[Heavy footsteps draw near. The Paladin of Discipline has somehow appeared outside the church doors.]
Lin Xun jolted awake and quickly clicked to possess the Guardian Knight Shell.
Since the Guardian Knight hadnât died last time, this time he could possess it without spending soul strength.
[The Paladin of Discipline stands silently at the church entrance, crimson eyes blazing with uncontrollable fury.]
[What will you do?]
[1. Shout mockingly from the church doors: âI jumped out! Oops, I jumped back in again! Come hit me, you dumbass!â]
[2. Plead for mercy: âHappy New Year, Big Bro and Sis-in-law! Youâre my Father, Iâm your Son.â]
[3. Shrink back into the church, perhaps the Paladin cannot step foot into this White Moon Church.]
Lin Xun immediately ignored the first two sarcastic options and silently chose option 3.
[The Paladin of Discipline lifts a foot as if to enter the church, but is stopped by an invisible iron wall. It cannot advance.]
[It remains at the church door, refusing to leave. Its crimson gaze remains locked on you.]
Am I being spawn-camped?
Lin Xun could already picture the in-game scene clearly.
He stood inside the church, the Paladin just outside. One man and one monster, staring at each other through the doorframe. Eyes locked, a pair without words, as if caught in a poetic tragedyâŠ
He was once again stuck in a dead end. If even the level 9 Blood Sun Cultist couldnât beat the Paladin, then the Guardian Knight and Choir Sister stood even less of a chance.
Just as Lin Xun was about to quit the game, his eyes drifted to the new skill he had gained by touching the Blood Sun idol at the towerâs summit.
[Blood Pineal Gland (Fine Skill): A gift granted through your devout worship of the Corrupted Blood Sun. While under its radiance, faithful believers receive a temporary +5 level bonus.]
Hm? He lit up. That meant if he logged in during daytime, when the Blood Sun was in the sky, the Blood Sun Cultist Shell would gain a +5 level bonus.
But then he remembered, he had just desecrated the Blood Sun idol. Would the Corrupted Blood Sun still consider him a âdevout believerâ?
With no moves left to make for now, Lin Xun had no choice but to log out and wait for sunrise.
â
âBoss, one order of pan-fried buns and a bowl of plain porridge, to-go!â
Lin Xun stopped running and paused in front of the breakfast shop.
He glanced at his phone, 10 kilometers, run completed. Satisfied, he nodded.
The boost from his in-game talent upgrade had clearly enhanced his physical condition. He had run 10 kilometers without even breaking a sweat.
Jogging back home, he took a shower and sat at his desk.
He opened the takeout, pan-fried buns still steaming.
As soon as he popped the lid, a rich aroma escaped the plastic container.
The fluffy white buns were topped with black sesame seeds and sprinkled with chopped scallions.
He picked one up. Its golden, crispy underside was intensely appetizing.
One bite in, the slightly chewy dough gave way to firm meat filling, packed with savory broth and balanced by a crisp, pan-seared base.
This juicy pan-fried bun, Lin Xun was willing to call it happiness itself.
After savoring breakfast, he was ready to embark on his daily 4,000-word trek.
Today, his creativity was surging, ideas flowed like a burst dam.
Time passedâŠ
Ding-dong!
A text from his mom: âMet the girl yet? Didnât I tell you sheâs super pretty?â
???
âWhatâs going on? I never agreed to go on that blind dateâŠâ
Lin Xun was confused. Could his mom have missed the text he sent yesterday?
He checked his message history. Sure enough, yesterdayâs message had a red exclamation mark beside it.
ââŠâ
âDamn it!â
He immediately called the Boss Lady.
âMom, if I told you I actually meant to say no yesterday, but the message didnât go through, would you hit me?â
ââŠâ
A long silence on the other end⊠and then the storm began.
Lin Xun begged, pleaded, explained, sweet-talked, barely managing to calm his mom down.
âThat girl, Lu Caiyi, forget it. You ghosted her, any chance you had is gone now. I canât believe I found you such a great girl, and you just⊠ugh.â
âOh right, your Aunt Wangâs daughter just graduated from college. Maybe later the two of you can meetâŠâ
After hanging up, Lin Xun let out a long sigh.
Then he remembered, his soul strength had recovered in the game.
He launched The Book of Salvation again.
[Entering Apocalyptic Chapter]
[Chapter 323]
[You awaken once more in the familiar church.]
[Outside the shattered dome, the sky is pitch dark. Thick storm clouds swirl overhead. Violent winds howl as muffled thunder rolls across the sky. Moonlightâs HometownâSaint Rance is about to be hit by a downpour.]
[Outside the church, the crimson gaze of the Paladin of Discipline remains fixed upon you.]
What kind of grudge do you hold, man? Still blocking my door?
You might as well rename yourself to Stubborn Donkey PaladinâŠ
Lin Xun noticed the in-game weather had changed. With overcast skies and no Blood Sun in sight, the Blood Pineal Gland bonus wouldnât activate.
No choice but to use another point of soul strength to reshape the Blood Sun Cultist Shell.
[Soul light condenses into the âCorrupted Blood Sun Cultistâ Shell. You have possessed this Shell.]
[Current soul strength: 1/2]
The game once again popped up those three sarcastic choices:
Suicidal bravado, pitiful groveling, or cowardly hiding.
Lin Xun sighed and chose the third, muttering, âOnce the sunâs up, Iâll settle the score with you.â
Shoving down his impotent rage, he logged out of the game.
Time to open the computer and face todayâs grueling writing task.