【New Moon Bishop Modi has invited you to join the [New Moon Sect]. Accept? Please note: This faction is currently hostile in this region.】
With a thought, Sophie made her choice.
【Log: You have declined.】
“I’ll come by tomorrow morning,” Sophie said, bidding Modi goodbye before stepping out of the alchemy shop.
A verbal agreement was enough; there was no need to involve the system.
While joining a faction unlocked the Contribution Shop, it also triggered regional and factional hostility.
Though she wasn't sure how that hostility manifested in this real world, Sophie didn't want to see a health bar pop up over the Hero's head the next time they met.
Speaking of the system...
Sophie opened her character panel.
【 Name: Sophie 】
【 Gender: Female (Reversed) 】
【 Attributes: HP | 10/10 】
【 Attributes: MP | 10/10 】
【 Temporary Status: Weakness (9 days), Light Sensitivity (Direct sunlight) 】
【 Race: Low-tier Vampire. Your transcendent race grants you extraordinary physical fitness. You can now easily lift a steamroller. All Attributes -10. 】
【 Remaining Free Attribute Points: 8 】
【 Strength: 2 】〈 System Evaluation: One-fifth the strength of an average human. While you still can't unscrew a tight jar lid, at least your knuckles won't spontaneously disintegrate when you clench your fist now. 〉
【 Agility: 2 】〈 System Evaluation: One-fifth the agility of an average human. Your sprinting speed has finally surpassed that of a penguin. Congratulations. 〉
【 Physique: 2 】〈 System Evaluation: One-fifth the constitution of an average human. When going out on a windy day, please be sure to stuff a few extra rocks in your pockets. 〉
【 Intelligence: 2 】〈 System Evaluation: One-fifth the casting ability of an average human. Your current mana fluctuations could probably keep a match burning for one extra second. 〉
【 Perception: 2 】〈 System Evaluation: One-fifth the sensory capability of an average human. Congratulations, you can finally notice someone shouting your name from ten meters away. 〉
【 Charisma: 28 】〈 System Evaluation: With the mask on, your current appearance can be considered delicate and lovely. Walking down the street might earn you a second glance from the local grocer. 〉
【 Undying Essence (Reversed) lv.Max: You must breathe oxygen to survive. Upon death, you gain 1 point of Blood Essence and are resurrected. 】
【 Trapped in Grave Soil (Reversed) lv.Max: You are forbidden from sleeping in a coffin. 】
【 Bloodthirsty Craving (Reversed) lv.Max: You feel physiological nausea toward blood. Consuming blood will cause you to lose HP. You must regularly consume garlic, holy water, and holy wafers to sustain your existence. 】
【 Light Sensitivity (Reversed) lv.Max: You prefer acting during the day. You recover HP when exposed to direct sunlight, holy light attacks, or when near holy artifacts. 】
【 Inhuman Physique (Special) lv.Max: You also recover from limb damage when recovering HP. 】
【 Charm (Reversed) lv.Max: Once per day, you can force any humanoid creature to view you as a mortal enemy and attack you to the best of their ability for one day. 】
【 Spider Climb (Reversed) lv.Max: You are unable to hang upside down from the ceiling. 】
【 Born of Death (Reversed) lv.Max: You can turn monsters into humans through a First Embrace. 】
【 Great Memory Restoration Technique lv.2: When performing an attack with a non-lethal weapon, you have a 20% chance to make the target recall a memory. 】
【 Pickpocketing (Reversed) lv.1: You can plant a small item on a target without them noticing. 】
【 Stealth (Reversed) lv.1: When active, your Movement Speed +50% and your Presence +50%. 】
【 Acting (Reversed) lv.1: You can briefly play a role or display an emotion. The more saccharine your performance, the more likely the target is to believe you. 】
【 Ritual Mastery (Special) lv.4: You have mastered high-tier ritual processes, greatly increasing ritual success rates and ritual output. 】
【 Pure Lust (Special) lv.Max: You have dispelled your inner demons and are immune to all mental control effects. 】
【 Active Skills: Flight, Human Form, Bat Form, Vampire Form, Charm, First Embrace, Pickpocketing, Stealth, Acting 】
Standing in the street, Sophie touched her mask.
Her Charisma had dropped.
But her other stats were truly pitiful.
Without the modification of over a thousand Charisma points, she was basically a cripple.
Even the Buddha would shed tears of blood at this sight.
Sophie sighed.
Since she lacked raw numbers, she would have to make up for it with mechanics.
She thought for a moment and opened a new system menu.
【 The Forge function requires more than 5 non-template traits to unlock (Requirement Met). Spend 5 Free Attribute Points to enable? 】
【 Confirm 】
As her Free Attribute Points dropped from 8 to 3, a brand-new page appeared before Sophie.
The page had three options.
【 Skill Draw: Consumes 10 Skill Points to randomly draw a skill of Rare grade or higher. A free draw is available every 7 days of real-world time. A Special grade skill is guaranteed every ten draws. (Common/Rare/Special) 】
【 Skill Synthesis: Consumes 2 skills as materials to generate a brand-new skill of higher quality. 】
【 Skill Mutation: Consumes 10 Skill Points to cause a skill to undergo a beneficial or malignant mutation. 】
Yes, it was the legendary gacha function—the system of infinite possibilities.
In his past life, Hiso hadn't used this function much, mainly because he had dumped all his points into his own stats, and the free draw required seven real-world days rather than seven in-game days.
How could a bunch of random skills compare to well-honed stats?
For example, with skills like Stealth and Pickpocketing, as long as your speed was high enough, you could rob an NPC right to their face and they wouldn't even be able to react.
Or with Acting—Hiso had the face of an Elder God; no NPC would ever believe a word he said. The only solution was to beat the NPC with Strength until they believed him, making Acting entirely useless.
But Sophie was different.
This system was incredibly powerful for her.
Because her game time and real-world time were now one and the same.
Living a long time really did have its perks.
What would the slogan be? 'Vampirism grants me longevity; I shall eventually become invincible just by existing'?
Sophie hummed a little tune as she pressed the Skill Draw button.
【 Drawing... 】
【 You have drawn a Rare skill: [Seeking Defeat] Comprehension Voucher. Use on yourself or an NPC? 】
【 Next free draw available in: 6.99 days. 】
“Use on myself,” Sophie said.
【 Seeking Defeat lv.Max: When facing an opponent whose attributes are entirely lower than yours, your first attack will ignore the target's [Resistance], [HP], [Evasion], and [Defense], and be directly judged as a victory. 】
〈 “In the world of martial arts, there are only three realms: Senior, Fellow Daoist, and Ant.” 〉
【 Heart of Yin is in effect... 】
【 Seeking Defeat (Reversed) lv.Max: When facing an opponent whose attributes are entirely higher than yours, your first attack will ignore your own [Strength], [Speed], [Mana], and [Damage], and will be guaranteed to be judged as a Narrow Defeat. 】
〈 “In years past, I sought defeat, yet none in the world could grant it; today, I seek victory, yet none in the world will yield it.” 〉
Now that was the good stuff.
Sophie's eyes lit up.
With this skill...
Even against someone like Sukuna, she could trade a blow and then claim it was merely a narrow defeat.
Rate on N.U.
