He didn't hesitate.
[Unlock Schematic: Concealment Talisman – Cost: 20 Forge Points]
[Forge Points: 21 → 1]
The schematic unfolded in his mind. The formation was complex—a spiral of twelve nodes, each one designed to suppress spiritual fluctuations and mask the presence of Qi. It required precise pressure and a steady hand. And it required a base material that could hold the formation without leaking.
He had spirit‑infused thread. It would work.
He cut a length of thread—the longest piece he had left. Mixed the remaining spirit dust with two drops of his blood. His fingers trembled as he began to trace.
The spiral was unforgiving. One slip and the formation would collapse. He moved slowly, painfully, each node taking a minute to complete. Sweat dripped into his eyes. His breath came in shallow gasps.
Then, halfway through, the system pulsed.
---
[Demonic Mode Available]
Description: Toggleable state that consumes lifespan to push an item's quality beyond normal limits.
Current Forge: Concealment Talisman (Mortal‑rank)
Standard Effect: Hides a small area from spiritual sense for 2 hours.
Demonic Mode Effect: Duration increased to 4 hours, range expanded.
Cost: 2 days of lifespan.
Warning: Using Demonic Mode increases Demonic Corruption. Current corruption: 0%. This forge will add +3%.
Accept Demonic Mode? [Yes] / [No]
---
Luo Fan stared at the message. Lifespan. It wants my lifespan.
Two days. Not much in the span of a mortal life—his remaining years would drop from 72 to 71 years and 363 days. A tiny slice. But the warning about corruption… he didn't fully understand it. The system had mentioned it before, but this was the first time he had seen a concrete cost.
If I don't use it, the talisman lasts two hours. Wei Feng could come back any time. I need four hours. I need to be sure.
He thought about the alternative. Without the Concealment Talisman, his forging corner would be exposed. Wei Feng would find his materials, his tools, his finished talismans. And then… he didn't want to imagine what would happen.
Two days.
He pressed [Yes].
---
[Demonic Mode Engaged – Basic]
Lifespan Cost: 2 days deducted.
Lifespan Remaining: ~71 years, 363 days.
Corruption Gained: +3%
Current Corruption: 3%
Proceed with forging.
---
A cold sensation washed over him—not pain, but absence. As if something had been peeled away from his existence. Two days of his future, gone. He felt no different, but the system's counter had changed. His timer—the countdown to collapse—remained unchanged. That was a different clock entirely.
He refocused on the talisman. The formation seemed to glow brighter now, the lines sharper. His hand moved with new precision, guided not just by knowledge but by something darker. The paste flowed like liquid shadow.
When he connected the final node, a pulse of silver light ran through the thread—and then the light turned crimson for a heartbeat before fading. The talisman shimmered, becoming almost invisible against his palm.
---
[Forging Complete!]
Item: Concealment Talisman (Mortal‑rank, Low Quality) – Demonic Infusion
Forge Points Earned: +6
Refined Spiritual Essence Absorbed: +2 units
Forge Mastery increased: 6 → 8
---
RSE: 11.0 → 13.0
Timer: 68:07:40 → 68:25:15 (net +17 minutes – from RSE only)
FP: 1 → 7
He held up the Concealment Talisman. The formation was invisible to the naked eye, but he could feel its presence—a faint hum of energy that seemed to bend the light around it. He placed it in the corner of the shed and activated it.
The air shimmered. The talisman's glow faded completely. When he stepped back, the corner where he had been working looked empty. No materials. No tools. Just bare stone floor.
He reached out. His hand passed through the illusion, touching the real materials underneath.
It works.
He deactivated the talisman and tucked it into his sleeve. Then he gathered his materials and his tools and set them in the hidden corner. When he reactivated the talisman, everything disappeared from view.
Now he could forge in secret. Now Wei Feng's eyes wouldn't find his work.
But the corruption…
He looked at the system interface.
Corruption: 3%
A small number. But it was the first step on a path he didn't fully understand.
He leaned back against the wall.
Two days of my life. For a talisman. What will the next cost be?
---
That night, Wei Feng returned.
Luo Fan heard the footsteps approaching—slow, deliberate, unhurried. He didn't panic. He had prepared.
The Concealment Talisman was active in the corner, hiding his forging materials and his finished talismans. On the floor, in plain sight, he had left a single Spark Talisman—poor quality, barely functional. A decoy.
The door opened.
Wei Feng stepped inside, his pale eyes sweeping the room. He saw the Spark Talisman on the floor. He saw the broken awl, the flat stone, the scattered dust. He saw nothing else.
"This is it?" he asked, picking up the Spark Talisman. He turned it over, his lip curling. "Trash makes trash."
Luo Fan kept his head down. "I'm still learning."
Wei Feng tucked the talisman into his robe. "One talisman every two weeks. Don't forget. And if I find out you're hiding anything…" He looked around the shed one more time, his Qi senses probing the corners. The Concealment Talisman held. He felt nothing.
He left without another word.
Luo Fan waited until the footsteps faded. Then he let out a long, slow breath.
He didn't find it.
He looked at the hidden corner. His materials, his tools, his remaining Spark Talismans—all invisible to Wei Feng's eyes.
He had bought himself time. Not freedom—but time.
And time was all he needed.