Chapter 6: The Joy of Harvesting

【 You didn’t recklessly charge forward, but instead retreated back into the horde of monsters. 】

Lin Xun opened the skill menu on his shell and selected Backstab.

【 The audacious Apostle, you attempted to ambush the monster. 】

【 You used ‘Backstab’ to stab the dagger into the monster’s back… 】

【 You have defeated the Perishing Blood Sun Cultist. Your experience points have slightly increased. 】

【 You obtained a foul-smelling dung stone (junk). 】

【 The monsters around you heard the commotion and turned their heads to look at you. Their scarlet eyes glowed with a dangerous light. What should you do? 】

【 1. Escape the scene of the crime. Perhaps if you run fast enough, the monsters won’t be able to catch up to you. If they do, heh heh heh… 】

【 2. Let out a loud roar and raise your blade in defiance. This may not allow you to die whole, but it will be with dignity. 】

【3. Praise the sun.】

Did he even need to think about this? Two longs and a short, of course he would choose the short!

This was a surefire easy question, so Lin Xun pressed the button.

【You raised your hand and gazed at the blood sun, occasionally letting out a click of praise.】

【The monsters saw this and followed you in praising the sun… Then they turned their heads back, as if nothing had happened.】

“It worked!” Lin Xun shouted excitedly. “This way I can farm monsters infinitely!”

Having found a bug, Lin Xun began to madly farm the Sun Worshippers…

【You have defeated the Perishing Blood Sun Cultist, and your experience points have slightly increased.】

【The power within your body begins to boil, and the Perishing Blood Sun Cultist’s body level has increased. Current body level: 2.】

【You have defeated the Perishing Blood Sun Cultist, and your experience points have slightly increased.】

【You have obtained cloth scraps (junk).】

【 You have defeated the “Perishing Blood Sun Cultist”, and your experience points have increased slightly. 】

【 The power within the body begins to boil, and the “Perishing Blood Sun Cultist”’s body level has increased. Current body level: 3. 】

【 You have obtained a weak spirituality that is about to fade away (item). 】

【 You have defeated the “Perishing Blood Sun Cultist”. Experience points slightly increased. 】

【 The power within the body begins to boil. The Perishing Blood Sun Cultist’s body level has been upgraded. Current body level: 5. 】

【 You have obtained a Poison Quenched Throwing Knife (throwing item). 】

【 You have defeated the Perishing Blood Sun Cultist. Your experience points have increased slightly. 】

【 The power within your body has begun to boil. The Perishing Blood Sun Cultist’s body has been upgraded. Current body level: 7. 】

【 All monsters in the area have been slaughtered. You no longer need to feign praise for the sun. 】

Was that it? Lin Xun was just getting into the swing of things, enjoying the sensation of reaping a harvest, and couldn’t pull himself away.

After a moment of thought, he realized that as long as the body died once, the minor monsters would refresh, allowing him to continue reaping a harvest. He felt relieved.

Lin Xun noticed that during his frequent slaughtering, the game text had displayed the line: 【 You feel a bit tired. 】

But after the body upgrade, the body’s condition had been refreshed, and he wouldn’t faint like the nun due to overexertion.

He clicked on his inventory to look at what he had just acquired.

【 *Stinking Feces (Junk) 3 】

【 *Rag (Junk) 2 】

【 Diminishing Spiritual Energy (Item): The remaining weak spiritual energy in the body is about to vanish. Use it to gain 5 points of spirituality. 】

【 Poisoned Throwing Knife (throwing item): A poisoned throwing knife, the blade of which glows with a faint blue hue. Not suitable for those accustomed to licking blood from the blade. 】

The throwing knife was clearly a disposable attack item that could be dropped by minor monsters. It probably wasn’t very powerful. On the other hand, the “fading spirituality” piqued Lin Xun’s interest.

He clicked to use it.

【 You have obtained 5 points of spirituality. 】

After the text appeared, there were no further changes.

He searched around but couldn’t find any related information in the body panel. Instead, he saw “spirituality: 5” in the bottom right corner of the inventory.

“This is probably the game’s currency.” As a veteran of the Fourth Calamity, Lin Xun understood at once.

The inventory seemed to have unlimited capacity, so he didn’t throw away the junk items that minor monsters dropped. This was a leftover from playing survival games.

“The joy of scavenging.” Lin Xun grinned. “And given how this game is, even a bottle of holy water can be used as a key to unlock a mystery. Who knows? Maybe one day these trash items will become treasures.”

【 A towering four-story crimson structure looms ahead. Shall you continue? 】

【 You have chosen to proceed. 】

【 The towering structure, constructed from giant boulders, is permeated with a crimson aura as the power of corruption spreads. The tower stands on a massive platform and has four floors. The crescent moon sculpture atop the tower has been transformed into a blood sun. 】

【 You push open the heavy doors of the tower, revealing a vast and empty main hall. 】

【 A small mountain of bloody limbs and arms are piled up in the main hall, and the stench of blood fills the air. Judging by the armor and weapons on the limbs, these are the remains of the town’s permanent soldiers. 】

【 In the depths of the main hall, a spiral staircase leads up to the second floor of the tower. 】

【 Will you continue forward or stop to search for useful items? 】

Lin Xun’s eyes lit up. Treasure hunting time.

【 Greedy Apostle, you choose to dig through everything. 】

【 You obtained half a shield (junk) 】

【 You obtained a broken longsword (junk) 】

As the trash continued to appear before him, Lin Xun could only comfort himself by saying that he was just picking up trash. It wasn’t shameful.

【 You obtained a black rivet collar (item). 】

Sold! He quickly opened the inventory.

【 Black Rivet Collar (Item): A black leather collar with densely packed spikes. After use, it has a small chance of causing intense stimulation to certain creatures accustomed to submitting, making them faint. If the probability is not triggered, the item will not be consumed. 】

Huh? What kind of S&M was this? Lin Xun didn’t understand, but he was greatly shocked.

After searching the main hall, he clicked to continue forward.

【 You continue forward and gradually approach the spiral staircase. 】

【 You discover that at the entrance to the staircase, there is a wolf-dog the size of a calf! 】

【 It lies on top of the scattered remains of soldiers, its entire body covered in a crimson miasma. In its sleep, it occasionally bares its teeth and snorts, drooling foul saliva. 】

【 What should you do? 】

【 1. Silently creep over and pray you don’t make a sound. Sneak past the wolf-dog and climb the stairs. 】

【 2. Raise your dagger and take advantage of its slumber to send it into eternal dreamland with a single strike. 】

【 3. Put the collar on it. Perhaps that intense stimulation will make it too preoccupied to notice your existence. 】

After some thought, Lin Xun concluded that options 1 and 2 were both likely death sentences, while option 3 was the only one that fit the game’s flow.

But he noticed the item description for the collar, and the words “success, small probability” made his heart grow wary.

“Is this a gamble? If I succeed, I go upstairs. If I fail, I become dog food?”

To skip class meant risking one’s life. Lin Xun was powerless to complain.

“Wait, I’m already level seven. Normally speaking, without the Myriad Manifestations talent, I wouldn’t be able to possess the body of a Sun Worshipper or even use the bug to level up.”

“In other words, my current level exceeds the normal progression…”

Lin Xun no longer hesitated and decisively chose option 2.

【 The fearless Apostle has chosen the most heroic action. 】

【 You raise your blade and approach the wolf-dog pup, stabbing it in the head… 】

【 The wolf-dog pup instantly wakes up and bites you… 】

【 Eh? It’s dead? 】

【 You have defeated the “Fallen Wolf-Dog Pup,” gaining a small amount of experience. 】

【 You have obtained a large piece of fading spirituality (item). 】

【 You have obtained the wolf-dog pup’s fangs (material). 】

【 You have obtained the wolf-dog pup’s fur (material). 】

Sure enough, strength was miraculous. Hardcore players never skipped class.

Lin Xun examined the items he had just obtained. The fangs and fur were materials for forging weapons and equipment that required forging skill to use. The large piece of fading spirituality could be used to gain twenty points of spirituality, which he immediately consumed.

【 You look at the fallen wolf-dog pup. 】

【 The body of the fallen wolf-dog pup… 】