CH1.2: Birth: Twice The Charm

Chapter 1.2

Could he be....

Out of curiosity, I focused my gaze on Wen Hui and a system window popped out right in front of me. It showed an exhaustively long list of information about ... Qi Fei?

Why is there a different name on his character window?

I rapidly read through everything displayed on his character screen.

Maybe this is just an error. But if it's not, this would confirm my suspicion. I tried switching to a different window and went back to his character window, I read it for the second time.

⟨⟨Character Data:

Name: Wu Qi Fei

Age: 23

Status: Demonic Art Cultivator

Cultivation Realm: ???

Cultivation Method(/s):

Blood Sucking Thread (Demonic Art)

• use to absorb the blood essence of the target, draining the target from the power coming from their bloodline.

Side Effect: None

Enchanting Aura (Demonic Art)

• use to make the target become submissive to the user. (Passive)

Additional Effect: use to corrupt the aura of the target, this allows the user to take control of the target by manipulating their aura around them.

Side Effect: None

Thorn of the Rose (Demonic Art)

• works as a disguise but if it fails, the target will immediately be harmed to protect the user. Strengthens the effect of Enchanting Aura.

Side Effect: Upon failing, takes control of the user's body until it successfully eliminates the target.

Behavior:

This character likes to act nice in front of his victims to curry their favor while he secretly harms their bodies through the food that he cooks for them with the poisons he concocted and by staying very closely near them as he uses a demonic skill arts without the victim knowing.

For targets that he finds interesting, he might choose not to do anything that is mentioned above.

[Tip: Try to befriend this character.]

[Alert! Detected Flawed Data.]

Background:

Member of a relatively well known gang located in the minor capital Qianwei. The Gang is well known for abducting cultivators who are near the age of awakening their bloodline which also gives their golden cores the chance to enter the mutation period, the gang only targets the notorious nobles unlike what the Imperial Family and the nobility who serves the Imperial Family says, they claim that the Gang targets the commoners and servants then drains them from their unique energy stored in their golden core before getting rid of the victims.

[Alert! Detected Flawed Data.]

The character called, Qi Fei is tasked to extract the Golden Core of variable Zhang Xi Yin, who had been showing signs of possessing the infamous Ancient Golden Core, a few days after his sudden appearance in the middle of a stone platform surrounded by ruined pillars. The Ancient Golden Core is believed to be comparable in terms of efficiency of its ability to the Golden Core on the third stage even if the Ancient Golden Core has just recently formed within the cultivator's body, this rare type is infamous for its potent spiritual energy.

Hint: This character is irrelevant to the main story.

Press here to show additional information about the character, Wu Qi Fei.⟩⟩

I see... 

Those are quite hard to... believe. 

Anyway, that explains why I strangely feel anxious when he came near me.

Also, what's with the hint? Is it telling me to kill him?

Probably not necessarily...

... I think I'm the evil here.

And so, it really wasn't an error.

It turns out he is also in the same group with those who had abducted me earlier, well the first me, my original body. It seems that I'm in a different body from what I saw in my reflection just a moment ago. Then where could my original body be?

'System, you said I'm in a visual novel, right? Then what's the plot of this novel? '

⟨⟨This information cannot be provided. Character Lan Zhī Yuán must progress the story to find out.⟩⟩

I sighed deeply, feeling disappointed.

Well I guess that makes sense.

But then, how am I even supposed to find that protagonist if I don't know anything about the plot? Who's the protagonist anyway? Is it me? Is it someone else? How am I supposed to make a move if I don't know how the story goes? What is this novel even about? More importantly, am I even supposed to play through the story, or can I just do what I want?

Ugh.

I need to calm down. I need to think properly, I'm a 30-year-old man in a body of who knows how old is this child. Probably 19, but most likely 20 as this is the age for a boy to celebrate their coming off age in the ancient times. Or maybe just about to turn 20...

... So for now my choices are, to wait until midnight, but I'm too weak right now to attempt to fight this guy and whoever are around this place or to cultivate two skills.

I would like it more if I can get something else aside from those...

Should I follow the tip from the system? I could use a companion... Maybe for entertainment purposes or something else...

⟨⟨System Alert: Quest Available!⟩⟩

Oh? Is it going to tell me to befriend this guy?

⟨⟨Quest Available: Escape the guards and take User 000000008's body. A reward will be given based on your performance.⟩⟩

'You make it sound like I'm stealing.' Well to be fair, no one would really know that, that body is mine so no matter what I would say, they'll think I'm stealing. I shouldn't be concerned of this.

I'd really like to ask a lot of questions, but I probably won't get any. Furthermore, I think I'm slowly losing my sanity, I've been talking to myself in my head this whole time.

Not only that, but I don't really have any way to fight him or anyone if I would attempt to escape, but time seems to pause when I'm talking to the system or a window is simply being displayed in front of me, I should cultivate the Swift Moving Steps for now just in case that my plan of befriending this guy fails also if I'm lucky, I could get an offensive skill for cultivating a second skill according to what I saw in one of the tabs I viewed earlier.

'Activate Technique Swift Moving Steps.'

⟨⟨Activating Swift Moving Steps Technique.

Turning on Auto Cultivation.

Forcing Character Lan Zhī Yuán

into lotus meditation position...⟩⟩

⟨⟨Successful.⟩⟩

⟨⟨Character Lan Zhī Yuán will now enter auto cultivation.⟩⟩

'You're lucky this body is flexible, or you would've been listening to nothing, but my complaints.' I know it will only affect me negatively but I'm quite frustrated now.

This pauses between talking to a npc and cultivating a technique reminds me of that famous Japanese magic girl transformation. I kind of feel ridiculous now...

The voice of the system started to count from ten to one again, it ended after a short while.

⟨⟨Swift Moving Technique is now activated. Turning off Auto Cultivation Mode. Returning Character Lan Zhī Yuán in previous position.⟩⟩

I hope I won't need to do that for a hundred times.

⟨⟨Congratulations. Character Lan Zhī Yuán had unlocked the Moon God's Bloodline. Please view the designated window for this feature.⟩⟩

⟨⟨Congratulations. Character Lan Zhī Yuán had received the reward for completing a hidden mission. Please view the status window.⟩⟩

⟨⟨Alert! You have an unread status update.⟩⟩ A status update? Is it the reward I had received just now? What's the difference?

'System, display the status window.'

⟨⟨Understood. Displaying Status Window.⟩⟩

A rescue team? Well we are in a capital so it's not really strange, but something tells me that I should stay suspicious with this rescue team...

How could the imperial guards even locate this place so easily and quickly?

According to the map in the system, this place is hidden using an array formation. They're definitely suspicious.

... this is troublesome.

Oh, well... 

I guess It's better to use that now if I want this to end quickly, I'm not in the condition to fight in any way at all either. I'm probably very weak too.

It's a pity that I have to use it so soon, but it's not really so bad to test it, its name intrigues me too, and it would be best for me to escape this place before that rescue team that the system warned me about earlier.

'System use Inferno.'

"Hey... What's that?" Qi Fei asked, he looks scared.

⟨⟨Understood.⟩⟩

And just with that, boiling blood and eternal fire gobbled the whole place, everyone beside the two of us became fodders to the fire, others were slowly being drowned and killed by the boiling blood.

Suddenly, an orange thread appeared on my wrist, it doesn't look to be tied on anything or anywhere...

What is this? Something like that red string of fate?

But maybe I should see where it would lead me to...

But wouldn't I get burned too...?

I look around, looking for places which I could use to move around. The only option I have are the roofs...

I wonder if I can fly to the roofs like those martial artists from the movies?

I took a glance at Qi Fei, he took a step back and gave me a suspicious look.

I should probably drag him with me.