Chapter 45: Persuade Her?

With her unparalleled mastery of marksmanship, Su Meiqin had never known defeat during three years of the apocalypse. Later, she became the Lord of Heavenly Fragrance City, and the only woman among the five Supreme Humans. She was a famed beauty to begin with, and her extraordinary skill made her renowned among humanity—a goddess in the hearts of many men.

In his previous life, Kong Zhe had been a mere nobody who would never have crossed paths with someone like her. Yet, by coincidence, she had once saved his life. It happened when he was being hunted to a dead end by the Hell Baron; Su Meiqin had passed by and, seeing that they both hailed from Golden City, had lent him a hand and driven off his pursuer. For someone of her strength, it was hardly an effort, but to Kong Zhe, it was nothing less than life-saving grace.

That was the only time he’d seen her in person. He’d thought he’d never meet her again, but to his surprise, at the very beginning of this life’s apocalypse, fate brought them together once more.

But what puzzled Kong Zhe was why she was on the brink of death already. Could his rebirth have altered her fate in this life? Perhaps, but whatever the reason, it was not something he could concern himself with now.

At present, two paths lay before him.

First, he could continue with his original plan and end her suffering in one swift stroke. Yet, now that he knew who she was, Kong Zhe found himself unable to do it. After all, she had saved his life in his previous existence; now, to take hers—even if it was for her own good—left him with a sense of unease he couldn’t ignore.

Second, he could simply leave her be and watch as she walked the last stretch of her life. She had only just awakened, her body’s data not yet fully integrated, so her corpse should remain after death. Afterwards, he could at least bury her, making sure she wouldn’t be devoured by monsters even after death.

But if he chose this, he’d forfeit the Silver Treasure Chest for certain—a violation of his principle of always acting in his own best interests.

What to do? Both courses had their flaws, and he found himself unwilling to choose either.

If only he could save her, Kong Zhe couldn’t help but think. That way, not only would he get the Silver Chest, but saving her would be an easy way to forge a strong alliance. She could become a powerful ally in the future.

But with her in this state, how could she possibly be saved...? Wait.

Suddenly, Kong Zhe froze, as if struck by a thought, and hurriedly opened his status panel. He remembered that when he first learned Sacred Persuasion, he’d looked at the effects of its second level, and if he recalled correctly, there was an inconspicuous note there.

He quickly opened the skill upgrade window and invested the skill point he’d just received into Sacred Persuasion. Immediately, the description for Level Two Sacred Persuasion appeared.

Sacred Persuasion Level Two: Gain permanent control of a unit, not to exceed Level Three of current maximum. Can persuade up to two units. Persuaded units gain an additional 100 health points.

Kong Zhe’s eyes lit up. Not only did Level Two Sacred Persuasion grant him an extra slot for persuasion, it also bestowed an extra effect—increased health.

A mere hundred points of health might seem insignificant, but since it was an additional bonus, it could bring someone from zero health to a hundred, even if their life energy had been depleted. As long as she regained some health, even a little, there was hope for revival.

But, to persuade her?

He swallowed nervously. He had considered persuading humans before but had never tried it, and had no idea whether it would work. In all his past life, he’d never heard of anyone persuading a human. If persuading a kobold had been so dangerous, wouldn’t persuading an intelligent human be even more so? He could end up suffering a mental backlash and become a vegetable.

It was too risky... Kong Zhe shook his head.

Yet some thoughts, once born, take root and grow wild in the mind, impossible to dismiss.

This wasn’t just any human—she was one of humanity’s future strongest...

To persuade a future Supreme! What a mad idea!

Though the chances of failure were high and the consequences dire, if he succeeded...

Kong Zhe dared not think further, but he knew well enough that the potential gain far outweighed the risks.

Besides, he did feel some affection for this woman. He was someone who repaid kindness. Now that he had a chance to save her, he naturally didn’t want her to die.

From the corner of his eye, he saw her pale face and closed eyes. If not for the faint rise and fall of her chest, he would have thought her already dead.

The situation was dire—there was no time for hesitation. At last, Kong Zhe made his decision.

After mastering the second level of Sacred Persuasion, Kong Zhe took a deep breath and used it on Su Meiqin.

A gentle white glow appeared. As he watched nervously, her mutilated body slowly began to recover. After two seconds, the light faded.

“Huh?”

Kong Zhe was stunned. He’d expected a fierce mental struggle, but the persuasion process encountered no resistance at all—nothing could have been smoother! She hadn’t resisted in the slightest.

Was it because she was unconscious? That was the only explanation he could think of, but either way, the process was a success.

He’d been bracing himself for another rebirth; now, with the persuasion complete, a great weight lifted from his heart.

With the puppies’ healing spells cast one after another, Su Meiqin’s body, which had been torn and mangled by monsters, was soon restored.

Then, under Kong Zhe’s expectant gaze, Su Meiqin opened her eyes.

“Master!” came a cold, emotionless voice.

There was no time to dwell on the strange thrill of being addressed this way. Kong Zhe quickly noticed her unfocused gaze and the robotic stiffness of her expression.

Did persuading a human erase their original personality? Was she still Su Meiqin, or just an empty shell?

“Show me your panel.”

Su Meiqin mechanically extended her hand, tapped twice in the air, and her information appeared before Kong Zhe’s eyes.

Name: Su Meiqin
Level: 1
Experience: 0/100
Strength: 15
Agility: 20
Intelligence: 15
Health: 400
Mana: 150
Attack: 20
Profession: Hidden Class, Dancer of the Sacred Gun
Awakening Rank: Twelfth in Golden City. Reward: One Silver Treasure Chest.

“What high starting stats!” Kong Zhe stared in amazement at her panel. He’d thought his own starting stats were excellent, but excluding the five attribute points he’d later acquired, Su Meiqin’s were a full eleven points higher!

Of course, talent played a role, but the siege by monsters had surely contributed as well. He himself had gained four or five points just from being attacked by a single fishman. She’d suffered far worse, so it was understandable her stats were so high.

But what truly shocked him was that she had awakened directly as a hidden class.

From his experience in the previous life, Kong Zhe had always believed that all Awakening candidates started as ordinary classes, and that only by using a class scroll from a gold chest could one advance to a special class.

He himself had only obtained his class thanks to his super artifact. He’d never heard of anyone awakening directly into a hidden class.

It seemed, now, that it wasn’t impossible—just that in his former life, he’d never been high enough to learn such secrets.

Kong Zhe couldn’t help but smile wryly. No wonder Su Meiqin had become a Supreme in the previous life; with such talent, it would be harder not to be strong.

Shaking his head, Kong Zhe took out her Silver Treasure Chest. But as soon as it was in his hands, he hesitated, then decided to give it back to her.

“You open it.”

He was still under the curse of misfortune; luck-based matters were best left to others.

“Yes, Master.” Su Meiqin replied expressionlessly and opened the chest without hesitation.

A necklace shimmering with violet light fell out. Kong Zhe quickly picked it up.

Veil of Light Necklace.

Base Stats: Increases health by 300 points; health regeneration +2 per second.
Dual-wield weapon damage +15.
Gun Mastery skill level +1.
Main Attribute: Unidentified.
Secondary Attributes: Three random attributes unlocked at Levels 7, 14, and 21.
Restricted to gun classes.

“Damn! Four extra attributes?”

Kong Zhe’s eyes widened and he couldn’t help cursing. This was outrageous. It was clearly a purple-grade item, but had four additional attributes—already approaching the standard of divine gear!

Looking closer, he saw that the violet glow of the necklace was tinged with traces of gold. It really was a piece of equipment just shy of divinity.

Could this be the luck of one of humanity’s future Supremes? To draw a divine item from a Silver Chest!

Shaking his head, Kong Zhe equipped the Veil of Light Necklace on her. It was only usable by gun classes, so useless to him, and he never intended to take it anyway.

Now that he had successfully persuaded her, his fate was tied to Su Meiqin’s. He wanted nothing to hinder her ascent to power.

But as he fastened the necklace around her neck, Kong Zhe’s eyes couldn’t help but stray downward.

After the monsters’ attack, Su Meiqin’s clothes were in tatters. When her body was covered in blood and wounds, nothing could be seen, but now, healed, stretches of alabaster skin peeked through the gaps, dazzling his eyes.

He found himself unable to look away.

Snow-white skin, a full chest, a slender waist, and long legs—all now half-revealed before him. He couldn’t help but swallow, his body responding involuntarily.

“Technically, I’m her master now... If I touched her, she probably wouldn’t resist, right?” As the thought crossed his mind, Kong Zhe quickly shook his head, banishing the wicked notion.