The kiss on the Ferris wheel seemed to have flipped some magical switch.
On the way home, Luo Li felt so light on his feet that he could have flown.
He held Castorice's hand tightly, as though holding the most precious treasure in the world.
A faint blush lingered on Castorice's face, too. Whenever her eyes met Luo Li's, she would quickly look away, yet she couldn't stop the corners of her lips from lifting.
[Ding! The host's relationship with target "Castorice" has been established as "lovers." The exclusive lovers module has been unlocked!] [Current mood: sweet, shy, reassured (slightly elevated heartbeat)] [Current wish: I hope this moment can last a little longer.]
Looking at the new notifications on the system interface, Luo Li practically bubbled over with happiness.
This feature is so thoughtful!
But once his wild delight subsided, practical considerations followed.
"I need to make money... no, contribution points!"
Luo Li lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling as he worked things out.
Although he had successfully registered his "bug-type ability," that last mission at the abandoned research institute had earned him only 80 contribution points after all that work. Converted into Longxia Currency, it might actually have been less than the donations he received from an hour of livestreaming ranked matches at the highest tier.
Besides, that mutant had clearly spoiled Xiao Hong's appetite. Ordinary D-rank and C-rank vampire crystals probably barely interested her anymore.
More importantly, now that he possessed the [Spacetime] Path and Bloodblade Enma, remaining content to hide in the rear doing "intelligence analysis" would really be something of a... waste.
He needed actual combat, more dangerous missions with richer rewards, to hone his newfound power while quickly accumulating resources.
"It's settled! Tomorrow, I'll go to the guild and take on a tough mission!"
The next day, Luo Li appeared in the Ability Users' Guild hall, brimming with energy.
He skipped straight past the C-rank mission boards for "intelligence analysis" and "environmental monitoring" and headed directly for the B-rank section marked "extermination" and "subjugation."
"Oh, Luo Li? Back for another mission already?"
The staff member handling registration seemed to remember this newly registered "bug-type ability user."
"Yeah. I'd like to try something more challenging."
Luo Li smiled, scanning the mission list.
Soon, one mission caught his attention.
[Mission ID: B-113] [Type: nest extermination] [Location: core section of the old district's underground drainage system (designated Area B-7)] [Details: a nest of mutated Corrosive Blood Bats is suspected to inhabit this area (group assessed at C+ to B- rank), possibly with a command core (suspected B-rank). The highly corrosive mucus they secrete has damaged the underground structures and threatens the safety of the district above. Complete extermination is required.] [Requirements: recommended for combat ability users of B-rank or above, or teams with equivalent strength.] [Reward: 300 contribution points, plus ownership of all spoils obtained during extermination (including vampire crystals).]
A B-rank mission! Three hundred contribution points! And I get all the loot!
This is the one!
"I'll take this one. B-113."
Luo Li handed over his ID card.
The staff member paused, glanced at the "C+ rank [Deep Information Perception and Traceback]" still displayed on Luo Li's card, and said hesitantly, "Mr. Luo, this is a B-rank combat mission. Your ability's rank and type..."
"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."
Luo Li gave him a confident smile.
"My ability has... made some new 'progress' recently. I can handle it.
"Besides, guild regulations allow ability users to accept missions above their registered rank if they believe they're capable, right?"
That was indeed the rule. After all, some abilities were unusual and couldn't be judged solely by rank.
Seeing his insistence, the staff member stopped trying to dissuade him and merely gave the standard reminder. "This mission is highly dangerous. Please be careful. If you need a team..."
"Not for now. I'll try it first."
Luo Li politely declined.
He needed to test his new power's capabilities alone.
Having completed the acceptance procedures, Luo Li was about to leave when he caught sight of several people gathered around a phone in the lounge area in a corner of the hall, snickering and discussing something.
"Holy shit, this woman... isn't she the one from the subway last night?"
"Yeah, yeah! That's her! The video's gone viral!"
"Hahaha, karma! She was so damn arrogant, then suddenly collapsed on the floor crying and making a scene. Made a complete fool of herself!"
"Serves her right! That's what she gets for running her mouth! Now the whole internet's seen her 'peerless beauty'!"
"Apparently, she's been doxxed. Her social media accounts have been flooded, and they say she lost her job too..."
"Tsk, that's so satisfying!"
Luo Li paused briefly, utterly unmoved.
It seemed his female fans had acted quickly. The video had already taken off.
He felt no sympathy whatsoever. Just as he'd told Castorice, it was merely the "karma" she deserved.
The backlash of online public opinion could sometimes be fiercer and more ironic than any ability.
He lingered no longer and left the guild. He had more important things to do now.
Back home, Luo Li told Castorice he had accepted a B-rank mission.
"A B-rank mission? Won't that be too dangerous?"
Worry showed in Castorice's violet eyes.
"Don't worry." Luo Li held her hand and willed something into being.
Hum-
A long, slender, dark-red straight saber of an ancient design appeared out of thin air in his hand. Blood-colored patterns shimmered faintly along its blade, which radiated chilling menace and an ominous beauty. Even the surrounding air seemed to distort slightly.
It was Bloodblade Enma!
"This is..." Castorice looked at the suddenly materialized weapon in surprise. She could sense the power within it, and its... hunger.
"One of the 'betrothal gifts' from the system."
Luo Li joked, gently running his hand over the cold blade.
"With this and my new power, I'm confident I can handle a B-rank mission."
He looked at Castorice, his gaze firm. "I need real combat to get familiar with all of this.
"Besides, if I want to protect you better and give us a better future, we can't be satisfied with things as they are."
Looking at the confidence shining in his eyes, Castorice gradually felt her worry give way to trust.
She nodded gently. "Mm, I believe in you.
"But... let me go with you."
"Not this time."
Luo Li shook his head.
"The underground terrain is complicated. I'll be more mobile on my own.
"Besides, you need to stay home and watch Xiao Hong. Don't let her sneak any of my treasured snacks."
"(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻ Master, that's slander! I reformed ages ago!"
Xiao Hong protested in his mental space.
Castorice laughed and finally nodded in agreement. "All right. Be careful, then."
Area B-7 of the old district's underground drainage system.
It was far more spacious than Luo Li had imagined, like an underground labyrinth.
The air was thick with the smells of mold, rust, and a nauseating bloody odor tinged with sour rot.
A thick layer of dark-green mucus coated the walls and floor, occasionally giving off faint corrosive hisses.
Every so often, dark shapes fluttered overhead with shrill screeches.
Enma in hand, Luo Li advanced cautiously.
His [Remembrance Perception] spread out silently, collecting fragments of information lingering in the surroundings. Meanwhile, [Future Preview] remained partially active, keeping him alert for potential ambushes.
"Screee-!"
With a piercing shriek, three dark shapes lunged at him simultaneously from different angles! Corrosive Blood Bats!
Each was the size of a house cat, with disgusting pustules covering its wing membranes and highly corrosive saliva dripping from its open mouth.
The old Luo Li might have dodged them with his C-rank Super-Speed Reaction, but he would definitely have been scrambling.
But now-
Luo Li's gaze sharpened. He barely even moved to evade.
Hum!
The flow of time within five meters of him abruptly slowed severalfold.
In his eyes, the three blood bats instantly moved in slow motion. Every muscular contraction, every flying droplet of corrosive saliva and its trajectory, was clearly visible.
"Too slow."
He flicked his wrist, and Enma traced a streak of dark-red light.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Three slashes, precise and elegant.
The instant time resumed its normal flow, the three blood bats seemed to crash into an invisible net of blades. Their bodies froze briefly in midair, then split cleanly in two and fell to the ground.
Dark-red blood splashed onto the surrounding mucus, producing even fiercer hisses.
Enma's blade vibrated slightly, letting out a pleased hum. The blood-colored patterns along it seemed to brighten a little.
A faint warm current flowed through the hilt into Luo Li's body, replenishing the small amount of mental power he had just expended.
"The Soul Devouring effect...? Not bad."
Feeling Enma's feedback, Luo Li grew thoroughly reassured.
He continued deeper, encountering more and more blood bats. Some larger, faster specimens even began to appear.
But against his offensive, which combined [Time Retardation], [Super-Speed Reaction], and Enma's sharpness, these monsters posed no threat at all.
He moved through the tangled underground passages as leisurely as if strolling through a courtyard, leaving nothing but blood bat remains strewn across the ground in his wake.
Finally, after clearing out who knew how many waves of blood bats, he reached an enormous space resembling an underground plaza.
Hundreds of blood bats hung densely packed across its ceiling.
At the center of the plaza, an exceptionally massive blood bat with a wingspan of nearly four meters lay atop a nest piled from dry bones, mucus, and metal debris.
Its entire body was dark purple, and its compound eyes flashed with vicious red light. The mucus dripping from its mouth was so corrosive that thick smoke rose the moment it struck the ground.
A B-rank specimen! The core of the blood bat nest!
Discovering the intruder, the giant blood bat let out a deafening roar, its powerful sound waves almost piercing his eardrums.
With a beat of its wings, its massive body lunged at a startling speed that belied its size, bringing a foul-smelling gale with it.
"Just what I wanted!"
Rather than alarmed, Luo Li was delighted.
He took a deep breath and chose not to meet it head-on.
His figure vanished from the spot. The next instant, he appeared behind and to the side of the giant blood bat.
The blood bat missed, its tremendous momentum carrying it headfirst into the wall beyond, sending stone fragments flying.
It turned its head furiously, searching for that crafty human.
But Luo Li had already launched another attack.
"Time Retardation!"-he locked onto the blood bat's massive body!
"Causal Tracing!"-he instantly perceived a relatively poorly protected node beneath its neck where energy gathered!
Blood-red light blazed from Enma's blade!
Like lightning tearing through the darkness, the dark-red saber light struck that node with unerring precision.
Squelch-!
With the dull sound of a sharp blade cutting into flesh, the giant blood bat's roar cut off abruptly.
It turned its head with difficulty, staring in disbelief at its own nearly half-severed neck as dark-purple blood gushed out like a waterfall.
Crash!
Its massive body slammed into the ground, twitched a few times, then fell still.
With the core's death, the remaining blood bats on the ceiling instantly descended into chaos, scattering in every direction.
Ignoring those rank-and-file creatures, Luo Li walked up to the giant blood bat's corpse and pulled Enma free.
The blade greedily absorbed the B-rank vampire's blood, humming in satisfaction.
Luo Li could clearly feel Enma's sharpness and spirituality improving at a visibly perceptible rate, while the patterns on its blade grew more intricate and profound.
At the same time, a surge of soul energy far stronger than before poured into his body, invigorating his mental power.
He deftly cut open the blood bat's corpse and extracted a pigeon-egg-sized dark-purple crystal with a deep hue and intense energy fluctuations-a B-rank vampire crystal!
Feeling the surging energy within the crystal in his hand, then checking the system message in his mind that read "Mission complete. 300 contribution points credited," Luo Li let out a long breath.
He flicked nonexistent blood off Enma's blade and looked at the vicious weapon that had earned the greatest credit. A smile mingling excitement and reflection curved his lips as he murmured:
"Looks like it isn't me that's powerful..."
"But the weapon in my hand."