Chapter 22 Origin

Zhang Xiaoman didn't say anything more, his expression as still as an ancient well.

Stretching out his hand, Zhang Xiaoman followed the previous examples and used the Seven-pointed Star to absorb the Corpse Demon lying on the ground.

Immediately, the pleasing notification sound from the System echoed in his mind.

"Ding, absorbed Corpse Demon Essence, points increased by 5."

"Hm? Only 5 points this time...?"

Zhang Xiaoman was slightly surprised; it seemed that even if the monsters were of the same kind, the points absorbed from each individual varied.

This body, which was obviously smaller by one size, yielded 2 points less than the previous one.

Upon witnessing the monster's body being "purified" by Zhang Xiaoman again, Brother Hero no longer found it as unbelievable as the first time, but this time, his face revealed more excitement and anticipation.

"Xiao, Xiao Man, can I, can I learn those skills of yours?"

Brother Hero asked somewhat nervously.

Zhang Xiaoman looked at him and then shook his head slightly, saying, "I'm afraid not, I just sensed it and you don't possess the Talent for controlling Dark Energy."

"Is that so... The things you just used, those were Dark Energy?"

Zhang Xiaoman nodded.

"That's right, but to be honest, for so long, apart from myself, I have never found a second person with the Talent for Dark Energy..."

Upon hearing this, Brother Hero nodded disappointingly, but before he could dwell on his melancholy for long, he heard Zhang Xiaoman continue.

"However, you don't need to worry, I've been researching a special Magic Technique recently that can activate the spiritual energy hidden within the human body, thus allowing ordinary people to also possess the Talent for Dark Energy."

"Really?!"

Brother Hero was overjoyed.

Zhang Xiaoman smiled.

"Don't worry, now that you know all this, I naturally will not let you face it empty-handed. Once I complete that Magic Technique, I will help you with Enlightenment."

He paused, then added:

"By the way, try not to tell anyone else about this matter, including your family. After all, according to the rules of cognitive assent, the less they know, the safer it is for them."

Brother Hero nodded hastily.

Zhang Xiaoman turned around, his face revealing a faint, barely noticeable smile.

The best way to make a person willingly keep a secret is to bring them into your camp.

Of course, his actions were not entirely for the sake of secrecy.

More importantly, it was the gradually clarifying grand plan in his mind.

"Xiao Man, are we going back now? There should be no monsters here anymore, right?" Brother Hero asked.

Zhang Xiaoman shook his head.

"No rush, the source of evil should be on the second floor of the building, I need to take a look over there."

What he referred to as the source of evil was naturally the Space Node, which was worth several dozen points.

Brother Hero was startled and said with some fear, "Is it, could it be dangerous?"

Zhang Xiaoman glanced at him and replied, "It's alright, I'll go by myself. You have to work tomorrow, you should head home early."

Brother Hero bowed his head in silence for a moment, then clenched his teeth and said,

"Xiao Man, let me go with you! Although I can't do much right now… I do have a loud phone volume, right? Playing some BGM for you is also good. Besides, I'll have to face these things sooner or later, so now is a good time to train! And with an expert like you around, I must seize this opportunity!"

When Zhang Xiaoman heard him call himself an expert, he couldn't help but feel speechless, secretly thinking his bluff had been quite successful this time.

However, on second thought, what Brother Hero said made sense, After all, having an extra person meant having another pair of eyes, and if there were still dangers, it would increase the chances of spotting a monster.

Zhang Xiaoman nodded, motioned for Brother Hero to follow, and took out two water guns from his pocket before walking quietly towards the second floor.

Brother Hero hurriedly followed behind him, occasionally glancing back with caution.

The two of them reached the second floor where the security door had been damaged; it seemed to have been knocked down by a monster.

The door led to darkness; one couldn't see anything inside.

Brother Hero quickly turned on his phone's flashlight, taking on the task of providing visibility.

Zhang Xiaoman stood at the entrance, listening quietly for a while, and not detecting any noise, he took the lead and walked in.

Just a few steps into the door, they began to smell a foul stench, as if something inside was rotting, causing a wave of nausea.

Zhang Xiaoman suppressed his discomfort and remained on high alert.

The smell was the same as what he had just smelled on the Corpse Demon, indicating that this was indeed the lair of the Corpse Demon.

The office building was structured like a square, and after exiting the middle security door, the two walked around the corridor but did not encounter any new monsters.

Of course, Zhang Xiaoman's main goal was the Space Node, but to his disappointment, he did not find traces of it here; that mysterious purple light did not appear.

"It seems that not all monsters come from the Space Node; there may be other ways... Or perhaps, those two Corpse Demons came from somewhere else? The Space Node they used to descend isn't here?"

Zhang Xiaoman speculated about the situation in front of him and swept his gaze ahead, catching some movement in a corner.

"There's something over there, let's go check it out, move quietly…"

He whispered to Brother Hero beside him.

Brother Hero nodded and followed behind Zhang Xiaoman.

As they drew nearer, Zhang Xiaoman felt the foul odor becoming stronger, suggesting that the source was nearby.

This was an open-plan office, pitch black inside. The flashlight beam scanned the room, and Zhang Xiaoman spotted a black shadow in the corner directly opposite the door.

"What is that?"

Brother Hero softly asked, shining the flashlight on the black shadow.

Zhang Xiaoman looked and said uncertainly, "It seems to be the corpse of some animal, but it's rotted so badly, it's hard to tell what it was."

Brother Hero stepped forward two paces, intending to take a closer look, but at that moment, a white figure burst out from beneath the black fur of the animal corpse and let out a ferocious roar towards Brother Hero.

"Back off! It's a Corpse Demon!"

Zhang Xiaoman exclaimed in a low voice and immediately raised his gun to shoot.

"Pah~"

A faint sound of a gun shot, and the Holy Water Bullet hit the Corpse Demon accurately.

As the water droplet burst open, the Holy Water splashed onto it, black smoke rose from the wound, and the damage began to spread rapidly.

This Corpse Demon was very small, roughly the size of two adult hands. After it was hit by the Holy Water Bullet, it lost its ability to move immediately, twisting and writhing on the ground before it quickly stopped moving.