Stronger with Crimson Modifier

However, the young man named Wu Yang seemed completely unfazed by the bizarre scene, as if he’d long since grown accustomed to it.

"Ah, haha, my bad. Really sorry, Coal Ball!"

He scratched his head.

Then, he turned, went into the bathroom off to the side, and quickly washed his hands and face.

Yawning, Wu Yang walked over to the window.

SWOOSH, he pulled the curtains open.

Instantly, a flood of sunlight poured in, brightening the once-dim room.

Then, he reached out and stroked the black cat’s head.

This time, the black cat didn’t pull away.

On the contrary, it narrowed its eyes in enjoyment.

Then it gave a huge yawn, revealing its pink tongue and sharp canines.

In the morning light, the shadows of the man and the cat stretched long, intertwining on the anime-poster-covered wall.

He got some cat food and put it in front of the black cat.

He then went to the kitchen to make some instant noodles for himself.

Then, Wu Yang carried his noodles over to his desk and sat down. He pulled open a drawer and took out a book with a solid black cover.

Opening it, he found the pages held little content.

Instead, they were mostly filled with drawings.

It was clearly a comic sketchbook.

The young man flipped to the most recent pages.

But upon seeing the drawing, he froze.

On the newest page, an image caught his eye.

It was a massive drawing that took up the entire page.

This was what’s known as a ’double-page spread.’

They often carry a special significance.

The image depicted a white void where an old man with a white beard and hair stood suspended in mid-air.

The old man wore an expression of sheer terror.

His body was covered in a web of fine cracks.

The old man’s gaze was fixed upward.

Above the white void, a massive, pitch-black fissure had torn open.

From the depths of the fissure, a pair of emotionless crimson snake eyes stared down, exuding an indescribable, oppressive weight.

Seeing this, Wu Yang’s expression turned to one of shocked disbelief.

He then flipped to the next page.

When he saw what was on the next page, he froze.

"How is this possible? He’s dead!?"

’God,’ the most powerful Alien Origin Body, was a being he had created specifically to maintain the world’s balance.

But now, he was dead.

At that thought, he hurriedly flipped back through the pages, desperate to find out what had happened.

Soon, he found ’God’s’ killer.

His gaze fell upon one of the pages.

A planet floated in the blackness of space, encircled by a pale white ring.

The image was sketched with simple lines, yet it radiated a deeply unsettling aura.

Seeing this, Wu Yang frowned.

"I need a clearer picture," he muttered.

The words had barely left his lips when the lines on the page suddenly began to squirm.

The rough sketch refined itself at a visible rate, gradually transforming into a photorealistic image.

Wu Yang held his breath, his gaze completely transfixed.

Just as the image was about to come into perfect focus...

—CRACK!

Without warning, one of the Buddha Beads on his wrist shattered.

At the same time, a tide of countless, distorted whispers flooded his ears. The image before him began to flicker with harsh static, like an old television that had lost its signal.

"Ngh...!"

Wu Yang’s pupils constricted. He tried to look away but found his entire body had gone rigid, as if turned to stone.

The formless power not only imprisoned his body but also tore at his consciousness, forcing him to keep staring at the clarifying image.

A warm liquid began to trickle from his nostrils.

It was blood.

—THWAP!

Just when Wu Yang felt he could hold on no longer and thought he was about to die, a black-furred paw suddenly slapped down on the book, slamming it shut.

The pressure vanished instantly. Wu Yang’s body crumpled forward like a puppet with its strings cut.

The moment he was about to hit the ground, a pair of slender yet strong arms caught him.

The faint scent of gardenias mixed with the smell of sunshine filled his nostrils.

"Are you okay?"

Wu Yang struggled to lift his head, his eyes meeting a pretty face and a pair of amber cat eyes.

The girl tilted her head, her fluffy black cat ears twitching slightly in concern.