Chapter 128: The Traverser Isn’t Terrifying, but a Cheating Traverser Is

"What... what is this?"

Lin Lan stared in shock as the air in his previously quiet bedroom filled with a colorful, flowing mist, as if dyed by spray paint.

Unbeknownst to him, his originally black eyes now radiated a silvery-white light.

Before Lin Lan could make sense of the strange scene, an ancient memory surged into his mind like a tidal wave.

"This… this is..."

He clutched his head and collapsed onto the bed, overwhelmed by the massive influx of memories. 

It felt as if he were watching a 3D movie, but instead of merely observing, he was living it.

…

A thousand years ago, the peace of the Liao Continent was shattered by the rise of a Demon King who could control all monsters. 

Under his command, a fearsome army wreaked havoc across the lands, plunging the islands into chaos.

In desperation, the nations of Liao Continent performed a mysterious summoning ritual to call forth a hero—a brave soul from another world capable of opposing the Demon King.

With the aid of summoned allies, the hero endured countless trials, sealing the Demon King's powerful generals one by one. 

Finally, after an epic battle, the hero succeeded in defeating the Demon King himself.

However, instead of destroying the Demon King, the hero sealed him deep beneath a remote island, sacrificing his life to ensure the seal would hold.

…

"Why not just finish the job? What's with this habit of sealing things instead of destroying them? It's like setting up a disaster for the sequel!" 

Lin Lan grumbled, irritated by the overly familiar trope.

Although the hero's and Demon King's faces were obscured, Lin Lan noticed they both had long hair, a detail that seemed oddly significant.

As the memory faded, Lin Lan's right hand began to cool, the burning sensation receding.

"So... I'm actually a hero? But if that's the case, why did I end up in Orlan instead of Liao Continent?"

As strange as it was, Lin Lan had no choice but to accept this twist in his fate. 

After all, his traversing to this world had brought him to his beloved ship girls—his cherished wives and companions.

Just as Lin Lan thought the ordeal was over, a translucent light screen suddenly appeared before him.

"What now?"

…

The light screen displayed no text, only an intricate web of interconnected icons, resembling a skill tree from a video game.

Lin Lan quickly recognized a few icons: a weapon next to a figure likely represented weapon mastery, while flames and a six-pointed star suggested fire magic or elemental affinity.

"Looks like I've got myself a skill tree. Well, at least I won't need to deal with a language barrier in this world."

Among the myriad grayed-out icons, Lin Lan noticed three that were illuminated. Curious, he examined them one by one.

The first icon depicted a running figure, which Lin Lan identified as enhancing stamina recovery and physical endurance. 

He'd already experienced its effects and found it highly practical.

The second icon, however, made Lin Lan's face turn red. It depicted a flexing figure, but the glowing area was... between the legs.

"What kind of shameless attribute is this?!" Lin Lan muttered, feeling both embarrassed and amused.

Nonetheless, given his active lifestyle with his shipgirls, this skill's utility was undeniable.

The third icon featured a figure with a six-pointed star above its head. 

This, Lin Lan guessed, was an introduction to magic, a foundation for the elemental skills linked to it.

As Lin Lan scanned the sprawling skill tree, he couldn't help but groan. Filling this out was going to take ages. 

He preferred playing cracked versions of games to avoid such grind-heavy systems.

To his surprise, when he tapped on an unlit icon, a small window appeared:

"622/50"

"Huh? Do I still have that many unused points?"

Excited, Lin Lan began lighting up various skills, prioritizing ones related to stamina, strength, and general survivability. 

Combat skills could wait—his shipgirls already provided plenty of protection.

Besides, judging by the vision he just got, his shipgirls and the sirens are even more powerful than the Hero.

…

Just as he finished spending his points, a familiar chirp came from outside the window. Lin Lan walked over to see his trusty muscle manjuu carrying a sack in its beak, pleading to be let in.

"You're treating this place like a hideout now? What've you brought back this time?" Lin Lan chuckled as he opened the window.

The manjuu eagerly dumped its loot onto the floor—a sack full of wisdom cubes.

"Smuggling wisdom cubes? You're lucky Akashi didn't catch you. She'd pluck your feathers!" Lin Lan joked, picking up one of the cubes.

But as he held it, the light screen reappeared, and something clicked.

Could the wisdom cubes be connected to his skill tree?

…

Lin Lan tapped another grayed-out icon.

"31/50"

"163/50"

"344/50"

The numbers shot up as if responding to the cube's energy. A wicked grin spread across Lin Lan's face.

"So, this is how I level up... I'm going full cheat mode now."

With an evil chuckle, Lin Lan scared the manjuu into backing against the wall. The poor bird chirped nervously, overwhelmed by the growing aura emanating from its master.

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