Chapter 02 I'm Not Who I Used to Be
A shadow cast upon the smooth floor, and Xu Yi sensed the approach of the other. He leapt out from behind the door with the kitchen knife gleaming with cold light chopping down.
This strike was aimed at the other's neck—Xu Yi clearly didn't intend to hold back, he was going for the kill.
Although he lived in peaceful times and rarely saw blood, he knew that this was no time for mercy.
As the blade descended, the Cannibal suddenly stepped back.
Xu Yi was startled; the opponent had managed to dodge even in such a situation!
Was it due to the other's nimble movements or had he noticed some flaw?
The kitchen knife only slashed through the other's suit.
The Cannibal had now regained his composure, squinting at Xu Yi with a smile at the corner of his eyes.
Xu Yi sensed something was wrong, but with the arrow on the bowstring, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and swing the second knife.
Before his very eyes, everything suddenly blurred, and by the time he realized it, the Cannibal had closed in, capturing the wrist with the knife and forcefully bending it.
Xu Yi cried out in pain, his grip loosening, and the kitchen knife clanged to the floor.
"Knives, such dangerous tools, are not something for good children to play with," said the Cannibal with an elegant smile, but the coldness flashing in his eyes was unnerving.
Such speed! Such strength!
Xu Yi's face turned pale as he finally understood why the other was so confident.
The other appeared gentle and frail, but beneath the formal attire lay the strength of a wild beast.
Xu Yi was unwilling to surrender without a fight and clenched his fist, smashing it towards the other's head, only for a sharp pain to suddenly explode in his abdomen.
A tremendously accurate knee strike hit his midsection, followed by a backhanded grab that firmly pressed him down.
The syringe, glinting with cold light, appeared again, inserted into his carotid artery, and as the overdose of anesthetic flooded in, all was decided.
Secured to the iron-framed bed, cut open and disembowelled... the process replayed itself.
"Dead again!" Xu Yi's soul returned to the Resurrection Space, and he let out a long sigh.
He had three Resurrection Coins left, but he decided not to revive immediately, instead pondering in silence.
Suspended above the Resurrection Space was an hourglass with a countdown; in ten minutes, the Resurrection Coins would automatically take effect, turning back time by ten minutes.
What would happen without Resurrection Coins? The answer was self-evident.
Given the opponent's demeanor, he had definitely received specialized training.
Not to mention that the effect of the anesthetic meant he could only exert part of his strength— even at his peak, he was no match.
"What to do?" Xu Yi frowned and pondered.
With his current situation, escaping was nothing short of a fantasy.
His gaze inadvertently caught something next to the Resurrection Coins and he paused, slightly surprised. There were two characters there.
Because the Resurrection Coins emitted a golden glow, those two characters were also gold. If one didn't look carefully, they'd be impossible to notice.
They spelled "Online Store."
What a trick! While others made their stores extremely obvious, practically filling up the whole screen, this store seemed afraid to be discovered.
Xu Yi clicked open the store, which seemed to have six items, but in reality, there were only two.
They were the "Newbie Gift Pack" and "Treasure Chests," with the Chests divided into five levels: "Bronze-Silver-Gold-Platinum-Diamond."
He looked at the price of the chests and clicked his tongue in disbelief.
Purchasing chests required Resurrection Coins, and even the cheapest, the Bronze Chest, cost 10 coins, Silver cost 30, Gold 100, Platinum 500... and the Diamond Chest required an insane 2000 coins.
To think he could only get a fixed Resurrection Coin for his monthly check-in.
If he didn't go sign in at the "Land of Fear," it would take him over half a year just to save enough for a Bronze Treasure Chest.
Forget the chests; Xu Yi's eyes lit up as they fell upon the "Newbie Gift Pack."
Below the Gift Pack was a price tag labeled "88."
The "88" had been crossed out, replaced by the solitary number "1".
Xu Yi's eyes burned with longing.
This was a gift pack worth 88 Resurrection Coins, but now it only cost one Resurrection Coin to purchase.
Even if it was a bit of a gamble, it was still a bargain.
Xu Yi made the purchase decisively. After paying with the Resurrection Coin, the Newbie Gift Pack disappeared, clearly a one-time deal, which made him silently regretful.
[Newbie Gift Pack Unlocked!]
[Congratulations on obtaining "Blank Entry: Psychic (Common White Rare)"]
[Congratulations on obtaining "Full Entry: Combat Techniques (Common White)"]
[Congratulations on obtaining "Entry Fusion Path: Psychic Painter = Psychic + Scholar + Painter"]
Xu Yi took quite some time to understand the functions of these rewards.
"Entries" are similar to skills; "Blank Entries" are like level 0, requiring a continuous effort to gain experience before you can truly master them.
However, that's not necessary for "Full Entries"; once equipped, they can be used directly.
[Psychic (0/100): Spiritual Perception activated, granting the power of Psychic abilities, enabling the detection of abnormal magnetic fields in the surroundings.]
[Combat Techniques (100/100): An elite specialist versed in various martial arts.]
The "Entry Fusion Path" was also easy to understand; as long as you have the corresponding entries, you can fuse them into a higher-tier entry.
The Psychic Painter was clearly a "Green" or maybe even a higher-tier "Blue" entry.
Setting aside the "Fusion Path" for now, the "Psychic Entry" was not immediately useful, so Xu Yi focused on the "Combat Techniques Entry".
If he mastered the combat techniques, could he go toe-to-toe with the Cannibal?
He now only had two Resurrection Coins left, which meant at most two more chances.
But if he had to use the very last Resurrection Coin, then he would truly be risking his life; failure would mean the end of everything.
Moreover, this world was incredibly off; he wanted to keep one Resurrection Coin as a "safety net" to feel secure.
"I must deal with the Cannibal this time I resurrect!" Xu Yi firmly resolved in his heart.
He began to think over his next plan, going over the details back and forth, until the colored sands in the hourglass ran out and the Resurrection Coin automatically triggered, casting a golden glow.
Xu Yi opened his eyes once again, this time distinctly feeling the differences.
Every past awakening had left him feeling utterly exhausted.
But this time was different. He clenched his fist, feeling an explosive power filling his emaciated body.
He casually touched his abdomen. The six-pack abs he'd long coveted in his previous life were now effortlessly his.
"This is too awesome!" Xu Yi realized he had underestimated the power of the entry.
The transformation in his body was undoubtedly due to the "Combat Techniques Entry".
The entry didn't just infuse memories but also transformed the body, granting him the genuine strength of a martial arts expert.
Xu Yi felt even more confident about his forthcoming actions.
As usual, he carefully rose from the iron bed, avoiding any noise, and walked over to the knife rack.
This time, he didn't choose a kitchen knife but picked a small, handy fruit knife, hiding it in his sleeve.
To avoid revealing himself, he deliberately chose one obscured by the chopping board, making it less likely for someone to notice a missing fruit knife in the cluttered kitchen anytime soon.
The conversation outside was drawing to a close, but Xu Yi didn't opt for hiding behind the door to ambush; instead, he lay back down on the iron bed.
He had thought it through; standing at the doorway, one couldn't see the iron bed directly, but through the reflections in the wall tiles and the metal kitchen utensils, it was very likely one could see the situation on the iron bed.
The reason for his exposure the last time was probably this.
The iron bed was cold, and Xu Yi lay in wait, holding his breath.
Thanks to the enhancement from the combat techniques, he had significantly increased control over his body, and his racing heart gradually calmed down.