Master Zhi Yin displayed his skill tree.
He Wuning looked at the default skill description activated at level 1, his expression quite complicated—
Hair Hardening: Hardens your own hair to a strength comparable to steel.
Truly a case of a “uselessly trivial” skill.
Not only could it only control one’s own hair, but unless someone specialized in headbutts, most people with this ability would find it useless beyond vividly demonstrating the phrase “hair standing on end in anger.”
At some point, Xue Xun and Yi Luo had positioned themselves to his left and right, like a consultation panel, all three of them stroking their chins and scrutinizing the Master’s skill tree. Each had a complicated expression.
Master Zhi Yin, as a cultivated monk, carried an air of detached composure, holding his milk tea while waiting for their conclusion.
Xue Xun looked a bit nervous, glancing at the “attending physician,” He Wuning, and giving a nudge with his foot: “So… what do you think? Any hope?”
He Wuning considered for a moment: “It can be modified. Two options.”
“Change it to use someone else’s hair, or… change it to ‘fur’.”
Master Zhi Yin pondered, glancing down at his legs as he rolled up his pants, seriously considering: “If I choose ‘fur,’ will my legs hit like a mace?”
“Better to use someone else’s,” Xue Xun suggested, pointing at the later skills in the skill tree. “See this manipulation skill later? Better to stick with long hair… a bit more practical, right?”
He Wuning raised an eyebrow: “Not necessarily.”
“After I modified his skill tree, subsequent skills require fragments to unlock. He might never unlock the later skills, so enhancing the current skill is more important.”
Master Zhi Yin scratched his head, hesitating: “But if I use someone else’s hair, I can’t exactly swing a person around to fight with their head…”
The three were silent for a moment. Finally, Yi Luo spoke up: “Master, have you considered that hair can be cut?”
Master Zhi Yin stared at him in silence for a moment, then respectfully clasped his fists: “You’re right. I should have considered your remarkable insight…”
Yi Luo smiled: “It’s fine, just a normal thought from someone who’s been to a barbershop.”
Xue Xun, exasperated, closed his eyes: “Good grief, you’ve got a mouth on you, huh?”
“This ability—even if the target isn’t a monk—is heavily restricted,” He Wuning added with a glance. “You can only attack with your own hair. It’s basically like being forced to stick your head in front of a monster for execution. Given such limits, your physical fitness must be extraordinary.”
“I trained from childhood, so my physical condition is indeed far better than most people,” Master Zhi Yin said, looking at his hands, nearly the size of He Wuning’s head.
This was evident from his sturdy arms, not exaggerated gym-built muscles but solid, with a primitive strength to them.
Master Zhi Yin thought for a moment: “If I were to quantify it in game terms, when I first entered the game, at level 1, my HP was 2000.”
He Wuning’s eyebrows twitched: “…And now?”
Master Zhi Yin replied honestly: “After awakening, level 1 HP is 3000.”
He Wuning closed his eyes. Yi Luo, unable to read his expression, asked: “And you?”
He Wuning glanced at him silently, then looked forward with a blank expression: “300.”
The gap between people was somewhat absurd.
Master Zhi Yin’s gaze softened with a hint of sympathy.
Yi Luo chuckled: “300 HP? I had 1800 after awakening. How are you worse than a ranged fighter?”
He Wuning frowned impatiently: “Mind your own business.”
Xue Xun stepped in to mediate: “He Wuning put all his points into agility. My HP is similar to his. Yi Luo, don’t laugh. What kind of ranged fighter are you in the Combat Department? Can’t you fight up close?”
“I can—” Yi Luo smiled. “I just think our He Wuning really is… fragile…”
He Wuning suddenly spun and punched him; Yi Luo reacted quickly and caught it.
They stared at each other; He Wuning snorted and withdrew his hand, looking straight ahead: “Childish.”
As if he hadn’t been the one to throw the first punch.
Xue Xun shook his head and waved his hand: “Then we’ll just use hair?”
“Let He Wuning modify it first. I’ll ask if anyone is willing to lend some hair.”
“Wait for me! I’ll be there in a moment!”
He hurriedly rushed into the building.
Xue Xun was always the friendly type who could talk to anyone. Whether or not a task fell within his official duties, he never refused help if he could assist, to the point that He Wuning often forgot what his actual job was.
He seemed to suddenly remember and asked, “What’s Xue Xun’s awakening ability?”
“I used to think it was identification, but later I realized he seems to send items to the Tech Department for evaluation,” He Wuning replied.
Yi Luo also paused: “I don’t know.”
“But I’ve noticed he hardly ever leaves the safe zone. Maybe he hasn’t leveled up or even awakened yet?”
He Wuning nodded, letting the topic go for now, and turned his attention to the fragments brought by the Master Zhi Yin.
The fragments Master Zhi Yin brought were also 5%, and modifying his entire skill tree required 4% of skills.
Yi Luo was a little displeased: “Why is it more expensive than mine?”
He Wuning ignored him entirely. Integrating the fragment with the key, He Wuning reached out and gently tapped the skill.
The familiar reconstruction scene flickered before his eyes, and then a black iron bracelet, identical to the Administrator’s Key, dropped.
Master Zhi Yin, a bit uncertain, put on the bracelet and flexed his wrist. “Is this okay?”
He said seriously, “If I’m lucky enough to get more fragments later, I’ll definitely give them to you. 1% is still too little.”
He Wuning waved a hand: “Test the ability first.”
Master Zhi Yin’s gaze swept over the hair on their heads. At the same time, a tuft of stiff hair popped up from both He Wuning’s and Yi Luo’s heads.
He Wuning: “…”
He reached up and pressed down on the stiff strands atop his head, his expression darkening. Gritting his teeth, he said, “I mean… wait until Xue Xun comes back, then you try it.”
“Let go of my hair.”
Yi Luo, without any ego, pressed the tips of his hair: “Pretty stiff.”
He suddenly tilted his head, pointing the hair tips at He Wuning. “Want to duel?”
He Wuning: “......”
Before He Wuning could make a criminally angry move, Xue Xun came back carrying a cloth bag. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and shouted from a distance: “Here, here! Hair’s here!”
“Whoa, so much.” Yi Luo, completely unaware that he had just narrowly escaped a mess, walked over and peeked into the bag. “Our Combat Department really has dense hair, huh?”
The bag was mostly black and flax-colored hair, with some streaks of silver—obviously from older contributors.
Xue Xun pointed at the hair and tried to catch his breath: “I asked girls with long hair. Sister Zhao even shaved her head on the spot. A few girls in the Tech Department cut off their braids. I don’t know who leaked it, saying collecting hair can help fight monsters. Even Teacher Yan sent her hair. These streaks of white? Look!”
“And there’s a big bunch from Xiao Yao. If someone hadn’t stopped her, she almost pulled her bangs too!”
“If I hadn’t run fast, we could’ve used a vehicle to drag all of it over!”
He Wuning thought he was exaggerating—until a girl holding a bunch of braids suddenly appeared from behind, shouting: “Director Xue! Are you collecting hair? Can it really fight monsters? Mine, my hair is tough!”
Xue Xun laughed wryly: “Enough, enough! Let’s test it first!”
“My ladies, leave some hair for yourselves!”
The girl generously shoved the hair into his hands: “Try multiple times! You don’t know, girls in the Healing and Trading Centers, who can’t join the Combat Team, have been holding back. Knowing they could help, they couldn’t resist!”
Xue Xun hurriedly pulled her aside: “Tell them that’s enough. Don’t shave anymore! If I really collect it, I’ll issue a notice, okay?”
“Got it!”
She shouted, running off and waving to them.
Xue Xun let out a long sigh of relief. When he turned back, Master Zhi Yin was already in tears. Startled, he exclaimed: “Master… you’re…”
Master Zhi Yin wiped his eyes, pressed his hands together, and let out a long sigh: “I wished to sacrifice myself to save all beings, but all beings end up saving me.”
“Master said that my cultivation is not in the mountains but among the people. Only now do I understand.”
He deeply bowed toward the cloth bag and then reverently accepted it.
Xue Xun had originally thought it was a bit comical to see his face, usually as immovable as a Wisdom King statue, break into tears. But seeing such a sincere gesture of thanks, he suddenly felt… something beyond words.
Perhaps it was that kind of Buddhahood that mortals like them could never comprehend. Simply put, it was—
“Ah, it’s nothing. United effort, that’s all.”
He Wuning turned back. The phone on the milk tea car rang loudly. He tilted his chin toward the Master: “There’s some work just in time. Want to try out your new ability?”
The Master nodded slightly and bid Xue Xun farewell: “Thank you. I’ll go.”
The milk tea car passed through the teleportation portal and landed in front of a rampaging Stone Giant. A tail swing knocked it away from the injured. Then the doors opened, and the tall monk strode out, wielding a black staff. With a single swing, the staff seemed at once like a soft, boneless whip and, at another instant, as hard as iron, moving with overwhelming force. Rocks tumbled from the Stone Giant as it was steadily pushed back.
Yi Luo sat on the car, aiming his gun to guard against accidents. He Wuning leaned against the seatback and let out a soft laugh: “Looks like he’s just holding a weapon. Not much enhancement, yet why does it seem like he’s wielding some divine artifact?”
Yi Luo chuckled too: “He has faith. Now, he fears neither gods nor demons, nothing at all.”
“And you?”
“I don’t believe in Buddha,” He Wuning closed his eyes and slightly turned his head. “I just… occasionally have a touch of heroism.”
“Occasionally?” Yi Luo laughed out loud. “When exactly is your ‘occasionally’?”
“When I find humans adorable.”
-----
The author has something to say:
Mini bonus skit (not canon):
Yi Luo: Only mine is a ring, everyone, got it?
He Wuning: Who said it’s a ring?
Yi Luo: Then what else would it be? Showing off.jpg
He Wuning: A can tab.
Q-chan: giggling sounds
----------
No comments:
Post a Comment