novelraw Chapter 20: The Apostle Forum’s Walkthrough
Chapter 20: The Apostle Forum’s Walkthrough
Lin Xun returned to his rented apartment just before noon.
Following the URL from Ye Xiaoqi’s text, he logged into the Apostle Forum.
“Login successful! Welcome, esteemed Apostle.”
The forum’s interface was sleek, divided into major sections: Chat & Social, Walkthroughs, Item Trading, Game Lore, and more.
His interest piqued, he scrolled through posts from other Apostles.
The content wasn’t as serious as he’d expected—many were casual discussions, jokes, or even NSFW topics. But most were complaints about the game’s brutal difficulty.
Searching for info on Compatibility, he found a flood of frustrated posts.
A quick skim revealed the truth:
Compatibility was determined by how well a Shell matched the Apostle’s gender, age, physique, and even appearance.
Finding a Shell with 80+ Compatibility—that was also powerful and high-potential—was nearly impossible.The game’s worlds were apocalyptic nightmares, where BOSS-tier Shells often looked nothing like humans, leading to abysmal Compatibility.
Most Apostles simply couldn’t possess strong Shells.
Lin Xun grinned.
Compared to them, my ability to boost Compatibility and hijack BOSS bodies is downright broken.
His veteran gamer instincts had been right—Compatibility mattered far more than extra Shell Slots.
After more browsing, he gained new insights into The Book of Salvation.
The game was sadistically hard. Official stats showed a <5% chapter clear rate!
Most Apostles got stuck, forced to retreat to the Library and randomly enter new chapters.
Opening the Walkthroughs section, he searched for Chapter 323.
“Insufficient Contribution Points. Access denied.”
“To earn Contribution Points, submit verified chapter walkthroughs. Approved submissions will grant rewards.”
“…”
Lin Xun’s eye twitched.
No free rides, huh?
To get Contribution Points, he’d need to write a guide—but he hadn’t even cleared a chapter yet.
Then he noticed a red exclamation mark on his account.
A click revealed:
“You have unlocked Intelligence Division privileges!”
He tried the walkthrough again—this time, it opened instantly.
Intelligence Division members bypass Contribution Point requirements!
“Nothing beats free access… Heh, guess I’m the privileged one now. Joining the organization was the right call.”
Soon, he found the Chapter 323 walkthrough—and froze.
Clear rate: 0%.
Over 95% of Apostles were stuck at the monster horde east of the church.
Comments explained why.
Without Blood Sun Cultist Shells, Apostles could only explore with normal Shells.
Leaving the church during the day meant instant death—either from the Blood Sun’s madness or ambushes. They had to wait for White Moon nights to venture out.
Lin Xun noticed a key detail.
Monster levels varied per player but were always brutally high.
What he’d cheesed by “becoming the monster” was a nightmare gauntlet for others.
Digging into game mechanics, he learned:
Chapter difficulty scaled within a range. The more chapters an Apostle cleared, the stronger monsters became—but never exceeding the chapter’s cap.
A few stealth-specialized Apostles had slipped past the horde into the tower.
But lacking Blood Sun Shells, their scent alerted the Wolfhound. They died before looting anything.
Only one Apostle had killed the Wolfhound and reached the third floor—before being obliterated by the Paladin of Discipline’s Blood Charge.
“This is just brutal.”
Lin Xun now realized how game-breaking his monster-possession tactic was.
“Guess my strategy was: If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em?”
The tower explorer remained Chapter 323’s furthest progress.
By now, his Soul Strength had recovered.
He pulled out his phone.
The Book of Salvation, launch.
[The feeble wandering soul awakens in the familiar chapel…]
[You spend 1 Soul Strength to reshape the ‘Blood Sun Paladin of Discipline’ Shell.]
[Current Soul Strength: 1/2]
[The feeble wandering soul possesses the Paladin’s Shell.]
Lin Xun guided the Paladin through the northern metal gate, arriving at the lord’s castle.
As day shifted to night, the game text changed:
[Under the Blood Sun’s gaze, the vines coiling the castle walls grow thicker, like crimson tentacles sealing it shut.]
[You approach the castle gates.]
[The dense vines bar the entrance completely.]
[Will you cut through the vines to open the gates?]
Lin Xun pondered.
Last night’s text mentioned the castle was shrouded in “unknown shadows” under the White Moon, with the vines also hidden.
Meaning, the vines hadn’t been exposed to moonlight.
Now, the text stated the vines thrived under the Blood Sun.
Did that mean they feared moonlight but loved sunlight?
His Inventory held the Moonlight-Infused Sandpaper—which could temporarily enchant weapons with White Moon power.
Without hesitation, he used it.
[You use ‘Moonlight-Infused Sandpaper’.]
[Your weapon, ‘Broken Dragonhunter Lance’, gains ‘White Moon’ enchantment. Effect vanishes upon killing a monster or Shell death.]
[Your lance glows with the White Moon’s radiance.]
[Nearby vines wither under the light, crumbling to dust.]
[The remaining vines recoil like enraged serpents but dare not approach.]
[The rusted metal gates stand revealed.]
[Will you open the castle gates?]
Success!
The Moonlight Sandpaper had neutralized the vines—and warded off further attacks.
[You push open the heavy gates.]
[The castle’s inner courtyard unfolds before you.]
[Towering crimson sunflowers glow faintly red, carpeting the grounds. Under the Blood Sun’s light, the eerie blooms sway and thrive.]
[To your left: Stables & Barn.]
[To your right: Guardroom & Chapel.]
[Ahead: Banquet Hall.]
[Where will you go?]
So many options!
Five locations at once left Lin Xun momentarily stumped.
“Let’s go in order. The stables sound harmless enough.”
[You part the sunflowers, heading for the stables.]
[Inside the filthy stables lie a dozen desiccated horse corpses, their flesh mummified by time.]
[From the shadows in the corner, a pair of blood-red eyes watches you.]
[Will you investigate?]