Great, now we are dead!

This was the biggest limitation he felt. In the past, even if he didn't have enough points, he could grit his teeth and choose two negative ones to make up the difference. But this time, the point allocation options were simply untouchable!

Digestive ability, poison resistance, immunity, and the theme of "Delicious in the Labyrinth" are all closely related. Although Ye Shou does not know the current time, "eating monsters" is a step in every plan he has.

After all, he's the "Solitary Gourmet"!

If these three aspects decline, wouldn't it affect the absorption of food?

And that column where each item could increase by 5 points... Ye Shou felt something was very wrong when he looked at it!

Even among the positive benefits mentioned above, Ye Shou was unsure about several!

There are such things as "other-dimensional demons" in this world, and they like to devour humanity's "most delicious desires".

Demons are not "villains" in the conventional sense. They are more like colorless beings, but they will be stained with whatever desires they are given, and then they will have their own likes, dislikes and preferences.

They are incredibly powerful, practically conceptual beings, and this vast labyrinth is also a creation of demons... Why choose attributes here that might attract them?

Ye Shouru didn't want to touch the columns "-3" and "5" unless absolutely necessary!

"Then what's left are columns -6 and -1... [The Philanthropic Hunter]?"

"Mating with non-humanoid races increases fertility and world prestige? What the hell!"

Chapter 56 Cyberrefa, Uncle Mads from Another World

The dark gray rubber boat glided slowly on the shimmering lake. Although there was a place to install an engine at the stern, Ye Shou did not use any external force. Instead, he honestly used the oars to propel himself forward at a steady pace, and he used a standing posture to improve his field of vision.

In this enclosed underground space, the sound of the electric motor is as noisy and irritating as mosquitoes in summer, especially for the monsters that live in the water. Once they are attacked by a group of creatures, even the strongest monster will inevitably make mistakes. As the saying goes, even a tiger can't withstand a pack of wolves. Didn't the Shadow Emperor who used his ultimate skill in a school of fish get eaten to the skeleton?

Although the monsters here aren't that outrageous, Ye Shou doesn't need to increase the difficulty of the challenge for himself.

In a sense, a maze is an ancient tomb, and adventurers are like tomb raiders in another world. The first to die in this line of work are those who are full of confidence and charge recklessly!

Of course, Ye Shou doesn't look like a tomb raider at all now; instead, he looks like he's doing cosplay. He's changed into a set of clothes in the style of a fantasy world, a mix of light armor and leather armor, with relatively heavy armor in some parts, making it look a bit messy and disorganized.

This is just the outer layer; inside, there is actually a layer of woven composite material bodysuit that, while not hindering movement, also provides insulation, heat insulation, and cut protection. The gloves are made of a simpler material to maintain the dexterity of the hands.

This made him look even more robust, which was more in line with the image of an "adventurer".

Even without considering other equipment, the two sets of clothes alone weigh 25 kilograms, comparable to a full suit of armor worn by an ancient warrior. They could be assigned to the rank of centurion if they were taken to the battlefield!

However, even the bravest warriors must put on their armor just before battle, otherwise the excessive physical exertion will make them unable to charge forward. This is why the number of logistical support troops carried on marches and battles is greater than that of regular troops.

Ye Shou, on the other hand, "never takes off his armor," always wearing the same suit of armor!

Without repeated nourishment of the body and strengthening of the "Ghost Back," an ordinary person would be exhausted in less than half an hour.

Even so, he did not let his guard down, scanning the water surface with his single eye as he turned his head.

Huh? Why is it only one-eyed?

Because the other eye is now covered by a "metal eye patch," which looks like it was modified from a glove or something similar. It has a larger coverage area and is covered with scratches and stains, immediately reminding people of the emergency measures taken when there is no time to treat injuries on the battlefield.

But in reality, this is a disguised detector that not only provides an impactful field of view like a VR interface, but also displays thermal imaging and other features, making it an essential tool for exploring dark dungeons.

After all, many dangers are difficult to observe with the naked eye.

Wow!

With a splash of water, a bulky, strange, bluish-green figure leaped out of the water, its powerful tail propelling it a full two meters above the surface. The scaled hunter raised its harpoon, tracing a slightly curved path as it thrust it towards Leaf Guard, whose back was turned to it.

Silently approach the enemy from beneath the water, and finish them off with a swift attack and a fatal thrust!

This is a classic tactic that has been repeatedly replicated by many ocean overlords throughout history, even on Earth, and it seems that the fish-men of this other world are no exception.

However, this adventurer was slightly different from usual. He foolishly chose to travel alone, thus failing to maintain a comprehensive view. He appeared careless and full of weaknesses, but only when they met in a narrow pass and the distance between them decreased to zero—

call!

The man suddenly turned around, grabbed the harpoon head handle with his left hand and pulled it backward, while his right hand, having long since abandoned the oar, pulled out a "short gun" that was clearly longer than the contents of his backpack.

Gripping the non-slip insulating layer, he thrust with all his might with one hand, stabbing swiftly and fiercely into the fishman's chest!

click!

The monster's skin was incredibly resilient, with a layer of mucus on top of its scales and hard bone plates on the inside. Even after the spearhead broke through all of these, it still got stuck.

The fish-man cried out in pain. The fish, which was taller than a person, struggled wildly after being pierced, causing Ye Shou's small boat to shake violently.

But it couldn't make any more waves, because the next moment a powerful impact, like a lightning strike, pierced through its entire body!

"Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh!!!"

All the muscles in his body tensed up instantly and convulsed. His eyes immediately lost their luster. Even after he stopped breathing completely, he did not relax but remained in a struggling posture, fixed in that place.

To maintain the balance of the small boat, Ye Shou took two steps back, placed the fishman's corpse on it, and stepped on it to pull out the "short gun" that the fishman was holding tightly.

Because it was an instinctive attack aimed at the human's relatively vulnerable abdomen, it did not expect that although the fishman had a humanoid torso, his ribs could cover all the way to this point, and they were even plate-like.

"Innate superhuman strength" overcame these obstacles, but if it were an ordinary person, they might really die at the hands of these ugly and not very smart monsters whose only advantage is their superhuman strength.

After all, reality is not a game; the margin for error is very low, and no one can withstand a fight where they trade blows.

The man gripped the pistol without changing his expression, observing the underwater "ripples" through the lens of a detector, his brow slightly furrowed.

Four dots... It's a merfolk hunting party. After all, they are humanoid creatures, and they hunt cooperatively like a wolf pack.

He probably doesn't realize yet that the "sturdy" boat beneath his feet is actually inflatable, but if anyone were to try it, its weakness would be immediately exposed... A swift and decisive battle is needed!

puff!

The tip of the spear pierced the water's surface, and in the instant a ripple passed beneath the surface, Ye Shou's eyes narrowed:

Maximum power!

Wow!!!

goo goo goo...

Instantly, huge splashes and bubbles began to churn and spray!

……

"Then let's choose the three: Monster Hunter, Human Killer, and Treasure Hunter."

Negative traits... I hope I can handle them.

After hesitating for a moment, Ye Shou ultimately chose [Reduced Poison Resistance].

The defining characteristic of a Monster Hunter is their knowledge of monsters and how to find their weaknesses and even deliver a fatal blow when hunting them!

In the original work, Leos is an ordinary-looking but "genius" who can deal critical hits and real damage to monsters with every move.

The effect of [Humanoid Killer] is similar, except that the target has changed from monsters to "humanoid creatures".

Ye Shou had hesitated before, because these two skills seemed to be skill-based and did not provide any actual numerical boosts. However, after experiencing this battle, he felt that they were still very necessary. Better safe than sorry, and with these two by his side, the possibility of encountering accidents in the maze would be greatly reduced.

As for [Treasure Hunter], it is something he is determined to obtain, even more so than the other two, simply because it is a conceptual skill!

Increase the probability of encountering treasures during adventures and explorations;

Increase the probability of triggering inspiration during the decryption process;

A clear and strong purpose will slightly amplify the above two effects;

—This thing seems to have a synergy with the Golden Rule!

Putting that aside, whether in the main world or dungeons, there's a lot to be done as a Treasure Hunter!

The most satisfying aspect is that it's a passive buff; once selected, you don't need to worry about it anymore—simple and convenient.

For this reason, Ye Shou even went so far as to draw a negative keyword!

[Resistant to poison]...

Regarding poison resistance, the "digestion" function in this world is quite powerful. As long as you can identify the toxicity of the food, you'll generally be fine if you're careful. At worst, you can just avoid eating the monsters here until you meet the main characters.

Of course, this is not entirely foolproof, and there is still the possibility of unexpected events, such as the gradual accumulation of chronic toxins followed by a sudden outbreak.

Just like in biology, the higher up the food chain, the more pollutants accumulate.

Then Ye Shou has no choice but to gamble on the transition effects!

Doesn't it take time for food poisoning to fully develop?

Why are insects not afraid of cancer? By the time cancer cells develop, their lifespan is already long over! Similarly, as long as I "refresh" myself fast enough, the rate at which toxins accumulate cannot keep up with me!

With Ye Shouyou holding on [the scene], even if there are any problems, he should be able to hold out for a month!

drop!

Putting on his headset and playing Mads Mikkelsen's music, Ye Shou, who had just finished the battle, quickly calmed down and got into the zone.

He pulled over the two fish-men floating in the water as well—the others had already been scared away.

Looking at the three corpses before him, he calmly took out his surgical suit and began to dismantle them with the skill and precision of a monster hunter.

Although not quite right, his movements looked more fluid and graceful than those of a tuna dismantling show master who had practiced for decades.

Practice! Practice a lot!

He didn't plan to buy those two skill-related entries; the only one he would spend money on was the "Treasure Hunter" skill, and he needed to thoroughly understand and internalize it over the next month.

Getting something for free? That would be amazing!

Chapter 57 The Traveling Gourmet and the Monster Chef

Wow

A large amount of fresh flesh and blood was dumped into the lake, and an ominous red stain immediately spread across the rippling blue water, like an oil painting stained with coins.

Ye Shou carefully cleaned the scalpel and medical saw, but he only used them to dissect monsters, so there was no need to disinfect them.

In the water, a series of slender, long-bodied monsters with wide fins, only the size of a palm, like miniature flying fish, surrounded him. However, they did not attack him. Instead, they surrounded the fishman's corpse parts and devoured the bits of flesh bit by bit.

Ye Shou did not feel uncomfortable watching this scene. Although the fishman's name contains the word "human", he is not actually a demi-human. It would be a stretch to even call him a humanoid monster.

At first glance, apart from having a fish head, its upper body seems to resemble that of a strong man, but in reality, only its arms are human-shaped, while the rest of its body is that of a standard large fish. It is likely that any vertebrate, once it stands upright and grows human hands, will easily give the impression of being a "subhuman".

By the way, fish-men are like this, but "mermaids" are two completely different creatures. The former are fish, and the latter are mammals (their features are really quite distinctive).

The mermaid's upper body is completely that of a beautiful human woman, and it respects the logic of reality very much—purely naked, without using things like seashells or starfish to cover it up.

Speaking of which, being chosen to be the bra of the mermaid princess must be the great dream of many starfish, right?

Considering that their inner surfaces actually have organs that move around to feed... hey Disney is really going for the extreme!

Perhaps because of the distracting thoughts in his mind, when he passed by the top of a building and saw groups of mermaids, Ye Shou's gaze lingered a few more times on their fair skin, which was covered with fine water droplets.

This is purely academic research; [Monster Hunter] has no ill intentions whatsoever!

Did the mermaids realize that the man in the strange little boat was the same person who had been singing along with them from afar? In any case, they didn't try to seduce Ye Shou again, nor did they show any aggression. They simply watched him slowly leave indifferently.

They are actually a kind of demi-human, possessing considerable intelligence—creatures with well-developed language systems are generally intelligent and do not have a penchant for cannibalism, but they have a particular fondness for luring humans into the water to drown, as if they were born with a wicked nature, so they are still classified as monsters.

Ye Shou remained vigilant, gradually moving away until he was certain the creature wasn't pursuing him, only then did he feel completely at ease. This creature's song possessed a kind of mental magic, making it far more dangerous than the merfolk in Ye Shou's assessment.

Fortunately, they hadn't encountered any large predators yet, and the journey had been relatively smooth. After paddling for about seven or eight hundred meters, Ye Shou rounded a corner of a building and witnessed a strange sight:

The "city wall" is about three meters above the water. There is a gap at intervals on it, where about three or four figures are sitting. Each person has a long line that goes vertically into the water in front of them.

...What the heck? Fishermen spawn in the maze too?

Wait a minute!

That person is... although he differs from the one in the animation, he's much more rugged in real life... to put it bluntly, much more slovenly, but he should be a good person.

A beard that hasn't been cut for over a hundred years might not be uncommon among dwarves, but wearing a flawed helmet is definitely one of a kind.

Dwarves are very particular about their equipment and will not compromise on it without a good reason!

Lucky me, I ran into a "plot character" before even leaving the building, who in a sense is the most useful person to Ye Shou.

Great! The preserved fish-man flesh can finally come in handy!

Suppressing his slightly excited feelings, Ye Shou slowly approached the "shore" that connected to the city wall but was only slightly above the water level.

It seems that this was originally supposed to be a passageway connecting two tall buildings or palaces, a place similar to a skywalk.

However, after the castle itself was submerged, it became a unique dock and rest area on this floor. Judging from the scattered rafts tied here, not all adventurer teams have a mage who can "walk on water".

Ye Shou frowned slightly, completely unaware of the terrain, but he wasn't anxious. He didn't know whether his current location was the entrance to this floor or the entrance to the next floor.

After landing, he patiently deflated the rubber boat, folded it into a collapsible size, and then opened his backpack as if to "put it in".

This action immediately attracted the attention of the fishermen on the city wall:

Inflatable boats are quite common, and it's not uncommon to find airbags made from animal leather, but a boat this beautiful and well-organized is truly unprecedented.