CHAPTER 282: CHAPTER 282: I’M VERY SAFE! (THIRD UPDATE)

"Bond System Function Analysis"

"In ’Desire City Persona,’ the protagonist can enhance the strength of his companions through the Bond System and share their combat power. During battles against creatures of desire, the protagonist and his companions can become corrupted and demonized by these creatures, and even face death."

"The higher the Bond Level and the more Bond partners, the stronger the ’Fight Side by Side’ system that links the protagonist to his companions. This system will save targets in critical condition from losing the will to survive and facing absolute death. If the protagonist or companions fall into personality corruption or soul disintegration due to the creatures’ influence, a strong Bond can also save the target."

"Furthermore, the higher the Bond Level and the more Bond partners, the more the protagonist and his companions can become completely immune to certain attacks or recover quicker from negative statuses."

"Fight Side by Side: Level 1 Bond ’Wax and Wane’ temporarily disrupted; Level 2 Bond ’Within Reach, Yet Worlds Apart’ functioning normally; Level 1 Bond ’Flame Overlord’ and Level 1 Bond ’Insight into the Mortal World’ not activated."

"Pure White Mini Holy Grail"

"Quality Rank: Three-Star Item, Prerequisite: None."

"Effect: After equipping, all non-damaging Skill effects +30% to +100% (the stronger the Skill, the lower the increase); energy consumption of all Skills -10% to -50% (the weaker the Skill, the greater the reduction); very low probability (1%) of fulfilling player’s previously voiced (spoken) benevolent wishes."

"Remark: A great object condensed from small hopes, capable of converting benevolent wishes into power. However, desires are interconnected; the Sea of Desire thirsts for everything. The supremely great object gathers hope again and again, causing greedy desires to churn ceaselessly."

Information flooded into Ren Suo’s mind like waves. But whether it was due to his intense survival instinct or the strong cognitive ability of the female shop owner’s body, Ren Suo almost effortlessly understood the meaning intended by the game machine.

Firstly, Ren Suo now knew that the Ren Naiser account corresponded not to a line of data or a game machine account but, instead, to Ren Suo’s own soul.

That pile of kindling, that Light and Heat, was Ren Suo’s soul.

Because the last wisp of ash had entered the female shop owner’s body, it now contained 99.9% of Ren Suo. This allowed the game system to acknowledge his existence and permit him to use the Meritorious Krypton Gold from the Ren Naiser account.

The reason a little of his soul remained in his True Form was because the Bonds with Gu Yueyan and Dong Chengling held onto his soul, especially since he had improved Dong Chengling’s Bond just a few days earlier!

As for why my soul moved to the female shop owner’s body after causing the Holy Grail to resonate...

Ren Suo looked at the Pure White Mini Holy Grail, experiencing a phantom limb pain.

According to the description of the "Pure White Mini Holy Grail," what was referred to as ’the supremely great object’ was likely Merit Points.

So, it seemed Ren Suo had used Krypton Gold too many times, enticing the greed of the Sea of Desire. This was especially true towards the game’s later stages. Collecting ten thousand fragments of desire made 1% Prayer Holy Water virtually costless for Ren Suo, naturally resulting in aggressive spending. The actual consumption of Merit Points possibly reached two to three hundred.

Then, the Pure White Mini Holy Grail connected with the Sea of Desire. When Ren Suo’s soul, carrying 260 Merit Points, came close, the Pure White Mini Holy Grail—influenced by the Sea of Desire—connected Ren Suo to the female shop owner. This forcibly moved Ren Suo’s costly soul into her body.

Ren Suo immediately understood from the game’s context why the female shop owner was so easily controlled. On one hand, she was controlled by the game system. On the other, she was a Trialist of the Sea of Desire, who would transform into a Collector able to utilize the Sea of Desire after clearing the game!

That is to say, if I completely transferred to the female shop owner’s body and the system no longer controlled this character, then the Sea of Desire would likely devour me directly, or rather—assimilate me.

Right now, I feel like I’m flaunting a pile of gold in public, yet I alone am unaware I carry gold. This makes me easy prey for robbery by the Sea of Desire, without me even knowing what happened.

Moreover, thinking this way, I realize that the fact I can only equip the ’Mark’ of props is perhaps the game machine’s way of protecting me—these props with transcendent effects are often entangled with various powers. If I actually carried their physical forms, I might die without knowing how.

Maybe wearing the "Goddess Jade Pendant," just walking down the street could end up getting me killed by a beautiful young man with white hair.

Only game characters, who are unafraid of death and can restart within the game, can wear the physical props and fully utilize their effects.

As for a solution, the system also provided one: Krypton Gold.

The next moment, the Pure White Mini Holy Grail produced a milky, viscous liquid, truly befitting the 10% Prayer Holy Water that cost 25 Merit Points. Ren Suo leaned in and sniffed. Mmm, coconut fragrance.

However, at that moment Ren Suo paused slightly—

"Triggered the ’Swindler’ effect of ’Plucking Feathers from a Flying Goose’: the next purchase requires no Merit Points."

My expression instantly turned foul, as if I’d eaten shit. Triggering a special effect at this time?

He fiercely pried open his True Form’s mouth and poured the drink down its throat, making its teeth clatter from the force.

Then, Ren Suo grudgingly acquired a free cup of Desire Holy Wine, worth 45 Merit Points.

The system prompted again: "As the player has obtained 45 Merit Points worth of Desire Holy Wine for free via ’Swindler,’ the ’Swindler’ will refuse to conduct any trade with you for the next 45 days (this effect has a 45-day cooldown)."

I nearly shoved the wine glass down my True Form’s throat! So the ’Swindler’ from ’Plucking Feathers from a Flying Goose’ didn’t mean I was a swindler, but that I was trading with a swindler!?

I had actually been looking forward to the ’Swindler’ effect triggering. I never expected it to activate at such a moment, let alone come with a cooldown period whose duration depended on the value of the item acquired for free!

I had even planned to use it to snag a high-priced game for free!

Although I could snag one for free and then enter a long cooldown... Still, it felt like betting on all the underdogs in the World Cup and winning, only for the app to refund the money, saying, ’Sorry, we are an unofficial betting channel. Please place your bets at an official center.’

That feeling of missing out on a fortune truly caused immense phantom pain.

However, Ren Suo could distinguish his priorities. Right now, compared to Merit Points, the phantom... no, his True Form was more important.

The two drinks took immediate effect. Ren Suo felt his connection with his True Form strengthen slightly, and his True Form could now open his eyes and stand up.

But Ren Suo was fully aware of his True Form’s state. His consciousness was extremely blurred, entirely supported by the drinks purchased with Meritorious Krypton Gold. Ren Suo couldn’t fully control him, nor could he perceive his sensations. He could only sense the fluctuations of his consciousness and general thoughts, and issue commands through this awareness.

Compared to commanding a Cloning, this was more challenging. After all, a Cloning possessed some cognitive ability, even if it didn’t act autonomously.

But now, Ren Suo’s plan to save himself had to rely on this True Form with its blurred consciousness.

Ren Suo looked at his True Form with concern. His True Form smiled faintly, looked Ren Suo seriously in the eyes, and patted him on the shoulder. "I will take away your despair and bring you hope. Don’t worry, I’ve got this."

Ren Suo instantly felt reassured and returned to his Ghost Stall to wait for customers.

It occurred to me then that I had never seen my own character in the game. This meant the fast-forwarded period must have been when I was recovering my True Form.

The reason this segment was missing from the game was because I, Ren Suo, had been directly controlling the female shop owner. And as a ’Player’ doing so, the game had lost this data concerning my original self.

When I was the Player outside the screen, I couldn’t observe the ’me’ that was the Player inside the game!

So the bug that caused me to exit the game wasn’t due to the Pure White Mini Holy Grail’s resonance... Ren Suo now completely understood the cause and effect. It was because I would have been completely devoured by the Sea of Desire. The game machine predicted this and forced me to exit the game.

Or perhaps it was because I am the ’Player’. If I hadn’t been able to return to my True Form and had continued as the female shop owner, doing Ghost Walking, then the ’me’ playing in front of the screen days ago wouldn’t have been able to continue. It was either because control of a character couldn’t be simultaneously held by two entities, or because I wasn’t allowed to change my own game progression.

If I were to continue playing on the tenth day, I either wouldn’t go to the Ghost Stall, or I would have to leave the Ghost Stall alive. The reason I was able to continue playing later was because...

...because on the second day, I had the idea of inviting Dong Chengling and the others to find the Ghost Stall with me. The Bond System activated, granting me a sliver of hope for survival.

Thus, the game machine predicted I could survive and allowed me to continue playing.

Therefore, I am very safe!

As his True Form walked away, Ren Suo suddenly realized something. Wait, when have I ever been this good at comforting people with my words?

The considerateness his True Form had just shown in its speech made Ren Suo feel disgusted!

Moreover, on reflection, I realized my True Form hadn’t actually been thinking just then. Its cognitive activity during that exchange was less complex than the mental effort it was currently using to watch the road while walking.

So, were its actions just now purely subconscious reactions, prompted by the Prayer Holy Water and Desire Holy Wine?