Make the Most of What's Right in Front of You

"Deal..." After hesitating, Du Fei checked the number of photos again. Just as Jiu Ming had said, there were exactly seventy of them, no more and no less—and they were all sleeping photos of the Campus Belle in her pajamas... Nothing was exposed, but the contents still made him want to cover his face.

Th-This was practically forced photography after getting caught!

How had he gotten back?

"This is a bit too many... Can't you lower it?" After all, that was seventy days of his life—more than two months. Ten days or half a month would have been fine, but Jiu Ming was so capable that he had somehow gotten this many!

"Fine, I'll give you a discount. Fifty days, then." Jiu Ming shrugged. He wasn't worried that the other party would only want one. Judging by the kid's expression, he probably wanted every single photo here. Even if they had been candid shots, Jiu Ming had taken them well.

"Well..."

Seeing Du Fei stammer, Jiu Ming gently shook his head. Reducing the price by so much was already a gesture of goodwill. He had just asked Panel-kun what losses this kind of life extraction caused others. Besides reducing Life Force, the side effect was weakness. In other words, it damaged one's vitality. If too much Life Force was extracted at once, the person could even die outright.

Well, for ordinary people, less than half a year wouldn't be much of an issue. Stronger people could endure more. Du Fei was an Ability User, fundamentally better than an ordinary person, so the amount could be increased further.

But his goodwill seemed to have made Du Fei think there was more room to bargain?

With a wave of his hand, Jiu Ming easily took the phone from Du Fei and pried out the Memory Card. "Young man, don't take too many things for granted. You've gotten something you might never obtain in your entire life. You still have to pay the price. Of course, if you're hesitant, I'll take this and leave on my own. Pretend I never appeared."

"Wait!" Seeing the Memory Card in Jiu Ming's hand deform slightly under pressure, Du Fei hurriedly stopped him. "I agree!"

"The deal continues." Jiu Ming tossed the Memory Card back. Seeing Du Fei still wanting to say something, he asked, "Any other questions?"

"A little..." Du Fei smiled sheepishly. "Um, can you help me pursue the Campus Belle?"

"What can you offer?" Jiu Ming asked in return. He really couldn't see what capital this kid had to turn his life around. A loser's comeback... that took hard work. But this guy... relied on writing diary entries and fantasizing?

And his ability really didn't have much room for development. He was suited to being a scout at most. As for training his body, any physical-type Ability User could shatter the conventional path of improving through hard work.

"...My life again?"

"First, I'm not some great philanthropist. Second, I'm not an evil man without principles. Under fair terms, the price for a deal of that difficulty is something you can't afford. For something you could never accomplish in your lifetime, let's say thirty years of your life. Oh, and if you lose too much Life Force, you'll grow old."

That single sentence frightened Du Fei into retreating. He was almost twenty already. Take away another thirty years... Hey, what was with turning into a middle-aged uncle?

"So, just see clearly what's in front of you. You don't have some miraculous encounter. Treat these photos as a beautiful memory from your school years. Don't neglect the people around you." Jiu Ming had seen another girl's name on the first few pages of Du Fei's diary, but after that, it had been nothing but records about the Campus Belle.

"..." Du Fei scratched his hair in conflict. The longing in his heart wavered because of Jiu Ming's words. Maybe he really should give up some unrealistic thoughts?

"You wouldn't want to experience this feeling a second time." Seeing Du Fei's struggling expression, Jiu Ming thought about it. It was probably human wishful thinking at work. What if! What if pursuing the Campus Belle actually succeeded? But you weren't the protagonist... He flashed a toothy grin. "Continue the deal?"

"...Continue."

"Hold steady!" Summoning Panel-kun, Jiu Ming activated the Collection Function. Target: Du Fei. Type: Life Force!

A sudden, intense wave of weakness made Du Fei feel as if the world were spinning. The overwhelming nausea nearly made him retch. At the same time, an indescribable panic rose in his heart. Was this what it felt like to have his life "taken away"...?

He finally understood what Jiu Ming had meant. This feeling didn't end after a moment—it persisted. The severe weakness, dizziness, and constant urge to retch made Du Fei desperately miss the times when there had been nothing wrong with his body!

He never wanted to go through this a second time!

"Your willpower is a little weak, and your physical condition is a little poor too. As an Ability User, you should be able to withstand this much of a side effect." Saying such unsympathetic words, Jiu Ming chuckled. For an Ability User, fifty days of life really wasn't an unbearable amount. "Exercise more in the future. Don't worry, you'll recover completely in a week at most. Of course, if your body gets stronger, the time will be even shorter."

Jiu Ming patted Du Fei's shoulder and turned to leave the dormitory. Du Fei had made quite a commotion, and his roommates were about to wake up.

Name: Life Force

Type: Consumable

Attribute: Life

Quality: None

Duration: 50 days

Note: A product of a life transaction... Are you a demon?

Convertible Origin Power: 5

Looking at the card in his hand containing fifty days of Life Force, Jiu Ming nodded. Several lines swiftly appeared in his hand, rapidly forming a thick book. He opened to the first page and placed the card on it. The card immediately imprinted itself onto the page, as though it had been drawn there.

Jiu Ming could take it out again whenever he wanted.

There was no rush to convert it into Origin Power. It wasn't as though he desperately needed it. For now, it could still serve as merchandise. Every beginning was difficult; his main goal now was to resolve his current predicament.

"Hey, Panel-kun, does being the Mysterious Shop's manager just mean I need to register?" With nothing else to do, Jiu Ming summoned Panel-kun and asked.

As the shop manager, you are obligated to maintain the existence of the Mysterious Shop. At the end of every month, 1,000 points of Origin Power will be deducted. Every six months, the amount will increase by 50% based on 1,000 points, up to a maximum of 10,000 points. By then, as the manager of the Mysterious Shop, you will surely have sufficient ability to maintain this level of supply!

"What if I can't do it?"

The next manager will take over. The Mysterious Shop does not lack time.

"You're not being honest, Panel-kun."

Jiu Ming stretched his body. Just as expected, the Mysterious Shop definitely wouldn't support for free a manager who could use its resources. Speaking of resources... weren't those resources collected by the managers themselves?

This information is outside the scope of the manager's inquiry and will be provided automatically in five days.

"Got it. Looks like I need to work hard, right?"

After waiting for a while and seeing no new text appear from Panel-kun, Jiu Ming shook his head. Panel-kun wouldn't respond to casual chatter.

He should go back and rest first. Finding an empty place, faint circular ripples appeared before Jiu Ming again, and he walked straight through them.

Lying on the sofa and letting out a long yawn, Jiu Ming reflected that what battle consumed wasn't stamina, but mental energy. Mental energy had practically replaced factors like explosive strength and physical power. Without a body, he naturally couldn't use every muscle as flexibly as a normal person to generate great strength.

Fortunately, the special nature of Jiu Ming's Soul Body compensated for this. By concentrating and explosively releasing mental energy, he could produce bursts of power comparable to physical explosive strength. Likewise, his mental energy couldn't affect others or launch psychic attacks like other ghosts could.

So aside from being a Soul Body, Jiu Ming was basically similar to a human in every other respect. His mental bursts were even somewhat superior to the human body's explosive strength. He could unleash power beyond normal limits.

That was also why Jiu Ming could easily suppress Captain Wang in a contest of strength.

It was just that mental energy... was destined to grow more slowly than physical strength. At the same time, because of his own traits, Jiu Ming also needed sleep.

It would be even better if he could eat. Right now, Jiu Ming could only smell food.

Jiu Ming was fine now, but trouble still arose elsewhere.

First of all, his actions had already counted as an openly brazen provocation within the academies of this world. He should have been captured and dealt with. Of course... from another perspective, the matter could be considered neither too serious nor too trivial. It depended on its nature.

Based on information provided by an unnamed Captain Wang, coupled with someone's strange behavior, the nature of the incident was finally determined!

A certain young man harbored feelings of admiration for Changhe Academy's Campus Belle, Zhou Jing, and had therefore committed a series of impulsive acts—such as the shameless act of secretly photographing her at night!

Well, the main point was that no one had been injured that night. It was only secret photography...

In short, Changhe Academy gained another rumor. And because it lacked much staying power, it was quickly worn away by time.

"Who exactly is he?" Smoking a cigarette, Captain Wang stared at the computer before him. He had called in plenty of favors to investigate Jiu Ming's identity, but unfortunately, aside from that face, there was no information whatsoever.

"Xiao Fei, are you feeling better? I brought you some Chicken Soup." In a hospital room, a girl suddenly pushed open the door, carrying a thermos as she asked the person inside with concern.

Sitting on the hospital bed, Du Fei was staring at his phone, hesitating over whether to press the confirmation button. The instant the girl appeared, he panicked slightly, and his finger pressed the button directly.

Du Fei opened his mouth and stared blankly at the deletion prompt on his phone for a long while.

"What did you delete?" The girl approached with a youthful smile, carrying the Food Container. She leaned over to look at Du Fei's phone and asked.

"Nothing. Just some unimportant things." After wavering for a while, the last trace of luck in Du Fei's heart finally faded away. Looking at the girl beside him opening the Food Container, he said, "Rong Rong, want to watch a movie together this weekend?"

"Really?" The girl happily set down the lunchbox in her hands. "It's been so long since we went to see a movie together."

Du Fei scratched his head somewhat guiltily. "Yeah. It won't happen again. I promise!"