Chapter 6: The Joy of Farming

[You cautiously retreat back into the horde of monsters instead of advancing.]

Lin Xun opened the shell’s skill menu and selected Backstab.

[The bold Apostle attempts to ambush the monsters.]

[You use ‘Backstab’, plunging your dagger into a monster’s spine…]

[You have defeated a ‘Corrupted Blood Sun Cultist.’ Experience slightly increased.]

[You obtained: Foul Dung Stone (Junk)]

[Nearby monsters turn toward the noise, their crimson eyes glowing dangerously. What will you do?]

[1. Flee the scene. Maybe if you run fast enough, they won’t catch you. (If they do… hehe.)]

[2. Roar defiantly and fight back. You might die messily, but at least it’ll be dignified.]

[3. Praise the Sun.]

The choice was obvious. Two long options and one short? Always pick the short one!

This was free points. Lin Xun tapped the option without hesitation.

[You raise your hands toward the Blood Sun, murmuring words of praise.]

[The monsters follow suit, joining you in worship… then turn away as if nothing happened.]

“It worked!” Lin Xun cheered. “Does this mean I can farm monsters indefinitely?”

Having discovered this exploit, he began enthusiastically backstabbing his way through the horde…

[You have defeated a ‘Corrupted Blood Sun Cultist.’ Experience slightly increased.]

[Power surges within the shell. ‘Corrupted Blood Sun Cultist’ shell has leveled up! Current level: 2]

[You have defeated a ‘Corrupted Blood Sun Cultist.’ Experience slightly increased.]

[You obtained: Torn Fabric Scraps (Junk)]

—

[You have defeated a ‘Corrupted Blood Sun Cultist.’ Experience slightly increased.]

[Power surges within the shell. ‘Corrupted Blood Sun Cultist’ shell has leveled up! Current level: 3]

[You obtained: Fading Trace of Spirit (Item)]

—

[You have defeated a ‘Corrupted Blood Sun Cultist.’ Experience slightly increased.]

[Power surges within the shell. ‘Corrupted Blood Sun Cultist’ shell has leveled up! Current level: 5]

[You obtained: Poisoned Throwing Knife ×1 (Throwable)]

—

[You have defeated a ‘Corrupted Blood Sun Cultist.’ Experience slightly increased.]

[Power surges within the shell. ‘Corrupted Blood Sun Cultist’ shell has leveled up! Current level: 7]

[The surrounding monsters have all been slaughtered. You no longer need to pretend—Praise the Sun!]

“That’s it?” Lin Xun had been tapping away, utterly absorbed in the farming loop, reluctant to stop.

Then he realized—if the shell died once, the mobs would respawn, letting him farm again. Satisfied, he moved on.

He noticed that during the slaughter, the game had displayed [You feel slightly fatigued].

But leveling up seemed to refresh the shell’s condition, unlike the nun who had collapsed from exhaustion.

Opening his inventory, he checked the loot:

[Foul Dung Stone (Junk) ×3]

[Torn Fabric Scraps (Junk) ×2]

[Fading Trace of Spirit (Item): Lingering spiritual energy on the verge of vanishing. Use to gain 5 Spirit.]

[Poisoned Throwing Knife (Throwable): A blade coated in deadly toxin, its edge gleaming blue. Not recommended for those who lick their blades.]

The throwing knife was clearly a one-time attack item. Dropped by trash mobs, it probably wasn’t very powerful. But the Fading Trace of Spirit intrigued him.

He clicked Use.

[You have gained 5 Spirit.]

The text appeared without further elaboration.

After some searching, he didn’t find any related stats in the shell panel—but in the inventory’s bottom corner, he spotted: [Spirit: 5].

“This must be the in-game currency.” As a veteran gamer, Lin Xun understood immediately.

The inventory seemed limitless, so he kept all the junk—a habit from survival games.

“The joy of hoarding trash.” He grinned. “Given this game’s nature, even Holy Water was a puzzle key. Who knows? Maybe this junk will become useful someday.”

[Ahead lies a four-story tower wreathed in scarlet mist. Will you proceed?]

[You set forth down the path.]

[The stone tower exudes corrupting energy. Built on a massive platform, its four stories culminate in a crescent moon sculpture now reshaped into a Blood Sun.]

[Pushing open the heavy doors, you enter a vast, empty hall.]

[Inside, dismembered limbs are piled into a gory mound, the stench overwhelming. From the broken armor and weapons, you deduce these were the town’s garrison soldiers.]

[At the hall’s far end, a spiral staircase leads to the tower’s second floor.]

[Will you press onward or search the area for useful items?]

Lin Xun’s eyes gleamed. “Treasure hunting time.”

[The greedy Apostle chooses to scour every inch.]

[You obtained: Broken Shield Half (Junk)]

[You obtained: Shattered Longsword (Junk)]

—

As junk notifications flooded in, Lin Xun consoled himself: “There’s no shame in dumpster diving.”

[You obtained: Black Spiked Collar (Item)]

“Finally, something good!” He hurriedly checked the description.

[Black Spiked Collar (Item): A leather collar studded with sharp spikes. When used, has a small chance to overwhelm certain submissive creatures with intense stimulation, rendering them unconscious. If the effect fails, the item is not consumed.]

???

“What kind of BDSM…?” Lin Xun didn’t understand but was thoroughly impressed.

After looting the hall, he proceeded forward.

[Approaching the spiral staircase, you spot a wolfhound the size of a calf!]

[It lounges atop scattered soldier remains, its body rotting and crimson. Even in sleep, it occasionally bares fangs, drooling foul saliva.]

[What will you do?]

[1. Sneak past silently, praying not to disturb it, and ascend the stairs.]

[2. Raise your dagger and strike while it sleeps, ensuring it never wakes.]

[3. Place the collar on it. The overwhelming stimulus might distract it from your presence.]

After some thought, given the game’s sadistic design, options 1 and 2 were likely traps. Only 3 fit the intended solution.

But the item description’s “small chance” gave him pause.

“Is this RNG? Succeed and climb, fail and become dog food?”

Cheesing the game came at the cost of his life—a frustrating trade-off.

“Wait… I’m level 7 now. Without the ‘Thousand Faces’ talent, players normally couldn’t possess the cultist shell or exploit this farming loop.”

“Which means… I’m overleveled for this area.”

No longer hesitating, he boldly chose option 2.

[The fearless Apostle chooses the most heroic path.]

[You raise your dagger and stab at the wolfhound’s skull…]

[The beast awakens instantly—and bites down on you…]

[Huh? It’s dead???]

[You have defeated ‘Corrupted Wolfhound.’ Experience moderately increased.]

[You obtained: Fading Chunk of Spirit (Item)]

[You obtained: Wolfhound Fang (Material)]

[You obtained: Wolfhound Hide (Material)]

As expected—brute force solved everything. True gamers never cheesed.

The fang and hide were crafting materials requiring relevant skills. He immediately used the Fading Chunk of Spirit, gaining 20 Spirit.

[You examine the slain wolfhound’s remains…]

[Corrupted Wolfhound shell…]