Die, Replay, Repeat

_'After staying up all night scrolling through posts, it looks like I'm the only person who sees these ghostly Specters everywhere. Why am I the only one who can see them all the time?'_

Fang Xiu thought hard about this. From what he read on the forum, these Specters just popped up randomly from nowhere. But Fang Xiu knew they were always around; it was like they shifted into his world when certain things happened.

To anyone else, it would just seem like they appeared out of the blue.

_'The stuff on this forum for free is kinda basic. I need to get some money and level up my skills!'_

He started to remember the beginner's tips he had read about controlling spiritual energy. The basics were about how to quickly tap into this energy and the daily practices for it. They were helpful but not super detailed.

The coolest part for Fang Xiu was when he learned about Specter Gadgets.

So, a Specter Gadget was like a tool or object with some Specter power. Some are weapons, like knives or swords, but others might be everyday things, like shiny mirrors or cool bracelets.

No matter what they looked like, these gadgets had amazing Specter powers inside of them. They were rare and could be really expensive—some even went for hundreds of millions of dollars!

But there's a catch to using these Specter Gadgets. The stronger the gadget is, the more it might mess with one's spirit or soul, like how radiation was bad for people. If a psychic used it too much, it could mess them up, and they could end up like a Specter.

When Fang Xiu read about these gadgets, he instantly thought of the special scalpel he had. It had to be a Specter Gadget. It had sliced through tons of Specters and had been soaked up with its power, making it into this unique Specter Gadget.

He wasn't too worried about the whole soul-changing thing from using a Specter Gadget. His spirit and his soul, he thought, were already pretty messed up. That meant he could use these special gadgets without stressing about any bad side effects.

The posts also talked about how to use these Specter Gadgets. To get them started, one had to put some spiritual energy into them, which turned their power on.

But if someone wanted to totally control a Specter Gadget, they'd have to connect deeply with its center using some spiritual energy. This created a bond. It was like in those stories where magical weapons pick who got to use them.

However, getting a Specter Gadget to really bond with oneself was risky. When people connected with it, their mental world would be opened wide. Every time they use it after that, its negative effects could go straight to their soul, resulting in a higher risk of transforming.

Suddenly, Fang Xiu glanced at the clock. It was already 5 a.m., and the Investigation Bureau agents would be at his door in just a bit over three hours.

"I think I've got just enough time," he muttered. He pulled out his special scalpel, focused his spiritual energy, and tried to connect deeply with the tool.

Slowly, it felt like Fang Xiu's mind was diving into a deep darkness. In this void, he could sense many angry Specters all around, as if they were attacking his thoughts.

Waves of hate, aggression, and sadness tried to pull him in, aiming to change his spirit into something scary and dark.

But Fang Xiu's spirit was deep and unending. It soaked up these negative feelings without any pushback, his face calm and undisturbed.

The scalpel's goal was to mess with Fang Xiu's soul—But what if his soul was already kind of messed up? It was like trying to hurt someone: if they were already gone, how could you harm them more?

"Is that all you've got?" Fang Xiu whispered calmly.

Then, he focused his spiritual energy on making a special mark inside the scalpel, making a bond between them in an instant.

Pulling his energy back, he was surprised to see it felt even more powerful!

It had grown by a tiny bit, so now his spiritual energy was at two percent.

_'It looks like the scalpel's magic has unlocked some of my spiritual energy,'_ he thought, feeling pretty good about the scalpel.

Besides the boost in his energy, he also figured out the real powers of the scalpel.

The scalpel had two amazing skills. The basic one was cutting, and it got stronger based on how much spiritual energy one put into it. The other skill was using the Specter magic inside it to make someone stronger.

But, because the scalpel had a lot of Specter power, this added strength was wild and unpredictable. Using it could make the user lose control, and it would also be incredibly taxing on the body. Doing it too much might even change the user completely.

Luckily, Fang Xiu wasn't scared of losing his mind; he was more focused on how much his body could handle.

Looking at the clock, it was already past seven.

Breakfast time!

He left his room, thinking of what he'd eat for breakfast.

His "wife" approached him with a soft and loving smile, saying, "Honey, breakfast is ready."

Fang Xiu walked right through her, heading to make breakfast. He made a simple meal—a fried egg, two pieces of toast, and a cold glass of milk.

As Fang Xiu was enjoying his meal, his phone buzzed. Zhao Hao was calling.

"Xiu! Xiu! Guess what? I found out what my power is!" Zhao Hao sounded super excited on the line.

"Mmm, does it have something to do with your name?" Fang Xiu guessed, taking a bite of his toast, his expression calm.

"Whoa, how did you know?" Zhao Hao sounded shocked.

Fang Xiu didn't say anything; he just kept eating._ 'Why answer when the answer is so clear?'_

After a moment, Zhao Hao realized, "Did you... see it coming?"

"Mmm… I wouldn't use 'it' per say."

"Ugh, that's so unfair! I wanted to surprise you, but you already knew. There's a downside to your power, Xiu. You'll never get a real surprise ever again."

"I gotta go. I'm expecting visitors soon."

"Hold on, don't–"

CLICK!

Fang Xiu ended the call and went back to his breakfast.

Outside his home, on top of a fancy black car, Li Wenhao, who was secretly listening in, looked shocked. The little listening gadget he had slipped from his hand, making a clear noise when it hit the ground.

Shen Lingxue, sitting beside him, looked worried. "What happened?"

Returning to his senses, Li Wenhao said, "I found out Fang Xiu and Zhao Hao's powers!"

"Really?" Shen Lingxue looked intrigued. "Tell me about Zhao Hao first."

"Zhao Hao's ability has something to do with his sexual capability."

Shen Lingxue looked grim. "Wow, didn't expect that."

"It's not about Zhao Hao. It's Fang Xiu's power that's the big deal!" Li Wenhao quickly explained.

"So, what can Fang Xiu do?"

Shen Lingxue leaned in, looking even more alert. She knew Li Wenhao wasn't easily scared. He'd met tons of people with special powers and even some Specters. It had to be something big to shake him.

"He can see the future," Li Wenhao said, his voice full of worry."