Chapter 94: What Is the Price?

Just as the talisman was about to touch the black-furred rat's head,

the rat finally reacted, tucking its head into its chest.

But the talisman in Chen Huaian's hand had already been released. Guided by his will, it landed precisely on the rat's forehead.

This scene also happened to catch the eye of the bearded man, who had arrived late at the end of the hallway.

"Holy crap! Stop!"

His pupils contracted sharply, a chill shooting up from his feet to the top of his head.

It was too late.

On the rat's forehead, where the talisman made contact,

a coin-sized ball of light appeared, growing brighter with the crackling sound of electricity.

The bearded man grabbed the collapsed hotel staff member, rolled to the side, and crashed through a nearby door, pulling them both inside.

Chen Huaian stared at the distorted ball of light on the rat's head, his smile freezing.

"Damn it!"

Boom—!

A bolt of lightning tore through the entire hallway, shaking the entire hotel with the sound of thunder.

The bearded man looked at the shattered door with lingering fear. The door was fifty meters away from the explosion point, yet it had still been torn apart by the shockwave, a testament to the talisman's power. The hallway, shaped like a pipe, meant the explosion was an indiscriminate attack!

"Crap, did Chen Huaian get blown to bits?"

The bearded man peeked out. The hallway was now filled with thick smoke, the air reeking of burnt material. Several doors were on fire.

At the end of the hallway, Chen Huaian sat against the wall, his head lowered, his condition unknown.

The suitcase and storage bin shielded him from the side.

To the left of the bin was a charred hallway, with chunks of burnt flesh splattered across the walls and floor in a radial pattern. To the right, the small area where Chen Huaian sat was the only untouched spot in the entire hallway.

So this was the power of that mysterious talisman…

The bearded man had witnessed it firsthand.

He anxiously walked over to Chen Huaian, carefully reaching out to check if he was still breathing.

However, before his hand could reach Chen Huaian's nose, a blackened finger stopped him.

The bearded man was stunned.

The young man in front of him still had his head lowered, his charred finger smoking.

A beam of light fell on his ridiculously handsome profile, where the corner of his mouth curled into a devilish smile.

"Heh, hahaha! So that's how it is! Turns out, I'm not Tumor Man…"

Chen Huaian looked up at the bearded man, grinning as black smoke seeped through his teeth.

"Turns out, I'm the Thunder Lord!"

The bearded man: "???"

…

…

"So, this world has already gone to hell, right?"

"Yes, you could say that. Those so-called mutated beasts on TV aren't actually mutated—they're demons. There are many such demons, and more are constantly emerging. Including the recent famous paranormal events and serial murder cases, many of them were caused by evil spirits and demons. Of course, there are also out-of-control awakened individuals."

Outside the hotel, surrounded by police cars,

the bearded man and Chen Huaian squatted by the roadside, watching the passing vehicles and pedestrians.

"Want a smoke?"

"No thanks." Chen Huaian shook his head at the cigarette offered by the bearded man.

"My surname is Luo. You can just call me Bearded Man." The man lit a cigarette for himself and continued, "My ability is to devour and assimilate, though I haven't found a suitable target yet…"

Chen Huaian's mind was still in chaos. He pointed at himself, "So, I'm an awakened individual?"

"That's right." The bearded man lit another cigarette, puffing out smoke as he squinted. "I was already planning to approach you, but I hadn't decided whether to let you know the truth about this world. Compared to other awakened individuals and demons, your body is very weak. But one thing is undeniable—your awakened ability is incredibly powerful."

"You mean, the talismans?" Chen Huaian looked at his charred hand.

The moment the talisman exploded, he was blown away. But for some reason, the talisman that could reduce the black-furred rat to pieces only slightly burned his hand.

"Your talismans come from a game on your phone, right?"

Chen Huaian was stunned, "Uncle, can you see that game?"

"No, I can't. Only you can see it." The bearded man shook his head, blowing out a smoke ring. "It's your companion spirit. Only you, and it must be you, can use it. No one else can control it. Though, a companion spirit that completely blocks others is quite rare."

"Companion spirit…" Chen Huaian pondered the information in the bearded man's words.

From the beginning, he had thought the changes in his body were due to the sublimation of cancer cells.

But thinking carefully, it seemed his life had started to change dramatically after getting the virtual girlfriend game.

Without the game, he wouldn't have climbed Mount Tai.

If he hadn't climbed Mount Tai, where would all these opportunities have come from?

"I know an awakened individual with a similar ability to yours." The bearded man suddenly said, "His initial rating was Soldier-Class A, with the nickname 'Divine Brush.' His companion spirit is a brush. Whatever he draws can become real, but the price varies depending on the logic and absurdity of the creation. The highest cost could even take his life."

His gaze fell on Chen Huaian, growing deeper:

"Creating something out of nothing is often the hardest. And your talismans are also created by your companion spirit, right?"

Chen Huaian nodded. That wasn't wrong.

Besides the talismans, he had also obtained a protective charm, a string of spirit stone beads, and a plant.

No wonder he never caught the mysterious delivery person no matter how fast he rushed to the door.

There was no hacker, no delivery person.

These things were simply created out of thin air by the virtual girlfriend game, his companion spirit.

"So, what price do you have to pay? To create such a talisman?"

The bearded man stared intently at Chen Huaian, his eyes filled with urgency.

He desperately needed to know the cost of creating these incredibly powerful talismans.

It was crucial for Chen Huaian's initial rating as an awakened individual and the future of the Tianfu Demon-Slaying Division.

Chen Huaian met the bearded man's gaze, opened his mouth, then fell silent.

The cost is money?

He vaguely felt that this answer wasn't a good idea.

If what the bearded man said was true, and this world was about to be overrun by demons, entering the era of awakened individuals,

then money would mean nothing to these people.

An innocent man with a treasure is guilty.

If money could buy such talismans, wouldn't he just be a walking treasure chest?

What if he got captured and dissected?

What if he was kept as a talisman-making machine?

What if someone tried to steal his companion spirit?

The bearded man said only he could use the companion spirit, but was that really true?

Chen Huaian didn't want to assume the worst of others.

But countless painful experiences in life constantly reminded him—people couldn't be trusted.

If people were trustworthy, he wouldn't be living on a meager pension, tightening his belt every day. If they were trustworthy, his ex-girlfriend wouldn't have cheated on him. His college roommate wouldn't have competed with him for the poverty-stricken student allowance.

So…

"The price is lifespan."

Chen Huaian stared into the bearded man's eyes.

Without a hint of guilt, he gave this answer.

…

…