Why am I the one being won over?

--The Mask of a Thousand Faces

"Possesses the ability to transform into different forms. The mental energy consumed by each transformation is proportional to the quality and strength of the simulated object; the longer the transformation lasts, the greater the mental energy consumed."

"It seems to still have the previous user's body heat on it. Are you sure you want to wear it on your face?"

That's roughly the situation. Indeed, the Riddler System has actually reformed itself and explained its existing abilities to Bai Jun in detail. Although this explanation came somewhat late, Bai Jun discovered quite a few interesting details through the system's explanation.

Take the "Beautiful Youth" skill, for example. Recalling the friendly attitude of everyone who met him for the first time, Bai Jun already felt that the current effect was quite exaggerated. He never expected that this skill would also have an active effect?

Actually, this isn't Beautiful Youth at all, but rather someone with a succubus constitution, right?! Bai Jun couldn't help but think to himself.

The effects of the abilities "Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire" and "Favor of the Sun" are largely as Bai Jun predicted, so there's nothing to worry about.

Upon seeing the ability called Mind Catcher in the system menu, Bai Jun realized that he actually possessed such an ability, perhaps because he was usually so low-profile. As for why it failed, it probably did so during his first confrontation with Kafka on the space station. However, the fact that it failed was enough to prove how useless the ability was.

This prop called "The Mask of a Thousand Faces" does have some use, but Bai Jun is clearly more concerned about the last line in the explanation section... The tone... it sounds like it was written by some idiot who loves to have fun.

Could it be that this system will evolve into an intelligent, chatty system sprite as it is continuously updated and maintained?

Bai Jun briefly imagined the scene, shuddered, and shook his head in denial. He preferred quiet to having a noisy voice in his head.

"The system has now been fully maintained. Considering the morality points accumulated by the host during this server downtime, the morality points missed due to major events have now been compensated."

"You defeated two Doomsday Beasts, repelled the True Sting swarm, and saved the Herta Space Station from disaster. Morality +50"

"You suppressed the Emanator of the Hunt had fallen into Moon Rage, averting a disaster for the Xianzhou Alliance. Morality +50"

"You slayed the Emanator of Destruction's avatar, devoured the dragon of Abundance and Permanence, and saved Luofu from Destruction. Morality +100"

You have three chances to win a prize. Would you like to use them now?

The series of messages that suddenly popped up on the system panel left Bai Jun somewhat overwhelmed. He first spent some time trying to understand them, marveling at how the system had indeed become somewhat anthropomorphic, before pressing the option to confirm the lottery draw.

As the shimmering light of the sunset danced, three brand-new abilities lay quietly in the system panel. Unable to contain his curiosity, Bai Jun quickly clicked to check them out.

--Charmony Festival Invitation

"As its name suggests, it comes from Penacony's biggest celebration, held only once a year during the Amber Era, inviting numerous organizations from around the world to participate. It is also a world-renowned music festival."

"Join in the fun, and I'm sure you'll achieve your long-held goals."

Bai Jun had heard of the Charmony Festival, but he wasn't particularly interested in it. However, the Guinaifen had invited him to attend the Charmony Festival before leaving, so if given the opportunity, Bai Jun wouldn't mind going to Penacony.

In conclusion, this invitation was not very effective.

Bai Jun moved on to the next ability.

--Platonsanks's Lightning

"It is said to originate from the long-destroyed Fam Azra, and to be the Ancient Dragon King Platonsanks, who resides in the rift between time and space, at the center of the storm. Every move he makes is enveloped in crimson lightning, which can be freely transformed into its shape. It contains the majesty of an ancient dragon and cannot be judged by its mere lightning properties."

"I heard that you can dodge lightning by rolling?"

Wait a minute, why does this ability look so familiar? Bai Jun remembers it being something from a game in his past life!

Leaving aside the last sentence, Bai Jun, who now possesses three powers of Path, has no shortage of improvement in strength. With the support of the terrifying vitality provided by Abundance and Permanence, and by unleashing the full power of the Favor of the Sun and the Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire, Bai Jun's strength has already far exceeded the level of an ordinary Emanator.

To put it bluntly, even if you tied three, no, five Jing Yuan together, they wouldn't be enough to beat him in his current state.

Although Bai Jun had never witnessed what the pinnacle of the so-called Emanator was like, he felt that he was currently at about that level. Even if he couldn't directly confront and defeat the Aeon of Destruction Nanook, he at least had the ability to fight against Him.

In any case, Bai Jun's ultimate goal in improving his strength is to gain the qualification to participate in Aeon -level battles, so this ability is somewhat useless for now. We'll wait for the next opportunity to test the specific power of this ability before making a final judgment.

Next comes the final ability.

--Eligibility for another system upgrade

You will once again be eligible to upgrade the system. The answer you've been waiting for may be in the next update.

"Requirements for the next stage of upgrade - Stellaron"

... Bai Jun admitted that this seemed the most attractive thing, and so far he had far too many unanswered questions: Would the Favor of the Sun elevate him to the status of Aeon? How much of the Path he needed was still missing? Why was Nanook hostile towards him? And even at a higher level—the origin of this system?

As for the required Stellaron, it seems a bit difficult to find at first glance, but Bai Jun remembered what Jing Yuan said earlier, namely that Jarilo-VI was sealed off by wind and snow due to the influence of the Stellaron... Well, it seems that he has no choice but to go to Belobog.

Filled with confusion, Bai Jun made up his mind to go to Belobog.

Even though it was getting late, it didn't affect Bai Jun's plans. He originally intended to set off for Belobog immediately, but his attention was drawn to the news that Jade Omen had spoken.

He took out the Jade Omen screen and was somewhat surprised.

"The Universe's Number One Genius (The Herta): Hey, the doll you asked me to make is finished. Judging by the time, it should have been delivered to the cargo dock of the Xianzhou Luofu by now. Go and sign for it when you have time. I've already paid the shipping fee."

"The World's Number One Genius (The Herta): Let me make this clear first, this puppet took a lot of my effort, and its purpose was actually for another woman... Tch, anyway, you owe me a favor, so be prepared!"

"The world's number one genius (The Herta) has logged off."

Unfortunately, even for the sake of Xue Yi, Bai Jun had no choice but to postpone the meeting until tomorrow.

He gave a slightly helpless wry smile and thanked the gray-faced Herta. Then he looked up from Jade Omen's screen and suddenly realized that he was surrounded by passersby, and even a lot of Cloud Cavalry.

Their faces were filled with concern as they anxiously asked Bai Jun:

"Lord Bai Jun, you've been standing here for quite some time. Are you feeling unwell?"

"Uh, I'm fine..."

With a stiff expression, Bai Jun responded to everyone's concern one by one, and it took him a lot of effort to squeeze out of the surging crowd, once again feeling the exaggerated influence brought by the so-called "hero" status.

After sneaking away from the crowd to Liuyun Crossing to sign for the package, Bai Jun took advantage of the moonlight to arrive at the Prison of Deep Seclusion located in Scalegorge Waterscape.

Because Bai Jun had often assisted the judges in handling cases in the past and helped the Ten Lords Bureau deal with many difficult cases, and because of his current special status, the Ten Lords Bureau had no suspicion of Bai Jun. The military officer outside the door had just reported to his superiors when the message that passage was permitted came in the next second.

Looking down upon the land under the moonlit night sky, Bai Jun sighed as he entered the Prison of Deep Seclusion amidst the entanglement of the officers queuing for autographs. The bright moon hung high in the night sky, leaving only tranquility surrounding the place.

He hadn't visited this gloomy and dimly lit place in a long time.

Bai Jun, carrying the doll he had given to Xue Yi, carefully avoided slipping and falling into the unfathomable abyss below, and arrived at this place alone.

The judges and underworld messengers nearby all recognized Bai Jun. Surprised, they greeted him one after another. Bai Jun responded with a wry smile. Then, he passed through countless interconnected passages and followed the spiraling staircases, finally finding Hanya's workplace—the command center of the Prison of Deep Seclusion.

Are you all alone here, Hanya?

"The other judges are all out dealing with the aftermath of the disaster... Bai, Bai Jun?!"

The command center, with its somber, bluish-gray walls, was occupied only by Hanya, who sat alone in a chair, head down, reviewing recent information. Perhaps the workload had been too heavy lately, causing her already somewhat haggard face to look even more distressed. Upon hearing Bai Jun's voice, she didn't even recognize who it was, responding only with an instinctive, formulaic response.

Only after she turned her head and saw who it was did her beautiful, lifeless, leaden-gray eyes finally light up.

Overwhelmed with emotion, she rose from her chair and ran towards Bai Jun at the door, oblivious to the scattered documents at her feet. She stumbled and fell straight to the ground, instinctively closing her eyes...

What I felt wasn't a cold pain, but a warm and strong embrace.

Are you alright?

Bai Jun caught her just before she fell, supporting her slender waist with one hand, and looked at Hanya, who was staring blankly at him, with concern.

"It's so warm... Ah? No, it's nothing! I'm fine, thank you Bai Jun!"

Before she could even process what she had been thinking, she had already murmured the words that were hidden in her heart.

The flustered Hanya quickly stepped out of Bai Jun's arms, worried that if it continued, she would lose control and become intoxicated by the warmth. While tidying her hair, she asked Bai Jun why he had come, trying to change the subject.

Bai Jun told Hanya his purpose for this trip. Seeing the box beside him, Han Ya exclaimed, "So that's how it is. Bai Jun, you're so good to my sister!" A hint of resentment, a touch of envy, and a subtle smile of happiness filled Hanya's face.

She gently bit her lip, hugged the doll Bai Jun had brought, and then turned and walked into Xue Yi's private rest room.

After a long while, Hanya opened the door and waved to Bai Jun, indicating that he could come in.

Inside the room, Xue Yi, wearing a Hanya coat, was staring blankly at her own cheek. She then lowered her head and licked her fingertips, feeling a slight pain as her cheek was pulled, and tasting a slightly bitter flavor on her tongue...

These are things she shouldn't have been able to experience.

However, she was now experiencing this feeling. Although she should be happy, she felt a pang of sorrow in her heart. With a tremor in her eyes, crystal-clear tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Then you'll have to cherish this body, okay? Otherwise, all my efforts will be wasted."

When Bai Jun walked to her side, he gently placed his hand on her head.

His deep blue eyes were incredibly clear and dazzling, no less so than the moonlight shining from the night sky.

Having reached her limit in every aspect, Xue Yi's heart surrendered, and her eyes automatically filled with tears.

She abandoned her usual aloofness, suddenly stood up, and bumped her body against the chest of the man she admired.

"Thank you!"

She mustered all her strength and hugged his waist tightly.

"Me too! I want one too!"

Having witnessed the whole scene, Hanya could no longer suppress her impulse and also pounced on Bai Jun.

PS:

The next chapter is the Belobog chapter.

Volume 4

Chapter 196 Miss Pela will never fall in love with shoujo manga.

Nearly a thousand years ago, a sweeping Eternal Freeze arrived, bringing an eternal winter and covering the earth in pure white.

Fortunately, thanks to the power of "Preservation," the sheltered Belobog is protected from the life-threatening snowstorms. Because of this, although the area is ravaged by snow and wind, humans have been able to survive, compared to the biting frost and the boundless snowfields.

This is the textbook's explanation of the current world situation, which is common knowledge familiar to the general public.

Therefore, the vast majority of people choose to live peacefully within the city of Belobog, perhaps never leaving these thick walls for their entire lives. If it were her in the past, she would probably have scoffed at this idea, but now, she suddenly feels that such an idea, such a stable life, seems quite nice.

A vast expanse of white obscured all human figures, with only sparse tree shadows standing on the hillside covered in thick snow. The petite girl strained to lift her legs, which were embedded in half-height snow, and gasped for breath as she ran down the hillside at an astonishing speed.

The figure running with all its might startled snowflakes from the nearby trees.

Her cheeks were flushed red from the biting wind, her throat burned with pain, her overworked lungs groaned incessantly, her limbs felt like they were filled with molten lead, and her clothes clung to her body like molten lead, bringing her to the brink of collapse.

Even so, she dared not slack off in the slightest.

Because behind her, a swarm of monsters, as dark as a tide, followed closely.

Death! The price of stopping is instant death, no, even more terrifying than death. It is said that creatures killed by Fragmentum creatures do not experience true death, but are infected and reduced to half-dead Fragmentum creatures with their broken bodies.

No matter how strong her will to live was, her body would eventually reach its limit.

"Waaaaaahh..."

Like a kite with a broken string, her constantly swinging legs stiffened, and then her whole body tilted, causing her to fall into the snow and slide down the hillside. Her clothes were torn by sharp stones and branches hidden in the snow until she crashed into a large tree, which finally brought her rolling body to a stop.

She struggled to her feet from the snow, but the approaching shadow made her stiffen.

While the girl was recovering, the group of Fragmentum creatures had already arrived in front of her.

With her bottom pressed against the cold snow, she could only pitifully shuffle backward.

"He really got his comeuppance."

As the monster's minions drew near, the girl named Pela thought to herself.

It all started with a task assigned to her by her boss.

As an intelligence officer within the Silvermane Guards, she regularly travels to the outskirts of Belobog every few months to survey the recent situation. Her work includes investigating terrain changes caused by avalanches, signs of movement by the Fragmentum Monster, and more...

It's no big deal; Pela has done similar work countless times.

Today is probably the same as in the past.

She initially declined the offers of others to accompany her.

It wasn't that Pela was arrogant; she simply couldn't be bothered to deal with men who couldn't remember her full name and always cast covetous glances at her.

If either Lynx or Serval were free, she would definitely invite them. Unfortunately, Lynx been busy with camping in the snowfield lately, and Serval had been disappearing for no apparent reason, so Pela came to the outskirts of Belobog alone.

According to the original plan, Pela only needed to conduct a fixed-point survey at a location about five kilometers outside the city, an area patrolled daily by Silvermane Guards —a task with extremely low risk.

However, she made a grave mistake.

She was actually drawn to a Warp Trotter.

Warp Trotter are interesting creatures that are attracted to light, meaning they have a strong fascination with collecting sparkly treasures.

The places where they appear are often rich in treasure, and their timid nature means they don't attack people, so they are always regarded as auspicious symbols by adventurers and merchants. However, Pela has always believed that beneath the seemingly cute and harmless appearance of the Warp Trotter, it is still an extremely dangerous Fragmentum creature.

Logically, she should ignore the Warp Trotter, focus on completing her survey work, and quickly return to the city to avoid the sudden drop in temperature or an attack from the Fragmentum creatures. However, the situation was different from before; she saw the Geomarrow Activation Component in the Trotter's mouth.

The moment Pela saw the Geomarrow Activation Component, she suddenly remembered something about her mother.