Relic

Somewhere in a residential complex in Qing City, inside an old house.

Su Heng opened his eyes and pulled back the curtains. Bright sunlight flooded every corner of the room, dust motes drifting through the beams.

It seemed to have rained last night.

Golden light refracted through droplets at the tips of the leaves, scattering brilliant colors.

He opened the window.

The damp morning air, carrying the fragrance of rain-soaked earth, rushed over him and left him feeling refreshed.

The cool air outside lifted a few strands of hair by his ear. In that moment, Su Heng felt as though he had been reborn.

"Everything that happened in the dream was real."

Anaconda, forest, flowing water.

Every detail of that primeval jungle remained vividly etched in his memory. This was absolutely no unreal Dreamscape.

And more importantly...

"My body..."

The pain, weakness, and dizziness brought on by Blood Cancer seemed to have vanished overnight.

Su Heng felt his body brimming with vitality. Though he had not fully recovered, ordinary daily activity was no longer a problem.

Open the panel.

With a hint of apprehension, Su Heng silently recited the command in his heart.

Before long, a crude panel appeared before him, and Su Heng let out a heavy sigh of relief.

First Template: Anaconda (Female)

Status: Hungry

Life Level: 1

Vitality: 2.98 (average: 5)

Bond Level: 2 (current template bonus: 40%)

Body Length: 4.57 meters

Age: 0.1 years

Template Trait: Devour (Rare)

Seeing Little Boa's panel, Su Heng was delighted, but also somewhat speechless.

"If I remembered correctly, she had just eaten a little wild boar before I logged off. How was she hungry again so soon...?"

Only then did Su Heng recall that during the past twelve hours online...

Even though he had been constantly hunting for food without a moment's rest, Little Snake had still spent most of the time hungry.

"She really is a gluttonous snake."

Su Heng was at a loss for words.

Still, that was not necessarily a bad thing. A hungry anaconda would take the initiative to catch prey more actively.

And with Devour Talent at work, the more prey she caught, the more nutrients Little Snake absorbed, and the faster she grew.

The template's improvements could be fed back to his own body to varying degrees depending on the Bond Level.

For Su Heng, Little Snake's growth was his own growth.

The more Little Snake suffered, the more Su Heng could drive a Land Rover.

The harder Little Snake worked, the more Su Heng could drive a Ferrari.

The more Little Snake stuffed herself, the more Su Heng could find a mistress...

"Mm, now that I think about it, it feels like I'm exploiting this child."

Su Heng immediately felt a little guilty, though the feeling only lasted an instant. After all, this was a mutually beneficial relationship for both of them.

Open my Attribute Panel.

He silently recited another command in his heart.

Host Template: Human (Male)

Status: Weak (recovering from serious illness)

Life Level: 1

Vitality: 0.7 (average: 1)

Height: 1.78 meters

Age: 21

Current Template: Anaconda (cannot be equipped; Bond Level insufficient, template Life Level insufficient)

Current Traits: None

Note: When the Bond Level reaches Level 3 and the template Life Level reaches Level 2, you may choose Template Fusion.

Collecting True Relics can unlock new talents and greatly increase the speed of template advancement.

"Template Fusion?"

Su Heng's eyes lit up when he saw the new explanation.

"I wonder what this fusion actually means. Hopefully, it doesn't turn my Main Body into a snake after fusion. That would be a huge problem."

He murmured inwardly.

Still, although he was full of anticipation for Template Fusion...

Su Heng had no idea how to raise Life Level or how to obtain True Relics.

He could only slowly explore the game, hunting and devouring to increase Little Snake's vitality, taking things one step at a time.

After sorting through his thoughts...

Su Heng went to the kitchen and turned on the gas.

He cooked himself a packet of instant noodles, adding eggs, sausage, and some vegetables from the refrigerator, then happily devoured a hearty breakfast.

During his previous treatments, long-term use of targeted drugs had caused serious side effects in Su Heng's body.

For a long time, he had barely had any appetite. Even when he wanted to eat something, his physical condition would not allow it.

It was only after he adopted more conservative measures that things improved slightly.

A few minutes later, the steaming noodle soup was ready.

Two fried eggs rested atop the springy noodles, along with an assortment of green and red vegetables.

It was only a simple meal, but for Su Heng, who had long suffered from illness and been unable to eat normally, it was already an exceptionally delicious breakfast.

After eating a simple meal...

Su Heng put away the dishes, washed up, and changed into clean clothes.

For the first time in months, he stepped outside his room.

Since his illness had only just begun to show signs of improvement, Su Heng did not stay outside for too long.

Not far from the residential complex was a small river with pleasant scenery.

Su Heng walked several kilometers back and forth along the tranquil river. Only when he felt a light sweat on his body did he head back the way he had come.

After returning home...

Su Heng freshened up briefly, then returned to his bedroom in a bathrobe.

There were still about two hours before he could log in again.

Su Heng sat before his computer, intending to browse the news and play a couple of games before possessing Little Snake again.

At that moment...

A small, inconspicuous object in the corner of his computer desk caught Su Heng's attention.

It was a black pendant, half the size of a palm. Its surface was rough, and it vaguely resembled a sword, though the shape was quite abstract.

Its texture seemed a little like jade and a little like stone. Su Heng could not tell for sure, but it was certainly not worth much.

The reason it had been kept here all this time...

Was that this pendant seemed to hold special significance for the body's original owner.

It appeared to have been passed down by his father.

After arriving in this world, Su Heng had inherited the original owner's memories, but his memories of his parents had always been vague.

He only knew that when he was still young, they had left him a sum of money before disappearing without a trace.

This pendant had thus become Su Heng's only clue for finding his parents, or perhaps simply something to remember them by.

After all...

This world with its Red Moon was far more dangerous and far broader than his previous world.

Countless cities were scattered like stars across several different continents. Separated by the Red Moon, these cities were not closely connected.

Slowly reining in his wandering thoughts, Su Heng subconsciously reached out, grasping the Sword-shaped Pendant and turning it over in his hand.

But the moment he held the pendant in his palm, he froze.

Congratulations, Host. You have discovered a True Relic.

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