Nightmare Despair

Chapter 28 Going out
tick...

tick...

Grayish-white bodily fluid flowed down the cracks in the stairs.

Zhou Kai had become accustomed to the monster's fleshy smell; to his olfactory system, it was no different from well-done Wagyu beef.

After dismembering the monster on the second floor, they carried it downstairs in batches and piled it next to the fireplace.

The fireplace isn't very big, but once you fill it with fuel, it's like a bottomless pit.

Zhou Kai deftly stuffed most of the body parts into the fireplace, leaving it completely unfilled.

Burning time: 5 hours and 40 minutes

A roaring flame rose up, and the firelight slowly dispelled the chill emanating from Zhou Kai.

The unseen insects and fungi carried by the rainwater were all reduced to ashes amidst the buzzing of the flames.

Zhou Kai finally breathed a sigh of relief.

……

"It burns harder than Lanze and all those bugs combined; it can burn for more than five and a half hours!"

Zhou Kai remained calm as he watched the countdown appear in the firelight.

This was a respite he had bought with his life.

As long as the monster doesn't start attacking the shelter on its own over time, he'll be safe for the next five hours or so.

There was no harm in staying in front of the fireplace. Since the soreness in his shoulders hadn't completely subsided, Zhou Kai decided to rest a little longer and think about his next move.

Just now, in addition to the usual experience points, I also gained an extra memory.

This bothered Zhou Kai a lot.

"The role of the mysticism..."

Looking at the "Mysticism" skill panel, Zhou Kai hadn't really wanted to add points to it before.

After all... the subtitles clearly indicated that knowledge is a curse, a double-edged sword.

But now, when mysticism can be directly linked to combat gains, the gains outweigh the risks.

"You can add a little more later."

Now, it's time to look back at that memory.

The icon for "A Memory" is a crumpled piece of paper that automatically appears in Zhou Kai's inventory.

Simply recite it in your mind, and you can use it.

"use."

The next instant, the crumpled paper appeared out of thin air in front of Zhou Kai, then suddenly exploded, turning into a ball of gray light that violently rushed into his eyes...

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

He became the protagonist of this memory.

'Looks like I'll have to wait until the memories finish playing before I can escape. Let's see.'

……

"The fog is too thick; the caravans from the foot of the mountain haven't arrived yet this month."

A woman with an indistinct face sat by the window spinning coarse cloth, occasionally glancing at the continuous rain and mist outside.

"I'll go ask the Sorakas."

Zhou Kai's perspective shifted. He took the messenger bag from the clothes rack next to him, slung it over his shoulder, and grumbled, "The letters can't be sent, and the letters I've written can't be sent out either."

"I've had absolutely the worst luck lately."

The scene changes.

The postman appeared near Manor No. 1 in Soraka Town... the very same huge building on the lakeside that Zhou Kai had seen from the balcony earlier.

He hesitated for a long time by the roadside, but finally gritted his teeth and rushed towards a carriage heading towards the manor gate.

“Mr. Westchester! Respected Lord Soraka! I am your faithful postman…”

"roll!"

His answer was a riding whip lashing through the air, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound.

Zhou Kai cursed under his breath... Damn it, when the whip struck the postman, he actually felt a burning pain!
The groom reined in the frightened horse, raised the whip again, and lashed it several times.

The postman screamed and huddled in the mud.

The nobleman inside the carriage lifted the curtain, glanced at it contemptuously, and uttered two words: "Commoner."

Then, the carriage sped away.

The postman limped home.

The wife asked, "What's wrong?"

He mumbled, "I tripped and fell."

He suddenly noticed a blurry bottle on the table and exclaimed, "What's that?" His wife replied, "Mr. Kalan from the church came and told us to plant these seeds."

"From now on, I can just pray to the flowers."

The postman took the glass bottle and examined it closely under the oil lamp.

The bottle, once blurry, now becomes clear.

The seeds inside are... Moonflower!

That's where his memory ends; Zhou Kai abruptly breaks free from the first-person perspective.

He suppressed the lingering discomfort in his mind, glanced at the fireplace, and used the fuel countdown to estimate the time... He had probably been lost in thought for less than two seconds.

"It's not a long time, so it's acceptable."

Despite his short memory, Zhou Kai still managed to capture some key information.

First of all, the owner of the manor, the guy who seems to be the head of the town, is named Westchester Soraka.

Secondly, there's the origin of Moonlit Orchid.

"The Moonlit Orchid was spread by the church? The incomplete message in the study has been completed."

Although this information cannot directly benefit him for the time being, the feeling of having the veil of the whole world lifted little by little by his own hands is surprisingly good.

Soon, ten minutes passed.

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

[The lost soul, wandering in despair, turned to ashes in the flames... You received Jeff's legacy.]

[...General Experience Points +1]

"His name is Jeff..."

Zhou Kai felt a pang of regret at the fact that the terrifying and hideous monster had once been a diligent postman countless years ago.

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

They died and became monsters, but Zhou Kai has to keep living!

"Add some points! Then go outside and slaughter them!"

……

Killing the Wanderer did indeed have a significant positive impact on Zhou Kai's mindset.

Although there are terrifying beings in this world whose hands are bigger than mountains...

However, some of the monsters in the town are not so strong as to be invincible.

As long as you identify your target and hunt it down quickly, you can level up without alerting the main force.

This is a positive cycle that we must seize!

"First, reinforce the two-handed sword, then upgrade mixed martial arts and swordsmanship!"

After a single breath, Zhou Kai's dashboard was completely refreshed.

[Character: Zhou Kai]

[Status: Erosion]

【技能：综合格斗lv3（0/50），轻盈步伐lv3（3/50），索拉卡剑术lv1（7/15），神秘学lv1（0/15），隼击术Lv1（0/15）】

[Items: Residence Permit, Brand New Two-Handed Sword, Bloodstained Axe, Oil Lamp, Rusty Chef's Knife, Morning Star Notebook, Moonlit Orchid Seed (Plump)]

[General Experience Points: 2]

Originally, I had six experience points left. After killing the Wanderer, I had thirteen. Replenishing the oil lamp consumed one point, but it was quickly replenished by the fireplace, returning me to thirteen points.

Just now, Zhou Kai spent two points to improve the sharpness and sturdiness of his two-handed sword.

By investing six points in mixed martial arts, he directly advanced to level three, achieving a qualitative leap.

Soraka's swordsmanship was also allocated three points, just for improvement.

In the end, only two points were left as backups.

call.

Zhou Kai felt the two-handed sword in his hand, which was almost like a mirror. The blade gleamed with a cold, sharp light under the oil lamp. It could cut a hair in two.

He was very satisfied.

The investment of two experience points is well worth it.

The sword is heavier, the blade is sharper, and its destructive power is greater.

The qualitative change brought about by mixed martial arts made Zhou Kai feel that his strength had increased dramatically out of nowhere, and his whole body was filled with explosive energy.

In addition, there's the swordsmanship instinct that comes with Soraka's swordsmanship.

Zhou Kai's confidence is stronger than ever before.

"Then, let's go!"

(End of this chapter)