Laina, Drink Your Soup

The hand holding the soup froze in mid-air.

His forehead was covered in cold sweat.

Are you kidding me! It's actually poisoned soup?

Damn System, are you even going to give a beginner player a way to survive!

Thinking about how he had almost downed the poisoned soup in one gulp, Fang Yue was speechless.

He had to keep in mind that dying once in this game meant waiting 24 hours before being able to log back in. Moreover, the previous character would be truly dead, requiring him to start a new save file and create a new character.

It meant starting everything over from scratch; the death penalty was impossibly harsh.

And with a "beginner trap" like this right at the start, how were newcomers supposed to play?

"Big Brother, drink the soup."

The sweet voice echoed in Fang Yue's ears.

Fang Yue looked up, feeling that the little girl's smile was no longer warm and cute, but sinister and malicious!

Outside the Ruined Temple, the Heavy Rain continued to pour.

BOOM!

Another Thunderclap exploded.

In that instant, Fang Yue suddenly froze.

Because in the light of the Thunderclap, he saw it clearly.

The little girl before him was still holding the bowl out, but her open palm was actually growing fingernails.

A person's hand, with fingernails growing on both the front and back of all five fingertips!

And the friction sound produced when she was holding the bowl earlier was unmistakably the sound of fingernails scraping against porcelain!

-1!

His body stiffened.

As Fang Yue held the bowl of poisoned soup, an HP-1 notification popped up over his head at the most inopportune moment.

Is this, this, this—is this even human?

"Big Brother, why aren't you drinking the soup yet?"

The little girl's cute voice rang out once more, like a death knell.

Behind the

Her eyes widened in terror as she struggled with terrifying strength, sending Fang Yue flying away in an instant.

Bang!

With a sharp pain in his back, Fang Yue slammed solidly into a pillar of the Ruined Temple.

-1!

Hp: 2/50 (Severely Wounded).

Though his life was hanging by a thread, Fang Yue had no time to care; he jerked his head up to look toward the Little Female Ghost.

There hadn't been enough time earlier; he had only managed to force half a bowl of the poisonous soup down her throat before being thrown away. He didn't know if it would be enough to kill her.

As soon as Fang Yue looked up, he saw the Little Female Ghost clutching her throat, shrieking silently. The most terrifying part was what was happening above her head.

-1!

-1!

-1!

-1!

The values weren't high, but the frequency was frightening. That violent rate of health depletion flickered frantically above the Little Female Ghost's head, the numbers crowding together into a dense mass.

Riiip!!

Just then, the Little Female Ghost clawed her own throat open.

A crimson number, resembling a critical hit, appeared above her head.

-100!

With a gaping, bloody hole torn in her throat, blood gushed out like a fountain. Yet, the Little Female Ghost was not dead—in fact, she was finally able to make a sound.

"Cough! Cough! Cough-cough-cough-cough!"

"What did you do! What did you do!!!"

Her voice was sharp and piercing, a complete contrast to the sweet tone she had used before!

At the same time, fingernails resembling fish scales began to sprout one by one along her arms.

Dense layers of nail-plates covered her entire arms, looking ghastly and terrifying.

But her body had already begun to convulse, oozing black blood.

This soup was truly terrifyingly poisonous!

"Why are you still asking me what I'm doing? You bold monster! I could tell at a glance that you aren't human!"

He looked at the Little Female Ghost lying weakly on the ground, her limbs twitching.

Not knowing where the strength came from, Fang Yue rushed over and kicked the iron pot over!

As his foot struck the pot, a number popped up above Fang Yue's own head.

-1!

Good grief, with this pathetic body, I might end up killing myself.

The kicked-away iron pot sent the scalding poisonous soup splashing out, covering the Little Female Ghost in a large amount.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!!!

Dozens of numbers simultaneously erupted from the Little Female Ghost's body, jumping frantically.

-11!

-11!

-11!

-11!

-11!

"Ahhh! Stop! Stop it!!"

Boom!!

A Thunderclap rang out once more.

It mingled with the ear-piercing screams.

When the Thunderclap faded, darkness returned to the Ruined Temple, and silence fell within.

The Little Female Ghost was now reduced to nothing but a pile of fine ash fragments, looking like human remains.

At the same time, a white light flashed across Fang Yue's body.

Familiar music seemed to ring out beside him.

The light of righteousness shines upon the earth...

"Ding!"

"System Notification: Congratulations to player [Night Dawn] for killing the anomaly [Index Finger Ghoul]. Rewards: Force Control +10, Force Deflection +10, Lifespan +1 day."

Server Announcement: Congratulations to player Night Dawn for slaying the Index Finger Ghoul. As the first player to achieve a kill on a Ghoul, the system hereby rewards you with a Human-grade Random Talent and 10 days of Lifespan. We encourage other players to keep working hard and strive for success!

Holy crap, a, a server-wide announcement?

I'm the first person in the entire game to secure a first kill.

Doesn't that make me a cow jumping over the moon—a total badass!

"Ding!"

"System Notification: Congratulations to player Night Dawn. Your Lifespan has increased by 10 days."

"If your Lifespan reaches zero, the Ghost Messenger will come to claim your life."

"Please ensure you maintain sufficient Lifespan at all times."

"Would player Night Dawn like to draw your Human-grade Random Talent now?"

Of course I want to draw it!

A translucent roulette wheel appeared out of thin air, its pointer spinning rapidly.

The wheel was filled with various Human-grade talents of all types, enough to make one's head spin.

As Fang Yue silently thought "Stop," the wheel's speed gradually slowed, eventually pointing to...

"Congratulations to player Night Dawn for obtaining the Human-grade High-grade Talent: Night's Breath."

"Name: Night's Breath."

"Grade: Human-grade High-grade."

"Effect 1: Daytime Force -20, Damage Mitigation -20."

"Effect 2: Nighttime Force +20, Damage Mitigation +20."

"Effect 3: At night, significantly increases Health recovery speed."

"Effect 4: At night, moderately increases wound healing speed."

"Note: Night's Breath. By day, I am a cripple. By night, I am a superman. Are you a vampire?"

A Human-grade High-grade Talent!

It looks pretty powerful, but... isn't the combat power reduction during the day a bit too severe?

Opening his status screen, Fang Yue's pupils instantly constricted.

Holy crap!

He watched as his Health points jumped rapidly.

1.

5.

15.

30.

50.

The speed of this health regeneration was skyrocketing!

Furthermore, his body felt warm and incredibly comfortable, and the injuries on his body were healing quickly.

"System Notification: Congratulations, you have recovered from the Severely Wounded state."

Is this Night's Breath? I love it, I love it!