hotmtlnovel Chapter 5 Skill Points Enhancement
Chapter 5 Skill Points Enhancement
After waking up, Wang Lin did not rush to exchange for the enhancement.
He sat cross-legged on the sofa he had imagined, staring at the blank wall in front of him, his eyes unfocused, his mind replaying scenes from the mysterious resurrected world.
The final scene freezes on two images: one is Fang Jing's foolish appearance as he holds up the parchment and shouts, "I should have killed you!"; the other is the tall boy trying to seize the opportunity in front of the Ghost Eye Tree.
Stupid. And wicked. The key point is that, being both stupid and wicked, they always manage to gain some "advantages" at crucial moments (such as parchment), and then, because of their stupidity and selfishness, they mess up the situation, harming themselves and others.
"People like Fang Jing..." Wang Lin muttered to himself, "They think they have the upper hand, but in reality, they have a narrow vision, only care about their immediate self-interest, act illogically, and always think they are destined to be the protagonist... It's ironic that people like this are quite common in various stories."
He sat up abruptly, his eyes lighting up.
"Exactly! It's not just a mysterious resurrection! In any world with elements of horror, suspense, and adventure, especially when the team faces a crisis, this kind of 'team cancer' character is almost guaranteed to appear!"
"Are there any in *Infinite Terror*? Yes! Li Shuaixi wasn't too bad, but he was stupid and selfish, and ended up being tricked by Chu Xuan into being baited and blown up. Are there any reckless characters running around in the *Ju-on* dungeon? Are there any characters in *Alien* who disobeyed orders and acted on their own? Are there any characters in *Final Destination* who ignored warnings and insisted on courting death?"
"This kind of character is not limited to novels with a God-like space theme; they've become a standard feature in various horror, disaster, and adventure movies! Their role is to drive the plot (courting death), create conflict (internal strife), increase difficulty (betraying teammates), and they often die a horrible death, but they always manage to take a few teammates with them before they die."
Wang Lin's thoughts became clearer and clearer as he paced around in his personal space.
"What are my advantages? I know the plot! I know which are the key moments, which are the key characters, and which are the key items! But my disadvantages are also obvious: I lack personal strength. In the mysterious resurrection, I, an ordinary person, survived entirely thanks to my foresight and Yang Jian's potential. What if the next world is purely about overwhelming force, or there's no protagonist like 'Yang Jian' to leverage? What will I do then?"
"Therefore, my enhancement path cannot solely focus on individual combat power—that requires a massive amount of reward points and high-level side quests, which is simply impossible to accumulate in the early stages. I should play to my strengths and avoid my weaknesses!"
He stopped in his tracks, his gaze intense.
"My strength lies in information, in predicting the plot and the 'key idiots.' Therefore, strengthening should revolve around this core: how to efficiently identify, control, or eliminate these 'team cancers' and 'plot bombs,' thereby minimizing the difficulty of the mission and using the inertia of the plot to my advantage."
"In other words, I don't necessarily have to be able to take on the BOSS one-on-one, but I must have the ability to prevent those 'Fang Jing' types from causing trouble before they even have a chance to do so! Or, I must turn their 'troublemaking' into my 'opportunity'!"
With his plan in mind, Wang Lin summoned the divine light screen and began to carefully browse the exchange list.
370 reward points for a single D-rank side quest—that's really meager. Forget about high-level bloodlines, powerful skills, or amazing items.
He first screened for abilities related to "psychological perception," "psychological analysis," and "emotional insight." Prices ranged from tens to tens of thousands.
[Basic Mental Sensing (Rank D): Slightly enhances mental sensitivity, allowing for a vague sensing of emotional fluctuations (primarily strong emotions) in nearby living beings. Requires a certain level of mental strength. Exchange: 150 reward points.]
Micro-expression analysis (skill, no level): Mastering basic micro-expression and behavioral psychology knowledge can improve the accuracy of judging others' emotions and intentions. Redeemable for: 50 reward points.
[Danger Intuition (Passive, Rank D): Has a weak premonition of malice, murderous intent, and deadly danger in the environment. Exchange: 200 reward points, one Rank D side quest.]
"Basic Mental Sensing" is somewhat useful, but it requires a certain level of mental strength and can only sense "strong emotions." A fool like Fang Jing might just be driven by greed and excitement before committing suicide, and his emotions might not be particularly "strong." "Micro-expression Analysis" is knowledge-based and inexpensive, but it requires observation conditions and time, and may not be effective in rapidly changing crises. "Danger Intuition" is good, but it primarily targets oneself and consumes valuable D-rank side quests.
pass.
He then searched for terms like "control," "restrict," and "weaken."
[Paralysis Needle (Disposable Item, Rank E): Fires a thin needle that paralyzes the affected area for 1-3 minutes (effect varies depending on constitution). Exchange: 10 reward points/needle.]
[Powerful Sedative Injection Pen (Disposable Item, Grade E): Injects at close range, inducing deep sedation in ordinary adults within 10 seconds, lasting 1-2 hours. Effects are reduced on individuals with abnormal or enhanced constitutions. Exchange: 25 Reward Points/pen.]
[Neural Interference Device (Rank F Item): Weakly interferes with the neural signals of nearby organisms, potentially causing temporary dizziness and loss of concentration. Range: 3 meters, duration: 30 seconds, cooldown: 1 hour. Exchange: 80 reward points.]
[Weakness Curse Scroll (One-time Use, Rank D): Reduces a single target's Strength, Agility, and Constitution by 30% for 10 minutes. This effect can be partially mitigated by Magic Resistance and Mental Resistance. Exchange: 150 Reward Points, one Rank D side quest.]
Items have direct effects, but most are one-time use or inefficient, and are less effective against non-normal targets. The D-rank Weakness Curse is good, but it also consumes side quests and has a short duration.
Wang Lin stroked his chin and continued flipping through the pages. Suddenly, an inconspicuous category caught his attention: [Rule-based Abilities/Items (Low-level)].
He clicked on it, and there weren't many items inside, and they were ridiculously expensive, with B-level and A-level side quests being the norm. But one of them caught his eye.
[Contract Paper (Fragment, Special Item, No Level): A derivative fragment from a high-magic contract rule. Both parties can write down agreed-upon terms on the paper. If both parties voluntarily sign (using their real names), the contract is established. Those who violate the contract will suffer a "minor rule-based backlash" (such as mild misfortune, temporary discomfort, etc.). Note: Terms must be voluntary; coercive or deceptive terms are invalid; the backlash effect is weak and cannot directly cause death or maiming; it may be ineffective against those with strong will or special resistance. Exchange: 200 reward points.]
"Voluntary signing...real name...rule-based backlash..." Wang Lin chewed on these words, his eyes growing brighter and brighter.
This thing is utterly useless against serious powerhouses or story bosses; its binding force is too weak. But what about using it against someone like "Fang Jing"?
They are often selfish, short-sighted, and greedy. In certain situations (such as when they think they can gain an advantage or when they are oppressed by fear), they are easily persuaded to agree to "agreements" that seem to be beneficial or harmless to themselves. Moreover, they usually don't play tricks with their "real names" (unless they are using pseudonyms).
More importantly, the core of this thing is the "rules." As long as the two conditions of "voluntary" and "real name" are met, even if you think about regretting it later when you sign, the contract will still be valid! That little bit of "slight backlash" is insignificant in normal times, but in the world of supernatural horror, a little bit of "misfortune" or "discomfort" may be a fatal trigger!
For example, experiencing a brief moment of disorientation in front of ghosts or monsters? Slightly tripping while running away? Shaking hands slightly when performing precise operations?
"Great stuff! It's practically a tailor-made trap for those 'Fang Jings'!" Wang Lin almost slapped his thigh in exasperation. Although 200 points was expensive for him right now, it was incredibly cost-effective! Especially since it didn't require any side quests!
With 170 points remaining, he could complete a D-level side quest. Wang Lin continued searching for complementary enhancements.
Having the tools to trick others isn't enough; you also need basic self-protection and the ability to act. Otherwise, you'll be finished before you can trick anyone else.
He looked at the physical enhancement category. The most basic [Comprehensive Physical Fitness Enhancement (Minor)] required 300 points, a D-level side quest, which was too expensive.
What about strengthening a single aspect?
[Neural Reaction Speed Enhancement (Grade D): Improves dynamic vision, reaction speed, and body coordination. Redeemable for: 150 reward points and one Grade D side quest.]
[Basic Combat Mastery (Skill, E~D Rank): Masters basic combat techniques using unarmed combat and common melee weapons. Exchange: 100 reward points (E Rank), an additional 50 points are required to upgrade to D Rank.]
[Endurance Enhancement (Grade D): Improves muscle endurance, cardiorespiratory function, and fatigue resistance. Redeemable for: 120 reward points and one Grade D side quest.]
There's only one D-level side quest, so it must be used wisely. Nerve reflexes are useful in dealing with sudden crises, but the 150+ points for this side quest take up almost half the resources. Fighting skills are cheap, but my current basic physical attributes (strength, speed, endurance) are only at the level of an average college student, so skills alone won't be enough to fully utilize them.
After a moment's thought, Wang Lin made a decision:
"God, exchange for [Fragment of the Contract]!"
"Exchange for [Basic Combat Mastery (E Rank)]!"
"Exchange for [Endurance Enhancement (Grade D)]!"
The first two items used up 300 reward points, and [Endurance Enhancement] requires 120 points plus a D-rank side quest, so he doesn't have enough reward points right now.
"God, can I immediately use the reward points I earn from completing side quests to redeem them?"
"Yes. During the mission, the reincarnator can exchange for enhancements or items through the main god, but must be in a relatively safe environment, and the exchange process may be interrupted."
"Okay." Wang Lin nodded. He decided to keep the D-level side quest for now, and exchange it for [Endurance Enhancement] or other urgently needed abilities after entering the next mission world and obtaining some reward points. For now, he would exchange for the first two.
[Redemption confirmed. 300 reward points consumed. Remaining reward points: 70. D-rank side quest x1.]
A flash of light appeared, and in Wang Lin's hand lay a palm-sized piece of paper with a faint ivory hue, its texture supple yet firm, neither cloth nor leather. Simultaneously, a wealth of basic fighting knowledge, power generation techniques, and vital point awareness flooded his mind, and his body's muscles seemed to develop some faint memories as well.
He clenched his fist, feeling that it was indeed smoother, but limited by his original physical abilities, the improvement was limited. However, it should be enough to deal with ordinary people and average "idiots," at least he wouldn't have to sneak up behind Fang Jing and smash his chair like he did in the Mysterious Revival.
"Get a pen for this paper." Wang Lin spent a negligible 1 reward point to exchange for an ordinary ballpoint pen. Then, he began to practice in his personal space.
How can you induce "Fang Jing" (a term referring to people who are adept at deception and manipulation) to sign contracts that benefit you during a crisis? How should the terms be written? How can you distance yourself from the situation, or even become the "beneficiary"?
"It can't be too obvious. The terms need to appear fair or 'favorable' to them. For example, 'During this mission, you must not attack or frame your teammates'—that's acceptable, but too broad; they might not sign it. It needs to be more specific, relevant to the storyline..."
"How about this: 'Those who have access to critical intelligence must share it truthfully with the team before danger strikes'? If they conceal critical information and cause losses, it will trigger a backlash."
"'You must not touch or take certain items that may cause danger without permission.' Hmm, this is for those who have a restless hand."
"In actions decided upon by the team, one must obey the arrangements and must not leave on one's own or take the opposite action." This is aimed at individuals who act with individualism or hinder the team.
Wang Lin meticulously crafted each clause, then rejected and revised them one by one. He had to ensure the terms looked reasonable, even beneficial to the team, to increase the signing rate. At the same time, the triggering conditions for any backlash needed to be precise, ideally directly linked to their reckless behavior.
After practicing for several hours, Wang Lin stopped and carefully put away the contract paper and pen. He kept the 70 reward points for later use.
"God, reveal my personal attributes."
The light screen unfolds:
[Reincarnator: Wang Lin]
[Number: 7341]
[Permission Level: 0]
Overall Rating: F+ (An average person with some special talents)
Strength: 8 (average adult male is 10)
[Agility: 9]
[Physical Fitness: 9]
[Spirit: 12 (Slightly improved)]
【Perception: 11】
[Willpower: 14 (Increased after experiencing paranormal events)]
Energy: None
[Skills: Basic Combat Proficiency (Level E), Micro-expression Analysis (Knowledge-based)]
[Items: Fragment of Contract Paper, Pen]
[Reward Points: 70]
Side Quest: Rank D x1
His attributes are indeed quite ordinary, with slightly higher spirit and willpower, likely due to the effects of his transmigration and experiences with supernatural events. An F+ rating is probably the lowest tier in the God Realm.
"What kind of world will the next mission be? Will it be another high-risk supernatural world like Mysterious Resurrection? Or some other type?" Wang Lin was a little uneasy, but also a little expectant. With the "Contract Paper" and the strategy against "Foolish Egg," he felt that he was no longer completely helpless.
"God, how long until the next mission?"
"After the standard 72-hour period, you will be forced to enter the mission world. You may choose to enter earlier (without additional rewards)."
"72 hours...that's enough." Wang Lin needed time to digest the knowledge of combat, to train his body, and more importantly, to adjust his mindset.
Hunting ghosts and monsters might be difficult, but he felt he was starting to get the hang of dealing with "Dumb Egg".
"Fang Jings, no matter where the next world is, you'd better not run into my hands." A cold smile curled at the corner of Wang Lin's lips.
"Otherwise, I'll show you what 'the spirit of contract' really means."