novelraw Chapter 52: The Relic of the Hungry Old Man
Chapter 52: The Relic of the Hungry Old Man
Lin Xun refused to play along with this cursed game’s twisted arrangement. Instead, he chose a method of death he had never tried before.
He opened the Shell Slots and directly selected the shell of the Engineer from the Pyramid Corporation.
[You have possessed the shell Engineer of the Pyramid Corporation.]
[You are bathed in the light of the “Blood-Red Sunset,” and your sanity begins to slip away… Suddenly, you find that the once bloody sunset before you has become radiant and divine!]
[Ah! You can’t help but praise the sun!]
[You are dead!]
[The feeble wandering soul is reborn in the familiar sewer corridor…]
How about that, cursed game? Surprised? Didn’t see that coming, huh?
Lin Xun let out a scoff and put down his phone.
After a full day of gameplay and cultivation, it was already approaching dusk.From the sofa in the living room, he could see Lu Caiyi already in the kitchen preparing dinner.
Smacking his lips, Lin Xun decided he couldn’t let himself get too soft and cozy in this domestic bliss.
If he didn’t finish the recruitment mission and instead let himself get swept up in it, that’d be a disaster.
Today, he had to show off a bit in front of Lu Caiyi!
Before becoming a flop of a web novel author, Lin Xun had been a miserable 9-9-6 office drone.
As a single guy living alone, aside from gaming and reading NovelBins, his biggest hobby was cooking.
He used to cook for himself often, but after quitting to become a full-time (and broke) author, he spent his days writing nonstop and solved meals with rushed takeout orders.
Quiet as a shadow, Lin Xun snuck into the kitchen.
The kitchen had been cleaned spotless. Even the previously yellowed tiles from grease now gleamed white.
The girl wore an apron, softly humming an unfamiliar tune while washing vegetables at the sink.
On the countertop, cleaned and chopped ingredients were neatly arranged on small plates, both veggies and meat meticulously sorted.
‘So damn domestic!’ Lin Xun couldn’t help clicking his tongue.
He snuck up and tapped her shoulder, startling Lu Caiyi out of her focus.
“Alright, go rest on the sofa. I’ll handle dinner.”
Lu Caiyi blinked her big eyes in disbelief. “You?”
Rolling up his sleeves, Lin Xun raised a brow. “What? You don’t think I can cook?”
The girl quickly shook her head, signaling that she believed him—but the look in her eyes clearly said, “You don’t look like someone who can cook.”
Lin Xun pouted, then got straight to it—he heated up the pan and poured in some oil…
The girl in white watched him begin stir-frying with practiced ease, then suddenly froze in thought.
Only after a while did Lu Caiyi snap out of it. She gave a soft smile, her eyes forming crescent moons.
She didn’t go rest. Instead, she took off her apron and handed it to Lin Xun, quietly assisting him from the side.
Neither of them spoke, yet there was a silent understanding between them in the kitchen.
After they enjoyed a delicious dinner, Lu Caiyi eagerly cleaned up the dishes.
Since he was of no help now, Lin Xun let her be and once again pulled out his phone to continue the game.
The Book of Salvation—activated.
[The feeble wandering soul awakens in the familiar sewer corridor…]
He possessed the shell of the Yellow-Robed Bishop, and right in front of him was the Resting Page.
When he clicked on it, in addition to setting respawn points, resting, and teleporting, a new option had appeared:
[4. Oath: Your current oath is to the “Golden Blazing Sun.” After winning Oath Invasions, you can spend victories to redeem unknown rewards. Current victories: 0]
The Oath’s blind box rewards were interesting. According to the forum, some lucky players had gotten top-tier gear and items, while others got junk or just 10 Spirit.
But those who got great items were usually players with high win counts.
Lin Xun’s first blind box reward had already been decided—after three wins in Oath Invasions, he’d get the key to unlock his exclusive item.
He checked his inventory—still one Invasion Bookmark left. Not enough to qualify yet.
No worries. Once he returned to the Library, he’d be able to obtain more Invasion Bookmarks.
Next, he plunged back into the sewers, heading toward the Hungry Old Man.
After winding through countless twists and turns, he finally entered the NPC’s room.
This time, the Hungry Old Man didn’t pretend not to know him.
[You approach to speak. The old man glances up at you, shock flashing in his eyes. He recognizes the presence of the Golden Blazing Sun Oath on you.]
[The Hungry Old Man slowly retrieves something from his robes and hands it to you. Then he resumes staring into the candlelight before him. The glimmer of life fades from his eyes as he lowers his head, lifeless.]
[You have obtained Putrid Dungstones Composite (Throwable Item).]
Lin Xun raised an eyebrow. The Hungry Old Man gave him an item, didn’t mention any follow-up quest, and then just straight-up died.
Seems like the hidden storyline of the Blood Sun world wrapped up here in Chapter 323.
Future Oath quests would have to be triggered via the Blazing Sun Ring Dan gave him.
[You look at the Hungry Old Man’s shell…]
[Hungry Old Man’s Shell: An enigmatic old man of unknown origin. Perhaps his steadfast faith in the Golden Blazing Sun during life kept him from falling to corruption. He passed after fulfilling his final wish, finding release from the world. Compatibility: 103 (+35%).]
Lin Xun possessed the Hungry Old Man and opened the Shell Panel.
His expression darkened.
Without hesitation, he dumped the trash shell.
Even the Black-Robed Priest had a prayer book—this one had absolutely nothing. And its shell quality was Ruined. Why would he keep it? For the holidays?
Lin Xun opened his inventory to inspect the item.
[Putrid Dungstone Composite (Throwable Item): A composite formed from countless Foul Dungstones, refining the essence and discarding the waste to create this rare item. When thrown to the ground, it splashes numerous Putrid Dungstones around you, sticking to enemies.]
Lin Xun fell silent.
What the hell kind of “epic attack” was this?
His hand trembled—he almost materialized the damn thing into the real world.
He hastily shut the inventory, muttering how close that was.
Exiting the sewers, Lin Xun retraced his steps.
After a while, he returned to the ruins of the White Moon Church.
The familiar game option popped up again.
[South of the Church: In the distance lies a barren road, where a ‘Corrupted Subspecies Sea Dragon’ blocks the path. A glimpse of its exposed scales and limbs outside the ruin’s shadows reveals its massive size. With every movement, the ground quakes and crimson shockwaves ripple through the air.]
Looking at the option for the southern road, Lin Xun smiled faintly.
He could still remember the brutal beatdown from the Sea Dragon boss back then—he could only dodge and flee from the dragon’s breath attacks.
But now, armed with the “Dragon Pearl,” a certified low-tier dragon slayer, that little subspecies Sea Dragon should be easy prey.
Just as Lin Xun was about to select the option and engage the boss for a glorious rematch—
The game text suddenly jumped…
[You are being watched by an unfathomable presence. Your connection with the Corrupted Blood Sun deepens!]
???
Lin Xun slowly typed out three question marks.
Are you kidding me? I just turned traitor and already got caught?!