Chapter 3025: Addiction Beneath the Blood 01

Xu Li leisurely swayed back to his office, sat down, took out the stack of unopened cards, stared at the card in his hand that glowed with a dark red sheen, flipped it over and back, examined it repeatedly, thought it over, and finally placed it into the teleportation array's recess—nothing could be more suited to this little world than Jin Chen and the bureau chief!

The crimson crescent moon card was set in, slowly seeping into the entire teleportation array.

Xu Li clapped his hands, stepped back two paces, and satisfiedly surveyed his achievement.

"They'll definitely like it."

He then felt something was still missing.

For a new playstyle, there had to be something different; after pondering a while, he decided to equip Jin Chen with a system.

Xu Li lowered his head to flip through the system registry when a light suddenly flashed beside him, and a screen popped out.

"Xu Li Xu Li Xu Li!!!"

Xu Li was startled by the voice, jerking so hard the registry almost flew from his hand.

He looked up to see Ling Gun Gun covering the whole screen, shouting, "Where's my host! Have you seen my host?!"

Ling Gun Gun spoke while tapping the screen with its claws, making the image wobble.

Xu Li rubbed his buzzing ears, regained his composure, and said, "He and the bureau chief went to play in the little world."

"This time it's a new playstyle, and besides, I still need to give your host a system."

"No!"

Ling Gun Gun's voice suddenly jumped an octave, making Xu Li flinch again.

"I'm already by the host's side!" it declared righteously, "No other system is needed! No spirit will do!"

Xu Li wanted to say the system was just a tool, lacking sentience and wouldn't compete for affection, but seeing Ling Gun Gun's look that dared him to give the host a system or else, he swallowed his words.

"Then what do you suggest? You can't come back anyway." He spread his hands.

"Wait!" Ling Gun Gun tossed that line and vanished from the screen in a swipe.

Xu Li: "……" What the heck!

He waited about the time it takes to finish a cup of tea.

The screen lit up again.

This time, not only Ling Gun Gun appeared, but also Bai Ze.

"I've got it! I've got it!" Ling Gun Gun clung to the screen, "The boss said we can split off a strand of my divine soul to go in! That way I'll still be with the host!"

"That works; we'll use this as the vessel." Xu Li rummaged in the drawer and pulled out a tiny spirit pearl, inside which hovered a faint halo of light.

"Okay!" it clapped its claws, "Just like that, it's decided!"

Xu Li looked at Bai Ze.

Bai Ze gave a slight nod, "It's possible."

Xu Li clicked his tongue inwardly; this kid Jin Chen, as a tasker, was too comfortable—even going to the little world, divine pets fawned over him, begging to tag along.

Ling Gun Gun over there had already begun moving.

It closed its eyes; the markings on its forehead suddenly blazed like a small sun burning between its brows, an extremely fine thread of light split from the radiance, slowly drifting through the void and landing on the spirit pearl in Xu Li's hand.

——

Moonlight spilled over the garden outside the castle.

Upon this vicious ink-black expanse, deep red‑near‑black roses bloomed with abnormal fierceness, their color thick like congealing blood, bursting forth with violent vitality in the silent night.

In the layers of flower piles, a man lay flat, his hands folded over his chest, his pose serene like a nobleman asleep in a coffin; silver hair spilled over the dark‑red petals, glowing with a chill lighter than moonlight, his features transcending gender—exquisitely beautiful, his skin so pale the bluish veins beneath showed, while his lips were intensely red, as if he'd just drunk the richest blood.

The last wisp of cloud veiling the moonlight dispersed, and the man opened his eyes.

In an instant, even the roses in full bloom dimmed, becoming mere unnoticeable backdrop.

The man lay still a moment, his gaze idly sweeping over the tangled thorns and branches overhead, then slowly sat up; petals slipped from his shoulders and hair ends, scattering through the gaps in the flower thicket as he looked out.

Not far off, ranks of figures in uniform black robes, hooded cloaks draped over them, marched silently into the castle, blending into the night like rows of moving tombstones.

The man again lowered his gaze to himself; his slender fingertips hooked lightly in the moonlight, and at the rear of the line a person collapsed soundlessly, the black robe drifting down into the flowerbed.

The man rose, casually straightened his robe, and strolled to a pool half‑covered by rose roots and stems, bending to peer at his reflection in the water.

The pool was murky, reflecting a vague shadow beneath the hood and, even in the dim water, the brilliance of his blue eyes that could not be hidden; he stared at the reflection a moment, his brow slightly furrowed, clearly dissatisfied with this attire.

A point of light suddenly flared on the water's surface, broke free, hovered before the man's eyes, circled him slowly, and as the light flowed it stretched, becoming a palm‑sized small cat shape entirely wrapped in a soft glow.

【O wanderer awakened from a long slumber…… Are you perplexed by your own existence, lost in the wilderness of memory? I am the great guiding spirit, able to lift the fog and answer your doubts.】

The man silently regarded the floating‑sinking light cat, raising an eyebrow slightly; just as Ling Gun Gun felt the atmosphere ripening, ready to proceed with the next imposing and tempting guidance, he was suddenly seized whole, making it gag.

【…Urk! Let go! Let go! Let go!】

The man lazily leaned back against the thick soft flowerbed, propping his forehead with one hand, leisurely watching the trembling clump of light. Moonlight fell on him, giving his silver hair a cold sheen.

The light‑cat puff cautiously drifted back a bit, keeping a safe distance, 【Alright, alright, I'm done acting—don't pinch me anymore. Let's get down to business!】

Ling Gun Gun rattled off a rapid barrage.

In short, this world's plot is about to collapse—doomed—and he must finish the task to regain his memory.

The man spoke in an even tone, devoid of emotion, 'So, who am I?'

【Before the key plot is reclaimed, your true name and full identity are sealed by the rules; even I don't know them now.】

【But you can give yourself a name!】

The man narrowed his eyes slightly, flicked a finger at it, and said, 'No.'

Ling Gun Gun yelped, flung into the air by the flip, tumbling several times as its light flickered wildly.

It steadied itself, dazed, daring not to speak in anger.

Ling Gun Gun well knew that opposing the host was endless; only going with the flow offered a path to survival.

【O mighty and mysterious tasker! Look how lovely you appear waking from the flowers—more radiant than moonlight, more beautiful than roses! Having no name is terribly inconvenient… Let me bestow upon you a worthy title befitting your peerless grace!】

【How about Jin Chen? It's practically tailor‑made for a beauty like you!】

Ling Gun Gun chattered on, wishing to dump every compliment from the dictionary onto Jin Chen's head. The glowing kitten spun in mid‑air, its tail tip occasionally tracing a heart shape.

Jin Chen waited until it had nothing left to say before considering it tacit approval.

Ling Gun Gun let out a big sigh of relief and began to quickly explain the background.