118. The Resonance Between Loner
That evening, Yun Ling finished dinner and went back to his room.
『Fifth Life Simulation – Activated!』
『Random Talents being generated... Please select four talents from the following list.』
1. 『Dragon and Phoenix in Humanity (White): Dual Gender, Congenital Male and Female Holy Body.』
2. 『Country Breeze (White): You were born in the countryside.』
3. 『Only Child (White): You have no siblings.』
…
Classic six white and one purple, with little room for maneuver.
"Refresh."
『Okay.』
After refreshing several times, it seemed there weren't any good talents.
Seeing that another refresh would cost 3200 points, and the talents from the fifth refresh were barely acceptable, Yun Ling decided not to refresh anymore.
He needed to conserve his points.
『Fifth Simulation Talents Selected.』
1. 『Silent (White): A pragmatic person who doesn't talk much.』
2. 『Blockhead (Blue): What blockhead? This is called "a wise man doesn't fall in love." Focus slightly increased.』
3. 『Lone Star (Blue): Those around you will encounter misfortune; destined for a lonely life.』
4. 『Born to Fight (Purple): As long as you keep fighting, you will keep getting stronger!』
There's really no other choice; you can't exactly choose 'Dragon and Phoenix in Humanity.'
Like some people on the internet who say they like effeminate men, but it's just talk.
『Random Identity: Orphan (Luck slightly increased).』
『Fifth Life Simulation, Started!』
...
Ling was born with misfortune.
His mother died in childbirth, and his father, overwhelmed with grief, cruelly abandoned him.
Fortunately, he was found by a kind person, taken home, and raised, thus surviving by sheer luck.
However, when he was five years old, the old man who adopted him also died of illness not long after, and Yun Ling became a complete orphan.
Living off the small house left by the old man and some money, he barely managed to survive in the village.
"You jinx, stay away from us!"
A stone slammed into Ling.
Ling could only cover his head with his hands, praying they would leave quickly.
This was his survival skill.
His body wounds were nothing, but a head injury meant he couldn't go out to find food.
Ling had brought death to his mother and the old man who had adopted him, naturally earning him the nickname "jinx" from some of the children.
Of course, it wasn't just that. Some children who played with him as children always ended up getting hurt in various accidents.
As long as they stayed away from Ling, nothing serious happened.
Over time, Ling became known as the village's infamous jinx; anyone who got close to him would suffer misfortune.
After the people left, Ling dragged his battered body home, cooked a pot of plain porridge, and carefully drank it.
He winced in pain when he accidentally aggravated his wound.
He was used to this kind of life; no... he was numb to it.
Suddenly, a deafening roar erupted outside, shaking the ground.
Ling jumped up and ran outside.
A huge crater had appeared in his yard!
In the center of the crater, a person with silver-white hair and healthy-looking skin was crouching.
He was dressed entirely in black, with an elbow pad protecting his left arm, and his face was obscured by a black mask.
Beneath him lay a terrifying Honkai Beast!
Fortunately, the Honkai Beast was dead.
Ling didn't know who he was, but he knew he might get into some trouble because of this.
All the villagers were drawn by the noise.
"He descended from the sky and defeated the Honkai Beast! He must be a god sent from heaven to save us!"
The villagers lifted him and knelt before him as if on a pilgrimage. Wearing a mask, He seemed somewhat flattered, but didn't refuse.
Some believed that the blood of a god could heal any injury or illness.
In this backward and ignorant village, many suffered from an incurable disease called "Honkai Disease."
He was bound to a pillar, and the villagers slit his wrists to let him bleed.
He seemed to possess extraordinary regenerative abilities. A normal person would have died long ago from such a large amount of blood loss, but he seemed unaffected.
The villagers drank his blood greedily, as if it were a precious treasure, their faces contorted with delight.
He offered no resistance, allowing the villagers to slit his wrists and drink his blood.
It wasn't until late at night that the villagers left, satisfied.
Ling stood at a distance, quietly watching him.
Ling's thoughts differed somewhat from the villagers'. He could sense that this deity was powerful, yet, like himself, a loner...
They were the same kind of people...
Ling carefully approached and took out two steamed buns.
He even used a small stool as a stepping stone, then slightly lifted the deity's mask to reveal its mouth, and fed the buns.
The deity sensed Ling's arrival and kindness, gently chewing the not-so-sweet buns.
Two lonely people, two lonely hearts, formed a subtle connection at that moment.
"Boy, what's your name?" he asked.
"Ling," Ling replied.
"My name is Kalpas," Kalpas said.
"Hmm, I'll remember that," Ling nodded.
"..."
Although the two were very similar, they indeed had nothing to say to each other.
After feeding Kalpas the buns, Ling closed Kalpas's mask and left. He couldn't let Kalpas go; the villagers would kill him if he did.
Kalpas gave him a deep look, then closed his eyes and began to rest.
While everyone slept, the blood accidentally spilled on the ground emitted a strong aura of Honkai energy.
Honkai beasts began to multiply in the village.
Meanwhile, a girl already afflicted with 'Honkai disease' fell into a deep sleep after drinking Kalpas's blood.
Not long after, a terrifying chill emanated from her, and all the Honkai beasts began to rampage.
Despite it being June, a heavy snowfall began to fall for hundreds of miles around!
Outside came the roars of wild beasts, the sounds of collapsing houses, and the cries for help from villagers—utter chaos.
Since Ling had just returned home and wasn't asleep yet, this strange phenomenon quickly caught his attention.
His survival instincts, honed since childhood, made him act without hesitation; he immediately grabbed a blanket and hid in his family's cellar. Many froze to death in their sleep, some were trampled to death by Honkai Beasts, and some became undead.
High above, the girl from before, wearing an ice crown, looked down upon all living beings like a queen.
"Ah!!!" A roar pierced the sky.
Flames roared up, striking directly at the Herrscher of Ice above.
Ling was completely unaware of all this, only hearing the terrifying tremors and roars outside. He curled up, afraid to make a sound.
After an unknown amount of time, the commotion outside finally subsided.
After waiting a while, Ling tried to go out, only to find the entrance to the cellar covered by the collapsed buildings.
He picked up a small stone and gently tapped the surrounding stone walls, hoping someone would notice him.
The wounded Kalpas kicked the Herrscher of Ice's corpse aside and was about to leave when he heard the sound. He then walked in the direction of the sound.
Kalpas turned over the rubble on the ground, revealing a small door.
Upon opening it, there was Ling inside.
Perhaps, this was fate.
Heaven bestowed a final act of tenderness upon the lonely—another lonely soul.
…