From the game text alone, it was clear: the odds of winning a duel against this Apostle were painfully slim.
But this invasion was tied to Lin Xunâs quest rewardâand more importantly, he was carrying a massive load of Spirit. Whether he liked it or not, he had no choice but to fight.
He slammed the second option with lightning speed, hoping to finish casting his spell before the opponent could close in.
That was his only sliver of a chance!
[You raise your staff-spear and begin chanting a spellâŠ]
[The powerful Apostle glowing with white light suddenly takes off her gauntlets, kneels, and begins begging for mercy.]
[Will you show mercy and spare her?]
ââŠWhat the hell? Why isnât she fighting me?â
Lin Xun frowned in confusion. But there was no time to overthink itâand now was not the time to get soft. He hit No.
[A flash of red lightâŠ]
[The invaded Apostle seems to have taken light damage. You raise your staff-spear and begin chanting againâŠ]
No one-shot kill?! This chick was tough!
Lin Xun was dumbfounded. Why was someone that strong not even fighting back?
âStrangeâŠâ he mutteredâbut he didnât let up. His hands moved nonstop.
You donât pass up a freebie. Thatâs just common sense.
[The powerful Apostle glowing with white light remains kneeling. No resistance.]
[Flash of red lightâŠ]
[The Apostle seems slightly wounded. You keep casting spellsâŠ]
[Red flashâŠ]
â
[Red flashâŠ]
[You defeated the Apostle âLittle White Deerâ. You gained 1,035 Spirit.]
[Returning to your chapterâŠ]
It took several casts to finally finish off the non-resistant Apostle.
Just as Lin Xun was wondering about the weird behavior, he saw the name in the soul imprintâand froze.
The Apostle who let him attack without fighting back was⊠Lu Caiyi!
He immediately called her.
âBeep⊠BeepâŠâ
âHello. Lin Xun?â Lu Caiyiâs voice sounded a little down.
âWas that you just now? The one I invaded? Why didnât you fight back?â Lin Xun asked anxiously.
âI recognized you⊠That staff-spear of yours is too recognizable. But you didnât recognize me⊠I didnât even resist, but you kept hitting meâŠâ she said, sounding genuinely hurt.
Hearing her soft, aggrieved tone filled Lin Xun with guilt.
âIâm really sorry. I honestly didnât realize⊠Once I finish this chapter, Iâll go to the library and return all that Spirit to you!â
After all, they were comrades whoâd fought side by side. He couldnât just walk off with her spirit essence like a jerk.
Thatâd be low. Lin Xun wasnât that kind of guy.
On the other end, Lu Caiyi shook her head gently. âItâs okay. Consider it a gift.â
Over 1,000 Spirit meant little to her.
Lin Xunâs voice was sincere: âI canât accept that⊠How about I treat you to dinner tonightâas an apology?â
ââŠâ
Lu Caiyi frozeâthen her cheeks flushed red.
â
Earlier that day, at the Wen City Special Office for Public Security.
In the third-floor team leaderâs office.
A burly, bearded manâTeam Leader Wangâlooked up from his desk at Lu Caiyi.
âSo, Yiyi, how did your mission go?â
Lu Caiyi fidgeted with the hem of her dress. âT-Team Leader, I got the contact info for the ladies in the Intelligence Division⊠and we became Book Friends in-game tooâŠâ
âNicely done! Took only one day to befriend them? I knew I wasnât wrong about you!â
Lu Caiyi saw how pleased he was and decided not to mention that it was actually the Intelligence girls who had added her first.
Then Team Leader Wangâs expression turned grim as he remembered something.
âYiyi, I heard the Intelligence Division recently recruited some pretty boy. Word is, he didnât even go through the usual vetting process before being added.â
âA pretty face climbing the ranks with seduction tactics! Back in my day, getting into the organization meant grinding through hell. I bit through my back teeth with jealousyâahem, hardship. Never thought Iâd see such shamelessness.â
âYiyi, this guy is off-limits for poaching. You hear me?â
âHuh?â Lu Caiyiâs mouth fell open.
âAnd be careful not to fall for his good looks either. Donât let yourself get tricked and lose more than you gainâŠâ
But shouldnât skipping the vetting process mean the guy had an extraordinary talent?
Why was the team leader jumping straight to accusations of nepotism?
âYou got a problem with that?â he asked, narrowing his eyes.
Lu Caiyi shook her head. She was about to defend Lin Xunâthen paused.
If she spoke up now, Team Leader Wang would probably just think sheâd already fallen for Lin Xunâs charm.
Better to carry out her plan quietly. Sheâd poach Lin Xun firstâthen reveal the truth and blow everyoneâs minds!
âLi Xingyue said you did great on the mission. Sheâs got some follow-up plans that need your help. This is perfect! Yiyi, stay embedded in the Intelligence Division for now. Poach their talent!â
â
Back in the present.
When Lin Xun heard Lu Caiyi agree to dinner, most of his guilt finally faded.
He deliberately chose a casual food stall over any fancy place with private booths.
Just in case she thought it was a date and turned him down.
After hanging up, he returned to the game.
[The âHungry Old Manâ sees you return from three straight victories and stares at you in shock. He quickly looks down, pretending not to recognize youâŠ]
Huh? Lin Xun clicked âTalkâ again.
[You attempt to converse. The old man slowly lifts his head, pretends not to know you, then looks back down to stare solemnly at his candle.]
Lin Xun couldnât help but laugh. This NPC was really trying to pretend he hadnât just tricked him?
Typical Lin Xunâhe didnât let these things slide.
He opened his skill menu and prepared to cast Corrupt Sunlight.
Time for your laser cannon punishment!
[The âHungry Old Manâ sees your eyes flash with killing intent and your staff-spear rise. He immediately pulls out a scroll from his tattered robe, face full of nervous flattery.]
[You have received: Forgotten Abyss of the Fading Afterglow (Map)]
Hah~ what a character.
Lin Xun sneered and withdrew his finger from the skill button.
He opened his inventory and clicked the map.
[Forgotten Abyss of the Fading Afterglow (Map): Describes a location beneath the lowest level of the Saint Rance Sewers. Using this map will reveal the device needed to reach that place.]
Forgotten Abyss of the Fading Afterglowâthe name alone screamed âfilled with pain.â
Lin Xun paused, suddenly realizing he might have just gotten something incredible.
He carefully stowed the item and didnât use it right away. He hadnât finished exploring the sewers yet.
No need to rush. Heâd tear this place apart firstâthen move on.
When he tried speaking to the Hungry Old Man again, the guy had no new dialogue. Even threatening him with weapons just made him cowerâno new items.
Maybe after visiting the Forgotten Abyss, something else would trigger.
Lin Xun left the room and resumed his sewer exploration.