Can't I Just Raise Myself?

[Magic +0.6]

"That's a lot of experience."

After killing the Spirit Binder, 'Lin Qi' leveled up again, just one step away from reaching level ten and changing class.

"I wonder if clearing this room will be enough."

'Lin Qi' walked out of the room. The corridor was pitch-black, the oil lamp only illuminating a tiny area.

['Who is it?']

A questioning message popped up on the interface. This room was at the end of the corridor, and a dark figure appeared not far around the corner, looking like a Hand of Darkness cultist.

Lin Qi: 'It's me, Derek.'

The newcomer: 'You're clearly a woman's voice!'

Lin Qi: 'Derek is a woman.'

The newcomer: 'How is that possible? I just saw him yesterday...'

The shadowy figure approached warily. 'Lin Qi' struck without hesitation, plunging a knife into his chest, then pressing forward hard. As he lost strength, she pulled the blade out and slashed across his throat.

Shhhk~

Ryan could even hear the sound of blood spraying.

Unlike killing monsters, a character with their throat slit was basically dead—he'd already verified that with Derek.

But what surprised Ryan was that 'Lin Qi's' experience bar actually jumped up a bit.

"What the hell? Killing people gives experience too?"

It hadn't gone up when he killed Derek earlier, so he thought that path was a dead end.

If this worked, then he wouldn't hold back.

"Hehehe~"

Ryan guessed that only killing specific types of people gave experience—like those who had performed rituals or come into contact with the power of the Outer Gods. For people like that, as a righteous Imperial Security Officer, he never showed mercy.

'Lin Qi' moved along the corridor, taking out two more cultists in a row.

All ambushes, so no noise was made. But when she turned the corner and reached the mansion's main hall, the lit lamps illuminated her, and the cultists still lingering there immediately spotted her.

At the same time, Ryan got a clear look at the hall.

"Damn, a bunch of animals."

The entire center of the hall was piled with corpses—at least thirty people by the look of it, including children.

Where the bodies were stacked looked like an altar. Blood flowed over the carved patterns on the altar floor, forming mysterious runes that faintly glowed.

Ryan spotted the Singer who had been with Derek earlier among them. He was the leader, talking with the others.

['Someone's broken in!']

['Quick! Kill him!']

The Singer shouted angrily.

'Lin Qi' said nothing, pulled out her Revolver, and fired.

Bang!

One shot took down a cultist. 'Lin Qi' turned and rushed up the stairs to the second floor, then smoothly reloaded and fired again. There were too many enemies—she had no chance in close combat.

"Good thing I have a gun."

Ryan stared at the interface. Kiting wasn't hard, but he had to dodge the cultists' attacks. Some of these guys were on par with Derek, while others were much stronger.

So far, though, he hadn't found a single cultist who could use supernatural power directly.

"Out of bullets."

An ordinary Security Officer could only carry a limited number of bullets. 'Lin Qi' originally had ten, and Ryan had given her fifteen more—twenty-five total. She'd just taken out six people, leaving only two rounds.

No help for it—visibility was bad, and accuracy was too low.

After thinking it over, Ryan decided not to keep using the gun. Instead, he controlled 'Lin Qi' to duck into a room—and started eating a Steamed Bun.

Waiting for her Health Bar to slowly recover, 'Lin Qi' gripped her dagger and stood guard at the door. She wasn't the only one with poor visibility—the enemy had the same problem.

After a while, a head poked into the room. 'Lin Qi' didn't hesitate and stabbed straight at it.

A light orb rose from the fallen corpse.

[You have obtained 'Roasted Chicken*1'.]

"Huh?"

Ryan was stunned.

Roasted Chicken?

Heals HP?

Thinking about it, he remembered the game did have that item—its effect was three times that of a Steamed Bun.

Can't it drop anything else for once?

The commotion of the kill quickly drew others over. 'Lin Qi' rushed out of the room, only to have her body abruptly locked in place.

[You have been hit by 'Soul Guidance'.]

A debuff appeared on the status bar, its source the Singer in the middle of the hall. They were in the middle of a chant, and the effect was continuous.

Ryan decisively cast a Purify. Taking advantage of the window of mental protection, 'Lin Qi' rapidly closed the distance toward the Singer.

Singer: 'So you're Janus's lackey. The shadow of death will shroud you!'

They raised a hand and quickly chanted a spell. In an instant, a swarm of Spirit Binders surged out from the center of the Altar.

"Damn, a Summoner too!"

Ryan cursed under his breath. In a moment of inattention, 'Lin Qi' lost half her health to the group attack. He had no choice but to retreat, fleeing to the second floor.

The Singer commanded the Spirit Binders to pursue. Just then, the mansion's front door was blasted off with a bang. A girl in gleaming armor, majestic and imposing, appeared in the doorway, bathed in moonlight.