I was already a hopeless illiterate.
Gong Qiying flipped through the manuscript, with only one thought in his mind—I can't understand it.
It wasn't that he couldn't understand it at all. It was more like an average student in the middle of the class trying to read an impossibly difficult problem solved by the top student.
Thanks to Godwyn's memories, Gong Qiying could understand every technical term in the manuscript, as well as the connections between them and the experimental procedures. But halfway through, he would often feel dizzy and confused. Some of the content required careful thought before he could understand it. The result was that the more he read, the more irritated he became, until he could read no further.
The general idea of the manuscript was to use a certain magical ritual to transfer one's soul into the corpse of another member of the same race. Under the effects of magic, the corpse would completely transform into the soul's appearance. Its looks, voice, and even more internal things, such as its genes, would all be changed beyond recognition.
The only thing that probably remained unchanged was that, fundamentally, it was still just a lump of flesh.
Magic was truly amazing!
Gong Qiying felt that this manuscript would be very useful to him. Perhaps he could use reincarnation to leave the dungeon.
He had tried to leave the dungeon, but whenever he approached the exit, he was stopped by some inexplicable force, as if there were an invisible wall of air in front of him.
Every day, he watched adventurers coming and going, and the frustration in his heart was indescribable.
The holy land you longed for but could never reach had actually long been casually entered and exited by other people. (Mist)
He didn't know what the Sain Underground City relied on to identify the City Lord. If it identified souls, then Godwyn's soul had long since vanished. Why would the dungeon choose him, Gong Qiying?
If it identified bodies, would he lose his status as City Lord after leaving Godwyn's body?
After thinking it over carefully, he felt that being the City Lord was still more enjoyable than going outside.
But the living needed hope. He still had to study this manuscript.
"Deep Blue, assign the points!"
For the sake of efficiency, he decided to use Mental Power to increase his Intelligence!
The Intelligence on the panel had nothing to do with his personal IQ. Increasing Intelligence actually increased the damage he dealt when using magic.
But every effect had a cause. The increase in magic damage resulted from many factors, such as casting speed, total mana, mana circulation efficiency, and
understanding of magic and the speed at which he learned magic!
Gong Qiying increased his Intelligence to improve his understanding of magic-related matters and help him comprehend the manuscript.
E+,D-,D,D+
He raised his Intelligence to C- in one go. He had steadily added each point himself, one at a time. Looking back at his Mental Power, he had already spent the equivalent of one Furnace Knight.
The amount of Mental Power spent was surprisingly not that high. Gong Qiying had originally prepared himself for a painful loss.
"Wow, I really can understand it now."
Not only could he understand it, he now deeply grasped why certain steps had to be carried out that way, why certain symbols had to be drawn in particular places, and a whole series of questions he had previously only half understood.
Only after he could understand it did he realize that the Corpse Rebirth Technique differed somewhat from what he had assumed.
When using the Corpse Rebirth Technique, one had to transfer one's soul into a new body. But that didn't mean the original body would be discarded. The original body remained, and the soul could travel back and forth between the two bodies.
There was just one small problem that occurred to the original body during the process.
The handwriting became very messy when the manuscript described this problem, the strokes filled with Rage. Several lines were even written in red: "UNABLE TO SOLVE! UNABLE TO SOLVE! UNABLE TO SOLVE!!!"
Gong Qiying had been somewhat nervous, but when he actually saw what the side effect was, he suddenly burst out laughing.
So the side effect was—that the original body would become a living corpse!
I'm already a living corpse to begin with. This is hilarious.
He was relieved.
Since the soul could travel back and forth between the two bodies, it made no difference to him whether the dungeon's identification mechanism recognized souls or bodies.
What he needed to consider now was where to find a suitable corpse, as well as the corresponding magical materials.
Unfortunately, to thank the two strangers for the kindness of bringing him the manuscript, he had already placed their corpses in the Curse Frog swarm for a water burial. There probably wasn't even a scrap left by now.
As for the magical materials, some things were absent from Godwyn's memories. They must have been new items that had appeared over the years, so he would need to purchase them from the outside world.
Buying them wasn't a problem. He could just have Jack make the trip.
However.
"This way, Mr. Jack. Boss Leon is waiting for you."
Led by Tel, Jack entered a tall building in a state of unease—the Adventurer's Guild.
This wasn't Jack's first time at the guild, but it was his first time going up to the second floor. The guild had a rule: unless they had received an invitation, only Silver-rank adventurers or higher could enter the second floor.
The second floor was just as he had imagined: quiet and imposing, completely different from the Uproar on the first floor. As soon as one climbed to the second floor, Soundproof magic would isolate the Screech from below, ensuring that the elites' rest would never be disturbed.
"You don't have to be so nervous. We're just asking you to meet some companions," Tel said with a smile.
"Mm." Cold sweat poured from Jack's forehead.
He had agreed to Tel's invitation in a moment of impulsiveness and joined the Strategy Group. That was the Strategy Group! Only the most elite of the elite adventurers were qualified to join. Who hadn't fantasized about experiencing a thrilling adventure in the dungeon alongside the Strategy Group's elites?
Yet today, he had been summoned to meet everyone. Thinking that all the people he was about to meet were "big shots," Jack was already regretting his impulse from the previous day.
The door to the lounge opened. A handsome, sunny young man with a gentle appearance sat in the very center. The moment he saw Jack, he revealed a warm smile and said, "You must be Mr. Jack. Tel has already introduced you to us. I'm Leon, 'Lion' Leon."
"It's a pleasure to meet you."
The moment he stepped into the room, Jack felt an inferiority complex surge through him. He couldn't even straighten his back.
Several adventurers sat scattered around the room. Each radiated the aura of a powerful expert, while their fighting spirit and endurance were astonishing enough to amaze everyone. At a glance, one could tell they would bring their enemies plenty of surprises.
"Let me introduce everyone," Tel said proactively. "The one wearing the mask is 'Black Fist' Betang. The dwarf sitting beside him is 'Bedrock' Dru. The little one over there is 'Silver Cat' Maru, and—"
"Who are you calling little?" Maru protested unhappily, waving her tiny fists.
"All right, all right. We'll continue the introductions later."
Leon waved his hand, and the lounge immediately fell silent.
"Mr. Jack, I hear you know this dungeon very well. You frequently lead teams in and out, and you've even discovered a specialty that no one had found before. You must be a master of dungeon exploration."
"Not at all, not at all." Jack shook his head repeatedly. "I just happened to take the right route by luck. I really can't call myself a master."
Leon narrowed his eyes.
"I have a few questions I'd like to ask you. Would it be convenient for you to answer them?"
"Of course, of course."
The entire morning passed in a flash. When Jack left the Adventurer's Guild, his back was soaked with cold sweat, and his hands were trembling slightly.
After scraping by at the bottom for so many years, he had thought himself a smooth and sophisticated man. He never expected that after spending a morning with Silver-rank adventurers, he would make such a fool of himself.
Ultimately, it was his inferiority complex at work. When dealing with people from the same social level, he could sweet-talk, deceive, and swindle with ease. But the moment he encountered someone above him, he would tremble uncontrollably.
At least they hadn't seen through his act.
Jack breathed a sigh of relief, a faint smile returning to the corners of his mouth.
These people were strong, and Leon was even stronger.
With their help, perhaps he could even take down that fellow!
The hideous face of the gargoyle flashed through his mind. He hesitated for an instant, but soon hardened his resolve.
At this point, I can't worry about whether he's my lifesaver or not. My new life has only just begun. I absolutely refuse to be bound by a monster!
Jack raised his head to the sky. He felt that the sun was shining brightly, representing happiness, joy, and vigorous life.
"My new life has only just begun."
He couldn't help sighing. Then something suddenly caught the corner of his eye.
Huh? Why was that person running?
It looked like... they were coming straight at him?
"Pfft—"
When the sharp object pierced his heart, Jack's mind went completely blank.
(PS: After receiving criticism from the readers, I realized that the protagonist shouldn't have come out, or should have appeared less. But I can't change it now. Later on, I will greatly reduce the plot involving the protagonist leaving the dungeon. Consider it an oversight from my first time writing this kind of novel. I'm sorry, I'm sorry.)
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