The next day, as dawn was breaking.
Without an alarm, Fang You broke free from the seals of his covers early, brimming with energy and itching to practice the basic sword techniques dozens of times.
He had too much energy! It was completely different from his previous habit of sleeping late and waking up groggy. At this moment, he felt he could finish a chapter of his novel in no time if he opened his computer.
But how could writing be as fun as playing games?
No, how could the affairs of a savior be called playing games? He was fighting for the survival of the world.
"First, I need to eat something."
"I'll just make some noodles."
Fang You was in a good mood, but the pleasant day was interrupted by breakfast.
Looking down, the chopsticks in his hand had broken. He hadn't even used any force.
He had been too busy and exhausted yesterday, so he hadn't noticed. But today, everything he picked up felt too light, and he easily used too much force if he wasn't careful.
"After all, my physique is more than double what it was at the beginning."
"I need to get used to my current state quickly, otherwise I'll end up breaking more things."
Fang You did a hundred push-ups, two hundred squats, and practiced the basic sword techniques a few more times before he felt he had adapted.
After expending some of his strength and resting for a while, Fang You began his daily routine.
Saving the world.
That sounded too grand. It was simpler to just eliminate malevolent spirits.
...
Time passed.
A week had passed since the investigators knocked on his door, and Fang You had stayed home, not stepping outside even once.
During this period, by dispatching the Fate Apostle, Black Blade, he had cleared six areas infested with malevolent spirits. None of them were strong; they were not even as strong as most of the "Doorkeeper" spirits from the first encounter, let alone the second.
Black Blade annihilated them with a single strike.
This made Fang You understand that this was the true level of one-star malevolent spirits. As for the one he encountered at the construction site, he was unsure if it was a top-tier one-star or if it had already surpassed the standard.
"It's good news that malevolent spirits are generally not that strong, but... the Fate Points obtained from dispatching tasks have also decreased."
From the first dispatch, eliminating the construction site malevolent spirit, he received '0.6 Fate Points' and 'a Skill Cultivation Card.'
However, for the subsequent six dispatches, he only received 0.2 to 0.4 Fate Points, and no Skill Cultivation Cards. Instead, he received a material called 'Ghost Crystal.'
Its purpose was unknown.
Fang You opened the game. As of today, he had accumulated a total of 2.6 units of Fate Points and 8 Ghost Crystals.
This was even after using two Double Reward Cards. These items had to be used before dispatching, which made him hesitant to use the one he had left.
The rewards were too low.
Perhaps it would be more worthwhile to use them on dispatching two-star malevolent spirits, but two-star malevolent spirits...
"If the construction site malevolent spirit wasn't overpowered, then two-star malevolent spirits would be terrifying."
"Black Blade's current strength is likely not enough to defeat them."
"And among the malevolent spirit areas detected nearby, besides one two-star, there are only two one-star areas left."
"This is definitely not enough to accumulate the points needed for the third Fate draw."
It wasn't impossible to gather more points.
The task dispatch scanned based on his location, so he just needed to move.
But it was too dangerous outside. Moving would have to wait until he had genuine self-preservation abilities.
Well, he was still a bit short.
Five days ago, he had used the 'Malevolent Spirit Tracking' skill book. The process was similar to learning the basic sword techniques, but more tedious.
It wasn't just about training; his eyes were also immersed in a special liquid.
This time, learning the skill wasn't as tiring, but it was painful. It reminded Fang You of washing his eyes when he was a child, and just thinking about it made his eyes feel uncomfortable.
After learning the skill, his eyes were uncomfortable for several days, undergoing a gradual process of change and adaptation. However, using a 'Skill Cultivation Card' to upgrade 'Malevolent Spirit Tracking' to the proficient level didn't cause much discomfort.
Fang You blinked his eyes, and instantly activated his Malevolent Spirit Tracking vision.
With the proficient level of Malevolent Spirit Tracking, he could use it as effectively as Black Blade did six days ago. He could switch it on and off at will and could detect the traces of malevolent spirits within one to two hundred meters.
Of course, there were none in his vision.
There shouldn't be any! If there were, Fang You would have to consider calling for Black Blade or running away.
Fang You brought up his status panel.
He now possessed proficient-level Basic Sword Techniques and proficient-level Malevolent Spirit Tracking, as well as the offensive skill 'Palm Thunder' that he was about to learn.
One Skill Cultivation Card remained.
Naturally, not all of them were used on himself. Three were given to Black Blade, as he still relied on Black Blade to fight the bosses.
Fang You brought up Black Blade's information.
"Black Blade"
"Physique: 3.1+0.1"
"Spirit: 1.2+0.1"
"Skills: Basic Blade Technique (Proficient: 15%), Blade Slash (Mastery: 5%), Malevolent Spirit Tracking (Proficient: 15%)"
"Equipment: Beginner's Battle Blade"
Compared to the first day, there had been a tremendous change.
Among these, Black Blade's physique had increased by 0.1 units, which he had achieved through daily training. Don't ask Fang You how he knew; it was by peeking... by checking the game log.
The 0.1 unit increase in spirit was a result of Blade Slash breaking through to the mastery level.
Yes, Beginner, Proficient, and the next level was Mastery.
Using one 'Skill Cultivation Card' could increase a proficient skill by 33% proficiency, requiring three cards to raise a skill to the mastery level.
He had spent them all on Black Blade's 'Blade Slash,' his primary means of damage.
"Two days ago, when eliminating a malevolent spirit, Black Blade demonstrated the ability of mastery-level Blade Slash."
"Compared to the proficient level, the upgraded Blade Slash could not only be used for instantaneous bursts but could also maintain a bloody blade aura for a short time, and even slightly extend the blade aura."
Mastery level, with its changing characteristics.
Undoubtedly, while increasing Black Blade's destructive power, it also enriched his combat methods.
Perhaps in the future, if Black Blade continued to improve, he could truly slash out a forty-meter blade aura?
The only problem was,
Maintaining the bloody blade aura with mastery-level Blade Slash consumed more energy, and Black Blade might become a "three-second warrior."
"The current Black Blade could probably defeat the construction site malevolent spirit in two blows, but facing a two-star..."
Looking at the prominent two-star malevolent spirit on the dispatch map, Fang You fell into thought.
A few hundred meters away from the two-star malevolent spirit, in a desolate area, there was a one-star malevolent spirit.
Perhaps,
Today, he could use the opportunity to eliminate this one-star malevolent spirit and let Black Blade scout it out to assess if it stood a chance in a fight, and to escape if it encountered danger.
Instead of randomly dispatching and running straight into the face of a two-star malevolent spirit.
That's settled then!
...
Half an hour later,
A few kilometers away from Taiping Residential Area, in a desolate small forest, Black Blade, wearing a mask, walked out at an unhurried pace. He shook his blade and then walked along the asphalt road towards the distance.
This place was very desolate.
It was already a remote location, and when it got a bit dark, not a single person could be seen on the entire road.
This was convenient for Black Blade.
He looked towards the end of the street. Beyond the dilapidated fence stood a building that had been abandoned for over a decade.
This was Black Blade's destination.