CHAPTER 578: CHAPTER 350: BLACK COCOON’S FINAL FORM AND THE PROPHECY DEADLINE

As Gu Wenyu’s funeral was underway, at five o’clock in the afternoon Japan time, the speakers placed in the corner of an abandoned building in Osaka were blaring an intense rock song.

Black Cocoon, having nothing to do and nowhere to go, decided to find a bed and a pillow. He borrowed a speaker using the restraint belt from a grocery store and settled into the abandoned building.

The bed was a clean bed;

The pillow, too, was a clean pillow.

But the surrounding environment was somewhat unsightly.

A broken corner of the window couldn’t keep out the rain, the building was filled with old office desks and broken chairs, and the floor was covered with wet waste paper, where even insects could be seen wriggling.

However, Black Cocoon didn’t have much demand for a living environment.

Firstly, because Hidden had spent months in the oppressive environment of the Salvation Society, compared to which, anywhere that lets him breathe fresh air is already a paradise.

Secondly, because when he sleeps, he wraps himself like a cocoon.

To him, the restraint belt is a large sleeping bag, so all he needs to do is keep the "restraint belt sleeping bag" clean and tidy. No matter how dirty and messy the outside world is, it’s irrelevant to him.

At this moment, Black Cocoon was lying on the bed in a lazy posture, like an old man sunbathing on a lounger on the Hawaiian beach.

He used the restraint belt to turn off the speaker, staring at the ceiling, quietly pondering how to allocate the large stash of machine points in his inventory.

From previous mainline tasks and machine graduation rewards, Black Cocoon earned an unprecedentedly generous reward.

To make a long story short, these included: "8 skill points, 8 attribute points, 6 split points," plus the 1 skill point he had already saved, making his total inventory "9 skill points, 8 attribute points, 6 split points."

"With so many skill points, it should be enough to fully unlock the skill tree, right?"

Thinking this, Black Cocoon brought up the gear options in the lower right corner of his view and found the Character Skill Tree panel amidst the complex options.

Three skill branches emerged, densely appearing before his eyes.

[Branch One (Hidden): Restraint Sensing (acquired) → Restraint Truth (acquired) → Restraint Belt Color Change (acquired) → Restraint Trap (acquired) → Restraint Incarnation (acquired) → Incarnation Enhancement (acquired) → Shifting Form and Shadow (acquired) (branch endpoint)]

[Branch Two (Frenzy): Restraint Extension (acquired) → Restraint Blade (acquired) → Restraint Torrent (acquired) → Restraint Chainsaw (requires 2 skill points) →...]

[Branch Three (Li): Restraint Detection (acquired) → Restraint Suppression (acquired) → Superpower Stealing (acquired) → Capacity Enhancement (acquired) → Superpower Overload (requires 2 skill points) ...]

Without hesitation, Black Cocoon first chose to allocate skill points to the top of "Branch Li."

He raised his hand wrapped in the restraint belt and long-pressed the superpower icon for "Superpower Overload." After a while, the icon lit up, radiating a hellish color of black and red.

Soon after, a notification box popped up before his eyes.

[Expended 2 skill points, successfully acquired the skill on Branch "Li" — "Superpower Overload" (strengthening a superpower you have stolen).]

[Notice: Unlocked the next skill on Branch "Li" — "Superpower Deprivation": After stealing someone’s superpower, if you choose to activate this skill, the target can’t use their superpower until you unleash the stolen superpower. (Requires 1 skill point to unlock).]

[Current Machine No. 1 has "7" skill points remaining, would you like to learn this skill immediately?]

"It’s useless," Black Cocoon thought to himself, "those whose superpowers I can steal are basically already blocked by me using ’Restraint Suppression.’"

Then he reconsidered, "However, perhaps some monsters can rely on brute force to break free from my restraint belt and regain the chance to release their powers. In dealing with such monsters, I can forcibly seal them using ’Superpower Deprivation.’

He raised his finger and pressed the icon, the "Superpower Deprivation" icon quickly lit up from dark to bright, emitting a dazzling red-black color.

[Expended 1 skill point, acquired the skill on Branch "Li" — "Superpower Deprivation." (Current Machine No. 1 has 6 skill points remaining)]

[Notice: Unlocked the next skill on Branch "Li" — "Second Capacity Enhancement": Allows your restraint belt to simultaneously save three different, stolen superpowers and extend the maximum save duration to 72 hours (requires 1 skill point to unlock)]

This is an obvious branch transitional skill, with no need to worry about its pros and cons.

Black Cocoon, expressionless, directly raised his finger and held down.

[Expended 1 skill point, acquired the skill on Branch "Li" — "Second Capacity Enhancement." (Current Machine No. 1 has 5 skill points remaining)]

[Notice: Unlocked the final branch skill on Branch "Li" — "Superpower Fusion."]

[Superpower Fusion: Combine two different, stolen superpowers to create a more powerful superpower, provided these two superpowers have high compatibility (requires 2 skill points to unlock).]

"Really, Superpower Fusion?" Black Cocoon was taken aback, "What would happen if I merge Dad’s superpower with Brother’s superpower? Now we’re one happy family."

[Expended 2 skill points, acquired the final skill on Branch "Li" — "Superpower Fusion." (Current Machine No.1 has 3 skill points remaining)]

[Notice: Branch "Li" has reached the branch endpoint.]

"So there’s just the last branch left."

Black Cocoon raised his eyes and looked at "Restraint Chainsaw" on Branch "Frenzy," raising his hand to press.

[Expended 2 skill points, acquired the skill on Branch "Frenzy" — "Restraint Chainsaw" (temporarily strengthens your restraint blade and makes it rotate rapidly around the restraint belt like a chainsaw blade).]

[Notice: Current Machine No.1 has only 1 skill point remaining.]

[Notice: Unlocked the final branch skill on Branch "Frenzy" — "Restraint Belt Second Extension."]

[Restraint Belt Second Extension: Increases the maximum extension distance of your restraint belt from 15 meters to 30 meters (requires 1 skill point).]

"Is that it? Honestly, it’s a bit hollow. All my sweat and effort, Brother and Sister, just learn from this..."

Black Cocoon lowered his head with a sigh, then raised his finger and pressed it on the last skill.

A sudden burst of unprecedented strong light erupted in front of him, almost covering his entire pupil.

[Final Prompt: You have successfully unlocked the entire Skill Tree for Machine Body No. 1 "Black Cocoon."]

"Graduated." Black Cocoon raised his hand to his forehead, tilted his head, and sighed, "It was tough as hell, finally have a machine body that’s maxed out, oh no... still have attribute points left." Thinking of this, he opened the Attribute Panel.

[Character Attributes — Strength: A-Class; Speed: S-Class; Spirit: C+-Class

"Speaking of which, do the machine body’s attributes have a cap, let me see."

Black Cocoon muttered to himself and first invested 3 attribute points in the speed category.

[Current Remaining Attribute Points: 5.]

[Tip: You have invested a total of 3 attribute points, the speed attribute has changed as follows: S-Class → S+ Level → S++ Level → SS Level (reached attribute cap, this attribute cannot be further enhanced).]

"So it seems, even with inhibitors, SS Level is indeed the cap."

As he spoke, Black Cocoon scratched his chin, "The attribute cap for Catastrophe-Level is S++ Level, and SS Level is already the level of mythical oddity holders, which is already quite strong."

He extended his right hand and tested out the restraint belt.

Almost instantly, the restraint belt shot out from his sleeve at near-light speed, rapidly reaching the end of an abandoned building, capturing a lizard on the wall.

"In all martial arts under heaven, only speed remains invincible." Black Cocoon shrugged.

He flicked the restraint belt, tossing the lizard out the window, then went to a place with a faucet to wash the restraint belt before retracting it into his sleeve.

Black Cocoon looked up at the Attribute Panel and continued to allocate points.

No need to say much, this time he invested all the remaining 5 attribute points into the strength category in one go.

[Tip: You have invested a total of 5 attribute points, the strength attribute has changed as follows: A-Class → A+ Level → A++ Level → S-Level → S+ Level → S++ Level (one more attribute point needed to reach the attribute cap).]

[Current Character Attributes — Strength: S++ Level; Speed: SS Level (Cap); Spirit: C+-Class]

"Aside from the tragic spirit attribute, roughly speaking, other attributes can already thrash Catastrophe-level superpower users! Even Ghost Bell is nothing special."

Black Cocoon put his hands on his hips and hummed arrogantly.

"Hmm... that’s about it, the main mission for No. 1 machine body is complete, graduation reward received, to further enhance the machine body attributes, I’ll have to rely on the ’Character Exclusive Cultivation System’." He thought, "But the No. 1 machine’s cultivation system requires building relationships with powerful individuals, my situation is so unique now, how can I randomly make friends? No way."

Black Cocoon tilted his head, dismissing his scattered thoughts, "Focus on the other machine bodies, I’ll get No. 4 machine body ready by tomorrow."

He took off his mask, lay down on a clean bed, wrapped himself in a restraint belt like a giant cocoon, and closed his eyes.

At that moment, Yaguba and Cezar were lying on the bed reading comics, while Xia Pingzhou and the young lady headed to Tokyo International Airport, boarding a flight to China Li Jing.

This flight was about two hours long.

Amidst the pattering rain sounds, Gu Wenyu’s consciousness gradually drifted into slumber.

It was uncertain how much time had passed before a chilly voice emerged from the darkness.

"Restricted-level Superpower User, Code 1002 — ’Ji Minghuan’, Mentor visiting, prepare quickly." The sudden broadcast awakened Ji Minghuan from a haze.

When he opened his eyes, the heavily overlapping metal doors were already open, and upon turning his head, he saw Koajenna in a white coat with a bun walking over.

She yawned widely, pulled a chair over to the desk, and sat down.

"What’s up?"

Ji Minghuan sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes.

"The mentor has returned." Koajenna said, "Your childhood friend is back too, do you want to see them?"

Ji Minghuan gave her a sidelong glance: "That ’them’ is too confusing, can’t you not lump those two together?"

"Then what do you want?"

"I want to see Kong Youling, don’t want to see the mentor." Ji Minghuan said, "Also, where has Kong Youling been these past few days?"

"Didn’t I tell you? The mentor is helping her regain the ability to ’speak’." Koajenna said, "She can talk normally now and can also hear you normally."

"Really?" Ji Minghuan was momentarily stunned.

"Of course it’s true, if you don’t believe it, see her yourself later." Koajenna lazily said, "Happy now, little kid?"

"Hmm, happy."

"As for the mentor, even if you don’t want to see him, there’s nothing you can do." Koajenna yawned, "He’s been bottling things up for a while with no one to talk to, you’re his confidant."

"A confidant is here... isn’t that disgusting?" Ji Minghuan hung his head low and sighed softly.

"By the way, the Prophet sent us a letter, saying he’ll visit in the next few days." Koajenna said, "Be prepared, nobody knows what will happen then... The Prophet is just like you, someone even the Salvation Society can’t fully understand."

"Great, tell him he’s welcome to come and play with me."

"Actually, we’ve always suspected one possibility."

"What possibility?"

"The Prophet is Restricted-level 1001."