Chapter 42: So They Were Sisters

Since that was the case, Kong Zhe couldn’t be bothered to think any further. The more he thought about it, the more troublesome it seemed, so he slapped his thigh and decided: this would be it.

And so, the matter of Kong Zhe’s new title was settled just like that.

Often, decisions that seem monumental are actually made in the most casual of moments. Many, many years later, when people would ask about the origins of the name that had shaken the continent—“Blackwing Jax”—no one would have guessed that it all began as a fleeting whim from a delusional kid.

Kong Zhe looked at the new title displayed on the panel and nodded in satisfaction. Not bad—at least it was much better than Hell Baron.

Ding. Title confirmed. Successfully bound to the title Blackwing Jax. No other individual may use it.

Ding. Congratulations, Blackwing Jax, on becoming the hidden class “Arcanist.” Reward: +5 to all attributes.

Ding. Congratulations, Blackwing Jax, on being the first player to unlock a hidden class. Reward: 500 reputation points.

Ding. Player Blackwing Jax ranked third in the world for awakening time. Reward: 400 reputation points.

Ding. Player's regional ranking: First in Golden City. Reward: 200 reputation points.

Ding. Would you like to announce your awakening time ranking within Golden City to earn the admiration of thousands? Note: Confirming will grant an additional 50 reputation points.

“No!”

Kong Zhe hit the reject button without hesitation. Was this a joke? Announcing it would only paint a target on his back—the whole city would know he held a golden treasure chest.

He was already doing all he could to stay hidden; there was no way he’d expose himself now, especially not for a mere 50 reputation points.

Reputation could be used to buy special items from certain NPCs; he already had 1,100 points. There would be plenty of opportunities to earn more in the future! Revealing himself for just 50 points was utterly unwise—no awakened person with half a brain would do something so foolish. The fact that there hadn’t been a single announcement yet made that clear enough.

Kong Zhe sneered inwardly, mocking the system’s stupidity.

If the reputation reward were higher, maybe someone would fall for it. But 50 points? Did they think people were complete idiots?

But as Kong Zhe was thinking this—

Ding. Congratulations to “Reisis, Bey, Maria, Radiance, Saint Margaret” for becoming the second awakened in Golden City…

Kong Zhe froze in place. Saint Margaret… the name sounded oddly familiar! And then, a familiar voice rang out.

“Hmph, hmph, hmph! Foolish earthlings! I am Queen Saint Margaret of the Bloodline. Wash your necks and prepare to be conquered by me! Nya-ha-ha-ha…”

Kong Zhe’s eyes went wide. With that tone, how could he not know who it was?

Damn it! He had just made a joke about it, and there really was someone that stupid—leaving such a flamboyant message too, as if she was afraid no one would hate her enough! Furious, Kong Zhe cursed out loud.

That system announcement wasn’t just for the awakened—it could be heard by every human in Golden City. Xue Feifei, who was fiddling with the machinery, heard the message as well. Her expression changed drastically, and she cried out.

“Tuan Tuan?”

“That idiotic chunibyo!”

The two spoke almost simultaneously, then glanced at each other in surprise before asking in unison:

“You know her?”

“You know her?”

Xue Feifei was taken aback for a moment, then adjusted her glasses and said, “Of course. She’s my little sister!”

“Ah?” Kong Zhe was stunned. So, after all this, they were all acquaintances! Then he remembered—no wonder the name Tuan Tuan had sounded familiar; he’d heard Xue Feifei mumble about her before.

“So, she’s your sister. That explains it.” Kong Zhe muttered. What a pair—one lost in research, the other lost to her own delusions.

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean—‘that explains it’?” Xue Feifei put her hands on her hips, face stern with anger.

“It’s nothing, just a figure of speech…”

Kong Zhe brushed it off, not wanting to argue.

“Hmph…” Xue Feifei snorted but then, worry creeping into her expression, asked, “Hey, where did you see her? Is she alright?”

At that, irritation flared in Kong Zhe, and he replied with a dark look, “Alright? Of course she is! Just listen to her voice—she sounds full of life, doesn’t she?”

Xue Feifei breathed a sigh of relief, but then asked suspiciously, “Wait, why do you sound so annoyed?”

Kong Zhe sneered, “Of course I’m annoyed… you know why I ended up here? She’s the reason I died last time!”

“What?” Xue Feifei gasped, covering her mouth in shock, “No way! Tuan Tuan may be reckless, but she’d never kill anyone!”

“Hmph!” Kong Zhe snorted again, but said nothing more. Deep down, he knew his death was really due to the curse; her actions had just been the final stroke. Blaming her entirely was a bit unreasonable.

Seeing Kong Zhe fall silent, Xue Feifei didn’t know what more to say.

A brief silence fell between them.

Beep!

With a soft sound, the machine in the center of the room stopped, and a compartment popped open from its side.

“Your knife is done!”

Kong Zhe nodded, walked over, and picked up the blade to inspect it.

It was about the same size and shape as the one he’d made in his previous life, but since Xue Feifei was a woman, she’d added some beautiful patterns to the blade and hilt, making the whole thing more elegant, if a little less intimidating.

Kong Zhe didn’t mind; as long as it was practical, that was all that mattered.

After a few words with Xue Feifei, he headed downstairs to deal with the murlocs.

Although he’d gained a new class and new abilities, he still chose to spend his first skill point on Divine Persuasion—it was, after all, the most useful early skill.

He needed to pacify the little dog. Whether for combat support, healing, or scouting, it would be invaluable.

On the fifth floor, Kong Zhe hid behind the door and peered inside. As expected, the five dog-headed men were feasting. Now that his attributes had increased by five points—about the same as a level four or five awakened—dealing with these creatures would be much easier.

Taking a deep breath, Kong Zhe charged in at lightning speed. The four ordinary kobolds didn’t even have time to react; Kong Zhe darted past them and raised his knife, aiming for the kobold shaman’s head.

Upon seeing Kong Zhe, the shaman didn’t attack, but instead wore a curiously human expression of confusion.

Kong Zhe’s eyes flashed. He hesitated for a split second, lowered his knife, and instead used Divine Persuasion.

A pure white light shone. Kong Zhe met no resistance, and pacified the little dog with ease.

The corners of Kong Zhe’s mouth curled up. Just as he thought—the little dog recognized him immediately and even nuzzled him affectionately during the persuasion. It appeared that his rebirth affected not only humans, but summoned creatures as well.

Afterward, Kong Zhe and the little dog teamed up and easily dispatched the four kobolds.

While killing them, Kong Zhe made sure to let the little dog finish off each one, and when he checked his experience, it was exactly 100/100. Now the box no longer absorbed experience automatically; his gains were finally normal.

Without hesitation, he clicked the upgrade button.

A golden light flashed, and he reached level two. After distributing his attribute points evenly, his attention turned to the two glowing cards.

Leveling up to two awarded him a skill point, which he could use to learn one of them.

The “Water Ripple Card” was essentially a mana-drain skill, useful for replenishing his own magic or assisting others.

“Distorted Ray,” on the other hand, was equivalent to invisibility.

There was no need to deliberate: while he didn’t know the precise effects of either, invisibility was easily the better choice. He had no active skills; mana drain would be useless to him right now. Invisibility, however, would be invaluable—especially in these early days, surrounded by monsters. With it, he could move freely among them.

“Learn Distorted Ray!”

Ding. Skill acquired.

With the system prompt, the one-star space card actually flew out from the panel, as if finally freed, circling Kong Zhe several times before landing on his shoulder to nuzzle his cheek.

Kong Zhe watched, amazed.

The card was expressing joy and gratitude, just like a living creature.

Startled by the sudden appearance of the card, the little dog bared its teeth and growled jealously when it saw the card vying for attention.

The card flicked itself dismissively, exuding an obvious air of disdain.

Yes, disdain! Though, from the outside, it was just a card tilting slightly, Kong Zhe, now fused with it, could clearly sense its emotions—plainly and unmistakably disdainful.

Kong Zhe was amused, but suddenly felt a small drain in his magic. The card on his shoulder vanished.

Both Kong Zhe and the little dog stared in shock. The little dog looked around in confusion, searching for where the little thing had gone.

Suddenly, the card appeared out of thin air, less than two centimeters in front of the dog’s nose, and smacked it right in the eyes. Not done yet, the card hit it several more times.

The little dog yelped miserably and staggered backward.

Kong Zhe quickly called for a halt. At this rate, the card would blind the poor dog.

The card obediently returned to Kong Zhe’s hand.

“Whimper…” The little dog, now covering its eyes, peeked fearfully at the card from afar, no longer daring to provoke it.