Chapter 533: Artifact

The 【Reset to Zero】 quest rewarded a random item and a skill scroll; no need to bathe or burn incense this time—just rub your palms together and tap to open the skill box.

A blinding flash passed, and inside the chest lay a scroll.

【Skill Scroll Name: Gao Guang Moment】

【Attribute: Consumable (limited to twenty uses)】

【Type: Universal】

【Usage: Active】

【Quality: Perfect】

【Effect: Protagonist Aura. Prepare and perform specific actions or words; if they align with the world's definition of "cool," "awesome," "stylish," or "high vibe," temporarily trigger one or more special effects.】

【Cost: 50 Spirit Points】

【Cooldown: None】

【Requirement: Level 5 or higher】

【Note: Protagonist Aura effects include, but are not limited to—objects behind you suddenly explode without harming you; enemy targets' Intelligence temporarily plummets; 100% evasion of low-tier unit stray bullets; smoke without damage, survive falls from cliffs; increased luck and higher gambling win rates; continue moving despite severe injuries by breaking physiological limits; temporarily raise opposite-sex targets' favor and attract same-sex targets' hostility; increase persuasive power in verbal arguments.】

【Note: If, after preparation, you fail to perform actions that raise your vibe, or if your actions appear extremely awkward to those around you, you gain no Protagonist Aura and instead suffer hours of bad luck.】

【Note: Maintaining specific hairstyles (e. g., bald, gel-spiked, side-swept bangs, white hair) or wearing specific attire (sunglasses, suit, trench coat, high school uniform, magical girl outfit) increases the chance of summoning the Protagonist Aura.】

【Note: "On my return to this world, all traitors shall die." "I will not let the sky obscure my vision, nor the earth bury my heart." "I am the Heavenly Emperor—I shall slay all enemies." "Three million sword immortals dwell in heaven; all must bow before me." "Already darkened (age 8)."】

【Note: Ok guys, everyone, look at me! Look at me! I've got something to announce—I'm a paratrooper!】

Uh.

Li Cheng's eyelid twitched violently. He pulled the scroll from the chest, his expression utterly exasperated.

Though it was a perfect-quality consumable scroll, slightly inferior to epic-quality or learning-type scrolls, it made up for it with sheer quantity—twenty uses total—and approached the nature of a rule.

The cooldown was negligible; he could even pre-combat, like doing calisthenics, recite several lines of ultra-cool, ultra-dramatic dialogue to stack all buffs on himself.

The skill scroll had no restrictions; Li Cheng simply placed it in his inventory and turned to the other chest's random item.

It was a book. Green cover.

【Item Name: Book of Unclean Plague】

【Type: Artifact】

【Quality: Epic】

【Effect 1: Eternal Plague of the Cosmos. The Book of Unclean Plague self-replicates, recording every disease known to its user and loading them into its pages. No species restrictions. Passive effect.】

【Effect 2: Share Suffering. Select a category, randomly flip to a page under that category, and spread the disease's effect to a designated area and to yourself. The disease does not directly cause death. Consuming more Spirit Points reduces the category scope.】

【Effect 2 Cost: Varies by disease type, range, and number of targets】

【Effect 2 Cooldown: 5 seconds】

【Requirement: User must have simultaneously suffered a thousand diseases】

【Note: Diseases applied via Share Suffering heal naturally over time, depending on the afflicted's constitution and disease compatibility. Contagious diseases continue spreading to other susceptible living beings after the skill ends, losing their mystical properties.】

【Note: Double Spirit Point cost allows Share Suffering to affect only other living beings, but inflicts equal direct damage upon the user.】

【Note: All things decay; all beings endure.】 Holy shit holy shit holy shit?!

Li Cheng's eyes widened. Even though he'd seen countless grand scenes, seeing the Book of Unclean Plague's description still made his body tremble.

With a thought, the book appeared in his inventory. It was over seven hundred pages thick, hardbound in green leather, adorned with intricate, ornate golden patterns on the cover.

They resembled garden plants, yet also looked like some incomprehensible alien script.

Li Cheng dared not touch it directly. He hurried into the 3D warehouse, donned a full airtight hazmat suit, entered the sterile chamber, and retrieved the Book of Unclean Plague inside.

The book felt heavy—about twenty kilograms—far heavier than its page count suggested.

Opening it, the frontispiece bore no publisher, printing date, or edition info—only a deer skull entwined with thorny vines.

The vines hung down from the antlers, sinking into a swamp of flesh and blood. Beneath the surface lurked a vast shadow.

Gazing at the grotesque image for more than two seconds gave him a splitting headache and a creeping chill down his spine.

Turning the frontispiece, the book's table of contents was surprisingly clean and scientific—coded similarly to the WHO's International Classification of Diseases (ICD).