Chapter 31: Fully Armed Before the Boss Fight

[You have entered the Apocalyptic Chapter]

[Chapter 323]

After reshaping the Yellow-Robed Bishop’s Shell, Lin Xun immediately used the reward from Li Xingyue.

[Twin Tentacles of Saris’s True Body (Epic Item): These tentacles retain the residual godhood of the twisted being Saris. Use to gain +1 Divine Power.]

[You have gained +1 Divine Power.]

Opening his Apostle Panel, Lin Xun saw a new [+] icon appear beside his soul talent Thousand Faces, Ten Thousand Forms. Without hesitation, he tapped it.

[You have consumed 1 point of Divine Power. Soul Talent Level +1!]

[Soul Talent – Thousand Faces, Ten Thousand Forms +2: Your soul possesses a unique appetite, accepting all forms without discrimination. Possessing any Shell is now a breeze. Talent Effects: Greatly increases Compatibility with all Shells (+35%). Shell Slot +4.]

Lin Xun’s eyes lit up.

An increase in compatibility from +25% to +35% was expected, but the number of Shell Slots had doubled from +2 to +4—an unexpected windfall!

Adding the default slot from the start of the game, he now had 5 Shell slots, 3 of which were already filled—3/5. This was a huge gain!

Alongside this upgrade, Lin Xun felt a surge of energy.

His physical body in the real world responded immediately.

Everything in sight sharpened to startling clarity—even the dust motes floating in the corner of the rest room were vividly visible. It was like upgrading from a blurry 480p bootleg to full Blu-ray 4K resolution.

His hearing also amplified. The sounds of car tires on pavement, pedestrians chatting outside, even the soft muttering of a woman in the next room—“Ugh, wiped again…”—reached his ears as if spoken right beside him.

His muscles became fuller and more defined. His biceps swelled noticeably, and his chest bulged under his T-shirt. The outline of his pectorals was clear even through the fabric.

Ye Xiaoqi’s definitely going to feel self-conscious now, Lin Xun thought.

Lifting his shirt, he revealed a chiseled set of eight-pack abs. His obliques and V-lines were equally well-defined.

Satisfied, he nodded to himself—just as a game notification popped up:

[Shell “Corrupted Yellow-Robed Bishop of the White Moon Church” Compatibility raised to 100 (+35%). Surpassing threshold. Shell Quality upgraded to Rare+.]

[Shell “Blood Sun Paladin of Discipline” Compatibility raised to 101 (+35%). Surpassing threshold. Shell Quality upgraded to Fine+.]

[Shell “Corrupted Blacksmith” Compatibility raised to 102 (+35%). Surpassing threshold. Shell Quality upgraded to Common+.]

Lin Xun checked his Shell Panel.

His talent upgrade had pushed all his current Shells over the critical threshold, causing their qualities to rise across the board. A collective upgrade—what a harvest!

“Li Xingyue really didn’t shortchange me,” he muttered. “I owe her a serious favor.”

Clearly, the organization had gone to great lengths to secure that Epic-tier item for him—Li Xingyue’s efforts must have played a big role.

Refocusing, he resumed the game.

Controlling the Yellow-Robed Bishop, Lin Xun made his way from the small chapel back to the castle’s top floor entrance.

[Through the gap in the upper door, you glimpse moonlight spilling in from the full White Moon. You hear harp music and a woman’s ethereal singing drifting from beyond.]

[Will you ascend the stairs and enter the castle rooftop?]

This was it. Beyond this point lay the Bloodblossom Siren—the final boss of the castle.

He opened his inventory. Only one Moonlight-Infused Sandpaper remained. Lin Xun hesitated.

Infusing his weapon with the White Moon’s power could likely render the Siren’s root attacks ineffective.

But it was late night now. The game text confirmed that White Moonlight was present outside.

Could I save this sandpaper after all?

He paused, thinking back to his first time in the castle.

The game had described an unknown shadow covering the entire structure.

Suddenly, he understood.

That shadow had to be cast by the Bloodblossom Siren’s gigantic flower head.

If it was large enough to shroud the entire castle in darkness, then of course the roots on the rooftop would also be veiled. The Moonlight wouldn’t reach them.

If I skip the sandpaper now, I’ll probably get ambushed again…

But then again, what if the Siren had other means of attack? Would the sandpaper be wasted?

His gaze drifted to the Summoning Horn.

Right—who says only knights get to ride warhorses?

The game had clearly stated that the rooftop was now an open-air platform after the roof collapsed—ideal terrain for riding a mount.

If this mage Shell can ride a horse, I might be able to dodge her other attacks with increased speed.

The hallways were too narrow for summoning, so he returned to the castle courtyard to test it out.

He opened the Summoning Horn—only to be reminded that after the Turkoman Bloodhorse had been vaporized by Corrupted Sunlight, it now required 1 point of Soul Strength to reshape.

Currently, he only had 1/2 Soul Strength—not enough to summon the horse.

But he needed every bit of power he could muster for tonight’s decapitation mission against New World. Beating the Bloodblossom Siren might net him serious rewards.

He made a decision and looked toward the Soul Holy Water in his inventory.

[You have used “Soul Holy Water.” Soul Strength restored to 2/2.]

[You have spent 1 Soul Strength to reshape “Turkoman Bloodhorse.”]

He summoned the mount.

[With a piercing blast from the horn, your mighty Turkoman Bloodhorse materializes.]

[You mount the steed. The Yellow-Robed Bishop, despite being a mage, displays masterful riding technique honed through relentless training. Beneath you, the horse is as obedient and compliant as the Rose of Saint Rance.]

Lin Xun squinted. What the hell is with this game and the weird suggestive flavor text…

Ignoring it, he confirmed that the mage Shell could indeed ride the horse. Perfect.

He returned to the rooftop entrance.

Then used the sandpaper:

[You have used “Moonlight-Infused Sandpaper.”]

[Your weapon “White Moon Silver Scepter” gains the “White Moon” enchantment. This will last until the weapon slays a monster or the Shell dies.]

[Will you ascend the stairs and enter the rooftop?]

No more hesitation—he tapped Yes.

[You climb the stairs. Footsteps echo through the dark corridor. The eerie harp and voice entwine into a chilling melody.]

[You push open the rooftop door. The music halts abruptly.]

[At the far end of the platform, a colossal plant towers skyward. Under the full White Moon’s glow, its stalks are slightly wilted. The massive flower head’s shadow still blankets the entire rooftop, submerging even the whole castle in darkness.]

The Bloodblossom Siren’s form appeared once more, blooming in full on the moonlit platform.

Lin Xun acted quickly—tapping the Summoning Horn to call his warhorse.

[You mount the steed. The Yellow-Robed Bishop’s riding skills are as impeccable as ever. The horse is as obedient as the Rose of Saint Rance.]

[You are now stronger.]

[…A naked female torso pushes aside the mass of skull-like seeds and rises. Her face is stunning, her body voluptuous, a half-sized harp clutched in her hand.]

[The “Bloodblossom Siren—Serina” fixes her crimson eyes on you.]

[What will you do?]

The familiar four options appeared again: seduce, beg, flatter, or flee.

Lin Xun didn’t hesitate—he tapped Option 1.

[Brave Apostle, you raise your scepter and begin chanting…]