Going Out

Drip...

Drip...

Grayish bodily fluids trickled down through the gaps in the staircase.

Zhou Kai had grown accustomed to the stench of monster flesh; in his olfactory system, this scent was now indistinguishable from medium-rare wagyu beef.

After hacking the monster into pieces on the second floor, he carried them downstairs in batches and piled them beside the fireplace.

The fireplace was not large, yet it seemed like a bottomless pit when it came to stuffing in fuel.

Zhou Kai nimbly shoved the majority of the corpse chunks into the hearth, yet the fireplace showed no signs of being filled.

[Burn Duration: 5 hours and 40 minutes]

A roaring fire surged upward, and under the glow of the flames, the chill on Zhou Kai's body was slowly dispelled.

The invisible spores carried by the rain were also reduced to ashes amidst the humming of the fire.

Zhou Kai finally let out a sigh of relief.

"It burns longer than Lan Ze and that pile of bugs combined—over five and a half hours!"

Looking at the countdown emerging within the firelight, Zhou Kai's expression remained calm.

This was the breathing room he had bought with his life.

As long as the monsters did not begin to actively attack the shelter as time passed, he would be safe for the next five-plus hours.

There was no harm in staying before the fireplace; the soreness in his shoulders had yet to fully subside, so Zhou Kai prepared to rest a while longer while contemplating his next move.

Just now, in addition to the standard experience points, he had gained an extra fragment of memory.

This was something Zhou Kai found very intriguing.

"The function of Occultism, is it..."

Looking at "Occultism" in his skill panel, Zhou Kai had previously been reluctant to invest points into it.

After all... the system prompts were very clear: knowledge is a curse, a double-edged sword.

But now, when Occultism could be directly linked to combat rewards, the benefits outweighed the risks.

"I can add a point or two later."

As for now, it was time to examine that memory.

The icon for [A Fragment of Memory], appearing as a crumpled scrap of paper, had automatically manifested in Zhou Kai's inventory.

He only needed to recite the command in his heart to use it.

"Use."

The next instant, the paper ball appeared out of thin air before Zhou Kai, suddenly bursting open to transform into a mass of gray light that violently surged into his eyes...

Zhou Kai's consciousness was forcibly shoved into a fixed perspective.

He had become the protagonist of this memory.

It seems I'll have to wait for the memory to finish playing before I can break free. Let's watch.

"The fog is too thick; the merchant caravan from down the mountain hasn't come this month."

A woman with a blurred face sat by the window spinning coarse cloth, glancing from time to time at the continuous curtain of rain and thin mist outside.

"I'll go ask the lords of Soraka Town."

Zhou Kai's perspective moved, taking a messenger bag from a nearby coat rack and slinging it over his shoulder, grumbling, "Letters can't be delivered, and the ones I've written can't be sent out either."

"Things have been truly rotten lately."

The scene shifted.

The postman appeared near Manor No. 1 of Soraka Town... the very same massive building by the lake that Zhou Kai had seen from the balcony earlier.

He hesitated by the roadside for a long time before finally gritting his teeth and rushing toward a carriage heading for the manor gates.

"Mr. Winchester! Honorable Lord Soraka! I am your loyal postman..."

"Scram!"

The answer was a horsewhip lashed through the air, carrying a sharp, whistling sound.

Zhou Kai cursed inwardly... Damn it, the whip struck the postman, and he could actually feel the stinging pain himself!

The coachman reined in the startled horses and raised the whip again, lashing down fiercely several times.

The postman screamed, curling up in the muddy water.

The noble inside the carriage lifted the curtain, cast a contemptuous glance, and spat out two words: "Peasant."

Following that, the carriage sped away.

The postman limped his way back home.

His wife asked, "What's wrong?"

He mumbled vaguely, "Just tripped."

He suddenly noticed a blurry bottle on the table and let out a surprised, "What is that?"

His wife replied, "Mr. Kaelan from the church stopped by and told us to plant these seeds."

"We just need to pray to the flowers from now on."

The postman took the glass bottle and held it up to the oil lamp to examine it closely.

The bottle shifted from blurry to clear.

The seeds inside were... Moonlight Orchid seeds!

The memory ended there, and Zhou Kai abruptly tore himself away from the first-person perspective.

Enduring the lingering discomfort in his mind, he glanced at the fireplace and used the fuel countdown to estimate the time... he had been dazed for less than two seconds.

"Not long, that's acceptable."

The memory was short, but Zhou Kai still managed to capture some key information.

First, the master of the manor, the man suspected to be the town's leader, was named Winchester Soraka.

Second, the origin of the Moonlight Orchids.

"The Moonlight Orchids were spread by the church? That incomplete information in the study has been filled in."

Although this information couldn't provide him with direct benefits yet, the feeling of peeling back the veil of this world bit by bit with his own hands was surprisingly good.

Soon, ten minutes passed.

Zhou Kai received the first wave of feedback from the fireplace.

[The lost soul wandering in despair turns to ash in the flames... You have received Jeff's legacy.]

[...Universal EXP +1]

"So his name was Jeff..."

Zhou Kai felt a slight pang of sorrow that the terrifying, ugly monster had once been a diligent postman many years ago.

However, this bit of sentimentality didn't last long...

They were dead and had turned into monsters, but Zhou Kai had to keep on living!

"Allocate points! Then head out and slaughter them!"

Killing The Wanderer had indeed brought a significant positive impact to Zhou Kai's mindset.

Even though this world contained terrifying existences with palms larger than mountains...

Some of the monsters in this town were not so strong that they couldn't be defeated.

As long as he picked his targets carefully and hunted quickly... he could completely farm monsters and level up without alerting the main horde.

This was a positive cycle that had to be seized!

"First, reinforce the Brand New Two-Handed Sword, then upgrade Comprehensive Combat and swordsmanship!"

A breath later, Zhou Kai's panel was refreshed.

[Character: Zhou Kai]

[Status: Eroded]

[Skills: Comprehensive Combat lv3 (0/50), Light Footwork lv3 (3/50), Soraka Swordsmanship lv1 (7/15), Occultism lv1 (0/15), Falcon Strike Technique lv1 (0/15)]

[Items: Residence Permit, Brand New Two-Handed Sword, Blood-Stained Axe, Oil Lamp, Rusted Chef Knife, Morning Star Notes, Moonlight Orchid Seed (Plump)]

[Universal EXP: 2]

He had six EXP points left originally, which became thirteen after killing The Wanderer. He spent one to refill the oil lamp, but it was quickly replenished by the fireplace's gift, bringing him back to thirteen.

Just now, Zhou Kai spent two points to increase the sharpness and durability of the two-handed sword.

He invested six points into Comprehensive Combat, raising it directly to level three and achieving a qualitative change.

He also allocated three points into Soraka Swordsmanship for a modest improvement.

In the end, he only kept two points in reserve.

Hoo.

Zhou Kai felt the two-handed sword in his hand, which was now polished enough to serve as a mirror. The blade glinted with a chilling, cold light under the flicker of the oil lamp, sharp enough to sever a hair.

He was very satisfied.

The investment of two EXP points was worth every bit.

The blade was heavier, sharper, and possessed greater destructive power.

The qualitative change in Comprehensive Combat made Zhou Kai feel as if his strength had surged out of nowhere, his entire body brimming with explosive energy.

Coupled with the sword-fighting instincts granted by Soraka Swordsmanship.

Zhou Kai's confidence was higher than ever before.

"Then, let's head out!"