dark presence.

Atlas and Nova shared a glance first before walking up forth and bowing to show some respect.

Blade observed the painting from afar, deciding to join in and bow as well.

"What's that for? A strange ritual?" Percy decided to goof his way in.

"Just to display respect." Atlas placed his sight onto Percy. "Whoever that is, he is, or was, an actual person, telling from how alive that painting is."

"Plus. Although I don't know anything about art, we mustn't forget that the painter is surely a Warrior more powerful than us." Nova traced his fingers along the tattoos. "You can feel Aura brus.h.i.+ng through them. Our Aura would normally dissipate within a minute, but this one's still nicely preserved. His Aura is way more mastered and congregated than ours, which allows it to not disperse into a natural component along with the air."

"Oh...!" Percy commented with att.i.tude. "Good for you guys! I'm not a Warrior, so I can't 'feel' Aura."

Atlas laughed, clapping. "Aw! You're jealous aren't you?"

"No I'm not!" Percy turned around grouchily, sitting on the bed and slapping his hand on the rim three times. "It's because this place is boring me out. Why can't something interesting happen..."

Unfinished, the bed mattress sunk inside, revealing a tube as Percy tumbled down it, screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Ask and you shall receive." Atlas murmured. "Guess that's our cue." He jumped inside, disappearing into the dark depths.

"So..." Hugh stood beside Nova, sweeping through the expensive artistic wonders lecherously. "What do we do about these stuff?"

Nova shrugged, stepping into the tube. "Just do what a normal person would do. Take it all."

He slid down.

Thump—

After a long ride, Atlas heard sounds of a great fall and tumbles while he landed with a light plop.

There is only utter darkness in this bunker, no existence of light even from the tube above.

He sparked a violet crackling light with a snap of his fingers. Finding a red candle, he lit it up.

Light filled the whole room and exposed the items that were dwelling in the shadows.

The bunker isn't large, about twenty square meters of area. But it had a wider category of treasures, not just paintings and sculptures like above.

[Jesus Christ. Are the Sinister Scales an evil organization? Or are they infamous bandits? Look at all these things.]

Atlas swiped a random book on a shelf and read it, realizing that it's a technique booklet. Atlas went through a few more and the quality of them were all pretty high, for example, this rare one called Qing Chou Palm with three ascending move-sets.

He turned his attention to a treasure chest, where Percy is sprawling on the floor, grimacing as he rubbed his sore b.u.t.t. "I was hoping for some light and your attention."

Atlas ignored him, reaching in the open chest as he took out a thick scroll.

"The full version of Sinister Dragon Claws." Atlas whispered, unfurling it without the hesitation.

{Atlas, remember the recoil. You do not want that type of anguish again.} Nam warned worriedly.

"It won't hurt to read it." With that said, Atlas read the scroll thoroughly. "The Sinister Dragon Claws that I received is incomplete, only recording to volume one. Probably flawed too. My strongest move right now is Punches, but it's too plain and well, not as powerful as Sinister Dragon Claws when I'm in that mode. If I'm in extreme danger, I might need it to get out of sticky situations."

There are four levels in Sinister Dragon Claws; volume one matches to Tier 3 Axonns; volume 2 for Tier 5 Axonns; volume 3 for Tier 7 Axonns; and volume 4 for Tier 9 Elite. According from what he read, once you master volume 4, even a Tier 10 Axonn has to be wary of a Tier 9 Axonn.

However, if one disobeys the rules and practice a move earlier than their own cultivation rank, the penalties will be heavy self-infliction, months of hospitalization required, or even death in serious occasions.

[No wonder Borus began bleeding tremendously when he used volume 3. It's basically a suicidal attempt to use when he is only a Tier 6 Axonn.] Atlas recalled the strength from Borus. If Borus is a Tier 7 Axonn using that move, they would have been squashed.

With that said, a variety of high rank technique would greatly benefit in a fight, switching them unexpectedly to confuse the opponent.

As the saying goes, 'if you can't beat em, confuse em.'

Atlas kept the books under his arm, reaching for the final item in the treasure chest.

"That's good material." Nova's voice projected from behind. He examined the casing, concluding that it prevents Aura leakage and stores something valuable within.

With elated hearts, they flicked away the lock and a golden ball entered their sight.

A refres.h.i.+ng aroma blasted from within the box, stimulating their senses.

A Tier 3 High Grade Ascension Pill!

It must be a Tier 3 High Grade Ascension Pill!

An Alchemy pill devised for leveling one's cultivation rank up!