Chapter 52 System Skills

Xia Wulei raised her eyes slightly and noticed that the others looked completely normal.

Could it be that this system prompt was only audible to her?

Xia Wulei: [What is system energy? How do I absorb it?]

System: [This system can absorb all convertible energy within the instance;]

[Dissipated energy detected, identified as [Joyful Treasure Chest System];]

[Dissipated energy detected, identified as [Copy System];]

[Absorbing system energy grants one-tenth of the skills of the original system. Do you wish to absorb it?]

Xia Wulei's breath hitched.

Holy crap, did I hear that right? I can actually acquire the skills of other systems?!

Everything that does not belong to the instance is composed of energy. The ghosts and monsters are like that—could it be that the systems are the same?

When that former player was obliterated, the system prompt mentioned energy that did not belong to this instance world, which meant that players' souls were also formed from energy.

Ah Shui used to be a player as well, but her existence was extremely special. She became a resident ghost within the instance and even gained the recognition of the system, which was likely related to the rule of water ghosts acting as scapegoats.

The soul of that former player was dragged into the mirror world by the mirror demon, and by some unknown means, managed to remain there. Retaining their own consciousness, they hid in the mirror world and evaded the system's search.

"He" was also unaware of the energy anomaly, thinking only of returning to reality, but ended up being obliterated by the system anyway.

Xia Wulei slowly sorted through this series of circumstances, and it seemed as though something was becoming increasingly clear.

There were three kinds of energy in the Prior Realm: player soul energy, ghost energy, and system energy.

Players were sent into one instance after another. Was the absorbable ghost energy there originally, or did it, like the players, arrive in the instances through other channels?

Did the Prior Realm truly exist to make up for regrets and resurrect the dead?

As more and more thoughts piled up without accurate information to solve these puzzles, Xia Wulei could only push them aside and turn her attention to these two dissipated system energies.

This Joyful Treasure Chest System should be the one Uncle Hu had mentioned earlier.

Then, could this Copy System belong to that alien soul that had usurped Uncle Hu's body?

Xia Wulei pondered for a moment, deciding that this matter probably held no harm for her, and nodded in agreement.

[Absorbing energy...]

Meanwhile, seeing that Uncle Hu had lost all breath, the group fell into a silent hush.

Bake sighed: "Although I've encountered player deaths in my previous instances, seeing it happen again still doesn't feel good."

Some had grown accustomed to the deaths of their companions, while others were experiencing it for the first time.

Cheng Cheng sat frozen for a long while, while Xia Wulei lowered her gaze to look at the corpse.

Ever since entering the instance, she knew she would face such things. In infinite instances, it was either the ghosts who died or they themselves.

She simply hadn't expected Uncle Hu to leave so quickly.

Yu Guang: "What should we do with this body then? In past instances, when corpses were left unattended, they would actually start moving by nightfall and attack us."

Xia Wulei found this rather novel—such a thing was actually possible.

Cui Chengzhi nodded: "In some instances, the ghost qi is dense enough to trigger corpse transmutation. It's best to deal with corpses promptly."

Cui Chengzhi produced a yellow talisman and tossed it onto Uncle Hu's corpse. The paper talisman suddenly burst into spontaneous combustion, and along with it, Uncle Hu's body began to burn.

The group was startled and subconsciously took two steps back.

Bake panicked and fumbled: "Th-th-this, what if it burns down the house..."

Cui Chengzhi: "This is a Corpse-Burning Talisman, specifically used for dealing with corpses. You can buy them in the Prior Realm's shops. It's a good idea to stock up on some."

Only then did everyone realize they couldn't feel the intense heat of the flames at all. The talisman was also extremely efficient; in less than two minutes, the corpse was burned down to not even a speck of ash.

[Ding! Congratulations to players Xia Wulei and Cheng Cheng for discovering a clue fragment: Red Eyes in the Mirror!]

[Red Eyes in the Mirror: Ever since an unknown time, as midnight approaches, a pair of red eyes appears in the mirror. Those seen by the red eyes will find themselves pulled into the mirror, lured by their own illusions, walking step by step until they plunge into the abyss...]

The system prompt was fashionably late, and it turned out to be merely a clue fragment, indicating that this clue was closely tied to the main quest.

Li Lianxin asked in confusion: "If it clearly saw Cheng Cheng, why did it come to attack me instead?"

Xia Wulei remained silent, and no one answered.

By this time, it was already close to one in the morning, and the others were exhausted as well.

Li Lianxin yawned: "I'm so sleepy, I want to go back to sleep."

Cheng Cheng also nodded, casting a somewhat fearful glance at Uncle Hu's bed.

The girls returned to Room 503 in a group. Cheng Cheng lay in bed, completely devoid of sleepiness.

"Sister Wulei, do you think I'll die?"

Xia Wulei, who had just lain down with the intention of entering the spatial realm, replied without even thinking: "No."

Are you kidding me? Who would dare to finish you off?

Ghosts would rather commit suicide just to offer you points the moment they lay eyes on you.

Cheng Cheng's voice was calm: "Actually, this isn't my first time seeing someone die. My grandmother passed away from illness right in front of me, but I just wanted to at least finish the college entrance examination to fulfill her final wish."

"But I don't really have any abilities. If I truly encounter danger, I won't be able to escape. Ah, Sister Wulei, don't misunderstand, I'm just expressing my feelings, not asking for your help."

Realizing this, Cheng Cheng hurriedly explained.

Xia Wulei turned her head and said with absolute certainty: "Don't worry, you'll be able to resurrect. Don't forget to check in."

Past twelve o'clock, it was technically a new day. Prompted by Xia Wulei, Cheng Cheng quickly opened the check-in system.

"300 points, now I have 600. By the end of the eighth day, I should have 3,600..."

Listening to Cheng Cheng quietly calculating her points, Xia Wulei felt a bit numb.

Xia Wulei: [Little System, tell me, why on earth did you guys bring her in here? Wouldn't it be more direct to just resurrect her straight away?]

System: [...Just following the procedure.]

Xia Wulei: ......

Xia Wulei certainly didn't believe this ghost of a system. She found herself harboring more and more suspicions about this so-called Prior Realm.

No, stop right there. Curiosity is the beginning of trouble; she couldn't afford to care too much.

Thinking of the two pieces of system energy she had obtained today, Xia Wulei quickly closed her eyes, her spiritual consciousness slipping into the spatial realm.

Xia Wulei: "I'm here, Little System!"

Two fragments gleaming with flowing light lay on the ground, and Ah Shui was curiously squatting in front of them, examining them closely.

"Leilei, come and look at this. These two things suddenly appeared in the space."

Leilei...?!

Whether it was her imagination or not, Xia Wulei seemed to hear the system let out a snicker.

Perhaps influenced by her surroundings, Ah Shui didn't find her own form of address inappropriate in the slightest.

Xia Wulei squatted down beside the fragments as well, reaching out to touch them slowly.

[Ding—Host has obtained the Joyful Treasure Chest System. Opening chests grants random props; cooldown is ten days;]

[Current chest-opening chance is 1. Do you wish to open?]

Xia Wulei was just about to click yes, but the moment she thought of her own pitch-black, cursed luck, she gritted her teeth and pushed the chest-opening opportunity over to Ah Shui.

"You do it!"

Ah Shui, who had been happily eating melons on the sidelines, was suddenly called upon and looked completely bewildered: "Ah? Me?"