Chapter 27: Ecstasy?

Xu Zhi stepped onto the rooftop of the school building. There was no one else up there—only the howling wind for company.

He opened the lunchbox in his hand, filled with food freshly packed from the cafeteria.

Cross-legged, he sat down in a quiet corner, eating while waiting for time to pass.

He glanced at his watch—it was already 11:00 a.m. His Soul Strength had just regenerated.

He pulled out the phone he had finally reclaimed from his cram school teacher after groveling for days.

The Book of Salvation—launch!

“I’ve saved up Spirit and Forging Stones for three days. If I visit the NPC to enhance my equipment, I should finally be able to beat that mini-boss, right?”

Thinking back to how he was humiliated by a newbie Apostle just days ago, losing his phone in the process, Xu Zhi felt his anger rising.

The loss had been far more than just emotional. Because of the PK he dropped Spirit, he hadn’t had enough to buy consumables and ended up stuck in a deadlock…

He had no choice but to exit his original chapter and return to the Library, then re-enter a new chapter at random.

The only consolation was that this chapter seemed to be on the easier side. Although he’d still died a few times, he’d made decent progress. This time, he was well-prepared—maybe he could finally take that boss down.

[You have entered the Apocalyptic Chapter]

[Chapter 5681]

[The feeble wandering soul awakens within a familiar phone booth…]

He reshaped his shell using Soul Strength—something Xu Zhi could now do with his eyes closed.

He traversed the city’s ruined streets, killing a few minor mobs along the way, and successfully arrived at the survivor camp.

Xu Zhi quickly used his Spirit items.

[You used Fading Chunk of Spirit ×5]

[You used Fading Fragment of Spirit ×2]

[You used Fading Trace of Spirit ×6]

[You gained 150 Spirit!]

Eyes locked on the screen, he dared not waste a second. Using the finger speed honed by years of gaming, he rapidly clicked on the dialogue option with the NPC—

[A red glow flashes before your eyes. The very world seems to tremble.]

[You have been invaded by an unknown Apostle!]

Xu Zhi froze—nothing like a worst-case scenario becoming reality.

“No way… Just three more minutes—hell, even two—and I would’ve been fine… I just used my Spirit!”

He took a deep breath, clenching his fists, trying to stay calm.

Maybe the invading Apostle was just some scrub—no need to panic. No need to panic. Just fight!

[A figure bathed in red light appears before you—it is the invading Apostle. He raises his scepter and begins chanting.]

[What will you do?]

[1. Fall to your knees and beg, praying that a fellow child of the gods might spare you.]

[2. Raise your pistol and shoot with all your might—let him know you’d rather die on your feet than live on your knees.]

“A scepter? Chanting? Who the hell is this mage-tier bigshot that just randomly matched with me?!”

Still, Xu Zhi hadn’t given up—there was a sliver of hope.

As a “veteran Apostle,” he knew all too well that glass-cannon mages were most vulnerable during casting. He slammed Option 2.

He had to shoot before the invader finished their spell!

[Brave Apostle, you raise your pistol, aim at the invader’s head, and pull the trigger.]

[Bang! The bullet hits the invader. He tilts his head slightly, unbothered, and continues chanting.]

[A red flash…]

[You are dead!]

“What the hell?! Where’s that squishy mage fragility?!”

“One bullet didn’t kill him? He kept casting? This game’s bugged again, isn’t it?!”

[You were defeated by the Apostle ‘Swordsmith’. You dropped 150 Spirit.]

“Oh My Gosh! It’s you again?!”

“Bro, could you not keep picking the same damn sheep to fleece?!”

That familiar soul imprint from days ago—Xu Zhi swore he would never forget that ID for the rest of his life.

He closed his eyes in despair, a single tear tracing down his cheek.

—

[Invasion successful. You defeated the Apostle ‘BigDickBro’.]

[You obtained 150 Spirit. Returning to your chapter…]

This invasion made Lin Xun realize: the game contained not only post-apocalyptic settings reminiscent of ancient Western eras, but also modern-day scenarios. The enemy’s firearms were proof of that.

Makes sense. When he first entered The Book of Salvation, the prologue had mentioned that each chapter was a unique and terrifying apocalypse.

Ancient or modern—it was all fair game.

His initial goal with this invasion was to test out the mage shell, but it turned out too strong—he one-shot the enemy. He didn’t even get to evaluate its capabilities properly.

Still, that Tainted Essence Crimson Sunflower Seed seemed pretty effective.

The Yellow-Robed Bishop’s defense had clearly improved—a bullet to the head didn’t even interrupt spellcasting. Plus, that 150 Spirit was a nice bonus.

“Why doesn’t this guy ever save his Spirit items? Every time I invade, I loot a bundle—it’s like harvesting chives. I’m starting to feel bad…”

Letting the thought go, Lin Xun exited the library and continued the game.

[You continue down the second-floor corridor and discover a new room.]

[You try to enter, but the door is secured with a golden lock inscribed with arcane symbols.]

[You lack the necessary key and cannot enter ‘Lord Fox’s Treasury.’]

A treasury—complete with a lock? Clearly, something good was in there.

But for now, there was no way to get in. Lin Xun could only drool helplessly.

Suddenly, an idea struck him—he remembered how the banquet hall door was blown to bits by the Yellow-Robed Bishop’s Corrupt Sunlight.

He opened his skill panel and selected “Corrupt Sunlight.”

[Ambitious Apostle, if you force open the Treasury door, the enchanted golden lock will incinerate all contents within.]

[Proceed with forced entry?]

Lin Xun grumbled and chose “No,” continuing onward.

[You proceed down the corridor and find another room.]

[You enter—it is a guest bedroom arranged for visitors by Lord Fox. A desk in the room holds several volumes of the “Radiant Crescent Scriptures,” the White Moon Church’s prayer books.]

[According to your shell’s memories, this was the temporary residence of the Yellow-Robed Bishop.]

[You search the room and find a peculiar piece of fabric under the pillow.]

[You obtained Silk Underskirt (Junk) — Made of luxurious silk, this kind of frivolous item could only be afforded by noblewomen. It’s mysteriously fragrant with long-lasting notes of rose.]

Lin Xun’s hand twitched—he nearly materialized it in real life.

He quickly closed the inventory. This guest bedroom was the bishop’s residence, and the skirt? Most likely a memento from when he plucked the Rose of Saint Rance.

Searching again, he found half a bottle of Healing Holy Water under the bed.

Lin Xun was starting to think the White Moon Church was beyond saving.

He exited the room with a sigh and returned to the corridor, which ended in a staircase to the third floor.

[You arrive at the third floor of the inner castle. Only a single grand room awaits—its door left wide open.]

[You walk down the hallway into the room—it is Lord Fox’s private bedroom.]

[You search the lord’s desk drawer and find a notebook.]

[You obtained Count Fox’s Notebook (Lore Item)]

Lin Xun raised an eyebrow—this was his first time seeing a lore-type item.

He opened his inventory to read it.

[Count Fox’s Notebook (Lore Item)]

‘Oh, my beloved, Serina. You didn’t have to do this for me—to give yourself to that old man from the White Moon Church. I’ve already spent nearly half my fortune just to convince him to stay and protect our castle. Wasn’t all that treasure enough? Why did he have to touch you—my most cherished Serina?’

‘Every night, I lie awake, listening in the darkness. Serina, why have your cries turned to moans of pleasure? Yes, it must be the old man’s foul magic corrupting you. Look at the courtyard—the sunflowers I planted for you with my own hands. Have you forgotten they were your favorite flower? Forgotten the vow I once made to you?’

—

‘No! No! Serina, how could you become this?!’

—

‘Ah! Such beautiful sunflowers…’

What was this…? Purity Knight? Cuckold Simulator? Love and Madness?

Lin Xun couldn’t make heads or tails of it—but he was thoroughly, utterly shaken.

[T/N: Wow. This author is something else lmao.]