Chapter 43: Haunted by Specters

Gaining rewards from killing rogue players—this was information never before seen on the Player Forum. It was also a limitation of the forum; it couldn't possibly contain everything. Even on international forums, it was difficult to find data on this subject. Yet, Bai Ming hadn't expected that his first kill of a rogue player would yield such a tremendous surprise.

[Wraith Possession]
[Type: Skill]
[Rank: E+]
[Effect: Activate to have a wraith possess you, increasing all your attributes by 1 point. While possessed, you suffer a non-reducible bleed damage penalty equal to 1% of your total health per second. Additionally, pain sensitivity increases by 30%. The wraith has a 1% chance to backfire. If health is below 50%, the backfire chance is 5%. If health is below 30%, the backfire chance is 10%. If health is below 20%, the backfire chance is 20%. If health is below 10%, the backfire chance is 50%. If health is below 5%, the backfire chance is 99%. A backfire effect immediately terminates the skill and applies the "Fear" status. While under the Fear status, all attributes are reduced by 2, and you are stunned for 2 seconds.]
[Cost: 200 Willpower]
[Learning Requirements: Physique ≥ 12, Perception ≥ 12, Willpower ≥ 3, 1 Skill Point]
[Note: You think you are controlling it? No, it is simply waiting for the moment you are at your weakest... and then, your body will be its own.]

All attributes +1—this included Willpower. This meant that while using the skill, if he activated his Willpower as well, it would be an increase of +2 to all attributes except for Willpower itself. It was a skill devoid of any flashy effects; it was all about the numbers. Particularly regarding the Willpower attribute, having browsed the Player Forum for so long, Bai Ming had rarely seen any skills or talents that boosted it, nor had he even seen one-time consumable items that did so. He had, however, seen plenty that reduced it.

The only issue was the abundance of negative effects. Setting aside the health drain during possession and the risk of a backfire, even the attribute penalty after a backfire was manageable, but being stunned for 2 seconds in the middle of combat meant death. Furthermore, if Bai Ming wasn't mistaken, this skill did not provide the wraith itself. This meant that even after learning the skill, he would have to go out and catch a ghost to use it.

Speaking of ghosts... Bai Ming glanced at Bai Xiaozhi, who was washing dishes in the kitchen.

...

In the living room.
"Bai Xiaozhi," Bai Ming said seriously, "you wouldn't betray me, would you?"
Bai Xiaozhi’s body stiffened slightly, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her shirt. "I—I would never betray you."
Bai Ming laughed helplessly. "Don't be so nervous, I'm just joking. Don't you feel like you haven't been able to help me much in the instances? Now, if you enter my body, you'll be able to help me every time we enter an instance."

Bai Xiaozhi complied obediently, "O-okay."
Her figure gradually blurred, turning into a wisp of faint smoke that merged into Bai Ming’s body like morning mist.

[Wraith Possession]!
Suddenly, a chill transformed into a warm current, flowing through Bai Ming's blood vessels to every limb and bone.

[Player has acquired special status "Wraith Possession"]
[Strength: 15→16]
[Agility: 12→13]
[Physique: 14→15]
[Intelligence: 14→15]
[Perception: 13→14]
[Charisma: 12→13]
[Willpower: 4→5]

Then, Willpower burst forth!
[Strength: 16+5]
[Agility: 13+5]
[Physique: 15+5]
[Intelligence: 15+5]
[Perception: 14+5]
[Charisma: 13+5]

Unprecedented power surged through his body. Bai Ming’s fingertips tingled slightly, as if electric currents were dancing beneath his skin. His breathing became long and deep, and every heartbeat felt as powerful as a war drum. Muscle fibers rippled under his skin, and every nerve ending was sharp enough to perceive the flow of the air. He could hear the breathing of the neighbors upstairs and downstairs, smell the dust wafting from a distant construction site, and even see the faces of the children playing below clearly.

Bai Ming slowly clenched his fist, his knuckles popping like firecrackers. He felt incredibly strong right now—frighteningly strong. Strong enough to kill a cow with a single punch. If "Ink-Stained Dust" were to resurrect right now, he wouldn't even need to use the sneak attack advantage of [Instant Preparation]. The pure power erupting from this body alone would be enough to crush his opponent into dust. This was the confidence brought by the +3 to all attributes compared to the previous instance.

Is this what high-level players feel like? Even without relying on any skills or talents, just activating Willpower created such a beautiful sense of numerical superiority.

"Bai Ming, wh-where is this?" A shy, timid voice suddenly echoed in Bai Ming’s consciousness.
"Bai Xiaozhi," Bai Ming was slightly startled, instinctively responding in his mind, "Where are you right now?"
"I—I think I’m in... your soul." Her voice carried a hint of shyness, mixed with confusion.

As soon as she finished speaking, Bai Ming suddenly felt another strange warmth. It was different from before. It didn't come from his flesh, nor from his mind, but was a sensation from something deeper and more essential—his soul.

Bai Ming closed his eyes, sensing it carefully. So, this is my soul? It wasn't in his consciousness, nor in his flesh and blood, but existed quietly in a dimension that Bai Ming could not observe. And right now, in this place, he clearly perceived Bai Xiaozhi’s presence, and...

Two souls, snuggled together.
He was holding Bai Xiaozhi, and Bai Xiaozhi was also embracing him, curled up in his arms like an infant, her head against his chest as if listening to his heartbeat. Because they had returned to the dimension of the soul, neither of them wore clothes. They had returned to the most primitive, most pure state. Bai Ming could feel Bai Xiaozhi’s softness, her temperature, her existence...

It was an indescribable comfort, like the peace of returning to the womb, or like soaking in warm amniotic fluid. Soul merging with soul, entwined, inseparable.

*Damn it,* he thought, *thank goodness I didn't just grab any random ghost to use [Wraith Possession], or I would have been absolutely disgusted!* Bai Ming felt a lingering fear. Those wandering ghosts and spirits—none of them looked decent. If they weren't missing limbs, their features were distorted; they were as deformed as could be. Bai Ming considered himself to have normal aesthetic standards and couldn't play that way.

However, this relief didn't last long before he awkwardly noticed that Bai Xiaozhi’s legs had wrapped around him, hugging him like a body pillow. The most critical part was that the sensation of the soul was no different from the physical body—soft, warm, elastic, and he could even feel the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed.

"Bai Xiaozhi..." Bai Ming’s voice was a bit stiff.
"Bai Ming, did I help you?" Bai Xiaozhi opened her eyes, then quickly lowered her head, burying her whole face in his chest, leaving only her flushed earlobes visible.
"You helped, alright..." Bai Ming coughed dryly, "But... is it necessary to hold on so tight?"
He suddenly started to doubt whether it was really necessary. Did all players who used [Wraith Possession] have to endure this kind of "intimate contact"? Wouldn't they be disgusted to death? After all, at first, Bai Xiaozhi had just been snuggling quietly, not wrapping her legs around him like this.

"It won't work otherwise!" Bai Xiaozhi’s voice was muffled against his chest, her warm breath hitting his skin, "My... my intuition tells me... only like this can I help you to the maximum extent!"
She paused, then added in a small voice, "And... so I won't betray you."

Bai Ming: "Uh... alright then."
Fortunately, in this communion of souls, there were no worldly desires. Bai Ming didn't need to suffer from other distractions; he only needed to focus on experiencing the sensations brought by [Wraith Possession].

The two of them just stayed there, quietly embracing, until the skill’s duration ended.