Xu Zhi’s Extraordinary Ability

After calling her two Familiars to return immediately, Xu Zhi opened her inventory and tapped on the pink core. Since she had it now, of course she wanted to understand it better.

When she selected the pink core, a single word appeared next to it: [Heart].

"Heart?"

What a puzzling name.

She tapped "Learn More" with practiced ease, and information about the [Heart] attribute appeared on the screen.

[Heart: The Principle of Continuance and Persistence]

It is the principle of life, of preservation and endurance, a ceaseless rhythm of drums and dance.

It is tied to music, but also to skin and dissection.

In adversity, it is unstoppable—resilient optimism and unwavering resolve.

"Wow," Xu Zhi muttered flatly.

So far, this was the most "positive" description she had seen among the known attributes.

After reading through it, she began to understand why it might be called [Heart].

"Feels like a great fit for the Spirit Body…"

If she could gain something from activating the Spirit Body, perhaps the [Heart] attribute's endurance and protection might help her hold on until the Spirit Body faded naturally.

But that was talk for another time—she had no plans to use the Spirit Body again anytime soon.

Having now learned four of the eight attributes, Xu Zhi was starting to get a better grasp on how cores worked. She planned to use this one in a trade with Shen Jinwen tomorrow—she would make her agree to her conditions.

That night, even though her dog stared at her with desperate puppy eyes, Xu Zhi only let Xiaoyi eat all the [Blade] attribute cores.

It wasn't favoritism—she felt more or less the same toward all her Familiars. She simply distributed resources based on utility. But when she saw the dog's disappointed expression, she hesitated for a second. After a pause, she reached out and rubbed the dog's head. As expected, in the very next second, the dog forgot all about its sorrow and threw itself at her with a wagging tail, attempting to lick her face again with the enthusiasm of a dog that never learns.

"...So this is what puppy enthusiasm looks like?"

Xu Zhi struggled to peel the dog off her and silently vowed never to pet his head again so casually.

After calming the dog down, Xu Zhi took out two [Moth] attribute cores.

"This makes four already—please, just give me an ability!"

Perhaps her prayer worked, because after consuming the two gray cores, her hallucination shifted again.

This time, she no longer felt herself drawing closer to the flame.

Instead, something new happened—

A gray moth, seemingly lost, stopped flying toward the candle flame. It fluttered, stumbling, until it reached her.

Xu Zhi narrowed her eyes. This moth looked slightly different from the others—more like a delicate, gray butterfly than a plain, ordinary moth.

It hesitated in front of her, then flapped its wings in a wobbly arc, finally landing lightly on the tip of her nose.

With one gentle flutter of its wings, it turned into specks of gray light and merged into her body.

In that fleeting moment, Xu Zhi seemed to see the distant candle flicker—but before she could get a better look, the vision was gone.

"....."

She blinked, bewildered. She didn't have much experience with this dreamscape, so she wasn't sure what had just happened.

Thankfully, she still had her console.

Xu Zhi glanced at the screen—and sure enough, new narration appeared.

In the Old World, people used the invisible arts to break the chains of flesh,

sending their spirits to wander beyond matter, to traverse the Sea of Dreams,

to reach the dwelling of the Sun, the far shore of the Great Dream,

and find what they sought.

Today, the road to the extraordinary no longer requires faith or ritual.

But still, to cross the Sea of Dreams remains a daunting feat.

You have taken the first step.

Even if you strayed from the path… isn't that just what a moth would do?

Change, fancy, chaos, and secrets—you are their finest embodiment.

Congratulations. You have acquired the extraordinary ability: Eye of Secrets.

The power it consumes scales with its level—the stronger the ability,

the more energy it demands. And the Eye of Secrets is not weak.

[Eye of Secrets]: When you channel your power, no secret can escape your sight.

As your strength grows, the hidden truths you can perceive will increase.

But you cannot peer into the secrets of those stronger than you.

Be careful what your eyes behold—seeing what must not be seen will bring backlash.

"I strayed from the path?"

Xu Zhi was briefly surprised, but quickly shrugged it off. No one had taught her how to do this—making mistakes was probably normal… right?

Still, she was genuinely happy. At last, she had her first extraordinary ability.

It wasn't offensive, which was a little disappointing, but it was something—and that counted.

"Eye of Secrets… how do I use it?"

Xu Zhi furrowed her brow and focused, quickly noticing a shift—something inside her had changed.

It was hard to describe. The new sensation was like blood in her veins, surging with unseen power. Or like fingers she'd been born with—she could easily direct them to her eyes.

They weren't strong, though. At most, they could only stay attached for three seconds.

Xu Zhi decided to test it on the dog first. She was curious about the console, of course—but the warning from before echoed in her mind. There was no doubt the game console held immense, hidden power.

So she turned her gaze to the dog.

At first, it looked the same. But now, at the center of its chest, a faint yellow flame flickered—identical in hue to the [Blade] attribute cores.

It seemed she could now perceive a creature's attributes. And that was a pleasant surprise.

Attributes were clearly vital in this world. Being able to spot them instantly could give her a tactical edge.

And this was only the beginning. She was certain she'd "see" even more when her strength improved.

While she examined the dog, she couldn't see her own eyes—how they now appeared misty, like veiled glass. When the three seconds ended, the flame vanished, and her pupils returned to normal.

Then came the backlash.

A hollow weakness, as if her bones were filled with itching air. It was the sensation of power completely drained.

For a normal person, it would be unbearable.

But Xu Zhi had long since adapted.

Expressionless, she put away the console, pulled a blanket over herself, and went to sleep despite the overwhelming fatigue.

After all, this was how she'd always lived.

Just before drifting off, she mumbled hazily:

"I should save one Moth Core for emergencies…"

Something to restore her power after using the Eye of Secrets.

Because really—who would choose to suffer if they could avoid it?