Without hesitation, Lin Xun prepared to expend his st remaining point of Soul Strength to reshape the Guardian Knight's shell.

  [Warning! Your current Soul Strength is 1/2. When Soul Strength reaches zero, the Apostle's true body will perish.]

  [Will you consume 1 Soul Strength to reshape the 'Guardian Knight' shell?]

  The enrged crimson text trembled violently on screen. An inexplicable terror gripped Lin Xun's entire being.

  Beads of cold sweat instantly broke out across his forehead and back. The overwhelming fear made it difficult to breathe, his mind going bnk.

  Lin Xun didn't doubt for a second that using that final point would mean certain death.

  "Must not click 'Yes', must absolutely not click 'Yes'." With tremendous effort, he moved his finger to select 'No'.

  As the blood-red text disappeared, the oppressive fear gradually receded.

  He exhaled deeply, his shirt already soaked through with sweat. Setting down his phone, he hurried to the bathroom.

  Turning on the faucet, he spshed icy water on his face, forcing himself to calm down.

  After a long while, he wiped his face and pulled out a cigarette. It took three attempts with the lighter before he finally got it lit.

  "Haah..." Exhaling a cloud of smoke, he looked at his hands - now finally steady - and smiled bitterly.

  "Of course it wouldn't be that simple. Where there's opportunity, there's always risk."

  Only after finishing the cigarette did his nerves settle enough to analyze rationally.

  "Exhausting Soul Strength means death. As long as I don't use that st point, I should be safe."

  "Considering the benefits of materializing game items, the risk seems acceptable."

  This text-based game possessed some inexplicable magic that made it irresistibly addictive.

  Lin Xun resolved to continue pying.

  [The feeble wandering soul possesses the 'Choir Sister' shell.]

  [This shell is temporarily incapacitated from skill overuse and requires 12 hours of rest to recover.]

  [Will you exit this shell?]

  With no other choice, he selected to exit the shell.

  Having fully explored the church and needing to wait 12 hours for Soul Strength recovery, the game was temporarily unpyable.

  Closing the game, he saw it was already 2 AM. Setting a 12-hour arm, he quickly washed up and went to bed.

  ---

  The next morning at 10 AM, at a mutton restaurant.

  "One sticky rice and one soy milk, please."

  "Coming right up!"

  The mutton pce below Lin Xun's apartment originally didn't serve breakfast, focusing only on mutton soup, hand-torn mutton, and grilled dishes.

  But with pandemic impacts hurting business, they'd added morning fare. Ironically, while their mutton was mediocre, their local-style sticky rice breakfast was exceptional.

  At this rate, the mutton restaurant might fully convert to a breakfast spot soon.

  Soon, the waiter brought a steaming ceramic bowl.

  Inside was freshly steamed glutinous rice - each translucent grain distinct and piping hot, topped with crispy golden fried dough strips and savory minced pork belly.

  A dle of thick mushroom-pork broth was poured over, followed by a sprinkle of pork floss and scallions. The aroma made one's mouth water instantly.

  Lin Xun took a small spoon, scooping up a bite of the broth-soaked rice.

  The chewy rice grains carried a clean fragrance, the rich meat broth perfectly seasoned, complemented by the crunchy fried dough - each mouthful was pure delight.

  Alternating between sticky rice and hot soy milk made for a perfect morning.

  Having eaten his fill, Lin Xun prepared to return home to write. There were still four hours until his Soul Strength fully recovered.

  As he stood, he coincidentally encountered the restaurant owner returning from the market.

  The middle-aged proprietor pushed a small cart bearing a freshly sughtered mb.

  Being a regur, the owner gave Lin Xun a nod of recognition.

  Lin Xun returned the gesture, his gaze sweeping over the bloody mb carcass.

  [A Thousand Faces, Ten Thousand Forms talent activated.]

  [Small-tailed Han Sheep shell: A recently sughtered mb that should have been nursing but met the butcher's knife instead. Compatibility: 28% (+15%)]

  [Apostle, will you possess this shell?]

  The sudden text appearing in his vision made Lin Xun's pupils contract sharply, barely suppressing a gasp.

  Maintaining composure, he exchanged pleasantries with the owner before quickly departing.

  "The game's soul talent has manifested in reality!"

  To test this discovery, Lin Xun took a taxi to the wet market.

  As expected, at the poultry stalls sughtering live chickens, game text appeared again:

  [A Thousand Faces, Ten Thousand Forms talent activated.]

  [White Feather Chicken shell: An adult meat rooster, now appearing clean and white after throat-slitting, bleeding, scalding, plucking and gutting. Possesses a strange aesthetic. Compatibility: 27% (+15%)]

  After some observation, Lin Xun realized only deceased creatures with retively intact bodies triggered the possession option.

  "If my talent can possess animal shells in reality... does that mean human shells are also possible? And if I possess someone else's body, what happens to my original one?"

  He didn't dare dwell on that line of thought.

  Rushing home, Lin Xun resumed his daily writing work.

  The world might end, but authors must keep updating.

  Soon, the clock struck 2 PM.

  Lin Xun opened the game.

  The ornate cover of The Book of Salvation parted, familiar game text appearing on the yellowed parchment pages.

  [You have entered the apocalyptic chapter.]

  [Chapter 323]

  [Inside the familiar church, crimson sunlight streams through the broken dome, forming twisted blood-hued halos. The red light falls on scattered rotting limbs, where squirming flesh buds suggest corrupt mutations occurring...]

  [The feeble wandering soul awakens within the church.]

  [You carefully avoid direct sunlight.]

  The game's setting had changed to daytime?

  Lin Xun sensed danger and immediately selected to reshape the shell.

  [You consume 1 Soul Strength to reshape the 'Guardian Knight' shell.]

  [Current Soul Strength: 1/2]

  [Soul radiance coalesces into the knight's form as the feeble spirit takes possession.]

  [You clench your fists, surging power coursing through the shell. You feel invincible, unstoppable.]

  [A piercing shriek echoes through the church.]

  [Under the Blood Sun's direct rays, an upper-torso remnant undergoes horrific mutation. A tumor-covered monstrosity with arthropod limbs charges toward you!]

  [You swiftly control the knight's robust shell, brandishing the 'Rusted Church Cross Sword' to execute 'Punishment Swordpy' against the creature...]

  [You easily defeat the 'Corrupted White Moon Cultist.' Slight experience gained.]

  [Power boils within the shell. 'Guardian Knight' shell has leveled up! Current shell level: 2]

  [You have grown stronger!]

  "Monsters can spawn even inside safe zones? This game is downright sadistic. Good thing I possessed the shell in time, or I'd probably be dead."

  "What would happen if I died in wandering soul form?"

  His instincts screamed that soul-form death would lead to something truly terrible.

  Checking the shell panel, the knight's stats remained unchanged except for the new level 2 designation.

  [Apostle, will you push open the church doors to continue exploring?]