𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 // 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙩

8 - life hacked

"Yes."

No, I don't.

"Great, that means I don't have to worry about you as much! Do you have a weapon?"

"Yes."

No, I've never wielded one in my life.

"Excellent. Stay safe, and remember to retreat on the first sign of danger!"

"Thanks, I'll see you soon."

I hope I'm still alive after this.

***************

I went outside the city and quickly followed the map to the location that I have to go to. The more I walk, the more I wish I can buy the blueprint for a vehicle in the shop. The wind glider blueprint only costs 60 primogems, but the blueprint for a motorcycle costs 10,000.

I guess I'll be farming chests for life.

I quickly made a list.

The goal for today:
1. do daily commissions x4
2. find as many chests as i can before sunset
3. don't die

I sighed.

Easier said than done.

Hopefully, I don't get ambushed by any enemies.

***************
(3 hours later)

3 commissions: check.

As I made my way to the fourth and final commission, I couldn't shake off the feeling of impending danger. And boy, was I right. There, just a stone's throw away from the box of ingredients I needed to collect, was a primo geovishap that could easily squash me like a bug.

Great. Just my luck. Who knew there were extra-large vishaps roaming around during this archon war era?

After a quick hide-and-seek behind a bush, I decided to use my burst. Sure, I hadn't bought any blueprints in the shop yet, but who needs blueprints when you've got skills? I whipped out my phone and tapped on the [hack] button I had conveniently set on my homescreen a few days ago. Let's hope this works.

SKILL: HACKING
Please select the enemy/ally that you want to modify.

I pointed my camera towards the geovishap.

Do you wish to modify enemy: primo geovishap (lvl 93)?
[confirm]
...
...
...
The stats are listed here below. Click [confirm] after finishing modifying.
...
...
...
stats that you modified:
level: 1
HP: 1
ATK: 1
crit rate: 0%
crit dmg: 0%

Wait, so I can weaken them, just like that? This feels illegal to do.

I clicked [confirm].

Loading. Do not interrupt.
...
....
.......
l̷o̵a̵d̷i̷n̵g̷ ̷c̶o̵m̸p̴l̴e̴t̶e̴.
stats successfully modified.

「GᄂIƬᄃΉ」

primo geovishap has the [hacked] status!
duration: 15 minutes
skill cooldown: 1 hour

I took a deep breath and channeled my inner ninja. Here goes nothing!

I threw a rock to distract the towering geovishap, then stealthily snuck up from behind. With a sudden surge of courage, I did the unthinkable - I punched the beast with all my might. Okay, maybe not all my might, more like a feeble attempt at a slap. I quickly regretted my decision and braced for impact, but to my surprise, the monster crumbled into ash without even realizing it had been attacked.

"One damage? That's it?" I exclaimed in disbelief. "Note to self: learn how to fight for real. This skill can't carry me forever."

Despite the successful attack, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt for taking out the geovishap. But, as the old saying goes, "the end justifies the means." I spotted an exquisite chest nearby and opened it with anticipation. Score - five primogems!

Rest in peace, geovishap.

I took a deep breath and realized that I had survived. The fear subsided as I walked away from the area, but the adrenaline was still coursing through my veins.

***************
[Xiao's pov]

After a week of recuperation, Xiao had finally emerged from the clutches of death. Despite his current state of vulnerability, he was determined to aid Morax in the protection of the nation. After all, this mission was a trifle compared to the excruciating pain he had endured while serving his previous deity.

Morax had saved him, and the adepti, including Guizhong, had nursed him back to health. They hadn't exploited his weakened state for their own benefit. And even the enigmatic outlander girl named Y/n had assisted Morax in christening him with a new name.

Thanks to this benevolence, Xiao would never have to feed on the dreams of innocents again, and he would remain eternally grateful for it.

Today, as he loitered near the Guili Assembly, he chanced upon a familiar figure. It was Y/n, unarmed, crouched behind a bush with rapt concentration on her hands. A primo geovishap loomed nearby, standing guard over a wooden crate.

Why was she hiding? Was she incapable of defending herself?

If he had blinked, Xiao would have missed it. The geovishap had momentarily distorted, and Xiao had never witnessed anything like this before.

Alarmed, Xiao clutched his spear, prepared to shield her in case of an attack.

But Y/n surprised him with her resourcefulness.

She diverted the geovishap's attention with a single rock, sauntered behind it, and tapped it lightly—

And it perished. Instantly.

Y/n deftly retrieved the crate and left without a second glance.

Was it Y/n's doing that created that bizarre distortion? But she seemed equally bewildered by the outcome.

Hmm...it seems like Y/n does have ways to defend herself. I better leave her be, Xiao thought to himself, then teleported away.