(It seems luck is on your side)

The angel said as she held the freshly enchanted cane in her hand.

The cane, which had been nothing but a plain stick with a hook for a handle, had changed drastically in design. The lower pole was a shining black, and the upper portion, from just below the handle hook, was covered in intricate patterns that spread outward from it.

The handle was coated in something like scale, giving it a definite grip.

Hou Yi stared at the cane. Even he had to admit, after the change in design, it looked considerably cooler.

Still, what did the enchantment actually do?

(You must be wondering what the enchantment does.)

The angel had read his expression well enough.

"Naturally so, yes."

She turned the cane over in her hands, examining it from every angle.

(The initial rank of the enchantment was supposed to be Sacred, which is already quite high, but after boosting the probability it seems to have jumped two whole ranks and become Transcendent.)

(I highly doubt you will ever see a bound item reach such a rank on its very first enchantment again.)

The angel felt a quiet pride at that, though Hou Yi still didn't look particularly impressed. To him, ranks were just names given to enchantments, and names were hard to feel excited about without knowing what they did. Even so, he could tell Transcendent was rare just from the way the angel carried herself.

(The effects of enchantments are random across all ranks. Up until Blessed, which sits just below Sacred, there is still a chance the effect turns out useless, though that chance grows slimmer the higher the rank.)

(From Unique and above, the effects become so significant that they benefit anyone, regardless of their talents.)

(For this specific item, it grants the user the ability to disarm any offensive skill directed at them, no matter how deadly or grand. The attack is not simply stopped but absorbed by the cane. Whatever Chi variation was used will be stored inside it, and when the time comes, you can use it yourself.)

(Only one skill can be stored at a time. The same skill can be absorbed more than once. After the stored skill is used, the cane requires a one-hour cooldown before it can absorb again.)

The angel handed the cane to Hou Yi.

(This is the finest defensive item there is, and at the same time the finest counter-offensive tool.)

Hou Yi took it and turned it in his hands, feeling out the grip and texture.

Lighter than it looks. But it feels sturdy enough to put my whole weight on it.

A skill that blocks any offensive ability, copies it, then lets you throw it back. Basically a copy-paste.

He thought that, then shot a glance at the angel. For some reason, he had a feeling he would be scolded if he phrased it out loud.

(Now, make a small cut on your finger and press it anywhere on the cane. That will complete the binding process, making you its sole owner and the only person able to wield it.)

The angel gestured toward him as she said it.

That seems practical enough.

Without hesitating, Hou Yi bit the skin of his thumb until a small bead of red welled up. He pressed his thumb against the cane and smeared the blood across the top.

The cane glowed a dim gold. The scales near the handle shifted and rippled, then settled back to stillness. The seal was made. Hou Yi was now its only user, bound by blood.

…

"For my first question, tell me how Chi works. What are the stages of progression?"

Hou Yi asked as he practiced walking with the cane. His reason for choosing it over any other weapon had been simple enough: he wanted something that would cover for his awkward gait. With the cane's support, his movement was already noticeably more even.

(First tell me what you already know about Chi.)

The angel asked from where she stood, eyes forward, while Hou Yi paced the room.

"I know it can be sensed, that it fluctuates constantly in the other place, and that humans need it to prepare for the great strife against the Therrians."

(‘So you basically know nothing.’)

The angel thought.

(Very well. From the beginning then.)

(Chi is a compound that has no equivalent on Earth. It was released at a thinned density when humanity returned, though you would not have noticed the shift because of its similarity to gases you already know. It is an essential element that will change what your human logic considers possible.)

(After prolonged exposure, if a person manages to channel Chi into their body and fuse it within themselves, they will undergo a change and unlock a Talent.)

(Talents are the raw form of what a person can do that others cannot. Most are not powerful in their base state. They are classified as spark, ethereal, warden, champion, harbinger, and primordial, each with their own respective colours.)

(Their power scales accordingly. The—)

The angel paused, shifting her head and looking at both sides.

(The space is closing soon. I'll cover the main points so you have the ground basics.)

(There are five ranks in the progression tier. The first is Talents, which is the raw power. The second and third arrive together, though they remain separate ranks. The second is modifiers, which determine how the power functions. Two people with ice-element Talents can both use basic ice skills, but once modifiers are applied, one might form weapons of ice while the other calls down a hailstorm.)

(The third rank, which arrived alongside modifiers, is the disadvantage. It ranges from something as minor as an increased cooldown on skills, to something as severe as paralysis from the neck down.)

(The fourth rank is mastery, the degree to which a person can utilize their body and skills and push them toward their full potential. It is the longest and hardest rank to achieve.)

(In your case, you have already mastered your body completely, training it to a point where you can adapt to nearly any situation. That is why you were identified as a Rank 4.)

(Any skill you absorb will also be released with greater force or impact because of that mastery. It is one of the advantages you carry.)

(The fifth rank is classified and cannot be disclosed. It will need to be discovered on your own. We seem to have run out of time for further detail, so is there a specific question you would like to ask?)

 

The angel spoke hurriedly, sensing that their time was limited, but Hou Yi was still able to understand and make sense of what she said.

"Yes. Tell me anything you can about this mark."

Hou Yi held up his right hand.

The angel looked at it and was quiet for a moment.

(There isn't much I can tell you. Only know that it is not a simple mark. It is a sign that divine power runs through your veins.)

Right after she said it, a portal opened behind Hou Yi, revealing soldiers in military uniforms setting up a perimeter fence. A large crowd pressed against it from behind. Most were news reporters with cameras and microphones, with civilians scattered among them.

Looking past the fence, Hou Yi caught sight of a large red temple some distance away, with an open stretch of stone tiles in front of it.

He instantly knew where the portal led to.

"What! That isn't Guangzhou. Why aren't you sending me back to the same place?"

(The magic that brought you here was a one-way trip. It can only locate and retrieve you, not return you. That falls to me, and I can only open a portal to the Pillar of Glory.)

"The Pillar of Glory? What is that? And won't people question who I am if I just appear out of nowhere?"

Hou Yi examined the portal and the people behind it.

It looks like no one can see me, something like a one way mirror, but one that would transport you across space.

The angel closed her eyes, a faint trace of regret crossing her face. She had only now realized that Hou Yi had been collected before he could hear any of the angel announcements.

(That may not be a concern. We announced your name and sector to the entire world shortly after you were brought here.)

Hou Yi turned back to her sharply.

"What? Why would you do that! Do they know I was left behind on Earth as well?"

(No. And you must not tell anyone. Our God does not make mistakes. This stays between you and us.)

Hou Yi narrowed his eyes.

So your God does make mistakes then.

He thought about it but said nothing. Keeping it quiet worked in his favour too as he wanted to be discreet about it as well.

Now I have to think of a new plan since my initial plan of secretly training doesn’t seem possible anymore.

(You must go now, Mortal. Before the portal closes.)

Hou Yi looked at the portal and let out a slow breath. If there was one thing he disliked more than crowds, it was crowds where he was the center of attraction.

The thought alone felt exhausting.

(Mortal.)

Just as he stepped toward it, the angel called out once more.

(My given name is Lunox. If you ever meet the Magister Captain, I hope you will hold to your end of the deal, even though I have not fully held mine.)

Hou Yi only nodded, and with his newly acquired cane, he walked through the portal.

…

"Sir, we have gone through all the files and put out announcements stating that anyone with a lead on this Lee Hou Yi will be handsomely rewarded."

A young officer in military uniform reported from across the room.

He stood before a grand space with high ceilings, shelves of books lining the walls, and a large wooden desk at the center. Behind the desk sat an old man in a coat and tie, silver-framed glasses lending him an air of authority.

"And you still cannot find out who he is?"

The old man said, not looking up from his paperwork.

"Yes sir. We have checked over a hundred people with the same name and confirmed none of them are our man. Most were not even Chi users. Either he went by a different name while in the alternate space, or he was not in this sector at all. There is no other explanation for why not a single other Chi user recognizes him."

The old man glanced sideways at him, and furrowed his brows.

"So you're telling me the angels were wrong when they announced we have the first Rank 4 in our sector. Is that what you're saying?"

"No sir."

"Then find him. I don't care if he changes his name every minute or if he's in another country entirely. Find a way. Are we clear?"

"Yes sir."

The officer's head stayed low as he answered.

Then his phone rang. He pulled it out, listened, gave a few confirmations, and hung up.

"Sir, a report just came in. There's a claim from Guangzhou. A man named Shin Tao says he knows Lee Hou Yi. He's being brought to our base as we speak."

The old man stopped what he was doing and pushed back from his chair.

"Take me to him."