Chapter 24 Marked
As the last Exorcist in the Spirit Realm, Jiang Lu did not linger for too long.
After covering the two exhausted, sound asleep women with blankets, he chose to disconnect.
"Huh."
A flash of white light later, Jiang Lu let out a long sigh of relief.
Looking at the buzzing diesel generator in front of him and smelling the soaked sawdust aroma in the basement, he stretched lazily.
He was back.
As his first voluntary entrance into the Spirit Realm, Jiang Lu's experience was pretty decent.
He immediately added "Infinite Prison" to his favorites so that he could enter it anytime.
Although he didn't understand the principle, the well-informed Jiang Lu speculated that it was probably a real world, just with a different flow of time. Not to mention anything else, just the record books in that archive room went back hundreds of years for the inmates listed there.
However, this wasn't a major issue. Beings like gods existed carefree for thousands of years without aging, so if he took a look every week on his side, it would only equate to about twenty years over there. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. He wouldn't discuss anything beyond that.
"Let's see what rewards I've got."
["Infinite Prison" walkthrough completed]
[Spirit Realm difficulty: S]
[Team evaluation: Perfect]
[Personal evaluation: An ultimate that cannot be replicated, received additional reward]
[Exploration: 100%, received additional reward]
[Achievements gained: 8]
[① Blasphemer: You have no respect for the gods; they will not bless you][Benefit: You are immune to religious influences; religious mental bewildering has no effect on you]
[② Arrogance and Prejudice: Your stereotypes and discrimination keep your moral level low][Benefit: You cannot be targeted by moral-type mental attacks]
[③ Unyielding Will: Even when you are exhausted, you can continue to fight][Benefit: There's a 5% chance to get double stamina after your stamina is depleted, speeding up recovery for 30 minutes]
[④ Social Butterfly: You click with anyone][Benefit: Charisma attribute +5]
[⑤ Conqueror: You have subjugated all the important characters in the Spirit Realm][Benefit: Acquired skill: Persuasion Lv 1]
[⑥ Priest: You successfully made a deity call you 'Daddy'][Benefit: Your [Intimidate] skill can now affect deities][Note: Skill not yet learned]
[⑦ Bloodthirsty Madman: You successfully made a deity bleed, and as you bathe in divine blood, you grow stronger in battle][Benefit: Your physical attacks gain a 10% lifesteal effect]
[⑧ Nationality Thievery: You have forged the Covenant of Adam with the God of Redemption and stolen their divine status][Benefit: You can now learn holy skills regardless of your innate talents]
"At first glance, these achievements seem fine, but upon a closer look..."
Jiang Lu stroked his chin: "Actually, there's really nothing wrong!"
He clicked continue, and the panel switched to the reward settlement page.
[Sequence number: 114514]
[Codename: I Charged into the Spirit Realm for Jiang Bao]
[The following are the rewards for completing the "Infinite Prison":]
[Basic rewards: Universal points *2500 (receiving a 500% bonus from the highest evaluation), experience points *5000 (receiving a 500% bonus from the highest evaluation), Skill Scroll (Lv1) *1, Skill Proficiency Orb (100 points) *3]
[Additional rewards:]
[Evaluation's additional rewards: Random Spirit Realm entry special effects (Note: Every entry into the Spirit Realm is a brand new experience)][Wearing it, your teammates will think you are quite something]
[Exploration's additional rewards: Overseer's Necklace *1 (Quality: Legendary) (Usable level: 3)][Your commands will be absolutely obeyed by spirit entities (the effect diminishes with level difference)]
With the addition of five thousand experience points, Jiang Lu's Exorcist level had now reached a little over level 5, and all attribute points had also increased variously after the level up and achievement bonuses:
[Level: 5]
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[Physique: 11]
[Spirit: 17]
[Agility: 9]
[Strength: 12]
[Charm: 19][+40]
[Stamina: 14][+8]
[Physical Resistance: 15][+7]
[Mental Resistance: 16][+5]
[Passive Skill: Fellow Villager (Charm doubles against female ghosts and demons)]
[Active Skill: Persuasion Lv 1]
However, after viewing his rewards and improvements, Jiang Lu was not very happy.
"Tsk... A rank has lucky bags, but S rank doesn't, huh?"
Although it was a low-probability event and he had no idea how to trigger the lucky bag reward, he still felt a sense of disappointment upon seeing the actual rewards.
He suddenly had the feeling that he had become a fool, and not just any fool— one that had tricked himself into a pitfall.
Besides these items, he had also received gifts from Heavy Cannon and a willow sabre. It seemed they were not very wealthy either, with the willow sabre providing a homemade witchcraft potion for facial disguise, and Heavy Cannon giving a common-quality butterfly knife.
Jiang Lu actually liked both items quite a bit; the former could be used for role-playing, and the latter, which was quite visually appealing, could be used to show off the next time he entered a multiplayer Spirit Realm.
Just as he was about to close the settlement page and browse the forums, he noticed that the exit option, which had previously ended here, was now continuing.
"There's more?" Jiang Lu perked up. "Could it be..."
When he clicked continue, a blood-stained red cross suddenly popped up on the panel.
[Warning: You have broken the God of Redemption's curse and shackles! Be cautious of Heaven's Messengers you may encounter in the Spirit Realm, as they may be demons to you!]
[Acquired Status: Mark of Sin]
[Mark of Sin: You have been marked by Heaven as a deeply sinful rebel. Do not expose your identity, or you will become a priority target for Heaven's forces.]
"????" Jiang Lu was stunned for a moment and then cursed in anger, "Damn the bad luck! What kind of sting operation is this!"
After thinking it over, he realized that he and Yixina had been mutually attracted, so it couldn't be considered solicitation, and thus he changed his tune.
"What is this, acting like the Queen Mother who tries to separate the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl?"
Being inexplicably marked, he lost even the mood to browse the forums.
Turning off the generator, Jiang Lu pushed open the door of the basement and stepped onto the lawn, looking up at the sky with a somewhat brooding expression, "Old bastard up there! You're really asking for a death wish, you better hope I don't catch you. Otherwise, I'll make sure Jesus gives it to you good from behind!"
Full of rage, Jiang Lu suddenly heard a stern shout nearby, "Jiang Lu! Are you hiding in my wine cellar and smoking again?!"
"Huh?" Jiang Lu narrowed his eyes and looked up at the balcony on the second floor, then instantly changed his expression, smiling obsequiously and saying in a voice like a eunuch's, "Ay, Dad, what wind blew you over here?"
"I'll blow your grandpa, I've been in my office the entire time!" the director bellowed, slamming the balcony's stone railing, "You've got time to dawdle around here, don't you know to look after the kids? Can your Aunt Zhang manage them alone?"
Jiang Lu was taken aback, "What, what about the other caretakers?"
"Xiao Wang resigned a week ago, and Xiao Li took a leave today, you had no idea right?!"
"No, I didn't," Jiang Lu shook his head.
"You know and you still ask?"
"What I mean is," Jiang Lu said with great precision, "I know now."
"Get up here!"
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