Chapter 44: The Skill Upgrade Problem

The fusion of soul with soul does not hinder Bai Ming’s combat capabilities. If anything, this perfect integration at the soul level ensures that his consciousness remains undisturbed, allowing his full combat potential to be unleashed.

Bai Ming noted, in particular, that while in the "Possessed by a Specter" state, Bai Xiaozhi could share his vision. If she were so inclined, she could act as a second brain, alerting him to details he might otherwise overlook.

"Bai Ming, I will make sure to keep a close eye on the enemy's openings for you!"

"Yeah... alright, but could you please let go of me first?"

"No!" Bai Xiaozhi refused flatly. "Bai Ming's body is weak right now, you need to rest properly."

Bai Ming had kept the "Possessed by a Specter" skill active until his health dropped to 1%, only cancelling it then. Surprisingly, there had been no backlash whatsoever. Just as Bai Xiaozhi had promised, she would never betray him. The so-called backlash simply did not exist for him.

Even so, having had 99% of his life force drained, Bai Ming was left in a state of exhaustion. Consequently, he had been captured by Bai Xiaozhi, who now held his head resting upon her lap. Her legs were encased in black over-the-knee socks; the upper portion revealed fair, smooth skin, while the lower portion was completely obscured by the dark fabric. Whether it was the warm, gentle touch of her skin or the fine texture of the fabric, everything felt reassuringly soft and supple. A faint, elusive fragrance lingered at the tip of his nose, reminiscent of gardenias blooming after a rain.

Bai Ming instinctively tried to shift away, but she gently pressed down on his shoulder.

"Don't move, you need to recover."

Her tone carried a rare, unquestionable firmness. Bai Ming realized he had been played. No wonder "Ink-Stained Dust" never learned this skill—once you learn it, you are reduced to a lamb waiting for the slaughter. Only a fool would learn it.

All of that was, of course, just a joke. For some reason, ever since using "Possessed by a Specter," Bai Xiaozhi’s courage had grown significantly; she even dared to defy him in small ways. Initially, Bai Ming was unaccustomed to this, but he soon realized it was a good thing. If she remained timid, she would inevitably cause problems at a critical moment. Although Bai Ming felt that as long as he lived, Bai Xiaozhi would be safe, the most important thing was for her to step out of the shadows of her past. Therefore, even though he could easily make her submissive with a show of force, he let her be.

Bai Ming closed his eyes and continued to browse the Player Forum.

"Rashomon? President of 'Reaching the Firmament' admits to being set up."

"Ugh, [Sweating.jpg]"
"Folks, I’ve been framed."
"A traitor is a traitor, stop putting on a show, you piece of trash!"

"Don't talk nonsense, or I’ll find you in the real world and show you what's what!"
"Bring it on! Address is *****, if you don't come, you’re a coward!"
"Is the President of 'Reaching the Firmament' a three-year-old child?"
"Don't think I don't know that 'Teacher of the Ages' has ties to that succubus bitch from the Sanctuary."
"Tell me more."

Bai Ming scanned the context. It was said that the President of "Reaching the Firmament," known as "Teacher of the Ages," had failed in an A-grade confrontation dungeon. He was the only one to return alive, while the foreign team had won a complete victory. The leader of the foreign team was from the European player organization, "Sanctuary," which triggered a wave of accusations.

One shouldn't assume that players were too intimidated by the status of a top-tier player like "Teacher of the Ages" to curse him. This forum was run by the system, not the real-world internet, so there was no fear of doxxing. There were far worse insults to be found there.

Bai Ming kept a detached, spectator's mindset as he watched the drama unfold. After all, he was physically weak and couldn't do much else. Moreover, he needed to test his skills to gauge their effects; otherwise, using them for the first time inside a dungeon would make it impossible to judge their true power.

As for upgrading "Possessed by a Specter"? Bai Ming lacked the Willpower attribute to upgrade it; he would need to reach player level 5. Skill upgrades were essentially about increasing the quality of the skill, raising it step by step from E- to S+. Of course, since a skill could be upgraded at most five times—one grade per upgrade—an E- grade skill could only reach D+. To get an S+ skill, one needed at least an A- grade skill to start with. This was why Bai Ming was intent on acquiring high-grade skills.

Yet, reality rarely grants you everything you wish for. Furthermore, even a C- grade skill required at least level 10 to learn. Bai Ming couldn't afford to wait until level 10 to learn skills, as skills significantly boosted strength, and higher strength made it easier to clear dungeons and earn high rewards. Since he had encountered a suitable skill, Bai Ming had no reason to hesitate.

"Lawless" was in no hurry to eliminate the side effects of "Possessed by a Specter." Even if he could, he couldn't be sure if he could use it afterward. Besides, if he removed the side effects, the skill level would rise, increasing the cost of future skill point upgrades. To save points, Bai Ming planned to wait until "Possessed by a Specter" was at its maximum level before doing anything.

...

The next day, while "Possessed by a Specter" caused unmitigated damage in the form of blood loss during use, the post-skill exhaustion was merely a non-lethal deficit. Thanks to the effects of "Bloodline Resilience," Bai Ming fully recovered after just one day of rest.

He then took the time to look for a place to rent and sent off the items entrusted to him by "A New Beginning" via a random courier point. The phone number used was fake, registered under someone else's ID. Don't ask how he got it; let's just say he obtained it "legally." Over the years, "Lawless" had effectively gained immunity to most major legal statutes. Bai Ming had also managed to legally scrape together 200,000 in savings—not much, but enough to rent a house in the countryside with a yard. He needed a proper space to continue his training. His previous "Mental Time Chamber (Pseudo)" had only 7 points of durability, consuming 1 point per day; those seven days of training were now exhausted.

None of the places he looked at were satisfactory, however. They would either cause noise and draw attention, or require expensive equipment and renovations. Spending money wasn't the main issue—he could always find a way—but it was a waste of time. Bai Ming had already completed three Twilight Games, earning him a month of rest, but a month was too slow for all these errands. Even if he finished them, it felt like a waste.

Should he join the relevant authorities? Bai Ming wasn't opposed to it. The reason he hadn't joined before was simple—just look at his "Rebel" specialty, and you’ll understand it was a personality issue. But if he really had to join, he wouldn't object. After all, with "Lawless," he was free regardless.

*Ring, ring, ring!*

His phone rang.

"Brother Bai, save me!"

Upon answering, the voice of a police officer from the Dongcheng Ge Yilu station came through, soaked in panic.

"Calm down and tell me what happened!" Bai Ming said in a deep voice.

"It's bad, they're here... their eyes are all white! Save—"

The call cut off abruptly. The second half of the word "save" was swallowed by a thick, wet choking sound, leaving only the faint, eerie melody of "The Most Dazzling Folk Style" playing on the other end.