Chapter 8: Catastrophe Code
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đź“… Month 23
Age: 8 years
Spirit Power: 29.8
Rank: High Spirit Grandmaster (Almost Rank 30)
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The deeper Tian went into the Star Dou Forest, the quieter it became.
Not peaceful.
Dead.
The canopy above had thickened into a dome of green twilight. Light rarely touched the forest floor. The few spirit beasts that dared roam this zone moved like ghosts — as if their own footsteps might summon death.
Tian was close.
He could feel it.
His body had grown leaner, harder. Not muscular — but efficient. Efficient like a predator, like a weapon.
His spirit power had climbed steadily over the last year. After absorbing the Wraith-Tail Fox's ring, he had become a terror to spirit beasts under 10,000 years. Fewer dared challenge him.
That was a problem.
Tian didn't want fear.
He wanted something worth killing.
And he had finally found it.
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🎯 Target: Steelspine Basilisk
> Age Estimate: ~17,200 Years
Class: Catastrophe Element
Aura: Reactive Aura of Collapse (structures, formations, physical barriers corrode upon contact)
Secondary Trait: Spirit Ring Infection – if ring absorbed improperly, backlash may damage martial soul
Behavior: Static hunter. Lies in wait. Buried in stone.
Known Kill Radius: 2.6 km dead zone (confirmed via scavenger spirit master corpses)
Tian studied it for days from the ridge above. His gun's upgraded scope could pierce the fog around the creature's lair — a ruined canyon where even time seemed to decay.
The Basilisk didn't patrol.
It waited.
With patience born of centuries.
It only moved when something was close enough to touch — and by then, it was too late.
"Perfect," Tian muttered.
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⚙️ Loadout Configuration
Bullet Core: Mindlock + Thought Decay + Catastrophe Matrix Shell (experimental)
Gun Status: Fully Materialized – 55 minutes summon limit x 4 daily
Scope Tier: Detect stealth, distortion, or spatial interference up to 20,000-year spirit beasts
Silencer Tier: Blocks aura leakage to anything below Rank 75
Tian summoned the gun. The barrel shimmered with etched runes — growing more distinct with each ring.
This time, he'd upgraded the chambering system.
Each bullet would now layer effects based on their fusion tier.
> Current Fusion:
– Soul Rot (2K)
– Thought Decay (5K)
– Catastrophe Seed (pending)
Once fired, a bullet would deliver stacked debuffs, mental disruption, corrosion, and structural collapse.
If he succeeded.
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đź•’ The Hunt
He didn't wait for night.
He approached during dusk — when the Basilisk's photoreceptors were transitioning from heat to light vision.
He activated displacement pulses from his trap nodes. Three in total, placed around the lair over three days. The pulses mimicked the heartbeats of a mid-tier beast.
The Basilisk rose.
It wasn't large. Only 6 meters long.
But the air twisted around it. Like heat. Like poison. Like inevitability.
Tian steadied the rifle.
[AVATAR: ON]
His heartbeat slowed. Gun shimmered into existence. His body felt heavy — but powerful. He now had the physical prowess of a Spirit Sage (Rank 70+).
He fired.
BANG.
The bullet hit — not the beast — but the stone near its right eye. The shot triggered a rupture. The basilisk's hide warped the space around it.
Second shot.
BANG.
This one hit the eye. Not a kill. But the beast screamed — a seismic wave erupting from its body. Trees fell. Birds died mid-air.
The ring vibrated in his soul. It wanted this. It knew this was its match.
The Basilisk struck. Faster than expected. A tail whip — reality distorting around its motion.
Tian rolled, felt his shoulder dislocate from pressure alone, and used the momentum to launch himself under the beast's belly.
He pressed the muzzle to its underside.
"Rot."
BANG.
Point-blank.
The bullet passed through scale, blood, and bone. But the effect was what mattered.
The Basilisk began collapsing in on itself.
Not dying from wounds — but from catastrophic corrosion of its life force.
It spasmed. Lashed.
Hit Tian's back.
Ribs cracked. He grunted, slid back ten meters.
The creature writhed once more…
And died.
No roar.
No collapse.
Just… stillness.
And then—
The ring rose.
Thick. Pulsing. Glowing black and gold.
> [Spirit Ring: 17,210 Years – Steelspine Basilisk]
[Catastrophe Class]
[Primary Skill: Collapse]
– On hit: 25% chance to corrode spirit master defenses or constructs
– +10% bonus damage vs shields, armor, elemental barriers
[Secondary: Destructive Reverb]
– Deals delayed AoE damage on killshot
[Risk: Martial Soul Corruption possible on failure]
Tian dropped to his knees. Summoned the gun.
Held it like a relic.
> [Absorb?]
âś… YES / NO
"Now or never."
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đź’€ ABSORPTION: SUCCESS
> [3rd Spirit Ring Attached – Catastrophe Class]
[New Skill: Collapse]
→ Each bullet has a 25% chance to bypass physical/energy defenses
→ Bullets now apply structural erosion on impact
→ On kill, deal shockwave burst in small radius
[Bullet Tier: Catastrophe-Class Shells unlocked]
[AVATAR Boost: Spirit Sage Equivalent]
[Summon Time: Still 55 minutes x4]
[Ammo per day: 465]
> [Silencer Upgrade: Tier 3+]
– Bullets no longer register as spirit energy attacks to detectors under Rank 75
[Scope Upgrade: Tier 3+]
– Target lock-on bypasses illusions and stealth up to 20,000-year class
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Tian stood.
Every breath hurt. Every step burned.
But in his hand… the gun hummed with power.
"Three down. Six to go."
His next step was clear:
> Leave the forest.
Enter civilization.
Dominate the Spirit Arena.
He'd been hiding long enough.
It was time to hunt humans again.
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[End of Chapter 8 – "Catastrophe Code"]